BK/NY – Saturday, February 4th 2023 – Dope is Death film screening

WHAT: Dope is Death film screening
WHEN: Saturday, February 4th, 2023 at 8pm
WHERE: P.I.T. Brooklyn – 411 South 5th Street, Brooklyn, New York 11211 (Directions below)
COST: Free, but we will have information to donate to Mutulu Shakur’s release campaign

Join NYC Anarchist Black Cross for our first installment of a winter film series. We’re starting off with a screening of Dope is Death, the 2020 documentary.

From IMDB: In 1973, Dr. Mutulu Shakur, along with fellow Black Panthers and the Young Lords, combined community health with radical politics to create the first acupuncture detoxification program in America. This form of radical harm reduction was a revolutionary act toward the government programs that transfixed the lives of black and brown communities throughout the South Bronx. Dope is Death utilizes an abundant archive while giving us insight into how the acupuncture clinic rose to prominence and, despite funding challenges, still functions to this day. Some of those who benefited from the program became acupuncturists themselves. Dr. Mutulu’s legacy is cemented within this profound story of community healing and activism.

This event comes on the heels of Dr. Shakur’s release December 16, 2022 from federal prison after serving 37 years. From Family & Friends of Mutulu Shakur:
Today, the morning of December 16th, 2022, Dr. Mutulu Shakur was released from prison on parole! The decision to grant parole is based on federal law guidelines for “old law” prisoners, finding that Dr. Shakur poses no threat to the community, taking into consideration his exemplary conduct in prison, his medical condition and how much time he has served. Mutulu is now with his family. This victory was secured by the steadfast support of his legal team, his family and his community comprised of all of you.

Family & Friends of Mutulu Shakur (FFMS) is greatly appreciative of everyone’s support over the course of Mutulu’s decades in prison. We ask that everyone respect Dr. Shakur’s privacy while he spends the holidays with his family and concentrates on his health and healing.

Support Dr. Mutulu as he adjusts to life on the outside by donating to his support crew directly.

Letters and packages may be sent to:
Dr. Mutulu Shakur c/o
Hirano Acupuncture Clinic
1139 North Brand Boulevard, Unit B
Glendale, California 91202

Getting to P.I.T.:
J/M Train – Get off at the Hewes stop walk south on Broadway for ~half a block, turn left on Hewes Street. It will be on the corner of South 5th Street and Hewes.

G Train – Get off at the Broadway stop and walk north on Union Street to South 5th Street, take a left on South 5th Street and it will be at the end of the block on the right.

BK/NY – NYE – Noise Demo Against the Prison Industrial Complex, In Solidarity with PPs and POWs

WHAT: Noise Demo
WHEN: 9:00pm, Saturday, December 31st
WHERE: Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC, the federal prison in Brooklyn); 29th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues, Brooklyn, New York 11232 (D/N/R to 36th Street or R to 25th Street).
NOTE: we are not encouraging folks to take public transit or other risks. Please recognize your comfort level with attending this event)
BRING: Noisemakers, air horns, drums, anything that is loud!

On the noisiest night of the year in New York City, come help us remind folks locked up that they are not alone. NYC Anarchist Black Cross, in response to an international call for noise demonstrations outside of prisons, is asking folks to join us outside of the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Come, not to appeal to authority, speak truth to power, or any other contrivance, but rather to stand with comrades, at a safe distance, and show direct solidarity to those on the other side of the wall.

The state, writ large, is targeting anarchists all across the United States and abroad. This will be both protest and celebration.

BK/NY – Sunday, December 11th – Send Love Through the Walls 2022

WHAT: Send Love Through The Walls: Holiday Card-Writing For Political Prisoners
WHEN: Sunday, December 11th, 2022 1:00-4:00pm
WHERE: Woodbine (585 Woodward Avenue, Queens)
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, prisoners of war, and prisoners of conscience. 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, and will be organized both in person and virtually. So plan to tell your friends and bring your creativity. We’ll have updates on the pp/pow campaigns as well as crayons, colored pencils, paper and envelopes.

We do ask that folks be vaccinated and will be using the honor system.

This is a hybrid event and will have a zoom component for folks unable to make it in person. For the Zoom meeting information, contact Resistance in Brooklyn: resistanceinbrooklyn.ows at gmail dot com

For folks writing at home, here are some guidelines to follow to ensure your holiday card gets to the person you are writing:

GUIDELINES:

We recommend using the following guidelines to ensure your holiday card will get through the walls. The best bet for getting a handmade card through the walls is to either: print a design on plain computer paper or create a design on plain computer paper using blue or black pen only. Things have gotten very draconian and many facilities won’t even allow crayon or colored pencil anymore. Card stock or greeting cards are not allowed in most facilities. You cannot use paint of any kind. You cannot enclose glitter or write with glittery gel pens or puff paint pens or stickers.

If you DO use some colorful artsy craftsy things to make a card on cardstock, simply photocopy it onto computer paper and send in the copy only.

You cannot include articles or anything else torn out of a newspaper or magazine. However, you can print that same article from the internet or photocopy it.

ON THE ENVELOPE:
Return address labels are no longer permitted in most facilities, nor stickers of any kind (aside from stamps). Write your ‘to’ and ‘from’ address neatly in blue or black pen.

For more information, contact:
Resistance in Brooklyn– resistanceinbrooklyn.ows at gmail dot com
NYC Anarchist Black Cross– nycabc at riseup dot net

NYC – Free Leonard Peltier Event!

WHAT: Discussion and Presentation
WHEN: 1:00pm, Saturday, October 8th
WHERE: The People’s Forum–320 West 37th Street New York, New York 10018
COST: FREE

With Dan Battaglia, International Leonard Peltier Defense Committee Secretary

Kevin Sharp, Leonard Peltier’s Attorney

Lenny Foster, former Director of the Navajo Nation Corrections Project,
Leonard’s Spiritual Advisor

Other Speakers and Cultural Warriors To Be Announced

Watch the livestream from anywhere in the world!

Running Down the Walls 2022: A Reportback

Running Down the Walls 2022 felt like a homecoming. Those of us in NYC ABC got to catch up with long-time comrades and meet new folks, many of whom have taken on amazing projects. We shared food, heard statements from some of the political prisoners taking part from behind the walls, and raised much-needed funds for the Anarchist Black Cross Federation Warchest Program and Roots Unbound. But that’s not why you’re reading this, right? You’re more interested in the tedium of logistics. How the day came together. What protocols we adhered to for safety under the reality of an ongoing global plague. Right? RIGHT?!? No? Well, we get it. Organizing is rarely glamorous, and the hard work of supporting political prisoners is not romantic–in more cases than not, we don’t “win.” We have aging comrades dying behind these walls and it’s not benign neglect by the state, but rather the continuation of a war against oppressed folks they picked centuries ago. We see folks targeted for resistance to capitalism and the logic of “resource extraction,” whether the resources they plunder are the earth and everything living on it, or the labor we’re forced to sell just to survive.

It would be easy to see the escalating repression, throw our hands up, and walk away. But where does that leave those with whom we share affinity and are either locked up, or facing it as a likely reality? Nowhere good, that’s for certain. So we keep it moving, figuratively and literally. Which brings us back to this report back.

The day started like many other RDTW days, with the juggling of finding parking, locking down the spot we use for gathering before and after the event, and getting set up. We scheduled the event this year to coordinate with others across the country, later i the year than typical, which left us concerned over potential bad weather (READ: hurricane season). But the nefarious cabal of weather controllers couldn’t hold down the popular will to enjoy a day in the park, so we enjoyed great weather. Once set up and ready, we waited for folks to arrive and arrive they did. Crews and individuals showed up early and we had a big crowd well before the 2:00pm event start time. “Wait, you started on time this year?” you might ask. Well, no. Anarchy time is a strange companion, after all. However, by shortly after 2, we took a group photo and made our way to the starting line. From there, we explained to those who showed up for a 5k with no context (surprisingly there were a few, thanks to promotion on a local runner’s forum), what Running Down the Walls is, who it benefits, and the route of the 5k. And then they were off!

Some took the 5k seriously and asked for their lap time, but most folks showed up for a good time and camaraderie regardless of how they took part in the event. In the end, everyone enjoyed themselves and after eventually cooling down and hydrating, we heard from Roots Unbound and from imprisoned comrades, the latter by way of pre-written statements they wrote for the event. All told, we had over 80 folks show up throughout the day and raised over what we set as this year’s goal. In the middle of all of it, we were able to talk with a lot of passersby, give away a lot of literature, and get the word out about political prisoners in the so-called USA.

That’s what’s up and that’s how we get down (the walls).

BK/NY – Sunday, September 18th, 2022 – Running Down the Walls

WHAT: Running Down the Walls – 5k Run/Walk/Jog/Bike/Hang
WHEN: 2:00-7:00pm, Sunday, September 18th, 2022
WHERE: Prospect Park– Lincoln Road/East Lake Drive, east of the Terrace Bridge (see the below map for exact location)
COST: $10 registration, participants encouraged to get sponsors (includes vegan BBQ afterwards, with COVID precautions for serving!) Donate at paypal.me/nycabc venmo.com/nycabc or with the venmo app : @nycabc

NYC Anarchist Black Cross (NYC ABC) is excited to announce Running Down the Walls 2022! After making the difficult decision to not host RDTW in person in 2020, we are looking very forward to gathering as a community. Last year, we had an amazing time and a successful fundraiser. Please stay tuned to our website, sign up for our newsletter, and follow us on twitter (@nycabc) or instagram (also @nycabc) for updates.

Every year, prisoners and supporters of political prisoners organize solidarity events with Running Down the Walls. In previous years, we’ve had runs in Albuquerque (NM), Arcata (CA), Ashland (OR), Bellefonte (PA), Boston (MA), Buffalo (NY), Chico (CA), Denver (CO), Elmore (AL), Inez (KY), Los Angeles (CA), Marion (IL), Minneapolis (MN) New York (NY), USP Navosta (TX), Pelican Bay (CA), Phoenix (AZ), Tucson (AZ), Seattle (WA), and Toronto, Ontario. This year we hope to expand the amount of runs in prisons and other cities, as well as increase the amount of funds raised for community projects. NYC ABC‘s goal with this year’s run is $4,500. You can donate online by going to venmo.com/nycabc: @nycabc

This year’s run will take place on Sunday, September 18th, 2022 at 2:00 pm in solidarity and conjunction with runs that will take place in cities and prison yards across the country at the same time. Stay after to enjoy a vegan BBQ, served taking every COVID precaution!

REGISTER AS, OR SPONSOR, A PARTICIPANT

To raise our goal of $4,500 we need your support.

* Promote – print and distribute flyers to friends and local businesses, your doctor’s office, laundromat, food co-op, wealthy benefactor, et cetera.

* Run/walk/bike/roll in the 5k – We need participants who can run/walk/bike/roll the 5k and are able to collect financial pledges to offer as donations to the run. Download the brochure, complete with registration and sponsor form right here.

* Volunteer for the run – We need folks who are willing to promote the run and bike the route as street medics.

* Donate online at venmo @nycabc

* Donate to the run/sponsor a participant – If you are not able to attend, but want to support this fundraising effort, please mail donations to:
NYC ABC
Post Office Box 110034
Brooklyn, New York 11211

Your donation of $10 or more entitles you to the celebratory picnic after the event.

Each year, we split proceeds between the Anarchist Black Cross Federation’s Warchest Program and a local organization. This year, local funds are going to Roots Unbound (RU).

The Warchest Program:
The Anarchist Black Cross Federation (ABCF) has initiated a program designed to send monthly checks to those Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War who have been receiving insufficient, little, or no financial support during their imprisonment. The Warchest program was initiated in November 1994. Its purpose is to collect monthly funds from groups and individual supporters, and send that money to Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War (PP/POW) via monthly checks. Over the last twenty five years, the ABCF warchest has dispensed almost $200,000 to political prisoners. Currently, there are 17 imprisoned comrades who receive a monthly stipend as part of the program; they are Abdul Azeez, Dan Baker, Ed Poindexter, Eric King, Fidencio Aldama, Hanif Bey, Jamil Al-Amin, Joseph Bowen, Kamau Sadiki, Leonard Peltier, Malik Smith, Mutulu Shakur, Oso Blanco, Ronald Reed, Ruchell Magee, Veronza Bowers, and Xinachtli (FKA Alvaro Luna Hernandez).

For more information, visit: abcf.net/warchest-program

Roots Unbound:
Roots Unbound (RU) is an abolitionist grassroots organization based in Brooklyn offering nature-based programming centered around food justice, therapeutic horticulture, and ecological disinvestment to people in the NYC area with a focus on supporting and uplifting people impacted by the carceral system. Abolition is liberation for all.

For more information, visit: rootsunbound.org

We will be starting here:

From the Q train, get off at the Prospect Park stop. Walk to Lincoln Road and turn right into the park. We’ll be about 700 feet away.

The event will be one lap around what is known as the Main Loop, and will total five kilometers. For the curious, here’s what it looks like:

If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail us at nycabc at riseup dot net.

See you there!

NYC/NYE – Noise Demo Against the Prison Industrial Complex, In Solidarity with PPs and POWs

WHAT: Noise Demo
WHEN: 9:00pm, Friday, December 31st
WHERE: Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC, the federal prison in Brooklyn); 29th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues, Brooklyn, New York 11232 (D/N/R to 36th Street or R to 25th Street).
NOTE: we are not encouraging folks to take public transit or other risks. Please recognize your comfort level with attending this event)
BRING: Noisemakers, air horns, drums, anything that is loud!

On the noisiest night of the year in New York City, come help us remind folks locked up that they are not alone. NYC Anarchist Black Cross, in response to an international call for noise demonstrations outside of prisons, is asking folks to join us outside of the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Come, not to appeal to authority, speak truth to power, or any other contrivance, but rather to stand with comrades, at a safe distance, and show direct solidarity to those on the other side of the wall.

The state, writ large, is targeting anarchists all across the United States and abroad. This will be both protest and celebration.

Send Love Through the Walls 2021

WHAT: Political Prisoner Card Party
WHEN: 4:00-6:00pm, Sunday, December 19th
WHERE: The INTERNET (Details below)
COST: Free

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, prisoners of war, and prisoners of conscience. This event is always a lot of fun. This year will be no different, but will be organized virtually. So plan to tell your friends and bring your creativity.

Featuring remarks and poetry from:

• Jalil Muntaqim – Spirit of Mandela (Tribunal) Coalition coordinating committee; Black Panther political prisoner for 49 years, released in 2020
• dequi kioni-sadiki – Northeast Political Prisoner Coalition
• Jihad Abdulmumit – National Jericho Movement Chair; Spirit of Mandela (Tribunal) Coalition coordinating committee; Black Panther political prisoner for 23 years

and Special SURPRISE GUESTS plus excerpts from the Spirit of Mandela International Tribunal

We’ll have updates on the pp/pow campaigns as well. For more information, including the zoom meeting information, contact Resistance in Brooklyn: resistanceinbrooklyn.ows@gmail.com

Running Down the Walls 2021: A Reportback

It’s no newsflash that the global pandemic, which has devastated so many, including imprisoned folks, is not over. So, for full transparency, we didn’t really know what to expect when we asked friends, allies, comrades, and others with whom we share affinity, to show up for a 5k run and barbecue. We were certainly heartened after tabling a couple of recent events at which we got great interest and met a lot of folks we’d never seen before, but that doesn’t always translate into a successfully attended event. Regardless, we put out the call and New York CAME THROUGH. Throughout the day, we had over 100 folks come through, participate, donate, and eat. We exceeded our fundraising goal of $4,000 and that means more loot for elder former NYS political prisoners and the ABCF warchest. There is still time to donate at venmo.com/nycabc or paypal.me/nycabc

Running Down the Walls in NYC is always a multi-generational event and we knew that meant having folks more vulnerable to Covid-19 there to show support (or have their parents show support for the young ‘uns). We implemented appropriate protocols for keeping everyone as safe as possible, and it turns out to be slightly annoying, but not difficult. Thanks to everyone who came out for understanding and being patient as we took longer to hand out food and drinks, kept everything wiped down, and all that other hoopla.

Setting up early, we were able to distribute a lot of free literature and talk with plenty of folks enjoying a day in the park and curious about the colorful flyers. By the time folks started showing up to register, everyone was hype. Recognizing not everyone participating has the same relationship to time (our nice way of saying there were plenty who were tardy for the party), we waited until after 2:30 to start the actual run. As always, some showed up eager to get the five kilometers behind them and a plate of food in front. And with so many folks, the event organizers left with nothing but empty containers (and a bunch of funds for our PPs and POWs) as the vegan cookout got entirely housed.

Running Down the Walls 2021 was familiar and unique at the same time. It was incredible to receive such great support from so many communities who showed up. We are grateful and deeply appreciate everyone who came through, donated online, promoted RDTW, or supported in myriad other ways. That’s what’s up and that’s how we get down (the walls).

BK/NY – Sunday, September 12th, 2021 – Running Down the Walls

WHAT: Running Down the Walls – 5k Run/Walk/Jog/Bike/Hang
WHEN: 2:00-7:00pm, Sunday, September 12th, 2021
WHERE: Prospect Park– Lincoln Road/East Lake Drive, east of the Terrace Bridge (see the below map for exact location)
COST: $10 registration (includes vegan BBQ afterwards served COVID precautions!)

We’re excited to announce Running Down the Walls 2021, COVID permitting. After making the difficult decision to not hold last year’s event in person, we are very much looking forward to gathering as a community for the first time in a long time. Please stay tuned to our website, sign up for our newsletter, and follow us on tweeter (@nycabc) for updates.

Every year, prisoners and supporters of political prisoners organize solidarity events with Running Down the Walls. In previous years, we’ve had runs in Albuquerque (NM), Arcata (CA), Ashland (OR), Bellefonte (PA), Boston (MA), Buffalo (NY), Chico (CA), Denver (CO), Elmore (AL), Inez (KY), Los Angeles (CA), Marion (IL), Minneapolis (MN) New York (NY), USP Navosta (TX), Pelican Bay (CA), Phoenix (AZ), Tucson (AZ), Seattle (WA), and Toronto, Ontario. This year we hope to expand the amount of runs in prisons and other cities, as well as increase the amount of funds raised for community projects. NYC ABC‘s goal with this year’s run is $4,000. You can donate online by going to paypal.me/nycabc or venmo: @nycabc

This year’s run will take place on Sunday, September 12th, 2021 at 2:00 pm in solidarity and conjunction with runs that will take place in cities and prison yards across the country at the same time. Stay after to enjoy a vegan BBQ, served taking every COVID precaution!

REGISTER AS, OR SPONSOR, A PARTICIPANT

To raise our goal of $4,000, we need your support.

* Promote – print and distribute flyers to friends and local businesses, your doctor’s office, laundromat, food co-op, wealthy benefactor, et cetera.

* Run/walk/bike/roll in the 5k – We need participants who can run/walk/bike/roll the 5k and are able to collect financial pledges to offer as donations to the run. Download the brochure, complete with registration and sponsor form right here.

* Volunteer for the run – We need folks who are willing to hand out water, bike the route as street medics, and help chalk the route beforehand.

* Donate online at paypal.me; venmo @nycabc

* Donate to the run/sponsor a participant – If you are not able to attend, but want to support this fundraising effort, please mail donations to:
NYC ABC
Post Office Box 110034
Brooklyn, New York 11211

Your donation of $10 or more entitles you to the celebratory picnic after the event.

Each year, we split proceeds between the Anarchist Black Cross Federation’s Warchest Program and a local organization. This year, local funds are going to recently released New York state political prisoners.

The Warchest Program:
The Anarchist Black Cross Federation (ABCF) has initiated a program designed to send monthly checks to those Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War who have been receiving insufficient, little, or no financial support during their imprisonment. The Warchest program was initiated in November 1994. Its purpose is to collect monthly funds from groups and individual supporters, and send that money to Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War (PP/POW) via monthly checks. Over the last twenty five years, the ABCF warchest has dispensed over $100,000 to political prisoners in the United States. Currently, there are 18 imprisoned comrades who receive a monthly stipend as part of the program; they are Abdul Azeez, David Gilbert, Doug Wright, Ed Poindexter, Eric King, Hanif Bey, Jamil Al-Amin, Joseph Bowen, Kamau Sadiki, Leonard Peltier, Malik Smith, Mutulu Shakur, Oso Blanco, Ronald Reed, Ruchell Magee, Sundiata Acoli, Veronza Bowers, and Xinachtli (FKA Alvaro Luna Hernandez).

For more information, visit: abcf.net/warchest-program

We will be starting here:

From the Q train, get off at the Prospect Park stop. Walk to Lincoln Road and turn right into the park. We’ll be about 700 feet away.

The event will be one lap around what is known as the Main Loop, and will total five kilometers. For the curious, here’s what it looks like:

If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail us at nycabc at riseup dot net.

See you there!