Issued: August 1970
Transcription, Editing and Markup: Paul Saba
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YOUNG COMMUNISTS FIRMLY OPPOSE THE FASCIST EAST CLEVELAND COURTS AND DEFEND THE PEOPLE’S RIGHT TO ORGANIZE POLITICALLY!!
Two young communist fighters, Michele Shubert and Jack Ailey, are striking repeated blows for the people’s democratic rights and against rising fascism in East Cleveland.
On August 6 they again went to court accused of “trespassing” and “resisting and abusing an officer,” meaning that they had “trespassed” against the exploiters of the Cleveland Transit System to sell American MASS LINE and QUOTATIONS.FROM CHAIRMAN MAO TSETUNG to the striking bus drivers at Hayden Station on July 9 and then resolutely resisted the attacks of the fascist police who were called to prevent this development of revolutionary ideas. This same fascist CTS management is now firing drivers and using police on the buses in an attempt to undermine the workers’ basic right to strike.
This time the flunkey judge, frightened by the presence of so many militant supporters, again postponed the trial until August 20, whining “Our witnesses aren’t ready; we can’t have this trial today.”
In their court appearances our comrades are putting into practice a new revolutionary policy of dispensing with “expert” lawyers, exposing the impossibility of getting “justice” from the fascist courts which exist only to back up the police, and relying on the people and our own revolutionary Initiative. Jack and Michele refused to follow the bureaucratic rules and formulas used by the court to smother the political issues in the trial.
First they refused to face the lackey judge but instead faced the real judges—the working and oppressed people who were present to be fleeced of their hard-earned money for trivial offences (like a $250 fine for driving without a license). Next when asked if they had a court case that afternoon (resulting from the victorious struggle against the Wallaceite “hard-hats” and the police on July 26) Michele answered “Yes, for defending ourselves against a vicious police attack and defending the right of the working class to use revolutionary violence.” When the authorities snickered at this, a spectator called out “There’s nothing funny about police attacks.” The people in the courtroom were overjoyed to hear revolutionaries expose the flimsy paper-tiger nature of the court and broke into applause.
The revolutionary policy of exposing the fascist courts has already met with great success in Cleveland Municipal Court. On Aug. 6, seven communist fighters were tried for the “crimes” of carrying the red flag of the working class and defending themselves against massive police attack when they led a demonstration against the Wallaceite “hard-hat” parade.
The revolutionaries firmly denounced the court. The police were caught ii their lies, and the judge (who tried to silence a young communist woman by having her dragged out, choked and sprayed with mace) did not dare to set long sentences or to sentence anyone for contempt. Barbara Cahn, sentenced to 60 days in jail for defending herself, told the court: “I am proud to be found guilty by this fascist court. You, judge, and you police are the real criminals and are going to be hanged by the people.”
Fascism is on the rise in East Cleveland as everywhere in the U.S., as U.S. imperialism sinks deeper into trouble at home and abroad. The racist East Cleveland police especially harass, arbitrarily arrest, and refuse to protect Black citizens. In addition, the police are mounting a campaign to stop the people from organizing politically to combat fascism.
On August 20 comrades Michele and Jack (who is now serving 30 days in the workhouse for standing up against the phony “hard-hats” and the police) are determined to further expose the gangster logic by which the fascist authorities justify their suppression of the people’s rights. This is how the gangster logic works: a young worker and student go to discuss revolutionary politics with workers on the workers’ own time, at a place built and maintained by workers, exercising the democratic rights thousands of working and oppressed people have died struggling for. A fascist lackey orders them to leave, thus indicating that the workers are prisoners there and have no rights, and the young comrades refuse to leave. This is the “crime” of “trespassing”. This lackey calls in the fascist police to attack the young people who fight back and denounce these fascists for what they are. This is the “crime” of “resisting and abusing an officer.” The court puts the stamp of “legality” on these fascist acts in the name of “law and order”, and our comrades expose the reactionary anti-working class nature of the fascist courts. For this they will accuse us of “contempt.”
This is our great honor! This is their great shame! We, along with the working and oppressed people of America, have the greatest contempt for the fascist police, courts and their monopoly capitalist masters, who survive only by violently denying the people’s democratic right to disseminate Mao Tsetung Thought, follow Chairman Mao’s guidelines and rise to throw off their chains and bury these criminal exploiters and oppressors once and for all!!
The American Communist Workers Movement (Marxist-Leninist) calls on all progressive people to attend this trial and express their militant opposition to rising fascism:
Thursday, August 20, 9:30 a.m., East Cleveland City Hall, 14340 Euclid
ADVANCE THE RESISTANCE MOVEMENT FORWARD!!
ALL REACTIONARIES ARE PAPER TIGERS!!
DENOUNCE THE FASCIST COURTS!!
American Communist Workers Movement (Marxist-Leninist)
P.O. Box 5221, Cleveland, Ohio 44l01
861-6949