Since the arrest of Ajamu Bandele (aka Orlando Gibson), president of the York branch of the International People’s Democratic Uhuru Movement (InPDUM) on October 29 on fabricated drug charges, the InPDUM has been waging a relentless campaign to free Ajamu from the clutches of the York County prison and York City administration that has in its interest the need to stop Ajamu’s ability to expose the culture of corruption in York.
As the president of InPDUM-York, Ajamu led fierce struggle against the 222 Corridor Initiative — a federal government “anti-gang” campaign that waged an outright attack on the democratic rights of the African community. As part of that struggle, Ajamu and the other York City organizers launched the “222 Catch 22” Campaign in direct opposition to the State’s 222 Corridor Initiative.
Having gained significant media exposure throughout Central Pennsylvania, the InPDUM-York’s 222 Catch 22 Campaign thoroughly cemented Comrade Ajamu into position as an increasingly formidable leader in the battle to end the public policy of police containment imposed on the African working class masses of York. Under Ajamu’s presidency, the York forces launched a petition drive, hosted a black community issues forum, and gained solidarity from other groups helping to expose and ultimately end the counterinsurgent policies of the State. The 222 Catch 22 Campaign was capped by the successful “I Ain’t No Gangster Rally” which drew more than 100 mostly young Africans showing a unified stance of defiance to the city’s attacks on the impoverished black community of York.
End the culture of corruption
The State has no case! However, desperate to end his work that was exposing the culture of corruption in York, the State has shown it will stop at nothing to railroad Ajamu. It is about protecting the economic interests of the State. InPDUM-York stood in direct contention to the city of York’s strategies of “revitalization” and “redevelopment” at the expense of the African community with public demands for true economic development not dispersal and police containment in the black community.
The York County Prison is the cash cow of York’s economy, with a “stimulus plan” for York County that provides $80,000 a day from the federal government for holding 1,250 inmates. Comrade Ajamu’s work was exposing this parasitic relationship the State maintains with the African community. Under his stewardship, the InPDUM-York was consistently arming the masses of impoverished Africans in York with the political clarity to identify and combat the State’s many policies of police containment.
The city of York has been embroiled in a seemingly endless scourge of scandal and corruption, with most allegations revolving around its police department — having at least five open lawsuits at the time of this writing, ranging from brutality to abuse of power. The York County courts have also long been besieged by allegations of corruption, being accused of participating in crimes ranging from murder, case fixing, extortion, influence peddling and prostitution. Evidence of these crimes have been brought forward by whistleblowers within the government itself, from an embittered former police chief on down to the city controller.
York County district attorney and drug task force head under federal investigation for drug ring participation
First assistant district attorney Bill Graff resigned from office March 19, 2009 amidst allegations raised by both local and state police. Assistant DA Graff allegedly revealed identities of confidential informants to drug dealers, including the son of one of Graff’s close friends. Frustrated with Graff’s protection by York County’s vile culture of corruption, some local police investigators forwarded information of the allegations to the Justice Department.
DA Bill Graff headed the York County Drug Task Force since it’s inception up until his resignation in May. InPDUM-York, through the 222 Catch 22 Campaign, had already publicly placed the blame solely on the State for the proliferation of drugs in poor working class communities. The current ongoing federal investigation and subsequent resignation of York County Drug Czar Bill Graff only confirms the fact that the so-called “drug war” is nothing more than a thinly veiled counterinsurgent attack on the African community — an attack which InPDUM-York was diligently working to expose. Ajamu Bandele was set up on drug charges because he was exposing the fact that it is the State who is dealing the drugs in the African community.
It was InPDUM-York’s work under Ajamu Bandele’s leadership that made him a target of the State. Comrade Ajamu is being railroaded for no reason other than because he is the embodiment of the Uhuru Movement, fulfilling his responsibility to organize the colonized African working class of York, to the great detriment of the State and the white ruling class it serves!
We call on all freedom loving people to support this campaign by:
Buying your “free Ajamu” shirt today
Participating in the call-in/write-in campaign (find draft letters, call-in info, etc. here.)
Donate to the legal defense of Ajamu Bandele
Free Ajamu Bandele!
Go to inpdum.org to join the campaign to Free Ajamu Bandele!