Black Panther rally : Oakland

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The first speaker today is going to be Sister Angela Davis. A lot of people like to call her Professor but we like to call her sister. Cause. We like her politics much more than her profession. Today, we're going to deal with issues. Issues designed to make, the moratorium on the so-called peace movement relevant to black people. Like we know that we've been the undefeated champions of marching and demonstrating for the last 10 years. But some I know that when you get 30000 people in the streets and

only three or four of them are black then you know that a movement. A very real movement that is relevant has somehow avoided making itself relevant to black people. So today we want to lay down some ideas to try to solve some of those ills. I think that one of the most qualified speakers to deal with that will be Sister Angela Davis. [applause] Yeah I just like to say that I like being called Sister much more than professor and I have continually said that if my job of keeping my job means that I have to make any compromises in the liberation struggle in this country then I'll gladly leave my job. This is my position. There's been a lot of debate. In the love sector of the

anti-war movement as to what the orientation of that movement should be. I think there are two main issues at hand. One group of people feels that the movement the anti-war movement ought to be a single issue movement the cessation of the war in Vietnam. They do not want to relate it to the other kinds and forms of repression that are taking place here in this country. There is another group of people who say that we have to make those connections. We have to talk about what's happening in Vietnam as being a symptom of something that's happening all over the world of something that's happening in this country. And in order for the anti-war movement to be effective it has to link up with the struggle for black and brown liberation in this country with the struggle of exploited white workers. Now I think we should ask ourselves why that

first group of people want the anti-war movement to be a single issue movement. Somehow they feel that it's necessary to tone down the political content of that movement in order to attract as many people as possible. They think that mere numbers will be enough in order to effect this government's policy. But I think we have to talk about the political content we have to talk about the necessity to raise the level of consciousness of the people who are involved in that movement. And if you analyze the war in Vietnam. First of all it ought to become obvious. That. If. The United States government pulled its troops out of Vietnam but that repression would have to crop up somewhere else. And in fact we're saying that as, as this country is being defeated in Vietnam.

More and more acts of oppression are occurring here on the domestic scene. And I just like to point to the most dramatic one in the last couple of weeks which is the chaining and gagging of Chairman Bobby Seale and is sentenced to four years for contempt of court. I think that demonstrates that if the linkup is not made between what's happening in Vietnam and what's happening here we may very well face a period of full blown fascism very soon. Now I think there's something perhaps more profound that we are to point to. This whole economy in this country is a war economy. It's based on the fact that more and more and more weapons are being produced. What happens if the war in Vietnam ceases how is the economy going to stand unless another Vietnam is created.

And who is to determine where that Vietnam is going to be. It can be abroad it can be right here at home. And I think it's becoming evident that that Vietnam is entering the streets of this country it's becoming evident in all the brutal forms of repression which we can see every day of our lives here. And this reminds me. Because I think this is very relevant to what's happening in Vietnam that is the military situation in this country. I saw on television last week that the head of the National Guard in California decided that from now on their military activities are going to be concentrated in three main areas. Now what are these areas? First of all he says disruption in minority communities. Then he says disruption on the campus. Then he says disruption in industrial areas. I think it points to the fact that there are going to begin

to use that whole military apparatus in order to put down the resistance in the black and brown community, on the campuses, in the working class communities. I think that they are really preparing for this now. It's evident that the terror is becoming not just isolated instances of police brutality here and there but the terror is becoming an everyday instrument of the institutions of this country. Chief of the National Guard said that out right. It's happening in the courts there is terror in the courts. That judge who's name is Hoffman proved that he is going to take on the terror in the society and bring it into the courts. That he is going to use what

is supposed to be a court of law, justice, equality whatever you want to call it in order to mete out all of these you know fascist acts of repression. Now something else that's been happening in the courts and I think this is an incident that we are all ought to be aware of because it's another instance of terror entering into the courts. Down in San Jose not too long ago a young Chicano was on trial. And I'd like to read a quote. From the transcript. A quote by judge I think his name is Shargain. He's a fascist. He said Mexican people after 13 years of age it's perfectly alright to go out and act like an animal. Maybe Hitler was right. The animals in our society probably ought to be destroyed. Because they have no right to live among human beings. You

are lower than animals and haven't the right to exist in an organized society. Just miserable lousy rotten people. This is a direct quote from the transcript that's happened within the walls of the court room. How can we fail to see that there is an intricate connection between that type of thing between what happened to Bobby Seale between the unwarranted imprisonment of Huey Newton and what's happening in Vietnam. We are facing a common enemy and that enemy is Yankee imperialism which is killing us both here and abroad. Now I think anyone who would try to separate those struggles anyone who would say that in order to consolidate an anti-war movement we have to leave all of these other outlying issues out of the picture. It's playing right into the hands of the

enemy. I mean it's an old saying I think it's been demonstrated over and over that it's correct. That once the people are divided the enemy will be victorious. We will face the fear. And I think the attempt to isolate what's happening on the domestic scene from the war in Vietnam is playing right into the hands of the enemy giving him the chance to be victorious. I think that's a much more concrete problem. If you talk about the anti-war movement as a separate movement what happens what happens if suddenly the troops are pulled out of Vietnam. What happens if Nixon suddenly says we're going to bring all of the boys home. The people of the thousands or millions of people who had been involved in that movement would feel as if they had been victorious. I think perhaps a

number of them would think that they could return home. And relish in their victory and say that we have won. Completely ignoring the fact that Huey Newton is still in jail that Erica Huggins and all the other sisters and brothers in Connecticut are still in jail. This is what we are faced with if we cannot make that connection between the international scene and the domestic scene. And I don't think there's any question about it. We can't talk about protesting the genocide of the Vietnamese people without at the same time doing something to stop the genocide that is, that liberation fighters in this country are being subjected to. Now I think we can draw a parallel between what's happening right now and what's that what happened during the 1950s. As the United States

government was being defeated in the Korean War. More and more repression did occur on the domestic scene. The McCarthy Witch Hunts started. This is the Communist Party was the main target of that. I think we have to ask ourselves why that period served to completely stifle revolutionary activity in this country. People were scared they ran away. They lost their families they lost their homes. They did not resist, this is the problem, they did not resist. Right now the Black Panther Party is the main target of the repression thats coming down in this society and the Black Panther Party is resisting. And we all ought to talk about standing up every resisting the suppression. Resisting the onslaught of fascism in this country. Otherwise the

movement is going to be doomed to failure. I think we can say that if the anti-war movement defends only itself and does not defend liberation fighters in this country then that movement is going to be doomed to failure just as we can say also if we in the Black Liberation Movement and the liberation movement for our people all oppressed and exploited people in this country defend only ourselves then we too will be doomed to failure. Within the whole liberation struggle in this country the black liberation struggle and and the brown liberation struggle. There has continually been the sentiment against the American imperialist aggressive policies throughout this world. Because we have been forced to see that the enemy is American imperialism. And although we

feel it here at home it's being felt perhaps much more brutal in Vietnam. It's being felt in Latin America it's being felt in Africa. We have to make these connections. I think that the anti-war movement has to see that unless it makes that connection it's going to become irrelevant. And what we have to talk about now is a united force which sees the liberation of the Vietnamese people as intricately linked up with the liberation of black and brown and exploited white people in the society. And only this kind of a united front only this kind of a united force can be victorious. Now I think there's something else that we ought to consider when we try to analyze what has happened in the anti-war movement. And the anti-war movement hasn't just depended on numbers it hasn't just depended upon

attracting more and more people into the movement regardless of their political orientation. If we remember the debate a long time ago was whether the anti-war movement or the peace movement then should talk about demanding the cessation of bombing in Vietnam or whether it should talk about withdrawing troops. I think now it's very obvious. That you have to talk about withdrawing all American troops from Vietnam. This has occurred only through the process of trying to raise the level of political consciousness of the people who are in that movement. Right now. What we have to talk about is not just withdrawing American troops but also recognizing the South Vietnamese provisional revolutionary government. Now. I think we have to go a step further. This is what's happening

Inside the anti-war movement. We have to take it further and we have to say that if they if we demand the immediate withdrawal of American troops in Vietnam if we demand the recognition of the South Vietnamese provisional revolutionary government then we also have to demand the release of all political prisoners in this country here. This is what we have to demand. And I think that the liberation struggle here shed some light of light on what's happening in Vietnam. It shows us that we can't just push for peace in Vietnam. But we have to talk about also recognizing a revolutionary government. There was a kind of a peace That was obtained right here in this country in a court room. That was the peace which judge Hoffman forced on

Chairman Bobby Seale by coercion by gagging him and bow and binding him to his chair. This is not the kind of peace that we want to talk about in Vietnam, the peace in which you have a puppet regime. Representing the interests of this country in which you have other means of establishing the power of this government in Vietnam. I think on a much more personal level there are some parallels that we can draw. Some very profound parallels I think. And we have to say that Bobby Seale's mother who learned that he had been chained and gagged and that he had been sentenced to four years for contempt of court is no less grieved than an American woman who finds out that her son has been captured in Vietnam. I think we have to say that. That

Erica Huggins and Yconne Carter were no less grieved when they found that their husbands Bunchy and John had fallen in the struggle for black liberation Than an American wife would feel about her husband there. But. There is a different political consciousness involved and this is what we have to show the American people today. We have to show the American people that their sons and their husbands are being victimized by American imperialism they are being forced to go and fight a dirty war in Vietnam. They are victims too and they have to be shown that their true loyalties ought to be with us in the liberation struggle here and with the Vietnamese people and their liberation struggle there. Now. Bobby Seale once made a statement at a peace conference in

Montreal. That the front line of the battle against racism was in Vietnam. I think we have to ask ourselves what this means because a lot of people may have thought that what this means is that we can depend on the Vietnamese to win our battle here. This is not what he was saying he was pointing to that inherent connectiong between what's happening there and what's happening here. And I think we can say and I'm talking from personal experience I was in Cuba this summer and I met with some representatives of the South Vietnamese provisional revolutionary government and they told us. That we were we were, we revolutionaries in this country were their most important ally and not just because we take signs and march in front of the White House saying. US government get out of Vietnam

because rather because we are actively involved in struggling to satisfy our the needs of our people in this country and in this way as they point out we are able to internally destroy that monster which is oppressing people all over the country. I have to admit that I felt a little bit inadequate about that because what he's saying what the representative of the South Vietnamese provisional revolutionary government will say is that we are to escalate our struggle in this country. We are to talk about making more and more demands for the liberation of our people here. And this is going to be what they will depend on this is going to help them in their liberation struggle. Now. I think. That. We are

talking in the context of this upcoming march here and in Washington. About the necessity to make Simultaneous demands and those demands are to be immediate withdrawal of US troops from Vietnam there ought to be victory for the Vietnamese. There ought to be also recognition of the revolutionary government in South Vietnam. And I think this is perhaps most important we are to demand the release of political prisoners in this country. Just one last thing. You know Nixon made a speech on November 3rd I think it was and he said something that we ought to take heed of. We ought to understand. He said. Let us understand that the Vietnamese cannot

defeat or humiliate the US government. Only Americans can do that. I feel that it is our responsibility to fight on all fronts. To fight on all fronts simultaneously to defeat and to humiliate the U.S. government and all the fascist tactics by which it is repressing liberation fighters in this country. Thank you very much. Right on the test. That's the way to get a message across. Is Terence Hallinan here also known as KO Hallinan. Terence Hallinan

is one of the Co-chairmen of Western Region mobilisation. Terence understands The problems here. Terence was a lawyer for young brother Wayne Green who was tried on the very obvious trumped up charge. You have to try to beat it. He says he's been active. In the struggle here. He's been trying to make some active support for the struggle of the Vietnamese people. We understand a terrorist is only one man and there's a lot of people actively involved in the various factions and segments of the peace movement. They have a long ways to go. Especially as their eyesight is very faulty. But they can see things 10000 miles away. We believe that it's very difficult to get to Vietnam without passing through

Harlem or East Oakland or Fillmore. You can't overlook. one to see the other 10000 miles away. Terrence is one of the few people that we know when the mobilization with the correct eyesight. By and large. Its going to be up to black people in the black communities to make people understand. That our problem is not separate from the Vietnamese problem. But I think I'll let Terrence give us his perspective on it. Thank you Mr. I guess I don't have to feel guilty about taking credit from my father's defense of Wayne Green. Wright was another member of the family. Well I'd like to talk a little bit with you about the point that Masai made about whose responsibility it is in fact to make sure this demonstration is a demonstration that's relevant to back people. Now

I can remember. A long time ago when the civil rights movement was a very popular thing around this bay area and around the country and people were sitting and people were picking. People were protesting and everything. And the court came up then for a compensatory solution to the problems, compensatory hiring compensatory housing and compensatory other programs. A lot of people myself included made the point that this nation has a 200 year debt to black people and it's a debt that we're not going to make up by on paper treating them equal but only when we take extra steps and begin to find some sort of compensatory way to make up for the hell that we've visited black people with for 200 years in this nation. Well. Question We have a lot of differences among the movement about this a lot of the liberals were saying well that's just reverse discrimination no it has to be equal and even all the way

around the debate continued for some time then it died down as people turned off into other issues. Well it seems to me finally that in relationship to Vietnam we have finally achieved that compensatory progress I don't know if it's in fact I know it's not the same one we were seeking but it's a compensatory thing nonetheless there's 40000 Americans dead now in Vietnam. Ten thousand of those are black people. Now that's a compensatory measure. That's not quite as compensatory as the number of black people on death row. But I think it shows a little bit about what this society thinks about the value of a black person's life. Likewise it's not just on the death. What is happening as a result of that war, prices are going up. There's inflation the value of money is going down. And who does that hit the worst of course it hits the poor and who are the poor. Again we have black people with a

compensatory proportion of the poor people without any doubt. You have. Nixon trying to build up unemployment in order to fight the inflation and in order to pay for the cost of the war in Vietnam I don't have to tell you of course who is the first one fired justas who is the last one fired and who in fact it is that's paying for that. We have the domestic the facts of the war in Vietnam coming home and don't kid yourself you can't fight it off. 5000 miles away without fighting an armed war at home that just can't be done particularly when it's the most unpopular war in this nation's history and repression is coming home it's coming home to roost. And don't forget who the president of the United States is. That he's the man who rose to fame on red baiting and repression in an earlier period in his speech the other night made it clear that's exactly what he's got in mind for the American people that he wants to continue that war by claiming that he's not getting out

until the South Vietnamese can handle it after all that's why we got in in the first place. And at the same time by maintaining peace and tranquility and support for the war here at home through repression I don't have to tell you who's getting repressed people are getting repressed all over this country. But certainly the black people are right out there in the front of it one has only to look at the roster of the Black Panther Party leadership a year ago to understand what repression is or to compare the way Bobby Seale oh I don't believe all the stuff about how Bobby Seale was disrupting that courtroom and was making the trial impossible or he was attempting to do was to assert the rights that every defendant in America is supposed to have to have a lawyer of his choice. And if they would let him have. Charlie Carey bent to defend himself so as not to surrender his appeal a point he was objecting but he was objecting only where it's proper and in federal courts if you don't object then you waive that objection so he was doing everything right. But look at the way he was treated

compared even to the way the other defendants are treated. Not to say that they're not victims of this same thing and I think that speaks quite as to who the repression is aimed at first and above all of who its out to get. And we shouldn't kid ourselves about that and you first of all should not kid yourselves about it. And don't forget because don't forget. First of all we're fighting a racist war. We're fighting a war against colored people in Southeast Asia. And that racism overseas just like that repression overseas is going to come home and it's coming home right now and there's no doubt about that thing. And why I am saying in these is I want to point out to you brothers and sisters that no one and I mean no one in this nation has a greater interest in ending that war in Vietnam and ending it now than black people do. And there's no doubt about that. But I want to also brothers and sisters be a little bit critical of you and I'm sorry I have to do this but time is sure short. This demonstration is coming up in very rapid order. And I think.

That your organization and the black community as a whole has made a serious mistake in this demonstration and in organizing and building for it and what that mistake is is that you have relied on the white people to make this demonstration relevant to your community. And that's not going to work. Now it may be I agree. People in the peace movement are a little more advanced and a little more progressive than the population at all at large. Maybe only four fifths of them are racist instead of nine tenths of them. But don't forget that this is a demonstration that right now is in the hands of white people. That is being directed and guided by white people and that is where the mistake has come about. Now. You know that there's been a big dispute and I'm I'm sure that Masai I can tell you all about it. There's been quite a dispute in the organization of this demonstration while that dispute contrary to a lot of what you've heard is not a sectarian dispute it's not a organizational dispute it's a political dispute and it's a dispute over political

questions and those questions are first and foremost a dispute over the relevancy of a united front policy because that is what the fight in the organization of this demonstration has been about. And that takes a couple of forms. One is the single issue versus the multi issue approach to this demonstration. Now I don't know how many of you are even aware that one of the demands of this demonstration coming out of the Cleveland conference and carried on at least all of our material is stop the repression free all political prisoners. That is the demand of the march to free all political prisoners. But how much have you heard about it. How much have you heard that point discussed how much have you heard people take the platform and demand the political prisoners be freed and spell out exactly what that is. There's another point at which we have some disagreement and that's another point involving the United Front and that is to say whether we are going to work together and try to get some unity among this

unity among those who are against the war who are against the repression who are against the racism that's coming down in our country now whether the radicals are going to work with the liberals and whether we're all going to come together and a massive really massive demonstration and rally out there in the programs. And believe me believe me that if any of you don't think it's an important thing that a United States senator or congressman or a politically influential people participate in this rally and in this demonstration then I would ask you to think. About where Bobby Seale is right now and what plans certain people have in mind for him you know he's the first defendant I've ever known that's been sentenced to four years before he was even convicted. And there's a lot of people in this country who want to do Bobby Seale in, who want to put him away for the rest of his life or kill him if they can get away with it. And the kind of rally the kind of demonstration that has held there in the Polo Grounds and along Carey

Street and which David Hilliard is going to speak at which other people are going to speak is going to be a very significant thing and determining what type of support by Bobby Seale and the Black Panther Party has. Don't kid yourself about that. There's no doubt about that. And Justin closing I would like to reiterate. The point that I made once again that the mistake in the organization of this demonstration and I would be the first to admit that as this demonstration has developed it is not a real Multi issue demonstration. It is not related to when it's not relevant in the black community and there's no doubt about that. But I must say first of all and foremost it's your responsibility to make sure that this is a relevant demonstration. And I think we should begin right now to make plans to make sure that the Black Panthers and the black people have by far the largest and the most powerful in the almost overwhelming contingent in that march that you meet a Kimber park at 9

o'clock with their banners and with their marching order and you go out and you join this parade and you make your presence felt that you make everyone aware of the fact that this is not just a struggle in Vietnam but there's a struggle right here in America as well and I would suggest that you begin right now to organize yourselves to plan how you can be in really massive forces out there in the Polo Grounds as well as in that march and that you can make those Polo Grounds reverberate with the crying stop the trial free Bobby Free Huey power to the people. Thank you. You know we definitely should give. You your hand. Because it almost seems that it's just. Some people. In the so-called peace movement. Who want to make the struggle this. Already started in this country. Really a struggle. I think what Hallidan was saying. Is very correct.

We know who suffers the most in this struggle. We know that. The black the brown the red and yellow. Make up the majority. Of our infantry troops. Class or cost the troops. We're very much against the war in Vietnam. We know how to stop that yet and we know how to bring the troops home. But we've got to make our feelings known. To all the people. And we're not talking about end repression for your political prisoners without name and. We're talking about Huey Newton we're talking Bobby Seale you talk about hundreds of pastors. We talk about. Revolutionists down in Texas who got 30 years for two joints. We talk about Johnson Clare the minister of information for the white panther party. Got a similar sentence 30 years back for 2 joints us now to try to time because some mysterious bombs went off in a CIA office in

that town. We're talking about a conspiracy we're talking about dropping the charges on those un-American pinkos those subversive ones those same people like Dave Dillinger or Rennie Davis that the Government sent to Hanoi to bring back American prisoners. Oh say un-American subversives that have been the only ones to show the Vietnamese government that there's somebody here other than black people that want peace. When we move. We said it we wanted Wendy Davis and Dave Dillinger returned to Hanoi the exchange of prisoners. The fascist pig Hoffman. Imposed an international gag then. He said later for Rennie Davis and Dave Dillinger they don't try them in my court I'll bust them like I busted the birthday cake. We made a motion to be allowed to return to Hanoi will be met by August Cleaver minister of information. I know the Eldridge is supervision. Make sure that what we want people know

military purposes later for there is going to be for some revolutionary solidarity between black people in this country in the Vietnamese people who suffer from the same enemy. The judge denied the motion. Between Rennie Davis and Tom Hayden and a few other people. The only other prisoners that have been released have been released just on the goodwill of the NLF and the provisional revolutionary government. So since the government says no they're not going anywhere we have much trial for causing the pigs to riot over in Chicago. We say we want the peace movement. To select one of two representatives. To go to Hanoi in place of Dave Dillinger and Rennie Davis. And that these representatives be met there by August cleaver. And sent the president the president can pick and free our political prisoners and talk about the brothers in La Sienta

Talk about the brothers in Naperville been sitting in jail. Now 10 years on trumped up charges narcotics bust disturbing the peace bust. Talk about the brothers just got indicted down at college in North Carolina for that shootout down in the last two days. The brothers are still in jail. Behind the first armed shoot out between the National Guard the people that took place on a Texas campus. We talk about freeing all political prisoners in a very meaningful way. That's all. It's not separate from those who believe in God. And Apple pie. And America. Because if they believe that there's a whole lot of people in prison. Who are prisoners of war prisoners of an unjust and fascist war. And these people are languishing in jails all over Vietnam. But the American government doesn't give about its soldiers its pilots its black people or peace. So it's

going to be up to all the people white and black to make it known that this is what we demand. But if you're for American apple pie then fly a flag in eat your pie and try to get your prisoners free and keep your goddamn troops out of Vietnam keep the troops out of the black community. If you really want peace you gonna have to release the political prisoners. Address address yourself meaningfully to the just demands of the black people in the black community. There's no other road to peace. There's no such thing as a single issue road to peace. There's no such thing as a nonviolent road to peace because we say that for peace to be to be a just peace that the ruling class in America owes the Vietnamese people a blood debt for the lies they have taken. And we said Rockefeller Nixon Humphrey Johnson put him up against a wall and blow em away. We think that Batista should be handed over to Castro.

We want to buy Chiang Kai-Shek a one way ticket to the mainland. we see that there's blood debt's to be paid. We're not about to forget in point of any humanitarian bullshit. We want black people. Make their feelings known. Do black people want their political prisoners free? Do you want em free? Be you want Huey Newton free? Do you want Bobby free? Do you want your political prisoners free? What about political prisoners in the Mother Country. What about the conspiracy 8. Do you want them free? We want freedom for all political prisoners and when we see pictures of Vietnamese tied up. Blindfolded and gagged because they're suspected of being Vietcong we know just what's happening. We know just what's happening. We know that the pig jacks you up, tells you you ain't got no I.D.

driver's license expired. You fit the description of a cat who burglarized a candy store six months ago. And away you go. You suspected of being a criminal. Just like the Vietnamese people and the reason is because we both demand the right for self-determination. We want these fascist pigs out our community. We want control of institutions in our community. We know that it's our constitutional right and our moral right to defend ourselves against armed attack by fascist pigs. This is our crime and this is a crime of the Vietnamese people. And we know that the relationship between black people and the Vietnamese people is much stronger than the relationship between the so-called peaceniks. We don't tell people 100 percent for America. They want an end to this war like the wives or the pilots. Who had a Steve Canyon attitude. John Wayne attitude about the husband til he was shot down. Now they want an

end to the war. Now they want their husband's back. I think it's very cold blooded to the Vietnamese don't cut them loose and set them on home. Course it had nothing to do with people dropping thousand pound bombs on Vietnamese villages from 10000 feet and swearing that they only kill communists that they only attack military targets. But we can stand with those women and we'll stay right with them. Right on. We want them prisoners of war home. Keep our minds out of other people's country not other people's business. And in exchange we want the same rights. Freedom. The right to go about their business to meet the basic needs and desires of the people for our political prisoners in this country and especially Huey Newton and Bobby Seale. It's a waste of time talking about the Constitution because the Constitution is irrelevant to black people and is too stupid to be used as toilet paper. The Constitution is useless they told us in 1857. Chief Judge Taney chief counsel the Supreme Court said.

Plaintiff is nigger. That black people ain't got no rights that white people have been respected we don't write this paper for him anyway. He's only 3/5th human and the other 2/5th is shadow property like furniture. It's like an ashtray or a statue. So don't come in here talking about your constitutional rights. Thousand eight hundred fifty seven. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Now in 1959 and we see that Chairman Bobby Seale. Shackled. Gagged. And brutalized. By a bunch of niggas who specialized in PE majors and agriculture majors and ended up federal marshals. Black people know about the chains. We didn't forget the chains. And the chain to become handcuffs and they modified them an updated number now to get thumb cuffs. We didn't forget about em we know about em. We know that the Constitution has never been relevant for us. Anybody thinks is relevant or likes it right on. We know that the Bill of Rights.

Was copied by the Vietnamese government. When I say government I'm not talking about them bootlickers in South Vietnam. I'm talking about brothers who follow Ho Chi Minh all them years running out the French. And now running out beating the shit out Americans. We know that that same Bill of Rights was copied by the Vietnamese and it's been copied by people around the world. And it says that whenever government perpetrated a long train of abuses on a people then it's a people's right to put that government in a toilet and flush it away. We got historic proof. From 1857 and before that from 1642 up until 1959 that the courts in the Constitution are bunch of bullshit. Not meant for us. To use other means.

And that guns don't negate demonstrating. The two go hand in hand. Especially if we're attacked. We're going to turn out on the field and mass. And make our perspective known on this. Our perspective is the nearest thing to the Vietnamese perspective. Nobody in this world wants peace more than black people in this country and the Vietnamese. And aid for humanitarian reasons. And it aint because inflation because wasnt no jobs for us first before. Welfare cuts was already on the make. It make no difference. Inflation has. So small effect on it so to cut a few poverty programs and a few more of us have to go back to school. That's all. We know the very direct reasons the land grant the housing education the clothing the justice. And the peace. Are very relevant issues to black people and appeared to me. And we're going to make our stand on these known. In addition we're going to get a peace movement something to do.

Then on the 15th we're not going allow people to go home sit down and vacation to the next fall offensive while black people have fascist pigs running amok in their communities for the rest of the year for the next 10 months. We want the peace movement. Take up a stand against everything Nixon does. Nixon is getting ready to have a meeting with bootlicker Saito prime minister of Japan. We want the peace movement. To take a stand against this. Take an active stand, to have demonstrations. Simultaneous coordinated demonstrations with the students in Japan. To block this because Japan is a stepping stone to start wars in Asia. Wars that are already going on. Laos Cambodia Thailand and Vietnam can be stepped up. But they have to use Japan so they're going to get security pact going with Japan to keep Japan from being subverted by countries that Japan has been aggressive against for the last hundred years. We're against it. We want the Communist Party USA to contact the Communist Party Japan and say look

here. On the day we had that meeting we go bring the walls down we can make the sky fall on em. We gonna show em we very much against this bullshit. We know that the Japanese dudes don't be jiving when they hit the streets they bring their helmets and their long sticks. AND SHIELDS. And they're very much against it. They don't like their country being used as a stepping stone for aggression. And we know that's Nixon's next move we sah that the peace movement if they really want peace they should move on it. That all fraternal organizations the new mode, bay pack all the mobilization organization should get into this and every time Nixon moves we should come down on his ass like white on rice. As old folks used to say. And tell him it ain't no moves to make no more wars that we're going to just sit back and endorse with silence. If the mother country the white people in the Mother Country endorse that then they've also endorsed the oppression and murder and brutality that goes on in the black community.

So on the 15th we'll make our demands known. And we'll make them known. In a way of fraterinity and brotherhood but with some solid criticism because we know that racism is very rampant and very real in this country. Charles Gary right on. I think that Gary just he's been he's had a couple meetings with Bobby recently. May be able to give you some very real concrete reasons. Why we say let's be in the streets on the 15th. Power to the people. I saw Bobbie. Yesterday afternoon. And he. Translated A. Message to give you. You want to hear it.

I won't be doing it justice because there's only one Bobby Seale and there's only one Bobby Seale who can express himself in the manner that he does. But I will try to give you a poor paraphrasing. He said many other things but the the message that he particularly wanted to get over to you. I just left the San Francisco State College where he gave a message there which is similar to the one that I'm going to relate to you. By the way interest at the San Francisco State College at the rally that they were having I am told us the largest that had since the strike last year. Bobby says that it's very very important. That the people rally. Around the moratorum demonstrations on Saturday November the 15th. It's important that the entire community.

When I said a community I'm talking about the entire community of the United States. Rally and express themselves on the question a moreatorum. And stop this horrible holocaust that's going on some 10000 miles from here. And the destruction of the Vietnam people. But he said that that's not sufficient. If it's just going to stop there and it's not going to incorporate. What's happening here in the United States. Then the people who are supporting the peace movement and Viet Nam. Are only paying lip service to fighting imperialism. He points out that you have to fight not only imperialism abroad. But you have to fight imperialism here in the United States. To wit in the ghettos the black ghettos the brown ghettos the yellow ghettos in the red ghettos. And he

translates imperialism to mean local fascism or the police state. He translates fascism into the. Most diabolical form of police action against a particular segment of the community. The hunger of the community. The lack of employment in the community lack of proper medical attention lack of proper housing and clothing. And lack of freedom to be able to move around without some police officer stopping you and harassing you or shooting your in the back when he thinks you've committed a crime and executing your right on the spot without even the benefit of a trial or without even the benefit of even being gagged in the courtroom. Now this is the message that Bobby wants translate to you. And. To pass on to you to think about. I want to talk to you a little bit about. The facts of what happened in Chicago.

In relationship to the Chicago 8. And what happened to Bobby Seale particularly And what we intend to do about it. In April of 1969 I was designated by the entire Chicago 8 to be the lead counsel or the trial counsel the chief counsel and the defense of that conspiracy trial. As you all know it's a case of first impression. It's a case where the Nixon administration. Is using its. Testing powers and its great powers of its. Governmental office. To be able to stifle and chill the right to express yourself. They were prosecuted as. But the intent. That these defendants crossed a state line

but the intent to go and. Disrupt. The 1968 Democratic convention. As if anybody could have disrupted that convention that was not already disrupted before anybody even thought about it. That was a crime. And in addition to the opposition and the. Exposition of the war in Vietnam Bobby Seale was also representing a party. That was talking about the war in the ghettos. The war of exposing the hunger. And the deprivation that I don't have to spell out. And the conduct of the police in the ghetto. Shooting men and women. Without even the benefit of a trial in the ghetto or when they even step out of the ghetto as the young man did when he went to the bank in San Francisco. And who was shot to death. Was

shot in the back. Up came the Chicago eight. For their motion. After the judge denied each and every motion that we had made for dismissal of the case and the fact that the evidence was obtained through wiretapping which illegal and that the law was unconstitutional that the law itself was intended to stifle and chill. The expression of freedom of speech under the First Amendment and you name it we did it. Outstanding lawyers prepared these pretrial motions. And the judge denied each and every one of them. And we finally came to the motion of the continuance. We thought at least. Out of some 15 motion we might have the courtesy of winning one. Which only meant continuing the case for six weeks. In spite of the fact that the judge during the period of time that this. Chicago 8 trial was set for had

upset other cases. It was denied under the pretense. And I say pretense because we intend to say this to the appellate court and to the United States Supreme Court. That's necessary. Since Bobby had gone to Chicago and he was without counsel Bill Kunstler representing three of the other defendants file an appearance for Bobby as his attorney for the simple reason. So Bobby would have some contact between these seven other defendants and Bobby what since he was confined in jail. And it was the only purpose the Bill Kunstler filed that appearance, and the judge knew that. And what the slightest amount of investigation if he didn't know it would have known that. It was obvious he was told for four solid weeks that that was the only reason that Kuntsler became attorney of record for him. Kuntsler never had a attorney client relationship with Bobby Seale.

They never had a preparation between the two of them and yet under that pretense for four solid weeks every time Bobby would get up and say Your Honor. I would like to. Cross-examine this witness he's talking about me is lying about me I want to cross-examine him. He would say Mr. Marshall whoever that is have him sit down whoever that is. You know as though some hayseed is standing in front of him. He says I'm Mr. Seale and at one time the judge finally called him young man and the Seale turned around and says listen here old man. If you're going to refer to him a young man then he's Bobby Seale has a right to reciprocate and give the same dignity to the questioner. You know what. You know this kind of stuff goes on.

For four solid weeks Bobbie was courteous. Requested his rights to. Cross-examine the witnesses requested his right to exercise his rights under the Sixth Amendment. Now some of you may not know what that Sixth Amendment is. I think some of my legal friends don't know what it is. The sixth amendment is purely and simply. Amongst other things. An amendment to the Constitution of the United States that says a person who has been accused of a crime has the right to assistance of counsel. You know we lawyers have taken that section and practically emasculated it to a point where we now feel the minute you hire one of us that you're a lawyer. From there on you keep your mouth shut you have nothing to say about the case. But the Constitution says that the lawyer is only to assist the defendant in the defense of his case.

And if that's the case and that is the case and that's the Constitution Bobby Seale had a right to defend himself and he had the right to discharge all of his attorneys which he did two days after the trial commenced. Before any evidence was taken at determination of the jury. Four days after the trial had commenced. The judge locked up the jury under the pretense that two of the jurors. Had received a note that said we're watching you signed the Black Panthers. Well you know the Black Panthers don't talk that way the Black Panther Party if they've got anything to say they say it they don't go through this monkey business of sending anonymous notes. This anonymous note business. Is something that the silent majority. You know are during the Huey Newton trial I received almost three hundred. Of these Silent majority notes all unsigned

what all kind of disfigurations and all kinds of innuendos. And you can imagine what it's some of the things that were said. So obviously whatever these these two notes were. Were not any part of the Black Panther Party. It was done for the purpose. Of creating the kind of hysteria that followed where all of the jurors were finally locked up and they couldn't go home and blaming the Black Panther Party under these circumstances is it Any thought at all. Any kind of wonderment. That Bobby Seale would sit there and worry. About the fact that he was being singled out. Being denied. His right to his own counsel. And be placed in a position. Where he can't even defend himself.

He was gagged. Immediately. Beginning of that trial. And it only became a gag in a physical sense where the world could see it. Where on the fifth week after he'd been courteous for four solid weeks. He finally said to the judge. If it is your idea of justice. To deny me the rights under the Sixth Amendment. My right to have counsel. And the right to defend myself. And if it's your idea to deny me the rights under the 13th Amendment where I'm Emancipated to the point where I have the same rights as white people do to defend myself. If it's your idea to deny me those basic rights then I say under those conditions you are a blatant racist pig. Now you notice and you know that Bobby did not call him a racist

blatant pig. He gave conditions. And if the judge met those conditions and he apparently met those conditions in his own mind because he admitted he gagged him and chained him like a wild animal. Now that's the record. Now that's the record for three days or four days. Bobby was chained like a wild animal. He was gagged. And at times his gag was such that it stopped the Circulation to the entire cerebrel area. Told me yesterday and he told the. NEWS MEDIA KNEW no not the K indeed. Yes the KNEW and also the. KQED. TV station. That they gagged him to a point. And they Tightened the wrappers around him so tightly

that the circulation stopped. And he thought for a while that he was out of this world. Why? Because he had the temerity as a black man to stand before a white court And to say I want to defend myself. Now I'm sure that the judge will deny this. I'm sure the judge will fall back on a technicality. But friends I want to say this to you. The record is clear. When Bobbie two days after the trial commenced demanded. To make an opening statement and to take on the cross-examination of witnesses. The United States Assistant Attorney Richard Schultz got up in court and he said Your Honor. If you were to grant the right to Mr. Seale to defend himself there will be a mistrial in this case in two days. You know I'm reminded that in ninteen hundred and fourty eight. When the

Communist leaders were tried for a conspiracy under the Smith Act and they were singled out almost as badly as the Black Panther Party is today I say almost as badly because. There's been no group in American history that I know of. That has been singled out for the type of persecution that the Black Panthers have been receiving. Now. Those leaders of the Communist Party had outstanding lawyers defending them. And yet in spite of the fact that there were outstanding lawyers defending them. Eugene Dennis who was the chairman of the Communist Party in 1948 was permitted under the Constitution of the United States. To defend himself. He made an opening statement he cross-examined witnesses and he made closing arguments to the jury. Now in spite of the fact that the communist, that they were considered the low life of humanity. As bad as the

establishment thought they were. Still Eugene Dennis was a white man and they permitted him to defend himself. And Bobby Seale, a black man in 1969 is not given the privilege to defend himself. Not because he doesn't have the intelligence to defend himself. Because a judge made no had no hearing on whether Bobby Seale recognized the seriousness of the charges and how serious it would be if he defended himself. But he took it upon himself. Right out of hand to deny that right to Bobby Seale. And yet when he sentenced him in a savage matter to four years in the penitentiary. For the right to exercise that right. He said Now Mr. Seale is a very very very intelligent man. So we have in the record by the judge's own admission. That Bobby Seale was a very very very intelligent man. And yet he has been denied

his basic rights. It's high time that the bar in America Recognize the fact that the police state is rapidly being cast upon us. And it's showing its ugly head in the courtroom as well as on the street. Even in Nazi Germany when they were trying to frame the Bulgarian leader of the Communist Party Demitrov and they were trying to frame him and charge him with burning down the Reichstag the Reichstag is the legislative body of the house where the legislature meets. Even there where the Demitrov couldn't trust any of the Nazi lawyers or the Weimar Republic

lawyers who were still casting their allegiance to law and order under Nazi Germany under Hitler. He didn't take them as lawyers and certain American lawyers under the American Civil Liberties Union volunteered to go there to defend him including Arthur Garfield Hayes who was an outstanding civil libertarian of the day. And the Nazi courts would not permit him to participate in a trial they could only stay there as an observer. But they did they did allow Demitrov defend himself. He defended himself so successfully that he accused The Nazi government than the Nazi party. But deliberately burning the Reichstag and trying to blame the communists for it and he was successful and eventually freed. If it can be done in Nazi Germany. Why can't it be done in so called democratic America. Thank you.