The almost hurricane-like weather did not keep away about two-hundred demonstrators from showing up to bring awareness to the less-than humane conditions and barbaric treatment of those held at Rikers Island. The weather was misty rain, cool temps and blustery winds yet, it did not keep people away.

One young man who spoke, Julian Guerrero from Millions March, shared that 85% of those held on Rikers Island are there with NO charges against them and cannot get off the island because they are unable to afford bail. Julian called Rikers Island, “the most brutal, depriving infrastructure and complex that jails people with systematic abuse, violence, sexual assault, dehumanization, the taking away of people’s dignity, happens on this island day in & day out”.

“When the people’s history of Manhattan is written, Rikers Island will be the reference point for the severe depravity and barbarism. It’s difficult to comprehend the totality of violence that happens on Rikers Island. The violence that’s perpetuated is the entire system of Capitalism and social control of mass incarceration,” Julian said.

Then, Darrell Prince of Occupy Wall Street said, “Give yourselves a round of applause for being here on this horrible, rainy day. I’m here because we need to tear down this system of mass incarceration, of mass injustice, of victimizing people who are poor, black & latino must end. In NYC, 90% arrested are black & latino. Arresting people for jumping turnstiles, while hundreds of thousands of Felony Fraud committed on Wall St, that were, Too Big to Jail.”

“So you’re coming after $2.75 theft but you’re not going after millions in frauds causing people to lose their homes?’

“That is the reality of this place,” said Travis Morales after speaking about the abuse and death at Rikers Island of Bradely Ballard. “Then, what do they do, is bring out cops and these barriers because we’re demanding that this stop. That this murder, that this Torture, Stop”.

VIDEO OF ACTION at APRIL WATTERS YOUTUBE