Join the Conspiracy

THE CNTCH 22 trial in Chicago is over. The five convicted defendants face fines of up to 510,000 and prison terms of up to five years. All seven-and two of their lawyers-have already been sentenced to varying jail terms for contempt of court. An eighth defendant-Bobby Seale-was jailed last fall, after being bound and gagged. But Judge Hoffman, who has shown much more contempt-contempt for basic human dignity-faces no legal sanctions.

We may find a glimmer of hope in the jury's refusal to convict the Seven of conspiring to plot the police riot during the Democratie National Convention; the government away to jail for Thoughtcrime. Nevertheless, everyone who has protested, at Chicago, or Washington, or Boston, against this nation's terrible insanity, should recognize the trial in Chicago as the most obvious attempt yet at political repression. When the courts resort to locking up lawyers we must realize how absurd quiet faith in the judicial process really is. One defendant thanked Hoffman for finally and totally exposing the American system to him as a lie. Hoffman deserves our thanks, too.

A nationwide TDA (The Day After) protest against the trial is scheduled for today. In Boston, the November Action Coalition is sponsoring a militant, nonviolent march from the Park Street subway station to Post Office Square. TDA will give us a chance to join our feeble individual voices together to show the government's witchhunters that they will have to lock up a lot more than ten men before the silence of the majority is the only voice left to be heard in this country.