WE ARE GOING BACK TO CAMP HILL ON MONDAY, APRIL 6, TO FOLLOW UP WITH PA DOC SECRETARY, JOHN WETZEL! JOIN US IF YOU CAN!
CALL 212 330 8029 IF YOU CAN JOIN US. THE PRESSURE MUST CONTINUE!
Dear Sisters, Brothers, Comrades, Friends, and Supporters:Friends and Supporters of Mumia:
Yesterday, Saturday April 3, a caravan of about 15 cars coming from Philadelphia, NYC, and DC gathered at Mahanoy Prison in a dramatic presence on the road. With banners, signs, videos, interviews, and chanting the prison was well aware of our presence. We were demanding that Mumia’s family and supporters be allowed in and that Mumia be seen by outside doctors to treat his very serious medical problems.
The prison initially refused to allow anyone in, but with increasing phone calls and our physical presence they ultimately relented and allowed five visitors to come in for one hour. Though not enough, this was surely a victory and surely a response to the relentless international pressure which continued through the time we were at the prison. After much negotiating and arbitrary changing rules, the five people did enter.
Their report was very troubling. On the positive side, our people including Mumia’s brother, Keith, got into the prison and actually saw Mumia, let him know about the worldwide support. They said Mumia’s spirit remains strong, he was completely alert, and responsive. On the negative side, Mumia was brought in in a wheelchair, his blood sugar went up again, he is very weak, he has lost an enormous amount of weight, approximately 80 pounds or so in three months, and he is clearly uncomfortable. The diet he is being given is completely inappropriate, and dangerous, for someone suffering from such a life threatening condition of diabetes.
We then went to Camp Hill, headquarters of the Department of Corrections of Pennsylvania, right outside Harrisburg. With our banners, t shirts, sweatshirts, cameras etc, arriving at about 4 PM when they were closing, we were more than visible. The usual “No, no one is available”, etc. etc. and our usual “We demand that we meet with the Secretary Wetzel or his representative now” scenario played out and we did get a meeting. It was a stand up, disrespectful way of meeting with us, but nonetheless we met with the Press Secretary and let her know in no uncertain terms that we want outside doctors to see Mumia, evaluate and treat him, and that the prison system has so far brought him close to death. We were very insistent with this one demand: we want outside medical doctors to evaluate and treat Mumia immediately. We said we would return on Monday to follow up on this demand.
Phone calls to Wetzel’s office in particular, but also to Kerestres should continue as much as possible reiterating this demand: Mumia is deathly ill, the prison system has made him sicker and sicker, and has certainly not shown any signs of helping him recover his health. We, therefore, demand that outside doctors of Mumia’s choosing be allowed to evaluate and treat him immediately. Connect with institutional connections if you can.
PA Secretary of Department of Corrections
John Wetzel: 717 728 4109
Ra-crpadocsecretary@pa.gov
Superintendent of SCI Mahanoy, John Kerestes
(570) 773-2158
In the face of this life threatening crisis for Mumia,, caused by the Department of Corrections willfully, in yet another attempt to silence Mumia once and for all, the international movement in support of Mumia, has been amazing! With demonstrations in Berlin and Paris two days ago, that we know of, three demonstrations yesterday between Mahanoy and Camp Hill, Philadelphia, and New York, we are surely on the move! We will be planning more activities and an overall all out battle plan! In the meantime, we will be confronting Wetzel at Camp Hill again tomorrow. Please join us if you can.
In the struggle with revolutionary love,
Suzanne Ross
info@freemumia.com