Local News

Gordon's motions denied by judge in police violence case

Submitted by T. Forsyth on Tue, 2016-01-12 22:09

Scean Gordon, represented by Public Defender Christine Seppeler, stood tall wearing his Black Panther t-shirt and navy blue button down as city court Judge Ellen Yacknin hemmed and hawed while she considered each of Ms. Seppeler's well-argued motions before denying each. The January 5, 2016 hearing was a last attempt for Mr. Gordon to take a plea deal before trial preparations commenced. Seven supporters of Mr. Gordon sat in court.

Mr. Gordon was brutalized and arrested by Rochester Police Department officers Nicholas Thomas and Christopher Kosch after video taping them mis-identifying and arresting his neighbor Daryl Appleberry on November 9, 2015. Mr. Gordon pulled out his cell phone and started recording the scene immediately after police said that his neighbor was under arrest. Officers at the scene were uncooperative with Mr. Gordon's questions as he tried to identify them. He was able to record some of their name plates, badge numbers, and car numbers. He told Mr. Appleberry to remain silent and maintain his rights.

As the cruiser was pulling away to the right with Mr. Appleberry in handcuffs in the back seat, officer Thomas stopped the vehicle—telling his partner officer Kosch “I have to get this guy for something [referring to Mr. Gordon],” according to Mr. Appleberry. Officer Thomas jumped out of the cruiser, told Mr. Gordon he was under arrest, and proceeded to tackle him, threw him into the pavement, used a Taser on him, pepper sprayed and choked him. Mr. Gordon was eventually handcuffed and put into the back seat of a different cruiser and taken away.

Mr. Appleberry was released shortly after Mr. Gordon was removed from the scene. When Mr. Appleberry asked to see the photo of the suspect, the officers remained silent. An unknown officer said, “Oh, you all look alike,” according to Mr. Appleberry.

Ms. Seppeler laid out a strong defense of her client. She entered motions to dismiss the disorderly conduct and obstruction of governmental administration charges arguing that there was “insufficient” evidence for the charges to stand. She also entered a motion to dismiss the charges in the furtherance of justice after reviewing two videos of the incident in question. Her final motion asked the court to grant a jury of Mr. Gordon's peers from within the boundaries of the City of Rochester rather than Monroe County.

From inside Attica: Interview with Jalil Muntaqim

Submitted by PSL member Mitchell Jones on Sun, 2016-01-03 22:00

This interview was originally published by the Party for Socialism and Liberation at: http://www.liberationnews.org/from-inside-attica-interview-with-jalil-muntaqim/

Apartheid Attica.

Solitary confinement, brutality

and beat downs—prisoners

toe the line doing the time

for being Black in America,

the legacy of slavery, Black

Codes and Jim Crow.

Do Black Lives Matter?

Excerpt from Jalil Muntaqim’s poem “Apartheid Attica”

From the Vault! Rochester Indymedia digs for content from the past

Submitted by Rochester Indymedia on Sun, 2016-01-03 21:04

In the spring of 2013, our old video channel host--Blip.tv--decided that our content didn't fit in with their new make-over of being the place to go for fictional video webseries. So, Rochester Indymedia was given a week to download all of our content before it would be deleted.

Needless to say, we got our content. Re-uploading it onto our YouTube.com channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/RochesterIndymedia) has been a much slower and tedious process.

On top of that, many of the people who have participated with the IMC over the years have content that was never published. This content comes in the forms of video, audio, written work, and still photography.

From the Vault! is a new type of feature where we can unearth some of our old and unpublished stuff and put it out there for our (new) audience. Other feature types we've used in the past and might be used in the future again are IndyTV (our interview show at Rochester Community Television) and Indymedia Uncut (a feature usually showcasing a lengthy interview or lecture).

Aside from letting folks know about the vault, we wanted to actually share some footage that has just been transfered to our Youtube.com video channel. (Mind you, we are not going to republish the hundreds of videos we've already uploaded to the channel.)

The first videos we wanted to highlight were shot by Al Brundage. Resident of Turtle Island and peace activist Jimmy Johnson gave a lecture titled From Disney to drone wars - Settler colonialism, militarism and empire in the United States and Israel at the Flying Squirrel in Rochester on March 21 2012.  The lecture was followed by an hour of question and answer.

Part I

Part II

The original article can be found here: From Disney to Drone Wars - a critical settler perspective.

The second video we wanted to share from the vault was an interview conducted by Dawn "the Barefoot Host" Zuppelli and produced and shot by the Rochester Indymedia collective: Indy TV #22: Making Sense of Gaza: A conversation with Aunali Khaku and Imran Rafi.

You can find the original article here: Indy TV #22: Making Sense of Gaza: A conversation with Aunali Khaku and Imran Rafi.

Enjoy! And please check out our Youtube.com channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/RochesterIndymedia) for more amazing content over the last 13 years. Want to get involved? Please come out to a meeting!

On the FIRST WEDNESDAY of the MONTH, the collective is meeting from 7:00PM - 9:00PM at Rochester Community Television (21 Gorham Street Rochester, NY 14605).

On the 2ND, 3RD, 4TH, (and sometimes) 5TH WEDNESDAYS of the MONTH, the collective will meet 7:00PM - 9:00PM at the Flying Squirrel Community Space (285 Clarissa St., Rochester, NY 14608).

Or email us: rochesterindymedia@rocus.org

Don't hate the media, be the media!

Rochester Rallies for Climate Justice

Submitted by AlBrundage on Tue, 2015-12-01 22:49

Over 400 people attended the Rochester March for Global Climate Action on Sunday November 29 2015. The event coincided with  United Nations Climate Summit beginning that day in Paris, France.  President Obama and 140 other world leaders are attending the summit.  A large march in Paris had to be cancelled due to the recent armed terror attacks on November 13. But people turned out in solidarity in over 2200 cities around the world including Rochester. The event was organized by the Rochester People's Climate Coalition, formed in 2014.

From the Democrat & Chronicle: "Ex-wife: Suspect a nonviolent man" [full txt]

Submitted by D&C; reporters: Freile, Victoria; Ramos, Nestor; Dobbin, Sean on Thu, 2015-11-26 11:46

From the D&C archives: http://roc.democratandchronicle.com/article/20111015/news01/110150330/Hayden-Blackman-s-ex-wife-says-he-nonviolent

Ex-wife: Suspect a nonviolent man

Author: Freile, Victoria; Ramos, Nestor; Dobbin, Sean

http://search.proquest.com/docview/898407096?accountid=47680

Abstract: [...] the attacker must display intent to do physical harm. [...] they must possess the capability -- either the physical strength or ability to operate that weapon -- to follow through.

Full text: The ex-wife of a 43-year-old man who was shot and killed by Rochester police Thursday night said her ex-husband -- still a close friend -- was a generous, nonviolent man who laughed and joked with her even as they filed their divorce paperwork.


Hayden O. Blackman was shot to death in a second-floor apartment at 181 Columbia Ave. after officers responded to a 911 call involving a domestic dispute, according to Rochester Police Chief James Sheppard. Police on Friday identified the officer who fired the shots as Randy Book, a 25-year-old who has been on the force for 4 1/2 years.


Antonia Salters Blackman said her ex-husband was shot in the home he shared with his new wife, whom he married over the summer.


Sheppard said officers found Blackman, who lived in the upstairs apartment, holding a six-inch folding knife and threatening his 16-year-old stepson. The officers remained in the doorway of the apartment and directed Blackman to drop the knife several times, Sheppard said.

ROC Says "No" to hate and intolerance and "Yes" to refugees

Submitted by SusanGalloway on Tue, 2015-11-24 20:54

A crowd of well over a hundred in Rochester, NY showed up to protest Representative Louise Slaughter's "yes" vote on the SAFE Act. The SAFE Act, would increase barriers for refugees from Syria and Iraq wanting to come to the US to escape war, destruction and possible death. Protesters held signs saying "Refugees welcome in Rochester" and "Choose compassion, not fear".

Community Rallies to Stop Eviction of Elizabeth McGriff

Submitted by Susan Galloway on Tue, 2015-11-24 15:32

Elizabeth McGriff had been notified by the Monroe County Sheriff's Office that she would be evicted from her home. She has been told that they would forcibly remove her ifshe is not out by 10am on
November 10, 2015.

On November 10th, Take Back the Land and community members rallied outside Ms. McGriff's home to stop the eviction. As a result, the eviction was called off.

Two Black men, one falsely arrested & the other brutalized by RPD, tell their stories

Submitted by T. Forsyth on Sun, 2015-11-22 23:23

On November 9, 2015, at around 11:30am, Scean Gordon and Daryl Appleberry were the victims of racial profiling, wrongful police arrest, and brutality—amid corporate media carelessness and police lies.

According to Mr. Appleberry, police had a description and picture of the man they sought. However, Rochester Police Department officers continued to arrest Mr. Appleberry before and after he, his family, and his friends informed the police of his identity. Mr. Gordon began filming the situation as soon as he could on his cell phone.

As Mr. Gordon and Mr. Appleberry greeted each other in the middle of a quiet Grafton Street and began crossing, a police cruiser rolled up on them and two cops jumped out yelling at the Mr. Appleberry, “What's your name!” according to Mr. Gordon.

Before Mr. Gordon began filming, Mr. Appleberry had identified himself twice to the police.

“When they first jumped out and yelled 'What's your name?! We can make this easy,' I told the them my name was Daryl Appleberry twice,” said Mr. Appleberry.

Mr. Appleberry then identified himself in Mr. Gordon's video before he asserted his right to remain silent and his refusal to be searched.

Mr. Gordon did the only thing he could do at that moment: he documented the scene with his cell phone. He and Mr. Appleberry's family became frustrated and angry when police refused to identify themselves and proceeded to handcuff and arrest Mr. Appleberry—forcing him into the back seat of the cruiser.

Video from Scean Gordon

The video above shows Mr. Gordon moving closer to the officers in order to get their images, name plates, and badge numbers after they refused to identify themselves. He also went into the street briefly to capture the license plates of the cruisers. As he did this, he also reminded Mr. Appleberry of his rights. Seeing the police as apparent kidnappers who wouldn't identify themselves, Mr. Gordon refused to comply with their orders.

Video from D. A.

As the cruiser was pulling away to the right with Mr. Appleberry in handcuffs in the back seat, officer Christopher Kosch stopped the vehicle—telling his partner “I have to get this guy for something [referring to Mr. Gordon],” according to Mr. Appleberry—jumped out, told Mr. Gordon he was under arrest, and proceeded to tackle him, threw him into the pavement, used a Taser on him, pepper sprayed and choked him. Mr. Gordon was eventually handcuffed and put into the back seat of a cruiser and taken away.

Mr. Appleberry was released shortly after Mr. Gordon was removed from the scene. When Mr. Appleberry asked to see the photo of the suspect, the officers remained silent. Officer Kosch's partner said, “Oh, you all look alike,” according to Mr. Appleberry.

Mr. Gordon was charged with obstruction of governmental administration, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest. After going to the hospital for treatment, where he was further taunted and humiliated by officers, he was booked downtown, spent the night in jail, and arraigned the following morning before Judge Ellen Yacknin.

Watch the full Rochester Indymedia interview with Daryl Appleberry and Scean Gordon below

Apostle Nina Warr to be honored and celebrated at banquet recognizing her 16th ordination anniversary

Submitted by members of Inner Faith Gospel Tabernacle on Wed, 2015-11-11 11:42

In recognition of her good work in the community and her many years of spiritual service to the people, Apostle Nina Warr will be honored at a very special banquet recognizing the 16th anniversary of her ordination. The banquet is being organized by members of her church, Inner Faith Gospel Tabernacle.

Sister Felicia Abrams said of her pastor, “Pastor Warr is an exceptional woman of GOD. Her servanthood for the people comes from a loving heart that seeks the will of GOD diligently.

The Pillar Community Space opens in South Wedge

Submitted by AlBrundage on Sat, 2015-11-07 14:54

Last April we told you about a huge new church/community space project in Rochester's South Wedge.
 
http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/146848

In October 2015 the Pillar Community Space opened its doors and held its first religious service in the new venue! The original "industrial" feel of the space has been retained by the extensive use of recycled materials, however the building is still compliant with all disabled-access requirements.

Mental Health: A juxtaposition of Rochester police tactics

Submitted by Susan Galloway / T. Forsyth on Sat, 2015-11-07 11:02

A video of an incident on West Main Street on October 27, 2015 showed five Rochester police officers violently subduing a mentally ill, homeless, Black man. The incident lasted two minutes, according to the Rochester Police Department in a Democrat & Chronicle article.



What people may not know, however, was that about a week before on October 21, 2015, a similar incident happened on Clarissa Street involving a young, white man with mental health issues. The individual exhibited aggressive and belligerent behavior toward other people on Clarissa Street. During this incident, he removed his own clothing and proceeded to move up and down the street. The incident lasted a little over an hour.



Due to negative societal stigma attached to mental illness, Rochester Indymedia has made every effort to hide the face of the individual. We wanted to show the difference in how the police responded to both situations, and also question why there was a marked difference in police tactics. What happened on W. Main St. was not acceptable--regardless of police procedure.


Watch the video below of the incidents on October 27, 2015 and October 21, 2015:

To Change Everything (Audio from Panel Discussion)

Submitted by AndyDillon on Thu, 2015-11-05 17:54

Rev. Hagler's U of R speech and an interview with student organizer Hijazi

Submitted by T. Forsyth on Thu, 2015-10-22 14:41

After Rev. Graylan Hagler was dis-invited from speaking at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School and before he spoke at the Historic German House, Shurouq Hijazi and other student organizers with the Student Association for the Development of Arab Cultural Awareness (SADACA) scrambled to secure the Palestinian rights speaking engagement at the University of Rochester.  In the interview she discusses the process for bringing him, the community conflict with his dis-invitation from the Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, academic freedom, and why his message was important for students and community members to hear. The interview was conducted on September 28, 2015. Hijazi sets some of the context for the reverend's controversial visit to Rochester.

Rev. Hagler stopped at the University of Rochester to give a talk before speaking to a crowd at the German House on September 24, 2015. Once the U of R administration discussed security and the school's code against hate speech with Hijazi and the president of SADACA Abdulwahab Alhaji, the talk was secured and Rev. Hagler not only had the support of student organizations but also the U of R administration. The title of the talk was "Connecting the dots: From Ferguson to Palestine." It was a 40 minute talk and dealt specifically with pointing out the connections between apartheid in Israel and the Occupied Territories and the same kinds of humiliation and degradation that Black people and people of color experience in the U.S. on a daily basis by the police. This is part one which includes a brief introduction from Alhaji and Rev. Hagler's argument for connecting the dots.

Below is part two in which Rev. Hagler does a Q & A with the audience.

Rochester Rally for Palestine

Submitted by AlBrundage on Mon, 2015-10-19 15:58

Heavy rain did not deter some 50 demonstrators from rallying on October 16 in support of the people of Palestine. Palestine is a nation in the Middle East that is increasingly losing its territory to Israeli settlements. The settlements are in violation of several peace treaties and international laws. The Palestenian people are Arab, mostly Muslim, however nearly a quarter of them are Christians. They are considered second-class citizens by the Israeli government which enforces an apartheid-like regime.

The demonstration was called in solidarity with others around the country including one planned in New York City the following Sunday. It was not in response to a single incident but to ongoing killings in the occupied territory. An unofficial report mentioned 35 killed by the IDF (Israeli army) in one day. Often the IDF does not even return the bodies of the dead, instead burying them in secret. Many of those killed are children.

Amongst those present was Eli Mizrahi, an Israeli citizen. In his words: "This is not the Jewish religion...Judiasm is peaceful." "This is more like the Nazis." "They just shoot kids." Israeli is not respecting the Oslo accords. The accords call for Palestinian sovereignty and equality.

Undrone Upstate Walk coming to Rochester

Submitted by SusanGalloway on Mon, 2015-10-12 23:45


 

Poverty: The Sin of Omission by Corporate News

Submitted by Pat Mannix on Wed, 2015-09-30 00:08

It is no secret that I question the sincerity of the Unite Rochester initiative of the D&C. They fail time after time to put their money where their mouth is. And, since they are a corporate, profit-making entity, this should come as no surprise. I want to share a letter I sent some time ago when the latest ACT Rochester stats came out for Rochester. The D&C did not publish it. No surprise there either. Anyway, here it is for your consideration.

Unpublished letter to D&C:

People's Climate March in Solidarity with Pope Francis

Submitted by AlBrundage on Sat, 2015-09-26 23:59

Marchers met at Rochester's Liberty Pole on September 24 2015 in an event to call attention to Climate Change.  The march coincides with Pope Francis' visit to the United States.  In June the Pope published an Encyclical (official proclamation) in which he said “Climate change is a global problem with grave implications: environmental, social, economic, political and for the distribution of goods. It represents one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day.”

Five points were addressed on the matter.

From Ferguson to Palestine to Rochester: the truth perseveres! Rev. Hagler speaks!

Submitted by T. Forsyth (photos: Linc Spaulding, Mara Ahmed, Al Brundage) on Fri, 2015-09-25 09:07

Amid death threats, a change in venue, and pro-Israeli groups applying pressure to stop Rev. Graylan Hagler from speaking on the connections between the Palestinian struggle for justice and the Black Lives Matter movement, Christians Witnessing for Palestine and the Rochester chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace were able to secure a different speaking venue after his invitation to speak at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School had been rescinded. His tallk, "Connecting the dots: Ferguson to Palestine," was given on September 24, 2015, at The Historic German House in Rochester, NY.

Rev. Hagler spoke earlier in the day at the University of Rochester. Rochester Indymedia filmed that talk and did an interview with one of the student organizers. Both will be featured on Rochester.Indymedia.org later this week.

At The Historic German House, Rev. Hagler spoke to a rapt audience of 150+ people who listened to him drop truth and justice as he made the connection between the oppression of the Palestinians by the Israeli state and the oppression of black and brown people in Amerikkka by the police.

Part I -- introduction and Rev. Hagler's talk

Part II -- Q & A session

Carroll & Norman talk about the upcoming Summit on Race!

Submitted by T. Forsyth on Fri, 2015-09-25 07:25

Breaking Down Racial Barriers: A Community Pulling Together

This 3rd Annual Summit on Race--"Breaking Down Racial Barriers: A Community Pulling Together" hosted by Facing Race, Embracing Equity will take place on Saturday, September 26, 2015, 11 AM to 4 PM, at Wilson Foundation Academy (200 Genesee Street).

Rochester Indymedia has been highlighting some of the folks involved in this effort before the summit as a way to help spread the word. T. Forsyth interviewed two people on September 16, 2015 who were vital to the summit coming together:

Jean Carroll of the YWCA

& James Norman of Action for a Better Community.

Corporate Welfare: Why Rochester Can't Have Nice Things

Submitted by Alex White on Thu, 2015-09-24 12:15



Ever thought of something that would make Rochester better or that we once had.  Did you think it odd that we had to cut library hours? Well the reason we can not afford these things is that Rochester's Democratic leaders have given out millions in corporate welfare.  Here is a little video about this but the buildings it shows are just the tip of the iceberg.

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