From: Cybrgrace7@aol.com
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1999 02:55:13 EDT
>
>Today there will be a picket/demo (with sound permit) at Vanity UnFair
>magazine, 4:30-6:30pm, 42nd St. and Broadway.
>
>The Free Mumia Abu Jamal Coalition
>P.O. Box 650, New York, NY 10009 212-330-8029
>M E D I A A L E R T
>
>Contact: Diane Nichols: 212-561-0690
>
>Activists to Protest Misleading Coverage in Vanity Fair of Death Row
>Journalist/Political Prisoner Mumia Abu Jamal
>
>The Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Coalition has called a protest for Tuesday, August
>17, from 4:30 to 6:30 PM in front of the offices of Conde Nast at 4 Times
>Square to express their anger with the Vanity Fair August/September feature
>story about political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal. Vanity Fair’s article
quotes
>former Pennsylvania Prison Society member, Philip Bloch saying that Mumia
>“confessed” to him guilt in the slaying of Philadelphia police officer
Daniel
>Faulkner in 1982 -- a charge for which Mumia, a journalist and former Black
>Panther Party member, received the death penalty.
>
>Three weeks after Vanity Fair published the article Jamal located and made
>public a letter from Bloch, dated six months after Bloch allegedly heard
>Mumia’s “confession”. In the letter Block encourages Mumia to seek a new
>trial, and that if re-tried, there is a chance of acquittal. “It is
>possible to get justice from a jury”, the letter said.
>
>Date: Tuesday, August 17
>Time: 4:30 - 6:30 P.M.
>Place: Conde Nast Building - 4 Times Square
> North East Corner of Broadway & 42nd Street
>
>Members of the press are encouraged to attend the protest, so that they may
>hear the side of Mumia's story that Vanity Fair chose to ignore.
>
>This protest is sponsored by the Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Coalition, Simon
Nkoli
>Queer Crusaders for Mumia, Campaign Against the Death Penalty and the
>International Action Center.
====================================>
From: Chuck0 <chuck@tao.ca> (by way of Jahfree I <jahfreei@webcom.com>)
F.O.P. Attacks Supporters of Convicted Cop Killer
U.S. Newswire
11 Aug 18:20
F.O.P. Attacks Supporters of Convicted Cop Killer
To: National Desk
Contact: Tim Richardson of the Fraternal Order of Police,
202-547-8189
WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Today the nation's
largest organization of law enforcement officers announced a
nationwide boycott against those businesses and individuals that
continue to support convicted cop-killer Mumia Abu-Jamal. The
announcement came after the unanimous passage of a resolution by
the more than 3,000 delegates attending the 54th Biennial National
Conference of the Fraternal Order of Police in Mobile, Ala.
National President Gilbert G. Gallegos called the passage of the
resolution a victory for the memory of Philadelphia police officer
Daniel Faulkner, who was murdered by Abu-Jamal in December 1981.
"Danny Faulkner's widow Maureen, has led a tireless crusade against
Abu-Jamal, and we wanted to let not only her, but the entire
community know, that she has the strong support of the Fraternal
Order of Police."
Abu-Jamal was convicted by a jury of his peers and sentenced to
death for the 1981 murder of Officer Faulkner. Since then, the
members of the Pennsylvania State Lodge of the Fraternal Order of
Police and Philadelphia Lodge No. 5 have been outspoken in their
search for justice for their brother officer.
After passage of the resolution, introduced on the floor of the
Conference by Florida National Trustee Pete Fire and seconded by
Pennsylvania State President Mike Lutz, Gallegos announced the
organization's plans for a boycott. Gallegos said the F.O.P. plans
to have a continuously updated list of firms and individuals that
support or lend assistance to the cause of freeing Abu-Jamal on the
organization's web site.
"We want to provide our members and the general public with the
information they need to inflict economic punishment on the
supporters of this cop-killer," Gallegos said.
"Too many businesses have put profits ahead of seeking justice
for the family of Daniel Faulkner, and too many uninformed
individuals have conspired to keep Abu-Jamal from getting what he
deserves," Gallegos said. "We will use every means at our disposal
to put these companies and individuals at an economic disadvantage
for their continued support of this cowardly cop-killer."
The F.O.P. boycott comes on the heels of a massive rally and
concert, featuring several prominent musical artists, held to
support the cause of freeing Abu-Jamal and the June 1999
commencement address by Abu-Jamal to the graduates of Evergreen
State College in Washington State.
"This is about right and wrong," Gallegos said. "It is wrong to
allow companies and individuals to profit from the murder of an
officer who made the ultimate sacrifice by trying to protect
and serve the citizens of his community. And we will not rest
until Abu-Jamal burns in Hell."
------
The Fraternal Order of Police is the nation's largest
organization of law enforcement professionals, with more than
283,000 members.
-0-
/U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/
08/11 18:20
Copyright 1999, U.S. Newswire
====================================>
From: "Taylor, Professor Mark" <mark.taylor@ptsem.edu>
AUGUST DEATH WARRANT ON MUMIA ?
FIGHT IT OFF - NOW!
by Mark Taylor
Academics for Mumia Abu-Jamal
Now? Yes, it is time to fight any death warrant on Mumia, now, in August.
It is true that the only signal that a new death warrant would be signed
this August came from one article by a writer in the PHILADELPHIA DAILY
NEWS. This might seem like weak support for believing a death warrant is
coming down the pike this month.
Telephone calls to the office of Governor Tom Ridge, however, by both
International Friends and Family of Mumia Abu-Jamal and also by Refuse and
Resist, found officials coyly refusing to deny the possibility of an
August death warrant.
I called the Governor's Office on Monday morning, August 16, and spoke to
the Governor's Press Secretary Tim Reeves. He says the Governor has "a
protocol" for all death row inmates on this matter, namely, sign no death
warrant until all appeals are completed. When they are completed, only
then would a warrant be signed.
Familiar story. This is the kind of statement that Ridge and his office
has often made. Unfortunately, we cannot count on Ridge's assurances
about waiting until all court proceedings are completed. Remember, he
made statements like this in 1995, and then signed a death warrant anyway,
when he knew Mumia's attorneys were filing papers for a Post-Conviction
Relief Hearing. I don't think we can trust ourselves to these
assurances, especially since neither the Governor nor his press secretary
would say that an earlier death warrant is impossible. Politicians can
violate their own protocol.
Moreover, it has become more clear to me recently, through discussions
with activists in New Jersey and Philadelphia this week, that Ridge and
the anti-Mumia forces do have something to gain by signing a death warrant
in August. Here are three things Mumia's opposition would gain.
FIRST OF ALL, THEY WOULD MOVE MUMIA CLOSER TO DEATH'S REACH. If there
is any mishap or gap in the legal process, which begins in the federal
district court this October, Mumia would be ready for execution on Phase
II of Pennsylvania's death row. With a death warrant on Mumia, the
system would be readier to act quickly. We could face a greater risk in
losing Mumia, if a death warrant is issued this month.
If you doubt that Pennsylvania officials would try to sneak an execution
through, remember we are dealing with a Governor more ready to sign
warrants than perhaps any other governor, and a Mayor of Philadelphia who
was D.A. under the notorious Rizzo regime when it had the only police
department to be sued by the U.S. Dept. of Justice.
SECOND, WITH MUMIA PLACED ON PHASE II OF DEATH ROW BY AN AUGUST DEATH
WARRANT, HE AND HIS VOICE ARE TAKEN FURTHER AWAY FROM US IN A CRUCIAL TIME
OF OUR COLLECTIVE STRUGGLE TO FREE HIM. His voice would be heard even
less than it is now. Mumia has always been effective in his self-defense,
and Pennsylvania authorities have been afraid of Mumia's ability to defend
himself because he is effective (as was shown recently by Mumia's ability
to fight back Phillip Bloch's lies in VANITY FAIR).
Prison officials recently pulled the plug on Mumia's phone-line, as Mumia
was being interviewed by nationally-known radio journalist, Amy Goodman of
"Democracy Now." The guard undertaking the action told Mumia this act of
silencing was coming "straight from the top" of the Dept. of Corrections.
Officials know Mumia is powerful, and they want his voice cut off. A
death warrant now would be another instance of this, making it harder for
us to have his voice in the struggle at this crucial time.
THIRD, A DEATH WARRANT NOW WOULD PUT ADDED PRESSURES ON MUMIA'S LEGAL
TEAM. This would come right at the time when Mumia's lawyers need to be
concentrating energies on the Federal appeals process. It would be an act
of harassment, demanding that his lawyers work under greater pressure.
Mumia's attorneys are first-rate advocates and workers for him, but they
are also finite human beings who can be overloaded. You can bet the
Pennsylvania forces aiming to get Mumia will exploit that vulnerability as
much as they can.
So, let's be fighting the warrant now - before it comes, if it does. I am
ultimately hopeful that we are going to win this battle for Mumia's life
and freedom, for Mumia and for ALL of us. As part of this ongoing
struggle, let us fight this possible death warrant, now, this August.
Call and fax the Governor's Office. Let him know that even in August,
this vacation month, the Mumia forces are NOT on vacation. Let Ridge
know that still, "the whole world is watching." Make him and his Office
state "the Governor's protocol" to you, and we will see if they have any
intention of living by it.
Gov. Thomas Ridge, Main Capitol Building, Room 225. PHONE: (717)
787-2500
FAXES: (717) 772-8284 and (717) 783-3369.
==========================================>
From: "Mumia Week" <info@j4mumia.org>
MUMIA 911 is coming!
The National Day of Art to Stop the Execution of Mumia Abu-Jamal is
happening all over the country on SEPTEMBER 11, 1999. Dozens of
concerts, exhibitions and performances are scheduled…..
CHECK OUR NEWLY UPDATED WEBSITE TODAY.
Events are added daily. Send us info on what you’re doing. And send us
your art and writings to be posted.
www.mumia 911.org email: mumia911@mumia911.org
We will not let them kill Mumia.
==================================>
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