Let the Fire Burn Page #2

that he is black and I am white,

if he is not taught

that categorization,

if he is not taught

that separation,

In the place of that,

all he can gravitate to,

all he can know is harmony,

is unity, is love.

Life! Life!

- Did you like raw food?

- Some of it.

Some of it?

What did you like particularly?

Watermelon, mangoes...

and sweet potatoes and onions.

And onions.

Did you all eat any meat at all?

Only one time

we ate raw chicken.

Why would the adults eat

cooked food and the

children not eat cooked food?

Do you know?

They said they wasn't

used to raw food.

They weren't used to raw food

and the children were used to raw food.

Were you all ever punished

for taking the food or anything?

Yeah. Did they punish you

when you...

- They had meetings on us.

- They had meetings?

Would they ever hit the children?

Uh, so you didn't get any spankings

or anything like that?

- They didn't believe in spanking.

- They didn't believe in spankings.

I see. Did you, uh-When they holler at

the children, what would the children do?

- Cry.

- They would cry?

- Did they ever holler at you?

- Yes.

- Did you cry when you were hollered at?

- Yeah.

- Did they-Did they say they loved you?

- Yeah.

Did you love them?

I came in contact with MOVE

back in 1974.

We had a number of rap sessions

with youngsters...

in terms of trying to offer

a different point of view.

Did they appear to you

to be violent at all?

No, it basically appeared to be a

progressive, uh, political organization...

pretty much concerned

about the issues...

that impacted

on the black community.

Officer Cresse, was there any indication

that you were aware of...

that, uh, the MOVE members

were potentially violent?

Other than being, uh, vocal,

no, sir.

They can put out weird things

like you can hear me use profanity.

But is it possible to describe a maniac,

a profane, obscene, pornographic freak...

without using profane words?

Motherfuckers!

Do you have information concerning how

many arrests occurred involving MOVE?

There was 141 demonstrations.

There was 97 court cases.

There was eight meetings,

and there was 193 arrests.

I have as just as much right...

and my brother got just

as much right to speak as you.

So what you doin' arrogantly

gaveling us down?

- This is not a forum for your political views.

- What is it?

- Do you understand that?

- Do you understand that I was brought here...

because of my beliefs,

because of my views?

I object. I think the witness,

at this point,

is badgering the judge.

They were, in fact,

telling the truth in the courtroom,

and because the judge

could not dispute it,

because the judge had went

to Harvard and Yale and Cornell...

to learn what law was.

They could not understand

how a people could stand there,

looking as they did, but yet knowing

more, in fact, than they did.

And this called for many contempts,

many beatings in the courtroom.

And it was like a repeat

over and over again.

Officer Cresse, directing your attention

to approximately March 30 of 1976,

what, if anything occurred during

that time period with regard to MOVE.

Twenty-four-hour surveillance was

established at the MOVE compound...

at 309 North 33rd Street.

Around the same time,

was there any, um,

situation that arose

with regard to an infant?

Yes, sir.

Could you describe that, sir?

Okay.

Just bear with me, please.

On March 28 of this year,

at about 4:
00 in the morning,

some MOVE members were returning from

one of many sentences in the city jail.

The MOVE people say

they weren't making a lot of noise.

But someone in the neighborhood

complained to the police.

What happened next is

the beginning of a

controversy that has yet

to be investigated.

Somehow an argument

led to a scuffle.

Police reinforcements

were quickly on the scene,

and MOVE put up resistance.

By the time it was over,

six policemen reported injuries,

six members of MOVE were arrested,

and later, it was found that

three-week-old Life Africa,

one of the MOVE babies, was dead.

We went upstairs

to inquire reporters there.

And we saw-

We were led into a dark room,

and we saw what appeared to be

the remains of a baby.

And it was their contention

that this baby had been killed...

in a police raid.

Subsequent to that, I introduced

the resolution to the city council,

calling for an investigation.

It never took place and I felt at that time

that the MOVE people were being harassed...

and that it was a racial problem.

Shortly thereafter,

I received some letters...

from the people who live

on 32nd and Pearl Street.

And they indicated that

they were displeased

with MOVE, and they

wanted to meet me.

And I went to the meeting

expecting to see...

mostly Caucasian people

complaining about MOVE.

And I was surprised

when I entered the home...

that most of the people there were-were

black people, just ordinary black people.

And for the first time I realized

that it was not a racial problem with MOVE.

But that it was something else

that I just did not understand.

And then I learned that unless you did

everything that they wanted you to do,

uh, you were an enemy.

On May 20, 1977,

MOVE brandished weapons...

from their Powelton Village

headquarters platform...

saying, "No longer will we be beaten

or intimidated by the police...

without a like response."

To your knowledge, did any

of the members of the

MOVE organization ever

possess any weapons?

- Not to my knowledge.

- Nor mine.

Have you ever seen the pictures

of May 20, 1977, at Powelton Village,

where people are carrying what appear,

at least, to be weapons?

Yes, I have.

Were those members of

the MOVE organization?

Yes, they were.

Were they weapons?

I don't know.

I don't want anyone to think

that I'm insulting their intelligence,

but when you have anything like that,

regardless to what it looks like,

if it is found inside of

the house or not found

inside the house and

it is brought out...

and it is found to be inoperable,

it is found not to work at all,

as far as I'm concerned,

it's not a weapon.

But let me be clear.

This can be a weapon.

But I'm talking about to the point

of a weapon that can fire.

It's just like you said.

What appeared to be weapons.

In my view, it seemed

to suggest a turning point.

It was the point

which it became clear...

that MOVE, in fact,

could become a violent organization.

Uh, would, in fact, fight,

would, in fact, use weapons

in order to accomplish their mission.

They named the game.

And I assure you, they lose.

We'll do what's necessary.

- What is that?

- The strategy of John Africa.

- What is that?

- Our only defense.

- What is that?

- The strategy of John Africa.

You aren't tellin' me anything. You're just

saying "the strategy of John Africa."

Hey, I wouldn't tell my strategy to you.

We ain't talkin' about hurtin'

nobody's religion.

We ain't talkin' about killin'

off nobody's religion.

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