Mumia Abu-Jamal. Photo: Mumia Facebook Page
Hoping to build on momentum from a crucial judge’s ruling earlier this week granting Mumia Abu-Jamal the right to re-appeal his conviction in the shooting death of Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Faulkner 37 years ago, supporters of the former Black Panther gathered in front of District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office on Friday in an effort to persuade the DA to not challenge the ruling.
“What he’s going to do, I don’t know,” said longtime Abu-Jamal friend and supporter Pam Africa. “But I do know what we’re going to do. We are going to continue to put pressure on Larry Krasner and hopefully he will do the right thing.”
Those were some of the kinder words directed Krasner’s way by speakers at what was described as “an emergency rally to demand Krasner not challenge the judge’s ruling restoring Abu-Jamal’s appeal rights.” Under a steady rain, a group of protesters listened to a handful of speeches by supporters in what was as much a celebration of a court victory as it was a protest of the case that has garnered international attention ever since Faulkner was shot and killed at the intersection of 13th and Locust streets on Dec. 9, 1981.
On Thursday, Judge Leon Tucker issued a ruling granting Abu-Jamal another chance to appeal his 1982 conviction before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Tucker reached his decision based on former Supreme Court Justice Ron Castille’s failure to recuse himself due to his prior involvement with the case when he was district attorney.
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