FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

The Pinellas County Green Party fully supports brave McDonald’s employee, Yasmine James in the face of her being assaulted on January 1st by a violently racist customer, Daniel Taylor. While Ms. James admirably defended herself during the assault, other McDonald’s employees initially stood idly by before finally pulling her away from her attacker. They then proceeded to take the attacker’s order as though nothing had happened. McDonald’s didn’t contact the police about the assault against Ms. James or another co-worker, Tateona Bell, who had been kicked in the stomach as he left the establishment. Ms. James was left to contact law enforcement on her own and the police only became involved after Taylor himself made a false report of being robbed by African Americans and was recognized as Ms. James’ attacker from a surveillance video.

Addressing the 80 protesters gathered at a January 8th Fight for 15 protest in front of the St. Petersburg McDonald’s where Ms. James had been assaulted, Green Party of Florida Co-chair, Robin Harris warmly embraced the heroic young woman. “When Daniel Taylor, a White Savage, snatched this young African woman across a counter while working at McDonalds, he didn’t realize he had awakened a Revolution of resistance against over 600 years of oppression! Every punch that landed on his head was a movement towards liberation and empowerment for every African woman and working class person!” said Harris.

Following the protest, Pinellas County Green Party Co-chair Rose Roby, said, “Yasmine James bravely and expertly defended herself against this vicious, racist assault by a white man. But she should never have been subjected to that kind of violence in the first place. That her employers didn’t see fit to even call the police after two women were assaulted at their jobs is a travesty! Black women have a right to be safe in the workplace. The Pinellas County Green Party stands behind Ms. James’ fight for justice. She has taken that fight on not only for herself, but for Black women everywhere.”

Rose Roby

Co-Chair, Pinellas County Green Party

01/10/19

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