[Puerto Rican Liberation march]

Footage from a march and rally for Puerto Rican liberation in downtown Chicago, filmed by students at Rafael Cancel Miranda High School.

00:01Copy video clip URL A protest march downtown Chicago. A man leads chants in the megaphone in support of Puerto Rican liberation. “Free the five in ’75!,” referring to Rafael Cancel Miranda and other jailed Puerto Rican Nationalists who led an uprising in Puerto Rico in 1950. Marchers carry signs reading “Free Lolita Lebron” and “Puerto Rican Independence Now.” Chants of “Free Puerto Rico right now!” 

02:35Copy video clip URL Spanish-language chants and chants to “Free Puerto Rico Right Now.” Banners from the Committee to Free the Puerto Rican Nationalist Prisoners and the Illinois Communist Party. 

04:35Copy video clip URL Offscreen, a woman says to the camera operator: “Do you have a photograph permission card? Then we ask that you don’t photograph the march.” The camera turns off. 

04:41Copy video clip URL The protest has gathered in front of the Federal Building on Dearborn. A woman delivers a speech in English and in Spanish detailing the schedule and the goals for the demonstration. 

07:02Copy video clip URL Michael Deutsch, of the Peoples’ Law Office, speaks about the jailed Puerto Rican nationalists. “I bring greetings of revolutionary love and militant solidarity from Oscar Collazo, Irving Flores, Lolita Lebron, Andres Cordero, and Rafael Cancel Miranda.” The crowd cheers as Deutsch continues, speaking about each activist individually. 

10:30Copy video clip URL The crowd chants “Free the five right now!” Deutsch asserts that their goals are obtainable and calls for education and activism for the liberation of the prisoners. He discusses the need to educate people about the efforts to “destroy the nation of Puerto Rico” and compares their struggle for independence to that of nations like Vietnam and Guinea-Bissau.

14:25Copy video clip URL American imperialism and oppression in its prison system, including the incarceration of Afeni Shakur and other activists. Deutsch finishes his speech with calls to free the Puerto Rican activists and all political prisoners. 

17:55Copy video clip URL The host introduces “Compañero José E. Lopez,” who delivers a speech in Spanish that ends with calls for Puerto Rico’s liberation: “Puerto Rico será libré!” 

23:30Copy video clip URL A speech by former student activist William Bates. The camera pans across the crowd as Bates speaks about Rafael Cancel Miranda and about the injustices and abuses of the carceral system. The crowd chants “Free Puerto Rico right now!”

28:24Copy video clip URL Lopez returns to deliver another speech in Spanish. 

30:30Copy video clip URL A woman delivers a speech in Spanish.