Civil Disobedience Action at the Hall of Records in Newark, NJ - First Arrests
- 6 years ago
On June 29, 2018 a group of protestors delivered a message to Joseph DiVincenzo (Joe D.), the county executive of Essex County by protesting at the entrance to the Hall of Records in Newark, NJ where his office is located. Joe D. has a contract with ICE for 800 beds at $117 per bed to be made available in the county jail. The concentration camp, located in the immigrant section of the “sanctuary” city is a stain of massive proportions. The United States 73 years ago placed people of Japanese descent in concentration camps without charge. The government got away with it because the rest of the population didn't resist. We're committed to ensuring that history won't repeat itself. "No business with ICE or no business as usual."
Jay Arena, the Jobs and Equal Rights for All candidate for Essex County executive, Eric, Whit, Mary, Darell and Yael were the first to block the entrance in an act of civil disobedience. The response of the deputies was swift. Purple-shirt (we don't know his name) assaulted Jay, shoving him into other protestors causing the protestors to crash into the news reporter. Amusingly enough purple-shirt immediately hid behind two rows of deputies--what one would expect from a thug with a badge. He is then later seen shoving Eric from behind after Eric stated "And if the police want to help us block the entrance, we thank them for helping us block the entrance." Purple-shirt then ordered the arrest of Eric and Jay.
When Eric asked if he was under arrest and for what crime, purple-shirt said "we have laws in this country that you follow!" A full 32 seconds later, he ordered the unlawful arrest of an activist that was criticizing his behavior. Deputies followed through with the illegal order. Purple-shirt demonstrated through his actions that he has neither knowledge of the law nor the temperament to work in law enforcement. He should be fired immediately. The deputies that carried out the arrest should be retrained.
Sgt. Mike Minichini was sent to clean the image of the Sheriff's Office. In an interview with NJTV he stated, "We’re here to protect you." Our question is: from whom exactly? The only violent people at the protest were people in his own department.
That purple-shirt had no concern about the multiple cameras trained on him is indicative of the kind of department Sherriff Armando Fontoura is running. When the Sheriff was confronted by protestors at the unveiling of the Immigrant Memorial in Peter Francisco Park he took up the podium to defend himself. His defense essentially amounted to "I went to war." Therefore he is above criticism. It seems like the rest of the department received the memo and believe themselves above criticism too.
The Sheriff's Office of Essex County showed on whose side they are on. They are on the side of Joe D., ICE and Trump. Jobs and Equal Rights for All will continue the resistance until the ICE contract is broken and our platform is carried out or Joe D. is unseated by our candidate.
Jay Arena, the Jobs and Equal Rights for All candidate for Essex County executive, Eric, Whit, Mary, Darell and Yael were the first to block the entrance in an act of civil disobedience. The response of the deputies was swift. Purple-shirt (we don't know his name) assaulted Jay, shoving him into other protestors causing the protestors to crash into the news reporter. Amusingly enough purple-shirt immediately hid behind two rows of deputies--what one would expect from a thug with a badge. He is then later seen shoving Eric from behind after Eric stated "And if the police want to help us block the entrance, we thank them for helping us block the entrance." Purple-shirt then ordered the arrest of Eric and Jay.
When Eric asked if he was under arrest and for what crime, purple-shirt said "we have laws in this country that you follow!" A full 32 seconds later, he ordered the unlawful arrest of an activist that was criticizing his behavior. Deputies followed through with the illegal order. Purple-shirt demonstrated through his actions that he has neither knowledge of the law nor the temperament to work in law enforcement. He should be fired immediately. The deputies that carried out the arrest should be retrained.
Sgt. Mike Minichini was sent to clean the image of the Sheriff's Office. In an interview with NJTV he stated, "We’re here to protect you." Our question is: from whom exactly? The only violent people at the protest were people in his own department.
That purple-shirt had no concern about the multiple cameras trained on him is indicative of the kind of department Sherriff Armando Fontoura is running. When the Sheriff was confronted by protestors at the unveiling of the Immigrant Memorial in Peter Francisco Park he took up the podium to defend himself. His defense essentially amounted to "I went to war." Therefore he is above criticism. It seems like the rest of the department received the memo and believe themselves above criticism too.
The Sheriff's Office of Essex County showed on whose side they are on. They are on the side of Joe D., ICE and Trump. Jobs and Equal Rights for All will continue the resistance until the ICE contract is broken and our platform is carried out or Joe D. is unseated by our candidate.