BY JACK WILLEY
CHICAGO - In more than 15 cities across the country, supporters of the fight to free Puerto Rican political prisoners and for the independence of Puerto Rico are gearing up for a national march on Washington, D.C., on July 25.

The march is called "to denounce the Centennial of the U.S. invasion and colonization of our nation, Puerto Rico, to reaffirm our right as a nation to a true process of self- determination, [and] to demand the release of the Puerto Rican political prisoners and prisoners of war," according to the flier for the event. The action, which will be preceded by a 24-hour vigil beginning at noon July 24, was initiated by the National Committee to Free Puerto Rican Prisoners of War and Political Prisoners, which has chapters in several U.S. cities.

The July 25 march on Washington coincides with other actions the same day on similar themes. One is a rally at the United Nations, sponsored by the New York-based Comité Puerto Rico 98. An action will also take place in San Francisco. And in Guánica, Puerto Rico, the Congreso Nacional Hostosiano and the Puerto Rican Independence Party are sponsoring a march and rally.

On June 13 in Chicago, the National Committee to Free Puerto Rican Prisoners of War and Political Prisoners participated in the Puerto Rican Day Parade downtown and the People's Parade in the Humboldt Park area with a float highlighting the campaign to free the 15 Puerto Rican independence fighters held in U.S. prisons today. A couple dozen activists handed out brochures about the July 25 march on Washington at both events. They were joined by activists from Minneapolis-St. Paul, Philadelphia, and other cities.

To build the July 25 action, the Minnesota group is holding a fund-raising dinner at 6:30 p.m. on June 27 at Todos los Santos Church in Minneapolis.

In New York, members of ASPIRA and the National Committee to Free Puerto Rican Prisoners of War and Political Prisoners passed out brochures and posters during a Puerto Rican street festival June 13 and at the massive Puerto Rican Day Parade the following day. They have called a city-wide meeting June 24 at the ASPIRA offices for all those interested in helping organize to go to Washington, D.C.

Luis Sanabria, who heads up the National Committee to Free Puerto Rican Prisoners of War and Political Prisoners in Philadelphia, reported that activists there are going to a Puerto Rican parade in Camden, New Jersey, with a float on political prisoners and to hand out leaflets about the Washington demonstration. They are also co-sponsoring, along with the Cuba Support Coalition in Philadelphia, an event called "Cuba and Puerto Rico are Two Wings of the Same Bird, 1898-1998: 100 Years of Struggle Against Colonialism and Imperialism." The event begins at 7:00 p.m. on June 26 at the Painted Bride Art Center.

In the San Francisco Bay Area, Kahlil Jacobs-Fantauzzi, a leader of Comité 98, reported the coalition there is organizing local actions July 24-25. A vigil and picket will take place at the Federal Building in Oakland on July 24 and the main march and rally to the UN Plaza in downtown San Francisco will be July 25.

Activists have been holding weekly meetings at the union hall of Hotel and Restaurant Employees Local 2850. They are organizing a series of events at the Mission Cultural Center leading up to the action. Fantauzzi explained, "We have drawn in fighters from the Philippines and are keeping at the forefront the history of U.S. suppression in Guam, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Philippines up through today." Upcoming events include a July 14 documentary film showing on the Puerto Rican political prisoners and a July 16 teach- in.

Comité Puerto Rico 98 in New York will be holding a march from Columbus Circle to the UN building in Manhattan. The group had a float in New York's Puerto Rican Day Parade and leafleted the crowd about the action. Activists in Boston report that they are organizing buses to the UN rally.

For more information about the national march on Washington, write to Afirmación Boricua 98, P.O. Box 76360, Washington, D.C. 20013, e-mail at Jornada98@aol.com or check out the web site at www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Senate/6098

For more information about the rally at the United Nations, check out the web site at: www.geocities.com./CapitolHill/lobby/9272 or call 888-509- 2103.

For more information about the action in San Francisco, call 800-431-4818, ext. 126. Outside California, call 510- 893-3131, ext. 126.

Heather Wood in St. Paul contributed to this article.  
 
 
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