On the afternoon of June 3rd, 2022, 74-year-old black elder and renowned artist Earl Debnam was arrested while painting outside of the building where he served as artist-in-residence of the African American Heritage Museum & Cultural Center from 1985-1998 in the longest occupation of a public building in US History.
The City Attorney is pressing charges against our elder for 1st degree criminal trespass!
He has a hearing scheduled in Seattle Municipal Court
September 19, 2022 at 9am
Courtroom 903
You can support by writing to the City Attorney, posting on social media, sending words of encouragement to Earl, and showing up to his hearing on Monday September 19th.
More About the Arrest:
Documents from the arrest indicate that NAAM is contracting with apartheid mercenaries!
The Northwest African American Museum founded with intervention by the FBI and backed by the Gates Foundation and the City of Seattle appears to have contracted with Allied Security Services, the same private security firm that is not only patrolling Seattle Police HQ, the downtown courts, and City Hall, but is also providing security for foreign oil corporations in Iraq, has a share of ownership in training the Israeli police and is involved in the transportation and deportation of immigrants from the UK to the US. Last year, Allied Universal acquired the notorious G4S.
A worker with Allied Security identified themself as patrolling the “Northwest African American Museum” in a 911 call when they called the police to remove Earl from the premises.
From the police report:
“W/CH works for Allied Security and was conducting her rounds and checking on the African Museum. She walked over to the fenced area securing the main entrance and saw the entry gate unlocked and opened. It appeared that someone had removed a padlock that had been in place the night prior. She observed a male sitting in a wheelchair at the main doorway. She contacted him and he identified him self as Debman, Earl C. 12/23/1947. She advised him that he was not allowed to be on the property and that he needed to leave. S/Debman refused and stated that he had rights to the property and would not leave. W/CH could not convince him to leave and called 911.
“Officers were aware that S/ Debman was a member of a Omari Garretts s activist group which has ongoing court issues with the African Museum / Urban League Village. There is a valid and served King County Motion for Summary Judgement and Issuing Writ Restitution (order # 21-2-04082-5). The order prohibits members of the activist group from coming within 2000 ft of the property.
“Officers contacted S/ Debnam, Earl C. 12/23/1947 who was sitting at the front entrance. He presented a large laminated letter listing Omari Garrett, along with his name and others. The letter claimed that he had right to the property.”
The African American Heritage Museum & Cultural Center 