WEEKEND RALLY MARKS TULIA DRUG RAID ANNIVERSARY

A local reform group is planning a rally Sunday marking the second
anniversary of a drug raid in Tulia that netted half the town's black male
population.

"The Friends of Justice," a Tulia-based group that sprang up in defense of
several defendants in the raid, claims the undercover agent's court
testimony was uncorroborated and manufactured.

Many of those convicted received long prison terms for small amounts of
cocaine.

Their protests have prompted national attention directed at Tulia,
including a segment on "20/20 Downtown" and articles in national newspapers.

The NAACP and ACLU later filed civil suits against Swisher County officials
and a Justice Department investigation into the raid was launched.

Called the "Never Again Rally," a concert featuring children impacted by
the raid will be held at 6 p.m. Sunday in Tulia's Conner Park.

At 7, speakers at the rally will include Will Harrell, executive director
for the Texas chapter of the ACLU, and Kevin Zeese, president of the
organization Common Sense for Drug Policy, among others.

At 11 p.m., the group will march down Broadway to the Swisher County
Courthouse and jail. A candlelight vigil will be held in the early morning
hours.

On Saturday, a group of civil rights leaders and drug policy reform
activists will leave from Austin on two buses to Tulia.