Hallo,
hier ein Bericht an die Free Mumia Bewegung aus New York, wo in der vergangenen Woche 600 Menschen gegen die Masseninhaftierung in den USA demonstrierten. Auch Mumia und andere kämpfende Gefangene wurden in den Reden auf der Demo erwähnt.
Das New Yorker Free Mumia Bündnis ist Gründungsmitglied des „New York State Prisoner Justice Network“. Seit fünf Jahren versuchen dort verschiedene Gefangenensolidaritätsgruppen gemeinsam, die Masseninhaftierung in den USA öffentlich in Frage zu stellen und Gefangenenkämpfe von draußen koordiniert zu unterstützen.
Bereits am 26. April demonstrierten 300 Menschen für die Freilassung von Mumia Abu-Jamal in seiner Geburtsstadt Philadelphia. Außerdem gab es dort aus Anlass von Mumias 60. Geburtstag eine ganze Woche mit Veranstaltungen und Konzerten, die sich u.a. mit Polizeigewalt, racial profiling, Masseninhaftierung, Gefängnisindustrie und politischen Gefangenen beschäftigten. Bei Interesse schicken wir gerne Fotos (als Anhänge für diese Liste zu groß) und weitere Berichte zu.
Solidarische Grüße
Free Mumia Berlin
Free Mumia – Free Them All!
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Betreff: MAY 5TH STRONG DEMONSTRATION AGAINST MASS INCARCERATION IN ALBANY, NY:
Datum: Sun, 11 May 2014 17:25:16 -0400 (EDT)
Von: SuzanneWRoss@aol.com
Friends, allies, and comrades,
In the aftermath of our movement’s very successful events on April 24th and 26th, another related and important victory took place in New York State on the issue of mass incarceration. The New York State Prisoner Justice Network led an action on May 5 in Albany, NY that involved many groups, including the Free Mumia Coalition which made numerous contributions to the success of the day. The demands called for significant parole reform, an end to solitary confinement. more educational opportunities for prisoners, „ban the box“, and more. About 600 people participated in a spirited rally at which CORNEL WEST was the keynote speaker, pulled all these issues together powerfully, and of course included Mumia. We then marched around the Capitol, had a people’s speak out on the systematic denial of parole to those who should be released, in a dramatic three story elaborate staircase, with banners and letters from the prisoners hanging along the staircase, and then a farewell serving of pizza and friendship in the local church. Three buses came from NYC.
In addition to Cornel calling up Mumia’s name, the Free Mumia Coalition carried placards saying „THE FREE MUMIA COALITION AGAINST MASS INCARCERATION“
and we were very visible with these signs and our t-shirts and sweat shirts. Jericho presented the New York State political prisoners very effectively with placards and with Anne Lamb speaking at the Speak Out. .
The New York State Prisoner Justice Network is a coalition we have been part of throughout its five years‘ existence and were one of the founding organizations. This Network was one of the sponsoring groups of The enormously successful September 14, 2012 rally at Riverside which had 2100 people in attendance (with Angela Davis, Cornel West, Michelle Alexander, Marc Lamont Hill, and Jazz Hayden in a panel I chaired and with Asha Bandele, Pam, Soffiyah Elijah, Juan Mendez (the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture videoing a message denouncing solitary confinement), and the Senior Minister at Riverside Church all making significant giving key presentations. The event was led by the Free Mumia Coalition/International Family and Friends, in close collaboration with Mumia who was part of that process of rooting ourselves solidly in the anti-mass incarceration movement.
The May 5th rally showed a very dramatic increase in the strength, unity, diversity, and militance of the growing movement to end mass incarceration.
Right on! Free ‚em All!.
Suzanne, for the Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Coalition (NYC) and the International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal