Wanda's Picks Radio Special: October 22nd Coalition to Stop Police Brutality, Repression and the Criminalization of a Generation

Noche Diaz is a young revolutionary who faces years in jail if convicted on unjust charges. He has been arrested five times since October 2011 and has had 11 charges piled on him in four New York City boroughs, all for observing and protesting the illegitimate actions of the New York Police Department.

Noche was one of the first members of the Stop Mass Incarceration Network and helped organize protests that kicked off a citywide struggle against stop-and-frisk. He is well known to the people—and to the NYPD—for being a member of the People’s Neighborhood Patrol of Harlem. 

Noche joins us to talk about the October 22nd Coalition to Stop Police Brutality, Repression and the Criminalization of a Generation. People are asked to wear black in solidarity and/or a black arm band with the name of a friend or loved one killed by police.

Call Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance (212) 335-9000 to protest charges against Noche Diaz and the Queens District Attorney, Richard Brown, starting at 9:00 am. at 718 286 6000.  Tell the DA to drop charges from November 19, 2011 on Carl Dix, Jamel Mims, Robert Parsons, and Morgan Rhodewalt and of course, Noche Diaz. 

Visit http://www.october22.org/Assembly.html and to learn more about Noche's case visit http://revcom.us/a/272/drop-the-prejudicial-prosecution-of-noche-diaz-en.html 

Music: Hunter Poetry: Breath of Life, Leon Williams: The Creator Has a Master Plan.

BE AT THE COURTHOUSE TO make clear to the authorities and all those watching these trials that many are with these defendants and see this prosecution as totally illegitimate.  Cornel West puts the call out on youtube.    We'll be delivering copies of this resolution to DROP the charges on Tuesday.  Please sign it now.

• Tuesday October 23: Rally 8:45 am Trial 9:30 am Queens Criminal Court, 125-01 Queens Blvd, Kew Gardens Queens.
• Tuesday October 30: Rally 8:45 am Trial 9:30 am 100 Center Street, Manhattan
• Tuesday October 30: 6:30 pm Raise the Roof on the Legal Defense Fund Party, St. Augustine’s Church 290 Henry Street, Lower East Side.

Trials on outrageous charges against five courageous freedom fighters who put their bodies on the line to end the racist police policy of stop-and-frisk begin on October 23 and October 30. Carl Dix, Jamel Mims, Morgan Rhodewalt, Bob Parsons and Noche Diaz could be jailed for 2 to 4+ years.

Make no mistake: what is being put on trial here is nothing less than the ability and right to stand up and say NO MORE to the racist policy of Stop-and-frisk,which terrorizes Black and Brown people throughout the city.

Without mass resistance and the actions of these people and hundreds more who put their bodies on the line in protest, stop-and-frisk would not now be so hotly contested in the city and the courts.  The even more urgent truth is that standing up to defend these freedom fighters has everything to do with putting an end to the crime of stop-and-frisk and the way a whole generation is being condemned to lives of criminalization, marginalization, brutality and the spirit-crushing, human-wasting confinement of the largest prison system in the world.

The authorities want to punish these people for having stood up for justice, and through doing that deliver a message that anyone who resists their criminal injusticewill pay a heavy price.  This must not go down!  If we allow them to be convicted and jailed without a massive fight, the battle against stop-and-frisk and the whole spirit of resistance will be seriously weakened. But if many, many people stand with them in this legal battle, if we beat this back, then the movement will gain further initiative pulling more people into the struggle.

  BACKGROUND: Carl Dix is a revolutionary leader who initiated, together with Cornel West, the movement to Stop stop-and-frisk and End Mass Incarceration, including by leading a series of courageous non-violent protests of civil disobedience at police precincts throughout the city. Carl Dix, Jamel Mims, Morgan Rhodewalt and Bob Parsons will be on trial in Queens on October 23 facing more than 2 years in jail for the protest in Queens on November 19, 2011.  The Queens District Attorney has piled charges on them, twice adding to the charges they faced months after their arrest.  This DA, who couldn’t or wouldn’t put on an effective case against the cops who murdered Sean Bell in 2006, is vigorously trying to put these freedom fighters in prison.  This makes it even more clear their intent to punish any who dare to stand up. This only underscores the importance of people coming to court to demand the charges be dropped!

On October 30 Noche Diaz, a leader in the movement to end mass incarceration who is known throughout Harlem as a member of the People’s Neighborhood Patrols and across the city’s campuses for speaking in classes against stop-and-frisk, goes on trial in Manhattan,facing more than 4 years in prison for politically calling out police who were brutalizing people.
14 more defendants will be tried in 2 more trials in Queens, and on November 5 and 27 in Brooklyn, for a November 1, 2011 protest at the 73^rd Precinct, which has the highest rate of stop-and-frisk in the city.

What You Can Do: 

•      Attend the trial Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.  Check for updates atstopmassincarceration.org
•      Monday, CALL the Queens District Attorney, Richard Brown, starting at 9:00 am.  718 286 6000. Tell the DA to drop charges from November 19, 2011 on Carl Dix, Jamel Mims, Robert Parsons, and Morgan Rhodewalt.
•      Monday, October 29, call the Manhattan DA, Cyrus Vance staring at 9:00 am.  212 335 9000.  Tell the DA to drop charges from October 21, 2011 and March 27, 2012 on Noche Diaz.
  
• ·         Spread the word on these outrageous prosecutions. Stopmassincarceration.org.
• ·         Contribute money to help meet the costs legal defense($7000 so far).

The "Stop Mass Incarceration: We're Better Than That!" Network is a project of the Alliance for Global Justice, a 501c3 tax-exempt organization.  Tax-deductible contributions accepted, and checks should be made payable to the "Alliance for Global Justice, with "Mass Incarceration Network" in the memo line.  Other forms of contributions also accepted.

"Stop Mass Incarceration: We're Better Than That!" Network

c/o P.O. Box 941 Knickerbocker Station

New York City, New York 10002-0900

Phone: 347-979-SMIN (7646)  * Email: stopmassincarceration@gmail.com
Web: www.stopmassincarceration.org