Vigil for Justice for Jason Vassell
This vigil will feature speakers at the Malcolm X Cultural Center, and then we will walk in unison from the X to the site of the February 3 alleged hate crime to raise awareness.
On Sunday, February 3, 2008, Jason Vassell, a twenty-three year old African American student at UMass, was arrested and charged with two counts of assault with intent to murder and two counts of aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. These charges stem from an altercation that Jason had with two white men, who were on campus for no legitimate purpose and allegedly provoked the confrontation by smashing Jason's dorm window and repeatedly referring to him as a "nigger." Although Jason never left the dormitory, he was the only one charged at first. While one of the alleged perpetrators, John Bowes, was recently charged with two hate crimes and disorderly conduct, the other white man, Jonathan Bosse, has not been charged as of yet.
