DAILY LOBO new mexico
Obama Flowchart see Page 4
summer July 15-21, 2013
The Independent Student Voice of UNM since 1895
George Zimmerman verdict draws rally by Ardee Napolitano news@dailylobo.com
Andrea Mays, a Ph.D. student studying American studies in her final year at UNM, said in a speech Sunday afternoon that her brother was shot and killed in the streets of Chicago two years ago. Police were able to arrest suspects, but Mays said justice was not served. “The three young men who rained those bullets at him were caught, were tried, were jailed,” she said. “As I sat at the arraignment, I looked at their faces. Not so different from his. When the D.A. told me, ‘Ma’am, we’ll get justice for your brother. I’m going to ask for the death penalty,’ I was not comfortable. It seems like a rather odd equation that the lives of three young black men in exchange for the life of my young black brother should somehow be justice.” Then, as a man held a sign that read “Justice for Trayvon” beside her, Mays read a poem about her brother’s death she wrote immediately after. It was titled “Post-Racist Captivity.” Mays attended a rally at the Albuquerque Civic Plaza organized by local Albuquerque residents to protest a Florida jury’s verdict
acquitting George Zimmerman, the Florida man who shot 17-yearold Trayvon Martin in 2012. The jury made the wrong decision, Mays said. “What happened yesterday was not even an equation,” she said. “Nobody was accountable. Trayvon Martin’s death, in the eyes of many Americans, is a blameless crime.” Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch coordinator, shot Martin, an African American, in Sanford, Fla. on Feb. 26, 2012. Zimmerman claimed that Martin attacked him and that he shot Martin in selfdefense. Police later found that Martin, who was wearing a hoodie and carrying a bottle of iced tea and Skittles, was unarmed. In the midst of allegations of racist motivations, the multi-racial Hispanic Zimmerman was tried for second-degree murder and manslaughter. He was found not guilty on both charges Saturday. Local activist Brenda Rodriguez, one of the organizers of the rally, said no particular organization sponsored the event. She said she got together with other local activists on Saturday and publicized the event through social media that night. “I created the Facebook event
Sergio Jiménez / Daily Lobo Isabelle Carrasco dons a hoodie and crosses her arms Sunday afternoon at a rally organized by local activists in support of Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old African American who was shot and killed by George Zimmerman in 2012. Attendees protested a Florida jury’s decision to acquit Zimmerman of charges of second-degree murder and manslaughter. About 200 people attended the event at Albuquerque’s Civic Plaza. last night at midnight,” she said Sunday. “I actually expected myself and 20 people in my circle of friends to just get together. I was kind of overwhelmed. I woke up this morning and I was like 140 people are going to come to this event.” About 200 people attended the event.
WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?
Sally-Alice Thompson strums her guitar outside the University Bookstore Thursday afternoon, supporting a number of protesters rallying against a war between the U.S. and Syria. Thompson, a World War II Navy veteran and retired elementary teacher, said the U.S. military should stay out of conflict in the Middle East. “I think we’ve wasted enough lives, enough money, enough petroleum for nothing — it’s time to quit,” Thompson said. Thursday’s rally was one of many for Thompson, who has been involved with Veterans for Peace for the past 20 years. Thompson said her interest in protests began years after retiring as an elementary school teacher. “My husband and I both had a transition from going along with everything the government did to realizing we have to oppose a lot of things the government does,” she said. ~Antonio Sanchez
Aaron Sweet / Daily Lobo
Inside the
Daily Lobo volume 117
issue 161
History in the signing
Fiery for fútbol
see Page 3
see Page 8
Rodriguez said the event reflects the Albuquerque community’s commitment to equality and against discrimination in the country. “Albuquerque folks are part of this and we do have a say in this,” she said. “I’m really proud that Albuquerque is in the list of cities that are having a national day of
action. We’re saying that this is not fair and we are not going to take it.” During the event, activists delivered speeches and poems to the audience who were carrying placards in the rain. A vigil that featured musical performances followed. Bahati Ansari, a local community
by Ardee Napolitano
serious danger to the area and only to the specific residence.” Peck said police found chemicals in the apartment’s kitchen and in one of the bedrooms where the meth lab was alleged to be housed. But he said APD’s drug unit did not find evidence that the chemicals were mixed to make meth. “They did observe some chemicals sitting on the kitchen counter, but they have not been used,” he said. “They were just in bottles and were just in plain view. These were chemicals that you could buy in any hardware store.” Peck said one of the chemicals observed at the scene was iodine but he declined to give more examples. Peck said UNMPD has identified who was living in the apartment where the chemicals were found. But he said police will not name the suspect, who Peck said was “not a student,” until they finish their investigation. According to the police report, the 20-year-old suspect “stated to officers that he was using chemicals to manufacture a type of psychedelic drug from a recipe that he had located on the internet. He stated that he has used mushrooms in the past but wanted something without the same side effects.” The suspect said he started
see Trayvon PAGE 3
No meth lab found at Lobo Village news@dailylobo.com
After a daylong investigation, UNM’s Police Department found Thursday that an anonymous report about a possible meth lab at Lobo Village turned out to be false. UNMPD Operations Lieutenant Trace Peck said an anonymous caller reported the possibility of a meth lab in a Lobo Village apartment Wednesday night. Peck said UNMPD asked the help of Albuquerque Police Department’s drug unit to investigate the scene later that night. “We got a call last night from anonymous caller about chemicals in one of the apartments,” he said. “The caller was concerned that it could possibly be a meth lab. Officers responded down to Lobo Village and were able to get inside the apartment.” According to a police report released by UNMPD, officers obtained permission from Lobo Village’s management to enter the apartment. There were other residents in the apartment at the time of the incident, according to the report. Officers then vacated the apartment and asked the Albuquerque Fire Department’s hazmat team to check if the chemicals were dangerous. According to the report, the team identified that there was “not
see Meth
Lab PAGE 3
MONDAY
95 | 67