PLEASE POST WIDELY NORTHWEST LEONARD PELTIER SUPPORT NETWORK TACOMA OFFICE P.O. BOX 5464 TACOMA, WA 98415-0464 USA [EMAIL PROTECTED] AN INTERNATIONAL CALL FOR ACTION INTERNATIONAL DAY IN SOLIDARITY WITH LEONARD PELTIER FEBRUARY 6, 1999 INTERNATIONAL LEONARD PELTIER SOLIDARITY FAST There comes a time when people who believe in social justice need to pull together in time of great need. This is just such a time. The situation of political prisoner and American Indian Movement activist Leonard Peltier is at a critical stage. With your help we can move Leonard's struggle to a higher level that it needs to be at. We acknowledge the many important struggles that are going on throughout the world. Leonard Peltier, himself, also has acknowledged the importance of the on going struggles of the people. He has issued statements asking his supporters to also actively support Mumia Abu-Jamal. He has actively supported other political prisoners, while he himself has been locked-up in the iron house. He has publicly supported the Zapatistas and the indigenous people's struggles in Chiapas, and has used his support network to gather food and supplies for them. Leonard has directly supported countless other struggles of the people. Now Leonard needs the direct support of all of us. We apologize for pushing the call to action so hard every where we are able to. But we have limited resources, whereas the powers of oppresion have near unlimited resources. 1. BACK GROUND ON THE STRUGGLE OF LEONARD PELTIER 2. END THE TORTURE OF LEONARD PELTIER NOW! 3. INTERNATIONAL DAY IN SOLIDARITY WITH LEONARD PELTIER 4. INTERNATIONAL LEONARD PELTIER SOLIDARITY FAST 5. FOR MORE INFORMATION BACK GROUND ON THE STRUGGLE OF LEONARD PELTIER Leonard Peltier is an Ojibwa-Lakota American Indian Movement (AIM) activist who was framed on murder charges in the deaths of two FBI agents in a firefight on the Pine Ridge Oglala Lakota Reservation in South Dakota on June 26, 1975. The following are two of the main reasons that the firefight took place on that day. 1. Because the Lakota people had refused to take money for the stolen Paha Sapa (Black Hills), the U.S. Government knew that if they were to take any more Lakota land that there would be resistance. In the area of Sheep Mountain of the Pine Ridge Lakota land, the U.S. Geological Survey had located major uranium deposits. Working in the direct interests of the nuclear power and weapons industry, agents of the U.S. Government set out to do two things: First to suppress the traditional Lakota people and their allies AIM, who would resist the taking of their land. And to create a diversion to hide their illegal taking of the Sheep Mountain area. At the same time that the firefight took place the papers were signed that took away 133,000 acres of Lakota land and gave it to the U.S. Government. 2. AIM was viewed as a direct threat to the interests of multi-national companies that sought the great amount of mineral resources that was on Native land. AIM and others had inspired a new movement of resistance to the U.S. Government's Indian policies. For this reason the FBI used it's COINTELPRO program to try to destory AIM. After the 1973 Wounded Knee Liberation the U.S. Government tried to suppress AIM by the means of placing hundreds of its members on trial across the country. On the Pine Ridge Lakota land, there was campaign of terror against traditional Lakota people in which homes were burned, cars were run off the road, drive by shootings into people's homes and there were 66 known murders of traditional Lakota people. Because of this reign of terror traditional Lakota people asked for help from AIM. AIM set up a camp on the Jumping Bull's property for the purpose of protecting the people and the setting up self-determination community programs. Before the firefight hundreds of government agents were brought in to Pine Ridge. The day before many family members of the death squard were moved out of Pine Ridge. On the morning of the firefight roads were blocked off around the area. The FBI used the lame excuse of following a truck in which a person that they said they were looking for in the case of a theft of a pair of boots. Rather than stopping the truck out on the blacktop, two unmarked cars came rushing on to the Jumping Bull's property in the same manner as the drive by shootings had taken place. The AIM members believed that they were under attack by the death squad and the defended themselves. As a result of the firefight one AIM member and two FBI agents died. Under the assult of hundreds of government guns the AIM members were able to excape. Later three AIM members were capture and placed on trial. Because Leonard was captured in Canada, the first trial included only two AIM members. In their trial they were found not guilty for reason of self- defense. Leonard was extradited based upon false documents given to the Canadian court. Then the government transfered Leonard's trial from the original judge to a hand pick judge who would not allow self- defense evidence or evidence of the government's illegal use of false documents. To insure Leonard's conviction the government fabricated ballistic reports in order to connect Leonard directly to the agents deaths. The government also coerced witnesses into giving false testimony against Leonard. Leonard was completely framed and found guilty and sentenced to imprisonment for two lifetimes. Over the years Leonard's defense has disproven the governmet's case to the point that the U.S. prosecutor has stated that the government does not know who killed they agents, and that Leonard is only guilty of "aiding and abetting" because he was there that day. What this means is, since the first two defendants were found not guilty for reason of self-defense, then Leonard has been locked-up for 23 years for "aiding and abetting" an act of self-defense. END THE TORTURE OF LEONARD PELTIER NOW! Over the years the government has continuously harassed Leonard in prison. Leonard is currently suffering from complications of a previous maxilla-facial surgery at the Springfield Medical Prison facility. In that surgery Leonard almost died. Not only did that surgery not improve Leonard's condition, it made it far worst. Leonard is now in continuous excruciating pain. He cannot open his mouth enough to bite his food, nor can he even chew food. Leonard, for very good reasons does not want to go back to Springfield. The renowned maxilla-facial surgeon Doctor Keller of the Mayo Clinic has writen to the prison telling them that he is willing the treat Leonard. But so far the federal Bureau Of Prisons (BOP) has refused to let Leonard be treated. If the government, for political reasons, causes and allows a prisoner to suffer great pain, there is no other word for that than torture. We are calling upon all people who believe in social justice to help in the campaign to end the torture of Leonard Peltier NOW! Please send e- mails to: Ms. Kathleen Hawk, Director, Bureau Of Prisons at: [EMAIL PROTECTED], or write to her at: 320 First St., Washington, DC 20534, or fax: 202-514-6878, or call: 202-307-3198 and ask that Leonard be allowed treatment by Dr. Keller at the Mayo Clinic. INTERNATIONAL DAY IN SOLIDARITY WITH LEONARD PELTIER FEBRUARY 6, 1999 Feb. 6th of this year marks the 23rd year of Leonard's arrest. Each year we mark this day with international marches and rallies. This year is even more important than in the past because of the torture of Leonard and the renewed growing campaign for justice for Leonard. Please, where ever you maybe throughout the world, join with us in this day of solidarity. We need to make a massive statement to end the torture of Leonard and that people throughout the world demand justice for Leonard. If you can help please contact the Leonard Peltier Defense Commttee at: [EMAIL PROTECTED] We are asking that on that day that groups write up solidarity statements for people in their areas to sign and send them to: U.S. Pardon Attorney, Roger C. Adams, 500 First St. NW, Suite 400 Ref: Leonard Peltier #89637-132, Washington, D.C. 20530 USA. President Bill Clinton, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20500 USA. (These should include support for clemency). To: Ms. Kathlenn Hawk, Director, Bureau of Prisons, 320 First St., Washington, DC 20534 USA. Warden Booker, Leavenworth Federal Prison, P.O. Box 1000, Leavenworth, KS 66048 USA. (These should demand the end of the torture of Leonard and support for his treatment at the Mayo Clinic). Please send copies to: LPDC. P.O. BOX 583, Lawrence, KS 66044 USA. NWLPSN FEBRUARY 6, 1999 MARCH AND RALLY--TACOMA, WA. The march starts at 12:00 noon at the Puyallup Nation Tribal Grounds (off I-5, exit 135 north, State Route 164 in Tacoma. The Tribal Grounds are about a 1/4 mile on the right hand side of the road). We will march from the Puyallup Nation Tribal Grounds to the Federal Court House in downtown Tacoma at 1717 Pacific, where the rally will take place. CARPOOLS will be leaving Seattle at 10:30 am from "Planned Parenthood" parking lot at Madison and 22nd. In Olympia the Committee for Justice for Mumia Abu-Jamal is organizing a carpool that will met at 10:30 am at the parking lot of Value Village (corner of Harrison and Division). INTERNATIONAL LEONARD PELTIER SOLIDARITY FAST Starting on February 6th the INTERNATIONAL LEONARD PELTIER SOLIDARITY FAST will begin. The purpose of this fast is to end the torture of Leonard Peltier NOW! The fast will continue with teams fasting for two weeks at a time, then a new team will take over. We plan to continue this fast until the torture of Leonard ends. On each day of the fast different fasting people will be issueing statements calling for the end of the torture. Starting on the first day of the fast, we are asking that supporters each day send e-mail messages to: Ms. Kathleen Hawk, Director, BOP at: [EMAIL PROTECTED] asking that Leonard be sent to the Mayo Clinic and thus end the torture of Leonard Peltier. Those who wish to be a part of this by either fasting or getting that statements of the fasters please contact the NWLPSN at: [EMAIL PROTECTED] FOR MORE INFORMATION In the northwest of the U.S. and Canada you can contact us at: e-mail bayou@blarg, or to get petitions, or to order our pamphlet "THE CASE OF LEONARD PELTIER" ($3 for 1-5 copies or $2 for 6 or more copies) or to make a donation (which we are badly in need of), or to be placed on our mailing list or e-mail list, please write to: NWLPSN-OLYMPIA OFFICE, 5201 Capital Blvd. Ste. 199, Olympa, WA 98501 USA. Or vist our web site at; http://members.aol.com/TurquoisWm/JusticeforLeonardPeltier.html. Outside of the northwest please contact: The Leonard Peltier Defense Committee, P.O. Box 583, Lawrence, KS 66044 USA. Phome number (785) 842-5774. fax (785) 842-5796, e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] (ask to be put on the LPDC e-mail list) Web page: http://members.xoom.com/freepeltier/index.html. We wish the thank everyone who has helped in this long struggle and those who helped by reposting this message. In Solidarity Arthur J. Miller NWLPSN-Tacoma Office end ============== Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html The Year 2000 Bug - An Urgent Sustainability Issue http://www.peg.apc.org/~psutton/grin-y2k.htm