[Ppnews] May 16 demo for MOVE 9 - Please Contact Parole Board Today!

Mon May 4 11:02:27 EDT 2009

http://www.phillyimc.org/en/support-parole-move-9-philly-demonstration-may-16

RALLY TO FREE THE MOVE 9! Saturday, May 16, 12-3, 11th & Market 
Streets, Philadelphia. Contact: 
<mailto:onamovellja at aol.com>onamovellja at aol.com, 215 387 4107
Please help today by 
<http://move9parole.blogspot.com/2009/03/call-in-campaign-for-move-9.html>contacting 
the parole board.

http://move9parole.blogspot.com/2009/03/call-in-campaign-for-move-9.html

<http://move9parole.blogspot.com/2009/03/call-in-campaign-for-move-9.html>Call 
in campaign for the MOVE 9!

This email action alert has just been sent out by MOVE supporters to 
help the remaining eight of the MOVE 9 prisoners, who are now having 
parole hearings. This website was started last year when they were 
eligible for the first time since their August 8, 1978 arrests and 
subsequent convictions. An online petition and letter campaign was 
initiated, but despite this, the parole board denied parole to 
everyone(remember that the women never even faced weapons charges!) 
for many unfair reasons including a "lack of remorse" for a crime for 
which they have always maintained their innocence.

The MOVE 9 are courageous revolutionaries who deserve our support. 
Please read this email alert, and check out the other postings below 
from last years campaign for background.
---------
ONA MOVE!
Starting this Wednesday and every Wednesday til the parole hearings 
are complete we are asking people to call
Chairman Katherine C. McVey at the Pennsylvania Board of Probation 
and Parole at
(717) 787-5699
and demand parole for MOVE political prisoners! The MOVE 9 are 
members of the MOVE Organization who have now been unjustly 
imprisoned for the murder of police officer James Ramp stemming from 
the 8/8/78 attack on MOVE headquarters. As veteran Philadelphia 
journalist Linn Washington stated in the Cohort Media "MOVE" 
documentary, there is ample proof and knowledge that police "friendly 
fire" killed Ramp and not MOVE as the system wants people to believe. 
There is no reason why MOVE people should not receive parole. They 
have excellent prison records and have kept down racial and gang 
violence in prison, helped inmates fight drug addiction, mother and 
fathers establish relationships with their children on the outside, 
and have been an overall positive influence on the prison population 
staff and inmates. These points can be used as well when you speak to 
Chairman McVey. So call this Wednesday and let's tie up the phone 
lines in support of the MOVE 9

If you are a Facebook member blog about who you speak to and the 
response on the Cause page for Free the MOVE 9 (and join the cause!). 
This way we can keep track of the lies these people tell and 
coordinate our response. Network on other sites, such as MySpace, as well.

Also attached are flyers and posters. Wallpaper your community, call 
into radio programs, write letters to the editor. Bring these freedom 
fighters home!

For those of you who cannot phone, please write. Last year we had and 
outpouring of letters that showed the breadth and depth of 
Revolution! Keep it coming.

Along with Chairman Catherine C. McVey, the other eight Parole Board 
Members are Charles Fox, Michael L. Green, Jeffrey R. Imboden, 
Matthew T. Mangino, Benjamin A. Martinez, Gerard N. Massaro, Judy 
Viglione, Lloyd A. White.
It is best for individuals to personally send a letter to Chairman 
McVey, and if folks have the resources, to also send a copy to each 
of the other eight board members, at the same address.

[name of Board member]
Board of Probation and Parole
Attn: Inmate Inquiry
1101 South Front Street, Suite 5300
Harrisburg, PA 17104
(717) 787-5699

However, if individuals lack the resources, the letter can be sent to:
The MOVE Organization
PO Box 19709
Philadelphia, PA, 19143

We will then send a copy of your letter to all Board Members and also 
each of the eight MOVE prisoners (so they can present the support 
letters to their interviewers).

These next few weeks are crucial. Please spread the word and help in 
any way you can!
For the latest news about the MOVE 9 Parole campaign, please visit:
move9parole.blogspot.com
onamove.com
Abu-Jamal-News.com

Below is a sample letter for writing the Parole Board. Feel free to 
personalize your letter, but please keep it polite and respectful.

SAMPLE LETTER:

Regarding: 2008 Parole of Eight Prisoners:
Debbie Sims Africa #006307, Janet Holloway Africa #006308, Janine 
Phillips Africa #006309, Michael Davis Africa #AM-4973, Charles Sims 
Africa #AM-4975, William Phillips Africa #AM-4984, Delbert Orr Africa 
#AM-4985, and Edward Goodman Africa #AM-4974

Board of Probation and Parole
Attn: Inmate Inquiry
1101 South Front Street, Suite 5300
Harrisburg, PA 17104

Dear Members of the Board,

Please parole Chuck, Debbie, Delbert, Eddie, Janet, Janine, Mike, and 
Phil Africa this year. They have not caused any major disciplinary 
problems during the past three decades. They have spent most of their 
lives in prison; please allow them to be a part of, and contribute 
to, society as free citizens.

There are many around the world, who have different reasons for 
supporting parole for these eight prisoners.
--The sentencing judge stated publicly that he did not have the 
faintest idea who shot the one bullet that killed Officer Ramp. Nine 
people cannot fire one bullet.

--Many supporters of parole feel that Officer Ramp was actually shot 
by police "friendly fire," because it would have been ballistically 
impossible for MOVE to have shot Ramp, who was across the street from 
MOVE's house. These supporters believe that because of MOVE's 
position in the basement, bullets coming from there would have had an 
upward trajectory, yet the medical examiner testified that the bullet 
entered Ramp's "chest from in front and coursed horizontally without 
deviation up or down." Even the authenticity of official ballistics 
are in dispute. At a pre-trial hearing, in open court, the Judge 
allowed the prosecutor to literally use a pencil and eraser to change 
the medical examiner's report to conform with the medical examiner's 
testimony about the bullet's trajectory.

This theory about the bullet's trajectory could have been tested, but 
MOVE's house was illegally demolished that very day, and police did 
nothing to preserve the crime scene, inscribe chalk marks, or measure 
ballistics angles. A few days before, a Philadelphia judge had signed 
an order barring the city from destroying the house, but this order 
was violated. In a preliminary hearing on a Motion to Dismiss, MOVE 
unsuccessfully argued that destroying their home had prevented them 
from proving that it was physically impossible for MOVE to have shot Ramp.

--Yet, other supporters of parole cite the average 10-15 year 
sentence given for third-degree murder. MOVE prisoners have now 
served 2-3 times this sentence. Isn't 30 years enough? Merle Africa, 
who has died in prison, and these surviving eight have already paid a 
terrible price for what happened on that day.

Lastly, I am concerned about optional stipulations that the Parole 
Board may require, which I feel are unfair, and which many legal 
scholars feel is a violation of First-Amendment rights. In the past, 
as a condition for parole, MOVE prisoners have unfairly been required 
to renounce MOVE and their deeply held religious beliefs. I am also 
concerned about two other possible stipulations.

First is the "taking responsibility" stipulation, which basically 
asks a prisoner to admit guilt in order to be granted parole. These 
eight MOVE prisoners have always maintained their innocence, so it is 
unfair to require this of them.
Second is the "serious nature of offense" stipulation. MOVE 
spokesperson Ramona Africa feels that this is illegal "because the 
judge took this into consideration and when the sentence was issued, 
it meant that barring any misconduct, problems, new charges, etc. 
this prisoner was to be released on their minimum. To deny that is 
basically a re-sentence."

Please do not require these optional stipulations.

I do ask that you please grant parole to these eight prisoners so 
that, after 30 years, they can go home to their families.

Respectfully,
( YOUR SIGNATURE )
Your Name
Your Name
Your Address

Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

415 863-9977

www.Freedomarchives.org  
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