Black Cross Bulletin A Los Angeles Anarchist Black Cross Federation Publication
Winter 2018
"The work isn’t done for the glory, but because we believe in Mutual Aid.” - Boris Yelensky
Vol. 1 Issue 2
African Freedom Fighter and Political Prisoner Richard Mafundi Lake Dies in Prison Captivity!by Omowale Kefing In the morning of January 21, 2018, Richard Mafundi Lake passed away in his Alabama prison cell of 31 years. While the cause of this death has not been determined, his support committee, the Mafundi Lake Support Committee, has been fighting the prison system for years, demanding adequate medical treatment for Mafundi and other inmates in Alabama. Carolyn Weyni Njeri Lake, Mafundi’s wife and chair of the committee, wrote in one complaint published by the Support Committee in response to a third stroke Mafundi had suffered. She stated: “My Husband, Richard Mafundi Lake was admitted to the infirmary at Donaldson Correction Facility where he is a prisoner. Unfortunately, there is no doctor at this facility on weekends (as a matter of fact, two prisoners recently died at Donaldson during a weekend where no doctor was present). “Not only that, Mafundi had been without his regular medication for four weeks prior to this incident.” So despite what an “official” determination might say, the fact is that Mafundi’s death is squarely on the state of Alabama and the entire colonial U.S. State that framed and put him there in the first place. At the time of Mafundi’s death, he was serving a life sentence under the “three strikes, you’re out” law. Mafundi was arrested on a trumped-up rape charge eight days following a successful, National African Liberation Day march, rally and conference in May of 1983 in Birmingham in which Mafundi was the primary organizer. The African Liberation Day activities were not the usual Birmingham civil rights mobilization. It was revolutionary activity and was contested by the state, from the FBI down to the local police. From the denial of parade permits to acquiring venue space, the government opposed this action from start to finish. Mafundi paid the price. Mafundi as a Freedom fighter and Political Prisoner Born in 1940, Mafundi grew up in
Birmingham, Alabama in the 1950s in what was a political hotbed of black protests─the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the stirring of the movement for Black Power and self-defense. Mafundi, like so many young Africans at the time, was swept off the streets by the Birmingham police and Sheriffs Bull Connor’s deputies to do slave labor in the many agricultural prison camps throughout the state. As a teenager he was framed for a $34 robbery and sentenced to 14 years hard labor. The police had taken a potential organizer/revolutionary from the streets and put him in prison. It was at the Atmore-Holman prison facility where Mafundi came into full bloom as an organizer and black revolutionary. Well aware of the oppression in the outside African community, the horrors of life inside the prison walls are a gruesome reality─no medical care, guards murdering and torturing inmates, gutter food, and absolutely no rights to speak of in the fields of the prison plantations. In response to these conditions, Mafundi organized Inmates for Action (IFA), one of the first and most effective prison organizations to come out of the Black Revolution of the sixties. In retaliation for his organizing efforts, Mafundi was to spend 12 consecutive
years in solitary confinement. Despite this, however, the state was not able to break his will. To paraphrase Mafundi testimony in Brooklyn, New York before the African People’s Socialist Party organized the First World Tribunal on Reparations for Black People in the United States in 1982, he says: “For 12 years in isolation I had no books to read. I learned to play chess without a board. “It would get extremely cold with no heat or blankets in the cells. I slept on a concrete slab. And to make matters worse, the guards would throw water on the floor to make it colder. “I would shadow box until I would get exhausted near the point of passing out in order to sleep. I would take the little piece of toilet tissue they gave us, which was 3 tiny squares, put on my chest and psych myself out that it was a blanket.” This is the Mafundi I knew! Upon his release from prison, Mafundi helped to organize the first prisoner support organizations in Alabama: the Committee for Prisoner Support in Birmingham, Families for Action, African People’s Survival Committee and the Atmore-Holman Brothers Defense Committee.
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What is the Anarchist Black Cross Federation?
The Anarchist Black Cross (ABC) began shortly after the 1905 Russian Revolution. It formed after breaking from the Political Red Cross, due to the group’s refusal to support Anarchist and Social Revolutionary Political Prisoners. The new group, naming itself the Anarchist Red Cross (ARC), began to provide aid to those Political Prisoners who were refused support by the PRC. In the early decades, the organization had chapters throughout Europe and North America. These chapters worked together to provide assistance to prisoners only in Russia. Soon other groups, such as the Latvian Anarchist Red Cross, emerged to provide aid in other Eastern European countries. Armed with the ideas of mutual aid and solidarity, these groups worked tirelessly to
Introduction:
provide support to those who were suffering because of their political beliefs. In 1919, the organization’s name changed to the Anarchist Black Cross to avoid confusion with the International Red Cross. Through the 1920s and until 1958, the organization worked under various other names but provided the same level of support as the other groups working as Anarchist Black Cross. After 1936, the ABC expanded its aid to places such as Greece, Italy and Spain. In 1958, the organization collapsed but reemerged in 1967 in London, England. Once again ABC chapters spread throughout the globe providing support for imprisoned comrades. Sadly, by the end of the 1970s only a handful of ABC chapters still existed.
“Crucially important to maintaining the anarchist integrity of this organization is the fact that Branch Groups and Support Groups are freely autonomous to take on whatever initiatives they can to further the Unity of Purpose of the ABCF. So long as these initiatives do not contradict any preexisting agreements (Tactical Unity) that have been made by the ABCF, it is not necessary for all groups to approve of and/or agree with programs, projects or work of other ABCF collectives.” [from the ABCF Constitution and Structure] The following definitions are used to describe the below terms whenever they appear in the ABCF Update or any other ABCF literature.
Political Prisoner (PP): A person incarcerated for actions carried out in support of legitimate struggles for self determination or for opposing the illegal policies of the government and/or its political subdivisions. [Special International Tribunal on the Violation of Human Rights of PP/POWs in U.S. Prisons and Jails, Dec. ’90]
In the 80s, however, the ABC began to gain popularity again in the US and Europe. For years, the ABC’s name was kept alive by a number of completely autonomous groups scattered throughout the globe and supporting a wide variety of prison issues. In May of 1995, a small group of ABC collectives merged into a federation whose aim was to focus on the overall support and defense of Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War. Various groups have since merged in numerous networks throughout the globe working on various prison issues. The Anarchist Black Cross Federation (ABCF) has continued its mission to focus on the aid and support of Political Prisoners. We take the position that PP/POWs demand our top priority. We strive to continue with the same dedication and solidarity to our fallen comrades as those before us have shown.
The ABCF is:
Federation Chapters
LOS ANGELES ABC P.O. Box 11223 Whittier, CA 90603
NYC ABC P.O. Box 110034 Brooklyn, NY 11211
LANCASTER ABC P.O. Box 8682 Lancaster, PA 17604
INLAND EMPIRE ABC P.O. Box 1124 Upland, CA 91785
MIDDLETOWN ABC (PO Box contact is available on request.)
BKFD ABC (PO Box contact is available on request.)
Prisoner of War (POW): Those combatants struggling against colonial and alien domination and racist regimes captured as prisoners are to be accorded the status of prisoner of war and their treatment should be in accordance with the provisions of the Geneva Conventions Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War of 12 August, 1949 (General Assembly resolution 3103)
Running Down the Walls 2018
Running Down the Walls is a 5k run support and build solidarity for political prisoners and prisoners of war. This year’s run will take place on June 3rd, 2018. The ABCF and participating organizations are encouraging others to organize solidarity runs in their city or behind the prison walls. For more information, contact LA or NY ABCF.
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5k Run to Raise Funds and Support for Political Prisoners Sunday, June 3, 2018 Los Angeles • New York (Other Cities Added Soon)
www.abcf.net
VOL. 1 ISSUE #2 Summer 2018
NEWS FROM THE FRONT
Casey Brezik Has Moved
Casey was recently transferred to a minimum security prison in Jefferson City, Missouri. This transfer has happened because Casey’s security classification has lowered and he is able to be in a lower security facility affording him slightly better communication and access to resources. While the move has a positive note, Casey still needs our continued support. As a long-term anarchist prisoner, Casey has relied heavily on the outside movement to show support for him during his long sentence, and with alarming regularity we as a broader movement have not shown up for him as we should. With his sentence beginning to near a relative end we are pushing for a more concerted effort in showing support and solidarity for Casey. Please take the time to white him: Casey Brezik #1154765 Algoa Correctional Center 8501 No More Victims Road Jefferson City, MO 65101
Chile: Bomb Case 2 Verdict
After three years of incarceration and nine months of trial, the fate of Enrique Guzman, Nataly Casanova and Juan Flores is now known. The three anarchists have been facing charges relating to series of attacks in Chile in a case that became known as “Bombs Case 2.” Enrique Guzman and Nataly Casanova were acquitted on all charges relating to an attack at Los Deminicos Metro Station and a police station. Juan Flores, while acquitted on the police station attack, was found guilty of the metro station attack and another separate attack at shopping center. Juan will be sentenced on March 15th. Shortyl have Enrique and Nataly were freed, Enrique was detained again after prosecutors made allegations that Enrique made threats against an attorney. After keeping him in jail for one night, police released Enrique, but not before charging him with the crime of making threats.
Jaan Laaman Transferred
After a long period in segregation, aka solitary, Jaan Laaman has avoided a transfer to a Communications Management Unit (CMU) and has been moved to USP McCreary, a federal prison in Kentucky. Laaman was placed in segregation for over eight months because of two recorded messaged - one in solidarity to the women’s strike on International Women’s Day and the other, for a message regarding Lynne Stewart. Both messages were categorized a threat to security of the prison. The transfer to the CMU was challenged thanks to the
great work by Paul Gattone. Please take the time to write Jaan and let him know that he is supported by those outside the prison walls: He can be contacted at: Jaan Karl Laaman #10372-016 USP McCreary P.O. Box 3000 Pine Knot, KY 42635
Woman Arrested for Graffiti
Makenzie Ruppe was arrested in Charleston, SC on January 6th and charged with six counts for malicious damage to property. Police say that Ruppe was caught writing anti-police and anarchist messages on six homes and buildings in the area. The graffiti left behind included messages “Kill Capitalism,” “Kill Cops,” “Fuck Cops,” and multiple anarchist symbols.
Walter Bond Sent to CMU
Anarchist political prisoner, Walter Bond has been transferred to Terre Haute CMU. The alleged reason for the transfer was because he enlisted the help of the North American Animal Liberation Press Office (NAALPO) to encourage the public to email or call into the prison in an attempt to address a grievance. The prison argued this was an attempt to disrupt normal operations. The prison also contends he was using the prison phones to record messages illustrating his intentions to engage in a hunger strike and convey threats to injure and/or kill civilians. More than anything, these are merely excuses to break down Bond’s support from the outside world. Recently, the Black Cross Bulletin received a message from Bond regarding the publication:
“LA ABC Thank you so much for the newsletter. I really enjoyed it. I am an imprisoned ALF activist that just came off of hunger strike and am now in the SHU awaiting transfer, (probably back to the CMU Unit I was already imprisoned before here.) Anyways, how often do you publish the Black Cross Bulletin? I don’t remember ever seeing one, at least like this one. I usually get weekly updates from NYC ABC, but not newsletter style. Until next time, take care and I’ll do the same. Regards, Walter Bond”
Please take a moment to write Bond. He can be contact by writing to him at: Walter Bond 37096-013 FCI Terre Haute Federal Correctional Institution PO Box 33 Terre Haute, In 47808
VI-5 Prisoners Transferred
It has been reported that the remaining three VI-5 prisoners (Hanif Bey, Malik Smith and Abdul Azeez) have been sent to Core Civic's facility in Tulwiler, Mississippi. As was the case in Arizona, this is a private prison and so it is safe to assume the conditions there are poor. According to correspondence from Bey, 24 men were transferred to the new location and the transport was the worse he has endured. Please consider writing to these comrades. Abdul Azeez* #16-047 Tallahatchie Corr. Facility 415 US Highway 49N Tutwiler, Mississippi 38963 (*Address to Warren Ballentine)
Hanif Shabazz Bey* #16-001 Tallahatchie Corr. Facility 415 US Highway 49N Tutwiler, Mississippi 38963 (*Address to Beaumont Gereau)
Malik Smith* #16-024 Tallahatchie Corr. Facility 415 US Highway 49N Tutwiler, Mississippi 38963 (*Address envelope to Meral Smith.)
Scott Warren Indicted
Scott Warren faces up to 10 years in prison, or more, after a grand jury indicted him on two counts for harboring illegal aliens and one count of conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal aliens. The No More Deaths volunteer was arrested in January and charged with harboring two people suspected of being in the country without authorization. Warren is also one of nine volunteers for the humanitarian aid group who have been charged by federal officials for leaving water and food in the Ajo corridor last summer. According to a criminal complaint filed by Border Patrol, agents were surveilling a building known as the "the Barn" in the remote desert near Ajo, about 110 miles of Tucson, when they saw Warren pull up to the building in an SUV. Warren apparently met with two individuals at the Barn, providing food and water. Warren's arrest came quickly on the heels of No More Deaths and Derechos Humanos releasing a report that implicated border patrol agents in the Tucson Sector with intentionally destroying some of the food and water caches left by the groups in an attempt to stem the number of deaths from exposure in desert. Warren’s arrest is designed to intimidate activists who are both providing humanitarian aid to individuals crossing the border and raising awareness about the actions of the Border Patrol.
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Application for ABCF Support Group Status from BKFD ABC To All the Members of the Anarchist Black Cross Federation In accordance to the ABCF Constitution, this letter is being written as a formal request to be recognized as a Support Group of the Anarchist Black Cross Federation (ABCF). Throughout the last few months, we, BKFD Anarchist Black Cross (ABC), have been in contact with member(s) of the Los Angeles Branch Group of the ABCF, who have provided our organization with a new group packet for review. We have examined the information, which has included the LA ABCF New Membership Packet, ABCF Constitution, ABCF Guide to PP/POW
Support and numerous others items. After a few inquiries and clarifications, we have decided to apply for Support Group status. The BKFD currently consists of three individuals from Bakersfield/Kern County area of California. We have been politically active in community in various projects and, over time, our activities have led us to focus our attention on political prisoner support and the prison industrial complex. We all strongly believe we can make a difference by helping our incarcerated comrades here by starting the BKFD ABCF. Our intent is to focus support on a few political prisoners and expand as our organization and relationships with those
political prisoners grow. With our relatively close proximity to the Los Angeles and Riverside chapters of the ABCF, we hope to build a strong working relationship with these two chapters. From there, we hope to assist in building the ABCF into a vibrant and strong organization, dedicated to the support and liberation of all anarchist and class war political prisoners.
As a collective, NYC Anarchist Black Cross has decided to withdraw support for Brandon Baxter of the Cleveland 4. It has come to our attention that Brandon has been problematic, abusive, and manipulative to women who have
offered him support, material or emotional. Brandon has not been receptive to concerns about this behavior. We are in solidarity with those who have been impacted by Brandon’s toxic behavior and feel it is imperative to discontinue support so as to
not facilitate any further harm to women. For these reasons, we no longer feel comfortable supporting or encouraging others to do so.
“I don’t normally write men political prisoners because I have had bad experiences... but I hear you are safe” I cannot tell you how many letters I get that open this way. Stories of unwanted sexual conversation, requests for photos and attempts to start relationships. It is not difficult to not violate women. I do it every day when responding to letters. A question for men in our community....Why are we being such creeps? I remember the first time a female comrade called me out. I was in high school and it was over me being a creep about a facebook picture. I thought I was being funny or cute and made a comment that didn’t seem out of line to me at all...She didn’t call me out in front of everyone, instead just replied to my message, ”Eric I thought we were friends, you are making me feel less”. This one sentence stays with me still today because I never again wanted to ever make someone feel that way, whether we were comrades, friends, partners, anything. That sentence changed my entire life because it was the first chance to hold myself accountable, to look at myself and see a chance to grow. We didn’t have the language to express what was really happening, I was being a patriarchal creep, that’s the reality, but she knew I was making her feel less, and that was enough, that should ALWAYS be enough. That chance to grow didn’t end in High school, it didn’t end when I turned 20 or 30–this is a continual growth, a continual
re-evaluation of what is ok and what isn’t. Even now when my partner lovingly calls me out on being patriarchal, I listen and take it very seriously, so that I don’t ever make someone feel ”less” ever again. There is no perfection here, there is no finished product, but there is a desire to always do better and to always grow. What I am seeing right now from certain people and parts of the radical community, the MALE political prisoner community, makes me absolutely sick to my fucking stomach. In prison you may find yourself having to do things to survive that make you feel uncomfortable or gross, and that sucks. But there is NEVER a reason to hurt, manipulate, lie to, bash, coerce, trick, or in general be greasy to female supporters (or any supporters really). Being a political prisoner does not entitle you to be a misogynistic, manipulative piece of shit. Having support isn’t a license to take advantage of people’s feelings or solidarity, to use them for your own purposes. It isn’t ok in the streets, it isn’t ok behind bars. We need to walk our talk on this issue, at least I do. We need to call out the people who act this way, or think this is ok. Brandon from the Cleveland 4 has done all those things listed above and more, admittedly and purposely. When given the chance to do the right thing, to be held accountable, not only did he reject those options but instead he chose to victim blame. He has done major harm to different
women in the community who tried to support him. And since that is the case, I want nothing to do with this guy. I don’t want to be associated with him in any way, and that includes being associated with people who still condone or apologize for him. If you have romanticized prison to the extent to where you think this behavior is okay just because he has been oppressed, then please lose my address. How we treat each other isn’t a game. The women in our community still have to deal with rampant patriarchy and sexism and still have to deal with being called liars and exaggerates when they speak up. I bet we all know of a hushed story about a man in our community who has problematic behavior towards women. When these behaviors are silenced it just puts more women in danger of experiencing them. This isn’t the future I want; this isn’t how I want our revolution to look like. I stand with our female comrades and I know many, many others do as well, and when we see behavior like this, we need to work on it, and if that isn’t seen as an option, then we need to smash it out. We need to start saying these things out loud, and as men it’s time for US to start holding each other accountable and stop relying on femme folks to do the emotional labor of this. Eric King # 27090045 FCI Florence PO Box 6000 Florence, CO 81226
Thanks. Solid, Jason BKFD ABC
NYC ABC Has Withdrawn Support for Brandon Baxter (Cleveland 4)
Eric King Statement on Brandon Baxter of the Cleveland 4
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Medical Horrors at FCI Florence by Eric King
There was recent information that has emerged that shows that the way the BOP is handling the hiring freeze is to have nurses double as cops. To quote Nurse Hendricks “I am a guard first and a nurse second” and THAT is the problem. In the medical field folks are asked to do no harm. Meanwhile they are asked to partake in the psychological torture that prison guards carry out and here is the kicker on the same people they are tasked to keep alive and healthy. One cannot be in charge of the health of a person while at the same time the other aspect of their job is to dehumanize them.
Since I have been at FCI Florence I have seen some real cruelty and vileness at a level I didn’t think was possible, ugliness that would make your skin crawl. No, it wasn’t from the gangs or the drug dealers, it was from certain members of the Medical Team. Specifically R.N. Hendricks. Fuck RN Hendricks. Imagine walking out of breakfast at 630 into the freezing cold mountain air. Once your feet step right outside you see someone wearing scrubs and a smile, and you assume this is a helpful caring person. You are sadly mistaken. Within seconds that person is in your face literally screaming ”SPREAD EM!”, referring to your legs. This person will then proceed to ”pat” you down so aggressively you would be forgiven for mistaking this pat down for an assault. That assault quickly becomes a Sexual Assault when she forcibly grabs your penis and balls, forces her hand between your ass cheeks, laughing horrifically, muttering to herself ”no one is getting past me today!”. This is what life is like for many men at FCI Florence. You may be asking yourself why she is taking this so fucking personal, that is because she sees herself as a ”cop first, nurse second, so don’t try to fuck with me!”. to which one inmate replied ”that explains the quality of your health care..” When an inmate tells her to keep her fucking hands off of his dick, her response is to quip ”Well you shouldn’t have come to prison!”, before writing up that inmate for having the audacity to not want to be sexually assaulted. Is she looking for knives or escape tools you may ask? Is she doing it to protect herself and her co-workers? Nope, she is looking for extra milks that people may smuggle back to supplement their protein intake. I assure you that no one has ever hid a milk carton in their ass cheeks. Most prisoners held captive here at the FCI have had to deal with this sadistic handsy creep on this level, but some have to deal with her on a much more serious level, and at that more serious medical level Hendricks gets to really express her ugliness and hatred toward inmates. There amount of horrors that she is
accountable for is staggering and hard to put into paragraph form. Inmates with long histories of seizures have regularly had their dosages reduced by her-without doctors permission or knowledge- leading to ugly, violent seizures. If you make the mistake of having a seizure on the 2nd tier, you can expect to be carried down the steps not on a gurney, but by 4 members of staff, dragging you like a sack of potatoes. Inmates with cancer have REGULARLY been denied doctor follow ups (despite the doctors request), denied medicine prescribed by the doctor, and had information continually withheld by RN Hendricks. There are countless grievances against her for ignoring actual doctors’ orders, losing medical inhalers, misplacing medicine, and changing dosages. I know this because I help type many of these grievances, and every time my heart aches for my comrades who have to go through this. Imagine your brother, father or grandfather has had a doctor order testing for cancer, only to have RN Hendricks cancel the testing. Imagine them needing medicine for some disorder, only to have RN Hendricks change the medicine completely or deny it all together. This ruins lives. Recently she had the goons run into the room of an elderly inmate with colon cancer whom the doctor had ordered to have a walker. Was she racing in to help him? Fuck no; she was taking the walker back, despite the inmate having the approval forms on hand. This is real. This is serious. We have no other medical recourse. How does R.N. Hendricks justify this? ”Shouldn’t have came to prison”. Recently an inmate filed a lawsuit against her after he went to the sick-call window complaining of pain and swelling in his testicles and she refused him service. He went back every day and each time she denied him help until it got so swollen they had to remove the damn thing. This isn’t shocking to the people inside, we see it happen all the fucking time. Hendricks is a soulless maggot, but she could not do this without approval or permission from above. She, like every member of this fascist brigade, answers to higher ups. She cannot act alone. She is permitted
to do this by the Bureaucrats who do not remove her from her post. By their refusal to act, they are not only allowing it to continue, but condoning the behavior, and why wouldn’t they? This is systematic abuse at its finest and this is what the BOP is masters of. The prison shields, protects, tolerates and accepts her behavior and the literal blood is also on their hands. R.N. Hendricks is an agent of a system that brutalizes other human beings, and as long as this system exists it will continue to act accordingly. Fuck R.N. Hendricks..Until all are free
(So to update on that I feel it’s important that people know that I was called into the Lt’s office by Lt. Estrada and asked whether I had been sexually assaulted or not. If I said yes I would be placed in Protective Custody and the police would be called and an investigation would develop which would lead to me being shipped. I am not an idiot. If I said yes and then refused to follow up that is another shot and I would get disciplined for that. I was told to sign a piece of paper saying I was never sexually assaulted by Hendricks. It is important to note that I never said I was, and only pointed out her very aggressive and questionable behavior. I signed that paper and went to visit with you.) Eric King # 27090045 FCI Florence PO Box 6000 Florence, CO 81226
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I first met Mafundi in the mid 1970s while doing work out of Atlanta, Georgia when the African People’s Socialist Party (APSP) built National Committee to Defend Dessie Woods. Dessie Woods was an African woman sentenced to prison for killing a white man who tried to rape her. I was in and out of Birmingham on a regular basis doing organizing work with Mafundi and the prisoner support committee there. While there, I lived with Mafundi and his wife Njeri (Carol) who is one of the most decent human beings I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. In the summer of 1978 following the March on Plains, Georgia (U.S. president Jimmy Carter’s hometown) to Free Dessie Woods, the APSP began the organized effort to build the African National Prison Organization (ANPO). Mafundi was named National Coordinator of the organization, which he took on with the zealousness of the Freedom Fighter he was. One of my most memorable moments with Mafundi was down in Gainesville, Florida, in November of 1979. We were there attending a meeting to organize the ANPO. While in Gainesville, the people of Iran seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran, accusing it of being a “nest of spies.” Of course, as supporters of the Iranian revolution, we supported the bold move by the Iranian revolutionaries and called for and held a march and demonstration in unity with the Iranians.
Our march and demonstration called for the freedom of the “40 Million Black Hostages Held in the U.S.” The demonstration was physically attacked by thousands of U.S. flag-waving white people, shouting “USA, USA” and “Sand Niggers Go Home.” We had to fight our way back to the hood, as Mafundi used a confiscated skateboard as a weapon of convenience. We made it back. The demonstration made international news, especially in the Iranian press. We completed this demonstration the following week when Chairman Omali Yeshitela came to Gainesville and led the marchers untouched, through these same thousands of foaming-at-the mouth white nationalists with the chant “Africa! Africa! Africa!.” Mafundi and the African National Prison Organization By the end of 1979, Mafundi and I were consistently on the road building the ANPO. Mafundi was passionate about the terrible treatment of African prisoners throughout the U.S. and was adamant about dismantling the whole system. We would fill the car up with literature and from Florida to Connecticut, we traveled based on the contact list we were working with, occasionally stopping off at places like Trenton State Prison in New Jersey where Sundiata Acoli was locked down. These were truly life lessons, trapped in a car 12 to15 hours at a time with my Comrade and friend Mafundi Lake plotting revolution and how to get free.
The work we did in Birmingham and other places did not win Mafundi’s freedom but was successful nonetheless. Having the occasion to work with Njeri and Makeda (Shirley) and watch their daughter Assata grow up reinforced every day the commitment ordinary Africans have to the revolutionary project. Some of Mafundi’s last work included challenging the prison system for dismantling a Black History Program he had established at the unit in Bessemer, Alabama. At 77 he was still standing tall for Africa and African people. Here is an excerpt from a letter Mafundi sent me following the Zimmerman acquittal for murdering Trayvon Martin. This is the sentiment that made the Inmates for Action a formidable organization that dealt with police violence inside the Atmore-Holman prison. Mafundi said: “We learn early in the Hood that respect is earned. Respect is demanded! Respect is not given voluntarily! “We must stop crying and wringing our hands over such racist murders and verdicts! “We stay in crisis mode! One crisis after another. When will it end? It will end when we end it! “If we can’t protect each other, surely we can avenge each other. That is all I have to say about the Zimmerman case!” Mafundi has surely won his place among the patriotic African martyrs. Long Live Mafundi Lake! (This article was reprinted from the website theburningspear.com .)
harm” that was “greater than the harm resulting from the violation of the law”— Judge Laurie A. Fontaine rejected such a defense for Foster and Sam Jessup, who filmed Foster’s action and received a twoyear deferred prison sentence with supervised probation. Outside the court, Dr. James Hansen— who has been called “the father of modern climate change awareness” and was barred from testifying during the trial last year— said the public is generally unaware of the need to urgently address the climate crisis, emphasizing that we are entering “the age of consequences” for burning fossil fuels. “Michael Foster isn’t a criminal,” Hansen added, “he’s a hero.” The decision to sentence Foster to prison time was decried by other climate activists, including fellow valve turner Emily Johnston, who pointed out the lack of legal consequences for environmental degradation caused by the fossil fuel industry.
“TransCanada and the State of North Dakota had both pushed for a harsh sentence to deter other climate activists (the prosecution recommended five years),” according to a statement released Tuesday by Climate Direct Action, which launched the #ShutItDown action. Foster faced a maximum penalty of 21 years in prison, but is expected to only serve one year and then to be released on probation. “I made a decision to commit civil disobedience to defend my family tree and yours, knowing that there is no government, no politician, no corporation on planet right now putting forward a plan to defend life as we know it,” Foster also said Tuesday. “My kids and yours won’t survive this mess if we don’t clean up all this.” Write to Michael Foster at:
Activist Gets Three-Year Prison Sentence for Shutting Down Tar Sands Pipeline
Michael Foster, the valve turner who temporarily halted the flow of tar sands oil in TransCanada’s Keystone pipeline in October 2016, called for future actions to address the global climate crisis before he headed to prison, where he is expected to serve at least a year of his three-year sentence. “It doesn’t matter if I’m sitting in jail. What matters is stopping the pollution,” Foster, a 53-year-old mental health counselor from Seattle, declared after his sentencing in North Dakota on Tuesday. “If other people don’t take action, mine makes no difference,” he continued. “And if they don’t, the planet comes apart at the seams. The only way what I did matters is if people are stopping the poison.” Although others who participated in the multi-state #ShutItDown action two years ago have been allowed to present a “necessity defense“—or argue they believed their act was “necessary to avoid or minimize a
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Michael Eric Foster #51974 Missouri River Correctional Center P.O. Box 5521 Bismarck, ND 58506
Turkish Anarchist, Şevket Aslan, on Hunger Strike
As of February 18th, news has come out of Turkey that anarchist prisoner, Şevket Aslan, has been on hunger strike for over 80 days in what he has described as an “endless and irreversible” until his demands are met. Şevket went on a hunger strike with the same demands on July 19th and ended it on the 53rd day. Since these demands were not met he has begun a new hunger strike. Şakran is being held in İzmir T Type Prison in Aliağa Şakran. His main demand is to be recognized by prison authorities as an anarchist prisoner and to be transferred to another unit or prison that houses anarchist prisoners. If this is not possible he wants to be moved to a single cell. Şevket is currently housed with another prisoner in what prisoners describe as a ‘coffin’ – a cell designed for one prisoner that contains a bunk bed. There is barely any room for them to move inside the cell. These conditions forced him to act.
Şevket Aslan’s Full List of Demands are as Follows: 1. To be recognized as an anarchist prisoner by the prison authorities and transferred to a unit or another prison where other anarchist prisoners are housed, failing this, to be transferred to a single cell; 2. To be able to receive books that are not banned; 3. That the prison stops “losing” his written complaints, appeals and requests that he sends to official institutions and that he is given the exit numbers (tracking numbers) for them; 4. Termination of shoe removal rule except for open visits and health reasons; 5. An end to prisoners having to stand for excessively long periods of time while waiting to see prison administration; 6. That the prison allows him to paint and allows him to receive oil painting materials and have access to the painting workshop.
In a nine-month span, three MOVE members have been denied parole: Delbert Africa in June 2017, Michael Africa in January 2018, and now Eddie Africa in February 2018. This upcoming May Janet, Janine, and Debbie Africa will be appearing before the Parole Board. It is a safe bet that these three MOVE members will face a similar outcome by the board as the recent verdicts. The reasons given for the denial of parole include their refusal to admit guilt, refusal to accept responsibility for the crime, and for negative recommendations from the prosecuting attorney. The MOVE 9 were convicted for the death of James J. Ramp during the 1978 shoot-out. Ramp was shot from behind and from an angle that made it impossible for members of
MOVE to shoot the officer, which has been MOVE’s defense from the first day. Veteran Philadelphia journalist Linn Washington Jr. has discovered since the trial of the MOVE 9 that no only did the police officers at the scene have the .233 type of ammunition used to kill Officer Ramp, which contradicts the original claim made by the police at the time, but that some in the police deportment believe that Ramp was actually shot by police gunfire and not the MOVE. However, this could never be truly examined in court because the city made great efforts to destroy the crime scene immediately after the events, even violating a court order to do so. There is no crime committed by the MOVE 9 other than their membership in the MOVE organization. Even the judge in
the trial admitted as much, stating he had "absolutely no idea” who had actually shot Officer Ramp, and explained that since MOVE called itself a family, he sentenced them as such. Since the courts have treated these individuals as a collective there is little chance that the future parole hearing will deviate from the most recent. The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) will also ensure that the prosecuting attorney in the case will follow lock step with their agenda to ensure that the MOVE 9 will never see freedom. The only chance for their freedom is a mass mobilization greater than what the FOP is willing to offer surrounding this case. As we have seen in the Mumia Abu-Jamal case, our mobilization needs to be larger and worldwide in order to measure.
A year after over 200 individuals were arrested during the “Disrupt J20” protests, the fate of 59 defendants is still uncertain and the support for the remaining individuals is just as crucial as before. The arrests stem from the demonstration surrounding Trump’s inauguration, after police cordoned off a group of protesters detaining them for several hours (what police refer to as “kittling”) before arresting them. Police then charged them with an array of felony charges including felony rioting, conspiracy to riot, and property destruction. Even if a particular arrestee was not individually involved in
property destruction, the State argues that by being present at an event where property destruction was taking place, each individual was responsible. It is important to note that while many of those arrested were protesters, others were journalists, legal observers and by-standers. Many of those arrested are still dealing with the physical and emotional effects of that day, ignoring for a minute the legal and financial burden they have had to endure. Some of those detained claimed that the police used pepper spray on them indiscriminately, stripped search them, grabbing them by their genitals and even
subjecting them to manual rectal probing. Police seemed determined to ensure that protesters understood what the new Trump era would look like. In December, supporters witnessed a spark of hope when the first group of defendants were acquitted on all charges relating to the arrest. One month later the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia dropped the charges for 129 of the defendants. The remaining 59 defendants still face felony charges carrying a possible sentence of more than 60 years in prison. Despite some of the charges are dropped, all 200 defendants remain united.
MOVE Members Denied Parole, More to Come
J20: 129 Cases Dropped, but 59 Remain
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A Trial for Acts of Solidarity in Belarus The trial for Belarussian, Svyatoslav Baranovich, has begun in the capital city, Minsk. Baranovich is being tried for attempting to prevent the detention of anarchists during an altercation last March. On March 15, 2017 a group of anarchists joined the march against the tax on unemployment. At the end of the demonstration, plain-cloth police tried to detain a few activists when the bloc was hopping on a trolley bus. Ordinary people who stood nearby started pushing with cops trying to not let them make arrests. Svyatoslav
Baranovich was one of them. The cops’ attack was successfully repelled, but a few stops later all anarchists were detained in the same trolley. Seven months after the incident, on October 3, 2017, Baranovich was arrested and accused of using violence against a policeman. His trial was set for February 15th and he is facing up to 6 years of imprisonment. This is not the first time Baranovich has been the target of police repression. He was arrest in 2010 during demonstration
against election fraud, where he got into a fight with SWAT officers who were attacking protesters. He received 3 years of house arrest after political pressure forced Lukashenko to free or reduce the sentenced of those individuals arrested in the demonstrations. While it is not known the politics of Svyatoslav Baranovich, his support and solidarity for anarchists is enough for us to respond in kind. We will keep an eye on this case and will provide any updates in future Black Cross Bulletins.
Review of Repressions Against Anarchists in Russia
Moscow Anarchist Black Cross released the review of repression of anarchists by Russian state in 2017 and early 2018. During this period, the authorities continue to frame and persecute the Russian comrades. Anarchists are also a subject of repressions in prisons. Here is the extract of recently published list of repression in Russia.
St. Petersburg and Penza
In October 2017, Russian Special Services (FSB) fabricated a large-scale criminal case against anarchists and antifascists, whom they declared members of the terrorist organization called The Network. Russian authorities allege that the accused planned and prepared terrorist acts to be conducted during the coming presidential elections in March 2018 and the World Cup over Summer the same year. In Penza, Yegor Zorin, Ilya Shakursky, Vasily Kuksov, Dmitry Pchelintsev, Arman Sagynbaev and Andrei Chernov were detained. In St. Petersburg, the cops arrested Victor Filinkov and Igor Shishkin. Ilya Kapustin is currently a witness. The relatives of the arrestees reported that their loved ones were tortured in order to extract confessions from them. All detainees in this case are in a difficult situation, under the threat of repetition of tortures, and very much need your support – and your solidarity. You can make a donation towards their legal costs here. The arrested will also be delighted to receive letters of support. Here are their addresses: St. Petersburg: Shishkin Igor Dmitrievich Filinkov Victor Sergeevich Address: 191123, St. Petersburg, Shpalernaya St., 25 PKU SIZO-3 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia In Penza: Shakursky Ilya Alexandrovich Pchelintsev Dmitry Dmitrievich
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Chernov Andrey Sergeevich Sagynbaev Arman Dauletovich Address: PKU SIZO-1, st. Karakozova, 30, Penza, Penza region, Russia, 440039
Moscow
Two activists, Elena Gorban and Alexei Kobaidze, are charged with criminal damage of Putin’s United Russia Party offices. They were charged after, at the end of January 2018, unknown activists smashed the window of one of the branches of the United Russia Party in Moscow and threw a fire inside in protest against the upcoming presidential elections. “No matter who becomes president, their policy is always the oppression and exploitation of a simple working people. We, as anarchists, offer self-government and direct democracy in exchange for presidents and other state institutions. Join our fight! “- the people responsible for that action said in their statement.
The police broke into the apartments where Gorban and Kobaidze lived on February 13. After the interrogations, the activists were released on bail, and now they are on the run.
Chelyabinsk
In Chelyabinsk, five activists were detained on 19th February 2018 after the action near the local branch of the FSB. Persons unknown hanged a banner saying “FSB – the main terrorist” and threw a smoke bomb over the fence of the FSB property. The action was held in support of the anarchists arrested in Penza. The activists, who prefer their names not to be published, reported that the FSB officers tortured them with a taser gun, demanding that they admit that they hung the banner. They were eventually released on bail, but with a condition preventing them from leaving the country or changing address. You can help them with legal costs by transferring money to the account of ABC.
Crimea
In February 2018, Crimean FSB arrested anarchist Yevgeny Karakashev. He is accused of “inciting hatred” and “justification of terrorism”, or in other words, posting a video on Russian social media page VKontakte. Karakashev is currently under arrest. Yevgeny has been busy with activism for some time. Prior to his arrest, he took part in a picket near the FSB building in Crimean city Simferopol, and in November 2016, along with like-minded people, planned to hold a picket “against
police arbitrariness in the Crimea” near the building of the Ministry of the Interior. This picket was banned by the local authorities.
Administrative Persecution
In January 2017, on the anniversary of the political assassination of lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova, there were memorial events across the country, which the cops tried to break. Anarchists were detained in Moscow, Petersburg, Murmansk and Sevastopol. The police conducted more arrests this year during commemoration actions for Markelov and Baburova. On 23rd February 2017, dozens of people were detained on left-wing “Desertir Fest” in the southeast of Moscow. The festival was held in protest against army conscription. The police considered such a cause unduly radical. In 2018 the festival did not take place because the cops prevented it in advance. In Irkutsk in April 2017, searches were conducted with the participation of the SOBR (Russian Special Forces) unit and the Center for Countering Extremism. Nine people were detained. With regard to one of the activists – Dmitry Litvin – a criminal case was initiated under Article 148 of the Criminal Code (insulting religion). The rest were interrogated as witnesses in the case – the detainees themselves were sure that the main reason is different: local anarchists are the most active participants political life of the city and repeatedly intensified social protest. In November 2017, when Russian antifascist traditionally commemorate Timur Kacharava: a musician and antifascist murdered by neo- nazis, the police broke the celebrations. As result, one person was arrested.
Persecution Abroad
In April 2017, an anarchist Alexei Polykhovich was deported from Belarus after 12 days of arrest for participating in a rally in Minsk, where people protested against new taxes. During Summer, in the Belarussian city of Baranovichi, the riot police rushed into the lecture of Alexei Sutugi. The subject of the lecture was how to oppose the authorities from prison. Almost all those present were detained until evening. On October 12, a local court ruled that the materials confiscated at the lecture were extremist. In October 2017 in the Belarussian city of Grodno the riot police interrupted a lecture of the philosopher Pyotr Ryabov. Pyotr Ryabov is sympathetic to anarchists associate professor of philosophy at the Moscow State Pedagogical University. He specializes in the history of anarchist thought. After the lecture entitled
“Informal movement of Belarus 19912010” in Baranovichi, Ryabov was sentenced to 6 days of arrest for “dissemination of extremist materials”. After that, the Citizenship and Migration Department of the local militia decided to deport Ryabov and barred him from entering the country for 10 years. In Moscow, a series of pickets took place against the arrest of Pyotr Ryabov in front of the embassy of Belarus. “The state overestimated my contribution to revolutionary propaganda: several of my lectures would have produced less hype than their prohibition. I think that the whole thing is in the term “anarchism”. The authorities remember, and the fact that the anarchists were condemned for the arson of the Russian embassy in 2010, and the fact that the anarchists in many cases led a mass protest against the law on parasitism, “ Ryabov said in an interview after his release. In 2017 anarchists of Belarus were the most active force of protests against the tax on parasitism, which the Belarussian authorities wanted to introduce for the unemployed.
News from prisons
The Crimean anarchist Alexander Kolchenko celebrated his 28th birthday in prison where he is still kept – despite the recent exchange of prisoners between Ukraine and Russia. On his birthday, the anarchists from Ukraine, Czech Republic and Poland held actions at airports in solidarity with him. Kolchenko was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the case of the so-called “Crimean terrorists” – he participated in actions against the entry of Russian troops on the peninsula, in particular, the arson of the local branch of United Russia and the office of the nationalist Russian community of Crimea. In November, the convict was diagnosed with a “weight deficit”. At the same time, the FSIN denied him the opportunity to study in absentia at a Ukrainian university. You can write a letter to Alexander Kolchenko at the address: 456612, Chelyabinsk Region, Kopeysk, ul. Kemerovskaya, 20, IK-6, detachment 4, Kolchenko Alexander Aleksandrovich. In Mordovia, anarchist Ilya Romanov continues to serve his sentence for terrorism: a conviction he acquired after he was injured with fireworks in October 2013. Due to the accident, Romanov lost his hand, but still, he was convicted for terror-
ism and sentenced to 10 years in prison. In April, the ECHR considered one of the complaints of Romanov and awarded him 3,400 Euro in compensation for unreasonably long detention during the investigation. However, it is unclear how the prisoner will be able to receive this money – all his accounts are blocked by the state. The elderly relatives of Romanov, who tried to transfer the money to Ilya via the post office, were detained by the police. In May, Romanov was placed in solitary for four months, and in July, new terrorist case against him was launched Ilya Romanov is detained in IK-22 Mordovia, the address: 431130, Mordovia, Zubovo-Poliansky district, st. Potma, n. Lepley. Write a letter to him, he will really appreciate it.
Finally free
In May 2017, anarchist Alexei Sutuga was released from prison. In September 2014 Sutuga, known by the nickname Socrates, was convicted to three years and a month after he allegedly took part in a fight in a cafe. The anti-fascist himself did not admit guilt: he says that he tried to break the fight, but he did not beat anyone. The victims in the case were Russian neoNazis. In October 2017, the antifascist from Tomsk, Yegor Alekseev, disappeared before he was due to be sentenced for “public calls for extremist activity”, or posting a YouTube video on his social media profile. At the moment he is safe in unknown location. According to Yegor, he decided to hide from the Russian justice system, fearing to get a conviction with a real term of imprisonment. In early November 2017, historian and anarchist Dmitry Buchenkov escaped from house arrest and is currently in undisclosed European country. His escape was possible because he was not fit with electronic bracelet due to lack of resources. According to investigators, on May 6, 2012, Buchenkov allegedly attacked a policemen.He was charged despite of evidence clearly indicating that on the day of alleged attack he wasn’t even present: he was visiting his family in other town. The complaint of his arrest and politically motivated persecution is directed to the European Court of Human Rights. This review was prepared by the team of the ABC-Moscow. It is not a complete list of the prosecutions of anarchists by Russian state – at the request of some of the comrades, the review does not mention all the misadventures of post-Soviet anarchists. If you want to help, you can find out how to transfer money for the needs of the ABC Russia at: https://wiki.avtonom.org/en/index.php/ Anarchist_Black_Cross_Moscow
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Three Water Protectors From Standing Rock Will Face Prison Time
Three Water Protectors will soon be serving prison sentences as part of the fight against the oil pipelines being built near and across indigenous lands in North Dakota. Red Fawn Fallis is currently awaiting sentencing on May 31, 2018. Earlier in January, she pled guilty to Counts 1 and 3 of her indictment (Civil Disorder and Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon). Pursuant to her plea agreement, the government will recommend a sentence of no more than seven years and drop Count 2 (Discharge of a Firearm in Relation to a Felony Crime of Violence). In early February, Little Feathers (aka Michael Giron) appeared in federal court in Bismarck, ND for a change of plea hearing as per the terms of a non-cooperating agreement with prosecutors. Under the terms of his plea agreement, the government will drop the Use of Fire to Commit a Federal Felony Offense charge and there will be a joint recommendation of 36 months in prison for Civil Disorder. He is awaiting his May 30th sentencing hearing in a prison cell in Rugby, ND. Michael Markus (Rattler) is out on
supervised pretrial release awaiting sentencing on May 29, 2018. Under the terms of his plea agreement, the government will drop the Use of Fire to Commit a Federal Felony
Acronyms/ Terms
Offense charge and there will be a joint recommendation of 36 months in prison for Civil Disorder. Each of these Water Protectors’ plea agreements relate only to each individual themselves and do not harm other Water Protectors or require any information to be given about others. All of the Standing Rock federal criminal cases include one charge that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years. Red Fawn, Little Feather and Rattler have each made the very difficult decision to enter into plea agreements that will result in substantial time in prison, but also mean that they are no longer facing up to 15 years, and in Red Fawn’s case, up to life in prison. Red Fawn and Little Feather are currently incarcerated, as is Dion Ortiz who is still awaiting trial on his federal charges. Rattler remains out on supervised pretrial release awaiting sentencing. All of the sentencing hearings will be in Bismarck federal court before Chief Judge Daniel L. Hovland.
FREQUENTLY USED
ABCF: Anarchist Black Cross Federation - anti-authoritarian federation of ABC groups who support and defend PP/POWs. ABC-BG: Branch Group - ABCF group with more responsibilities than a SG. ABC-SG: Support Group - ABCF group with fewer responsibilities than a BG. AIM: American Indian Movement - above ground revolutionary organization of Native Americans. Anarchism: Free or libertarian socialism. Anarchists are opposed to government, the state, and capitalism. Therefore, simply speaking, anarchism is a no government form of socialism. Types of anarchists include: Anarcho-Communist, Anarcho-Syndicalist, Autonomist, Collectivist, Individualists, and Mutualists. BLA: Black Liberation Army - revolutionary Black clandestine formation formed to defend the Black community and the BPP, inactive since the ’80s. BPP: Black Panther Party - above ground Black revolutionary group seeking Black political power, disbanded in the mid-’70s. FALN: english translation: Armed Forces of National Liberation revolutionary clandestine group fighting for Puerto Rican independence. FC: Federation Council - decision-making body of the ABCF. MOVE: Not an acronym, the name of an organization based in Philadelphia whose members are committed to the teachings of John Africa. Their belief is in “life.” PC: Prisoner’s Committee - rotating body of 5 PP/POWs on the ABCF’s FC.
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PP/POWs: Political Prisoners and/or Prisoners of War. (See page 1.) Self-Defense: The legal act of protecting one’s life or the life of another with the idea/purpose of self-determination and independence. Armed self-defense is relative to the ABCF, specifically in the U.S., in that as the organization grows, so too grows the need to protect ourselves from the armed aggressor of the state, right wing, and other ideological opponents. (Firearms training as preparation for self-defense are legal activities within the confines of the U.S.) Self Determination: The right by virtue of which all peoples are entitled freely to determine their political status and pursue their economic, social, and cultural development. All peoples may, for their own ends, freely dispose of their natural wealth and resources without prejudice to any obligations arising out of international economic cooperation, based upon the principle of mutual benefit and international law. In no case may a people be deprived of their own means of subsistence. SDS: Students for a Democratic Society - left student group founded in the ’60s. The Update: This is a quarterly publication of the ABCF. WUO: Weather Underground Organization - first the Weathermen, later known as the WUO, evolved out of the SDS as an underground formation of primarily white anti-imperialist revolutionaries from the student movement.
(The Anarchist Black Cross Federation (ABCF) produces the Revolutionary Political Dictionary with these and other expanded definitions of political terms. Available from Los Angeles ABC for $1 and two 41 cents stamps.)
$114,500 Raised Through the Warchest Program!
SUPPORT THE ABCF WARCHEST
The ABCF has initiated a program designed to send monthly checks to PP/POWs who have been receiving insufficient, little, or no financial support during their imprisonment. PP/POWs requesting funds complete an application of financial questions. When the ABCF has collected sufficient funds to send out another monthly check, the applications are reviewed by a rotating body of PP/POWs called the Prisoner Committee, who make a judgement on which applicant is in the most financial need. There is also an emergency fund designed to immediately send checks to those PP/POWs in need of one-time or emergency assistance. Founded in 1994, the Warchest has provided consistent and reliable financial aid, serving a much- neglected comradely function. Since its inception, the ABCF has raised over $114,500 with just this one program. All funds raised go directly to the political prisoners, for which the program is designed. Despite our success, our comrades are still in dire need of funds. Endorse this program by giving a monthly or one-time donation to increase the number of prisoners being supported monthly. A financial report is published that documents all money received and the prisoner it was sent to. This is done in order to be as accountable as we can to the prisoners and the movement. NJ ABCF
FUNDS IN
LA ABCF
NY ABCF
Inland Empire ABCF Middletown ABCF
Through the Walls Michael Zemel
Marcin Wolynski
JAN
FEB
0
0
50 0 0 0
20 0 5
50 0 0 0
20 0 5
David Torcivia
10
10
Benjamin Stone
10
0
Matt Roberts
Wesley Cullinane
Greco Entertainment Nora Whitehorse
George Thompson Total
FUNDS OUT OSO BLANCO ROBERT SETH HAYES JALIL MUNTAQIM ALVARO HERNANDEZ RUCHELL MAGEE HANIFF BEY JOSEPH BOWEN SUNDIATA ACOLI JAAN LAAMAN HERMAN BELL MALIK SMITH TOM MANNING DAVID GILBERT MALIKI LATINE TOTAL
10 0 1
10 0 0
0
35
106
155
0
JAN 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 0 520
25
FEB 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 0 520
Send cash,checks or mos made to TIM FASNACHT to: Lancaster ABCF • P.O Box 8682 • Lancaster, PA 17604 • timABCF@aol.com FUNDS IN 1994 351 1995 3860 1996 4143 1997 3544 1998 7643 1999 5814 2000 3514 2001 5290 2002 2873 2003 1785 2004 0 2005 4439 2006 3268 2007 4312 2008 3448 2009 6468 2010 6225 2011 5867 2012 4795 2013 4633 2014 6004 2015 7657 2016 9406 2017 9098 2018 261 TOTAL 114,698
FUNDS OUT 1994 120 1995 2796 1996 4308 1997 4588 1998 6412 1999 5191 2000 4544 2001 4637 2002 4320 2003 1300 2004 0 2005 2620 2006 2880 2007 3471 2008 3750 2009 3700 2010 5200 2011 7730 2012 6480 2013 5360 2014 4880 2015 4960 2016 5200 2017 6420 2018 1040 TOTAL 102,459
(*Funds unaccounted for due to unreported funds from Jacksonville ABCF)
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“Your ABCF Guide to PP/POW Support is great, PERIOD!” - New Afrikan POW Sundiata Acoli
ABCF to e d i u G er n o s i r cal P i t ar i l W o f P o oner s i r P and rt Suppo
“You can see many of our concerns addressed in this pamphlet.” - former Puerto Rican POW Carmen Valentin “It is extremely well thought out and put together.” - Anti-Imperialist PP Tom Manning
What’s the ABC? What’s the ABCF? Who are Political Prisoners, Prisoners of War? Where are they? Why make a criteria? What do mean by ‘documentation’ and how do I get it? What kinds of support for Political Prisoners need? How should I go about my work? What can PP/POW’s get in prison? What do I need to know if I wasn't to visit? Can I bring them food packages? What about clothes? What do you mean ‘principled support’? How do I get involved? s ip h ns
tio ort rela d supp rs of war le ip c rin ne build p d priso why to prisoners an d n a w l Ho olitica with p
A practical guide compiled with the help Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War themselves based on concrete history and work experience. It will help answer all of these questions and more. The ABCF guide to PP/POW definitions that were democratically agreed upon at an international tribunal, specific procedures for obtaining documentation on PP/POW’s, information on visiting, phone contact, food/clothing packages, an updated list of U.S. PP/POW’s and the working policies of the ABCF in our work to support PP/POW’s, as well as a listing of all North American ABCF groups using them. Send $1 and two stamps to:
Los Angeles ABCF - PO Box 11223 - Whittier CA 90603 LA-ABCF Branch Group PO Box 11223 Whittier, CA 90603
“This work is not done for glory, but because we believe in mutual aid.”