14TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL DAY IN SOLIDARITY WITH LEONARD PELTIER

14TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL DAY IN SOLIDARITY WITH LEONARD PELTIER

STATEMENT FOR: THE 14TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL DAY IN SOLIDARITY WITH LEONARD PELTIER REGIONAL TACOMA MARCH AND RALLY: FEBRUARY 10, 2007

The shadow of totalitarianism is slowly creeping across the land. Our civil liberties are under attack. Our government has our country fighting a war of aggression that is not in the interest of the people of this land. If you take a close look at all that is taking place you will be able to see direct parallels to the case of Leonard Peltier and thus understand why all people who believe in peace, justice and freedom should actively support Leonard.

The first connection can be found in whose interests the government is acting in. There are few today that cannot see that the war in Iraq is about oil and the interests of the multi-national energy corporations. Behind the events that took place on the Pine Ridge Reservation were the interests of the multi-national energy corporations wanting uranium that was found there. In both cases armed force was used to seize control of those resources and to suppress opposition.

In the pursuit of suppressing opposition, constitutional and human rights were denied. Matter of fact, many things that the FBI did against AIM and Leonard Peltier, which at the time were illegal, the government has made legal by acts of congress. Though the government says that such denial of human rights is justifiable for their war against "terrorism", the fact is that the government has also targeted those who oppose its policies who are clearly not terrorists. The case of Leonard Peltier clearly shows why such power should never be given to the FBI and others in power. For it can be seen clearly that Leonard's constitutional rights were denied him.

The reasons given by the government for the war in Iraq have been shown to be fabrications to justify the war. Still the war continues. The evidence that the government presented at Leonard's trial has all been disproved as either fabricated evidence or intimidated witnesses, to the point that even the courts have admitted it. Still Leonard is in prison and no new and fair trial is granted.

The government has done all that it can to suppress the documents that it has on both the war in Iraq and the case of Leonard Peltier. In Leonard's case there are over 120,000 pages of documents that are still being withheld for reasons of "national security." Whose national security is being protected? In both cases the national security of the people is being threaten by the withholding of the truth.

One year the police contacted us about our march and asked us if there will be any anti-war people in our march. Our answer was, we don't believe that there will be any pro-war people in the march. Even the police worried about the connection between peace and justice.

For these reasons we are calling for all people who believe in peace, justice and freedom to join us for the 14th Annual International Day in Solidarity with Leonard Peltier Regional Tacoma March and Rally. In The Spirit Of Crazy Horse

Tacoma Leonard Peltier Support Group
Susan Morales
Steve Hapy
Arthur J. Miller

As individual fingers we can easily be broken, but all together we make a mighty fist.

14th ANNUAL NW REGIONAL INTERNATIONAL DAY OF SOLIDARITY FOR LEONARD PELTIER MARCH & RALLY FOR JUSTICE

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10th, 2007, TACOMA, WA.

12:00 NOON: MARCH FOR JUSTICE Portland Ave. Park (on Portland Ave. between E. 35th & E. Fairbanks. Take Portland Ave. exit off I-5 and head east)

1:00 PM: RALLY FOR JUSTICE U.S. Federal Court House, 1717-Pacific Ave.

Performances by:
The Aztec Dancers
United Nations: Native Rap Activists
Albert Combs
Speakers:
Matilaja: Yu'Pik/Yakama, Tacoma LPSG: M.C.
Robert Robideau: Co-Director of the LPDC and Co Defendant
Shelly Vendiola: Indigenous Women's Network, Network
Steve Hapy: Tacoma Leonard Peltier Support Group
Arthur J. Miller, Tacoma Leonard Peltier Support Group
Juan Jose Bocanegra: Every Worker's Movement
Frank Reynolds: Native American Coalition
Bill Bichsel: Catholic Worker, JWJ
Zoltan Grossman: Olympia Movement for Justice and Peace, Faculty Evergreen's
Native American Studies

CARAVANS/CAR POOLS

OLYMPIA: There will be a carpool leaving from the parking lot at Harrison and Division at 10:30.

EUGENE: Drivers and people needing rides meet at the Grower's Market parking lot (454 Willamette, by the Amtrak station) at 7:30 am. (The Eugene Caravan will be meeting up with the Portland Caravan).

PORTLAND: Drivers and people needing rides, meet in the main parking lot (entrance just north of Killingworth from Albina, parking lot entrance on the right, behind the student services building) at PCC Cascade Campus at 9:30 am.

(If anyone can set up other caravans/car pools in other areas like the Bellingham area please contact us at: bayou@blarg.net)

These are very important times for Leonard Peltier. A new lawsuit has been filed to get all the documents the government has withheld. There are many parallels between Leonard's case & the war in Iraq. Both were created upon the foundation of lies. In time many of the fabrications were revealed. In both cases the government resisted releasing documents that revealed the truth. Behind both are the same reasons for what took place, the interests of multi-national energy corporations. This year our call is for: PEACE WITH JUSTICE & TRUTH! FREE THE DOCUMENTS!

We need help getting the word out for this event. Please forward this and other messages we send out to web sites, blogs, e-mail lists, organizations and friends. If you can help handout fliers or post fliers and posters please send your mailing address to: bayou@blarg.net

WE NEED DONATIONS. We are a grassroots organization with no outside funding. All our donations for our marches for the last 14 years have come from supporters like you. Any amount helps. All money donated goes to printing and mailing.

(Donations Needed! Please send to:)
Tacoma Leonard Peltier Support Group
P.O. BOX 5464
TACOMA, WA 98415-0464
bayou@blarg.net

For up-dates and notices on helping Leonard Peltier please sign up on the NW Peltier Support e-mail list by sending an e-mail to: nwpeltiersupport-subscribe@lists.riseup.net.

"I have no doubt whatsoever that the real motivation behind both Wounded Knee II and the Oglala firefight, and much of the turmoil throughout Indian Country since the early 1970s, was-and is-the mining companies' desire to muffle AIM and all traditional Indian people, who sought-and still seek-to protect the land, water, and air from their thefts and depredations. In this sad and tragic age we live in, to come to the defense of Mother Earth is to be branded a criminal."

-- Leonard Peltier, Prison Writings --

"I'M STILL HERE. I am all at once saddened, exhilarated, angry, proud, defiant, and puzzled by that fact. Here in prison, after 28 years (30 years now) of unjust incarceration, I am a living example of the injustice, racism, fear, and inequity that still exists in some parts of the United States of America. This is particularly true when it comes to America's views and actions towards Indian people. Residing in the best hopes of all of us is the dream that America has moved away from the days of hostility towards the Indigenous people of this land. And yet, we are shown with daily regularity, a reality that defies this dream. A reality that American Indians are incarcerated at a disproportionately high rate. A reality that American Indians are denied decent health care, housing, and education. A reality so dire, that the United States Civil Rights Commission has had to address it, calling it "A Quiet Crisis."

--Leonard Peltier