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<TITLE>Support FIERCE member - pack the court August 7th!</TITLE>
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<FONT FACE="Gill Sans, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'>Please pack the court on Tuesday to show support for community activist, Mariah Lopez, who continues to be a target of transphobic police harassment and violence in jail. Read below for more details. <BR>
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</SPAN><FONT SIZE="2"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10.0px'>Rickke Mananzala<BR>
Co-Director<BR>
FIERCE<BR>
147 West 24th Street, 6th Floor<BR>
New York, NY 10011<BR>
(p) 646.336.6789 x202<BR>
(f) 646.336.6788<BR>
<a href="http://www.fiercenyc.org">http://www.fiercenyc.org</a><BR>
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</SPAN></FONT><FONT SIZE="4"><FONT FACE="Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:14.0px'>*<B>please forward</B>*<BR>
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Early in the morning on July 17, Mariah Lopez, a young Latina transgender woman and community activist, got arrested after she went to the police department to file a complaint about getting beaten up in the West Village. She has been in jail since then, held on bail ($1.500) that she cannot afford to pay. <BR>
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Since she has been in jail, we have had reports that:<BR>
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She was first taken to a women’s jail, then ordered to drop her pants to show her genitals so they could decide if she belonged there. When she refused a ‘genital check,’ she was moved to a hospital and then lock-in (isolation) in a men’s jail. <BR>
She had her clothing, bra, and underwear withheld from her.<BR>
A male prisoner sexually harassed and assaulted her.<BR>
An officer assaulted her.<BR>
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Mariah’s lawyer got her case moved up and is making an argument about her bail this Tuesday. She has asked that as many people as possible come to court because a strong showing of community support will help her argument. It also means a lot to Mariah to know that there are people on the outside who care about what’s happening to her.<BR>
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<B>The details:<BR>
Tuesday, August 7 <BR>
Criminal Court, 100 Centre St., Part B on the fourth floor (all the way to the right)<BR>
The time is never sure, but it will probably in the late morning—be there by 10:30!<BR>
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Please come if you can—your presence will increase the chances that Mariah will get out of jail and cut short the abuse she’s facing there!<BR>
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</SPAN><SPAN STYLE='font-size:13.0px'>Gabriel Arkles<BR>
Staff Attorney<BR>
Sylvia Rivera Law Project<BR>
322 8th Ave. 3rd Floor<BR>
New York, NY 10001<BR>
(212) 337-8550 ext. 113<BR>
fax (212) 337-1972</SPAN><SPAN STYLE='font-size:14.0px'><BR>
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