A conference in Washington, D.C. featuring 2020 Democrat presidential hopefuls began with the rallying cry of fugitive cop-killer Assata Shakur on Monday. Convicted of the 1973 murder of a state trooper, Shakur escaped from prison in 1979 and fled to Cuba.
Jamal Watkins, VP of Civic Engagement at the NAACP, told attendees at the We the People conference, “I’m gonna actually have you participate with me in repeating some words from a leader by the name of Assata Shakur: ‘It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.’”
Participating groups and speakers included Sierra Club, MoveOn, Planned Parenthood, SEIU, Cory Booker, Julián Castro, Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Kirsten Gillibrand.