From: "Ray Winbush" <rwinbush@usit.net>
An update from Nashville...Rage Against the Machine will be performing
tonight in Nashville (12/7), with the F.O.P. demonstrating against them.
Fisk is orchestrating a counter demonstration against the F.O.P. on behalf
of Mumia, and I will be debating the head of the F.O.P. on the local CBS
affiliate TV call in show about Mumia's case.
Forward,
Ray Winbush
Fisk University
==========================================>
From: Treasa Chennikara <campus_action@yahoo.com>
DECEMBER 6th: Free Mumia Night
When: 8pm
Where: Mother Earth's Cafe
Who: Seeds of Wisdom (MOVE rap group),
Rebel Poets, Kym Flemings, and other poets and speakers
Why: In support of Mumia. To make the
Albany community aware of Mumia Abu-Jamal, political prisoner
on death row.
DECEMBER 7th: Free Mumia Rally
When: 4:30pm
Where: corner of Washington&Lark (in front
of armory)
Who: SUNY Albany Free Mumia Committee
and the Free Mumia Committee of Albany, student and
community groups
What: We will have speakers, Seeds of
Wisdom, Student Leaders, Community Leaders
Picket Line, passing out literature, speakers, and
more...Let's stop the traffic in Albany for Mumia!!!!!
(Excerpts PRESS CONFERENCE STATEMENT BY ZACK DE LA ROCHA
OF RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE (1/28/99)
Working to ensure the legal rights that all us presume to enjoy
certainly has turned out to be controversial!
Let me say straight up that tonight's benefit is not to support
cop killers, or any other kind of killers. And if there were no
question about the guilt of Mumia Abu-Jamal, we would not be
holding this concert.
But whether Jamal is guilty, or is himself the victim of an
outrageous miscarriage of justice, is precisely what is at
issue. Tonight's benefit seeks to answer that question by
allowing Jamal to have the fair and impartial judicial review
that he was denied by the state of Pennsylvania.
The proceeds from tonight's event go, not to Mr. Jamal, but to
pay for the investigators, forensic experts, and lawyers needed
to get an unbiased hearing of this case in the federal courts.
Parents should be proud that their children are attending and
standing up for the rights to which all people are entitled.
We first heard of this case some years back when the Fraternal
Order of Police and Senate Majority Leader Robert Dole
pressured National Public Radio into censoring a series of
commentaries on prison life recorded by Mr. Jamal. Then
Pennsylvania prison authorities put Mr. Jamal into punitive
confinement as punishment for writing his first
book, Live from Death Row, published by Addison-Wesley.
We began to ask ourselves, shouldn't political dissidents in
THIS country enjoy the same rights that the U.S. government
demands for political dissidents in China or Iran?
We have a great deal of sympathy for anyone who is a victim of
tragedy, including the widows of slain police officers. But
we do not feel that the proper answer to tragedy is to inflict injustice
on others. We need to base ourselves on fact, not on emotion. And
our path to closure should be paved with a search for truth and
justice, not a search for revenge against whomever is targeted by the
police.
Rage Against the Machine is not a stranger to controversy. And
we are happy that our small effort in doing this benefit has
focused increased attention on this case. We find ourselves following
in the footsteps of Bob Dylan, whose famous song and concert for
Ruben "Hurricane" Carter in 1975, helped to free someone who was
falsely accused of murder right here in New Jersey.
It is ironic that tonight, on the day after the Pope called for
an end to the death penalty in the United States, we will have
others outside tonight calling for the taking of a life on the flimsiest
of evidence.
One of the great things about young people is that
they DO question, that they do care deeply about justice, and that
they have open minds. We hope that some of them brought their
parents tonight!
Treasa Chennikara
President of Campus Action at SUNY Albany (C.A.S.A.)
Co-Chair of Campus Action (Albany Central Office)
(518)442-1248
tc2200@cnsvax.albany.edu
1400 Washington Avenue
SUNY Albany
Colonial Quad
Box 1202
Albany, NY 12222
==================================>
From: "ryan" <NME1@prodigy.net>
Maryland mobilization for Dec 11th rally!!
Anyone in and around Baltimore who's interested in joining our caravan up to
Philly this Saturday for the demo or who needs a ride here's some info:
We're meeting at 9 am at the SuperFresh supermarket parking lot in Towson.
(The SuperFresh is right across from Towson TownCenter mall, 1/2 mile south
on Dulaney Valley Rd off of 695). We have assemble a lot of cars and vans
so there's sure to be extra room. Get in touch with us for more info!
Thanks,
Melissa / Anti Racist Action
1-888-392-4832
ext. 291-311-3120
PS
We ( along with a bunch of other activist groups from in and around
Baltimore and DC) leafletted at the Rage Against the Machine concert in
Baltimore this past week. We got out thousands of fliers about Mumia and
Rage's support of Mumia. We also spoke with media that night and joined a
radio talk show the following Sunday morning concerning the case.
Definately a success in getting the facts out.
We also had incidences of police violence against concert goers.
Towards the end of the concert police pepper sprayed a group of kids
standing outside waiting for their friends because they wouldn't leave.
They did this even after the kids explained that they were waiting for the
people that they came with and that they couldn't leave without them. The
police wouldn't let the kids back into the arena to wash off the pepper
spray and taunted them as they sat on the curb in agony. To serve and
protect right....?
===========================================>
From: OLIVEMOSS@aol.com
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11
Mass Regional Demonstration and March in Philadelphia for death-row inmate
Mumia Abu-Jamal, demanding that the federal judge and the government grant
him a new evidentiary hearing.
A bus will leave from UDC at 8:30 am.
Tickets are $16, available through Olive Branch at 1006 M Street NW
or call 202-682-9056 (ask for Natalie)
====================================>
From: Rachel Lederman <lederman@sirius.com>
ENCIRCLE THE OAKLAND FEDERAL BUILDING TO
SAVE THE LIFE OF MUMIA ABU-JAMAL
SAT. DEC. 11TH
2-4 PM
13th and Clay Streets, downtown Oakland, near 12th St. BART
In honor of international human rights day.
Mumia's case is now in its final phase of appeal to the federal courts.
The federal court is now considering the crucial question of how it will
interpret the new federal pro-death penalty law in terms of whether it
will hear any evidence, or will simply rubber stamp the Pennsylvania
courts' decision which threw out all of the new evidence exonerating
Mumia. If the court decides not to hear the truth in Mumia's case, not
only will Mumia face near certain death, but it will mark the beginning
of a government sanctioned killing frenzy as the nation's hundreds of
death row inmates are slaughtered, regardless of constitutional rights.
This is THE critical moment at which we must mount a broad movement in
the streets to demand justice for Mumia!
The Dec. 11 rally is a legal, permitted demonstration sponsored by all
Bay Area Mumia organizations. We are also planning a mass nonviolent
civil disobedience in San Francisco on February 28, 2000. This is the
West Coast action in coordination with mass c.d. at the U.S. Supreme
Court in Washington. For more information, call 510-389-2377, or visit
www.aspenlinx.com/mumia.
+-+ sent by the PrisonAct List <prisonact-list@prisonactivist.org> +-+
A project of the Prison Activist Resource Center.
See the Prison Issues Desk at <http://www.prisonactivist.org>.
=================================================>
BYKO! Column - Philly Daily News - 12/7/99
by Stu Bykofsky
The winnah! Barsky yes, Rage no
WMMR's Barsky was so piffed off yesterday about being
ordered to play something by Rage Against the Machine
(Mumia Abu-Jamal's fund-raising snot-rockers) he instead
fought on-air with program director Sam Milkman, then
walked out of the studio around 8 a.m. This left flustered
traffic babe Eliana in charge of the show, but she quickly
left too. After that, it was just music and promos - no live
voices. (Stu's Spies insist this was not a publicity stunt).
When Pierre Robert started his shift at 9 a.m., he did play
the Rage number. Rage was timely because the misguided
rockers were playing the First Union Spectrum last night.
After Barsky, sidekick Ben Maxwell and Eliana left, meetings
ensued. Barsky -- a longtime supporter of Maureen Faulkner,
widow of the cop murdered by Mumia - stood his ground.
The result? Barksy will return to his show this morning,
early risers may hear Milkman apologize for trying to shove
Rage down Philly's throat - and Rage now is banned from
WMMR. Attaway, Barsky!
(end column)
==========================================>
From: "jason capell" <xveganx9@hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 06 Dec 1999 09:20:42 PST
Everyone needs to support Rage Against the Machine they are
doing some amazing things. I was given the apportunity to see
them in Worcester Mass. and things were tense. Waiting
outside when I arrived there with fellow activists were
about 1000 kids waiting to get inside (almost 2 hours before
open doors), and 150 cops protesting in a picket line. So I
parked my car after chanting "FREE MUMIA" out my car
window while driving by and proceded back to the crowd
with my "Stop the Legal Lynching" banner. I got the crowd
to start cheering and chanting free mumia before I, along with
other fellow activists, was alowed inside to start preparing for
the nights activities.Rage had arranged for around 20 activist
to recieve all access, guess passes for free to the show so
that we could get inside and spread the word.
Between my group and refuse and resist we probable
handed out more than 10,000 flyers about Mumia. There
were also groups there getting the word
out about Leonard Peltier and other political prisoners.
Then at the end of the night, right before the last song
Zach De La Rocha gave a little speech about why we were
there and why the Cops were outside. "Those cops outside
are saying that we support cop killers. We don't
support and kind of killers, especially killer cops!!!" -Zach
And just before they started into the last song my fellow
activists drapped a large "FREE MUMIA" banner from
the balcony as the band raised their fists
in solidarity.
With Solidarity,
Jason Capell
Johnson State College
Student Activist Club
=====================================>
From: "Jennifer Dobbie" <jenniferdobbie@hotbot.com>
i just wanted to let people know that myself and a friend of mine
organized the first mumia protest ever in ottawa,canada.it took place
this weekend(saturday december 4th,1999).we had between 25-30
people attend.we met at the old american embassy and then marched
to the new one down the street.people talked and we wrote down
people's numbers for future actions.were planning to organize a
street party for mumia in front of the american embassy on saturday
december 18th,1999.we plan on playing spoken word speeches
from mumia's cd and shutting down the street.there are also
plans for civil disobedience actions in solidarity with mumia in the
peace and solidarity
jennifer
=============================================>
From: "Greg Butterfield" <theredguard@hotmail.com>
From: Praxis1871@aol.com
CLC Left Opposition - http://CLC_LO.listbot.com
This emergency resolution was adopted by the CAW Council yesterday. - Bruce
Allen
FREEDOM FOR MUMIA ABU-JAMAL
WHEREAS: Radio journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal has suffered grevious physical
harm at the hands of Philadelphia authorities and
continues to be persecuted by them, and
WHEREAS: Mumia Abu-Jamal has suffered brutal imprisonment and intense
censorship at the hands of Pennsylvania state and
prison authorities,
and
WHEREAS: Overwhelming evidence exists of Mumia Abu-Jamal's innocence
and that this evidence is ample grounds for demanding a
new trial.
THEREFOR BE IT RESOLVED: that the CAW Council call for the immediate
staying of the death sentence imposed upon Mumia Abu-Jamal by the state of
Pennsylvania and call upon Governor Tom Ridge to not sign a death warrant.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: that the CAW Council call for the release of Mumia
Abu-Jamal and provide active and on-going support for the campaign to win
his freedom.
=======================================>
From: Michael Novick <part2001@usa.net>
www.sfgate.com
Protests Interrupt Reno Safety Speech
Cooperation with police a theme
Henry K. Lee, Chronicle Staff Writer
Saturday, December 4, 1999
©1999 San Francisco Chronicle
Attorney General Janet Reno urged Oakland business leaders yesterday to
work with police and educators to help reduce violence in a speech that was
interrupted by a boisterous protest on behalf of Mumia Abu-Jamal, who was
convicted of murdering a police officer.
Reno told 500 people at a luncheon meeting of the Oakland Metropolitan
Chamber of Commerce that they should use their business acumen to help
ensure that recent drops in crime continue.
Reno cited youth programs like the Oakland Athletics' restoration of
inner-city baseball fields as examples businesses can use to help develop
safer communities.
``We should harness the power, ingenuity and the resources to further our
advantage in the fight against crime and end the culture of violence in our
society,'' Reno said.
``We cannot become complacent,'' she said, noting that the ``unprecedented
economic prosperity'' should provide the impetus for businesses to take
action.
Reno, the nation's top law-enforcement officer, said Oakland can become
stronger if the elements of business, education and policing work together,
themes that were echoed yesterday in remarks by Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown
and City Manager Robert Bobb.
``Business is the glue that makes it happen,'' said Reno, who drew a
standing ovation.
At the start of her speech, about 50 people protesting on behalf of
Abu-Jamal began yelling outside the doors of the luncheon at the Oakland
Marriott. They waved signs and chanted, ``Janet Reno, give it up, turn it
loose and cut the noose'' and ``Free Mumia.''
Protesters said they wanted Reno to open a Department of Justice
investigation into alleged corruption by the Philadelphia Police Department
that they claim prevented Abu-Jamal from getting a fair trial.
Abu-Jamal, 45, was convicted of murdering a Philadelphia police officer in
1981 and was sentenced to death. In October, a federal judge stayed his
execution, which had been set for Thursday , as the former journalist began
another round of appeals.
Oakland police shepherded the demonstrators outside, where they began
pounding on the doors. But as the protest ended, another began inside as
four Oakland women who had bought tickets to the event stood up and
interrupted Reno as she began speaking.
Taking off their jackets to reveal white shirts reading, ``New Trial for
Mumia,'' Maria Cordero, 23, and Edget Betru, 25, told Reno that she should
look into Philadelphia police practices if she truly cared about community
safety.
Police, including Oakland Police Chief Richard Word and Union City officers
who were giving a presentation, surrounded the women and prepared to escort
them out, but Reno said, ``Let me hear them. It's very important that we
hear young people.''
The attorney general then told the women that she would meet with them
afterward. She spent a few minutes with them at the end of the event and
said she would look into whether a probe was needed.
Reno was not as cordial to Jeff Jones, executive director of the shuttered
Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative, a group that has been battling the
federal government over its zero-tolerance stance on medical marijuana.
Jones said Reno refused to talk to him because of pending litigation
involving the Oakland club.
Jones said Reno's appearance in Oakland was hypocritical given the federal
government's stance and the fact that Oakland city officials have openly
supported medical marijuana.
The Oakland club was among a number of groups that had a banner prominently
displayed at the luncheon. San Francisco District Attorney Terence
Hallinan, a vocal medical-marijuana advocate, was among those seated at the
marijuana club's table.
``We wanted to show her that we're not going away,'' Jones said.
©1999 San Francisco Chronicle Page A17
===================================================>
International Concerned Family & Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal
P.O. Box 19709 - Philadelphia, PA 19143
Ph: 215-476-8812 / Fax: 215-476-7551
Web: www.mumia.org / E-mail: mumia@webcom.com
Tax deductible contributions to the Organizing Campaign to
Free Mumia Abu-Jamal should be made payable to and sent to:
The International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal, Inc.
P.O. Box 19709
Philadelphia, PA 19143
Tel: (215) 476-8812
Fax: (215) 476-7751
Tax deductible contributions to the Legal defense of Mumia Abu-Jamal
should be made payable to and sent to:
National Black United Fund/MAJ
40 Clinton St., 5th Fl.
Newark, NJ 07102
=========================>
IT'S RIGHTEOUS TO RESIST!