ROCHESTER, N.Y.
Lessons of Attica
By Gene
Clancy
Rochester, N.Y.
On Sept. 25, Workers World Party held a commemoration here
of the historic 1971 rebellion at Attica State Prison. The
meeting, which took place in the New Bethel Church, drew
significant participation from the African American
community.
Henry Gatson and John Duval attended the meeting. Both of
them served 25-year sentences after being railroaded by the
local criminal justice system.
Duval was recently released when his original conviction was
overturned. Now he faces another trial pushed by the racist
district attorney who wants to return him to jail.
Erskine Nero chaired the meeting. He recalled the events of
the 1971 rebellion. Lydia Bayoneta explained that the
day-to-day struggles of 1.8 million inmates in prisons across
the United States must become connected to the political
demands to free political prisoners such as Mumia Abu-Jamal and
Leonard Peltier.
Speakers reported on local struggles, including activities
in support of Mumia Abu-Jamal. Tammy Young, coordinator of the
Rudolph Young Defense Committee, reported on efforts to free
this local man who was railroaded to prison. James Kyler, a
representative of the local chapter of the Southern Christian
Leadership Conference, described the local struggle to end
police brutality and racial profiling.
A highlight of the meeting was Scot Scheffer's eyewitness
report on his recent visit to the Democratic People's Republic
of Korea. He talked about the Korean people's struggle for
reunification.
"Just like the heroic Attica uprising and the struggle of
other political prisoners here in the U.S.," Scheffer told the
crowd, "progressive people in both north and south Korea are
standing up against U.S. imperialism and the repressive U.S.
state apparatus."
This article is copyright under a Creative Commons License.
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