For those of you who get basic cable, Ahmadinejad's speech at DURBAN
ll CONF. will be on at 8:05 tonight on C-Span 1 (unless AIPAC has
intervened).
This is a speech that some news orgs have labeled a "tirade," but
which if you read it, only describes Israel's actions in Gaza and
elsewhere. Interesting use of language. (more on Durban ll below -
ALSO BELOW VIGIL FOR AMANDA APRIL 21; MUMIA ACTION FRIDAY, 4/24
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
BLACK ON BLACK CRIME, INC.
SURVIVORS/VICTIMS OF TRAGEDY
VIA EMAIL NOTICE TO PRESS
TO: Producers/Editors/Reporters
WHERE: West 110 & Lorain
WHEN: Tuesday, 4/21/09, 6 pm
RE: Rally with Family of Amanda Berry – Missing for Six
(6)
Years
Another year has passed without a clue, a sighting, or any
information. Where is Amanda? Who took her? Where and why?
Where is
Amanda Berry - missing for six (6) years now. What happened. We
need
answers now!
Join Amanda's family, friends and community groups as we gather
to
remember her. We will once again walk the same steps that Amanda
took
when she left work at the Burger King and then vanished into thin
air.
Help us try to wake up the conscience of the person or persons who
took
Amanda or the friends of that person who know what was done.
Please
help us get the word out again and remind the public that we need
their
help. Thanks.
____________________________________
If you have any questions, please call Judy Martin at 990.0679
(c) or
Art McKoy at 253.4070(c).
Judy Martin
216.586.7398(w)
216.579.0212(f)
216.990.0679(c)
jmar...@jonesday.com
BLACK ON BLACK CRIME, INC.
SURVIVORS/VICTIMS OF TRAGEDY
VIA EMAIL NOTICE TO PRESS
TO: Producers/Editors/Reporters
WHERE: West 110 & Lorain
WHEN: Tuesday, 4/21/09, 6 pm
RE: Rally with Family of Amanda Berry – Missing for Six
(6)
Years
Another year has passed without a clue, a sighting, or any
information. Where is Amanda? Who took her? Where and why?
Where is
Amanda Berry - missing for six (6) years now. What happened. We
need
answers now!
Join Amanda's family, friends and community groups as we gather
to
remember her. We will once again walk the same steps that Amanda
took
when she left work at the Burger King and then vanished into thin
air.
Help us try to wake up the conscience of the person or persons who
took
Amanda or the friends of that person who know what was done.
Please
help us get the word out again and remind the public that we need
their
help. Thanks.
____________________________________
If you have any questions, please call Judy Martin at 990.0679
(c) or
Art McKoy at 253.4070(c).
Judy Martin
216.586.7398(w)
216.579.0212(f)
216.990.0679(c)
jmar...@jonesday.com
__________________________________________
Urgent International Appeal for Mumia Abu-Jamal!
PLEASE POST WIDELY!
Attention: On Friday, April 24, Mumia's 55th birthday, International
Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal are calling for
worldwide "Honk for Mumia" celebrations of resistance. Pick as many
sites as you can in your local area at 12 noon or after work with
signs and banners at intersections saying "Honk for Mumia"! Sign the
online petition today!
Cleveland Action: 5:00 PM, Federal Court House, 801 W. Superior (W.
9th and Superior)
International Campaign for
Justice for Mumia Abu-Jamal
Write to Attorney General Eric Holder demanding that he immediately
initiate a civil rights investigation addressing a 27-year history of
prosecutorial and judicial violations of Mumia Abu-Jamal’s
constitutional and international rights. If the Justice Department
can guarantee justice for Senator Ted Stevens, it should do the same
for noted journalist and multiple-award recipient, and international
honoree Mumia Abu-Jamal. Demand that your elected officials endorse
this campaign!
Initiated by the Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Coalition
(NYC)
SIGN THE ONLINE PETITION AT http://www.iacenter.org/mumiapetition
On April 6, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear Mumia’s appeal for
a new trial based on evidence of racist jury selection on the part of
the prosecutor during the original 1982 trial in Philadelphia. This
appeal was based on the 1986 U.S. Supreme Court “Batson decision”, a
legal decision that says that prospective jurors cannot be selected
based on their race.
This issue was considered the strongest basis for overturning Mumia’s
conviction, though certainly not the only one. According to Amnesty
International’s detailed review of the case, Mumia was denied at his
trial in 1982 the right to a fair judge and unbiased jury, the right
to represent himself and the right to adequate resources to prepare
his defense. In addition, the prosecution withheld critical evidence
from the defense, judge and jury; suborned the perjury of its chief
witness; and intimidated at least one other witness to perjure
herself. Since the AI report, more evidence has emerged of an ongoing
conspiracy by the prosecution and members of the judiciary to keep out
of the legal record evidence that points to Mumia’s innocence. At the
very least, this evidence indicates serious misconduct on the part of
the prosecution and judiciary. It was precisely this kind of
misconduct that led to the overturning, just two weeks ago, of the
conviction of Senator Ted Stevens.
The Third Circuit Court of Appeals’ rejection of Mumia’s appeal on the
basis of the “Batson decision” shocked many legal observers, as the
court set new and higher standards of appeal in complete violation of
its own precedents. One of the members of the three-judge panel that
arrived at this decision wrote a scathing 41-page dissent pointing to
how Mumia was not granted the same rights that previous appellants
were given by this very same court.
Please take a few minutes to read, sign and circulate widely the
important letter below to Attorney General Eric Holder. Send copies to
other officials demanding that they, too, demand a civil rights
investigation. Only a powerful, international campaign can win long-
overdue freedom for this outspoken, award-winning journalist and stop
a 27-year-old conspiracy to silence him with legal lynching or life in
prison without parole. Both options are outrageous violations of
Mumia’s human and constitutional rights, and we will not allow them to
stand. Mumia needs our movement and our movement needs Mumia.
SIGN THE ONLINE PETITION AT http://www.iacenter.org/mumiapetition
The petition text follows:
To: U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, U.S. Department of Justice
cc: President Obama, Vice President Biden, Homeland Security Secretary
Napolitano, Secretary of State Clinton, the Senate and House Judiciary
Committees, Congressional Leaders, the Congressional Black Caucus,
U.N. Secy Gen Ban, and members of the media
I write to you with a sense of grave concern and outrage about the
U.S. Supreme Court's denial of a hearing to Mumia Abu-Jamal on the
issue of racial bias in jury selection, that is, the "Batson issue".
Inasmuch as there is no other court to which Abu-Jamal can appeal for
justice, I turn to you for remedy of a 27-year history of gross
violations of U.S. constitutional law and international standards of
justice as documented by Amnesty International and many other legal
groups around the world.
I call on you and the Justice Department to immediately commence a
civil rights investigation to examine the many examples of egregious
and racist prosecutorial and judicial misconduct dating back to the
original trial in 1982 and continuing through to the current inaction
of the U.S. Supreme Court. The statute of limitations should not be a
factor in this case as there is very strong evidence of an ongoing
conspiracy to deny Abu-Jamal his constitutional rights.
I am aware of the many differences that exist between the case of
former Senator Ted Stevens and Mumia Abu-Jamal. Still, I note with
great interest the actions you have taken with regard to Senator
Stevens' conviction to assure that he not be denied his constitutional
rights. You were specifically outraged by the fact that the
prosecution withheld information critical to the defense's argument
for acquittal, a violation clearly committed by the prosecution in Abu-
Jamal's case. Mumia Abu-Jamal, though not a U.S. senator of great
wealth and power, is a Black man revered around the world for his
courage, clarity, and commitment and deserves no less than Senator
Stevens.
Cordially,
(Your signature will be appended here based on the contact information
you enter in the online form)
SIGN THE ONLINE PETITION AT http://www.iacenter.org/mumiapetition
International Campaign for Justice for Mumia Abu-Jamal
Sponsored by:
Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Coalition (NYC)
P.O. Box 16, College Station
New
York, N.Y. 10030
(212) 330-8029
www.freemumia.com
International
Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal
Philadelphia, PA
www.freemumia.com
(215) 476-8812
Millions for Mumia
www.millions4mumia.org
International Action Center
www.iacenter.org
c/o Solidarity Center
55 West 17th St 5C
New York, NY 10011
For further information call:
(212) 633-6646
__________________________________________
TODAY'S (Monday, 4/20) DEMOCRACY NOW!:
* More Countries Join US, Israel Boycott of UN Racism Conference *
A growing number of Western countries are joining the United States
and Israel in boycotting the United Nations World Conference on
Racism, which opened today in Geneva, Switzerland. Australia, Germany,
Italy, the Netherlands and New Zealand all announced they would
boycott the conference soon after the US announced its formal decision
not to attend Saturday. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the
opening session he was "profoundly disappointed" at the boycotts. We
go to Geneva to get the latest.
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/4/20/more_countries_join_us_israel_b...
