(VIDEO) SUPPORTERS OF MUMIA TAKE OVER ANTI-MUMIA EVENT

You know that thing about how you are entitled to your own opinion but you are not entitled to your own facts? When it comes to the anti-Mumia “documentary” From the Barrel of a Gun director Tigre Hill thought he could get around this by ignoring the facts he did not like. Unfortunately for him when he showed his film to the public at Temple University – courtesy of the group we are becoming fast buds with, the anti-Islam hate group Temple University Purpose, A few of us attended to help fill in the gaps. It was cool during the viewing and everyone watched it without interruption – save for the applause whenever someone defended Mumia in the film – but during the Q & A…oh, that was another story. We have video from the last seven minutes of that available here. Mad props to everyone who came out to defend Mumia and continue the push to see the brother free. Tigre Hill might not have realized it, but he just might have helped us more than he did the racists of TU Purpose!

One People’s Project

PHILADELPHIA, PA–A free showing at Temple University of a documentary film biased against journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal, that was sponsored by a David Horowitz-associated student organization known for hosting Islamophobic speakers, brought out an lopsided number of supporters of Abu-Jamal than detractors, leading to a fiery Q & A session afterwards that police had to shut down.

Tigre Hill, a Temple University graduate, was on hand to present his documentary From the Barrel of a Gun, which deals with the shooting death of Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Faulkner and the international effort to support Abu-Jamal who was tried, convicted and sentenced to death for the crime despite overwhelming evidence suggesting he may be innocent. Although the documentary was presented as if it was showing both sides fairly, it was actually a biased attempt in favor of Abu-Jamal’s detractors. While their points and concerns were addressed, those of Abu-Jamal’s supporters were ignored, the documentary only focusing heavily on just their rhetoric and emotions.

When the movie was over attendees lambasted both Hill and TU Purpose Alvaro Watson for their one-sided presentation. Pam Africa of the MOVE Organization, a friend of Abu-Jamal and one of his most prominent supporters who appeared in the documentary, became the counterpoint that the documentary failed to provide, commanding the audience so much that Hill even gave her the microphone at one point.

Campus police lined the auditorium and eventually shut down the Q & A session as it became increasingly raucous, citing time. The only incident was when a Islamophobic Ukranian-born supporter of TU Purpose pushed Basiymah Muhammad Bey of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) with his umbrella. Police got between the two before an altercation could go further.

TU Purpose has in the past hosted speakers best known for their hatemongering against Muslims, among them Dutch politican Geert Wilders and Pam Geller and Robert Spencer, whose organization Stop Islamization of America has been termed a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Last week, TU Purpose hosted Nonie Darwish of Arabs for Israel, who attacked the recent rallies in Egypt that successfully ousted President Hosni Mubarak, whom many conservatives supported over those who rallied for democracy in that nation. All of the speakers have been closely associated with David Horowitz’s Freedom Center, which is known for its attacks on multiclturalism and diversity.

When pressed, Watson denied that Horowitz, who appears in Tigre Hill’s documentary, had funded the showing, as has been suspected regarding other TU Purpose events. Hill also announced that there will be a new version of the documentary coming out shortly.