Newspapers / The newspaper. / Nov. 9, 1970, edition 1 / Page 9
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exactly have they been charged i with? I Lefcourt: It is a thirty count count indictment, the most com prehensive ever returned against a political organization in this country. It does not charge one act suc^ as Huey Newton shooting a policemen or Bobby Seale order ing a murder in Connecticut. It charges thirty acts, some of v;hich sounded like conspiracy which means conspiracy to bomb public buildings such as Macy’s, Gimbels, various police precincts throughout the city, subways and railways. Including the ridicu lous charge of consriracy to blow uf, the Bronx Botanical Gar dens . Maybe the Panthers wanted to see Black floW'-er powder. I don't know. The indictment also charges, besides the conspiracy to do all these things, the actual bombings of police precincts back in January of 1969. There fore, the charges are arson, at- temped murder, conspiracy to murder, conspiracy to bomb, and possessson of a huge amount of weapons. CPS: Quite bluntly, do you think they're guilty? Lefcourt: Well, no, But I should say that I don't think black people struggling for their freedomin this country can be guilty of anything. I sort of subscribe to w'hat Tom Hayden was saying back in the May Day demon strations in New Haven: that guilt or innocence is not really important any more; what is more important is the goals the party stands for, the party programs and the relationship of the party to white peorle; a movement to change their views on imperialism and capitalism--it seems to me to be more important. The Panthers in New York get involved in what they call revolutionary self-de fense. Vhen you're fearing immi nent destruction by the police. attacks through frame-up prose- cutions and physicalassaults m officers, you prepare and ^ prepare then you're committing suicide. It is^easy to turn that preparation into an indictment against almost ^nything. I assume that every Panther in this country is guilty of conspiracy in one sense and that sense is that they are conspiring to be free. CPS. bhat IS your definition of subversive? Lefcourt: They stand for no more oppression, no more racism no more \,ar, no more imperialism no more capitalist exploitation ’ and in that sense they are ’ completely subversive. I can't talk in terms of definitions in the sense that the attorney general does. His definition of subversive is anyone v»/ho wants to change the existing condition of the United States, w.'hich I guess should be termed pre-revolutionary conditions. I assuje he is right. CPS: Have you had any trouble in the subpoening of newsmen to reveal their sources? Lefcourt:. I've been in contact Vith lost of newsmen who have either been the subject of subpoenas or threatened with them. "l don't think we can talk in terms of what the government violates. It’s really nonsense. They’re going to do v.'hat they have to do to meet the challenge of this movement. People too naively talk about the government not complying w.ith the law. It’s really silly. Because the government makes the lav . The attorney general makes the guidelines and he can change them or do v hat he vvants with them. I mean, there is an executive policy in this country executive stemming from the President of the United States
Nov. 9, 1970, edition 1
9
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