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Illustrated Guide Version 9.7 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 removing Joel Bitar (TIME SERVED!) and Jason Sutherlin (TIME SERVED!). Unfortunately, this version also includes the addition of Eric King, an anarchist awaiting trial for alleged politically motivated property destruction in Kansas City.
BK/NY – Tuesday, July 15th – They Flew Me to Canada, and Boy Are My Arms Tired!
WHAT: Discussion with Dane Rossman and local G20 extraditee prisoner supporters
WHEN: 7:00pm, Tuesday, July 15th
WHERE: The Base – 1302 Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11221 (directions below)
COST: Free, but donations are appreciated.
On Tuesday, July 15th, NYC ABC is excited to host our comrade Dane Rossman and the discussion of his experience being extradited to Canada for actions during the 2010 G20 Summit in Toronto. This discussion will also include updates on the remaining G20 extraditee prisoners— Joel Bitar and Kevin Chianella, with members of their local support crew.
Dane Rossman is an anarchist living on occupied Tohono O’odham land in Tucson, Arizona.
He’s been involved for several years in anti-colonial, No Borders, and prison/police abolition movements, and will try to situate his experience of incarceration and extradition within that history, with an emphasis on ongoing struggles in Arizona.
Dane hopes to use this opportunity to raise funds for the other G20 extraditees still being held by the Canadian state, so bring cash if you can.
For more info on those cases and struggles in Arizona, see the following:
notorontog20extradition.wordpress.com
guelphabc.noblogs.org
supportjoel.com
lockedupyetliberated.noblogs.org
tucsonabc.wordpress.com
indigenousaction.org
nomoredeathsvolunteers.org
pronetaction.org
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, February 18th – Letter-Writing Dinner For Recently Imprisoned Comrades
WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, February 18th, 2014
WHERE: CAGE – 83A Hester Street (UPSTAIRS) New York, New York 10002 (directions below)
COST: Free
So, who wants to talk about the weather? Great, neither do we. We will note that it doesn’t always bring out the best in people. We’ll also say that, despite the winter cold, we had an amazing turnout for Punk Rock Karaoke that benefited NYC ABC. Money raised from the event helps fund projects such as our every-other-week political prisoner letter-writing dinners, which we’ve been consistently hosting for nearly seven years.
This Tuesday we continue the project, writing to three folks from the northeast recently sentenced to prison for taking part in protests against the G20 in Toronto way back in 2010. On February 3rd, Richard Morano was sentenced to seven months in jail, whereas the prosecution was seeking 12-15 months. Ten days later, Joel Bitar and Kevin Chianella, both New Yorkers, were sentenced to 20 and 24 months, respectively. You can read Joel’s statement to the court here.
Kevin Chianella received a 2 year prison sentence for his participation in the G20 protests in Toronto in 2010. Chianella, 18 at the time, got a heftier sentence because he attacked a cop car with a canvas bag full of rocks. He is also stated to have fueled and helped sustain the fire that was set upon another cop car. Chianella, from Queens, was supported in court by his family, among them, his 90-year-old grandmother.
Come find out more about Joel, Kevin, and Richard, and other political prisoner news, and enjoy a meal with friends (new or old).
In the unthinkable event that you are not able to attend, but still want to support the prisoners, you can write to them at:
Joel Bitar / Kevin Chianella / Richard Morano
Toronto West Detention Center
111 Disco Road Box 4950
Rexdale, Ontario
M9W 5L6
Canada
For more information and updates, go to:
supportjoel.com
notorontog20extradition.wordpress.com
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NYC Anarchist Black Cross 