[Freethe SF8] Movement defends SF8 - NY Forum

[SF-8 case]

http://www.pslweb.org/site/News2?JServSessionIdr012=ivcgphuo31.app7b&page=NewsArticle&id=7784&news_iv_ctrl=1030

New York City forum supports San Francisco 8
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
By: Javier Lavoe

Movement defends former Black Panthers

On Nov. 30, approximately 400 people attended an 
event in support of the San Francisco 8 at 
Service Employee’s International Union Local 
1199’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Labor Center.

Four of the San Francisco 8 who are out on bail 
attended the New York City forum: Ray Bourdeaux, 
Hank Jones, Harold Taylor and Francisco Torres.

Seven of the SF 8­Ray Michael Boudreaux, Henry 
Watson Jones, Richard Brown, Francisco Torres, 
Harold Taylor, Herman Bell and Jalil Muntaqim 
(Anthony Bottom)­are charged with killing a San 
Francisco police officer, John V. Young, in 1971. 
An eighth man, Richard O’Neal was arrested on 
conspiracy to murder police officers, but was not 
charged as a participant in the killing. Seven of 
the SF 8 are former Black Panthers.

Harold Taylor had been previously arrested for 
Young’s killing, along with John Bowman and Ruben 
Scott, in 1973. These charges were dropped once 
evidence surfaced that the police had tortured 
them to obtain phony confessions. Officials claim 
that 36 years later they have new evidence against the eight.

The Nov. 30 event featured a Q&A session 
facilitated by J. Soffiyah Elijah, an attorney 
and deputy director of the Criminal Justice 
Institute at Harvard University. During the 
session, four of the SF 8 gave shocking testimony 
of the torture they endured while in police 
custody. Police used electric shock, cattle 
prods, beatings, sensory deprivation, plastic 
bags, and hot, wet blankets for asphyxiation.

The event also highlighted statements from Herman 
Bell and Jalil Muntaqim, who have been in prison 
for more than 30 years, and are currently incarcerated in New York.

Kamau Franklin of the Malcolm X Grassroots 
Movement emceed the event. Speakers included 
Bruce Richard, vice president of SEIU 1199, and 
Gil Noble, host of local WABC’s "Like It Is." The 
event culminated with a performance by two great revolutionary poets.

The event was sponsored by dozens of progressive 
organizations including Malcolm X Grassroots 
Movement, NYC National Lawyers Guild and the 
ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism), among others.

The case of the SF8 is yet another example­along 
with Mumia Abu Jamal, the Cuban Five and the Move 
9­of the U.S. criminal "injustice" system 
relentlessly trying to criminalize those who 
represent the interests of the working class and the oppressed.

On Nov. 30, approximately 400 people attended an 
event in support of the San Francisco 8 at 
Service Employee’s International Union Local 
1199’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Labor Center.

Four of the San Francisco 8 who are out on bail 
attended the New York City forum: Ray Bourdeaux, 
Hank Jones, Harold Taylor and Francisco Torres.

Seven of the SF 8­Ray Michael Boudreaux, Henry 
Watson Jones, Richard Brown, Francisco Torres, 
Harold Taylor, Herman Bell and Jalil Muntaqim 
(Anthony Bottom)­are charged with killing a San 
Francisco police officer, John V. Young, in 1971. 
An eighth man, Richard O’Neal was arrested on 
conspiracy to murder police officers, but was not 
charged as a participant in the killing. Seven of 
the SF 8 are former Black Panthers.

Harold Taylor had been previously arrested for 
Young’s killing, along with John Bowman and Ruben 
Scott, in 1973. These charges were dropped once 
evidence surfaced that the police had tortured 
them to obtain phony confessions. Officials claim 
that 36 years later they have new evidence against the eight.

The Nov. 30 event featured a Q&A session 
facilitated by J. Soffiyah Elijah, an attorney 
and deputy director of the Criminal Justice 
Institute at Harvard University. During the 
session, four of the SF 8 gave shocking testimony 
of the torture they endured while in police 
custody. Police used electric shock, cattle 
prods, beatings, sensory deprivation, plastic 
bags, and hot, wet blankets for asphyxiation.

The event also highlighted statements from Herman 
Bell and Jalil Muntaqim, who have been in prison 
for more than 30 years, and are currently incarcerated in New York.

Kamau Franklin of the Malcolm X Grassroots 
Movement emceed the event. Speakers included 
Bruce Richard, vice president of SEIU 1199, and 
Gil Noble, host of local WABC’s "Like It Is." The 
event culminated with a performance by two great revolutionary poets.

The event was sponsored by dozens of progressive 
organizations including Malcolm X Grassroots 
Movement, NYC National Lawyers Guild and the 
ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism), among others.

The case of the SF8 is yet another example­along 
with Mumia Abu Jamal, the Cuban Five and the Move 
9­of the U.S. criminal "injustice" system 
relentlessly trying to criminalize those who 
represent the interests of the working class and the oppressed.



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