LOS ANGELES
Broad support for new trial
A standing-room-only crowd packed the Los Angeles Loyola Law
School Student Hall March 7, drawing people from Southern
California's diverse communities to pledge their support to
mobilize to stop the execution of African American political
prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal.
Featured speaker Pam Africa, in her first visit to Los
Angeles, directed the crowd: "We have hope, because we have
truth with us. Let's take it to our communities and churches
and get them involved.
"Mumia is free because his mind is free. We have to fight
for his release. We saved his life in 1995, we can win his
release now!" she said.
Some of the largest African American churches in Los Angeles
have signed on their support for this campaign. The Baptist
Ministerial Alliance endorsed and pledged buses for the April
24 San Francisco march. Reverend Pierce of the Black American
Political Association, made up of California elected officials
and religious leaders, discussed his group's work in the
churches.
Gloria La Riva from the National People's Campaign said,
"The Black and Latino communities have the same experience,"
referring to the equal number of arrests of 16,000 people
during the Los Angeles rebellion against the Rodney King
verdict. "We have that strength to build on."
The rally was called by the Los Angeles Coalition to Stop
the Execution of Mumia Abu-Jamal. Also speaking were S. Deacon
Alexander of Mt. Zaggerat Baptist Church, James Lafferty of the
National Lawyers Guild, John Shapley of Jerhico '99, and C.
Clark Kissinger from Refuse & Resist.
--John
Peter Daly
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