Hampton
23rd January 2004, 02:50
Background
The MOVE organization surfaced in Philadelphia during the early 1970’s. Characterized by dreadlock hair, the adopted surname “Africa”, and a principled unity, and an uncompromising commitment to their belief, members practiced the teachings of MOVE found John Africa. Members valued the personal discipline and physical strength derived from manual labor and other activities.
Demonstrating their reverence for all forms of life, MOVE looked after neighbors pets, helped homeless people find places to live, assisted the elderly with home repairs, intervened in violence between local gangs and college frats, and helped incarcerated offenders meet parole requirements through rehabilitation programs.
When MOVE successfully focused attention on police abuses , many community groups across the city sought MOVE’s assistance with similar demonstrations in their own neighborhood. As a result of this activism, the police began a concerted campaign of harassment against MOVE, breaking up demonstrations by arresting MOVE members on disorderly conduct charges or violations of whatever local ordinance could be made to apply.
August 8, 1978 Police Assault
By 1978, confrontations with neighbors and the police had led MOVE members to brandish weapons outside of their Powelton Village enclave. Police had setup a 24 hour watch around the MOVE house and arrested members when they came off the property.
Throughout the standoff, mediators and negotiators from a number of community coalitions and intervention agencies relayed messages between city and MOVE in an attempt to come up with a peaceful settlement. But talks always broke down over the issue of releasing MOVE members already in jail.
On March 16, 1978 hundreds of cops invaded the neighborhood and sealed off a four block area. Sharpshooters posts and machine guns nests were set up, workmen shut off the water to MOVE’s house. Those inside were pregnant women, nursing babies, children and animals.
Some cops had taken to tossing bottles, rocks, and firecrackers into MOVE’s yard, hoping to provoke a confrontation. On April 4, 1978 thousands marched around city hall in a massive demonstration protesting the city’s actions.
August 2, 1978 it was decided that MOVE had violated a 90 day “deadline” that they had to leave the house. On Tuesday August 8th, hundreds of cops in flak jackets and riot helmets surrounded the MOVE house and ordered them out. Police then rolled in construction vehicles and knocked down fences and smashed out windows. At 7:00 am 45 armed police entered the house to find that the inhabitants were barricaded in the basement. Around 8:00 am firemen ripped off the boarded up windows and turned on water canons, flooding the basement.
While trying to escape the flooding basement police started to fire in the area of the house. After a short period Officer James Ramp was killed as well as three other policemen and several firemen being shot. One of the stake out officers would latter admit under oath that he had emptied his carbine into the very basement from which he heard screaming women and children.
Emerging from the basement Delbert Africa was emptied handed with outstretched arms, he was smashed in the face with a police helmet and hit with a blunt blow from a shotgun. Knocked to the ground Delbert was then dragged by his hair across the street where the other officers kicked him in the head, groin, and kidneys.
http://www.fantompowa.net/Flame/mumia.move.jpg
One of the officers who took part in the beating of Delbert Africa would later be shot to death by his wife, later it was discovered that she had been battered by her husband on many occasions.
Although destroying the evidence of a crime is illegal, by noon the house, the foundation, and trees in the yard had all been bulldozed to the ground.
The Trial
The 9 defendants would represent themselves would be thrown out of court because of their court demeanor and it would become the longest and costliest in Philadelphia history. When they were kicked out of court back-up attorneys were brought in and none of the defendants were allowed to attend the remaining 47 days of their own trial.
Radio Journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal had the Judge Malmed as a guest on his show. When asked “Who shot James Ramp?” Malmed replied, “I haven’t the faintest idea,” and went on to say that since MOVE members wanted to be tried as a family, he convicted them as a family.
Janine, Debbie, Janet, Merle, Delbert, Mike, Edward, Phil, and Chuck Africa were all in jail for third degree murder, conspiracy, and multiple accounts of attempted murder and aggravated assault. Each defendant was given a sentence of 30 to 100 years.
On March 13, 1998 Merle Africa died in Muncy Correctional Institution. Prison officials first stated that she died of natural causes, even though she was only 48. Prison authorities then stated she had cancer. She had been in jail since 1978.
http://www.prisonactivist.org/pps+pows/MOVE/merle_africa.jpg
On A Move (http://www.onamove.org/)
MOVE Part 2 Coming Soon....
The MOVE organization surfaced in Philadelphia during the early 1970’s. Characterized by dreadlock hair, the adopted surname “Africa”, and a principled unity, and an uncompromising commitment to their belief, members practiced the teachings of MOVE found John Africa. Members valued the personal discipline and physical strength derived from manual labor and other activities.
Demonstrating their reverence for all forms of life, MOVE looked after neighbors pets, helped homeless people find places to live, assisted the elderly with home repairs, intervened in violence between local gangs and college frats, and helped incarcerated offenders meet parole requirements through rehabilitation programs.
When MOVE successfully focused attention on police abuses , many community groups across the city sought MOVE’s assistance with similar demonstrations in their own neighborhood. As a result of this activism, the police began a concerted campaign of harassment against MOVE, breaking up demonstrations by arresting MOVE members on disorderly conduct charges or violations of whatever local ordinance could be made to apply.
August 8, 1978 Police Assault
By 1978, confrontations with neighbors and the police had led MOVE members to brandish weapons outside of their Powelton Village enclave. Police had setup a 24 hour watch around the MOVE house and arrested members when they came off the property.
Throughout the standoff, mediators and negotiators from a number of community coalitions and intervention agencies relayed messages between city and MOVE in an attempt to come up with a peaceful settlement. But talks always broke down over the issue of releasing MOVE members already in jail.
On March 16, 1978 hundreds of cops invaded the neighborhood and sealed off a four block area. Sharpshooters posts and machine guns nests were set up, workmen shut off the water to MOVE’s house. Those inside were pregnant women, nursing babies, children and animals.
Some cops had taken to tossing bottles, rocks, and firecrackers into MOVE’s yard, hoping to provoke a confrontation. On April 4, 1978 thousands marched around city hall in a massive demonstration protesting the city’s actions.
August 2, 1978 it was decided that MOVE had violated a 90 day “deadline” that they had to leave the house. On Tuesday August 8th, hundreds of cops in flak jackets and riot helmets surrounded the MOVE house and ordered them out. Police then rolled in construction vehicles and knocked down fences and smashed out windows. At 7:00 am 45 armed police entered the house to find that the inhabitants were barricaded in the basement. Around 8:00 am firemen ripped off the boarded up windows and turned on water canons, flooding the basement.
While trying to escape the flooding basement police started to fire in the area of the house. After a short period Officer James Ramp was killed as well as three other policemen and several firemen being shot. One of the stake out officers would latter admit under oath that he had emptied his carbine into the very basement from which he heard screaming women and children.
Emerging from the basement Delbert Africa was emptied handed with outstretched arms, he was smashed in the face with a police helmet and hit with a blunt blow from a shotgun. Knocked to the ground Delbert was then dragged by his hair across the street where the other officers kicked him in the head, groin, and kidneys.
http://www.fantompowa.net/Flame/mumia.move.jpg
One of the officers who took part in the beating of Delbert Africa would later be shot to death by his wife, later it was discovered that she had been battered by her husband on many occasions.
Although destroying the evidence of a crime is illegal, by noon the house, the foundation, and trees in the yard had all been bulldozed to the ground.
The Trial
The 9 defendants would represent themselves would be thrown out of court because of their court demeanor and it would become the longest and costliest in Philadelphia history. When they were kicked out of court back-up attorneys were brought in and none of the defendants were allowed to attend the remaining 47 days of their own trial.
Radio Journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal had the Judge Malmed as a guest on his show. When asked “Who shot James Ramp?” Malmed replied, “I haven’t the faintest idea,” and went on to say that since MOVE members wanted to be tried as a family, he convicted them as a family.
Janine, Debbie, Janet, Merle, Delbert, Mike, Edward, Phil, and Chuck Africa were all in jail for third degree murder, conspiracy, and multiple accounts of attempted murder and aggravated assault. Each defendant was given a sentence of 30 to 100 years.
On March 13, 1998 Merle Africa died in Muncy Correctional Institution. Prison officials first stated that she died of natural causes, even though she was only 48. Prison authorities then stated she had cancer. She had been in jail since 1978.
http://www.prisonactivist.org/pps+pows/MOVE/merle_africa.jpg
On A Move (http://www.onamove.org/)
MOVE Part 2 Coming Soon....