New York City says NO! to Uhuru 3 frame-up

Activists in New York City have mobilized to stop the frame-up of the Uhuru 3: Omali Yeshitela, Chairman of the African People’s Socialist Party; Penny Hess, Chair, African People’s Solidarity Committee; and Jesse Nevel, Chair of the Uhuru Solidarity Movement.

The Biden administration is trying to railroad the Uhuru 3 for opposing the Pentagon’s wars. They’re facing years in prison if convicted on ridiculous charges of being “unregistered foreign agents” of the Russian Federation.

With their trial going on in Tampa, the December 12th Movement has moved to expose the frame-up, organizing a rally in Brooklyn on Sept. 6.

More than 40 people attended. Among the speakers were former New York assembly member Charles Barron and December 12th chairperson Omowale Clay, who attended the trial in Tampa. 

A press conference was held in front of the House of Representatives minority leader Hakeem Jeffries’ office on Sept. 10 at the Shirley Chisholm State Office Building in downtown Brooklyn. More than 50 people came to listen to the speakers.

“We are calling on Democratic Congressional leader Hakeem Jeffries to speak out against the prosecution of political activists’ right to freedom of speech in opposing oppression,” read the December 12th statement. “Congressman Jeffries is urged to add his support for dropping the trumped-up charges against these leaders.”

“These indicted leaders are freedom fighters. They have earned the respect of the Black community, and its allies, for fighting the United States Government’s legacy of slavery and its aftermath of racism, lynchings, Jim Crow, police brutality, poor health care, miseducation and, rampant unemployment, etc. 

“It is ludicrous to propose that a foreign government need be the source of direction or inspiration for these leaders to struggle against the United States’ historic oppression of Black people. A history that predates the existence of Russia,” concluded the December 12th statement. (The capitalist Russian Federation was not established until 1991, with the backing of U.S. imperialism.) 

Free the Uhuru 3!