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On June 18, 2008, Rodstarz and G1 were walking peacefully down the street
with their friend visiting from Chicago when they came upon police
officers from the 41st Precinct in the Bronx in the middle of a sting
against street vendors, aggressively confiscating the fruit and
vegetables of street vendor. When they approached the officers to ask why
the vendor was being treated in that manner and asked for their badge
numbers, the officers turned their aggressions on the duo. After beating
them and arresting them in front of over a dozen witnesses, they were
taken to the 41st Precinct.<br><br>
Within hours, over 75 friends, community members and activists gathered
outside the precinct (1035 Longwood Avenue at Southern Blvd.) to sing,
chant, drum and march for over 4 hours, demanding that all charges be
dropped and that Rodstarz and G1 be immediately released. After
withstanding a rainstorm, a rainbow offered hope that community
resistance will overcome police brutality. <br><br>
The following morning more than 25 people gathered at the Bronx County
Criminal Court for their arraignment. The men are charged with two
misdemeanors: obstruction of justice and resisting arrest, and are
scheduled for court on September 3rd, 2008. <br><br>
A cell phone video of the arrest was released to news circuits, and
friends have already compiled video montage of the arrest, protest and
the duo’s music, available at
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ-_1b6AO6w&feature=email">
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ-_1b6AO6w&feature=email</a>.<br><br>
Brothers Rodstarz and G1 are no strangers to repression and resistance.
Sons of Chilean political exiles, they grew up on Chicago’s north side,
where police brutality was a daily reality. Upon their move to the South
Bronx in early 2006 they were invited to perform their revolutionary
music at the historic immigrant rights march in New York City, in front
of 500,000 people. Today, Rebel Diaz travels throughout the world
performing and organizing, using Hip Hop as a tool for education and
social change around immigration, education and housing issues.<br><br>
More information on the group can be found at
<a href="http://www.rebeldiaz.com/">http://www.rebeldiaz.com/</a> or
<a href="http://www.myspace.com/rebeldiaz">www.myspace.com/rebeldiaz</a>
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Please forward this info out to as many as possible!<br><br>
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Support Rodstarz and G1 of Rebel Diaz!<br>
They were assaulted by NYPD after trying to translate for an
Immigrant<br>
Street vendor in the Bronx.<br>
Pack the Courthouse!<br>
Thursday, March 12th<br>
9am<br>
Bronx Courthouse<br>
265 E.161st rm. 510 part 20<br><br>
<br><br>
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<font size=3 color="#FF0000">Freedom Archives<br>
522 Valencia Street<br>
San Francisco, CA 94110<br><br>
</font><font size=3 color="#008000">415 863-9977<br><br>
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<a href="http://www.freedomarchives.org/" eudora="autourl">
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