‘Free Mumia’ rallies have strong Green presence

All four Green Party presidential nomineesóCynthia McKinney, Kat Swift, Kent Mesplay, and Jesse Johnsonóparticipated along with many Greens at a rally in Philadelphia, PA. The rally called for Mumia Abu-Jamal to be exonerated and freed from prison, where he has been on death row for 26 years despite a substantial amount of evidence proving his innocence.

Thousands rallied in Philidelphia this past April and even more attended a similar event in San Francisco this past May. McKinney was a keynote speaker. She talked about the importance of a new politics.

Mumia Abo-Jamal has been on death row for 26 years. Photo by PeoplesVideo.tv

ìWe know that emanating from Washington DC is a plan to destabilize the world,î said McKinney, ìto take and steal the worldís resources and to neutralize our power to stop them here at home. I left the Democratic Party because the Democratic Party left me. For the twelve years that I stood in Washington DC in the United States Congress, I stood for dignity for our workers, freedom for our people, security for our seniors, education for our children, opportunity for our community and peace in the rest of the world. But there was no room inside the Democratic Party, nor the Republican Party, nor the halls of power for people who want truth and peace and justice. And thank goodness, 20 years ago some people had the wisdom to create a new political party where people who share our values can call home, and that is the Green Party. We need substantive political change. It was Frederick Douglas who said that power concedes nothing without a demand and we need to organize ourselves to put that demand forward. We have to search out the truth, search out justice, to†stand for peace, think analytically, think critically,†and vote independently. Thank you very much.î

Cynthia McKinney, Kat Swift and Kent Mesplay, presidential candidates, at a rally in Philadelphia to free Mumia Abu-Jamal.

Green presidential candidates Kat Swift and Jesse Johnson stand under the main banner at a rally in Philadelphia which drew thousands of protesters. Photo courtesy of the Kat Swift campaign