This tape features footage of an outdoor rally that took place a day before Puerto Rican Nationalists Oscar Collazo, Irving Flores, Rafael Cancel Miranda, and Lolita Lebron were to be released from prison in 1979. Collazo attempted to assassinate President Truman in 1950, while the other three were convicted for opening fire in the House of Representatives in 1954, wounding six. The sentences of all four were commuted by President Jimmy Carter. The rally took place in New York City near the United Nations building.
00:00Copy video clip URL This tape begins with static.
00:12Copy video clip URL A man with a megaphone addresses a large crowd. The sound quality is initially very poor. A woman then takes the megaphone and addresses the crowd. She speaks of solidarity among the Puerto Rican, Chicano-Mexicano, black, and Native American communities. “Only an organized resistance by a repressed people can successfully command those who trample on our rights.” She also calls for the cessation of police brutality. The crowd participates in a small chant before she introduces the next speaker, Angel Rodriguez.
03:45Copy video clip URL Angel Rodriguez, a member of La Liga Socialista, begins to address the crowd after the enthusiastic chanting ceases. The megaphone malfunctions as the man makes his remarks in Spanish. Another man translates for the crowd, but cannot be heard by the majority of the crowd until he begins to use another megaphone. The speaker emphasizes the importance of solidarity among minorities to combat police brutality and white imperialism. The camera operator gathers footage of the area throughout the speech. This lasts for several minutes.
10:15Copy video clip URL Gustavo Eranjo, a member of the Comite de Defensa Popular of Mexico, takes the stage and is greeted by a loud chant. He also addresses the crowd in Spanish. The same man translates his words on community solidarity and fighting against the injustices that have plagued their cultures. He also speaks on the number of people who are missing and/or political prisoners in Mexico. This lasts for several minutes.
21:12Copy video clip URL Another speaker from the Movimiento de Liberacion Nacional begins to talk about a common strategy among oppressed peoples. He states that the country was built on racism and colonialism. The audio is difficult to make out at times. The man eventually calls for a stop to police brutality and says there is a state of undeclared war on their community. He states that over 2000 members of the Hispanic community have been brutalized by the police.
28:44Copy video clip URL The camera operator turns away from the rally to shoot a group of police officers surrounding the perimeter, bored and unaffected by the speeches alleging police oppression. Eventually, an older woman is seen wandering down the middle of the street and police officers try to escort her away. She resists. The camera finally pans back to the speaker. He states that by the year 2000, people of color will make up 100 million of the country’s population. He continues to promote the idea of mutual respect among people of different races and a stop to police brutality. The tape ends shortly afterward.
33:54Copy video clip URL Tape ends.
0 Comments
You can be the first one to leave a comment.