the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
Dec 16, 2024
A jury in New York City acquitted Daniel Penny, who is white, of murder for the chokehold killing of a black mentally-ill homeless man, Jordan Neely, on a city subway train in 2023. Right-wingers like J.D. Vance, Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump, Jr., and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis were quick to celebrate the jury’s verdict. Later in the week, Vice President-elect Vance invited Penny to attend the Army-Navy football game with him that Saturday.
On May 1, 2023, Neely boarded the subway train and began shouting. “I don’t have food, I don’t have a drink, I’m fed up,” he yelled, adding, “I don’t mind going to jail and getting life in prison. I’m ready to die.” That’s when Penny walked up behind him and put him in a chokehold, with other riders helping him to subdue Neely. Penny kept him in the chokehold, even after Neely stopped breathing and went limp. After Penny finally let go, other riders attempted to revive Neely without success. Police did not arrive until the train reached the next station—Neely was pronounced dead.
Another rider on the train said at the time that Neely didn’t seem like he wanted to hurt anyone and never directly contacted Penny in any way prior to Penny putting him into the chokehold.
Neely had been homeless for years and had struggled with mental illness, in part as a result of his mother’s brutal murder when he was just 14 years old. He was known at the city’s subway stations for impersonating Michael Jackson as a way to earn money.
These prominent right-wingers celebrate Penny getting off scot-free for the killing of a mentally-ill homeless man. What is the likelihood that they or any of the other politicians are about to do anything about the suffering of so many others in this society—suffering from mental illness, unable to get the help they need and left to find a way to survive while living on the streets?