Vol. 73/No. 30      August 10, 2009

Exactly 80 years later, in 1978 two young Puerto Rican independence fighters were ambushed, beaten, and summarily executed by 15 cops. These killings and the subsequent cover-up attempt by the U.S. and Puerto Rican governments have been a focal point for growing protests over the past six years.

Andrea González, Socialist Workers Party candidate for U.S. vice-president, participated in two proindependence actions on July 25, which marked these events, during her week-long visit here.  
 
August 10, 1959
DETROIT—The cops are getting worse, more brutal, more lawless. In self-defense, the labor, Negro and socialist movements should pay a lot more attention to the job of curbing them.

In recent months Detroit cops have been caught raping a woman, choking and shooting at a girl who didn’t care for a cop’s advances, abusing and threatening people who wouldn’t buy police field-day tickets, and robbing banks and supermarkets. Almost the whole force staged a three-day slowdown in handing out traffic tickets as a protest against an order for white and Negro cops to drive together in some squad cars. These incidents were considered news-worthy, but they just scratch the surface.  
 
August 11, 1934
The danger of the rapid growth of the fascist movement in America can be adduced from the startling testimony recently given to a Congressional committee investigating the activities of the Silver Shirts in the San Diego region of California. A direct link was established between the Nazi government of Berlin and purchases of arms by their American emulators for the purpose of training an American Storm Troop section.

Aping the German movement, the [Silver Shirts] Pelley organization has carried on a vehement campaign against all Communists, Socialists and Jews. They have demanded the dismissal of the “Jewish advisers” of President Roosevelt, Morgenthau and Baruch.  
 
 
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