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April 10, 2015

Exclusive: Ailing Mumia Abu-Jamal Comments on Walter Scott Killing from Prison 
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Imprisoned journalist and former Black Panther Mumia Abu-Jamal has
spoken out from a prison infirmary about the police killing of Walter
Scott in South Carolina. Abu-Jamal, who is seriously ill at SCI Mahanoy,
rose from his infirmary bed to record the commentary after a fellow
prisoner wheeled in a television so he could watch coverage of the
shooting. In a Democracy Now! exclusive, Abu-Jamal discusses his
reaction.

Mumia Abu-Jamal: "Remember the young man who allegedly shot — not
killed — two cops in Ferguson several weeks ago? Every politician
in America leaped at the chance to call the kid a punk, a thug. Now,
what do you call Slager? What have you heard? Even though he's been
fired, he's called 'officer' today, or 'Mr. Slager.' He killed a man for
a traffic citation and lied about it. Is he a punk, a predator, or what
Huey P. Newton used to call, a pig? From imprisoned nation, this is
Mumia Abu-Jamal."

Special thanks to Noelle Hanrahan at Prison Radio for the recording of
that commentary. Mumia Abu-Jamal's supporters say he remains severely
ill after he was hospitalized for diabetic shock. Today his supporters
have called a national day of action with protests in 10 cities to
demand he be allowed to see a diabetes specialist. Abu-Jamal is in
prison for the 1981 murder of Philadelphia police officer Daniel
Faulkner, but has always maintained his innocence. Amnesty International
has found he was deprived of a fair trial.

 

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