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Cops Raid YMD Show In NJ
January 21st, 2006From my friend Steve. This is scary but it looks like everyone held their own, so kudos to them.
Man, Jersey Cops.So last night Yah Mos Def played a show in Williamstown NJ. The show was put on by this dude Alan who has been putting on great all-ages shows in the area for a long time. This was at a new venue that was owned by some other older dude. So during the course of the night some kid stole a sign from the bathroom. This was fucked up, because anyone knows we have to respect these places if we want to be able to use them as show spaces. But this was not Alan’s fault, just some stupid kid being funny. But the guy who owned the place flipped out and called the cops.
So while Amateur Party is playing, Alan comes in and says one more song. I guess the cops told him to wrap it up, and he came in to do so. So Amateur Party starts playing the shows last song, and one of the cops says “no, no more music”. It is a confused situation. So Alan kind of just stands there and does not say anything, not knowing how to react.
So from here on out I have it on video. Since Alan does not respond, the cops says “that’s it your under arrest and grabs Alan. He says something like “fuck you” cause the cop just grabbed him so hard by the neck, but did not resist or anything. All the sudden 2 other cops run and, and they all jump on the kid. I was fucking insane. People start taking out their phones and cameras and taking out pictures. One of the cops starts yelling “put away your phones”, and a kid in the crowd says “this is America” and the cop responds “I don’t care, you’re in my town now. WTF! He gets in my face and starts telling me to put away my camera or I will get locked up. I tell him to F’ off, and that I work for a Law Firm (which I of course don’t), but that I know my rights. The kid next to me, who I don’t know, spits out the amazing line “I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but we have the responsibility as citizens to record this”. I love that kid.
Anyhow, if anyone has pictures of info from last night please put them in a file and hold on to them. Even if you have memories you should jot them down in a word document incase Alan wants to sue those fucks.
Man, Jersey Cops.
If that’s not enough for you, check out the video footage. As many know, my brother is a cop, but I hope he’d never do something as shitty as this.
January 21st, 2006 at 5:31 pm
After watching this I was amazed by the bystanders’ cool and conscience. The shouts of “Brutality!” are particularly brave, considering everyone was in a private domicile, sealed off from the protective public. It certainly helped that everyone was “armed” with all sorts of recording equipment!
It’s strange to see something like this. You’d expect after sixty years of rock ‘n’ roll, the State would figure out how to contend with certain freedoms guaranteed in the Bill of Rights. On the other hand, maybe that’s what dude meant when he said that he didn’t care and that they were in his town now.
January 22nd, 2006 at 4:19 pm
[...] The kid next to me, who I don’t know, spits out the amazing line “I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but we have the responsibility as citizens to record this”. I love that kid. [...]
January 23rd, 2006 at 9:25 am
Cops raid Jersey show (Or: ‘You’re in my town now, so shut up!’)…
One of the best things about modern technology (besides allowing me to have a job doing this) is that when something crazy happens nowadays, there are always 20-30 people with camera phones, digital cameras and even video cameras able to……
November 16th, 2006 at 9:15 pm
[...] In the “Um, don’t we live in America” category, Her Jazz blogs a story (with video) about cops breaking up a local DIY music show due to a misunderstanding, but subsequently FREAKING OUT and getting violent as they rough up the promoter and are captured doing so on dozens of camera phones. Notable quotable: “I don�t mean to be disrespectful, but we have the responsibility as citizens to record this.” Watch the video (beware, it’s loud). [...]