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Indybay Feature

Struggle to Free Bakari Back On!

bakariolatunji.jpg
Date:
Wednesday, June 06, 2012
Time:
8:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Event Type:
Court Date
Organizer/Author:
INPDUM
Location Details:
7th and Washington at the Wiley Manuel Courthouse

If you are in Oakland: Attend the demonstration on Wednesday, June 6 at 8:30am at 7th and Washington at the Wiley Manuel Courthouse. The arraignment will be held in Dept 107 at 9am.

Struggle to Free Bakari Back On!

The State has launched an attack on the Uhuru Movement and the African working class community through its recent announcement to re-impose the charges against Bakari Olatunji, aka Rickey Clay, a veteran of the Uhuru Movement. Bakari has an arraignment date this Wednesday, June 6, 2012 at 9am at the Wiley Manuel Courthouse at 7th and Washington, Department 107 in Oakland, California.


The charges against Bakari are bogus

On Friday, May 4, comrade Bakari was viciously attacked and arrested by Oakland Police as we attempted to serve the People's Subpoena to Oakland police chief Howard Jordan. Bakari was held for ransom at the notorious Santa Rita County Jail on a $25,000 bail. He was charged with California Penal Code 69, a felony which means "threatening an officer or resisting arrest with force or violence." The struggle began as the Oakland branch of the International People’s Democratic Uhuru Movement (InPDUM) held a press conference in front of police headquarters in Oakland. The purpose of the press conference was to announce the Court for Black Justice and Reparations. Through the Court for Black Justice, the African community, under the leadership of INPDUM, will put the Oakland Police Department (OPD) on trial for crimes of colonial genocide against the African community. The press conference was strategically held at the same time and location as the "police-community relations" meeting at the Oakland Police Headquarters. The plan was to go straight from the press conference and demonstration to the police event, where InPDUM organizers would physically serve the People’s Subpoena to police chief Howard Jordan, who was expected to be in attendance. When InPDUM organizers attempted to enter the building where the meeting was being held, we were immediately blocked from entering the building and told not to go inside. This is despite the fact that the police were allowing people to come and go freely before, during and after our press conference. This revealed to us that the police were only interested in allowing Africans to the event who were not interested in criticizing the brutal relationship the police have with the African community. After a long, heated debate with the police in full view of InPDUM supporters and ruling class and independent media, the police had no choice but to allow us to enter the building. It was either that or be forced to admit that the police are willing to abrogate our right to free speech as a means of avoiding our criticisms of them. When we entered the building, police chief Jordan was nowhere to be found, further illustrating our point. As we searched the room for Jordan, several InPDUM organizers, including President Diop Olugbala and local leader Bakari Olatunji, were immediately attacked by the pigs and physically removed from the building. After this blatant attack on our movement and our right to peaceful assembly, and after the police succeeded in ousting us from the building, Bakari Olatunji then sustained another attack. He was targeted by the police, placed in handcuffs and dragged away. The footage taken by members of the Uhuru Movement shows that he was clearly attacked by police, put up no resistance and was arrested for no reason.


State’s attacks on Movement will not work!

It was Che Guevara who once said these famous words “Never trust Imperialism! In no way at all!” We can never assume that the threat of the arrest of our leaders and attack on our movement will ever stop. We must always be in struggle mode! On Wed, June 6 at 2pm PST, Bakari Olatunji, aka Rickey Clay, will be RE-ARRAIGNED. The International People's Democratic Uhuru Movement is calling on everyone to participate in the struggle in the following ways:


If you are in Oakland:

Attend the demonstration on Wednesday, June 6 at 8:30am at 7th and Washington at the Wiley Manuel Courthouse. The arraignment will be held in Dept 107 at 9am.


Everyone:

Call the Oakland Police Dept, Chief of Police and Alameda County District Attorney demanding the immediate release of Rickey Clay on the grounds that he is a political prisoner, locked up only because of his beliefs—NOT because he violated some law.

Oakland chief of police: 510-238-3131

OPD Jail Division: 510-238-3455

Alameda County district attorney's office: (510) 268-7500

Added to the calendar on Tue, Jun 5, 2012 11:36PM
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