Rally and March Honors Jose Sucuzhañay
Protesters march down Myrtle Avenue. — Photo by Diego Cupolo
Myrtle Avenue was lined with local news vans Sunday afternoon, as a furious, 300-person crowd rallied against hate crimes and held a vigil for Jose O. Sucuzhañay.
With a mural depicting the effects of racism as their backdrop, prominent New York politicians and community leaders spoke before leading a march to the crime scene at Bushwick Avenue and Kossuth Place. Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz took the podium to rile up the diverse crowd along with Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, Congressman Anthony Weiner, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes — who said he would throw the Sucuzhañay’s attackers in jail for life.
“He was killed because of what he was perceived to be and we will not stand for this,” Quinn said, who is openly gay. “Being here today sends a message to the people who were ignorant enough to commit these crimes that this is our neighborhood, this is our city and this is our country.”
Sucuzhañay, an Ecuadoran immigrant and real estate broker, was viciously beaten by men yelling anti-gay and anti-Hispanic slurs on the corner of Bushwick Avenue and Kossuth Place last Sunday — he was pronounced dead on Friday night at Elmhurst Hospital Center.
Jose’s brother, Pedro Sucuzhañay, also took the stage to ask for more hate crime enforcement while encouraging victims to report hate-related incidents and improving diversity education programs in schools. Other speakers said they were organizing nationwide rallies in January to demand reform in federal immigration policies from President-elect Barack Obama.
Pedro Sucuzhañay, brother of the attack victim address the crowd during a rally at Myrtle Avenue and Grove Street. The sign reads “Hate killed.” — Photo by Diego Cupolo
Bushwick residents watched from their windows and balconies as protesters marched down Myrtle Avenue and Bleecker Street chanting “Pueblo, escucha, estamos en la lucha.” — Listen up neighbors, we’re in the struggle. The crowd took up several blocks at a time and drew smiles from the storeowners along Myrtle Avenue, many of whom are recent immigrants.
Unfortunately, last week’s attack was part of national trend of increasing hate-related assaults. Since 2003, hate crimes against Hispanics have increased 40 percent, according to FBI statistics. Also, the number of reported attacks against LGBT people increased 24 percent in 2007 over 2006, according to the New York City Anti-Violence Project.
Wow, great photo under the elevated train, Diego. It was really cold, and hard to hear the speakers. One person said that Bushwick is a very diverse and tolerant place, and that this horrible crime is not typical. Looking around the crowd, you’d certainly have to agree. Asians, hispanic, black, white, gay, straight, lesbian, interesting mixes of all of the above, young, and old. It was an inspiring group. I feel so bad for the Sucuzhañay family.
Diego Cupolo takes really great “every picture tells a story, don’t it” photos.
The problem are the homophobic brutes that roam Bushwick. Unfortunately I’m not sure this is something that goes away until the community becomes wealthier and more educated. Gentrification might be uncomfortable but it will make the neighborhood safer for Gays, lesbians and everyone else.
Thanks, I appreciate the comments … if only photojournalism still paid ….
“Unfortunately I’m not sure this is something that goes away until the community becomes wealthier and more educated.” No. Both marchers and speakers were of all colors and working class and were either gay themselves or said they opposed gay bashing.
The NY Times wrote a terrific editorial about this tragedy in today’s edition.
Like Mopar, I think it bodes well for Bushwick that so many people from such diverse backgrounds came out to both protest this dreadful action and express solidarity for tolerance.
I attended the rally and I was glad to see such a diverse turnout. It was also see the range of politicians that showed up. Obviously, some effective organizing went into putting this together. Too bad that Make the Road (I think they were behind this effort) didn’t get a decent sound system so the speakers could be heard.
Hate crimes in New York
JOSE O. SUCUZHANAY
FAMILY PLEASE SEND AN E-MAIL AT
Sucuzhanay@Gmail.
com
PLEASE HELP US FIND
OUR BROTHER’S KILLERS.
Sincerely,
The sucuzhanay family
December 27, 2008