AN APPEAL FOR INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY
ACTIONS TO STOP THE EXECUTION OF A U.S.
POLITICAL PRISONER
A courageous African-American journalist is facing execution on false
charges. The police and courts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
fabricated murder charges against Mumia Abu-Jamal because he exposed
the racism, brutality and corruption of the Philadelphia police
department. For 17 years, Mumia, whose eloquent radio condemnations of
injustice have earned him the title "Voice of the Voiceless", has been
on death row awaiting execution.
Late last year, in spite of overwhelming evidence of his innocence,
the Pennsylvania Supreme Court rejected his appeal for a new trial.
Any day now, Pennsylvania Gov. Thomas Ridge, a right -wing Republican,
may sign a warrant for Mumia's execution. Mumia's case has become a
symbol of the widespread human- rights violations that, as Amnesty
International now documents, plague the entire U.S. judicial system.
It vividly illustrates the hypocrisy of the U.S. government when it
lectures people in other lands about "human rights" and "democracy".
The U.S. now has the largest prison population in the world and the
largest number of people awaiting execution. Because of the racist
nature of the police and courts and the entire U.S. political and
economic system, most of those in prison are people of color. A
majority of the U.S. prison population is Black, Latin or American
Indian. In some metropolitan areas more than one-third of all young
Black males are in the judicial system; many more than are in college.
The U.S. state imprisons Black people at a higher rate than did South
Africa under apartheid.
The Feb. 4th New York police murder of Amadou Diallo, a 22-year-old
immigrant from Guinea who was shot 41 times although he had no weapon
and had no charges against him, is but another example of the daily
police terror against Black communities that Mumia was targeted for
exposing and speaking out against. From Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to
Fred Hampton, too many Black activists and fighters for justice in the
United States have been murdered by the forces of racism and
repression. We must not allow Mumia Abu-Jamal's name to be added to
that list. THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW!
ON SATURDAY, APRIL 24, Mumia's birthday, there will be massive
demonstrations in the U.S.--in Philadelphia and in San Francisco--to
demand a new trial for Mumia Abu-Jamal and to demand the basic right
that suppressed information be heard. On that day, musicians and other
artists, international delegates and political and religious leaders
will join together with students and other youth, community activists,
trade unionists and people's organizations in a powerful mobilization
to demand a new trial for Mumia.
Even from his prison cell, Mumia Abu-Jamal has spoken out against
injustice and the abuse of power by the United States government not
only in the United States but all over the world. In the long and
illustrious tradition of international solidarity that helped win
freedom for the Scottsboro brothers and Nelson Mandela, we appeal to
people all over the world who believe in justice and freedom to join
the April 24 Million for Mumia mobilization. We urge that on that day
protests be organized at United States embassies and consulates in
cities all over the world. We also urge trade unions, journalists'
groups, political parties and other mass organizations to pass
resolutions and add their names to the voices calling for justice for
Mumia. And, we also urge, in the tradition of the struggle to free
Nelson Mandela, that the streets outside U.S. embassies be renamed in
honor of United States political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal.
Signed by:
Pam Africa, International Concerned Family & Friends of Mumia
Abu-Jamal Ramsey Clark, former U.S. attorney general Ossie Davis,
actor and civil rights activist Leonard Weinglass, attorney for Mumia
Abu-Jamal
Please respond to
International Committee:
Millions for Mumia
39 West 14th. St., #206
New York, NY, 10011
Tel: 212-633-6646, Fax: 212-633-2889
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED]
attn: International Committee, Millions for Mumia
For more info on Mumia check these other web sites:
http://www.mumia.org , http://www.peoplescampaign.org
ACTIONS TO STOP THE EXECUTION OF A U.S.
POLITICAL PRISONER
A courageous African-American journalist is facing execution on false
charges. The police and courts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
fabricated murder charges against Mumia Abu-Jamal because he exposed
the racism, brutality and corruption of the Philadelphia police
department. For 17 years, Mumia, whose eloquent radio condemnations of
injustice have earned him the title "Voice of the Voiceless", has been
on death row awaiting execution.
Late last year, in spite of overwhelming evidence of his innocence,
the Pennsylvania Supreme Court rejected his appeal for a new trial.
Any day now, Pennsylvania Gov. Thomas Ridge, a right -wing Republican,
may sign a warrant for Mumia's execution. Mumia's case has become a
symbol of the widespread human- rights violations that, as Amnesty
International now documents, plague the entire U.S. judicial system.
It vividly illustrates the hypocrisy of the U.S. government when it
lectures people in other lands about "human rights" and "democracy".
The U.S. now has the largest prison population in the world and the
largest number of people awaiting execution. Because of the racist
nature of the police and courts and the entire U.S. political and
economic system, most of those in prison are people of color. A
majority of the U.S. prison population is Black, Latin or American
Indian. In some metropolitan areas more than one-third of all young
Black males are in the judicial system; many more than are in college.
The U.S. state imprisons Black people at a higher rate than did South
Africa under apartheid.
The Feb. 4th New York police murder of Amadou Diallo, a 22-year-old
immigrant from Guinea who was shot 41 times although he had no weapon
and had no charges against him, is but another example of the daily
police terror against Black communities that Mumia was targeted for
exposing and speaking out against. From Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to
Fred Hampton, too many Black activists and fighters for justice in the
United States have been murdered by the forces of racism and
repression. We must not allow Mumia Abu-Jamal's name to be added to
that list. THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW!
ON SATURDAY, APRIL 24, Mumia's birthday, there will be massive
demonstrations in the U.S.--in Philadelphia and in San Francisco--to
demand a new trial for Mumia Abu-Jamal and to demand the basic right
that suppressed information be heard. On that day, musicians and other
artists, international delegates and political and religious leaders
will join together with students and other youth, community activists,
trade unionists and people's organizations in a powerful mobilization
to demand a new trial for Mumia.
Even from his prison cell, Mumia Abu-Jamal has spoken out against
injustice and the abuse of power by the United States government not
only in the United States but all over the world. In the long and
illustrious tradition of international solidarity that helped win
freedom for the Scottsboro brothers and Nelson Mandela, we appeal to
people all over the world who believe in justice and freedom to join
the April 24 Million for Mumia mobilization. We urge that on that day
protests be organized at United States embassies and consulates in
cities all over the world. We also urge trade unions, journalists'
groups, political parties and other mass organizations to pass
resolutions and add their names to the voices calling for justice for
Mumia. And, we also urge, in the tradition of the struggle to free
Nelson Mandela, that the streets outside U.S. embassies be renamed in
honor of United States political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal.
Signed by:
Pam Africa, International Concerned Family & Friends of Mumia
Abu-Jamal Ramsey Clark, former U.S. attorney general Ossie Davis,
actor and civil rights activist Leonard Weinglass, attorney for Mumia
Abu-Jamal
Please respond to
International Committee:
Millions for Mumia
39 West 14th. St., #206
New York, NY, 10011
Tel: 212-633-6646, Fax: 212-633-2889
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED]
attn: International Committee, Millions for Mumia
For more info on Mumia check these other web sites:
http://www.mumia.org , http://www.peoplescampaign.org
