Stop The Arrests

February 11th, 2009 · No Comments

This is all part of the same anti-sex crackdown as the raids on the Pro-Domme houses.

Tell Mayor Bloomberg to Stop the False Arrests of Gay Men for Prostitution

DEMONSTRATE

at the home of Michael Bloomberg

17 East 79^th Street

Saturday, February 14, 2009

12 Noon – 1 PM

In an overzealous and illegal effort to close down adult video stores in Manhattan, the New York Police Department has been found to be engaging in the false arrests of gay male patrons of these stores, charging them with prostitution. The cops then cite the establishments for condoning illegal activity and the City sues to shut them down as public nuisances.

Scores of innocent men have been swept up in these false arrests, documented in the Gay City News. Young undercover cops go up to middle-aged gay men, cruise them, ask for consensual sex, and then offer to pay the older men to have sex with them. Though none of the men agree to the offer, they are then arrested by a gang of undercover cops and put through the system. None of the men have prior arrests. And while only 17% of male prostitutes arrested in NYPD’s Manhattan South district are over 40 years old, 66% of the men arrested at the Blue Door video store are. The legitimacy of these arrests is inconceivable. It also casts doubt on arrests at other targeted stores.

These false arrests have been condemned by City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Council Member Rosie Mendez and State Senator Tom Duane. Mayor Bloomberg must put a stop to these arrests now and bring the rogue cops engaging in these crimes to justice.

WE DEMAND:

1. MAYOR BLOOMBERG – Stop the false arrests of gay men for prostitution!

2. GOVERNOR PATERSON – Appoint a special prosecutor to investigate and punish these crimes by the police!

3. MAYOR BLOOMBERG, D.A. MORGENTHAU and POLICE COMMISSIONER KELLY – Sit down with gay groups, leaders and victims of these illegal stings, to get to the bottom of this outrage, and stop the arrests and prosecutions –NOW!

STOP THE OUT-OF-CONTROL VICE SQUAD NOW!

Sponsored by the Coalition to Stop the Arrests

For more information call Robert Pinter at 212-674-3495

stopthearrests@aol.com

To read the reporting of the Gay City News on this scandal, go to:

Stop the Arrests (Feb 6, 2009)

NYPD Pulls Back Porn Lawsuit (Feb. 6, 2009)

Five More Prostitution Busts IDed in Chelsea Video Store (Jan. 22, 2009)
Community Mobilizes Over False Prostitution Arrests at Video Stores (Jan. 16, 2009)
NYPD, City Respond to Questions About Prostitution Arrests (Dec. 5)
Shuttering Porn Shops, City Fakes Arrests (Dec. 3)
Courts Training Prostitutes? (Nov. 6, 2008)