> WW News Service Digest #130 > > 1) "We Will March at the Democratic Convention!" > by [EMAIL PROTECTED] > 2) Activists Stand up to GOP/COP Threats > by [EMAIL PROTECTED] > 3) 20 Arrested at Govs' Meeting > by [EMAIL PROTECTED] > 4) Sankofa Execution Haunts Bush > by [EMAIL PROTECTED] > 5) Racist Murder at Dearborn, Mich. Mall > by [EMAIL PROTECTED] >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the July 20, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >ACTIVISTS VS. LAPD OVER RIGHT TO PROTEST: "WE WILL >MARCH AT THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION!" > >By Workers World Los Angeles bureau > >Activists are headed for a showdown with the Los Angeles >Police Department over the right to protest at the >Democratic National Convention Aug. 14-17. > >The first demonstration--a march for Mumia Abu-Jamal on >Aug. 13--was called by the Los Angeles Coalition to Stop >the Execution of Mumia and the International Action Center. > >Protesters will assemble at noon at Pershing Square, then >march to the Staples Center, site of the Democratic Party >gathering. > >Police and city officials have refused to grant a permit >for the march. > >On July 7, a Superior Court judge also prohibited two >transit workers' unions from striking during the >convention. > >In a July 10 interview, John Parker of the Los Angeles >International Action Center told Workers World that >community response to the protest has been excellent >despite the police threats. > >"Mumia has done so much to expose the death penalty," >Parker said, "and his case is at such a critical stage. We >think he deserves a day devoted to his freedom struggle, >and many, many people agree. > >"We've been reaching out to churches in South Central," a >predominately African American area of Los Angeles, Parker >said. "We've met with Baptist churches and more >traditionally activist churches. > >"The congregations are very excited about doing >something," said Parker. "Many of them are helping with >postering and leafleting." > >He said the Faith United Methodist Church is hosting a >meeting with Pam Africa of International Concerned Family & >Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal Aug. 9, and Unity Church is >hosting her Aug. 10. > >Local high school students have helped to get the word out >in East Los Angeles, Echo Park and other areas. > >Richard Becker of the San Francisco International Action >Center said activists up and down the West Coast are making >plans to join the protests. > >"There are already three buses planned from the Bay Area, >and that number will grow," Becker told WW. > >He said, "People are organizing in Mendicino, San Diego, >Modesto, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, Seattle and Portland, >Ore., to name a few." > >`ATTITUDE OF DEFIANCE' > >After agreeing to grant permits to the International >Action Center in March, the police later pressured the City >Council to withdraw them. > >The American Civil Liberties Union is seeking an >injunction on behalf of protesting groups, including the >IAC, the D2K Network and Service Employees Local 660 to >stop the city and the LAPD from denying protesters' First >Amendment rights. > >"We have an attitude of defiance about the permit >question," said Becker. > >"For several decades, the greatest source of violence in >Los Angeles has been the LAPD. The revelations of police >corruption, brutality and false charges keep coming. > >"Just because the Democratic Party, this party of capital >and the rich, is coming, we're not going to accept the >nullification of our right to speak out and protest." > >Becker described how police pressured local politicians to >deny permits by showing videos of clashes between cops and >demonstrators at last year's World Trade Organization >protests in Seattle. > >He said the police also lined up jewelry store owners in >the area around the convention site to lobby against >protesters. > >"When the cops try to violence-bait us, our response is >this," Becker explained. "We're holding a demonstration. >They've known about it for months. Thousands of people are >planning to come to Pershing Square on Aug. 13 to demand a >new trial for Mumia. > >"If the city authorities deny us a permit, then it's their >responsibility if a volatile situation is created." > >John Parker agreed. "The `protest pit' they want to put us >in is so far away, we might as well be in Seattle. > >"We're going to march whether we get a permit or not. We >have a right to do it," he said. > >WEEK OF PROTESTS > >Becker said other protests and meetings are planned that >week. > >A People's Convention sponsored by many left and >progressive groups will be held Aug. 10-12. It will include >a debate among the socialist presidential candidates, >including Monica Moorehead of Workers World Party. > >There will also be meetings of homeless activists, >welfare-rights fighters and anarchists. > >On Aug. 15, an IAC-organized protest will challenge the >continued bombing and sanctions against Iraq. This war has >been carried on under both Republican and Democratic >administrations and has cost over 1.5 million lives, Becker >pointed out. > >There will be a day of actions dedicated to ending police >brutality and the prison-industrial complex Aug. 16. And a >major march for immigrants' rights is planned Aug. 17. > >Parker said volunteers are needed. Weekly volunteers' >meetings take place every Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at 422 S. >Western Ave., Suite 114, in Los Angeles. Visibility squads >leave from the same location every Saturday at 11 a.m. For >more information, call (213) 487-2368. > >In the San Francisco area, contact the IAC at (415) 821- >5782. > > - END - > >(Copyleft Workers World Service. Everyone is permitted to >copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but >changing it is not allowed. For more information contact >Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message >to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) > > >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Date: Wed, 12 Jul 2000 23:11:42 -0400 >Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII >Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT >Subject: [WW] Activists Stand up to GOP/COP Threats >Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the July 20, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >ACTIVISTS STAND UP TO GOP/COP THREATS > >By Betsey Piette >Philadelphia > >If police and city officials have their way, only >Republican Party delegates will have the right to gather in >Philadelphia during the Republican National Convention July >31-Aug. 3. > >City officials refuse to issue permits for any >demonstrations during the convention. > >Police spokesperson Lt. Susan Slawson said the 99-year-old >Holmesburg Prison in Northeast Philadelphia may be reopened >to hold "an overflow of protesters" during the convention. >The prison was closed in 1995. (Philadelphia Inquirer, July >10) > >Activists vigorously oppose the protest ban. > >City officials initially denied permits for two >demonstrations planned for the weekend before the >convention. After organizers threatened a lawsuit, the >officials granted permits for those events. > >As part of the settlement with Unity 2000--a coalition >planning a march and rally July 30--the city will provide >all services to the march free of charge, including a stage >and sound system. > >On July 7, the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO endorsed the Unity >2000 march. The NAACP, National Organization for Wo men, >ACT UP and hundreds of other groups are also supporting the >march, which calls for "human rights and social justice." > >The national AFL-CIO is expected to follow suit. > >MUMIA CONTINGENT AT UNITY 2000 > >Millions for Mumia/International Action Center, >International Concerned Family & Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal >and other organizations plan a contingent in the Unity 2000 >march. The contingent will protest the execution of Shaka >Sankofa, demand a new trial for Mumia Abu-Jamal, and call >for an end to the racist death penalty, police brutality >and the prison-industrial complex. > >Republican presidential candidate and Texas Gov. George W. >Bush, along with vice-presidential hopeful and Pennsylvania >Gov. Tom Ridge, are at the center of the death-penalty >debate. > >Bush has executed 138 people since 1995. Ridge has vowed >to kill Abu-Jamal. > >Al Gore and the Democratic Party elite also support >capital punishment. > >City officials continue to deny a permit for the July 31 >March for Economic Human Rights. Police have threatened to >arrest marchers. > >Organizers vow to march anyway. > >The march, called by the Kensington Welfare Rights Union >and the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign, will >protest that "poor people have been made to disappear from >discussions about the so-called `economic boom,'" according >to a leaflet. > >The Philadelphia Direct Action Group is organizing a >series of mass civil-disobedience protests and direct >actions Aug. 1-3 to target the corporate agenda that drives >both the Republican and Democratic parties. > >Aug. 1 has been designated a day for citywide >communication, outreach, protests and non-violent direct >action against the death penalty and to stop the execution >of Abu-Jamal. > >PDAG says it has received over 2,000 requests for housing >during these events. > >POLICE HARASSMENT INTENSIFIES > >As the convention nears, police have intensified their >harassment of protest organizers. > >Unity 2000 and PDAG members complain of surveillance. The >groups charge that men who refuse to identify themselves >have been photographing participants in organizing >meetings. > >Philadelphia police were sent to Seattle and Washington-- >sites of militant protests against the World Trade >Organization, International Monetary Fund and World Bank-- >for training. Local media carry a steady stream of articles >describing police preparations for what's being called >"R2K." > >Police Commissioner John Timoney claims he hasn't >authorized spying on protest organizers. But the >Philadelphia Police Department has a long history of >spying, harassment and violence against political >activists, especially the Black Panther Party and the MOVE >organization. > >Angry protesters from coast to coast vow to ignore police >boundaries and take to the streets during the convention, >despite the state's attempt to suspend the Constitution in >Philadelphia. > > - END - > >(Copyleft Workers World Service. Everyone is permitted to >copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but >changing it is not allowed. For more information contact >Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message >to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) > > >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Date: Wed, 12 Jul 2000 23:11:43 -0400 >Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII >Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT >Subject: [WW] 20 Arrested at Govs' Meeting >Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the July 20, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >20 ARRESTED AT GOVS' MEETING > >Fourteen death-penalty opponents chained themselves >together and blocked the road leading to the Penn State >Conference Center, site of the National Governors >Association meeting in State College, Pa., July 9. > >The activists demanded to speak with the 38 state >governors at the conference. According to Pennsylvania >Abolitionists, which organized the action, they wanted to >tell the governors to enact moratoriums on the death >penalty in each state. > >One hundred supporters chanted "They say death row, we say >hell no" while dozens of Pennsylvania State Troopers >arrested the 14 activists and dragged them away. Later >another protester was arrested. > >All 15 were charged with blocking a highway--a >misdemeanor. > >"We came out here to demand a moratorium against the death >penalty," said Jamie Graham. "This treatment is >unconstitutional. We have a right to freedom of speech." >(Centre Daily Times, July 10) > >Earlier that day over 150 people, including supporters of >political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal, joined a multi-issue >march through State College. The group Redirection 2000 >organized the march. > > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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