Running Down the Walls 2023: A Reportback

Running Down the Walls 2023 has come and gone. Here in NYC we had a beautiful day to do it, the mid-September New York weather finally feeling like autumn instead of a desert summer. Both Prospect Park and the City itself seemed even busier than usual, with buskers, vendors and birthday parties nearby and marches and rallies elsewhere in town. In coordinating a multi-city run with organizers on both sides of the walls, we have to find a day that works for everyone involved as much as possible. As it turned not out only did Sunday, September 17 this year land during Rosh Hashanah, but both the Climate March and the 54th Annual African Day Parade were on Sunday as well. It also happened to be the 2nd day of the NYC Anarchist Book Fair, which we spent all day Saturday tabling at. So it was a busy weekend for many New Yorkers, including NYC ABC! Even still, a lively core of runners, bikers, walkers, and chillers assembled near the black RDTW banner to raise funds, awareness, and community solidarity for our political prisoners. It was wonderful to reconnect with long time friends and comrades, and to welcome some new faces!

The goal of RDTW, this year as much as any, is of course to raise much-needed funds for the Anarchist Black Cross Federation Warchest Program. Also though, and always, any chance to share information about the political prisoners and POW’s we support is heartily welcomed. Not to mention that events such as these are important in building and maintaining solidaric community in the here and now, rather than waiting for some dreamy future or idealizing pasts or present communities we are not a part of.

The namesake event itself kicked off a bit later than usual this year, as ‘anarchy time’ remains as reliable as ever. This year there were some pretty serious runners and bikers, as well as some casual perambulators happy to enjoy the fresh air at an unhurried pace. After the ‘run’, as is local anarchist tradition, organizers, participants and supporters shared an especially delicious home-cooked vegan meal, and spent a few more hours making new friends and catching up with cherished comrades.

We’ll leave you here with a few Running Down the Walls 2023 solidarity statements from some former political prisoners, as well as from a couple of good folks still behind the walls.
Hopefully we’ll see you all at next year’s Running Down the Walls!
Free Them All!

RDTW 2023 STATEMENTS FROM CURRENT AND FORMER POLITICAL PRISONERS:

YORCH (DF, Mexico)
Greetings from reclusorio oriente of Mexico City. I am Yorch, I’m in prison for being part of Okupa Che! Like you all know I am being accused of selling narcotics and these are fabricated charges by the authorities and by the university chancellor. It has been 9 months since I was kidnapped and put in this place. Like you all know the legal bills and life in here is really difficult. It brings me joy that the homies from Running Down The Walls Borders (Walls) [Anarchist Black Cross Los Angeles] have invited me to write something about my case to spread the word. We need to pressure the courts so they do not continue extend my legal process. I send you all a strong combative hug and hope to be out soon so we can continue to struggle together. Down with the prison walls!

RAY LUC LEVASSEUR
When Running Down the Walls first kicked off many years ago I was held
captive at the notorious ADX prison in Florence, Colorado.  But within
that isolation cell I felt the defiant rhythm of those who ran, jogged,
walked and rolled to support political prisoners.  SOLIDARITY is our
greatest weapon —  the very heart and soul of any movement that resists
the depredations of capitalism and the malignancy of white supremacy.
Those of you here today help to carry forward the spirit of resistance
and provide vital support for OUR political prisoners.  With love and
respect from unceded Wabanaki land.

JALIL MUNTAQIM
Running Down the Walls is running down penal slavery, it’s running down capitalist exploitation, it’s running down white supremacy. It is when we understand the politics behind Running Down the Walls we understand the very nature of our overall struggle. That is because Running Down the Walls supports the existence of political prisoners of war, and thereby supports the movements and struggles they come from.

When we run down the walls we are building a movement of politically conscious activists will and able to sacrifice for what they believe is according to their and our common humanity.

XINACHTLI
IN THE TRUE SPIRIT OF STRUGGLE AGAINST FASCISM, as the crisis deepens in U.S. society, and the capitalist-imperialist rulers spew their imperialist lies out of their foul mouths, as the class struggle sharpens the response by rulers is more repressive, racist laws designed to tighten their noose around the necks of all working class people, as the rich squeeze more production from the workers to enrich the surplus value to make them ever richer, while the workers get mere crumbs, under the existing dog-eat-dog system of wage-theft slavery they call it “free enterprise” and “freedom” as they spend millions of dollars on war efforts in Ukraine, while ignoring the basic human needs of the poor in this society.

BEHIND THE IRON CURTAINS OF AMERIKKKA’S KKKCONCENTRATION KKKAMPS, conditions worsen and there is a continuing callous indifference for free speech, inhumane prison conditions, brutality, prisoners dying due to extreme heat conditions, forced prisoner slavery, and deprivation of such basic human needs, as essential food, and medical needs of prisoners, while prisoncrats live in luxury by swindling taxpayer funds designed for prison, to enrich themselves, all hidden away from public view. Here in Texas, prison conditions are atrocious, and repression against those of us who fight for human rights, escalates, in a prison system with deep roots in settler colonialism, white supremacy and plantation racial slavery, the result of two Yankee colonial wars of conquest and extermination, where the massive prisons sit on stolen lands.

THIS 2023 RUNNING DOWN THE WALLS YEAR, we submit our solidarity statement and thank ABCF and its WARCHEST for continuing to support all of us POW, POLITICAL PRISONERS, VICTIMS OF COINTELPROREPRESSION THAT TARGETED OUR SOCIAL LIBERATION MOVEMENT ORGANIZATION TO DESTROY OUR STRUGGLES. ALL POWER TO THE PEOPLE! FREE ALL US FREEDOM FIGHTERS!

BK/NY – Sunday, September 17th, 2023 – Running Down the Walls

WHAT: Running Down the Walls – 5k Run/Walk/Jog/Bike/Hang
WHEN: 2:00-7:00pm, Sunday, September 17th, 2023
WHERE: Prospect Park– Lincoln Road/East Lake Drive, east of the Terrace Bridge (see the below map for exact location)
COST: $10 registration, participants encouraged to get sponsors (includes vegan BBQ afterwards, with COVID precautions for serving!) Donate at paypal.me/nycabc venmo.com/nycabc or with the Cash App : $NYCABC

NYC Anarchist Black Cross (NYC ABC) is excited to announce Running Down the Walls 2023! After making the difficult decision to not host RDTW in person in 2020, we are looking very forward to gathering as a community. For the last couple of years, we’ve had an amazing time and successful fundraisers. Please stay tuned to our website, sign up for our newsletter, and follow us on instagram (@nycabc) or bluesky (nycabc.bsky.social)for updates.

Every year, prisoners and supporters of political prisoners organize solidarity events with Running Down the Walls. In previous years, we’ve had runs in Albuquerque (NM), Arcata (CA), Ashland (OR), Bellefonte (PA), Boston (MA), Buffalo (NY), Chico (CA), Denver (CO), Elmore (AL), Inez (KY), Los Angeles (CA), Marion (IL), Minneapolis (MN) New York (NY), USP Navosta (TX), Pelican Bay (CA), Phoenix (AZ), Tucson (AZ), Seattle (WA), and Toronto, Ontario. This year we hope to expand the amount of runs in prisons and other cities, as well as increase the amount of funds raised for community projects. NYC ABC‘s goal with this year’s run is $4,500. You can donate online by going to venmo.com/nycabc: @nycabc

This year’s run will take place on Sunday, September 17th, 2023 at 2:00 pm in solidarity and conjunction with runs that will take place in cities and prison yards across the country at the same time. Stay after to enjoy a vegan BBQ, served taking every COVID precaution!

REGISTER AS, OR SPONSOR, A PARTICIPANT

To raise our goal of $4,500 we need your support.

* Promote – print and distribute flyers and posters to friends and local businesses, your doctor’s office, laundromat, food co-op, wealthy benefactor, et cetera.

* Run/walk/bike/roll in the 5k – We need participants who can run/walk/bike/roll the 5k and are able to collect financial pledges to offer as donations to the run. Download the brochure, complete with registration and sponsor form right here.

* Volunteer for the run – We need folks who are willing to promote the run and bike the route as street medics.

* Donate online at venmo @nycabc

* Donate to the run/sponsor a participant – If you are not able to attend, but want to support this fundraising effort, please mail donations to:
NYC ABC
Post Office Box 110034
Brooklyn, New York 11211

Your donation of $10 or more entitles you to the celebratory picnic after the event.

Each year, we split proceeds between the Anarchist Black Cross Federation’s Warchest Program and a local organization. This year, local funds are going to NYC ABC/project FANG.

The Warchest Program:
The Anarchist Black Cross Federation (ABCF) has initiated a program designed to send monthly checks to those Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War who have been receiving insufficient, little, or no financial support during their imprisonment. The Warchest program was initiated in November 1994. Its purpose is to collect monthly funds from groups and individual supporters, and send that money to Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War (PP/POW) via monthly checks. From its inception, the ABCF warchest has dispensed over $235,000 to political prisoners. Currently, there are 15 imprisoned comrades who receive a monthly stipend as part of the program; they are Abdul Azeez, Ed Poindexter, Eric King, Hanif Bey, Jamil Al-Amin, Jessica Reznicek, Joe-Joe Bowen, Kamau Sadiki, Leonard Peltier, Malik Smith, Marius Mason, Oso Blanco, Ronald Reed, Veronza Bowers, and Xinachtli (FKA Alvaro Luna Hernandez).

NYC Anarchist Black Cross (NYC ABC)/project FANG:
NYC ABC is a collective that organizes support for US-held political prisoners and prisoners of war and opposition to state repression against revolutionary social justice movements. With project FANG, NYC ABC organizes support to Earth and animal liberation prisoners by providing stipends to offset visitation costs otherwise burdening their friends and loved ones.

We will be starting here:

From the Q train, get off at the Prospect Park stop. Walk to Lincoln Road and turn right into the park. We’ll be about 700 feet away.

The event will be one lap around what is known as the Main Loop, and will total five kilometers. For the curious, here’s what it looks like:

If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail us at nycabc at riseup dot net.

See you there!