[Ppnews] Davey D Interviews Rebel Diaz

[Political Prisoner News]

Welcome to SoBro-Interview w/ Rebel Diaz (The Follow Up)
by Davey D (www.daveyd.com)

Listen to these interviews on Breakdown FM by clicking the links below:

http://odeo.com/episodes/23059030-Interview-w-Rebel-Diaz-pt-1-Welcome-to-SoBro

http://odeo.com/episodes/23059031-Interview-w-Rebel-Diaz-pt-2-from-Chile-to-Harlem


A couple of weeks ago Rodstarz and his brother G1 of the group Rebel 
Diaz were beaten up and arrested by the police in what was once known 
as Fort Apache in the South Bronx.

The pair had witnessed NYPD from the 41st precinct harassing street 
vendors who were selling fruit. Even though the vendors in question 
had all the proper paperwork in order the police were interrogating 
them, trying to find small infractions which would lead to them 
confiscating all their food and issuing steep fines up to a thousand dollars.


Rodstarz and his brother saw the cops going off intimidating one 
particular vendor and asked for their badge numbers. This led to the 
cops turning their anger on the pair and the rest they say is the 
sorted and oftentimes oppressive history of America.


We caught up with Rodstarz who took us on a tour of the South Bronx 
where he lives and where the police act of terror took place There he 
spoke about the condition of the community and the challenges 
everyone living there is facing. To start the South Bronx remains a 
community filled with poor people-mostly Brown folks from all over 
Latin America. Many earn of living, not by feeding off of welfare 
which is the mainstream stereotype, but by selling food on the street corners.


Unfortunately, the South Bronx is being gentrified. In fact in an 
attempt to make this once notorious neighborhood seem safe, realtors 
and local politicians now refer to the South Bronx as SoBro.
It's their cheap way of giving the community a make over so it will 
appear as if this hood is somehow connected to SoHo (South of 
Houston)which is near Greenwich Village.


During our interview Rodstarz introduced us to community organizers 
who underscored the points he was making. One sister named Lisa 
talked to us about how the police and local officials have started a 
campaign of harassment directed at immigrant vendors so that they 
would eventually leave the area. In short rich people now wannna live 
in the South Bronx and the money they are tossing around is leading 
to increased police brutality incidents toward long term residents.


During our interview Rodstarz introduced us to the street vendor they 
had attempted to help. He was visibly nervous as police cruisers were 
watching him and us conduct the interview. The police cars would slow 
down as they passed in an attempt to intimidate us and the vendor 
from talking too much. He already has to go to court and pay a 
thousand dollar fine, because police found the wheels on his court 
weren't properly aligned. Its a minor infraction that is hardly ever 
enforced, but now the vendor is paying a thousand dollars. In 
addition he has to make up for the 700 dollars worth of fresh food 
the police threw away the day they beat up Rebel Dial. The vendor was 
upset because the food went to waste-Homeless people could've been fed.


We apologize for the wind and poor microphone which broke on us the 
day of the interview. At times its makes the interview hard to hear. 
Please bear with the inconvenience as Rodstarz and our other guest 
have lots of compelling things to say.


Welcome to SoBro


 From Chile to Harlem Interview w/ Rebel Diaz pt-2

By Davey D

Breakdown FM: Interview w/ Rebel Diaz (The Struggle from Chile to Harlem pt-2


We moved from the South Bronx where we interviewed Rebel Diaz member 
Rodstarz to East Harlem where we sat down with G1 and Lah Tere.


G1 talked to us in painstaking detail about the police intimidation 
and harassment he has faced since he and his brother got beaten up 
and arrested for protesting NYPD messing with South Bronx street vendors.


G1 recounted how police who he believes were outside their legal and 
geographical jurisdiction busted into his house unannounced and 
without an warrant with guns drawn and made everyone hit the floor.


The police were supposedly looking for a fugitive, but never ever 
searched the premises. They also never identified themselves. It 
wasn't until G1 and his lawyers did some investigating that they 
discovered the officers in questions were operating outside the law.


During our interview G1 talked about the type of intimidation tactics 
the police had been using on them once it was realized that the 
community was down to back them up. what it was like for him and the 
other members of Rebel Diaz to be children of revolutionaries. He 
talked about the types of struggles his parents endured including 
incarceration for standing up to oppression in his native Chile.


Lah Tere talked about the struggle her parents waged to see an 
independent Puerto Rico.


Both G1 and Lah Tere connect the dots of their own respective 
struggles to larger issues that impact Black and Berown communities 
on the regular. All of this is backed up by incredible music from 
Rebel Diaz which we showcase. This is one of the bright spots in 
music that we need to check for in the years to come.



Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

415 863-9977

www.Freedomarchives.org  
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