Ramona Africa of the MOVE Organization speaks at the Free Mumia! rally in Philly Saturday.

I recall when geronimo ji Jaga (Pratt) was in prison for a crime he didn’t commit and was repeatedly denied parole for the same reasons cited below – refusing to show remorse for a murder he didn’t do. As most of you know, he was finally exonerated after spending 27 years in California gulags.

This parole denial is an outrage! And it signifies that a similar decision will be made when the MOVE men go before the Parole Board.

Parole board denies innocent MOVE women after 30 years

Today, April 22, 2008, MOVE women who survived the Aug. 8, 1978, police attempt to kill off MOVE were denied parole by the Pennsylvania Department of Probation and Parole. The parole board says that MOVE women were denied parole because they minimized or denied the nature and circumstances of the offense, refused to accept responsibility and lacked remorse – and because the prosecutor’s office said MOVE should not be paroled because we act outside the “law.”

In fact, it’s the parole board that is “acting outside the law” by demanding that any inmate, especially those that have maintained their innocence from the very beginning, say that they are guilty when they are not.

MOVE is innocent. We ain’t guilty, we ain’t gonna say we’re guilty and the parole board has no authority to demand that we lie and say we’re guilty. That is the height of arrogance when the parole board knows that countless people are convicted in the courts daily, are sent to jail and end up being released after 20, 25, 30 years because they are innocent just like they said they were.

Where would any “remorse” come from when you are innocent? Why would anybody take responsibility for a crime that they didn’t commit? Where is the wrong in denying something that you did not do?

It is obvious that these officials are sending a very clear message to the people. The message is that they’re gonna do whatever they want to do and they don’t care about the truth, they don’t care that they’re breaking the very laws that they claim to have MOVE and millions of others in prison for breaking and they don’t even care that people know that they’re the ones that are breaking the law.

Lynn Abraham, the district attorney of Philadelphia who used to be a judge, says that MOVE “acts outside the law” so we should stay in prison? In fact, she acted outside the law when she signed warrants for MOVE in May of 1977 even though the police commissioner said MOVE had committed no crime. Then Mayor Rizzo “acted outside the law” on Aug. 8, 1978, when he ordered MOVE headquarters, vital evidence in a murder trial, the “scene of the crime,” destroyed.

The courts “acted outside the law” when they proceeded with the trial after destroying the scene of the crime because when they destroyed the evidence they destroyed the basis for any trial. Judge Malmed, the trial judge in the Aug. 8 murder trial “acted outside the law” when he sentenced nine innocent MOVE people to a maximum 900 years in prison for a crime that he could not say or prove that any one of the nine committed, a crime that he admitted publicly that he didn’t have the “faintest idea” who committed.

Lynn Abraham “acted outside the law” when she knowingly signed fraudulent warrants for cops to come out and murder innocent MOVE people in May of 1985. The proof of just how fraudulent those warrants were lies in the fact that every single charge listed in those warrants was dismissed as having no basis – every single charge.

Is there any question why MOVE people are so bitter, so full of fight and so motivated to keep revolting against this rotten ass system? John Africa has opened our eyes and HE keeps us motivated, keeps us full of fight. They can hurt MOVE because we’re alive, we have feelings, but thanks to John Africa they WILL NEVER STOP MOVE!

LONG LIVE JOHN AFRICA! LONG LIVE REVOLUTION!

Sis. Marpessa: How dare they?

After just emailing out the Philly newspaper announcement that three of the MOVE women were denied parole today, I am still sitting here sickened beyond belief. I know that we are to never expect justice from this system, ever, but this is just a real kick in the stomach to me here today!

How DARE they sit up there and say that 30 years of these Sistas’ lives, one of whom DIED while in their custody, is not satisfactory to them?! They know damn well that there is nothing for them to feel remorse for because they are not guilty of any crime! James Ramp was killed by the friendly fire of their own cops and even today they refuse to admit it!

So what they are saying is that we are to quietly accept that the MOVE 9 must now face 100 YEARS of incarceration and just go on with business as usual. NO, that is just not acceptable. These are unofficial death sentences for their daring to survive the vicious Rizzo police force’s attempt to starve, drown, shoot and beat them down like dogs! They have always been highly principled while imprisoned and have helped numerous inmates to become stronger, clearer, healthier people.

Who will go to jail for the murder of MOVE men, women and children? Who will do one single MINUTE behind the HEAVILY DOCUMENTED crimes against MOVE people?

This is OUR family. The injustice happening here CANNOT be denied – I don’t care which way you look at it or what your political bent is. We must be on point for the MOVE Organization like never before!

All out May 10 for MOVE!

On Saturday, May 10, 12-3 p.m., at 11th and Market streets in Philadelphia, come demonstrate to free the MOVE 9. We are marking the anniversary of the murderous 1985 bombing of MOVE by continuing the work carried out by those who were killed: Freeing the MOVE 9. Parole is NOT a given.

Come out in support of these brave political prisoners who are approaching their 30th year of incarceration! Up the pressure for their release!

We NEED EVERYONE there. If you absolutely cannot make it to Philly, try to hold an event in solidarity where you are – a teach-in, showing the MOVE documentary, or writing letters and op-eds to as many newspapers as possible. Raise money and make radio and TV PSAs. There is something EVERYONE can do!

And family members and support committees of other political prisoners being denied parole – please come! Bring signs for your incarcerated family members. Let’s fight this together! ONA MOVE!

For more information on the demonstration, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Sis. Marpessa suggests we check http://www.move9parole.blogspot.com/). Kiilu can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it For more on MOVE, visit www.onamove.com.

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