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!

NYC – Sunday, April 28 – Lenny Foster: Native American issues and Leonard Peltier

WHAT: Discussion and Presentation
WHEN: 2:00pm, Sunday, April 28th
WHERE: The People’s Forum–320 West 37th Street New York, New York 10018
COST: FREE

Lenny Foster of the Diné Nation is the former Director of the Navajo Nation Corrections Project and the Spiritual Advisor for more than 2,000 Native American inmates in ninety-six state and federal prisons in the Western U.S. He has co-authored legislation in New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado allowing Native American spiritual and religious practice in prison and resulting in significant reductions in prison returns.

He is a board member of the International Indian Treaty Council, a sun dancer and member of the Native American Church. He has been with the American Indian Movement since 1969 and has participated in actions including Alcatraz, Black Mesa, the Trail of Broken Treaties, Wounded Knee 1973, the Menominee Monastery Occupation, Shiprock Fairchild Occupation, the Longest Walk and the Big Mountain land struggle. Lenny Foster has received many accolades and honors for his groundbreaking work with Indigenous prisoners’ human rights and has testified many times at the United Nations on both Indigenous issues and Political Prisoner Leonard Peltier.

Sponsors: NYC Free Peltier, NYC Jericho, ProLibertad, NYC ABC

 

BK/NY – Friday, November 30th – NYC 2019 Certain Days Launch Party!

WHAT: Launch Party
WHEN: 7:30-9:30pm, Friday, November 30th, 2018
WHERE: Interference Archive–314 7th Street, Brooklyn, New York 11215
NOTE: Interference Archive is on the ground floor, is wheelchair accessible, and has a gender neutral toilet.
COST: Free

Join us for the Certain Days: Freedom for Political Prisoners Calendar launch party! The calendar is in its 18th year and is a joint fundraising and educational project between outside organizers in Montreal, Hamilton, New York and Baltimore, in partnership with a political prisoner being held in maximum-security prison in New York State, David Gilbert.

This year’s theme is “Health/Care,” and features art and writings by David Gilbert, Bec Young, Radical Indumentaria, Aviva Stahl, Debbie, Mike and Chuck Africa, Roger Peet, Addameer Prisoner Support & Human Rights Association, Leah Jo Carnine, Suzy Subways, Farha Najah, Ashanti Alston Omowali, Alec Ixnay Dunn, Barbara Zeller, Hikaru Ikeda, Giselle Dias, Micah Bazant, Justice for Alisha Walker, Fernando Martí, Sins Invalid, Tom Manning, Dave George, Laura Whitehorn, Frizz Kid, Abolitionist Law Center, Cindy Milstein, and more.

Local contributors to this calendar will be speaking about their art and articles printed in this year’s calendar. We will also have copies of the calendar for sale and holiday cards for political prisoners for you to sign.

This event will take place on the 19th anniversary of the Seattle protests that successfully shut down the World Trade Organization (WTO) meetings in 1999. We will have some audio and images playing from that historic moment.

This event is co-sponsored by NYC Jericho, ProLibertad Freedom Campaign, NYC ABC, NYC Free Peltier & Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network.

More info at certaindays.org
Order the calendar from Burning Books

 

BK/NY – Tuesday, March 27th – Letter-Writing Dinner For Michael Foster

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, March 27th, 2018
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

We typically start the invitation to our every-other-week political prisoner letter-writing dinner with commentary on current events or the state of the world. This time, NYC ABC would rather simply congratulate our comrades in the Jericho Movement on their upcoming 20th anniversary. We struggle for a world in which there will be no political prisoners or prisoners of war locked up and in need of outside support. Until then, groups like Jericho provide a template for thoughtful, consistent work that centers those imprisoned. Those who organize in their name don’t do it for praise or recognition, but we feel compelled to offer both. Thank you, comrades! To honor this work, we will do what we’ve been doing for over a decade and invite you to another dinner. This week, we are focusing on recently imprisoned water protector/”valve turner” Michael Foster.In February 2018, Michael Foster was found guilty and sentenced to three years in prison for actions taken as a “valve turner.” Foster and four others physically halted the flow of tar sands pipelines by closing valves along TransCanada’s Keystone 1 pipeline, which shoots some 590,000 barrels of oil a day from Canada to refineries on Texas’s Gulf Coast. At one point, the valve turners faced charges two criminal felonies and three misdemeanors, including a couple of felony reckless endangerment charges.

If for some unforeseeable reason you are unable to make it Tuesday, please take the time to write to Michael on your own time:
Michael Foster #51974
Missouri River Correctional Center
Post Office Box 5521
Bismarck, North Dakota 58506

 

NYC – Saturday, October 14 – Birthday Event for Leonard Peltier

WHAT: Leonard Peltier Birthday Event
WHEN: 2:00-5:00pm, Saturday, October 14, 2017
WHERE: Holyrood Episcopal Church/La Iglesia de Santa Cruz – 715 West 179 Street, New York, New York 10033 (Directions below)
COST: $5-$10, suggested donation (No one turned away due to lack of funds)

FEATURED SPEAKERS:
Tarik Haskins, former Black Panther Party (BPP)/Black Liberation Army (BLA) political prisoner, on his time with Leonard in the Federal Prison System
Paulette Dauteuil, International Leonard Peltier Defense Committee (ILPDC) Co-Director with updates on Leonard’s health and latest legal campaign

CULTURE AND ACTIVITIES:
Mariposa Fernandez and Rafael Landron
Silkscreen workshop, bring a shirt or buy and print your own “Free Leonard Peltier” t-shirt and
Raffle of Leonard’s art and books

Light refreshments will be served.

DIRECTIONS:
Entrance Ramp on 179 Street Entrance
On Fort Washington Avenue at 179th Street, Manhattan
A Train to 175 Street
1 Train to 181 Street

For More Info: nycfreepeltier@gmail.com
Co-sponsors: NYC Free Peltier, NYC Jericho, ProLibertad, NYC Anarchist Black Cross, Friends of the Move 9, Malcolm X Commemoration Committee, International Action Center

Running Down the Walls 2016 – A Reportback

Running Down the Walls (RDTW) 2016 was a success in building relationships, feeling the solidarity of running as our imprisoned comrades did the same, and raising funds for the ABCF Warchest and the Queer Detainee Empowerment Project (QDEP is a collective Alternative to Detention (ATD), detention center visitation, direct service, and community organizing project that works with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Queer, Two Spirit, Trans, Gender Non-Conforming, and HIV+ detainees and their families currently in detention centers, those that are recently released from detention centers, and undocumented folks in New York City).

The fear factory National Weather Service gave us pause and we considered rescheduling this year’s event with tropical storm Hermine looming just off the coast. As it turned out, we had no floods, no rain, no high winds, just perfect weather for running. Crisis averted!

We arrived early, to avoid getting beaten to a sweet spot in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, by the gaggle of goofs clawing to get to a food circus we refuse to name. This gave us time to set up our hand-painted RDTW banner and tables of literature & food. The aforementioned mall food court for the self-perceived well-heeled was dropped squarely in the middle of our run path last year, so we switched it up on ’em. This year, our 5k was more like 5.2k (sorry, distance nerds) and consisted of a single lap around what is known as the Main Loop.

Given that this was also a picnic—outdoors, breezy, and mildly unpredictable, we set up a scaled down version of our literature table. This meant our ubiquitous red wire rack of free literature, including copies of the recently published Conditions of Confinement (writings by anarchist prisoner Casey Brezik), the NYC ABC Illustrated Guide to Political Prisoner and Prisoners of War, and all of the tri-fold pamphlets about many of the prisoners we support.

We had printed bib numbers for the participants. The flipside of the bib numbers had information about NYC ABC and guidelines for writing to prisoners, making it both a memento and a useful reminder to write to folks.

A few serious runners arrived as early as 1:30pm, though the announced time of the event was 2:00-7:00pm and we typically use the first half hour to register folks and take sponsor forms from those who hustled to get sponsors. Even with this schedule in mind, anarchist time prevailed and the run actually started closer to 2:45, following a group photo around the RDTW banner.

Before the run, an NYC ABC collective member went over some basics, while also kicking facts about political prisoners and state repression. We then played a greeting from Jaan Laaman, recorded specifically for the event.

Of the 60-70 folks who came to RDTW 2016, about 45 participated in the 5(.2)k. The age range was 4-72 years old. Hashtag multi-generational. Several runners were serious, several were fast, and the venn diagram of those two categories resulted in the same few folks running the fastest laps this year as last.

After running, bronchial passages fully dilated, what sounds better than a plate of barbecue and potato salad?

The picnic consisted of Texas-style barbecued jackfruit sandwiches with fresh pickles; potato salad; a variety of chips & cold drinks; and some outstanding cranberry blondies. Yes, a lot of folks came just for the food.

Before we got too deep into socializing, we read solidarity statements written for the event by Bill Dunne, Kojo Bomani Sababu, Hanif Bey, and Xinachtli.

One participant garnered over $1,000 in sponsors, and several others raised hundreds of dollars each. All told, we raised a respectable amount of loot.

Folks sitting around, talking, having just shared the run, felt good. The group consisted of folks from diverse backgrounds, many of whom were new faces to our collective. Instagram followers brought IRL friends, and comrades & allies turned up as well. Release Aging People in Prison (RAPP), NYC Jericho Movement, International Leonard Peltier Defense Committee, Malcolm X Commemoration Committee, Family and Friends of Maliki Shakur Latine, the campaign the Bring Mumia Home, Marius Mason’s support crew, the Certain Days: Freedom for Political Prisoners Calendar, and the campaign to Free the MOVE 9 prisoners were among the represented organizations that explicitly work on political prisoner support. There were also folks from NYC Animal Defense League, the NYC Anarchist Book Fair, Black and Pink NYC, Rojava Solidarity NYC, Incarcerated Worker Organizing Committee NYC (IWOC), WESPAC, and Books Through Bars, among others. We were also thankful for the presence of Sekou Odinga and Susan Rosenberg, former political prisoners and consistent examples of solidarity through action.

Most folks had left by 6:30 and those who stayed did so to help clean up and transfer everything to the cars. So the event went as scheduled, almost to the minute.

Knowing the history of the run and the imprisoned comrades with whom we ran in solidarity elevated Running Down the Walls 2016 to an even more inspiring level.

And that’s how we get down (the walls).

NYC ABC

Running Down the Walls 2015 – A Reportback

Running Down the Walls (RDTW) 2015 was a success in building relationships, feeling the solidarity of running as our imprisoned comrades did the same, and raising funds for the ABCF Warchest and Family and Friends of Maliki Shakur Latine (Maliki is a New York state held political prisoner whose support crew is currently raising funds for his parole campaign). We arrived early, to avoid getting beaten to a sweet spot in Prospect Park (Brooklyn), which gave us time to set up our hand-painted RDTW banner, tables of literature and food, and mark turns along the route of the run. The route is commonly known as “The Inner Loop” by local runners and two laps around equals almost exactly 3.1 miles, or 5 kilometers.

Given that this was also a picnic– outdoors, breezy, and mildly unpredictable, we set up a scaled down version of our literature table. This meant our ubiquitous red wire rack of free literature, including copies of the recently published Battle Tested, After Prison, the NYC ABC Illustrated Guide to Political Prisoner and Prisoners of War, and all of the tri-fold pamphlets about many of the prisoners we support. We also sold our ASL All Cops Are Bastards (ACAB) t-shirts.

We had printed bib numbers for the participants. The flipside of the bib numbers had information about NYC ABC and guidelines for writing to prisoners, making it both a memento and a useful reminder to write to folks.

A few serious runners arrived as early as 1:30pm, though the announced time of the event was 2:00-7:00pm and we typically use the first half hour to register folks and take sponsor forms from those who hustled to get sponsors. Even with this schedule in mind, anarchist time prevailed and the run actually started closer to 2:45, following a group photo around the RDTW banner.

Before the run, an NYC ABC collective member went over some basics, while also kicking facts about political prisoners and state repression. We then played a greeting from Jaan Laaman, recorded specifically for the event. Jaan recommended we dedicate RDTW 2015 to the memory of our fallen comrade Hugo “Yogi Bear” Pinell. As a special treat, Dequi Kioni-Sadiki started the race with the drop of a red bandana.

At this point, it’s impossible to write about the event without mentioning that squarely in the middle of the Inner Loop, our run path, sat the inaugural installation of a foodie event that shall not be named. Our participants had to run through a sea of yuppies, starving for local micro-butchery, artisanal ice cubes, and whatever other contrived bullshit passes for authenticity to the ruling class. On the upside, this drove a lot of folks to our literature table and put us in the position to talk to individuals who would likely never otherwise approach us. Of course anarchists won’t be happy until the last capitalist is hung with the guts of the last bacon-infused mustache wax-wearing yuccie, but until then it was good practice to talk to strangers about our political prisoners. A fair number of park guests stopped at the table to get information about the prisoners, Running Down the Walls, and NYC ABC.

Of the 60-70 folks who came to RDTW 2015, about 45 participated in the 5k. The age range was 3-71 years old. Hashtag multi-generational. Several runners were serious, several were fast, and the venn diagram of those two categories resulted in the same person running the fastest laps this year as last.

After running, bronchial passages fully dilated, through clouds of meat smoke and whatever cologne investment bankers wear, what sounds better than a plate of barbecue and potato salad? Chorizo tofu empanadas? You’re right.

The picnic consisted of Texas style barbecued jackfruit sandwiches with fresh pickles; potato salad; pasta salad; empanadas; chocolate-coconut cream layer cake; and plum-peach lemon almond polenta cake. Yes, a lot of folks came just for the food.

Before we got too deep into socializing, we read a statement written for the event by Maliki Shakur Latine, and then gave prizes. Oh yeah, RDTW had prizes this year. Friends from AK Press and Combustion Books donated prizes that were given for the three folks who raised the most money in sponsorships as well as for the person who made the single largest donation at the event. We also had a laser cut acrylic “ACAB” plaque for the runner who completed the 5k in the least amount of time.

One participant garnered over $1,300 in sponsors, and several others raised hundreds of dollars each. All told, between the event and what was sold through our table, we raised a respectable amount of loot.

Folks sitting around, talking, having just shared the run, felt good. The group consisted of folks from diverse backgrounds, many of whom were new faces to our collective. Twitter followers brought IRL friends and comrades & allies turned up as well. South Brooklyn ABCF, Release Aging People in Prison (RAPP), NYC Jericho Movement, International Leonard Peltier Defense Committee, Malcolm X Commemoration Committee, Family and Friends of Maliki Shakur Latine, the campaign the Bring Mumia Home, Marius Mason’s support crew, and the campaign the Free the MOVE 9 prisoners were among the represented organizations that explicitly work on political prisoner support. We were also thankful for the presence of Sekou Odinga, former political prisoner and consistent example of solidarity through action.

Most folks had left by 6:30 and those who stayed did so to help clean up and transfer everything to the cars. So the event went as scheduled, almost to the minute.

Knowing the history of the run and the imprisoned comrades with whom we ran in solidarity elevated Running Down the Walls 2015 to an even more inspiring level.

And that’s how we get down (the walls).

NYC ABC

NYC – Saturday, September 12th – Film: Warrior, the Life of Leonard Peltier

WHAT: Film Screening
WHEN: 7:00pm, Saturday, September 12th
WHERE: Bluestockings – 172 Allen Street New York, New York 10002
COST: Free

To honor Leonard Peltier’s 71st birthday, with the International Leonard Peltier Defense Committee and NYC Jericho Movement, NYC ABC is co-sponsoring a free screening of Warrior: The Life Of Leonard Peltier. Although not a new film, Warrior covers the story of Leonard Peltier, an innocent man locked away for life in the U.S. prison system. Leonard is a Native American political prisoner, convicted of a crime that he did not commit during a bloody shootout on the Pine Ridge Reservation in 1975. Around the world his trial and conviction have been denounced as a sham. Please join us and sign a birthday card to Leonard and a letter to President Obama asking that he grant executive clemency to Leonard.

Medical Campaign for Abdullah Majid

The hard-to-face fact is we have a generation of imprisoned comrades who are dealing with the health crises that come with aging. Beyond the indignity of being caged for struggling against oppression, they must now also contend with a wholly incompetent (when not willfully neglectful) medical system. A case in point is New York State political prisoner Abdullah Majid.

From the Jericho Movement:
Abdullah (Abdul) Majid is in need of our help. Months ago we reported that he was experiencing excruciating pain from an attack of sciatica. He was scheduled to have back surgery in October of 2013, and was instructed to stop taking the ibuprofen he was using to alleviate some of the pain. During this time, the only remedy provided has been a cane that was too short given to him by the prison doctor, making it difficult for him to walk or lean on.

When the surgery was first postponed, Majid was told it was because he needed to have some pre-op medical tests. Those tests were performed, and he has seen a cardiologist and the doctor who is to perform the surgery. As the days and months go by, his 90 year old mother, Mrs. LaBorde, becomes more and more anxious and frustrated by the Department of Correction’s (DOCCS) lack of response to her concerns.

We ask you to contact DOCCS and Governor Andrew Cuomo to express your concerns about the continued negligence and disregard for Abdul Majid’s health and medical well-being and to demand that the surgery take place. Please be sure to give his name and DIN #: Abdullah Majid, DIN # 83-A-0483 when you call or write.

Dr. Carl J. Koenigsmann, Deputy Commissioner/Chief Medical Officer
DOCCS Division of Health Services
Harriman State Campus–Building #2
1220 Washington Avenue
Albany, New York 12226-2050
518.457.7073

The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo
Governor of New York State
New York State Capitol Building
Albany, New York 12224
518.474.8390

Please let us know the response you get and re-post this to facebook/twitter, et cetera.

Phone Campaign for Jalil Muntaqim

Over the past few months, our comrade Jalil Muntaqim has both had his parole (again) denied and suffered a minor stroke. Though the parole denial is being appealed, allowing him to languish any longer behind bars is reprehensible. Please join us in a phone campaign to get Jalil free.

Jalil had a minor stroke in February. (He did not know that he had suffered a stroke, but had a tingling sensation in his left arm.) The first doctor he saw at Attica wanted to immediately send him to the hospital, but the head doctor, Dr. Rho, said that they first needed to get permission from Albany to take Jalil to the hospital.

So, finally, on Monday, April 8, 2013, Jalil was shackled and had the black box put on and was taken to ECMC in Buffalo, where he had a CAT scan. This all occurred in the morning, and he was back at Attica by about 10:30 a.m.

The neurologist who reviewed the CAT scan called Attica and requested that Jalil be admitted to the hospital. The CAT scan revealed that Jalil has damage to his upper right cerebral hemisphere. Shortly thereafter, an ambulance arrived. However, the escort team from Albany had already left.

Dr. Rho once again intervened, and said that the outside neurologist had told him that, since Jalil had no symptoms, he could be treated on an outpatient basis, once again requiring permission from Albany. Jalil is not sure that Dr. Rho is telling the truth about this. He thinks they are deliberately denying him adequate medical care.

At this time, Jalil has an Administrative Appeal pending in regards to his last parole denial. The Parole Board has until August 9, 2013 to make a decision.

Jalil is asking people to call the NYS Division of Parole in Albany at 518.473.9400 to urge the Parole Board to reverse its denial and immediately release him. We can also ask for compassionate release, since he is being denied adequate medical care.

When you call the parole board, you must refer to Jalil as Anthony Bottom #77-A-4283, currently at Attica Correctional Facility. Be polite, but firm and let us know what kind of response you receive.

If you are a doctor or work in the medical profession, we encourage you to write to Commissioner Brian Fischer at:

NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision
Building 2
1220 Washington Avenue
Albany, New York 12226-2050

Please request that Jalil get the medical attention he needs in order to adequately recover from the stroke.

Also, please cc NYC Jericho Movement Post Office Box 574, New York, New York 10018