Author: June11th

Negli anni, la giornata dell’11 giugno in solidarietà a Marius Mason e tutt* i/le prigionier* anarchic* di lunga durata ha sostenuto e messo in luce decine di prigionier*. Più di recente abbiamo cercato di includere più prigionier* all’esterno degli Stati Uniti per evitare di cadere nella facilità dell’americanocentrismo e per rappresentare più fedelmente la ricchezza delle lotte anarchiche e anti-autoritarie attraverso il globo. (Maggiori informazioni sul sito june11.org)

A partire da questa osservazione chiediamo quindi aiuto per tradurre e diffondere questo breve messaggio. Sappiamo che ci sono molt* prigionier* le cui storie non sono arrivate fino a noi, o con cui è stato difficile stabilire un contatto. Anche se June 11th è focalizzato sui/lle prigionier* anarchic* e di lunga durata, non si tratta di requisiti rigidi. Ci preme sostenere prigionier* anti-autoritar* di tipo e di lotte diverse. June 11th vuole che i nomi dei/lle compagn* rinchius* da diversi anni restino sulle labbra di tutt*, molto tempo dopo che alcuni di questi sono passati nel dimenticatoio a causa delle nuove lotte, le nuove emergenze e e sempre altr* amic* pres* di mira dallo stato.

Di solito usiamo come riferimento i 10 anni di pena, ma attualmente sosteniamo alcun* prigionier* condannati a 6 o 7 anni. Non facciamo questa distinzione per sminuire l’esperienza dei/lle compagn* che vengono portat* via dalle loro comunità e torturat* per un numero inferiore di anni, ma come una sorta di ammissione del fatto che dobbiamo fare di più per sostenere ed essere solidal* con chi viene rinchiuso per diversi cicli di lotta.

Se conosci dei/lle prigionier* che rientrano in questo profilo e che vorresti venissero inclus* nella giornata dell’11 giugno contattaci.
Quando è possibile, aspiriamo ad avere un dialogo con chi è solidale per informarci in modo più approfondito su come possiamo sostenerl* e conservare la loro voce nelle nostre attività.

Aiutaci a tradurre e diffondere questo messaggio il più ampiamente possibile. Aspettiamo tue notizie:  june11th@riseup.net

Vostro Comitato June 11th in lotta

[contrainfo]

Over the years, June 11th Day Of Solidarity with Marius Mason and All Long-Term Anarchist Prisoners has supported and highlighted dozens of prisoners. More recently we have been trying to include more prisoners from outside the U.S. to avoid falling into the easy path of U.S-centrism and to more faithfully represent the rich, expansive anarchist and anti-authoritarian struggles across the globe. (You can find out more at june11.org).

It is with this in mind that we are asking for your help to translate and spread this short message.

We know there are many prisoners whose stories have not made it to us, or with whom it has been difficult to establish contact. While June 11th focuses on anarchist and long-term prisoners, these are not strict qualities. We are eager to support anti-authoritarian prisoners of many stripes and from many struggles. June 11th aims to keep on our lips the names of comrades who are locked away from many years, long after many have otherwise drifted into the background as there are always new struggles, new emergencies, and more friends being targeted by the state. We generally use about a ten year sentence as a bench mark, but are currently supporting some prisoners who are serving 6 or 7. We don’t make this distinction to diminish the experience of comrades being removed from their communities and tortured for fewer years, but as an acknowledgement that more has to be done to sustain support and solidarity for those who will be locked up through many cycles of struggle.

We are asking you to get in touch with us if you know prisoners who would be a good fit and would like to be included with June 11th. When possible, we desire a dialogue with supporters so we can more deeply explore how we can support them and keep their voices in our activities.

Please help us to translate and disseminate this message as far as possible. We want to hear from you:  june11th@riseup.net

Yours in Struggle,
June 11th Committee

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Communication is a weapon: June 11^th 2017

This year, the International Day of Solidarity with Marius Mason and All Long-Term Anarchist Prisoners emphasized how communication aids our struggles against prison society and disrupts the isolation imposed on comrades who are locked up for the long term.

The state aims to make our comrades disappear, but we want their names and deeds spread throughout the world. During the months preceding June 11, word was circulated far and wide about both our imprisoned comrades and the upcoming day of solidarity. Newly designed June 11 promotional materials – including stickers, flyers, and posters – reached individuals, social centers, and distribution projects around the world. The call for June 11^th this year was translated into French, Portuguese, and Spanish.

We conducted several moving and insightful interviews with former prisoners and outside supporters, who eloquently wove connections between past and current struggles. Solidarity with long-term prisoners can strengthen our struggles by forcing us to look back and learn from theirs, and deepen our collective memory.

As June 11^th has come and gone, we want to affirm again that our commitment to our imprisoned comrades is not limited to one day, but extends in all directions:

We express continued solidarity with Kara Wild and Krème, as well as Damien Camelio, captives of the French state who remain with us in our struggles.

We do not forget our comrade sentenced to 7.5 years for robbing PaxBank in 2014.

In Italy, the state continues its attempt to disrupt efforts of solidarity with the anarchists ensnared in operation Scripta Manent – now investigating RadioAzione, Anarhija.info, and Croce Nera Anarchica. Knowing that our infrastructure for counter-information and prisoner solidarity are essential to our revolt, the state seeks to demobilize them through its usual course of raids, restrictions, and disruption. We send unending solidarity to the comrades in Italy, who in their unwillingness to forfeit these weapons, show that insurgent hearts will not be stopped by the state’s petty machinations.

We send our love to comrade Davide Delogu, who, in his stubborn refusal to accept being locked in a cage by brutal pigs, attempted to free himself.

And finally, we encourage everyone to organize events and take action for the upcoming International Day of Solidarity with Eric King on June 28^th. Eric’s uncompromising spirit in the face of persecution keeps our hearts strong as we navigate and fight against this world that is not ours.

(We’d also like to remind those who raised funds for Marius this year to donate via his support page, rather than sending money directly to his commissary fund.)

The following is a collection of event reportbacks, prisoner statements, and actions taken for June 11^th in 2017.

PRISONER STATEMENTS

Sean Swain

Michael Kimble

Krow

Eric King

REPORTBACKS

Athens (Greece): Molotov attack against Evelpidon Court

Australia: Graffiti and banners

Bloomington, Indiana (USA): Banner drop for Marius Mason

As a small, anonymous gesture of complicity, we hung two banners to honor June 11, day of solidarity with long-term anarchist prisoners. These banners are on the main north/south roads into and out of Bloomington. No matter how long he is held at FMC Carswell or in any other cage, we will make sure Marius isn’t forgotten here, especially given the vital role he played in defending the land and building a community of resistance in our region.

Bloomington, Indiana (USA): Movie showing, letter writing, picnic, wheatpasting

In the month leading up to the June 11th International Day of Solidarity with Marius Mason & All Long-Term Anarchist Prisoners, we set up two tables at Boxcar Books with an array of free zines, stickers, and posters for June 11th and about anarchist prisoners.

On June 6th, the bi-monthly Read & Revolt anarchist reading group met at Boxcar Books to discuss “The Sun Still Rises,” a text written by imprisoned fighters of the Conspiracy Cells of Fire (CCF) urban guerrilla group in Greece. It had been nominated by regular attendees of Read & Revolt and, given that it was written by long-term anarchist prisoners, was scheduled for discussion the week before June 11th. Those in attendance for this session seemed to appreciate how concisely it was written, how clear the authors’ intentions were, and how it was written passionately yet without unnecessary flair. The conversation bounced between topics relevant to local conditions, while various ideas throughout the text acted as conduits for people to discuss ideas related to their own personal problematics.

On June 9th, we showed Sacco & Vanzetti, a 2006 documentary on the two militant anarchists. Without falling back on idolization and martyrdom, we want to affirm our history. As we continue on a path as anarchists of action, as enemies of this and all states, we carry with us the spirit of those who have, before us, carved out their own path of defiance. After the movie, folks wrote 25 cards and letters to long-term anarchist prisoners in the US.

On June 11th, we held a picnic in a public park as a celebration of anarchist action and in honor of our imprisoned fighters. Beneath black flags, people talked, wrote cards to anarchist prisoners, and shared food. Some comrades prepared a songbook and performance of classic anarchist songs. Anarchists in the early 20th century often held picnics on holidays of their own creation, and we hoped to carry on this tradition. As the world becomes increasingly dominated by the technological mediation of the internet, it is imperative that we create spaces in which we can be together, face-to-face, without the noise of alienated chatter. There is, for us, a clear connection between the walls that separate us from our imprisoned comrades and the walls that separate us all from each other. We celebrate, with joy, the crumbling of both.

Earlier that day, anonymous individuals dropped two banners in solidarity with Marius Mason and against social control.

On the evening of June 11th, anonymous individuals wheatpasted dozens of posters and put up stickers about imprisoned comrades.

While our efforts this year were modest, they exist within a continuum of action for our imprisoned comrades that manifests every day. We take time on June 11th to remember and act for imprisoned anarchists, but this does not stop when the clock strikes midnight. For us, solidarity is not a one-off event, an act of charity, or something removed from our daily lives – it is an inseparable part of our existence as anarchists, a tension affirmed through action. Solidarity is the word in our mouths, the rock in our hand, and the blood in our veins.. The prison walls cannot break us.

Brisbane (Australia): Benefit for Jock Palfreeman

Anti-Fascist Action Brisbane had a fucking rad night tonight. We had a film screening and raised some money for the Free Jock Palfreeman Committee. We are in total solidarity with Marius Mason, Eric King, the comrades in CCF, YPG/J, IPRGF and all anarchists fighting.

Denton, Texas (USA): Food sharing & letter writing

Around a dozen anarchists gathered in Denton, TX to host a public food sharing in a popular, centrally located park, and to write letters of support to long term anarchist political prisoners and prison rebels. It is important to us that we stay in contact with radicals and prison rebels being held captive by the state. We want to make sure that our comrades know that they are not alone, despite the isolating conditions of captivity. As we shared food, wrote letters and made art together, we thought about Marius, Krow, Sean, Jeremy, Kara Wild and many other friends who may be locked up, but who will never be forgotten.

Derry (Ireland): Banner drops for political prisoners

Each year, June 11th serves as a day for us to remember our longest imprisoned anarchist comrades through words, actions and ongoing material support.

Anarchists in Derry took part in a Banner Drop today to high light the continued imprisonment of political prisoners. Several banners, displayed at Free Derry Corner, were used as part of its part in a day of action and international solidarity. For 13 years, anarchists and environmentalists have observed June 11th as a day of action to mobilise around our imprisoned comrades.

Over that time, the pace of revolt has quickened, with so many uprisings, clashes, attacks, indictments, raids, mass arrests, grand juries, and deaths. In this constantly shifting terrain, it’s easy to lose track of the origins of our traditions. For anarchists our goal is to mark June 11th as we work throughout each year to ensure that our imprisoned comrades will not be forgotten.

In solidarity anarchists locally will continue to support political prisoners and in particular highlighting the ongoing incarceration of Tony Taylor, a local republican activist interned by the British State without charges, without trail or legal justice.

Elgin, Illinois (USA): Art against gentrification
Today in solidarity with Marius Mason and long term anarchist prisoners some of us decided to be artistic! Inspired by Elgin’s advertisement for public art alongside its hip new reconstructive (gentrifying) city landscape, we have a piece of artwork of our own to display. We found a welcoming post at the busy intersection of Highland and State St. for all to view while waiting for the lights to change.

Armed with anger, there is an artist in every single one of us; an artist with an arsenal of creative potential to be discovered through action. Ungovernability can be the art of evasion and acting out against the laws of conformity and passive obedience. And there is so much fun to be had. With every single attack against this prison society, there is an artistic element of creativity materializing it’s destruction.

Free all prisoners!
War against the industrial-capital machine!
Nothing less than total liberation!
– Elgin Art and Anarchy Club

Exarchia, Athens (Greece): Banner drop for Michael Kimble

On Sunday June 11 2017, international day in support with long-term anarchist prisoners, we dropped a banner from Themistokleous 58 squat in solidarity with the comrade Michael Kimble, incarcerated in Holman prison, Alabama.

Michael Kimble is a gay black anarchist serving a life sentence for taking out a white homophobic racist. Even though he has been held captive for three decades, Michael keeps resisting the everyday imprisonment by all means necessary, and also propagates violent rupture with all Power.

With this banner we send him back some of the strength we get whenever we read his incendiary texts. Hold strong, comrade: your ideas and determination reverberate to the other side of the ocean.

NO PEACE WITH THE PRISON-SOCIETY!

Chaoten

Fort Worth, Texas (USA): Demonstration at Carswell federal prison

After 3 days of networking, movement building and organizing at the Fight Toxic Prisons (FTP) Convergence in Denton, TX, approximately 50 organizers and revolutionaries from across the country gathered outside the Carswell federal prison Monday morning, June 5, 2017. The protest marched to the remote back gates of the facility, which is located on a massive military base that has a long history of environmental contamination and contains a repressive, secretive Administrative Unit.

Today’s demonstration kicked-off of an international effort to demand the immediate closure of Carswell’s Administrative Unit, a unit similar to draconian Communication Management Units. The Carswell Admin Unit has been used to isolate female and trans political prisoners as well as prisoners with serious mental health needs.

Armed with a mobile sound system and bullhorn, the demonstration was able to create a loud disruption for guards and establish contact with prisoners across the razor wire fences with amplified chants of “You are not forgotten, you are not alone, we will fight to bring you home!”

Prisoners replied with waves and raised fists as they viewed banners reading “Close Carswell Admin Unit Now!”, “Free Aafia Siddiqui” and “Fight Toxic Prisons.”

Demonstrators highlighted political prisoners currently held in the facility, such as Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, Marius Mason and Ana Belen Montes, all of whom have experienced extreme sentences and isolation as a result of their political and/or religious affiliations.

They also noted a decade of extensive complaints regarding abuse, mold and medical neglect among the general population, handing out a printed collection of these stories in the surrounding neighborhood and passers-by.

For more info visit CloseCarswell.wordpress.com and FightToxicPrisons.org
If you want to help support the above prisoners, please see their websites:
Dr. Aafia Siddiqui: www.aafiamovement.com
Marius Mason: www.supportmariusmason.org

Ithaca, New York (USA): Graffiti for June 11th & Marius Mason

Graffiti found in Ithaca, NY along Cascadilla Creek. Written in solidarity with Marius Mason and all anarchist prisoners on June 11th.

Komotini (Greece): Banner drop for Sean Swain

On Monday, June 12th 2017, we hung a banner at the Old Law School in Komotini as a small sign of solidarity with all long-term anarchist prisoners. We do not forget the comrade Sean Swain.
– Utopia A.D. anarchist squat

Melbourne (Australia): Action at Flinders St station

We acknowledge that we are standing on stolen land and respect tradional owners and sovereignty never ceded, aboriginal deaths in custody in so called austalia must stop as Aboriginal prison rates soar despite recommendations in to the royal commision into aboriginal deaths in custody since 1987, as in recommendation 92: Imprisonment should be utilised only as a sanction of last resort. Solidarity to long term anarchist prisoners. Their inside for us we are outside for them. Bbut we can not forget about the prison industrial complex within australia that is part of the colonisation of so called australia. Solidarity to all long term anarchist prisoners.

New Orleans, Louisiana (USA): Banner & graffiti

New York City, New York (USA): Graffiti in solidarity with Marius Mason

We just wanted to share a message writ large in the belly of the beast that Marius might enjoy. We wrote ‘Visualize Industrial Collapse’ approximately 90 feet wide and 8 feet tall on a fence in Brooklyn with the infrastructure and financial symbols of Manhattan across the East River as a backdrop.

We weep at the thought of the heinous, all-too-familiar devastation called Progress that was wrought on the once lush forests of these islands after settler-colonialism forced the indigenous Lenape off of them. We grow tired of the condo-dwelling yuppies that displace us through gentrification. We hone our skills, preparing to attack.

For anarchy, against civilization.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (USA): Posters for anarchist prisoners

As a small show of solidarity with anarchist prisoners I put up posters in West Philly and South Philly. Along the way I also took down some annoying infowars and right libertarian stickers.

Fire to the Prisons
For a Dangerous June

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (USA): Sabotage of machines for Dangerous June

During the first half of dangerous June some machines decided to experiment with freedom. They expressed their solidarity with J20 arrestees and anarchists facing repression worldwide before taking their own liberating actions:
* Four security cameras flew away from their posts to see the rest of the world.
*A digital advertising billboard by a highway got a makeover.
*Four fare checking machines tried new foods and got constipated.
*A door to a security force’s building chose to sleep in and delay work.
-Mutinous Machines Solidarity Cell – Philadelphia

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (USA): Solidarity march

Pittsburgh anarchists held a march in solidarity with anarchist prisoners on June 11th, 2017. Full marching band in tow, the group disrupted traffic patterns and whatever the fuck else gross yuppie shit goes down on Butler Street, Pittsburgh’s “hipster” strip. Banners in solidarity with Eric King, Marius Mason, and Fernando Bárcenas were on display, along with other anti-prison banners.

After the march, a picnic and info fair was held near by, where t-shirts and buttons were traded in exchange for commissary funds for Joseph Buddenberg, Nicole Kissane, Eric King, and Marius Mason.

Until Every Cage Is Empty

Portland, Oregon (USA): Tabling & food distribution

The flyers said 12PM. The Facebook event page (how I hate myself for typing those words) said 12PM. We had every intention of being there by 12PM. At 12:20, we finally rolled up.

The open spot on the street right in front of the staging area was like a sign of fate – and we considered ourselves forgiven for our tardiness (damn lazy anarchists!!). For those of you who’ve tried finding parking in any metro downtown, you know what a tax on one’s patience this usually is. Even showing up 20 minutes late, we were still the first people there. Just before arriving, our other comrade had called us to give us the heads up that it was technically illegal to set up a table in the park.

We saw the pigs 50 feet away and debated if we should just try setting up on the sidewalk instead. (The point of our action was to hand out zines and food, not fight with the cops, and for once we thought it best not to antagonize.) One in our group remembered that another comrade was bringing a banner with posts to dig into the ground, so we figured we’d take our chances in the park. Glad we went with that hunch, because the pigs paid us (almost) no mind after all.

Shortly after carting all the supplies over to the staging area, a human walked up and introduced themselves to us as a friend of a trusted comrade. We welcomed them, and they helped us setup the table with all the food and zines. Soon, other comrades arrived with another table and more food. Then our banner arrived in all it’s glory to truly make our event feel official. We battled hardily with the wind to get that banner raised, but in the end we were triumphant. Thanks to some liberated bookends from a designer store, our zines managed to mostly stay on the table as well.

We had Fleet Week as our backdrop, so there were lots of young Navy sailors walking by as well as families come to tour the guts of the giant war machines parked in our river. The crowd was surprisingly diverse and not as capital R republican as one would expect. We even managed to get some lit into the hands of some sailors. Many people seemed baffled at the idea of a free lunch (anarchists know no other kind!), and we had to fend off a number of attempts to hand us cash. “Who just gives out food?” “What’s the catch!?” “But somebody had to pay for it, right?” “Well, can I give you a donation?”

We managed to get zines into most people’s hands, with an emphasis on lit focusing on the flaws and failures of democracy, as well as basics of what anarchism means. My favorite moment was handing a comic explaining the failings of capitalism to a kid no older than 5 and his dad asking if he wanted to read it together later.

Most people were receptive, if not outright thankful, and the few jerks in the crowd mostly kept their comments to themselves. At one point, a socialist Sikh came to my personal defense as a guy got in my face about getting a real job. (I work in food service, he does construction. I commented that many people would say construction wasn’t a “real job” either, at which he got indignant that I bite my thumb at his heaps and heaps of money.) We didn’t convert the socialist, but at least he’ll think better of us next time he watches the 5 O’clock news. In fact, we had quite a bit of luck opening dialogues with people who were ignorant of what we were really about.

Turns out lots of people trust everything they see the news say about us, so this was a great opportunity to bash liberals together and champion no taxes and generally confuse the right wingers who confused us anarchists with run-of-the-mill Dems (Blechh!!). Of course, since we took this action to show solidarity with anarchist prisoners, we had lots of literature on folx behind bars as well. Sean Swain’s story in particular is a good one to tell fence sitting conservatives to at least get them to listen to what you’ve got to say. Show mothers the picture of Jeremy Hammond and you can see them become visibly moved. Sunday was immensely humbling as we got to share the stories of our comrades with people who may have never heard of their struggles otherwise. From the octogenarian couple who stopped for granola bars and left with a handful of zines to the crust punk from Salt Lake City who wants to start a collective and an infoshop, we reached so many different types of people who hopefully feel empowered to fight the State or at least support those of us who do.

We were starting to run out of reading material and food when reinforcements came in the form of more zines and a couple cases of Lara Bars. With the added supplies, we managed to hold the space from about 12:30 to 6:30. We ran through most of the food we had, excepting about a dozen bagels. We also managed to deplete the bulk of our zines, with only a small reserve left over.

As one comrade pointed out, since people were actively coming to our table as opposed to just taking what was being handed out the likelihood that they’ll get read is significantly better. On top of all the people we reached just because they passed by us, we had several people tell us they intentionally came back after passing by earlier. We also had a couple pigs come over to chat. They didn’t hassle us or ask us to move on, and we managed to get some literature into their hands. Maybe, if we’re real lucky, they’ll trade in those blue uniforms for black masks, but I’m not gonna hold my breath.

Lots of folks were interested in how to get involved or how to start actions in their own town. Luckily, we had several zines on how to organize marches, etc., as well as a stack of zines explaining affinity groups. Here’s hoping our action resulted in more people joining us in the street. To wrap everything up, below we’ve broken down all the numbers (if you’re the wonky kind of anarchist who enjoys that sort of thing…). All numbers are rough estimates, on the conservative side.

$1000: Amount in USD of food given away. All food was dumpstered or expropriated from gentrifying chains.
15: Number of meaningful interactions and discussions lasting over 5 minutes
25: Number of positive interactions involving some sort of praise of anarchists
100+: Number of positive interactions involving individual taking food
100+: Number of positive interactions involving individual taking zines
4: Number of negative interactions with individual expressing anti-anarchist sentiments

Stanwood, Michigan (USA): Demonstration at Nestle’s Ice Mountain bottling plant in hometown of Marius Mason

Lake Effect EF! demonstrated at Nestle’s Ice Mountain bottling plant on June 11 in Stanwood MI, the hometown of Marius Mason. Marius had organized with Sweetwater Alliance against Nestle’s bottling plant and waterwells in Mecosta County, as well as the water shut offs in Detroit in the early 2000’s.

Nestle is currently seeking a permit to increase their withdrawal at White Pine Springs Well #101 from 250 gallons per minute to 400 gallons per minute. Additionally water shutoffs continue in Detroit with 19,000 residents currently losing their access to water. Bottled water has been utilized as a false solution to the Flint Water Crisis. Rather than being solutions, privatization and water table depletion will only continue to create more ecological and social problems.

We stand in solidarity with Marius and all long term anarchist prisoners. UNTIL ALL ARE FREE!
-LEEF!

Tampere (Finland): Solidarity for June 11th

Thessaloniki (Greece): Placement of incendiary device

We perceive anarchist and antiauthoritarian spaces as structures in which we organize struggles and live collective moments outside the authoritarian relations that the State and capitalism would like to impose on us daily.

Lately, the State has carried out various attacks against squats and hangouts in Athens, Thessaloniki, Agrinio and Larissa.

In response to these attacks, during the night of 11th to 12th June 2017, we placed an incendiary device in a van belonging to AKTOR company on Makedonikis Amynis Street in Thessaloniki.

We know that this company constructs the enemy’s structures, such as the Skouries mine in the Halkidiki Peninsula, that destroys the earth for the benefit of capitalists, or the Thessaloniki metro, intended to support and strengthen the flow of capital.

We chose June 11th, international day of solidarity with anarchist prisoners facing long sentences, to express our solidarity with all captive comrades worldwide.

Fire to all prison cells.
Death to the State and Capital.
Direct action for anarchy.

EVENTS

ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA (USA)
Vegan cookout, presentations, and movie showing

AUSTIN, TEXAS (USA)
Fundraiser, live music, silkscreening

BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA (USA)
Anarchist reading group The Sun Still Rises by CCF
Screening of Sacco & Vanzetti & letter writing
Anarchist picnic & music

BRISBANE (AUSTRALIA)
Film Screening of Chasseur de Skins

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK (USA)
Political Prisoner letter writing Dinner

BUENOS AIRES (ARGENTINA)
Almuerzo fraterno por lxs presxs anarquistas de large condena

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS (USA)
Letter writing party

CHICO, CALIFORNIA (USA)
Benefit screening of If a Tree Falls

CINCINNATI, OHIO (USA)
Goth/punx party! in solidarity with Anarchist Prisoners

COLUMBUS, OHIO (USA)
Listening party and potluck

DENTON, TEXAS (USA)
Fight Toxic Prisons 2017 Convergence

HELSINKI (FINLAND)
Vegan ice cream brunch to support anarchist prisoners

HOUSTON, TEXAS (USA)
Film showing and dinner

HUNTINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA (USA)
Punk show for June 11th

LAKE WORTH, FLORIDA (USA)
Film screening & fundraiser

LIVE OAK, FLORIDA (USA)
Solidarity rally at Suwannee Correctional

MELBOURNE (AUSTRALIA)
Action at Flinders Street Station

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA (USA)
Letter writing, potluck, and movie screening

MONTPELIER, VERMONT (USA)
Potluck & letter writing

MONTREAL (CANADA)
Game Night

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA (USA)
Potluck & letter writing

OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON (USA)
Sing Me Home: Album Release and Benefit Show

OMAHA, NEBRASKA (USA)
Fundraiser for anarchist prisoners

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA (USA)
All you can eat vegan cookout

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA (USA)
March & picnic

PORTLAND, OREGON (USA)
Call for Community Food Distribution

RUTLAND, OHIO (USA)
Musical lunch-in with songs by Marius

TORONTO, ONTARIO (CANADA)
Letter writing & movie screenings

YPSILANTI, MICHIGAN (USA)
Street party & benefit concert

Around a dozen anarchists gathered in Denton, TX to host a public food sharing in a popular, centrally located park, and to write letters of support to long term anarchist political prisoners and prison rebels. It is important to us that we stay in contact with radicals and prison rebels being held captive by the state. We want to make sure that our comrades know that they are not alone, despite the isolating conditions of captivity. As we shared food, wrote letters and made art together, we thought about Marius, Krow, Sean, Jeremy, Kara Wild and many other friends who may be locked up, but who will never be forgotten.

When I think of solidarity in the context of the June 11th holiday, in conjunction with writing the obvious letter to our caged comrades, I believe in the prioritization of engaging in living resistance utilizing/creating structures therein that allow rad folk to circumnavigate being caged. The Revolutionary Abolitionist Movement’s most recent communiqué offers some suggestions that may enrich hypothetical efforts (it’s free online and worth your time).

More immediately, we can also activate general prisoner solidarity by once more utilizing/creating local legal/bail funds to free any and all who are incarcerated and eligible for bail on this day. Even in the move from specific (eco-prisoners) to general terms, prisoners, if we are to be ‘solid’ with one, we must be solid with the other, as they are oppressed by one of the same forces and entities- the state. As always, no prisons means no prisoners. This is not to dilute the focus of this very important day from eco-prisoners, just extend the scope and reach of our support.

Outreach to un-politicized prisoners is a common good that needs doing and also holds potential to radicalize more people, thus also potentially adding them to the cause and discussions of the proverbial “team”. We must be prefigurative in all that we do, valuing the process of achieving and actively living (daily) revolutionary lifestyles just as much as the diverse outcomes of those processes (derived from recent inspirations of Marianne Maeckelbergh’s “The Will of the Many”)

Disproportionately, the poor and people of color (POC) sit in jail due to lack of access to resources or money to pay bond (and sometimes they are very low bond amounts). We must outreach to offer tools that enable more agency on the individual’s part here.

Also on this day, we must acknowledge and undermine the fact that our so-called “government” continues to vilify comrades who defend the earth and all it’s creatures and life forces, in order to distract from the evil-doings+ merciless killings of land, water and people/creatures that the “US Government” is endorsing and perpetuating on a daily basis. They continually take the focus off of their heinous and racist resource-colonial acts and continue to subjugate, imprison, or kill any and all who seem to threaten their relative power.

Lastly, fuck Derek Jensen, but, “Forget Shorter Showers,” and don’t forget other Earth Defenders and Water Protectors that need our attention and support today and all days, like:

Red Fawn Fallis@ HACTC, 110 Industrial Rd. Rugby, ND 58368
Kathleen Bennet @ Morton County Jail, 205 1st Ave. NW, Mandan, ND 58554

as the latter needs assistance getting bailed out of jail! There are so many others we can reach out to as well, including internationally.

While we are reaching out to our wild-caged creatures this day, in the realms of prisoner and legal support groups, be sure to “check” yourselves and others’ privilege if comments like “take care of it” or “it’s better to just deal with it now” are slipping out of people’s mouths in regards to addressing looming and potentially lengthy terms of incarceration. You/they may never have before been in this situation, and you/they may not wish being as targeted or ill-resourced whist incarcerated! We should first seek to find them alternatives if at all possible. For prisoner post-release support, both prior preparational and logistical, to create adequate healing space for all involved is paramount. You’re all human; no one is a romanticized epitome of a radical ideal.

Thank you deeply to all who have supported me or donated to my support fund! My heart and wild appreciation goes out to you and I cannot do it without you! Here’s to having each other’s backs! Please also remember to support the upcoming International Solidarity with Eric King Day on June 28th and extend support to prisoners on food strike for better conditions in Folsom prison.

In closing, “… we threaten our own interests and rights when we condone by our silence the use of the government surveillance, attack on the legitimacy of the political activists, and the use of the criminal law to suppress and punish political dissent.” -Lennox S. Hines

Until All Are Free!

Your Comrade in Struggle,
For the wild

Krow

– marking the four year anniversary of my charges related to the Penokee Mine Struggle

(from Support Krow)

Being locked up is being placed in a constant battle. You’re fighting for your physical well being, your dignity, your desire to be treated like a fucking living thing. It isn’t a game, it isn’t romantic. People lose this fight, people lose themselves often. One of the most savage tools the state uses is muzzling its captives, stealing, prohibiting and limiting our voice and contact with the outside world. This is dangerous because when you can’t see or hear the outside, you stop seeing yourself as a part of it, You forget that you belong out there. You can fall more into what they want, the prisoner mold, it’s a real fucking trap.

This is why communication is so dangerous to this system, it can dismantle their entire ratshit agenda. What is more powerful than knowing your voice will be heard, than knowing that out in the world people exist who love you and will refuse to let you get lost within these walls? The last time I was transferred, my team found me within 24 hours, with no help from the BOP. Those bastards refused to let me make a call, refused to give me a pencil to write a letter, they were not going to help me be in contact, it goes against everything they want. There was no fear though because I knew no matter where I got sent or how badly I was being treated, my team would fucking be on it. Communicating the situation with the community, using every possible tool imaginable to keep our line of contact available, harassing the facility until they found me and found out what had happened to me. This trust was built overtime, because EVERY TIME I have faced adversity they have been there for me, guided and helped me in every way imaginable. I was placed in Transfer seg on Friday, I had my first letters from my partner by Tuesday, and my first phone call by Thursday. That communication kept my spirits alive, it ruined their plans. The system doesn’t like this, an empowered, loved prisoner isn’t a good prisoner.

The state goes through many means to block our communication. Charging crazy (3c’s =)..) funds for calls and limiting them to 300god damn minutes A MONTH, scanning all in coming and out going letters, reviewing all emails before they’re able to be sent out, shipping you far from your family, isolating you completely, or at least trying to. They’ve shown their hand, our strongest tool is their biggest fear; well informed, connected, empowered prisoners. Prisoners who know their strength, prisoners with ears and hearts outside these walls. I’ve seen first hand how different doing time with support is compared to without. I’ve also seen how different you can be treated when these fucks know they can’t bury you. Communication can be our strongest weapon because it can remove the fear the state tries to instill, it can calm our nerves in a anxiety riddled environment, it can spread knowledge of what is happening to us to the outside world along with what is happening outside to us, it can promote hope, inspire victories, keep the fire and rebellious spirit burning within our hearts. I am stronger mentally because of the love and help I’ve received from those on the outside. If everyone had that same love and communication, there wouldn’t be a prisoner population.

Thank you to everyone who has been there for any prisoner, to my partner<3, support team, and everyone who has been there for me in anyway. Through that support we are free.

U.A.A.F.
EK

[LISTEN HERE]

In our final interview for the June 11th International Day of Solidarity with Marius Mason & All Long-Term Anarchist Prisoners, we spoke with Cindy Crabb about anarchist eco-prisoner Marius Mason.

Marius Mason is in the middle of a 22 year sentence in federal prison for acts of property damage carried out in defense of the earth and animals, including an arson at a Michigan State University lab researching genetically-modified organisms for Monsanto. He is currently held captive in the high security Federal Medical Center Carswell, only recently being released from administrative segregation after years held there. Marius came out as transgender in 2014 and continues to advocate for trans prisoners.

In our interview, we discuss Marius’s recent release from administrative segregation, the challenges of long-term prisoner support, the gendered inequalities of prisoner solidarity work, maintaining projects through the years, the financial struggle of supporting prisoners, the importance of June 11th, and the personal and emotional challenges of prisoner support.

JUNE 11TH: Would you start be telling me about yourself and your experience with prisoner support?

CINDY CRABB: My name is Cindy Crabb. I wrote the zine Doris and I’m on Marius Mason’s support team. I started doing really basic prison support in the early ‘90s, when I basically sent my zine through to prisoners and had a little bit of correspondence with prisoners that way. And then later on I did books to prisoners in Asheville, NC. And I do it in Ohio now a little bit. First I started writing Marius when a mutual friend of ours committed suicide and I knew Marius would have one less pen pal. So I started writing him, and after a couple of years he asked me if I wanted to join his support team. So that evolved into more active prisoner support, trying to find out what wasn’t happening and what needed to happen, how to get things more organized than they were and facilitate him getting more support.

J11: Can you speak to the importance of prisoner support in anarchist practice and other liberatory struggles? Explicitly the necessity of supporting prisoners with long sentences?

C: Yeah. I think there’s a few reasons why prisoner support is real essential, especially long-term prisoner support for the anarchist project. As anarchists we often advocate for direct action, and if people get arrested for direct action it’s essential that we be there to support them. Otherwise direct action isn’t really a viable strategy, it’s more just a romanticized form of action. So in order for direct action to be sustainable, reasonable and an actual strategy we need to be able to provide for prisoners who get arrested, for their basic needs, and bigger support.

To help them have the best lives they can while they are in prison and to support their families that are outside of prison. Another reason I think that prisoner support is really essential for anarchists is as anarchists we need to prefigure a world that we want to live in, and part of that prefiguration is being able to provide for people in our community that aren’t able to provide for themselves. So if we live in a geographical community that we are connected to, we can do that through various kinds of support work of people in our communities. A lot of anarchists don’t have geographical communities that they live in or aren’t connected to the community that they live in, and prisoner support can be a good practice in learning to set aside your own sort of agenda, and learn to provide actual support and care to people that are not able to provide for themselves.

J11: Could you tell us a little bit more about Marius?

C: Marius Mason was an activist that was involved in various kinds of environmental activism and community activism since the ‘80s. He was a musician and father and believed in collective organizing and direct action. In 2009 he was sentenced to 22 years in prison for an arson that he was charged with at a Michigan State University building. The building in Michigan that was burned down was doing genetic engineering, and this was in 1999 when G.E. wasn’t really in the public conscience of Americans. The Animal Liberation, Earth Liberation, and environmental projects were more focused on logging and factory farming. In other countries G.E. was prevalent, more something that was being protested against. So say in India people were burning their GMO crops and in protest of Monsanto patenting various seeds.

The arson of the Michigan building that Marius was convicted of, it really brought a lot of media attention to genetic engineering. It really was successful in shifting the dialogue in America from G.E. being just something not really seen to Monsanto being researched, and I think even Frontline did a big expose on Monsanto after the arson. Marius was arrested in 2009 after his husband had turned state informant and gave the FBI a bunch of information about their actions. Unfortunately for Marius his case wasn’t really picked up by activist lawyers or the ACLU, who had picked up a few other cases like this that were coming down at the time. The FBI had started a campaign which later become known as the Green Scare, which targeted environment activists that were doing direct action, and giving them extreme sentences to show to the activists that these type of actions would be prosecuted to the furthest extent. The Green Scare is seen similar to the Red Scare in which the FBI often sent agents in to stir things up and then arrest people who went along with the agents.

So Marius didn’t have an ACLU or activist lawyer step forward to represent his case probably because they thought it was a losing case, because his husband had turned state’s evidence. So he had just a defender that he had hired actually. He took a plea deal, he pled guilty under the assumption that he would get a reduced sentence, but instead he got an excessive sentence. Which was I think was 20 years, with a 2 years terrorism enhancement. He was then placed in a prison in Minnesota, and about a month later was moved to the high security administrative unit in Texas – Carswell.

The administrative unit he was in for over 7 years, and it severely limited his ability to communicate with the outside world. The small unit he was housed in was mostly people with extreme behavioral problems or mental health problems. Since he’s been in prison he’s refused to cut off ties with his friends and community on the outside. And he’s also started a couple of campaigns, one of which was the January 22nd International Day of Action and Solidarity with Trans Prisoners. He’s also been writing poetry and teaching guitar inside the prison. And he took up painting: he’s been doing painting of animals, mostly of ones at the threat of extinction. And he’s also been doing a trans heroes series of paintings.

J11: Could you briefly talk about him transitioning publicly: when that happened and how that worked?

C: While he was in prison in 2013 Marius came out to his friends and family as transgender. He now identifies as a man and spent over two years fighting for the right to receive medically indicated care, and he finally got approved for hormone treatment. So he was the first federal prisoner to receive hormone treatment which will hopefully pave the way for prisoners to be able to receive hormones. He is current fighting for the right for surgical care for gender transition.

J11: So you mentioned that Marius was recently released to general population after years in the administrative unit. How did that come about and what does it mean for him?

C: We are still trying to figure out how that came about and what it means. We are still trying to figure exactly what unit he’s in. He was moved out of the admin unit. The administrative unit – and it’s stated on the website – is there for behavioral problems. And that there are people in there that receive a list of goals that if they meet they get moved out. And Marius of course has never gotten anything like that. His lawyer has been writing them a lot trying to get them to abide by their own standards and hasn’t gotten any response. And then, I think because Marius gets mail and he’s in the public eye a little bit – he’s not forgotten – that there is a better chance for him to get moved out than some of the other prisoners who are in there who don’t have communities of support. But it seems kind of random that he was moved out and we’re not totally sure why. We’re not totally sure quite honestly. He’s not quite in general population, I think he’s in a little bit of a smaller wing. Which might be actually better then general, or at least a better transition spot than general.

It’s hard to tell what’s going on, so I don’t want to get it all confused. I don’t want people to get confused by there being multiple reports of what’s going on. But whatever it is, it’s way better than him being in the admin unit. He’s able to go outside. He wrote us that he finally was able to see the sky and the clouds after years and years of not being able to see them. That he can touch the trees in the yard and feel the wind. Those things he will never be able to take for granted again. That it just means so much that he can go outside. And in this new unit he has more contact with other prisoners, and more groups and activities. So he should be good. I mean, it would be better if he was free, but it’s good that he’s not in that unit anymore.

J11: You also mentioned that Marius has been advocating for himself as a trans prisoner and other trans prisoners. One of the ways he’s done that is initiating January 22nd as the Day of Solidarity and Action with Trans Prisoners. Can you talk about that initiative a little bit?

C: Yeah, he started that. He was communicating with someone I believe in Australia about starting this day of action and solidarity with trans prisoners. He wanted to help expand the support he was getting to bring support to the larger population of trans prisoners, and connect the anarchist struggle with the trans prisoners struggle.

J11: When we discuss prisoner support, we think primarily of things like letter writing and fundraising and such. And often the reality is that people are taken from their children, their elderly parents, and companion animals. Marius in particular has a few cats that he left in the care of a comrade. What can we do to strengthen the support for the families and dependents of our prisoners?

C: I think there is so much that needs to be done to support prisoners across the board. Individual prisoners and prisoners in general. You know, before I joined Marius’s support team I thought probably that he was getting all the support that he needed. I would see his name around and would hear people talk about him. So I was really shocked when I joined his support team, that his basic needs weren’t being met. There wasn’t enough fundraising and the amount of letters he was getting was getting less and less as the years went by. So I think there is always that need for the basic stuff that we think is being taken care of, it probably isn’t being taken care of.

With that being said, there is a number of good organizations that are trying to help support in this larger way that you’re talking about. Like what do we do, how do we help prisoners who have kids who are left behind? And aging parents. I don’t anyone who works specifically with aging parents, but I know the Rosenberg Fund for Children has helped fly kids out to visit their parents in prisons, political prisoners. And there is the Jericho movement which does a lot of support for political prisoners and their families. Project Fang is a new fund that just started up that helps fly people out to visit prisoners. I think in the larger picture when I’m just focused on meeting the basic needs, I’m trying to figure out why there isn’t more support, it’s harder to think about the bigger picture. But I think what would help is if people realize that the basic needs of prisoners, of long-term anarchist prisoners weren’t being met. If they figured out how much time they could put into it, whether it be an hour a week, or two hours a month, or whatever kind of timeframe.

If people really sat down and thought, I need to figure out how to make something happen in a realistic way, and this is a realistic amount of time I can put forward into it, and look at their strengths and look at what they are able to offer. Are they artists? Are they web designers? Can they organize fundraisers? Do they have some in with veterinarians? Can they do childcare? What are their strengths, what do they have to offer? And then think about, is there something in their region, is there a group in their region that’s already doing prisoner support? They can offer their services there. I am an anarchist and I think that anarchist prisoners need our support, but there are also a lot of prisoners that need our support. So you know, if there is a local organization that’s working against ICE and immigration detention – or there was this cool thing on Mother’s Day where people were raising money to get mothers out who just needed bail. You know, like what’s going on locally, or if they don’t have a local area where anything is happening, what can they contribute virtually? I know with Marius we always have a need for fundraising, and art, and just getting the word out. Everything, you know?

J11: That transitions to the next question, which is what are some of the challenges that we have in supporting prisoners? And what could we collectively be doing better?

C: I think the challenges are that it gets tiring, it gets tiring to ask people for money, and writing prisoners can be depressing. And these are two things that we need to constantly be doing. I don’t have a ton of experience beyond Marius’s case, and it could be different with other cases, but I’ve seen this sort of gendered delegation of tasks that I’ve seen in other anarchist movements happening in prisoner support – where more women are doing the daily tasks of care that don’t have as much glory to it, and more men are taking the more glorious media-type roles, which is depressing.

I think there is something really humbling about writing prisoners, and being connected in that way, trying to find, especially, anarchist prisoners where you can’t necessarily write about what you’re doing politically because it probably won’t get through. And where you actually have to think about what else in your life matters, and what else they might need to hear. Most prisoners live in real sensory-deprivation environments. That getting letters, or art, or contacts should involve the senses is really important, and more important than hearing about the political thing that you’re thinking about, you know? And I think for a lot of anarchists, staying in the theoretical, this is what I think politically realm, is their favored place to be rather than going to a place of, what else do I have to offer someone, you know?

So anyway, I think that more people need to be willing to do the daily tasks of care and let go of their egos a little bit, and be like, yeah I might not have anything that will impress Marius to say in a letter, so I’m just going to write about what I did on the walk I went on with my dog. Honestly, he loves the letters of this is the walk I went on with my dog, and most prisoners I’ve written love those letters. They start to forget what it’s like to be in the world, and remembering what it’s like to just exist in the world is really helpful. So, letting go of the ego, and just being willing to do the daily stuff is really important.

J11: Can you speak to the way that the strengths and failings of prisoner support have affected Marius personally?

C: We try to shelter Marius a little bit from the financial situation, so that part hasn’t really affected him personally. There’s some things that he needs that don’t happen which affect him. It’s surprising to me that, you know, he’s vegan and those meals in federal prison are not very vegan-friendly, and as a vegan he has some serious health problems because the food was not sufficient to meet his nutritional needs. So we’ve sent out some calls for people to see if anyone’s willing to spearhead advocacy projects for federal prisons to have better vegan options, and there’s been no response. And I know we don’t have very good outreach, but it’s like, come on people! This is something very real, and I know there’s a ton of really active vegans out there and this would be a good project, and this is really affecting Marius’ health in a severe way.

So there’s that, and then the less and less mail that he’s been receiving in the last few years has been pretty disheartening to him, and creates more disconnection with the world. He’s so understanding that people just don’t write letters anymore, that that’s just not the way people communicate anymore. He understands that and everything. But the letters are a super lifeline, and a way to connect him with what it’s like to be in the world, and honestly to keep sane. So I think people doing that more, that’s been a big one. And then, fundraising. His cat got sick, and we tried to do a separate fundraiser for the cat so it wouldn’t come from his general fund. It wasn’t very successful. I don’t know. We didn’t tell him about the cat fundraiser, and lack of funds from it, but I think it affects him. Not the financial stuff because he doesn’t know about it, but the other stuff.

J11: Can you see any ways that June 11th can contribute to addressing some of these shortcomings? And what are your hopes for June 11th this year?

C: I’m grateful for June 11th, I think without June 11^th, Marius’ case would have lost its visibility. And June 11th is so essential for keeping his case and other long-term anarchist prisoners’ cases visible. I think the vision of what it is now, a lot of different local groups doing events that speak to what’s happening in their communities, and that also draw attention to long-term anarchist prisoners – I think a larger vision could include a little more of a toolbox to help new activists to figure out ways to really get more involved in the anarchist movement and supporting anarchist prisoners. And could make more connections to other prisoner movements, just to bridge some of those gaps or at least show solidarity. I think it’s doing a good job.

Sometimes I think it’s kinda funny, but as anarchists we’re not immune to the capitalist grow-or-die mentality. And sometimes I think that with our projects we think, what can we do next? Like, how can we up the ante? Sometimes, just keeping a project alive is sufficient. Of course I want to see everything grow just as much as anybody else does, but I also think that maintaining things takes a ton of work, and that making things be a constant in for people to get politicized around is a really huge aspect.

J11: Are there any struggles or moments in the recent past that have inspired you?

C: Yeah, Black Lives Matter of course. And some really cool work that, I can’t remember if they were DREAMers or young people who had some kind of legal status in the United States, but did this thing where they got arrested on purpose into ICE holding centers and did some underground reporting and organized things on the inside. Which was really brave and really amazing. There’s a ton of immigrants’ rights stuff that’s really powerful right now, really blowing my mind. And the prison strike of course was, and continues to be, really inspiring and exciting.

J11: Are there any other projects you’re involved with or have interest in that you’d like to talk about?

C: I’m involved in the January 22^nd Day of Action in Solidarity for Trans Prisoners, which I think is really exciting. I don’t think it’s really fulfilled its potential yet, in terms of its organizational structure. But I think just getting off the ground that there’s a ton of interest in it, and it’s a really beautiful way to broaden the picture of what we’re doing, and what we’re able to do as anarchists and as queers. We definitely need more help organizing it, but it’s also taken off in local autonomous groups, and sometimes that’s just as good as or better than a more organized form. I think the Trans Prisoner Day of Action and Solidarity has really taken off internationally, which is cool. And I know I’ve seen this critique before, and I think it’s a good critique, that as people in the United States we need to do more work being tuned in and supportive of anarchist and trans prisoners in other countries. So I personally am going to work on that a little bit more over the next couple of years.