JUSTICE FOR KENNY LAZO - April 3rd @ the Brecht Forum

We're throwing a Police Brutality awareness / fundraiser event for Kenny Lazo on Saturday, April 3rd, 2010, at the Brecht Forum from 6:30-10:30PM. The event will be featuring several speakers including Jennifer Gonzalez (partner of Kenny Lazo), Juanita Young (mother of Malcolm Ferguson), William Bell (father of Sean Bell), Kathie Cheng of the October 22 Coalition, Monica Ruiz of the ANSWER Coalition, and several artist performances including, Badsportt, Peggy Robles Alvarado, Raul K Rios, featuring DJ Oja, and hosted by Majesty. We will also be showcasing photography by myself, artwork by Kenny Chan-Cruz, and showing ANSWER's Eddie Pages' 30 minute documentary short, "Police Terror: The Murder of Kenny Lazo."

There will be food and art to bid on, so bring your cash. We are raising money to pay for transportation from the city to Long Island the day of the 10th (Saturday, April 10th) so that city dwellers can support the people of Suffolk County, who are brutalized and antagonized by the racist Suffolk County cops on a day by day basis.

The above is the official flyer - please print and distribute, repost, twitter, facebook, etc....Thank you :)

2010, Haiti, Chile, Hawaii....

This first quarter of 2010 is rough. First Haiti, now Chile, and Hawaii preparing for the aftereffect tsunami.... The above is a photo of Chileans walking away from a bridge destroyed by the earthquake in Santiago, provided by Getty Images (sadly they did not credit the photographer). Here's the link to some other photos covering the aftermath of the quakes in Chile: http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2010/02/world/gallery.large.chile/index.html

I ask myself, like many others, why natural disasters often hit the indigenous people of the world, and why is it that we suffer the most, in our impoverished conditions, with our cultures exploited.

I've been inundated with work these past few weeks, and I've wanted to post but have been reserved to post about ongoing projects. Sometimes I think just seeing the finished project without seeing the steps to completing can be more compelling.

I'm getting geared up to go to DC to march in ANSWER's annual March on the Pentagon on March 20th. I'll be organizing with other photographers so that we can achieve as much visibility as this movement needs. If you're interested in coming along and shooting, send me a message or drop a comment.

Peace.

Fences & Tanks Show, Saturday, February 27, 2010

COME THROUGH! Would love to see you...and why would you want to miss out?? :)

Biz Card

My new business card, introducing the Alliance of Conscious Documentarians, which really just exists as a Facebook page right now....but I have plans, and I'm particularly ambitious about this. MUHAHA.

Culture Clash @ Brecht Forum

HAPPY 2010!!

I'll be showing at the Brecht Forum on January 30th-31st. I'm in the middle of gathering the prints for it and I have a headache from too many pictures in my mind.

I'm better at organizing my sock drawer than my photos.

We Are Kenny Lazo (1983-2008)

Kenny was brutally murdered by five racist Suffolk County cops nearly two years ago. Tomorrow, Kenny's family and supporters will be demanding justice outside the 3rd precinct where he was killed. The following is a post by the mother of his son, Jennifer Gonzalez:

Murdered BY FIVE 3rd PRECINCT OFFICERS!

Please help us Fight for Justice and Put an End to Police Brutality!
1650 5th Ave, Bay Shore ( Long Island )
Wednesday, December 30th, 6-7:30pm.

The Murder of Kenny Lazo: Details of the Case

Kenny Lazo, 1983-2008, beaten to death while in police custody

On the night of April 12, 2008 Kenny Lazo fell victim to a ruthless and malicious crime. Kenny’s life was taken by those who are sworn to protect and serve: the Suffolk County 3rd Precinct Police Dept.
Kenny Lazo was pulled over by 3rd precinct officers, John Newton, James Scimone, William Judge, Christopher Talt and Joseph Link. Police have failed to explain why Kenny was pulled over.
While the cops claim that Kenny tried to elbow one of the cops and, more unbelievably, that he tried to get a gun, what we know for sure is that Kenny was handcuffed, forced down on the ground, beaten and choked with flashlights. He suffered from blunt impact to the head, face, torso, arms, with multiple abrasions, contusions and lacerations of the face and scalp. He went into cardiac arrest. He was then brought to the 3rd precinct with NO medical attention.
As Kenny was taking his last breath lying on the precinct floor, an eyewitness heard the officers involved in beating him joking and proudly demonstrating in the front lobby how they did it. An hour after being brought to the 3rd precinct, police decided to finally call for an EMT. Emergency assistance found Kenny lying DEAD on the floor wearing nothing but his underwear.
The Suffolk County coroner ruled Kenny’s death as a HOMICIDE as a result of his injuries at the hands of our own police department.
Kenny was a loving father to his beautiful son, a good son to his parents, a loving and supporting partner to his girlfriend, a hard and committed worker and a solid contributor to our community.
Though the FIVE OFFICERS were left off the hook, our fight for justice will not stop. We must come together as a community and put an end to this criminal behavior by the Suffolk police.
In the name of justice and what is right, we must unite as a community and demand that the DA take this case seriously and that charges be brought against the five police officers. Police brutality hurts all of us! You never know if you or your family member could be next!

Protest at the 3rd Precinct! Demand the D.A. charge the killer cops with murder!

Links: http://www.mylitv.com/view_video.php?viewkey=34362ac261db280128c2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIuQgemjWk0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAtFdjTdbdk

Tomorrow Marks the 1st Year Anniversary of the Gaza Massacre

A boy and his father gather with others at a Brooklyn for Peace Vigil for the Gaza Massacre last January.

Passionate activists gather in Times Square last year right after the Gaza Massacre.

A young boy delivers his conscious message at a NYC protest for Gaza last year.

Organizers hand out leaflets to raise awareness of what is happening in Gaza.

When you're Palestinian, this is a way of life. Brotherhood has a whole different meaning.

Palestinian Activist friends Mahmoud Mishal and Moayad Toom show solidarity at a Gaza protest last year in NYC.

Activist youths show their signs of solidarity, love, and resistance to occupation.

Tomorrow marks the 1st year Anniversary of the 22-day bombardment on Gaza by Israel that resulted in nearly 1500 Palestinian deaths, 60% of which were women and children. I was in Ottawa visiting my Godfather wishing so much to be standing by my Palestinian friends who have grown up watching their parents mourn in front of the television over the continuous seige of their homeland.

As I write, "over 500 people from 20 countries, in 250 vehicles loaded with Humanitarian Aid, are left stranded in Aqaba, Jordan, having been refused permission to enter Egypt," reports John Hurson, an Irish Activist on the Viva Palestina Tour led by British MP George Galloway.

As international sources such as BBC, AlJazeera, and World Bulletin all report the convoy's latest status, national media outlets like Fox News and CNN steer clear of such mentions and focus on the latest Hollywood gossip and the daily witch hunt for domestic terrorists.

The following is a note from John Hurson, speaking on the convoy's current situation in Jordan, and what steps you can take to help out. Thank you to Barbara Columbus and Maryam Zohny for their additional contacts:

Well folks, as you awake today from your Christmas hangover, over 500 people from 20 countries, in 250 vehicles loaded with Humanitarian Aid, are left stranded in Aqaba, Jordan, having been refused permission to enter Egypt.

The Egyptians have placed 3 conditions on the convoy if it wants to enter Egypt.

1. We hand all our vehicles and aid over to UNRA.

2. We drive 500 miles abck to Syria, and take a 24 hour ferry through the Suez Canal.

3. We have to ask Israel for permission to cross from Egypt to Gaza.

All 3 conditions have been flatly rejected by everyone on the convoy, as we want to cross into Gaza and hand our aid over to the Palestinians ourselves.

Would you phone Canada to ask permission to enter the US? Would you ask France for permission to go to Germany? For the 1st time, Egypt have now openly admitted that they are under control of Israel/US.

This has been the lead story on Al Jazeera for the past 24 hours, and there are media teams from all over the Arab world here in Aqaba following this story. Needless to say, everyone watching is totally outraged by Egypt's complicity with Israel/US in denying this convoy of aid to reach Gaza.

Yesterday, Christmas Day, I dressed up as Santa to lighten the mood, and everyones sprirts lifted.
Al Jazeera interviewed Santa, who explained that the children in Gaza were the only ones in the whole world who didn't recieve any presents. Santa explained that while flying through the air on his sleigh with the reindeers, he was stopped and refused entry. Santa was upset as this was the only place in the world he could not visit. I will post the clip whenever I get it from Al Jazeera.

Tomorrow marks the 1 anniversary of the start of the 22 day massacre of over 1,400 people. In solidarity, we are all going to embark on a fast. We will all fast for as long as it takes for us to get into Gaza with our aid.
We are calling on people all over the world to fast with us, and with the Palestinians, who fast every day due to the illegal siege imposed upon them by Israel/US/Egypt.

It's time to take a stand and say "Enough Is Enough". This siege has got to stop, for the sake of humanity.

I am calling on ALL the members of the "Ireland To Gaza" Group to call the Egyptian Embassy and demand that we be allowed to enter Gaza, and deliver our aid.

The contact details for the Egyptian Embassy in Dublin are: +353-1-6606718 / +353-1-6606566 / consular@embegyptireland.ie

The contact details for the Egyptian Embassy in London are: 0044-20-7499-3304 / eg.emb_london@mfa.gov.eg”

Please contact them, and express your outrage at their refusal to allow Humanitarian Aid into Gaza, and to let them know that you will never travel to Egypt again, as long as they are the lap dogs for Israel/US.

Please forward this message on to everyone you know, and invite them to join this group. Plus, please leave a message of support for everyone who is stranded here in Aqaba, and for the Palestinians who need our support now, more than ever.

John Hurson

Stranded in Aqaba, Jordan

Here's a list of other Egyptian Embassies contact information around the world, please email or phone them:1. Egyptian Embassy in Athens, Greece
Phone: 210 36 18 612  13
Fax: 210 36 03 538... See More
Email: emb.egypt@yahoo.gr, eg.emb_athens@mfa.gov.eg

2. Egyptian Embassy in The Hague, Netherlands
Phone: +31 (0) 70-354 20 00, +31 (0) 70-354 45 35
Fax: +31 (0) 70-354 33 04

3. Egyptian Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden
Phone: (46 8) 662 9687 or 662 9603 or 660 3145
Fax: (46 8) 661 2664

4. Egyptian Embassy in Bern, Switzerland
Phone: 031 352 80 12 / 13
Fax: 031 352 06 25

5. Egyptian Embassy in London, United Kingdom
Phone: 020 7499 3304
Fax: 020 7491 1542
Email: eg.emb_london@mfa.gov.eg

6. Egyptian Embassy in Washington D.C., United States
Phone: (+1) (202) 8955400
Fax: (+1) (202) 2444319
Email: embassy@egyptembdc.org

7. Egyptian Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela
Phone: 0058212  9926259
Fax: 0058212  9931555
Email: egyptianembassy@cantv.com.ve

8. Egyptian Embassy in Berlin, Germany
Phone: 030 477 54 70
Fax: 030 477 10 49
Web Site: http://www.egyptian-embassy.de/
Email: Embassy@egyptian-embassy.de

9. Egyptian Embassy in Paris, France
Phone: (+33) 1 53678830-32
Fax: (+33) 1 47230643
Email: Paris_Con@mfa.gov.eg

10. Egyptian Embassy in Beijing, China
Phone: (8610) 6532 1825
Fax: (8610) 6532 5365
Email: eg_emb_bj@yahoo.com

11. Egyptian Embassy in Ottawa, Canada
Phone: (613)234-4931, (613)234-4935
Fax: (613)234-4398
Email: egyptemb@sympatico.ca

12. Egyptian Embassy in Canberra, Australia
Phone: (00612) 6273 4437 - 6273 4438
Fax: (00612) 6273 4279
Email: egyembassy@bigpond.com

13. Egyptian Embassy in Amman, Jordan
Phone: 5605175 / 5605176 / 5605202 /5605203
Fax: 5604082
Email: egypt@tedata.net.jo, embegypt@tedata.net.jo

In the U.S., contact the Egyptian Embassy, 202-895-5400 and ask for Omar Youssef or email omaryoussef@hotmail.com

Also contact Ahmed Azzam at the Palestine Division in Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cairo, tel +202-25749682 Email: ahmed.azzam@mfa.gov.eg

____________________________________

This just in from NYC Activist Delayne DeMorgandie who is a part of the Gaza Freedom March currently stranded in Egypt:

As we are poised to commemorate the December 27 invasion of Gaza, our delegates from around the world are gathering in Cairo. As you can imagine, the situation is changing moment by moment and there are lots of rumors. Tonight, the Ma’am News Agency put out a release saying, “Despite earlier announcements that the crossing would be closed until January, Egyptian officials will open the Rafah crossing for four days next week, three for general traffic and a fourth for Egyptian citizens. Head of the Administration of crossings in the de facto government Ghazi Hamad announced Saturday that the crossings would be open starting Tuesday 29 December. On Friday Egyptian nationals only will be permitted to cross. Each day 10-12 buses loaded with 60-70 passengers each will leave Gaza.”

The Foreign Ministry, however, has told us they knew nothing about this and that our situation, i.e. being denied entry, had not changed. For us, however, this represents a major change because it means there might be an opening since the government can no longer say that the border is too unsafe.... See More

We're trying tomorrow anyway to get to Al-Arish and then hopefully Gaza.
_________________________________
For those of you in major cities, please try to partake in a Gaza demonstration to commemorate the anniversary of the massacre tomorrow. In NYC, protesters will be meeting at 1:00PM on 42nd Street and 7th Avenue in Times Square.