PEOPLES MOVEMENT

On Saturday, February 4, 2012, the community of the South Bronx showed solidarity and support for the family’s and victims of recent police brutality attacks, Jateik Reed and Ramarley Graham. The protesters marched from 161st Street and Third Avenue, to the 42nd Precinct where the public let officers know how upset they were about the officers only being subjected to desk duty pending an investigation of their crimes. From there, the march took an unexpected turn when protesters took Third Avenue as they marched toward Reed’s block to show solidarity with his family and friends.

Ramarley Graham, 18 years old, lost his life after a Narcotics officer fired a single shot to Ramarley’s chest, causing him to collapse in his grandmother’s bathroom; she was nearby when the incident occurred. Jateik Reed, 19 years old, can be seen as officers abuse and beat him, push, kick, and struck him with a baton as he lay on the sidewalk. After he was arrested, he was charged with assaulting an officer, menacing harassment, and possession of cocaine and marijuana. He is currently being detained at Rikers Island on $15,000 bail. A witness of the incident said that officers beat Reed so badly, “His face was black and blue and his eyes were sealed shut from being swollen.”

Through this march and rally, the community wants to let the officers guilty of such atrocities know they will be held accountable for their crimes against humanity.