The ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) in New York City issued the following statement. For two weeks in July, ANSWER activists fanned out over the streets of Harlem to collect petitions to rename a Harlem
street after death row political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal. The effort was a contribution to a broader campaign that is being organized by the New York City Committee to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal.
“We received a great response from the Harlem community,” said ANSWER organizer Vanessa Alarcon. “People were interested in hearing about the status of Mumia’s case.”
Mumia Abu-Jamal has been on death row for 25 years, framed up for killing a white Philadelphia cop. A federal court heard appeals on his case in May. A decision is expected in the coming weeks.
The ANSWER Coalition delivered the 1,066 signatures from Harlem residents to the Free Mumia Coalition for their use as they carry the campaign forward.
Many people who signed petitions also expressed interest in the Sept. 15 demonstration in Washington to end the war in Iraq. Buses will be leaving from Harlem to that major demonstration. For more information, visit Sept15.org.
For more information about the campaign to rename a Harlem street after Mumia Abu-Jamal, or to sign an online petition, visit the Free Mumia Coalition’s website freemumia.com.
