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VVAW Attacked Again

By Tom Zangrilli

IN the past month police repression, intimidation, and harrasment has been directed primarily against members of VVAW. The increase in police terror tactics coincided with the signing of the Paris Agreements to end the war in Vietnam.

It started slowly, with the people that work in the regional office being singled out. They were followed when they left the office and pulled over by plain-clothes cops. Bill Hager, the regional coordinator, was handcuffed and held prisoner while the cops searched for what they said was "a large haul of narcotics". Finding none, they released Hager. Kevin McNamara was pulled over, searched, and told "we're going to get you fuckers". I have been pulled over and searched and held for warrant checks at least 10 times in recent weeks.

The attacks reached a new level 2 weeks ago. A house where 3 VVAW members live in No. Hollywood was broken into by over 15 policemen without a warrant. The house was ransacked while the brothers and 2 female companions (who also have worked with VVAW) were held prisoner. Finding nothing again, the police concocted a story of finding "traces" of marijuana and all 4 were arrested, even though the women did not live there!

Almost immediately following this incident a leaflet that claimed to be written by an ex-member was passed around the areas of Los Angeles where VVAW is the strongest. The leaflet accused many members (especially the most active) of being narcotics distributors, stealing money from VVAW and Peace Action Council, and being flunkeys of Progressive Labor Party. This leaflet has been thoroughly analyzed and is also attributed to the pathetic idiots of the LAPD "red squad". The mentality of whoever wrote it is so lwo that it could only be a super macho flunkey such as employed by the LAPD.

This past Sunday the Los Angeles Sheriffs, attacked several members of VVAW outside of a church they were entering. A meeting had been called by Black community organizations to protest of the murder of a 17 year old boy by the Sheriffs. The boy weighed 125 and was shot "accidentally" by a burly cop who stopped him on the street for questioning. Upon arriving at the Church, the VVAW people were physically attacked by 7 carloads of Sheriffs. They were beated, clubbed, and kicked by these savage beasts before they were asked a single question. They were then arrested and taken to jail where they were again betaed and gassed in their cells. They were forced to sit in the gas filled, and unventilated cell for one hour and a half before being moved to a new cell. Hours later they were informed that they were charged with "Failure to present identification to an officer on demand." One brother was also charged with possession of marijuana that was "found" in has car after they were hauled away.

It is becoming obvious that the government thinks that the time is ripe to destroy VVAW. They feel that our base of support and unity will desintegrate now that the war is supposedly over. But we have news for these thugs. Their attacks will only bring us closer together and increase our struggles to change the system that allows gangsters like them to occupy our communities.