DEMAND HEARD 'ROUND THE WORLD
'FREE MUMIA!'
By Leslie
Feinberg
"Brick by brick," they roared in
Philadelphia.
"Wall by wall," they echoed in San Francisco and
Atlanta.
"We're gonna free Mumia Abu-Jamal," reverberated from
Australia to England.
Supporters of Abu-Jamal, recognized by millions around the
world as a political prisoner framed for his beliefs, also
pressed this vow in cities in Cuba, Spain, France, Canada,
Italy, Denmark and Germany on May 11-13.
More than 20,000 Cubans rallied to demand freedom for
Abu-Jamal in the town of Bahia Honda, province of Pinar del Rio
on May 12. The day before, Cuban television's roundtable
discussion featured a special segment about solidarity actions
for Abu-Jamal in the United States.
Among the U.S. activists who participated by telephone were
Monica Moorehead, Workers World Party leader who took part in
the first such roundtable on Abu-Jamal's struggle last June.
She told Cuban viewers about the mobilizing efforts in
Philadelphia for Camp Mumia. Jeff Mackler of the Mobilization
for Mumia spoke of the upcoming march in San Francisco.
"No justice, no peace, until Mumia is released," promised
those committed to winning Abu-Jamal's freedom in cities across
the United States and around the world. The ruling powers had
best listen up to just how serious Abu-Jamal's supporters
are.
May 12 has become an international day of solidarity with
Mumia Abu-Jamal for anti-racist and anti-death-penalty forces
worldwide.
This May 13 was also the 16th anniversary of the murderous
firebombing of the MOVE Organization--a majority Black communal
group--by the Philadelphia authorities that massacred 11 women,
men and children.
'We might not leave next time!'
A 48-hour "Camp Free Mumia" in the shadow of Philadelphia's
City Hall ratcheted up the struggle to free Abu-Jamal to a
higher level.
It took a battle just to win the right to pitch tents in
Dillworth Plaza in front of City Hall.
City officials had illegally denied a permit to camp in the
plaza on the east side of City Hall. The city had granted the
Republican National Convention a 10-day permit for the exact
same site last August.
The Washington, D.C.-based Partnership for Civil Justice and
the Philadelphia branch of the American Civil Liberties Union
filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of organizers of Camp Free
Mumia.
The International Action Center and Camp Free Mumia won an
impressive victory against the city and police when a federal
judge in Philadelphia ordered municipal officials to provide a
permit for the May 11-13 encampment.
"The IAC successfully challenged the illegal and
unconstitutional tactic of the city of Philadelphia in the
city's ongoing efforts to suppress the free speech rights of
demonstrators," said Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, lead counsel in
the lawsuit and member of Partnership for Civil Justice.
The event opened on the evening of May 11 with a hip-hop
concert and a video teach-in.
Two rallies brought scores of diverse Abu-Jamal supporters
to the podium.
One thousand protesters assembled at the camp on May 12 and
then marched through the downtown thoroughfares of
Philadelphia. They were met by the cheers, applause and
encouragement of many onlookers and motorists.
The weekend occupation ended May 13 with a tribute to the
fallen MOVE members.
It was an urban occupation that warned by its very presence
that next time it might not leave. It was a warning that if the
state tries to take Abu-Jamal's life, his supporters could make
Philadelphia and other major cities ungovernable.
'We stand with Mumia!'
In San Francisco, some 2,000 people marched and rallied May
12 to demand freedom for Mumia Abu-Jamal. Demonstrators
included many youths and organized groups including the Brown
Berets, Students for Justice, MAJESTIC--Mumia Abu-Jamal's Eman
cipative Stanford Team Insti gating Change--and contingents
from many campuses.
The spirited and multi-national march wended its way through
many San Francisco neighborhoods. Chants demanding Abu-Jamal's
freedom rang off surrounding buildings. Onlookers received
information about the fight against racism and for Mumia.
The rally was broadcast live on KPFA, the Bay Area's
Pacifica radio network affiliate.
Laura Herrera, Jeff Mackler and Cristina Vasquez of the
Mobilization to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal, the group that initiated
the march, co-chaired the rally along with John Parker of the
Los Angeles International Action Center.
One of Abu-Jamal's new lawyers, Elliot Grossman, read a
statement from the death-row prisoner.
Three Cuban institutions sent solidarity messages to the San
Francisco action. The Cuban National Union of Jurists'
statement said in part: "We condemn the U.S. government, which
portrays itself as champion of human rights, yet condemns
innocent people to death, keeping human beings under pressure
and tension that constitutes a psychological war of
extermination.
"What human rights is the U.S. government talking about when
it commits the crime of racial discrimination, apartheid and
xenophobia? We call for justice in the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal,
who simply for being Black could be taken to the gates of
death."
The more than 50 speakers included San Francisco Labor
Council Secretary-Treasurer Walter Johnson, Jackie Mishak of
the San Diego Coalition to Free Mumia, former Black Panther and
longtime Bay Area revolutionary activist Kiilu Nyasha,
prisoner-rights activist Luis Talamantez, Howard Wallace of
Service Employees Local 250 and Pride at Work, and recently
released political prisoner Linda Evans.
Eyad Kishawi of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination
Committee drew the connections between the fight to free Mumia
and the struggle for freedom and justice of the Palestinians
and all oppressed people of the world.
Gloria La Riva's statement to the rally provoked emotional,
militant responses from the demonstrators. The Workers World
Party speaker said: "We stand with Mumia because he is an
African American leader like so many others who has been
targeted by the racist capitalist state for standing up, for
being a voice of the voiceless. We stand with Mumia because he
is the innocent victim of another racist cop frame-up.
"We stand with Mumia as we stand with the Palestinian
people, with the Colombian people, with the people of Cuba. We
stand with Mumia as we stand with our brothers and sisters who
rebelled in the streets of Quebec against the imperialist world
order and in the streets of Cincinnati against racist
police.
"We stand with Mumia as we stand with all those around the
world who are resisting the U.S. empire."
La Riva encouraged all who can to travel to Cincinnati for
the June 2 convergence against racism, and to be in Washington,
D.C., for the protests against Bush and the International
Monetary Fund/World Bank beginning Sept. 29.
The rally also featured many hip-hop performers down for
Mumia, including Company of Prophets, Blackalicious and
Naru.
'Change only comes
through struggle!'
In Atlanta more than 100 spirited supporters of Abu-Jamal
marked May 12 with a rally in downtown Woodruff Park and a
march ending at the city jail.
The events were initiated by Atlanta Millions for Mumia and
endorsed by over 30 organizations and individuals.
American Indian Movement drummers opened the rally. Rally
speakers established the common links that bind well-known
political prisoners like Abu-Jamal with the millions of poor
men, women and youths who fill this country's jails and
prisons.
Speakers included Shakur Sunni-Ali from the International
Committee to Support Iman Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, the Rev. Paul
Turner of Gentle Spirit Christian Church, Spelman College
Professor M. Bahati Kuumba, and Reid Jenkins of the Atlanta
Leonard Peltier Support Group.
Spoken word artists Natidred, Daa'iyah and Aziza won
applause for their passionate words and political rhyme.
Marching behind a bright red sound truck decorated with
"Free Mumia" flags, the demonstrators stopped at the Richard
Russell Federal Building. Jamila Levi spoke to the crowd there,
explaining the legal status of Abu-Jamal's case.
The next stop on the march was the Fulton County Courthouse
where hearings are currently being held in the upcoming
death-penalty case of Jamil Al-Amin (formerly H. Rap Brown). At
the rally there, demonstrators heard a rousing denunciation of
the death penalty by Ed Brown, Al-Amin's brother.
The protest ended in the shadow of the mammoth Atlanta City
Jail where prisoners indicated their approval by knocking on
the slitted windows.
Seventy-year-old community activist Carrie Morris challenged
the mostly young crowd to "never give up." Declaring with a
strong voice that "change only comes from struggle," this
veteran of many marches and protests advised demonstrators to
"get in the face" of the politicians and their big-business
bosses to make their demands heard.
Includes reports by Gloria La Riva, Tahnee Stair and
Dianne Mathiowetz.
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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