Illustrated Guide Version 14.1 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. Unfortunately, we are adding prisoners to the guide this month–Plowshares activists Clare Grady and Martha Hennessy and Water Protector Steve Martinez.

BK/NY – Tuesday, March 9th – Letter Writing To Grand Jury Resister Steve Martinez

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing
WHEN: 7pm, Tuesday, March 9th, 2021
WHERE: YOUR HOME
COST: Free

Hey, everyone, who likes sweet and sour? Us, too! But what we’re being fed right now by the state’s lapdog–corporate media, is saccharine sweet to keep some of us placated, ultra sour to keep others of us divided, and 100% rotting us from the inside. This steady diet of nothing keeps most of us distracted from the hammer held above our heads, just out of sight, ready to fall when we step out of line. For those who refuse the distraction, who face the full brunt of state repression, NYC ABC and Page One Collective again come together to show support. Please join us this week in writing letters to water protector and grand jury resister Steve Martinez.

Steve Martinez, an Indigenous and Chicano activist who participated in the protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) on the Standing Rock reservation in North Dakota in 2016, is being held on charges of contempt of court for refusing to testify before a federal grand jury.

Steve invoked the Fifth Amendment in an effort to avoid participation in the grand jury. The Fifth Amendment protects individuals from being forced to testify against themselves in court. In a common procedure intended to coerce testimony, the judge in the case granted Steve immunity, meaning that he could no longer be charged with crimes associated with his testimony. In so doing, the judge created the conditions by which Steve could be forced to testify or jailed if he refused to do so. Steve can now be held for as long as the grand jury before which he has been called remains empaneled. For more information and resources on grand jury resistance, visit supportstevemartinez.com

Please take the time to write a letter to Steve (and share a photo of your completed envelopes with us online):
Steve Martinez
Burleigh County Detention Center
Post Office Box 2499
Bismarck, North Dakota 58502

Illustrated Guide Version 14.2 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. Unfortunately, we are adding two prisoners to the guide this month–anti-racist Eric Hancock and grand jury resister Chelsea Manning. We are thankful to remove water protector Dion Ortiz (halfway house!).

BK/NY – Tuesday, April 2nd – Letter-Writing Dinner for Chelsea Manning

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, April 2nd, 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

Hey, everybody, jump in the car–we’re going on a road trip. Really? No. However, we are doing something fun and while we might not be heading cross country, the letters we write and mail at this weeks’ political prisoner letter-writing dinner are going all the way to…VIRGINIA. That’s because this week, NYC ABC is focusing our every-other-week event on Chelsea Manning, being jailed, in solitary confinement, for being principled in her resistance to a secretive federal grand jury.

Chelsea Manning, an anti-secrecy activist and former U.S. Army intelligence analyst whose release of classified information to WikiLeaks in 2010 sparked worldwide controversy over transparency in the military and whistleblower protections, was taken into custody at a federal court after a federal judge found her in contempt of court for refusing to answer questions before a secret grand jury. She can be imprisoned for the duration of the grand jury proceedings, up to 18 months. More information: https://xychelsea.is

If for whatever reason you cannot join us, we hope you will still write to Chelsea:
Chelsea Elizabeth Manning #AO181426
William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center
2001 Mill Road
Alexandria, Virginia 22314

BK/NY – Friday, March 10th – The Frontlines Are Everywhere: Grand Jury Resistance Tour

WHAT: Grand Jury Resistance Workshop
WHEN: 7pm, Friday, March 10th, 2017
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
Hot on the heals of NYC ABC‘s recent letter-writing dinner for water protectors held captive by the state, we are excited to host an event to help not only water protectors but all folks engaged in revolutionary struggle.

NoDAPL water protectors and the Water Protector Anti-Repression Crew are facilitating trainings across Turtle Island sharing knowledge about resistance to the grand jury convened against water protectors at Standing Rock. They want to build capacity for strong movement defense against state repression.

Strong movements and interdependent relationships make attempts to shut down our struggle obsolete. Let’s build our capacity for defending our movements together!

This two-hour workshop is open to all who have participated in the movement at Standing Rock, those who have supported the efforts on the ground from their homes and territories elsewhere, as well as all those who wish to continue fighting on the many frontlines that continue to emerge across Turtle Island.

The fight isn’t over at Standing Rock, as nearly 800 Water Protectors continue their battles in the courtrooms with some facing federal felony indictments that carry a potential of 15 years in federal prison. The grand jury convened against water protectors continues as does the resistance to it. As extraction becomes the norm and the government ramps up its repression against those who stand in resistance, this workshop holds valuable information for those who struggle for Indigenous sovereignty, earth liberation and a future without oppression.

BK/NY – Tuesday, December 20th – Letter-Writing Dinner For Indigenous Water Protector Red Fawn Fallis

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, December 20th, 2016
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 the year is coming to an end we are left with much to reflect on. The ongoing battle at Standing Rock from indigenous folks and their allies against those who would take away their land and water has been an intense continuing inspiration of resistance. These defenders of water have faced serious repression from the State and private security forces since the beginning of this struggle with mass arrests, continuing harrasment, and physical attacks, including the recent assault on local #NoDAPL supporter Sophia Wilansky who nearly lost her greatly injured arm to an explosive deployed by local cops while she was assisting those on the front lines. This week we will be writing to Red Fawn Fallis, an Oglala Lakota Sioux water protector who is currently facing federal firearms charges.

On October 27th, Red Fawn and over 140 other water protectors were arrested on the front lines of Standing Rock during a massive police raid on a camp of resisters. Red Fawn was initially accused of firing on local cops while being arrested and charged with attempted murder but those charges have since been dropped and Red Fawn was then transferred into federal custody to face federal charges of possessing a firearm while being a felon. Red Fawn has been steadfast in her dedication to the struggle by putting her body on the line despite the endless attacks of the local cops and private security hired by the pipeline company and being arrested on two other occasions during her stay.

We encourage everyone who writes to Red Fawn to keep in mind that she is still facing trial and to be extra cautious in writing to her. As always, do not write anything sketchy or illegal as it will put Red Fawn in a worse situation as her mail is likely being monitored. For that reason, you should also not mention the charges she facing or the actions she is accused of, as any communication of that sort can only serve the State and their case and harm Red Fawn. Do not let this dissuade you from writing to Red Fawn as she can use all of the support that she can get right now. Her support crew also has a fundraiser setup for her legal expenses: https://www.generosity.com/fundraising/free-red-fawn

If you can’t make it to dinner, please write to Red Fawn at:
Red Fawn Fallis
Stutsman County Correctional Center
205 6th Street SE, Suite 201
Jamestown, North Dakota 58401

It is also with great heaviness in our hearts that we remember NYC resident and comrade Clark Fitzgerald who passed away while traveling to the front lines of Standing Rock in order to assist the resistance.

There is also a federal grand jury that is ongoing in relation to #NoDAPL. Always remember that if you are subpoenaed or approached by law enforcement in this and in any circumstance that you should not answer any of their questions and that you should immediately contact a lawyer. If you have been contacted by law enforcement or subpoenaed specifically in relation to the Standing Rock resistance, contact the Water Protector Legal Collective in order to protect yourself and your comrades.

Jerry Koch transfered to MCC

According to the Bureau of Prisons (BOP), and confirmed by the Support Jerry Committee, grand jury resister Jerry Koch has been transferred from the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn to the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in Manhattan. Please take time to write to Jerry. If you’ve already written to him, the letter should eventually get to him, but it’s hard to know when. Given this fact, it’s best to just write another letter. The worse that happens is Jerry gets two letters from you.

Write to Jerry at:
Gerald Koch #68631-054
MCC New York
150 Park Row
New York, New York 10007

NYC Grand Jury Resister Gerald “Jerry” Koch Statement Regarding his Imprisonment

At 4:18pm on Tuesday, May 21st, local anarchist Gerald “Jerry” Koch was remanded into custody for his continued refusal to cooperate with a federal grand jury. It is presumed this grand jury was convened to investigate the 2008 “bicycle bombing” of a times square military recruitment center. It’s just as likely that the bombing is mere pretext for what the feds are really after– finding out more about anarchists in NYC, their networks, organizing, and varying philosophies.

In taking a principled position, Jerry has written the following statement:

“By the time you read this, I will be in the custody of the United States government for continuing my refusal to cooperate with a federal grand jury. This is the right thing to do.

I continue to believe that the government is using this federal grand jury in an abusive manner to force me to divulge information about my political associations and social networks.

If we mean what we say when we talk about radical politics, then we do not participate in witch hunts, inquisitions, or the assembly of black lists. As an individual, I will not lend legitimacy to government brutality and intimidation; I will not be used. As an anarchist, I will summon the courage to be stronger than the forces of the State’s all-too-real repression; I will not break.

Your show of truly powerful support has done nothing but strengthen my resolve in refusing to cooperate. We must not let ourselves be isolated by the government’s heavy-handed tactics. We must not give the state that last inch it tries to break in every one of us.

With Love, with Dignity, in Solidarity

Jerry Koch”

Please take the time to write Jerry a card or letter, letting him know that he has support. His current address, at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn is:
Gerald Koch #68631-054
MDC Brooklyn
Post Office Box 329002
Brooklyn, New York 11232

For updates and more ways to help, visit jerryresists.net