DEMAND IMMEDIATE MEDICAL CARE FOR ROBERT MITCHELL!

Robert M. Mitchell is an imprisoned Black activist in Battle Creek, Michigan, who is being framed up on racist charges of holding a white female "hostage" in her home since last year. More and more facts are coming out each day that these charges are bogus, but it now seems that the Sheriff and other officials intend to allow Robert to die in the Calhoun County jail, while he is awaiting trial. He has had a stoke, and now three heart attacks while in the jail over the last month. However, the jail authorities have shown absolute disregard for his medical needs in an attempt to allow him to die in custody. Even though doctors at the Battle Creek hospital have been asking that he stay at that facilitiy to safeguard his health, racist Sheriff's deputies have been apparently given orders by Sheriff Allen Byam to not respond. He had yet another heart attack on Friday, October 12th, and the jail staff did not even take him to the hopspital. Sheriff Byam has been heard to publicly say that the reason he did not allow Robert Mitchell stay at the hoSpital in a cardiac care facility because of "budget constraints".

To refuse to give a critically ill person medical care is a crime and a violation of his human rights. The prison officials want to punish Robert Mitchell in any way they can, and if he dies from lack of medical care, they can pretend that it was all a "natural" event. The white authorities of Battle Creek hate Robert Mitchell because of years of activism against racism by the city government and police brutality by the Battle Creek police department against racial minorities. Further, since he has been held at the jail, he has been beaten by jail guards and kept in solitary confinement because he has worked as an inmate paralegal and helped many prisoners with their legal cases, as well as filed a class action lawsuit against the Calhoun Copunty jail in federal court. So this refusal to grant medical care is clearly retaliation.

In order to demand that Robert Mitchell be given proper medical care and to challenge once again this bogus racist prosecution by Battle Creek authorities, the Robert Mitchell defense committee, the SouthWest Michigan Coalition Against Racism and Police Brutality, and the Black Autonomy Network of Community Organizers will hold a protest rally at the Calhoun County Justice Complex in downtown Battle Creek, 161 East Michigan Avenue, beginning at 1:00, Friday, October 19th. We must maintain a vigil in this case and cannot let Robert Mitchell silently die. DEMAND THAT HE RECEIVE IMMEDIATE MEDICAL CARE!

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

1. Come to the rally at the Calthoun County Justice Complex, 161 East Michigan Avenue,and help make a statement against this racist prosecution and to demand immediate medical care at an outside medical facililty for Robert Mitchell.

2. Make phone calls and send letters of complaint to: Sheriff Allen Byam, Calhoun Country Sheriff's Department, 161 E. Michigan Ave., Battle Creek, MI. 49014 (616) 965-6450, (616) 969-6428 (NOTE: if you are outside of Michigan, you can send e-mail-to-faxes byYahoo-fax, J-Fax, E-Fax, AOL, and a variety of other services).

3. Send donations for the Robert Mitchell Defense Community c/o BANCO, P.O. Box 19962, Kalamazoo, MI. 49019

4. For more information, please contact JoNina Abron, S.W. Michigan Coalition Against Racism and Police Brutality, Kalamazoo  BANCO_midwest@hotmail.com or  Jonina1@yahoo.com

This is the reality of the racist American government, prisons and police. If you are put in jail, you will die one way or another, but especially without outside support. All prisoners are entitled to medical care, we must fight for Robert Mitchell's right for life.

by Lorenzo Komboa Ervin & JoNina Abron