Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Police Remove City Council Candidate from Senator Ruben Diaz's 'Abrazo Dominicano' Event


Moore Claims Free Event Was Funded with Taxpayer
Money and That He Was Told "You Don't Belong Here"

On July 31, From The G-Man received an email from the office of New York State Senator Rev. Ruben Diaz that contained a 58-second video of a confrontation between the senator and City Council candidate William Russell Moore. The subject line stated "William Moore Disrespects the Dominican Community", and the following was stated in the email: 

"The moment William Moore showed up at our Annual Abrazo Dominicano event and interrupted our program by walking to the stage and snatching the microphone from the podium. This was an act of disrespect to the Dominican community and all those in attendance. Acts such as these have no place in government and in our community." 

From The G-Man emailed the senator's office and requested that it confirm the person in the video was the same person running to replace outgoing council member Anabel Palma in District 18. FTG also requested that the video be placed in context by explaining why Moore confronted the senator and acted in such an aggressive manner. There was no response to the request for clarity or additional information. 

Here is the video that was submitted by Senator Diaz's office. 


From The G-Man placed a call to the campaign headquarters of the Democratic and Reform Party candidate in order to obtain a detailed explanation of what transpired at the event. After informing her that From The G-Man was in possession of a video that displayed Moore in an unfavorable light, Pamela Stewart-Martinez, who attended the celebration of Dominican culture with Moore, simply stated "You don't have the right video." 

"The longer version provides a completely different perspective from what you were led to believe," she continued. 

Stewart-Martinez noted that from the time she and Moore entered the building, she filmed everything that happened at the event, which included verbal attacks by several attendees. She shot nearly an hour of footage and stated that others in attendance recorded the event as well. In the video, a number of people are shown recording portions of the event on their cell phones, but she was told she could not film the event.
 
Pamela Stewart-Martinez being escorted out of the 'Abrazo Dominicano' event by police. 

In the extended version, Moore and Stewart-Martinez are asked to leave by several in attendance. When Stewart-Martinez asked why they were repeatedly being asked to leave, a person off-camera can be heard saying, "You don't belong here." 

An attendee yelling at Pamela Stewart-Martinez as she's escorted out by NYPD officers.

According to Moore, Senator Diaz called police and demanded Moore and Stewart-Martinez be escorted off the premises for political reasons. However, he also believes the motive was racial.

"Leila Martinez and a mean-spirited guy named 'Angel' kept insisting that we did not belong there," said the candidate. "Neither he nor she were angels by any stretch of the imagination. I told them that the senator just finished saying that this is a free event! Why are you bullying us? This is a free event paid by city and state funds," said Moore. 

The candidate also alleges that he was the victim of verbal attacks by a member of Councilman Rafael Salamanca's executive staff as the situation escalated. "I believe he is Salamanca's chief of staff," noted Moore. "Councilman Salamanca is upset because I support Democratic City Council candidate Helen Hines in the District 17 race against him. These are President Donald Trump's so-called Democrats offending us today! Ruben Diaz, Sr. is Trump's number one supporter here in the Bronx." 

Regarding the racial component, Moore emphatically stated, "They said we did not belong there because we were Black, not Dominican or Hispanic. They want us at the back of the bus again! I cannot believe this is happening in real time in America from a minority group," concluded Moore. 

Extended video source: Pamela Stewart-Martinez

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