DETROIT
In the spirit of Dr. King: Free Mumia!
Special to Workers
World
Detroit
Two hundred fifty people came together Jan. 17 at New Bethel
Baptist Church in Detroit for a Martin Luther King Day rally to
demand a new trial and no execution of political prisoner Mumia
Abu-Jamal.
Speakers from unions, religious groups and community
organizations spoke out about the fight to free Abu-Jamal. Many
denounced the prison-industrial complex and the death
penalty.
The crowd also gave its unanimous approval after a message
was read expressing solidarity with the Texas prisoner hunger
strike.
Among the speakers were Abayoumi Azikwe, president of Africa
2000; Minister Malik Shabazz of the New Marcus Garvey Movement;
Margaret Gutshall of the Labor Party; Todd Mireles of the
Xicano Development Center; community leader and radio host
Joann Watson representing Rep. John Conyers; and Dan McCarthy,
president of UAW Local 417.
Garry Herring announced that at its January meeting the
Detroit Federation of Teachers had passed a resolution in
support of a new trial for Abu-Jamal.
Representatives of UAW Locals 600 and 2334, the Gray
Panthers, Active Transformation, the National Lawyers Guild,
South Asians for Mumia, Students Organizing for Labor &
Equality at the University of Michigan, and Workers World Party
also spoke. The Rev. Robert Smith welcomed the protesters to
his church, saying that New Bethel church, "built by C. L.
Franklin, has always provide a haven for those struggling for a
better world."
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