Protest March In Brussels Following Stabbing Over Mp3 Player
WOW!......
Thousands march for stabbed Brussels teen
24.04.06 1.20pm
BRUSSELS - More than 80,000 people marched in silence through Brussels today in memory of a teenager stabbed to death by two suspects of North African origin in Belgium's biggest protest in 10 years, police said.
Joe Van Holsbeeck, 17, was stabbed five times in the chest during the evening rush hour on April 12 when he refused to hand over his MP3 player to the men in the central railway station.
On the request of Van Holsbeeck's parents, marchers did not carry any political banners but Van Holsbeeck's death triggered an uproar over crime and racial tension in Belgium.
The federal prosecutor's office said on the basis of video footage from security cameras, two men of North African origin were suspected of carrying out the crime.
Leaders of the Muslim community in Brussels said they were disturbed by the stabbing and immams called at prayers for people to turn in the suspects if they knew who they were.
Representatives of North African communities in the capital took part in the silent protest, officials said.
Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt said the teenager's death should not go unpunished to send a signal to society that such crimes would not be tolerated.
Marchers queued up to lay a white rose or bunches of flowers as the march passed the Gare Centrale railway station.
Police said it was the country's biggest demonstration since around 300,000 people took part in the so-called White March in 1996 to commemorate the victims of paedophile Marc Dutroux and to protest against the slow-moving Belgian judicial system.
- REUTERS
......on a side-note ten years ago in my hometown (Belleville) a friend of ours in High School was killed in Florida - the city rallied together and raised money through multiple fund-raising events - elmentary school's took part in the grieving process with condolences of cards and artwork - city council prompted speakers to come to the schools and educate kids against violence and gun crime - and many other inititives......reading about this protest over this petty murder of a crime I couldn't help but remember and share his story as well.....R.I.P. Mark
Canadian Killed in Florida. Teen Sentenced to Life in Prison.
In Daytona Beach, a judge heeded the jury's recommendation and
sentenced John Rainey to life in prison yesterday for the murder of
Belleville teenager Mark Fyke.
In a hushed courtroom, the judge sentenced him to life without parole for 1st-degree murder and also to 18 years fo aggravated robbery, to be served concurrently.
Rainey was convicted last month of murdering the Belleville teen on the night of March 15, 1996. Fyke was on vacation in Florida, speaking to his mother from a beachside pay phone when he was surrounded by several young men. They forced Fyke to abruptly hang up the phone and demanded his wallet.
When Fyke took too long to comply, Rainey put a .38-caliber pistol to his head and pulled the trigger. Fyke had just $17 US on him. "I never got a chance to say goodbye to him," Christine Fyke said last month in a victim impact statement. "If I could have warned him, I would have."
District attorney Noah McKinnon told jurors Fyke's death had
devastated his family and sent his entire community into mourning.
"(Rainey) took a large part of her life," McKinnon said, pointing to
Fyke's mother.
"You heard how his death took a chunk out of the heart of his father. An entire city in Canada mourned his loss." 1 juror was so moved by Christine Fyke's statement he walked over to Fyke's best friend Che Guerrera, who was beside the Belleville teen when he died, and apologized on behalf of the American people. "Tell all of Canada we apologize," Raoul Alfonso said.
(source: Canadian Press)
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 IF YOU GOT TRANCE IN YOUR PANTS WHIP IT OUT!!! IF NOT JUST WHIP IT OUT ANYWAY!!!
   
Last edited by Sean Cassidy on Apr-24-2006 at 22:44
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