On October 7th , during a march down Main St. commemorating the 8th year of the American military occupation of Afghanistan, several units of Rochester, NY police maneuvered non-violent anti-war protesters into a trap on a bridge over the Genesee River. RPD then beat up local members of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and other participants who had nowhere to disperse (video link blip.tv/file/2695340). In the aftermath of the police riot, a cry from the Rochester public rose for an independent civilian review board for the police—a real civilian review board—not the current one run by BY the police at Rochester's Center for Dispute Settlement (RCDS).

Rochester Indymedia's investigation of the history and current status of civilian review boards has uncovered a disturbing trend nation wide, in which the original social justice movement for oversight of police by citizens in civilian review boards has been hollowed out and co-opted by police departments around the country. Such is the case in Rochester. The complaint process here, according to review board representative Frank Liberti at RCDS, involves the Center taking sworn statements about police misconduct and brutality, and then shipping the paperwork directly to police internal affairs. The Center for Dispute Settlement does have nice offices outside the police department in the Reynolds Arcade, but attractive amenities aside— in Rochester, the police are in charge of policing the police.

Additional Information: Police Brutally Attack Funk the War | Police Attack on Funk the War Still Raising Issues

Related: The FBI Comes Calling, And The Struggle Continues……. | Community Organizing Meeting to Discuss Collective Strategies Against Police Brutality | Cop harassment while driving home tonight

October 22, 2009 - As a follow-up to the news-story below [Mainstream Media Absent as Activists Against Racism Movement Delivers 700 Signatures], I thought the community would be interested in knowing that on Monday afternoon, October 19, 2009 —- I joined the list of U.S. citizens who have received uninvited, unexplainable and unwelcome visits to their homes by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).

When the door bell rang, I opened the door, and before agent Rick Rooney from the Buffalo,NY Office (cell phone:716-481-9998 and desk phone: 716-551-3925) could flip his wallet open —- to show me his official identification (the way they do on t.v.) —- I said "FBI, right?" I had been expecting them —- because less than an hour earlier —- I had received a phone call from someone at an address where I haven't lived for over ten (10) years, informing me that "the FBI is looking for you." My half-joking response was —- "they are not looking for me as hard as I am looking for them." Since they had left their names at my former address, my plan was to go to the State Street Federal Building and ask for them by name, but as I stated previously, before I could do so, the door bell rang.

When I opened the door and saw two clean-cut, white men dressed in white shirts and ties (with concealed side-arms) —- I figured who else could this possibly be —- except the FBI. Agent Rooney was accompanied by Agent Leonard Opanashuk from the Rochester, NY Office (phone: 546-2220, ext. 127). Oh, with regard to the concealed side-arms, at one point agent Opanashuk's jacket slipped open, and I was able to get a peek. It appeared that his weapon was hanging from a shoulder holster (like on t.v.). In hind sight, I had wondered if he intentionally displayed the weapon as some sort of intimidation tactic, but that's probably not the case. I was probably just paranoid. If it is the case, it didn't work. I also didn't think about the fact (until later) that as we (me and the FBI Agents) stood in the doorway to my dining room, chit-chatting (as a backdrop) —- a nicely-framed painting of Malcolm X (one of Malcolm's most radical images), hung on the dining room wall. I wondered later, what they thought of the painting. Also, as I continued to reflect on the situation —- I was reminded of information in Malcolm's autobiography, in which he discussed being visited by the FBI numerous times. I just smiled to myself, and said wow —- I'm in good company. Read the rest—click here.

Additional Information: Mainstream Media Absent as Activists Against Racism Movement Delivers 700 Signatures | Rallying Against RICO | Members of the so-called "Wolf Pack" Gang Proclaiming Innocence

Advocates for Universal Health Care from the Rochester region joined with communities from all over the country on Wednesday October 28th in day of Action demanding health care for all. In a protest targeting "MVP healthcare" at its office on Alexander Street in Downtown Rochester, 30 activists rallied along the sidewalk with the message that Medicare for all is the best solution to the health care crisis. Meanwhile, inside the building, 4 activists who had intended to deliver a letter they prepared for the vice president of MVP- Lisa Brubaker, were unable to gain access to the offices. When it was clear security would prevent them from entering, the activists sat outside the MVP offices in a courtyard cafe and ordered coffee. They were approached by 10 Rochester police, 6 building security guards and were asked to leave. When they responded that they would stay and finish the coffee they ordered, the 4 activists were arrested.

Read the entire Story

Video of Demonstration and Interviews with Participants

On Friday, October 16, 2009, (14th anniversary of the historic Million Man March and 150th anniversary of John Brown's insurrection at Harpers Ferry, WV) AARM members and supporters delivered approximately 700 signatures of outraged Rochester city residents to Federal Prosecuting Attorney Douglas E. Gregory's extravagant home, located in one of Penfield, New York's plushest neighborhoods (24 Dundas Road) --- that is, neighborhoods where houses routinely cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. The petitions denounced the current racist and absurd use of the RICO statute in a case against 24 poor African-American men and women from one of Rochester, New York's poorest neighborhoods (located in the so-called Northeast Crescent).

indytv.blip.tv/file/2734334/

Police Violence at the Funk the War Demonstration Wednesday has continued to make headlines and spark debate throughout the week.

On Friday, Rochester SDS gave a press conference in front of the public safety building (audio report, text of the statement) in order to correct police and media misinformation about the events. At the conference, they discussed the connections between the police violence on Wednesday, the police brutality experienced daily by people of color and poor people in the city, and the military and economic violence inflicted around the globe.

Another topic discussed at the SDS Press conference is the ongoing police surveillance and harassment of Rochester SDS and others associated with the demonstration. While SDS prepared for their press conference, around a dozen police officers parked next to the building they were at. The officers questioned the activists, videotaped their activities, and collected license plate numbers. The police presence lasted for nearly two hours.

Over the week the police have given many different justifications for their actions, including the following: protesters attacked the cops with drums, protesters blocked a fire truck, protesters pushed officers. Some of these justifications are contradicted by video evidence taped by Rochester IMC (video).

Finally, we have released interviews with quite a few activists present at the protests:

• Brian Lenzo Fired Up
• Jake Allen of SDS Talks to the Press
• John Kiss Describes the Melee