The University of Puerto Rico (UPR) community declared its solidarity with Afroamerican political prisoner Mumia Abu Jamal and its opposition to police brutality on the night of Thursday, March 11 in a concert-rally that carried on until way past midnight. The Concert for the Life and Liberty of Mumia Abu Jamal took place in front of the tower of the Rio Piedras UPR campus and featured the participation of host Eugenio Monclova and musical groups and performers like Conciencia Poética, Laura Sáez, Tripulación Central, Nueva Etica, Puerto Rican reggae visionaries Cultura Profética, and folk rocker Noel Hernández and his group Numen, who brought the house down with Hernández�s classic �Revolucionario Postmoderno�.

In Puerto Rico, March 11 is a very significant date in the struggle for student rights and the fight against police brutality. That day was the 28th anniversary of the greatest confrontation between the UPR community and the forces of repression, represented by ROTC cadets and the police riot squad. Two policemen (one of them a commander) and an ROTC cadet died in combat that day. For more info on what happened that day, check out VLN! Issue #24: http://www.neravt.com/left/ruiz19.htm

�The Mumia case is like that of the Rosenbergs, a couple that was sentenced to death because of their political beliefs�, said Tom Soto of the PR Socialist Front to Claridad, Puerto Rico�s pro-independence weekly newspaper. �This activity is Puerto Rico�s contribution to the international campaign for Mumia. It�s natural that we support him because he was incarcerated for his ideals, just like the Puerto Rican political prisoners.�

�Executing Mumia would open the door to the use of the death penalty against other political prisoners in the United States, including the Puerto Rican ones�, said Rubie Alicea, spokesperson for the Puerto Rico Committee for the Liberty of Mumia Abu Jamal. �Mumia�s struggle is similar to that of the UPR students, who fought against police brutality on March 11, 1971. The threat of repression is ever present.

We saw that when secretary of state Norma Burgos forced her way into the campus (in October 7 1997).  

For info on what happened that day check out RIOT AT UPR. STORMTROOPERS ENTER THE RIO PIEDRAS CAMPUS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE

1981, VLN! issue #16: http://www.neravt.com/left/ruiz11.htm

The campaigns for the liberty of Mumia and the Puerto Rican political prisoners, which now include José Solís, will join together on Saturday, April 24. That day is the international day of actions for Mumia�s freedom and against the death penalty. The protest in Puerto Rico will take place in front of the state prison, known as El Oso Blanco, and will include a call for the liberation of the Puerto Rican political prisoners.