Check it: Free Rebel Diaz Movement

[nattyreb]

These young people are building a movement around pig brutality in their community.

YouTube - FREE REBEL DIAZ!!!

Here's the text of their e-mail:

THE BROTHERS WHERE RELEASED AT 11AM TODAY JUNE 19, THEY ARE OK, SOME BRUSES AND VERY STRONG SPIRITS,

THEY WILL BE GOING BACK TO COURT ON SEPT 3, SAVE THE DATE, LET THEM SEE THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE, FILL THE COURT ROOM.

PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY 3PM AT MOTHERS ON THE MOVE, FOR MORE INFO:
Wanda Salaman, Wanda@mothersonthemove.org
phone: 718-842-2224

The MOM Office is located at 928
Intervale Avenue
(Just off 163rd Street) Bronx, NY 10459

VIDEOS: REBEL DIAZ / WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON! STOP THE POLICE

http://youtube.com/watch?v=RJ-_1b6AO6w

YouTube - REBEL DIAZ SOLIDARITY ACTION

Who is Rebel Diaz - they are an in-your-face trio out of Chicago mix strong political statements with their dynamic flow and character. As a performance group, Rebel Diaz came together in early 2006 when they were invited to perform their revolutionary music at the historic immigrant rights march in New York City, in front of 500,000 people.

This opportunity to speak to the masses began as a direct extension of their
political work in the South Bronx, where they currently organize around
immigration, education and housing issues.

Today, Rebel Diaz travels throughout the world performing and organizing, using Hip Hop as a tool for education and social change.

NYC Police Beat Up Rap Group Members
Rebel Diaz

By Davey D

Looks like the NYPD are living up to their reputation of being bonafide
'dipshits'. We are just getting word that NYC Police located in what was
once known as Fort Apache-the 41st Precinct in the Bronx,
have shown that police terrorism is alive and well.

The word is in a unprovoked attack they badly assaulted two
members of the Rap group Rebel Diaz.

The story we are hearing is that group Rodstarz and G1 were
up in Bronx on Southern Blvd in Hunts Point, when they
noticed the police were harassing a street vendor who was selling fruit. The two went over to witness the cops in action and when they saw the police being abusive they pulled out a cell phone to video tape the incident and asked for the officers badge numbers.

Keep in mind that part of the Bronx has a large immigrant community and it is also being gentrified. The police from the 41st Precinct have made it a
point to commit acts of terror including the shooting and killing of an
unarmed iGarifunan mmigrant man last year.
response re-evaluate retrospect: 2007-05-27

The case brought up images of Amadou Diallo another immigrant was gunned down by out of control Bronx cops in the neighboring
precinct.

The backdrop to this story is that Rebel Diaz are not your
ordinary rappers. They are well known activist who not only speak out against police terrorism, but have been key in helping out folks within
this immigrant community. Hence it would not be usual for group members to bear witness and to speak out against the injustices. Rebel Diaz has
committed themselves to given voice to the voiceless in that Bronx neighborhood.

Many feel that the assault by these cowardly Bronx police
officers in plain view of everyone was a way to send a strong message to
folks in the community that the police run things and they best stay in
line. By beating the Rebel Diaz members in front of everyone was a way to
spark fear and remind people that no one is safe from the police. They
wanna let folks know that they can brazenly beat up popular rappers in front
everyone even with cell phone cameras rolling and do so with impunity. The
whole ordeal is akin to the slave masters from way back sparking fear in the hearts of other slaves by beating the strongest among them in front of everyone for all to see.

Over the past year NY Police have been man handling, arresting and
terrorizing politicized Hip Hop artists, activists and news reporters.
For example, last year in Brooklyn well known attorney Michael Tarif Warren
who routinely represents people in police abuse cases was badly beaten along with his wife when they stopped to watch and bear witness
to NY cops terrorizing a unarmed tennage boy at a gas station.

During the protests immediately following the acquittal of the officers on
trial for the Sean Bell shooting, journalists who had been speaking out against the police were harassed and roughed up.

Hopefully folks will read this and understand that what the
police are doing will not work.. A police state will not take place on our
collective watch..

[nattyreb]

MORE INFO ...

COME TO COURT ON SEPT. 3rd, 2008

SUPPORT COP WATCH EFFORTS AROUND THE COUNTRY


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Teresita Ayala
June 19, 2008 312-489-0505

Hip Hop Heroes Rodstarz and G1 of Rebel Diaz Attacked and Arrested by NYPD

Yesterday, 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.

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.

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.

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 YouTube - FREE REBEL DIAZ!!!.

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.

More information on the group can be found at ..::REBEL DIAZ::.. or MySpace.com - Rebel Diaz-"Periodistas de la Esquina" - Chi City to Santiago to Carolina to d South Bronx!, US - Hip Hop / Rap / Latin - www.myspace.com/rebeldiaz

[Mosi Ngozi]

LATEST RELEASE June 25 1pm*:

REBEL DIAZ MEMBER G1's APARTMENT STORMED BY NYPD EARLY THIS MORNING,
DAYS AFTER BRUTALITY INCIDENT;

ARMED, WARRANTLESS INVASION WITH NO PROBABLE CAUSE HAS COMMUNITY
FEARING NYPD SCARE TACTICS.


PERSONAL STATEMENT FROM G1 OF REBEL DIAZ:
Early this morning, at around 2am, I, Gonzalo Venegas aka G1 of Rebel
Diaz, was in my home in Harlem, working on my computer in the living
room, when several police officers burst into my unlocked apartment,
with guns drawn, ordering us to get down and put our hands up.

I was in the apartment with my roommate DW who was in the adjacent bedroom, and my friend MM, who slept on the couch nearby.

Both were awakened by the home invasion and were witnesses to the events occurred.

The uniformed police officers did not knock, nor announce themselves, nor
verbally identify themselves before or during their entry into my
apartment.

They pointed their guns at us the whole time as they verbally barraged MM and I with questions as to who we were and what we were doing there.

As I lay on the ground with my hands up, I replied loudly and clearly that I lived there, and that everyone in the house was supposed to be there.

They replied incredulously, repeatedly yelling their questions as to who we were, with threats as to what would happen to us if I was found to be lying.

After various other taunts and threats, including accusing us of harboring a fugitive criminal suspect, they departed just as quickly as they had arrived, down a side stairway adjacent to my apartment.

They did not stay to search me or my roommates, or the apartment for any signs of the supposed fugitive they were looking for.

After a few seconds of disbelief and shock, I decided to follow the officers outside in order to fully understand what had just happened, and to document their identity.

One police van sped off as I came out of the side door of my building.

The remaining police squad car was pealing off when I ran into the middle of the street to flag it down.

They stopped the car, as I respectfully asked for their name and badge numbers.

Both police officers allowed me to walk closer to them, as I verbally noted their name and badge numbers.

The officers quickly got back into their squad car, provided no explanation for the home invasion, and sped off.

I was left in a state of shock and terror, as I frantically asked some of my neighbors outside if they knew of why the police had entered my building- and specifically my apartment--without justification.

I received no conclusive answers from the residents outside.

As of 10:30pm EST on Tuesday June 24, 2008,I have not received any official explanation for the events occurred, neither from the police precinct nor my building manager or owner, despite numerous calls and
requests for an explanation.

Both the 25th and 23rd NYPD precinct, which patrol my block, have denied that the officers involved are from their command.

The questions as to why several armed police officers mysteriously and violently invaded my home without any clear legal justification remain unanswered.

One is left only to think that the occurrences of this morning are not a coincidence of mistaken identity, but a direct response by the NYPD to an incident of police brutality I was involved in last week in the South Bronx.

Until we have a clear understanding of the causes and the people behind this morning's home invasion, Rebel Diaz will engage in limited communication outside of our legal representation.

We are not looking for the next NYPD scare tactic to turn into a tragedy.



For more information regarding the incidents of police brutality
against G1 and Rodstarz of Rebel Diaz last week, and the pending case
them, please visit www.rebeldiaz. com