Two events are being held in the Bay Area this week as part of an ongoing campaign to allow Assata Shakur to live in exile in Cuba free from U.S. harassment, and to demand that the US government extradite Luis Posada Carriles to Venezuela. A demonstration/press conference was held on Friday, June 3rd at 12 Noon at the Oakland Federal Building ( Video | Audio ). An Educational Program will be held on Saturday, June 4th, at Oaklandish, 411 2nd St. (Near Jack London Square), in Oakland. Saturday night's event will include clips from the videos "Eyes of the Rainbow" and "Posada's Victims Families Demand Justice."

On May 2nd the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) put a $1 million bounty on the head of Assata Shakur and placed her on the domestic terrorist list under the Patriot Act under her former name, Joanne Chesimard. Assata is a former member of the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army who was falsely accused of murdering a New Jersey State Trooper on May 2nd, 1973. In 1979 Assata escaped prison and was given political sanctuary in Cuba.

Assata's supporters say that the aim of the FBI's attack on Assata is to eliminate the domestic resistance of the Black Liberation movement, undermine the sovereignty of Cuba and Venezuela, and set the stage for the possible invasion of these two nations. They believe that the FBI escalation at this time is also meant to divert attention from Luis Posada Carriles, an anti-Cuban terrorist wanted by Venezuela on charges of blowing up a Cuban airliner, who recently came to the United States seeking political asylum. Read more

The ANSWER Coalition is planning for a June 13th National Day of Action to demand that the US extradite Posada to Venezuela. The protest in San Francisco will be at 12noon at the federal courthouse at 7th and Mission Streets.

Hands Off Assata Website | Hands Off Cuba Campaign | Assata Shakur Speaks