Four of the San Francisco 8, the former Black Panthers who were recently arrested on charges related to the 1971 killing of an SFPD officer, appeared in court on Wednesday, February 14th, for an arraignment and bail reduction hearing. Report The Talking Drum Collective previously reported, "The first court hearing for the four defendants who live in California-Richard Brown, Hank Jones, Richard O'Neal, and Ray Boudreaux-was held in San Francisco Superior Court on January 29th. They are presently being held on bail of $3 million to $5 million each (!). Their arraignment and a bail reduction hearing was carried over until February 14..."

The Committee for the Defense of Human Rights suggested that people who want to support the 8 attend hearings; write to the men to ask what their specific needs may be (such as commissary, books, etc.); and stay posted on ongoing developments and Action Alerts by subscribing to cdhrsupport's e-mail list (address below) as well as websites in solidarity with the men. Some supporters aim to clear the men's names- including that of the late John Bowman. Others point out that the men have lived for the last 30 years with constant harassment from the police, and are still strong.

On February 14th in Boston, MA, activists, students, teachers and church leaders from the groups Coast to Coast Solidarity-Boston and Queers Against Prison-Boston rallied at South Station followed by a string of banner appearances and educational events across the city.
Committee for the Defense of Human Rights | Grassroots Call to Action | Legacy of Torture: The War Against the Black Liberation Movement | Free the 8 Yahoogroup