[News] 24 years - attack on MOVE, 11 murdered

[News at freedomarchives.org]

http://www.prisonactivist.org/pps+pows/MOVE/move-story.html for full story


On Monday, May 13, 1985, police and firemen launched a full scale military 
assault on the MOVE rowhouse using tear gas, water cannons, shotguns, 
Uzi's, M-16s, silenced weapons, Browning Automatic Rifles, M-60 machine 
guns, a 20mm anti- tank gun, and a .50-caliber machine gun. Some of these 
weapons were illegally obtained with the help of the U.S. Alcohol Tobacco 
and Firearms Agency. Between 6:00 and 7:30 am police fired over 10,000 
rounds of ammunition at the house knowing there were women and children 
inside. They also tried to blast through the walls with the military 
explosives the FBI had illegally provided. When none of these measures 
succeeded in driving MOVE from the house, a state police helicopter was 
used to drop a bomb on the roof. This started a fire that officials 
deliberately allowed to burn, burning down the entire block of some 60 
homes. MOVE members repeatedly tried to exit but were met with police 
gunfire which killed some of the adults and children in the alley behind 
the house. Six adults and five children died. Also on May 13, 1985, police 
in Chester, PA in cooperation with Philadelphia, used tear gas to storm the 
Chester home of Alfonso Africa. The only adult present, his wife Mary, was 
arrested and their 5 children were taken away as police ransacked the 
house. The legal basis for this action was Judge Lynne Abraham's warrant 
for Alfonso, although he had been incarcerated since May 8 on charges of 
threatening officer James McDonnell (who previously shot Alfonso on June 
10, 1984).

Ramona Africa was charged with conspiracy, riot and multiple counts of 
simple and aggravated assault. Although no testimony was presented 
indicating she ever held or fired a weapon, a jury found her guilty and 
Judge Michael Stiles sentenced her to 16 months to 7 years. Mayor Goode 
appointed a special commission to investigate the catastrophe, but it had 
no power to indict. Findings released in March, 1986 were highly critical 
of City officials and included extensive recommendations, but as years 
passed these were largely disregarded and forgotten. In 1986, D.A. Ron 
Castille impanelled a grand jury to investigate criminal wrongdoing on the 
part of the City. Notwithstanding 11 deaths, 60 homes burned to the ground, 
unauthorized possession and use of military explosives, and a fire that was 
deliberately allowed to burn out of control, Castille's grand jury followed 
his recommendations and returned not a single indictment. A federal grand 
jury investigating civil rights violations also returned no indictments. 
None of the investigations looked at earlier legal improprieties.

There are currently 9 MOVE members imprisoned by the PA penal system. 
Locked away in remote areas, far from the public eye, they have endured 
years of continuous physical and mental harassment. Delbert, Carlos and 
Chuck Africa were kept in solitary confinement over five years for refusing 
to violate MOVE belief by cutting their hair. At Muncy prison, MOVE women 
upheld their religious principles by refusing to give blood samples and 
were repeatedly put in solitary confinement, sometimes for as long as 3 
years. Sadistic prison guards were delighted to inform Delbert, Janet, Sue, 
Phil, Janine and Consuewella Africa that some of their children were killed 
in the police assault on May 13, 1985. No MOVE members were involved in a 
1989 Camp Hill prison riot, but Chuck Africa was singled out by 
correctional officers Bray, Cywinski and Lt. Komsisky, and while handcuffed 
and shackled, Chuck was brutally attacked and beaten. He was then 
transported incommunicado across the country until lodged at the maximum 
security prison in Lompoc, CA, until his return to PA 16 months later. 
Delbert, Phil and Edward Africa were also abruptly transferred out of state 
and weeks passed before their family learned of their whereabouts. Phil and 
Edward were shuffled through a number of prisons before arriving at the 
U.S. Penitentiary at Leavenworth, KS. Delbert was eventually taken to the 
military prison at Fort Gordon, GA. They spent many months, and in Phil's 
case, over a year at these locations before being returned to Pennsylvania.

Lack of media coverage has given the Parole Board the power to demand the 
special stipulation for MOVE members at parole hearings that they may be 
paroled if they agree never again to associate with MOVE, even when the 
person's husband or wife is a member. All MOVE members have refused this 
stipulation and are doing/have done their maximum sentences.

After the tragic deaths and destruction the city caused in 1985, the vast 
publicity surrounding the disaster continually overlooked the fact that 
MOVE's original demand for justice in the 1978 confrontation remained 
unresolved. Now, Ed Rendell is the mayor of Philadelphia, and Judge Lynne 
Abraham is now D.A. Lynne Abraham. Judge Sabo has been called out of 
retirement in the City's efforts to ensure the murder of Mumia-Abu Jamal.

MOVE points out that in their over 20-year history, destruction and death 
have always been the work of the police, so inquiries as to the future 
likelihood of such occurrences should be directed to city officials. MOVE 
has never dropped a bomb, burned down a neighborhood or killed anyone, they 
have only demanded the release of innocent members. The City of 
Philadelphia has murdered 17 MOVE members, including adults, children, 1 
baby and 4 miscarriages.

Nine MOVE members remain unjustly incarcerated on 30-100 year sentences.
"AS LONG AS WE ARE ALIVE, WE WILL NEVER ABANDON OUR INNOCENT BROTHERS AND 
SISTERS IN JAIL, AND THEY KNOW WE WILL NEVER ABANDON THEM, AND THIS CITY 
GONNA ALWAYS HAVE A PROBLEM UNTIL EVERY LAST ONE OF OUR BROTHERS AND 
SISTERS IS HOME."

-- MOVE STATEMENT


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