On Saturday, November 2, the New York Police Department physically shut down an outdoor street meeting in Harlem to celebrate Assata Shakur Liberation Day. The rally was designed to build awareness about Assata’s life, as well as the grassroots effort to write in Assata Shakur for NYC Mayor and the struggle to reclaim the City College Morales-Shakur Community Center. There was a very positive and receptive response from the community before and after the NYPD’s repressive action.
Despite organizers filing for a sound permit days earlier, 32nd Precinct “Community Affairs” officers refused to respond to the request. This implicit denial of the permit, which cannot be defended on constitutional grounds, was then used to shut down the event’s sound system under threat of confiscation. Supervising Officer Gautreau ripped out the cords of the speakers while PSL organizer and CUNY student Sasha Murphy was speaking about the real history of how Assata was framed for her political activities. The officers threatened with summonses those who protested.
Many community members witnessed the abusive police action, and came up afterwards to voice their indignation, show their support to organizers, and take flyers.
Organizers condemned the police repression of their free-speech activity, but pointed to it as proof of just how relevant Assata’s story is to our movement today. As a survivor of racist police violence, targeted for her resistance to the state, her story symbolizes just how far the U.S. government will go to suppress radical challenges.
Earlier this year, the U.S. government raised the bounty on Assata’s head to $2 million, making clear their intent to capture or even kill her. Although not an official mayoral candidate, because the threats against her are so grave, the PSL is encouraging everyone to write in her name for this year’s mayoral election.
Assata Shakur was targeted in the 1970s as part of the government’s vicious attack on the Black liberation movement and the Black Panther Party. In this repressive campaign, Assata was shot and nearly killed by New Jersey state troopers. She beat six false charges before they finally framed her for murder. In 1979, she escaped from prison.
The government wants to destroy Assata as a symbol of resistance. As a way of saying “Hands Off Assata” and to show the government that we will not be intimidated,people across the city will be writing in her name for Mayor of New York on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Groups endorsing this write-in effort include (list still in formation): Party for Socialism and Liberation, People’s Survival Program, People’s Power Movement, Association Pro Inmates Rights Ñeta of NYS. Write [email protected] to endorse.
