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The FBI conducted illegal and

covert actions under the direction

of J. Edgar Hoover aimed at individuals

and organizations

believed to be subversive in the

1960s and 70s.

Details of this were explored in

the film “COINTELPRO 101,”

screened by Students for Social

Justice in the Circadian on Sept.

22.

The documentary film centers

on the FBI’s Counter Intelligence

Program.

The event opened with a commemoration

to Troy Anthony

Davis, the death row inmate who

was executed by the state of

Georgia on Sept. 21.

The audio clip featured an

interview with Davis’s sister,

activist Martina Correia, and

political prisoner Mumia Abu-

Jamal.

It was followed by a reading of

Davis’ last statement.

The Freedom Archives, an

organization that houses an

impressive collection of audio

and video recordings covering

progressive history, produced the

film.

COINTELPRO 101 covers the

effects the FBI’s program had on

social and political movements

during the 1950s, 60s and 70s.

It also discussed an earlier

incarnation of the program and

what ultimately led to its creation

and aftermath.

It included the Puerto Rican

Liberation Movement, Civil

Rights Movement, American

Indian Movement, the Chicano

Movement and the Black Power

Movement.

The COINTELPRO program

destabilized, discredited and disrupted

many organizations while

killing and imprisoning many

people, according to the film.

A discussion panel followed the

screening with Carlos Montes cofounder

of the Brown Berets,

Henry “Hank” Jones, former

Black Panther; Los Angeles

Chapter, Lawrence Reyes, Boricua

Human Rights Network, and

Roland Freeman, former Black

Panther; San Francisco Chapter.

Montes began the dialog by

sharing his experiences, then and

now.

He was one of the leaders of the

East Los Angles high school walkouts

in 1968.

“We worked with the Black

Panthers,” Montes said. “Black

and brown unity.”

Montes is politically active to

this day and is the leader of

Latinos Against War and a member

of the Southern California

Immigration Coalition.

The FBI ransacked his home on

May 17.

“They raided my house,”

Montes said. “Today, they are

accusing me of being a terrorist.”

In 1973, Jones and several other

Black Panther members were

arrested in connection with the

1971 murder of a San Francisco

police officer.

By 1975, all charges were

dropped after it was discovered

that police had obtained confessions

from the men using torture

techniques.

In 2007, Jones and seven other

former members of the Black

Panther party were re-arrested in

a homeland security sweep and

charged with the 1971 murder.

Their case became known as the

San Francisco 8.

“We had to tell the COINTELPRO

story,” said Jones.

Reyes has fought for political

prisoners and for Puerto Rican

independence.

“We are all a target of terrorists,”

said Reyes. “We are targets

of a terrorist state.”

Freeman endured a shootout

with the police at 41st and

Central, the Black Panther headquarters

in Los Angeles.

“It only takes a few people, I

mean really committed people to

make change,” said Freeman.

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