Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Italian prisoner in Spain
Urgent ELP! Bulletin (31st of October 2007)
Dear friends
Earlier this month an Italian couple, living in Spain, discovered their three pet dogs had escaped from their keep and had ended up in the local dog pound. The couple went around to the pound to discover the pound had killed their dogs!
The couple (known animal rights activists) started a local campaign against the dog pound. However during a protest outside the pound the couple (along with two others) were arrested and ELP has learnt that one of the Italians, Simone Righi, has been remanded into custody!
Not only has he seen his dogs killed, Simone has now been jailed for merely protesting against the killing of his dogs!
Please send urgent letters of support to:
para: SIMONE RIGHI - INGRESO -
CENTRO PENITENCIARIO DE PUERTO II
CTRA.JEREZ - ROTA, KM 5,4
11500 - PUERTO DE SANTA MARIA - ESPAÑA (Spain)
For more information about the campaign against the dog pound visit
http://www.dogwelcome.it/spagna2007.html
For more information about Simone's arrest, please see the below article:
http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_13250.shtml
Animal rights association campaigns against Puerto Real pound at the
centre of animal abuse allegations
By m.p. - Oct 25, 2007 - 8:32 PM
El Refugio wants Town Halls in the area to cancel their contracts with
the pound
The animal rights association, has started a campaign calling on Town
Halls in the area to cancel their contracts with the Puerto Real dog
pound which is at the centre of allegations of animal abuse.
Four arrests were made at the pound earlier this month after an Italian
couple reported that their three dogs had been killed when they went to
collect them. The couple were themselves arrested after altercations at
an animal rights protest in Cádiz City, where the Mayor and City Hall
councillors were allegedly assaulted. One was released on 3,000 [Euros] bail,
while her partner, Simone R., remains in prison on remand. Both appeared
in court on Wednesday in the court investigation into the pound.
El Refugio campaign uses as its star one of the animals the
association has taken in: Mona, a three year old mongrel who was rescued
along with her nine puppies and who has now has now been rehomed.
Other animals were not so lucky: El Refugio quotes the official figure
for this year for the number of cats and dogs put down at the Puerto
Real pound, and says all 566 may have suffered a slow agonising death by
a method which induces muscular paralysis and asphyxia.
They are calling on those who live in the area to contact the Town Halls
concerned and ask them to withdraw their contracts. Details on El
Refugio web page http://www.elrefugio.org
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Is Chauncey Bailey the Last Victim of Oakland's Muslim Bakery Mob?
By Paul Harris, The Observer UK
Posted on October 30
http://www.alternet.org/story/66424/
Death came for Chauncey Bailey just after breakfast. The new editor of the Oakland Post had a morning routine of strolling to his office in downtown Oakland. Each day he took the same route and stopped at the same McDonald's. So it was easy for his killer to find him.
At around 7.30am on 2 August, as Bailey walked down Oakland's 14th Street, a young black man got out of a white van and approached him. He stepped quickly forward, hefted up a shotgun and blasted him in the chest. As Bailey lay dying, the man shot him again, then turned and ran a few steps, before stopping and coming back. He took aim once more before firing a third and final time. Then he fled.
One of black America's most successful journalists had been murdered in broad daylight. The crime sent shock waves through Oakland that rippled into the rest of the country. Then came the real surprise: it emerged that Bailey had been investigating a local group of radical black Muslims, digging into their finances and reputation for violence. Bailey had been killed for a story. But this was not Moscow. Or Burma. Nor some tinpot African dictatorship. This was Oakland, California. This is America, where no journalist has been murdered because of their work for more than 30 years.
Bailey's killing was clearly no common crime. It was the culmination of a series of extraordinary events. In some ways it was the last defiant spasm of the radical politics of the Sixties that brought Oakland infamy as the birthplace of black nationalism and the Black Panthers. It was also the product of a city that in some areas has plunged into the depths of crime, drugs and despair. And of a city so keen to promote itself that it ignored the brutal criminal gang operating in its midst under the guise of a religious organization. For decades, Oakland has turned a blind eye to the huge black ghettos that define many of its suburbs. They are grim, festering places of drugs and shootings, they are places the city wants to forget. Bailey's death was a reminder of this "Other Oakland," the city beyond the fancy bars and fine restaurants of a freshly prospering -- and increasingly white -- downtown.
Not that Bailey had forgotten them. While living in a tough Oakland neighborhood, he had once boasted that he could lean out his window and "see the news." In a modern age of mindless TV sound bites and celebrity-obsessed newspapers, Bailey stood out a mile. He lived and breathed his job. He was an old-fashioned journalist; a crusading reporter. And it was this that got him killed.
Colin McEnroe read about Bailey's murder in The New York Times. They had known each other for almost 30 years, having met when Bailey worked a stint at the Hartford Courant in Connecticut. McEnroe remembers his former colleague as a serious, dedicated young reporter. "Chauncey was still being Chauncey even after all that time," he tells me. "Journalists just think their profession makes them impervious. Nobody actually kills reporters, do they? Well, guess what? It turns out they do."
That Bailey's killing happened in Oakland was perhaps no surprise. The city has always been San Francisco's darker twin, brooding on the opposite side of the bay. During the '60s, as San Francisco grew world-famous for the Summer of Love, Oakland exploded with radical politics and black power. It was on these troubled streets that the Black Panthers were born, gun-wielding militants who inspired America's blacks as much as they terrified its whites. This was where the radical Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) prowled. While hippies preached free love in San Francisco, the SLA was kidnapping Patty Hearst and murdering Oakland school officials with bullets dipped in cyanide.
It was also Bailey's home town. Born in 1949 in East Oakland, Bailey was one of five children. It was a measure of the city, and of the times, that Bailey once asked a teacher whether he should become a Black Panther or a journalist. It was also a measure of Bailey's attitude that he thought both were vehicles for helping the black community. That philosophy was to define his life. Bailey chose journalism not street politics. As his career took off, he found himself crisscrossing the US. He went to Hartford in Connecticut, where he worked on the local paper. This was followed by stints in Washington and Chicago, and then 10 years in Detroit before, finally, he returned to Oakland, where he worked on the local black television channel, Soul Beat, the Oakland Tribune and eventually the Post. At each stop on his journey, Bailey showed the same drive: crusading on black issues and a dogged determination to get the story. In Detroit, he had a famously testy relationship with the city's mayor, Coleman Young. Bob Berg, the mayor's former press secretary, who would speak movingly at a Detroit memorial in Bailey's honor, remembers Bailey angrily pursuing the mayor through the city's airport. "I can't even remember the dispute, but we got into an elevator and the mayor's security had to restrain him from going for Chauncey. Finally, the doors started to close and Chauncey did not try to get in. When the doors were shut, everyone in the elevator breathed a sigh of relief."
Chauncey also made his journalism deeply personal. He mentored black kids in the profession, visiting local schools. And when he wrote up a story he would often take its characters under his wing. Chakay McDonald knew all about that. She met Bailey through a friend and he became intrigued by her plans to start a restaurant chain. "There weren't very many African-American women of my age trying to start businesses. He wanted to support me," McDonald says. Bailey wrote several business pieces about her. Then, after her first store opened, he became a regular customer. Now McDonald has just opened her fourth outlet. "He really helped me when it was tough," she says. "He told me he believed in this community. He never gave up trying to make a difference. Regardless of the crime and the ways these kids here grow up."
There is no doubt that growing up black in Oakland can be hard. The ghettos stretch to the north, east and west. Gun crime, gang violence and drugs are a way of life. It was here that Your Black Muslim Bakery flourished: the organization that Bailey was to investigate and which, in turn, would bring about his death.
The curious name, mixing the religious and the homespun, described an organization founded in 1968 by Texas-born Joseph Stevens. An Air Force veteran, Stevens had, by the '60s, drifted into California and fallen sway to the black power message of the Nation of Islam. Stevens -- renamed Yusuf Bey -- quickly broke with the Nation and founded the Bakery. His followers became famous for their discipline, neat uniform of suits and bow ties, and their willingness to use force. New members studied The Godfather to inspire them. The Bakery was a success, selling pastries and pies, and became the hub of a small business empire, starting up other branches and expanding into apartment control, security and dry-cleaning.
Bey became a leading member of the black community. In a city used to radicalism, his curious beliefs did not deter city authorities. They lent him money for community projects and praised his leadership. The Bakery appeared in tourist brochures. It even supplied the upmarket Wholefoods chain. While Bey posed as a leader of black Oakland, his organization intimidated blacks with street muscle and accused white critics of being racist.
It worked. Yet the Bakery also masked a brutal crime empire that was more street gang than devout gathering. In fact, Bey never held religious ceremonies. His cronies beat, tortured and extorted money from local residents. In 1994 several top Bakery members were taken to court for beating a Nigerian man at gunpoint and burning him with hot knives after a real-estate deal went wrong. By 2002, as Bey fell ill with cancer, he was facing a slew of criminal charges, including the rape and sodomy of four young girls, one his own foster daughter. Bey had also reneged on a $1.1m loan from City Hall for a healthcare project -- he refused to pay it back when the scheme failed to get off the ground.
Not that Oakland officials appeared to care. As late as 2002, Bey received an astonishing letter from Don Perata, president of the California State Senate, who wrote: "The leadership you provide should be an inspiration to all concerned over the city's future." But then all the Bakery's victims -- whether local business owners, young women on the streets, or rival gangsters -- were poor, black and powerless. And if Bey did not care for them, neither did the city. "Politicians in general are loath to do due diligence on people who are their supporters. They don't really care and the people you are messing with are the powerless," says Askia Muhammad, who was active in the Nation of Islam in the '70s and watched Bey's group grow from obscure sect to criminal gang.
Chauncey Bailey, however, was not powerless. He also cared. Ironically, he and Bey spent time working on the same television channel, Soul Beat. The black-orientated station gave a weekly show to Bey, while Bailey worked variously on programmes from news to a soap opera. Luenell Campbell -- an Oakland actor best known for playing a prostitute in the Borat movie -- remembers Bey and his entourage arriving at Soul Beat's studios. "I was very aware of a 'don't fuck with them' policy. We would talk in hushed tones, Chauncey would have been better to leave them fools alone," she says.
But by 2005, Bailey was starting to investigate the group following a series of arrests after Bakery members smashed up liquor stores in Oakland. The Bakery of 2005 was in turmoil. Bey died of cancer in 2002, before his sex crimes case had come to court. But he had left behind at least 42 children, some of whom embarked on a bloody battle for power.
It was a feud that appears to have culminated in murder, in autumn 2003. Six months later, in spring 2004, a body was found in the Oakland Hills. The corpse turned out to be Waajid Bey, head of the Bakery's security company. He had disappeared six months earlier, at the time another Bakery member, Antar Bey, seemed to take control of the group. Yet Antar, too, was soon shot dead. The next move saw Yusuf Bey IV seize power. Under Bey IV the Bakery spun out of control. It started losing huge amounts of money and eventually filed for bankruptcy. At the same time, Bey IV regularly tangled with the police. He was arrested over the liquor store attacks; then, in 2006, he tried to run someone over after being kicked out of a strip club. He was arrested on at least four other occasions. Finally, in April 2007, Bey IV was allegedly involved in the kidnapping and torture of a young woman and her mother.
Bailey walked straight into this. He also had a source in the middle of the action, Ali Saleem Bey, a disaffected member of the Bakery. For two years, he met Bailey in secret, leaking details of the Bakery's finances and inner workings. It was journalistic gold and Bailey, appointed editor of the Oakland Post in June 2007, approached his publisher, Paul Cobb, about running the story. It was around then that Bailey started getting death threats, including one the week before he died. Was Bailey afraid of the Bakery? His friends believe he was not. "He would pursue a story to the end. He was dogged," says Luther Keith, who worked with Bailey at the Detroit News. Besides, few thought the threats were serious. "Never in my wildest nightmares would I have thought they would blow his brains out in the middle of the street, in the middle of the community," says Luenell Campbell.
One man who was aware of just how far the Bakery would go was Chris Thompson, who spent 20 years as a journalist in Oakland for the East Bay Express. In 2002, Thompson wrote a piece lifting the lid on the criminal world of the Bakery and its links to some of Oakland's prominent citizens. "They are people who are capable of some terrible things," Thompson says. After his piece ran, Thompson received death threats. Phone messages said simply: "Your time is up." Bakery members waited outside his offices, forcing him to stay away from his apartment. The newspaper's windows were shattered by bricks. Thompson fled, hiding out in a cabin in the Sierra Nevada mountains for three months. "It is not the death threat that I mind," he says. "It's the credible death threat."
Thompson's experience should have warned Bailey of the danger. Perhaps he did not care. "He was very intense. He was fearless," says Bob Berg. Certainly Bailey seemed keen to get the story out whatever the consequences. Cobb, the newspaper publisher, told Bailey his story needed more work. He kept on digging.
On the morning of his death, things looked good for Chauncey Bailey. It seemed he had finally settled down. He was living with his fiancee, local artist Deborah Oduwa, and the couple were thinking about trying for a child. As a known ladies man and already once divorced, that must have been a big step. He was also, finally, editor of a newspaper. The Oakland Post may not have been the biggest paper in the world, but Bailey was the boss. At last he had his own forum for his causes and passions.
That all came to an abrupt end on 2 August. Bailey rose just after 6am. He said goodbye to Oduwa and took his usual stroll into work. Unknown to him, he was already being hunted. Police believe a member of the Bakery had tried to get to Bailey the previous night, going to his apartment but finding the journalist was not at home. But that morning a white Ford Aerostar van was circling the neighbourhood. Inside was the shooter. At first he missed Bailey. At 7:17 am, a bus driver spotted a black man wielding a shotgun outside Bailey's building. But by the time police arrived, he had vanished.
The shooter was now circling the blocks around the Post's newsroom. By that time, Bailey was grabbing a coffee and breakfast at the McDonald's on 14th Street. He finished and walked out along a stretch of pavement by the city post office. That was when he was spotted. The killer, wearing a black ski mask and black clothes, got out of the van and walked forward. The attack was swift and brutal. Bailey, seeing the shotgun brandished in front of him, had time to plead for his life. "Please don't kill me,' he said. The assassin fired into his chest, sending Bailey slumping to the ground.
After firing twice more, the assailant fled to the van and drove away as stunned pedestrians ran to Bailey's prone body. He was already dead; half his head had been blown away. The news swiftly hit the wires and spread rapidly across America. The first reaction of many was to suspect a grudge killing. Bailey's personal life had always been colorful. "He loved women, but women did not always love him," says Luenell Campbell. As night fell in Oakland, the city mourned the brutal death of one of its favourite black sons, but most had little reason to think that anything more than a crime of passion had occurred.
Then came the police raid on the Bakery. At 5am on 3 August -- less than 24 hours after Bailey had been shot -- more than 200 heavily-armed police sealed off roads around the Bakery's headquarters on San Pablo Avenue and at four other locations around Oakland. Then police officers, including elite Swat teams, smashed down doors, tossed smoke grenades through windows and broke their way in. They were not, officially, looking for Bailey's killer. The raids were apparently long-planned and prompted by the investigation into the kidnapping and torture of the young woman and her mother several months earlier. But, in the confusion and darkness, someone spotted a man throwing a shotgun out of a window of a house next to the Bakery. That man was DeVaughndre Broussard, a young Bakery handyman. He was 19 and had a previous conviction for assault. He was taken in for questioning and the gun picked up for forensics. The next day, as Oakland adjusted to the news of the link between Bailey's death and the Bakery, Broussard confessed. He told interrogators he had killed Bailey because he did not like the way he was digging into the organization's finances. When the shells found near Bailey's body matched that of the shotgun at the Bakery, the truth seemed obvious. Broussard was charged.
In a city where murder is an almost daily occurrence, where the killers of black men frequently go uncaught, Bailey's murderer had been arrested in less than 24 hours. And he confessed in less than two days.
Your Black Muslim Bakery now stands empty and all but destroyed. The busy traffic on San Pablo roars by a building wearing wooden boards across its broken windows like bandages. Baking trays are scattered in the yard. Across its front, a real estate agent's sign proclaims: For Sale.
For a city that for so long tolerated the Bakery's robberies and tortures, the rush to crush it after the raids, and Broussard's confession, were swift and total. The Bakery is bankrupt and up for sale. Yusuf Bey IV and several other key leaders are in jail on kidnapping charges. Broussard is awaiting a murder trial. To add insult to injury, the Bakery has even been declared unsanitary by the city health department, casting a pall over the pies that were once sold city-wide and touted for their nutritional benefits.
To many, the haste has been unseemly. There is relief that the Bakery has gone, but concern that it was only when Bailey, a member of the black establishment, was killed that City Hall and the police turned on it. The Bakery spent three decades in the ghetto, raping, beating and brutalising poor black residents. And it was lauded and applauded for its social work. But the day after it killed a journalist, the hammer came down. 'As long as the underclass was being killed no one cared. But this really jolted all the upper levels of Oakland society,' says Ishmael Reed, an Oakland writer who has chronicled his city's turmoils.
Indeed, Bailey's death created just the sort of headlines Oakland has been recently avoiding. Its crime rate is still shocking -- with a population of just 400,000 it had more than 80 murders by the end of this summer, and 145 in total last year -- but these deaths are localised in the shrinking ghettos. The fact is, Oakland is changing fast. Artists, lawyers and young families -- mostly white or Asian -- have been priced out of San Francisco and have moved across the bay. New apartment buildings are sprouting up. Oakland sees itself as a city on the up. The killing of Chauncey Bailey needed to be solved, fast. And so it was.
Or was it? Mystery still surrounds Bailey's murder. In Oakland things are never as simple as they look, especially in a black community long sceptical of the police force that patrols it.
Certainly something odd happened with Broussard's confession. His admission to killing Bailey came only after police took the astonishing step of allowing Yusuf Bey IV into the interrogation room. They then left Bey IV and Broussard alone together, with no microphones to record their conversation. Before their "chat" Broussard denied the murder, saying he had been asleep at the Bakery. After speaking to Bey IV, he suddenly claimed to have been smoking crack cocaine and driving around in the van hunting for the journalist.
It is also a confession that has since been withdrawn. Broussard's lawyer, LeRue Grim, now says Yusuf Bey IV urged Broussard to take the fall and be a 'good soldier' for the Bakery. Grim says Broussard was, in fact, just hiding the shotgun for others in the Bakery. If this is true, who did kill Bailey? After all, several witnesses say they saw the hitman get into the passenger side of the getaway van before it sped away. Is Broussard a fall guy for the real killers?
But there is another mystery, too. The police raid of 3 August was prompted not by Bailey's death but by a long investigation into the earlier kidnappings. That probe, which probably involved informers inside the Bakery, was also investigating two other murders now linked to Bakery members. How did the police monitoring the Bakery so closely fail to detect a conspiracy to kill one of the city's best-known journalists?
Then there is one final twist to the tale. Bailey was also investigating allegations of corruption in the Oakland Police. "That's the real deal," says the Post's publisher Paul Cobb, after confirming that Bailey had been investigating the police. In Oakland this is no small matter. Five years ago a group of rogue Oakland cops, dubbed "the Rough Riders," ran amok in the city's black community and were accused of planting evidence, falsifying charges and brutally beating suspects. Was Bailey investigating to see if such tactics were still going on? Another rumor doing the rounds is that one police officer had even been caught up in the Bakery's activities. The police deny it all. Perhaps they are right. But others are not so sure.
"I could tell you a lot of things. But I don't want to," Cobb says, clearly rattled by the terrible events that have struck his paper. 'I am going to leave it alone.' Cobb is now considering selling the Post. It is hard not to sympathize with him. His editor has been killed, the Bakery is closed and the great and good of Oakland want the tragedy to be forgotten. It might be wise to walk away. Yet the story begs to be told. There are questions unanswered. A community is in pain. It is an investigation one Oakland journalist would likely have relished.
But Chauncey Bailey is dead.
Amherst, MA event: The War on Dissent
**Post Widely**
The War on Dissent
An Interactive Panel Discussion on the Green Scare and San Francisco 8
Monday, November 5, 7-9 pm
(Guy Fawkes Day, mateys)
Food For Thought Books
106 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01002, 413-253-5432
Panelists: Sarah Wald and Ashanti Alston
Sarah Wald is a forest activist from Oregon, who was part of the Cascadia
Rising Collective, and active with the Cascadia Forest Alliance.
Ashanti Alston is a co-chair of the National Jericho Movement, former
Black Panther, and former political prisoner.
Free, but Donations are Encouraged.
Funds raised will go to the Civil Liberties Defense Center and the Free
the San Francisco 8 Defense Committee, who are assisting with the legal
support of the defendants of the Green Scare and San Francisco 8,
respectively.
__________________________________
The Green Scare is the federal government’s 2005-2007 sweep of arrests,
convictions, and grand jury indictments of environmental and animal
liberation activists and their supporters.
The San Francisco 8 are former Black Panthers who were arrested January
23, 2007, on charges related to the 1971 killing of a San Francisco police
officer. Similar charges were thrown out after it was revealed that police
used torture to extract confessions when some of these same men were
arrested in New Orleans in 1973.
__________________________________
Sponsored by reVoltairine.
For more information, email revoltairine@riseup.net
Close the School of the Americas (SOA/WHINSEC)
VIGIL AND NONVIOLENT DIRECT ACTION TO CLOSE THE SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAS AND TO CHANGE OPPRESSIVE U.S. FOREIGN POLICY - NOVEMBER 16-18, 2007
On the weekend of November 16-18, thousands will gather at the gates of Fort Benning, Georgia. The weekend will include a massive rally, nonviolent direct action, trainings, workshops, benefit concerts, puppet shows, teach-ins, film screenings and more
The School of the Americas (renamed the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation SOA/WHINSEC) is not an aberration of U.S. foreign policy but a clear illustration of it. The racist system of violence and domination that is being promoted by institutions like the SOA/WHINSEC, employs military solutions as the one-size-fits-all "solution" for social problems throughout the world.
Fort Benning, Georgia, one of the biggest military bases in the world has
become a focal point of the people power resistance to this system. In
recent months, caravans from Veterans For Peace, Iraq Veterans Against the War and the Journey for Humanity and Accountability by Chindy Sheehan and Anne Wright took a stand for justice at the gates of Fort Benning. In November, social movement leaders from Argentina, Chile, Guatemala, Colombia, the United States and other countries will converge on Fort Benning to speak out against empire and call for justice and peace. Join us!
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
THURSDAY, November 15: Benefit Concert in Atlanta, Georgia; trainings and workshops in Columbus, Georgia FRIDAY, November 16: Teach-Ins, workshops, films screenings and a benefit concert in Columbus, Georgia
SATURDAY, November 17: Massive rally with music, speakers and a puppet show at the gates of Fort Benning, Georgia, Teach-Ins, workshops, and films screenings at the Columbus Convention Center and in hotel meeting rooms in the evening; benefit concert at night.
SUNDAY, November 18: Veterans march to the gates, commemoration of the victims of SOA/WHINSEC violence at the gates of Fort Benning, nonviolent direct action
Click here for a map with the event locations:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=114820301477324057117.0000011372f4e22f0be82&z=13&om=1
HOTELS: See a list of hotel and other accommodations in and around
Columbus, Georgia: http://www.soaw.org/article.php?id=1001
If you are looking for housing, contact Alyson Hayes at the Columbus
Visitors Bureau to see which hotels have vacancies. Reach the Visitors
Bureau at 1-800-999-1613.
MEDIA OUTREACH:Taking a little time to carry out a handful of
media-related tasks before you head to Georgia can profoundly impact the number of peoplein your area who know about the SOA/WHINSEC issue and the number ofpeople who get involved in the work to close it down. Read about how you can work with your local media:
http://www.soaw.org/article.php?id=266
and/or contact us in the SOA Watch office at 202-234-3440 or
media(at)soaw.org for more information and resources.
TRAVEL: See information on travelling to Columbus, whether by plane, car, bus, train or something more creative:
http://www.soaw.org/article.php?id=1000
ACCESSIBILITY & INTERPRETATION: ASL and English<>Spanish interpretation services will be available during the vigil weekend. Find out more about interpretation services, large print and Braille programs and wheelchair accessibility: http://www.soaw.org/article.php?id=1167
PEACEMAKERS NEEDED: SOA Watch is looking for Peacemaker Volunteers to work at the vigil this year. Read more about how you can participate, and how to contact Peacemaker coordinators:
http://www.soaw.org/article.php?id=1359
LOCAL GROUPS: Do you know others in your area that are working to close down the School of the Americas? Connect with others now before heading to Georgia. Click here for a listing of SOA Watch local groups:
http://www.soaw.org/groups.php
If your group is not listed, please add your contact information:
http://www.soaw.org/groupadd.php
Don't see a group for your area? Consider starting one! For more
information, contact us at info@soaw.org or at 202-234-3440 or contact
your regional representative for more information about those in your
region working to close the SOA/ WHINSEC:
http://www.soaw.org/article.php?id=839
NOVEMBER ORGANIZING PACKET: The November Organizing Packet is a great resource for you and your community as you spread the word about the SOA/ WHINSEC and as you make plans to attend the November 16-18 Vigil to Close the SOA at Fort Benning, Georgia. In it, you'll find information about what to expect at Ft. Benning, logistical information to assist your trip planning, media, legislative, fundraising and outreach tips and resources, and flyers you can reproduce and use in your community.
DOWNLOAD: http://www.soaw.org/article.php?id=1572
Monday, October 29, 2007
Skylar Williams is a 22 year-old six nations man currently facing several
skylar williams is a 22 year-old six nations man currently facing several
charges stemming from actions ocurring during the caledonia land claim
where a u.s. border patrol vehicle was raided and documents concerning
undercover police operatives were taken and distributed, and the assualt
of a television camera crew where a video tape was taken. skylar is
currently being held in the hamilton city jail (barton street jail)
without bail:
from the support committee:
Skylar Williams, a Mohawk Wolf from Six Nations has been held without bail
at the Hamilton Barton St. Jail since the illegal arrests at Stirling
Street September 19, 2007. Today we held a rally for him outside the jail
where he has been in the "hole" for two days.
We have reason to believe if Skyler is harmed in anyway, we know he is the
target of planned and deliberate threats and violence by jail institution
staff members.
A few days ago Skylar woke up to find the plumbing in his cell on range 5
was backed up. He notified institution staff on his range. He was accused
by staff of backing up the plumbing. The mess was left. Skylar asked for a
drink of water, he was told by staff to drink from the toilet. Skylar
responded, "there's sh*t" in there. The institution staff's paid
professional advise to Skylar was to "take the sh*t out and then have a
drink." Skylar refused and notified his lawyer of the situation. At this
point Skyler was without clean water for approximately 18 hours.
Skyler's lawyer then notified another institutional staff member with a
higher ranking position. The plumbing was fixed. Skyler left his cell but
at lockdown upon his return, Skyler discovered the plumbing was
mysteriously backed up again. The higher ranking institutional staff
attempted to solve the problem by moving Skyler to another cell.
After this incident Skyler was approached by an institutional staff member
and taken to a room with two other staff. At this point Skyler was told by
the one of the staff that that particular staff member referred to himself
as being "GOD" at Barton St. Jail. He then threatened Skyler by telling
him if he and his lawyer didn't stop causing sh*$ for him, he was going to
"fu*$" Skyler up. He also said he would have it arranged so Skyler's
lawyer would have no access to him.
This staff member went on to inform Skyler of his plan to "fu*$" him up.
(There were 2 other staff present when this threat occurred.) According to
the staff member Skyler's fate is supposed to happen in three steps...
1 Skyler would be given a "misconduct" by the institutional staff.
2 Skyler would then be sent to the "hole" for 3 days.
3 After Skyler was done in the "hole" he would immediately be sent to the
range 3 of the jail.
Range 3 is where the men who are waiting to be tried for rape, murder and
other serious crimes are held. Some of these men have already been
convicted of such crimes and are waiting to be shipped off to federal
institutions.
This is where men who have nothing left to lose are sent. In this range
the inmates do special favours for the institutional staff for as little
as an extra meal or coffee. It's a place where you simply do not "rat" on
the institutional staff. Inmates are pitted against one another. It's also
a place where Skyler was told, there are men as big as 321 pounds that
could really "fu*$" him up. (The jail staff asked Skyler how much he
weighed just to verify Skyler /would/ be quite smaller and at greater risk
of being injured if sent to Range 3.)
Skyler was also told by the institutional staff the last guy they had
"fu*$ed" up had to crawl to the jail cell door covered in blood. Skyler
was told there were men in Range 3 "waiting" for his arrival. Skyler was
advised by this paid government employee to "quit his bitc*ing" and "to
take his lumps."
Skyler's lawyer spoke with the high ranking institutional staff and was
told by him the only thing he could do to guarantee Skyler's safety was to
put him in isolation where he would be under 24 hour video surveillance,
however Skyler would have to give up the staff members' names who were
threatening him.
Skyler's lawyer has already filed a motion for "habeus corpus" to have
Skyler physically present in court tomorrow for his bail review.
Skyler's cell mate contacted his family this morning and informed them in
the last 24 hours Skyler has been given a "MISCONDUCT" by staff and has
been placed in "the hole" for 3 days.
The instituional staff member has kept his promise to threaten Skyler's
life and safety. This staff member's plan is gone passed the first two
stages.
Something needs to be done immediately to guarantee Skyler's safety and
security. If there is interference in Skylers safety and security or if
his life is put at risk we believe it would be the direct result of
mistreatment at the discretion of institutional staff. We believe they are
abusing their authority to ensure Skyler's life and well being is put at
risk. We believe their attempts at intimidating Skyler are deliberate and
being somewhat overlooked by senior institutional staff.
Let's hope Skyler will gets out of Barton St. Jail safely with his life.
Donations for Skyler's legal defense can be sent to:
BMO Ohsweken Branch Transit # 37522
Legal Fund 3014-873 and Site Fund 3014-929
Signatories are Josephine Sandy, Donna Powless and Janie Jamieson
Cheques can be made payable to either the Six Nations Reclamation Legal
Fund or the Six Nations Reclamation Site Fund:
c/o Janie Jamieson
RR#1
Ohsweken , ON.
N0A 1M0
For more info e-mail DubbleJ71@aol.com or call (905) 768-8590
Latest from Daniel McGowan and much more!
There's a lot going on these days. Please take a look at what you can do over the next few weeks and, hopefully, longer. Thanks!
*LATEST FROM DANIEL
*EVENTS
*WRITE TO PRISONERS
*HELPING OTHERS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
LATEST FROM DANIEL:
(Apologies for taking a while to get this out - JS)
10/2/07
Lately, I've been reading a lot of newspapers and magazines since I've been here. Invariably, there are articles on things of interest to me, but I find myself surprised at the slant or perspective offered by newspapers like the NY Times or the factoid-driven USA Today. (Why this is, probably has much to do with a long-term withdrawal from corporate news – the fact that most newspapers and sources of news mimic the perspectives and opinions of those in power shouldn't surprise me!) One of the issues covered in such a shallow and non-questioning manner is immigration – often it's the “problem of immigration” or theorizing on "how to seal the border."
While I don't expect mainstream news sources to question the existence of borders (or as I like to call them, "lines on a map"), I hope for more than the ICE-loving, immigrant demonizing that passes for coverage on a really complex issue. The articles focus on people who die crossing the desert from Mexico (a not-so-subtle "you're next"), raids on businesses/factories that employ a majority of immigrants without any criticism of how armed raids and the destruction of families is a horrendous affair and, of course, more propaganda about how out "leaders" are going to "build a better fence!"
What is lost in this barely under the surface reporting is the fact that we are speaking about people. I'm ashamed to say that it took events happening to a friend of mine to break through my lack of concentration on this topic. My friend Maria (not her real name), was traveling in the Southwest with her family on Greyhound when it was boarded by a migra. Her papers were checked, allegations were made that she and her parents are illegal, and they are now in the federal legal system (trust me - it's a Kafkaesque place to be) fighting to stay in the United States. To top it off, they want to deport my friend to Mexico – where she has not resided since age 5 and her parents to another country. Her court dates are set for where the charges where filed, not her resident state - which is leading to immense travel expenses in addition to the legal bills. The US knows that defendants worn down with threats, financial debt and numerous delays are easier to deal with – it's systemic, successful, and by all accounts, very successful.
As many of us have noted before, the United States has collective amnesia. Here we are – a nation of immigrants built on the (ongoing) genocide and ecological exploitation of this continent's indigenous peoples, made rich by generations of chattel slavery that argue for sealing the border to brown people and Central and South America. (That's really what makes the debate is about. Surely, the US is unconcerned with "white" or English speaking immigrants. Just go to Ridgewood, Queens or Greenpoint, Brooklyn and you’ll see what I mean!)
Growing up in NYC, almost everyone I knew had parents and grandparents who were immigrants - Irish, Puerto Rican, Italian, Dominican, German, and Caribbean families - and were 1-3 generations removed from their respective nations. My Irish grandfather, coming to the US in 1916 at the time of low Irish immigration did not have to deal with "Irish need not apply" signs. However, being a newcomer with only his sister as family here, he took the job he could get – as a laborer at a natural gas power plant in Brooklyn, NY. He worked that job for 50 years. His blood, sweat, and tears put food on the table during the Depression and supported a family of four.
When I think of my Poppa, his hard work and his reasons for coming here (impending civil unrest in Ireland, no opportunities), I can’t help but think of today's immigrants. It is shameful enough that the US has destabilized and harmed much of South and Central America in the 1980’s (Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Peru) fueled by Reagan’s domino theory and the neo-liberal and Democrat-supported NAFTA of the Clinton years (affecting Mexico, perhaps, most of all).
Maria has been here for over 15 years – her parents employed as teachers and herself, a vibrant part of the NYC activist community. Is it fair to send her to a country she does not remember? Shouldn't common sense prevail here? It's the dehumanization of immigrants that allows things like this to happen. Fueled by propaganda and fear, municipalities promote ordinances that levy fines against people who hire "illegals," people become snitches and call ICE on individuals or businesses, rednecks harass day labor sites. Meanwhile, the silence on the part of so many white people is astounding – even as, in my city, people sleep in hotels cleaned by, ride in taxis driven by, and eat vegetables picked by and animals slaughtered by immigrants. The May 1 protests of two years ago should have been a wake-up call – an invitation off the fence and a reminder that, aside from native peoples, we are all immigrants here in the US. Like a funny shirt I saw last year, "Who are you calling immigrant, Pilgrim?"
To be clear, it’s not the "immigrants are useful to me" debate that drives me (in the same vain as I value trees for their own inherent value. This is called 'deep ecology' in the environmental realm. What then would we call it regarding respect and consideration for people independent of such silly criteria as "national origin?") It's my friend Maria and her mother and father – people with names, lives, goals, and dreams. To give credence to borders over people is a freedom-destroying choice. The rhetoric of immigrants "draining the resources of the US" is laughable coming from a country that spends millions of dollars a day to fund an illegal and immoral war in Iraq and devoted 1/2 of its overall budget to the military!
Don't use my previous excuses for not taking a stand on what this gov't is doing to people fighting just to leave. Get off the fence and wade into what seems, at first, to be a complex issue. Meet and work with immigrant groups for justice. Learn Spanish! Don’t forget that, chances are, your family was immigrants too.
Addendum: The solution being proposed currently is that young people whose parents came here when they were young can gain citizenship by joining the military. This is appalling and needs to be resisted fully. They see this as a win-win – helping horribly low military recruitment numbers and reducing the numbers of illegal. But no one should have to die to be allowed to live in the US.
All other postings so far can be found here: http://www.supportdaniel.org/prisonlife/blog.html
Official blog coming soon!
---------------------------------------------------
EVENTS:
While these events may not all be directly related to Daniel's case, we feel they are important dates not to be missed.
October 30, 2007: NYC Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner for Daniel's co-defendant Jonathan Paul at the 123 Community Space in Brooklyn.
@ 7 PM, Located at 123 Tompkins Ave, between Myrtle & Vernon.
Take the G train to Myrtle-Willoughby or JMZ train to Myrtle.
November 17, 2007: DC Event - Panel Discussion on State Repression: Past and Present From the Green Scare to the Continued War on the Black Liberation Movement
Featuring: Ramona Africa of MOVE and Will Potter, Journalist
@ 7 PM, $5-10 sliding scale, suggested donation will cover expenses and benefit political prisoners. NO ONE TURNED AWAY FOR LACK OF FUNDS.
at St. Stephens Church, 1525 Newton St. (between 15th/16th Streets), NW Washington, DC
North of the Columbia Heights Metro on the Green Line
November 30, 2007: NYC Event - Celebrate and defend the legacy of the Black Panther Party: Drop the charges against the SF-8
@ 7 PM, Martin Luther King Jr. Labor Center
310 W. 43rd Street (between 8th / 9th Aves.) NYC
Speakers include: Gil Noble, respected producer and host of ABC-TV's Like It Is, Francisco Torres, Harold Taylor and other SF-8 defendants, Soffiyah Elijah, Esq., lawyer on the SF-8 case, Performing: alixa + naima/Climbing Poetree
See full details on both November events here: http://www.supportdaniel.org/fundraising/
---------------------------------------------------------------
WRITE TO PRISONERS:
Jonathan Paul was just designated to FCI Phoenix, a medium security federal prison in Phoenix, Arizona. He will be self-reporting on October 31. Please send Jonathan (as well as everyone listed here) supportive letters! Use these as general guidelines unless you hear otherwise.
Jonathan Paul
#07167-085
FCI Phoenix
Federal Correctional Institution
37910 N 45th Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85086
Nathan Block #36359-086
FCI Lompoc
Federal Correctional Institution
3600 Guard Road
Lompoc, CA 93436
Joyanna Zacher #36360-086
FCI Dublin
Federal Correctional Institution
5701 8th St - Camp Parks- Unit E
Dublin, CA 94568
Jeffrey Luers # 1306729
Lane County Adult Corrections
101 West 5th Ave
Eugene, OR 97401-2695
MCDAVID, ERIC X-2972521 4E231A
Sacramento County Main Jail
651 "I" Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
See www.greenscare.org for more info on these people and more.
------------------------------------------------------------
HELPING OTHERS:
San Francisco 8:
Attention frequent flyers! At the moment the SF8 defense committee needs to collect some frequent flyer miles for the defendants. If you know of anyone (a friend, colleague, whatever) who would be willing to donate frequent flyer miles, please go here for more information: http://www.freethesf8.org/what_to_do.html
Coming soon: Leonard Peltier Annual Holiday Toy Drive
Leonard Peltier and the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee respectfully request your help making these holidays a little brighter for the children at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. This year, Family and Friends of Daniel McGowan will be providing links to online registries to help make this happen. More info coming soon. http://www.leonardpeltier.net/
Daniel McGowan is an environmental and social justice activist. He was charged in federal court on many counts of arson, property destruction and conspiracy, all relating to two incidents in Oregon in 2001. Until recently, Daniel was offered two choices by the government: cooperate by informing on other people, or go to trial and face life in prison. His only real option was to plead not guilty until he could reach a resolution of the case that permitted him to honor his principles. As a result of months of litigation and negotiation, Daniel was able to admit to his role in these two incidents, while not implicating or identifying any other people who might have been involved. He was sentenced to 7 years in prison on June 4, 2007 and began serving his time on July 2, 2007.
Colombian Death Squad leader betrayed by his masters
Ex-boss of Colombian paramilitary forces bemoans fate
By Frank Bajak, Associated Press
ITAGUI, Colombia — In his glory days, he ran an army of 30,000 men, personally ordering the deaths of hundreds with weapons often bought with drug profits. Today, he sits alone in a jail cell, cultivating his battered image on his website and fuming over what he considers his abandonment by Colombia's political elite.
Salvatore Mancuso was the last commander of the illegal United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, or AUC, which protected wealthy landowners from leftist guerrillas and eliminated their political opponents before dissolving in a peace pact with President Alvaro Uribe's government.
Now, he walks a fine line between confessing all to avoid
In a recent jailhouse interview, the 43-year-old former rancher and rice farmer reflected on his predicament and his extraordinary journey from well-educated child of privilege to dreaded lord of war.
"It's complicated, that blow to one's insides when one has to make a decision about people's lives," he said with moist eyes. "It continues to hurt my soul."
The son of an Italian immigrant who established auto and farm equipment dealerships, Mancuso was a teen motocross champ who honed his shooting skills at the Monteria Gun Club. After high school, he spent a year studying English at the
He married his childhood sweetheart and went to work in the late 1980s on the farm she inherited in the fertile Sinu valley, a region where harsh treatment of farmworkers had bred an ugly rebel backlash.
Plagued by kidnappings, many landowners fled. Mancuso held his ground, picking up his shotgun and helping the army hunt down guerrillas who tried to extort him, according to biographer Glenda Martinez.
Mancuso became a vigilante, one of a growing number of armed irregulars who were publicly banned but privately backed by
Hiding in plain sight as he collaborated with generals and police chiefs, senators and mayors, Mancuso started out distributing radios among farmhands to tip off the army to guerrillas' whereabouts and guiding army patrols into combat. He installed a radio antenna at the Tierralta military base, recognizing good communications as key to victory.
Before long, Mancuso and his comrades were hiring fighters of their own, many of them former soldiers, and putting the rebels on the defensive.
The militia federation, meanwhile, was developing into a power apart.
As the AUC violently displaced tens of thousands of people, Mancuso's feudal empire grew from his home state of
He told The Associated Press that he exacted "tributes" from almost all commercial activities, including six cents on the dollar for every crate of Colombian bananas exported.
Mancuso's shock troops wrested coca fields from rebels along the
Mancuso told the AP that 254 tons of cocaine were produced in his direct zones of control between 1997 and 2004 and that the paramilitaries often purchased arms and ammunition with cocaine.
A refined man with a taste for fine wines and smart clothes, Mancuso was called "a blue-blooded
Mancuso said
Mancuso admitted personally ordering more than 300 killings, but insisted that with few exceptions, his men killed only guerrillas and their collaborators.
"If people were going to be taken out there was a reason," he said. "I never told them to torture anyone."
He vigorously denied, for example, the widely documented February 2000 massacre in the
"When testimony is given in guerrilla zones, the guerrillas always plant people who say: 'Here's where they played with the head. Here they had a party. Here they drank blood mixed with liquor,"' he said. "These things weren't done, and we never gave orders to do them."
In December 2003, Mancuso turned himself in as part of the government peace pact. Tears streamed down from behind his sunglasses as he asked for forgiveness from
Since then, he has cooperated more than any of his peers in naming congressmen, generals and
As long as Mancuso abides by the peace pact, he will avoid a 40-year Colombian prison sentence for the 1997 massacre of 15 peasants at El Aro, which he called "a military operation." And Interior Minister Carlos Holgiun told the AP that unless Mancuso stops cooperating,
But Mancuso has gone only so far. Colombians suspect that's a matter of self-preservation. Beyond himself, the jailed warlord has four children from two marriages and an extended family to worry about.
"I've been walking all the time on the knife's edge," Mancuso said, sitting sockless in loafers, a yellow striped shirt and olive slacks in a prison office, a charm bracelet on his left wrist.
He is being held in the maximum-security
Mancuso keeps busy running his own website, recently joined the Facebook online social-networking community and says he is writing a history of
He is neither repentant nor apologetic about the blood shed in "the war we had to fight," and complains of being demonized and marginalized by the very elites for whom he served as hatchetman. People he once served now deny knowing him, he said.
"Why don't they come out and admit it? Because they're afraid," he said. "Afraid of what? That they'll be tried and thrown in jail."
Mancuso, who has forfeited $25 million in properties, said he's done with reparations. He said he has no money in the bank and nothing held by third parties. He has, however, managed to hire a U.S.-based lawyer who he said has approached prosecutors there.
Does that mean Mancuso would prefer a
Mancuso laughed nervously.
"Don't make me answer that."
Friday, October 26, 2007
Eco-sabotage cases: Jake Ferguson Pleads Guilty
Today, 10/26/07, in the district of Oregon Federal Court in Eugene, Jacob
"Jake" Jeremiah Ferguson entered a change of plea to one count of
attempted arson and one count of arson for a fire at the Detroit Ranger
Station the 28th of October, 1996. The government agreed not to bring
additional charges against Ferguson for the laundry list of crimes in
which he was involved over the past decade, provided that he continue to
cooperate completely in any ongoing or future investigations by federal,
state or local authorities.
Ferguson stood by his attorney, Ed Spinney, wearing a short, black wig,
(or possibly hair implants he paid for with government reward money) and
looking 50 to 100 pounds heavier than in previous photos. Soon after US
Attorney Kirk Engdall read the charges, Ferguson was questioned by Aiken
and told the court he had been on Methadone for the past three and a half
years. Aiken then informed Ferguson of the loss of rights he was agreeing
to by pleading guilty. She then asked Engdall, "I presume there will be
restitution?" (as part of the plea agreement), to which Engdall replied,
"Yes," until corrected by Spinney who clarified that the agreement
included no restitution be paid by Ferguson for his crimes.
Engdall described the charges Ferguson is facing, stating that on each
count he could have faced a maximum of 20 years per count (with 5 year
mandatory minimum) and a $250,000 fine, but that due to his cooperation
the government was asking for a downward departure for substantial
assistance, with a suggested sentence at the low end of Zone A of the
federal sentencing guidelines (0-6 months). By accepting the plea,
Ferguson is required to cooperate with federal, state and local law
enforcement in perpetuity, or have his plea agreement withdrawn. Ferguson
must provide any relevant documents to authorities, and do ANYTHING
required by investigators, including contacting others or providing any
information asked of him. The plea deal that Ferguson signed was dated
September 17th of 2004.
Aiken then asked Ferguson for his plea on the two counts, to which
Ferguson said, "Guilty."
Rather than sentencing him on the spot, Aiken set a sentencing hearing for
January 10th of 2008 to allow time for pre-sentencing reports to be
drafted.
House Passes Thought Crime Prevention Bill
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h110-1955
House Passes Thought Crime Prevention Bill
Published on Thursday, October 25, 2007.
http://www.blacklistednews.com/view.asp?ID=4596
The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed HR 1955 titled the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007. This bill is one of the most blatant attacks against the Constitution yet and actually defines thought crimes as homegrown terrorism. If passed into law, it will also establish a commission and a
First lets take a look at the definitions of violent radicalization and homegrown terrorism as defined in Section 899A of the bill.
The definition of violent radicalization uses vague language to define this term of promoting any belief system that the government considers to be an extremist agenda. Since the bill doesnt specifically define what an extremist belief system is, it is entirely up to the interpretation of the government. Considering how much the government has done to destroy the Constitution they could even define Ron Paul supporters as promoting an extremist belief system. Literally, the government according to this definition can define whatever they want as an extremist belief system. Essentially they have defined violent radicalization as thought crime. The definition as defined in the bill is shown below.
`(2) VIOLENT RADICALIZATION- The term `violent radicalization' means the process of adopting or promoting an extremist belief system for the purpose of facilitating ideologically based violence to advance political, religious, or social change.
The definition of homegrown terrorism uses equally vague language to further define thought crime. The bill includes the planned use of force or violence as homegrown terrorism which could be interpreted as thinking about using force or violence. Not only that but the definition is so vaguely defined, that petty crimes could even fall into the category of homegrown terrorism. The definition as defined in the bill is shown below.
`(3) HOMEGROWN TERRORISM- The term `homegrown terrorism' means the use, planned use, or threatened use, of force or violence by a group or individual born, raised, or based and operating primarily within the United States or any possession of the United States to intimidate or coerce the United States government, the civilian population of the United States, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.
Section 899B of the bill goes over the findings of Congress as it pertains to homegrown terrorism. Particularly alarming is that the bill mentions the Internet as a main source for terrorist propaganda. The bill even mentions streams in obvious reference to many of the patriot and pro-constitution Internet radio networks that have been formed. It also mentions that homegrown terrorists span all ages and races indicating that the Congress is stating that everyone is a potential terrorist. Even worse is that Congress states in their findings that they should look at draconian police states like Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom as models to defeat homegrown terrorists. Literally, these findings of Congress fall right in line with the growing patriot community.
The biggest joke of all is that this section also says that any measure to prevent violent radicalization and homegrown terrorism should not violate the constitutional rights of citizens. However, the definition of violent radicalization and homegrown terrorism as they are defined in section 899A are themselves unconstitutional. The Constitution does not allow the government to arrest people for thought crimes, so any promises not to violate the constitutional rights of citizens is already broken by their own definitions.
`SEC. 899B. FINDINGS.
`The Congress finds the following:
`(1) The development and implementation of methods and processes that can be utilized to prevent violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence in the United States is critical to combating domestic terrorism.
`(2) The promotion of violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence exists in the
`(3) The Internet has aided in facilitating violent radicalization, ideologically based violence, and the homegrown terrorism process in the United States by providing access to broad and constant streams of terrorist-related propaganda to United States citizens.
`(4) While the
`(5) Understanding the motivational factors that lead to violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence is a vital step toward eradicating these threats in the United States.
`(6) The potential rise of self radicalized, unaffiliated terrorists domestically cannot be easily prevented through traditional Federal intelligence or law enforcement efforts, and requires the incorporation of State and local solutions.
`(7) Individuals prone to violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence span all races, ethnicities, and religious beliefs, and individuals should not be targeted based solely on race, ethnicity, or religion.
`(8) Any measure taken to prevent violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence and homegrown terrorism in the United States should not violate the constitutional rights, civil rights and civil liberties of United States citizens and lawful permanent residents.
`(9) Certain governments, including the
Section 899C calls for a commission on the prevention of violent radicalization and ideologically based violence. The commission will consist of ten members appointed by various individuals that hold different positions in government. Essentially, this is a commission that will examine and report on how they are going to deal with violent radicalization and homegrown terrorism. So basically, the commission is being formed specifically on how to deal with thought criminals in the
(b) Purpose- The purposes of the Commission are the following:
`(1) Examine and report upon the facts and causes of violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence in the United States, including United States connections to non-United States persons and networks, violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence in prison, individual or `lone wolf' violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence, and other faces of the phenomena of violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence that the Commission considers important.
`(2) Build upon and bring together the work of other entities and avoid unnecessary duplication, by reviewing the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of--
`(A) the Center of Excellence established or designated under section 899D, and other academic work, as appropriate;
`(B) Federal, State, local, or tribal studies of, reviews of, and experiences with violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence; and
`(C) foreign government studies of, reviews of, and experiences with violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence.
Section 899D of the bill establishes a
Section 899E of the bill discusses how the government is going to defeat violent radicalization and homegrown terrorism through international cooperation. As stated in the findings section earlier in the legislation, they will unquestionably seek the advice of countries with draconian police states like the
Possibly the most ridiculous section of the bill is Section 899F which states how they plan on protecting civil rights and civil liberties while preventing ideologically based violence and homegrown terrorism. Here is what the section says.
`SEC. 899F. PROTECTING CIVIL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES WHILE PREVENTING IDEOLOGICALLY-BASED VIOLENCE AND HOMEGROWN TERRORISM.
`(a) In General- The Department of Homeland Security's efforts to prevent ideologically-based violence and homegrown terrorism as described herein shall not violate the constitutional rights, civil rights, and civil liberties of United States citizens and lawful permanent residents.
`(b) Commitment to Racial Neutrality- The Secretary shall ensure that the activities and operations of the entities created by this subtitle are in compliance with the Department of Homeland Security's commitment to racial neutrality.
`(c) Auditing Mechanism- The Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Officer of the Department of Homeland Security will develop and implement an auditing mechanism to ensure that compliance with this subtitle does not result in a disproportionate impact, without a rational basis, on any particular race, ethnicity, or religion and include the results of its audit in its annual report to Congress required under section 705.'.
(b) Clerical Amendment- The table of contents in section 1(b) of such Act is amended by inserting at the end of the items relating to title VIII the following:
It states in the first subsection that in general the efforts to defeat thought crime shall not violate the constitutional rights, civil rights and civil liberties of the United States citizens and lawful permanent residents. How does this protect constitutional rights if they use vague language such as in general that prefaces the statement? This means that the Department of Homeland Security does not have to abide by the Constitution in their attempts to prevent so called homegrown terrorism.
This bill is completely insane. It literally allows the government to define any and all crimes including thought crime as violent radicalization and homegrown terrorism. Obviously, this legislation is unconstitutional on a number of levels and it is clear that all 404 representatives who voted in favor of this bill are traitors and should be removed from office immediately. The treason spans both political parties and it shows us all that there is no difference between them. The bill will go on to the Senate and will likely be passed and signed into the law by George W. Bush. Considering that draconian legislation like the Patriot Act and the Military Commissions Act have already been passed, there seems little question that this one will get passed as well. This is more proof that our country has been completely sold out by a group of traitors at all levels of government.
Freedom Archives
415 863-9977
www.Freedomarchives.org
Yu Kikumura freed in Japan - 20 years in US Control Unit Prison
--- Political Prisoner News
<ppnews@freedomarchives.org> wrote:
Thursday, Oct. 25th 2007
i just got a call from Mo Nashida.
Mo let me know that he just received a call from
japan and Yu Kikumura was let out of jail this morning in Japan.
Yu is Free and back home!
i'll send more info when i get it.
Free All Political Prisoners!
lane farnham
LA-ABCF
From April 2007
Update to political prisoner supporters in the U.S.
on the eve of Yu Kikumura's release
After nearly 20 years in U.S. supermax prisons, Yu
Kikumura, political prisoner, Japanese anti-imperialist and
lifelong supporter of the liberation of Palestine, is scheduled to be
released from Federal Bureau of Prisons custody on Wednesday,
April 18th. He is a Japanese citizen and therefore will be transferred
to Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in Denver,
Colorado. Yu has waived his right to a deportation hearing and anticipates
his deportation to Japan soon after April 18th.
Friends, family and supporters in Japan are
anxiously awaiting his return, however, his future in Japan is
unclear. There are indications that the Japanese government may
arrest him for any number of things that they are working hard to dig
up from decades ago as they, like the U.S., see him as a political
activist and an anti-imperialist.
It's important that we be prepared to intervene in
support of Yu as well as pressure the authorities in Japan in support
of his liberty and return to his community and family after 20
years of captivity.
For more information about Yu and his personal and
political history, check out
http://www.abcf.net/la/laabcf.asp?page=lapp-pow#
For more information about his release and how you
can support him in following his release from U.S. captivity, please
contact his friends and supporters in Japan at: numazo@nifty.com
http://kyuen.ld.infoseek.co.jp/about/index_e.html
Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415 863-9977
www.Freedomarchives.org > Questions and comments
may be sent to claude@freedomarchives.org
Dennis Teeken stopped hungerstrike
Dennis stopped his hungerstrike and this monday he can go out by himself
to go to Leiden to see this project. He seems happy with the fact that he
can get out, out of being locked up 22,5 hours a day. He and his lawyer
are going to proceed against the way he was screwed by this prison anyway.
The BSD staff (certain prison department) however was not very happy with
the fact that messages concerning Dennis' hungerstrike and general rotten
situation was mentioned on the internet, people made angry and urging
phonecalls and letters where send.
Dennis said: "I don't know WHAT you did, but it worked anyway!" All of the
sudden people where friendly, doors are opening, he was invited for an
intake in an "Exodus-House" (this is some sort of reformist
rehabilitation/probation housing project, outside of the prison). I still
consider it as prison, but he thinks milder of it i think...
He said he had the very strong feeling his treatment had much to do with
the fact that he maintains contact with anarchists.
He still likes the correspondence and journals very much. If his adress
changes we'll let you know.
ABC Amsterdam
ABC Berlin
Anniversary of the German political prisoners struggle
Seven Years of Struggle Against the State:
http://sketchythoughts.blogspot.com/2007/10/red-army-faction-1977-seven-years-of.html
The Summer of 77: The Prisoners’ Struggle Heats Up:
http://sketchythoughts.blogspot.com/2007/10/red-army-faction-summer-of-77-prisoners.html
German Autumn, Bitter Defeat:
http://sketchythoughts.blogspot.com/2007/10/red-army-faction-german-autumn-bitter.html
The Stammheim “Suicides”:
http://sketchythoughts.blogspot.com/2007/10/red-army-faction-stammheim-suicides.html
Oregon Eco-Sabotage Cases: Government Informant Expected to Receive Minimal Sentence
http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2007/10/367348.shtml
For Immediate Release: October 25, 2007
Contact: Lauren Regan, Civil Liberties Defense Center, 541-687-9180
Civil Rights Outreach Committee
Final Sentencing in Oregon Eco-Sabotage Cases
Government Informant and Most Persistent Arsonist Expected to Receive
Minimal Sentence
Eugene, OR - On Friday, October 26, at 1:30 pm in Eugene's federal court,
U.S. District Court Judge Ann Aiken will sentence Jacob "Jake" Ferguson,
the government's lead informant in the Oregon "Operation Backfire" cases.
Ferguson is a self-admitted arsonist who participated in setting over a
dozen fires. Ferguson is scheduled to enter a change of plea to only one
charge of arson and sentencing will follow. The government is recommending
that Ferguson be sentenced to no jail time at all, no financial fines or
restitution, but simply to serve a brief period of probation. Judge Aiken
previously sentenced other defendants in these cases to between three and
13 years in federal prison. Many of the other defendants were also given a
"terrorism enhancement," even though none of the arsons resulted in any
injuries or loss of life.
In the previous cases, the federal government revealed that Ferguson was a
major planner and participant in 16 arsons and other acts of sabotage. In
a deal worked out with the government, Ferguson is being charged with one
count of arson and is expected to receive only probation, no jail or
prison time. Instead, Ferguson is believed to receive approximately
$150,000 for his informant work for the government, though government
sources rarely if ever divulge what they actually paid their informants.
"Instead of focusing on bringing solid prosecutions of actual terrorists
that want to kill Americans, the U.S. government has focused instead on
prosecuting enviro-saboteurs that were trying to highlight the need for
urgent action to address planetary environmental emergencies, and whose
actions injured not one person," said Alejandro Queral, executive director
of the Portland-based Northwest Constitutional Rights Center.
The government has consistently tried to punish these crimes differently
for political reasons at a significant cost to our civil liberties and
constitutional protections. Soon after indictments were made public,
then-U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales issued statements that those
charged of environmentally motivated sabotage were "terrorists." No other
arson crimes have resulted in the federal government labeling the
defendants as federal terrorists — even in cases where human life was lost
— unlike in any of the "Green Scare" cases. In comparison, the average
sentences for greed-motivated or vindictive arsons are much shorter.
Recently a woman in Lane County who viciously destroyed and then burned
her neighbor's house to the ground was given only 60 days in jail.
Lauren Regan of the Civil Liberties Defense Center in Eugene is concerned
about the lessons that the federal government is teaching citizens in this
case. "If you commit dozens of crimes, and are a serious criminal, become
a federal informant, blame others for your crimes — even if the
information you provide turns out to be completely false — and the justice
system will not only let you go without punishment, but will pay you in
tax dollars for your crimes."
Anyone concerned with civil liberties and justice should be scrutinizing
the government's motivations and actions in thsse cases.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Panel on State Repression - Updated Speaker List - 11/17, Washington, DC
A Panel on the Criminalization of Animal and Environmental Activists and
the Continued War on the Black Liberation Movement
Featuring:
Ashanti Alston, former political prisoner and Black Panther
Ramona Africa of MOVE
Will Potter, Journalist and Creator of GreenIsTheNewRed.com
Other Speakers: TO BE ANNOUNCED
Saturday, November 17 at 7 p.m.
at St. Stephen's Church
1525 Newton Street NW
Washington, D.C.
$5-10 donation will cover expenses and benefit political prisoners.
NO ONE TURNED AWAY FOR LACK OF FUNDS.
Join journalists, attorneys, and former political prisoners at a forum
discussing the links between past and present instances of
state repression of social justice movements. From the targeting of animal
and environmental activists being dubbed by many as the "Green Scare" to the
37-year-old charges being brought against former Black Panthers in San
Fransisco, hear how history is repeating itself as state repression
intensifies in the era of the "War on Terrorism" -- and what we can do to
fight it.
FEATURING:
Ashanti Alston Omowali is an anarchist activist, speaker, and writer, and
former member of the Black Panther Party. He was also a member of the
Black Liberation Army, and spent more than a decade in prison after
government forces captured him (and the official court system convicted
him) for armed robbery. A former northeast coordinator for Critical
Resistance, Ashanti is currently co-chair of the National Jericho Movement
(to free U.S. political prisoners), a member of pro-Zapatista
people-of-color U.S.-based Estación Libre, and a member of the Malcolm X
Grassroots Movement, NYC.
Ramona Africa is the sole adult survivor of the massacre of 11 members of
the MOVE organization. On May 13, 1985, the FBI and the City of Philadelphia
dropped a C4 bomb on MOVE's 6221 Osage Avenue home in West Philadelphia.
Carrying the young Birdie Africa (the only other survivor) with her, Ramona
dodged gunfire and escaped from the fire with permanent scarring from the
burns. After surviving the bombing, she was charged with conspiracy, riot,
and multiple counts of simple and aggravated assault. Subsequently Ramona
served 7 years in prison. If she had chosen to sever her ties with MOVE, she
could have been released far earlier. In the face of this she held true to
her revolutionary beliefs and was uncompromising in the face of state
terror. Since her release from prison, Ramona has tirelessly worked as the
MOVE Minister of Communication on behalf of the MOVE 9, Mumia Abu-Jamal,
and all political prisoners and prisoners of war.
Will Potter is an award-winning independent journalist based in Washington,
D.C., who focuses on how the War on Terrorism affects civil liberties. He
has tracked how lawmakers and corporations have labeled animal
rights and environmental activists as "eco-terrorists." He has also
closely followed the trial of the SHAC 7, a landmark First Amendment case
involving a group of activists charged with "animal enterprise terrorism"
for running a controversial website.
For further information and updates, go to: www.dcinfoshop.org
Or call, 202-986-0681
Co-Sponsored by: Brian MacKenzie Infoshop; Red Emma's Bookstore and
Coffeehouse; Friends and Family of Daniel McGowan; Black August Planning
Organization
Recreate '68 Plans to Do Just That
Chicago
By Jared Jacang Maher
Published: October 25, 2007
Jim J. Narcy
Glenn Morris has been fighting Colorado
Jim J. Narcy
First a Mob retreat, then a Christian camp, Woodbine Ranch could soon become a model community.
On Columbus Day, Denver police arrested 88 protesters — who are now calling themselves the Denver
The throng of demonstrators — 500 according to police, 1,500 according to protest organizers — had taken over the intersection of 15th and Stout streets, unfurling banners and emptying a bucket filled with fake blood and dismembered baby dolls. As dozens of officers in full riot gear approached and camera crews jockeyed for shots, drums and Native American chants steeled the resolve of the protesters. Glenn Morris, who's been leading efforts against Denver's annual Columbus Day Parade for almost twenty years, urged everyone who was "prepared to be arrested" to stay close, while supporters cheered from the sidewalks.
But this direct action wasn't going quite the way the other lead organizer, Glenn Spagnuolo, had envisioned. The original Transform Columbus Day plan had called for as many as a hundred protesters to burst through barricades along the parade route. After this first group of less-resistant individuals — the elderly, the handicapped, people not as willing to risk bodily harm — was swept up by police, a second wave of activists would enter the street and use what Spagnuolo had described as "more hard-core sitting lockdown maneuvers" to stall the parade even longer. But the demonstrators had moved too early; the parade was still three blocks away. Anticipating such a display, officers quickly sealed off a one-block radius and surrounded the protesters with a wall of uniforms.
Now about fifty activists sank to the street in three sit-down circles, using the proper hand grips and leg locks they'd been taught in training sessions. Earlier in the week, Spagnuolo had declared that "the time to talk is over," since many Native Americans and their supporters consider a celebration of
"What should we do?" Morris asked. They tried to speak softly, but the screams of a female protester whose leg was in a police pressure hold made talking difficult.
"I say we just rush them," said Means. "All of us at once. Just like we did back in the old days."
The Glenns looked at the three-deep line of police, some of them armed with black paintball guns loaded with pellets that release pepper spray. Designing a large protest is never an exact science, and this is especially true among radical groups whose general distrust of centralized authority often makes such efforts an exercise in guided chaos. There are advantages to this model, including adaptability and quick recovery from law-enforcement responses. But it also makes it difficult for those involved in the action to know what the hell is going on.
"What the hell is going on?" one protester, a young woman, shouted at Spagnuolo.
He didn't answer. Instead, he moved to the sidewalk. "Don't stand near me," he whispered to his wife, Barbara. A police sergeant had pointed Spagnuolo out to other officers, who were keeping a close watch on a group of young men who'd wrapped their faces in bandannas. Spagnuolo had a white bandanna hanging around his neck, ready for tear gas. This was one of the precautions he'd urged at a planning meeting; other suggestions including packing a granola bar for a snack during arrest-processing and a credit card to secure bond quickly. He paced nervously along the sidelines. The second wave couldn't make it into the street without pushing through some cops.
From the 2004 Columbus Day Parade protest, Spagnuolo knew that anyone who instigated contact with an officer, even a bump with a shoulder, would be looking at a much more serious charge than a misdemeanor for refusing to vacate. That year, he and 238 others were taken into custody as part of the orchestrated arrests they'd worked out beforehand with the Denver Police Department. As they peacefully entered the parade right-of-way, they were escorted off and given a citation. The deal was designed to walk the thin line between free speech and illegal behavior. If you scream "
This year, the Transform Columbus Day Alliance skipped the advance meeting with police, and the rhetoric was much more aggressive.
As Morris began unbraiding his hair, Spagnuolo told fellow activists to head into the street on his cue. "We're going to break that tape and take the assault charges," he said. "That way you guys can follow and take up to the other side and go on lockdown."
As police — supervised by DPD chief Gerry Whitman — deployed a mini-army to arrest a total of 88 protesters, the procession of colorful floats, classic cars and flatbeds filled with elderly Sicilians and mini-beauty queens was stalled another hour.
And at the end of the day, all anyone could talk about was what would happen in
With his shaved head, goatee, solemn brow and a wardrobe of dark garments with many pockets, 37-year-old Glenn Spagnuolo looks the part of a revolutionary. He is articulate, quick-witted and can make great, impassioned speeches about injustice, racism and corporate greed without sounding like some mumbling hippie or foam-spitting radical. He's put those characteristics to good use in front of cameras since January, when it was announced that
The last time
That was embarrassing enough, but worse, the activists had linked the official-sounding domains to a protest project called Recreate '68. That's '68, as in
So why name a contemporary protest group after such a notorious event?
There are the obvious parallels to forty years ago: an unpopular war and an unpopular president. For the 1968 convention, a myriad of unassociated activist movements — ranging from hippies to Black Nationalists to yippies to New Leftists, pacifists and revolutionaries — came together under the same protest banner. The Recreate '68
For elected officials and local business leaders, the Democratic convention is about more than the economic benefits of having 35,000 delegates, guests and media types dumping money in area hotels and restaurants. They see the DNC as a chance to show off the city as a forward-thinking urban metropolis to a national audience whose conception of
Neither does R-68. The group laid out its concerns in March at the Mercury Cafe, where Spagnuolo and four other members of the R-68 organizing committee, along with their attorney, sat behind a table on the small stage. They talked about oppressed peoples, military spending, Katrina, immigration rights, solidarity with Iraqi people and police brutality. They said they hoped to host a four-day "festival for democracy" in
When reporters asked for specifics about the protests, Spagnuolo took the microphone. R-68 members had been traveling around the country meeting with major anti-war organizations and other national protest groups, he explained. Plans were still rough, but each of the four days would be coordinated so that no one protest overlapped another. "The protests will range on topics that we consider the symptoms of the capitalist systems put in place by Republicans and Democrats," Spagnuolo said. "We don't make a distinction any longer, because we see them as two sides of the same coin."
For Cohen, it's also a chance to "reinvigorate the kinds of mass movements that once existed in this country." Cohen and his wife, Barbara, are thirty-year veterans of the scene. They've founded, or helped found, dozens of organizations and campaigns, including the Colorado Progressive Coalition and Denver Copwatch. When the American Civil Liberties Union sued the DPD for illegally keeping surveillance records, the Cohens discovered that they had one of the most massive files. Even though neither has ever been arrested or charged with a crime, they were labeled "criminal extremists" by cops.
The 2003 settlement of that suit required that the DPD no longer keep spy files on peaceful activists. If the department breaks that agreement in the run-up to the DNC, Barbara Cohen pointed out, "the ACLU and National Lawyers Guild will be ready to go to court."
Spagnuolo never had a chance to amass a spy file. A relative newcomer to
Suddenly Spagnuolo was sucked into the Ward Churchill show and found himself invoking a similar First Amendment defense, claiming he was being persecuted for his political activities and beliefs. After he'd moved to
Spagnuolo was eventually cleared of wrongdoing, but even though he wasn't officially disciplined, he felt that
But soon Spagnuolo would get the chance to make a big difference in a very different, brand-new community: Woodbine Ranch, sixty miles to the south in
Woodbine Ranch sits on 56 acres tucked in a valley where the foothills become the mountains just west of
When Glenn Morris saw the property in 2004, he immediately saw it as a place where he could create something long-lasting and positive that showed a world he would like to see rather than one he was simply against.
Morris had joined
Morris and activist Pavlos Stavropoulos had been talking about creating some kind of community. Stavropolous, who's originally from
Morris and Spagnuolo both became paid project managers at Woodbine Ranch in 2006. They like to joke about the cyclical nature of the property's history. "It took eighty years, but the homeless Indians and Italian gangsters have come back," laughs Morris, who's of
During the summer solstice this year, Woodbine Ranch hosted a celebration. A long, dirt parking lot extends up a hill toward the main lodge, where about 75 people were eating grilled corn and chicken and talking about the project's amazing potential. The incongruous conglomeration of groups that rally under the anti-Columbus banner were well-represented, with Native American activists mingling with hard-core hipsters and soft-spoken earth mothers. In their discussion, everything seemed possible, because nothing like this had ever been done before — at least, not in the liberal activist world.
Woodbine was not a commune, or a compound. If you called it either, you were quickly corrected. Woodbine Ranch was a summer camp and conference center based on a "non-colonialist model" — or it would be one day. Morris stood near two bulletin boards propped up on a tripod, one covered with old newspaper clippings and photos of the property that he had found while doing archival research at various libraries, the other a color-coded timeline for completion of the project.
The project wasn't a secret. But the core group behind Woodbine was worried that if news of their project broke the wrong way, those applications might be stalled indefinitely. Earlier this summer, when a California-based direct-action training group that's been linked to so-called eco-terrorist organizations like the Earth Liberation Front held a meeting there, Douglas County Sheriff's Department vehicles were parked at the base of the canyon the whole weekend. There was no trouble, though. And while neighbors had been wary, they weren't unduly alarmed given the property's eclectic history.
Morris seemed lighthearted as he explained Woodbine's past and talked about its bright future. The plan called for Woodbine to operate as a summer camp for Native American youth who live on reservations or are involved with various tribes across the country, to be a place where they could reconnect with their heritage by practicing traditional farming techniques and learning culture and history from their elders. But kids from other backgrounds would be welcome as well. The property has a small lake, a swimming pool and a large network of trails. It also has meeting rooms and a chapel that the group wanted to convert into a lecture hall so that Woodbine could host conventions for national progressive groups and be available for local events and fundraisers.
The target was to get the place operational by summer 2008, and perhaps even use it as a staging area for DNC protests.
But first, the core group of Woodbine stakeholders had to reach a consensus.
Standing near the industrial-sized kitchen, Stavropoulos watched visitors as they separated their potluck waste into designated recycling and compost bags. The overarching theme for Woodbine, he said, was to create a community free of the colonialist structure of hierarchy and domination.
"How do we all learn to live with each other in this place?" he asked, adding that he hoped Woodbine would serve as a model of the type of interpersonal, environmentally balanced society that's possible, if only on a small scale.
An old jeep painted with the classic anarchist circle-A symbol was parked outside the building. Although it has dozens of intellectual schools and mutant offshoots, anarchism essentially holds that the ills of societies can be blamed on people who have power imposing their will on people who don't have power. If economists look at the world as a system of capitalist market forces, anarchists see the world as a system of power forces that oppress workers, minorities, poor people and others. Power should be held by a collective, they say, not by an individual or a government.
But to be the owner of a large property like Woodbine, where people live and work, is to have power. And that put anarchist Stavropoulos in an awkward position.
Activists repeatedly assert that Woodbine is a project separate from the Transform Columbus Day Alliance, which is separate from R-68. But the three efforts involve several of the same principal players and pull from the same stable of supporters. Morris, for example, is a leader in Woodbine and TCD, but not R-68. The Cohens are main organizers for R-68 and TCD, but not Woodbine. Spagnuolo has been a top dog in all three — and as the most vocal member of a group that's gotten attention through sheer vocalness, he's become the de facto representative of all potential DNC protesters.
R-68 has met with representatives of the DPD, the Mayor's Office and the FBI. This past June, it found a surprise supporter in then-District 7 City Councilwoman Kathleen Mackenzie. She worked with the group to draft a proposed proclamation that called for the city to respect the rights of protesters during the DNC by issuing parade permits promptly, minimizing police use of pepper spray and horses, allowing protests near the convention center, and restricting the use of four-sided barricades to pen in demonstrators.
These points were not arbitrary. R-68's aggressive public efforts are based on concerns raised by treatment of protesters at the 2004 Republican and Democratic national conventions. In
Federal law-enforcement agencies were doing their own reconnaissance. Before the 2004 conventions, the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force, working in conjunction with local law enforcement, had questioned political demonstrators across the country in an effort to forestall potential trouble. In
R-68 organizers assume they're being watched by police at any given moment. So at the beginning of open-door planning meetings, Spagnuolo will often note that "it's probably pretty likely that someone in this room is an undercover cop." That's why R-68 made the preemptive move to push the city into an open discussion about protest policies during the DNC.
But other councilmembers thought Mackenzie's proclamation went too far, too fast. The city had no business bargaining with protest groups that vow to "party in the streets" while hamstringing police from using every appropriate means necessary to maintain order, they said. Corporate leaders hinted that if the proclamation passed, they might be reluctant to ante up the $40 million in donations that the city needs to host the convention. Council chairman Michael Hancock — who'd spoken at an anti-Columbus day event in 2001, back when he was a community organizer — yanked the proposal before it could be debated.
"It's one thing allowing First Amendment rights, and it's another when you try to dictate police crowd-control measures," says Councilman Charlie Brown, the proclamation's most outspoken critic. "There's no way I was going to have R-68 via Denver City Council tell our police department what tactics they can and cannot use."
Instead, councilmembers discussed security and free-speech concerns at a committee meeting on July 11, when they heard from Deputy Michael Battista, the DPD's point man for the DNC. Battista said that officers have been receiving special training in "crowd management" — a softer-sounding description than "crowd control" — but declined to go into specifics about what types of procedures will be used. "We will not discuss tactics with protest groups," Battista said. "It's a safety issue for our officers."
On hand were Spagnuolo, Mark Cohen and R-68's lawyer, Tom Cincotta of the National Lawyers Guild, who asserted that any type of free-speech zone would be "unacceptable." Battista said he had met with police departments in
But the city won't make any decisions on protest areas until it receives an operational security plan from the Secret Service, the lead agency in charge of all "National Special Security Events," which could come as late as January. To guard against possible terrorism, the FBI, FEMA and various bureaus of the Department of Homeland Security will be involved as well. "They'll bring in hundreds of agents over the course of the next year that will develop security for the events," explains Katherine Archuleta, who's in charge of convention coordination for the Mayor's Office.
The federal agencies will determine the perimeters around the
But the DPD is reluctant to discuss how any of that money will be spent. Citing security concerns, spokesman Sonny Jackson declines to talk about police strategy or planning; he won't comment on whether the city is exploring creating a temporary holding facility in the event of mass arrests, as
Archuleta and representatives of the DNC host committee have been meeting with R-68 and the ACLU for the past five months, and will step up their discussions as the convention nears. "The mayor is committed to First Amendment rights, but also the safety of citizens and protesters," Archuleta says. "I think the dialogue is the most important thing that can happen, so that we're all aware of what to expect."
Even if that dialogue includes a protest group named after an event that
"I wasn't there in 1968," Archuleta says, "but I would assume that these types of conversations never occurred. We have to plan the best that we can for all possibilities. We've also agreed that sometimes we won't agree, that sometimes there are things that they want to do that are not things we can accommodate. The most important thing is that we're at the table."
DU is a Nazi-sympathizing supporter of terrorism!"
The tourists stepped out of minivans with
Inside the hotel, Wayne Murdy, CEO of Denver-based Newmont Mining Corp, was about to receive the International Bridge Builders Award from the
"Don't let DU prostitute you guys," Spagnuolo shouted. "You are prostituting yourselves!"
Spagnuolo's first formal training in protest activism came when he attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in
Though many people describe Spagnuolo as an anarchist, he says his political beliefs are closer to those of a democratic socialist. But he tries not to pigeonhole himself, because sectarianism and dogma is often the undoing of leftist movements. "I'll work with anybody who wants to make a positive change in this country," he insists. "Once this government's gone, then we can sort out how to fix this country. Too many people get sucked into 'I'm a communist, so I don't work with socialists who don't work with anarchists.'"
At the DU demonstration, he kept the energy of the seventy or so protesters high. But Spagnuolo himself was tired. He and Morris, who spent much of the protest beating a drum in a circle of Colorado AIM activists, had been up most of the night discussing Woodbine. A week before, Stavropoulos had told the group that his family in
And then, at a meeting just the night before, Stavropoulos had told Spagnuolo that he was out of the project.
The timing could not have been worse. A month after the Newmont protest came the much larger Columbus Day Parade protest. Since this would be the hundredth anniversary of the holiday getting its start in
That he could handle, though. But the end of his involvement with Woodbine was tougher. "It's been very difficult for myself to try to reconcile what the hell happened," Spagnuolo said. "I went through a lot of shit at the City of
This latest blow came from within his own community. "Are we so far into a colonized world that we can't break out of it?" he wondered. "The most depressing thing to me is you've been spending your whole life on this and here's your chance to do it, and can we actually do it? Am I just bullshitting myself?"
He rubbed his face and took a breath, then grabbed his bullhorn. He had a protest to lead.
Larry Hales wasn't alive in 1968. But the thirty-year-old R-68 organizer sees the protests at that convention as a good motivator for today's protest movements. "It was a year when a lot of things came together. The Black liberation circle. Anti-war," he says. "All these ideologies came together and were willing to confront the state and were doing so in a lot of different ways. But it was a spirit, the idea behind it, that has been missing since 1968." And so he likes the name of the group.
Others do not.
"To me, it shows an incredible lack of history to what happened there and the people who were injured," says Councilman Brown. "The fact that people couldn't go downtown and work. The amount of money that was spent. It took
The name has even proven controversial with other progressive groups.
Bill Vandenberg, director of the Colorado Progressive Coalition, says his members haven't yet decided if they will be involved with R-68 — and the name is playing into their reluctance. "Personally, I feel that not only does it give images of
United for Peace and Justice, a national network of 1,400 groups planning to organize around the DNC and RNC just as they did in 2004, probably won't work directly with R-68. "For me, the point is not to re-create something that happened forty years ago," says Leslie Cagan, a national UPJ coordinator. "The global politics are different, the national politics are different, our movement is different."
The ANSWER Coalition will carry out a full-scale mobilization for the DNC protests, says national coordinator Brian Becker, with bus transportation and car caravans from the West Coast, East Coast and
The Troops Out Now Coalition and the Rainforest Action Network have signed on, says Hales. But other large national groups have been reluctant, partly because the R-68 leadership has declined to issue a statement of non-violence, leaving peace and pacifist groups in a tough spot.
"If you don't have an absolute non-violence code," explains Betty Ball, co-director of the Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center, "what happens is there's going to be the interpretation from the media to the general public that 'Oh, there's going to be violence.'"
David Chandler, a co-director of the Colorado Green Party, says the dispute over R-68's protest style has prompted some activists to consider forming a rival organizing group around the DNC. "Spagnuolo may come out as no-violence," he says, "but the tone of what he has been saying to the media certainly would make you concerned."
According to Spagnuolo, pressure from peace groups has prompted R-68 to consider drafting a modified non-violence statement. "It'll be along the lines of 'We will not be instigating any violence against any living being. We reserve the right for personal and community self-defense,'" he says.
And they may need to, according to Claire Ryder, chairwoman of the Denver Green Party, who was at the Columbus Day protest. "I don't recall ever seeing the
A similar overreaction by cops was what caused the riots at the 1968 DNC, she says, with footage of police and National Guard troops using billy clubs, tear gas and pepper spray to beat back crowds in Grant Park widely played in the mass media. "I have far more problem with police in
But Mayor John Hickenlooper is not Mayor Richard J. Daley, who sought to control the protesters the same way he controlled the city of
Some groups even think R-68 may be too soft. Unconventional Action, which was born out of the Crimethinc network of anarchists, is recruiting people to protest at the DNC and RNC conventions. The group aims to organize a series of actions that will "shut down the DNC," according to its website, and has been holding a series of "consultas" across the country to build strategy. The Denver Consulta was held on October 5 at a location near downtown and was attended by forty anarchists representing outfits from across the West. Spagnuolo was invited to speak about the mission of R-68.
"A lot of them are younger folks," he remembers, "and they were very excited and happy to hear about the more — I don't want to say aggressive, but the more demanding-type approach that R-68 is taking. We're going to be working with lots of anti-authoritarian groups. And we're not going to be telling people what to do or how to do it."
Four days after the Columbus Day Parade, the protesters held a press conference. After they'd run out into the street, Morris and Spagnuolo had been taken into custody without incident. But others felt they were manhandled by cops, including a female pastor from the Iliff School of Theology who showed a picture of her neck being bent in a police pressure hold. Another protester had to be taken to the hospital. Nearly all of the 88 arrested on October 6 were held in jail overnight, even after they'd posted bail.
Russell Means argued that what had happened to him qualified as torture: He'd been placed in an isolation cell where the buzz of the fluorescent lights bothered him, and his heart medication had been withheld for a time. He said he planned to file a civil suit against the sheriff's department and
One female protester asked if they could "expect similar treatment at the DNC."
Civil-rights attorney Walter Gerash was there to support the protesters, and will take many of their cases on charges ranging from disrupting a public assembly to resisting arrest. The protesters intend to plead not guilty and take each case to a jury trial. Morris and Spagnuolo will certainly use that forum to further decry
When he was arrested, Spagnuolo gave Woodbine Ranch as his home address — but now he and his wife must move out by mid-November. According to Stavropoulos, the Woodbine project will move ahead without Spagnuolo. Stavropoulos had his former employee sign a statement of confidentiality regarding the Woodbine project, so Spagnuolo has kept silent on the subject.
But he still has plenty to say about plans for the upcoming convention, when protests "will make the 1968 DNC look like a small gathering." And in honor of the Chicago 7, the group of protesters who went on trial after that convention, those arrested on Columbus Day have already started calling themselves the
"They couldn't process 88 of us in a constitutional manner and get us out of jail in less than 32 hours," Spagnuolo concludes. "What's going to happen when you have 888 people arrested in a day? We're all in a lot of trouble when it comes to the DNC."
Despierta Boricua WBAI/Black, Cuban and Boricua Solidarity
The ProLibertad Freedom Campaign
http://www.ProLibertadWeb.com
ProLibertad@hotmail.com and ProLibertad.Campaign@gmail.com
ProLibertad Hotline: 718-601-4751
_______________________________________________________________________________
Despierta Boricua is ProLibertad's Weekly Segment on WBAI's Friday
Morning Wake Up Call on WBAI 99.5fm http://www.wbai.org at 6:45am
(EVERY WEEK EVEN IF YOU DONT GET AN EMAIL ALERT)
This week's segment features an interview with the Welfare Poets;
we'll be discussing thier European Tour, and the Freedom Album
Project for the Puerto Rican Political Prisoners.
Listen in and learn how you can support the Welfare poets newest
initaitve (along with ProLibertad, Boricuation, and La Raza)!!
Friday Oct. 26th, 2007 at 6:45am
WBAI 99.5fm
http://www.wbai.org (not in NYC listen in via webstream)
_______________________________________________________________________________
Support the work to free the San Francisco 8, the Cuban 5 and THE PUERTO
RICAN POLITICAL PRISONERS!!
_______________________________________________________________________________
30 Years Commemoration of the Takeover of the Statue of Liberty.
W/Mickey Melendez (author, We Took theStreets) & Vicente Panama Alba. For
the cause of the independence & liberation of the Puerto Rican political
prisoners & to welcome Francisco "Cisco" Torres of Panther 8.
THursday 10/25 THU, 7 pm At Cemi Underground
1799 Lexington Ave (at 112th St, 6 to 110th St).
$7 donation
Info:212-860-2820, info@cemiunderground.com &
http://www.CemiUnderground.com &
http://www.myspace.com/cemiunderground
_______________________________________________________________________________
PLANNING MEETING FOR THE NYC CUBAN 5 ORGANIZER'S CONFERENCE
Join us on Monday October 29th, 2007 at 7pm Hunter College Center for PR
Studies East Building 14th floor Room 1441 E68th St. and Lexington Avenue 6
train to 68th St. Stop
Inspired by the upcoming Cuban 5conference on November 9th-11th in Canada,
the Popular Education Project to Free the Cuban 5 feels it is important that
such an event occurr in New York City in the Spring 2008. Now is the time
to begin planning for a powerful conference that will inspire, educate, and
mobilize people to do work around our five heroes.
The Project is calling on all supporters of Cuba, the work to free the Cuban
5 and all freedom loving people to come together to begin the planning of a
New York City/East Coast Organizer's conference to further build and
stregthen work to free the Cuban 5.
CUBA NEEDS US! THE CUBAN 5 NEED US! WORK TO FREE THE CUBAN FIVE!
Benjamin Ramos
Frank Velgara
The Popular Education Project to Free the Cuban 5
Who are the Cuban 5?
The Cuban 5 were arrested in September 1998, spent 17 months in solidarity
confinement, and were convicted in June 2001 in a U.S. federal court for
defending their country of Cuba from terrorists based in Miami. They were
convicted after a politically charged trial in Miami, in which the U.S.
government charged them with threatening national security and conspiracy to
commit espionage. Nothing could be further from the truth, the Cuban 5
infiltrated Cuban-American right-wing terrorist organizations based in Miami
to monitor their actions and to protect the national sovereignty of their
homeland Cuba. The Cuban 5 shared the information with U.S. officials when
dangerous actions were planned by these terrorist organizations. The judge,
prosecution and U.S. government officials suppressed defense evidence and
made sure that key witnesses for the defense would not testify. No
espionage evidence was ever introduced and it was found that the information
that the Cuban 5 had was public information that did not threaten national
security. The Cuban 5 are not terrorists they are patriots defending their
homeland, Cuba!
Join the international movement to free these innocent men!!
For more information go to: www.freethecuban5.com
Email us at: freethecubanfive@hotmail.com or call us at 718-601-4751
_______________________________________________________________________________
Celebrate and defend the legacy of the Black Panther Party:
Drop the charges against the SF-8
NYC, Friday, November 30, 7 pm
Martin Luther King Jr. Labor Center
310 W. 43rd Street (between 8th & 9th Ave.) NYC
Speakers Include: Gil Noble, respected producer and host of ABC-TV's Like It
Is Francisco Torres, Harold Taylor and other SF-8 defendants
Soffiyah Elijah, Esq., lawyer on the SF-8 case
Performing: alixa + naima/Climbing Poetree
The San Francisco 8 are eight former "original" Black Panther Party members
and active supporters (ages 56 to 72), who were arrested last January in
California, New York and Florida on charges related to the 1971 killing of a
San Francisco police officer. Some of these men faced virtually identical
charges almost 35 years ago—charges that were dropped after it was revealed
that police torture had extracted "confessions."
But that was in 1973. Now that torture has been made acceptable in this
country, the case is back on—based on the same flawed evidence.
The judge has released the 6 bail-eligible defendants on bond, suggesting to
legal experts that this case is a shaky one.
Two of the 8 defendants—political prisoners Herman Bell and Jalil
Muntaqim—are not eligible for bail. They remain in jail in San Francisco,
having already served more than 34 years in New York state prisons. This new
case charges them again with actions for which they are already doing time.
Learn more about the case and welcome home defendant Cisco Torres, released
on bail, now back with his family in Queens, New York.
For Information Contact: Committee to Free the SF-8 (freethesf8.org), Local
1199 (Michael@1199.org), (Malcolm X Grassroots Movement (mxgm.org)
The Jericho Movement (thejerichomovement.com) or call: (718) 254-8800 or
(646) 246-0770
Come support the SF-8—and defend the history of all struggles for justice.
Sponsors so far: SEIU Local 1199, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, NY State
Taskforce for Political Prisoners, the Jericho Movement, Resistance in
Brooklyn, Campaign to End the Death Penalty, Pro Libertad, Frances Goldin,
Safiya Bukhari-Albert Nuh Washington Foundation, Free Mumia Abu-Jamal
Coalition (NYC), Black Panther Commemoration Committee (NY), Malcolm X
Commemoration Committee, NYC Anarchist Black Cross, Gabriela Network USA
PP Jonathan Paul Reports to Prison October 31st
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Support the Eco-Prisoners (October 2007)
Spirit of Freedom
(October 2007)
Produced by
EARTH LIBERATION PRISONERS SUPPORT NETWORK
"The whole experience has been tough, but all the kind and strengthening
words and wise thoughts from strangers made it much easier!"
(Former Swedish Animal Rights Prisoner)
Welcome to the October 2007 edition of Spirit of Freedom. I know this
prisoner list has come out a lot later than originally planned, but sadly
there have been some unavoidable delays. However below is the latest ELP
prisoner list. We try to ensure our prisoner lists are up to date, but ELP
relies on the information we receive. If you are aware of any prisoner who
is not listed, or aware that any of our details are incorrect, please
contact ELP as soon as possible and we will endeavour to correct our
mistakes. Remember, no matter where you are in the world, support the real
eco-prisoners and no compromise in defence of Mother Earth!
ECO-DEFENCE PRISONERS
A prisoner, c/o 128 Abel Smith Street, Wellington, Aotearoa/New Zealand. A number of eco-activists have been arrested and remanded in New Zealand accused of firearms and 'molotov
cocktail' related charges. Exact details are unclear but four of the prisoners (2 men and 2 women) are from the Wellington area. Due to "terrorist" charges we cannot publish the prisoners names, but if you write to "A Prisoner" your letters will be forwarded by their support campaign.
Fadalla Idris Alajaimy (address unknown). Sudan anti-dam protester on
remand accused of Waging War against the State for protesting against the
construction of a dam.
Mohamed Ahmed Alajaimy (address unknown). Sudan anti-dam protester on
remand accused of Waging War against the State for protesting against the
construction of a dam.
Tre Arrow, CS# 05850722, Vancouver Island Regional Correction Center, 4216
Wilkinson Rd., Victoria, BC, V8Z 5B2, Canada. On remand accused of
involvement with an arson on logging trucks and an arson on vehicles owned
by a sand & gravel company. Both arsons occurred in the USA. Tre is
fighting his extradition to the USA.
Grant Barnes #137563, San Carlos Correctional Facility, PO Box 3, Pueblo, CO
81002, USA. Serving 12 years for setting fire to a number of SUV vehicles.
On one of the vehicles the letters ELF was spray-painted.
Nathan Block, #36359-086, FCI Lompoc, Federal Correctional Institution, 3600
Guard Road, Lompoc, CA 93436, USA. Serving 7 years & 8 months for an ELF
arson against a Poplar Tree Farm and an ELF arson against an SUV dealership.
Also admitted his role in an ELF/ALF conspiracy.
Marco Camenisch, Postfach 3143, CH-8105 Regensdorf, Switzerland. Serving 18
years. 1) Ten years for using explosives to destroy electricity pylons
leading from nuclear power stations. 2) Eight years for the murder of a
Swiss Boarder Guard whilst on the run. In '02 Marco completed a 12-year
sentence in Italy for destroying electricity pylons in Italy.
Ibai Ederra, Carcel de Pamplona, C/San Roque. Apdo. 250, 31080 - Iruñez -
Pamplona, Navarra (España), Spain. Serving just under 5 years for
sabotaging machinery at the controversial Itoiz dam construction site.
Betty Krawczyk, Alouette Correctional Centre for Women, P.O. Box 1000, Maple
Ridge, BC, V2X 3K4, Canada. Serving 10-months for protesting against the
development of the Winter Olympics site on traditional Squamish territory
Jeffrey Luers, #1306729, Lane County Adult Corrections, 101 West 5th Ave,
Eugene, OR 97401-2695, USA. Awaiting resentencing. Originally sentenced to
22 years & 8 months for arson on a SUV dealership & the attempted arson of
an oil truck.
Ali Mohamed Alhassen Massad (address unknown). Sudan anti-dam protester on
remand accused of Waging War against the State for protesting against the
construction of a dam.
Eric McDavid X-2972521 4E 231A, Sacramento County Main Jail, 651 "I" Street,
Sacramento, CA 95814, USA. Awaiting sentencing having been found guilty of
planning to destroy the property of the U.S. Forestry Service, mobile phone
masts and power plants.
Daniel McGowan #63794-053, FCI Sandstone, Federal Correctional Institution,
PO Box 1000, Sandstone, MN 55072, USA. Serving 7 years for an ELF arson
against a Poplar Tree Farm and an ELF arson against a lumber company. Also
admitted his role in an ELF/ALF conspiracy.
Jonathan Paul - See details in Animal Liberation Prisoners List.
Costantino Ragusa, Casa Circondariale, Via Prati Nuovi 7, 27058 Voghera
(PV), Italy. Il Silvestre activist serving 2½ years. 1) 18-months for
burgling and firebombing a multinational company. 2) 12-months for
organising an anti-GM protest. Costanino is also awaiting trial accused of
using explosives to damage an electricity pylon in protest at nuclear
energy.
Julio Villanueva, C.P. Prision De Pamplona, 31080, Iruna (Navarra), Spain.
Serving just under 5 years for sabotaging machinery at the controversial
Itoiz dam construction site.
Joyanna Zacher, #36360-086, FCI Dublin, 5700 8th St.- Camp Parks- Unit F,
Dublin, CA 94568, USA. Serving 7 years & 8 months for an ELF arson against
a Poplar Tree Farm and an ELF arson against an SUV dealership. Also
admitted her role in an ELF/ALF conspiracy.
ANIMAL LIBERATION PRISONERS
Jon Ablewhite TB4885, HMP Lowdham Grange, Lowdham, Nottingham, NG14 7DA,
England. Serving 12 years for attempting to blackmail a farmer who supplied
guinea pigs for vivisection.
Gregg Avery TA7450, HMP Birmingham, Winson Green Road, Birmingham B18 4ASF,
England. Please note. This is Gregs last known address. However the
latest news is he is between prisons, on his way to Winchester for a court
appearance. He is on remand accused of conspiracy to blackmail, in relation
to his involvement with the SHAC campaign.
Natasha Avery NR8987, HMP Bronzefield, Woodthorpe Road, Ashford, Middx. TW15
3JZ, England. Jailed for breaching her parole conditions imposed on her for
telling a fox hunting murdering scum what she thought of them. Also
awaiting trial accused of conspiracy to blackmail, in relation to her
involvement with the SHAC campaign.
Nathan Block - See details in Eco Defence Prisoners List.
Jacob Conroy #93501-011, FCI Victorville Medium I Federal Correctional
Institution, P.O. Box 5300, Adelanto, CA 92301, USA. Serving 48 months
imprisonment for helping organise the SHAC-USA campaign.
Donald Currie TN4593, HMP Whitemoor, Longhill Road, March, Cambs, PE15 OPR,
England. Serving an Indeterminate Sentence, of not less than six actual
years, for carrying out arsons against targets associated the vivisection
industry including HLS.
Lauren Gazzola #93497-011, FCI Danbury, Federal Correctional Institution,
Route #37Danbury, CT 06811, USA. Serving 54 months imprisonment for helping
organise the SHAC-USA campaign.
Sarah Gisborne, LT5393, HMP Downview, Sutton Lane, Sutton, Surrey, SM2 5PD,
England. Serving 5½ years for conspiracy to cause criminal damage following
the damaging of 8 vehicles owned by people linked to Huntingdon Life
Science.
Joshua Harper #29429-086, FCI Sheridan Federal Correctional Institution,
P.O. Box 5000, Sheridan, OR 97378 USA. Serving 36 months imprisonment for
helping organise the SHAC-USA campaign.
Kevin Kjonaas #93502-011, FCI Sandstone, PO Box 1000, Sandstone, MN 55072
USA. Serving 72 months imprisonment for helping organise the SHAC-USA
campaign.
Josephine Mayo PR6508, HMP Drake Hall, Eccleshall, Staffs, ST21 6LQ,
England. Serving 4 years for attempting to blackmail a farmer who supplied
guinea pigs for vivisection.
Daniel McGowan - See details in Eco Defence Prisoners List.
Heather Nicholson VM4859, HMP Bronzefield, Woodthorpe Road, Ashford, Middx.
TW15 3JZ, England. On remand accused of conspiracy to blackmail, in
relation to her involvement with the SHAC campaign.
Jonathan Paul, c/o Friends of Jonathan Paul, PMB 267, 2305 Ashland St., Ste.
C, Ashland, OR 97520, USA. Sentenced to 51 months for an ALF arson on a
horse meat plant. Also admitted his role in an ELF/ALF conspiracy.
Joshua Rosenberg - 11/16/1977, Travis County Correctional Complex, 3614 Bill
Price Road, Del Valle, TX 78617, USA. On remand accused of damaging the
windows of a resturant which sells foie gras.
John Smith TB4887, HMP Lowdham Grange, Lowdham, Nottingham, NG14 7DA,
England. Serving 12 years for attempting to blackmail a farmer who supplied
guinea pigs for vivisection.
Andrew Stepanian #26399-050, FCI Butner Medium II Federal Correctional
Institution, PO Box 1500, Butner, NC 27509 USA. Serving 36 months for
helping organise the SHAC-USA campaign.
Mark Taylor TT6636, HMP YOI Onley, Rugby, Warkwickshire, CV23 8AP, England.
Serving four years for organising loud demonstrations outside the offices of
companies with links to HLS.
Suzanne Taylor, TM7154, HMP Drake Hall, Eccleshall, Staffs, ST21 6LQ,
England. Serving two and a half years for helping organise loud
demonstrations outside the offices of companies with links to HLS.
Kerry Whitburn TB4886, HMP Lowdham Grange, Lowdham, Nottingham, NG14 7DA,
England. Serving 12 years for attempting to blackmail a farmer who supplied
guinea pigs for vivisection.
Joyanna Zacher - See details in Eco Defence Prisoners List.
PLOUGHSHARES PRISONERS
Helen Woodson, 03231-045, FMC Carswell - Admin. Max. Unit, POB 27137, Ft.
Worth, TX 76127, USA. Serving 8 years 10 months for actions that focused
on the interrelationship of war & the destruction of the natural world. The
actions included pouring red paint over the security desk of a federal court
and making threatening communications. Previously Helen had served 20½
years for: 1) Using a hammer to disarm a nuclear missile silo. 2) Burning
$25,000 on the floor of a bank whilst denouncing war, environmental
destruction & economic injustice. 3) Mailing warning letters with bullets
attached to Government & corporate officials.
OTHER ANTI-WAR PRISONERS
Brendan Walsh 12473-052, FCI/FSL Elkton, PO Box 10, Lisbon, OH 44432 USA.
Serving 5 years for an arson on an army recruitment office in protest at the
War on Iraq.
THE LECCE FIVE
The Lecce Five have been charged with "subversive association" accused of
damaging Esso petrol pumps to oppose the War on Iraq; sabotaging the cash
machines of a bank which funds an immigration centre; and targeting the
multinational company Benetton in support of Mapuche land rights activists
in Chile. All of the defendants are currently either under house arrest or
released on bail.
ANTIFA PRISONERS
Lasandra Burwell W063658, Ohio Reformatory for Women, 1479 Collins Ave.
Marysville, OH 43040, USA. Serving 5 years for taking part in an
anti-fascist demonstration which turned into a riot.
Vahtang Devitlidze, ul. Libbedova 42, UO 68/2, otryad 14, brigada 142, g.
Hagyshensk, Krasnodarskiy Kray, 352680 Russia. Serving 2½ years for
stabbing a neo-nazi in the leg whilst defending himself from attack.
Augustin Kraus, Vazebni veznice, PP-1, Litomerice, 41 201, Czech Republic.
Serving 14 months for his participation in attacks against local neo-nazis.
His charge was "bodily harm". He speaks Czech, Slovak and Polish. You can
also write him short postcards in English.
Gubski Maxim, VK-2 - 21, Batowa str. 4, Bobruisk, 213800 Belarus. Serving 3
years for fighting with neo-nazis.
Vladislav Vladimirovich Plyashkevich, IK-10 otryad 4, Novopoltsk-5
Vitebskaya oblast, 211440 Belarus. Serving 3 years for fighting with
neo-nazis.
Christian Sümmermann, BNR: 727/07/7, JVA Tegel, Seidelstr. 39, 13507 Berlin,
Germany. Serving 40 months for breaching the peace whilst serving a
suspended sentence issued for anti-fascist activities.
Tomasz Wiloszewski, Zaklad Karny, Orzechowa 5, 98-200 Sieradz, Poland.
Serving 15 years for accidentally killing a neo-nazi whilst defending
himself.
OTHER PRISONERS
Oscar Santa Maria Caro, CERESO, Miahuatlan de Porfirio Diaz, Oaxaca en Hall
B, Cell 5., Mexico. On remand. The exact charges against Oscar are unknown
but Oscar is a member of RATA, a known animal rights group.
Sacramento Delfino Cano Hernandez, CERESO, Miahuatlan de Porfirio Diaz,
Oaxaca en Hall B, Cell 5., Mexico. On remand. Co-defendant of Oscar Santa
Maria Caro.
Olga Aleksandrovna Nevskaya, UU163/5, 7 Otryad, pos. Dzerzhinskiy, Mozhaysk
140090 Moskovskaya oblast, Russia. Eco-activist serving 6 years for arson,
criminal damage and causing explosions in protest at the war in Chechnya.
Due for release in 2009.
Akin Sari c/o Melbourne Remand Centre, PO Box 500, St Albans, Vic 3021,
Australia. On remand accused of anti-G20 'Party & Protest' activity.
Fran Thompson, #1090915 HU 1C, WERDCC, PO Box 300, Vandalia, MO 63382, USA.
Serving Life for killing, in self-defence, a stalker who had broken into her
home. Before her imprisonment Fran was an eco, animal & anti-nuke
campaigner.
MOVE
MOVE is an eco-revolutionary group who carried out protests in defence of
all life. There are currently eight MOVE activists in prison each serving
100 years after been framed for the murder of a cop in 1979. 9th defendant,
Merle Africa, died in prison in 1998.
Debbie Simms Africa (006307), Janet Holloway Africa (006308) and Janine
Philips Africa (006309) all at: SCI Cambridge Springs, 451 Fullerton Ave,
Cambridge Springs, PA 16403-1238, USA.
Michael Davis Africa (AM4973) and Charles Simms Africa (AM4975) both at SCI
Grateford, PO Box 244, Grateford, PA 19426-0244, USA.
Edward Goodman Africa (AM4974), 301 Morea Rd, Frackville, PA 17932, USA.
William Philips Africa (AM4984) and Delbert Orr Africa (AM4985) both at SCI
Dallas Drawer K, Dallas, PA 18612, USA.
Mumia Abu Jamal, (AM8335), SCI Greene, 175 Progress Drive, Waynesburg PA
15370, USA. In 1981 Mumia, former Black Panther and vocal supporter of
MOVE, was framed for the murder of a cop. He was originally sentenced to
death but is currently awaiting re-sentencing following a court hearing in
2001.
STATEMENT ON VIOLENCE
Some people listed in this newsletter have carried out violent actions.
'Spirit of Freedom' does not condone violence. But we are also against
censorship & believe people can decide for themselves who they wish to
support.
ABOUT E.L.P. SUPPORT NETWORK
ELP is an international eco-prisoner support network founded, in Britain, in
1993 to support jailed eco-activists. We support the prisoners by producing
various regular prisoner lists:
Spirit of Freedom is ELP's international monthly prisoner listing which is
circulated by e-mail.
Urgent ELP! Bulletin is an e-mail service that distributes the names of any
new eco-prisoner as soon as ELP gets their details. For more info e-mail
ELP4321@hotmail.com
On-Line Newsletters - ELP has a number of websites that provide news,
prisoner lists and additional info about ELP & the prisoners.
English language ELP Website
www.spiritoffreedom.org.uk
North American ELP Website
www.ecoprisoners.org
Turkish language ELP Website
www.geocities.com/yesilanarsi/elp.htm
ELP Extra is an e-mail group that circulates the details of political
prisoners, ELP learns about, who do not fall within the remit for support by
ELP. To subscribe to the list e-mail ELP4321@Hotmail.com
Belgium ELP.SN is our Belgium contact. For more info e-mail
elp_bel@hotmail.com
German ELP.SN is a prisoner led initiative run by eco-prisoner Marco
Camenisch. For more info contact Marco Camenisch, Postfach 3143, CH-8105
Regensdorf, Switzerland.
North American ELP is our North American contact. For more information
e-mail naelpsn@mutualaid.org
Turkey ELP.SN is our Turkish contact. For more info e-mail
yesilanarsi@yahoo.com
29th september - solidarity actions
The international Anarchist Black Cross network and other anti-prison
activists declared the 29th of September as the International day of
solidarity for the Aachen2. The Aachen2 are the anarchists Gabriel Pombo da
Silva and Jose Fernandez Delgado, who both served many years time in the
notorious and inhuman isolation custody system F.I.E.S. in Spain.
Fortunately, they could leave their jail behind, by escaping and going
underground. On 28 June, 2004 they got into in a police control in Aachen
where they finally got arrested, together with Gabriel´s sister, Begoña
Pombo da Silva, and Bart de Geeter, an anarchist comrade from Belgium. On
the 28th September, 2005 the sentences were proclaimed, after a contracted
and infantile trial, where they got condemned for their anarchist
attitude, - José has to stay for 14 years and Gabriel for 13 years behind
bars.
To show our solidarity with the prisoners on the streets and to let them be
a part of this, we organised demontrations in Rheinbach and Aachen in front
of the respective prisons. Altogether between 60 and 70 solidary minded
people from Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain and Germany
showed up. Unfortunately only very few people from Germany came, since both
the topic prison and solidarity with arrested comrades still play a
subordinated role within the operating fields of the "german radical left".
It also seems that only allegedly "innocent ones" are aloud to experience a
broader support in Germany. We have been critizing this situation for quite
a while now.
Marco Camensich, an eco-anarchist prisoner from Switzerland, decided to take
part in the action day with a hunger strike from 16. up to 29. September.
Gabriel and José followed him and as well Joaquín Garcés Villacampa, an
anarchist F.I.E.S. - prisoners of the Spanish state, supported them between
the 28 and the 30 of september.
In Rheinbach we met around 12am in front of the local prison to show our
solidarity with José. Armed with a sound system, we tried to overcome the
isolation conditions behind the walls and to break the deadly monotony, at
least for a short time. Besides this, a vast number of tennis balls, with
diverse messages written on, were thrown inside over the walls. Speeches
were read about Aachen2 and the current situation of the militante gruppe
defendants in Berlin, as well as some greetings from anti-fascist Christian
S., inprisoned in Berlin Tegel.
About 4pm we met again in Aachen to send our warmest greetings to Gabriel
and all other prisoners in struggle and to give out a shout of our hate and
rage, based on the miserable conditions the inmates have to "live" in.
Despite a never-ending rain, we moved as a spontaneous demonstration around
almost the whole prison, in order to catch the attention of as many
prisoners as possible. It was particularly pleasant that the prisoners
reacted well to our demonstrations, through screaming slogans and cries of
approval.
The local police officers were incapable to break our determination, neither
meanwhile we were throwing the tennis balls in Rheinbach, nor while walking
around (almost) the whole prison in Aachen. The road around the prison in
Aachen was not permited to us, therefore we had to take it. Except some
smaller scuffles with the green spoil-sports, there was however no further
contentions. The determination of our appearance towards the police, helped
us to perform our demonstration in the way we wanted it.
In the evening of the 28th, up to 30 persons met in front of the german
consulate in Bilbao in solidarity with the prisoners, since because of
technical problems they were not able to join our common demonstration.
Also in England as in other countries many different solidarity acions took
place.
On the 21st of September, a demonstration with a live hip hop concert was
held in Berlin under the slogan "For more self-determined spaces - against
all institutes of coercion". With the help of speeches and strained banners
over the road, it was called attention for the imprisonment of Gabriel and
José and other ones. Around 150 people participated in this rally.
These will not be the last actions of our fight towards the freedom of the
Aachen2, we will also fight on the streets in the future to show our refusal
against their arrest and to declare our active solidarity.
Make a hole out of the prisons!
abc berlin
PLN Sues Fulton, GA Jail Over publications ban
Editor challenges jail's ban on publications
The
Published on: 10/22/07
A magazine editor is suing Fulton County Sheriff Myron Freeman because he has banned county prisoners from getting nonreligious publications.
Paul Wright, editor of Prison Legal News, noted in the lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court in
"We've had some recidivist censors," he said dryly in a telephone interview from his office in
Freeman didn't immediately return a message left on his home telephone voice mail, and attempts to reach his spokeswomen were unsuccessful.
Wright started the Prison Legal News in 1990; it has grown to six full-time employees and about 7,000 subscribers. It publishes monthly stories about prisoners' legal rights and the conditions — often brutal — within jails and prisons.
Wright didn't think Freeman was picking on him. He said the
He said he has fought legal battles, almost always successfully, nationwide to ensure his publications could circulate freely in prisons and jails. For instance, he said,
And how did Wright get into the prison publications business? He was convicted of killing a drug dealer during a robbery in
He noted in his case, at least, rehabilitation worked. Now he just annoys the authorities — like any good journalist.
"I learned my lesson," he said. "I leave the drug dealers alone now."
Monday, October 22, 2007
Black, Cuban, and Puerto Rican Solidarity
The ProLibertad Freedom Campaign
http://www.ProLibertadWeb.com
ProLibertad@hotmail.com and ProLibertad.Campaign@gmail.com
ProLibertad Hotline: 718-601-4751
_______________________________________________________________________________
Support the work to free the San Francisco 8, the Cuban 5 and THE
PUERTO RICAN POLITICAL PRISONERS!!
_______________________________________________________________________________
30 Years Commemoration of the Takeover of the Statue of Liberty.
W/Mickey Melendez (author, We Took theStreets) & Vicente Panama Alba.
For the cause of the independence & liberation of the Puerto Rican
political prisoners & to welcome Francisco "Cisco" Torres of Panther
8.
THursday 10/25 THU, 7 pm At Cemi Underground
1799 Lexington Ave (at 112th St, 6 to 110th St).
$7 donation
Info:212-860-2820, info@cemiunderground.com &
http://www.CemiUnderground.com &
http://www.myspace.com/cemiunderground
_______________________________________________________________________________
PLANNING MEETING FOR THE NYC CUBAN 5 ORGANIZER'S CONFERENCE
Join us on Monday October 29th, 2007 at 7pm Hunter College Center for PR
Studies East Building 14th floor Room 1441 E68th St. and Lexington Avenue 6
train to 68th St. Stop
Inspired by the upcoming Cuban 5conference on November 9th-11th in Canada,
the Popular Education Project to Free the Cuban 5 feels it is important that
such an event occurr in New York City in the Spring 2008. Now is the time
to begin planning for a powerful conference that will inspire, educate, and
mobilize people to do work around our five heroes.
The Project is calling on all supporters of Cuba, the work to free the Cuban
5 and all freedom loving people to come together to begin the planning of a
New York City/East Coast Organizer's conference to further build and
stregthen work to free the Cuban 5.
CUBA NEEDS US! THE CUBAN 5 NEED US! WORK TO FREE THE CUBAN FIVE!
Benjamin Ramos
Frank Velgara
The Popular Education Project to Free the Cuban 5
Who are the Cuban 5?
The Cuban 5 were arrested in September 1998, spent 17 months in solidarity
confinement, and were convicted in June 2001 in a U.S. federal court for
defending their country of Cuba from terrorists based in Miami. They were
convicted after a politically charged trial in Miami, in which the U.S.
government charged them with threatening national security and conspiracy to
commit espionage. Nothing could be further from the truth, the Cuban 5
infiltrated Cuban-American right-wing terrorist organizations based in Miami
to monitor their actions and to protect the national sovereignty of their
homeland Cuba. The Cuban 5 shared the information with U.S. officials when
dangerous actions were planned by these terrorist organizations. The judge,
prosecution and U.S. government officials suppressed defense evidence and
made sure that key witnesses for the defense would not testify. No
espionage evidence was ever introduced and it was found that the information
that the Cuban 5 had was public information that did not threaten national
security. The Cuban 5 are not terrorists they are patriots defending their
homeland, Cuba!
Join the international movement to free these innocent men!!
For more information go to: www.freethecuban5.com
Email us at: freethecubanfive@hotmail.com or call us at 718-601-4751
_______________________________________________________________________________
Celebrate and defend the legacy of the Black Panther Party:
Drop the charges against the SF-8
NYC, Friday, November 30, 7 pm
Martin Luther King Jr. Labor Center
310 W. 43rd Street (between 8th & 9th Ave.) NYC
Speakers Include: Gil Noble, respected producer and host of ABC-TV's Like It
Is Francisco Torres, Harold Taylor and other SF-8 defendants
Soffiyah Elijah, Esq., lawyer on the SF-8 case
Performing: alixa + naima/Climbing Poetree
The San Francisco 8 are eight former "original" Black Panther Party members
and active supporters (ages 56 to 72), who were arrested last January in
California, New York and Florida on charges related to the 1971 killing of a
San Francisco police officer. Some of these men faced virtually identical
charges almost 35 years ago—charges that were dropped after it was revealed
that police torture had extracted "confessions."
But that was in 1973. Now that torture has been made acceptable in this
country, the case is back on—based on the same flawed evidence.
The judge has released the 6 bail-eligible defendants on bond, suggesting to
legal experts that this case is a shaky one.
Two of the 8 defendants—political prisoners Herman Bell and Jalil
Muntaqim—are not eligible for bail. They remain in jail in San Francisco,
having already served more than 34 years in New York state prisons. This new
case charges them again with actions for which they are already doing time.
Learn more about the case and welcome home defendant Cisco Torres, released
on bail, now back with his family in Queens, New York.
For Information Contact: Committee to Free the SF-8 (freethesf8.org), Local
1199 (Michael@1199.org), (Malcolm X Grassroots Movement (mxgm.org)
The Jericho Movement (thejerichomovement.com) or call: (718) 254-8800 or
(646) 246-0770
Come support the SF-8—and defend the history of all struggles for justice.
Sponsors so far: SEIU Local 1199, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, NY State
Taskforce for Political Prisoners, the Jericho Movement, Resistance in
Brooklyn, Campaign to End the Death Penalty, Pro Libertad, Frances Goldin,
Safiya Bukhari-Albert Nuh Washington Foundation, Free Mumia Abu-Jamal
Coalition (NYC), Black Panther Commemoration Committee (NY), Malcolm X
Commemoration Committee, NYC Anarchist Black Cross, Gabriela Network USA
Saturday, October 20, 2007
The FBI's War on Black Liberation
Counterpunch
Weekend Edition
October 20 / 21, 2007
COINTELPRO and the Panthers
By RON JACOBS
The history of relations between the Black liberation movement and law enforcement has always been adversarial, at its best. At its worst, it is a history of murder, beatings, lies and frame-ups. There are few groups in this history that experienced the latter more than the Black Panther Party. The history of FBI and police harassment and intimidation of Panther members during the Party's heyday is well documented. It includes the murders of several members, the constant harassment and petty arrests of members by local police forces and the framing of many of its leaders. Most of these frame-ups resulted in long prison terms for the members accused and convicted falsely.
What may be surprising to many who know this history is that these frame-ups continue today. It was under the FBI/Justice Department program known as COINTELPRO that the first frame-ups took place and it is that program's successors that have occurred under. Two false convictions that received much of the publicity in the 1990s were those of Geronimo Pratt and Dhoruba bin Wahad. Both of these men spent over fifteen years in prison for crimes they did not commit, thanks to frame-ups carried out under the auspices of the COINTELPRO program.
Two ongoing cases that appear to be frame-ups from this vantage point are those of Mumia abu Jamal and the San Francisco 8. The former is a case involving the murder of a Philadelphia police officer in 1981 and the latter involves the murder of a San Francisco policeman in 1971. In both situations, the prosecution's case is based on evidence that is flimsy at best and just plain false at its worst. Neither prosecution has proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt despite several chances. In addition, the politics of the defendants has been used by the prosecution in an attempt to prejudice the jury.
Mumia's case has always carried the stench of a frame-up. The conflicting testimony of witnesses, the failure of witnesses to appear and many other instances of questionable conduct by the prosecution and law enforcement have conspired to create this perception. A recent book by Michael Schiffmannn titled Race Against Death (currently available only in German) adds even more documentary fuel to this perception. The text, which does a good job placing Mumia's case into a historical context of racism in the United States, provides a history of the case itself and the movement that has grown in support of Mumia following the 1995 signing of his death warrant by then Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge. The new material at the end of the book includes several never-before-published photographs of the 1981 crime scene that were also never produced in court. These photos raise more questions as to Mumia's role in the events of that night the policeman was killed. The litany of miscues and missing evidence already familiar to those who have followed Mumia's case around the world is repeated here, with a renewed emphasis. In addition to this evidence is the newly discovered fact that a fifth bullet fired by police at the scene for comparative purposes was "lost."
The photos in Schiffmann's text cast more doubt on the state's case by proving that the prosecution's statements that Mumia stood over Officer Faulkner and fired at him several times. The photos show no marks from the bullets that were supposedly fired in this fashion. In fact, the sidewalk was not damaged in any way. Schiffmann foes on to write: "it is thus no question anymore whether the scenario presented by the prosecution at Abu-Jamal's trial is true. It is clearly not, because it is physically and ballistically impossible." (p. 205) The remainder of the photos show a scenario that constantly contradicts the testimony of officers and witnesses (apparently coerced) and the nature of the scene they described in Mumia's original trial.
It is the continued refusal of the court to allow a new trial for Mumia that would allow the new evidence to be introduced that has been pointed to by Mumia's supporters as part of the proof that not only was Mumia framed because of his politics and outspokenness as a member of the media, but that the frame-up continues. Added to this refusal by the court is the somewhat understandable desire of the slain officer's family to have a perpetrator locked up, even that someone isn't really the killer.
Other lesser known cases involving the US government and former Black Panther members are those of Veronza Bowers, Jr. and Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin (formerly H. Rap Brown). Bowers has been in prison for more than thirty years despite the fact that he is a model prisoner and has served his complete sentence under the law, been approved for parole only to have it overturned by the Justice department and is still in prison sixteen months after his sentence has expired.
Besides this travesty, the facts of Bowers' conviction are questionable, to say the least. He was convicted of the murder of a U.S. Park Ranger based on the word of two government informers. Both of the informers received reduced sentences for other crimes in exchange for their testimony. There were no eye-witnesses, nor was there any other evidence to link him to the crime. Bowers' alibi testimony was not credited by the jury and the testimony of two relatives of the informants who insisted that they were lying was not allowed. The informants had all charges against them in this case dropped. In addition, according to the prosecutor's post-sentencing report, one was given $10,000 by the government.
As for Al-Amin, he was recently removed from state custody in Georgia by federal authorities and sent to the federal control unit in Florence, Colorado. No reason was given for the transfer, despite repeated requests from family and friends. According to the website maintained by the family and friends of the prisoner Dr. Mutulu Shakur, the transfer seems to be part of a more general move by the Bureau of Prisons to prevent programs that have had an "impact on the transformation of dozens of men, from a criminal mentality to liberation consciousness." The transfers and other intimidation by the bureau seem intended to make it difficult for these prisoners to build networks of support. Other aspects of this campaign include the suspension of cultural and educational programs within the federal prison systems and the increased harassment of politically active prisoners.
As mentioned above, another ongoing case involving former Black Panthers and the government is that of the San Francisco 8. This case against eight former Panthers and Panther supporters charged with the murder of a San Francisco policeman in 1971 was thrown out of court in 1975 because the evidence used by the prosecution was obtained by torture. It was revived in the early part of the twenty-first century by the California attorney general with help from the US Justice Department. There seems to be no new evidence in the case, although the prosecution hints that some does exist. DNA taken from all of the defendants in 2005 failed to match any previous evidence and the prosecution has hinted that it will reintroduce the same evidence thrown out back in 1975 because it was extracted by torture. Evidence obtained by torture is not considered to be verifiable beyond a reasonable doubt precisely because it was obtained by torture.
Anybody following the current debate around the U.S. rendition program for terror suspects is quite familiar with the proven argument that torture does not produce credible evidence. Of course, if the purpose of the torture is something other than the procurement of credible evidence or confessions, than it doesn't really matter as to its effectiveness.
In the case of the San Francisco 8, it appears that the prosecution was not so much interested in finding the people responsible for the killing of the San Francisco policeman in 1971 as it was interested in helping to destroy the already splintered Black Panther Party. As any student studying the COINTELPRO program can tell you, one of its primary goals was the destruction of the Panthers. This goal was pursued by a variety of means. Among them was murder, the spreading of false rumors concerning the members' personal lives, the placing of snitch jackets on members, and the intentional framing of its members on felony charges.
The case of the San Francisco 8 falls under the latter category but is also unique if only because the entire case was based on police speculation and torture. None of the accused was ever found guilty of the murder the first time they were tried. After the torture was exposed in 1975, the prosecution's case was thrown out. The men who were not in prison on other charges (of a questionable nature as well) returned to their communities and lived active and law abiding lives until 2005. In 2005, the Department of Homeland security revived the same case that had been discarded in 1975. Together with the State of California they convened a grand jury and called many of the same defendants to testify. To their credit, the men refused and served time for their refusal. In 2006, DNA was extracted from the men by the prosecution in the hope that this evidence could be tied to evidence from the 1971 crime scene. After more than a year of silence, the defense was told that none of the DNA samples matched any of the evidence. Despite this, the prosecution refuses to drop the case and appears to be intent on resubmitting the evidence obtained under torture back in the early 1970s despite the earlier court's refusal to allow that same evidence. Randy Montesano, the attorney of Harold Taylor--one of the defendants-told the media after a motion to deny admission of the torture-extracted evidence that despite the refusal of the court to approve the motion "there is no way to get a fair hearing today, especially given the delay of so many years and (because) the passage of time alone precludes any reliable adjudication so we will ultimately prevail."
One respects Mr. Montesano's optimism, yet it can not be emphasized enough that this case may not go the way it should (and the defense hopes it will) unless the light of the world is shown upon it. It will take the concerted effort of a popular movement to insure that the men known as the San Francisco 8 are not framed for the murder of the policeman in 1971. The alternative for these men would be spending the rest of their lives in prison, much like the future faced by Mumia abu Jamal. In fact, it is the growing popular movement supporting the San Francisco 8 that helped convince the judge in the case to lower the bail of most of the men and allow them to go home to their loved ones. Likewise, in the case of Mumia abu Jamal, it is the popular movement around his case that has kept him alive.
Ron Jacobs is author of The Way the Wind Blew: a history of the Weather Underground, which is just republished by Verso. Jacobs' essay on Big Bill Broonzy is featured in CounterPunch's collection on music, art and sex, Serpents in the Garden. His first novel, Short Order Frame Up, is published by Mainstay Press. He can be reached at: rjacobs3625@charter.net
Update on Sadie
Friday, October 19, 2007
Dennis Teeken on hungerstrike
On september 11th 2006 Dennis Teeken was convicted by the German state
into prison, after a trial founded on two bankrobberies. After the German
state and its juridical machinery ignored his request for transference
time after time, he currently does his time in the Netherlands. Dennis
should have been transfered to the dutch penitentiarian authorities at
latest on december 28th 2006, but when no such thing had happened by early
may 2007, he started a hungerstrike. On june 5th 2007 he was finally
transferred to a dutch prison. Until now he remains in the “Huis Van
Bewaring” (dutch prison for people without final conviction), although he
should have been transferred to “Half Open Kamp” (half open prison with
the possibilities to go out on leave and work outside of the prison). This
counts for prisoners that have a remaining prisontime of maximum 18
months. According to Dutch standards, Dennis should be released on may
14th 2008. His remaining prisontime is therefor less then a year.
Due to obstruction by a staffmember of the prison of Roermond, Mr Paul
Coenen, his request for transference to “Half Open Kamp” was not send to
the selecting functionary, because this man thought there is no clearness
about the actual releasingdate. This is impossible; Dennis’ punishment can
never come out longer as the verdict in Germany.
This staffmember of the prison ignores the penitentiary right, and he does
not respond to the complaints Dennis failed against this behaviour. The
verdict to this complaint has not been made public, even though it’s there
already.
Next to this, Dennis is to be considered for participation in a new
project for “reducing recidivism”, but the person selecting people for
this project is, again Mr. Coenen, who before did not give notice to
Dennis’ call for transference.
And finally, rebelling, left radical and anarchist literature to or from
Dennis is intercepted.
On october 10th 2007 Dennis started another hungerstrike.
We are through with the aggravating obstructing sabotage and censorship
against Dennis Teeken, and demand that his requests are complied with at
once! It seems that his flowering contacts with anarchists (prisoners in
jail and on the streets) throughout the whole of Europe, are the mere
reason for receiving this different treatment.
Therefor this callout for solidarity with a prisoner who has now long been
fighting against the system that oppresses us all.
Write, call, mail or fax the prison to voice your anger about his locking
up and the way his steps are being sabotaged!
Down with all walls!
Freedom for all!
---------
Here the letter to the prison principals:
Aan de directie van PI Roermond,
In uw inrichting verblijft sinds 5 juni 2007 Dhr. Dennis Teeken, #
1528364, na overgeleverd te zijn uit Duitsland, waar hij op 11 september
2006 veroordeeld werd tot een gevangenisstraf van 3,5 jaar. Zijn straf zit
hij momenteel in Nederland uit, naar Nederlandse “maatstaven”. Volgens de
uitspraak van de Duitse rechter zou hij uiterlijk op 14 mei 2008 moeten
worden vrijgelaten.
Het strafrestant van Dhr. Teeken bedraagt momenteel minder dan een jaar,
en om in aanmerking te komen voor overplaatsing naar een “Half Open
Inrichting”, die zich naast het HVB in uw inrichting bevindt, moet men op
een strafrestant zitten van maximaal 18 maanden.
Mocht, volgens artikel 1a van het penitentiair recht, “de veroordeling tot
vrijheidsstraf nog niet onherroepelijk zijn, dan wordt het strafrestant
voor de toepassing van de regeling van overplaatsing naar een ‘half open
kamp’ berekend op grond van de veroordeling waartegen het rechtsmiddel
[:hoger beroep of de W.O.T.S.] is aangewend”.
Daar de datum van zijn vrijlating tevens door de Nederlandse rechter is
bevestigd, heeft Dhr. Teeken het recht, volgens dit artikel, te worden
overgeplaatst naar een “Half Open Inrichting”.
Toch hebben wij vernomen dat een medewerker van de afdeling BSD, Dhr. Paul
Coenen, zijn aanvraag opzettelijk niet heeft doorgestuurd naar de selectie
functionaris. Als reactie op deze tegenwerking is inmiddels beklag
gemaakt.
Het is voor Dhr. Teeken niet de eerste keer dat hij ondervindt dat
penitentiaire inrichtingen zich bedienen van vernederende methoden die
gedetineerden extra straf bezorgen op basis van willekeur. Zo werd hij in
Duitsland telkens weer tegengewerkt wanneer hij pogingen ondernam zijn
overlevering naar Nederland te bewerkstelligen, geniet hij niet dezelfde
rechten als medegedetineerden daar hij weigert uitbuitende, onderbetaalde
en zinloze arbeid te verrichten met als gevolg dat hij niet de extra
luchttijd of het wachtgeld ontvangt, wordt zijn deelname aan het
T.R.-traject, door opnieuw Dhr. Coenen, gedwarsboomd, ondanks het feit dat
hij er normaliter voor in aanmerking komt, wordt aan hem of door hem
verstuurde post onderschept en vindt de plaats van bestemming niet en ziet
het er naar uit dat door het getreiter van in ieder geval een bepaalde
medewerker Dhr. Teeken nog geruime tijd (de resterende 7 maanden?) gewoon
21,5 uur per dag opgesloten blijft. Deze sabotage, censuur en uitbuiting
van de mensen die u in uw inrichting als slaven houdt heeft tot gevolg
gehad dat Dennis Teeken op 10 oktober in hongerstaking is gegaan.
Wij dringen er op aan dat zijn verzoeken om overplaatsing naar HOI,
deelname aan het T.R.-traject en gelijke behandeling omrent werk in de PI
onmiddellijk worden ingewilligd, dat Dhr. Teeken per direct zijn post
krijgt, alsmede de personen aan wie hij die stuurt, en dat de deur van
zijn cel naar behoren wordt geopend voor een gedetineerde die in een HOI
geplaatst dient te worden!
Enkele solidairen in strijd tegen vernedering en opsluiting.
---------
Send the letter to:
P.I. Roermond
post address: Postbus 137, 6040 AC, ROERMOND, Netherland
phone: 0031 (0475) 38 11 11
fax: 0031 (0475) 38 11 37
---------
Write letters to Dennis Teeken:
1528364, postbus 137, 6040 AC, Roermond, Netherland
---------
For questions etc.:
ABC Amsterdam (abcamsterdam@squat.net)
ABC Berlin (mail@abc-berlin.net)
Thursday, October 18, 2007
write to Jeff Luers at Lane County Jail
Video Quilt Affirming Palestinian Right to Return
October 18, 2007
For Immediate Release
Video Quilt Affirming Palestinian Right to Return
For nearly 60 years the Palestinian refugees' right to return to their land
and homes of origin has been under attack from various
forces that wish to rewrite the past and dictate the present and future of
Palestine and its people. Despite these attacks, for nearly 60 years
Palestinians and their supporters around the world have remained steadfast
in not just supporting this right, but demanding and asserting that it is a
right that must be implemented if justice and real peace are to be achieved.
These voices unfortunately have all too often been deliberately muffled and
fragmented ... It's time to collect these voices -- literally.
On the 60th year of the Nakba we will collectively create a Video
Quilt demonstrating that among Palestinian refugees and their many
supporters there remains a strong united voice for the Right to Return. This
Video Quilt will stitch together the voices of refugees and supporters
around the world and will be premiered at the 6th Annual Al-Awda Convention
on the 60th year of Al-Nakba. It will be shown online and at various
exhibits and venues afterwards. Al-Awda's 6/60 Convention will be
held May 16-18, 2008 in Anaheim, California.
In order to create this Video Quilt we need your help. We are looking for
video submissions from around the world with SHORT MESSAGES supporting the
right to return:
* Refugees (individuals and groups) affirming they have the right to return
or that they WILL return
* Activists from around the world (every continent) supporting the right to
return
* Famous personalities supporting the right to return
* Messages from every Al-Awda chapter, and every supporting organization
* Messages from student groups
All messages must be brief-- they should be just one or two short sentences,
and these will be "stitched" together and edited to make a short
exhibition video on the international support for the right of return.
Videos should be submitted by March 31st, 2008 in mini-DV,
DVD, or VHS format.
Please send your video submissions to:
Al-Awda PRRC
PO Box 131352
Carlsbad CA 92013, USA
For those who would like to send their video messages online please send us
an email to media@al-awda.org , and we will send you instructions on how to
transfer your video in Quicktime format.
Credit will be given to all those who helped film, edit etc.
For more information, please contact
Palestine Media Center International Committee
Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition
PO Box 131352
Carlsbad, CA 92013, USA
Tel: 760-685-3243
Fax: 360-933-3568
E-mail: media@al-awda.org
WWW: http://al-awda.org
Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition (PRRC) is the largest
network of grassroots activists and students dedicated to Palestinian human
rights. We are a not for profit tax-exempt educational and charitable
501(c)(3) organization as defined by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of
the United States of America. Under IRS guidelines, your donations to PRRC
are tax-deductible. To make a donation, please go to
http://www.al-awda.org/donate.html
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
17 activists arrested in New Zealand, denied bail. 300+ Police raid houses across the country
source: http://aotearoa.indymedia.org/
In a wave of massive state repression, 300+ Police, in many cases armed,
raided houses around the country today making 17 arrests. Search warrants
were carried out in Auckland, Whakatane, Ruatoki, Hamilton, Palmerston
North, Wellington and Christchurch. Police are also seeking up to 60
people for questioning. The arrestees are all activists in the Tino
Rangatiratanga, peace and environmental movements.
Prominent Tino Rangatiratanga activist Tame Iti was among the first
arrested at his home at 4am Monday morning. At 6am raids were carried out
at A Space Inside anarchist social centre in Auckland and the 128 activist
Community Centre in Wellington. In Tuhoe Country, the town of Ruatoki was
blockaded by armed police for several hours, with no cars allowed in and
many searched, including a school bus full of children.
14 of the arrestees appeared in court hearings in Auckland, Rotorua and
Wellington this afternoon and were all refused bail. All but two recieved
name supression. They have all been charged under the Arms Act with
various offences relating to alleged possesion of various firearms and
ammunition. More charges may be added in the future.
State Repression: Past and Present
From the Green Scare to the Continued War on the Black Liberation Movement
Featuring:
Ramona Africa of MOVE
Will Potter, Journalist and Creator of GreenIsTheNewRed.com
Other Speakers: TO BE ANNOUNCED
Saturday, November 17 at 7 p.m. (Starts Promptly)
at St. Stephen's Church
1525 Newton Street NW
Washington, D.C.
$5-10 sliding scale, suggested donation will cover expenses and benefit
political prisoners. NO ONE TURNED AWAY FOR LACK OF FUNDS.
Join journalists, attorneys, and former political prisoners at a forum
discussing the links between past and present instances of
state repression of social justice movements. From the targeting of animal
and environmental activists being dubbed by many as the "Green Scare" to the
37-year-old charges being brought against former Black Panthers in San
Fransisco, hear how history is repeating itself as state repression
intensifies in the era of the "War on Terrorism" -- and what we can do to
fight it.
FEATURING:
Ramona Africa is the sole adult survivor of the massacre of 11 members of
the MOVE organization. On May 13, 1985, the FBI and the City of Philadelphia
dropped a C4 bomb on MOVE's 6221 Osage Avenue home in West Philadelphia.
Carrying the young Birdie Africa (the only other survivor) with her, Ramona
dodged gunfire and escaped from the fire with permanent scarring from the
burns. After surviving the bombing, she was charged with conspiracy, riot,
and multiple counts of simple and aggravated assault. Subsequently Ramona
served 7 years in prison. If she had chosen to sever her ties with MOVE, she
could have been released far earlier. In the face of this she held true to
her revolutionary beliefs and was uncompromising in the face of state
terror. Since her release from prison, Ramona has tirelessly worked as the
MOVE Minister of Communication on behalf of the MOVE 9, Mumia Abu-Jamal,
and all political prisoners and prisoners of war.
Will Potter is an award-winning independent journalist based in Washington,
D.C., who focuses on how the War on Terrorism affects civil liberties. He
has tracked how lawmakers and corporations have labeled animal
rights and environmental activists as "eco-terrorists." He has also
closely followed the trial of the SHAC 7, a landmark First Amendment case
involving a group of activists charged with "animal enterprise terrorism"
for running a controversial website.
For further information and updates, go to: www.dcinfoshop.org
SF8 event in Austin,TX 10/18
LEGACY OF TORTURE: The War Against The Black Liberation Movement
Officially sanctioned torture in the US dates back at least to slavery. Lynchings, castrations, and mutilations were used to try to stop Black people’s struggle for freedom. It didn't work then and it won't work now.
"In 1973, 13 members and friends of the Black Panther Party were arrested in New Orleans in connection with the 1971 shooting death of a San Francisco policeman. At least three were TORTURED in jail and gave forced 'confessions'. Two years later a federal judge threw out the 'confessions' and all charges. In 2004, -- 30 years later -- a San Francisco grand jury reopened the investigation. Five Black Panther Party associates, including two who'd been tortured in New Orleans, were jailed for refusing to testify.
LEGACY OF TORTURE (28 min, 2006) is the story of these grand jury resisters. Harold Taylor and John Bowman (who died in 2006) chillingly describe Abu Ghraib-style torture at the hands of New Orleans cops and their lives between that horror and the grand jury “investigation.†Co-resisters Ray Boudreaux, Richard Brown, Hank Jones, and Harvard law professor Soffiyah Elijah talk about the Black Panther Party and the government's ongoing effort to destroy its legacy.
And another sinister chapter to this story is unfolding right now!
In January, 2007, eight Black activists, including four surviving grand jury resisters, were arrested on recycled charges from 1971. They are now the San Francisco 8. Find out why people are rallying to their support when you see LEGACY OF TORTURE."
"Legacy of Torture" tells how members & friends of the Black Panther Party were tortured by New Orleans police & "investigated" by a San Francisco Grand Jury 30 years later. Find out what's goin' on now.
Free: short film, speaker, talk, take action.
Thurs., Oct. 18
8 pm
Monkeywrench Books
110 E. North Loop
call 512-407-6925 for info
Court Arrogance Must Not Invalidate Human Rights
Oct. 15, 2007
By Jerry Brewer, MexiData.info
The notion that unwanted matter, unwanted difficulties, unwanted
complexities, will disappear if they are removed from the immediate field of
vision has no position in a democracy. After all, the future of democracy
is closely associated with the future of freedom in the world.
If we are to be concerned with liberty as a primary or ultimate social
value, we must also be concerned with the ultimate fate of democracy.
Although, democracies can and have abused individual rights and liberties
throughout history.
This appears to be the take by the United States, against the State of Texas
decision to execute Jose Ernesto Medellin, a Mexican. Medellin gave a
written confession to Texas officials for a murder in Houston in June of
1993, and a Texas judge sentenced him to death in October 1994.
In 2003, Mexico sued the United States in the International Court of Justice
(the ICJ, also known as the World Court) in The Hague, on behalf of
defendant Medellin and 50 other Mexicans who were allegedly denied access to
diplomats (consular services) following arrest.
The ICJ ruled for Mexico in 2004, citing reviews of the convictions and
sentences by United States' courts were necessary. The United States wishes
to abide by the ICJ's decision, believing that ignoring it would harm US
interests abroad. The US Supreme Court will eventually hear arguments and
settle the issue.
Notwithstanding the nature of brutal crimes inflicted on innocent victims,
nor the issue of actual guilt or innocence of the defendants, their right to
due process of law is fundamental to all people tried by our courts. When
it comes to the death penalty a unilateral court's decision must require
intrinsic review.
Intellectual impetus must override hypocrisy as the volatile nature of
immigration and related crime manifests itself. One's perspective
inevitably conditions one's understanding. Even every truth is an
interpretation from some particular perspective.
Courts must also understand that they are not an extension of prosecutor's
offices, prosecuting attorneys being those who essentially decide what to
charge, and what charges should be retained or dropped.
As well, judges lose much of their sentencing discretion due to a continued
reliance on mandatory sentencing guidelines. This distorts much of the
criminal justice system.
The absence of a national immigration policy has left cities and states with
overwhelming burdens regarding these matters. Immigration enforcement is
primarily the domain of the federal government - further complicating the
ambiguities of jurisdictional domain. Immigration continues as a confusing
picture for local police as they look at enforcing federal and state laws
equally.
In the Medellin case, Texas must satisfy that mere perfunctory prosecution
and court rulings fully justify this death sentence, and the denial of
Medellin and the 50 other Mexicans of their right to consult with their
consulate offices was justified.
Were the defendants fully afforded the parameters of a fair investigation
and defense? Did counsel do all to advance the defendant's interests and
rights, or were they prejudiced by ineffectiveness?
In the case of Medellin, his written confession needed to be no less than
fully knowing, intelligent, and thus completely voluntary.
A court in Bucks County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia area), faced a similar
issue and situation in the case of Eduardo Canepa, an Argentine citizen.
Canepa was accused and convicted of aggravated assault on his five year old
son. In October 1999, Canepa, a legal resident in the United States, was
transporting his son in the car on family errands when gas cans inside his
car ignited in a public parking lot within view of an ATM bank camera.
Canepa is seen pulling his son to safety, although the boy did sustain
serious burns.
Canepa did not speak English and was not afforded the opportunity to contact
the Argentine consulate, nor a translator. The court found Canepa guilty.
Judge David Heckler (on record) sentenced Canepa to 20 years in prison,
outside of the guidelines of five to ten years, saying Canepa "showed no
remorse." Canepa's son was on record saying that his "daddy" rescued him
from the flames.
The courts, as well as counsels' acts or omissions, ultimately lead to a
finding of guilt or innocence. Failing to track relevant procedures, methods
and systems utilized by police and the courts raises significant doubts
about the accuracy of evidence at trial, and the propriety of judgment of
sentence. When you add the confusion level of foreign national defendants
in our system, competent assistance with their case is certainly needed.
United States' citizens in foreign lands would expect nothing less.
---
Source : MexiData.info (Jerry Brewer, the Vice President of Criminal Justice
International Associates, a global risk mitigation firm headquartered in
Miami, Florida, is a guest columnist with MexiData.info. He can be reached
via e-mail at Cjiaincusa@aol.
http://www.mexidata
Jeff Luers has been moved
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Books to PRisoners conference in Champaign, IL
From November 2-4 there will be a national Books to Prisoners conference in
For more information and details go to: http://books2prisoners.org/conference/ please let others know about the event as well.
NYC Suppport for Cuban5 and SF8
The ProLibertad Freedom Campaign is committed to supporting the work to free
the Cuban 5; we forward this open invitation to an organizer's meeting for
the Cuban 5 in hopes that others will do likewise and of course, attend.
Puerto Rico and Cuba Always together!!
FREE THE CUBAN 5 AND THE PUERTO RICAN POLITICAL PRISONERS!!
__________________________________________________________
PLANNING MEETING FOR THE NYC CUBAN 5 ORGANIZER'S CONFERENCE
Join us on Monday October 29th, 2007 at 7pm Hunter College Center for PR
Studies East Building 14th floor Room 1441 E68th St. and Lexington Avenue 6
train to 68th St. Stop
Inspired by the upcoming Cuban 5conference on November 9th-11th in Canada,
the Popular Education Project to Free the Cuban 5 feels it is important that
such an event occurr in New York City in the Spring 2008. Now is the time
to begin planning for a powerful conference that will inspire, educate, and
mobilize people to do work around our five heroes.
The Project is calling on all supporters of Cuba, the work to free the Cuban
5 and all freedom loving people to come together to begin the planning of a
New York City/East Coast Organizer's conference to further build and
stregthen work to free the Cuban 5.
CUBA NEEDS US! THE CUBAN 5 NEED US! WORK TO FREE THE CUBAN FIVE!
Benjamin Ramos
Frank Velgara
The Popular Education Project to Free the Cuban 5
Who are the Cuban 5?
The Cuban 5 were arrested in September 1998, spent 17 months in solidarity
confinement, and were convicted in June 2001 in a U.S. federal court for
defending their country of Cuba from terrorists based in Miami. They were
convicted after a politically charged trial in Miami, in which the U.S.
government charged them with threatening national security and conspiracy to
commit espionage. Nothing could be further from the truth, the Cuban 5
infiltrated Cuban-American right-wing terrorist organizations based in Miami
to monitor their actions and to protect the national sovereignty of their
homeland Cuba. The Cuban 5 shared the information with U.S. officials when
dangerous actions were planned by these terrorist organizations. The judge,
prosecution and U.S. government officials suppressed defense evidence and
made sure that key witnesses for the defense would not testify. No
espionage evidence was ever introduced and it was found that the information
that the Cuban 5 had was public information that did not threaten national
security. The Cuban 5 are not terrorists they are patriots defending their
homeland, Cuba!
Join the international movement to free these innocent men!!
For more information go to: www.freethecuban5.com
Email us at: freethecubanfive@hotmail.com or call us at 718-601-4751
_______________________________________________________________________________
Celebrate and defend the legacy of the Black Panther Party:
Drop the charges against the SF-8
NYC, Friday, November 30, 7 pm
Martin Luther King Jr. Labor Center
310 W. 43rd Street (between 8th & 9th Ave.) NYC
Speakers Include: Gil Noble, respected producer and host of ABC-TV's
Like It Is
Francisco Torres, Harold Taylor and other SF-8 defendants
Soffiyah Elijah, Esq., lawyer on the SF-8 case
Performing: alixa + naima/Climbing Poetree
The San Francisco 8 are eight former "original" Black Panther Party
members and active supporters (ages 56 to 72), who were arrested last
January in California, New York and Florida on charges related to the
1971 killing of a San Francisco police officer. Some of these men
faced virtually identical charges almost 35 years ago—charges that
were dropped after it was revealed that police torture had extracted
"confessions."
But that was in 1973. Now that torture has been made acceptable in
this country, the case is back on—based on the same flawed evidence.
The judge has released the 6 bail-eligible defendants on bond,
suggesting to legal experts that this case is a shaky one.
Two of the 8 defendants—political prisoners Herman Bell and Jalil
Muntaqim—are not eligible for bail. They remain in jail in San
Francisco, having already served more than 34 years in New York state
prisons. This new case charges them again with actions for which they
are already doing time.
Learn more about the case and welcome home defendant Cisco Torres,
released on bail, now back with his family in Queens, New York.
For Information Contact: Committee to Free the SF-8 (freethesf8.org),
Local 1199 (Michael@1199.org), (Malcolm X Grassroots Movement
(mxgm.org)
The Jericho Movement (thejerichomovement.com) or call: (718) 254-8800
or (646) 246-0770
Come support the SF-8—and defend the history of all struggles for justice.
Sponsors so far: SEIU Local 1199, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, NY
State Taskforce for Political Prisoners, the Jericho Movement,
Resistance in Brooklyn, Campaign to End the Death Penalty, Pro
Libertad, Frances Goldin, Safiya Bukhari-Albert Nuh Washington
Foundation, Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Coalition (NYC), Black Panther
Commemoration Committee (NY), Malcolm X Commemoration Committee, NYC
Anarchist Black Cross, Gabriela Network USA
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Jeff Luers is at Lane County Jail for Resentencing!!
Jeff has been sent to Lane County Jail to await his
resentencing hearing. The hearing date is as yet unknown.
In all likelihood, Judge Lyle Velure will come out of his
new retirement to resentence Jeff.
Stay tuned for hearing date and time...
Friday, October 12, 2007
Vigil held to remember domestic violence victims
Oct. 11, 2007
Bridget Smith, KENS 5 Eyewitness News
Every 12 seconds, a woman is beaten in the United States.
To bring awareness to the issue of domestic violence, the Crisis Center of
Comal County held a memorial Thursday in New Braunfels to remember women in
Texas who have died as a result of domestic violence.
Last year, 120 women died in Texas at the hands of their abuser. At the
memorial, every last one of their names was read. The hope is that those
names will be the last.
A woman who wished to be identified only as Mari married an abuser when she
was just 17 years old. She stayed with him for 33 years.
"He would pull my hair. I would have bumps in my head," she said. "My body's
so hurt already that I couldn't take it anymore."
A month ago, with no friends and no family, she left. Support and services
were waiting for Mari at the Crisis Center of Comal County.
"All educational levels, all income levels, all ethnicities. They come to us
because they have decided to make a change," said Daniel Perez, with the
crisis center.
However, not every woman makes the transition in time. On Thursday, their
names were read.
A week ago, a woman who wished to be identified only as Cindy, made a break
from her husband of seven years.
"Nobody has to live like this," Cindy said.
He kicked her with steel-toed boots and then laughed.
"I was pregnant at the time. (He) kicked me in the stomach until I couldn't
breathe anymore," Cindy said.
The crisis center reports that a woman is 70 percent more likely to be
killed when trying to leave an abusive relationship.
"We have law enforcement, the criminal justice system, the medical community
... a lot of nonprofits in Comal County assist us in what we do," Perez
said.
Mari is thankful she's alive to start over again.
"I said, 'I'm 48 years old. I have to do the other half of what God has for
me,' " she said.
Last year, local law enforcement agencies responded to 1,100 calls involving
victims of domestic violence.
---
Source : KENS 5 Eyewitness News
http://www.mysanant
f2.html
Eric McDavid Still Being Denied Vegan Food, Your Help Needed!
Thursday, October 11, 2007
PR Political Prisoner CD Meeting/CAll
The ProLibertad Freedom Campaign
http://www.ProLibertadWeb.com
ProLibertad@hotmail.com and ProLibertad.Campaign@gmail.com
ProLibertad: 718-601-4751
_______________________________________________________________________________
Calling all Boricua Organizations and individuals regarding a Fund
Raising CD to aid our Puerto Rican Political Prisoners!!
Please join us in our 2nd planning meeting to develop this project.
Our 2nd meeting will be MONDAY OCTOBER 15th, 2007 AT 7PM at
Hunter College East Building
The Center for Puerto Rican Studies
14th floor room 1441.
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!! PLEASE EMAIL US AND LET US KNOW IF YOU WILLB E
ATTENDING!!
The ProLibertad Freedom Campaign
The Welfare Poets
Boricuation
A CALL TO ARTISTS!
Calling all Boricua Artists for a Fund Raising CD to aid our Puerto
Rican Political Prisoners!!
The Freedom Album
The Welfare Poets, The ProLibertad Freedom Campaign and Boricuation
have initiated a fund raising project to directly aid the current
Puerto Rican Political Prisoners; incarcerated for fighting for the
independence and self-determination of Puerto Rico. Additionally, we
also want to assist past political prisoners who have been freed and
are now attempting to survive in a system where many channels are
closed to them. It is also our intention to create a general legal
fund to assist present and even possibly future political prisoners.
Other organizations and individuals will join in on the effort of
putting an album of this magnitude together. There is so much to
be done and time is most precious. Collectively, our efforts can
reach the necessary millions to make a significant impact. These are
our prisoners, they remain in jail and isolated due to our collective
inaction and we can remedy this.
We are directing this posting to local bands and world renown Puerto
Rican artists who have the eye of the music world. Depending on how
many artists come forward and who actually submit songs, there is a
potential for us to get funds so distribution can be created on a
larger scale.
Regarding Song Submissions:
�We have begun accepting submissions. All submissions must be
submitted by December 31st 2007
�All submissions and questions about submissions can be sent
to: FreedomAlbum@gmail.com
(Unfortunately, not all submissions will be accepted. We are
expecting a huge amount of submissions and a committee will be
coordinated to do the final selection. If your song is accepted, we
will eventually need the a CD of the studio sessions to be sent for
mixing and mastering)
�We want all bands/artist of all genres to be a part of this
potentially monumental album for Freedom -- Bomba, Plena, Hip Hop,
Reggaeton, Salsa, Jibaro, Regggae, Punk, Rock or any other form of
music
�Songs do not need to be directly about the political
prisoners and the struggle for Puerto Rico's Independence, although
we definitely won't discourage you to do so. For the most part, they
should be uplifting and somehow connected to our people, island,
culture and history.
Goal:
�We hope this album serves to raise the necessary funds as
outlined above, but also to unify the Puerto Rican community on many
levels. Unifying Puerto Rican artists from NYC, Chicago, California,
Philadelphia, New Jersey and all over the Puerto Rican Diaspora, with
each other and other artists from the island � all coming
together under the banner of supporting those who have sacrificed
everything for the love of freedom.
�We also hope to unify organizations in an attempt to move
forward on better grounds on behalf of the companeros.
�Not only will we be spreading the word about the Puerto Rican
Political Prisoners' existence and individual cases to a wide range
of individuals open their eyes for the first time or updating those
who are already in the know, but we will also be offering the people
a way to assist, all people who support the struggle for our
companeros release, Puerto Rican and beyond.
For information:
- About the Puerto Rican Political Prisoners and the ProLibertad
Freedom Campaign, go to: www.ProLibertadweb.com or
myspace.com/freeourpolitcalprisoners
- About the Welfare Poets, go to www.welfarepoets.com or
www.myspace.com/thewelfarepoets
- About Boricuation, go to: www.myspace.com/boricuationonline
- You can also log on to myspace.com/freeourpolitcalprisoners for
future information regarding the project and planning meetings
Background
The fight for Puerto Rico's Independence go as far back as indigenous
resistance to Spanish occupation. For well over 500 years, countless
and nameless individuals have fought for our islands sovereignty.
Some have paid the ultimate price with their lives.
Others have been held captive, arrested against their will, by a
court which held no jurisdiction over their cases and tramples on
their international right to fight for the liberation of their
homeland, our homeland, Puerto Rico. The Puerto Rican people have
been able to free many of our political prisoners. We did so because
we created unity amongst ourselves and because we welcomed the
solidarity of all our allies. This Freedom Al-bum is another example
of our creativity in building solidarity and unity amongst ourselves.
This album will educate, agitate and help further build our movement
to free our companeros behind the walls.
Write to anarchist class struggle prisoner Pavel Delidon!
Pavel Delidon is anarchist, anti-fascist and animal rights activist from
Stariy Oskol, South-West of Russia. Last July he was given a 5 year sentence
for an attempt to collect wages his former boss had not intention to pay.
You may read more background of the story from
http://www.avtonom.org/index.php?nid=1032
http://www.avtonom.org/index.php?nid=1075
Actually, "Armed robbery by illegal trespassing" (statute 162 paragraph 3 of
Russian criminal codex - Pavel had a pepper spray with him) carries a
minimal sentence of 7 years, judge was very lenient considering positive
role of Pavel in his community. In another hand, local court has refused to
open a criminal case against his boss for wage arrears, a decision which is
currently being appealed with a good prospect of a success. If case against
his boss is opened, Pasha's crime may be reconsidered as "vigilantism",
which carries much lesser sentence - from probation to five years.
For sure defense campaign for Pasha is not only relying to legal means -
during appeal court last July people from Voronezh, Moscow and Stariy Oskol
traveled to Belgorod to make a picket, something which made local FSB to
freak out, but although there was a huge pressure, they made no arrests.
Last month, Pasha was finally taken from remand prison to the prison camp -
please write letters of support! Pasha is studying English in prison, so any
letters and journals in English are highly appreciated by him!
Pavel Delidon
ul. Timiryazeva-1
FGU IK-7
309990 Valuyki Russia
It should make it there even if address is written with Latin letters, but
even better if you may write address with Cyrillic:
309990 Валуйки
ул. Тимирязева-1,
ФГУ ИК-7
Делидону Павлу
Russia
10/29 Mtg for Cuban 5 Conference
The ProLibertad Freedom Campaign is committed to supporting the work
to free the Cuban 5; we forward this open invitation to an
organizer's meeting for the Cuban 5 in hopes that others will do
likewise and of course, attend.
Puerto Rico and Cuba Always together!!
FREE THE CUBAN 5 AND THE PUERTO RICAN POLITICAL PRISONERS!!
_______________________________________________________________________________
PLANNING MEETING FOR THE NYC CUBAN 5 ORGANIZER'S CONFERENCE
Join us on Monday October 29th, 2007 at 7pm Hunter College Center for
PR Studies East Building 14th floor Room 1441 E68th St. and
Lexington Avenue 6 train to 68th St. Stop
Inspired by the upcoming Cuban 5conference on November 9th-11th in
Canada, the Popular Education Project to Free the Cuban 5 feels it is
important that such an event occurr in New York City in the Spring
2008. Now is the time to begin planning for a powerful conference
that will inspire, educate, and mobilize people to do work around our
five heroes.
The Project is calling on all supporters of Cuba, the work to free
the Cuban 5 and all freedom loving people to come together to begin
the planning of a New York City/East Coast Organizer's conference to
further build and stregthen work to free the Cuban 5.
CUBA NEEDS US! THE CUBAN 5 NEED US! WORK TO FREE THE CUBAN FIVE!
Benjamin Ramos
Frank Velgara
The Popular Education Project to Free the Cuban 5
Who are the Cuban 5?
The Cuban 5 were arrested in September 1998, spent 17 months in
solidarity confinement, and were convicted in June 2001 in a U.S.
federal court for defending their country of Cuba from terrorists
based in Miami. They were convicted after a politically charged trial
in Miami, in which the U.S. government charged them with threatening
national security and conspiracy to commit espionage. Nothing could
be further from the truth, the Cuban 5 infiltrated Cuban-American
right-wing terrorist organizations based in Miami to monitor their
actions and to protect the national sovereignty of their homeland
Cuba. The Cuban 5 shared the information with U.S. officials when
dangerous actions were planned by these terrorist organizations. The
judge, prosecution and U.S. government officials suppressed defense
evidence and made sure that key witnesses for the defense would not
testify. No espionage evidence was ever introduced and it was found
that the information that the Cuban 5 had was public information that
did not threaten national security. The Cuban 5 are not terrorists
they are patriots defending their homeland, Cuba!
Join the international movement to free these innocent men!!
For more information go to: www.freethecuban5.com
Email us at: freethecubanfive@hotmail.com or call us at 718-601-4751
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Leeds ABC Merchandise Packs
From: leedsabc@riseup.net
Leeds ABC are increasingly being asked to supply orders of pamphlets and
other merchandise to people setting up distros or even ABC groups. So to
make things easier we're offering the following packs at a special
discount price, which includes UK postage. E-mail us for further details
and to order.
Starter Pack
5 copies 'With A Smile And A Twinkle In My Eye'
5 copies 'Tear Down The Walls!'
5 copies 'Prison Was Created For The Poor'
5 copies 'Down With The Prison Walls!'
5 copies 'If It Was Easy, They Wouldn't Call It Struggle'
20 'Writing To Prisoners' leaflets
Assorted stickers
- £35 including UK postage
Bumper Pack
5 copies 'With A Smile And A Twinkle In My Eye'
5 copies 'Tear Down The Walls!'
5 copies 'Prison Was Created For The Poor'
5 copies 'Down With The Prison Walls!'
5 copies 'If It Was Easy, They Wouldn't Call It Struggle'
5 assorted other prison pamphlets
2 'From The Belly Of The Beast' DVDs
2 'Activism Is My Revenge' CDs
4 metal/enamel ABC badges
3 ABC T-shirts (1 Medium, 1 Large, 1 XL)
20 Antifascist donor cards
20 Writing To Prisoners leaflets
Assorted stickers & some free gifts
- £70 including UK postage
Freedom Called Lethal Risk for Jailed Afghan Women
ZNet | Afghanistan
Freedom Called Lethal Risk for Jailed Afghan Women
by Aunohita Mojumdar; WeNews; October 07, 2007
KABUL, Afghanistan (WOMENSENEWS)--Each year the festival of Eid that ends the month-long Ramadan holiday season is commemorated in Afghanistan with presidential pardons for prisoners.
It's a show of cultural benevolence since Ramadan is traditionally celebrated with families coming together.
But as Eid approaches on Oct. 13, women's groups and international organizations are warning that many women, if released, will become homeless, ostracized and vulnerable to sexual exploitation. Others may wind up back in custody for being "unaccompanied" women.
Some may become victims to relatives who carry out punishments as severe as execution.
"Women die after leaving prison," said Dr. Anou Borrey, a gender justice consultant for the United Nations Development Fund for Women in Afghanistan.
"Afghan women in jail are lucky, at least they are alive," said Carla Ciavarella, the justice program coordinator of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime in Afghanistan, who has worked with Afghanistan's penitentiary system for four years. "We do not know how many women are killed or abused at home every day."
The warnings follow an early September report by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime that found at least half the women in Afghanistan's largest jail are there for so-called moral crimes such as adultery, "running away," being in the company of a man who is not a relative or even giving shelter to a runaway woman.
The agency's Afghanistan representative, Christina Orguz, said many of the women would be considered victims, not perpetrators, in most other countries.
Findings Echoed
The findings echo a January 2007 assessment of the status of women in Afghanistan by Medica Mondiale, an advocacy group for traumatized women and girls in war and crisis zones that has worked extensively with female prisoners in Afghanistan.
"The judiciary overwhelmingly tends to hold women responsible for crimes even when they themselves are the victims and cases are judged employing tribal laws of traditions instead of codified law," the Cologne, Germany-based group found. "In particular accusations of 'zina,' or sexual intercourse outside of marriage--irrespective of the truth--are often prosecuted and the woman sentenced to prison even when she was the victim of rape."
For the U.N. report, investigators interviewed 56 of the 69 women imprisoned in Pul-e-Charkhi, the country's largest prison located on the outskirts of Kabul.
One of the female prisoners at Pul-e-Charkhi told interviewers that her husband killed a man in a land dispute and later claimed it was her adultery that led to the killing. Since she had no witnesses to prove she had not committed adultery she was imprisoned. The woman, who is illiterate and poor, is serving a six-year sentence along with her child. Her initial sentence of one year was increased she says, after her request for a divorce, a plea she feels may have prejudiced the judge against her.
Among the 11,200 people imprisoned in Afghanistan there are 300 women, a number that has roughly doubled from 2004 to 2006.
Some of the women's "crimes" are not listed in Afghanistan's formal modern criminal code, which is based on Sharia, or Islamic religious law.
Women as Property
The formal justice system based on Sharia as well as the traditional or customary councils of elders--which are often harsher--view women as the property of their husbands' extended family, a view that warps the interpretation of the criminal code.
As property, for instance, women do not have the right to run away because they do not have the right to leave the house without permission of a husband or male relative, a custom that prevents depriving men of their possessions.
Women are also the bearers of family honor and any perceived erosion of that honor can be considered dangerous and punishable by families.
A UNIFEM study from May 2006 estimates that 82 percent of the violence against women in Afghanistan is committed by family members.
Domestic violence is more common in forced marriages, including those involving brides younger than 16. The Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission's last assessment estimated that the majority of marriages in Afghanistan--between 60 percent and 80 percent--are forced and many include a child of either sex.
Afghanistan's laws allow a girl to be married at the age of 15 with paternal consent, but in practice many fathers are considered entitled to grant consent to children of any age.
Marriages and divorces are often not documented in Afghanistan. This means a woman who marries after a divorce risks being accused of adultery if her former husband claims he never divorced her. Social customs and tradition here make it much more difficult for a woman to initiate divorce proceedings and the lack of formal documentation of births, marriages and divorces makes it difficult to provide proof. In a dispute where it is a man's word against a woman's, the man is usually believed. Some ex-husbands exploit the lack of proof of divorces to gain monetary compensation from a second husband for taking his "property."
Women are given away in exchange for debts, to settle scores, to redress complaints.
Forced to Marry 9-Year-Old Boy
Amina, who like many other Afghan women uses only her first name, is a member of the local women's peace council in Ghazni, a city located in southern Afghanistan. In a meeting in Kabul with her local female parliamentarian she angrily recounted the story of a 46-year-old widow she knows who was forced to marry her 9-year-old brother-in-law because custom demands widows marry into her husband's family.
Zahira Mawlai, the parliamentarian, pointed out that under Islam a woman's consent is mandatory for any marriage and any use of force is considered a sin. But in practice, she said, Afghan women often lack such decision-making power. A first step to ending forced and under-age marriages, she said, is to add the practices to the country's penal code as criminal offenses.
U.N. representatives and women's groups such as Medica Mondiale are working to equip female prisoners with skills that will help them survive and to establish conditions for their safe release.
These include literacy vocational training for employment and legal awareness classes. Advocates are also working to establish short- and long-term guidelines with the Afghanistan Ministry of Justice for the treatment and rehabilitation of female prisoners.
Transitional houses are yet to be established, but have been recommended by the United Nations and other groups.
Aunohita Mojumdar is an Indian journalist who is currently based in Kabul. She has reported on the South Asian region for 17 years and she has covered the Kashmir conflict and post-conflict development in Punjab extensively.
Call for Freedom Album: PRican PP CD
The ProLibertad Freedom Campaign
ProLibertad@hotmail.com and ProLibertad.Campaign@gmail.com
http://www.ProLibertadWeb.com
ProLIbertad: 718-601-4751
_______________________________________________________________________________
A CALL TO CONCERNED ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS
Calling all Boricua Organizations and individuals regarding a Fund
Raising CD to aid our Puerto Rican Political Prisoners!!
The Freedom Album
The Welfare Poets, The ProLibertad Freedom Campaign and Boricuation
have come together to collaborate on a fund raising project to
directly aid the current Puerto Rican Political Prisoners --
incarcerated for fighting for the independence and self-determination
of Puerto Rico. Additionally, we would also want to assist past
political prisoners who have been freed and are now attempting to
survive in a system where many channels are closed to them. It is
also our intention to create a general legal fund to assist present
and even possibly future political prisoners.
We are directing postings to local bands and world renown Puerto
Rican artists who have the eye of the music world. Depending on how
many artists come forward and who actually submit songs, there is a
potential for us to get funds so distribution can be created on a
larger scale.
To Organizations:
The project is just in the planning stage, and we want to open this
process up to other organizations and individuals in an effort to
create a even more grass-rooted foundation and support. There is so
much to be done and time is most precious. Collectively, our efforts
can reach the necessary millions to make a significant impact. These
are our prisoners, they remain in jail and isolated due to our
collective inaction and we can remedy this. To join the effort,
please email us at freedomalbum@gmail.com
Goals of the project:
�We hope this album serves to raise the necessary funds as outlined
above, but also to unify the Puerto Rican community on many levels.
Unifying Puerto Rican artists from NYC, Chicago, California,
Philadelphia, New Jersey and all over the Puerto Rican Diaspora, with
each other and other artists from the island � all coming together
under the banner of supporting those who have sacrificed everything
for the love of freedom.
�We also hope to unify organizations in an attempt to move forward
on better grounds on behalf of the companeros .
�Not only will we be spreading the word about the Puerto Rican
Political Prisoners' existence and individual cases to a wide range
of individuals open their eyes for the first time or updating those
who are already in the know, but we will also be offering the people
a way to assist, all people who support the struggle for our
companeros release, Puerto Rican and beyond.
The next meeting:
MONDAY OCTOBER 15th, 2007 AT 7PM at Hunter College East Building
The Center for Puerto Rican Studies 14th floor room 1441.
For more information:
- About the Puerto Rican Political Prisoners and the ProLibertad
Freedom Campaign, go to: www.ProLibertadweb.com or
myspace.com/freeourpolitcalprisoners
- About the Welfare Poets, go to www.welfarepoets.com or
www.myspace.com/thewelfarepoets
- About Boricuation, go to: www.myspace.com/boricuationonline
- You can also log on to myspace.com/freeourpolitcalprisoners for
future information regarding the project and planning meetings
Background
The fight for Puerto Rico's Independence go as far back as indigenous
resistance to Spanish occupation. For well over 500 years, countless
and nameless individuals have fought for our islands sovereignty.
Some have paid the ultimate price with their lives.
Others have been held captive, arrested against their will, by a
court which held no jurisdiction over their cases and tramples on
their international right to fight for the liberation of their
homeland, our homeland, Puerto Rico. The Puerto Rican people have
been able to free many of our political prisoners. We did so because
we created unity amongst ourselves and because we welcomed the
solidarity of all our allies. This Freedom Al-bum is another example
of our creativity in building solidarity and unity amongst ourselves.
This album will educate, agitate and help further build our movement
to free our companeros behind the walls.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Our Political Prisoners are:
Oscar Lopez Rivera was born in San Sebastian, Puerto Rico on January
6, 1943. At the age of 12, he moved to Chicago with his family. He
was a well-respected community activist and a prominent independence
leader for many years prior to his arrest. Oscar was one of the
founders of the Rafael Cancel Miranda High School, now known as the
Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos High School and the Juan Antonio Corretjer
Puerto Rican Cultural Center. He was a community organizer for the
Northwest Community Organization (NCO), ASSPA, ASPIRA and the 1st
Congregational Church of Chicago. He helped to found FREE, (a
half-way house for convicted drug addicts) and ALAS (an educational
program for Latino prisoners at Stateville Prison in Illinois ).
He was active in various community struggles, mainly in the area of
health care, employment and police brutality. He also participated in
the development of the Committee to Free the Five Puerto Rican
Nationalists. In 1975, he was forced underground, along with other
comrades. He was captured on May 29, 1981, after 5 years of being
persecuted by the FBI as one of the most feared fugitives from US
"justice". Oscar, who has a daughter named Clarissa, is currently
serving a 55-year sentence for seditious conspiracy and other
charges. He was convicted of conspiracy to escape along with Jaime
Delgado, (a veteran independence leader), Dora Garcia, (a prominent
community activist) and Kojo Bomani-Sababu, a New Afrikan political
prisoner.
Oscar was one of 13 Puerto Rican political prisoners offered some
form of leniency by the Clinton Administration in the fall of 1999.
According to the Chicago Sun Times, he "declined the president's
offer, which still would have him left with 10 years to serve on
conspiracy to escape charges. Now he faces at least 20 more years in
prison. His sister, Zenaida Lopez, said he turned the offer down
because he would be on parole. 'Accepting what they are offering him
is like prison outside of prison,' she said. Zenaida Lopez said her
brother 'was in total agreement' with the decision of the 11 others
to take the conditional clemency." Oscar is presently in prison in
Terre Haute, Indiana and his release date is 7/27/2027.
Carlos Alberto Torres was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico on September 19,
1952. His parents moved to New York , finally settling in Chicago. He
studied in the University of Illinois in Carbondale and Chicago. He
studied sociology at Southern Illinois University and the University
of Illinois at Chicago . Carlos Alberto was involved in the struggles
to recruit more Latin@s to the University, against racism, and police
abuse. Carlos was one of the founders of the Rafael Cancel Miranda
Puerto Rican High School now known as the Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos
Puerto Rican High School and participated in the Committee to Free
the 5 Nationalists. In 1976, Carlos was forced to go underground and
was on the FBI's 10 most wanted list. He was captured along with
other comrades and sentenced to 78 years on charges of seditious
conspiracy, among other charges.
Although the Clinton Administration offered clemency to 12 Puerto
Rican political prisoners in the fall of 1999, no leniency was
granted to Carlos Torres, whom prosecutors described as a leader of
the Fuerzas Armadas de Liberaci�n Nacional (FALN), an underground
organization which fought for Puerto Rico's independence in the
1970s and '80s. His release date is 2024. He is currently in prison
in Oxford, Wisconsin.
Haydee Beltran Torres was born in Arecibo, Puerto Rico on June 7,
1955. When Haydee was 12 years old, her parents moved to Chicago. At
Tuley High School, she organized a boycott that demanded the firing
of a racist principal. Haydee attended the University of Illinois
where she was an outspoken defender of Latino students' rights.
Haydee was forced underground in 1976 and was captured April 4, 1980.
She has been sentenced to life in prison on charges including
seditious conspiracy. Haydee was the first POW to receive a life
sentence. She was kept in total isolation from the other prisoners of
war and was transferred to a special control unit which limited
visits. It was a year before she was allowed to see her family.
At the MCC in Chicago, she was classified as "no visitors allowed".
Haydee was subject to physical abuse in interrogations for refusing
to implicate her comrades in unfounded crimes. This was done several
times by FBI and other government agents. These and other inhumane
acts by the U.S. government have led to serious injuries which prison
medical directors have misdiagnosed; also, Haydee has received
injections of unknown medications.
Jose Perez Gonzalez was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico on January 14th,
1968; he is the son of a butcher and his mother is retired government
worker. He is married with three children. He is a member of
Mayaguezano por La Salud y el Ambiente. He is well known in his
neighborhood, of Barrio Segundo in Ponce . He is a family man with
three children. He was a civil disobedient and served three months in
jail for his support activities. Jose was the only member of the
Vieques 12 who went to trial. He was found guilty and was sentenced
to five years in jail. His release is 1/17/2008.
A letter from Eric McDavid
John Bowden Moved
After a successful solidarity campaign John Bowden has now been moved from HMP Glenochil back to open conditions. His new address is John Bowden, 6729, HMP Noranside, Fern By Forfar, Angus, DD8 3QY. Scotland. Please send letters/cards expressing your support.
Rebel leader says she's willing to remain in prison in U.S.
© 2007 The Associated Press
FORT WORTH, Texas — A Colombian rebel leader said she would prefer to remain incarcerated at a federal prison in the U.S. so that she would not become an obstacle to reaching a humanitarian agreement between the rebels and the Colombian government, Colombian Sen. Piedad Cordoba said Thursday after visiting her.
Nayibe Rojas, who goes by the nom de guerre Sonia, is detained at the Federal Medical Center Carswell, which is inside a military base. Rojas was convicted of masterminding the smuggling of cocaine to the
FARC leaders are demanding that she and another imprisoned Colombian rebel be included in any prisoner swap with the Colombian government in exchange for the hostages the rebels have.
But Rojas told the visiting Colombian senator that if the process of brokering a deal would be stalled, she would prefer that they not worry about her and Ricardo Palmera, known by the nom de guerre Simon Trinidad. Palmera was convicted in the hostage-taking conspiracy of the three Americans.
"I would prefer the release of the 50 people FARC has,"
At the same time, Rojas doesn't see an agreement being brokered, since she believes Colombian President Alvaro Uribe doesn't want an accord.
"Since the president doesn't want it, there won't be a humanitarian agreement,"
Uribe has said he opposes any measure that would allow the return of the two high-ranking rebels to
During the visit, Rojas told
Relatives of three
Marc Gonsalves, Keith Stansell and Tom Howes have been held by
The three Northrop Grumman Corp. contractors are among about hostages who, if t
Thursday, October 04, 2007
More reports on international solidarity with anarchist prisoners Jose and Gabriel
Wednesday, October 03 2007 Infoshop News
Jose Fernandez Delgado and Gabriel Pombo da Silva are anarchists from Spain who are now serving 14 and 13 year sentences respectively in German prison.
An international day of solidarity with Jose and Gabriel was called for September 29, 2007
Demonstrations, social events and actions in solidarity with Jose and Gabriel took place in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Canada, Uruguay and Argentina on September 28 and 29.
José Fernandez Delgado
JVA Rheinbach
Aachenerstrasse 47
D – 53359 Rheinbach
Gabriel Pombo Da Silva
JVA Aachen
Krefelderstrasse 251
D – 52070 Aachen
Uruguay: Solidarity with Jose and Gabriel
(Translated from uruguay.indymedia.org, October 2, 2007)
On the night of Friday, September 28, the locks of the Goethe institute and Iberia were sealed in Montevideo.
On the side was written "solidarity with Jose and Gabriel" and a circle A.
A little gesture to greet the companions who made the call for solidarity with our imprisoned companions.
("Iberia" is the name of a Spanish airline that operates in Montevideo and a hotel in the same city. The Goethe institute is an official German cultural institution in Montevideo.)
On September 29, 2007, in the city of Ghent in Belgium, some 80 people demonstrated in solidarity with Jose and Gabriel.
In the city of Leuven in Belgium, statues were adorned with prison uniforms in solidarity with Jose and Gabriel.
In Germany, on September 29, about 60 to 70 people from Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain and Germany demonstrated outside the prisons of Aachen and Rheinbach where Jose and Gabriel are imprisoned. Tennis balls with messages were thrown over the walls and prisoners shouted back in approval. On September 21, a hip hop concert and demonstration were held in Berlin in solidarity with Jose and Gabriel. 150 people took part in that demo.
On September 29, a demonstration in solidarity with Jose, Gabriel and anarchist prisoner Marco Camenisch was held in Zurich, Switzerland.
Other recent acts of solidarity:
Buenos Aires, Argentina: Solidarity manifestations with Gabriel and Jose
Report from Anarchist Black Cross & 325 Benefit event in Brighton
Madrid, Spain: Solidarity with Gabriel, Jose and Marco
Anarchists Rock the Royal Bank of Canada
Report back of solidarity actions with Gabriel Pombo de Silva and Jose Delgado in Spain
Solidarity actions with anarchist prisoners Gabriel Pombo da Silva and José Fernandez
Anarchist prisoners Marco Camenisch and Gabriel Pombo da Silva on hunger strike
Actions in solidarity with the "Aachen 4", International Day of Solidarity, May 4, 2005
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Latest in the Rod Coronado San Diego Case
ELP Information Bulletin (2nd October 2007)
Dear friends
The following e-mail was received from Rod Coronado's support campaign. For those who don't know, Rod is an American eco-activist who is facing serious charges in relation to a speech he made at an Animal Rights gathering.
We ask that people do not speculate on what Rod may have said in his speech and we ask that people only circulate the e-mails from his official support campaign. However please do forward this e-mail to everyone who may be interested in it.
Thank you.
From: info@supportrod.org
As you may know, there was a status hearing held yesterday, Friday,
September 28, to determine courses of action, if any, following the
mistrial declared on September 19. On that day, the jury informed
the judge in the case, Judge Jeffrey Miller that they were hopelessly
deadlocked, and could not reach unanimity on a verdict. We later
learned from the jurors that their votes were leaning in favor of acquittal.
It was hoped the government would then see that this was a case they
could not win, and walk away from it. Unfortunately, the government
prosecutors have not yet decided to drop their pursuit of the charges
despite the jury's majority vote to acquit, and despite the fact that
essential parts of their case unravelled in the September trial.
They expressed they intend to pursue another trial pending lack of
settlement agreements, but there is no certainty yet when or how or
even if that will happen.
Another status conference on the case will be held November 5 in San
Diego.
More information will be posted soon.
Earth Liberation Prisoners Support Network
BM Box 2407
London
WC1N 3XX
England
www.spiritoffreedom.org.uk
PLN wins Kansas DOC Suit Which Banned Gift Subscriptions
There is a link to the opinion on PLN's website. It is attached as an opinion as well to this e mail but those don't always go through. Please disseminate to others who may be interested in the subject. PLN Prevails in Long-Running First Amendment Lawsuit against PLN Prevails in Long-Running First Amendment Lawsuit against Prison Legal News (PLN), which publishes a monthly newsletter that covers criminal justice and corrections-related issues, filed suit against the KDOC in 2002, challenging several DOC policies that restricted how prisoners could obtain reading materials – including subscriptions to PLN. KDOC policies prohibited prisoners from receiving gift subscriptions purchased by friends or family members; prisoners were instead required to pay for all publications from their prison trust accounts. Further, the amount that prisoners could spend on publications was capped at $40.00 under a privilege and incentive system, although they could spend up to $180 on snacks, toiletries or other canteen purchases. When publications were censored or rejected at KDOC facilities, notice was provided to the prisoner but not to the publisher that had sent the reading material. PLN argued that these policies impinged on prisoners' First Amendment rights to receive reading materials as well as PLN's right to distribute its publications. PLN further argued that the lack of notice to publishers when reading material was censored was a violation of its due process rights. U.S. District Court Judge Monti Belot agreed. The Court rejected the KDOC's argument that restrictions on gift subscriptions were justified due to security concerns, finding "no rational and valid connection between the prohibition of gift subscriptions and security concerns." The Court also found that there was "no rational and valid connection" between limiting funds that prisoners could spend on publications and the KDOC's privilege and incentive system. The Court required the KDOC to provide publishers with immediate, individualized notice when reading material is rejected or censored, instead of an annual notice sent to publishers as suggested by KDOC officials. "The First Amendment rights of both prisoners and publishers have been upheld in this important ruling, which will bring the policies of the Kansas Dept. of Corrections into Constitutional compliance," stated PLN Editor Paul Wright. "Prisoners do not lose their First Amendment rights when incarcerated, and prison officials should not unduly restrict those rights or the rights of publishers." Previously, PLN's lawsuit was dismissed in April 2003 and appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, which reversed the dismissal and remanded the case in December 2004. The case went to a bench trial before Judge Belot in February 2007 in The case is Prison Legal News, Inc. v. Roger Werholtz, U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas, Civil Action No. 02-4054-MLB. A copy of the ruling can be viewed at: With this ruling, the Kansas Department of Corrections joins the prison systems of California, Washington state, Oregon and Nevada which operate their mail systems under PLN court orders, consent decrees or both. For further information, contact: Attorneys Bruce Plenk and Maxwell Kautsch represented PLN in this lengthy case, and did an excellent job in seeing it through the various stages of litigation to a successful conclusion. They are in the process of submitting a motion for attorney fees and can be reached for comment at: Bruce Plenk, Esq. Maxwell Kautsch, Esq. (785) 749-3579 (785) 840-0077
October 2, 2007 - Prison Legal News
P R E S S R E L E A S E
For Immediate Release – October 2, 2007
Prison Legal News, founded in 1990, is a Seattle, WA-based non-profit organization dedicated to protecting human rights in
Paul Wright, Editor
Prison Legal News
(802) 275-8594
pwright@prisonlegalnews.org
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Highest ranking U.S. soldier convicted in Abu Ghraib scandal paroled.
(AP) - HAGERSTOWN, Maryland-The highest-ranking U.S. soldier convicted of abusing detainees at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison was released on parole Monday after serving less than half of an 8-year sentence in a case that sparked worldwide condemnation of the U.S. military's presence in Iraq.
Former U.S. Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Ivan Frederick, 40, was released from a military prison in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, after serving three years, said his lawyer, Gary Myers.
Frederick was accused of abuse, including placing wires in a detainee's hands and telling him he would be electrocuted if he fell off a box. That photo, along with others showing Iraqi detainees in humiliating positions next to grinning U.S. troops, cast a pall on the U.S. military's presence in Iraq after the toppling of Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003.
The scandal was among the first in a series of allegations of abuse and murder of Iraqis that have resulted charges against over two dozen U.S. troops. The cases have served as fodder for criticism in the Arab and Muslim world, and elsewhere, of the U.S.'s continued presence in the war-torn country.
A total of 11 U.S. soldiers were convicted in the Abu Ghraib case. The sole officer to face court marital in the case was given a reprimand for disobeying a general's order not to discuss the abuse investigation and one officer U.S.
Myers said Frederick's prosecution was a blatant attempt to shift blame for the abuse from former U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and other high-ranking officials.
Monday, October 01, 2007
Cuba 5 Oct. Events NYC
The ProLibertad Freedom Campaign is honored to support the following
events for the Cuban 5 in New york City!! WE ASK THAT ALL OUR ALLIES
FORWARD OUT THIS EMAIL SUPPORT BOTH ACTIVITIES.
______________________________________________________________________________
CELEBRATE THE LIFE of Che Guevara! Join the Fight to Free the Cuban Five!
Saturday October 6
6:00 pm Doors Open/ Music
7:00 pm program
Martin Luther King Jr. Labor Center
310 W. 43rd Street (between 8th &
9th Ave.)
New York City
40 years after the murder of Ernesto Che Guevara under the orders of
the US government, join a public conversation and discussion.
Featured Presentation:
Speaker from the
Cuban Mission to the U.N.
Short film presentation,
Music and poetry inspired by Che.
Wheelchair accessible
Sponsored by the July 26 Coalition:
Alberto Lovera Bolivarian Circle; A.N.S.W.E.R Coalition; Rev. Luis
Barrios; Charles Barron, NY City Council; Harry Belafonte; 1199SEIU
East; Elombe Brath; Black Radical Congress; Brecht Forum; Casa de las
Americas; Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador;
Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism; Communist
Party USA; Cuba Solidarity New York; December 12 Movement; Dominican
Friends of Cuba; Fight Imperialism Stand Together (FIST);
Jane Franklin; Freedom Socialist Party; Fuerza de la Revolucion;
Danny Glover; Green Party, Brooklyn; Haiti Support Network; Harlem
Tenants Council; IFCO/Pastors for Peace; Iglesia San Romero de las
Americas; International Action Center; Jericho Movement; Leslie
Cagan; Rev. Earl Koopercamp; Sandra Levinson, Center for Cuban
Studies; Malcolm X Grassroots Movement; Rafael Cancel Miranda;
National Committee to Free the Five; National Network on Cuba; New
Jersey Solidarity;
New York Committee to Free the Five; New York Free Mumia Abu-Jamal
Committee; Party for Socialism and Liberation; Patrice Lumumba
Coalition; People’s Organization for Progress; Popular Education
Project to Free the Cuban 5; ProLibertad Freedom Campaign; Puerto
Rican Nationalist Party, New York Junta; Radical Women; Sally
O’Brien, WBAI Cuba in Focus; Send a Piana to Havana;
Socialist Action; Socialist Front of Puerto Rico; Socialist Workers
Party; US/Cuba Labor Exchange; Venceremos Brigade; Rev. Lucius
Walker; Michael Tarif Warren; Leonard Weinglass; Young Socialists;
Workers World Party
_______________________________________________________________________________
¡¡NOCHE CUBANA WITH THE VENCEREMOS BRIGADE!!
To celebrate our 38th annual trip and in defeating the U.S.
government's attempts to prevent us from going to see Cuba with our
own eyes, Join us for our:
¡NOCHE CUBANA!
A Night of Good Food and Great Music (with DJ CARLITO!!)
Bring extra cash for our amazing Auction!!
Hear about our summer in Cuba, our 5th Travel Challenge, and how you
can join the Brigade!!
Learn about the Cuban 5, the work to end the blockade and the Travel Ban!!
FRIDAY OCT. 19TH, 2007 AT 7PM-12AM
Unity Hall 235 w23rd St.(between 7th and 8th Avenues)
Take the 1 train to w23rd St.
Suggested donation (no one will be turned away) - $10 comes with a
plate of food
The Venceremos Brigade For more information on the Brigade or Noche
Cubana, please contact us at vbrigade@gmail.com or telephone: (212)
560-4360
FRSO Fifth Congress Resolution: Freedom for All Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War
Freedom for all political prisoners now!
