Black Panther calls for protest march

Thursday, July 19, 2001 | 11:17 a.m.

The founder and longtime chairman of the Las Vegas Black Panther Party has called for a Labor Day weekend protest march down the middle of the Strip.

Ron Current, who founded the local chapter in 1993 and as late as early Wednesday morning contemplated stepping down from his leadership role, on Wednesday said the march is in response to the city of Las Vegas not instituting a $6 million fund to revitalize predominantly black and poor West Las Vegas.

"In our eight-year history in Las Vegas, we have never committed one act of violence, but there may be arrests here, because we plan to walk down the middle of the street and I expect a sizable turnout that could disrupt traffic," Current said.

He says the march -- which actually will be in Clark County and not in the city -- is needed to bring attention to the plight of West Las Vegas, which has long been the city's most blighted area despite efforts to revitalize it.

Current declined to release details of the planned march to thwart efforts to stop it.

The group's plan calls for a committee comprising Black Panthers, the city and the governor's office to oversee the $6 million fund that Current says would create 571 jobs and 80 new businesses in West Las Vegas. Although anyone could own such businesses, Current said, the purpose would be to draw minority ownership, including women, blacks and Hispanics.

Mayor Oscar Goodman, who has said he would not be pressured into accepting Current's proposal, scoffed Wednesday at predictions that the Black Panthers would draw 5,000 protesters this September.

"If he gets 5,000 people for his parade, I'll consider being the grand marshal," Goodman said.

The Black Panthers had given the city a deadline of July 15 to accept the plan after talks between the two groups broke down late last month.

Current said it is not coincidental that he has picked one of the busiest weekend of the year to disrupt activities on the Strip.

"It is no secret in this town that the people and corporations who own the Strip casinos are the silent politicians who run things," Current said.