African People’s Socialist Party (APSP) member Bakari Olatunji was arrested on bogus charges in Oakland, CA and Spear staffer LIFE Malcolm was framed by the police department and arrested in Tampa, FL.
Bakari faced the possibility of a $1000 fine and a year of imprisonment in a California county jail and LIFE was confronted with the possibility of spending seven years in a Florida state prison. Both of these comrades refused to cop a plea and chose instead to fight the State assault.
Bakari was attacked by the Oakland police when he walked into the Oakland police headquarters on May 4, 2012 to serve the Oakland police chief a people’s subpoena at a public meeting called by the police. They accused him of “resisting, delaying or obstructing” a cop (California Penal Code) and dragged him away in handcuffs.
Bakari has a 25-year history in Oakland as an organizer and defender of the African community under the leadership of the Uhuru Movement, including leading a large community demonstration in the streets of Oakland in defense of the courageous actions of Lovelle Mixon, a 26-year-old African who was shot to death by Oakland police after he put down four Oakland cops to avoid capture.
Bakari, because of his organizational leadership, was the target of a vendetta by the Oakland police as soon as he walked into the public meeting.
The Oakland police and the colonial court system, however, became the target of the people’s organizational power when they arrested Bakari on the trumped up charges.
Revolutionary blacks under attack from the east coast to the west coast in the U.S.
LIFE Malcolm was framed with charges of animal cruelty by Hillsborough county and falsely accused of resisting arrest without violence and battery on a cop by Tampa police.
LIFE and his family were caring for their terminally ill Rottweiler, J.J. when Paris Dunkley, a white woman employed by Hillsborough county as an animal safety worker, showed up at LIFE’s residence of 16 years on July 8, 2014, determined to show LIFE and his family that as long as white people have State power Africans have no control of their most private affairs.
Dunkley returned to LIFE’s residence two days later with a search warrant and 15 Tampa cops, including several members of the Rapid Offender Control (ROC) squad, which usually handles street level crimes not animal cruelty cases to oversee LIFE’s arrest and the seizure of his pets.
This unusual escalation of a family matter to a felony by the county worker and the excessive police presence was not about JJ; it was retaliation against LIFE’s decade-long work to protect and defend African people.
LIFE, just a few months prior, had written a Spear article that exposed the Tampa police cover up of their murder of Arthur Green, Jr..
African people can win when we organize and fight back!
Bakari was arraigned on the trumped up charges against him four days after his arrest. The Uhuru Movement, in that short time, organized and showed up to the proceeding en masse.
The State dropped the bogus charges against Bakari that day, fearing the political repercussions that would come if they pursued them.
Bakari prudently filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of Oakland after charges against him were dropped. The city, though not admitting to their cops’ clear violation of Bakari’s rights, in January 2015 agreed to pay him $40,000 for his trouble.
Ninety percent, or more of all convictions result from plea deals
LIFE, armed with the theory of African Internationalism, the support of the Uhuru Movement and the support of working class Africans in Tampa, chose to take on the colonial court in a jury trial that could send him to prison, in lieu of accepting a deal with the State that offered him misdemeanor probation.
Members of the Uhuru Movement and working class Africans in Tampa filled the courtroom every day of the three day trial.
The State’s witnesses included the white county worker, three white cops and a white vet. LIFE’s all-African defense witnesses consisted of himself, the mother of two of his children, his 17-year-old daughter and the vet who was consulting him.
The jury of five white people and one African, after three hours of deliberation returned a verdict of NOT GUILTY, on all three charges—a rare and unusual outcome for African’s who dare to challenge the State in court.
Organize and Win!
The victories won by comrade Bakari and comrade LIFE are the result of revolutionary science and organization.
Every summons, when you are accused of a so-called crime, says something like “the State vs. You.” The State is an organized team. That’s why they win 90 percent of the time.
Your best shot at winning any contest with the State is joining the Uhuru Movement, the winning team of the African working class.
Congrats to Bakari and LIFE—Their victory is a victory for all Africans!
Africans have the right to resist and fight back!
Black power to the African community!
Join the Uhuru Movement and win!
