FBI director Kash Patel said that mourning the death of Tupac Shakur’s godmother, Assata Shakur, who died last week in Cuba, is “spitting on the badge” of every police officer who has died in the line of duty.
Shakur, born Joanne Chesimard, a political activist and member of the Black Liberation Army, was convicted in the 1973 murder of a police officer in New Jersey. In 1979, she escaped from jail and was wanted by the FBI, carrying a $1 million reward for information leading to her arrest.
She was granted asylum in Cuba by Fidel Castro in 1984, where she lived the rest of her life.
The Black Liberation Army was an offshoot of the Black Panther Party and carried out bombings, killings of police officers, hijackings, robberies, and prison breaks.
Tupac’s mother, Afeni Shakur, was also a political activist and member of the Black Panthers.
Writing on X following news of her death, Patel said: “Joanne Chesimard didn’t ‘fight for justice.’ She murdered New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster in cold blood, then fled to Cuba to escape accountability. The FBI never stopped calling her what she was: a terrorist.”
He added, “Mourning her is spitting on the badge and the blood of every cop who gave their life in service.”
According to her 1987 autobiography, she saw herself as being pursued for crimes she didn’t commit, or for which she was justified. The FBI later put Shakur on its list of “most wanted terrorists.”
The Democratic Socialists of America wrote on X: “Rest in Power, Assata Shakur. The American state brutally oppressed Assata and her Black Panther Party Comrades. The Cubans welcomed her and other Black Revolutionaries with asylum, and their solidarity and loyalty allowed Assata to live out her days in Havana.”
And the Chicago Teachers Union also paid tribute to her, writing: “Today we honor the life and legacy of a revolutionary fighter, a fierce writer, a revered elder of Black liberation, and a leader of freedom whose spirit continues to live in our struggle.”
But the tributes have drawn sharp criticism, including from those on the left.
Phil Murphy, the governor of New Jersey and a Democrat, responded on X to the union, writing that the stance was: “Shameful and depraved.
“She was convicted of the murder of New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster, who was executed in cold blood.”
He added, “There are so many worthy heroes to celebrate. She is not one of them.”
Shakur died on 25 September in Havana due to “health conditions and advanced age,” Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
Shakur’s daughter, Kakuya Shakur, also confirmed her mother’s death in a Facebook post.
