June 11th

We receive and publish a statement read by anarchist comrade Alfredo Cospito accused in the Sibilla trial in the preliminary hearing held on the 15th of January in Perugia. One of several defendants, Alfredo attended by videoconference from Bancali prison in (Sardinia) where he is locked up in the 41bis regime, and read a statement. The hearing ended with a dismissal of all charges against all defendants, bringing to a conclusion an infamous case, which apart from aiming at the silencing of anarchist revolutionary publications, had a central role in Alfredo’s transfer to the 41bis regime. For a few hours Alfredo was able to hear the voices of his comrades, to see their faces, to speak, breaking the wall of silence in which they are trying to bury him. And this is certainly more stirring than any decision made by any state bureaucrat. In particular, Alfredo’s own words resonate as a powerful denunciation against the totalitarian horror of the 41bis regime. Those children’s handprints on the dividing glass in the visiting room should shake the consciences, of those who still
have a conscience.

We do not know to what extent the intervention of the comrades in the courtroom somehow influenced the court’s decision not to venture into a shaky trial in itself. However, on January 15, it became clear that subsequent potential hearings would also undoubtedly provide an opportunity to intervene, breaking the wall of isolation of the 41bis, on behalf of Alfredo and the other accused comrades. Certainly, it should not take a trial like this one to initiate moments of mobilization against the international shame of 41 bis, and in Alfredo’s specific case, as of today the justifications for confinement in this special regime have one important piece missing. To make them pay the price for this contradiction, it is more urgent than ever to undertake other paths and revitalize initiatives against 41 bis and the warmongering and repressive policies of States. Continue reading “Statement of Alfredo Cospito during the preliminary hearing for the “Sibilla Trial””

Over $2500 was raised for Marius this year! Thank you to everyone who took part in meeting our fundraising goal, which was the first time since the pandemic started that we have been able to! Everything you do for June11th lets our comrades know that they are never alone.

Here are some report-backs that we received, which is a small representation of all that happened for June 11th this year.

Cincinnati, OH, USA

This year Cincinnati gathered at Boxelder Community Room where wrote a good stack of letters, made buttons, read the new J11 zine together, dinner provided by Food Not Bombs, and showed two movies: The Gentleman Bank Robber (doc about Bo Brown of the George Jackson Brigade) and How To Blow Up a Pipeline.

There was also a tattoo sale at Beelistic West Clifton. This combined with donations at Boxelder totaled around $505 sent to Marius’ support.

We are seeing a lot of younger faces participating now, some who were born around the time of Marius’ initial incarceration. This new generation carrying the torch for prison abolition ensures Cincinnati is indeed staying in the fight for as long as it takes. Much love to all resistance around the world. Empires always fall, and we are here for it!

Ferndale, MI, USA

It went really well! We raised 380$ in cash and an unknown amount in venmo/paypal donations. 35 people came, most of whom didn’t know about marius before. The venue got a ton of clothes for their free clothes closet. Some folks are activated and looking to get more involved in supporting marius in a more long term kind of way!

Minneapolis, MN, USA

We haven’t given a reportback in the last few years so here are some! The autonomous zine fest is usually around June 11th, so we have always tabled there each year.

2022 A comrade’s dog birthday is June 11th. So there is usually a dog birthday party / prisoner card/letter writing party in the park as a way to celebrate. (That is a picture of the dog pooping on a prison). Later that evening we had a info night / letter writing event at The Landing Strip (autonomous green space) where a presentation / discussion was had with many people who had never heard of June 11th before. 

2023 We had another dog birthday party / letter writing gathering. Then we tabled at the zine fest, finally we had a presentation and movie showing at the Seward Cafe.

2024 We tabled at the zine fest and had letter writing there. Something this year that was very popular was the QR codes so that people could donate via paypal and venmo.

 

Paris, France

On the day of june 11, we tabled outside the exit of a subway station in Paris, France. Our table, on which we hung a banner reading “Fire to prisons”, had a lot of zines (notably multiple zines et flyers translated for the day, with a focus on texts by anarchist prisoners) and a space to write letters to prisonniers (notably anarchist prisoners, but we also included non-anarchist palestinian prisoners). We also distributed a text we had written to announce the event (https://paris-luttes.info/journee-internationale-de-18362).

It was the first time we held a table outside, rather than during an anarchist event or at an anarchist place, and it was really fun. Besides the few people with dogmatic pro-prison ideas, we had a lot of interesting discussions with a good diversity of people: 10 years old kid who knew a lot about the Palestinian struggle (and also ate all our fries), anarchists that happened to pass by and who we didn’t previously know, a mother whose child is anarchist, older people who also were very involved in the pro-palestinian struggle… The fact that we had included texts and names from palestinian prisoners actually attracted a lot of people more or less involved in the pro-palestinian struggle, with who we could talk about anarchism, prisons in a more general way, and obviously anarchist prisoners. Contrary to events where you could sit inside, people had less time to stop and write letters (which is an issue that we were told multiple times, which makes sense considering we were outside of a subway station), and so the most popular format of letter that was chosen was short postcards. We’d like to think about a way to make these events into moments were more people could stop for a longer time to write (we were initially thinking about making a second, more friendly, spot in a nearby park, but we were not able to make it this time), without confining them to events with a more activist audience. And, at the same time, a lot of people were interested in getting info to write letters at a later moment where they would have more time, and we gave them our contact, the contact of other organizations who do prisoner letter writing, or the date of a later event where they could.

On June 19, we also organized a solidarity event with the insurrection in Kanaky (https://paris-luttes.info/soiree-anticarcerale-de-solidarite-18421), and particulary prisoners and a solidarity fund with the revolt there. We tabled again our zine selection to expand the info on anticarceral struggles et make links with the struggles of anarchist prisoners. We also made available a more chill and quiet room on the side where people could write letters to prisoners, anarchist & Palestinian again, which actually worked really well. Around 20 letters were sent from both evenings!

In solidarity,

Le RISI (Insurrectional Network of International Solidarity)

Sweden

SUF Stockholm (from La Mano Statue) and SUF Uppsala payed tributes today. Sent some pictures if you want.

Keep fighting comrades ❤️

Chile

MES POR LA TIERRA Y CONTRA EL CAPITAL
11 DE JUNIO DE 2024: DÍA DE LA SOLIDARIDAD INTERNACIONAL CON
LXS PRESXS ANARQUISTAS DE LARGA CONDENA

Llamamiento internacionalista, sin banderas ni fronteras en solidaridad
con Marius Mason y lxs presxs anarquistas de larga condena alrededor del
mundo, realizado por el colectivo 11th JUNE.

En el discurso jurídico, se considera “Larga Condena” a partir de los 20
años de prisión efectiva; no obstante, para cada compañerx secuestradx
en las cárceles del estado: TODA CONDENA ES UNA LARGA CONDENA. Cada día de aislamiento, de vigilancia, de precariedad, amenaza, imposición y
castigo ponen a prueba la vida de nuestrxs compañerxs. Desde el exterior
nos corresponde sostener la solidaridad, la comunicación y la agitación
en pos de la liberación de cada unx de ellxs; manteniendo en el
horizonte el claro objetivo de la destrucción del sistema carcelario y
la sociedad que lo sostiene.

Este 11 de Junio de 2024 a las 17:00 desde la Biblioteca Anarquista
Cerro Lecherxs invitamos a participar de la Actividad por el Día
Internacional con lxs presxs anarquistas de larga condena, presxs
antiespecistas, subversivxs, nihilistas y presxs que luchan por la
defensa de los territorios y lxs seres que lo habitan:

– lectura de comunicados
– actualización de presxs y situaciones carcelarias
– solidaridad con lxs presxs palestinxs
– conversatorio
– proyecciones
– once vegana

Les esperamos.

CONTRA EL OLVIDO;
HASTA QUE TODXS SEAMOS LIBRES!

___

11 DE JUNIO
DÍA INTERNACIONAL EN SOLIDARIDAD CON LXS PRESXS ANARQUISTAS DE LARGA CONDENA

En momentos donde los largos brazos del poder buscan y golpean con fuerza a nuestrxs compañerxs y entornos, queda en nosotrxs responder a esos golpes con mayor fuerza y determinación. Y una de nuestras armas más peligrosas es la solidaridad anticarcelaria. Aquellos actos concretos de apoyo hacia quienes, acusadxs de pasar a la ofensiva contra este mundo de barrotes y jaulas, han sido encerradxs ellxs mismxs en las prisiones que buscamos destruir. Pero la cárcel no se sostiene solamente en muros de concreto, espacios cerrados y gendarmes; también se sostiene sobre la anulación de las voluntades de quienes encierra, y de amedrentar a través del miedo a quienes nos declaramos en guerra abierta contra toda forma de autoridad.

Por ello en este nuevo 11 de junio, fecha que se ha logrado instalar como un día de solidaridad anticarcelaria anárquica, les invitamos a encontrarnos, informarmos, discutir y nutrirnos sobre las distintas maneras de hacer frente al encierro de nuestrxs compañerxs y hacer de nuestra solidaridad una trinchera más de combate contra las cárceles y la sociedad que las necesita.

– Actualización judicial Marcelo Villarroel
– Actualización judicial Francisco Solar
– Conversatorio
– Proyección

Además:
– Acopio vegano para presxs
– Feria y propa anárquica (trae la tuya – no comida)

Martes 11 de junio 2024 – 18:00 hrs.
Juan Martínez de Rozas 3091, metro Quinta Normal, Santiago Centro

ESPACIO FÉNIX
espaciofenix.noblogs.org | espaciofenix@riseup.net

Revolutionary Greetings Family

First, I’d like to give a brief rundown on my situation. Recently, I was able to hire an attorney to file a Rule 32 Petition seeking a sentence reduction. Thank you for all the generous contributions for my legal defense. I’m hoping that I’ll be out there with you all this year.

Things have escalated to a degree that Alabama prisons have been designated as the most dangerous prison system in the U.S. due to the high number of prisoner deaths from suicide, overdosing on drugs and homicides. At Donaldson prison where I’m being held captive there has been at least thirty prisoner deaths or more here since I arrived in 2021. And these slimy, greedy muthafuckas are committing atrocities in these prisons against human beings and low-intensity warfare via the drug epidemic, psychotropic and illicit drugs. Just a month ago it was reported on the local news that the warden of Limestone prison and his wife were both arrested for smuggling Fentanyl into the prison. In the same segment it was reported that the organs of deceased prisoners were missing from their bodies. If no other reasons other than the atrocities mentioned above, prisons should be abolished. Police do not stop crime, nor do prisons deter crime or I’m sure there would be less humans held captive by the state.

Continue reading “Michael Kimble’s 2024 Statement”

FROM THE STEEL CAGES OF THE FASCIST TEXAS PRISON SYSTEM, a crime against humanity, I submit my solidarity statement to INTERNATIONAL DAY OF SOLIDARITY WITH LONG-TERM ANARCHIST PRISONERS, as an honorous and principled annual event to support many of us, whether we consider ourselves “anarchists, revolutionary socialists, communists,” or by any other anti-racist, anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist, anti-fascist name, the critical point is to come to full circle, no matter our “theoretical differences” over questions such as organizing a vanguard revolutionary party to lead our struggles, on “democratic centralism”, on class struggle, and the ultimate withering away of a needed revolutionary state, to ensure that once dismantled, the ruling class does not reorganize to engage in counter revolution to regain their power, lessons learned from the original Paris Commune, and many other recorded historical events in history, since the creation of the first International Working Men’s Association, and the splits that emerged in the “anarchist movement”.

Continue reading “XINACHTLI’s 2024 Statement”

DIA INTERNACIONAL DE SOLIDARIDAD CON LXS PRESXS ANARQUISTAS  DE LARGA CONDENA

Abolish EVERYTHING

By Anarchist Prisoner Sean Swain

When I saw the parole board in August 2021, I had served 30 years in prison for what was provably an act of self defense, a noncrime. The lead fuckweasel on the parole board asked me about the circumstances of those events, and I shared with him my sincere remorse that the man who broke into my home had died, and had died as a result of the wounds I inflicted.

With a dismissive wave, that fuckweasel said, “We don’t really care about that. You’ve done enough time for that…,” and he began to bullet-point snippets from statements of mine that he said “concern” the parole board. Chief among those was my campaign slogan when I ran for governor in 2014.

In my gubernatorial campaign, I had said, “Turn your ballot into a bullet and blast it through the brainpan of the body politic.” So, in a very disingenuous reinvention of that slogan, the lead fuckweasel, with a straight face, said that the parole board understood that statement as a threat on the life of the governor, Mike DeWine. It was such a veiled threat, it seems, that no one interpreted the slogan that way except… well… the parole board.

Not to get too deep into the weeds on legal analysis here, but what I said in 2014 wasn’t a threat. The U.S. Supreme Court has long ago parsed out what constitutes threats from protected speech, what can be punished from what can’t, and while I fully understand that parole board fuckweasels never had a civics class because Ohio spends more money on prisons than on their sucky schools, you’ll never convince me that any one of those fascists thought that I wanted people to cram chunks of paper into pistols and try to fire them at Mike DeWine– as if the act of eliminating one fuckweasel would accomplish anything anyway. The absence of Mike DeWine would just be a job opening for Jon Husted, another fuckweasel of the highest order.

The point, of course, is that the parole board’s targeting of my political speech was illegal and they knew it… and they didn’t care.
Continue reading “Sean Swain’s 2024 Statement”

BUILDING BRIDGES – BURNING PRISONS

Early on a June morning, anarchists in Örebro, so-called Sweden, showed solidarity with anarchist prisoners! Freedom for all! There are no separate worlds, we are all interconnected, building bridges. With fire in our hearts, we burn every prison and live as if we are trying to be free.

Always Anarchy

(Submitted by email)