[Ppnews] International Day for Political Prisoners

[Political Prisoner News]

intdaysolpp at yahoo.com


DECEMBER 3, 2005
INTERNATIONAL DAY IN SOLIDARITY WITH POLITICAL PRISONERS
EVENTS HELD IN 25 CITIES WORLDWIDE!!

KATHLEEN CLEAVER - FORMER BLACK PANTHER LEADER
ALICIA RODRIGUEZ, FORMER PUERTO RICAN POLITICAL PRISONER
  SPEAKING OUT ABOUT U.S. AUTHORIZED HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSE!

Where: First Unitarian Church – 14th and Castro, Oakland, CA
When:  December 3, 2005:  7PM

Oakland, CA 7 November 2005 - Former Black 
Panther leader and Yale Law School Professor 
KATHLEEN CLEAVER will headline the first annual 
International Day in Solidarity with Political 
Prisoners. “It's essential to work for the 
freedom of those still imprisoned because of 
their contributions to the human rights struggle 
within the U.S., particularly in these days of 
intensified government surveillance of and 
restrictions against dissent....”  Ms Cleaver explained.

Puerto Rican Independentista ALICIA RODRIGUEZ, 
who was pardoned by President Clinton after 19 
years in prison, will join Ms. Cleaver. “The U.S. 
government just assassinated our freedom fighter 
Filiberto Ojeda Rios because they want us to 
believe that resistance is futile. Nothing could 
be further from the truth. We know from our 
experience that we must continue our fight to get 
all of our prisoners out –they must know that they are not alone.”

There are over one hundred political prisoners 
incarcerated in the U.S. and tens of thousands 
imprisoned around the world. Under the pretext of 
the Patriot Act and the “War on Terror”, the U.S. 
government is imprisoning more people every 
day.  The force-feeding of hunger strikers in 
Guantanamo, the torture of prisoners at Abu 
Ghraib and the use of secret prisons in Europe 
are only a few of the grave human rights abuses 
taking place around the world under the authority of the U.S. government.

In response to escalating human rights 
violations, activists from around the world have 
decided to initiate a Day in Solidarity with 
Political Prisoners Worldwide.  Donato 
Continente, a recently released political 
prisoner from the Philippines explained:  “It’s 
time we took a united and international approach 
to the freeing of political activists and freedom 
fighters – it’s essential that we share our 
experiences and that we mount international campaigns.”

The event in Oakland will also feature 
representatives from Haiti, Palestine, the 
Philippines and the Cuban 5.  There will be 
simultaneous activities in 25 countries including 
the Philippines, Turkey, Mexico, Croatia, Canada, 
Spain and cities around the United States.

The event will be preceded by a film festival, 
Political Convictions:  Liberating Political 
Prisoners with showings from Monday, November 28 
through Thursday, December 1st at New College, 
San Francisco and Laney College, Oakland.

There will be a demonstration on December 2nd, 12 
noon at the Oakland Federal Building, (1301 Clay 
St.) demanding freedom for all political prisoners.


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