Tuesday, April 20 – May Day letter-writing for Anarchist Prisoners

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, April 20th, 2021
WHERE: your home (or wherever you happen to be)
COST: Free

NYC ABC is an anarchist collective that supports political prisoners captured in liberation and anti-oppression struggles from a wide range of political or spiritual traditions. In other words, though we subscribe to anti-authoritarian principles, we don’t only support anarchists behind bars. But the May Day season is one in which we focus on those who struggle for a world without borders or bosses.

So, in remembrance of the Haymarket Martyrs—in whose honor May Day became known as an international workers’ day—we focus this week’s letter-writing on anarchists imprisoned for their beliefs and actions. Instead of getting together to sign and send May Day cards as we have in previous years, this week NYC ABC and Page One Collective are asking folks to to write letters or send books to one or more of the anarchist political prisoners we currently support, including Bill Dunne, Casey Brezik, and Gage Halupowski.

Unfortunately, anarchist political prisoner Eric King is currently on mail ban, so can’t receive letters. But he can receive book and magazines! Here is the link to Eric’s book wish list: tiny.cc/EK_Books

Casey Brezik #1154765
Jefferson City Correctional Center
8200 No More Victims Road
Jefferson City, Missouri 65101

Bill Dunne #10916-086
FCI Victorville Medium I
Post Office Box 3725
Adelanto, California 92301

Gage Halupowski #21894460
Snake River Correctional Institution
777 Stanton Boulevard
Ontario, Oregon 97914-8335

Tuesday, May 5th – Letter Writing for Sundiata Acoli & Dr. Mutulu Shakur

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing
WHEN: 7pm, Tuesday, May 5th, 2020
WHERE: YOUR HOME
COST: Free

 

Normally around this time of year, NYC ABC would be printing May Day cards for our every-other-week political prisoner letter-writing dinners. Clearly, times have changed.  We are also excited to be collaboratively organizing letter-writing nights with Page One Collective. And while the events will be collaboratively organized, instead of coming together at The Base in Brooklyn, we are asking folks to keep letter-writing on your minds and keep prisoners from being more alienated than they already are by writing from home. Please post a photo of your addressed envelope on social media and tag us (with your return address blurred out) and we will share it, building digital community while our analog community stays indoors and washes its hands. This week we turn our focus to Sundiata Acoli and Dr. Mutulu Shakur, Black Panther Party members serving time for charges connected to Assata Shakur and/or her successful 1979 prison break and escape.

A New York Black Panther, Sundiata Acoli endured two years of prison awaiting trial for the Panther 21 Conspiracy Case. He and his comrades were eventually acquitted on all the bogus charges. The case was historic and a classic example of police and government attempting to neutralize organizations by incarcerating their leadership. As a result of this political attack and because of the immense pressure and surveillance from the FBI and local police Sundiata, like many other Panther leaders went “underground.”  On May 2, 1973, Sundiata Acoli, Assata Shakur and Zayd Shakur were ambushed and attacked by state troopers on the New Jersey Turnpike. Assata was wounded and Zayd was killed. During the gun battle a state trooper was shot and killed in self defense. Sundiata was tried in an environment of mass hysteria and convicted, although there was no credible evidence that he killed the trooper or had been involved in the shooting. He was sentenced to thirty years. Sundiata was ordered released on parole by a state appeals court in New Jersey in September 2014 when the court ruled the parole board had “acted arbitrarily and capriciously” when it previously denied him parole. The State of New Jersey appealed the decision and won. More information: sundiataacoli.org

In 1987 Dr. Mutulu Shakur was sentenced to 60 years imprisonment for his role in the Black Liberation Movement. In March 1982, Dr. Shakur and 10 others were indicted by a federal grand jury under a set of U.S. conspiracy laws called Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) laws. These conspiracy laws were ostensibly developed to aid the government in its prosecution of organized crime figures; however, they have been used with varying degrees of success against revolutionary organizations. Dr. Shakur was charged with conspiracy and participation in the Black Liberation Army, a group that carried out actual and attempted expropriations from several banks. Eight incidents were alleged to have occurred between December 1976 to October 1981. In addition, he was charged with participation in the 1979 prison escape of Assata Shakur, who is now in exile in Cuba. After five years underground, Dr. Shakur was arrested on February 12, 1986. While he was on the street, Dr. Shakur challenged the use of methadone as a tool of recovery for addicts. He believed in natural remedies instead and, based on those beliefs, founded the Black Acupuncture Advisory Association of North America. Many people credit Shakur with saving their lives. Dr. Shakur has worked to free political prisoners and to expose government abuses against political organizers. While in prison, he has struggled to create peace between rival gangs. More information: mutulushakur.com

Please take the time to write a letter to Sundiata and Mutulu (and share a photo of your completed envelopes with us online):
Sundiata Acoli* #39794-066
FCI Cumberland
Federal Correctional Institution
Post Office Box 1000
Cumberland, Maryland 21501
*Address envelope to Clark Squire

Dr. Mutulu Shakur #83205-012
FMC Lexington
Post Office Box 14500
Lexington, Kentucky 40512

Illustrated Guide Version 13.7 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–Puerto Rican May Day protester Nina Droz Franco and pipeline protester Ellen Sue Gerhart. We are thankful to remove water protector Michael Foster (completion of sentence!).

BK/NY – Tuesday, April 24 – May Day Card-signing for Anarchist Prisoners

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, April 24th, 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

You’ve probably been working too many hours a week to even notice the full-blown war being waged against you by the ruling class. It is real and it is continuing. And of course there is another war– the war against folks imprisoned for their political beliefs and actions. And here’s where we bridge the two. This week, NYC ABC will be hosting our annual May Day card-writing night. We will be sending greeting cards to anarchist political prisoners and there’s an easy (too easy? POSSIBLY!) way for you to help. Just come by, eat some food, sign some cards, maybe meet folks you don’t already know, and show some base level solidarity with those behind bars.

If there’s absolutely no way you can come eat our home cooked vegan meal and sign a lot of May Day cards, but still want to support political prisoners, please consider sending some books from their wish lists.

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 PP/POW Birthday Calendar.

BK/NY – Tuesday, April 25 – May Day Card-signing for Anarchist Prisoners

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, April 25th, 2017
NOTE: The Base is on the ground floor, is wheelchair accessible, and has a gender neutral toilet.
WHERE: The Base – 1302 Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11221 (directions below)
COST: Free

You’ve probably been working too many hours a week to even notice the full-blown war being waged against you by the ruling class. It is real and it is continuing. And of course there is another war– the war against folks imprisoned for their political beliefs and actions. And here’s where we bridge the two. This week, NYC ABC will be hosting our annual May Day card-writing night. We will be sending greeting cards to anarchist political prisoners and there’s an easy (too easy? POSSIBLY!) way for you to help. Just come by, eat some food, sign some cards, maybe meet folks you don’t already know, and show some base level solidarity with those behind bars.

If there’s absolutely no way you can come eat our home cooked vegan meal and sign a lot of May Day cards, but still want to support political prisoners, please consider sending some books from their wish lists.

BK/NY – Tuesday, April 28 – May Day Card-signing for Anarchist Prisoners

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, April 28th, 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: Free
NYC ABC has been busier than usual. For some, that might seem hard to imagine. However, between hosting a packed-house event with CrimethInc at The Base and the NYC Anarchist Book Fair the following day, it’s been an assiduous couple of weeks. And as we look forward, May Day is just around the corner. So, in honor of the Haymarket Martyrs, and anarchists imprisoned for their beliefs and actions, we focus this week’s letter-writing dinner on them. Instead of writing letters, this week we will be asking folks to come sign cards for the thirteen anarchist political prisoners we currently support. There will be plenty of time for eating food, socializing, and scheming to bring about a world in which we want to live.

If there’s absolutely no way you can come eat a ton of food and sign a lot of May Day cards, but still want to support political prisoners, please consider sending some books from their wish lists.

BK/NY – Tuesday, April 29th – May Day Pizza Party + Card-Writing for Anarchist Political Prisoners

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, April 29th, 2014
WHERE: The Base – 1302 Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11221 (directions below)
COST: Free

NOTE: This week, letter-writing will be in Brooklyn, at our favorite anarchist space– The Base. For more information, visit thebasebk.org.

You’ve probably been working too many hours a week to even notice the full-blown war being waged against you by the ruling class. It is real and it is continuing. And of course there is another war– the war against folks imprisoned for their political beliefs and actions. And here’s where we bridge the two. This week, NYC ABC will be hosting our seventh annual May Day card-writing night. We will be sending greeting cards to anarchist political prisoners and there’s an easy (too easy? POSSIBLY!) way for you to help. Just come by, eat some food, sign some cards, maybe meet folks you don’t already know, and show some base level solidarity with those behind bars.

If there’s absolutely no way you can come eat a ton of pizza and sign a lot of May Day cards, but still want to support political prisoners, please consider sending some books from their wish lists.

NYC – Tuesday, April 30th – May Day Card-Writing for Anarchist Political Prisoners

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, April 30th, 2013
WHERE: CAGE – 83A Hester Street (UPSTAIRS) New York, New York 10002 (directions below)
COST: Free

You’ve probably been working too many hours a week to even notice the full-blown war being waged against you by the ruling class. It is real and it is continuing. And of course there is another war– the war against folks imprisoned for their political beliefs and actions. And here’s where we bridge the two. This week, NYC ABC will be hosting our sixth annual May Day card-writing night. We will be sending greeting cards to anarchist political prisoners and there’s an easy (too easy? POSSIBLY!) way for you to help. Just come by, eat some food, sign some cards, maybe meet folks you don’t already know, and show some base level solidarity with those behind bars.

NYC – Tuesday, July 3rd – Letter-Writing for Cleveland Five

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, July 3, 2012
WHERE: CAGE – 83A Hester Street New York, New York 10002 (directions below)
COST: Free
Hold on to something solid, because we have a bomb to drop on you. With Independence Day upon us, we have something startling to share. NYC ABC, collectively, could not give two shits about this holiday! Sacrilege, we know. Sarcasm aside, the state, writ large, and the United States government in particular, has nothing to do with independence and we’re not going to bore you with another polemic arguing as much. Nothing speaks as clearly to how little the U.S. government cares about independence than its production and treatment of political prisoners. In opposition to this logic, we again host our every-other-week Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner. This week we are writing to five pre-trial comrades, entrapped by the state— the Cleveland Five.

In the run-up to May Day actions planned across the country, the FBI took to its “go to” strategy– entrapping folks to distract from the actions at hand, draw resources from our communities, and attempt to scare us with heavy-handed arrests and prosecutions. Five folks from Ohio, most closely associated with Occupy Cleveland, were arrested and charged in an alleged plot to destroy a municipal bridge.

PLEASE REMEMBER: The Five are pre-trial. Take care with what you write and do not talk about the case. Scavil and Connor have written public letters, as has the father of one of their comrades. These are good starting points to begin conversations with them.

If you are unable to make it to dinner, please take the time to write a letter to these comrades at:
Brandon Baxter #57972060
Anthony Hayne #57975060
Joshua Stafford #57976060
Connor Stevens #57978060
NEOCC
2240 Hubbard Road
Youngstown, Ohio 44505

Douglas L. Wright*
150 High Street NW
Warren, Ohio 44481
*Please be sure to include Doug’s middle initial, L., when addressing letters to him as there are two Douglas Wrights at Trumbull County Jail in Warren.

For more information, visit http://cleveland5justice.org

BK/NY – Tuesday, April 24th – May Day Card-Writing for Imprisoned Comrades

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, April 24th, 2012
WHERE: 885 Park Avenue, Brooklyn, New York (see below for directions)
COST: Free

Red and Black, Class Attack

We’re closing in on May Day, and the cops in NYC are on edge. After being outmaneuvered by 150 anarchists during an anti-cop street demonstration, the cops decided to crack some skulls. When threatened, they attack. We’re expect plenty of attacks in the next ten days.

Maybe you’ve probably been working too many hours a week to even notice the full-blown war being waged against you by cops and the ruling class. It is real and it is continuing. And of course there is another war– the war against folks imprisoned for their political beliefs and actions. And here’s where we bridge the two. This week, NYC ABC will be hosting our fifth annual May Day card-writing night. We will be sending greeting cards to anarchist political prisoners and there’s an easy (too easy? POSSIBLY!) way for you to help. Just come by, eat some food, sign some cards, maybe meet folks you don’t already know, and show some base level solidarity with those behind bars.