- Von: „Steve Bloom“ < sblm@earthlink.net >
Betreff: Philadelphia–Report on visit by the French Delegation
- Datum: Montag, 25. November 2002
- Report by Suzanne Ross, NY Free Mumia Coalition
INTERNATIONAL DELEGATION HITS THE
.
GROUND IN PHILADELPHIA RUNNING,
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DEMANDING THAT THE EVIDENCE OF
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MUMIA’S INNOCENCE BE HEARD!
- Within a few hours of arriving at the airport in Philadelphia on
- November 1, 2002, an international delegation of over 50 people,
- primarily from France, but also from Guadeloupe (a French colony),
- marched to Philadelphia’s City Hall to deliver petitions containing
- 250,000 signatures to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. The
- petitions, which were collected throughout France, call for „the
- evidence to be heard“ &, in particular, for Arnold Beverly’s
- confession to be heard by the court.
- Members of the delegation consisted of: Jacky Hortaut, Confederation
- Generale du Travail (CGT) (France’s strongest trade union
- confederation) and Alphonse Veronese, Director of CGT International
- Relations; Chantal Cauguil, member of the European Parliament;
- Francois Liberti, representative to the French National Assembly,
- Herault region; Laurent Sauveaux, youth delegate from the Amiens
- Collective (who also delivered a check of over $2,000 to the
- International Concerned Family & Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal
- (ICFFMAJ). This money was collected at the Mumia Abu-Jamal Youth
- Festival. Other youth included Jules Kister, a shepherd from the
- rural North of France, Yannick Sanchez, a youth leader from
- Montpellier, & Mustapha, representing the Young Communist League
- (YCL). In addition, there were several representatives from
- Guadeloupe led by Lita Dahomay. Benoit Bechet from French Guyana
- arrived the following day in time for the demonstration. Long-time
- Mumia supporter Claude Pujol, a professor in Tours & founder of Just
- Justice, Marie Cecile Pla of the widely known anti-racist
- organization MRAP, & Julia Wright, journalist & daughter of the late
- great writer Richard Wright, & member of ICFFMAJ, France, were also
- part of this delegation. Pam Africa of ICFFMAJ & Suzanne Ross of the
- New York Free Mumia Coalition were present to support & facilitate
- the delivery of the petitions.
- Despite having just arrived at the Philadelphia airport two hours
- earlier, & having been subjected to harassment by Immigration
- authorities at the airport, the delegation marched with great spirit
- & determination, chanting „Brick by brick…“ from the American
- Friends Service Committee building to City Hall, up the stairs to the
- Office of the Prothonotary, the office that receives letters for the
- Supreme Court. Bystanders on the street watched the group in wonder,
- & people at City Hall came out of their offices to see who this
- lively group was.
- The delegation was greeted by two staff members of the Office of the
- Prothonotary, Mr. Charles Johns & Mr. John Person. In typical
- bureaucratic fashion, the two men immediately said that they could
- not accept the petitions, that they only accepted letters, & that
- each letter would have to be accompanied by a $40 fee! Outraged by
- the refusal of the Supreme Court to receive these petitions, which
- were so patiently collected & personally delivered across the
- Atlantic, the delegation refused to leave, & refused to accept „no“
- for an answer. Messrs. Person & Johns then offered to „hold“ the
- petitions subject to review from „higher-ups“. With many expressions
- of anger & disbelief, the delegation agreed that it would leave the
- petitions IF the two staff members would sign for them, place an
- official stamp on the receipt, & provide us with a deadline by which
- they would inform Pam Africa of their decision. The following
- receipt was then signed by Mr. Johns:
- „November 1, 2000
- „This is to confirm receipt of 250,000 signatures from France and
- Guadeloupe on behalf of Mumia Abu-Jamal. These ‚letters‘ will be
- considered and passed on in accordance with our review. We will
- inform Pam Africa about our decision on or about November 15th.
- „Charles Johns“
- [There is an official stamp next to the signature.]
- Once this mission was completed, the delegation was given, at the
- request of Pam Africa, a palatial conference room of the sort one
- would expect in Versailles in which to conduct its business.
- Journalist Linn Washington joined the group at that point, & was
- interviewed by some of the international reporters. There was also a
- brief exchange with City Councilmember Jeanie Blackwell, who
- expressed her appreciation for the international delegation, & stated
- unequivocally that the international voices speaking up for Mumia
- have definitely had an impact!
- Arriving in such a dramatic & militant manner, & insisting that the
- petitions be accepted, the international delegation certainly made it
- clear that the „whole world is watching“ what happens in the case of
- our brother, Mumia.