> AT SAN FRANCISCO RALLY: > HURRICANE CARTER URGES SUPPORT FOR MUMIA > > By Saul Kanowitz > San Francisco > > An overflow crowd of more than 2,000 people filled the > auditorium at Mission High School Oct. 7 for an evening of > solidarity with death-row political prisoner Mumia Abu- > Jamal. The highlight of the evening was a moving personal > account by Rubin "Hurricane" Carter of his 19-year fight for > freedom from inside New Jersey's Trenton State Prison. > Carter was framed for murder by a racist system that > convicted him in spite of his innocence. > > "I am a survivor of the American criminal injustice system," > Carter said. "Spending 20 years in prison, narrowly escaping > the electric chair, it is a great pleasure to be here in San >Francisco--in fact, to be anywhere." The crowd responded > with thunderous applause. > > Carter drew a parallel between his case and Abu-Jamal's, > explaining, "My case was based on an appeal to racism rather > than reason. Evidence was concealed from the jury. I have > become a symbol to some of a criminal justice system > infected with racism." > > The former prize fighter recounted how he maintained his > dignity and determination in prison through many little > actions. He explained that each person in the audience > should not underestimate the effect their individual actions > can have in helping to free Abu-Jamal. > > The audience also heard from an array of activists and > celebrities who stood in solidarity with Abu-Jamal. The > prisoner's son, Mazi Jamal, gave a passionate speech about > never having physical contact with his father. > > "It is an extremely strange experience to hear people talk > with so much passion about my family," Jamal said. "I see it > in people's eyes, how genuine people feel about my father." > > 'THE MEDIA ARE SHAMED' > > Pam Africa of International Concerned Family & Friends of > Mumia Abu-Jamal commented on the absence of major corporate > media from the event. "The media are not here because they > are shamed by this room because it is full. We are > victorious. Pick up those phones. At what time do we shut > them [the media] down?" > > Leonard Weinglass, Abu-Jamal's lead attorney, gave a brief > update on the case. Weinglass said one major difference > between Abu-Jamal's situation and Carter's was due to the > 1996 Effective Death Penalty Act, which basically repealed > the constitutional right of habeas corpus--an independent > federal review--for death-row prisoners. > > President Hari Dillon and Chair Walter Riley of the Vanguard > Public Foundation, a sponsor of the event, presented checks > to Weinglass and Africa to support the legal defense and > organizing efforts. > > Standing with Dillon and Riley was actor and activist Danny > Glover, who said: "I want to remind us there is a context in > which we look at Mumia's case. We have to talk about the > draconian Rockefeller drug laws, women's right to choice and > globalization. To be involved is to be included in all those > things." > > Michael Franti, a dynamic progressive artist, brought people > to their feet with a spoken word performance entitled "Give > the Corporations Some Complications." Michael Africa > followed with a rap piece about police abuses in > Philadelphia. > > Walter Johnson, head of the San Francisco Labor Council, and > Jack Heyman, president of Longshore and Warehouse union > Local 10, offered the solidarity of the labor movement. > > Former political prisoner Angela Davis asked the audience > "to renew our commitment to free Mumia. The state needs to > be deprived forever of the power to kill." > > The event was organized by the Bay Area Mobilization to Free > Mumia Abu-Jamal. > > ------------------------- > Via Workers World News Service > Reprinted from the Oct. 19, 2000 > issue of Workers World newspaper > -------------------------
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : 10/18/00 EDT