By Betsey Piette
April 29, 2025

Supporters of political prisoner Mumia Abu Jamal hosted a vibrant and revolutionary program in honor of his 71st birthday on April 24, through a webinar entitled: “Twisted laws: Mumia, Universities and Palestine.”

The program, chaired by Gabriel Bryant who is with the Campaign to Bring Mumia Home and Mobilization4Mumia, featured student activists and an organizer with Samidoun Palestinian Political Prisoner Network. Highlights included a call from Mumia plus a pre-recorded message from a few months ago when Mumia spoke about the eight CUNY (City University of New York) students charged with felonies for their participation in a pro-Palestine encampment in April 2024.

The webinar shed light on the systemic issues that create and perpetuate a cycle of incarceration of political prisoners worldwide and the increasing weaponization of “constitutional law” to repress dissent, especially from those who have been organizing and speaking out against U.S./Zionist genocide in Gaza.

Inspirational call from Mumia

In his call to the panelists Mumia said: “Our movement represents one of the most remarkable freedom movements in modern U.S. history. We have been through thick and thin, through smoke and water. When I look at what’s happening in the world today, I think of a wave of repression against, of course, many very brave and courageous students who stood against the slaughter in Palestine.

“Many brave students and activists who are now being cast into dragnets and being chased by the state for giving their political opinions — for writing it, for speaking it or for demonstrating interest in the land in a country that claims to follow the First Amendment of the Constitution.”

Mumia stressed: “They have been met by a really incredible wave of repression, and the only thing that can meet that force is a counter wave of resistance — and it has to come from every sector that can be mobilized to resist this repression. Any people who can ignore the constitution — and the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments when it comes to African people — are capable of anything. So, learn the lessons of history.

“To quote W.E.B. DuBois, ‘Where there is repression, there must be resistance and struggle, because struggle is the only thing that brings about progress.’”

Connecting the issues

Panelist included Rishi, a Palestinian activist with Temple University Students for Justice in Palestine; Maya, a student and organizer at Temple Law School where they are a member of Temple Law Students for Justice in Palestine; Nicholas, who is with the Columbia University Student Union and an organizer of the encampment there in 2024.

Other participants were: Zach, president of the Black Student Union at Temple; Bina, a nursing student at Jefferson University in Philadelphia; and Muhammed Khatib, a refugee from the north of Palestine (so-called Israel today), who is currently living in Belgium. Khatib is the European Coordinator for Samidoun.

Khatib set the tone when he described being inspired by Mumia as an international leader who influenced new generations not only in the U.S. but around the world. He praised political prisoners: “Along with Georges Ibrahim Abdullah, along with Ahmad Sadad, along with tens of thousands of prisoners in the Philippines, in Palestine, in Yemen, all over the earth, Mumia is a symbol and icon for our revolutionary movement from generation to generation. We are committed to the struggle for Mumia and all political prisoners and to our liberation against fascism and imperialism.”

Speakers connected the role of the universities in not only suppressing their movements but in displacing surrounding communities. They discussed the contradiction as students of being both part of their universities while being in opposition to these institutions’ policies.

Maya described Mumia as “someone who keeps me grounded and reminds me of what I aim to do with my law degree. I want to work in some kind of public interest, whether it be immigration or public defense, but specifically I want to do everything through an abolitionist lens, and Mumia solidifies this purpose.”

In describing the experience of combatting the university administration and the repressive state, Nicholas started by calling out names of students currently being incarcerated: “As the title of this panel states, it is important to recognize how twisted politics can be — having dorm room doors kicked in, police waiting outside to interrogate a student.

“At Columbia a new infrastructure is being built on the fly to regulate and contain students. A few weeks ago, they hired 36 new officers — funded by the New York Police Department. They have arrest power which Columbia police lacked before.”

Nicholas concluded: “In terms of organizing — protect our most vulnerable. It doesn’t mean that international students have to be on the front lines. People with more privilege and access need to step forward. Assess the risk but also the power in doing this work.”

Bina focused her remarks on the role universities play in capitalist society. “We are being trained to be foot soldiers of the U.S. ruling class. That’s what being a student at an elite college means.”

Zach stated: “Mumia’s life and legacy have had a profound impact on my life; particularly within the Black Student Union. In the late 1960s and 1970s, students were seeking ways to have places to speak and learn about Black history and bring it to the streets. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are starting to see an uptick in student activism, not just historically but now. The struggle continues no matter where you are.”

In response to the question, “What does it mean to organize, and what lessons were learned?” Rishi said that he had to reassess his position as a student organizer: “A lot of student organizers have this idea that they are inherently revolutionary. But we’re organizing against a system that gives us privilege.

“We need to ground our work in the communities around us who our universities are displacing. If not, our work fizzles out and ultimately dies. We need to ground our struggles to any anti-imperialist struggles that we are connected to.”

We will free Mumia!

The program included an audio clip of Mumia speaking about the CUNY 8, “The protests of people outraged by the carnage suffered by people in Gaza has resulted in a rise or repression on U.S. colleges and universities —repression of a high order.

“Students were arrested and threatened with felonies for daring to protest Zionist bombing of Palestinians. Some were threatened by CUNY funders with denial of jobs when they graduate. CUNY has a history of teaching working-class students, but what are they teaching? Subservience? Since when is it wrong to oppose oppression? The bombings and killing of tens of thousands of Gazan men, women and babies. Isn’t that worthy of protest?”

Closing out the program, Bryant asked the panelists to respond to the proposition: “We will free Mumia because … And how?” Responses included Maya’s: “Because we are here together and having this conversation, and how — by resistance movements.” Nicholas added: “Because he is ours, and we have no choice. And by unending, unrelenting revolutionary movements.”

Rishi responded, “Because it is our job to destroy capitalism and imperialism, and we will do it in a manner that undermines the legitimacy and power of capitalism.”

Muhammed added, “Because we have to, it’s our duty, and by all means necessary.”

Zach responded, “Because it’s consequential to us today, and through meetings like this, creating a revolutionary culture.”

Bina concluded: “To abandon our political prisoners would be to abandon hope of succeeding. And we will free Mumia by means that we are yet to discover, yet to perfect and yet to know are possible.”

A recording of the webinar is available at Twisted laws: Mumia, universities and Palestine. (tinyurl.com/4c9rf77z)