OREGON SUPPORTERS PROTEST JUDGE'S DISMISSAL OF CHARGES

Nineteen people gathered in front of the federal building on Monday to
protest a judge tossing out indictments against two former Houston police
officers involved in the fatal shooting of Pedro Oregon Navarro

The protesters said they will hold a march downtown on April 24 -- the day
the former officers' trial was scheduled to begin.

The gathering came three days after U.S. District Judge Nancy Atlas threw
out civil rights violation charges against Darrell H. Strouse and James R.
Willis, two of the six officers involved in Oregon's 1998 death. Atlas said
Oregon's brother had lied to the grand jury investigating the case.

"Judge Nancy Atlas tried to kill the case just like the six officers
murdered Pedro Oregon," said Gina Giannou, a representative of Justice for
Pedro Oregon, a group fighting for his case.

Giannou said the claims of perjury against Rogelio Oregon Pineda, Pedro's
brother, were "an outrageous and blatant" attempt to demonize him.

The protesters Monday also included representatives of the Nation of Islam,
Amnesty International and the Revolutionary Communist Youth Brigade.

The six officers barged into Rogelio Oregon's apartment in July 1998
without a warrant. They fired 30 times at Pedro Oregon, hitting him 12
times, including nine in the back.

The officers were looking for drugs, but found none.