#NoMPSTakeover Stop the Takeover of MPS
“For two white suburban legislators to propose that the white County Executive appoint a “Commissioner” who will have “parallel authority” to the democratically elected school board is a racist attack on the democratic rights of the citizens of Milwaukee, the majority of whom are Black and Brown.”
– MTEA president Bob Peterson
Mumia once again taken to hospital outside SCI Mahanoy; held incommunicado from family, attorneys and doctor. We need to act now!
Political prisoner and internationally renowned journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal has once again been taken from the prison infirmary at SCI Mahanoy in Frackville, Pa.; this time to Geisinger Medical Center in Dansville, Pa. about three hours from Philadelphia.
Having received no phone calls from Mumia, including on Mother’s Day when he always calls, Mumia’s spouse, Wadiya Jamal, called the prison infirmary on Tues., May 12 and learned of the transfer. Since then Mumia has been out of communication with his immediate family and doctor, despite the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections’ obligation and agreement to keep Mrs. Jamal informed of his medical condition.
State regulations also prohibit prison officials from blocking attorney’s access to their clients; however, visits by his attorneys have also been denied.
On Wed., May 13 Wadiya was told that immediate family visitation was approved by Superintendent John Kerestes and the DOC. This was confirmed by Laura Neal of the DOC Legal Counsel’s office.
Wadiya prepared to visit Mumia at the hospital on May 13; however she was then told by Neal that Geisinger Hospital would not permit the visit because Mumia was not in critical condition and the hospital has a policy of not allowing visits to prisoners.
Mumia’s family and attorneys have been given conflicting reports that updates on his medical condition were released to authorities at SCI Mahanoy. Wadiya was told repeatedly by medical officials at SCI Mahanoy that no medical updates were given to them. However Donald Zaycosky, Litigation Counsel at Geisinger told Rachel Wolkenstein, an attorney representing Wadiya Jamal, that a medical update had been provided to infirmary doctors on Thurs., May 14.
Wolkenstein reported that on Fri., May 15, Zaycosky stated that under the circumstances an exception could be made to the hospital’s “no visitors” policy. He explicitly stated that Geisinger did not object to phone calls or family or legal visitation, but wanted to make sure it was okay with the DOC.
On May 15 at 9:30 a.m., Wolkenstein forwarded Zaycosky her correspondence with Laura Neal that stated the DOC approved family visitation. Since then, despite phone calls and emails, there has been no communication from either the prison infirmary or the hospital regarding either medical updates on Mumia’s condition or to confirm or deny family visitations.
Mumia’s family, attorneys and supporters are extremely worried about his current medical condition and alarmed that he is being held incommunicado while his spouse, legal counsel and his private doctor are being denied any access to him.
When Mumia was first rushed to the emergency room this March in diabetic shock, a global network of supporters sprang into action to inundate phone lines of prison and hospital officials demanding that they allow visitation from his family and attorneys. ONCE AGAIN IT’S TIME TO ACTIVATE THAT SUPPORT.
Just last week supporters delivered a letter to Pennsylvania Governor, Tom Wolf, calling on him to release Mumia’s from prison in order to get the proper medical care he needs. It was signed by numerous world dignitaries, including South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu; Minister Louis Farrakhan; New York Congressperson Charles Rangel; Executive Vice President of Local 1199 SEIU, Estela Vasquez; actor Danny Glover; writer Alice Walker and many more. (See attached letter) A significant press conference was also held in Harlem on April 30.
Please call the officials below to demand:
• Unrestricted hospital visitations by Mumia’s family
• Demand access for his attorneys
• Let Mumia call family, supporters and doctors
• Stop state’s attempt to murder Mumia by medical mistreatment
• Release Mumia from prison to be able to obtain needed health care.
DOC Secretary John Wetzel – 717-728-2573; ra-crpadocsecretary@pa.gov
PA Gov. Tom Wolf –717-787-2500; fax: 717-772-8284; governor@pa.gov
Geisinger Medical Center – 570-271-6211
Note: The hospital has Mumia on a “confidential” list so the operators will say they have no one named Mumia Abu-Jamal or Wesley Cook at the hospital. People should tell the operator that their call should be reported to the hospital administration.
More information and to hear Mumia and other political prisoners audio commentaries: http://www.prisonradio.org/
“…All of us signing this letter have had conversations with Madison UUs and other white people in Madison who say some variation of, “We know things have to change, and we understand that Black lives matter. But we’re also supportive of Chief Koval, and we don’t understand why YGB is so antagonistic.” It’s easy to share this perspective if your relationship to the police is primarily positive and hard to see the perspective of those in Madison who do not have that positive relationship with the police. However, we believe that we must open ourselves up to that perspective or risk cutting ourselves off from those who our UU principles guide us to support.
We support YGB because the kinds of systemic reforms that are required to truly create an equitable and just world will not be achieved by established democratic methods, alone. We support YGB because it is time to defer some of our white privilege and trust the lived experiences of young Black people, our future in the U.S. and in Madison.”
May 13, 2015, Madison
Join Freedom Inc and Young Gifted and Black’s M. Adams, Professor Will Jones (UW Dept. of History) and Professor Pam Oliver (UW Dept. of Sociology) for a conversation about violence in social movements historically through the present day. Questions that will be considered include: What is violence? Why does state violence get framed as normal, but protestors breaking windows is framed as violent and out of line? Do charges of violence and calls for peace maintain the status quo? Do such calls discipline protestors? How have such charges functioned historically? The panel will address these questions and more. It will be facilitated by Dr. Sara McKinnon. For more info, email smckinnon@wisc.edu or pbarrett@ssc.wisc.edu.
7 pm, L160, Elvehjem Building, UW’s campus
From the first moment that this government was established, it became clear – both domestically, and abroad – that the mandate given by the Greek people is binding and comprises of a compass in the negotiations.
The red lines of the government are red lines of the Greek people, expressing the interests of the workers, self-employed, pensioners, farmers, and the youth. They expressed the need for the country to enter a new path of growth, with social justice and redistribution of wealth at its core.
The insistence of the lenders in implementing the MoU program of the Samaras’s government, creating an asphyxiating stranglehold of political pressures and financial asphyxiation in the country, comes in direct contrast to the notion of democracy and popular sovereignty in Europe. It expresses the obsessive fixation to austerity that deconstructs the welfare state, the oligarchic direction of European affairs in closed rooms that are unaffected by the will of the people, [and] which pave the way to the rise of the extreme right in Europe.
These requirements cannot be accepted. They cannot be accepted by the Greek people who fought all these past years in order to put an end to the criminal policies of the Memoranda. They cannot be accepted by the people of Europe and by the progressive societies and political powers, who fight for a Europe of solidarity and Democracy.
The citizens of Greece and Europe are not passive consumers of 8 o’clock news, on the contrary, we believe that they can be co-stars in a negotiation that concerns the common fate of all of us, in the scale of Europe and the world.
SYRIZA will take any possible initiative to inform the Greek people, but also the European people. In every city, in every neighborhood and workplace, but also in all countries of Europe, the MPs, MEPs, and members of SYRIZA will come together with [other] members of SYRIZA and forces of solidarity [towards the party] in a wide mobilization call for the win of democracy and of dignity.
Now is the time for the people themselves to enter the battle.
May 14, 2015
The FIGHT for justice for Tony Robinson’s murder–leaves US no choice!!
We demand a dual track UN investigation of the murder of Tony Robinson. As well as an investigation of the racial disparities that plague our county and our city.
Our second demand is community control over the police.
Tomorrow we WILL teach YOU why these demands are important.
Just think—-Matt Kinney murdered our child within 20 seconds. That is not justice but State violence.
The entire system is unjust. The entire system is setup to work against black and brown people.
The Department of Justice, nor the State, nor local city officials, DA or the Chief of Police HAD the courage to hold Matt Kenny accountable.
This was cold blooded murder!!
This is the Black community TAKING back power to hold the police accountable.
The death of Tony Robinson is about power. The black community will not be set free until we have Black power.
Power to hold the police accountable for police violence and racial disparities.
It’s time my people. We’ll see you tomorrow!!
Demanding justice for Tony Robinson May 13, 2015 in Madison.
