# Why the Boston Alliance?

## The Need

Repression continues to grow in this country and in this state because our society is in crisis, people are organizing for change, and those in power want to stop them.

The National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, of which we are a local branch, is a coalition of organizations and individuals dedicated to the task of protecting people's rights to organize.

As people struggle to meet the crisis of our society, those in power strike back — by imprisonment, violence and terror, by passing repressive laws, and by blaming the victims for society's crimes. Today's repression touches hardest those already oppressed because of color, workers trying to organize, and the poor.

## The Alliance Answer

The formation of the Alliance has marked a rejection of the divisions that have been used to keep people's movements weak and defenseless. It has brought together people of all ethnic groups: Black, Puerto Rican, Native American, Asian and white. No group in the Alliance surrenders its own identity and program, but all are committed to bringing true meaning to the maxim that "an injury to one is an injury to all."

The National Alliance was organized in May, 1973, and the Boston Alliance had its founding conference a year later at the Hennigan School in Boston. Since that time, the Boston branch has enlarged its membership to include organizational representatives and individuals, and has cultivated links with numerous other human rights and anti-repression groups throughout the Greater Boston area.

# Unity — Our Weapon?

The main weapon of the Boston Alliance is unity — unity that cuts across all barriers set up by those who fear change: racial, ethnic, political and religious division; divisions of young from old, men from women; trade unionists from community activists; prisoners from those outside.

Our method is mass action — mobilizing people to focus coordinated public attention on repressive situations, getting the facts to the thousands who need to know about and respond to the increasing repression that threatens us all.

Our activities take us to local communities, prisons, shops and schools where the struggles to protect what people have secured from the threat of the new repression are going on. Our tools are the written word — newsletters and pamphlets; graphic communication through slide shows and films; the spoken word through our speaker's bureau and conferences; mass action through demonstrations and petition campaigns.

# Past Progress

* Coordination of Massachusetts campaign to free the Wilmington Ten, including petition drive, presidential appeal letter, church speaking tour, campaign for gubernatorial declaration of Wilmington Ten Day, large delegation to national Wilmington Ten demonstrations

* Convened regional conference on legal and national Ku Klux Klan activities, and prepared and distributed materials on issue.

* Convened regional conference on police abuse, and prepared and distributed materials on issue

* Active support to free Willie Sanders, a black man unjustly charged with rape in Boston

* Organized local support for the nationally significant cases of political prisoners David Truong; George Merritt, the five Puerto Rican Nationalists and others

* Campaign to expose repressive features of pending Omnibus Crime legislation

**We strive for** a collective work environment wherein all of our members can develop knowledge, skills, and self confidence so that each can give her or his best contribution to our important work.

**We operate on** volunteer assistance coordinated by our chairperson, our staff worker and task force leaders.

**Funding is sought** for our program, to publish materials and to hire staff. Your financial contribution is our only source of funds.

**We meet** at our office on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 7:30 pm.

## Our Program of Action

These forms of repression are targets of the Boston Alliance's fight-back:

* Attempts to isolate, persecute and prosecute political activists

* Attempts to destroy movements for change in the prisons

* Repressive legislation which seeks to stifle organizations that work for social change

* Attempts to deny labor its right to organize, to strike, and other forms of representing labor

* Police crimes against the community, especially the ghettos and barrios

* The nationwide push to restore the death penalty

* Human experimentation and behavior control as practiced on prisoners and others, especially the poor

* Harassment and deportation of the foreign-born, especially those who have escaped countries dominated by U.S. imperialism

* Revival attempts of genocidal movements such as the Ku Klux Klan and Nazi Party.

## Our Method of Work

We work through our task forces on (a) Political Prisoners; (b) Repressive Legislation; (c) Repression of Labor; (d) Behavior Control; (e) Anti-Klan and other similar groups.

We disseminate a regular newsletter to communicate information about both local and national activities.

We have a local speakers' bureau, including slide shows and films.

## Advisory Committee of the Boston Alliance

Rev. William Alberts, Gretchen Ashton, Dr. Erna Bryant, Margaret Burnham, Jane Guise, Polly Halfkenny, Hon. Mel King, Attorney Winston Kendall, John Magrath, Jean Claude Martineau, Mackie Macleod, Saundra McIntosh, Susan Page, Rev. Jonathan Robinson, Sunny Robinson, Dr. E. Martin Schotz, Horace Seldon, Sara Small, Attorney Max D. Stern, Jaime Rodriguez

We Need Your Help
Join the Alliance Today

### Membership Application

Enclose your check or money order, payable to Boston Alliance

$10.00 — nat'l and branch membership; $5.00 — nat'l membership
$25.00 — Organizational membership; $ — contribution

Type of membership desired.
Amount enclosed $

Send to: Boston Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression
Two Park Square
Suite 314
Boston, Massachusetts 02116

Name.
Street.
City.
State.
Zip
Telephone.
Organization.

12

RED SUN PRESS