BY JOHN STAGGS AND CANDACE WAGNER
PHILADELPHIA - A march of "Millions for Mumia" is scheduled
for Philadelphia April 24, 1999. The mobilization was announced
at a December 11 conference of 200 supporters of journalist and
Black rights activist Mumia Abu-Jamal, who was sentenced to
death, accused of killing Philadelphia policeman Daniel Faulkner.
His fight for a new trial has gained international support.
Participants in the Philadelphia meeting came from a range of
organizations.
New backing has been won recently for Abu-Jamal's defense. Steve Wiser from Bruderhof, a religious grouping, reported to the conference that Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa sent a letter to Pennsylvania governor Thomas Ridge supporting a new trial for Abu-Jamal. Among those who have signed the letter are members of Congress John Conyers and Barbara Lee; Coretta Scott King; actors Martin Sheen, Susan Sarandon, and Danny Glover; writer Toni Morrison; and Democratic politician Jesse Jackson.
Ramona Africa of the Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal reported that a delegation is making a presentation to the European Parliament on Abu-Jamal's case. On December 17 after the presentations of the delegation, the parliament passed resolutions calling on the Pennsylvania governor not to sign a new death warrant for Abu-Jamal and asking for a new trial.
A day-long conference organized by Academics for Mumia preceded the activists' conference.
On the evening of December 9, a TV audience of millions saw ABC newsman Sam Donaldson try to "prove" why the campaign to win a new trial for Abu-Jamal has no merit. In an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer, printed the day of the broadcast, he explained his viewpoint. "Everything that we looked at compellingly points to the fact that Mumia shot Faulkner in cold blood...and was convicted properly, and was sentenced according to the laws of Pennsylvania."
On the 20/20 program Donaldson used the format of an "investigative report" to present a facade of impartiality. He interviewed Abu-Jamal's lawyer and prominent supporters such as actors Ed Asner and Mike Farrell, as well as Maureen Faulkner, the widow of the cop who died.
Donaldson explained that the prison authorities had not given permission for Abu-Jamal to be interviewed. At the conclusion of the segment the reporter also explained that Abu-Jamal had declined to be interviewed until the lockout of union cameramen by ABC had ended.
At the activists' conference, Leonard Weinglass, Abu-Jamal's lead attorney, hit on the pro-prosecution character of the 20/20 show. The program featured short fragments of a two-hour interview ABC had taped with Weinglass. Weinglass outlined some of what ABC omitted from the "investigative report," including the completely deficient legal defense Abu-Jamal received from his public defender in the original trial, the witnesses who testified in later court hearings that they had been coerced by the police to change their original testimony of seeing someone else fleeing the scene, and the fact that no ballistic tests were done either on Abu-Jamal's gun or his hand to prove that he had fired a gun that night.
Donaldson focused in on the alleged hospital bed confession by Abu-Jamal the night of his arrest. But the reporter didn't question why no witness to this confession came forward until two months later and why one of these "witnesses" wrote in their report that day, "negro male [Abu-Jamal] made no comment."
The day following the airing of the 20/20 segment, supporters of the Militant newspaper in Philadelphia reported the program disturbed a number of their co-workers who hadn't considered themselves supporters of the framed-up activist. A member of the Oil Chemical and Atomic Workers at Merck Pharmaceutical, who asked that his name not be used, put it this way: "That was really the police version of what happened, wasn't it?"
At the December 11 conference, Weinglass also took up the fact that on November 28 the Pennsylvania Supreme Court declined to reconsider its rejection of Mumia's post-conviction appeal.
The attorney noted that under the new Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act Clinton signed into law in 1996, this action by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court starts the clock running on the one-year time limit to file an appeal in federal courts. Once the appeal is filed, the new law restricts the right of the federal court to conduct an independent review of the facts of the case. Governor Thomas Ridge could set a date for Abu-Jamal's execution at any time.
Protests are planned in cities around the country following action by Ridge or the Supreme Court to set an execution date or place other obstacles to block the fight for a new trial.
John Staggs is a member of the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Union. Candace Wagner is a member of the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees.