Students are Organizing against Police in Schools

45th Precinct Residents  File Complaint Against Abusive NYPD Officers
Groups March in Protest of Student Harassment

People Power Movement - Bronx, NY – A group of Bronx residents gathered on Monday, May 7th, at 3:30pm across the street from Lehman High School and marched to the 45th NYPD precinct to file a lawsuit against two police officers accused of harassment against Lehman High School student Malik Ayala.
 
Ayala, 16, became the target of police harassment in the hallway of his school, while waiting to take an exam. Ayala was engaged in conversation with some of his fellow students, and demands were made for his ID, records, and documents, first by Peace Officers, then by his Dean and then by the NYPD. Ayala was told that the literature he planned to hand out to fellow students was illegal because it had the Black Panther logo. He was then issued a summons for disorderly conduct. As a result of the time he spent with officers, Ayala was forced to miss that very important examination.

Less than two weeks later, Ayala noticed a young man being arrested in the subway and began to record the police actions with his cell phone. Officers demanded to see the phone, slammed him against the wall, and searched him despite Ayala’s refusal to agree to let them do so, which was his legal right. Once again, Ayala was served with a summons for disorderly conduct.

This is not a unique case. Local youth, predominantly of color, often go through the same experience daily in their schools and communities. On Monday May 7th we will march with fellow students and residents of the Bronx community to file complaints against officers who are harassing youth of color.

In schools where the majority of the student body is comprised of youth of color from working backgrounds, young people are treated not as students, but as criminals. There are metal detectors, peace officers, and the NYPD is called in routinely. Apparently the aim is to condition the students to be subjects of a police state, to create an atmosphere of intimidation and to establish a pipeline from schools to prisons.

For more information email: peoplepower@live.com or call: 212-537-4439

The police are looking for a suspect in a car accident. The description of the suspect is that he wore blue jeans and a grey shirt, no weight, height, or other notable features. The gentleman being detained is in a Harlem bar eating a meal. The cops come in and treat him like a suspect because "he fits the description", along with half the people in Harlem. These policemen were obvious rookies.

Yet, another example of the NYPD's stop and frisk policy at work. On February 23, 2012 we passed 2 men being stopped and frisked outside of their car in Harlem. It turned out that the police stopped them because of the vehicles tinted windows. During the stop the driver had trouble finding his drivers license. Both men were told to get out of the car and had their bodies frisked. After their bodies were frisked the NYPD proceeded to search the vehicle.

While the men were standing at the back of the car the driver searched his pockets again and was able to find his license. At this point the NYPD took down all of the drivers information and let both him and the passenger go with no tickets or traffic violations.

Add another worthless stop and frisk to the 700,000 that take place in New York City each year. More people human rights were violated for no reason whatsoever other than driving while black in Harlem.

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