Photos from Saturday night street actions

Rollartista Performances

We were planning to do a performance outside the museum Friday but it rained so we did it inside. Luckily, inside the floor surface was smooth skating. Saturday we we went to four spots at night in Castellon--near a skate park, a parking lot, near the city park and a central plaza. I didnt expect us to be so interesting to kids at night but they asked us lots of questions and followed us around...and some Muslim women with their babies in a plaza, a guy from Chile, some old Valenciano couples and random passersby. I handed out all of our flyers we had with the stories of police abuse and did my moves while Talice worked the Playstation controller and projections. It was hard to find dark (for projection) but public places with good surfaces for dancing in Castellon but we tryed. (Castellon is VERY well lit at night.) After skating all night and some beers and ice cream we got on the plane together to Madrid and then parted ways back to Mexico City and Boulder, Colorado. Hope they send us the video soon. The video is thanks to Curo who followed us all over the city with a camera on foot in his off hours, and these photos are thanks to the beautiful James of Los Angeles, another artist in Cyberfem.

La maleta llego

Por fin llego la maleta aller en la tarde. He puesto mis nuevas ruedas y son chidos(o como se dice aqui guayes). Sin embargo, me calli varias veces...fui a doble chequear unos lugares por la cuidad donde hemos pensado projectar y encontre un nuevo lugar cerca de un estancionamento donde habian algunos jovenes patinando. Talice tambien se callo un poco feo anoche pero parace bien.. el dvd player no tan. Habia un barrio donde estan contruiendo nuevos departamentos y habian muchos carracoles por alla.

Lost Art Luggage

We have been in Castellon a few days kind of on hold...Talice's suitcase with all our skates, helmets, clothes that Talice made, new outdoor wheels and caskets is lost somewhere between Valencia and Barcelona. Today we realized it might never get here and we started trying to find fabric stores, sports stores etc. We have been taking walks at night exploring for projection areas. The biggest recent immigrant population in Castellon is Romanian (not Morrocan or Pakistani like in Barcelona). Romanian, like Spanish, Italian and French is a Romance language. Today is Talice's birthday.

Rollerskating practice in Mexico City

I went to the neighborhood park last night near our depto to practice my new dance moves I had been working out in my living room. They were harder on even on the flattest tiled area--I fell a couple times and I felt a little strange cause I was alone except for a couple making out on a bench next to me. Hope the new wheels Talice ordered help cause the ones we have turns out are ultra speedy and for indoor rollerrinks. I am using the toe break a lot to cheat on my moves..and trying to work out breakdancing stuff that im strong enough to do. Talice found this amazing link of rollerskating dance videos: aboutjamtime.com

Edouard Salumu Nsumbu

"In another case, involving a national from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the victim died from police brutality. On 29 October 2001, Edouard Salumu Nsumbu had a dispute with the police during a violent identity check in the centre of Paris. Edouard had just left a restaurant and was stopped while driving away in his car with a friend. There was a heated exchange of words and he apparently refused to be handcuffed. The police officers then wrestled him to the ground and sprayed tear gas on him before taking him to a police station. While in the station, he lost consciousness and was taken to hospital by police officers, but died on the way. An autopsy carried out after his death found that Edouard, who was not a delinquent, died as a result of a heart attack following police arrest. As for Edouards relatives, some of whom witnessed the identity check, there is no doubt about the fact that he died as a result of police brutality, as he was beaten (tabassé) while they were trying to arrest him." from Hollerafrica.com

"En otro caso, que involucro a un ciudadano de la Republica Democratica de Congo (DRC), la victima murio de violencia de la policia. El 29 de octubre, 2001, Edouard Salumu Nsumbu tuvo una discusion con la policia mientras le hacian un violento chequeo de identidad en el centro de Paris. Edouard habia justo salido de un restaurante cuando la policia le paro en su coche con su amigo. Intercambarion palabras fuertes y rechazo ser esposado. Los policias lucharon con el, lo tiraron al piso y le rociaron gas lacrimogeno antes de llevarle a la estacion de policia. Cuando estaba en la estacion perdio consencia y mentrias la policia le estaba llevando al hospital, murio. La autopsia establecio que Edouard, quien no era deliquente, murio por un ataque al corazon, acto seguido a su encarcelamiento por la policia. Segun los parientes de Edouards, algunos quienes vieron el carnet de identidad, no quedaba duda que la causa de su muerte habia sido la brutalidad policiaca, mientras intentaron encarcelarle." Hollerafrica.com

Rachid Ardjouni

"In France, similar reports of the use of excess force by police officers against Muslim minorities, particularly from North Africa (e.g. Algeria and Morocco) further exemplify racist tendencies. In addition to beatings, mass arrests of immigrants, and other forms of verbal and physical abuse, several detainees have been shot and killed while in police custody. ( In two cases, the victims were shot in the back or the head while trying to escape.) In 1993, Rachid Ardjouni, a 17 year old Algerian immigrant, was shot in the back of the head when he was face down on the ground. The officer, who was drunk at the time of the killing, was given a reduced sentence by the Court of Appeal which also reduced the financial compensation to the victim..s family. In addition, the court ruled that his conviction would not be entered on his criminal record, thus allowing him to continue to serve as a police officer and carry arms." from Muslim Women's League

"En Francia, semejantes reportajes del uso excesivo de la fuerza por oficiales de la policia contra minorias islamicas, parcialemente del norte de Africa (Argelia y Marruecos) son mas muestras de tendencias racistas. Se documenta no solamente las golpizas o los arrestos en masa, de inmigrantes y otras formas de abuso, verbal y fisico, pero tambien varios encarcelados eran baleados y muertos mientras estaban en los manos de la policia. (En dos casos las victimas fueron asesinadas con disparos por la espalda mientras intentaron escapar.) En 1993, Rachid Ardjouni, un inmigrante de 17 anos de Algeria, fue baleado atras de su cabeza mientras estaba boca abajo en el piso. Al oficial, quien estaba borracho al momento de la matanza, le dieron una sentacia reducida por la Corte de Apelacion, que tambien redujo la compensacion financiera a la familia de la victima. Tambien, la Corte dictamino que dichos hechos no entrarian en el reporte criminal del policia, asi que podia continuar trabajando y portar armas." Muslim Women's League

Driss Zraidi

"In a disturbing judgment in May the Provincial Court of Girona established that the Moroccan national Driss Zraidi had ..undoubtedly.. been tortured and racially abused in the police station of Roses (Catalonia) in August 1998. However, the court acquitted 14 officers of the Mossos d..Esquadra because it could not identify the officers involved. It also decided that the torture inflicted was probably ..light.. torture, consisting of pushing about and vigorous shaking hours after Driss Zraidi had sustained broken ribs. The Catalan Interior Minister reportedly expressed surprise at the judgment and asked the Supreme Court to review it." from Spain Amnesty International

"En mayo, la Audiencia Provincial de Girona (Cataluña) dictó una sentencia preocupante en la que afirmaba que el ciudadano marroquí Driss Zraidi había sido ..sin duda.. objeto de torturas y malos tratos de índole racista en la comisaría de Roses, en agosto de 1991. Sin embargo, el tribunal absolvió a 14 mossos d..esquadra, porque no pudo identificar a los implicados. También estimó que la tortura infligida probablemente había sido ..de intensidad leve.., consistiendo en empujones y sacudidas enérgicas propinados cuando Driss Zraidi ya hacía unas horas que tenía tres costillas fracturadas. Al parecer, la consellera d..interior (ministra de Interior de la comunidad autónoma de Cataluña) expresó sorpresa ante la sentencia y solicitó su revisión al Tribunal Supremo."Amnistía Internacional España