"Reed Walters has dug in his heels and is trying to exploit the situation for political gain so he can look tough on crime," Jackson said. "We need federal intervention on this. We needed federal intervention to get into school in Little Rock in 1950 and we need federal intervention now."
Jackson said he would talk to the chairman of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee to see if federal help was available.
Law enforcement officers from across the state will be in Jena on Thursday to help the town of about 3,500 people deal with the thousands expected to rally in support of Bell and the others.
"On a local level, this may be a little more of a burden, but this isn't anything different than what we handle regularly," Louisiana State Police Sgt. Markus Smith said. "If we can handle Mardi Gras, we can handle anything."
Information from: Alexandria Daily Town Talk, http://www.thetowntalk.com
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