Last November 19, in the third mass civil disobedience protest at precincts with the most stop-and-frisks, we held a community rally and march through Jamaica Queens, ending at the 103rd Precinct.  This precinct is notorious for killing Sean Bell in 2006.  When the march arrived at the precinct, it was completely barricaded, on lock-down in anticipation of the protest.  20 people were arrested, quite quickly, but held late into the next day.

Queens Judge Gene Lopez has refused to try the 13 defendants together, and has allowed the D.A. to add a second charge of Obstruction of Governmental Administration.  Carl Dix, who initiated the campaign with Cornel West; Jamel Mims, Morgan Rhodewalt and Bob Parsons will be tried Monday on 2 counts of OGA, and one count of Disorderly Conduct for failure to disperse.  These are the most serious charges -- class "A" misdemeanors which carry a potential 12 months in jail -- that the protestors have faced in the campaign of civil disobedience to stop stop-and-frisk.  The advantage to these charges is a jury trial, and the potential to put stop-and-frisk on trial for them.
 

Photos from Nov 2011 Queens protest

A Letter from the Hosts, Alice and Morgan

Dear Stop Mass Incarceration Network,

We would like to share with you the good news from Hadley, Massachusetts this weekend. We, Alice & Morgan, had the joy, honor, and damn-fine time of hosting a delegation from the city as we all threw a rousing fundraiser to STOP stop & frisk.

Jamel, Amaris, DJ Macnificent and his partner Joyce & Debra made the long trek up, and one hour from arriving we were all welcoming upwards of 75 guests. Unable to predict the weather, friends of ours graciously let us light
up their barn, turning their their farm, Next Barn Over Farm,  into the best dance hall and community organizing center for miles around! A local artist Maurice Soulfighter Taylor opened the evening and energized the crowd with his spoken word. We held the whole talk that night on a stage built of vegetable bin pallets and store-room floor-mats, set below the bold, large banner that Jamel & Noche had painted with a bunch of kids in Union Square. Besides the free desserts table donated by friends and the clearly powerful talk Jamel gave, the most memorable moment that sticks in our minds is the dozens and dozens of people dancing by the end, to the tunes spun by Macnificent in the farm's vegetable wash room!! We had to open the bay doors that chilly fall night- all the fun was heating up that barn!

In closing, we would like to thank the whole team who came up from New York. The night was a solid success. People were moved and had fun. Financially we did well. And all in all we were just plain happy to share our home with you. We look forward to not having to collectively raise another $10,000 for legal aid, but when the time comes (and certainly this will likely be sooner rather than later!) let us throw another event together at the farm. Thank you and see you in a week.

- Alice & Morgan

P.S. For the event we put up a huge STOP 'stop & frisk' sign by the road at the farm. Our friends have been working there for three/four years. Cop cars always roll by but roll by is all they tend to do. Monday after the event - first work day the sign was up - one after another, cruisers start pulling cars over- stopping them right in front of the sign. In no way am I equating this to the NYPD but the similarity in reaction by power to accountability was striking.

October 2, 2012 -- Two dozen supporters rallied on Tuesday morning behind "Noche "Diaz, making a strong impression on the hundreds waiting on line to enter Bronx Criminal Court.  In court, a new judge adjourned the trial until Monday, December 3rd.

Diaz is facing years in jail for standing up for the rights of the people.  The NYPD targeted and arrested him 5 times since October and piled 11 charges on him in 4 boroughs.  Twice Noche was arrested as part of organized protests against stop-and-frisk at Brooklyn’s 73th Precinct and 103rd in Queens, ground zero for the NYPD’s unjust, unconstitutional, racist practice of harassing and searching people on the street.  He will go to trial with 18 other protesters this fall, when they all face charges of obstruction of government administration; i.e. standing in front of precincts and loudly protesting the NYPD’s abuse of peoples’ rights.

In three other arrests Noche was observing the police do what they do and had every right to do so. 

October 2011, Harlem: As a dramatic march ended at the 28th Precinct in Harlem with 35 people in front of the doors speaking and protesting stop-and-frisk, Noche was observing the protest with the People’s Neighborhood Patrol outside the police barricade. He was suddenly grabbed by police and thrown to the ground. He was held into the next day and charged with resisting arrest, and interfering with the arrest of an unnamed person who was never arrested.

March 2012, The Bronx: Noche was leaving his grandmother’s house, when he saw police in the street beating Jeffeth James viciously, to the point his dreadlocks were laying on the pavement.  Noche joined a crowd of bystanders who feared James would be beat to death.  He and several others were arrested for observing the police abuse.  Noche told the police he had the right to observe them, and got hauled to jail with James.

March 2012, Harlem: In the midst of a spontaneous protest by high school students during the height of the outrage over the Trayvon Martin murder, as they were pushed off the streets by NYPD. Revolution reported that Noche “had been talking to people about the Trayvon Martin statement from the Revolutionary Communist Party and their plans for a hoodie day. When Noche spoke up for the students when the police attacked them, he was thrown to the ground, handcuffed, and held for more than 24 hours. 

Cyrus Vance, the District Attorney in Manhattan has combined the 2 completely unrelated arrests in Harlem for trial on October 30, making clear this is a political prosecution where the state is showing prejudice.  The NYPD is targeting Noche, threatening him with jail to make him an example to others.  Let’s stand up for Noche, and against police abuse.

More photos