On Saturday, September 9th, Musician and Filmmaker, Michael Franti and his group Spearhead with Guerrilla Management present the 8th Annual 911 Power to the Peaceful Festival at Speedway Meadow in Golden Gate Park.

 

The Festival began humbly in 1999 as an international day of art and culture in support of political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal. The name and date 911 were chosen to call attention to the emergency status of Mumias impending execution and drew roughly 6,000 people to the Missions Dolores Park. In 2000, PTTP expanded; showing support for all prisoners on death row, and speaking out against the exponential growth of the prison industrial complex.

 

When the attacks of September 11th, 2001 occurred, the festival took on a new significance, serving both as a day of remembrance for the lives lost in the tragedy as well as a day in which Northern Californians called for and end to all bombing around the globe.

 

The 2002 and 2003 events offered a space for healing and compassion for ALL the people killed or displaced by terrorism and the war on terrorism. By this time, the festival had outgrown Dolores Park, and was resituated in the lush mile acre of Speedway Meadows in Golden Gate Park, drawing about 20,000 people. In 2004 the festival was themed Stand up and be Counted, encouraging people to get out and vote. Roughly 30,000 people came out in attendance. Last years festival, themed Bring Em Home emphasized that the best way to support our troops is to bring them home now and drew upwards of 50,000 attendees.

 

Click the link to listen to a special rebroadcast of the 2006 event,