Sunday, August 2, 2026

PERMANENTLY SHUT DOWN ROCHESTER, NY's PUERTO RICAN FESTIVAL

             Rochester, NY Mayor Malik Evans




BY DAVY V. 



A young girl is dead.


14 years old.


14.


Shot and killed on the second day of Rochester, New York 's Puerto Rican Festival.


Her name is Zahnia Barr.


Every year, Rochester, New York's Puerto Rican Festival brings more than music and great food.


IT BRINGS LAWLESSNESS, CHAOS, MAYHEM AND VIOLENCE.


And it brings street takeovers.


You know, where criminals and thugs shut down city streets, well, because they can.


And that's what happens in Rochester, New York.


EVERY YEAR.


There have been shootings.


There have been stabbings.


Rochester, New York Police Officers have been hit with rocks and bottles.


And on Friday night, a 14-year old girl was killed.


Police say she was shot in the upper body.


Many say she was shot in the head.



                                         Zahnia Barr



SAY HER NAME!


Zahnia Barr.


And just like they do every year, City of Rochester, New York officials including Mayor Malik Evans held their little press conference.


AND THEY LIED.


Mayor Malik Evans, who had the nerve to stand at that podium at the City's "Public Safety Building", and pretend to care about the senseless murder of a 14-year old girl, LIED.


THE MAYOR LIED when he said that the chaos, and the mayhem, and the violence and the street takeovers had nothing to do with the Puerto Rican Festival.


HE LIED.


IT HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THE PUERTO RICAN FESTIVAL.


Mayor Malik Evans then LIED AGAIN, when he said that there are no incidents at Parcel 5, the downtown green space location where the Puerto Rican Festival was held.


THAT WAS ANOTHER LIE.


MAYOR EVANS LIED and said that the troublemakers don't even attend the Puerto Rican Festival.


THAT WAS ANOTHER LIE.


In fact, videos show a group of Puerto Rican women who were leaving the Puerto Rican Festival, fighting at the very entrance of Parcel 5.


ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.


THE ROCHESTER, NEW YORK PUERTO RICAN FESTIVAL HAS TO BE PERMANENTLY SHUT DOWN.


Someone asked me if I'm worried about any retaliation for offending Rochester, NY's Puerto Rican community by calling for the Puerto Rican Festival to be shut down.


NOT.


AT.


ALL.


I WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED.


And unlike politicians, I can't be bought.


So if you know anything about me or my history, then you know that I won't stay quiet.


I will continue to do what I do.


Expose what is going on in my hometown.


Rochester, New York.


From the corrupt politicians and government officials to the hypocrisies of groups like Black Lives Matter, one of the biggest scams there ever was, where whenever a white cop kills a black youth, there are protests, and outrage, as there should be, but where are the protests and where is the outrage when black youths who have zero respect for their own lives, let alone the life of another black youth, kill each other?


THERE ARE NO PROTESTS .


THERE IS NO OUTRAGE.


Again, I will continue to expose the corrupt politicians.


Like Rochester, New York Mayor Malik Evans, who just three days before the two year anniversary of one of Rochester's most horrific mass shootings, the July 28, 2024 massacre at Maplewood Park, where two young black women were executed at a cookout, Mayor Malik Evans and the City of Rochester paid rapper Rick Ross to come to town.


Rick Ross, a disgusting individual and self proclaimed "Drug Kingpin" who has made millions glorifying and promoting violence, drugs and raping women. 


That's right.


Rochester, New York Mayor Malik Evans and the  City of Rochester, New York paid Rick Ross to glorify and promote violence, drugs and raping women.


In a city that has been plagued by violence including mass shootings.



A GIDDY ROCHESTER, NY MAYOR MALIK EVANS POSES FOR PHOTOS AND WELCOMES RICK ROSS TO TOWN.



And on the day marking the two year anniversary of that mass shooting, where Tyasia Manning, 25, a City of Rochester employee, remembered for her love of children, and Phylicia Council 34, who worked with special needs children, were executed, in a barrage of more than 40 bullets, Mayor Malik Evans did not even mention their names, or the incident.


Rochester, New York Mayor Malik Evans did not even give an update on the case.


A case which two years later still remains unsolved.


It's also important to note that Rochester Police Chief David Smith also did not give an update on the mass shooting that took two beautiful women's lives.


Oh and in case you're wondering.


There were no protests denouncing the murders of Tyasia Manning ir Phylicia Council.


There was no outrage.


And Black Lives Matter was nowhere to be found.


Sadly, they are just two more names added to the thousands of names of Rochester, New York homicide victims.


Mostly Black Lives.


Black Lives that apparently DID NOT MATTER.


No.


Because according to Black Lives Matter, you have to be killed by a cop, in order for your life to matter.


ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING.


But that's Rochester, New York.


My hometown.


So again, I will not be intimidated.


I will continue to do what I do.


As a Latino myself, Cuban-American, and father of Latino and African-American children, I am disgusted with Rochester, NY's Puerto Rican Festival and the chaos, mayhem, violence and lawlessness that Rochester's Puerto Rican community engages in every year.


And I will continue to call for Rochester, New York's Puerto Rican Festival to be permanently shut down. 



                                Orlando Ortiz 

                                Rochester, NY     

                          Puerto Rican Festival     

                                   President 



Since Rochester's Puerto Rican Festival President Orlando Ortiz,  or City of Rochester officials including Mayor Malik Evans can not ensure the safety of the community, and especially that the Festival is now connected to the murder of a 14-year old girl, Rochester, New York's Puerto Rican Festival has to be permanently shut down.


Rochester, New Mayor Malik Evans STOP PLAYING POLITICS!


IT'S ACTUALLY VERY SIMPLE.


NO PUERTO RICAN FESTIVAL = 

NO CHAIS, NO MAYHEM, NO VIOLENCE.


SHUT IT DOWN! 




Editor's Note:


Since speaking out about the Rochester, NY Puerto Rican Festival and the lawlessness, chaos, mayhem and violence that it brings to my hometown every year, I have been made aware of several disgusting comments directed at me and my family, including my Dad Mario Vara, who frankly did more for Rochester's Puerto Rican community, than any so called "Puerto Rican leaders"...


While I am strong proponent of free speech, I will not hesitate to get law enforcement involved if the line between free speech and threats is crossed.


I will not be intimidated by anyone.