PROTEST POLICE SHOOTING IN OAKLAND! JUSTICE FOR OSCAR GRANT! JAIL KILLER COPS!

January 7, 2009

As of this writing (late on January 7th, 09), young people from the Fruitvale neighborhood and around Oakland are in the streets protesting the outrageous shooting of Oscar Grant III, an unarmed man who was LYING ON HIS STOMACH on a BART (subway) platform in Oakland early on New Years day. He died a short time later at Highland hospital. The shooter was a BART cop who stood over the victim and fired the shot into Oscar at point blank range for no apparent reason. Cell phone video footage, now displayed at www.ktvu.com, a local tv station, shows clearly that Grant was flat on the ground and not resisting at the time of the shooting. Protesters have closed three BART stations, attacked police cars, and marched on city hall. The Labor Action Committee To Free Mumia Abu-Jamal (an Oakland-based defense organization), also protests this horrendous, barbarous act of murder. Justice for Oscar Grant! Jail killer cops!

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HEAR THE EVIDENCE!

Judge Pamela Dembe has canceled a court hearing in the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal that was scheduled for February 11, 2005. The LAC views this cancellation as ominous.

Judge Dembe had ruled previously that a comment made by Mumia’s original trial judge, Albert Sabo, at the time of the trial, that he (Sabo) was “going to help ’em fry the n—-r,” did not in any way prove bias as to Sabo’s rulings! Dembe’s ruling held that Mumia had no rights that were infringed by the trial judge’s use of the most heinous of racist epithets, nor by his clear statement of complicity with the prosecution to frame a death sentence before hearing any evidence in the case. This is essentially a restatement of the infamous Dred Scott decision–the 1857 U.S. Supreme Court ruling which held that, “The Black man in America has no rights that a white man is bound to respect.”

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The Labor Action Committee to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Condemns Michael Moore’s Statement That Mumia is Guilty of Murdering Policeman Daniel Faulkner!

In his new book, “Dude, Where’s My Country” Michael Moore states that Mumia Abu-Jamal is probably guilty of murdering the Philadelphia policeman Daniel Faulkner. This is irresponsible journalism! Moore did not talk to or write to Mumia, he did not talk to anyone actively involved in his defense, nor did he contact any of Mumia’s past or current lawyers. His book notes on this comment do NOT cite any of the many web sites, which contain the massive new evidence developed during the past few years, which would convince any objective journalist that Mumia is innocent; that he has been the subject of a massive frame-up.

When the Labor Action Committee learned of this devastating blow to Mumia we immediately took steps to try to organize a protest demonstration at Moore’s San Francisco presentation on his new book. When this failed we made and carried a banner for the anti-war march in San Francisco reading:

“Mumia Is Innocent: Another Man Confessed.

Philly Cops Planned Murder. Free Mumia Now.”

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Outrageous Decision!

October 2003—The courts have once again shown their true face, by denying justice to Mumia Abu-Jamal. In a ruling on October 8th, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court rejected Jamal’s appeal, despite mountains of evidence that shows he was framed for a crime he didn’t commit. For the Court, evidence has no merit if it’s not “timely.” In other words, if you’re a little late getting to court with new evidence to prove your innocence, too bad. You’re dead…because, innocence is no defense!

The US Supreme Court said the same thing in Herrera v Collins in 1993, and an innocent man went to his death. The 1996 Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA), a Republican crime bill signed by Democratic President Bill Clinton, made timeliness official in death row appeals, and effectively killed the right of habeas corpus. So it was no surprise when William H.Yohn cited both Herrara and the AEDPA in denying Mumia’s federal appeal in December 2001. There’s no statute of limitations on murder committed by individuals, but to prove your innocence, you better be on time! (In Mumia’s case, betrayal of earlier counsel caused a delay in presenting key evidence, but the Court still gave thumbs down.)

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112 Questions for Attorney Leonard Weinglass

Philadelphia. Attorneys for death row journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal today asked the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to order Mumia’s prior Chief Counsel, Leonard Weinglass, to answer under oath 112 questions concerning charges that he was responsible for the “intentional burying of evidence that proves Appellant Jamal’s ‘actual innocence’ of the crime of which he has been convicted.”

Mumia’s attorneys charge in their 43-page motion that conflicts of interest on the part of Mr. Weinglass were responsible for his “intentionally failing to raise numerous meritorious claims” that Mumia was deprived of a fair trial, fair appeal and fair post-conviction proceedings. Mumia’s attorneys also charge that Weinglass “intentionally sabotaged” claims for relief that he did present.

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