From: "Ben Clemens" <mumia911_day@hotmail.com>
***** Mumia Abu-Jamal, a political prisoner on death row, could be executed
very soon. ****** And so, artists all over the country have resolved that on
September 11, 1999, we will stomp the earth, lift our voices, write, sing,
act and paint the walls. We will create a culture of resistance to stop the
killing of Mumia Abu-Jamal.
Join Rage Against the Machine, Ossie Davis, Edward Asner, Alice Walker,
Ntozake Shange, Pete Seeger, Ozomatli, Chumbawamba, and hundreds of other
artists for a national day of art, filled with exhibitions, concerts, shows,
and performances.
To get the word out about the events, we want your site to
*** please consider hosting one of our banner advertisements.***
They are under 10k, and available in many sizes to suit your layouts. Please
go to the below address and read the instructions if you can host an ad.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
MUMIA 911
---------------------------------
From: "Greg Butterfield" <theredguard@hotmail.com>
RICHMOND, VA, FREE MUMIA COALITION CALLS PRESS CONFERENCE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 9, 1999
For further information, contact:
Lee Robinson, (804) 353-5199 or
Susanne Kelly, (804) 358-0236
On Wednesday, August 11, 1999, the Richmond Coalition to Free Mumia
Abu-Jamal will hold a press conference at 12 noon in front of Richmond, Va.,
City Hall, 9th and Broad streets.
At the press conference, the Richmond Coalition will announce several
upcoming events which are part of the effort to win a new trial for Mumia.
These include immediate demonstrations in Richmond and nationwide in
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge signs a death warrant for Abu-Jamal, "911"
(September 11)--a day of cultural activities for Mumia, and "Mumia Awareness
Week," September 19-25.
Abu-Jamal is the prize-winning journalist and former Black Panther who has
spent nearly 18 years on Pennsylvania's death row. A controversial and
racist trial, presided over by the "killingest judge in America," resulted
in Abu-Jamal's conviction and death sentence.
There is a growing awareness that the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal is a travesty
of justice; his case has become the focus of a growing international
movement. The issues bound up in his case include racism in the U.S.
criminal justice system, the death penalty and the punishment of political
dissent. "Where people stand on this case has become a benchmark of where
they stand on social justice," said Richmond Coalition organizer Jason
Guard.
A death warrant for Mumia Abu-Jamal could be signed at any time.
=====================================>
From: Paul van Linden Tol <paulaugust@earthlink.net>
Paul van Linden Tol and Cornell Green are organizing a poetry reading called:
"Poets to Mumia"
Sunday, September 5 , 1:OO pm
At the "Kentler International Drawing Space"
353 Van Brunt Street
Brooklyn, NY 11231.
Cornell Green will be hosting the event, which will be an open mike reading.
Time or amount of poems is depended on the number of participants.
Donations appreciated. The event will be audio taped.
All intrested to participate can contact Cornell at
<cornellgreen@hotmail.com >
or leave a message at Paul van Linden Tol (718) 369-8280 or
paulaugust@earthlink.com
The gallery is in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn.
Participants can take the F or A train to Jay St., Bourough Hall. Outside
take
the B-61 Bus to Red Hook. Stops on Wolcott St.
=================================>
From: "Greg Butterfield" <theredguard@hotmail.com>
-------------------------
Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted from the Aug. 5, 1999
issue of Workers World newspaper
-------------------------
AROUND THE WORLD: SUPPORTERS SPEAK OUT FOR MUMIA
By Greg Butterfield
The band Rage Against the Machine performed songs
dedicated to Mumia Abu-Jamal and Leonard Peltier July 24
before an audience of 200,000 people. The songs were
broadcast live to millions more during the Woodstock '99
festival in Rome, N.Y.
In the estimation of the New York Times, the political
rock/rap band gave "the best performance" at the huge
concert, "exploding with insurgent sing-alongs."
The highly commercial affair, commemorating the 1969
Woodstock Music and Arts Festival, tried to put a profitable
and apolitical gloss on youth dissatisfaction. But the same
night Rage performed, thousands of youths rebelled, tearing
down pylons, smashing property and setting fire to the
wreckage.
Rage may have given the most widely-seen act in support of
Abu-Jamal since the July 3 arrests of 95 people at the
Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. But the band's dedication
reflects other grassroots organizing that is building to
counteract the latest media smear campaign against the
death-row political prisoner and to win a new trial for the
Black freedom fighter.
An article in the August issue of Vanity Fair magazine
unleashed a torrent of new media attacks on Abu-Jamal and
his supporters. In the story a journalist with close ties to
Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell claims Abu-Jamal "confessed"
to killing Police Officer Daniel Faulkner. The confessions
supposedly came during a discussion with an official prison
visitor, Philip Bloch, in the early 1990s.
Abu-Jamal vigorously denied the charge. But Bloch's
unsubstantiated claim made headlines nationwide, from ABC-
TV's "20/20" news show to Salon, an online magazine.
International Concerned Family & Friends of Mumia Abu-
Jamal called on supporters to "Write back! Talk back! Fight
back! Slam the media that slams Mumia!" Around the world,
anti-racist fighters are doing just that.
In Hamburg, Germany, on July 17, protesters rallied in a
busy shopping area and marched to the United States
Consulate. They presented a letter addressed to President
Bill Clinton demanding a new trial and a federal
investigation into the police frame-up of Abu-Jamal. The
letter was signed by over 1,800 people
Banners and flags called for the release of Abu-Jamal and
Kurdish resistance leader Abdullah Ocalan. Signs denounced
Vanity Fair and "20/20".
In New York the Simon Nkoli Brigade plans to pass out
leaflets outside Vanity Fair's midtown office July 28. The
group, named for the gay South African activist who died as
a result of AIDS earlier this year, will also organize a
bigger demonstration at the magazine's headquarters and a
march to ABC studios.
`MANIPULATION, PERJURY AND DEFAMATION'
The Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Campaign of Bristol, England,
responded to a July 10 article in the British newspaper The
Guardian, headlined "Death row inmate defended by stars
admits to cop killing."
In a letter to the editor, campaign organizer Martin
Mantxo wrote: "I was outraged. _ You put a headline which
doesn't correspond to the information you give and which
clearly damages a person, in this case Mumia Abu-Jamal.
"That is called manipulation, perjury and defamation. _
Far from helping truth to be considered, you are
manipulating information to put Mumia in the electric
chair."
Linn Washington Jr., a columnist for the Philadelphia
Tribune, a weekly newspaper serving the African American
community, wrote in a stinging July 20 article: "The
confession circus in the Mumia Abu-Jamal case continues _
watch out for excrement from elephants and actors!"
Washington went on to refute a key portion of Bloch's
story.
"Last week Bloch told Philadelphia Tribune reporter Milton
McGriff that this conversation with Mumia took place inside
a small cubicle where a Plexiglas partition separated them,"
Washington explained. "I interviewed Mumia inside these
cubicles in Huntingdon and Mumia refused to talk freely in
the cubicles because he said prison authorities planted
hidden microphones to eavesdrop.
"During an interview, I asked Mumia a question regarding
the shooting of Faulkner," said Washington. "He refused to
respond, giving two reasons: (1) his lawyers told him not to
discuss the incident; and (2) the cubicle was bugged."
Washington concluded: "By the time of Bloch's visits in
1991-1992, Mumia was a veteran of many battles with prison
authorities and was well aware of their tactics, like
bugging these cubicles."
- 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:
ww@workers.org. For subscription info info send message
to: info@workers.org. Web: http://www.workers.org)
=============================================>
From: "Greg Butterfield" <theredguard@hotmail.com>
>-------------------------
>Via Workers World News Service
>Reprinted from the Aug. 12, 1999
>issue of Workers World newspaper
>-------------------------
>
>HANDS OFF MUMIA
>Supporters plan emergency response to death warrant
>By Greg Butterfield
>
>On July 28, Youth & Students for Mumia Abu-Jamal issued an emergency alert
>warning: "There is a real possibility that [Pennsylvania Gov. Tom] Ridge
>will sign a new death warrant for Mumia soon."
>
>The threat that Ridge might sign a death warrant--possibly as early as
>August--was first reported in the Philadelphia Daily News; other media have
>picked it up.
>
>If Ridge does sign the death warrant, the young activists say, there will be
>emergency local demonstrations the next day throughout the United States and
>around the world. An emergency response network is already in place. It is
>coordinated by International Concerned Family & Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal.
>
>The youth group warned that a writ filed on Abu-Jamal's behalf in the U.S.
>Supreme Court earlier this year does not protect the former Black Panther.
>
>Calling the potential for a new death warrant "a very serious threat to
>Mumia's life, not to mention a threat to the health of the movement," the
>youth and student group recalled: "In response to Ridge signing a death
>warrant in August 1995, some 10,000 people from around the country mobilized
>on five weeks' notice to come to Philadelphia to put a halt to this atrocity
>against our brother.
>
>"Ridge was forced to rescind the death warrant," the group asserted, "due to
>the organized mass pressure."
>
>Readers are urged to contact their local Abu-Jamal defense committee for
>information on its plans--and if there is not a local committee, to help
>organize one now. Meetings should be held and phone trees established to
>develop an action plan.
>
>Planning for Mumia Awareness Week has also begun. This is to be a national
>week of actions to bring attention to Abu-Jamal's case. The events are
>scheduled for Sept. 19-25.
>
>Abu-Jamal, an African American political prisoner and revolutionary
>journalist, has been on death row for 18 years. Supporters say the
>Philadelphia police framed the former Black Panther in the Dec. 9, 1981,
>killing of a white cop. They are demanding a new trial and an end to the
>execution threats.
>
>`A life lived for the people'
>
>An international day of actions by young people on Sept. 21 is slated to be
>a key component of Mumia Awareness Week.
>
>The call to action for the International Stu dent/ Youth Day for Mumia reads
>in part: "Some of us know that Mumia is a revolutionary and we love him for
>his life lived for the people. Some of us are against the death penalty.
>
>"Some of us look at the trial, see the coercion of some of the witnesses,
>the evidence withheld, all the corruption and brutality of the Philadelphia
>police, and we think he should not be killed based on a trial like that.
>
>"But more than that, Mumia has inspired our generation to fight against his
>execution, as well as all the other attacks that weigh so heavily on our
>futures. The outcome of Mumia's case will affect the political climate for
>decades to come."
>
>As a first step, organizers in New York State distributed 40,000 fliers at
>the Woodstock '99 concert in late July.
>
>Students and youth are being urged to hold video showings, classroom debates
>and teach-ins to get out the facts of the case. Other ideas include playing
>Abu-Jamal's commentaries on campus radio stations; sitting in or walking
>out; and organizing open mikes and poetry readings in support of the
>political prisoner.
>
>An East Coast Student/Youth organizing meeting is planned for Aug. 15 at
>12:30 p.m. at the International Action Center in New York. The address is 39
>W. 14 St., Suite 206, Manhattan.
>
>For information and updates, or to join in youth and student organizing,
>readers can contact Youth & Students for Mumia at (212) 633-6646 in New York
>and (415) 821-6545 in San Francisco; or International Concerned Family &
>Friends at (215) 476-8812 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 contactWorkers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via
>e-mail: ww@workers.org. For subscription info send message to:
>info@workers.org. Web: http://www.workers.org)
===========================================>
International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal
P.O. Box 19709, Philadelphia, PA 19143
Ph: 215-476-8812 / Fax: 215-476-7551
website: www.mumia.org / e-mail: mumia@webcom.com