Many people know Noche Diaz from his work on the streets of Harlem with The Peoples Neighborhood Patrol and the Revolution Club. These statements were collected recently:
From a 14-year-old middle school student:
"I think they don't want us to do well, we're sposed to go to jail or something like that. We're sposed to be the animals and animals don't get rights. Look how we're living - in the projects - why is that? We're not sposed to make it? I hope they can't lock him [Noche] up. Because we are human beings. He's standing up for everybody."
50 year old ex-prisoner:
I hate this that they're singling us out. How are they going to say this is a democracy? I'm signing this because I've been a victim of this. I'm a "ward of the state", I'm on parole right now. We do need revolution and it's about time somebody's doing something about this. That's why I'm signing this. Gimme more of those. [Took 5 statements]
Man in his 50s
The cops ran up in my mother's place, said they we're looking for me and I was in court! I hate this shit. This is not democracy. This is a police state. People just don't know it. I've seen this young brother [pointing at Noche's picture] in the Neighborhood Patrol watching the police. This is a good brother. He's not a criminal.
From a resident of Grant Houses:
“Noche, you doing the right thing. Everybody in these projects needs to sign this petition! I got kids that's harassed by the police all the time. Every day they out with this damn “Stop and Frisk” shit – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and kids ain't doing nothin' at all! They just run up on them...Noche represents the youth! Stopping this stop and frisk shit. They criminalizing these youth for nothing! They don't want Noche to get the message across to these other youth out here. That's why they don't want you out on the street to wake up the youth to what's really goin' on. How they bein' trapped! To lock him up is wrong. It's a message to all the people but it's wrong! It's not right to put him on trial! All these cops they need to be on trial. People need to get together from the projects and go down and attend that trial. I'm gonna try to go. Stop hiding behind closed doors. I'm gonna try to go to the trial because I know where it's at! I been down there enough for nothing! Nothing but stupid things! I might as well go down there for something!"
From a supporter of Noche
I ran into a young man I know in the neighborhood. He's about 18 or 19 years old and no longer lives in the projects. He was walking with two others At first he didn't want to stop saying he was in a hurry but I insisted telling him that it was urgent that he at least give me a moment while I unrolled the poster. He recognized Noche with the patrol (all three recognized Noche) and did not know he was facing this trial and the charges and the 4 years jail time. He immediately wanted to sign the petition As he was going to sign another youth I know from the area who is less inclined to speak with us came walking past. As he approached he pointed to the petition with the image of Noche and started saying, “That's uh.. That's uh.. Oh! That's Noche!”
I called on him to sign as well telling him that he needs to get with this He waved me off saying, “Naw/ That's okay!” I struggled with him, “Look you know what these cops do out here and if you like this and the way you're treated then go on but if you really do hate this, how you're treated and what they do to people around the world then you need to support this brother and you need ot get into this revolution!” He simply kept walking. Meanwhile another kid saw that the first young man was going to sign the petition and called out. “Yo Man! You signing that?! To which our friend responded, “Yeah man this is Noche!” and he started chanting “NO-CHE! NO-CHE!” I told him to take more petitions and get out to others to sign. He immediately agreed and took a stack of about 10 from my hands. One of the kids with him took them from him and said, “This is how I'm gonna help y'all. I'm gonna get these out! But I don't sign anything!” I told him, “No! You have to sign because when people like Noche step out there like this the people MUST have their back. The revolution won't be made on the cheap. People have to represent.” He changed his mind and signed the petition. They took some more petitions and the other kid with them signed as well before insisting they had to go on. The other kids had pretty much all passed by but what happened was observed by all.
From a 14-year-old middle school student:
"I think they don't want us to do well, we're sposed to go to jail or something like that. We're sposed to be the animals and animals don't get rights. Look how we're living - in the projects - why is that? We're not sposed to make it? I hope they can't lock him [Noche] up. Because we are human beings. He's standing up for everybody."
50 year old ex-prisoner:
I hate this that they're singling us out. How are they going to say this is a democracy? I'm signing this because I've been a victim of this. I'm a "ward of the state", I'm on parole right now. We do need revolution and it's about time somebody's doing something about this. That's why I'm signing this. Gimme more of those. [Took 5 statements]
Man in his 50s
The cops ran up in my mother's place, said they we're looking for me and I was in court! I hate this shit. This is not democracy. This is a police state. People just don't know it. I've seen this young brother [pointing at Noche's picture] in the Neighborhood Patrol watching the police. This is a good brother. He's not a criminal.
From a resident of Grant Houses:
“Noche, you doing the right thing. Everybody in these projects needs to sign this petition! I got kids that's harassed by the police all the time. Every day they out with this damn “Stop and Frisk” shit – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and kids ain't doing nothin' at all! They just run up on them...Noche represents the youth! Stopping this stop and frisk shit. They criminalizing these youth for nothing! They don't want Noche to get the message across to these other youth out here. That's why they don't want you out on the street to wake up the youth to what's really goin' on. How they bein' trapped! To lock him up is wrong. It's a message to all the people but it's wrong! It's not right to put him on trial! All these cops they need to be on trial. People need to get together from the projects and go down and attend that trial. I'm gonna try to go. Stop hiding behind closed doors. I'm gonna try to go to the trial because I know where it's at! I been down there enough for nothing! Nothing but stupid things! I might as well go down there for something!"
From a supporter of Noche
I ran into a young man I know in the neighborhood. He's about 18 or 19 years old and no longer lives in the projects. He was walking with two others At first he didn't want to stop saying he was in a hurry but I insisted telling him that it was urgent that he at least give me a moment while I unrolled the poster. He recognized Noche with the patrol (all three recognized Noche) and did not know he was facing this trial and the charges and the 4 years jail time. He immediately wanted to sign the petition As he was going to sign another youth I know from the area who is less inclined to speak with us came walking past. As he approached he pointed to the petition with the image of Noche and started saying, “That's uh.. That's uh.. Oh! That's Noche!”
I called on him to sign as well telling him that he needs to get with this He waved me off saying, “Naw/ That's okay!” I struggled with him, “Look you know what these cops do out here and if you like this and the way you're treated then go on but if you really do hate this, how you're treated and what they do to people around the world then you need to support this brother and you need ot get into this revolution!” He simply kept walking. Meanwhile another kid saw that the first young man was going to sign the petition and called out. “Yo Man! You signing that?! To which our friend responded, “Yeah man this is Noche!” and he started chanting “NO-CHE! NO-CHE!” I told him to take more petitions and get out to others to sign. He immediately agreed and took a stack of about 10 from my hands. One of the kids with him took them from him and said, “This is how I'm gonna help y'all. I'm gonna get these out! But I don't sign anything!” I told him, “No! You have to sign because when people like Noche step out there like this the people MUST have their back. The revolution won't be made on the cheap. People have to represent.” He changed his mind and signed the petition. They took some more petitions and the other kid with them signed as well before insisting they had to go on. The other kids had pretty much all passed by but what happened was observed by all.
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