------------------------- Via Workers World News Service Reprinted from the April 5, 2001 issue of Workers World newspaper ------------------------- EFFORTS TO FREE MUMIA GO INTO HIGH GEAR By Monica Moorehead Revolutionaries and anti-racist activists all over the world, including inside the United States, are preparing for a new round of important protests to demand the freedom of African American political prisoner and journalist Mumia Abu- Jamal. Abu-Jamal has languished on Pennsylvania's death row since July 3, 1982. The state convicted him of killing a white Philadelphia police officer, Daniel Faulkner. But millions of supporters across the United States and around the world maintain that Mumia Abu-Jamal was railroaded to death row by a racist conspiracy carried out by the courts, the Fraternal Order of Police and the government. Why was he targeted? Because of his revolutionary political beliefs as well as his close association with MOVE, a predominantly Black, anti-system, pro-communal organization. MOVE has been, and continues to be, a main target of government repression in Philadelphia since the late 1970s. Mumia Abu-Jamal has become an international symbol of the struggle against the racist, anti-poor death penalty, police brutality and other forms of political repression inside the United States. He has also become known as the "voice of the voice less," speaking out on behalf of millions who have been victimized by racism, bigotry and the capitalist system in general. During the last weekend in March, an East Coast organizing conference will take place in Washington, D.C. Its goal is to bring together the activists who already support Abu- Jamal. And it aims to attract new layers of activists from the Black churches and Black colleges to help broaden support for Abu-Jamal's case. U.S. Rep. John Conyers from Michigan, hip-hop artist Chuck D and International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia leader Pam Africa are scheduled to speak at an opening event at the Lincoln Theater on March 30. The theater is located at 1215 U St., NW. The conference will take place at First Congressional Church at 10th and G Streets, NW, on March 31. Registration will begin at 9 a.m. The conference is free. A number of workshops will take place during the conference that will help bring activists up to date on Abu-Jamal's legal status along with encouraging people to get involved politically with his case. GO GET YOUR CALENDAR! An important rally and march demanding freedom for Mumia Abu- Jamal will take place in New York on April 4, the 33rd anniversary of the assassination of civil-rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King. This protest will take place at 30 Foley Square from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. The fact that Abu-Jamal's legal appeals are currently in the federal courts is one reason this protest is being held in front of the federal court building. Sponsors include the International Action Center, the New York City Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Coalition, the Jericho Movement, Patrice Lumumba Coalition, Asians for Mumia, Haiti Support Network, International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal, Campaign to End the Death Penalty and Refuse and Resist! The main political reason for this protest is explained in a call to action that was sent out by the International Action Center to thousands of people contacting them about April 4. It stresses: "When the U.S. government targets any one of our leaders, it's targeting more than one individual, it's our move ment that they seek to destroy. On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered by the government because he posed a threat to the racist status quo. Mumia Abu-Jamal is another leader that the government has targeted because they fear his revolutionary influence." Another bold action has been set for May 12. That day has been designated as an international day in solidarity with Abu-Jamal. It comes one day before the 16th anniversary of the bombing of MOVE by the government. That racist firebombing resulted in 11 men, women and children being massacred, and an entire Black neighborhood in West Philadelphia being destroyed. The IAC, along with other organizations, is initiating a May 11-13 encampment in Philadelphia for Abu-Jamal's freedom. People are encouraged to bring tents, sleeping bags, and enough food and water for a few days. This encampment will let the courts and government know that the movement will not rest until Abu-Jamal is free to walk among the masses of people where he belongs. The political movement is also still preparing to mobilize to come to Phila delphia to pack the streets and the courtroom once Federal District Judge William Yohn has announced what day oral arguments will begin on whether Abu- Jamal will have a right to an evidentiary hearing. For more than a year Abu-Jamal and the movement have been awaiting word of this date. His case entered the federal appeals process in December 1999. Since then four amicus briefs have been filed on Abu- Jamal's behalf. Yohn has denied all. Two of the briefs make powerful arguments about the extent of collusion among Abu-Jamal's original lawyer, the district attorney and the judge in his first trial. And they point out that the original judge--"hanging judge" Albert Sabo-- denied Abu-Jamal's right to defend himself and to have John Africa serve as co-counsel. The briefs argue that these violations of Abu-Jamal's constitutional rights to due process are so huge and so egregious that they alone should be grounds for overturning the original verdict and setting him free. Those seeking to undermine Abu-Jamal's fight for freedom will no doubt seize on another development in his legal battle. On March 6, Abu-Jamal filed a petition to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania to allow him to dismiss his legal counsel, Leonard Weinglass and Dan Williams, for "conflict of interest" and violation of client- lawyer confidentiality. By filing this petition, Abu-Jamal hopes to be allowed enough time to reconstitute a new legal team. The conflict of interest was based on an "inside account" book on Abu-Jamal's case written by Williams that is scheduled to be released in April. Williams wrote this book without Abu-Jamal's prior knowledge or consent. Many of his key supporters also were not informed about the book. The book reportedly raises criticisms of Abu-Jamal's political supporters. It also delves into differences between Abu-Jamal and his lawyers about legal strategies in his case. Some in the bourgeois media--like Dave Lindorff, a writer for Salon magazine--are using the Williams book as an excuse to politically attack Abu-Jamal and to characterize many of his supporters on the left as a "fringe element." These reactionary and diversionary attacks should be countered--in writing and in the streets. Mumia Abu-Jamal's life is at stake. The repressive capitalist state and the media want to legally lynch him with little direct intervention from the political movement or from any sector of the masses of workers and oppressed peoples. Abu-Jamal should have the final say in terms of who represents him as legal counsel and what his legal strategy should be. It is important for political activists not to second-guess him in his decision to change his legal counsel. Instead, supporters need to keep a clear focus on the task at hand--building broad political support for Mumia Abu- Jamal. Just as there were powerful movements during the 1970s to free Huey P. Newton, Angela Davis and other political prisoners, the movement here and worldwide must continue to build momentum to free Mumia Abu-Jamal. The IAC call to action for April 4 concludes: "It is our movement's efforts, around the country and around the world, that have made more people aware of who Mumia Abu-Jamal is. It is because of our movement that thousands of people are outraged at the racist frame-up of this innocent man. "And it is our movement, committed to fighting to save his life, that will make the difference, that will liberate Mumia from death row and bring him back to his family and to us." For more information on the April 4 rally and march, May 12 encampment in Philadelphia, and Abu-Jamal's day in court, contact IAC at 212-633-6646 or go to www.iacenter.org or www.mumia2000.org. - END - (Copyright 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) ------------------ This message is sent to you by Workers World News Service. To subscribe, E-mail to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, E-mail to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To switch to the DIGEST mode, E-mail to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Send administrative queries to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
