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Headlines from the front lines
Hurricane Carter urges support for Mumia
October 18, 2000 @ 05:00:00 am
San Francisco / WW / - 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difference between Abu-Jamal's situation and Carter's was due to the 1996 Effective Death Penalty Act, which basically repealed the constitutional right of habeas corpus--an independent federal review--for death-row prisoners.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.

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