Rally for the Oakland Seven and Huey Newton in Berkeley, California

This is a recording of speeches given at a rally on January 26, 1968 on Sproul Hall Steps at University of California, Berkeley calling for the release of the Oakland Seven and Huey Newton, the co-founder of the Black Panthers. The Oakland Seven, consisting of Frank Bardacke, Terry Cannon, Reese Erlich, Steve Hamilton, Bob Mandel, Jeff Segal, and Mike Smith, had been indicted and held on conspiracy charges for the October 1967 anti-draft demonstrations in Oakland. The group would be acquitted in 1969. Huey Newton was imprisoned and awaiting trial for allegedly killing an Oakland police officer during a traffic stop, a charge that was overturned in a 1970 appeal. In the recording, speakers condemn police brutality against black individuals and anti-draft demonstrators, and call for these groups to unify and jointly advocate for release of Huey Newton and the arrested demonstrators. Speakers include Bobby Seale, Chairman of the Black Panther Party and Black Panther Party co-founder; Bettina Aptheker, Free Speec