http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/late/14cnd-protest.html Protesters Rally Against Death Penalty and 'Corporate Greed' By DON TERRY LOS ANGELES, Aug. 13 - "Veronika" and "Emma Goldman" would only give their "revolutionary" names today as they joined more than 2,000 people at the first large scale street demonstration to coincide with the Democratic National Convention, which begins here on Monday. The women travel from protest to protest, toting first aid kits stuffed with aspirin, plastic gloves, sun screen and a solution of Malox and water. "The solution is good for the eyes when the police use tear gas," Veronika said. "But given the heat, we expect dehydration to be the biggest problem today." Then the two women slung their bags over their sunburned shoulders and disappeared into the crowd rallying at a downtown square against capital punishment and demanding a new trial for death row inmate, Mumia Abu-Jamal. After two hours of music, poetry and speeches condemning the death penalty and ''corporate greed," the demonstrators marched for about a mile under a blazing sun through the streets of downtown Loa Angeles to the Staples Center, the site of the Democratic Convention and the home of the city's basketball and hockey teams. More music, poetry and speeches followed. Mr. Abu-Jamal, a former radio journalist, has been on Pennsylvania's death row since his 1982 conviction for killing a Philadelphia police officer. Mr. Abu-Jamal's supporters around the world say he was railroaded and deserves a new trial. His detractors say he is a "cold blooded cop killer," who turned a young bride into a widow. At any rate, his case has become an international cause c�l�bre and for many in this country he has become the face of death row. The rally at the square took on aspects of a festival and a funeral. Although their words were definite, speaker after speaker reminded the crowd that time was running out for Mr. Abu Jamal and as one man put it, "if we blink they will kill him." Actor Ed Asner, a long time foe of capital punishment, gave a speech almost as hot as the weather. "We must fight the establishment and we must fight the press," he said. "This fight is for the nation's soul. Mumia must not die." Scores of police officers quietly stood by on the edge of the square named in honor of the World War I general, John J. (Blackjack) Pershing. Dozens of officers on motorcycles were stationed on nearby streets and Joe R. Hicks, executive director of the city's Human Relations Commission, and his staff wandered through the crowd. "We expect it to be peaceful," Mr. Hicks said. "But the death penalty is a highly volatile issue." Pam Africa, a leader of the effort to win Mr. Abu-Jamal a new trial, came to Los Angeles from Philadelphia, where she also organized a similar demonstration in that city during the Republican Convention. "We're here to educate people," she said. "A lot of people just vote blindly. We want people to know that when it comes to capital punishment there is no difference between the Democrats and the Republicans. They're both killers." Bart and Britt Pickett and their friend Andrew Johnston, 22, wandered through the rally just to observe. They came to Los Angeles from Tennessee and Maryland to attend the convention with the Picketts' mother, a Tennessee delegate. Britt Pickett, 21, said he supported capital punishment. Mr. Johnston said he was opposed. "But I'm not protesting today," Mr. Johnston said. "I'm going to volunteer at a soup kitchen." He said Vice President Gore's daughters were organizing a brigade of young Democrats to do community service during the week of the convention. But before he left, Mr. Johnston had his friends take his photograph with a banner that read, "Don't choose between oppressors. Fight for justice." _________ EcoNews Service - Alternative News: Ecology, Consciousness & Universe Politics mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] USA http://www.earthradioTV.com/index2.html CZECH http://mujweb.cz/www/ecologynews/ UK http://members.tripod.co.uk/ecologynews/ Canada http://www.ecologynews.com/index2.html <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. 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