------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: "Theater of the Oppressed Laboratory" <toplab at toplab.org> To: "bill koehnlein" <toplab at toplab.org> Subject: Police Crackdown in NYC Date sent: Sat, 21 Oct 2000 14:24:47 -0400
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----- Original Message ----- From: Mitchel Cohen <mitchelcohen at mindspring.com> To: <mitchelcohen at mindspring.com> Sent: Sábado, 21 de Octubre de 2000 10:25 Subject: Crackdown in NYC
OUTRAGEOUS POLICE CRACKDOWN ON ANTI-POLICE BRUTALITY ORGANIZERS IN NEW YORK CITY
From: NYC OCT 22 COALITION TO STOP POLICE BRUTALITY <oct22ny at yahoo.com and Attorney Stacey M. Gray 740 Broadway at Astor Place, 5th Floor 212-353-9587, 212-673-6008
On October 19 police officers of the 43rd Precinct unlawfully arrested members of the Revolutionary Communist Youth Brigade, key organizers of the Oct. 22 anti-police brutality demonstration, along with other neighborhood organizers. The police broke into an apartment without presenting a warrant and used excessive force and guns to make everyone in the apartment lie face down. The officers threatened to kill a dog and permanently take the child that witnessed this unlawful search and seizure away from its parent. Everyone was placed in custody and taken to the 43rd precinct; all the men were strip searched. Right now four of those arrested are still in custody. The police's actions violated the constitutional and human rights of those abused and arrested.
Last night the police also attempted to cause a chilling effect on the residents of the Bronx from participating in this Sunday's march against police brutality; that will still be held on October 22nd at 1 pm beginning at Union Square. October 22 is the National Day of Protest against police brutality, repression and the criminalization of a generation.
In a long series of recent events in which local police departments across the country have used illegal and unconstitutional tactics to thwart the efforts of progressive organizations working to end police brutality, the 43rd Precinct arrested many activists last night without cause. These unlawful tactics are in violation of the organizers freedom of expression and speech, and their right to organize non-violent demontrations. Since July of this year the 43rd precinct has placed many political groups and residents of the Bronx community under surveillance in presponse to the political unrest caused by the Street Crimes Unit.
- Stacey M. Gray
------- End of forwarded message ------- ________________________________________________________ Stephen Duncombe New York University 221 E. 10th St.#6 Gallatin School New York City 10003 715 Broadway 212/677-5464 New York City 10003-7370 srduncombe at earthlink.net USA