April 30, 1998

Leslie Hitchcock, News Editor
 
“There is nothing more important than life...and we must uncompromisingly oppose anything that goes against life.”

MOVE activist Ramona Africa, who spoke to Appalachian State University students Monday in Farthing Auditorium, is dedicated to upholding the foundations of MOVE and improving life for all living creatures.
Africa discussed the alleged tribulations that members of MOVE experienced after their beginning in Philadelphia from the early 1970’s and offered her personal testimony to their cause.

“[MOVE’s] first actions were to demonstrate against the Philadelphia Zoo, the Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus, furriers...energy crisis conferences, unsafe boarding homes for the elderly and the Philadelphia Board of Education,” Africa said.

MOVE protested against these organizations because they demonstrated abuse of life, which the creed of MOVE does not tolerate, said Africa.

“The first thing that (government) officials did was to offer MOVE money,” Africa said.  “They said [they wanted] to give [us] funding, a grant, set [us] up in an office.”

John Africa did not accept the money, and soon after, “the brutality and intimidation began,” Africa said.
Police came to MOVE’s peaceful demonstrations and told them they would be arrested if they protested, she said. MOVE challenged the authority of the police in respect of the First Amendment and “that’s when the beatings started,” said Africa.

The alleged police violence against MOVE did not end with aggravation at demonstrations, Africa said.
On Aug. 8, 1978, under the guise of eviction on account of housing code violations, police began to assault MOVE.

Members of MOVE hid in the basement of the house as police shot rounds of tear gas and the fire department sprayed 10,000 pounds of water pressure per minute with four hoses into the house, said Africa.
A policeman was killed in friendly fire during the stand-off, but members of MOVE were blamed for the death.  Nine members of MOVE were arrested, and each was charged with murder, said Africa. All nine members charged were convicted of murder, she said.

“[This showed us that] ‘legal’ is not the same as ‘right,’ ” Africa stated.

On May 12, 1985, the MOVE town home was surrounded by policemen “armed for war,” Africa said. “They came with 50 caliber machine guns, sniper rifles with silencers, 20 millimeter armor-piercing anti-tank guns and C-4 explosives,” she said.

The bomb dropped on the roof of the town home and started a fire.  “The minute we tried to come out [of the home, the police] opened fire [on us] and forced us back into the fire,” said Africa.

Africa, the only survivor, went to prison charged with possession of explosives, arson, risking and causing a catastrophe, riot and simple and aggravated assault.

She was convicted of riot and conspiracy and served the full sentence of seven years.

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