Hands Off Uhuru House! 
Mumia Abu-Jamal 
December 21, 1996 

"The real role of the police is that of slave catcher, thug, terrorist and 
murderer.  The only way to push back police and government violence is to 
rebuild the movement, that in the ‘60’s forced a moratorium on the death 
penalty, freed Huey P. Newton, and brought about all the beneficial social 
changes of that period." 
--African People’s Socialist Party 

Two white cops stop a black youth, ostensibly for a traffic violation, and 
moments later the teen is shot dead. 

The police killing of 18 year old Tyron Lewis on October 24, 1996, marked the 
6th African American executed on the streets of St. Petersburg by killer cops 
in a year and the Black community erupted in rage.  Dozens of fires raged in 
the Florida night, glowing, fiery embers of discontent fueled by a tradition 
of government violence and societal repression. 

Although there was ample justification for this riotous explosion of anger at 
systemic injustice, the political system (politicians and their police) and 
their apologists in the media attacked those who dared speak out against the 
killing and killers of Tyron Lewis, members of the Uhuru House Organizing 
Center of St. Petersburg, Florida. 

Media reports blared that Uhuru called for the "executions" of the killer 
cops who murdered Lewis (a charge Uhuru House folks vehemently deny), and 
wire service dispatches described the organization as a "Black Separatist 
Group", in a transparent attempt to isolate then, the precursor to military 
attacks, if history is any guide. 

The police arrested David Willard, Lindsey Williams and Keith Steward, two 
for "expired auto tags" and one for an outstanding warrant (all affiliated 
with Uhuru).  When APSP Chairman Omali Ueshitela tried to stop the bogus 
arrests he was assaulted and maced by the cops. 

St Petersburg press reports quoted cops as admitting they targeted key Uhuru 
House members for arrest, using trumped up charges to do so. 

It is interesting to not that Uhuru Movement people in St. Petersburg have 
been targeted, assaulted and arrested for their words , while cops, who 
killed an innocent Black teenager, have nothing to fear. 

Under this system’s idea of so-called "Law" words are crimes, but acts (by 
their agents) are "justifiable", when the words are against the system, and 
the acts are against Blacks. 

For, what if Uhuru had called for the execution of killer cops?  If young 
Lewis had killed either one of the 2 cops who killed him, wouldn’t the St. 
Petersburg cops, Mayor and white (separatist) media be howling for his 
execution?  Isn’t what’s good for the goose also good for the gander?  Isn’t 
the law equal for all? 

You figure it out. 

Please give your support to: 

The National People’s Democratic Uhuru Movement 
1245 18th Ave., South 
St Petersburg, FL 33707-2549 

Their phone is 813-821-6620 

Hands off Uhuru! 

("Uhuru" means "Freedom" in K. Swahili and was used by the Nationalist 
Movement in Kenya from 1952-1960) 

©1996MAJ