RDACBX Shut Down YESTERDAY by Federal Marshals and NYPD. Emergency Rally TODAY March 1st at 6pm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Gonzalo "G1" Venegas
(646) 431 – 7037
Rodrigo "RodStarz" Venegas
(646) 250 – 4405
South
Bronx community center Rebel Diaz Arts Collective (RDACBX) shut down by
Federal marshals and NYPD. Rally to be held denouncing lockout and
forced eviction.
March 1, 2013- After a violent daytime raid
yesterday, Thursday, February 28, 2013, on the warehouse turned arts
space at 478 Austin Place in the Bronx, members of Hip-Hop community
center RDACBX are denouncing their forced eviction at a rally to be held
at 6pm today in front of their locked out building.
The building
landowner, local commercial developer Marc Pogostin of Austin Property
Corp., had for months stalled negotiations on a new agreement with the
RDACBX after the group's original lease expired this past November.
Despite diverse support for RDACBX from local politicians, churches, and
community organizations in the area, Austin Property Corp. eventually
refused to renew the lease, citing concerns about the group's political
murals, and prompting the surprise eviction yesterday.
"The
violent actions taken yesterday are an attack on young people, artists,
and Hip Hop culture," says RDACBX co-founder RodStarz. "In a time where
budget cuts, stop and frisk, and gentrification are affecting our
communities, it's a shame we are being treated like criminals. There is
no justification for this eviction."
Karen Louviere, 19, a past
participant in RDACBX youth programs, expressed her disappointment at
the violent shutdown of the space. "They came in with armed officers
into what is supposed to be a safe space for the community. A space that
has served as an alternative for young people in the area, helping
develop their talents in a positive way."
The internationally
renowned RDACBX, host to weekly cultural performances and educational
workshops, had recently announced plans for the creation of the Richie
Perez Radical Library, as well as the continuation of their widely
recognized Boogie Mics open mic series, and the SxSBX Hip-Hop Festival.
"Despite
the violent removal of RDACBX from its space, RDACBX will continue to
work on its development, as it strives to be a resource for the
community. There is a need for this organization to exist in The South
Bronx," says Claudia De La Cruz, a member of the collective.
What: Press Conference/ Rally to Defend RDACBX
When: Friday, March 1st, 2013 at 6:00 p.m.
Where: 478 Austin Place, Bronx NY 10455
--Mumia is Innocent! Stop the Frame Up! Free Mumia!--
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