Before it’s too late, stop the murder of Mumia

Mumia Abu-Jamal

Dec. 6 will be a day of international solidarity to free Mumia Abu-Jamal. It is sorely needed. Lynne Abraham, the Philadelphia district attorney known as “the deadliest D.A. in the U.S.,” is calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to reinstate Abu-Jamal’s death sentence despite mounds of evidence showing his innocence.

If Abraham’s filing is granted, it will mean execution for Abu-Jamal without any new hearing or trial.

Abu-Jamal is a journalist and former Black Panther railroaded into prison. His case is supported the world over. He continues a weekly broadcast Live from Death Row at www.PrisonRadio.org, and his commentaries can also be read in Workers World.

This month marks the 27th year of Abu-Jamal’s frame-up and unjust imprisonment on Pennsylvania’s death row. Activities are planned in many U.S. cities and in Mexico:

In Philadelphia a Dec. 6 rally will start at noon at District Attorney Abraham’s office, located at 2 South Penn Square on the east side of City Hall. It will be followed by a march to the Federal Court building at Fifth and Market. For more information on this event, contact International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal at 215-476-8812.

On Dec. 9, a program with a film showing and food will help educate people on Abu-Jamal’s case. The event, co-sponsored by ICFFMAJ and the Philadelphia International Action Center, will start at 7 p.m. at Calvary Church, 48thSt. and Baltimore Ave.

TheBaltimore All Peoples Congress will host a solidarity event on Dec. 5 at the Cork Factory Gallery, fourth floor, 302 E. Federal Building. A documentary film on the case will be followed by signing people up to attend the rally in Philadelphia the next day.

In Charlotte, N.C., on Dec. 6, the newly released documentary “In Prison My Whole Life” will be shown. It tells Abu-Jamal’s story from the perspective of William Francome, who was born in London on Dec. 9, 1981, the day Abu-Jamal was arrested in Philadelphia and charged with the murder of a police officer. Never-seen-before footage and brand-new evidence create a case for reasonable doubt while exploring the socio-political climate in the U.S., past and present.

Sponsored by the Charlotte Free Mumia Coalition and Students for a Democratic Society-UNCC, the screening will take place at 7 p.m. at Charlotte Energy Solutions, 337 Baldwin Ave.

In Cleveland people from many organizations will come together at the Unitarian Universalist Society on Dec. 6 to protest injustice and present revolutionary art. Speakers will address Abu-Jamal’s case along with messages of solidarity read by family members, from prisoners unjustly convicted in connection with the 1993 Lucasville prison uprising.

Talks will also address other prisoners who currently face execution or harsh sentences, including Puerto Rican activists in U.S. jails. Artists from the Hip Hop Workshop will present music, poetry and dance. The event starts at 7 p.m. at 2728 Lancashire Rd., Cleveland Heights.

On Dec. 3 in Raleigh, N.C., youth from Fight Imperialism, Stand Together (FIST) will host a film “Power to the People” about Abu-Jamal’s case. The program starts at 6 p.m. in the Ballroom at Shaw University’s Garrey Hall.

The San Diego Free Mumia Coalition will host a forum on Dec. 7 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Malcolm X Library, 5150 Market St. at Euclid. Speakers at the solidarity program include Sabrina Green from the Baltimore Free the MOVE 9; John Parker, Los Angeles International Action Center; David Welsh of the Haiti Action Committee; and Paul LouLou Chery, General Secretary, Federation of Haitian Workers. Sponsors also include African American Writers and Artists, Langston Hughes Poetry Circle and the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee.

A statement from Abu-Jamal will be read at the annual international labor conference held Dec. 5-7 in Tijuana, Mexico, along with a presentation on his case and the case of the Cuban Five. This important conference provides an opportunity for workers from different countries to learn from each other’s struggles. Some family members of the Cuban Five will be present.