'Free Mumia now'
By
Susanne Kelly
Philadelphia
Published Feb 17, 2005 10:53 PM
Mumia supporters hit Philadelphia's streets Feb. 11.
|
Prompted by the
cancellation of a state court hearing on the case of political prisoner,
acclaimed journalist and death-row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal, his supporters held a
Day of Action Feb. 11 in Phila delphia. Hundreds attended from the city and
around the country. An international delegation came from Paris,
France.
Abu-Jamal was convicted of the 1981 murder of Philadelphia cop
Daniel Faulk ner. Since that time, serious questions have been raised about the
trial, including prosecutorial misconduct, a racist presiding judge, falsified
and conflicting evidence and coerced witnesses. The Feb. 11 court date was to
have focused on Abu-Jamal's petition for habeas corpus.
The Day of Action
included a demonstration and march, a People's Hearing, and a hip-hop concert in
the evening.
At the demonstration, hundreds of his supporters marched
through downtown Philadelphia to the criminal justice building, chanting and
filling the streets with blue balloons blowing in the wind. Org an izers held a
news conference outside the criminal justice building
At the People's
Hearing, witnesses and experts presented testimony showing how the prosecution
falsified evidence in order to convict Abu-Jamal. This falsification included
manipulating purported eyewitnesses to falsely identify him as the shooter.
Speakers included attorneys Michael Coard and Leslie Jones, Ramona Africa
and Pam Africa, Fred Hampton Jr., son
of assassinated Black Panther Fred
Hampton, and many others.
The international delegation included two
members of the City Council of Paris representing the mayor of Paris, and a city
councilperson from St. Denys, France. They came to Philadelphia to add their
voices to the millions around the world who are demanding a new trial for
Abu-Jamal.
The Day of Action ended with an exciting concert. Artists
included Immortal Technique, Seeds of Wisdom, and Dyna max, who came with the
Paris delegation.
Philadelphia Mayor John Street reneged on a promise to
hold a reception for the international delegation on the evening of Feb. 10.
Later, pressure from Abu-Jamal's supporters forced Street to welcome the
international visitors by giving them the city's "Liberty Bell" award.
It
is 2005 and Mumia has been on death row for almost 23 years. Since 1982 a
massive movement of millions worldwide has formed to educate people about the
injustice of his case, to keep pressure on the courts to demand a new trial and
to push for his release.
In 2001 a decision was handed down by a federal
court which confused many people into thinking Abu-Jamal was no longer on death
row---but nothing could be further from the truth. He is still on death row, and
unless action is taken, every single day is closer to another death warrant
being signed.
If new evidence is not allowed in the state courts---which
includes the signed confession of Arnold Beverly that he killed Daniel
Faulkner---the only evidence allowed in the federal courts will be the lies that
were presented at the trial in 1982.
According to Pam Africa and the
Inter national Concerned Family & Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal, the government
hopes that eventually people will give up and forget about Abu-Jamal so they can
murder him or keep him in a cage for the rest of his life.
The daylong
events on Feb. 11 were another significant step in the fight for his life. This
fight impacts all people and movements because he is on death row as a result of
his outspoken vigilance for the oppressed.
Now it is more important than
ever that we stand with Mumia Abu-Jamal!
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