VS: April 24 Reportback
Magne Haagen Flatval (magne@kvalito.no)
Tue, 27 Apr 1999 19:27:33 +0200
> Millions for Mumia Mobilization
> 39 W. 14 St., # 206, New York, NY 10011
> 212-633-6646 fax: 212-633-2889
> http://www.peoplescampaign.org
> email: npcny@peoplescampaign.org
>
> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
> Contact: Sarah Sloan, Greg Butterfield
> April 26, 1999
>
> MASSIVE MARCH IN PHILADELPHIA DEMANDS
> NEW TRIAL FOR MUMIA ABU-AMAL
>
> ORGANIZERS CONDEMN `BIAS AND COVERUP' IN MEDIA COVERAGE
>
> In what organizers called "a milestone event" in the struggle to free
> Mumia Abu-Jamal, between 25,000 and 30,000 people rallied and marched
> in Philadelphia April 25 to demand a new trial for the African
> American political prisoner. They called on Pennsylvania Gov. Tom
> Ridge to refrain from signing a death warrant. In San Francisco,
> between 15,000 and 20,000 people marched.
>
> At the opening rally outside Philadelphia City Hall, Pam Africa,
> coordinator of International Concerned Family & Friends of Mumia,
> said: "This is clearly `Attention: America!' We are millions for Mumia
> today all over the world. And we are shutting this city down to demand
> justice for an innocent man."
>
> "Saturday's rallies constitute the biggest outpouring for a U.S.
> political prisoner in more than a generation," said Monica Moorehead,
> a national coordinator of the Millions for Mumia Mobilization, which
> organized the April 24 demonstrations. "Tens of thousands of people,
> who represent millions worldwide, made it known to state and national
> officials that they will not stand by and allow the government to
> carry out the legal lynching of Mumia Abu-Jamal."
>
> The crowd was overwhelmingly young and multinational--that is, it was
> African American, Latino, Native, Asian, Middle Eastern and white.
> Many came from Philadelphia. Students and youths from more than 100
> college campuses and high schools mobilized buses and car caravans.
> Some came from as far away as California, Minnesota and Kansas. Fifty
> people from Texas, the death-row capital, traveled two days by bus to
> join the demonstration.
>
> Sixty delegates came from France, including representatives of former
> First Lady Danielle Mitterrand and the French trade union movement. A
> Black Power feeder march numbered 1,500 people. Latinos for Mumia drew
> 700 people, carrying flags from Puerto Rico, Mexico, Cuba, the
> Dominican Republic, Colombia and many others. Some 500 people joined
> the Rainbow Flags for Mumia contingent representing the lesbian, gay,
> bi and transgender community. Native people and Asians for Mumia also
> marched.
>
> Among the speakers at City Hall were Dr. Hasna Muhammad, representing
> her parents, Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee; comedian Dick Gregory; Pam
> Africa; Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine; Mazi Jamal,
> Abu-Jamal's son; Aline Pailler, member of the European Parliament;
> Leonard Weinglass, lead attorney for Abu-Jamal; former Black Panther
> leader Kathleen Cleaver; Ron Stallings of the National Black Police
> Association; former political prisoners Geronimo ji Jaga, Safiya
> Bukhari, Herman Ferguson, Ramona Africa, and Rafael Cancel Miranda;
> Barbara Smith, lesbian feminist author; Robert Meeropol, son of Ethel
> Rosenberg and Julius Rosenberg; Larry Holmes of Workers World Party;
> C. Clark Kissinger of Refuse & Resist; poet Sonia Sanchez; national
> organizer Monica Moorehead; and many more.
>
> After the opening rally, a militant march wound through the streets of
> Philadelphia for two hours before returning to City Hall for a closing
> rally. Marchers passed by 13th and Locust streets, where Abu-Jamal was
> shot on the night of Dec. 9, 1981. Police Officer Daniel Faulkner was
> also shot and killed in the incident. Eyewitnesses saw another man
> shoot Faulkner and flee the scene.
>
> The bullet that killed Faulkner was a different caliber than those in
> Abu-Jamal's gun. Yet Abu-Jamal was convicted of the cop's murder and
> sentenced to death. He has always maintained his innocence. Supporters
> say he was the target of a political frame-up because of his lifelong
> crusade against police brutality.
>
> An April 23 statement of the Congressional Black Caucus noted: "Mumia
> Abu-Jamal is an outstanding and world-renowned African American
> journalist from Philadelphia known for his reporting of police
> brutality during the 1970s and 80s. In 1982, he was sentenced to death
> for the murder of a white police officer.
>
> There were numerous questionable rulings during his trial that raise
> the issue of whether there were violations of due process. ... It is
> apparent that these rulings were not accidental. ... No fewer than 19
> instances of unconstitutional error and legal impropriety have been
> documented in this trial, including the use of Abu-Jamal's political
> affiliation as evidence in the sentencing phase of the trail. ...
> Justice demands that the federal court system take a fresh look at the
> case of Mumia Abu-Jamal."
>
> On April 22, lead attorney Leonard Weinglass filed a petition in the
> U.S. Supreme Court, asking the high court to review Abu-Jamal's case.
>
> Organizers criticized the national media for biased coverage and
> censorship of the Millions for Mumia events. Monica Moorehead said:
> "The big business media turned out in significant numbers in
> Philadelphia, but you would not have known that from the disgusting
> news coverage of the demonstration. The exceptions were from the Black
> and independent media.
>
> "One CNN reporter did interviews with me, Len Weinglass, Ramona Africa
> and others, but no one ever saw them. We do not blame the reporters
> for downplaying the coverage. We understand that the decision on what
> and what not to cover is a political decision made in the secretive
> boardrooms of the editors-in-chief and publishers," Moorehead charged.
>
> "What are they so afraid of?" she asked. "When it comes to reporting
> numbers for the memorial for the massacre victims in Littleton, Colo.,
> they are more than happy to announce huge numbers. When it comes to
> producing fair, accurate coverage on the massive outpouring for Mumia,
> they act as though April 24th never existed.
>
> "The big-business press want to keep the masses in the dark regarding
> the racist injustice done towards Mumia. They want to cover up the
> fact that growing numbers of concerned people, especially youths and
> students, are organizing to expose the fact that Mumia is a victim of
> racist repression," Moorehead concluded.
>
> An Associated Press report picked up by newspapers nationwide claimed
> only 3,000 attended. People are being urged to fax letters of protest
> to (212) 621-1679.
>
> Millions for Mumia asks supporters to continue building the movement.
> There will be mass civil disobedience July 3 in Philadelphia at the
> Liberty Bell, followed by a march July 4. For information on these and
> other upcoming actions, contact Millions for Mumia at (212) 633-6646.
>
> --30--