Jericho '98, the March 27 rally in Washington, DC for freedom and amnesty for political prisoners and prisoners of war

April 1998

Jericho '98, the March 27 rally in Washington, DC for freedom and amnesty for all political prisoners and prisoners of war held in America's prisons marked the beginning of a new campaign and a new priority put on releasing political prisoners, many of whom have been in prison for over 20 years. The rally, which drew about 8,000 people, was organized by the Provisional Government of the Republic of New Afrika, and the New Afrikan Liberation Front, an umbrella group. About 10 attended from Gainesville.

Members of Pro-Libertad, the committee to free Puerto Rican prisoners of war, carry portraits of Adolfo Matos (r) and Oscar Lopez (l).

Among the hundreds of political prisoners held in the U.S., Native American Leonard Peltier may be the most well-known.

Safiya Bukhari, the lead organizer of Jericho '98, speaks at Lafayette Park, next to the White House. "This is only a beginning," organizers declared, "we will not return here." They will work for international recognition of the political prisoners held by the U.S., to put pressure on the U.S.