NYC – Tuesday, October 28th – Come to a Green Scare(y) Halloween Card-Writing

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, October 28th, 2014
WHERE: CAGE – 83A Hester Street (UPSTAIRS) New York, New York 10002 (directions below)
COST: Free

Well, here we are, saddened. Another space in NYC is closing. We’ve been fortunate to call CAGE home to our every-other-week Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinners for over two years. So we thank them for providing us space to support political prisoners and hope they find a new home soon.

In light of the coming holiday, we are sending Halloween cards to targets of the Green Scare.

Since the early 1980s, public relations hacks have been working to reify the term “eco-terrorism.” By 2004, they became successful and a phrase that a decade earlier had no real meaning was now defined by the United States government and used to introduce legislation. Now we have comrades serving decades for economic sabotage and allegations of thought crime. With several recent animal liberation actions, and Tyler Lang & Kevin Olliff being tried as terrorists, it is clear that Earth and animal liberationists are both still active and still in the cross-hairs of the feds. Join us in letting them know they are not forgotten.

NYC – Tuesday, August 19th – Solidarity With International Anarchist Political Prisoners

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, August 19, 2014
WHERE: CAGE – 83A Hester Street (UPSTAIRS) New York, New York 10002 (directions below)
COST: Free

Rebels are getting wild in the streets, fed up with the abuse and brutality regularly meted out by cops. We in NYC ABC say up the rebels, including those comrades behind bars. And how do we support those imprisoned revolutionaries? One way is through our every-other-week political prisoner letter-writing dinners. This week we are a little early in answering the call for solidarity with international anarchist political prisoners.

Many imprisoned anarchists will never be acknowledged as ‘political prisoners’ by formal human-rights organizations, because their sense of social justice is strictly limited to the capitalist laws which are designed to defend the State and prevent any real social change. At the same time, even within our individual communities, we know so little about the repression that exists in other countries.

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!

NYC – Tuesday, August 5th – Letter-writing to Imam Jamil al-Amin

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, August 5, 2014
WHERE: CAGE – 83A Hester Street (UPSTAIRS) New York, New York 10002 (directions below)
COST: Free
Here in NYC, it’s been a busy mid-summer for NYC ABC with recent events at The Base, including a night of solidarity with international anti-fascist prisoner Jock Palfreeman,  the launch of the Earth First! Direct Action Manual, and planning our annual ‘Running Down the Walls’ 5K run.

Recently, we were reminded of the quote ‘violence is as American as cherry pie’ with the choking murder of Eric Garner on Staten Island by the NYPD. That prescient quote was from political prisoner Imam Jamil Al-Amin (then known as H. Rap Brown) which  brings us to this next letter writing dinner.

Jamil Al-Amin is a long time community leader and organizer, falsely imprisoned for  killing a sheriff’s deputy in Georgia. He was convicted in 2002 and after some time in Georgia state prison, the state decided to bury him in federal custody at the notorious Florence Supermax in Colorado. Due to a concerted and strong effort on the part of his supporters, Imam Jamil was transferred to the medical facility at Butner after having been diagnosed with bone cancer.

We are lucky to be joined by guest speaker Johanna Fernandez, Assistant Professor of History at Baruch College, editor of the forthcoming Writing on the Wall, Selected Prison Writings of Mumia Abu Jamal  (City Lights) as well as When the World Was Their Stage: A History of the Young Lords Party, 1968-1974 (Princeton University Press). Johanna works with the Bring Mumia Home  campaign and will be discussing the history of Imam Jamil al-Amin’s case and the campaign to get him proper cancer treatment & bring him home.

If, for whatever reason, you can’t make it to the event, please take time to write a letter:
Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin #99974-555
FMC Butner
Post Office Box 1600
Butner, North Carolina  27509

NYC – Tuesday, June 10th – Letter-writing to Marie Mason and Eric McDavid

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, June 1oth, 2014
WHERE: CAGE – 83A Hester Street (UPSTAIRS) New York, New York 10002 (directions below)
COST: Free
With wild asses getting wild against the state in Brazil and Spain, it looks like we will be heading into a very hot summer. It’s only through working together to pull this motherfucker down that we’re getting anywhere, and it’s time again to support the folks who have tried to do just that. The simple way NYC ABC does that is through every-other-week letter-writing dinners.

This week, in honor of the call for a June 11th International Day of Solidarity with Marie Mason and Eric McDavid, we will be sending letters to them. And the next night, join us as we co-host a multimedia extravaganza with members of Marie Mason’s local support crew. If you don’t already know about either Eric or Marie, they are the two folks targeted under the Green Scare who face the longest sentences, around twenty years each.

If, for some crazy reason, you can’t join us, please write to Eric and Marie (or send her a book) from home:
Marie Mason #04672-061

FMC Carswell

Post Office Box 27137

Fort Worth, Texas 76127

Eric McDavid #16209-097
FCI Terminal Island
Post Office Box 3007
San Pedro, California 90731

For more information about Eric, visit supporteric.org
For more information about Marie, visit supportmariemason.org

NYC – Tuesday, May 13th – Freedom Month Solidarity with Puerto Rican Political Prisoners

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, May 13th, 2014
WHERE: CAGE – 83A Hester Street (UPSTAIRS) New York, New York 10002 (directions below)
COST: Free
With the United States acting as judge, jury, and executioner abroad, we should be amazed that none of our political prisoners are captured and not just assassinated (though plenty have been). This disgusting, sinking ship is determined to take the whole world with it, whether it’s one person, one community, or one nation at a time. And while the United States may be biding its time regarding the conflict in Ukraine, we are no closer to collective, total liberation. Until we are free, we continue to revolt and support those around us who have done the same.

In solidarity with Freedom Month, NYC ABC will be dedicating its May 13th Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner to the Puerto Rican political prisoners. We will have a special guest speaker, Ben Ramos from ProLibertad, so this event is not to be missed.

Historically, the United States government has taken an (ethically and militarily) offensive position in regards to Puerto Rican political prisoners. Within the last couple of years, the FBI arrested Norberto Claudio González on charges dating back to 1983. On the same day as Norberto’s arrest, Oscar López Rivera was denied parole on the 30th anniversary of his arrest. The federal government clearly resents to successes of the movement to free Puerto Rico and is patient enough to wait 28 years to make an arrest. This should serve as a lesson to revolutionaries of all stripes– stay active, stay safe, and know that you must watch your back forever.

As we near the third anniversary of Norberto’s arrest, his mail is being denied. And so, we answer the call to flood the prison with mail to let them know we are watching and won’t stand for this form of mistreatment.

On May 29th, a picket is being organized to protest the 33rd anniversary of Oscar López Rivera’s arrest.

If for some nutty reason you can’t make it out, but still want to support Norberto and Oscar, you can write to them at:
Norberto González Claudio #09864-000
FCI Coleman Low
Post Office Box 1031
Coleman, Florida 33521

Oscar López Rivera #87651-024
FCI Terre Haute
Post Office Box 33
Terre Haute, Indiana 47808

For more information, be sure to visit the ProLibertad and National Boricua Human Rights websites.

NYC – Tuesday, April 1st – Letter-writing to California Political Prisoners

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, April 1st, 2014
WHERE: CAGE – 83A Hester Street (UPSTAIRS) New York, New York 10002 (directions below)
COST: Free
Oh, no, guys! Chris Brown says being in jail is like being a caged animal. Maybe the revelation of a millionaire pop star will shed light on the realities faced by about 1.5 million other prisoners in the United States. Maybe it will lead his legion of fans to call for the abolition of prisons! Or, in all likelihood, it will simply cause logistic problems for court cops at his next appearance date. If nothing else, jailing a pop star exposes more folks to just how shitty imprisonment really is. And that’s where NYC ABC comes in. With our every-other-week letter-writing dinners, we try to remind our comrades that no matter how awful their conditions, they have support on the outside. This week we are writing to three prisoners in California– Chip Fitzgerald, Ruchell “Cinque” Magee, and Hugo “Yogi” Pinell.

Romaine “Chip” Fitzgerald, born and raised in Compton, California, joined the Southern California Chapter of the Black Panther Party in early 1969 as a teenager who had just been released from the California Youth Authority. In September of that year, as a dedicated member of the Party, Chip was arrested in connection with a police shoot-out and tried for assault on police and related charges, including the murder of a security guard. He was sentenced to death.

Commonly regarded as the longest held political prisoner in the U.S., Ruchell Magee has been imprisoned since 1963. He was politicized in prison and participated in the August 7, 1970 Marin County Courthouse Rebellion— the attempted liberation of political prisoner George Jackson and the Soledad Brothers by Jackson’s younger brother Jonathan. Magee was seriously injured in the incident and subsequently pleaded guilty to aggravated kidnapping. He was sentenced in 1975 to life in prison and has been denied parole numerous times.

While Hugo Pinell was imprisoned in San Quentin State Prison he made contact with revolutionary prisoners such as George Jackson, one of the Soledad Brothers and W.L. Nolen. On August 21, 1971, there was a prisoner uprising in Pinell’s housing unit at San Quentin, led by George Jackson. On August 21, 1971, Jackson used a pistol to take over his tier in the Adjustment Center. At the end of the roughly 30 minute rebellion, guards had killed George Jackson, and two other prisoners and three guards were dead. Of the remaining prisoners in the unit, six of them, including Pinell, were put on trial for murder and conspiracy. They were known as The San Quentin Six. Three of them were acquitted of all charges, and three were found guilty of various charges. Pinell was convicted of assault on a guard. Although Pinell was convicted of assault, and another of the San Quentin Six had a murder conviction, only Pinell remains imprisoned.

In the unlikely event that there is a better use of your Tuesday night, but you still want to support the prisoners (or want to send these three a book) you can write to them at:

Romaine Fitzgerald* #B27527
Kern Valley State Prison
Post Office Box 5101
Delano, California 93216
*Address card to Chip

Ruchell Magee* #A92051
California State Prison – Los Angeles County
Post Office Box 8457
Lancaster, California 93539-8457
*Address card to Cinque

Hugo Pinell* #A88401
California State Prison – Sacramento
Post Office Box 290066
Represa, California 95671
*Address card to Yogi Bear

NYC – Tuesday, October 15th – Letter-writing to Puerto Rican Political Prisoners

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, October 15th, 2013
WHERE: CAGE – 83A Hester Street (UPSTAIRS) New York, New York 10002 (directions below)
COST: Free

With the United States acting as judge, jury, and executioner abroad, we should be amazed that any of our political prisoners are captured and not just assassinated (though plenty have been). This disgusting, sinking ship is determined to take the whole world with it, whether it’s one person, one community, or one nation at a time. And while the United States may have stayed its intention to go to war with Syria, we are no closer to collective, total liberation. Until we are free, we continue to revolt and support those around us who have done the same.

In solidarity with our comrades in Pro Libertad, NYC ABC will be dedicating its October 15th Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner to the Puerto Rican political prisoners.

Historically, the United States government has taken an (militarily and ethically) offensive position in regards to Puerto Rican political prisoners. Within the last couple of years, the FBI arrested Norberto Claudio González on charges dating back to 1983. On the same day as Norberto’s arrest, Oscar López Rivera was denied parole on the 30th anniversary of his arrest. The federal government clearly resents to successes of the movement to free Puerto Rico and is patient enough to wait 28 years to make an arrest. This should serve as a lesson to revolutionaries of all stripes– stay active, stay safe, and know that you must watch your back forever.

If for some nutty reason you can’t make it out, but still want to support Norberto and Oscar, you can write to them at:
Norberto González Claudio #09864-000
FCI Coleman Low
Post Office Box 1031
Coleman, Florida 33521

Oscar López Rivera #87651-024
FCI Terre Haute
Post Office Box 33
Terre Haute, Indiana 47808

For more information, be sure to visit the ProLibertad website.

NYC – Tuesday, July 9th – Letter-writing to Russell Maroon Shoatz

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, July 9th, 2013
WHERE: CAGE – 83A Hester Street (UPSTAIRS) New York, New York 10002 (directions below)
COST: Free
Wow, big news everyone. Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez are back together! Or maybe we should talk about the smartphone app for Jay Z’s new album? No? Instead you’re wondering how we can better organize against a state that tries to monitor our every communication? Well, in NYC ABC we start by refusing to shy away from communication, especially with our imprisoned comrades. One simple way we do that is through every-other-week letter-writing dinners.

This week, in honor of the call for a call for solidarity actions with Russell Maroon Shoatz, we will be sending letters to him. If you don’t already know about Maroon, he is a dedicated community activist, founding member of the Black Unity Council, former member of the Black Panther Party and soldier in the Black Liberation Army.  He is serving multiple life sentences as a US-held prisoner of war.

If, for some crazy reason, you can’t join us, please write to Maroon from home:
Russell Maroon Shoatz #AF-3855
301 Morea Road
Frackville, Pennsylvania 17932

For more information about Russell Maroon Shoatz, visit russellmaroonshoats.wordpress.com
Twitter: @FreeMaroonNYC

NYC – Tuesday, June 25th – Letter-writing to CeCe McDonald and Patreese Johnson

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, June 25th, 2013
WHERE: CAGE – 83A Hester Street (UPSTAIRS) New York, New York 10002 (directions below)
COST: Free

With the recent rise in attacks on LGBTQ folks in NYC, Pride could not of come sooner. This week we will be writing to two women, CeCe McDonald & Patreese Johnson, who were attacked by hateful transphobes and homophobes, only to be punished for defending themselves.

If, for some crazy reason, you can’t join us, please write to CeCe and Patreese from home:
gggg
Chrishaun McDonald* #238072
Minnesota Correctional Facility-St. Cloud
2305 Minnesota Boulevard S.E.
St. Cloud, Minnesota 56304
*Address letter to CeCe and envelope to Chishaun

Patreese Johnson #07-G-0635
Beacon Correctional Facility
50 Camp Beacon Road
Post Office Box 780
Beacon, New York 12508-0780

For more info on CeCe go to supportcece.wordpress.com
For more info on Patreese and the NJ4 go to freenj4.wordpress.com

NYC – Tuesday, June 11th – Letter-writing to Marie Mason and Eric McDavid

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, June 11th, 2013
WHERE: CAGE – 83A Hester Street (UPSTAIRS) New York, New York 10002 (directions below)
COST: FreeBetween wild asses getting wild against the state in Sweden, Turkey and Greece, it looks like we will be heading into a very hot summer. It’s only through working together to pull this motherfucker down that we’re getting anywhere, and it’s time again to support the folks who have tried to do just that. The simple way NYC ABC does that is through every-other-week letter-writing dinners.

This week, in honor of the call for a June 11th International Day of Solidarity with Marie Mason and Eric McDavid, we will be sending letters to them. If you don’t already know about either Eric or Marie, they are the two folks targeted under the Green Scare who face the longest sentences, around twenty years each.

If, for some crazy reason, you can’t join us, please write to Marie and Eric from home:
Marie Mason #04672-061

FMC Carswell

Post Office Box 27137

Fort Worth, Texas 76127

Eric McDavid #16209-097
FCI Terminal Island
Post Office Box 3007
San Pedro, California 90731

For more information about Eric, visit supporteric.org
For more information about Marie, visit supportmariemason.org