Free Leonard Peltier!

Events were held on Feb. 6 throughout the United States and in Canada, Germany, Portugal and Italy to mark the 30th anniversary of the unjust arrest and subsequent imprisonment of political activist Leonard Peltier.

Peltier supporters rally in New York. WW photo: Dustin Langley

Peltier, a citizen of the Anishinabe and Dakota/Lakota Nations and a participant in the American Indian Movement, was convicted of the murder of two FBI agents at a shootout in the Pine Ridge Reser vation in 1975 and is serving a life sentence. However, Peltier’s trial was conducted in a fraudulent manner, with key witnesses and evidence presented by the defense banned and ruled inadmissable, while the prosecution presented no witnesses against Peltier. Peltier maintains his innocence to this day and has been recognized across the world for his human rights achievements.

On Feb. 6, 21 activists in thirteen states completed their six-day fast, begun on Feb. 1, to call for Peltier’s freedom. Parti cipants included Rev. Lennox Year wood of the Hip Hop Caucus, Theresa Laino of the New York Leonard Peltier Support Group, and Esperanza Martell of the ProLibertad Freedom Campaign.

In New York, supporters rallied at the site of a plaque commemorating Indi gen ous settlements in Manhat tan. Speakers included Tiokasin Ghosthorse, host and producer of WBAI’s First Voices Indigenous Radio; Larry Holmes of the Troops Out Now Coalition, Teresa Gutierrez of the New York Committee to Free the Cuban Five, and Toni Zeidan of the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee. A special solidarity message from political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal was played.

In Tacoma, Wash., 400 people marched over 2 miles in driving rain from the Puyallup Nation to the downtown federal courthouse on Feb. 4. This year marked the 13th annual International Day in Solidarity with Leonard Peltier in Tacoma. Groups such as the Chief Seattle Center, Palestine Solidarity Committee, and MECHA were represented, and performances were held by the Northwest AIM Drum and the Aztec dancers. An indoor rally after the march was chaired by David Duenas, son of Roque Duenas who died trying to free Peltier in 1979. Addressing the government that has jailed Peltier for 30 years, Elder Alex Jackson said, “We have given you freedom in this country. Now give us (Native People) freedom in this our own country.”

Monday’s events also served to launch a series of upcoming actions to free Leonard Peltier. For more information, visit www.leonardpeltier.org.