Lynne Stewart
(Photo: Mike Morice / NLN)
NEW YORK — Political prisoners in the United States? How can that be? The Bill of Rights protects freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and the freedom to petition the government for the correction of injustices. Civil liberties are respected and the right to dissent is allegedly the cornerstone of this nations foundation. The reality is that there are currently over one hundred people being held in prisons across this country who were arrested and convicted for their political ideas or political activity.
On Friday, activists from a wide variety of political and social justice organizations gathered in Dag Hammarskjold Plaza to demand amnesty and freedom for all US-held poliical prisoners and POWs as part of the Jericho Movements 10th Anniversary Weekend of Resistance. Jericho is committed to four principal issues: building an amnesty campaign despite the US governments continued denial that such prisoners exist, educating the people about their existence, providing supportive expenses for lawyers to provide legal defense, and fighting for quality medical care.
Pam Africa
(Photo: Mike Morice / NLN)
This day, while a delegation of Jericho activists meet with diplomats on the issue of amnesty inside the UN, outside in the Plaza, Pam Africa updated everyone on the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal. Describing herself as “a seasoned revolutionary”, Africa noted the presence of many younger activists, and no less militant due to years, spoke of the need to “carry on the struggle by any means necessary”. Emerging from the UN meeting, anarchist activist and former political prisoner Ashanti Alston called for continuing the educational campaign and rallied the crowd; “Free Herman Bell” “Free Leonard Peltier”, “Free Mutulu Shakur”, “Free Marilyn Buck”.
Ashanti Alston
(Photo: Mike Morice / NLN)
Finally, radical attorney Lynne Stewart spoke of the governments historic determination to intimidate and silence political dissent. She reminded the protestors of the diversity of US-held political prisoners/POWs, many coming from such varied origins as the Puerto Rican Independence movement, the Black Liberation movement, the Native American struggle, the anti-Imperialist movement, and Earth and Animal Liberation movements. As Stewart put it, “none of us as activists are safe. If it can happen to any one of them, it can happen to you”.
