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Mass Puerto Rican Day parade arrests called racist

By Marlene Naanes, amNewYork Staff Writer | MNaanes@am-ny.com

June 18, 2007

Activists and City Council members lashed out at the NYPD Sunday, calling the 208 arrests at last Sunday's Puerto Rican Day Parade racist and illegal.

Members of the Justice Committee, a group that helps victims of racial profiling and police brutality, spoke out in front of police headquarters about arrests of gang members and other people they say were just walking to or from the parade.

Police also arrested many young adults for wearing the colors of the Latin Kings, fearing they might crash the parade, Justice Committee spokeswoman Jessica San Clemente said.

"We want all the charges dropped," she said. "This is just showing a continued attack on young people, especially on young people of color."

During the parade, dozens of people called the Justice Committee about people being corralled and arrested, San Clemente said. The group is helping about 60 people, some affiliated with the Latin Kings and all claiming they were arrested for standing near the parade or walking around the route. None crossed police barricades, she said.

Police said that those arrested tried to crash the parade by acting disorderly or carrying weapons. One man was charged with a felony for sexually attacking a teenaged girl.

"Working closely with the parade committee, the Police Department helped make a safe and enjoyable event for an estimated two million parade goers by arresting the relatively few law breakers," Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Browne said in a written statement.

The NYPD would not answer specific questions regarding activists' claims, but Browne called Sunday's news conference "ill-informed."

Justice Committee members and civil rights attorney Norman Siegel plan to meet with arrestees soon and may represent them in court.

Councilwoman Melissa Mark Viverito hopes that people arrested at the parade will show up at a City Council civil rights committee meeting Monday. She said a lot of innocent bystanders were arrested as well as Latin Kings members who were not doing anything unlawful.

"It is not illegal for people to be affiliated with the Latin Kings, to be wearing the colors or to be wearing the beads," said Mark Viverito (D-East Harlem).

Siegel plans to look into whether the mayor's office or parade organizers asked police to look out for gang members trying to march in the parade after being excluded. Police have denied that claim, and organizers have spoken out against the arrests, calling them excessive.

"It's completely racist," San Clemente said. "If I'm associated with a group that the government or the city is not in agreement with, you can't just arrest me."