Stop the execution of Mumia Abu-Jamal

By Brian Benn

Governor Tom Ridge of Pennsylvania has signed the death warrant to execute reknowned anti-racist activist Mumia Abu-Jamal on December 2.

The signing comes in the wake of the failure of Abu Jamal's final appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Mumia's case symbolizes the injustice of the criminal justice system in the United States.

In 1981, Mumia was convicted of murdering Daniel Faulkner, a Philadelphia police officer. During the trial to convict Mumia of this shooting there was an abundance of facts that pointed to Mumia's innocence.

These are some of facts that prove Mumia's innocence:

• The bullet which killed Faulkner came from a .44 caliber gun and the registered weapon Mumia used for protection was a .38 caliber gun.
  

• The judge who presided over Mumia's trail was Albert Sabo. Sabo has sentenced more people to death than any other judge in the U.S.
  

Sabo also belongs to the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP). The FOP has been openly campaigning for the execution of Mumia.

• Various people who testified at Mumia's trail have changed their original testimony. Many of these witnesses claim they were coerced and blackmailed by the Philadelphia police to make these statements.
  

Despite this and other evidence which show Mumia's innocence, Mumia was sentenced to death.

Activism

Undoubtedly one reason Mumia was given the death sentence was his long history political activism and his outspoken critical journalism.

In 1968, when Mumia was 16, he was one of the founding members of the Philadelphia chapter of the Black Panther Panther Party.

In the 1970's and 1980's Mumia became involved in the MOVE organization. MOVE has been the target of police repression by the Philadelphia police and the FBI.

Mumia became an award winning journalist because he exposed the police brutality carried out by the Philadelphia Police.

Mumia became known as "the voice of the voiceless" because of his efforts to defend the poor.

Even though Mumia has been on death row for 17 years he continues to write and speak against the injustices in society.

In 1995, the death warrant for Mumia's execution was signed but despite this he won a stay of execution.

What won Mumia a stay of execution was the protests and demonstrations that took place around the world to save Mumia.

Teachers in Oakland, California staged teach-ins while teachers in Brazil stopped work for a day to show solidarity with Mumia.

Cities across the world staged large demonstrations to stop Mumia's execution.

At the recent Canadian Union of Public Employees national convention a resolution was passed in support of Mumia.

It is important that we use the same tactics which were used in 1995 to save Mumia now. We need to build these mass demonstrations and protests to save Mumia from being silenced forever.