NEW YORK
Activists rally for
Mumia, Leonard Peltier
By
Elijah Crane
New York
On
the weekend of Dec. 9-10, New York saw two major demonstrations in support
of political prisoners Mumia Abu-Jamal and Leonard Peltier.
Both
cases are at a turning point. Abu-Jamal is awaiting a decision from Judge
William H. Yohn in the Federal Court in Philadelphia on whether or not an
evidentiary hearing will be granted. Peltier is awaiting a decision from
President Bill Clinton on his petition for executive
clemency.
Mumia
Abu-Jamal
On
Dec. 9, the International Day of Solidarity with Mumia, over a thousand
supporters from the Mid-Atlantic region and several international
representatives marched and rallied here. Their action was in observance of the
anniversary of the day in 1981 that Abu-Jamal was shot in the chest and then
framed for the murder of a Philadelphia cop. Abu-Jamal has been held on
Pennsylvania's death row since his conviction in 1982, over 18 years
ago.
The
multinational crowd included many high-school students, union activists and
lesbian, gay, bi and trans people. After an enthusiastic march from Manhattan's
Upper West Side, they filled the Mother AME Zion Church in Harlem for an
educational
rally.
Speakers
included Pam Africa of International Concerned Family & Friends of Mumia
Abu-Jamal; Abu-Jamal's attorney Leonard Weinglass; actors Ruby Dee and Ossie
Davis; Larry Holmes of Millions for Mumia/International Action Center; former
New York Mayor David Dinkins; and Leslie Feinberg of Rainbow Flags for Mumia.
The program also featured drumming by Will Calhoun and performances by the Rod
Rogers Dance Company and IMPACT
dancers.
Weinglass
described the conditions of sensory deprivation experienced by Abu-Jamal and all
inmates on Pennsylvania's death row. He explained that while Texas has executed
more people than any other state, prisoners on death row there are still allowed
contact visits with family members. In Pennsylvania, death-row prisoners are
deprived of the touch of their children and loved ones.
Weinglass
and others discussed the racist application of the death penalty in the U.S. and
specifically in Pennsylvania. According to Weinglass, there are currently 126
people from Philadelphia currently awaiting execution--all but 13 of them are
people of
color.
Update
on Abu-Jamal's
case
Abu-Jamal's
case is currently frozen due to an appeal filed by the Chicano/Chicana Studies
Center and 22 members of the British Parliament regarding Yohn's refusal to
review friend-of-the-court briefs and a writ of mandamus submitted to the court
by those
groups.
Youth
leader Leslie Jones described the briefs in detail. She encouraged everyone in
the movement to look closely at the documents, which can be found on the Web
site
www.Mumia2000.org.
In
addition to discussing Abu-Jamal's case, family members of people killed and
assaulted by cops had a chance to share their stories with the
crowd.
Former
Black Panther leader Dhoruba Bin Wahad, who was a political prisoner for 19
years, called for community control of the police and suggested building "a
coalition to take over governance" of New York and to dismantle the
prison-industrial
complex.
"Racism
is at the heart of the struggle," asserted Leslie Feinberg, who went on to say
that the young, mostly white movement that has emerged from the "Battle of
Seattle" must bring the fight against racism to the
forefront.
Larry
Holmes acknowledged a group of Middle Eastern youths who held a sign demanding
"Free Mumia, Free Palestine!" and received thunderous applause. Holmes also
reminded the group that 2001 will mark the 30th anniversary of the courageous
Attica Prison Rebellion of 1971, and that conditions have only worsened for the
incarcerated population in the U.S. He encouraged everyone to attend the protest
at the inauguration in Washington on Jan.
20.
Leonard
Peltier
On
Dec. 10, International Human Rights Day, over 4,000 people from all over the
world came together in New York for a spirited march and rally in support of
Native political prisoner Leonard Peltier. Participants marched to the rhythm of
beating drums from Union Square to Dag Hammarskjold Plaza at the United Nations
to demand clemency for
Peltier.
Along
the route, five demonstrators were singled out and arrested after a scuffle with
police.
Speakers
included Peltier's children and grandchildren; elders from the Pine Ridge
Reservation; Peltier's attorneys Jennifer Harbury and Ramsey Clark; Glenn
Marchall, president of the Mashpee Wampanoag Nation; and Miguel Alfonso
Martinez, president of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Peoples. Author Alice
Walker, musician John Trudell and many others also addressed the crowd.
Supporters
traveled from as far away as Washington state, Colorado, South Dakota,
Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, France and
Guyana.
Peltier
has been wrongfully imprisoned for nearly 25 years for the shooting of two FBI
agents on the Pine Ridge Reservation in 1975. The incident occurred during the
"Pine Ridge Reign of Terror" of 1973-76, when more than 60 members and
supporters of the American Indian Movement were
killed.
The
federal prosecutor in Peltier's case has admitted that he doesn't know who
killed the agents. But Peltier remains in prison. His health is deteriorating.
His best hope for release is executive
clemency.
President
Bill Clinton, in a nationally broadcast interview with Amy Goodman on Pacifica
Radio Nov. 7, promised to make a decision on Peltier's case before leaving
office Jan.
20.
Brad
Wilks of Rage Against the Machine, urged supporters to flood the White House
with phone calls and faxes demanding clemency for Peltier. He said that
people should call (202) 456-1111 every day.
Kahn
Tineta Horn of the Mohawk Nation spoke of self-determination for Native nations.
Chief Henry Wallace of the Long Island Native American Task Force proclaimed
that "Now is the time for reconciliation and the beginning of healing from the
'Reign of Terror,' the war at Wounded Knee." Wallace said that clemency for
Peltier would allow the process of healing to
begin.
A
Mayan theatrical group called "Colorado Sisters" gave a moving performance that
asked questions such as "Where are all the Indians?" and "What did all those
people die for?" They spoke of the imposing border between the U.S. and Mexico,
describing it as a "steel wall of mutilated memories" of the many people who
were killed as they attempted to cross it for such "crimes" as being Native, not
speaking English, wanting a job, being hungry and the
like.
On
to Jan.
20
Throughout
the weekend, participants shared information on many struggles, such as the
fight against Plan Colombia, to free Fred Hampton Jr. in Illinois, to get the
U.S. out of Vieques, Puerto Rico, and to end environmental racism on Native land
and in oppressed
communities.
Many
activists discussed their plans to fill the streets of Washington on Jan. 20 to
protest at the inauguration of the next U.S. president. They noted that neither
Al Gore nor George W. Bush will do anything to end the racist death penalty or
stop the globalization death machine unless the people force them
to.
For
more information on Abu-Jamal's case and the march at the inauguration, visit
www.mumia2000.org. For more information on Peltier's case, check out
www.freepeltier.org.
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