March and Rally Against Hate Crimes and Police Brutality

Concerned citizens of the Greater Rochester Area invite you to join us for a March and Awareness Rally against Hate Crimes and Police Brutality on Tuesday, June 26, 2007, 4:30 – 6:30 pm, at the four corners of Monroe Avenue and South Goodman Street.

The immediate impetus for march/rally occurred in the early morning of Friday, June 1, 2007, when eight GLBTQIA individuals were verbally and physically assaulted on South Goodman Street between Park and Monroe Avenues in homophobia-related crimes. The police were notified and after fifteen officers arrived at the scene, they allowed the perpetrators to go without penalty, refused to take a report for the victims/survivors, and arrested three of the victims/survivors after allegedly using anti-gay slurs and even physically threatening and harassing them.

Please note that although this is an anti-police brutality protest, it is not anti-police. It is the hope of the planning committee to have a powerful, yet peaceful, presence and to not engage in a negative way—whether verbally or physically—with anti-gay opposition or the police. Our purpose is to raise awareness regarding police brutality and to support anyone who has been the victim/survivor of a hate crime or experienced police brutality or discrimination under the law.

For more information, please send a message to stophatecrime@gmail.com.

Contact: Billijo Wolf or Joy Messinger

Phone: (585) 319-4741 [Billijo] or (585) 750-1302 [Joy]

E-mail: stophatecrime@gmail.com