political prisoners

July 4, Philadelphia protest for death-row journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal. Video features Pam Africa, Sundiata Sadiq, Theresa Shoatz, Rebel Diaz, Taina Asili, and more.

Alert from emergencyresponse.cc:

New Afrikan POW Russell Maroon Shoats has been suffering from chest pains.

He has repeatedly been ignored by guards when requesting the medical attention he urgently needs. On May 13th he filed a grievance to address the situation. Only after receiving calls from his family did they move him to the medical department.

Now he is in medical but has yet to receive an X-ray or any treatment.

written by Michael Schiffmann for the German Network Against the Death Penalty and to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal

On Thursday, March 27, the 3rd U.S. Court of Appeals decided to lift the death sentence against Mumia Abu-Jamal and deny him a new trial.

The lifting of the death sentence is a big victory for the movement against the death penalty and for the life and freedom of Mumia.

That the court denied Mumia a new trial is a bitter defeat.

The defense will now seek a decision by the full court instead of the three judge panel that handed down the March 27 decision.

By Hans Bennett

The Philadelphia Inquirer announced on April 22nd that the three remaining MOVE 9 women (Debbie Sims Africa, Janet Hollaway Africa and Janine Phillips Africa) were denied parole by the PA Parole Board. The Inquirer quotes parole board spokesperson Leo Dunn as saying that parole had been denied because the three MOVE prisoners had “minimized or denied the ‘nature and circumstances’ of the offense, ‘refused to accept responsibility’ and lacked remorse. He said the fourth reason for the rejections was the ‘negative recommendation’ by the prosecutor.”

By Kazembe Balagun
December 24, 2006

On December 16, 2006 over 75 people gathered at LAVA in West Philadelphia. The crowd was a mix of Black liberation movement veterans (young and old), anarchist punks and white queer activists from ACT UP. They came together to pay homage to the late Kuwasi Balagoon, who would have turned 60 years old this year. Balagoon is not an immediately recognizable name in the pantheon of revolutionaries, yet he has developed into an underground hero 20 years after his death. This is due in large part to the maze of contradictions that constructed Balagoon's life.

New Afrikan POW Russell Maroon Shoats has been suffering from chest pains.

He has repeatedly been ignored by guards when requesting the medical attention he urgently needs. On May 13th he filed a grievance to address
the situation. Only after receiving calls from his family did they move him to the medical department.

Now he is in medical but has yet to receive an X-ray or any treatment.