Hi YPP folks, I hope you enjoy this article by Philadelphia Tribune columnist Linn Washington Jr. who was the only journalist to cover our event, despite emails and faxed press-releases sent everywhere we could think of... Washington also talks about some interesting Philadelphia history to provide a context for Mumia's frameup.
Best,
Hans
NEW FRAME ON FRAMING BY POLICE
By Linn Washington Jr.
Many Philadelphians rudely reject the premise meticulously detailed in the new book by veteran journalist J. Patrick O’Connor: police and prosecutors framed Mumia Abu-Jamal placing an innocent man on death row.
O’Connor provides solid proof for his premise from the very place considered by those convinced of Abu-Jamal’s guilt as their holy-writ: the official transcripts of court proceedings in this case sparking outrage internationally.
Hi YPP,
this is my new article I'm releasing on the eve of our BIG EVENT! If you're not busy, please come and check out our event Wednesday, June 25, 7pm, at The A-Space, 4722 Baltimore Avenue. (Parking nearby and also accessible via the #34 Trolley) Author J. Patrick O'Connor will be in town to speak about "The Framing of Mumia Abu-Jamal" and to sign copies of his new book for the audience. This event is a fundraiser for Journalists for Mumia Abu-Jamal, currently raising money to print the next issue of the newspaper, to be released on July 4. There will be books available for purchase, from which all proceeds will go towards the fundraiser.
Best,
Hans
Can the Media Continue to Ignore "The Framing of Mumia Abu-Jamal"?
Hi YPP folks, check out these updates on the June 13 arrests. This first article summarizes accounts from the Daily News, City Paper, and Phawker blog, and will appear in my newspaper to be released on July 4. Also pasted below is an account of an arrestee.
If you're not busy, please come and check out our event Wednesday, June 25, 7pm, at The A-Space, 4722 Baltimore Avenue. (Parking nearby and also accessible via the #34 Trolley) Author J. Patrick O'Connor will be in town to speak about "The Framing of Mumia Abu-Jamal" and to sign copies of his new book for the audience. This event is a fundraiser for Journalists for Mumia Abu-Jamal, currently raising money to print the next issue of the newspaper, to be released on July 4. There will be books available for purchase, from which all proceeds will go towards the fundraiser.
----------------------------------------------
Police Critics Illegally Arrested, Home Seized
Hey YPP folks, come and check out this event I'm organizing.
Best,
Hans
J. Patrick O'Connor, author of "The Framing of Mumia Abu-Jamal" in Philadelphia, June 25!
Wednesday, June 25, 7pm, at The A-Space, 4722 Baltimore Avenue. (Parking nearby and also accessible via the #34 Trolley)
On June 25, author J. Patrick O'Connor will be in town to speak about "The Framing of Mumia Abu-Jamal" and to sign copies of his new book for the audience. This event is a fundraiser for Journalists for Mumia Abu-Jamal, currently raising money to print the next issue of their newspaper, to be released on July 4. There will be books available for purchase, from which all proceeds will go towards the fundraiser.
Hi folks, I just got this email from Prometheus Radio...
Date: Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:19:36 -0700 (PDT)
From: Prometheus Radio Project
Subject: Police critics arrested, home seized in police raid.
Police critics arrested, home seized in police raid.
June 13th, 2007. Philadelphia Police descended upon the home of homeowners
who have been questioning police tactics in Mayor Nutters new "stop and
frisk" program. 4 residents were arrested in their home at 17th street and
Ridge Avenue, and the police are in the process of sealing the building.
The homeowners are being held at the police station, no charges have yet
been filed.
Homeowners had been circulating petitions calling upon Mayor Nutter and
Police Commissioner Ramsey to attend community meetings on the use of
excessive force, surveilance cameras, and the new "stop and frisk"
policy. The mayor and police chief have declined to attend these community
I want to share this stunning new article that Philadelphia journalist Linn Washington Jr. (who I did an interview with in a recent diary) wrote for Counterpunch. Washington has been covering police brutality and corruption in Philly since the Frank Rizzo era of the 1970s---and what a crazy time that was.
As if this recent scandal of the video-taped beating of 3 black suspects wasn't bad enough, Washington reveals some very scary inconsistencies and contradictions in the official police account of what happened before the videotaped beating. Something is really being covered up!
This is a good one from local writer David A. Love, who wrote this for the national news website BlackCommentator.com. Check out David's blog at davidalove.blogspot.com
Assassination Talk Shows Hillary's True Colors
By David A. Love
BlackCommentator.com Cover Story
May 29, 2008
When Hillary Clinton invoked the 1968 assassination of Robert F. Kennedy as a justification for staying in the 2008 Democratic presidential race, she revealed how desperate she has become.
"My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. I don't understand it," she said in an interview with the editorial board of the Argus Leader in Sioux Falls, S.D. Although some would chalk up her comment to fatigue or a lack of sleep, Clinton had similarly invoked the slain senator several times in recent months.
Hi YPP folks, I'd like to share this new Philly IMC feature that I helped to put together, and just posted up tonight.... It is quite true that sometimes criticisms of Israel come from anti-semitic folks (like the KSS and David Duke), which is why I think it is so important to support the principled work of these folks, who are legitimately sticking up for the Palestinians. To check out the excellent photo-essay, be sure and link here:
--Brewerytown Organizers Threaten to Boycott Rita's Water Ice
by Al Alston, African American Business and Residents Association | 05.18.2008
On May 15, 2008, community members in Brewerytown, held a meeting to create a preliminary plan for how to address the imminent opening of a Rita's Water Ice franchise at 2829 W. Girard Avenue. The attendees were responding to eight years of frustration over the way Rita's handled the rape of an 11-year old African-American girl by two white Rita's employees at Veteran's Stadium in 2000. Neither Rita's nor its new franchise responded to recent attempts by the community to obtain more information about Rita's actions after the rape or why they still have not accepted a level of moral responsibility for the child victim of their employees.
Read the Letter Brewerytown Community Members sent to Rita's Water Ice here:
This is a good one from a local Philly writer----below is an excerpt.
Police declare 'open season' on Black community
By Betsey Piette
Philadelphia
Published May 14, 2008 11:55 PM
Since 2006, police have fatally shot 35 people in Philadelphia, more than in any similar period since 1980. Already in 2008 there have been three reported deadly shootings by police, including one of an unarmed bystander killed by a cop who fired 11 shots into a house where a number of people, including children, were celebrating New Year’s Eve.
Showing little concern for victims of police brutality, John McGrody, vice president of the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police, said that “innocent until proven guilty in a court of law” means nothing to him. (Philadelphia Daily News, May 8)
In the same issue of the Daily News, columnist Michael Smerconish, a former attorney for the FOP, openly advocated that police should shoot suspects to save the time and expense of jury trials!
Philadelphia: City of Brotherly Thugs
[col. writ. 5/8/08] (c) '08 Mumia Abu-Jamal
The scene is as common as sunlight: cops beating Black men in the streets.
This time, captured on videotape from a hovering helicopter, a malevolent swarm of cops pull occupants from a car, and then proceed to beat the paste out of the men, kicking, punching, and slamming with a club. At least 15 cops are seen in the broadcast beatdown; an average of 5 to 1.
Within moments of its broadcast came the predictable defense: cops in Philly are "stressed."
One need not even await such defenses anymore: just put a tape on speed dial, and repeat.
If ever there was irony, the three car occupants were charged with aggravated assault, and criminal conspiracy.
On May 1, the day of his book's release, author J. Patrick O'Connor was interviewed at Philadelphia City Hall about "The Framing of Mumia Abu-Jamal." In part three of this interview, he condemns the recent decision by the PA Parole Board denying parole for the three remaining MOVE 9 women.
An Industrial Workers of the World delegation has just returned from Haiti where we spent twelve days meeting with representatives of the Confederation des Travailleurs Haïtiens (Haitian Confederation of
Workers) and other worker and peasant movements. Three American IWW members: Joseph Lapp, Nathaniel Miller, Justin Vitiello, and one Canadian, Cody Anderson were invited to Haiti by the CTH to document
the Haitians' struggle against "le plan neoliberal." Justin and Nathaniel are both from Philly, Joseph is from Alaska, but a former resident of Philly, and Cody is from Alberta.
We kept a detailed blog and are making a video from the trip. There will be organized report backs with photos and video in June. Those interested in learning more about the trip, or how they can help the Haitians' struggle should contact nathaniel@iww.org
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