BK/NY – Tuesday, December 9th – Letter-Writing Dinner For Herman Bell and Jalil Muntaqim

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, December 9th, 2014
WHERE: The Base – 1302 Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11221 (directions below)
COST: Free
With the public eye turned to Ferguson, police brutality, and murder;  and in response rebels shutting down transportation infrastructure across the country– cops are shook.  So it’s only right that NYC ABC heads back to The Base for our every-other-week Political Prisoner Letter Writing Dinner— with a focus on two comrades targeted by the state and its racist pigs for struggling for collective liberation.

This week we will be watching videos of a couple of short interviews with, and writing to, Herman Bell & Jalil Muntaqim.

Herman Bell is a former Black Panther imprisoned for the murder of a police officer in New York and is serving 25 years to life in prison.

In 1971, Herman went underground because of relentless FBI attacks on the Black Panther Party. While underground, Herman was captured and extradited to New York on charges of having killed two New York City police officers. No witnesses were able to put Herman at the scene of the crime. The first trial ended in a hung jury and he was convicted at his second trial and given 25 years to life. For more information, make sure to visit freehermanbell.org.

Jalil Muntaqim is a former Black Panther who, in 1971, was arrested in California with Albert “Nuh” Washington and Herman Bell and ultimately convicted for the killing of two New York City cops. In 1974, Muntaqim was convicted and received a prison term of twenty-five years to life.

Now, 30 years after the conviction, Jalil is preparing an Article 78 petition to the Court. He is also still requesting folks call Tina Stanford, Commissioner of the Board of Parole, and urge her to reverse Jalil’s most recent parole denial due to erroneous information in the parole folder: the COMPAS Report and their receipt and review of racist letters opposing his release. Jalil anticipates that, if several people make these calls, perhaps the parole board will reverse the denial and order a new hearing. We ask that you all make phone calls to Tina Stanford’s office (518.473.9400) and urge a decision in Jalil’s administrative appeal. More information at freejalil.com

We expect to see you on Tuesday. If you can’t make it, please take the time to write a letter to Herman and Jalil:
Herman Bell #79-C-0262
Great Meadow Correctional Facility
11739 State Route 22
Post Office Box 51
Comstock, New York 12821-0051

Anthony J. Bottom* #77A4283
Attica Correctional Facility
Post Office Box 149
Attica, New York 14011-0149
*Address envelope to Anthony Bottom, address letter to Jalil Muntaqim.

The deal, as always, is that you come bringing only yourself (and your friends and comrades), and we provide you with a delicious vegan meal, information about the prisoners as well as all of the letter-writing materials and prisoner-letter-writing info you could ever want to use in one evening. In return, you write a thoughtful letter to a political prisoner or prisoner of war of your choosing or, better yet, keep up a long-term correspondence. We’ll also provide some brief updates and pass around birthday cards for the PP/POWs whose birthdays fall in the next two weeks thanks to the PP/POW Birthday Calendar.

Directions:
Getting to The Base is simple:
From the M Train:
Central Avenue Stop: Walk east on Myrtle Avenue (away from Hart Street, toward Cedar Street). We’re about two blocks down on the south side of the street.

Knickerbocker Avenue Stop: Walk west on Myrtle Avenue (away from Harman Street, toward Himrod Street). We’re about three blocks down on the south side of the street.

From the L Train:
DeKalb Avenue Stop: Walk south on Stockholm Street (away from Wyckoff Avenue, toward Irving Avenue). We’re about four blocks down, at the intersection of Stockholm Street and Myrtle Avenue.

From the J Train:
Myrtle Avenue Stop: Transfer to the M train and follow the above directions.