By KEVIN COOPER Since 1983, when I was first arrested and charged with the murders which landed me on death row, the county, state, and federal governments of the state of California have spent over 10 million dollars to have me executed. A lot is spent on every person on death row. Some cases require … Continue reading In Struggle from Death Row – Worth More Dead than Alive
Category: Civil Liberties
A Cuban Revolutionary Addresses U.S. Court
Below we reprint a major portion of the statement of Ramon Labaniño Salazar given in federal court in Miami on Dec. 13, 2001, before he was sentenced to life imprisonment on charges including "conspiracy to commit espionage" for Cuba. Labaniño is one of five Cuban citizens who were given sentences of from 10 years to … Continue reading A Cuban Revolutionary Addresses U.S. Court
Why Was Martin Luther King Murdered?
By ROLAND SHEPPARD From the time of Martin Luther King's assassination in 1968, the many inconsistencies in the government's assertion that James Earl Ray was the sole assassin have been well publicized. In 1979, after the FBI's "Cointelpro" disruption operations were exposed, the House of Representatives' Select Committee on Assassinations, under pressure from these exposures … Continue reading Why Was Martin Luther King Murdered?
Commentary by Mumia Abu-Jamal: Military Courts and Congress
By MUMIA ABU-JAMAL In the aftermath of 9/11/01, the Bush administration has announced plans to form, staff, and adjudicate military tribunals to try anyone the U.S. deems a "terrorist." These courts will be presided over by military officers, as will any appeals process, with the final arbiter, either the defense secretary or the president, ending … Continue reading Commentary by Mumia Abu-Jamal: Military Courts and Congress
Federal Judge Overturns Mumia Death Sentence – Upholds Murder Conviction
By JEFF MACKLER There is no doubt that the Dec. 18, 2001, decision of Federal District Court Judge William H. Yohn Jr. to overturn the 1982 death sentence imposed on the award-winning journalist and human rights fighter Mumia Abu-Jamal was a product of the worldwide movement in his defense. The political price of killing Mumia, … Continue reading Federal Judge Overturns Mumia Death Sentence – Upholds Murder Conviction
Victory for Charleston Five!
By DAVID BERNT The international campaign to free five victimized dockworkers ended with a victory just before the beginning of their Nov. 13 trial. The dockworkers, known as the Charleston Five, had been charged with "inciting a riot" in connection with a Jan. 21, 1999, incident. The Charleston Five are members of International Longshoreman's … Continue reading Victory for Charleston Five!
Supreme Court Snubs Steelworkers’ Union
By CHARLES WALKER If you're not a steelworker, you may have overlooked the few press reports that the steelworkers union in November failed to get a hearing from the U.S. Supreme Court on the union's constitutional challenge to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The United Steelworkers of America (USWA) intended to argue … Continue reading Supreme Court Snubs Steelworkers’ Union
THEATER REVIEW: ‘NO’ for an Answer
By GAETANA CALDWELL-SMITH The music and lyrics for "No for an Answer" were written by Marc Blitzstein in 1937, whose earlier musical play, "Cradle Will Rock," became a popular rallying cry for theater artists during the depression after federal agents closed the theatre in which it was to open. Led by the director and … Continue reading THEATER REVIEW: ‘NO’ for an Answer
New Rosenberg Book Repeats old Lies
By JEFF MACKLER Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were electrocuted 49 years ago on the false charge of "conspiracy to commit espionage." The real charge against them, unproven and whipped up to fever pitch during the Joseph McCarthy/Cold War era, was that they gave the Russians the secret to the atomic bomb. Because the formal … Continue reading New Rosenberg Book Repeats old Lies
Civil Liberties Trampled as Government uses Pretext of ‘War on Terrorism’
By DAVID BERNT Attorney General John Ashcroft waved a copy of an al Qaida training manual before members of the Senate Judicial Committee on Dec. 6. Ashcroft used the book to thunder home his defense of the Bush administration's recent attacks on civil liberties. "To those who scare peace-loving people with phantoms of lost … Continue reading Civil Liberties Trampled as Government uses Pretext of ‘War on Terrorism’
Free Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin!
The struggle for the freedom and liberty of Atlanta Muslim leader Imam Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin must take place now, before the cold fingers of the state can close around his neck. Imam Jamil [formerly known as H. Rap Brown] has already received what can only be called a biased and prejudicial press, which has sought … Continue reading Free Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin!
Federal Court Ruling Opens New Doors for Mumia
By JEFF MACKLER A critical ruling by Judge J. Curtis Joyner, issued in federal court on Nov. 6, may force the Pennsylvania state court to grant Mumia Abu-Jamal a hearing where evidence proving his innocence can be presented. Mumia Abu-Jamal, an award-winning African American journalist, was charged with murdering Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner … Continue reading Federal Court Ruling Opens New Doors for Mumia
Stop the Racist Attacks!
As working people try to make sense of the recent tragedy that has taken place in New York and Washington, D.C., a very dangerous mood has emerged toward Arabs and Arab Americans as well as other people of western Asian descent and dark-skinned people in general. This is in large part the result of irresponsible … Continue reading Stop the Racist Attacks!
Student Anti-Sweatshop Conference
CHICAGO-Hundreds of students from across the country gathered here on Aug. 2-5 for the second annual national conference of the United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS). The conference discussed ways of continuing student involvement in the fight for workers' justice, both here and abroad. The conference began with a mobilization in support of local workers. Students … Continue reading Student Anti-Sweatshop Conference
Anti-Sweatshop Efforts Falter but UNITE Tries Again
By CHARLES WALKER I've got to confess that I haven't been paying a lot of attention to the movement against overseas apparel sweatshops, so I wrongly had the impression that the movement was sort of making some progress. That's probably because the protest rallies, and informational picket lines at apparel stores by UNITE (Union … Continue reading Anti-Sweatshop Efforts Falter but UNITE Tries Again
Portland’s New Mumia Coalition
PORTLAND, Ore.- On Aug. 17, Portlanders responded to the call for an Emergency Mass demonstration for Mumia Abu-Jamal's scheduled Philadelphia hearing. The busy noon crowd at Pioneer Square saw 72 supporters chanting and marching. Volunteers signed up at the rally to participate in a coalition for future events. As a result, on Sept. 5, people … Continue reading Portland’s New Mumia Coalition
Confession Tape Establishes Mumia’s Innocence
By JEFF MACKLER The fight to free innocent political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal took a dramatic step forward on Sept. 8 when a seven-minute video-taped confession to the murder of Officer Daniel Faulkner was submitted to the Court of Common Pleas in Philadelphia. The confessed killer, Arnold Beverly, states in the video that he, not … Continue reading Confession Tape Establishes Mumia’s Innocence
Cease-Fire in Palestine But no Solution is Sight
By GERRY FOLEY The unilateral ceasefire decreed by Yasser Arafat Sept. 18 and the subsequent order by the Zionist government to withdraw Israeli troops from the areas ceded to the Palestinian Authority reflect the political pressures fostered by the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Since Arafat apparently got no promises … Continue reading Cease-Fire in Palestine But no Solution is Sight
Immigrant Rights Under Attack
By DAVID BERNT Amidst broader threats to civil liberties in the aftermath of recent terrorist actions, U.S. rulers are attacking the rights of immigrants. Using the events of Sept. 11 as a pretext and the recent wave of xenophobia and racism toward Arabs and Muslims as a base of popular support, the Justice Department … Continue reading Immigrant Rights Under Attack
To Punish Innocent Afghans Would be Immoral
BY CHRIS BUCKLEY Below are excerpts from a statement by a Christian Aid Program officer. I have just returned from Afghanistan, and cannot avoid a growing feeling of dread at what may be about to befall the people I have left there. The bellicose statements being issued by America and her allies about revenge … Continue reading To Punish Innocent Afghans Would be Immoral
‘Operation Blowback’ for U.S. Policy
By PAUL SIEGEL The U.S. government is accusing Osama Bin Laden, the Saudi-born millionaire living in Afghanistan, of being the mastermind of the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and is preparing to attack Afghanistan. When it does, it will be striking against its own creations, who have turned against it. Bin … Continue reading ‘Operation Blowback’ for U.S. Policy
The Terrorist Bombing: Where We Stand
Tragedy Must Not Be Turned Into War! No U.S. Bombing Anywhere! Stop U.S. Intervention! End Racist Attacks on Arab and Muslim Communities! Defend Civil Liberties and Civil Rights for All! The following statement was issued by the Socialist Action Political Committee on Sept. 17. The government that spends trillions on war, has sent more troops … Continue reading The Terrorist Bombing: Where We Stand
Commentary by Mumia Abu-Jamal: WHY?
The woman's voice on the phone was as plaintive as a tear, as she implored the non-responsive talk show host to please tell her, "Why do they hate us so much? Why?" Her voice, while not commonly projected in the current media, resonates in the consciousness of millions of Americans, who look at the carnage … Continue reading Commentary by Mumia Abu-Jamal: WHY?
U.S. Gov’t Prepares for War and Assaults on Civil Liberties
By MICHAEL SCHREIBER In the wake of the terrorist bombings of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on Sept. 11, President George Bush and a bipartisan Congress are ratcheting up the U.S. war machine with bloodcurdling threats of vengeance. Bush and his top cabinet officers assert that the United States will use the … Continue reading U.S. Gov’t Prepares for War and Assaults on Civil Liberties
FREE MUMIA NOW! STOP THE EXECUTION!
By JEFF MACKLER The U.S. criminal injustice system continues to grind out one absurdity after another in the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal. As the hollow formalities of capitalist law are observed, the judicial machine presses on to drive Mumia, an innocent political prisoner and award-winning journalist, to the death chamber. On Aug. 17 Pennsylvania Court … Continue reading FREE MUMIA NOW! STOP THE EXECUTION!