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Rev. Al Sharpton / AP

BY: Alyssa Canobbio February 14, 2017 12:42 pm

Al Sharpton's civil rights organization National Action Network announced plans to picket Madison Square Garden after the venue announced an indefinite ban on Charles Oakley.

Mediaite reported that Sharpton's group announced plans on Monday.

Civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton is calling on New York Knicks Owner James Dolan to immediately lift the ban against Charles Oakley, after conversing with Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and agreeing that the policy has not been reinforced with other players. Rev. Sharpton is calling upon Mr. Dolan to lift the ban and reinstate Mr. Oakleys privileges. In the event that the ban is not lifted, NANs Northeast Regional Director Kirsten John Foy is mobilizing people to picket Madison Square Garden in solidarity.

The New York Knicks legend was banned from the arena after an altercation. The Knicks owner claims that Oakley was engaging in abusive behavior from the moment he entered MSGon Wednesday.

Oakley was sitting a few rows behind Dolan when he got into an altercation with security and was ejected from the Garden.

NBC analyst Charles Barkley said that he wishes the drama would go away after dominating the basketball world for six days.

"This is probably the silliest, most b.s. thing Ive ever seen in my 30 years in the NBA," Barkley said. "This was a waste of time, waste of energy. Its a bad look for the Knicks. Its a bad look for Charles Oakley. Its a bad look for the NBA. And I cannot believe were wasting all our time on this crap."

The New York Post reports that Oakley's ban has been lifted and only lasted four days. Both Dolan and Oakley met with NBA commissioner Adam Silver on Monday.

Continued here:
Sharpton Threatens to Picket Madison Square Garden - Washington Free Beacon

Rob GoldbergFeatured ColumnistFebruary 13, 2017

The apparent feud between New York Knicks owner James Dolan and former Knicks player Charles Oakley continues to draw in new personalities.

Per Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, Reverend Al Sharpton plans to protest outside Madison Square Garden unless the ban is lifted.

Later on Monday,NBA commissioner Adam Silver and Hall of Famer Michael Jordanhelped negotiate a reconciliation between Oakley and Dolan, announced the league. The statement read:

Both Mr. Oakley and Mr. Dolan were apologetic about the incident and subsequent comments, and their negative impact on the Knicks organization and the NBA. Mr. Dolan expressed his hope that MR. Oakley would return to MSG as his guest in the near future. I appreciate the efforts of Mr. Dolan, Mr. Oakley and Mr. Jordan to work towards a resolution of this matter.

Dolan had announced Friday that Oakley would not be allowed to enter Madison Square Garden, even with a ticket, following the former player's forcible removal from the arena earlier in the week.

Speaking on The Michael Kay Show (via ESPN.com), Dolan speculated on possible issues with Oakley, saying: "He may have a problem with alcohol. We don't know."

Many have since come to the player's defense, including Dwyane Wade on his personal Instagram account. Noted Knicks fan Spike Lee also supported Oakley by wearing his jersey for the next game.

Oakley was charged with three counts of assault at Madison Square Garden after the Knicks say he "behaved in a highly inappropriate and completely abusive manner," per Steve Popper of USA Today.

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Charles Oakley MSG Ban to Spark Al Sharpton Protest; NBA Intervenes - Bleacher Report

Three days after the announced indefinite ban of former New York Knicks great Charles Oakley from Madison Square Garden, the Rev. Al Sharpton called on Knicks owner James Dolan to lift the ban immediately.

In a statement released Monday, Sharptons National Action Network announced plans to picket Madison Square Garden if the ban is upheld.

Civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton is calling on New York Knicks Owner James Dolan to immediately lift the ban against Charles Oakley, after conversing with Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and agreeing that the policy has not been reinforced with other players. Rev. Sharpton is calling upon Mr. Dolan to lift the ban and reinstate Mr. Oakleys privileges. In the event that the ban is not lifted, NANs Northeast Regional Director Kirsten John Foy is mobilizing people to picket Madison Square Garden in solidarity.

Oakley was banned from the Garden following an altercation at the arena on Wednesday night. Dolan alleges that Oakley was engaged in abusive behavior from the moment he entered the arena. Oakley maintains he did nothing to warrant an ejection.

According to the New York Daily News, the NBA may be preparing to step in to try and resolve the dispute. Per the report, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and basketball legend Michael Jordan may attempt to speak with Dolan and Oakley on a conference call in an a effort to settle the feud.

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Al Sharpton Plans to Picket Madison Square Garden Unless Charles Oakley Ban is Lifted - Mediaite

Rev. Al Sharpton railed against the Republican-led U.S. Senate for refusing to considerD.C. Circuit Court Judge Merrick Garland, former President Barack Obamas pick to replace the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scaliaand for now pushing theswift confirmationof Colorado Circuit Court Judge Neil Gorsuch, President Donald Trumps nominee for the vacant seat.

The controversial black activist lashed out at GOP Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his conference during the weekly Saturday morning rally at the Harlem headquarters of his National Action Network. Sharpton recalled how Republicans refused to hold any proceedings to weigh Garlands nomination, which they justified by insisting that a president in the final year of his term should not get to fill a vacant Supreme Court seat

President Barack Obama was in office when Scalia died. He nominated to take Scalias seat Merrick Garland. Garland, by all accounts, was qualifiedmore than qualifiedto take the job, Sharpton said. They not only would not vote to confirm him for the Supreme Court, they wouldnt even give him a hearing to discuss whether he was qualified or not. I want you to watch this now: from February to February, they would not even consider the nomination of a sitting president called Barack Obama.

Garlands nomination expired in early January, weeks before Trump assumed the Oval Office. On January 31, the new president put up Gorsuch for Scalias seat.

Sharpton noted that Republicans have looked to fixate the conversation about the latter nomination by emphasizing Garlands credentials. Healluded to Article Two of the U.S. Constitution, which grants the president power to appoint justices to the highest court with the advice and consent of the Senate.

The civil rights leader warned that allowing Gorsuchs nomination to go through uncontested risked permanently politicizing the process.

Now they want to talk about, since Trump has nominated Gorsuch, how qualified he is. Well, he aint no more qualified than Garland was, he said. The danger of this proceeding is, are you now saying that you will select Supreme Court judges based on if the party on the White House corresponds with the party that is the majority of the Senate, then you have in effect changed the constitutional requirements to select a Supreme Court judge.

They can stall as long as they want till their man gets in the White House, Sharpton continued.

Sharpton then launched into an impersonation of Gorsuch, before ending with a warning to Democrats about the perils of submitting to the Republicans new precedent.

Im going to see this guy, Im going to see that guy, he told this guy that, he told that guy therethe issue I want to know is how are you all going to have a hearing on Gorsuch, and wouldnt have one on Garland? Sharpton said. You cannot submit to a double standard without getting double-crossed. The minute you allow a double standard, then you are being double-crossed.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has vowed to vote against Gorsuch, citing his decision in favor of the Christian-owned store Hobby Lobby in its suit against the Affordable Care Acts requirement employers finance workers contraceptives. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer invoked the same case in voicing very serious doubts about the Colorado judge.

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Al Sharpton Rips GOP's 'Double Standard' on Neil Gorsuch and Merrick Garland - Observer

New York's PIX11 / WPIX-TV

Sessions, Sharpton discuss civil rights, Eric Garner chokehold case New York's PIX11 / WPIX-TV NEW YORK Reverend Al Sharpton and new Attorney General Jeff Sessions spoke about civil rights and the ongoing Justice Department investigation into Eric Garner's death in a phone call. "He called me yesterday evening," Reverend Al Sharpton told ...

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Sessions, Sharpton discuss civil rights, Eric Garner chokehold case - New York's PIX11 / WPIX-TV