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BRUTALIZED BLACK JOURNALISTS, STILL STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE IN CANADA: Online Petition and Defense Fund established to Support Tonye Allen and Ann Brown.
Amid international up roar and media support, a Defense Fund has been established along with an online Petition campaign for journalists, Ann Brown and Tonye Allen. The couple have been stranded in Canada since October 2006, after becoming victims of police brutality and racial profiling.
To some, it might seem as if hailing a cab is deemed a crime in Toronto, Canada. That is what journalist Ann Brown and Tonye Allen were attempting to do on October 16, 2006 after checking out of their hotel. The events that ensued have changed their lives forever.
Police from the Toronto Division 51 detained the two without explanation. When the couple asked questions, the police turned violent, beating up and arresting Tonye Allen, while assaulting Ann Brown. Allen was eventually charged with assault and resisting arrest.
The journalists, whose combined writing and photography credits include Essence, Black Enterprise, VIBE and Rolling Stone to name a few, have been trapped in Toronto ever since, fighting for justice while trying to maintain their daily livelihood. Both are professionals with no prior criminal records.
"I feel as though we are in the twilight zone," states Brown. "As a reporter, I have written several glowing tourist pieces on Toronto. I can't believe that the city I have embraced has turned its back on us. It is a total travesty of justice."
For additional details and updates, go to www.TonyeAllenandAnnBrown.blogspot.com. To sign the petition go to http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/9462469 42. And finally, financial support can be forwarded to www.Paypal.com, Account: brownannl@gmail.com or contact their lawyer, Jason Bogle at http://www.bogleslawoffice.com.
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source:
Jazzmyne Public Relations
makeda@jazzmynepr.com
