French unions bring aid, solidarity to Mumia

By Monica Moorehead, Workers World, 15 August 2002

A French delegation of supporters of political prisoner and revolutionary journalist, Mumia Abu-Jamal, made a visit to the U.S. last weekend to present a $50,000 donation to his legal defense.

This money and much more is needed to cover the costs of filing state and federal appeals in an effort to force these biased courts to hear suppressed evidence that shows that Mumia is innocent of killing a Philadelphia policeman on December 9, 1981.

The generous donation was raised amongst the various trade unions throughout France under the umbrella of the General Labor Confederation.

The delegation appeared at a July 30 press conference on Democracy Now, a popular and highly respected political show hosted by Amy Goodman that is aired nationally by Pacifica radio. Pam Africa from International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal also spoke at the press conference.

The French delegation was led by Julia Wright, coordinator of the International Committee in Solidarity with Mumia Abu-Jamal and a representative of ICFFMAJ in Paris. She is the daughter of the late renowned African American writer, Richard Wright. The Parisian City Council passed a resolution last year making Mumia an honorary citizen of that city.

The rest of the delegation consisted of Jackie Hortaut from the French General Labor Confederation, Marcel Trillat, a French television journalist and director of TV documentaries, Marie-Cécile Pla, representative of Movement Against Racism and Friendship with the Peoples and Claude Guillaumaud-Pujol, Coordinator of JUST JUSTICE. All are emissaries from the French National Collective to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal, consisting of 60 different groups.

On July 29, the delegation visited Mumia on death row at the SCI Greene Unit in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania.