Leonard Peltier Clemency Gathering, Dec. 8, Tacoma, Washington

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LEONARD PELTIER CLEMENCY GATHERING

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2012, 12 NOON TO 3 PM (we must leave at 3 pm so we will start at 12 noon, please get there early)

TACOMA, WA, St. Leo Church, 710 South 13th St (Yakima Ave. and South 13th, from I-5 take I-705, exit downtown and go up 13th St).

For the last year and a half the Leonard Peltier Clemency Campaign has been building support for Clemency for Leonard Peltier with marches, rallies, video showings and other educational work. We knew that the best opportunity for clemency being granted would be after the election. In order for this to happen great public support must be built and maintained.
This event is for Leonard Peltier supporters to give a strong post-election push for clemency. We ask all Leonard Peltier supporters to please join us at this event. Please make phone calls and/or send e-mails to the White House in support of clemency: White House Comments Line - 202-456-1111; 202-456-1112, E-mail:  http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

SPEAKERS:
Deeahop Conway, Puyallup Tribal member, Tacoma Chapter LPDOC: MC
David Duenas, Puyallup Tribal Member: Opening and  Coastal Hand Drum
Ramona Bennett: Puyallup Tribal Elder, Life long friend of Leonard Peltier
Matilaja, Yu’Pik Eskimo from Mountain Village Alaska. Member of N.W. AIM since 1973, Friend of Leonard Peltier for 38 odd years and member of Tacoma Chapter LPDOC
Arthur J. Miller, Northwest Regional Organizer LPDOC, Tacoma Chapter LPDOC
Steve Hapy, Long time Leonard Peltier and Native struggles activist,  Co-Coordinator of the Tacoma Chapter LPDOC

This event is sponsored by the Tacoma Chapter LPDOC and co-sponsored by People For Peace, Justice and Healing

TACOMA CHAPTER, LEONARD PELTIER DEFENSE OFFENCE COMMITTEE
P.O. BOX 5464, TACOMA, WA 98415-0464. bayou@blarg.net, or Steve_hapy@yahoo.com
Join Tacoma Chapter LPDOC on facebook at: http://facebook.com/tacoma.lpdoc
Subscribe to: Northwest Peltier Support at: nwpeltiersupport-subscribe@lists.riseup.net   
For more information: www.whoisleonardpeltier.info

NORTHWEST WHITEHOUSE PHONE AND E-MAIL ZAP, DECEMBER 9 TO 15, 2012
White House Comments Line - 202-456-1111; 202-456-1112
E-mail:  http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
Message: Northwest people support clemency for Leonard Peltier
  It is important to keep phone calls, e-mails, and letters going to the White House during the clemency campaign. But we want to make sure that it is very clear that the northwest supports clemency for Leonard Peltier, so we have called for a phone and e-mail Zap (a phone Zap is when a lot of people call around the same time), the week of December 9-15. Please northwest folks show your support of Leonard Peltier. Thank you.
 
“Mr. Peltier's  unjust incarceration remains a festering sore that impedes better race relations in America.”  Coretta Scott King

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

“I have no doubt whatsoever that the real motivation behind both Wounded Knee II and the Oglala firefight, and much of the turmoil throughout Indian Country since the early 1970s, was—and is—the mining companies’ desire to muffle AIM and all traditional Indian people, who sought—and still seek—to protect the land, water, and air from their thefts and depredations. In this sad and tragic age we live in, to come to the defense of Mother Earth is to be branded a criminal.” --Leonard Peltier, Prison Writings –

Leonard Peltier (of the Anishinabe, Dakota, and Lakota Nations), long time Native Activist and member of the American Indian Movement. Leonard Peltier, an innocent man who was convicted for the 1975 shooting deaths of two agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. U.S. pro secutors have repeatedly admitted that they did not and cannot prove Peltier's guilt, and the appellate courts have cited numerous instances of investigative and prosecutorial misconduct in this case. As late as November 2003, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals acknowledged that "…Much of the government’s behavior at the Pine Ridge Reservation and its prosecution of Mr. Peltier is to be condemned. The government withheld evidence. It intimidated witnesses. These facts are not disputed." The trial of the first two AIM members in this case were found not guilty for reason of self-defense.
  Behind the case of Leonard Peltier and the events that took place on the Pine Ridge Oglala Lakota Reservation is the continuing theft of Native land for energy corporations. High grade Uranium was found in the northwest corner of Pine Ridge. It was well known that the Lakota people would be unwilling to sell their land because they refused payment for the Black Hills. So a plan was carried out to suppress the traditional Oglala Lakota people and their supporters from the America Indian Movement. This lead to the Wounded Knee II Occupation, over 500 AIM members being indited on charges, a two and a half year reign of terror against the Oglala Lakota people, and the firefight near Oglala, that Leonard was charged with, that took place at the same time that a corrupt tribal Chairman was illegally signing away the part of Pine Ridge with the Uranium. The firefight took place as a means to divert attention and to suppress AIM.
  Leonard has been in prison for over 36 years for a crime he did not commit and a crime that forces of greed were responsibly for. They have withheld medical care for Leonard and recently Leonard was placed in solitary confinement for 72 days and then sent to a high security prison in Florida, as far away from his lawyers and family as they could send him. Leonard is in bad health and they want Leonard to die in prison, alone and forgotten.  We will not let that happen.
   We are now organizing a new clemency for Leonard Peltier campaign and the regional marches on Feb, 4, 2012 are a very important part of that. Please help us raise money for it and get the word out everywhere.  Please. let us come together in the spirit of unity for Leonard and for the kind of justice and peace we want for our world. Thank you.
TACOMA CHAPTER, LEONARD PELTIER DEFENSE OFFIENSE COMMITTEE
  For more information go to the LPDOC web site: www.whoisleonardpeltier.info