Let the Fire Burn Page #4

or to engage in compromise.

There was a lot of hostility

between those two entities.

I think it must be researched

why the hostility was there.

Which two entities, Mr. Bond?

Uh, the city of Philadelphia

and the MOVE organization.

And as a pawn,

we were caught in-between.

And nobody, frankly, gave a damn.

I met with 15 residents,

uh, of Osage Avenue...

on Memorial Day, 1984.

At that meeting, I said to them...

that I will research as to whether or not

there is a legal basis,

uh, for the city to do something about

the problem that you have brought to us.

But also pointed out to them...

that the mayor does not

have the authority...

because he does not like,

or the neighbors do not like,

the way someone live...

to simply go in and evict the people

from their house.

We don't have those kinds of options

in this democracy.

Today, more than three dozen Philadelphia

policemen surrounded the building...

after a MOVE member was

spotted on the roof

wearing a hooded mask

and carrying a shotgun.

That standoff

lasted less than two hours.

Police did not enter the house,

and no arrests were made.

In the last several

weeks, their actions have

escalated tensions in

the neighborhood...

leading to tonight's situation.

When the individual was on the roof

with the mask and the shotgun,

my daughter was in our picture window.

And she said, "Daddy, what is the man

doing on top of the roof with a gun?"

And I didn't have an answer.

She asked, "isn't that against the law?"

And I said yes.

Well, I don't know how

you can say that for

a certain group of people,

the law applies...

and then another group of people,

that same law doesn't apply.

I think we were in the law

on an equal basis, if I'm correct.

You would see them dragging logs

from the park up the street.

You could see that the line

in the street...

from, I guess, the oil out of the trees

that they would drag up.

Wood would be stacked up

in front of the house at 6221.

There was so much of it

that we requested that they...

do something with it.

What was the response

to that request?

They responded

and put it on top of the roof.

- We used to play on the roof.

- You used to play on the roof a lot?

A lot of times.

- Now, you said something about a bunker.

- Mm-hmm.

How many bunkers were there

on the roof?

- Two.

- Two?

And do you know

what they were made of?

What kind of holes

did they have in the bunkers?

Like the bunker was halfway over the

roof like this, and you could look down.

You could see up the street

in the-all over.

Do you know what

those holes were for?

That bunker you see there

is kind of a toyish-looking thing,

and I will tell you on Osage Avenue,

it commanded the scene.

It overlooked and overpowered anything

you may-you can imagine.

It was awesome.

There's been talk that there

are explosives in this house.

Uh, is there any truth to that?

That's only people's,

you know, hallucination...

because they have

not been inside this house.

So they would not know

what is in this house.

What is in this house is the strategy

of John Africa that is very explosive.

Is it a confrontation?

It most certainly is a confrontation,

one strategized by John Africa

years and years and years ago.

Commissioner, could you tell us

what the lessons were...

that you felt were learned in the 1978

confrontation from your point of view?

From my point of view, sir,

was that MOVE was a group...

who was bent by virtue of their dogma

and by their actions...

of destroying civilized activity...

and ability to live in

a neighborhood peacefully.

Tonight, there are growing concerns

about the controversial group, MOVE.

City officials met today for the second

straight day to discuss strategy.

Sources reveal that Philadelphia's District

Attorney has now prepared the warrants...

that are legally necessary to evict

MOVE members from their home.

Once those warrants are signed by a judge,

action by police to evict MOVE

could come at pretty much any time.

Do you know a police officer

by the name of Delores Thompson?

Yes, I do.

Do you recall telling her that your

son Frank was ordered to attack you,

that you were beaten until

you started to vomit violently,

that Frank then placed a pillow

over your face...

and asked John Africa

if he wanted you to be cycled or killed...

and that John Africa replied,

"Not at this time?"

Did she tell you that I said that?

- I have her report of that conversation, Mrs. James.

- Okay.

Well, if she-Were you satisfied

with what she said?

- I'm asking you.

- Okay.

I heard rumors to the effect

that my son had beaten me.

I've also heard rumors

to the effect that

Wilson Goode put his

wife's jaw on a pulley,

that he beat the hell out of her.

Will you ask Mayor Goode that when he comes

in here if he in fact beat his wife?

And if not, why not?

If it is relevant that my son beat me

or whether or not he did beat me,

then I would say it is

just as relevant for you

to ask Wilson Goode

when he comes in here,

"Did he beat his wife?"

I don't think you're gonna

ask him that.

I really don't. But you should,

if you feel that it is relevant.

Mr. Lytton, I just want to make it

clear in my mind so that I understand.

Am I to assume that the bomb

was dropped on MOVE people...

because Frank beat his mother?

Ma'am, we're trying

to find out what happened,

- and we'll continue asking questions.

- Oh. Okay.

Of course, on Mother's Day,

the evacuation has been slow.

People had plans for today.

A few had decided that

they'd stay and not evacuate.

But police have now

apparently advised those

people that they think

it's best that they leave.

I hope that it's resolved quickly...

and have all confidence that the mayor's

going to be doing the right thing.

I wouldn't mind staying myself, you see.

But I was told to leave...

just 'cause he don't know what the

extent of this is going to be, you know.

What do you think?

I think-Believe it or not,

I think you'll have to kill all of them.

And neighbors have been told by police not

to return to their homes for 24 hours.

That is 22:
00 tomorrow night.

Now, what will happen between now

and then remains to be seen, Charles.

And, Casey, some of the neighbors,

as they were leaving, said to me...

that as they were going,

leaving the neighborhood,

the MOVE people were sitting out

in front of the MOVE house,

the children in hand.

Perhaps that was a subtle or not-so-subtle

indication of what's happening here.

Did you consider, sir,

that at least in 1978,

the members of the MOVE organization

who were at the Powelton Village house...

had used their children, uh,

as if they were hostages?

No, sir, I did not.

You've said they came out

holding their children up as shields.

Uh, I'm not an expert

in police science,

but I think to the layman,

that might suggest that they were

using their children as a hostage.

That's why I'm asking you

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