Archive
Illustrated Guide Version 16.6 Uploaded!
We’ve finished the latest version of the NYC ABC “Illustrated Guide to Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War” and it’s available for viewing (and download) by clicking on the tab at the top of this page. This update includes updated mini-bios, photos, and address changes for several prisoners. This update includes the release of Ruchell Magee. Welcome home, comrade!
BK/NY – Tuesday, April 6th– Letter Writing To Ruchell “Cinque” Magee
WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing
WHEN: 7pm, Tuesday, April 6th, 2021
WHERE: YOUR HOME
COST: Free
We are still mourning the loss of Chip Fitzgerald who died last week due to the neglect of the California prison system. But as the saying goes, “mourn the dead, but fight like hell for the living.” And so we must continue the struggle as Chip was not and is not the only elder still locked up, punished only for their fight for liberation. In that spirit, this week NYC ABC and Page One Collective encourage folx at home to write to Ruchell “Cinque” Magee, who is currently serving his 58th year in prison.
Ruchell Magee was unjustly captured in 1962 and given trumped-up charges. He is now 82 years old, forced to suffer mentally and physically due to the poor conditions inside California’s prison camps. With the COVID-19 crisis raging on, Ruchell needs your support and action so that he can be released, spend time with his loved ones, and better his community. After 58 years of injustice, enough is enough. Free Ruchell Magee now! More information here: freeruchellmagee.org
Please take the time to write a letter to Cinque (and share a photo of your completed envelopes with us online):
Ruchell Magee #A92051
#T 115
California Medical Facility
Post Office Box 2000
Vacaville, California 95696-2000
BK/NY – Tuesday, February 25th – Letter-Writing Dinner For Chip Fitzgerald, Cinque Magee, and Andrew Mickel
WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, February 25th, 2020
WHERE: The Base – 1302 Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11221 (directions below)
NOTE: The Base is on the ground floor, is wheelchair accessible, and has a gender neutral toilet.
COST: Free
As usual, you can find NYC ABC on our bi-weekly vibe, serving up some delicious vegan food and writing letters to three long standing political prisoners. Come join us as we send these folks some love and support.
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. More information here.
Commonly regarded as the longest held political prisoner in the U.S., Ruchell “Cinque” 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. More information here.
On November 19, 2002 Andrew Mickel shot and killed a cop named David Mobilio of the Red Bluff, California Police Department. There were no witnesses to the killing, and the crime would have gone unsolved had there not been Internet postings about the crime six days later. The postings read, “Hello Everyone, my name’s Andy. I killed a Police Officer in Red Bluff, California in a motion to bring attention to, and halt, the police-state tactics that have come to be used throughout our country.” In April 2005, Mickel was convicted of one count of first-degree murder. He was subsequently sentenced to death, and is being held on Death Row at San Quentin State Prison.
If for some unforeseeable reason you are unable to make it Tuesday, please take the time to write to these folx on your own time:
Chip Fitzgerald* #B27527
California State Prison – LAC
Post Office Box 4490
B-4-150
Lancaster, California 93539
*Address envelope to Romaine Fitzgerald
Cinque Magee* #A92051
T 115
California Medical Facility
Post Office Box 2000
Vacaville, California 95696
*Address envelope to Ruchell Magee
Andrew Mickel V77400
San Quentin State Prison
San Quentin, California 94974
Illustrated Guide Version 13.1 Uploaded!
We’ve finished the latest version of the NYC ABC “Illustrated Guide to Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War” and it’s available for viewing (and download) by clicking on the tab at the top of this page. This update includes updated mini-bios, photos, and address changes for several prisoners. We are thankful to remove Chuck and Delbert Africa (Parole).
BK/NY – Tuesday, February 19th – Letter-Writing Dinner For Chip Fitzgerald, Cinque Magee, and Andrew Mickel
WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, February 19th, 2019
WHERE: The Base – 1302 Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11221 (directions below)
NOTE: The Base is on the ground floor, is wheelchair accessible, and has a gender neutral toilet.
COST: Free
As usual, you can find NYC ABC on our bi-weekly vibe, serving up some delicious vegan food and writing letters to three long standing political prisoners. Come join us as we send these folks some love and support.
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. More information here.
Commonly regarded as the longest held political prisoner in the U.S., Ruchell “Cinque” 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. More information here.
On November 19, 2002 Andrew Mickel shot and killed a cop named David Mobilio of the Red Bluff, California Police Department. There were no witnesses to the killing, and the crime would have gone unsolved had there not been Internet postings about the crime six days later. The postings read, “Hello Everyone, my name’s Andy. I killed a Police Officer in Red Bluff, California in a motion to bring attention to, and halt, the police-state tactics that have come to be used throughout our country.” In April 2005, Mickel was convicted of one count of first-degree murder. He was subsequently sentenced to death, and is being held on Death Row at San Quentin State Prison.
If for some unforeseeable reason you are unable to make it Tuesday, please take the time to write to these folx on your own time:
Chip Fitzgerald* #B27527
California State Prison – LAC
Post Office Box 4490
B-4-150
Lancaster, California 93539
*Address envelope to Romaine Fitzgerald
Cinque Magee* #A92051
B3-138
California Mens Colony
Post Office Box 8103
San Luis Obispo, California 93409
*Address envelope to Ruchell Magee
Andrew Mickel V77400
San Quentin State Prison
San Quentin, California 94974
Illustrated Guide Version 12.2 Uploaded!
We’ve finished the latest version of the NYC ABC “Illustrated Guide to Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War” and it’s available for viewing (and download) by clicking on the tab at the top of this page. This update includes updated mini-bios, photos, and address changes for several prisoners.
Illustrated Guide Version 10.9 Now Uploaded!
We’ve finished the latest version of the NYC ABC “Illustrated Guide to Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War” and it’s available for viewing (and download) by clicking on the tab at the top of this page. This update includes updated mini-bios, photos, and address changes for several prisoners as well as removes Stanley Cohen (time served!).
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
BK/NY – Tuesday, August 30th – Come Support Black August Prisoner Cinque Magee
What: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
When: 7pm (sharp), Tuesday, August 30th, 2011
Where: 885 Park Avenue, Brooklyn, New York (see below for directions)
Cost: Free
So everyone survived the hurricane of the century rain storm that hit over the weekend? Good. If nothing else, the impending disaster confirmed a couple of things: the rich and their government do not give a fuck about the rest of us, especially those of us in prison; and folks on the ground are better able to take care of one another than some bullshit NGO.
NYC ABC dealt with the inconvenience of water falling from the sky by preparing for another every-other-week Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner. As we near the end of Black August, it’s only fitting that we focus on and honor Ruchell “Cinque” Magee.
On August 7th, 1970, Jonathan Jackson was gunned down outside the Marin County California courthouse as he attempted to liberate three imprisoned Black liberation fighters: James McClain, William Christmas and Cinque. Cinque is the sole survivor of that armed rebellion, the former co-defendant of Angela Davis, and has been imprisoned for over 40 years, most of it in solitary confinement.
While we expect to see you on Tuesday, if you can’t make it, please take the time to write a letter to Cinque at:
Ruchell Magee #A92051
CSP Corcoran 3A-02-131L
Box 3461
Corcoran, California 93212
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 Anarchist Birthday Brigade.
DIRECTIONS:
Getting to 885 Park Avenue is simple:
From the J/M/Z:
Flushing Stop: Walk southeast on Broadway (toward Sumner Place, away from Thornton Street) and make a right on Park Avenue. We’re halfway down the block, on your right.
Myrtle Stop: Walk northwest on Broadway (toward Melrose Street, away from Troutman Street) and make a left on Park Avenue. We’re halfway down the block on the right.
From the G Train:
Flushing Avenue Stop: Walk south on Marcy Avenue (toward Hopkins Street, away from Wallabout Street) and turn left on Park Avenue. We’re three and a half blocks down on the left.
Myrtle-Willoughby Avenues Stop: Walk north on Marcy Avenue (toward Stockton Street, away from Vernon Avenue) and turn right on Park Avenue. We’re three and a half blocks down on your left.
If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch. Otherwise, we’ll see you at supper.
This event is brought to you by your friendly neighborhood Anarchist Black Cross.–
NYC ABC
Post Office Box 110034
Brooklyn, New York 11211
nycabc[at]riseup[dot]net
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Free all Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War!
For the Abolition of State Repression and Domination!
NYC Anarchist Black Cross 