Sunday, August 29, 2010

Say "Hell No" to Death Row



WORLD DAY AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY: USA
10-10-10

WE DEMAND 100% ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY NOW!
NO EXCEPTIONS (INCLUDING MUMIA ABU-JAMAL)!

Several key members of US anti-death penalty organizations have recently made a move to exclude Mumia Abu-Jamal from the movement to abolish the death penalty, arguing that Mumia's inclusion alienated potential law enforcement supporters of the abolition movement!!! This position caused an international uproar. October 9th will be a reaffirmation of a real and unifying abolition movement: 100% ABOLITION! NO EXCEPTIONS!

BE IN PHILADELPHIA SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9

9 AM RALLY AT THE FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE
HEADQUARTERS (longtime fighters for executions
and perpetrators of terrorism on those who fight for justice)
Broad Street and Springfield Gardens)
10 AM MARCH BEGINS

11:30 AM INDOOR RALLY BEGINS
LA FAMILIA
1310 North Broad Street

Scheduled Participants:
International representatives
Former Death Row Prisoners
Journalist Linn Washington
and many others

Monday, August 23, 2010

People's Lunch Counter: Black August



People's Lunch Counter Presents: Ramona and Pam Africa
Southside On Lamar
1409 S Lamar
Dallas, TX

The People's Lunch Counter is an organization in Dallas that works as an advocate for food justice and sustainability.The PLC provides a holistic approach to ending food insecurity and focus on a healthy body and mind through education, gardening and environmental awareness.

Part of our awareness campaigns include bringing awareness to the communities about political prisoners and organizations like MOVE who set the presidence and created a path for groups like us to be able and speak out against the misinformation and propaganda of the system.

Every August, PLC along with The Malcolm X Grassroots Movement and other organizations come together to recognize the contributions made in August for the liberation of black people. We focus on political prisoners and events that occured in August throughout history. This year our Black August Course is dedicated to MOVE. We have two classes a week studying MOVE and the events leading up to the 1985 Bombing, the continued incarceration of the MOVE 9 and current events that MOVE is working on for Mumia also. Participants are encouraged to write to the 8 comrades at the end of the course and continue to show them love and support after the course as well.

The last week of this years Black August Course is ending with two special guest speakers! Ramona and Pam Africa will be in Dallas to host showings of the MOVE documentary on August 26th at Doc Shop Bookstore in Fort Worth and August 27th in Dallas at the Progressive Center. PLC is truly honored to have them and we are looking forward to continuing to support the MOVE and the campaign to bring home the Africa family still imprisoned.
The People's Lunch Counter can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/plcdallas or email us at plcdallas@gmail.com

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Free the MOVE 9: Putting Pressure on the Parole Board


The information below is from Phil Africa on behalf of the MOVE 9. Nine Black men and women who are serving a 30-100 year sentence for the murder of a cop back in 1978. After completing their minumum sentence of thirty years, they are continually being denied by the parole board. I encourage everyone to call and/or (contact info at the bottom) write on their behalf to the parole board for their release. Please circulate this around.


Chairman Catherine McVey
(717) 787-5699

Tips for Calling Parole Board

1—Keep a copy of our parole sheets with you when calling. This way you will know just what they said and how to attack it.

2—Key points are that we have done all that is required to be released.
a. All required programs have been completed
b. Have been misconduct free for over 20 years
c. Have the recommendation of the prisons to be released
d. We have home plans
e. We have job plans
f. We have strong community support networks
g. We have very strong family supports

Keep in mind, that the aforementionables are more than most have while pre-parole, so why are we not being paroled?

3— Reiterate that parole is about the 32 years being spent in prison verses the crime being committed.

The sentencing judge has never said that we would have to admit “guilt/take responsibility” for crimes we did not commit in order to be paroled. Ask them, where does it say in their rules that a prisoner must admit guilt to be released? Point being, that it is what they are demanding of us by refusing to release us because we “refuse to accept responsibility for the offense” and some other crap, which of course is not stuff that is on any of the information sheets that are given to us after our sentencing that tells you when you get to prison what is expected of you to be ready for parole/release.

4—Be sure to tape record your calls to these people whenever possible. That way you can quote them word for word and if caught in lies, having it on tape will be very impressive. Always be sure to get the name of the person you talk to and what their job or position with the parole board is when you call.

5—Pre-release vs Parole. We had been up for pre-release which is separate from parole because it is decided on by the Department of Correction. Yet when Delbert saw the parole board, they asked him “how is your pre-release bid coming along.” We were told by the staff here that we had been approved for it until it went to Harrisburg to be voted on and that we had been approved for it until it went to Harrisburg to be voted on. We know it was politics that had them make the change in vote once the Rendell/FOP people got wind of it. Like I said, these are just suggestions of things to ask or say to these people at the parole board when you all be calling them. They should be able to state and explain why they refused us parole and ya’ll know that whatever excuse they give we can pick apart with the truth and use it to expose them even more.

6—Ask them why since nothing has changed with the women or men, they’ve got no misconducts, have the prisons recommendation done completed all of their programs, that they were not released but instead given longer parole hits. Now this is a big issue because only when you mess up do they give you a longer hit, so how do they explain giving the women those increased hits.


I encourage all to write to the parole board as well on behalf of the MOVE 9:
Attn: Inmate Inquiry
1101 South Front Street, Suite 5300
Harrisburg, PA 17104
(717) 787-5699

Along with Chairman Catherine C. McVey, the other eight Parole Board Members are Charles Fox, Michael L. Green, Jeffrey R. Imboden, Matthew T. Mangino, Benjamin A. Martinez, Gerard N. Massaro, Judy Viglione, Lloyd A. White.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

August 8, 1978, We Must Never Forget!

On August 7th, MOVE members, supporters, and activists came out to 11th and Market in memorializing the attacks on the MOVE family in 1978 and rallied together in solidarity for the freedom of the MOVE 9.

On August 8th, 1978, in the wee hours of the morning, over six-hundred hundred police officers attacked MOVE’s house on 309 N. 33rd Street while MOVE members were asleep. After MOVE barricaed themselves for safety in their basement, police began to deluge hoses so powerful into the basement, it pulled bricks from the walls and also rounded countless number of bullets aimed at people; attempting to kill MOVE babies, women and men inside. Inadvertly, one of those shots fired by police, fatally killed Officer Ramp, and nine MOVE members (MOVE 9), were each sentenced to 30-100 years for killing one police officer. After serving their full minimum sentence of thirty years, the MOVE 9 have continually been denied parole and at this present moment, they have seen the parole board for the third time since 2008, unfavorably.

We need to let this year not only mark the 32nd consecutive year of the MOVE 9--Janine, Janet, Debbie, Phil, Mike, Delbert, Chuck and Eddie’s (Sis Merle past away in 1998) incarceration for a crime that they did not commit, but let their mere presence behind enemy walls, stir our continued fight for their release from a racist and unjust penal system that is so threaten in letting them have their freedom that they are hell bent on keeping them confined. We are only one part; the whole of the community has to get involve in bringing the MOVE 9 home. As the revolutionary Che Guevara profoundly stated “Words are beautiful, but action is supreme”.
ONA MOVE,
---Iresha


http://blogs.philadelphiaweekly.com/phillynow/2010/08/08/move-9-supporters-continue-fight-for-justice/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=move-9-supporters-continue-fight-for-justice