US Hands Off the Antiwar Movement
and the African People’s Socialist Party
(Statement by the United National
Antiwar Coalition)
The United National
Antiwar Coalition (UNAC) condemns the indictment of Omali Yeshiteli, chairman
of the African People’s Socialist Party (APSP) and other members for expressing
their views on Ukraine. The indictment charges them of “conspiring to covertly
sow discord in U.S. society, spread Russian propaganda and interfere illegally
in U.S. elections.” This indictment attempts to criminalize freedom of
speech and discourage all who oppose U.S. foreign policy from expressing their
views.
Omali Yeshiteli, chairman of the APSP
speaking at the March 18 antiwar demonstration in DC
This attack on the
APSP and on freedom of speech should also be seen in the light of other cases
that the government has used to silence critics such as that of Julian Assange
who is being prosecuted for telling the truth about U.S. war crimes in Iraq and
Afghanistan and that of Daniel Hale who was sentenced to 4 years in prison for
letting people know that the U.S. drone program in Afghanistan mainly killed
innocent civilians. These attacks are growing
and indicate that we are entering a period like McCarthyism of the of
the 1950’s or the Palmer Raids of an earlier period, during which antiwar
activity was outlawed.
It must also be
noted that while many groups and individuals oppose U.S. policy in Ukraine,
this attack is against a Black organization. It is racist. Perhaps the
government believes that Black people will get less support in the U.S.
and therefore they can use this indictment to set a precedent for attacking all
those who express dissident views.
We must join
together and demand that the indictments be dropped, and that freedom of speech
be supported and expanded in the United States.
You can support the
fund for the legal defense of the APSP by clicking here.
UNAC had previously
put out a petition in support of the rights of the APSP. That petition
can be found here. Please sign.
The Administrative
Committee of the United National Antiwar Coalition
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