A coalition of community organizations, advocates, scholars, authors, health care professionals, and residents, all united to struggle for Mumia Abu-Jamal’s freedom, called for an emergency 24-hour vigil in front of Philadelphia’s City Hall.
In a letter dated April 24, 2026 — Mumia’s birthday — the coalition demanded that Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker proclaim July 3 Mumia Liberation Day.
Representatives of the many organizations united for Mumia’s freedom were invited to speak and to draw connections between his struggle and those of others.
Suzanne Ross, a longtime fighter for Mumia’s freedom and author of “Born Jewish in Nazi Europe – My Journey to Become Anti-Zionist,” highlighted Mumia’s solidarity with the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela and how readily he made a statement when President Nicolás Maduro and First Combatant Cilia Flores were kidnapped by the United States. “Mumia called it a stick-up. What could be a better description?”
This author, representing the Struggle for Socialism Party and Baltimore’s People’s Power Assembly, asserted that Mumia’s freedom is an issue for every working and oppressed person everywhere. The ruling class and their representatives in the White House hope to make an example out of Mumia for the same reason they want to make an example out of Cuba — to show that daring to challenge the capitalist system will be met with extreme repression
Whether Philadelphia’s city officials declare a holiday matters little. The people’s movement will celebrate July 3 as Mumia Liberation Day.
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