THE INSURGENT Newsletter of the Committee to Fight Repression Vol. 4 No. 3 Winter 1988

Ohi-o 7 On Trial for Seditious Conspiracy

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In This Issue: EI Grito de Lares in Puerto Rico Facing New Ordeal Grand Jury Resisters 75 ¢ THE INSURGENT 2

Table of Contents

Ohio 7 Minus 2 ...... 3 Resistance Conspiracy Case 4 Political Prisoners' AIDS Message. 5 Silvia Baraldini: A New Ordeal. 8 Ploughshares Activist Convicted. .10 EI Grito de Lares...... 11 Joint Macheteros/FALN Communique .12 Tierra Amarilla...... 14 French and Belgian Political Prisoners .15 Grand Jury Resistance. . . .17 Virgin Island Five...... 19 Shawangunk Prison Protest. .20 Hartford/Puerto Rico 15 Trial. .20 Updates...... 21

We have had numerous requests from prisoners, asking to be add~d to our political prisoner list. The requests are too numerous for our collective to process. We have referred all requests to the Legal/Dossier Committee of the National Human Rights Cam­ paign and will revise the list through that mechanism. We urge prisoners to write directly to the Campaign for information about how to proceed. ( See p. 10 for information and address)

Committee to Fight Repression: Who We Are

The Committee to Fight Repression is an ting out the Insurgent . We believe that sup­ anti-imperialist organization that analyzes, port for political prisoners and POW's -­ exposes, and confronts political repression. from the national liberation movements, the We believe that in order to build effective northamerican anti-imperialist movement, resist~nce movements we need to understand the piowshares, Sanctuary and peace move­ the u.s. imperialist state and the dialectic ments -- is a critical aspect of all current between REPRESSION and RESISTANCE. People activities for human rights and social jus­ don't automatically resist government tice in this country. repression. We need to learn what we're up against and learn how to resist--from each The over 100 political/social activists and other and from movements allover the world revolutionaries in u.s. prisons today are who are fighting the same enemy. in jail for their activities and actions, their commitments ap d beliefs, their poli­ In any movement, political prisoners are tics and their refusal to back down. Many living examples that political struggle re ­ of them have led struggles and organizations. quires courage and sacrifice . We believe Some were captured trying to build revolu­ that creating strong bonds with political tionary organizations that were armed and prisoners can help to strengthen and mature clandestine. Some of the Black POW 's and political movements. Who w6uld dare to political prisoners have been imprisoned struggle if their movement did not protect since the 1960's, targets of u.s. COINTELPRO. and defend those who were captured? We be­ lieve that we must. consistently try to From behind the walls, they each share our break through the state's isolation of poli­ visions and concerns. They daily re-affirm tical prisoners, so that we can learn from their commitment, sharpened by the sacrifices people who went before and who currently are they have made, and the abuse, isolation and in a high level of confrontation with the degradation they experience at the hands of state. guards and prison officials. For the last four years, our collec~ive has actively worked to support political prison­ As the imperialists develop their strategies ers and POW 's - from bringing support to to repress resistance inside prison walls political ~rials, to participating in cam­ and outside, our resistance, too, must grow. paigns to fight human rights abuses, to put- DARE TO STRUGGLE! DARE TO WIN! ' FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS AND POW'S! THE INSURGENT 3 Ohio 7 Minus 2: On Trial for Seditious Conspiracy

Since the beginning of the Reagan admini­ Jaan was sent to Otisville to the segrega­ stration, his Justice Department has been tion unit and then to Lewisburg, and then devising elaborate conspiracy indictments to Leavenworth. Tom Manning was placed in to put captured revolutionaries away for the Maximum Control Unit in Trenton State life. The Insurgent has chronicled many of Peniteniary. The criteria sheet for his de­ these trials over the years. Yet the gov­ signation to the control unit said: ernment has had some set-backs in this " ... given his status as a dissident and course of action because of the resistance revolutionary terrorist ... " of the people on trial as they fight for "Inmate's record further indicates a pre­ their politics and their human and legal ference for secretive, paramilitary-like rights. schemes. Subject inmate has displayed this behavior by becoming involved with In Springfield, MA, the government has various politically radical and violent found itself bogged down in the Ohio 7 trial groups who advocate the overthrow of the and has been repeatedly criticized by the federal government ... " local media. The media is asking why the "This subject inmate has proved to be a government is prosecuting people at the cur­ leader. Because of his established revo­ rent cost of 2.1 million dollars, when all lutionary dissident record could use this but one defendant have already been convict­ position to negative l y influence and man­ ed for the same activities covered in this ipulate the prison population." indictment and have sentences from 15-53 Could it be clearer why prison systems use years. The jury selection alone had taken control units for political prisoners? 6 months to pick only 6 jurors. soners? So, on August 30th, the government prosecu­ Recently, in Springfield, the system of jury tors dropped charges against Tom Manning and selection was changed to the "struck system" Jaan Laaman, announcing that they were try­ which the defense had long argued for in or­ ing to simplify the trial. In essence, how­ der to speed up the process. The defendants ever, they were maneuvering to divide and anticipate that jury selection will be com­ demoralize the defendants. With this move pleted in December, 1988. The trial should they could silence two powerful voices in start in the new year. Keep on the alert the trial and separate Tom and Jaan from for information and write to: their wives and comrades. Jaan Laaman said The Sedition Committee in a letter to the judge, "The Ohio 7 has P.O. Box 4690 steadfastly maintained that we are guilty Springfield, MA 01101 of no crimes. Having these charges dr,opped 413-586-4407 against the two of us certainly fits into our position .... The government's comments The Sedition Committee on our dismissal about prior sentences and P.O. Box 1418, Cathedral Sta. shortening the case is just pure nonsense. New York, N.Y; 10025 All of us have some prior charges. As for 212-969-0448 trial reduction, evidence, etc. will be in­ troduced. The only reduction is 2 or 3 de­ fense lawyers to examine witnesses .... In one way though this case , is substantially changed. Originally these charges of sedi­ tion and RICO were brought as general pro­ secution to criminalize certain types of political resistance to the U.S. government. Then-Attorney General Meese's hope was not only to intimidate similarly situated revo­ lutionaries, but progressive activists in general. Now the case has additionally tak­ en on the v indictive nature of a selective prosecution of three mothers, politically active and concerned women who have refused to renounce their husbands and life-oriented progressive politics they hold. If the gov­ ernment can dismiss chages against me, how can it justify the continued prosecution of my wife and Tom's wife .... Real justice de­ From 1. to r.- Ray Levasseur, Carol Manning, mands:Drop all charges! Release the Women! Tom Manning, Jaan Laaman, Barbara Curzi La, Mothers now! maan, Richard Williarns(Pat Gras-out on bail) THE INSURGENT 4 Resistance Conspiracy Case: Update from Washington, D.C. Pc 3 t 1. In May, 1985, , Tim Blunk, the judge, to the Bureau of Prisons and to On o Marilyn Buck, , Susan Rosenberg, Congressional representatives. Supporters act and were indicted for seek­ of the six wrote in protest. After fighting den i ing "to influence, change and protest poli­ for months and refusing to give up, their po] e cies and practices of the U.S. government conditions began to slowly improve. They wh i e concerning various international and domes­ were permitted to have legal meetings un­ sar a tic matters through violent and illegal shackled; Laura alone was placed in general Bli r means." In specific, they were charged with population; finally, all were put in popula­ a ( a conspiracy, and aiding and abetting the bomb­ tion with some few remaining restrictions. Dn r ings of several military and government fo: C buildings, resulting in extensive property They are continuing to prepare for trial, sal damage but in no injuries to anyone. The still suffering harassment. Judge Greene has tho .defendants call the case the "Resistance Con­ limited the amount of money the court will ab: spiracy case." In their joint statement af­ pay to their court-appointed lawyers. Since pe, ter their indictment, they said "The govern­ pre-trial motions will be argued in January, ru ment is relentless in its pursuit of those This is a critical time for consolidating a tho whose love and concern extend across nation­ defense, not for worrying about a lack of al and racial barriers, ~nd whose commitment funds. The restrictive funding has a partic­ leads them to active resistance ... The ular impact on the attorneys from New York Reagan Administration wants our prosecution City who are working on the legal team: Mary to serve as a warning to those who demand O'Melveny,. representing Susan Rosenberg, who justice and human rights ... We say as long has represented her for several years; and as this government tramples on the rights, Lynne Stewart, representing Alan Berkman, the lives and the dignity of human beings who has previously represented numbers of here and anywhere else in the world, there political prsioners on trial. will always be resistance. This is not a criminal conspiracy -- it is a movement of In addition, the six are being harassed by solidarity and resistance, of love and of jail authorities. Both Linda and Laura have hope." (See The Insurgent, Vol. 4, No.2 for been put in punitive segregation for discip­ more information) linary infractions that were later over­ turned for being baseless. All of the comrades were initially classi­ fied as "Special Handling" at the D.C. De- . tention Facility where they are held. The classification was made solely on the basis that they are political prisoners. They faced control-unit conditions: 23~ hour a day lock-down; no contact wiht other prison­ ers; shackled and handcuffed in legal meet­ ings and in social visits (which are non-con­ tact visits for all D.C. jail prisoners); no fresh air and continual harassment by guards.

These conditions were a fresh assault on Susan, who had just come from the Lexington High Security Unit; on Alan and Tim who had just come from Marion Federal Penitentiary; Linda, who was recovering from a shoulder in­ jury that wasn't healing properly; and Mari­ lyn, who was on crutches from recent surgery on her leg. For Laura, it represented the continuation of being held for over two F years in preventive detention -- the longest t'" III W held political prisoner currently held with­ C out bail. ., P III V P The Resistance Conspiracy defendants fought ::r~ s the conditions from the first. They brought ..... Cf' A a motion before their judge, Judge Greene, (l) ::r c to put them into general population ~ The .,0 d Emergency Committee for the Defense of Human ::s a and Legal Rights of Political Prisoners and t , the Committee of Family and Friends wrote to t THE INSURGENT 5

Political Prisonersl M.essage to. AIDS Protest

On October 8 - 11, 1988, hundreds of AIDS the weekend's activities, were sponsored by activists converged on Washington, D. C. to a national coalition called ACT NOW (AIDS g demand that the u.S. government change i ts Coalition to Network, Organize and Win). policies on the AIDS crisis -- policies which are resulting in the deaths of thou­ On ' October 10, ACT NOW held a "people's sands of people, most of them gay and/or trial" at the Health and Human Services Black and Latino. The weekend culminated in building to put the Reagan administration on a day of civil disobedience at the Food and trial for gross and inhuman neglect in the Drug Administration, the agency responsible face of the AIDS epidemic. The following for testing new medications . About a thou­ statement from the Resistance Conspiracy sand people shut down the FDA, demanding defendants was read to the rally. (The Re­ that the FDA make experimental drugs avail­ sistance conspiracy defendants are Alan Berk­ able to people with AIDS more rapidly. 175 man , Tim Blunk, Marilyn Buck, Linda Evans, people were arrested, but hundreds more dis­ Susan Rosenberg and Laura Whitehorn. Two of rupted "business as usual" at the FDA for them -- Linda and Laura -- have spoken out the entire day . The demonstration, and all as lesbians.)

Friends: We particularly salute the ACT-NOW coalition We want to express our solidar ity and sup­ for your growth, commitment and militancy. port to all of you at this dmeonstration, ad­ In one short year, your seriousness and de­ vancing the fight for treatment for all Peo­ termination to win the battle against A.IDS ple With AIDS and for adequate funding to re­ has educated many thousands of people around search a cure that will control and destroy the country, empowering people to try to AIDS once and for all. We only wish that w~ confront U.S. governmeat policies that con­ could be with you tomorrow whwen you take sistently p rioritize corporate profit over direct action aga inst the FDA, to demand the human right to life itself. We support access to health care as a human right, and ACT-NOW 's efforts to unify sectors of the to win the release of all promising AIDS gay and lesbian commun ity who are addressing treatments to our affected communities. different aspects of the crisis; we support THE INSURGENT 6 your efforts to extend resources and serv­ Like all prisoners, we have had to fight a­ ices to people infected by IV drug use gainst mandatory and unconfidential AIDS while respecting the basic right of these testing; we have struggl~d for realistic communities to formulate and control their AIDS education and met the opposition ,of own programs. The AIDS activist coalition prison officials who biindly pr~tend that has led in exposing the fact that government sex and IV drug use don't exist inside prison policies withholding AIDS treatments and -- and therefore condemn prisoners not on+y curbing research amount to continuation of to ignorance, but to humiliation, pain and outright genocide of oppressed communities death. HIV-positive prisoners and Prisoners and nations. You have begun to expose how With AIDS suffer complete isolation, and the u.S. callously uses AIDS to exert social prison officials systematically withhold not control and commit genocide in Africa and only treatment and basic health care, but the Third World; particularly thtough the they forbid human contact and compassion. We stranglehold of U.S. drug companies on a­ urge your support for people in prison who vailable treatments. You have effectively are fighting for A~DS education and treat­ countered reactionaries and fundamentalists ment programs. in their efforts to use the AIDS crisis to eXPand a fascist social base that is racist The six of us are on trial for resisting u.S. and homophobic, that promotes increased rac­ government terrorism around the world and ist attacks against Black peop~e and other agains~ oppressed communities inside the people of color, and violence against les­ U.S., for fighting for a new society and for bians and gay men throughout the u.S. Your a world where every basic human right is resistance and organizing has an importance guaranteed to all people, including the most beyond winning the immedi"ate, just demands fundamental human right, the right to self­ you are fighting for today. determination. We support the fight against AIDS, and for an end to lesbian and gay op­ As political prisoners we, too, have faced ression, as an integral part of the struggle losses. Like many others, qur conscious­ for human liberation. Our hearts and ener­ ness has been shaped by the fact that some gies are joined with yours today and every of our dear friends and strongest support­ ers outside these walls are People With AIDS. , day as you continue to struggle in your own We want to send all our love to you today. communities. Our dear comrade, New Afrikan Freedom Fight­ FIGHT AIDS! ACTION LIFE! er Kuwasi Balagoon, died of AIDS in prison = in 1986; his life is commemorated along with Alan Berkman Linda Evans too many thousands of others in the Quilt, Tim Blunk Susan Rosenberg in a patch inscribed "poet, lover, sorcerer, Marilyn Buck Laura Whitehorn revolutionary."

BUILD A REVOLUTIONARY RESISTANCE MOVEMENT: Communiques from the Northamerican Armed Clandestine Movement, 1982-85

The Committee to Fight Repression has published this collection to make available the words of the organizations which have made a critical contribution to the, development of ariti-imperialist resistance. The 54-page book in­ eludes all communiques issued by the , the Armed Resistan=e Unit, the Rev­ olutionary Fighting "Group and the, Red Guerrilla Resistance, which accompanied armed actions. It also includes aforeward by political prisoner Or. Alan Berkman.

$2.50; discounts on -bulk orders THE INSURGENT 7

RESISTANCE NOTECARDS 50n

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1. Design by TImothy Blunk 4. "Mourners at Queenstown" 7. "Palestine Will Win!" by 1inothy Blunk by Unda Evans e 2. "bot6nlca salvadorena 1" by TImothy Blunk 5. "Palestlne Livesl" 8. "Roots of the Tree" by Laura Whitehorn by Susan Rosenberg 3. "bot6nica salvadorena2" by TImothy Blunk 6. "Azanlan flower" 9. ' "Solidarity" by Laura WhHehorn by Susan Rosenberg 10. "Resistance is not a crime!" by TImothy Blunk Black Ink on Ivory (linen finish) Available from: Price: $1.00 each, Comm. to Fight Repression 10 cards for $8.00 P.O. Box 1435 Cathedral Station New York, N.Y. 10025

8. THE INSURGENT 8 .Silvia Baraldini: After Lexington, A New Ordeal

During the campaign to close the Lexington on, sought extensive information in order to Control Unit, the women there were visited be informed of her options, and tried to by a psychologist sent by the ACLU, Dr. maintain as much control over her destiny Richard Korn. He observed that the more as was possible . ' During the time when she they funneled their energy into fortifying migh t have e xperienced relief at the clos­ thei~ spirits, the more their bodies were ing of Lexington, she was catapulted into a physically weakening. He predicted that, new crisis. She had to face the fear of if they experienced any breakdown, it would cancer, surgery, radiation ~nd premature be physical and not mental. menopause, while being under the control of the Bureau of Prisons, which had tried One of the political prisoners, Silvia Baral­ to destroy her in Lexington. Silvia's dini is now living out this cruel scenario. will to resist, which was seasoned in the Last spring, she noticed a tender swelling isolation unit in Lexington, has not been in her lower abdomen. Over two years ago, destroyed , but only strenthened through this prior to Lexington, Silvia had required a ordeal. medical evaluation for gynecological prob­ lems. Tests indicated that she had benign On October 22 , Silvia was transferred to New fibroids in her uterus. But this time the York 's Metropolitan Correctional Facility. swelling was painful and enlarging. After The Bureau of Prisons designated her there stalling for weeks, the Bureau of Prisons in supposed accordance with Judge Parker's finally provided a specialist to consult on ru l ing when he closed Lexington. He ordered her problem. This happened after the lime­ that the plaintiffs were to be placed in light was turned on the women's p light by general population and prohibited any desig­ the start of the law suit against the BOP nation based on their political beliefs or in Washington , D.C., in which Silvia was associations. This is a cynical attempt by one of the plaintiffs. The consultant ad­ the Bureau of Prisons to sabotage the mean­ vised immediate surgery. Silvia's lawyers i ng of the federal decision and to continue demanded and won the right to a second opin­ its mission of isolation and denial of pol­ ion, and this doctor also advised immedi ate itical prisoners. MCC, N.Y . is not appro­ surgery. priate. It is a detent ion center without .. facilities for long-term ssentenced prison­ ~'". i As the federal court in Washington ordered ers. The only long term prisoners there the Lexington Unit to close, Silvia was are Joe Do h erty, an Irish Republican Army shipped out to a federal prison hospital in freedom fighter, and Silvia Baraldini - Rochester, Minnesota. This facility was re­ both political pr isoners . cently built with an entire operating room inside its walls. Now the BO P no longer At MCC, N.Y . Silvia can not obtain even the has to "worry" about transferring its "high" minimal preventative measures to preserve security prisoners to outside hospitals for her health. She needs regular exercise major surgery. and weight lifting to prevent osteoporosis, the thinning of bones that can occur after ( R! At surgery, she was found to have, not only menopause . She needs to have a high cal;::; ;l1m fibroids, but a dangerously malignant uter­ cium , low-fat diet . It took several weeks La ine cancer as well. Medical research has to get. skim milk - and that required a doc­ Ba recently shown how stress weakens the im­ tor's order. As every political prisoner ba mune system and increases the risk of can­ knows, the genera l problems getting adequate be cer. And certainly all those months in the medical care in prison are magnified for the Lexington Control Unit was stress! The tu­ political prisoner. The high security clas­ mor .required a second operation for a total sification means that the prison 's so­ removal of the u t erus and ovaries. She called security needs will determine how, then underwent radiation treatments to de­ when, where and if the prisoner will get crease the chance of a recurrence. any response to a-medical need.

After nearly two years in small group isola­ Silvia must be transferred from MCC to gen­ tion at Lexington, Silvia had to face the eral population in one of the women's fed­ crisis of a diagnosis of cancer and trauma­ eral prisons, such as Pleasanton or Alder­ tic medical procedures virtually alone. The son. Send a protest about her treatment radiation was near torture - she was shack­ and demand her transfer: w led to a bed and had to remain motionless for 48 hours with vaginal radium implants. J. Michael Quinlan Director, Bureau of Prisons o Silvia's courage and resolve through this 320 First Street, NW t ordeal has touched everyone who has had con­ Washington, D.C . 2000 1 tact with her. She faced her situation head , THE INSURGENT 9 l

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(Resistance Conspiracy, cont'd from p.4)

Laura Whitehorn is going back to court in formation, speakers and printed materials: Baltimore to demand that she be released on bail in her case there (which still has not Washington Area Committee for Political te ' been tried). Prisoners' Rights he P.O. Box 28181 s- There are many important struggles ahead and Washington, D.C. 20038-8191 an urgent need for support. The demand by the six that the government remove the plex­ Emergency Committee to Defend the Human and iglass partition that was built in the court­ Legal Rights of Political Prisoners room to separate the defendants from specta­ 220 5th Avenue, 16th Floor tors and the surveillance cameras trained on New York, New York 10001 I defendants and spectators alike has not yet been won. Both are prejudicial for the jury Committee to Fight Repression and intimidating to courtroom support. P.O. Box 1435 Cathedral Station WHAT YOU CAN DO: New York, New York 10025

-- Write letters demanding Laura's release -- Financial contributions are urgently needed! on bail to Judge Norman Ramsey, U.S. Dis­ Make checks payable to Institute for Social trict Court, Baltimore, MD. Justice, Inc., earmarked for the Emergency Committee. Send to the Emergency Committee -- Write to the following contacts for in- address above. All contributions are tax­ deductible. THE INSURGENT 10 Ploughshares Activist Convicted for Courtroom Solidarity

Last May, hearings were held in Judge to convict John Hyde because they believed Barrington Parker's courtroom on the lawsuit that he had tried to interpose his body be­ brought to close the Lexington High Security tween the marshals and B. Wardlaw. Tbe jur­ Unit. (See The Insurgent, Vol. 4, No.2 for ors thought they had to interpret this ac­ information about the suit.) The hearings, tion as assault because of the instructions which included moving testimony by Northam­ they had received from the judge. The de­ erican political prisoner Susan Rosenberg fense had protested these instructions, and who was then held in Lexington, resulted they will be an issue in the appeal. Over­ in Parker's decision to prohibit the federal all, the jurors said, they had not believed Bureau of Prisons from continuing to desig­ the marshals' testimony. nate prisoners based on their pOlitical be­ liefs and associations . The government asked that Hyde be jailed im­ mediately after his conviction, but the There was another political battle played judge refused to do so. They have also out during the hearings -- the arrests of asked that Hyde be jailed for a year be­ Ploughshares activists John Hyde and B. cause he has a previous record -- all ar­ Wardlaw. The two, who were in court to sup­ rests for non-violent anti-nuclear protest~. port the women at Lexington, were dragged from the courtroom and beaten by federal The beatings, arrest and trial of these two marshals when they failed to rise when the comrades is part of the government's strat­ judge entered the courtroom. The two were egy to intimidate supporters and potential then arrested for assault on the marshals! supporters of political prisoners and Pris­ (Individuals have the legal right ll2i to oners of War. In this case, their attempts rise for a judge, but this apparently did have backfired. John Hyde's comment on his not stop the marshals.) Both comrades went experience is that it has contributed to to trial, which resulted in Wardlaw being building greater unit~ between forces who acquitted and John Hyde convicted of assault. might not otherwise have become political allies, Ploughshares activists and anti-im­ The trial was marked by inflammatory testi­ perialists. mony by several marshals and a nakedly biased judge. Fortunately, the defendants were No date has bene set for sentencing. We able to put several witnesses on the stand urge our readers to send letters of support to describe the philosophy of non-violence for John Hyde to Judge Oliver Gasch, U.S. to which both Hyde and Wardlaw are totally District Courthouse, 3rd and Constitution committed. Conversations with some jurors N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001. after the verdict showed that they had voted

HUMAN R GHTS CAMPA GN On October 1, 1988, a hundred activists met The Committee to Fight Repression has enthu­ in New York City to begin the process of siastically joined this initiative. We urge forming a national campaign to demand human our readers to contact the following address rights and amnesty for political prisone~s for more information on the campaign. We held within the United States. The partici­ urge political prisoners who have not yet pants represented a broad spectrum of pro­ heard about this effort to notify their re­ gressive and revolutionary forces who had presentatives on the outside, or to contact worked against human rights violations in the campaign directly. Mere information the U.S ; legal and prison system and/or who will follow as the campaign develops its had defended political prisoners. The cam­ structure and program. paign was co-initiated by the Movimiento de Liberacion Nacional (MLN) and by Filiberto Ojeda Rios. National Human Rights Campaign c / o Movemen t Support Network 666 Broadway, N.Y., N.Y. 10012 THE INSURGENT 11 EI Grito de Lares, 1988: Filiberto Ojeda Rios Speaks to the Puerto Rican People El Grito de Lares (The Cry of Lares) ~s a Everyone - absolutely everyone of our peo­ yearly celebration in Puerto R{co, commem­ ple knows that the solution is not to go to morating the first declaration of the Re­ the colonial ballot boxes every four years. public of Puerto Rico in 1868. The Inde­ No solution is to be found in condoni~g th~ pendence Movement has claimed this celebra­ lying demogoguery of those who offer them­ tion as a time to mark progress and set­ selves as . guarantors of the survival of col­ backs in the long journey to self-determin­ onial power. tion, and to commit itself to completing that task. The great nationalist leader, Nor is there any better hope in the good Don Pedro Albizu Campos, brought a tamarind faith of those who hope that through this tree from Bolivia and planted it in the 'peaceful' electoral process, we can win all central plaza of Lares to symbolize the our rights and freedoms without violence. continental struggle to free Latin America Those who argue this solution must not be and the Caribbean from colonialism. able to perceive the extraordinary violence which right now oppresses all our people - This September 23rd was the 120th anniver­ old and young, poor and working, men and wo­ sary of Lares, and another cry was raised, men. It is a systematic violence which has "Filiberto, companero. Commandante Mache­ converted them into dependents, addicts, al­ tero." The revolutionary independence move­ coholics and criminals, a corrupt and cor­ ment had the platform in mid-afternoon. rupting system which transforms our youth Humberto Pagan, spoksman for the Anti-elec­ into beings without identity who wander a­ toral Front, read a message from Filiberto bout the streets seeing nothing but an un­ Ojeda Rios, which he had sent from prison in certain future leading to more of the same ... Metropolitan Correctional Center in N.Y.C. In order to defeat the demoniacal perpetra­ Filiberto wrote, "The many times they have tor of the colonial violence from which we asked me if I was a founder of Los Macheter­ now suffer, we must unite and coordinate the os, I have always replied that if they were great strength of our people on every front to ask my people in Lares on any 23rd of of struggle, using all of their creative September, I would accept with pride that power." answer to the question." With these words, the crowd erupted with their response, This year's Lares celebration had a special "Filiberto, companero. Commandante Mache­ significance for the northamerican anti-im­ tero." Humberto Pagan continued after the perialist movement as well. Representatives crowd quieted, from Filiberto's message, from the two current conspiracy trials of "And today I say, yes. I was one of the (Cont'd on p. 13) founders of Los Macheteros! I am a Mache­ tero! And I will be a Machetero until the day in which together we as a people win our complete freedom."

This declaration by Filiberto Ojeda Rios was viewed by the Independence Movement as a tremendous event. It reasserted a position that the only solution for the Puerto Rican people is independence from U.S. colonial­ ism. And that this will only be won by the difficult building of a people's war. On a day where different strategies for the nation were put forward by the electoral parties, such as statehood or a new free as­ sociated republic , Filiberto's position set a dividng line. On one side were solutions that would lead to neo-colonial domination by the u.S. On the other side was true in­ dependence. He argued, along with forces in the patriotic Anti-electoral Front (Frente Anti-electoral) against voting in the col­ onial elections. Filiberto's message said, "We have known ninety years of these abus­ On Aug. 26th, Filiberto was arrested in a es, of empty, and cruelly manipulative pro­ blatant maneuver to re-imprison him. He was mises which every four years beseige us, charged with resisting his orig{nal arrest aimed at drowning our senses like aliena­ on Aug. 30, 1985. He was held on a U.S. ting drugs, creating mirages in a desert. base in P.R. under a storm of protest, and then expatriated again to M.C.C., N.Y. THE INSURGENT 12 EPB-Macheteros and FALN Issue Plan for Puerto Rico~ s Decolonization

The Popular Puerto Rican Army (Macheteros) people in all facets of economic, political, and the Armed Forces of National Liberation and social life.· (FALN) are clandestine organizations that wage armed struggle against colonialism and With the institutionalization of the "Free for the national independence of Puerto Ri co. Associated State", the U.N. in 195 3 , ab­ The first operates within the national terri­ solved the U.S. government of its obligation tory of Puerto Rico and the latter in the U­ to render annual reports about Puerto Rico nited States of North America. We are sub­ to its Decolonization Committee. In this mitting this joint message in wrtting be­ manner, the U.S. government was able to cause we cannot appear before this honorable maneuv er the U.N. into recognizing the "Free Committee. Associated State" as the end of colonial domination. Repression against the patri­ For nearly 500 years, Puerto Rico has been a otic movement continued during that perio9 victim of colonialism. For the past 90 and today includes new methods: espionage yeari, it has been a colony, of the United and electronic surveillance; kidnapping and States. Ever since the military invasion of forced e x ile of patriots to prisons in the our country in 1898, the U.S. government has U.S.; mental and physical torture against attempted to justify and legitimize its im­ Puerto Rican Prisoners of War, "preventive perialist intervention by all means. In detentions" without trials and the right to 1900, elections were imposed in order to bail; utilizing "grand juries" to incarcer­ create the illusion that the Puerto Rican ate activists without trials; and others. people ex ercised self-determination. The At this very moment, the U.S. government is reality was that the U.S. government con­ creating a new represive model; subpoenas en trolled (and still controls) all aspects of mass of independence activists in an attempt economic, military and political life. to force them to testify in U.S. court under the threat of facing 5 years imprison­ In 1917, the U.S. government imposed its ment without a trial or the right to bail citizenship upon the Puerto Rican people. if they refuse. Anyone that resisted the imposition of citi­ zenship was stripped of all political rights In 197 8 , after an intense s t ruggle by our and considered a foreigner in his own land. p eople, the Decolonization Committee val­ During this period, the U.S. totally ignored iantly aband oned its support of the "Free our people's clamor for independence even Associated State" and since then has issued though the majority electoral parties in­ annual resolut ions denouncing colonialism cluded it in their programs. and and demanding implementation of Puerto Rico's right to self-determination and inde­ The U.S. government carried ou~ a brutal cam- . pendence. paign of repression in the 1930's, 40's, and 50's which included: the Rio Piedras and Due to ' this new development, for the past Ponce massacres; the as~assinations of many years the U.S. government has searched for a patriots; the incarceration of the national­ new political formula to "decolonize" Puerto ist Party leadership including Don Pedro AI­ Rico. Again with the complicity of the bizu Campos and subsequent leaders of the "Popular Democratic Party" the U.S. has de­ Nationalist P~rty; the "law of the muzzle" signed a scheme called the "culmination of which made the independence movement illegal the Free Asscoiated State" that appears to and culminated with massive arrests in 1950 be a decolonization model, but in content before the implementation of "Free Associ­ leav es all structure of colonial domination ated State . " intact. The U.S. is trying to r~peat its deception of 1952 and deceive the interna­ In 1952, the U.S. government acting with the tional community as well. In light of this complici ty of the "Popular Democratic Par:­ political situation and in recognition of ty" of Puerto Rico approved the so-called U.N. resolutions declaring colonialism as a "Free Associated State" in an attempt to le­ crime against humanity, the Popular Puerto gitimize its colonialism. This imperialist · Rican Army (MACHETEROS ) and the Armed machination has been a caricature of autono­ Forces of National Liberation (FALN) pro­ my during the past 36 years. Although Puer­ pose the following plan for t h e deco l oniza­ to Ricans are "free" to elect a puppet gov­ tion of Puerto Rico: ernment, the U.S. maintains all sovereign 1. The United States must immediately powers: citizenship, currency, commerce, recognize the colonial status of Puerto migration, military service, · postal service, Rico and its inalienable right to indepen­ external relations, communication;, etc. dence. Consequently, it must cease all re­ Puerto Rico has its own courts and laws but pression against the patriotic movement in U.S. courts and laws can overrule them and Puerto Rico and in the U.S. h~ve been used to repress the Puerto Rican THE INSURGENT 13 f~~ ~~~~~"'MAC't-~ 2. The United States must immediately 8. This decolonization process must be­ release all political prisoners and prison­ gin in January, 1989 with the immediate im­ ers of war, as well as, all non-Puerto plementation of point. 1 and 2 and ~hould Rican political prisoners incarcerated for cUlminate September 23, 1992. acting in solidarity with our struggle for independence. These eight points are what we consider to 3. All U.S. military f9rces must be be a minimum plan for a true decolonization withdrawn and all military bases and in­ of Puerto Rico. Based on this decoloniza­ stallations dismantled. tion plan, the Popular Puerto Rican Army 4. The colonial government and all its (MACHETEROS) and the Armed Forces of Nation­ repressive forces (police, national guard, al liberation (FALN) want to establish etc.) will be dissolved and their arms clearly the following: turned in to the local militia and national 1. The clandestine and public indepen­ army which will , be responsible for main­ dence movement will not permit a .false de­ taining public order and defenGing our na­ colonization process tO , be implemented such tional sovereignty. as a so-called "culmination of the Free As­ 5. The U.S. must transfer all the sover­ sociated State'" wh~ch would only serve to eign powers it has usurped in the past 90 camouflage colonial domination. ' years to the people of Puerto Rico repre­ 2. We demand that the U.S. government sented by a Constituent Convention of the' act : before ~he free countries of the world Republic. and implement this decolonization plan so' 6. Under supervision ~f the United Na­ as to avoid a long but inevitable victorious tions, a Constituent Convention of the Re­ war of liberation in Puerto Rico, as well public will be freely elected which will as, in its own territory. then elect a Provisional Government of a 3. We calIon the countries of the free, sovereign, and democratic Puerto Rico. world to focus their attention on the poli­ All Persons considered accomplices of colon­ tical situation in our homeland and lend the ialism having served ina position of con­ necessary solidarity to the forces waging fidence in the colonial administration in combat against colonialism in Puerto Rico. the executive , legislative, and jud~c ial branches, armed forces, or police are not The Popular Puerto Rican Army (MACHETEROS) eligible to serve in the new government. and the Armed Forces of National Liberation 7. The people of Puerto Rico must be (FALN) solemnly swear that we will not put compensated for all the exploitation and down our arms until Puerto Rico is a truly damages suffered during the past 90 years free nation and our people can construct a of U.S. colonial domination. future of peace and justice.

EI Grito de Lares, cont'd from p. ~1 ' anti-imperialist revolutionaries - ~he Ohio 7 Seditious Conspiracy Case and the Resist­ ence Conspiracy Case in Washington, D.C. - were invited to give message of solidarity. All of these defendants have been charged by the U.S. government of clandestine ac­ tions directed against the U.S. war machine, from the mid- 70's to the mid- 80's. Sever­ al of these actions were bombings of mili­ tary targets in explicit solidarity with the Puerto Rican Independence Movement. , The ac­ tions called for solidarity as well as for freedom of Puerto Rican political prisoners and prisoners of war. At Lares there was an opportunity to pledge solidarity directly to the people of PuertoRico; and to promise that, as the struggle escalates against U.S. colonialism, there will be friends and al­ lies among northamericans lliving within the borders of the U.S.

... ' .~ '." THE INSURGENT 14 Report from Tierra Amarilla: F \\This Land Is Ours!1I \ (

Around the circle, the Mexicano elders spoke lish as the only legal "official" language F l one after the other. "The Indian was our in the U.S. It was presented by people who mother, the Spaniard was our father. This are involved in the Anti-English Only Cam­ land is ours." paign.

So began the program at La Colonia Jose Mar­ Dennis Jenning of the AIM Information Cen- Tl ia Martinez, in Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico ter in San Francisco, and the Nat i ve Ameri- 0' on September 17, ' 1988. in commemoration of can Treaty Council gave the first solidarity ce Mexico's independence from Spain. The first message. "Why do North American Indians get P: land occupation by Mexican people within involved with this struggle? We get in- Ie u.S. borders had been continued since April. volved because we are of the same blbod and a, This was when Amador Flores took a stand and the same land." 'He pointed out the similar- se defied the real estate company who claimed ities of the encampment here to the encamp- I re ownership of his land, and the courts that ments at Big Mountain and the Columbia Riv- al upheld that claim. (See Insurgent, Vol.4, er, which are Native American struggles to Ul #2, Summer, 1988.) Since then a small keep control of their land. He said that pl group of Mexican activists has maintained an this struggle represented the community, S ' encampment on this "liberated territory." which wants to make decisions for itself. ne They guard it with bunkers and armed secur­ In that regard, he pointed out that its like i e ity. "Tierra 0 Muerte," "Land or Death," the aspirations of the people in El Salvador mc is the pledge that declares that these peo­ and allover the world. . fe ple will defend this land with th~ir lives. Tl (Cont'd on p. 16) I Now the encampment was celebrating a Mexi­ can national holiday and was the site of a national mobilization. The people of La Colonia welcomed supporters and shared the goals of their struggle. About 75-100 peo­ ple gathered under the spectacular span of sky and mountains. They were activists from around the country. About 30% were students from the BOUlder/Denver campuses. Most were active in the peace, anti-apartheid and Central American solidarity movements. Many were understanding for the first time that Mexican people here were also struqqlinq for their human rights and ability to determine their own future on their own land. Pedro Arechuleta, a fourth generation Mexi­ can from Tierra Amarilla, former political prisoner, and regional coordinator of the Movimiento de Liberacion Nacional/Mexicano, (MLNM) began the day's presentations with a workshop on the history of the Tierra Amar­ illa occupation. Amador Flores' land is in prime fish and game territory and has been targetted by developers for condominiums. Flores is basing ' his claim on a deed he filed over 20 years ago and also on historic treaty rights. This land was part of a Mexi­ can communal land grant. When Mexico lost the was to the U.S. in 1848, the Treaty of Guadelupe Hildalgo honored that land grant. But like the history of broken treaties with Native American people, the U.S. con­ nived and cheated until eventually Congress turned the land grant over to private hands.

The afternoon program began after a lunch of roasted lamb and traditional foods. A guerrilla theater piece called, "The Lan­ guage Enforcer," was put on. This was a satire about the fascist enforcement of Eng-

.J THE INSURGENT 15 French and Belgian Political Prisoners ,on Hunger Strike

From France:

ISOLATION DESTROYS! WE DESTROY ISOLATION!

The abolition of isolation units has arisen over these last years as the primary and common objective of all the struggles of prisoners. It could not be otherwise: iso­ lation is the highest level of psychologic­ al/physical annihilation that the state scientifically carries on against jailed revolutionary militants and the most resist­ ant working-cl~ss prisoners. Isolation units reveal the true nature of prison. A preview of the tomb, the logic of the de­ struction of the person and his conscious­ ness manifests itself in a direct and immed­ iate way. Isolation is prison without its mask, where the "whi te death" is programmed for those who reject the capitalist order. The time has come to end the isolation units.

re calIon the working-class prisoners and imprisoned revolutionary militants to join us in the struggle against isolation. This call is directed in particular to the prison­ rs who over these last years have been in­ volved in struggle, thereby affirming their onsciousness and their determination against 11 obstacles.

struggle against isolation is the strug­ Ie of all prisoners! No to the death units of Arpaillange, Rocard nd Mitterand! ift immediately conditions of solitary con­ inement! Banner from West Germany. olidarity with the Basque militants in Top left: h Jsociation for Red Army Fraction truggle against isolation and for the and Resistance Movement Prisoners and all iberation of Euskadi! Political Prisoners. Top Right: One Front in the International Liberation Struggle. Regis Schleicher Vincenzo Spano Claude Halfen Bertrand Sassoye, Didier Chevolet, Pierre Nicholas Halfen Carette and Pascale Vandegeerde resume their hunger strike which was suspended in the Ed. note: The four participants in the Spring of 1986. unger strike are captured combatants of ction Directe, a clandestine anti-imper­ Strong from the experience of their strug­ alist guerrilla organization in France. gle in 1986 -- that is, convinced of the he "white death" mentioned in the text extreme limi ts to which they will, without a efers to sensory deprivation isolation doubt, have to take their demands -- the nits for political prisoners.) militant prisoners have m~de the decision to space their respective engagements from week to week. Didier Chevolet begins the rom Belgium: collective action today; he will be joined on September 9 by Pascal, the 16th by tatement from the Association of Parents Pierre and the 23rd by Bertrand. and Friends of the Communist Prisoners In '86, after 43 days of bargaining, the oday, September 2, 1988, four captured mil­ minister of justice and his counselors were tants of the Communist Combatant Cells involved in satisfying certain demands, but THE INSURGENT 16 it quickly became clear that they were only The APAPC values as deeply righteous the concerned about aettina themselves out of an struggle of imprisoned revoltuionaries a­ embarassing situation. They never honored gainst the intention of the stabe to muzzle their promises. That is why the four mili­ them, if not to destroy them. ~he APAPC tants see again the obligation to resort demands with them their immediate associa­ to the hunger strike, and why their princi­ tion, obtaining dignified conditions of cap­ ple demands are ~actly the same as in '86: tivity that permit them to do theoretical -- association for the four militants and and political work, and it will continue eight hours of work meetings every day to provide them all the determined support -- no restrictions on correspondence of this organization. -- permission for two non-family visits for each captured militant We, parents and friends of communist prison­ -- authorization to receive political books ers, calIon organizations and individuals and pamphlets, including second-hand ones who are concerned with these objectives to -- wearing of civilian clothes. support the struggle of the captured mili­ tants of the Communist Combatant Cells begin- I These demands are exclusively political, ning this September 2. Write to the mili­ their only aim being to achieve conditions tants! Support their association! Express for study, for political and theoretical your SOlidarity concretely! ' work while in prison -- creative activity which for communists can only take place in a collective process. APAPC, BP 6; St. Gilles 1, 1060 Bruxelles Belgium

Tierra Amarilla, Cont'd from p. 14 Ricardo Romero, from the MLNM also took the Felix Rosa, former Puerto Rican political opportunity in his speech to speak to the prisoner, brought a message of solidarity white people there about "looking at the from the Movimiento de Liberacion Nacional attacks of all kinds against people of col­ on behalf of the Puerto Rican Independence or from the drug war, to taking land, to Movement . He spoke of the history of solid­ racial violence," and asking, "What kind of arity between the Mexican struggle and the country do you want to live in?" He argued independence movement. He recalled the his­ that this land struggle is not for anyone tory of grand jury resistance over the past person, or family or community, but is for 10 years, when their people were called to the majority of the people and for anyone testify before the same grand juries and re­ who wants to develop something new. He fused to collaborate. urged us to challenge the minority, the im­ perialists, who have control; and expect to Among the solidari t y messages read were mes­ have to fight repression if that choice is sages from the anti-imperialist political made. He paid tribut to all the political prisoners in the Resistance Conspiracy Case prisoners who are a reminder to us that in D.C .. One of the defendants, Marilyn struggle is courage and sacrifice. Buck, who was a t that time still locked down inN. Y.C., wrOte. "The struggle for the The final presentation was from Gambino Go­ land is one of t h e oldest struggles in the mez, from the Comite de Defensa Popular in history of humani ty . The rich and powerful Chihuahua, Mexico. He brought solidarity have sei z e d it, by force and deception, from from Mexican people below the border. He the humble, t h ose who have lived on and explained that the people of Mexico need to worked the land o f the i r ancestors. But carryon the revolution of Zapata, which has throughout the world, the humble and dis­ been betrayed by the Mexican b6urgeoisie. possessed hav e r i sen to take back their lands, t h eir nat ions. You, the people of Pedro Arechuleta concluded the day's pro­ the land, of Tierra Amarilla, have a long gram by inviting supporters to return to history o f struggle. Surely, this struggle the encampment and bring others. They were will con t inue f o r as long as it takes to beginning to build the structure needed for keep your land. and to reclaim those al­ the winter. They need materials, money and ready sto len ... " The co-defendants in D.C. work brigades. They are also planning to Jail, Al a n Berkman , Tim Blunk, Linda Evans, build a cultural center on this piece of Susan Rosenberg a nd Laura Whitehorn, wrote, land. It will be a center of Mexican cul­ ~ .. ~.We would say a few words to the North ture and resistance, for this and future American companeros: The struggle doesn't generations. For more information call: get any more c oncre t e than this. Solidarity is not a gift; it is a right to be demanded Pedro Arechuleta 505-588-7736. Send con­ tributions to: The Coaltion, 801 , E. 22 Ave., of us by La Co lonia Jose Maria Martinez. We must prov ide wha t is needed, here at the Denver, CO 80205. colonia when asked and in the white commun­ ity where we c a n try to put a stop to the developers, e xpose and challenge the work­ ings of the Anglo courts, and stop the ra­ cist attack s against the culture, language and identity of Me x icano People. In the spirit of the San Patricio Corps, give what is needed." l THE INSURGENT 17

Grand, . Jury Resisters Build :the Wall .of Silence

On July 27, 1988, Vernon Bellecourt of the tended, among other things, to assassinate American Indian Movement (AIM) and Bob Brown Libyan President Moammar AI-Qadaffi). Over of the All-African People's Revolutionary 200 activists went to Libya to attend meet­ Party joined the ranks of grand jury resist­ ings and forums and to see the damage that ers -- people who refuse to inform on their the U.S. bombs had done. On January 30, movements, even at the risk of going to jail. 1988 the Libyan government hosted a Confer­ On September 14, Bellecourt and Brown did go ence for the Liberation of the Indian Na­ to jail for contempt of court, for 18 months tions of the Americas . None of these activ­ or until that grand jury expires. ities were likely t6 improve the U.S. gov­ ernment's hostile and aggressive attitude The grand jury is a body of citizens that towards Libya. works closely with a prosecutor to determine if specific criminal charges should be Sure enough, in July, 1988 the U.S. govern­ brought against an individual. Grand juries ment arrested the Libyan 8, six Libyan stud­ also conduct broader investigations of sus­ ents and two Arabs ~nd charged them with, pected cirminal activity. They have the among other things, diverting their student power to subpoena (call to testify) anypne stipends to finance these and other internat­ they choose, and you can go to jail if you ionalist activities. These are the matters refuse to testify. about which Bob Brown and Vernon Bellecourt were called to give information. Their re­ Grand juries are really run by the prosecut­ sponse has been to refuse to become inform­ or. The Chjef Judge of the New York State ers for the U.S . government. Their position Court of Appeals -- hardly a radical! of non-collaboration, the absolute refusal said that a good prosecutor can get a grand to cooperate with government investigations, jury to indict a ham sandwich! Since 1970, is the best weapon we have to protect our though, the U.S. government has found anoth­ movements and to build a strong resistance er use for grand juries -- to gather informa­ to repression, ~ ~en if some people have to tion on political movements and to jail pol­ go to j a i l in the process . itical activists. Dozens of people -- from the Puerto Rican Independence Movement, the Why is non-collab oration the most effective lesbian movement, the Catholic left, the way to stop the grand jury and to build our Black Liberation Movement and the anti-imp­ resistance ? The answer comes directly from erialist movement -- have been subpoenaed to an analysis of what the government's goals grand juries. Most have refused t o testify . are: Many have gone to jail for as long as two years for this sta nce o f non-co lla boration . 1. They want to get information about our movements, ranging from the names of people The grand jury to which Bellecourt and Brown (along with AAPRP leader Kwame Toure, former­ ly known as Stokeley Carmichael and AIM lead­ er Bill Means) were called is particularly ominous bec au s e it illustrates a new aspect of the goveinment·s anti-"terrorist" strat­ egy: the attempt to link U.S. activists with State Department-defined " t errorist states , " in this case, Libya. The grand jury was con­ vened in September, 1987 as part of an FBI investigation code-named "Operation Friendly Skies" which was investigating Libyans in the U.S. Since 198 1 , the Reagan Administra­ tion has wa g ed a c ampaign of infla mmatory propaganda, economic destabilizat i on and military attacks against Libya because of that country's fiercel y independent and anti-imperialist stance. Libya has support­ ed liberation movements in southern Africa, Palestine and Central America, and has rec­ ognized and given support to the movements of Native American, Black and Chicano/Mex­ icano people within the U.S.

On April 12 - 14, 1987 AIM and AAPRP organ­ ized a peace delegation to Libya, one year after the U.S. bombing of that country (in- .. THE INSURGENT 18 who are involved in political work to how we Non-collaboration has been established as make decisions to where we hold meetings. the most principled response to the grand jury by years of resistance. There has 2. They hope to isolate the targets of the been, as yet, no such standard established grand 'juries, esp~cially when those targets for people who are called to testify as wit­ , are armed underground (clande?tine) organi­ nesses at trials. The U.S. government has zations. They want to send a message that given the defendants in the Hartford/Puerto some people are "too hot" to support. Rico 15 trial currently in prog ~ ess a list of some 400 people who will be called as 3. They hope to jail numbers of activists government witnesses. The list includes in­ and to irttimidate numbers more by thia naked dependentistas, friends .and relatives of the display of government power -- we can put defendants. What should these people, for I I 1 ; you in jail· simply for refusing to answer example, do? our questions. g ' b : We think the same guidelines that apply to a w, Non-collaboration confronts and c6nfounds grand jury subpoena apply in situations like o all of these goals. They don't get their thi? one: Will we be giving information information. The grand jury resister demon­ about the movement or about people in it to f strates with her/his actions that even the the government? Will we undermine the peo­ P threat of jail will not undermine their ple who are on trial? Will we communicate a r · s principles or, in many cases, their support spirit 'of resistance, or one of groveling at u : for cland~stine organizations or activities. the government's feet? We think that in u And, instead of creating a movement of cow­ almost any set of circumstances, that apply~ wardly informants lining up at the U.S. At­ ing these guidelines will lead to a conclu­ T torney's door to rat on their friends and sion that a solid,unbreakable wall of si­ f comrades, they help us to create a combat­ lence is the best response. ive movement that will stand up for itself. t d ay resisting the grand jury, we grow even A telegram campaign demanding the release stronger. of Vernon Bellecourt and Bob Brown is under­ t way. Send your telegram to: g Some progressive people have argued that it h s is a waste of valuable human resources to Judge T.S. Ellis o take a position of non-collaboration. Act­ U.S. District Court ivists are more valuable on the streets than 100 S. Washington St. A Alexandria, VA 22314 K in jail. Especially in instances where peo­ w · ple don't have any information that could be Mr. Lawrence Leiser w useful to the government, they should testi­ s fy and stay out of jail . Assistant U.S. Attorney 701 Prince Street We certainly support people staying oui of Alexandria, VA 22314 a. t jail, but we th(nk there are several prob­ Mr. Richard Tbornburgh c · lems with this viewpoint. For one, we can s never be sure (until it's too late) what in­ Attorney General w· formation is "useless." Even what is some­ U.S. Department of ~ustice Washington, D.C. 20005 o times called "negative information" (which M clears the person testifying of suspicion) can be used. An illustration of this w~s For more information on the Libyan 8 grand jury: A offer red by Puerto Rican POW Oscar Lopez t Rivera in an article he wrote several years i ago. He described a woman, a member of the National Committee in Support of Grand Jury Resistance P Puerto Rican independence movement, who was i shown a picture by the FBI. She was asked 202 P·ennsylvania Ave. N.W. Suite 274 i if it was a photograph of her. She looked t at it and stated that no, it wasn't, be­ Washington, D.C. 20005 P cause the woman in the photo was smoking i and she didn't smoke. The FBI went right t out and subpoenaed the woman who did appear el. c in the photo. They had been trying all e · along to figure out which of two women was a: shown in the photo, and now they had! WJacohin Books Tbat's the problem with giving up · "negative Box 416 Van Brunt Station A information" -- it · just makes the govern­ Brooklyn, New York 11215 w: ment's work easier. j s · In addition, the experience of our movements Iit.... by ••iI . Revolutionary tur. English-language 1 has been that if a person appears cooperat­ books, PMlphlets, 80d periooicals from Africa,England, ive, they will be questioned over and over lrellllld, the Qribbe!ll1 lind the present US empire. again. If the government sees someone who I: JACOBIN is non-sectarian, but partisan: liidicated 10 all bo appears to be ready to talk, they will try those strlJqJllng for natlOllalllberatton and socialism, and to turn that person into an informant, a b in perticuler those who hl!Ve tllken the PlIth of IIrmed h . creature of the political police who will strUIJIle .. Send $1 for JACOIIIN REYIEW & CATALIJII. . p ; say anything to stay out of trouble. Prt&:Jners lilt free catalog, free post8lJl and 20~ discount 0 : on all books. p 1;

• THE INSURGENT 19.

Virgin Islands Five

In September of 1972, on the Caribbean is­ the Virgin Islands communi ty bought this lie, land of St. Croix, the Rockefeller-owned due to the "fact that tourism is the main in­ golf course "Fountain Valley" was attacked dustry of the islands and the tourist attrac­ by men in army fatigues bearing automatic tion did dwindle after the killing of well weapons. This assault resulted in the death over 60 people between the years 1971 and · of eight American t ourists who were close 1973. It is quite obvious that it serves friends of the Rockefellers, six othe~ peo­ u.s. businessmen's interests to keep outspok­ ple were said to have been wounded. As a en radicals locked away in mainland prisons result of this attack on the imperialistic as their presence in the islands poses a structure, the island was immediately placed threat to foreign dominance. A conscious under seige by more than 300 FBI agents and slave has always posed a threat to the alave­ u.s. marshals. master's household.

The attack took place on September 6th, and Although the only "crime" they were guilty for the next few days roadblocks were set up of in the ealry 1970s was being conscious of throughout the island. Black occupants were thei~ oppressor, today they are still being dragged from their cars and searched, then used as scapegoats to cover up the ill ef­ taken to the sc~ne of the attack for interro~ fects in Virgin Islands society which are gation. More than 200 Blacks were appre­ really the result of decadent Western influ­ hended for such questioning. The government ence. They are also being used as a deter­ saw this as an opportunity to rid the island rent to other oppressed people who may even­ of some of its dissident opposition. Ismail tually sense the need to resist u.s. colon­ Ali, Warren Aziz Ballentine and Raphael ialization of the homeland . Kwesi Joseph -- three political activists who were already on the local police "most These brothers are in need of legal assist­ wanted" list -- immediately became prime ance and any form of support in coordinating suspects. efforts to form a " defense c'ommittee. For further information, contact Hanif Shabazz Beaumont Hanif Gereau, who ~ad recently re­ Bey, sin B. Gereau, #96544-131, P.O. Box turned from Vietnam with a dishonorable dis­ 1000 Marion, II 62959 or "Brother Al Saladin, charge after having expressed militant and Blisschords Communications Network, P.O. Box separatist views to military officials and 53435, Chicago, IL 60653 who at the time was very active om community organizing in the Virgin Islands, along with Meral Smith, were also added to the list.

All five men were eventually arrested and tortured and forced -- through physical beat­ ings, hangings from trees, plastic bags placed over their heads and then water poured into the bags -- to sign confessions which implicated them in the attack. Eventually the government was able to buy off several people and use them as government witnesses, including a survivor of the attack who iden­ tified one of the brothers as the person who carried a submachine gun during the attack, even though reports said that all the combat­ ants wore masks.

After a very lengthy and unjust trial, in which several requests to have the biased judge removed were denied, they were each sentenced to a period of eight consecutive life terms.

In the fourteen years in which they have been incarcerated, the American corporate businessmen in the "u.s. Virgin Islands" have led the cry of "crucify them," and painted the scenario that this supposed act of five men wa s the sole factor causing the plunge in the iSland economy into near-col­ lapse in the early 70s. A large number of THE INSURGENT 20 Shawangunk p'rbtest

Over 50 prsioners have been on a lock-down choirboys. However, neither are we the stu­ protest since October 4th at New York's pid, unfeeling brutes the Department of Cor­ Shawangunk Correctional Facility's "Close rectional services attempts to portray us Supervision Unit" (CSU). The CSU is a con­ as ... We are men, not beasts, and we will trol unit to which have been designated a not be beaten and driven as such. We demand number of. political prisoners as well as oth­ the right to retain our self-respect. We er prisoners considered "disciplinary prob­ will retain our self-respect." lems" -- in other words, some of the most conscious and militant prisoners in the sys­ Letters protesting the conditions at CSU and tem. CSU prisoners are subjected to video supporting the prisoners should be written and audio (sound) surveillance, less time to: out of their cells then other prisoners, fre­ quent ' searches and continual harassment. Superintendent Louis F. Mann Shawangunk Correctional Facility The prisoners are demanding: the release of Box 750 prisoners Harris and Seelandt- from disciplin­ Walkill, NY 12589 ary segregation. These are two prisoners whose disciplinary write-ups precipitated Thomas Coughlin, Commissioner the lock-down protest . N.Y. State Dept. of Correctional Services -- the removal of Sgt. Rodriguez (a particu­ State Office Building Campus lary assaultive guard) from the facility. Albany, NY 12226 -- no retaliation for those involved in the protest. For further information, contact: -- the immediate dismantling of the CSU. Lawrence Epps The response of the administration has been #77-A-1364 to refuse to begin ,negotiations with prison­ Shawangunk Correctional Facility er representatives until they accept the \'lalkill, NY 12589, £!:. legitimacy of the CSU. They have been hold­ ing disciplinary hearings for all of the pro­ Ken Stephens testers and have placed many in segregation. Prisoners' Legal Services of N.Y. In statements issued to the press, the pro­ 2 Catharine Street testing prisoners have said "We are not Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 , Puerto Rico/Hartford 15 Trial Underway

On Sept. 6, 1988, jury selection began for He has been the only person that tried to 5 of the Puerto Rico Independence 15 - Juan link anyone on trial to the robbery itself. Segarra Palmer, Camacho Negron, Roberto Jose He said he was recruited to drive a car in Maldonad, Carlos Ayes Suare~, and Norman Ra­ a practice run. mirez Talavera. After a month, 6 men and 6 women were selected. There were no Puerto o~ the first day of the trial, another de­ Ricans eligible ~ut of 400 and no one on fendant, ~uz Berrios, entered a gujlty to the jury speaks Spanish. During the voidire a charge of conspiracy. She tolrl the judge every juror was asked how they would feel if she had done nothing wrong, but recognized their country were invaded. Nearly all of that she had violated laws of the United them, including some who were selected, said States. She received the maximum sen­ they would fight to defend their country . tence of five years and is designated to Lexington Federal Prison, where the con­ During the opening statements, each defend­ trol unit used to be houaed before being ant explained how this case concerned the in­ closed. She is in the early months of a dependence of Puerto Rico. All but Camacho pregnancy, and will go to Lexington in Negron said they were Macheteros. The pro­ early December. secutor and the judge disrupted the politi­ cal parts of the opening statements - a les­ All other Hartford 15 defendants are wait­ son for the jury from the beginning. ing for a decision on a government motion to appeal Judge Cleary's suppression of After routine testimony from Wells Fargo tapes made at Filiberto Ojeda Rios' home guards, the prosecution presented an ex-pri­ because the tapes were not sealed immedi­ soner and drug addict ~ Kenneth Cox, who was · ately afteL obtained. befriended by Segarra in 1971. Cox said he was motivated to testify because of his an­ ti-communism and desire for the reward money. THE INSURGENT 21 UPDATES On Black Solidarity Day, November 7, 1988, sent a message to Black peo­ ple from her exile in Cuba. She said that On November I, a bomb rocked the offic e s of Black people should be proud of the unity general Electric in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. they demonstrated recently in the elections . The action was claimed by the Pedr o Albizu "Black people voted for Jackson not as a Campos Revolutionary Fr ont , a clandestine simple gesture of protest ... , but as a soli­ armed organization fighting for independence dified block in support of Black unity, for Puerto 'Rico. Thei r commun i que e xplained Black solidarity and Black political power. that the action was take n to protes t t he ... in the midst of an ever increasing on­ pollution of Puerto Ri co's air and water by slaught of racist hostility . .. Our people U.S. corporations, including G.E. The level have a long and proud history of struggle . .. of pollution in Puerto Rico is e xtremely Our struggle is for power. Our struggle is high because of the concentration the r e of to control our lives so that we can end our pharmaceutical and electronic p l ants , and oppression and build a better world for our­ because the U.S. gov ernment has "rela x ed" selves and for our children. And in the environmental protectio n s tandards t o in­ struggle for liberation our unity must take crease corporate profits . The c ommun ique on new forms .... We need a Black agenda that also condemned the election s and urged Puer­ supports our right to self-determination, to Ricans not to participate in this c olo­ the right to decide for ourselves the form nial exercise. that our liberation will take." She urged an agenda that demands reparation, education and employment, an end to e x ploitation, po­ lice brutality and government repression, the end to control units such as Marion and The Appeals unit of the Immigration and Nat­ Lexington, and the immediat e release of all uralization Service h as just ruled that political prisoners and freedom fighters in­ Irish Republican Army POW Joe Dohert y may side U.S. prisons. "We are an oppressed apply for political a sylum in the U. S . This people and we continue to show our solidari­ appears to be a rever s al of pre vious U.S . ty with other oppressed people, here inside government policy; f ormer Attorney General the U.S. and also around the world. We need Ed Meese personally i ntervened last spring an agenda that calls for an end to U.S.in­ to order that Joe be depo rted to Great Brit­ tervention and imperialism wherever it crops ain. Joe has been h eld at Ne w York' s Metro­ up . " She e nds with a call to pay "homage politan Correctional Center for five years. to those who are locked in prison cells all The government's r e v ersal is due to the mas­ over the world, because theycared to stand sive support that Joe has received from the up for freedom. Let us also pay homage to Irish Republican mo v e ment intern a tionally all those who have struggled and who have and from the progressive community in t he sacrificed for f reedom, but are not longer U.S. with us. It is in their spirit that we will continue to fight and it is with unity that we will win!

Alejandrina Torres was removed from the Lex­ ington Women's Control Unit to the Metro­ politan Correctional Facility in San Di ego. Although this institution does not have programs for long-term prisoners, she was de­ signated there indeterminately. However, she is in general population and reports she is doing well.

After almost a year, anti-imperialist polit­ ical prisoner Judy Clark has been returned to Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in New York. She had been held at t he federal facility at Tucson, Arizona, allegedly be­ cause construction at Bedford Hills created a "security 'problem." Judy's sudden trans­ fer to FCI Tucson came soon after she com­ pleted a two year sentence in disciplinary segregation for conspiracy to escape.

THE INSURGENT 23 WRITE TO THE PRISONERS OF WAR AND POLITICAL PRISONERS:

NATIVE AMERICAN Silvia Baraldini #05125-054 Fr. Carl Kabat #03230-045 PRISONERS OF WAR AND MCC Joe Gump #04468 POLITICAL PRISONERS 150 Park Row FCI Rita Silk Nauni NY, NY 10007 Box 1000 Box 11492 Larry Giddings #10917-086 Sandstone, MN 55072 Mable Basset Cor. Inst. USP Leavenworth Larry Morlan #03788-045 Oklahoma City, OK 73136 P.O. Box 1000 FPC Leavenworth, KS 66048 Leonard Peltier #89637-132 P.O. Box 1000 P.O. Box 1000 Ed Mead #251397 Marion, IL 62959 Leavenworth, KS 66048 P.O. Box 777 Greg Boertje Monroe, WA 98272 Standing Deer (sIn Robert Wilson) Chester Cty. Jail \ #83947 Gilliam Kerley #01988-090 501 S. Wawauset McAlister State Prison FPC Leavenworth, Box 1000 W. Chester, PA 19382 P.o. Box 97 Leavenworth, KS 66048 Katya Komisaruk McAlester, OK 74502 Bill Dunne #10916-086 P.O. Box 19202 Vernon Bellecourt Box 100 Spokane, WA 99219 MCC Marion, IL 62959 Jim Albertini #79564-022 150 Park Row FPC Ohio 7 NY, NY 10007 3600 Guard Rd. Ray Levasseur #10376-016 Lompoc, CA 93436 Barbara Curzi-Laaman #18213-053 NORTH AMERICAN George Ostensen Carol Manning # 10375-016 POLITICAL PRISONERS Oak Hill Carr. Inst. Richard Williams #10377-016 Alan Berkman #233-315 Oregon, WI 53575 Federal Detention Center Tim Blunk # 233-410 P.O. Box 178 Marilyn Buck #233-396 Vancouver 4 Hartford, CT 06101-0178 Linda Evans #233-411 Ann Hansen Susan Rosenberg #233-412 Jaan Laaman #10372-016 Prison for Women Laura Whitehorn #220-858 . P.O. Box 1000 Box 515 . D.C. Detention Facility Leavenworth, KS 66048 Kingston, Ont., Canada K7L 4W7 1901 D Street S.E. Thomas Manning #202873-4B Doug Stewart Washington, D.C .. 20003 CN-861 Kent Prison #84-A-171 Trenton, NJ 08625 P.o. Box 2000 Judy Clark #83-G-313 Plowshares Prisoners Agassiz, BC, Canada VOM 1AO Bedford Hills Corr. Facility Brent Taylor Jean Gump #03789-045 247 Harris Road Milhaven Maximum Institution WFCI, Box A Bedford Hills, NY 10507 Box 280 Alderson, WV 24910 #83-A-6158 Bath, Ont., Canada KOH 1GO P.o. Box B Helen Woodson Dannemora, NY 12929 clo The Greenhouse IRISH POLITICAL PRISONERS 622 Water Street Richard Picariello #05812 Joe Doherty #07792-054 Ashland, WI 54806 Walpole State Prison MCC-9 South S. Walpole, MA 02071 Richard Miller #15249-077 150 Park Row FCI NY, NY 10007 P.O. Box 33 Terre Haute, IN 47808 Literature from the CommiHee to Fight Repression: SentenCing Statements of Resistance Fighters Susan Rosenberg and Tim Blunk $ .25 Build a Revolutionary Resistance Movement- Communiques from the North American Armed Clandestine Movement 1982-1985 2.50 Subscription to THE INSURGENT! 6 issues/year (free to prisoners) 6.00 Foreign subscription 12.00 Ohio 7 Sentencing Statements 2.00 Communique from Los Macheteros on DuPont Plaza Hotel Fire 1.00 Women Political Prisoners 1.00 Shut It Down! Packet on Lexington 1.00

Committee to Fight RepreSSion, P.O. Box 1435, Cathedral Station, New York, NY 10025 ,.

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