Police Attack — People Fight Back (sound)

for [Applause] [Applause] over the state of Jo we is fed up with this [ __ ] black people were brought to America for the sole purpose of cheap labor in order to build a country that only been benefits the rich and wealthy yes black slaves built this country but were never treated as men and women but black people didn't just sit back and do nothing we've struggled every day of Our Lives to fight racism exploitation and repression during the slave period black people fought against the system people like Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglas black people stood up against the Klux Clan and the Poli police in a struggle for Democratic rights the police who serve the rich and Powerful met the peaceful marches boycots and pick a team with the billy [Music] club police dogs and and fire hoses it was clear whose side the police were on workers who fought for their rights were also met with violence from the police in 1971 workers at me packaging company in Atlanta were dealt with in much the same manner people who pick it are constantly met in most situations with violence from the police who are usually the ones who provoke violence police serve those who have the money and run the city such as the Chamber of Commerce they do not serve the interests of poor and working people and uh cop asked me to move back and I the same time the helicopter flying over and he said something about the helicopter I looked up and see what did say and the cop said I told you to move back and I said I'm moving back but four or five people standing behind me I couldn't move back freely and he grabbed me and throw me into the wagon to the wagon when he threw me to the wagon by eight cops grumped on me throw me down kicked me stump me beat me across my head our fight have caused direct confrontation with the police which has never been sensitive to our needs but the needs of the wealthy for the past two years black and poor people of Atlanta have had several confrontations with the police these confrontations were not only directed at black men and women but black boys and girls also the police in Atlanta have proven themselves incompetent and are not sensitive to the problems of the black community around the latter part of 1972 the SWAT Squad which which is a highly trained killer Detachment of the police department of Atlanta brutalized workers at me Corporation these workers were picketing for better working conditions and [Applause] pay hey squat Deco and Stakeout are all a part of Atlanta receiving 20 million doll from the law enforcement assistance Administration to fight crime with helicopters and spies in the black community not jobs and equality for all almost a year later 14-year-old Pam Dixon was unjustly shot by a policeman in the Capitol homes area of Atlanta and the officer who did the shooting was eventually set free no one in in Atlanta is safe from police Terror except a r rich and wealthy like Dillard mford who condones informers in the black community and the decco squad he condones these squads and this kind of tactic because of his business interest in the city the people in Atlanta have not and will not set still to the police harer that now exists organizations like the Atlanta anti-repression Coalition have for the past year demonstrated and protested not only the 18 black killings and one white killing in the year 1973 but the overall attack on the working people's living standards another organization the people's committee to get rid of John enman has recently staged a rally that brought 2500 people to the police Police Department to protest the police killings in the city and the overall firing of police chief John enman this is only the beginning of what is needed a large mass movement in protest of black murders in Atlanta by the Atlanta Police [Applause] Department go go go [Applause] Winn [Applause] going the latest fascist episode of the Atlanta Police Department was a vicious murder of 17-year-old Brandon Gibson on Saturday May 22nd Brandon was alleged to be picked up on a violation of parole charge but instead was shot down after he was cornered in a neighbor's apartment Brandon was struggling with an officer who had been issued an order to shoot him in the leg while struggling with the two detectives DV Lee and CD Porter of the Atlanta Police Department for control of the weapon which was wielded by Porter plane Clos officer Al Bradford rushed in and upon the order to shoot him shot Brandon Gibson in the head while he was held by the two officers he was then shot in the stomach by a detective Porter murdered by anyone's judgment just trying to keep it away from him right what happened is when this detective dropped the gun it scared that kid and he was fighting for his life that kid was trying to get a lose way he could run and with two men holding him he couldn't run and when this police walked in and I understand that the parole officer say shoot him this police that's out and shot the boy is cold blooded murder that's all so we are on the case from this afternoon and theight every day from now on we can't have no more killing in Atlanta by the Atlanta Police Department I am saying this afternoon is Ernest wheeler I want the chief of police I want the man of the city to straighten their stuff down town because they cannot protect people out here because people don't believe in what people doing and they don't have themselves together so I ran down there when I got down there the det said he going to shoot my brother so my other brother said don't shoot him then he said here go then that DET put it going in the pocket but he didn't put it all way then my brother jumped then the detector jump with him and the g fell on the floor so the detector grabbed that my brother grabbed the hand then the other DET told him shoot him in leg my brother tried to twist gun out of hand you police ran the house shot him in the head I tried to go in you know see what going on they chok me and they grabb me try to throw me in the car they SC me they put you in the police car yeah Poli they wouldn't let his mother in the house he told them he she was the mother of that L son and she they would not let that lady in the house to see her son after they had shot it we cannot not stand behind that kind of law enforcement in the city of Atlanta we will not stand behind that kind of law enforcement any longer from this hour on that's right if they kill that brother they'll kill me and if they kill me they'll kill my wife and four children five children we not going to go any longer with that kind of living they going you know they went with the guns in the hand they didn't knock first they did not no did they identify themselves no what did they say when they came in oh they didn't even say anything all they did what the provision officer said shoot what's happening they have undercovered men out here at all time some riding ice cream trucks some of them riding all kind of moving vehicles but they undercovered men looking for something and there nothing out here to find nothing but poor people trying to live if a brother out here has broke out of jail hell he need to break out of jail I'll break out if I get a chance and I'm going to stand tall now on and we are going back to jail if they don't like the way we're doing cuz I don't like what em and M doing either all right they killed young bre because he was black they killed my son Andre because he is black too and I have to be concerned and that's why I came out this afternoon I had a very important pick a line but I'm tired I'm tired America of being shot down like those I'm tired no oh God if that has been a white boy this morning yeah they back to way shot tear gas in that depart people from the bow and Holmes Community angered by the murder of Brandon Gibson are assembling for a March a larger and growing number of people are moving and determined to do something about Police Murder as more people unite to take action they will meet with stronger resistance from thece police for a peaceful demonstration to honor Brandon Gibson erupted into a bloody battle after the police attacked the Marchers the police were ordered to stop the march by Chief of Police John enman and were condoned by government officials including Atlanta mayor mayor Jackson and Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter the governor said the police had no alternative but to stop the Marchers the governor also said that if another March takes place today with without a permit the police should move in again I don't think there's any alternative for the police except to enforce a law there is a a standard city ordinance that requires that a parade permit be acquired and the streets are there primarily for vehicles and when a large massive number of people I don't care if they are religious students bringing me a Bible or or the state participating in an official celebration of the 4th of July anything else when the streets are blocked they ought it ought to be done in a predictable way with a permit issued so that traffic can be routed in other ways and and the prerogatives of the of the other citizens not involved can be protected a deliberate violation of the law with a parade without a permit certainly would have to be controlled while the government is excusing and often encouraging police attacks they've done little or nothing to stop the rising tide of unemployment and inflation as the economic crisis deepens the connections between big business interest and the repressive measures taken against the working class becom more obvious big business does not only rely heavily on their influence in the Chamber of Commerce to control the police department they also use the poison of racism to organize sections of the petty bis and even some backward sections of the white working class against the struggles of the minority peoples to win full Democratic rights and Liberation but the workers are no longer easily manipulated by the powerful business interest which seek to keep them fighting against each other instead of turning their energies against the Real Enemy the ruling class the major weapon the ruling class uses to split the working class is the denial of self-determination to black people it is important for white working people to support the demands of black people in their struggle for full Democratic rights it is the only way to build Unity the ruling class fears this united front Against Racism and imperialism the ruling class knows that a united front of black and white working and Progressive people will will be the turning point that no longer will the racist agitation of big business be a wedge that weakens the workingclass movement the ruling class will try every trick to destroy this Unity for example in South Boston real estate brokers and politicians have organized white gangs by making racist appeals to backward workers and criminal elements for the purpose of opposing the busting of black school children and terrorizing the black community having set up the situation the ruling class is now refusing protection to the school children allowing full play to organize mobs this fascist policy represents a growing Trend in the United States in sections of Boston where busing has not yet come support is being won for the right of black people to equal education and protection from the racist gangs we recognize that the right of black people to be bust are to go to any school of their choice is a right that must be upheld white working people can be and are being one to support opposition to the attacks on black people it is happening in South Boston and is happening in Atlanta in North Carolina black and white students are organizing to help fight the reactionaries in Boston but the big businessmen and the Chambers of Commerce have to be fought every step of the way it is the duty of progressive white people to not only oppose attack on black people but also to win support from their friends and the people they work with say the people the people alone are the Moor for making world history right so if you want to free yourself from dogs like John Ed like dogs like Jimmy Carter like vacating [ __ ] like May Jackson if you want to free yourself from that food that you had to punch a Time Clock every morning you can do it all right you know we got masas and fathers that wish to be here right now but they taking care of the children so we here the youth the youth that's going to change this country are here we know John enman is guilty we can look out in our streets and see how discourteous them policemen are we can see how discourteous how discourteous the carts are how when we go in there we got the stand up some foood judge he should stand up when we come in press people all over the world are forcing the owners of America to give up get out of their countries inside the us working people are fighting harder harder than ever against it tax on their living standards the ruling class will use violence to maintain their super profits black black people Cho people and other National minorities are fighting harder for full Democratic Rights and Freedom the ruling class will answer back with police Terror the times demand Unity the times demand a hard struggle Against Racism sees the time the police attack people fight [Applause] back this film was produced by the Atlanta anti-repression coalition to build a revolutionary mass movement against police Terror