A POWERFUL and inspiring talk was given in Brighton by the survivor of a notorious FBI bombing of a radical black US eco group.
The packed event at the Cowley Club on Wednesday June 27 also featured a video documentary on MOVE and its dramatic history.
Ramona Africa was the only adult survivor of an attack on her family home on May 13th 1985, when the police shot 10,000 rounds of ammo, dropped three firebombs on the house and then shot at those who tried to escape. 11 members of her family were killed, including five children.
In her talk she stressed every individual's responsibility to do whatever they can to create a revolution against a life-crushing system.
The only disappointment was the revelation, in question time, of MOVE's disapproval of homosexuality.
Although Ramona stressed this did not stop MOVE working with gays or lesbians, many found the group's position on this issue hard to equate with their otherwise very radical politics.
Ramona has been touring the UK to talk about the MOVE Organization, the events of May '85, the MOVE 9, Mumia Abu-Jamal and what they stand for.
MOVE is a revolutionary organisation set up in USA, whose mission us to "protect all life by spreading information and standing against the systems that harm life".
They were strident anti-racism and environmental campaigners long before the mainstream took up the issues.
In their own words: "The word MOVE is not an acronym. It means exactly what it says: MOVE, work, generate, be active. Everything that's alive moves. If it didn't, it would be stagnant, dead. Movement is the principle of Life."
Because of their unequivocal stance they have been constantly persecuted by the system. The persecution went from beatings, to armed attacks to eventually bombing their homes.
The MOVE 9 (Merle Africa was one of the 9 but she died in prison in 1988) are innocent people who have been incarcerated since 1978 when 600 armed officers raided their home. In the hail of bullets that went into the house one officer was killed and they were framed for it and denied a fair trial - they were even banned from attending their own trial for "contempt of court" because they insisted on defending themselves.
Mumia Abu-Jamal is a MOVE supporter who also has experienced the injustice of the system whilst spending over 26 years on death row for a crime he did not commit.