NYC – Tuesday, April 30th – May Day Card-Writing for Anarchist Political Prisoners

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, April 30th, 2013
WHERE: CAGE - 83A Hester Street (UPSTAIRS) New York, New York 10002 (directions below)
COST: Free

You’ve probably been working too many hours a week to even notice the full-blown war being waged against you by the ruling class. It is real and it is continuing. And of course there is another war– the war against folks imprisoned for their political beliefs and actions. And here’s where we bridge the two. This week, NYC ABC will be hosting our sixth annual May Day card-writing night. We will be sending greeting cards to anarchist political prisoners and there’s an easy (too easy? POSSIBLY!) way for you to help. Just come by, eat some food, sign some cards, maybe meet folks you don’t already know, and show some base level solidarity with those behind bars.

NYC – 8 Jan – Card-signing for international prisoners

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, January 8th, 2013
WHERE: CAGE - 83A Hester Street New York, New York 10002 (directions below)
COST: Free
First: Happy New Year! If you didn’t get a chance to come to the New Year’s Eve noise demonstration we organized, please take the time to read this reportback. To hear nearly 100 people calling out the names of comrades locked behind the walls of the Metropolitan Correctional Center was motiviating. So much so, in fact, that folks had to take that energy into the streets. And much of that energy still lingers, pushing us to continue the work of supporting our comrades who are still in prison. By now, you probably know that one way we do that is through every-other-week political prisoner letter-writing dinners. We’ve lost count, but this week’s dinner will be about the 140th we’ve hosted. This week we are focusing on the international anarchist, earth, and animal liberation prisoners.

Here in the states, folks are being persecuted for possibly even associating with anarchists or animal liberationists. Around the globe, the state and capital collude in much the same way, and as a result rebels are imprisoned for acting on their desire for a free world. Please join us in sending cards to these imprisoned comrades. We’ll see you at supper!

Daniel McGowan released from prison!

Earth Liberation Front political prisoner and Rockaway native Daniel McGowan was released from the Communication Management Unit (CMU) in Terre Haute, Indiana this morning. He was driven by federal authorities to Indianapolis International Airport, where he met up with his wife.

Though the two have been able to visit during Daniel’s imprisonment, today marked the first time in years that they could hug, hold hands, or make any physical contact (save for a few month stint when Daniel was in general population in Marion, Illinois– between the CMU there and the one in Terre Haute). The two flew back to New York City together, where they were met by a small group of close friends at the airport.

From the airport, Daniel had one hour to make it to the halfway house, where he will be living for as long as the next six months. Though he has secured employment, it is unclear when he can start work (at the discretion of the halfway house, not his new employer). Until he has had time to settle in, there are more questions than answers.

After being released from the halfway house, Daniel will be under supervised release for three years.

Regardless, this is great news and we’re excited to see our comrade on the other side of the wall.

Please remember that prisoner support doesn’t end when a comrade is released. Through halfway houses, supervised release, parole, or probation, there is usually state supervision beyond the initial sentence. Also, prison is traumatic. And of course there is the stigma of being a former prisoner that effects nearly every aspect of one’s life. All of this adds up to the less obvious, but equally necessary, support needed when our loved ones come home.

Welcome back, Daniel! We love you!

BK/NY – Sunday, December 2nd – Send Love Through the Walls 2012

WHAT: Send Love Through The Walls Holiday Card-Writing For Political Prisoners
WHEN: 3:00-8:00pm, Sunday, December 2nd, 2012
WHERE: 263 Eastern Parkway, Apartment 5D (Direction Below) phone: 718.783.8141
COST: FREE (Donations to cover the cost of stamps greatly appreciated)

In what many prisoners have told us is their favorite event of the year, Resistance in Brooklyn and NYC Anarchist Black Cross again join forces to bring you the annual holiday card-writing party for U.S. held political prisoners and prisoners of war. This event is always a lot of fun, the food outstanding, the camaraderie lively, and the handmade cards flat out amazing. This year will be no different. So plan to bring your friends, your creativity, and a healthy appetite. We’ll have updates on the pp/pow campaigns as well as paints, markers, crayons, and envelopes.

Directions:
Getting to 263 Eastern Parkway is simple:
From the 2/3/4/5 or Franklin Avenue Shuttle:

Franklin Avenue Stop:
Walk west on Eastern Parkway (away from Franklin Avenue, toward Classon Avenue). We’re about half a block down on the north side of the street. When you go into the building, take the elevator to your left.

For more information, contact:

Resistance in Brooklyn– mmmsrnb at igc dot org
NYC Anarchist Black Cross– nycabc at riseup dot net
Scientific Soul Sessions– scientificsoulsessions.com

Did the Bureau of Prisons Acknowledge the Existence of Political Prisoners in the United States?

Not long ago, we reported on the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) rejecting packets of updates and announcements that we send to prisoners every other week. One prisoner in particular, Daniel McGowan, has consistently been denied these packets. As a result, NYC Anarchist Black Cross receives rejection forms from the BOP. These are typically boilerplate forms, with some note about the correspondence being “detrimental to the security, good order, and discipline of the institution.” However, in June, the form was slightly different and so was the reasoning for the material being returned.

The form had a list of unauthorized materials with boxes next to each to be checked. According to the BOP, we sent in “Other (specify below).” In the notes section read the following:
“CORRESPONDENCE INCLUDES MATERIAL WHICH CONTAINED UPDATES FOR POLITICAL PRISONERS.”

Of course this struck us as odd, considering that the BOP, and the entire United States government for that matter, consistently denies the existence of political prisoners in this country. You can download the entire document here.

So which is it, BOP? Are you imprisoning our comrades based on their politics and political actions? Or does the Bureau regularly hire incompetents like Correctional Systems Officer J. Gregg, who signed off on this rejection? We’re guessing it’s a little from column A and a little from column B.

NYC – Tuesday, July 17th – Letter-writing for alleged Anonymous hacker Jeremy Hammond

WHAT: Letter-writing for alleged Anonymous hacker Jeremy Hammond
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, July 17, 2012
WHERE: CAGE - 83A Hester Street New York, New York 10002 (directions below)
COST: Free

We in NYC ABC have had a hell of a week, which ended with a noise demonstration outside the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in downtown Manhattan. It’s not typical for us to get the opportunity to organize such a demonstration knowing a political prisoner is within earshot and will likely both see and hear it. So we were glad when 60 or so folks showed up, noisemakers in tow, to support Jeremy Hammond on the night of Friday the 13th. Jeremy has a court date on July 23rd. To keep his spirits high until then, we are sending him letters at our every-other-week political prisoner letter-writing dinner.

Jeremy Hammond is a long-time anarchist and hacker from Chicago. He is currently being held prisoner at the MCC in Manhattan, awaiting trial for allegedly taking part in attacks carried out by Antisec/Anonymous against global intelligence company Stratfor. In these attacks, the website was taken down and defaced, millions of internal e-mails were submitted to Wikileaks, and at least $700,000 in fraudulent charges were made to credit cards stored on the servers.

PLEASE REMEMBER: Jeremy is pre-trial. Take care with what you write and do not talk about the case.

If you can’t make it to dinner, please take the time to write Jeremy at:
Jeremy Hammond #18729-424
MCC New York
150 Park Row
New York, New York 10007

More info on Jeremy’s case: http://www.freehammond.org
Demonstration at his next court date:
http://anarchistnews.org/content/solidarity-demo-jeremy-hammond-his-next-court-date

NYC – Punk Rock Karaoke Fund Raiser for Marie Mason and Eric McDavid

Along with the NYC Anarchist Black Cross, Punk Rock Karaoke Chicago will be hosting their first ever night in NYC! We’ll be throwing down for Marie Mason, Eric McDavid, and other long-term anarchist prisoners in honor of the annual June 11th International Day of Solidarity. Every penny raised will go directly towards support efforts for Marie, Eric and others. Come out and support our prisoners by shelling out some cash and singing your heart out to one-of-a-kind Punk Rock Karaoke tracks! Seriously, it is a win/win.

Monday, June 11th
8pm – Midnight (8pm Sharp! Not punk time)
Fontana’s Bar (105 Eldridge Street, Manhattan)
$7 Donation
21+ (SORRY!)

Up The Punx/Prisoners!
june11.org
supportmariemason.org
supporteric.org
punkrockkaraokechicago.com
nycabc.wordpress.com

Featuring songs from:

Against Me!, Bikini Kill, Black Flag, Blatz, Buzzcocks, The Clash, Circle Jerks, Crass, Dead Kennedys, Descendents, Devo, Dickies, Fifteen, Fugazi, Gang of Four, Jawbreaker, Joy Division, Los Crudos, Maldita Vecindad, Minor Threat, The Misfits, NOFX, Operation Ivy, Pixies, Ramones, Rancid, The Rezillos, Screaming Females, Sex Pistols, Sleater-Kinney, The Skids, The Smiths, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Specials, Sonic Youth, The Stranglers, Stiff Little Fingers, Ultrasonicas, Undertones, Weakerthans, Wire, X, X-Ray-Spex + More!!!

P.S. Be sure to like us on Facebook!
facebook.comfacebook.com/punkrockkaraokechicago
facebook.com/nycabc

BK/NY – Tuesday, February 28th – Letter-Writing for Victor VanOrden

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, February 28th, 2012
WHERE: 885 Park Avenue, Brooklyn, New York (see below for directions)
COST: Free
Liberation is in the mouths of comrades worldwide. We speak and scream it and push for its arrival. And yet it eludes us.  The minions of state and capital push back and it is within the context of this conflict that we host another of our every-other-week political prisoner letter-writing dinners. This week we are writing to someone unwilling to accept symbolic action in the name of liberation as a replacement for direct liberation.

Earlier this month, Victor VanOrden was sentenced to five years in prison after he pleaded guilty to one count of attempted burglary and one count of “releasing an animal from an animal facility.” Victor was arrested on October 10th, 2011 while allegedly trying to free mink from a mink ranch near Stone State Park in Iowa.

If for some reason you can’t make it out, but still want to support Victor, you can write to him at:
Victor Vanorden #6916264A
Iowa Medical and Classification Center
2700 Coral Ridge Avenue
Coralville, Iowa 52241

NYC ABC + Book Thug Nation Host Certain Days Calendar Release Party

WHAT: NYC Release Party for the 2012 Certain Days Calendar with folks from Toronto ABC
WHEN: 7:00pm, Monday, November 14th
WHERE: Book Thug Nation – 100 North Third Street (Between Berry Street and Wythe Avenue), Brooklyn
COST: Free. There will be copies of the calendar for sale at the event.

The theme for this year’s calendar is “COINTELPRO: Repression and Resistance, Then and Now” and folks from Toronto Anarchist Black Cross will give a brief presentation on the calendar project. For more information about the calendar, head to certaindays.org

BK/NY – Tuesday, October 11th – Commemorate the Legacy of the Black Panthers

What: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
When: 7pm (sharp), Tuesday, October 11th, 2011
Where: 885 Park Avenue, Brooklyn, New York (see below for directions)
Cost: Free

It could very well be that folks in the United States are fed up. Fed up with the state and capitalism, fed up with the authorities in their lives that keep pushing and pushing and pushing, fed up with bosses, with landlords, with cops, wardens, and commanding officers. While far from flawless, Occupy Wall Street and its successors have given form to the anger and potential we share. At the same time, over 12,000 prisoners in California continue to protest the inhumane conditions and fucked up policies under which many of them are imprisoned. And their hunger strike is spreading.

In this same month, we must acknowledge a significant anniversary. It was in October, 1966 that the Black Panther Party was founded. Much of the movement we see today, in the streets on in prisons, has a direct lineage to the Panthers. It is with that in mind that we focus our every-other-week political prisoner letter-writing dinner.

This time around, we’ll be focusing on current political prisoners and prisoners of war who were members of the original Black Panther Party. As there are currently twenty Panther political prisoners or prisoners of war, we will be hosting a card-signing, with additional information available for those able to write a separate letter or begin a correspondence.