-------- Original Message -------- Subject: [BRC-MUMIA] Report: Party for Mumia Success, Despite Police... Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2000 17:13:45 -0800 (PST) From: chris kinder <ckinder at hotmail.com> To: .......
Report: Party For Mumia Success, Despite Police Harassment!
The ILWU Rank and File Committee to Defend Mumia Abu-Jamal, and the Labor Action Committee to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal, held a "Party for Mumia" on February 14th, at the ILWU Local 10 hall in San Francisco, to build labor support for the next round of struggle to free this courageous fighter for social justice. With over 100 in attendance (on a Monday night) and over $2000 collected through advance ticket sales, the event was a tremendous success despite TWICE being driven from venues by anti-Mumia forces!
The Oakland police were directly responsible for the first such attack on this event. The Party was originally going to be held at a club, Sweet JimmieÕs, in Oakland, owned by a retired longshoreman. As planning got under way, however, the Oakland police contacted the owner and said in no uncertain terms that the event was "too controversial" and "not a good idea." Facing the threat of police harassment, the club owner felt compelled to cancel the event. Thus the cops, in line with the nationwide Fraternal Order of Police campaign to kill Mumia, struck a blow at labor supporters of his cause in the Bay Area.
Determined not to be intimidated, the ILWU Committee and Labor Action Committee sought another venue for the event. In solidarity, the Open World Conference In Defense of Trade Union Independence and Democracy (OWC) offered the Bay View Boat Club, which they had reserved for a social/cultural evening for delegates to the conference. Tickets sold well after extensive promotion and a report on the cancellation of the first venue, which ran on KPFA News. Within a couple hours of the event, however, the Boat Club cancelled as well, without giving a clear reason. We can only assume the same forces were at work!
Though faced with a last minute scramble to get a new location and redirect ticket holders, we were still confident. Arrangements were made on short notice to use the Henry Schmidt room at Local 10Õs headquarters in FishermanÕs Wharf, and to assemble supplies to replace the bar we had expected at the Boat Club. The party went off without a hitch, as guests danced to the music of dj Haywood Richmond, a longshoreman who volunteered for the event, and enjoyed their evening in support of Mumia. A greeting card for Mumia was signed by participants at the party, including among others, members of Local 10 of the ILWU, Swedish and Liverpool dockworkers, postal workers, letter carriers, communication workers, print workers, and operating engineers, as well as Labor Video Project, Inkworks, October 22nd Coalition, Refuse and Resist, and the Mobilization to Free Mumia.
Individuals selling tickets in their unions were the biggest earners for the event, with the longshore workers in the lead at $705, followed by East Bay postal workers at $187. A donation of $300 was voted by Local 10 of the ILWU as well. Sales at political events, area bookstores, and donations helped boost the total to $2295, with some of the receipts still to come in as of this writing. Expenses for the Party, including printing of tickets and flyers, and last minute supplies came to $396.71. With a donation for some of the expenses from the Labor Action Committee, a check for $2,000 will be sent to the Bill of Rights Foundation, earmarked for MumiaÕs defense.
--Labor Action Committee to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal PO Box 16222, Oakland CA 94610. ckinder at hotmail.com
REMINDER: Come out to support the mass civil disobedience demo in San Francisco, 7th and Mission, at 8 am Monday 28 February!
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