#CLOSERikers Rally and March This Saturday

Last night at the Community Board 1 meeting, 114 Precinct Commander Peter Fortune announced this Saturday’s #CLOSERikers march and rally. We’re also passing along the news that the organizers got their city permits and the OK from the powers that be, and there will be a police presence during the event. They’ll be there in support of the protesters’ First Amendment right to peaceably assemble. All is well from a logistical standpoint and legal standpoint.

Here are more details from the Facebook event page, which we hope will help you understand the reasoning behind the protest efforts and perhaps even encourage you to participate if you feel so moved:

For decades, the notorious Rikers Island Jail Complex has been marked by violence and corruption and impervious to substantive reform. The #CLOSErikers campaign was formed in 2016 to break the political gridlock and achieve real solutions that are guided by directly impacted communities.

Led by JustLeadershipUSA, in partnership with the Katal Center for Health, Equity, and Justice, the #CLOSErikers campaign includes 90 diverse organizations across New York City that have joined the call for Mayor Bill de Blasio to close Rikers. The campaign to #CLOSErikers is calling for New Yorkers to boldly reimagine the city’s failed criminal justice system and become a national leader in ending mass incarceration.

Join us in sending Mayor de Blasio the message that the City is united.

On September 24th at 1:00pm we will be meeting at 30th Ave. & Steinway St. and marching to the Rikers Island bridge. We will then hold a rally and vigil at 19th Avenue and Hazen at 4:00pm. Do not miss this historic event!

For more information, or to get involved, please contact Erin George at 408-691-7372 // erin@justleadershipusa.org