Police Attack Protesters in City Council. There is no free speech for African people in Philadelphia!

Police attack Diop Olugbala during demonstration

See video of police attack here.

On Thursday, March 19, 2009, police attacked members of the International People's Democratic Uhuru Movement (InPDUM) in the gallery of the City Council during the City Council session where Mayor Nutter was announcing his 2010 budget. International People's Democratic Uhuru Movement members were holding signs protesting Mayor Nutter’s budget, which cuts essential services for the African population while spending more than one billion dollars a year for police and prisons attacking the black community. Subsequent to the police attack, InPDUM international organizer Diop Olugbala, (aka Wali Rahman), and member Shabaka Mnombatha, (aka Franklin Moses), were brutally arrested and are being charged with aggravated assault on police!

As the meeting started, some of the many InPDUM supporters present were holding up signs saying "Unite Philadelphia through Economic and Social Justice", "Jail Killer Police", "Stop the War on the Black Community", and other demands upholding the rights of the impoverished black community.

The meeting began with a resolution to recognize the unbeaten Frankford Chargers youth football team. The Chargers were wearing black armbands in memory of their teammate, 14 year-old Sharif Lee Jones, who was murdered by Philadelphia police on August 24th 2008.

As the team left the chambers, civil affairs police gathered behind the InPDUM organizers and demanded they immediately sit down and stop protesting. A Civil Affairs officer put Diop Olugbala into a choke-hold. When Diop and the entire audience protested this attack, the police threw Diop and Shabaka down and arrested them.

As a result of the violent attack by the police, at least two elderly people were thrown to the ground by the police, and another member of InPDUM, an elderly African woman, was taken to the hospital with a broken hip.

The International People's Democratic Uhuru Movement calls for an end to police violence and killings, and demands justice through a program for real change:
- Jail the police who murder or abuse African people
- Justice for families harmed or killed by police
- Reparations for the African community – $1.1 billion in genuine economic development
- Community controlled police review board with subpoena power.

Justice for Diop Olugbala and Shabaka Mnombatha!
Economic Development, Not Police Containment and Prisons for the African Community!

InPDUM is calling on people to contact the offices below with the following Demands:

1. Stop the frame up and drop all charges.

Offices to be contacted:

Mayor Nutter’s Office 215-686-3000.

http://uhurunews.com
http://inpdum.org

Come to the Earth Day Fest & Flea open meeting on Wednesday, March 11th at 7pm!

Uhuru Solidarity Movement presents:

Earth Day Fest and Flea Market

in Clark Park

People's Townhall Meeting - Stop the Violence in Philadelphia! - Thurs Feb 26

Thurs • Feb 26 • 7pm Songhai City Cultural Center, 3117-27 Master St, N. Phila ____________________________________________________________ There are TWO realities in Philadelphia... ____________________________________________________________ This is not a post-racial America! The resources, jobs & opportunities are in our white communities, while African people face state-sponsored martial law, poverty & prisons. We reject this racial divide! We support the call for genuine economic development and social justice for the African community as the only path to peace & unity! The Uhuru movement has a program for REAL change to move this city forward in unity! The African working class-led Uhuru Movement is organizing for African community control, reparations & justice. We have a role to play in ending the violence in our city!

The International People's Democratic Uhuru Movement: 215-387-0919 • philly@inpdum.org www.InPDUM.org • www.UhuruNews.com The Uhuru Solidarity Movement: philly@uhurusolidarity.org • www.UhuruSolidarity.org UhuruSolidarityPhilly.blogspot.com Listen to UhuruRadio.com- Sundays 9am-5pm

Free Ajamu Bandele - Targeted & framed by the York city government police for standing up for the rights of the black community!

Uhuru Movement Leader in York, PA

**DEMONSTRATION DATE CHANGED!**
Come to York, PA for a Demonstration at Ajamu’s Pre-Trial Hearing
Tues Feb 17
8:30am At York County Courthouse • 45 N George St York, PA

A call to the white community:
Support the African community’s right to organize
for justice & liberation without government attack!

On Wed, October 29, 2008 Ajamu Bandele, president of the York branch of the International People’s Democratic Uhuru Movement (InPDUM), was arrested by the PA State Police in York and charged with possession of marijuana with conspiracy to distribute. Ajamu’s co-defendant has taken full responsibility for the situation, proving the State has no case against Ajamu.

Ajamu has been targeted by the government because he is a powerful leader of the black community in York. Ajamu led InPDUM’s work to expose the federal “222 Corridor Anti-Gang Initiative” as a blatant attack on African people’s democratic rights. It is part of the U.S. government’s “war on drugs, gangs & crime” which the Uhuru Movement has shown to be nothing but a war on the African community! Ajamu has been snatched away from his community, denied bail & the right to work as the sole provider for his 7 year-old son Quazil.

The Uhuru Solidarity Movement is an organization based in the white community working under the leadership of the African-led Uhuru Movement in solidarity with their struggle for justice and reparations. We see that just as the U.S. is waging war against the people of Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine in order to control their resources, the U.S. government is waging the same war against the black community right here!

The truth is that the U.S. economy is dependent on drugs and prisons; on criminalizing the entire African community and locking up a whole generation of young African people! While Wall Street banks and big corporations like Walmart, Microsoft and Starbucks make the biggest profits from the prison industry, it brings enormous resources, job opportunities, and benefits to the entire white community. This is why we have largely supported anti-black policies like “Stop and Frisk”, “Three Strikes” laws and heavy-handed policing.

Clearly this is NOT a “Post-Racial America”! If we want REAL change, we must stand in solidarity with the movement led by African people for control over their own lives, resources and communities! HANDS OFF THE UHURU MOVEMENT!
Come to York, PA for a Demonstration at Ajamu’s Pre-Trial Hearing • Tues Feb 17 • 8:30am At York County Courthouse • 45 N George St York, PA

Can't make the demonstration?

What YOU Can Do:

Call In Write In Voicing the Uhuru Movement's Demands:

• Demand the detainer is lifted from Ajamu’s bond so that he can return to the community. For Call-in / Write-in info click here
• Demand Ajamu’s immediate release and that all charges be dropped For Call-in / Write-in info (information forthcoming)

InPDUM.org • UhuruSolidarity.org • 215-387-0919

Stop & Frisk is part of Philadelphia's Billion Dollar War against the black community!

The Stop and Frisk Policy put forward by Mayor Michael Nutter is another violent tactic in the unjust war the city of Philadelphia is waging against the African community. It is always impoverished black and Puerto Rican neighborhoods that are targeted for Stop and Frisk, which violates basic democratic rights by allowing the police to treat every person walking down the street as a criminal suspect.

Can you imagine the outcry if they Stopped and Frisked people in Rittenhouse Square or on the Penn campus?

This divisive policy was cynically put forward by then candidate Michael Nutter to show the white community that he would lock up more black people than any other candidate. The reality is that Philadelphia already has the highest rate of imprisonment in the entire country, and the US has the highest rate of imprisonment in the world! Philadelphia also has the highest poverty rate of any major US city. The mass imprisonment of an impoverished population not only does not solve any social problems it create terrible new ones. The African community in THIS city is living under the same military occupation experienced by the Iraqi people! This is a terrible human rights violation that every citizen should be outraged by. We have a responsibility to speak out when the people in power are the ones committing the crimes.

Over 1 billion dollars, an astounding 35 % of the budget of the entire city goes to the police and the system of locking up more and more young black men in prison. The Uhuru Solidarity Movement (USM is an organization based in the white community) unites with the In ternational Peoples Democratic Uhuru Movement’s program for real change. We support the call for an immediate end to the Stop and Frisk Policy and that reparations be paid to the African community which has lived under this policy of police containment.

The African community is calling for the billion dollars to be used for positive economic development in their own hands. That would solve community problems by upgrading housing conditions, making quality health care available, and putting resources into libraries and schools.

The Uhuru Solidarity Movement calls for an end to the anti-African Stop and Frisk and the divisive social policy that which creates jobs, condos, wealthy universities and a prosperous lifestyle for white people at the expense of oppressive conditions of povert y and police terror in the African community.

The only way forward to a united Philadelphia is through justice and reparations to the African community.

Free Ajamu Bandele! Call-in Today

CALL IN ALL DAY during the international Call In Day - Monday, December 1st

Call the Pennsylvania Parole Board demanding they grant Orlando Gibson bond!

Phone (717) 787- 5699 (wait for operator and ask to speak to Board Secretary!)
Fax (717) 787-4666

The time has come to intensify the struggle for the release of our Comrade Ajamu Bandele (Orlando Gibson) - International Outreach Director of the International People's Democratic Uhuru Movement - from the clutches of the York County Prison system and Pennsylvania Parole Board. Comrade Ajamu was arrested by the York County Police Department on Wednesday, October 29th and framed up with charges of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

The InPDUM has been organizing to expose Ajamu's arrest as a set up by the York Police Department, an attack on the African Liberation Movement and an attempt to undermine the very important political work Ajamu was doing in the community!

At the same time, the Pennsylvannia Parole Board has placed a detainer on Ajamu's bond, denying his the ability to return to his family and community as he awaits his preliminary hearing and the trial that may follow it.

Ajamu has a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, December 2nd at the York County Courthouse - at which time York County Magistrate Richard Martin will make a determination as to whether there is enough "evidence" for the case to go to a trial. Should the case go to trial, a determination will also be made by the Pennsylvania Parole Board as to whether the detainer on his bond shall be lifted.

We must act today!

Sign the petition demanding Ajamu be granted bond: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/ajamu/

CALL IN ALL DAY during the international Call In Day - Monday, December 1st.

Call the Pennsylvania Parole Board demanding they grant Orlando Gibson bond!

Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole
Phone: (717) 787-5699 (wait for operator and ask to speak to Board Secretary!)
Fax: (717) 787-4666

York County Probation Dept
Phone: (717) 771-9602 (wait for operator and ask to speak to Board Secretary!)

Call Magistrate Richard Martin demanding that the charges on Orlando Gibson be dropped!
Magistrate Richard Martin: (717) 771-4792

For more information: http://www.inpdum.org/campaigns/ajamu/

"Clean drinking water facility in Sierra Leone needs support": Dr. Michelle Strongfields speaks in Philly

On Friday, November 7th, 2008, Dr. Michelle Strongfields spoke at a benefit for the All African People’s Development and Empowerment Project at the Dhyana Yoga Center in Olde City in Philadelphia, PA. This benefit was co-sponsored by Uhuru Solidarity Movement as a part of a campaign which people can join to build solidarity with AAPDEP. Dr Strongfields, a Cuban-trained African doctor living in West Philadelphia, reported on her recent work building AAPDEP programs in Sierra Leone addressing the epidemic of infant mortality due to unclean drinking water.

AAPDEP is an African-led organization of the Uhuru Movement established to engage in development projects to transform the dire conditions imposed on African communities worldwide by making use of the vast technical expertise of Africans everywhere. Among other current initiatives, AAPDEP is building a rainwater harvesting and community healthcare facility, as well as a community fishing project in Oloshoro, Sierra Leone, and sponsoring a borehole (pressurized well) for irrigation of a 25-acre section of farmland of the Ujamma Youth Farming Project (UYFP) in Gweru, Zimbabwe.

Dr. Strongfields' presentation exposed that while Africa is the most mineral-rich continent on the planet, centuries of brutal assault by Europeans and the U.S. though the slave trade, colonialism and now neo-colonial plunder, has left the vast majority of African people in a state of starvation, without food, clean water, adequate shelter or health care. Unlike charity programs which don't change the cause of the problems, AAPDEP is providing leadership to African people to transform these conditions and to regain power over their lives and resources. AAPDEP’s programs are “from the people, to the people”, hearing the needs of the community, then focusing the resources available to create solutions led by African people themselves.

Dr. Strongfields began her presentation by showing a picture of Baby Alusine, who the AAPDEP team helped get access to the very limited local health care available in Oloshoro. Severely dehydrated, Baby Alusine ultimately was one of the 15 babies who died in the short time Dr. Strongfields was in Sierra Leone. This death was not only a tragedy for Baby Alusine’s parents and his twin sister, but also for African people as a whole, since he represents “the future of Africa and African people”, the next generation of teachers, health care workers and leaders. It is estimated that every year 3.4 million people die as a result of water related diseases. This is the single leading cause of death world wide, the majority being children under five years old.

Dr. Strongfields also described the productive organizing work, which created a leadership structure and committees in meetings involving hundreds of local participants. In brainstorming sessions, the community was able to identify basic needs for creating their own solutions. The people resolved to create a facility to harvest and purify rain water as a reliable source of clean drinking water. This facility will also house a rehydration station for local children suffering from diarrhea due to water contaminated by bacteria and parasites, which is often deadly in Africa. Plans were made to get the construction materials, basic medical equipment and supplies of salt and sugar for the rehydration solution, and recruit health care workers to staff the center.

To make these plans a reality, Dr Strongfields stated, required resources, and the people attending the benefit responded. AAPDEP received enthusiastic financial support from the First Friday crowd. In addition, the Dhyana Yoga studio provided the space for the benefit and set an inspiring example by opening up the resources of health and fitness enjoyed by the white community to benefit African people's struggle for sustainability through self-determination.

The benefit continues with an on line auction of items from African Art to original paintings, jewelry, and gift certificates from local Center City businesses. Bids for these many exciting items are being taken online for the next 2 weeks at the AAPDEP website – www.developmentforafrica.org.

There will also be another event benefiting AAPDEP at Dhyana Yoga – a three hour workshop on Kundalini yoga on Sunday, November 23rd. For more information, contact the Uhuru Solidarity Movement local office at (215) 387-0919

Support African Sustainable Development Programs!

Support African Sustainable Development Programs!

Philadelphia Police getting away with murder!

Philadelphia Police getting away with murder
Police get acquitted and African people’s lives are disregarded
(Written in response to the Philadelphia Inquirer for the article ‘City Police Shootings get Mired in System,’ Sept.3)

We in Uhuru Solidarity Movement would like to thank the Inquirer for keeping in the forefront the facts that District Attorney Lynne Abraham never prosecutes police for murdering African people in Philadelphia, the fraudulent investigations drag out forever, and the officers always end up being acquitted anyway. We unite with the African community’s demands for justice!

In 2006, Philadelphia police killed twenty people in this city, the most since 1980. It was the most people killed by police in the 10 largest cities in the entire country that year. In 2007, six people were shot and killed by the Philadelphia Police Department. Bryan Jones was the first person killed by the police in 2007. Bryan was taking his little cousin home from a New Years Eve Party, when the police shot him in the back of the head.

The D.A.’s office is supposedly still investigating, but not one officer has been prosecuted and Bryan’s family is still grieving the unjustifiable death of Bryan.
The African working class-led Uhuru Movement understands that the D.A. is carrying out the public policy of police containment of the African community. This is obvious in the fact that the D.A. never initiates the prosecution of any police officer. When a prosecution is initiated it is usually initiated by the family of the victim, or from a public demonstration such as those held by the Uhuru Movement.

The police in this city have a long time record for being scandalous and corrupt, such as the unfounded raids in 1985 during Operation Cold Turkey and the notorious Five Squad and the 39th District & 25th District scandals which made it clear it's not a scandal at all but policy from top to bottom to plant drugs, steal money, and frame and imprison innocent African and Latino people. The people locked up by police officers participating in those illegal raids are still in prison today! This Philadelphia Police Department is the same organization responsible for the murder of innocent men, women, and children in the bombing of the MOVE family, and the criminalization of the African community with policies like Stop & Frisk today.

The struggle to end police terror is part of a world-wide movement of the African working class, organizing to take back all their stolen resources, their land, and culture. We understand the public policy of police containment of the African community brings wealth and security to the white community through the drug and prison economies, through gentrification and land-grabs, and it is all at the expense of African people. There is no economic development for African communities in Philly - over half African men are unemployed, and more Africans go to prison from Philly than anywhere in the US!

The Uhuru Movement demands that Lynne Abraham be brought to trial for her disregard of the lives of people like Bryan Jones, Moses DeJesus, Ronald Timbers, Abebe Isaac, Raymond Pelzer and the list goes on. Also, the Uhuru Movement demands that the murderous Philadelphia Police Department be held accountable for these crimes immediately, before another African person is tortured or killed.

written Kristy Schneider
Uhuru Solidarity Movement

VICTORY IN TALLAHASSEE!

The Justice for Javon Dawson Committee
converged on Governor Crist's office at Florida's capitol Wednesday - demanding an independent investigation!
It was anything but business as usual as the Justice for Javon Committee members held a demonstration outside the capitol building this morning, chanting and then speaking before the national media. Then the demonstration went inside to outside Florida Governor, Charlie Crist's office where the campaign insisted on being seen by the Govenor to deliver petitions from the community, demanding an independent investigator immediately replace Bernie McCabe.

The campaign refused to take no for an answer and they were finally seen by Crist's Chief of Staff, Eric J Eickenberg who presented a letter signed by Governor Crist stating that there will be an "independent investigation" done by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Diop Olugbala is the chair of political action for the Justice for Javon Campaign and the InPDUM International organizer who put Javon's case on the national stage just last week when he asked Barack Obama - "What about the Black community?" and what about Javon Dawson?

Diop said of the action yesterday, "We view it as a victory! But the struggle is not over because although Crist appointed an independent investigation, it remains to be seen just how 'independent' it will be. So at this point the struggle is to make sure the African working-class has influence and control over how this investigation looks."

Click on the below links to see live coverage of the demonstration, hear powerful statements by Javon's stepmother and read other coverage of today's victory! See pictures below of the demonstration and resulting
letter from Gov. Crist.

We want to thank all of those who participated in this call-in, write-in, email and fax campaign. InPDUM has led a brilliant campaign, an organized strategy to win. In the Uhuru Solidarity Movement it is so important for us to be out there talking to other people in our communities and influencing public opinion!
http://www.baynews9.com/VideoPlayer/?Dawson_Support_813

http://www.tampabay.com/

http://suncoastpinellas.tbo.com/content/2008/aug/13/uhuru-group-takes-dawson-protest-tallahassee/

http://tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080813/BREAKINGNEWS/80813013

"Obama's 'post-racial America' is very far from reality"
*NEW* blog posting from Penny Hess, Chair, African People's Solidarity Committee
Featuring: "Obama Facts" and "Two Americas - Conditions in the African Community"

"What about the Black community, Obama?"
Community Forum
Thursday, August 21st, 7:30 pm
Uhuru Solidarity Center, 3733 Lancaster Ave, W. Phila
You saw the Uhuru Movement challenge Obama with "What about the Black
community?" - the question heard around the world.  Now talk to Diop Olugbala in person!

Speaking one night only in Philadelphia, Diop Olugbala,
International Organizer for the International People's Democratic Uhuru
Movement!

Click on picture below to view video of Diop Olugbala, international organizer for the Uhuru Movement, challenge Obama at a rally in St Petersburg, Florida on August 1:

• JOINUhuru Solidarity Movement, $25 is all that's required to become a card-carrying member of this activist organization. Be part of changing the world through liberation of African people worldwide!


• DONATE!This work requires resources. Can you give? Donating is an important statement of support and solidarity!

If you have any questions, call Harris, outreach coordinator at 857-233-7508.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

InPDUM Annual Convention - "What about the Black community, Obama?"Saturday and Sunday,

September 27th and 28th



Workshops * Presentations

• Police Aggression

• World Tribunal For Reparations To African People

• The Economic Attack On The African Community

• African Men in The Prison System

• Community Self-Defense

• The Ballot or The Bullet

• State Terror in All Its Forms

• The Attack On African School Children



Visit www.InPDUM.org today for more information and to register!

 Uhuru Solidarity Movement • 215-387-0919 • philly_office@apscuhuru.org

UhuruSolidarity.org  •   UhuruNews.com