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BEASTIE BOYS FIGHT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

In the continuing controversy surrounding the benefit concert for Mumia Abu Jamal, the former radio reporter who is currently on death row convicted of the murder of a police officer, Beastie Boy Adam Yauch has posted an open letter concerning the issue on the band’s official website. In it he speaks out against the death penalty , quoting Gandhi, ‘an eye for an eye just makes the whole world blind’.

The case of Abu Jamal has been heavily taken up by activists around the world and claims for his innocence have been encouraged by his own writings published from prison, Live From Death Row. Abu Jamal has consistently protested his innocence since first being arrested, claiming that his involvement in political activism motivated the official injustice.

East Rutherford, NJ brought together Rage Against the Machine, and Bad Religion, in support of The Beastie Boys. The event was condemned by the Fraternal Order of Police, New Jersey governor Christie Todd Whitman and radio presenter Howard Stern who has repeatedly gone out of his way to discourage attendance. However, though many tickets were initially returned for refund they have soon sold out. Adam Yauch’s letter states: ‘One of the principles that this country is based on is that everyone is entitled to a fair trial by a jury of their peers. Without that we would be living in a police state.’ {dotmusic.com Fri 29 Jan 1999}