National Jericho Movement

The National Jericho Movement, also known as the Jericho Amnesty Movement, advocates for the release of certain prisoners in the U.S. whom the movement considers to be political prisoners.

About
As Jericho describes itself on its web site:

Jericho is a movement with the defined goal of gaining recognition of the fact that political prisoners and prisoners of war exist inside of the United States despite the United States’ government’s continued denial ... and winning amnesty and freedom for these political prisoners.

Jericho was founded by Jalil Muntaqim (ne&eacute; Anthony Bottom) who also founded the National Prisoners Campaign in the 1970s. Jericho is affiliated with the RepubIic of New Afrika and the New Afrikan Liberation Front.

The Jericho web page includes the Black Panther logo and the red, black, and green Pan-African colours. Jericho also speaks favorably of the Black Panther Party, La Raza Unida, FALN, Los Macheteros, North American Anti-Imperialist Movement, May 19th, AIM, and the Black Liberation Army as defenders of freedom.

Membership
As of June 2010, Jericho's domain contact is listed as Safiya Bukhari, who died in 2003.

Co-Chairs

 * Ashanti Alston
 * Kazi Toure

Affiliates and Members

 * Albuquerque Jericho Movement
 * Paulette D'Auteuil
 * Asians For Jericho
 * Mo Nishida
 * Yuri Kochiyama
 * Boston Area Jericho Movement
 * Kazi Toure (Co-Chair). Toure has also worked with the American Friends Service Committee.
 * Cleveland Jericho Movement
 * Devin Branch
 * Jericho Amnesty Coalition Los Angeles
 * Michael Novick, also of the Anti-Racist Action Network and People Against Racist Terror.
 * Lawrence Reyes, also of the Puerto Rican Alliance.
 * New Jersey Jericho Movement
 * T.J. Whitaker
 * New York City Jericho Movement
 * Ashanti Alston (Co-Chair)
 * Hombre Ana
 * Dhoruba bin-Wahad
 * Oregon Jericho Movement
 * Adam Carpinelli, also of the NW Student Union and the Social and Environmental Club
 * Philadelphia Jericho Movement
 * San Francisco Bay Jericho Movement
 * Diana Block
 * Students For Jericho
 * Syracuse Jericho Movement
 * Wisconsin Jericho Movement
 * Ifama Jackson

Other Members

 * Naji Mujahid (ne&eacute; William Fenwick).

Support for Violence
Jericho says it advocates for "political prisoners ... who went to prison as a result of their work on the streets against oppressive conditions like indecent housing and inadequate or complete lack of medical care, lack of quality education, police brutality and the murder of people organizing for independence and liberation." However, some of the people for whom Jericho advocates have been convicted of serious crimes.


 * Jalil Muntaqim -- Convicted of killing two police officers in New York.
 * Mumia Abu-Jamal -- Convicted of killing a police officer in Philadelphia.
 * Several MOVE members -- Convicted of killing a police officer while refusing a court order to withdraw from their property in 1978.
 * Earth Liberation Front members Nathan Block, Daniel McGowan, Jonathan Paul, and Joyanna Zacher -- Convicted of arson.
 * Marilyn Buck, David Gilbert, Sekduo Odinga, and Mutulu Shakur -- Convicted of killing two police officers and a security guard during the robbery of an armored money car in 1981.

Jericho has similarly described terrorists captured by Israel during wartime as political prisoners.

Support for Cuban Spies
Jericho's list of political prisoners includes the Cuban Five, spies who were caught by the U.S. and convicted of espionage in the late 1990s.

Notable Activities
In 2010, Jericho participated in the May 6 Mobilization for Aafia Siddiqui.

On 27 March 1998, Jericho brought several thousand protesters to the Jericho98 rally in Washington, DC.

Contact
National Jericho Movement P.O. Box 1272 New York, NY 10013 nationaljericho@gmail.com


 * Web: http://www.thejerichomovement.com/