Legal Fees & Support Fund to Divorce Ramsey Orta
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I, the wife of Ramsey Orta, am a survivor of domestic violence by Ramsey Orta during the Black Lives Matter movement. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Jessica (Hollie) Orta, but I am known by Bella Eiko for live streaming the Occupy Oakland and Ferguson movements.
Over the last few years I have spoken out about my relationship, and marriage, to Ramsey prior to his incarceration. Ramsey physically, mentally, emotionally abused and financially extorted my son and I as I tried to position myself to organize support for him during his incarceration. After I drove to Las Vegas to avoid any further attacks from him, he used the money given to him by the movement to chase me down to Las Vegas and terrorize myself, my son and my then 82 year old Great Aunt. He often threatened me with gang violence and gave my address to people who wanted to harm me as punishment for not staying to endure more of his abuses while supporting him as he negotiated a lesser prison sentence.
In one of our altercations Ramsey physically attacked me by choking me and kidnapping my son for ransom money. You can imagine my shock because of him filming Eric Garner being murdered in the same way. The night before that attack, Ramsey verbally harassed me for not being able to hold in my urination after driving around for over half an hour looking for parking and then walking blocks trying to reach the apartment on Baruch in record breaking cold. These are only a few of the situations I have dealt with during our marriage.
I am asking that the movement that has been supporting Ramsey Orta to hold him, and those who knowingly shielded him from any repercussions for his actions, accountable for his domestic actions towards Black Women. I would also like to be able to go through a divorce process without him abruptly being able to stop it. In November of 2019, he backed away from the divorce proceedings, having his attorney tell me that he would be in touch, after I responded that I would want his assistance for long term therapy for my son and I after being exposed to his violence. Help in this area is greatly appreciated as it is more expensive than I can afford as a single mother.
I also would like the movements, Black Lives Matter, Occupy Oakland, Hands Up Don't Shoot & I Can't Breathe, to take action in keeping my son and I safe. I have had to move away from the city far from my friends and family because I feel I am in danger if I were ever to return, especially with him now having access to his welcome home fund, coupled with the blind support of many Black Lives Matter supporters.
I have been an organizer and given my life to this movement as a Black Woman, and this movement has only stood against me in support of Ramsey Orta. I am asking that this movement consider how it will move forward if it continues to silence Black Women and overlook the bad action of their heroes. The plausible alternatives for police in handling these kinds of situations moving forward are conversations that I’ve been trying to have for years.
I am not asking for police involvement. If I wanted to handle this with the police, I would have pressed charges on Ramsey but I am adamantly against the continuation of the prison industrial complex. I strongly believe in police abolition but we cannot continue to build a movement in which black women and black children continue to be targets of misogyny in their households. You cannot continue to praise someone for a single action, when they've attacked and perpetrated violence towards the most vulnerable people in your community. In order to talk about police abolition we must also talk about the future we wish to replace it with. We will not be able to accomplish that safe future if we don't hold accountable the actions of individuals that resemble those of the same patriarchal system.
With love & All Power to the People,
Bella Eiko
Over the last few years I have spoken out about my relationship, and marriage, to Ramsey prior to his incarceration. Ramsey physically, mentally, emotionally abused and financially extorted my son and I as I tried to position myself to organize support for him during his incarceration. After I drove to Las Vegas to avoid any further attacks from him, he used the money given to him by the movement to chase me down to Las Vegas and terrorize myself, my son and my then 82 year old Great Aunt. He often threatened me with gang violence and gave my address to people who wanted to harm me as punishment for not staying to endure more of his abuses while supporting him as he negotiated a lesser prison sentence.
In one of our altercations Ramsey physically attacked me by choking me and kidnapping my son for ransom money. You can imagine my shock because of him filming Eric Garner being murdered in the same way. The night before that attack, Ramsey verbally harassed me for not being able to hold in my urination after driving around for over half an hour looking for parking and then walking blocks trying to reach the apartment on Baruch in record breaking cold. These are only a few of the situations I have dealt with during our marriage.
I am asking that the movement that has been supporting Ramsey Orta to hold him, and those who knowingly shielded him from any repercussions for his actions, accountable for his domestic actions towards Black Women. I would also like to be able to go through a divorce process without him abruptly being able to stop it. In November of 2019, he backed away from the divorce proceedings, having his attorney tell me that he would be in touch, after I responded that I would want his assistance for long term therapy for my son and I after being exposed to his violence. Help in this area is greatly appreciated as it is more expensive than I can afford as a single mother.
I also would like the movements, Black Lives Matter, Occupy Oakland, Hands Up Don't Shoot & I Can't Breathe, to take action in keeping my son and I safe. I have had to move away from the city far from my friends and family because I feel I am in danger if I were ever to return, especially with him now having access to his welcome home fund, coupled with the blind support of many Black Lives Matter supporters.
I have been an organizer and given my life to this movement as a Black Woman, and this movement has only stood against me in support of Ramsey Orta. I am asking that this movement consider how it will move forward if it continues to silence Black Women and overlook the bad action of their heroes. The plausible alternatives for police in handling these kinds of situations moving forward are conversations that I’ve been trying to have for years.
I am not asking for police involvement. If I wanted to handle this with the police, I would have pressed charges on Ramsey but I am adamantly against the continuation of the prison industrial complex. I strongly believe in police abolition but we cannot continue to build a movement in which black women and black children continue to be targets of misogyny in their households. You cannot continue to praise someone for a single action, when they've attacked and perpetrated violence towards the most vulnerable people in your community. In order to talk about police abolition we must also talk about the future we wish to replace it with. We will not be able to accomplish that safe future if we don't hold accountable the actions of individuals that resemble those of the same patriarchal system.
With love & All Power to the People,
Bella Eiko
Fundraising team (2)
Bella Eiko
Organizer
Las Vegas, NV
Ortiz Kim
Team member