Last Thursday, independent, radical, revolutionary, activist Hip Hoppers Rodstarz and G1, two brothers known musically and in the movement as Rebel Diaz, were walking in the Bronx, NYC when they witnessed an all too common occurrence. Police officers from the 41st Precinct were in the middle of a sting against street vendors, aggressively confiscating the fruit and vegetables of a street vendor. What happened next was a mix of the sadly uncommon and the everyday threat that is faced in many of our communities. Rodstarz and G1 didn’t walk by quickly or quietly, watching their extended community being attacked. They approached the officers to ask why the vendor was being treated in that manner and asked for their badge numbers. The police, who aren’t exactly keen on the idea of being monitored by the very same community they allegedly serve, turned their aggressions on the duo. After beating them and arresting them in front of over a dozen witnesses, they were taken to the 41st Precinct.

Within hours, over 75 friends, community members and activists gathered outside the precinct (1035 Longwood Avenue at Southern Blvd.) to sing, chant, drum and march for over 4 hours, demanding that all charges be dropped and that Rodstarz and G1 be immediately released.

The following morning more than 25 people gathered at the Bronx County Criminal Court for their arraignment. The men are charged with two misdemeanors: obstruction of justice and resisting arrest, and are scheduled for court on September 3rd, 2008.

A cell phone video of the arrest was released to news circuits. Warning, this video is disturbing.

Brothers Rodstarz and G1 are no strangers to repression and resistance. Sons of Chilean political exiles, they grew up on Chicago’s north side, where police brutality was a daily reality. Upon their move to the South Bronx in early 2006 they were invited to perform their revolutionary music at the historic immigrant rights march in New York City, in front of 500,000 people. Today, Rebel Diaz travels throughout the world performing and organizing, using Hip Hop as a tool for education and social change around immigration, education and housing issues.

More information on the group can be found at rebeldiaz.com/ or www.myspace.com/rebeldiaz