Nonviolent civil disobedient actions on December 19, 1998 in support of Native American political prisoner, Leonard Peltier

Greenfield, Massachusetts

Supporters of American Indian Movement activist Leonard Peltier hope to win Peltier's release from federal prison after 22 years of incarceration. As part of an International effort to spur the Clinton Administration to grant Peltier a Presidential Pardon, a group of local supporters has organized a nonviolent civil disobedience action for December 19th in Greenfield.

Leonard Peltier is a well-known victim of human rights abuses by the U.S. judicial system. Convicted in 1976 of murdering two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota, Peltier has maintained his innocence and human rights groups and civil rights leaders have cited his case as a grave injustice. Amnesty International cited the Peltier case as a glaring example of FBI tampering with the judicial process in a political trial; Federal prosecutors have admitted that they cannot prove that Peltier was responsible for the agents' deaths and an appeal's court judge who upheld Peltier's conviction later called for Peltier to be freed, saying the FBI was equally responsible for the agents' deaths. Despite evidence of witness tampering by the prosecution and a lack of direct evidence of Peltier's guilt, he remains in prison after 22 years. Meanwhile, Leonard Peltier's health is deteriorating and many people around the world are concerned for his life.

More than five years ago Leonard Peltier applied for Executive Clemency, citing his support among such leaders as Reverend Jesse Jackson, 55 members of Congress, European Parliament, Nelson Mandela with about fifty million signatures written on his behalf. Usually the process for the review of clemency takes six to nine months. However, Peltier has only received a form letter response that states his application is still under review. With his appeals through the courts exhausted, Peltier holds out the hope that President Clinton will do the right thing and reverse generations of injustice to American Indian people by granting Leonard Peltier freedom this holiday season.

Local supporters hope their action will build awareness of the case and highlight the importance of justice for Peltier for all Americans.

One organizer of the Leonard Peltier Support Group in western Massachusetts, Jonathan Mark, said, "What better way can I support my Country, family and freedom this holiday season than by supporting Leonard Peltier? Sure, getting arrested is a hassle, but it is really minor compared to the suffering of this man in prison for decades."

Besides Main Street in Greenfield, MA, more than thirty other nonviolent civil disobedient actions are planned, including in Washington, D.C., Lawrence, KS, San Francisco, Melbourne, Australia, Brussels, Belgium and New York City. Each support group plans to hold nonviolent training workshops and will decide how they plan to be arrested by consensus. The Greenfield group's training session begins Sunday, December 13 at 1:00 P.M. at the Green Fields Market. "After that meeting," says Mark, "we should have a better idea about our plans." Mark mentions that they would be available for answering questions at their December 17 meeting in the loft at the Green Fields Market from 5:00 to 7:30 P.M. and the group plans to hold a press conference at a legal rally preceding the nonviolent civil disobedient actions on December 19 beginning at 11:00 A.M. in front of the Court House on Main Street in Greenfield, MA.

Contacts: Leonard Peltier Support Group
P.O. Box 1999 Wendell Depot, MA 01380
Jonathan Mark 978-544-7862
Paul Burton 413-625-8420
Leonard Peltier Defense Committee
Attn: Gina and Keith
P.O. Box 583, Lawrence, KS 66044
Tel: 785-842-5774, Fax: 5796
http://members.xoom.com/freepeltier/index.html

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