BK/NY – Friday, February 13th – “If A Tree Falls” Benefit Screening for Kevin Olliff and Tyler Lang

WHAT: Benefit for AETA defendants Kevin Olliff and Tyler Lang
WHEN: 8pm sharp, Friday, February 13th, 2015
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: Entrance is free but we will be requesting donations for Kevin and Tyler’s legal defense fund.

Tyler Lang and Kevin Olliff are two animal rights activists who, in 2014, were arrested in Illinois for “possession of burglary tools.” After a traffic stop, cops allegedly found bolt cutters, muriatic acid, ski masks, and camouflage clothing in the car. Tyler pleaded to 3 months time served while Kevin received a 30 month sentence in state prison. In July 2014, both were indicted under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA) and are accused of liberating animals from fur farms in 3 different states. They face up to 10 years in prison.

We will be screening If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, a film that focuses on our friend and New Yorker, Daniel McGowan. He was arrested in 2005 by federal agents in a nationwide sweep of radical environmentalists involved with the Earth Liberation Front– a group the FBI has called America’s “number one domestic terrorism threat.” The ELF operates in separate anonymous cells without any central leadership and launched spectacular actions against dozens of environmentally destructive businesses: timber companies, SUV dealerships, wild horse slaughterhouses, and a $12 million ski lodge in Vail, Colorado.

After the film, there will be time for questions and answers with special guests, including Rachel Meeropol (Center for Constitutional Rights attorney on Kevin and Tyler’s legal team) and Jenny Synan. NYC ABC will have a table with information and merchandise on political prisoners.

For more information, go to supportkevinandtyler.com

BK/NY – Friday, December 7th – Holiday and Homecoming Party for Daniel McGowan

WHAT: Holiday Party
WHEN: 7:00pm-11:00pm, Friday, December 7th
WHERE: The Commons – 388 Atlantic Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11217
COST**: Free, with reasonably priced refreshments and snacks.

Family & Friends of Daniel McGowan have marked the anniversary of Daniel’s arrest on December 7, 2005, with a variety of events in the past.

This December, Daniel is finally getting released from prison and coming to a halfway house in Brooklyn. To celebrate, we are having a straight up PARTY.

Please come join our celebration the evening of Friday, December 7, 2012, 7:00-11:00 pm at The Commons.

We’ll have music, snacks, and drinks, and lots of fun holiday surprises. Whether you’re a long-time supporter or joining us for the first time, you’re more than welcome and you don’t want to miss it! We are accepting cash donations and gift cards.**Please also consider helping Daniel by contributing towards some of the things he will need for his transition back home. We have created a special online registry for those items needed. http://www.simpleregistry.com/welcomedanielhome

Alternatively, if you’d prefer to give a gift card, please choose from the following stores:

Daniel McGowan having some mail rejected

Folks from NYC Anarchist Black Cross have heard from Daniel McGowan regarding the every-other-week collection of updates and announcements we compile. These updates are typically about U.S. held political prisoners and prisoners of war and add up to 25-35 pages each time. They are available online and are also sent by our collective to nearly a dozen prisoners. Daniel has received about thirty of these compilations, rarely having them denied. Until recently, that is.

Daniel tells us that he got another mail rejection dated July 10th, most likely related to the July 3rd set of updates. It is obvious that they are quickly rejecting any/all mailings from NYC ABC at this point, as it only took 2 days to reject. This is the fifth rejection in a row. Daniel spoke to the warden about this on July 10th and gave him a pages long detailed “cop out”– a regularly used standardized form filled out by prisoners to make a written, formal request to a prison staff member. To Daniel, it seems they are rejecting things without the warden’s review and that is against policy. Daniel filed a BP-8, or cop out, about the latest rejection, too.

NYC ABC will appeal the rejections, though we don’t expect much as we’re dealing with the state on its terms, under its rules.

This is one example of the seemingly small, but persistent ways by which the strategy to keep prisoners disconnected from their communities is carried out.

Show Support for Daniel McGowan and all political prisoners and prisoners of war.