In souTH from Militant 24/6/63
The assassinetion of Medgar @vers, Mississippi NAACP field secretary, in Jackson proves that Negroes in the South have no police protection what— ever. Thay cannot look for protection to the very racist police who ara illegally clubbing them off the strests and jailing them for peacefully demonstrating for their rights, Thore are even strong indications of coll~ usion between the Southern police and the racist terrorists of the civilian variety. In Jackson it was common knowledge that Medgar Evers was under constant surveillance by local police, His phones were tapped, his car was followed wherever he went. ‘ But when Evers was murdered at 1.20 a.m. June l2, as he stepped from ~ his car infront of his home, there were no police present, Why did Jackson ¢ops refrain from tailing the Negro leader on just the night an assassin lay waiting in the bushes to shoot him down? Wor can Negroes in the South expect protection from the FEL. The FHL knew Evers was in danger, On May 29 Evers! home had been bombed with a ‘Molotov cocktail,' The FHI, which has restricted itself to ‘observing’ in cases of civil-rights violations, doesn't even ie do that competently. Where were the FHI men ‘cbhserving' the night Medgar . = Svers was killed? i ef The fact that no federal protection was provided Medgar fvers is the direct responsibility of President John F. Kennedy and Attorney General Robert Kennedy. Mississippi civil-rights fighters have repeatedly wired the Attorney General reporting racist attempt at murder and requesting fede~ ral protection, What is more, there have been a long series of murders of civil-rights fighters in the South — all of which have gone unpunished, These include: Florida NAACP State Secretary Harry T. Moore and his wife killed by bomb Christmas night, 1955; Rev. George “. Lee, head of the Belzoni Mississippi, NAACP, assassinated in 1955; Herbert Lee, assisting a voter registration drive in Mississippi in 1961, shot dead in broad daylight in front of witnesses,
In addition, in recent years there have bsen the Mississippi lynchings of Emmett Till and Mack Charles Parker, with the killers still at large, All this, plus countless shootings and beatings where tho victims didn't die, The lechl police sat by or aided in these deeds and the federal governnont did nothing effective, During the recent Birmingham events Kennedy gave no protection to Negroes, The troops he sont were kept inactive at a base 40 miles away while Alabama state troopers clubbed Negroes on the porches of their homesseeeseeein view of this default, the Negores have tha moral and tr legal right to arm and train thomselves for self-defence. In a mumber of ; cases Negroes are already doing this,
In Lexington, N.C., Negroes protacted themsslves against the incursion of a white mob into the coloured neighbourhood, The armed and mrderous mob was scattered by gunfire from barricaded Negrea houses, and one of the white invaders was killed, Joseph Poole, 19, has been indicted on a 'mirder* charge in this case, If Poole did shoot, he had every right to do so, and it is the duty of every organisation which is part of or sympathetic to the movament for Negros equality to come to his defence, There are news reports that Negroes in Jackson, Miss., are buying gums. This, too, is their right and that right must be defended, I+ is not enough. however, to protect = Negro neighbourhoods, It is also necessary to provide defence guards for leaders and activists to prevent their assassination, Both this and neigh— bourheod defence should be organised on a disciplined, well equipped and well trained basis, where that isn't already boing done.......4s has already basen suggested, a fitting tribute to the assassinated Mississippi NAACF lead—. er would be the formation of a Medgar vars Defonce Corps in every endangered Negro community. = a ee ee ee eS Se
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