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Mi nombre es Maria Machetes , llegue a la ciudad de San Francisco en Junio del 2001 solo unos pocos meses antes de la farza del 911. En San Francisco me toco vivir en el Fillmore, después me gentrificaron hasta Litle Saigon/Tenderloin hasta que finalmente me pude refugiar en el corazon de la Mission. He tenido que mudare de aquí a alla porque la renta nos rascaba las patas , siempre corriendo detrás de la renta, sin embargo en el anio del 2008 me tube que mudar 2 cuadras de la estacion de Policia, me encontraba casi a diario con los policias que me atacaron en el Verano del 2008, fue por eso que mi exesposa y yo nos mudarnos a Berkeley.
A mi me encanta caminar , me gusta mucho mi barrio, el olor de las calles, el café barato chino y las donas de chocolate!, el olor a taco, escuchar como la campana de la iglesia llama a la misa los domingos, la campanita de los paleteros!, las senoras hablando desde las 8am llevando ninios de la mano y recien bañiados directitos a la escuela, el caminar me sana, yo camino y camino , jamas me canso!
Desde el 2008 que vengo observando algunos cambios en las calles de este barrio, la Misson, he notado una presencia muy repentina de la policia, se metieron de un dia pal otro asi con todo el poder, policias a caballo, a pie y en bicicletas comenzaron a vigilar la seguridad del barrio desde la 24 y potreo hasta la 16 y Mission.
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Recuerdo que desde mi Ventana se vehia el mural del lado donde Yemaya habre sus manos y deja correr el agua! , todas las mananas me despertaba y miraba la ventana sorprendida de poder vivir en frente del Edificio de Mujeres y agradecia mi trabajo, respiraba ondo y me hiba a trabajar caminando de la 19 st a la 24. Mientras caminaba las calles por esos dias recuerdo notar como las calles cambiaron de un momento a otro, todo cambio al mismo tiempo que los pequenios negocios calleron, un monton de restaurantes cerraron, muchisimas familias perdieron sus edificios negocios y casas , la calle 24 de repente se vio como pueblo del viejo oeste, desolado y en manos de compradores, que venia en esas motitos de solo 2 llantas que se manejan parados, subian y bajan los escalones trepados en esas motos escalones, llegaban los hombres y mujeres del futuro en nombre de las bienes y raices a quitarnos de nuestra raiz y sembrar otras nuevas y agenas; llegaban en sus trajes y corbatas, hacian notas y llamdas y trahian consigo computadores portatiles, jamas se bajaban de su moto como pa no ensuciar los zapatos y el traje .
Después los negocios que cerraban eran reemplazados por otros que rapidamente nos hacian olvidar a los personajes que algun dia nos vendieron discos que solo en “Discolandia” se podian conseguir. Con el desplazo vino la policia y por consecuencia la criminalización de los jóvenes que caminaran vestidos de cholos o pertencecieran a un racial profile, las familias latinas que de ninguna manera eran parte de algun perfil asociado con grupos criminales, ni politicos, el unico asociamiento es el de ser latinos que trabajan bajo el margen de ser pobres.
Muchas familias fuimos golpeadas y como mi ex-pareja jamas se le sanara su brazo por ser victima de la practima de este programa, jamas se me podra olvidar como 8 policias hombres en 2 patrullas la atacaron solo por ir camiando a la 1 am en la calle 18 y Lexinton donde viviamos, la golpearon pero ella lucho contra su vida y no se dejo subir al carro de la policia:
- mientras yo vehia desde la esquina de la 18 y exinton ellos la golpeaban contra un garage en la 18 st y casi San Carlos , yo como obra del universo habia tomando un entrenamiento de “Que hacer si la Policia te Para en la calle” segui todo el procediemiento que se me ensenio, llame al 911 y en el poco ingles que hablaba comence a decirle a la operadora que es un policia que 8 policias estaban atacando a una mujer latina, sabiendo que esto quedaria grabado en la opredora!, los acuse por telefono de crimen de odio, y fui de uno por uno pidiendo su numero de placa y apellido, eran 8 muy grandes y todos de distintas personalidades rasgos fisicos de distintas culturas, pero muy enojados con una energia irrompible, demaciado frios y dispuestos a matar sin ninguna conteplacion, olian a azufre, al diablo sin duda.
Ahora nos dicen que el stop & frisk esta en la mesa de las posibles leyes, yo les digo que lo tenemos que parar y no dejar que lo pasen en secreto.
Todos tenemos que aprender lo que se debe hacer en caso de que la policia nos pare caminando por la calle, la energia positiva no sacara a la policia de las calles, la gentrificacion esta aquí y es real, los que estamos vivos desde aquí en la mission, los que quedamos, porfavor aprendamos que se debe de hacer, MIEDO NUNCA MAS, aprender a no tener nervios ni miedo y saber que contestar en caso de ser detenidos para evitar el “Stop & Frisk” hay que aprender a respirar y estar relajados porque la policia viola los derechos humanos cualquiera que tenga nervios sera victima de el sobre uso del poder de la policia hay que evitarlo.
Yo me encomiendo a mis Santos , a mis abuelos y a mi Pachamama todas las mananas, salgo alerta y bien sonriente , pero atenta a la presencia constante de la Policia en el Barrio, desde el 2008 llegaron y ya no se fueron su presencia es constante y todo cambio para mal de nosotr@s la gente bajo el racial profile, aquellos policias que dejaron herido el brazo de mi expareja jamas fueron responsavilizados de su delito.
English Follows
The positive energy will not remove the cops from the street.
My name is Maria Machetes, I came to the city of San Francsico in June of 2001 just a couple of months beafore 911. In San Fracisco I lived in the fillmore, later to be gentrified to Little Saigon / Tenderloin until finally I took refuge in the heart of the mission. I have had to move from here to there because the rent kept scratching my feet, always running after rent, but in 2008 I had to move two blocks from the police station, I would find myself almost everyday face to face with a cop that one day finally attacked me in the summer of 2008, this is why me and my ex- wife moved to Berkeley.
I used to love to walk, I love my streets, the scent of them, the cheap coffee and chocolate donouts! The smell of tacos, listening to the church bells calling the mass on Sundays, the ring of the paleteros! the woman talking at 8 in the morning taking their children to school newly showered to go directly to school, walking heals me, I walk and walk and I never tire!
Since 2008 I have observed changes in the streets of the Mission, I have noticed an immidiate present of the police, they arrived from one day to the next with all their power, police on horse, on foot and on bycicles started monitoring the security of the Mission from 24 th and Potrero to 16th and Mission.
I remember that from my window I could see the Mural of Yemaya opening her arms letting the water run through! Every morning I wook wake up look and the window surprised to be able to live next to the Womans building and I would apreciate having a job, I breathed in deeply and I would walk to my work from 19th to 24th. While walking the streets those days I remember taking note of the drastic change from one day to the other, it all changed at once. The small buisnesses fell, a bunch of restaurants closed , to many families lost their buildings, buisnesess and homes. 24th Street suddenly resembled that of a desolent run down town, alone and now in the hands of the buyers, who came on their two wheeled scooters , up and down they went on their scooters, men and woman of the future came with their non-profits to take our roots and plant their new unknown cultures; they came in their suits and ties , made notes and calls and brought portable computers, never getting of their scooter perhaps to not dirty their shoes or suits.
After the buisnesses that closed were replaced by others that quickly made us forget the personalities that one day sold us CD's that only "Discolandia" would sell. With all the displacement the cops showed up and in result to that the crminalization of youngsters that walked looking like cholos or that fit into a racial profile, the latin families that in no way were part or asociated with criminal groups, or politicians, the only assosiation was to be latinand to work under the frame of being poor.
Many of us families were abused and like my ex- partner, whom her sholder will never heal was victim of this police abuse, I will never forget how 8 male police and two cop cars attacked her simply for walking on the streets at one in the morning around were I lived, they attacked her but she fought for her life and did not let them drag her in their cop vehicle.
While I saw this from the corner as they beat her against the garage on 18th street and San Carlos, I had by the universes bidding taken classes " What to do if the Police stops you on the street" I followed protacol that they tought me, call 911 and with the little english that I spoke I told the operator that 8 cops were attaking a latin woman, knowing that it would be recorded on the call! I accused them on the phone of a hate crime, and went to each individual asking for their badge number and last name, they were 8 very big each with their own personalities and different cultures, but all of them very angry with an unbrakeable energy, to cold and willing to kill without thinking twice, the smelt of sulfur, no dought the smell of the devil.
Now they say that "Stop and frisk" is on the table of possible laws, I say that we have to stop this and not let them pass it in secret. We all have to learn what to do if the cops decide to stop us while walking, positive energy will not rid us of cops on the streets, getrification is real and is here, the ones who are still alive and living in the mission, the ones who are left, please learn what you should do, FEAR NO MORE, lear to not be afraid and know what to answer in the case of being detained to avis "Stop and Frisk" lets learn to breatheand to be calm because the police violates the rights of humans who ever is nervous will be his victim of the power that the cops seek, lets avoid it.
I am thankfull to my saints, my grandparents and my pachamama every morning, I walk out alert but smiling, but alert to the constant precense of the police in my community, since 2008 they came and they have not left everything has changed for the worst we are under constant racial profiling, and those cops that skared my ex-wifes shoulders they were never held accountable for their crimes.