Philly and Around the World April 24, 2024: Mumia Turns 70! Birthday of Resistance!

AFTERNOON RALLY IN PHILADELPHIA

RALLY AND MARCH FOR MUMIA ABU-JAMAL
WED APRIL 24, 2024
2 – 4 PM

PHILADELPHIA CITY HALL (south side) 

Octavius Catto Statue
1400 John F Kennedy Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19107

Please see flyers and info below about the April 24, 2024 afternoon and evening events in Philadelphia; details about NYC and Boston charter bus travel to and from Philly; and upcomingactions throughout the world demanding that Pennsylvania FREE Mumia Abu-Jamal.  Here is a document explaining how to contact Mumia and send letters, books, money, and/or photos! Please send details if you are organizing or know of another action for Mumia. We’ll spread the word.

Indoor evening program in Philadelphia after the afternoon rally:
EVENING PROGRAM
WED APRIL 24, 2024
6 – 8 PM

Waters Memorial AME Church
609 South Clifton Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(off South Street between 10th and 11th Streets)
The NYC bus will board and depart from the church at 8 PM SHARP (even if the program is not over by then) in solidarity with the people who would otherwise have trouble getting home in the NY area after 10 PM.

NY CHARTER BUS TO
(AND BACK FROM)
PHILADELPHIA
A charter bus will bring people from New York City to Philadelphia for the afternoon rally and evening program. 
Also, there is a bus from Boston to Philly and back. 
BUS LINKS: 
Get on the April 24 Roundtrip NY/Philly Bus for Mumia Abu-Jamal

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The French movement for Mumia’s freedom has gathered thousands of petitions in support of Mumia Abu-Jamal. These will be presented to District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office during a rally and march in the City Hall area.

1,000 Supporters From France Call On The Governor Of Pennsylvania And The Prosecutor Of Philadelphia

Founded in 1995, the French collective “Libérons Mumia” brings together about a hundred organizations and public authorities: human rights associations, trade unions, political parties, local and regional collectives, and local authorities.

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Other Mumia Birthday Events, April/May 2024 – FREE MUMIA!

Frankfurt, Germany –  April 17

At the US Consulate General at 6:00 pm, we will hold a Vigil. 

We demand the immediate release of long-term political prisoners in the USA, Leonard Peltier and Mumia Abu-Jamal!

Mexico City, Mexico – April 20

Here in Mexico City we’ll be wishing Mumia freedom on his birthday April 24th. But we’ll have our main event a few days before, on April 20th, which will be a Declaration outside the U.S. Embassy, a Bike Ride to the Café Zapata Vive, and a Cultural Event at the Café Zapata Vive with art and music.  ~amigos de Mumia

French Guiana – April 23

The Trade Union of Guianese Workers in French Guiana is planning a militant march in tribute to Mumia. The Pan African freedom marchers will leave from Kourou on April 23 at 4 PM to arrive in the city of Remire on April 24 at sunrise. This march, under the sponsorship of the International Movement for Reparations (M.I.R.), takes place every year since 2016. It covers the 70 kilometers that separate Kourou from Remire and is called “tambiko ya uhuru” , “however long the night lasts, dawn always breaks.”  It is a Freedom ritual.Berlin, Germany – April 24

Callout Free Mumia for April 24 in Berlin (Germany) in English: das-mumia-hoerbuch.de/demonstration.htm#Demo240424Aufrufe

The Berlin Demonstration starts at 6pm at Syndikat, Emserstr 131 in 12051 Berlin – U7/S-Neukölln and goes to the US Embassy, Pariser Platz 2, 10117 Berlin, U5/S-Brandenburg Gate, Germany.

Bern, Switzerland – April 24

The Free Mumia rally in Bern (Switzerland) starts at 6 pm in front of the US Embassy, Sulgeneckstr. 19, 3007 Bern, Switzerland

London, UK – May 4


Facebook: Free Mumia UK
Email: freemumianowuk@wibailoutpeople

Organize for Mumia’s release wherever you are! 

mumiafree2024@gmail.com 

GABRIELA USA & INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S ALLIANCE CONDEMN OVERTURN OF ROE V. WADE

For Immediate Release: June 24, 2022

Reference: Terrie Cervas, GABRIELA USA Secretary General 

Angelica Lim, GABRIELA USA International Relations Officer and International Women’s Alliance Secretariat Member 

gabrielawomen@gmail.com and internationalwomensalliance@wibailoutpeople
 

GABRIELA USA

GABRIELA USA and International Women’s Alliance (IWA) vehemently condemn the United States Supreme Court overturn of Roe v. Wade and call on all people to defend basic human rights to healthcare, including access to abortion, and to fight the attacks on women’s rights. Roe v. Wade was a landmark decision of the US Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States protects a pregnant person’s liberty to choose to have an abortion without excessive government restriction. This was incredibly important because previously while the wealthy had access to safe abortions and family planning, the working class and poor had to resort to forced pregnancies or back-alley abortions that could either permanently harm their body or be fatal. The decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is not only an attack on women and the working class, but an attack on fundamental human rights by US imperialism through the US Supreme Court.

Many women have an abortion not as a choice but as an economic necessity for survival. In capitalist society, neoliberal policies have enabled multinational corporations to drive down wages and cut regular employees in favor of temporary workers. These same neoliberal policies allow the government to cut funding for assistance programs and social services needed by the people. Poor women and the rest of the working class have no social safety net and struggle to barely survive. Working class people who seek abortions do so because the economic impacts of a forced birth would force them deeper into poverty.   

The decision by the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade serves as an assault on the working class–who include migrants, women of color, and trans people. We can expect that this ruling will result in the criminalization of these communities, simply for seeking a medical procedure that would mean their survival.

The Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade does not just result in a ban on abortion. This will have a huge ripple effect that will lead to other fundamental human rights being taken away from the majority of people in the US. Taking away the right to an abortion impacts the most marginalized and working-class birthing people, but it also allows for further attacks on the LGBTQ community, specifically potential legislation against the right to use contraception, the rights to same-sex marriage and interracial marriage, anti- trans legislation, and even the right to vote. 

GABRIELA USA

The United States is not alone in the fight for access to abortion. In countries where abortion is illegal, specifically in underdeveloped countries, women and people who can  get pregnant  turn to unlicensed and illegal abortion clinics, putting them at more risk and vulnerable to complications including death.  Abortions tend to be more readily available in wealthier, more developed nations, where there are less unplanned pregnancies, more access to sex education, family planning and birth control. Women from developing countries are three times more likely to experience unplanned pregnancies and are more often victims of sexual crimes.  

The right to have abortions is more than just an issue of bodily autonomy, but an act of resistance against a system that uses banning abortions as a form of control over women and pregnant people. Many developing countries around the world maintain backward and patriarchal views and laws that prohibit women from gaining political power. In advanced capitalist countries, the issue of abortion is turned into a moral and political issue for opposing members of the ruling class to condemn their opponents. 

GABRIELA USA and IWA join the fight against the overturn of Roe v. Wade and the Supreme Court as part of US Imperialism’s state apparatus. Under capitalism, the government will only continue to chip away at basic fundamental rights of the people, upholding the interest of the ruling class. We recognize and uphold OUR right to refuse this decision, through protest, resistance, and fighting back. We join the fight in defense of basic healthcare and human dignity. We will rise united in action. We call on all GABRIELA USA and IWA member organizations, our solidarity allies, and human rights defenders all over the world to:  

• Organize protest actions to uphold and defend legal access to abortion and healthcare, a fundamental right 
• Expose the reactionary nature of the Supreme Court, as a tool of the US Imperialism to repress the people
• Build and strengthen the militant women’s movement by joining GABRIELA USA and International Women’s Alliance

We must unite, organize, and join the struggle against these reactionary and fascist attacks by US Imperialism and its denial of the right to access abortion and healthcare. The people play the decisive role in history and through our collective struggle we will defeat Imperialism and all of its repressive policies.

Uphold and defend access to safe abortions!

Expose the rotten US Government and its anti-people laws!

Fight for healthcare and human rights!

Unite in struggle against Imperialism! 

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GABRIELA USA

* According to the Center for Reproduction Rights, abortion is prohibited in 24 countries around the world including El Salvador, Honduras, Egypt, Madagascar, and the Philippines. Globally, more than 25 million unsafe abortions occur every year (97% performed in developing countries), resulting in the deaths of about 39,000 women and girls and leading millions more to be hospitalized with complications, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Most of these deaths are among poor women living in lower-income countries — with more than 60% of them in Africa and 30% in Asia.

A Call to Organize People’s Committees to Defend Democratic Rights – Defeat Trump’s Plan to Steal the Election!

A Call to Organize People’s Committees to Defend Democratic Rights and Defeat Trump’s Plan to Steal the Election

Donald Trump is making it clearer every day that he will not peacefully give up the office of president. Trump may claim victory after instigating massive voter suppression, post office sabotage and attacks on absentee ballots. His right-wing supporters are being encouraged to prevent fair voting from proceeding. If Trump overturns the election, if he refuses to accept the will of the electorate or if his criminal interference is unacceptable to the people, how can he be removed from the Oval Office?

To expect the United States military to intervene should not be our plan. And the Supreme Court of the United States cannot be relied upon to deliver even a semblance of justice. To wait upon the military or the courts to act would be foolish and disastrous. Only the broadest mass movement of the working class and oppressed peoples can protect basic democracy in this period.

What is needed is to organize broad based People’s Committees to Defend Democratic Rights. This must be done very quickly. To be truly representative these committees must extend invitations to any and every progressive groups and labor organization in their locality. These must include churches, women’s groups, the LGBTQ community, immigrant rights groups, people with disabilities organizations, Black Lives Matter groups as well as traditional Civil Rights organizations, Native nations, Latinx associations, Asian & Pacific Islanders groups and all other progressive associations. Local labor unions must take this up as well as central labor councils and labor allies.

The aim of People’s Committees should be very clear. They must prepare to shut the entire country down if Trump tries to steal the election. They must popularize the idea of, and prepare for, a General Strike.

The largest labor organization in the country is the American Federation of Labor – Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) with 12.5 million members. The AFL-CIO should play an important role. The Constitution of the AFL-CIO mandates that it respond to the dangerous situation that is looming. The Preamble says in part:

“We will assemble a broad progressive coalition for social and economic justice. We will create a political force within the labor movement that will speak forcefully and persuasively on the public issues that affect our lives.”

Article II, Objects and Principles, Section 12 instructs the federation:

“To protect the labor movement from any and all corrupt influences and from the undermining efforts of authoritarianism, totalitarianism, terrorism and all other forces that suppress individual liberties and freedom of association and oppose the basic principles of our democracy and of free and democratic unionism.”

This gives the AFL-CIO Executive Council, state and local central labor bodies and individual local unions the duty to assist in the formation of People’s Committees to Defend Democratic Rights. A general strike cannot just be called out of the blue. People’s Committees could call upon every union local, every organization and progressive group to discuss the idea and to conduct a vote of their membership asking them to authorize the calling of a general strike if and when it is deemed necessary.

Just imagine the terror felt on Wall Street among the big bankers and corporate bosses as word comes out of one union after another, one community group after another, one church after another, weighing in with a YES vote in favor of a general strike. Every day billionaire support for Donald Trump’s provocations would dry up and his mass right-wing base would become more and more isolated. It might very well be so effective that no actual work stoppage would even be needed.

How to Begin?

1.   Circulate this call as widely as possible.

2.   Take this call to your organization for discussion and endorsement.

3.   Have your organization contact other local groups forming a People’s Committee to Defend Democratic Rights and participate in its meetings.

4.   Plan to have your organization’s membership vote on authorizing and participating in a General Strike to stop Trump from stealing the election.

Initiated by:   Moratorium Now Coalition – Detroit; Wisconsin Bail Out the People Movement (www.wibailoutpeople.org); Peoples Alliance – Bay Area

Local Contact Information, Wisconsin: 414-395-0665 / @wibailoutpeople / wibailoutpeople@gmail.com

https://wibailoutpeople.org/ or https://www.facebook.com/wibailoutpeople.org or https://www.facebook.com/MoratoriumNowCoalition or https://www.facebook.com/peoplesalliancebay

SAMPLE UNION  RESOLUTION (other organizations delete paragraph 3):

Whereas Donald Trump is threatening to ignore or undermine the results of the November 3 presidential election with attacks on mail-in balloting, sabotage of the postal service, voter suppression and encouraging right-wing groups to interfere in the democratic rights of the people across this country, and

Whereas we should take action ourselves to defend our democratic rights and not simply rely on the Supreme Court or the U.S. military to do so,

Whereas Article II of the AFL-CIO Constitution, Objects and Principles, Section 12 instructs the federation:

“To protect the labor movement from any and all corrupt influences and from the undermining efforts of authoritarianism, totalitarianism, terrorism and all other forces that suppress individual liberties and freedom of association and oppose the basic principles of our democracy and of free and democratic unionism.”,

Therefore be it resolved that [insert your organization] will join in the formation of People’s Committees to Defend Democratic Rights and will take steps to prepare for a General Strike if it is necessary to stop Trump from stealing the election.

Oshkosh, Wisconsin August 2020 / Photo: Wisconsin Bail Out The People Movement