58 years of unjust imprisonment – Free Ruchell Magee!

The Free Ruchell Magee Coalition held a rally on Dec. 18 in front of the CNN building in Los Angeles. They demanded that the powers that be – including the governor and corporate media – stop ignoring the case of extreme racism in sentencing and denial of human rights to Ruchell “Cinque” Magee. 

Magee, who is now 82 and under medical care, has suffered incarceration for 58 years. He was given a life sentence for an alleged $10 robbery. Later in 1970, Magee was involved with Jonathon Jackson in the attempt to free political prisoner George Jackson, after eight years of not being allowed parole or any acknowledgement of the racist sentencing and trial.

Participants in Saturday’s rally included the Party for Socialism and Liberation, the Socialist Unity Party and the Harriet Tubman Center for Social Justice. Former Black Panther and organizer of the monthly Black Panther Party Breakfasts, Harold Welton, spoke at the event. He has been the main organizer in Los Angeles for the freedom of Ruchell Magee.

A petition demanding the release of Magee says: “As an elder, he faces constant mental and physical health risks every day from nearly six decades of incarceration. With the COVID-19 pandemic raging across California’s prisons throughout 2020 and 2021, Ruchell has been in significant danger of falling ill.”