New Developments in the Political Persecution of Noche Diaz of the NYC Revolution Club
February 2, 2015 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us
There have been important developments in the political persecution of Noche Diaz. A January 29 hearing in his case at the Manhattan Criminal Court points to the need to step up support for Noche heading into his March 19 trial for six charges stemming from protests against police murder.
Noche, a young revolutionary working with the Revolutionary Communist Party and the Revolution Club, has been on the front lines of those standing up in Harlem and citywide against this oppressive system, and is a leader in the movement for revolution. Since the struggle that rose up after the August 9 murder of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, the NYPD has singled Noche out for blatant persecution. On the night of August 14—the first major protest in New York City to protest Brown’s murder—Noche was targeted by the police and slapped with six misdemeanor charges, carrying the potential for a year sentence. Then on November 25, when people took to the streets the day after the Missouri grand jury failed to indict the cop who killed Brown, Noche was picked out of a crowd of thousands marching on Manhattan’s west side and hit with another five charges, with potential for another year sentence.
At the January 29 hearing, the prosecutors dropped charges of “inciting to riot” and “resisting arrest” as well as “unlawful assembly” and one count of “disorderly conduct.” Then they turned around and issued new charges—“obstructing government administration” (one year) and “harassment.” So while some outlandish charges have been dismissed, Noche still faces up to two years—one year for each instance of leading people to oppose police terror.
These outrageous charges for totally justified mass protest are not random, they are not legitimate, and they are not simply the result of individual cops acting piggishly towards someone known to stand up fearlessly for the people that the cops prey on. There are two things going on here: First, the system is hitting back hard at the movement for justice, and as part of that trying to put a known and respected leader behind bars. And second, the system is sending a message to people in an attempt to chill out protest: standing against them, and definitely getting with the revolution, will just bring down even more oppression.
Noche and his supporters have responded with bold revolutionary spirit. According to NewsOne.com (part of the largest African-American media company):
“Diaz and supporters held a brief press conference outside the courthouse after the hearing, where he discussed his case in detail. He also revealed that prosecutors offered him a plea deal.
“‘Before they said that they were gonna drop all these charges, they offered time served if I pled to all the charges,’ he revealed.
“After a short pause, he reassured supporters, ‘I didn’t do it.’”
On March 19 Noche is scheduled for trial for all the charges stemming from the August 14 arrest. He and his supporters will be at Manhattan Criminal Court, demanding all charges be dropped. Put it on your calendar now—be there, and call on others to come, to defend this revolutionary and the struggle against police terror.
See the revcom.us/Revolution interview with Noche Diaz.
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