ANGOLA 3 PRISONERS
Supporters demand freedom for Woodfox, Wallace
By Anne
Pruden
Baton Rouge, La.
On June 28, less than a week after the news that the
Louisiana State Supreme Court had turned down Angola 3 prisoner
Albert Woodfox's appeal, a hundred "A-3" supporters traveled
from far and near to continue demands for justice.
Gathering at East Baton Rouge Parish Commissioner Rachel
Morgan's court, the multinational crowd held signs protesting
the 29 years Woodfox has spent in solitary confinement. They
also protested against racism and the incarceration of Herman
Wallace, another member of the Angola 3 who they believe is
innocent.
Wallace and Woodfox founded a chapter of the Black Panther
Party in Louisiana's infamous Angola prison plantation in 1971.
Joined by Robert "King" Wilkerson in 1972, they fought the
rampant brutality and discrimination as well as the inhuman
conditions for Black and white prisoners.
Angola officials, in retaliation for their political views,
charged Wallace and Woodfox with a guard's murder. Later, they
charged Wilkerson with a prisoner's murder. Prison authorities
placed the Angola 3 in solitary confinement. Wallace and
Woodfox still suffer this cruel and unusual punishment.
Wallace told Workers World that "the state has a mountain of
evidence--none of which points to Woodfox or me." This includes
"several bloody fingerprints that were found in the dorm where
the murdered guard was found."
On Feb. 8 of this year, Robert "King" Wilkerson was finally
released after proving the charges against him were false. He
promised to fight for Wallace and Woodfox, saying, "We're still
the Angola 3."
In Baton Rouge June 28 the press sought Wilkerson's views on
the hearing. Answering the Louisiana State's Attorney
contention that Herman Wallace's three-year time limit for new
evidence had passed, Wilkerson said, "Herman Wallace is
innocent. Innocence has no time limit."
Wallace can prove that the prison authorities provided
cigarettes and an early release to the prisoner who testified
against him.
But Wallace was denied the right to be at his own hearing in
Baton Rouge. Angola authorities claimed that it was an
expensive security risk for him to be in Baton Rouge. Had he
insisted on being present at the hearing, they would have
scheduled it inside the 18,000-acre farm plantation known as
the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, where no supporters
were allowed inside.
Wallace chose to have his comrades and supporters pack the
Baton Rouge courtroom, where all the seats were filled. As
Wallace later told this reporter, "I believe in the power of
the people."
Represented by progressive attorneys Scott Fleming and Robin
Shulberg, Herman Wallace now must wait for the commissioner's
recommendation on whether new evidence exposing the frame-up
will be allowed.
Pennsylvania death-row inmate and political prisoner Mumia
Abu-Jamal has written this about Wallace and Woodfox, who face
life in solitary without parole: "It is past time for people to
organize for their life in freedom. They are political
prisoners of the highest caliber who deserve your support."
Meanwhile Albert Woodfox plans an appeal. Supporters are
asked to join/contact the National Coalition to Free the Angola
3, PO Box 15644, New Orleans, LA 70175 or email
angola3@hotmail.com, or look up the web site at
www.prisonactivist.org/angola. In New York people can call
(917) 549-4838.
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011
Email: ww@workers.org
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