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Socialist Action /October 1999

'Mumia Awareness Week'

By JEFF MACKLER

The week of Sept. 19-25, "Mumia Awareness Week," saw countless marches, rallies, teach-ins, concerts, car caravans, film showings, and other coordinated actions to publicize the case of innocent death row political prisoner, Mumia Abu-Jamal.

Organizers estimate that the original goal of 100 cities was far exceeded with college and university events being scheduled at places where little or no previous activity had occurred.

The diverse week of protest saw the full range of organizations-from trade unions, student groups, African American organizations, socialist and radical parties, and faith-based associations-mobilizing their new friends and supporters in preparation for the next national mass actions that are expected in the months to come.

In Atlanta, San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Madison, Santa Cruz, Montreal, and many other cities, marches and rallies drew hundreds of supporters.

The statewide California Federa-tion of Teachers sent notices of the week of protest to all affiliates. Teachers in the public schools and universities responded with classroom events on Mumia's case.

A three-part car caravan in San Francisco, organized by the Mobilization to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal, criss-crossed the city and distributed thousands of flyers to enthusiastic onlookers in local communities- many of whom took bundles of flyers to distribute on their own.

A similar response was evidenced on Sept. 11 for "Mumia 911," a day of national cultural activities for Mumia, from concerts to poetry readings and art exhibits, that drew big crowds in several areas.

In San Francisco, a Mumia concert with prominent spoken-word performer Michael Franti, The Coup, and other groups attracted some 5000 youthful Mumia supporters.

The September actions laid a firm basis for the emerging mass movement to unite once again on Mumia's behalf. The message from every quarter was clear: Mumia's life is in our hands. We must make the price of his murder too high to pay.

Socialist Action /October 1999