April 2013
You Are Needed: Keep Noche Díaz Out Of Jail
Noche Diaz was charged in five cases in 4 boroughs for observing police abuse, or protesting it. Ono April 23, supporters claimed victory in defeating the most serious misdemeanor charges in Manhattan. He is still facing:
Excerpt from statement by Noche Dáz:
“Some of you out there have never been stopped and frisked, and maybe you don’t know what it actually means, what it means to be a young person coming up in New York City or maybe you know some people and you’ve heard these stories. But people need to actually know what happens every day, 1,900 times or more. Maybe you’re coming home from school, maybe you’re going to school, maybe you’re going to work, or coming home. You’re minding your own business; you’re going about your day and suddenly some cop steps to you. They grab you, they throw you up against the wall, they turn out your pockets and if you speak back you risk being thrown in jail and spending the whole night locked up and facing charges and a case, maybe having to miss school, or maybe having to miss work which you can’t afford to do. And your whole life begins to be dominated by the fact that at any moment when you walk the street, some cop can step to you and mess up your whole day, your whole week and the rest of your life....
“I’m on trial in Manhattan, facing up to four years in prison, precisely because when these kinds of things go down I don’t walk by and I don’t let it happen in silence, I don’t let people get violated without someone speaking up for them. I’ve been standing up for these youth for years. And I’ve been targeted for my role in doing that. But what’s important for you to know is that you can actually be a part of beating back these attacks on people who stand up for the people and for the youth. And so I invite everybody to join us... ” (Read the full interview, “‘Noche’ Diaz: Facing Prison for Standing Up for the Youth,” September 16, 2012, at revcom.us.)
1700 people signed a statement asking the Manhattan DA to drop charges on Noche, which they did! Signers include:
Gbenga Akinnagbe, actor/director; Rev. Luis Barrios, professor, John Jay College of Criminal Justice*, Rosa Clemente, NYC; Rev. Robert Coleman, The Riverside Church*, NYC; Randy Credico, impressionist and social comedian, NYC; Annette Warren Dickerson, Center for Constitutional Rights*; Carl Dix, Revolutionary Communist Party; Eve Ensler; Walt Frazier, former NBA player; Jasiri X, musician; M1, musician; Michael Letwin, Former President, Association of Legal Aid Attorneys; Arturo O'Farill, musician; Bill Perkins, NY State Senator; Rev. Stephen Phelps, The Riverside Church,* NYC; Kevin Richardson, Richard Santana and Yusef Salaam, Central Park 5; Mark Ruffalo, actor and director; Hector Soto, Hostos Community College*; James Vrettos, professor, John Jay College of Criminal Justice*, Michael Tarif Warren, attorney; NYC; Cornel West, professor and author.
- Disorderly Conduct charges in The Bronx, for observing police beat Jeffeth James in March 2012. We are opposing that charge in a hearing Wednesday May 1.
- Disorderly Conduct charges in Brooklyn, with eight others from a protest of NYPD stoop-and-frisk at the 73rd Precinct in November 2011. Five others have had the charge dropped, and we are demanding that in all the cases. Next hearing June 4, 2013.
- Two charges of Obstructing Governmental Administration and one of Disorderly Conduct, with 8 others from a protest of NYPD stop-andpfrisk at the 103rd Precinct in Jamaica, Queens. Trial is Monday May 20.
Excerpt from statement by Noche Dáz:
“Some of you out there have never been stopped and frisked, and maybe you don’t know what it actually means, what it means to be a young person coming up in New York City or maybe you know some people and you’ve heard these stories. But people need to actually know what happens every day, 1,900 times or more. Maybe you’re coming home from school, maybe you’re going to school, maybe you’re going to work, or coming home. You’re minding your own business; you’re going about your day and suddenly some cop steps to you. They grab you, they throw you up against the wall, they turn out your pockets and if you speak back you risk being thrown in jail and spending the whole night locked up and facing charges and a case, maybe having to miss school, or maybe having to miss work which you can’t afford to do. And your whole life begins to be dominated by the fact that at any moment when you walk the street, some cop can step to you and mess up your whole day, your whole week and the rest of your life....
“I’m on trial in Manhattan, facing up to four years in prison, precisely because when these kinds of things go down I don’t walk by and I don’t let it happen in silence, I don’t let people get violated without someone speaking up for them. I’ve been standing up for these youth for years. And I’ve been targeted for my role in doing that. But what’s important for you to know is that you can actually be a part of beating back these attacks on people who stand up for the people and for the youth. And so I invite everybody to join us... ” (Read the full interview, “‘Noche’ Diaz: Facing Prison for Standing Up for the Youth,” September 16, 2012, at revcom.us.)
1700 people signed a statement asking the Manhattan DA to drop charges on Noche, which they did! Signers include:
Gbenga Akinnagbe, actor/director; Rev. Luis Barrios, professor, John Jay College of Criminal Justice*, Rosa Clemente, NYC; Rev. Robert Coleman, The Riverside Church*, NYC; Randy Credico, impressionist and social comedian, NYC; Annette Warren Dickerson, Center for Constitutional Rights*; Carl Dix, Revolutionary Communist Party; Eve Ensler; Walt Frazier, former NBA player; Jasiri X, musician; M1, musician; Michael Letwin, Former President, Association of Legal Aid Attorneys; Arturo O'Farill, musician; Bill Perkins, NY State Senator; Rev. Stephen Phelps, The Riverside Church,* NYC; Kevin Richardson, Richard Santana and Yusef Salaam, Central Park 5; Mark Ruffalo, actor and director; Hector Soto, Hostos Community College*; James Vrettos, professor, John Jay College of Criminal Justice*, Michael Tarif Warren, attorney; NYC; Cornel West, professor and author.
Hands Off Noche Diaz! Flyers for Download
February 25, 2012
Noche Diaz Faces 2 Years in Jail for Nonviolent Protest of Police Abuse
UPDATE: Noche's Bronx trial now set for Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Noche's Manhattan trial now set for Tuesday April 23, 2013
Noche's Queens trial now set for Monday April 8, 2013
Help Keep the Government’s Hands off this Young Revolutionary!
Many people are disturbed and appalled at the high-handed behavior of the NYPD:
· Unconstitutional Stop-and-Frisk policy
· Killing under the color of authority (Ramarley Graham, Reynaldo Cuevas)
· Illegal surveillance of mosques, Muslim student groups all over the U.S
· Suppression of Occupy Wall Street … the list goes on and on.
Many also wonder why there is no movement of young people protesting all this, as previous generations have.
24 year old Noche Diaz IS protesting all this. He IS organizing others to protest against all this. He HAS put his body on the line to protest Stop-and Frisk and to observe the police abusing people. Noche is a revolutionary, who lays out his views as he protests and organizes. And for all this, he faces 4 ½ years in prison just in Manhattan, as well as jail time in Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens.
He was arrested three times when he was legally observing the arrests of others. The Manhattan District Attorney has combined charges on arrests in October 2011 and March 2012 into one trial, possibly prejudicing the outcome of all these cases, and, putting him in danger of jail time.
And YOU have a responsibility to make sure they don’t succeed in doing that. YOU need to help make sure Noche can continue to do the important work he’s involved in.
Follow stopmassincarceration.org and on Facebook; stopmassincnet on Twitter to learn when to be at 100 Center Street for trial support
SIGN the message to the District Attorney to drop charges on Noche
Noche's Manhattan trial now set for Tuesday April 23, 2013
Noche's Queens trial now set for Monday April 8, 2013
Help Keep the Government’s Hands off this Young Revolutionary!
Many people are disturbed and appalled at the high-handed behavior of the NYPD:
· Unconstitutional Stop-and-Frisk policy
· Killing under the color of authority (Ramarley Graham, Reynaldo Cuevas)
· Illegal surveillance of mosques, Muslim student groups all over the U.S
· Suppression of Occupy Wall Street … the list goes on and on.
Many also wonder why there is no movement of young people protesting all this, as previous generations have.
24 year old Noche Diaz IS protesting all this. He IS organizing others to protest against all this. He HAS put his body on the line to protest Stop-and Frisk and to observe the police abusing people. Noche is a revolutionary, who lays out his views as he protests and organizes. And for all this, he faces 4 ½ years in prison just in Manhattan, as well as jail time in Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens.
He was arrested three times when he was legally observing the arrests of others. The Manhattan District Attorney has combined charges on arrests in October 2011 and March 2012 into one trial, possibly prejudicing the outcome of all these cases, and, putting him in danger of jail time.
And YOU have a responsibility to make sure they don’t succeed in doing that. YOU need to help make sure Noche can continue to do the important work he’s involved in.
Follow stopmassincarceration.org and on Facebook; stopmassincnet on Twitter to learn when to be at 100 Center Street for trial support
SIGN the message to the District Attorney to drop charges on Noche
January 2013
Drop the Prejudicial Prosecution of “Noche” Diaz
Put NYPD Stop-and-Frisk on Trial, Not Protesters
Mon Jan 28, 2013 8:45am Rally; 9:30am Trial Bronx Criminal Court 215 East 161st (old bldg) Trial for Noche Diaz, arrested as Jeffeth James was beaten 3/12/12 blog post previous (Dec 3) court date No Jail for Noche! News12 report on Jeffeth James beating: |
“Noche” 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.
We’re calling on you to rally behind this young revolutionary who is respected by people in the neighborhood, and persecuted by the police.
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.
We’re calling on you to rally behind this young revolutionary who is respected by people in the neighborhood, and persecuted by the police.
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.