LA-ABCF Statement of Support for the Black Riders

Infoshop News Nov. 29, 2010

The Los Angeles branch of the Anarchist Black Cross Federation (U.S. political prisoner/POW support group) is expressing its support of members of the Black Riders Liberation Party (BRLP) in light of the repression they are facing from the corrupt LAPD and criminal (in)justice system.

The police have a history of showing their hatred for the BRLP and the work they do in the community (survival programs that include political education, halting gang violence, and mobilizing people for events such as meetings for the Justice for Oscar Grant Coalition). Members have been repeatedly stopped and harassed on the streets, arrested on trumped-up charges, had their headquarters raided, and criminalized as "domestic terrorists" and (ironically) "gang members."

On November 5th, 2010 the Black Riders stood with a crowd of people demanding justice for Oscar Grant and his family during the sentencing of Johannes Mehserle at the LA Courthouse. That day a plain clothes police officer who did not identify himself lunged at the Riders (who were lined up, protecting people from any potential violence from the police) and forcefully shoved Kambui Sadiki (a BRLP member). This initiated a physical altercation in which Kambui protected himself, before the other Riders pulled them apart. Police moved in and arrested four of the Riders and charged them all with "battery and assault on a police officer".

Since then two of the Riders have been released, but Kambui Sadiki and Noor Bey remain in custody. Both of them face lengthy prison sentences due to "violating parole/probation." Merely associating with the Riders is considered criminal due to their "gang injunction."

On top of this, the Riders are also facing a charge of "vandalism" stemming from anti-Nazi flyers posted around the city before the Neo-Nazi "Nationalist Socialist Movement" held a rally on the steps of the LA courthouse (April 2010).

The Riders are in desperate need of financial, legal and community support. Even now repression against them continues. One of their vehicles has “mysteriously” been damaged repeatedly last week: slashed tires, bolts missing, then the wheel axle dismantled.

LA-ABCF urges the community to recognize that the real criminals here are the corrupt and violent police defending a corrupt and violent (in)justice system, in league with Oscar Grant’s murderer, Officer Mehserle. This repression is a continuation of police violence against people of color, which is now so bold that police feel free to assault people even in the face of one of their own being sentenced for killing an unarmed Black man.

The attacks on our communities and comrades have got to stop! We’ve got to work to free the Black Riders and end their repression! These men and women are NOT part of a gang, they are part of a movement to empower people of color and stop police brutality! We can’t let the cops silence us for exposing their criminal violence and corruption!

FREE THE BLACK RIDERS!

ALL POWER TO THE PEOPLE!

http://www.abcf.net/