An update on #JacobJohns and the trial of his assailant...

Civil suit over #Oñate shooting settled out of court

By KOB
May 8, 2024

ESPAÑOLA, N.M. – "It was a scary afternoon in Española last fall when a fight broke out between protesters and a counterprotester near the site of a proposed #JuanDeOñate statue.

"Video shows a shooter pulling out a gun and firing one shot before fleeing the scene.

"23-year-old Ryan Martinez is charged with that shooting. The victim, Jacob Johns, was taken to the hospital. He was there for more than a month and underwent multiple surgeries.

"'He lost his spleen, he is missing parts of his liver, his stomach, and his pancreas. So it was an incredibly serious wound that he received,' said John Day, attorney for Jacob Johns.

"Back in January, he sued Martinez and his family for assault, battery, personal injury and negligence.

"'The lawsuit itself explains that the parents were the ones who were aware, and under the claims of the civil lawsuit, were aware of the situation. Beyond that I can’t discuss more terms of it,' Day said.

"The lawsuit claimed Martinez’s parents knew he was 'obsessed with guns.' Reportedly, there was an incident where neighbors called the cops after seeing Martinez walk around heavily armed late at night.

"Back in 2018, Martinez was reportedly questioned by the FBI for making threatening posts online.

"This week, the civil case was settled. The terms of the settlement are confidential, but this isn’t the end of this case. The criminal trial of Martinez is only a few months away.

"'He is looking forward to having his day in court basically in this criminal case as the victim of this shooting. Jacob is really pleased that the elected DA is the one taking the case to trial. And it will be up to the DA to determine who she calls, but it would make sense for Jacob to testify because he was the one who got shot,' Day said.

"The criminal case is set to start in early July. Johns is listed as a witness, but it is unclear at this time if he will take the stand."

https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/civil-suit-over-onate-shooting-settled-out-of-court/

#IndigenousNews #ClimateActivist #Artivist #IndigenousActivists #ClimateJustice #NativeAmericanActivists
#HateCrime #MAGATerrorism

Do “#WeKeepUsSafe”? Notes on Action Security & Some Resources

by #IndigenousAction admin, September 30, 2023

"'We keep us safe!' is an abolitionist assertion that the state or some paternalistic organization will not protect us from #colonial, #fascist, #WhiteSupremacist, #Queerphobic attacks, so we must organize and defend ourselves and those we are in community with.

"We cannot leave this slogan to be an empty gesture or posture. It must be conveyed with the necessary training and organizing to address the hyperpoliticized and conflictual environments that we organize in.

"While we cannot anticipate and prevent all fascist assaults, if we pronounce that 'we keep us safe,' we can and must do what we can to organize and be prepared. Liberal and 'radical' non-profit managers constantly decrying the 'inactions of cops' does not keep us safe, it only invokes further police violence. Additionally, calling on colonial politicians to respond to fascist violence as a 'hate crime,' is really a call to further the carceral state and its institutional violences (courts, prisons, more policing, etc).

"On September 28th, 2023 #JacobJohns, an #Indigenous person was shot by Ryan Martinez, a colonial invader and #MAGA fascist at an action called to confront the re-establishment of a monument to the genocidal colonizer Juan de #Oñate in so-called Española, New Mexico. This shooting occurred under the same watch of an organization that hosted a previous anti-Oñate monument action in 2020 where #ScottWilliams was shot and severely injured.

"From #HeatherHeyer, #JosephRosenbaum, and #AnthonyHuber to many more who have been injured or killed while resisting authoritarian nationalism (aka fascism), these deadly attacks are occurring within a context of historic, ongoing, and escalating colonial violence.

"Since 2020, groups based in occupied New Mexico organizing anti-monument actions have been directly challenged for putting people at serious risk. Calls that have been made for more organized security have been denounced by inexperienced organizers in these groups.

"These issues and considerations are not new, the #BlackPantherParty for Self Defense and #AIM initiated armed patrols and armed resistance in the face of state, white supremacist, and colonial terror. Amorphous entities such as #Antifa and #BashBack have continually mobilized street warfare in defensive and proactive ways. These groups have long recognized that we cannot merely rely on 'safety in numbers,' (though numbers do help) our enemies are more organized than that, so why aren’t we?

"We cannot pronounce liberation without simultaneously preparing and mobilizing defense.

"As everyone should be doing #MutualAid, everyone should be prepared for #MutualDefense. We cannot depend on any organizers or organizations to simply do this for us. If 'We keep us safe,' we better fucking mean it.

"As Goldfinch Gun Club stated, 'Community defense has to be about #solidarity and uplift mutual aid, not just arming vulnerable peoples. By the time someone starts shooting, everyone has already lost. The best defense is #ABetterWorld. It’s possible. We have to believe that.'"

Full article and resources/recommendations:
https://www.indigenousaction.org/do-we-keep-us-safe-notes-on-action-security-some-resources/

The #RedNation Account of Thursday’s Shooting

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SEPTEMBER 30, 2023

CONTACT
editortherednation@gmail.com

WHAT
THE RED NATION RESPONDS TO RACIST ATTACK ON #INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

WHERE/WHEN
SEPTEMBER 28, 2023 RIO ARRIBA COUNTY ANNEX BUILDING

WHO
CALLING ON ALL NATIONAL, STATE, TRIBAL, COUNTY, AND CITY OFFICIALS, AND MOVEMENT #ALLIES, TO CONDEMN THIS RACIST ATTACK AND DEMAND THE PROTECTION OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

WHY
An agitator opened fire on a prayerful celebration in #Tewa Territory (#Española, #NewMexico) shortly after 12PM local time on Thursday, September 28. This was a premeditated act of violence. The agitator shot #JacobJohns (#Hopi and Akimel #Oodham in the torso. Johns was protecting a #peaceful group of community members assembled at the Rio Arriba County Annex Building, along with half a dozen community #peacekeepers. The gunman was heard saying 'let’s do this' to a small group of men immediately before opening fire. At the time of the shooting, community members were celebrating a postponement of the reinstallation of a Juan de #Oñate statue that was previously removed from Alcalde, New Mexico on June 15, 2020. Rio Arriba County officials planned to reinstall the statue on Thursday morning in its new location in front of the county annex building, but postponed the reinstallation after community members and activists mounted pressure earlier in the week. News of the postponement came as a relief to organizers, who turned the planned #PeacefulProtest into an impromptu peaceful celebration with speeches and a community feed.

"Before the shooting, the agitator was seen antagonizing the crowd, saying racist remarks, referring to attendees as 'Indians,' and at one point proclaimed himself to be a follower of #QAnon. The agitator also made a point to introduce himself to the media present and requested to be photographed and filmed. In the moments leading up to the shooting, the agitator attempted to approach the small crowd of mostly Indigenous women and children congregating around the event’s speakers in front of the building’s main entrance. Video evidence shows that Jacob Johns and other community peacekeepers successfully stopped the agitator from approaching the crowd. Eyewitnesses speculate that the shooter was trying to break through the crowd to shoot the speaker, or to jump on the cement pedestal to get a vantage point with the intent of carrying out a mass shooting. Video footage also shows that community peacekeepers did not pursue the agitator once they had successfully removed him to the other side of a wall separating the sidewalk from the complex. Despite this, the agitator reached under his sweatshirt with his right hand, drew a pistol, pointed, and shot one round into the crowd, hitting Johns in the torso. Additional ammo was seen tucked into his belt by eyewitnesses and on camera. Eyewitnesses have confirmed that the agitator quickly adjusted his aim after shooting Johns and pulled the trigger a second time with the intention of shooting Malaya Peixinho, one of the attendees, but the gun jammed, preventing the release of further rounds. Upon realizing he could go no further with his planned attack, the shooter turned and fled into the complex’s parking lot, got into a white Tesla, and sped off. Additionally, eyewitnesses report the shooter attempted to unjam his gun as he fled. The shooter was later apprehended eleven miles away by New Mexico State Police in Pojoaque, New Mexico.
Despite Rio Arriba County citing concerns for 'public safety' as the rationale for postponing the reinstallment, the county offered no protection for Indigenous community members on Thursday. In fact Rio Arriba county and leaders at all levels of government were made well aware of the high possibility of gun violence. Denise Williams, mother of shooting victim Scott Williams, who was targeted at a 2020 Oñate protest, said prior to Thursday’s event she called Governor Michelle Lujan-Grisham’s office, the office of U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich, New Mexico State Police, the office of the New Mexico Attorney General, all members of U.S. Congress representing Valencia County in New Mexico, and all New Mexico state representatives and senators from Valencia County, to warn them of the high chance of gun violence directed at attendees. State senator Elizabeth 'Liz' Stefanics was the only one to respond. Immediately after the shooting Scott Williams’ father, Dan Williams, called the governor’s office again to tell her that she “had blood on her hands” for failing to properly respond to both shootings.

Immediately after the shooting, two Rio Arriba County Annex employees denied children seeking shelter from the shooter entry into the building. They proceeded to come out, yelling at people to leave, and made disparaging comments about attendees and Jacob as he fought for his life feet away from them. The cops did not show up in a timely manner despite the shooter being in the same parking lot as the Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s office, and it took several more minutes for an ambulance to arrive. Eyewitnesses report the complete absence of police intervention. The event’s organizers assembled a community peacekeeping team to provide the only public safety measures present on the ground. Without hesitation, Johns and half a dozen other Indigenous men and allies volunteered. When Johns was shot, it was attendees who provided the first medical response, saving Johns’ life. The first law enforcement officer on the scene ordered the community members providing medical assistance to move away, but they refused because the officer did not identify himself as a medic and made no other attempts to provide assistance.

We are incredibly alarmed that pretrial services have recommended the agitator be released without cash bail. We know from first-hand experience that politically—and racially—motivated shootings like this embolden other like-minded vigilantes who hold the same contempt for #IndigenousPeople and organizers. The agitator and his sympathizers pose a very real and serious threat to all Indigenous people, and to Indigenous women activists specifically. The establishment, which Alex Naranjo himself lauded as 'a system that we’ve lived with for 400 years,' circles its wagons to protect Indian killers who are colonialism’s foot soldiers. This means there is virtually no formal protection or justice for Indigenous people, women, and activists in these times of heightened danger. We call upon all national, tribal, state, county, and city officials, and movement allies, to condemn this racist attack and demand safety and protection for Indigenous people, women, organizations, and communities. We call upon everyone to contact your officials and apply pressure.

Demand the following:
1. Do not release the shooter!!
2. This must be recognized as the racially-motivated hate crime it is at all levels of government.
3. Protect Native women!!

As of now, the shooter is being held at Rio Arriba County Jail in Tierra Amarilla. The bond hearing is scheduled for Monday at 11:30AM at the Rio Arriba Magistrate Court. We will inform the public of any further updates.

Pray for Jacob Johns and his family. A GoFundMe has been set up to help support him and his family during this recovery. Donate and circulate the donation request.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-jacob-johns-recover-from-terrorist-shooting

The Red Nation Podcast will be recording an emergency live episode about Thursday’s events on Monday, October 2 at 5PM MT. The Red Nation and NDN Collective will be discussing the event’s wider significance for the Native liberation movement.

Further updates, The Red Nation social media channels, news reporting, and other links can be found at https://linktr.ee/Therednation

Our first press release and original demands can be found at https://therednation.org/call-to-action-no-100000-onate-statue/.

Source:
https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-red-nation-shooters-gun-jammed.html

Northern Arapaho and Akimel O'otham Hopi Interrupt Biden at #COP27: No Time Left for False Solutions

November 11, 2022

“#JacobJohns, Akimel O'otham and Hopi, and #BigWind Carpenter, Northern Arapaho, were among four climate activists whose credentials were removed after their war cry and banner drop during President Biden's address.

“Johns told the Guardian, 'We’ve been locked out, our voices silenced,' said Johns, 39, a Washington state-based community organizer. 'The climate collapse is coming, we are literally fighting for our lives. If we’re not allowed to advocate for our future, who will? It’s shameful.'

“‘The world is falling apart but inside the destruction, there is creation and a healthy liveable future, and we try to bring this energy to the chaotic negotiations. International spaces have been historically off-limits to indigenous peoples, but different perspectives can hold a lot of power. I’ve been denied that basic right.'

“Johns raised his own funds to attend COP27 and was then locked out.

“Big Wind, Northern #Arapaho, told the Guardian, 'This is a clear example of radical #Indigenous people and youth being silenced, we’re muted when we try to express our frustration in these spaces. It shows the UN’s true colors.'

“‘We need to accelerate the transition but that’s not going to happen by partnering with big polluters like #Amazon and #PepsiCo, and so we needed to call that out,' he said, in reference to an announcement earlier this week by US climate envoy #JohnKerry, the #Bezos Earth Fund, PepsiCo and others about plans to design an energy transition accelerator.

“Today: Biden's speech was interrupted before the suits moved in, as #Egypt forbids protest in the #BlueZone at COP27.

“The Guardian reports: Protesters interrupt the US president's speech by Nina Lakhani: ‘Four protesters holding a banner which read ‘people vs fossils’ interrupted the speech of Joe Biden, the US president, to Cop27.
'The protesters were youth and Indigenous activists from the US, and they were calling on Biden to stop pushing fossil fuel extraction. They spoke with the Guardian shortly after being escorted out of the plenary hall by security staff.

“‘The president, members of Congress and the state department have come to this international forum on climate change proposing false solutions that will not get us to 1.5C,' said Big Wind, 29, a member of the Northern Arapaho tribe in Wyoming.
“We need to accelerate the transition but that’s not going to happen by partnering with big polluters like Amazon and PepsiCo, and so we needed to call that out,' he said, in reference to an announcement earlier this week by US climate envoy John Kerry, the Bezos Earth Fund, PepsiCo and others about plans to design an energy transition accelerator.

“'Biden referenced Indigenous peoples in his speech, yet has failed to leverage his power to support them directly through direct access to funds needed by communities to adapt to the #ClimateCrisis' said Big Wind.”

https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2022/11/northern-arapaho-interrupts-biden-at.html