DAVEY D INTERVIEWS REBEL DIAZ : Cleveland IMC (((i)))

Davey D Interviews Rebel Diaz Welcome to SoBro-Interview w/ Rebel Diaz (The Follow Up)by Davey D (http://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.

Cleveland Indy Media Center