Today:Int'l Day in Solidarity with Political Prisoners, POW's and Political Exiles

DECEMBER 3, 2005
INTERNATIONAL DAY IN SOLIDARITY WITH POLITICAL
PRISONERS
EVENTS HELD IN 25 CITIES WORLDWIDE!!

KATHLEEN CLEAVER - FORMER BLACK PANTHER LEADER
ALICIA RODRIGUEZ, FORMER PUERTO RICAN POLITICAL
PRISONER
SPEAKING OUT ABOUT U.S. AUTHORIZED HUMAN RIGHTS
ABUSE!

Where: First Unitarian Church – 14th and Castro,
Oakland, CA
When: December 3, 2005: 7PM

Former Black Panther leader and Yale Law School
Professor KATHLEEN CLEAVER will headline the first
annual International Day in Solidarity with Political
Prisoners. “It's essential to work for the freedom of
those still imprisoned because of their contributions
to the human rights struggle within the U.S.,
particularly in these days of intensified government
surveillance of and restrictions against dissent....”
Ms Cleaver explained.

Puerto Rican Independentista ALICIA RODRIGUEZ, who
was pardoned by President Clinton after 19 years in
prison, will join Ms. Cleaver. “The U.S. government
just assassinated our freedom fighter Filiberto Ojeda
Rios because they want us to believe that resistance
is futile. Nothing could be further from the truth. We
know from our experience that we must continue our
fight to get all of our prisoners out –they must know
that they are not alone.”

There are over one hundred political prisoners
incarcerated in the U.S. and tens of thousands
imprisoned around the world. Under the pretext of the
Patriot Act and the “War on Terror”, the U.S.
government is imprisoning more people every day. The
force-feeding of hunger strikers in Guantanamo, the
torture of prisoners at Abu Ghraib and the use of
secret prisons in Europe are only a few of the grave
human rights abuses taking place around the world
under the authority of the U.S. government.

In response to escalating human rights violations,
activists from around the world have decided to
initiate a Day in Solidarity with Political Prisoners
Worldwide. Donato Continente, a recently released
political prisoner from the Philippines explained:
“It’s time we took a united and international approach
to the freeing of political activists and freedom
fighters – it’s essential that we share our
experiences and that we mount international
campaigns.”

The event in Oakland will also feature
representatives from Haiti, Palestine, the Philippines
and the Cuban 5. There will be simultaneous
activities in 25 countries including the Philippines,
Turkey, Mexico, Croatia, Canada, Spain and cities
around the United States.