And so there was a CLOSErikers March, Rally & Vigil yesterday in that neighborhood of Queens, New York.  And this march to close Rikers Island day seemed to belong to the students and JustLeadershipUSA. And there have been other marches to shut down Rikers Island, that slave plantation, concentration camp torture chamber of a prison named after a slave catcher and bounty hunter that has been compared to Abu Ghraib prison. And even those these marches have come to pass, as far as I know, Rikers Island is still open for business. And so that CLOSErikers March, Rally & Vigil Facebook event for this event read something like:

For decades, the notorious Rikers Island Jail Complex has been marked by violence and corruption and impervious to substantive reform. The#CLOSErikers campaign was formed in 2016 to break the political gridlock and achieve real solutions that are guided by directly impacted communities. 

Led by JustLeadershipUSA, in partnership with the Katal Center for Health, Equity, and Justice, the #CLOSErikers campaign includes 90 diverse organizations across New York City that have joined the call for Mayor Bill de Blasio to close Rikers. The campaign to #CLOSErikers is calling for New Yorkers to boldly reimagine the city’s failed criminal justice system and become a national leader in ending mass incarceration.

Join us in sending Mayor de Blasio the message that the City is united.

On September 24th at 1:00pm we will be meeting at 30th Ave. & Steinway St. and marching to the Rikers Island bridge. We will then hold a rally and vigil at 19th Avenue and Hazen at 4:00pm. Do not miss this historic event!

For more information, or to get involved, please contact:

Erin George:
408-691-7372 // erin@justleadershipusa.org


And what, if anything, does this have to do with a No Police State.  Shut Down Rikers.  #shutdownrikersisland