Former Black Panthers Arrested for 1971 Crime : Cleveland IMC (((i)))

It looks like the U.S. government is still out to take vengence on the Black Panther Party and its former members. On January 23rd, 2007, eight former Black Panthers, all in their upper 50's and beyond, were arrested for the killing of a 1971 San Fransisco police officer. At the time of the killing in the early 70's, three Black Panthers were indited, arrested and tortured to confess to the killing. A judge later threw out the charges after evidence of obvious torture and innocence of the men being charged. Case closed. Or was it?

In 2000, the FBI reopened the case and began investigative procedures under the direction of then Attorney General John Ashcroft who vowed to take vengence on all ex Black Panthers, . In 2004, authorities came out with what they cite as evidence: empty shells found at the crime scene that match the bullets and gun found in one of the men's apartments in 1973. However, the gun, and all the paperwork documenting the evidence has conveniently been lost. The FBI are strictly going on their word that the things they say are true and that this, plus testimony from a witness who was also tortured in 1973, is enough to charge all these men with the crime of killing one officer.

The eight ex-Panthers who have been arrested are: Richard Brown, who works for the county court of San Fransisco, Herman Bell, a political prisoner since 1978,Ray Boudreaux, Henry W. (Hank) Jones, Jalil Muntaqim, also an old school political prisoner and founder of the Jericho movement,Richard O'Neal who has been a San Fransisco city employee for over 25 years, Harold Taylor who was one of the original Panthers tortured in the 70's, and Francisco Torres. Ronald Stanley Bridgeforth is also charged but has not yet been found.

These men and many others were involved with the Black Panther party in the Late 60's and 70's. A group of dedicated activists who wanted to mobilize the black community against the ongoing onslaught of oppression and police brutality they experienced. They realized the government was not going to help them but was rather out to harm them, so they banded together to help themselves, with their main purpose being to educate and uplift the black community, inspiring in them a self respect and an spirit of power against those who were abusing them. They held programs such as feeding and educating children before school, self defense classes, ancestry awareness classes and much more. It is a well known fact that the underground arm of the FBI, COINTELPRO, aimed to bring down anyone in the black community who they deemed as a threat to their power.

The Committee for Defense of Human Rights, an organization whose purpose is to raise public awareness about human rights abuses committed by the United States government in an attempt to destroy progressive organizations and individuals, is working closesly on the case of these men and their defense.

For more information about the case and support information, please go to http://www.cdhrsupport.org.

Cleveland Indy Media Center