San Jose, CA – 30 community members gathered at the San Jose Peace and Justice center, February 22, to celebrate the release of Leonard Peltier from prison and his return home.

Peltier, a leader of the American Indian Movement, had been the longest-held political prisoner in the U.S. After five decades of constant advocacy from activists worldwide calling for his release, Peltier finally returned home on February 18 after former President Biden commuted his sentence just before leaving office.

Members of the community gathered to watch a video of Peltier's welcome home celebration, hosted by the NDN Collective on the Turtle Mountain reservation, in North Dakota. After the video, the crowd assembled outside to watch a series of spoken word, dance and musical performances to celebrate the occasion.

Donna Wallach, a leading organizer with Leonard Peltier Support Group Silicon Valley, said, “I’m so happy. I won’t say I never gave up but I always had it in my mind that he was going to get free. If he could struggle from inside for all that he’s been through then who am I to give up on his freedom? He sacrificed 50 years for unity and for freedom for indigenous people and their sovereignty.”

Wallach continued, “I think he will be a force to unite all the tribes together to lead the land back movement. Even with this horrendous administration we have right now – this is the struggle for sovereignty, land back and indigenous recognition.”

Bob Jung of Vigil for Gaza said, “This is great, people fight for social justice and it seems like there’s very few times we win and it’s time to really savor this.” Jung continued, “I’d like to see all the allies coming to support each other – whether it’s the American Indian Movement, immigration, or what’s going on in Palestine.”

Drusie Kazanova of San Jose Against War, which is a member organization of the International League of People’s Struggle, read the ILPS statement on Peltier's release. “While Biden was the one who signed the act to commute Leonard’s sentence, it is not due to any goodwill from the former president who poured endless amounts of money into the genocidal war on Palestine, sold off indigenous lands to fossil fuel corporations and led a campaign of massive state repression against peoples’ movements in the U.S. and abroad,”

Kazanova continued, “It was the mass movement that held high the demand to free Leonard while exposing the imperialist system for keeping him imprisoned unjustly for a crime that was widely known to have been charged under falsified evidence.”

After the performances the event included a open mic segment for community members to speak their mind in honor of Peltier’s freedom.

Wallach expressed the desire to continue organizing to shine a light on other political prisoners such as Mumia Abu Jamal, The Holy Land 5 and many others.

#SanJoseCA #CA #OppressedNationalities #IndigenousPeoples #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalPrisoners #LeonardPeltier

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from Frank Chapman, Executive Director, of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR).

Leonard Peltier, renowned Spirit-Warrior of the Dakota people, symbolizes the courageous centuries long resistance of the Indigenous peoples against racism, genocide and national oppression. In the spirit of Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, Leonard has maintained his innocence and fought for his freedom for five decades.

The National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression has stood in unconditional solidarity with Leonard Peltier, the oldest and one of the longest held political prisoners in U.S. history.

The reason the federal government held Leonard in captivity and behind bars for half a century is not because he was guilty of any crime but because the FBI agents who were killed were white men. Leonard himself said “When a white is killed, even if he brought it on himself, all Indians are guilty. Isn’t that the way it’s always been?”

Yes, that is the way it’s always been. However, with Leonard the situation is even more aggravated by the fact that he is a freedom fighter for his oppressed people.

Decades ago, Leonard’s lawyer, Ramsey Clark (former Attorney General of the United States) said, “I think I can explain beyond serious doubt that Leonard Peltier committed no crime whatsoever.”

We now know that the government knew what Ramsey Clark knew, yet they refused to release Leonard.

Leonard was accused of murder in 1975 and in 1985 the government prosecution admitted, “We did not know who shot the agents...” he was accused of killing. Forty-nine years later a government prosecutor repeated this admitted truth to President Biden. Apparently, Biden listened, and in response to the demands of the people, at the age of 80 and after 50 years of torturous imprisonment, Leonard is coming home.

It’s definitely a people’s victory and we celebrate it as such. It is not “Justice at Last.”

We acknowledge and salute the Indigenous people’s movement, Leonard Peltier’s family, and his decades long standing Defense Committee. It was the mass movement of the people demanding justice that moved President Biden to issue an order of Executive Clemency.

Based on the evidence, Leonard deserved an apology and a pardon of innocence. The sober reality is that the U.S. government continues its genocidal policies against the Dakota people and all the Indigenous people of America.

We stand in unconditional solidarity with the first nations indemanding their sovereign rights and their struggles for freedom.

#LeonardPeltier #Clemency #ExecutiveOrder #Biden #IndigenousSovereignty #Dakota #RamseyClark #NAARPR

San José, CA – Alrededor de 20 miembros de la comunidad se reunieron en el Centro de Paz y Justicia de San José, el 10 de diciembre, Día Internacional de los Derechos Humanos, para honrar a Leonard Peltier, líder del Movimiento Indio Americano y prisionero político por casi 50 años.

El evento fue presentado por Donna Wallach, presidenta del Grupo de Apoyo a Leonard Peltier de Silicon Valley y una firme organizadora comunitaria de toda la vida. Dan Battaglia, miembro activo del Grupo de Apoyo a Leonard Peltier de Nueva York, y Paulette Dauteuil, miembro de la junta del Movimiento Jericó y el Comité Ad Hoc Oficial por Leonard Peltier, ambos asistieron por llamada al evento. Ellos describieron la mala conducta del FBI que llevó al arresto, juicio y encarcelamiento ilegal de Peltier desde 1978. También enfatizaron la importancia de la lucha continua por su libertad.

Julie Dominguez, embajadora de la Tribu Muwekma Ohlone, lideró un reconocimiento de tierras de parte de la tribu. Dominguez dijo que la Tribu Muwekma Ohlone está viva, yéndole bien, y continuando la lucha por el reconocimiento federal.

Philip Nguyen de San José Contra la Guerra habló de uno de los pilares de la organización siendo la solidaridad con la resistencia indígena en contra del colonialismo y el robo de tierras. Nguyen mencionó que la continua supervivencia de Peltier estando encarcelado ilegalmente es la resistencia misma y una “señal para endurecer nuestra determinación para luchar como el infierno por los vivos – por Leonard, por los palestinos y por todos los otros pueblos oprimidos.”

John Paul Amaral, presidente de la Organización Estudiantil Nativo Americana en la Universidad Estatal de San José leyó un poema que escribió llamado, Ternura en Humo, que describía su rabia y pena por el descubrimiento a principios del anterior año de fosas comunes sin nombre de niños nativo-americanos que fueron forzados a entrar a internados, una práctica común para oprimir y borrar culturalmente a los nativos americanos.

Brian M. Smith, miembro del Grupo de Apoyo a Leonard Peltier de Silicon Valley, leyó la declaración de Peltier del Día Nacional de Luto.

John Duroyan de la Organización Socialista Camino de la Libertad resaltó que “el encarcelamiento es una de las muchas herramientas que la clase dominante usa para reprimir nuestros movimientos, sabotear nuestros líderes, e intimidar a la gente en todas partes donde debemos resistir con fuerza,” y continuó, “la Organización Socialista Camino de la Libertad se solidariza con Leonard Peltier y su lucha por libertad y justicia.”

Después del programa, Wallach dio el llamado a la acción para llamar al presidente Biden para que perdone a Leonard antes de que deje el cargo. La comunidad nacional continuará movilizándose para liberar a Leonard Peltier, solidarizarse con las comunidades indígenas en todas partes y resistir la represión política.

#SanJoseCA #CA #OppressedNationalities #IndigenousPeoples #InJusticeSystem #LeonardPeltier #AIM #FRSO

San Jose, CA – About 20 community members gathered at the San Jose Peace and Justice Center, December 10, International Human Rights Day, to honor Leonard Peltier, American Indian Movement leader and political prisoner of almost 50 years.

The event was emceed by Donna Wallach, chair of Leonard Peltier Support Group Silicon Valley and a staunch and lifelong community organizer. Dan Battaglia, an active member of Leonard Peltier Support Group of New York City, and Paulette Dauteuil, board member of the Jericho Movement and Official Leonard Peltier’s Ad Hoc Committee, both called in to the event. They described the FBI misconduct that led to Peltier’s wrongful arrest, trial and imprisonment since 1978. They also emphasized the importance of the continued struggle for his freedom.

Julie Dominguez, ambassador of Muwékma Ohlone Tribe, led a land acknowledgement on behalf of the tribe. Dominguez stated the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe is alive, doing well and continuing the struggle for federal acknowledgement.

Philip Nguyen of San Jose Against War spoke about one of the organization’s pillars being solidarity with indigenous peoples’ resistance against colonialism and land theft. Nguyen mentioned that Peltier’s continued survival while wrongfully imprisoned is resistance itself and a “signal to steel our resolve to fight like hell for the living – for Leonard, for the Palestinians and all other oppressed peoples.”

John Paul Amaral, president of the Native American Student Organization at San Jose State University read a poem that he authored called, Tenderness in Smoke, which described their rage and sorrow upon the discovery early last year of the unmarked mass graves of Native American children who were forced into boarding schools, a common practice to oppress and culturally erase Native Americans.

Brian M. Smith, member of Leonard Peltier Support Group Silicon Valley, read Peltier’s statement from the National Day of Mourning.

John Duroyan of Freedom Road Socialist Organization highlighted that “imprisonment is one of the many tools that the ruling class uses to suppress our movements, sabotage our leaders and intimidate people everywhere that we must strongly resist,” and he continued, “Freedom Road Socialist Organization stands in solidarity with Leonard Peltier and his fight for freedom and justice.”

After the program, Wallach gave the call to action to call President Biden to pardon Leonard before he leaves office. The national community will continue to mobilize to free Leonard Peltier, be in solidarity with indigenous communities everywhere and resist political repression.

#SanJoseCA #OppressedNationalities #IndigenousPeoples #InJusticeSystem #LeonardPeltier #AIM #LeonardPeltierSupportGroupSiliconValley #JerichoMovement #MuwékmaOhloneTribe #SJAW #NativeAmericanStudentOrganizationSanJoseStateUniversity #FRSO #Feature