Our brother and comrade Ajamu Bandele (aka Orlando Gibson)
will be facing his arraignment on January 2nd in York, PA.

Brief Background:
On Wednesday, October 29, 2008 Comrade Ajamu Bandele (aka Orlando Gibson), President of the York, PA branch of the International People's Democratic Uhuru Movement, was kidnapped by a special counterinsurgent task force of the Pennsylvania State Police Department in York, Pennsylvania and charged with possession of marijuana with conspiracy to distribute.

While the State claims that its arrest of Comrade Ajamu represents a "war on drugs", "war on gangs" and "war on crime", his arrest comes at a time in which Ajamu was doing serious political work in the city of York to expose the State's "war on drugs, gangs and crime" as a war on the African community! Before emerging as part of the international leadership structure of InPDUM, Ajamu was leading the African community of York in fierce struggle against Route 222 -- a federal government "anti-gang" task force initiative to strip the African community in various cities across the U.S. of what little democratic rights we have managed to achieve. Through this York-InPDUM campaign and others like it, Ajamu had gained a reputation for criticizing the State for orchestrating and profiting from the same drug economy that it is accusing Ajamu of participating in!

We know that Ajamu is a political prisoner and that he has been set up! We must do everything in our power to expose this and to free him.  On Tuesday, December 2nd over 20 members of the International People’s Democratic Uhuru Movement and various friends and supporters of the InPDUM converged on York, PA to join with our brothers and sisters in York as we protested the arrest of InPDUM York branch President Ajamu Bandele and attended his preliminary hearing at which the decision for the case to go to trial was unilaterally made by York County Magistrate Richard Martin.

We did not expect any justice to come from this white man in a robe.  However, we knew that our presence would make it very difficult for the State to keep our comrade captive like it was "business as usual." For two hours solid, the InPDUM marched in front of the doorsteps of the District County Court demanding the immediate release of comrade Ajamu – using such chants as "they took comrade Ajamu’s freedom – cuz he was out here building InPDUM!"

This resistance forces Martin and the York Police Department to stop us from witnessing the hearing - despite the fact that the hearing was supposed to be for "the public."  This helped to expose the fact that the York Court System, not unlike any other brach of the U.S. government, is not a democracy. It is a dictatorship - and it will create new laws to justify its attacks on our people. And when the law poses a problem to their criminal exploits, they simply break the law.  This helps us understand that, in the final analysis, it is a question of power. If we are to see REAL justice, it will not be because of a decision made by Richard Martin or any other U.S. judge.  It will be because African people take power in our own hands. This is why InPDUM will continue to fight for power and to build a revolutionary organization as we struggle for Ajamu's freedom. We are calling on you to support this struggle.

What You Can Do:

Join InPDUM! Build the organization in your area and form an organizing committee to "Free Ajamu and the 1.5 Million behind Enemy Lines."

Donate to the Legal Defense Fund:
http://www.inpdum.org/campaigns/ajamu/
At this point, he does not have a lawyer to represent him.  We are calling on all lovers of freedom and social justice to support the struggle to Free Ajamu by making a contribution to the legal defense fund. Our goal is to raise $5,000!

Wage international call-in campaign:
> Demand the detainer is lifted from Ajamu’s (Orlando Gibson's) bond so that he can return to the community until the trial. http://inpdum.org/campaigns/ajamu/ajamu_script.html
> Demand Ajamu's (Orlando Gibson's) immediate release and that all
charges be dropped! http://inpdum.org/campaigns/ajamu/ajamu_script.html

Sign the Petition to Free Ajamu!
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/ajamu/

For more information on the case and how you can get involved call:
InPDUM's Dept. of International Organizing at 215-500-0555. www.inpdum.org