‘Free ’em all’ Prison Radio benefit

On the 45th anniversary of the assassination of Malcolm X, over 150 people came out to champion U.S. political prisoner and freedom fighter Mumia Abu-Jamal and other political prisoners of the U.S. colonial empire. The Feb. 21 benefit in Oakland, Calif., for Prison Radio — which carries commentaries online of political prisoners — also highlighted the cases of J. R. Valrey and Holly Works, the two remaining defendants in the police crackdown against the protests last year following the police killing of Oscar Grant. On Feb. 22, all charges were dropped against Valrey in a courtroom full of his supporters.

Pam Africa

Speakers included Pam Africa, national spokesperson for International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal; Chairman Fred Hampton Jr., founder of the Prisoners of Conscience Committee and son of Fred Hampton, the heroic assassinated Black Panther leader; Ramona Africa, survivor of the 1985 police bombing of the MOVE house in Philadelphia, a former political prisoner and the minister of communication of the MOVE organization; Jack Heyman, Local 10 executive board member of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and Labor Action Committee to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal member; and J. R. Valrey, POCC minister of information. Valrey showed a sneak preview of his film about the Grant killing, “Operation Small Axe.”

Pam Africa brought the crowd to its feet when she said, “Mumia’s life is not in the hands of the government. It’s in our hands.” That sentiment was echoed throughout the night. She talked about the long history of struggle to free Mumia Abu-Jamal.

Ramona Africa reminded everyone that this year marks the 25th anniversary of the police bombing in which 11 people were killed. “There’s no one sitting on death row for the bombing of the MOVE house,” she stated.

Richard Brown, a former Black Panther Party member and a former defendant in the San Francisco 8 case, said, “I am living proof that the power resides in the hands of the people.” Brown and four other SF8 defendants had all charges dropped. He urged people to come to court in San Francisco on April 19 to demand that charges be dropped against the last remaining defendant, Francisco Torres.

Go to www.prisonradio.org.