Petitions, march, gathering on Mumia’s 70th birthday

Political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal turned 70 on April 24. This important life milestone was observed in Philadelphia with the delivery of 1,000 petitions, collected in France, to District Attorney Larry Krasner and to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro demanding that this innocent man be released to rejoin his family and where he can seek necessary medical care.

Participants gathered at the Octavius Catto Statue on the south side of Philadelphia City Hall from where they marched to both offices with the petitions. Later, an evening indoor gathering was held at the historic Waters Memorial AME Church at 11th and South streets. Speakers included Marc Lamont Hill, Johanna Fernandez, Pam Africa, with special remarks by Cornel West, Vijay Prashad, Samidoun (the Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network), and a special appearance by veterans of the Black Panther Party.

Buses came from Boston and NYC. Similar events are taking taking place in Paris, France; Frankfurt and Berlin, Germany; London, England; Mexico City, Mexico; Remire, French Guiana; Bern, Switzerland; and in Houston, Detroit, Washington DC and San Diego in the US. Since the 1990’s, the French Collective for the Liberation of Mumia, consisting of over 100 organizations and public figures, has fought for Mumia’s freedom. Today, Mumia is an honorary citizen of Paris and 25 other French cities. An innocent man, Mumia is a victim of racism, targeted by the police and FBI in its war on the Black freedom movement and has been incarcerated for nearly 42 years, including 28 of them on death row.

He is a veteran Philadelphia Black Panther, radical radio journalist, grandfather and foremost revolutionary thinker and writer. He has written 11 books. Given the severity of the Israeli/U.S. genocide in Gaza, organizers for Mumia’s birthday observation made sure the program linked the struggle for his freedom with the global fightback movement against the racist, settler-colonial occupation and genocide in Palestine. More information can be found at linktr.ee./Mumia.

Free Mumia! Free Palestine!