- Von: „MUMIA ABU-JAMAL“ < >
- Datum: Dienstag, 29. April 2008 04:52
- Asante sana, strong Bro. JR!
- ========================
- April 19th and 20th Mumia Event Reportback from Philly
- by Minister of Information JR
- When the POCC crew reached 6th and Market in Philly, on April 19th, the place where political prisoner Mumia Abu Jamal’s 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals hearing was heard almost a year earlier, we were greeted by hundreds of protesters occupying all four corners of the intersection chanting „Free Mumia“ with signs everywhere. A few weeks earlier, the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals denied Mumia’s appeal for a fair trial, after looking at the fact that the prosecutor kicked off 10 potential jurors on the sole basis that they were Black, and the presiding judge was overheard saying, „Im gonna help them fry the nigger“, in reference to Jamal. And this is after the appeal judges refused to even consider evidence pointing to Mumia’s innocence like the confession from Arnold Beverly, who claims that he killed the pig that Mumia is languishing in prison over, and like some recently discovered crime scene photos that explicitly show Philly holice tampering with the evidence, that has come to light since the „legal theater“ which they euphemistically called a trial concluded, in the early 80’s. The Philly protest was just one of the protests held in response to the internation call, put out by the International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu Jamal (ICFFMAJ), for people to get in the streets to protest this legal lynching that the government is trying to set the stage for.
Political heavyweights were being managed by Pam Africa, the chairwoman of the ICFFMAJ to come back stage to speak at the pre-rally, before the march. Green Party presidential candidate and former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, a longtime supporter of political prisoner Mumia Abu Jamal was the first to speak, and was followed by political attorney Lynn Stewart, who is currently fighting to not be a political prisoner herself. After the 30 minute or so pre-rally, the protesters on all of the corners grouped up, and began to march in the streets, with the final destination being city hall. Once we began, a group of drummers traveling from New York beat on their drums of all sizes as a backdrop to chants like „Back Up, Back Up, We Want Freedom Freedom, All those Dirty Ass Cops, We Don’t Need’em Need’em!“ and „No Justice, No Peace, Until Mumia Abu Jamal is Released!“. There were people of all nationalities and ages, who came from all over the world to be a part of this demonstration. I met a organizer from Saint Denice France, who helped to organize for the Mumia street out there in ’06.
Pam Africa’s daughters Pixie and Rose of the Move organization, were keeping their eyes on a number of youngstas while they had smaller ones on their hips. A number of elderly people came out with their walking sticks, to make their voices heard. As I moved through the crowd, I ran into Shujaa Graham who was exonerated from deathrow,and is a veteran of the prison movement of the 60’s-70’s, and one of my teachers, who had traveled from Baltimore to show his support for the „Free Mumia“ campaign, just like former Black Panther Nana Conway, the wife of political prisonerEddie Conway, who also came from the same city. A number of other East Coast former Panthers were there to show support for their comrade; Panthers like Reggie Schell, Paulette Peebles, Ashanti Alston, and S.E. Anderson. Naji, a broadcaster on D.C. radio station WPFW was seizing the time like myself, and getting interviews with supporters for future reports much like what Mumia would’ve been doing at a rally, had the government not set him up on this bogus trumped up case. Dara, an organizer from D.C. with the Hands Off Assata campaign, was out there helping people to see that the same enemy, the U.S.government, is at work in both of these freedom fighters‘ cases.
- When we reached city hall, the post-rally featured Julia Wright, the daughter of legendary Black writer Richard Wright, who has been involved in the international campaign to „Free Mumia!“ for many years,and who spoke eloquently for Mumia’s release. Legendary movement attorney Roger Wareham, of the December 12th Movement, was also one of the fiery speakers who stuck in my head throughout the day. Powerhouse Ramona Africa, the sole adult survior of the 1985 Move bombing, explained very simple and plainly what’s at stake in the cases of political prisoner Mumia Abu Jamal and her family members the Move 9, who on April 22nd the women from the case were unjustifiably denied parole after 30 years of being locked up; in a case where evidence points at the pig being killed by friendly fire. This incident, which led to this bogus case is on video for you to judge for yourself. And to add insult to injury, I don’t know how in the hell 9 people can be charged with killing one police officer with one bullet. That absurd charge is similar to the murder charges currently being imposed on the SF 8, a case where 8 men were charged in the murder of one pig, with one shot, but that’s another story that I will soon write.
Back to the April 19th demo. The biggest highlight of the day for me, was seeing a number of individuals from Mumia’s family, including two of his daughters and some of his grandchildren who were out there representing. Goldii, his youngest daughter on the scene, made the hair on my neck stand up with her passionate and emotional message about her Pops, Mumia, and our need to intensify our efforts to free him now.
The next day, an entourage of Cuban rappers including Dj Leydis, Miki Flowz, Las Krudas, Junior Clan, and Dj Compadre hooked up with the Prisoners of Conscience Committee (POCC) to throw an event in the hood, at a Puerto Rican community center, for Mumia. The POCC’s Keita hosted along with myself. The event started with a showing of the POCC: Block Report Radio documentary „Audio Rebellion“, and was followed up by some words from Mumia’s daughter Goldii, who ended her speech with a rap about her father’s case entitled „Trap Door“. The Cuban rappers did their thing, and all of them voiced support for Mumia, and some also talked about the cases of political exiles Assata Shakur and Nehanda Abiodun who are in exile in Cuba currently, and ending the U.S. blockade against Cuba. Elena, a comrade from the Native Youth Movement in British Columbia Klanada, voiced solidarity and also talked about the cases of Native political prisoners like Leonard Peltier and others.
After the event was over the POCC, along with Mumia’s family members that were in attendance, and the Cuban rappers had a meeting where the POCC stressed the Code of Culture and the need for artists and cultural workers that support Mumia and political prisoners to concretely get involved in a tangible way, with the work that needs to happen before the people can free them. It was voiced that saying „Free Mumia!“ is cool, but we are in a dire straits. We need for rappers and other cultural workers to stay in contact directly with the campaign, so that they can get up to date information on Mumia and others plight, as well as to get propaganda out at the concerts and other forums that they are a part of. The Cuban rappers agreed that that is what needs to happen, and the night ended when Junior Clan, with tears running down his face gave all the money made at the event, to Mumia’s family to help with the expenses that they incur riding around from event to event representing for their Pops.
Both events were historical, and I know that most of the people who attended, will remember these days for a long time. Hopefully this report back will inspire you to get involved in Mumia’s case, as well as the cases of others like Assata Shakur, Imam Jamil Al-Amin, the Angola 3, the San Francisco 8, the Move 9, the New York 3, Veronza Bowers, Mongo We Langa, Sekou Odinga, Sundiata Acoli, and Aaron Patterson among millions of others. If you haven’t already, check out freemumia.org and prisonradio. org to get up to date info on what’s going on inMumia’s case. On prisonradio. org check out the Block Report Radio interview where Chairman Fred Hampton Jr and myself interview Mumia as he responds to the 3rd Circuit decision. You could also find his weekly radio commentaries there. Also you could hear interviews with Goldii, William Singletary, who was there on the night when Mumia was framed, and others on
- www.blockreportradi <o.com.
- Get involved. Free’Em All!