Who is "Noche" Diaz?
Noche was one of hundreds of people who became part of the intensifying fight against stop-and-frisk, when they answered the call made by Carl Dix and Cornel West to mount mass resistance, nonviolent civil disobedience actions against stop-and-frisk. Protests took place in Harlem at the 28th precinct in October 2011, in Brownsville, Brooklyn at the 73rd precinct, and in Jamaica, Queens at the 103rd precinct in November 2011. Since October 2011 Noche has been arrested five times: twice for participating in civil disobedience actions, and three times for observing the police violating people's rights, which he has every right to do.
His first arrest took place 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.
Noche was arrested twice for civil disobedience actions in Brooklyn and Queens, and will go to trial with 18 other protesters this fall. 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 March 2012, Noche was leaving his grandmother’s house in the Bronx, 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.
Then later that month in Harlem, Noche was arrested again 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.
The Manhattan D.A. has combined two of Diaz arrests from October and March into one trial, which Diaz’ defenders call a “prejudicial action” which could deprive him of a fair trial. On September 5, 2012 the combined trial was rescheduled for October 30.
His first arrest took place 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.
Noche was arrested twice for civil disobedience actions in Brooklyn and Queens, and will go to trial with 18 other protesters this fall. 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 March 2012, Noche was leaving his grandmother’s house in the Bronx, 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.
Then later that month in Harlem, Noche was arrested again 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.
The Manhattan D.A. has combined two of Diaz arrests from October and March into one trial, which Diaz’ defenders call a “prejudicial action” which could deprive him of a fair trial. On September 5, 2012 the combined trial was rescheduled for October 30.