MILLIONS FOR MUMIA MARCH in San Francisco: APRIL 24--MUMIA’S BIRTHDAY "WE’RE GONNA FREE MUMIA ABU-JAMAL!!! WE’RE GONNA TEAR DOWN THE PRISONS WALL BY WALL!"

San Francisco, April 25, 1999

In the largest demonstration in recent San Francisco history, as many as 20,000 supporters [Pacifica’s KPFA reported as many as 25,000] of death row political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal marched from Dolores Park in the Mission District to the downtown Civic Center for a rally in front of the newly gilded City Hall. The demonstrators were from every age group: infants, grade school children, teenagers, disenfranchised Gen-Xers, and people from ages 30 - 80 of every ethnic background imaginable. There were signs proclaiming "Jews for Mumia" and "Asians for Mumia." There were anarchists and socialists and communists for Mumia. There were dads and hodads and mums for Mumia. Such a broad-based coalition has not been seen here since the Viet Nam war.

The demonstration was spear-headed and ultimately organized by the International Long Shoreman’s Union which yesterday SHUT DOWN EVERY PORT on the West Coast from Canada to Mexico, an unprecedented display of solidarity. The Longshoremen who spoke at the rally announced the planning of an AFL-CIO nationwide 2-hour strike for MUMIA to be underway. Jeff Mackler of Socialist Action was Master of Ceremonies, and it was heartening to see all sectarian squabbles put on hold for this show of unity from the left.

The assembly in Dolores Park at 10:30 was highlighted by the presence of Bear Lincoln, a death row inmate who had just been freed from prison the previous day. His presence elicited an almost deafening roar of shouts and applause.

The march began at 12:00 noon. We marched with the drum corps of ANARCHISTS AGAINST POLICE BRUTALITY. It was inspiring to see traffic throughout the march virtually brought to a standstill as the demonstrators peacefully took control of some major SF thoroughfares. Even more inspiring were the hundreds of people who crowded the roofs of Victorians to wave red and black flags of support. Some people even scaled the scaffolding of houses to plant flags for Mumia’s Freedom. For anyone who plans to attend future marches and rallies, we highly recommend the use of drums and other noisemakers.

Representatives of the Longshoremen, representatives of the many committees to free Mumia, activists against the death penalty, Angela Davis, Peter Coyote, Ed Asner, and many others were keynote speakers at the rally in the Civic Center. Angela Davis read a moving statement from novelist Alice Walker, and Ed Asner stirred everyone with his eloquent sketch of Mumia’s plight and his denunciation of "20-20" ‘s propaganda piece attacking Mumia.

Thirty years ago, people were marching to free Angela Davis. She was freed. Yesterday she spoke on behalf of Mumia. Mumia will be freed also, for he has become the symbol of the oppressed to people all over the world.

If the left cannot stop the murder of Mumia by the police state, then the left cannot achieve anything. Whether you think he is the definitive "poster-boy" or not, he has become a symbol of hope for people in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Sweden, Yugoslavia, Germany and many many other places, where there were also marches yesterday.

Since we had to leave the rally at 3:30, we cannot report on any of the subsequent addresses, and greatly welcome any news of them.

in solidarity,

FREE MUMIA!!!
Scott J. Thompson
Walter Benjamin Research Syndicate
http://www.wbenjamin.org
email: <bakchos@cronos.net

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