MOVE women denied parole

[Moorbey]

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/break...E_members.html


No parole for 3 MOVE members
By Emilie Lounsberry

INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

Three female MOVE members who have been behind bars since the 1978
shootout that killed Philadelphia Police Officer James Ramp and injured
seven others were denied parole this morning, according to a spokesman for
the state Board of Probation and Parole.

Debbie Sims Africa, Janet Hollaway Africa and Janine Phillips Africa were
just informed of the decision and the reasons for the rejection, spokesman
Leo Dunn said.

Dunn said each was informed they had minimized or denied the "nature and
circumstances" of the offense, "refused to accept responsibility" and
lacked remorse.

He said the fourth reason for the rejections was the "negative
recommendation" by the prosecutor.

Decisions are still pending for four other MOVE members eligible for
parole consideration this month. Five of nine votes would be required for
parole to be granted.

The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office urged the board to require the
defendants to serve the maximum of their 30- to 100-year prison terms.
The seven were among nine MOVE members convicted in a 19-week trial in
1980. An eighth defendant will be eligible for parole next year; a ninth
died in prison.

All nine were found guilty of third-degree murder in the shooting death of
Ramp and the attempted murders of the others shot and injured that day,
when police tried to evict 12 adults and 11 children from their
headquarters at 33d and Pearl Streets in Poweltown Village.

The 1978 confrontation was a pivotal moment in the city's torturous
history with the radical group and ultimately set the stage for another
disaster - the May 1985 fire that killed 11 MOVE members, including five
children, and destroyed 61 houses in West Philadelphia. The 11 were killed
after police dropped a bomb on the MOVE headquarters and decided to let it
burn.


Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
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415 863-9977

www.Freedomarchives.org

[Mamazen]

I don't know what to say right now.

They pretty much condemned them to die in prison.

[nattyreb]

Bros. and Sis.,

After just e-mailing 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?

i'm not sure what Sis. Ramona will send out here in response to this news, but i do know this. 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!


Sis. Marpessa. (check http://www.move9parole.blogspot.com/)

==========

The Philadelphia Inquirer announced today that the three remaining MOVE 9 women (Debbie Sims Africa, Janet Hollaway Africa and Janine Phillips Africa) were denied parole by the PA Parole Board. The Inquirer quotes parole board spokesperson Leo Dunn as saying that parole had been denied on the grounds that the three MOVE prisoners had “minimized or denied the ‘nature and circumstances’ of the offense, ‘refused to accept responsibility’ and lacked remorse. He said the fourth reason for the rejections was the ‘negative recommendation’ by the prosecutor.”

The parole board used several of the stipulations that MOVE spokesperson Ramona Africa had predicted that they would try and use to deny parole, including that they "refused to accept responsibility" and lacked remorse.... The unfairness and arguable illegality of this is so obvious, because how can you expect someone to "admit guilt" when they've always said they are innocent? Where does remorse come from if someone is actually innocent?

The “nature and circumstances” stipulation is a blatant re-sentence, since the serious nature of the charges were considered by the judge at the time when he ruled that MOVE should be eligible for parole after 30 years. How can this fairly be used to deny parole?

A further outrage is that the women never even faced weapons charges, unlike the male MOVE 9 prisoners. Because of this, it had been thought by many observers that the women would have a better chance of receiving parole.

Therefore, if this is any indication, it does not look good for the MOVE 9 men, for whom the parole decision is still pending. If supporters want to make a difference and hold the parole board accountable for these blatantly unconstitutional parole stipulations, we must increase public pressure.

This blatantly unfair decision can only serve to validate the argument that the MOVE 9 are indeed “political prisoners”.

Hans Bennett

[Moorbey]

MOVE Women denied parole!
Posted by: "ICFFMAJ" icffmaj@aol.com
Tue Apr 22, 2008 5:38 pm (PDT)

Now, more than ever, people need to be out May 10, 2008, 12 - 3 pm, 11th and Market in Philly for the MOVE 9. Download, print out, copy, and distribute this flyer. FREE THE MOVE 9!!!

MOVE WOMEN DENIED PAROLE!!!



Today, April 22, 2008, MOVE women that survived the August 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; lacked remorse and because the prosecutors 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 they 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 that 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 August 8, 1978 when he ordered MOVE HQ., 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 bases for any trial. Judge Malmed, the trial judge in the August 8th murder trial “acted outside the law” when he sentenced 9 innocent MOVE people to a maximum 900 years in prison for a crime that he could not say or prove that any 1 of the 9 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 lie in the fact that every single charge listed in those warrants were 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!





http://move9parole. blogspot. com/



The Injustice Continues: MOVE 9 women denied parole



By Hans Bennett



The Philadelphia Inquirer ( READ FULL ARTICLE ) announced today that the three remaining MOVE 9 women (Debbie Sims Africa, Janet Hollaway Africa and Janine Phillips Africa) were denied parole by the PA Parole Board. The Inquirer quotes parole board spokesperson Leo Dunn as saying that parole had been denied because the three MOVE prisoners had "minimized or denied the 'nature and circumstances' of the offense, 'refused to accept responsibility' and lacked remorse. He said the fourth reason for the rejections was the 'negative recommendation' by the prosecutor."



The parole board used several of the stipulations that MOVE spokesperson Ramona Africa had predicted that they would try and use to deny parole, including that they "refused to accept responsibility" and lacked remorse.... The unfairness and arguable illegality of this is so obvious, because how can you expect someone to "admit guilt" when they've always said they are innocent? Where does remorse come from if someone is actually innocent?



The "nature and circumstances" stipulation is a blatant re-sentence, since the serious nature of the charges were considered by the judge at the time when he ruled that MOVE should be eligible for parole after 30 years. How can this fairly be used to deny parole?

A further outrage is that the women never even faced weapons charges, unlike the male MOVE 9 prisoners. Because of this, it had been thought by many observers that the women would have a better chance of receiving parole.



Therefore, if this is any indication, it does not look good for the MOVE 9 men, for whom the parole decision is still pending. If supporters want to make a difference and hold the parole board accountable for these blatantly unconstitutional parole stipulations, we must increase public pressure.



This blatantly unfair decision can only serve to validate the argument that the MOVE 9 are indeed "political prisoners".



At move9parole. blogspot. com there are resources for contacting the parole board. As well as articles, and a new video-series focusing on MOVE 9 parole that feature new interviews with Ramona and Mike Africa Jr. mixed in with archival footage from the recent documentary on MOVE by Cohort Media, narrated by Howard Zinn.



http://www.philly. com/inquirer/ breaking/ news_breaking/ 20080422_ No_paroles_ for_3_MOVE_ members.html



No paroles for 3 MOVE members



By Emilie Lounsberry

INQUIRER STAFF WRITER



Three female MOVE members who have been behind bars since the 1978 shootout that killed Philadelphia Police Officer James Ramp and injured seven others were denied parole this morning, according to a spokesman for the state Board of Probation and Parole.

Debbie Sims Africa, Janet Hollaway Africa and Jeanene Phillips Africa were just informed of the decision and the reasons for the rejection, spokesman Leo Dunn said.
Dunn said each was informed they had minimized or denied the "nature and circumstances" of the offense, "refused to accept responsibility" and lacked remorse.
He said the fourth reason for the rejections was the "negative recommendation" by the prosecutor.

Decisions are still pending for four other MOVE members eligible for parole consideration this month. Five of nine votes would be required for parole to be granted.
The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office urged the board to require the defendants to serve the maximum of their 30- to 100-year prison terms.

The seven were among nine MOVE members convicted in a 19-week trial in 1980. An eighth defendant will be eligible for parole next year; a ninth died in prison.

All nine were found guilty of third-degree murder in the shooting death of Ramp and the attempted murders of the others shot and injured that day, when police tried to evict 12 adults and 11 children from their headquarters at 33d and Pearl Streets in Poweltown Village.

The 1978 confrontation was a pivotal moment in the city's torturous history with the radical group and ultimately set the stage for another disaster - the May 1985 fire that killed 11 MOVE members, including five children, and destroyed 61 houses in West Philadelphia. The 11 were killed after police dropped a bomb on the MOVE headquarters and decided to let it burn.



Letter from MOVE Supporter:
Mr. Congressman Conyers,

If this Decision which came out today on the day of primary election in Phiiladelphia is true than myself and others around the world are more than upset and see that there is no justice in Pennsylvania. Your Friend -Ed Rendell has a very heavy handed role in the injustice against Mumia Abu-Jamal and MOVE going back to the 1970s which instigated severe police brutality against MOVE. I have gave you over the years telephone books of information concerning the injustice against MOVE the same as with Arlin Spector. Repeatedly I have asked that hearings with supoena power be held. This last weekend was the 15th anniversary of Waco a very similiar situation like what has happened with MOVE. All that were in prison for there role in Waco where cops were slain despite the fact those people were defending themselves had less years of sentence of than the MOVE 9 have been charged with the accusation of firing one bullet. Plus all of them Waco pisoners are out free today! You can go to the website www.abu-jamal- news.com to see the evidence that the MOVE 9 are innocent! Others around the world see that the MOVE 9 are innocent. There were hearings for Waco of which Arlin Spector demanded but yet becuase of the cops prejudice the MOVE 9 are denied. It is quite clear that the cops put their weight against the MOVE members that had their parole hearings and on the decison. So now will you have hearings for MOVE because you have the power to call for it like you did expeditely with the Jena 6? I know your friend Ed Rendell has in his leadership of the DNC stomping the ground for Hillary but there is no excuse for injustice especially after more that 30 years.- Sabrina Friends of MOVE



Baltimore/Washingto n and Intl concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal

The Power of Truth is Final -- Free Mumia!

PLEASE CONTACT:
International Concerned Family & Friends of MAJ
P.O. Box 19709
Philadelphia, PA 19143
Phone - 215-476-8812/ Fax - 215-476-6180
E-mail - icffmaj@aol. com
Web - www.freemumia. com
AND OFFER YOUR SERVICES!

Send our brotha some LOVE and LIGHT at:
Mumia Abu-Jamal
AM 8335
SCI-Greene
175 Progress Drive
Waynesburg, PA 15370

WE WHO BELIEVE IN FREEDOM CAN *NOT* REST!!

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Read: http://topica. com/lists/ mumiacolumns/ read
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icffmaj@aol. com!

[Check out Mumia's latest: *WE WANT FREEDOM:
A Life in the Black Panther Party*, from South
End Press (http://www.southend press.org); Ph.
#1-800-533-8478. ]

[Sun Ship]

I’m not surprise. I think the reason they were so demonized by the “powers-that-be”, those who don’t ever want these people to be free (or any of us), is just as much directed at the way those in the MOVE group were trying to live, as much as it has anything to do with what they were “accused” (basically framed) of doing.

MOVE under the guidance of John Africa was attempting to distance themselves from the urban-ghetto matrix within the confines of the urban-ghetto matrix itself, not just in pipe dreams, words, and charismatic speeches, but in real life-choices and deeds in real-time. When groups like theirs are chosen for neutralization (code for: annihilation) the authorities look for any loose thread to unravel the whole blanket and if they can’t find one they create an imaginary one.

These life sentences are to be a lesson-of-fear to all of those who think they want to attempt to be free of the matrix. And the way many of us operate it is obvious that the lesson is being translated successfully on some conscious or subconscious level. For as we fight for the freedom of so many who dared not to be just become another cog in the process and the machine, I think what is most damning (and will be to our children) is that conscious Black people in this country over the years did not attempt to replicate similar conscious-driven, communal, civil, and natural life-choices that these mavericks and sojourners where trying to manifest, for MOVE's defiant ideology was more on trial than anything else.

Like I said...MOVE is imprisoned in body, we must free them in spirit...