Wednesday, May 27, 2009

EF! Roadshow folks arrested at Home Depot action in Denver!


Hey, all you 'angry Home Depot customers', call 1-800-553-3199 (press
extension # 5)
Tell 'em to drop the charges against our friends in Arapahoe County
Jail, Colorado, and to get the hell out of wild Patagonia!

---------------------------------------
For Immediate Release: May, 27, 2009

Home Depot has Earth First! activists arrested for action against dams
in Patagonia

Denver, CO-- Two Earth First! activists were arrested at a Home Depot
this morning in Glendale. The arrests followed a banner being hung off
the roof of a Home Depot store reading "Dam Home Depot, NOT
Patagonia!" Supporters of the arrested activists demand that Home
Depot cut all ties and voice their opposition to this project at
tomorrows corporate shareholders meeting tomorrow in Atlanta, Georgia.

The banner-drop action was intended to remind both the public and the
company: "We've fought The Home Depot before and won." Almost ten
years ago, Earth First! groups around the country joined with
Rainforest Action Network and others forced Home Depot to adopt wood
product policies that removed old growth from their shelves. But their
involvement in the HidroAysen project in Patagonia, Chile shows their
commitments to 'green business' practices looking a lot like empty
Public Relations.

International Rivers, an organization working to protect rivers and
defend the rights of communities that depend on them, explains that:

The HidroAysen project involves 3 dams on the Pascua River and 2 dams
on the Baker River that would flood globally rare forest ecosystems
and some of the most productive agricultural land in the Aysen region.
Electricity from these dams would be sent thousands of kilometers
north to serve Chile’s biggest cities and its mammoth copper industry.
More than 1,500 miles of transmission lines would require one of the
world's longest clearcuts--much of it through untouched temperate
rainforests found nowhere else on the planet. US retailer The Home
Depot is the largest buyer of timber products from the main Chilean
interest promoting the dams. The Home Depot has been asked by
thousands of people, including socially responsible investors, to stop
buying timber from suppliers that plan to destroy the rivers and
forests of Patagonia.

According to Ron DeFeo of Home Depot (from a blog post this morning):
"we don’t think it’s our place to weigh in on an issue that we have no
expertise or influence over." While DeFeo denies the company's
involvement and refuses to accept the research of International
Rivers, his blog post admits that "the president of our supplier’s
parent company owns shares, along with his family, in one of the
companies that would work on the project."

Earth First!, which is more of a movement than an organization, has
autonomous groups around the world who target corporations that are
responsible for devastating the planet. The movement currently has a
national Roadshow crossing the country to mobilize people to take
action against companies like Home Depot, which is currently featured

More information about this campaign at:

Monday, May 25, 2009

Chile: Call for international support from squat, La Idea

Infoshop News May 25, 2009

La Idea, an anarchist squat based in downtown Santiago is under intense repression by the Chilean State. A young anarchist, Mauricio Morales, recently died under tragic circumstances when an explosive device that he was transporting detonated unexpectedly. The bourgeois press has incorrectly claimed that Mauricio lived in La Idea. Mauricio occasionally visited the squat, an open and public space where many social events take place. The state violently raided La Idea, and the press is now assisting intelligence agencies in crafting false information about the social space. The state claims to have discovered materials for making explosives in La Idea.

The Chilean state is utilizing Mauricio's death to repress our movement once again. The democratic regime in Chile continues to torture and kill comrades, the same tactics of the Pinochet military dictatorship.

International support and solidarity is needed. The state utilizes the bourgeois press as an apparatus of repression. A small number of powerful families control the press, and they are directly aligned with intelligence agencies. Action is needed from abroad to insure the safety of our comrades here in Chile. This is a call for a diversity of tactics.


Communiqué from the occupied social center, La Idea, concerning recent events
Posted on Hommodolars.org

We participate in the squat known as “La Idea.” We openly denounce what we suffered on Friday, May 22.

Around 1:30 in the afternoon while cooking and waiting for news on the television to inform ourselves about recent events, the Police of Investigation (PDI), entered our house, violently kicking down the door and implementing a military operation with all of the technological tools that they have in their control, SWAT equipment, rifles with laser scopes, automatic guns, and helicopters. They abruptly threw us against the wall, handcuffing us and pointing their rifles at us without asking questions. Investigators began to search the house, including the roof and nearby structures that are also unoccupied. Meanwhile, they kept us in the patio forcing us to look down at that ground so that we could not see what they were doing behind our backs.

Next, investigators tried to identify which bedrooms belong to each of us. The investigators violently forced us one by one into the rooms; they prevented us from seeing what objects they removed from each location. Investigators in civilian clothes arrived, many of them with black bags.

The investigators completely trashed our bedrooms, even destroying the floor and digging under the floorboard.

The police returned us one by one with our backs to the wall. At this time, investigators began to question us about chemicals that they had supposedly found in the squat. First, investigators said that they had been found in the screen printing room, but then they changed the story to that it had been in the dinning room. Later, police said that it had been found in a bedroom, and finally they claimed that it was in the practice space. We all denied their accusations, and when we responded that they were simply planting false evidence, the investigators became enraged. They became violent, even kicking one of our comrades. We never stopped affirming that the house serves the role of an open social space. Explosives are not fabricated here, much less do we even store similar materials. We were always aware that the house was under surveillance. We remained firm that the purpose of the space was for public activities, acts of solidarity, and self-education.

About five hours later, they brought us to offices of the Brigade of Special Police Investigations (Bipe). The police told us that we had to count our belongings of value—objects and money—but we never saw any documentation. When we noted that money was missing, they became violent once again, screaming at the Argentine comrades that this was not their country.

Hours later, we realized that the operation extended to the entire block, and the bourgeois press was outside, transforming this into the media event of the day. The seven of us found ourselves handcuffed and followed with vigilance. In the office of the Brigade of Special Police Investigations, they kept us apart and uniformed of each other's whereabouts. Next, they completely undressed us in the nude, removing our piercings and shoe laces. They constantly threatened us by claiming that we would remain in jail. Hours later, we would learn that we were not actually under arrest, instead they brought us in for a voluntary declaration and to sign documents. We did not know this until a lawyer was present. Then, their treatment of us quickly changed, and after several hours they returned our phones. They allowed us to exit the premise through a door where the press was not present. The only thing we know at this moment is that we have to wait for a date for the declaration.

They kept the three argentine comrades for several hours, asking them more questions and taking them to the immigration office to review their legal status. They retained their visas, placing their legal status as an infraction. They must come into the office to sign a document every day. We note that the next day a comrade was forced to sign a document that did not correspond to documents from the day before.

By the end of the day, we returned to our home to find numerous objects missing: a digital video camera, a digital photo camera, two computers, two bicycles in bad condition, movies, cds, cellphone documents, written material, zines, books, song lyrics, clothing, and money in US dollars, Chilean pesos, and Argentine pesos. They also broke into a money box with 60,000 Chilean pesos—about $120—that we know will never be returned.

We declare that this was a demeaning treatment towards us. They entered our home with violence just because it is a squat. They treated us with humiliation and abuse. They treated us like scum. They criticized our way of life. They ridiculed the foreign status of our Argentine comrades.

There have never been explosive materials in this house, nor written materials for the fabrication of bombs. Children come on a daily basis, and that is obviously not the profile of the house. Many people come and go in the house, but we are also careful that everything that goes on in the house is decided in an assembly, fulfilling the role of a social space and also our day by day needs.

The capitalist press is lying just like it always has in the past, and the squats are now its target. In the individual declarations, we, the occupants of this house, affirmed that Mauricio Morales has never lived in La Idea, as the press is claiming. He visited the house during public activities where many people participated.

The prosecutor wants to attack us with planted evidence. We denounce once again the false accusations that they always create. We stand in solidarity with others who have been harassed by the police—the comrades who were arrested friday night and brutally beaten.

We stand in solidarity with the family and friends of Mauricio Morales. The ideas of freedom are with us just like so many others are with us everywhere—people who act in diverse ways.

We call for international solidarity with us so that our voices may be heard. We call for more acts of assistance, resistance, and solidarity against the situation that attacks us once again.

We are here defending our home and space, making a call for solidarity.

-La Idea, Santiago, $hile

5/26 Picekt in support of the Six Puerto Rican Protesters

SUPPORT THE DECOLONIZATION OF PUERTO RICO AND THE SIX PRO-INDEPENDENCE PROTESTERS

“Puerto Rico has been a colony of the United States for 111 years: a disgraceful colonial condition in the 21st century. It is time to resolve this crime against our people.” This is the demand of the six pro-independence protesters who interrupted the U.S. Congress and who hope their actions will produce more acts of civil disobedience regarding the colonial status of the island.

The protesters, who have been summoned to court on May 26, are the artists Luis Enrique Romero, María “Chabela” Rodríguez y José Rivera (Tony Mapeyé), mechanic designer Luis Suárez, nurse Eugenia Pérez-Martijo, and retired laborer Ramón Díaz.

The six interrupted a U.S. Congress session by singing “Oubao Moin” and carrying Puerto Rican flags and signs that read “111 years of colonization is a disgrace.” The protesters could face sentences of up to six months in jail and fines.

The struggle for Puerto Rican independence is the result of many battles that have not ceased. In 1954, five Puerto Rican conducted a shooting attack against member of the U.S. Congress to demand the independence of the island. The 1954 attackers have served more than 25 years in U.S. federal prisons. To date, thousands of pro-independence activists have been persecuted and incarcerated by the U.S. government for their actions. Now is time to decolonize Puerto Rico and put an end to the lies and deceit used by the U.S. government for the past 111 years.

Freedom for Puerto Rico and its political prisoners.

NYC PROTEST IN SUPPORT OF THE 6 PRO-INDEPENDENCE ACTIVISTS

Where: 26 Federal Plaza, Manhattan

When: May 26 at 5:30 pm

Directions: 4, 6, R, W to City Hall

Support by making a monetary contribution for the activists at any Banco Popular and make a deposit to bank account #760060177 to María I. Rodríguez and specify that it is for a Banco Popular (BPPR) account in Puerto Rico.

GO TO WASHINGTON DC AND SUPPORT

Solidarity groups will go to Washington DC on the day of the hearing. For more information contact decolonizeprnow@gmail.com

¡Free Puerto Rico! ¡Freedom for our political prisoners!

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Associated Press Story on Prison Legal News

The article below went out on the Associated Press wire services today and will be running nationally over the next few days. For those interested in learning more about PLN our website is at: https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/Default.aspx

http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/articles/2009/05/24/ex_cons_magazine_focuses_on_advocacy_prison_life?mode=PF

Ex-con's magazine focuses on advocacy, prison life

WEST BRATTLEBORO, Vt. --To prison inmates, he's a jailhouse lawyer made good.

To wardens, he's a thorn in the side.

To prison advocates, Paul Wright is a success story: Once a killer, then a prisoner, now a journalist with a cause. He has carved out a niche with his Prison Legal News, a self-help magazine.

The publication, known as PLN, does more than highlight mail censorship, sexual abuse by prison guards and prison overcrowding in its black-and-white pages. The nonprofit tabloid often takes on the role of prisoner advocate, going to court against states and private prison operators -- and winning money, reform and public attention for prisoners.

"It's a voice from the inside, but it's a helluva lot more reasoned and balanced than you might think, even though the point of view is obvious," said Fred Cohen, co-editor of Correctional Law Reporter, a trade publication that serves prison officials. "It's advocacy, in the best sense."

Wright, a former U.S. Army military policeman, started the monthly publication in 1990. Back then, he was inmate No. 930783 at Clallam Bay Correctional Center in Clallam Bay, Wash., where he served 16 years of a 25-year term for killing a cocaine dealer he was trying to rob.

Now, he produces the 56-page tabloid from a split-level home on a cul-de-sac in West Brattleboro, Vt., where he moved after his release from prison in 2003.

It's a long way from his jail cell, where Wright wrote the 10-page first edition on a typewriter, photocopied it and arranged for a contact on the outside to mail it to 75 prisoners he knew in Washington.

It was immediately banned in all state prisons in Washington, prompting Wright and co-editor Ed Mead -- also a prisoner -- to file the first of dozens of legal challenges targeting regulations that barred inmates from receiving PLN and other publications.

PLN has won similar court fights in Alabama, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon and California, where state prison officials agreed in 2006 to pay PLN $65,100 for five-year subscriptions for each of the state's 157 prison legal libraries to settle a lawsuit.

The legal challenges aren't always about getting PLN into prisoners' hands.

In 2007, the magazine won a $541,000 settlement in a public records lawsuit against the state of Washington that started with Wright's request for the identities of the Department of Corrections officials who participate in executions.

"PLN is not fighting for cable TV or air conditioning for prisoners," said Rhonda Brownstein, legal director for the Southern Poverty Law Center, in Montgomery, Ala. "What they're fighting for is basic human rights, and the basic human rights we're talking about are the right to be free from violence by other prisoners or guards, the right to adequate medical care, adequate mental health care and the right -- to an extent -- to freedom of _expression."

But it's the magazine that reaches deepest into prison cells and law libraries.

Subtitled "Dedicated to protecting human rights," it uses lawyers, public policy experts, advocates and prison scribes as correspondents.

The premise is simple, Wright says: "We're not telling prisoners 'Hey, here's how you make bombs.' We're not telling people 'Hey, you need to kill the guards in the morning.' Rather, what we're doing is we're telling them on a fundamental level `You're human, you have civil rights and you can use the civil system to enforce them,'" he said.

The publication is stuffed with legal advice, tips on staying healthy behind bars and news about court rulings that involve prison labor, medical treatment in prisons and suicide prevention programs in prisons. Its correspondents have ranged from late civil rights attorney William Kunstler to imprisoned Philadelphia cop killer Mumia Abu-Jamal.

To prisoners, it's the Bible. After all, there's no hotter topic behind bars than the law.

"Everybody wants the case that's gonna get them out of jail," said Carol Callea, director of legal education for inmate access to courts for Vermont prisons. "When something happens, they want to know about it."

With no photos or color, and headlines like "Alabama Prisoner Awarded $90,000 for Work-Related Eye Injury" and "Pro Se Tips and Tactics," it's not a slick publication.

And it doesn't have to be. It has a captive audience.

About 80 percent of its 7,000 subscribers are incarcerated in the U.S. Subscriptions are cheaper in jail -- $24 a year for inmates, $40 for anyone not incarcerated, free for death row prisoners.

Fans of the magazine say PLN's value lies in giving prisoners truthful, no-nonsense tips to fight their legal battles and, in the process, disenfranchising jailhouse lawyers peddling less reliable information.

"It's really an extraordinary resource, and it's not just a resource for jailhouse lawyers, although it's certainly that," said Elizabeth Alexander, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's national prison project. "It's also a resource for prison rights advocates."

Not that Wright hasn't made some enemies.

"He's very bright, sometimes very effective," said Eldon Vail, secretary of the Washington state Department of Corrections, a frequent Wright target. "He has a world view shaped by his experience that isn't always right. He doesn't always preach a balanced view, but it's a prisoners' rights magazine and you don't expect that."

Wright, a 43-year-old father of two, is articulate and plainspoken in person, but says he has no interest in becoming a lawyer. He's the one sought by lawyers and others to speak at seminars and conference, he says.

With the nation's prison population surpassing 2 million people, he sees a growing market for Prison Legal News -- the only prisoners' rights publication with a national scope -- if only because it covers prison life with the inmates in mind.

"Frankly, the mainstream media, they suck on criminal justice issues. Most of what passes for criminal justice coverage, it's press release journalism. The prosecutor's office or the warden's office or the DOC office issues a press release and that's all (reporters) do.

"They don't seek any input from prisoners, prisoners' advocates, or whatever. It's just a totally one-sided story," he said.

Paul Wright, Editor

Prison Legal News

P.O. Box 2420

West Brattleboro, VT 05303

802 257-1342

pwright@prisonlegalnews.org

www.prisonlegalnews.org

Seattle Office

2400 NW 80th St. Suite 148

Seattle, WA 98117

206-246-1022

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Parole Hearing for Peltier on July 27

Leonard Peltier's first full parole hearing was held in 1993, at
which time his case was continued for a 15-year reconsideration. On
Wednesday, it was announced (in Portland, OR) that Mr. Peltier has
recently applied for and been granted a parole hearing. The hearing
is scheduled for July 27, 2009. All supporters are encouraged to
step up their efforts in support of parole for Leonard Peltier.

Letters in Support of Parole

It is really important that everyone write letters in support of
Leonard's petition for parole. These letters can be quite simple
and should cover the basic points important for parole decisions. A
sample letter follows. Feel free to use it, but know that it's even
better if you write one in your own words. Be courteous and concise.

Get as many people to sign similar letters, as well. Carry a sheaf of
spare letters with you. Get one signature per letter, that is, rather
than using a petition format. Mail them to the Parole Commission,
but also send copies to the Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee
(contact information below).

Guidelines for General Supporters

First, we ask that you sign the online at
http://www.msplinks.com/http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/parole2008/.

Next, draft correspondence to the U.S. Parole Commission. A sample
letter follows.

Sample Letter

United States Parole Commission
5550 Friendship Boulevard
Suite 420
Chevy Chase, MD 20815-7286
(Insert Date)

Re: LEONARD PELTIER #89637-132

Dear Commissioners,

Convicted in connection with the deaths on June 26, 1975, of
Ronald Williams and Jack Coler, agents of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, Mr. Leonard Peltier remains imprisoned at the United
States Penitentiary in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

The court record in this case clearly shows that government
prosecutors have long held that they do not know who killed Mr. Coler
and Mr. Williams nor what role Leonard Peltier "may have" played
in the tragic shoot-out.

Further, in a decision filed by the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals
on December 18, 2002, Mr. Peltier's sentences "were imposed in
violation of [Peltier's] due process rights because they were based
on information that was false due to government misconduct," and,
according to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, in 2003: ".Much
of the government's behavior at the Pine Ridge Reservation and its
prosecution of Leonard Peltier is to be condemned. The government
withheld evidence. It intimidated witnesses. These facts are not
disputed."

Despite these admissions, Leonard Peltier has served over 33 years
in prison.

After careful consideration of the facts in Leonard Peltier's case,
I have concluded that Leonard Peltier does not represent a risk to
the public. First, Leonard Peltier has no prior convictions and has
advocated for non-violence throughout his prison term. Furthermore,
Leonard Peltier has been a model prisoner. He has received excellent
evaluations from his work supervisors on a regular basis. He
continues to mentor young Native prisoners, encouraging them to
lead clean and sober lives. He has used his time productively,
disciplining himself to be a talented painter and an expressive
writer. Although Leonard Peltier maintains that he did not kill
the agents, he has openly expressed remorse and sadness over
their deaths.

Most admirably, Mr. Peltier contributes regular support to those
in need. He donates his paintings to charities including battered
women's shelters, half way houses, alcohol and drug treatment
programs, and Native American scholarship funds. He also coordinates
an annual holiday gift drive for the children of the Pine Ridge
Indian Reservation.

Leonard Peltier is widely recognized for his good deeds and in
turn has won several awards including the North Star Frederick
Douglas Award; Federation of Labour (Ontario, Canada) Humanist of
the Year Award; Human Rights Commission of Spain International
Human Rights Prize; and 2004 Silver Arrow Award for Lifetime
Achievement. Mr. Peltier also has been nominated for the Nobel
Peace Prize six times.

Leonard Peltier is now over 60 years of age-a great-grandfather-and
suffers from partial blindness, diabetes, a heart condition, and
high blood pressure.

I recognize the grave nature of the events of June 26, 1975,
and I extend my deepest sympathy to the families of those who
died that day. However, I find aspects of this case to also be of
concern and I believe Leonard Peltier deserves to be reunited with
his family and allowed to live the remaining years of his life in
peace. I also believe that, rather than presenting a threat to the
public, Mr. Peltier's release would help to heal a wound that has
long impeded better relations between the federal government and
American Indians.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely yours,

Signature


(Your Name)
(Your Street Address)
(Your City, State, and Zip Code)

For Family and Friends

As with any professional correspondence, your support letter should
be on letterhead (if you have Microsoft Word or another similar
program you can easily create professional-looking letterhead from
a template). The letterhead should include all of your contact
information including your name, address, phone number(s) and e-mail
address if applicable.

Describe your relationship with Leonard -- how do you know him, for
how long, etc. Write about his character, and his accomplishments
both before and during imprisonment. Discuss improvements made
since being incarcerated such as education and his philanthropic
work. Discuss Leonard's positive attitude and, despite his innocence,
the fact that he has openly expressed remorse and sadness over the
deaths that occurred on June 26, 1975.

Finish your support letter by telling the Parole Board how you
will support Leonard once he is granted parole. Your support might
be financial, such as a place to live, use of a vehicle, or help
finding job offers. Your support can also be emotional such as
providing advice and encouragement.

IMPORTANT NOTE TO ALL SUPPORTERS: When you write a letter in support
of Leonard's parole, mail the letter directly to the U.S. Parole
Commission, but also please send a copy of your correspondence to
the Peltier Legal Team, c/o LP-DOC, P.O. Box 7488, Fargo, ND 58106.
Time to set him free... Because it is the RIGHT thing to do.

Friends of Peltier
http://www.FreePeltierNow.org

new Marie Mason zine out

Thanks to various supporters, the new Marie Mason zine is ready. It includes her trial statement; drawings and poetry she made after her arrest; and excerpts from an article on her case.

Three versions are available in PDF:

* an unformatted one you can read straight-through
* one formatted for printing in black and white
* one formatted for printing with a color cover

We encourage you to print this zine out and distribute copies widely.

http://supportmariemason.org/2009/05/22/new-marie-mason-zine-out/

Deadline for PAN vol 2#2 coming up soon! (submit!)


Just a reminder that the 4th issue of Prison Action News is due to come
out July 1. We need all submissions in by June 1 (you can submit by email
to prisonactionnews@riseup.net or by mail to PAN c/o Boston ABC PO Box
230182 Boston, MA 02123 USA). If you or prisoners you know have an entry,
we would love to have them!

Below are guidelines and a brief description of PAN!

Prison Action News is a newsletter collaboratively published by prisoner
support groups worldwide for prisoners to report on their struggles and
acts of resistance from behind bars. All submissions must be received by
Dec 1st or June 1st and be in compliance with the following guidelines.
Please note that we retain the right as editors to alter submissions for
grammatical or content-related issues. Prison Action News is one part of
the multi-faceted Prison Abolition movement. We feel as though the
writing that goes into Prison Action News is equally vital but different
than other forms of writing, such as poetry, political essays, etc. but is
often less represented.

History:
The idea for Prison Action News came out of the 2007 Anarchist Black Cross
gathering. We wanted to create a venue for prisoners to share updates of
their activities with each other, similar to the updates we wrote in our
network newsletter. Recognizing that there is far too much activity
occurring in prisons to put in our quarterly newsletter, we decided to
create a new newsletter specifically to report activity within prisons. As
people on the outside, we can facilitate this dialog of prison
resistance, and help our comrades on the inside hear from each other about
the inspiring actions they are taking. We have recently opened up
submissions to prisoners and prison groups worldwide. With your help this
newsletter will be a success!

Guidelines
1. An update must not exceed 500 words.
2. We will not accept submissions with racist, sexist, homophobic, or
otherwise oppressive language.
3. An update may be a report on resistance activities of individual
prisoners or prison groups (this can include, but is not limited to,
radical book groups, hunger strike, general strike, letter writing
campaigns, etc.)
4. PAN is accepting artwork for the covers of upcoming issues, so send us
your designs!
5. A report should not be a political essay or a report on prison
conditions, rather the response and resistance to these conditions 6. One
submission per group, per prison, per newsletter
7. We will not report on gang activity.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

South Korean government arrests 450 workers as general strike seems imminent

May 17 2009 Libcom.org

Police apprehended more than 450 labor activists Saturday after a violent protest in Daejeon which left about 150 injured. Labour unrest is set to escalate this month as truck drivers plan to strike and a major labour umbrella group pledged to join.

Thousands of Korean Confederation of Trade Unions members rallied in the city to mark the anniversary of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising. They mourned a unionized trucker who committed suicide earlier this month in what colleagues said was a protest against the government's policies.

The clash erupted when activists marched toward a major transportation company and a police station at 6pm. They attacked riot police with flagpoles and stones, while police fought back with water cannons and batons.

About 50 protesters and 104 police officers were injured during the three-hour skirmish, according to the Daejeon Police Agency. The windows of 99 vehicles, including police buses, were shattered, it said. A total of 457 workers were taken to police stations. Police booked all of them and will seek arrest warrants for those who led the protest and were involved in the violence.

The labour group said police caused the collision by blocking their parade violently.

The bulk of protesters were from the Korean Cargo Workers' Union, which just ahead of the rally approved a plan to go on a walkout demanding labour rights, better working conditions and reinstatement of dismissed workers.

The leaders of the 15,000-member union will decide the strike date later. They will meet with representatives of railway, port, construction and public sector unions early this week to discuss joint actions.

During the rally, the KCTU declared it will advance its general strike scheduled for next month to join force with the truck drivers. The union is demanding basic labor rights for its members.

The government does not allow them the right for collective action because they are formally categorized as self-employed businessmen and not as employed workers. The drivers usually own trucks and work under contract with transport companies.

They also demand that transport firms cancel the reduction of payments and that Korea Express Inc., a major logistics company, rehire 78 laid-off workers.

A union leader committed suicide by hanging in Daejeon May 3. He had been wanted by police on charges of organizing illegal rallies against the company.

The cargo union staged a week-long strike in June last year, causing an estimated $7.2 billion in damage to the export-dependent economy, the government said.

The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs said it will not accept the demands of the union and warned of stern action against illegal strikes. The government said it will stop paying fuel subsidies to striking truckers and cancel the business licenses of those who physically disrupt freight transportation. It will also mobilize military vehicles and personnel to escort non-striking truck drivers.

Portland Green Scare benifet May 23rd - Liberating Dissent II: Against State Repression


Liberation Dissent II: Against State Repression.  A benefit for Green
Scare Prisoners and Rose City Copwatch
Saturday May 23rd at Liberty Hall 7pm sharp.



Please join us for an evening of music and speakers on Saturday
May 23rd at 7pm as we examine State Repression as on ongoing strategy
of the State to silence dissent. Liberating Dissent II: Against State
Repression will raise funds for Green Scare Prisoners and the
community organizing efforts of Rose City Copwatch. Speakers will
include Kristian Williams, author of Our Enemies in Blue: Police and
Power in America and American Methods: Torture and the Logic of
Domination as well as Lauren Regan founder and executive director of
the Civil Liberties Defense Center. Music will be provided by Resist
(Portland anarchopunk legends), Adelit@s (fusion of punk and latin
American folk music), Coffin Ship (folk punk) and Silent Majority
(sparse melodic punk).

When: Saturday May 23rd 7pm-12am
Where: Liberty Hall (311 N Ivy st. Portland OR)
What: Speakers: Lauren Regan and Kristian Williams,
music from Resist, Adelit@s, Coffin Ship and
Silent Majority
How much: $6-$100 sliding scale donation. No one turned away for
lack of funds.
More info: www.cldc.org/green.html www.rosecitycopwatch.org
www.greenisthenewred.com
Contact: destroycreate@gmail.com

Monday, May 18, 2009

Myanmar's Suu Kyi faces trial, critics outraged


YANGON (Reuters) – Allies of Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi gathered outside the Yangon prison on Monday where the Nobel Peace laureate faces trial on charges that could lock her away for five years.

The military regime has ignored international outrage at what critics call trumped-up charges against Suu Kyi, accused of breaking the conditions of her house arrest, which had been due to expire on May 27 after six years of detention.

Win Tin, a senior member of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) and the country's longest-serving political prisoner until his release last year, led 200 NLD members in a protest outside Insein Central Prison.

They were watched by armed police manning barbed-wire barricades and members of a pro-junta militia. Plain-clothes officers kept busy snapping photographs of the protest. Businesses in the area were ordered to close.

One leader of the NLD youth wing was arrested near the prison, but party officials did not have more details.

The government has called 22 witnesses against Suu Kyi and a verdict in the closed-door trial was not expected on Monday. If convicted, she faces three to five years in jail.

"She is ready to tell the truth that she never broke the law," her lawyer Kyi Win said.

Critics have accused the regime of trying to sabotage her defense by revoking the law license of Aung Thein, a prominent activist lawyer, at the weekend.

U.S. diplomats were seen entering the prison where John Yettaw, the American intruder who triggered the case against Suu Kyi by sneaking into her lakeside villa earlier this month, faces trial on several charges.

CLAMPDOWN

Critics say the trial is aimed at keeping the charismatic opposition leader in detention ahead of multi-party elections in 2010, derided by the West as a sham aimed at entrenching more than four decades of military rule in the former Burma.

The generals have not forgotten the NLD's landslide election victory in 1990, which the military rejected.

"The trial is all about keeping any voices of dissent silent in the run-up to rigged elections next year," said Zoya Phan of the Burma Campaign UK, which said demonstrations would be held at Myanmar embassies in 20 cities around the world on Monday.

The military has detained Suu Kyi for more than 13 of the past 19 years, much of that time at her Yangon home guarded by police, with her phone line cut and visitors restricted.

Yettaw, a 53-year-old Missouri resident who used homemade flippers to swim to Suu Kyi's home this month, is charged with immigration violations, encouraging others to break the law and entering a restricted area.

His motives are unclear. He swam to her home before, on November 30 last year, and left a copy of the Book of Mormon after she refused to see him, according to a copy of the police complaint translated by the U.S. Campaign for Burma, a pro-democracy group.

He tried again on the night of May 3.

"This time, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi allowed him to stay at her residence until the night of May 5, 2009, spoke with him and provided him food and drinks," the police complaint said.

Kyi Win said Suu Kyi had told Yettaw to leave, but he refused. She did not report him to authorities because "she did not want anybody to get into trouble because of her," he said.

Western governments, the United Nations, human rights groups and fellow Nobel laureates have condemned the charges against Suu Kyi and called for her immediate release.

U.S. President Barack Obama renewed sanctions against the military government on Friday, saying its actions and policies, including the jailing of more than 2,000 political prisoners, continued to pose a serious threat to U.S. interests.

The reaction from Asian neighbors, which have an eye on Myanmar's rich timber, gas and mineral reserves, has been mixed.

China and India have been silent, but the Philippine government said it was "deeply troubled and outraged over the filing of trumped-up charges" against Suu Kyi and worried about her health in the country's most notorious jail.

"These recent incidents will surely impede the process of national reconciliation and the roadmap to democracy in Myanmar," Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo said.

Asian governments have favored a policy of engagement, but neither it nor sanctions imposed by the West have coaxed meaningful reforms from junta leader Senior General Than Shwe, widely believed to loathe Suu Kyi.

He is pressing ahead with a seven-step "roadmap to democracy" expected to culminate in the elections in 2010.

(Writing by Darren Schuettler; Editing by Alan Raybould)

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Eric McDavid Update

Mail issues, appeal status, tour and more...Hello everyone,

There are a few things we would like to share with you in this update. Below you will find information on Eric's current situation, the tour in June, site updates, and the status of the appeal. Eric sends his hellos to you all. Thanks so much for your continued support. We hope to see many of you soon!

The Mail Situation
------------------
Eric would like for us to let you all know that he is currently unable to respond to snail mail. Victorville has recently implemented a new, illegal mail policy that requires prisoners to submit a list of people to whom they would like to send mail. This list is kept on file in the prison's Trulincs system, which was originally setup as an email system for prisoners. The BOP has since expanded it's use of the system as a way to keep track of prisoner phone lists, mail lists, and as a log-in system for prisoner access to the legal library. The use of the system for these purposes has numerous legality issues, and Eric and a couple of other prisoners are attempting to fight the new rules from the inside. In the meantime, Eric will not be using the mail-labeling system set up by Trulincs, which means he is unable to send any written correspondence. This does NOT mean that he cannot receive mail - so please keep those letters coming.

The Northwest in June
---------------------
Some of us from Eric's support crew will be touring the northwest in June. We will be talking about Eric's case - how it was created, how Eric was targeted by the government and entrapped by an undercover informant, how he was convicted in a trial fraught with error, then sentenced to an outrageous 19 years and 7 months in prison. We will also be talking about entrapment and the use of government informants, and government repression in general.

The presentation will be followed with amazing musical performances by folks from the Anarchozarkian Music Collective - Spokepants of the Flowering Skillet and Nora and Gnoll. Other local musicians will be joining us along the way. You don't want to miss it!

Here is a quick list of what we've got so far:

June 5: Reno, NV
June 7: East Bay, CA (The Longhaul infoshop)
June 9: Arcata, CA
June 12: Portland, OR (The Red and Black Cafe, 6pm)
June 13: Eugene, OR
June 20-22ish: Seattle area? Bellingham?
June 25: Portland, OR (The Black Rose)
Early July: Modesto, CA
San Diego, CA

More dates are in the works. You can check out http://www.supporteric.org for updates about the tour.

Site Updates
------------
We are in the process of some major additions to Eric's website. Soon you will have access to all of the transcripts from Eric's trial, sentencing, the plea agreements from his co-defendants, and more. We are also adding a section for writings from Eric to make them more accessible. Check out http://www.supporteric.org soon to get the latest.

Appeal Status
-------------
As you know, Eric is in the process of appealing both his conviction and sentence. We were hoping to be able to post the appeal with this alert, but are awaiting word from the court. Eric's lawyer filed the appeal on May 6, but also had to file a motion to file a brief that is twice the length of a normal appeal. If the court accepts this motion, then the appeal will officially be filed and we can post it for you all to read. This is nowhere near the end of the process, however. The government will have a month to respond to the brief once it is filed, and then Eric's lawyer will have another two weeks for his final response. We fully expect more delays (the brief was originally due last September). We will keep you posted as things develop.

Eric has been in jail or prison for 3 1/2 years now. His strength and courage continue to remind us all of what it means to stay true to ourselves and the things we hold dear. Our sincerest thanks to all of you who have helped make this journey more endurable.

Yours,
SPS

5/14-16: National Days of Action in Solidarity with Immigrant Prisoners

National Immigrant Solidarity Network
webpage: http://www.ImmigrantSolidarity.org
e-mail: info@ImmigrantSolidarity.org


Please join the immigrant Solidarity Network daily news litserv, send e-mail to: isn-subscribe@lists.riseup.net
or visit: https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/isn
5/14-16: National Days of Action in Solidarity with Immigrant Prisoners


May 14th through 16th, 2009 – people around Texas and the United
States will stand united against an immigration system that is
responsible for the abuse and oppression of hundreds of thousands of
human beings.

Actions are already planned for Austin, TX; Dallas, TX; Laredo, TX;
San Antonio, TX; Rio Grande Valley (South Padre Island), TX; and
Houston, TX.

I encourage all local and national media to come out to 8101 N.
Stemmons frwy Dallas TX 75427 at 3:00pm where we will be having one of
the six demonstrations.

Today, the US government holds over 440,000 immigrants in prison
—that’s three times more than were locked up just ten years ago.
People in these prisons (some federal others private) are rounded up
by ICE agents, locked up without due process, neglected in their
medical conditions, and suffer verbal and physical abuse by both
governmental and private guards.

“The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE), and all the private companies that profit off their
injustices have terrorized our communities for too long! Communities
all around say ‘Enough!’” – reads a flyer being distributed by the
Southwest Workers Union.

Immigrant Prisoners are Resisting

Los Fresnos, TX—over 200 Immigrants at the Port Isabel Detention
Center are on hunger strike demanding humane conditions and an end to
the cruel injustices of the immigration system.

Taylor, TX—over 400 men and women at the T. Don Hutto Detention Center
are on hunger strike demanding humane conditions. Children and
families are being detained at this prison.

Pecos, TX — Prisoners inside Reeves County Detention Center began
rioting earlier this year when their demands for adequate medical
attentions went unheeded.

Community groups coordinating and participating in the actions include
Southwest Workers Union, Industrial Workers of the World, Students for
a Democratic Society, Grassroots Leadership, Student/ Farmworker
Alliance, La Union del Pueblo Entero, Proyecto Azteca, Coalicion de
Amigos en Solidaridad y Accion, and Amnesty International.

Southwest Workers’ Union
Alejandro Guzman
Phone: 956/ 337-9563
E-mail:
sundance0827@yahoo.com
Rocio Nohemi Hernandez
Phone: 956/393-1060
E-mail:
isitvegan@gmail.com
=================================================================
National Immigrant Solidarity Network
No Immigrant Bashing! Support Immigrant Rights!

webpage: http://www.ImmigrantSolidarity.org
e-mail: info@ImmigrantSolidarity.org


New York: (212)330-8172
Los Angeles: (213)403-0131
Washington D.C.: (202)595-8990
Chicago: (773)942-2268


Please consider making a donation to the important work of National Immigrant Solidarity Network

Send check pay to:

National Immigrant Solidarity Network/AFGJ


National Immigrant Solidarity Network
P.O. Box 751
South Pasadena, CA 91031-0751

(All donations are tax deductible)


*to join the immigrant Solidarity Network daily news litserv, send e-mail to:
isn-subscribe@lists.riseup.net
or visit: https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/isn

*a monthly ISN monthly Action Alert! Listserv, go to webpage https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/isn-digest


**Please join our following listservs:


Asian American Labor Activism Alert!
send-e-mail to: api-la-subscribe@lists.riseup.net
or visit: https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/api-la

New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania areas immigrant workers information and alerts
send e-mail to: nyc-immigrantalert-subscribe@lists.riseup.net
or visit: https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/nyc-immigrantalert


US-Mexico Border Information/Alert!
send e-mail to: Border01-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
or visit: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Border01/


Virginia state-wide immigrant organizing e-mail list, send- e-mail to: va-immigrantrights-subscribe@lists.riseup.net or visit: https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/va-immigrantrights

Chicago/Midwest/Great Lake Region Immigrant List, please send e-mail to: chicago-immigrantrights@lists.riseup.net
or visit:
https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/chicago-immigrantrights

Immigrant Detention & Deportation Alert!
visit: https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/isn-immigrantdetention

send e-mail to: isn-immigrantdetention-subscribe@lists.riseup.net

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Urgent!!! Feds Serving Bash Back!ers Throughout Midwest Subpoenas


May 13, 2009 Bash Back News

At least 23 people associated with Bash Back! are named in a subpoena that has been served to people in Milwaukee and Lansing. As of right now we believe Feds are trying to serve queermos in Chicago and other Midwestern Cities. Agents have been showing up at the homes of friends and family of Bash Back! members.BB! News is under the impression that this has something to do with the BB! Consulta in Lansing, Michigan last fall. When we know more we will let yall know.

Remember we are members of a loving, tight knit community. While we have our differences we also have our friend’s backs. Don’t let them scare you. Loose Lips Imprison Queers.

With Love, Solidarity, and Rage,
Bash Back! News


ADF Fuckers Suing Bash Back! Lansing, Bash Back!, and Jesse Does

May 13, 2009 Bash Back News

The work of devoted Bash Back!ers and allies determined that this morning’s hysteria is the result of the Alliance Defense Fund, a notorious anti-womyn, anti-queer, racist organization. The ADF decided to sue Bash Back!, Bash Back! Lansing and individuals because the authorities would not file a single criminal complaint regarding an action at the Mount Hope Church in Lansing last fall. But that’s not all! Those pesky evange-fascists are trying to identify and out up to 20 other people involved with Bash Back! in the hopes that criminal charges will be placed against them. Fourteen people and 1-20 Jesse “John” Does are named on the complaint.

You can find the ADF press release on their website.
*Warning this Site is an overt manifestion of THE Patriarchy. It may be offensive and enraging*
www.alliancedefensefund.org

Bash Back! and radical transfolk/queers cannot and will not be intimidated. Some of us face life and death on a daily basis. This lawsuit aint shit.

BB! News will be setting up an account to raise funds in the near future. Lets fill our pocket books and resist this suit.

Attached to this posting is a copy of the complaint so the entire world can see that it is riddled with inaccuracies and out-right lies.

Disclaimer: This Lawsuit is does NOT respect the chosen identities of the people named. Names, Gender pronouns, and identities were purposely disrespected by the complaint. Please keep this in mind when reading and discussing the lawsuit.

That’s Some Bull Shit!
Bash Back! News

Here is a copy of the complaint.
http://twincities.indymedia.org/files/MtHopeComplaint-red.pdf

Monday, May 11, 2009

Crackdown in South Korea as President Lee emphasises need for "labour market flexibility"

May 8, 2009


Nineteen former workers at the Kor-Tek guitar and bass factory in Dungchon, Seoul, have been indicted on serious charges relating to the occupation of the plant late last year. The charges, alongside similar cases, have led to protests from unions which describe them as “excessive” and “preposterous”.

The original dispute at the plant related to management plans to close the factory and move production to China. Workers quickly staged a sit-in strike, but this was broken up by police after only four hours. The strikers were rounded up, and two local union leaders were given one year sentences, which were later commuted to suspended sentences.

However, prosecutors have again targeted the workers, seeking a second round of charges. It is this move which has drawn fire from unions and other organisations, with Sung Sei-Kyung of the Korean Metalworkers’ Union stating, “The union members thought the case was over, and we feel the indictments are preposterous. “ Prosecutors are pursuing charges of armed housebreaking against 19 strikers and union members.

The move isn’t an isolated one, and follows similar cases. Two union leaders have recently been arrested over their participation in a protest against Donghee Auto Co., a company which supplies parts for Kia motors, four months after the event. Three union officials had already been sentenced in relation to the demonstration.

Critics are claiming the moves represent an attempt to send a message that actions around such disputes will be treated harshly, and are part of the South Korean state’s oppressive response to the threat of spreading industrial unrest.

Meanwhile, the office of president Lee Myung-Bak has been emphasising its intentions to “solve labour flexibility” i.e. to encourage further casualisation and the erosion of working conditions through the Contractual and Part-time Worker Protection Act and the Labor Standards Act. The law currently requires that companies offer irregular workers regular contracts after two years of employment, but the Lee administration is attempting to extend that threshold to four years. President Lee’s spokesman emphasised this aim at a recent emergency economic council meeting on the 7th of May.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Last SLA inmate released from California prison

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)– The last captured member of the Symbionese Liberation Army, the radical 1970s-era group notorious for bank robberies, killings and the kidnapping of newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst, was released from prison Sunday, a corrections official said.

James William Kilgore, 61, was paroled from High Desert State Prisonafter serving a six-year sentence for his role in the murder of housewife Myrna Opsahl during an April 1975 bank robbery.

The victim's son, Jon Opsahl, said Sunday it felt "ironic" and "strange" that Kilgore was released on Mother's Day.

Kilgore was one of five SLA members to serve time for the murder of Opsahl's mother.

"I guess they did their time, paid their debts to society," he said. "Now I guess they can get back to their lives."

State Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation spokesman Oscar Hidalgo said parole agents processed Kilgore's release at theSusanville prison.

Kilgore has been granted permission to join his wife in Illinois, where she moved after he was arrested in 2002 in Cape Town, South Africa, after nearly three decades on the run. He has two weeks to report to Illinois parole officials.

Kilgore had eluded arrest longer than any of his fellow SLA fugitives. His cover unraveled after the 1999 arrest of his former girlfriend, Sara Jane Olson, who had become a doctor's wife in St. Paul, Minn. Olson, formerly known as Kathleen Soliah, was paroled from a California prison in March.

His release marks "the end of the SLA and the era," said Stuart Hanlon, a San Francisco attorney who represented several SLA members.

The gang of mostly white, privileged would-be revolutionaries led by a black ex-convict also was responsible for the murder of Oakland school superintendent Marcus Foster, bank robberies, and the attempted bombings of Los Angeles police cars. Joseph Remiro is serving a life sentence for Foster's 1973 murder.

Kilgore, a native of Portland, Ore., joined the SLA after graduating from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1969. He escaped the 1974 shootout with Los Angeles police in which six of the SLA's original members died.

He disappeared on Sept. 18, 1975, as the FBI arrested Hearst and other SLA members in San Francisco.

He resurfaced as University of Cape Town professor Charles William Pape, even writing a South Africa high school text book titled "Making History" under the alias.

Kilgore married an American woman, Teresa Barnes, and fathered two sons. Barnes, an associate professor of gender and women's studies at the University of Illinois in Champaign, declined to comment when reached by The Associated Press.

Susan B. Jordan, an attorney who represented another SLA member, sad that some romanticized the group, despite the violence, after its members kidnapped Hearst and demanded her wealthy family distribute food to the poor of San Francisco.

"They were an extremely misguided group of idealists. They really believed they could make the world better by what they did," Jordan said. "I just think they tapped into some mythological fairy story."

New York attorney Louis Freeman, who represented Kilgore after his arrest, did not respond to messages left Sunday and in previous days.

Kilgore's pending parole had sparked far less controversy than Olson's release. Her return to Minnesota drew opposition from Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and the St. Paul police union and divided her neighbors.

The Los Angeles Police Protective League and the National Association of Police Organizations objected to letting Kilgore serve his year of parole in another state, but there has been little reaction in Illinois.

"Mr. Kilgore has never even lived in Illinois," Paul Weber, president of the Los Angeles police union, said in a statement. "His last legal residence was in California, and this is where he committed his crimes. ... The community he terrorized has the right and the duty to ensure Mr. Kilgore complies with all terms of his parole, including serving his full sentence here."

Kilgore served his state sentence after finishing a 54-month federal prison term for using a dead baby's birth certificate to obtain a passport in Seattle and for possessing a pipe bomb in his apartment near San Francisco in 1975.

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials called Kilgore a model prisoner who tutored other inmates.

'End crackdown on labor activists' in Vietnam, says human rights group



libcom.org May 7, 2009

The Vietnamese government should immediately free activists who have been unlawfully imprisoned for peacefully campaigning for workers' rights, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today.

The 32-page report, "Not Yet a Workers' Paradise: Vietnam's Suppression of the Independent Workers' Movement," documents the Vietnamese government's crackdown on independent trade unions and profiles labor rights activists who have been detained, placed under house arrest, or imprisoned by the Vietnamese government in violation of international law. The report calls on donor governments and foreign firms investing in Vietnam to press the government to treat workers properly.

"By arresting the most prominent labor leaders, the Vietnamese government is trying to wipe out the independent trade union movement," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "The government continues to target and harass independent labor activists, who are seen as a particular threat to the Communist Party because of their ability to attract and organize large numbers of people."

Since 2006, at least eight independent trade union activists have been sentenced to prison on dubious national security charges. All have been held under Vietnamese laws that violate fundamental freedoms. Those who have been tried have not been afforded internationally recognized due process rights. Other labor activists have been harassed, intimidated, and forced to cease their union activities or flee the country.

Amid double-digit inflation and the global economic downturn, labor unrest continues to soar in Vietnam. Thousands of workers, primarily at foreign-owned factories, have joined strikes to demand wage increases and better working conditions. Though permitted under international law, virtually none of these strikes are considered legal by the Vietnamese government.

Workers are prohibited from forming or joining unions - or conducting strikes - that are not authorized by an official labor confederation controlled by the Communist Party. The minimum monthly wage was increased to 650,000 dong (US$36) for most workers, but it still fails to provide an adequate standard of living, especially given racing inflation, and the increase has failed to stem labor discontent.

The report details provisions in Vietnam's labor laws, such as amendments to the Labor Code that took effect in 2007, which have imposed increasingly harsh restrictions on strikes and independent unions. While the Labor Code allows party-controlled unions to strike, it establishes strict and cumbersome conditions that must be met, which effectively nullify this right.

"Vietnam's labor laws ensure that there is virtually no way for workers to call a legal strike," said Adams. "The so-called reform process and amendments to the Labor Code have focused on tightening government control over workers' movements and effectively denying workers their rights. The People's Committees, People's Courts, and the official labor confederation - all controlled by the Vietnamese Communist Party - work as a machine that is rolling out rules to prevent legal strikes."

Starting in 2006, unprecedented numbers of workers began to join "wildcat" strikes (strikes without the approval of union officials) at foreign-owned factories around Ho Chi Minh City and in surrounding provinces in the south. As the strikes quickly spread to Vietnam's central and northern provinces, workers broadened their demands for labor rights, such as the ability to form independent unions and the dissolution of the party-controlled labor confederation.

In October 2006, Vietnamese activists announced the formation of two independent trade unions, the United Worker-Farmers Organization of Vietnam, or UWFO (Hiep Hoi Doan Ket Cong Nong) and the Independent Workers' Union of Vietnam, or IWUV (Cong Doan Doc Lap). Their stated goals were to protect workers' rights, including the right to form and join independent trade unions, engage in strikes, and collectively bargain with employers without being required to obtain government or party approval. They also planned to disseminate information about workers' rights and exploitative and abusive labor conditions.

For a brief period in 2006, the Vietnamese government - prior to entering the World Trade Organization and normalizing trade relations with the United States - tolerated a budding civil society. Opposition political parties, underground newspapers, and Vietnam's first independent trade unions publicly emerged, a rare situation in the one-party state dominated by the Communist Party of Vietnam.

The government's tolerance of peaceful dissent proved to be short-lived, however. Within weeks after the two independent unions began operations, the government arrested all of the unions' known leaders and supporters.

Of eight independent trade union advocates sentenced to prison since 2006, three remain in prison and at least two under administrative probation or house arrest. The remaining three have been subjected to a series of detentions and interrogation by police, intrusive surveillance, and harassment by vigilantes.

Vietnamese agents are thought to have abducted Le Tri Tue, one of the founders of the Independent Workers' Union of Vietnam. Le Tri Tue went missing in May 2007 after fleeing to Cambodia to seek political asylum. The US State Department noted grimly in its 2008 report on human rights in Vietnam that "Le Tri Tue was still missing ... amid rumors that Vietnamese government security agents had killed him."

"None of Vietnam's peaceful labor activists should ever have been arrested, detained, or imprisoned," said Adams. "Donor governments, the UN's International Labor Organization, companies investing in Vietnam, and others should insist that Vietnam treat its workers properly and release all jailed activists."

From Human Rights Watch, 4th of May 2009

Friday, May 08, 2009

“The Mumia Exception”

by J. Patrick O’Connor Crime Magazine May 1, 2009

S
ince his conviction in 1982 for the murder of Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Faulkner, Mumia Abu-Jamal, through his numerous books, essays and radio commentaries, has become the face of the anti-death penalty movement in the United States and an international cause célèbre. Paris, for example, made him an honorary citizen in 2003, bestowing the honor for the first time since Pablo Picasso received it in 1971. The “Free Mumia” slogan is seen and heard around the world. Over the last 27 years he has become the most visible of the invisible 3,600 Death Row inmates in the United States.

The case of Mumia Abu-Jamal cries out for justice not because he is famous but because he is innocent. Kenneth Freeman, the street-vendor partner of Abu-Jamal’s younger brother, Billy Cook, killed Officer Faulkner moments after Faulkner shot Abu-Jamal in the chest as he approached the scene where Faulkner had pulled over the car Cook was driving. When Faulkner began beating Cook with an 18-inch long flashlight, Abu-Jamal ran from his nearby taxi to come to his brother’s aid. After Abu-Jamal was shot and collapsed to the street, Freeman emerged from Cook’s car, wrestled Faulkner to the sidewalk and then shot him to death. Freeman fled the scene on foot. Numerous witnesses told police they saw one or more black men fleeing right after the officer was shot. A driver’s license application found in Faulkner’s shirt pocket led the police directly to Freeman’s home within hours of the shooting.

But the police did not want Freeman for this killing, releasing him without him even having to call his attorney. The police, led by the corrupt Inspector Alfonzo Giordano who took charge of the crime scene within minutes of the shooting, wanted to pin Faulkner’s death on the blacked-out, police-bashing radio reporter at the scene. Freeman they would deal with later, meting out their own brand of street justice in the dead of night.

Five days after Faulkner’s death, the Center City newsstand where Freeman and Billy Cook operated a vending stand burned to the ground at about 3 a.m. Freeman told a Philadelphia Inquirer reporter hours after the arson that “there was no question in my mind that the police are behind this.” The Inquirer also quoted a Center City police officer who was on patrol in the area that morning as saying, “It’s entirely possible” that “certain sick members” of his department were responsible. “All I know is when I got to the station to start my shift at 7:30 this morning, the station house was filled with Cheshire grins.” Although the “unsolved” arson bankrupted Freeman and Cook, a worse fate awaited Freeman.

On the night in 1985 when the police infamously firebombed the MOVE home and burned down 60 other row houses in the process, incinerating 11 MOVE members including five children, Freeman’s dead body would be found nude and gagged in an empty lot, his hands handcuffed behind his back. There would be no police investigation into this obvious murder: the coroner listed his cause of death as a heart attack. Freeman was 31.

Abu-Jamal had been well known to local police since he joined the Philly chapter of the Black Panther Party at age 15. The next year he was named “lieutenant of information,” an appointment the Inquirer ran on its front page, picturing the young radical at Panther headquarters. Even though the chapter would soon dissolve, both the police and the FBI continued to monitor Abu-Jamal when he left Philadelphia to attend Goddard College in Vermont and on his return to Philadelphia to take up his radio career. As his career took wing, landing him a high-profile job at Philadelphia’s public radio station, that scrutiny intensified due to his overtly sympathetic coverage of the radical counter-culture group MOVE. Throughout the 1970s and well into the 1980s, police confrontations with MOVE were brutal displays of civic discord and police abuse that culminated in the 1985 firebombing.

Abu-Jamal’s case has been politically charged from the beginning. By the time he was arrested for the murder of Officer Faulkner, he was a marked man to the police for his Black Panther Party association and his favorable reporting of MOVE. Inspector Giordano, who detested both Abu-Jamal and MOVE, would set the framing of Abu-Jamal in motion by falsely claiming that Abu-Jamal had told him in the paddy wagon that he had killed Faulkner. (Giordano would not be called by the prosecution to reiterate his fabrication at Abu-Jamal’s trial. Instead, on the first business day following Abu-Jamal’s sentencing, Giordano would be “relieved” of his duties by the police department on what would prove to be well-founded “suspicions of corruption.” An FBI probe of rank corruption within the Philadelphia Police Department – the largest ever conducted by the U.S. Justice Department of a police force – would lead to Giordano’s conviction four years later. The FBI investigation would ensnare numerous other high-ranking Philadelphia police officials and officers, many of them involved in Abu-Jamal’s arrest and trial. Deputy Police Commissioner James Martin, who was in charge of all major investigations, including Faulkner’s death, was the ringleader of a vast extortion enterprise operating in City Center.)

The trial of Abu-Jamal was a monumental miscarriage of justice from beginning to end, representing an extreme case of prosecutorial abuse and judicial bias. A pamphlet published by Amnesty International in 2000 stated it had “determined that numerous aspects of Mumia Abu-Jamal’s case clearly failed to meet minimum standards safeguarding the fairness of legal proceedings.”

The trial judge, Common Pleas Court Judge Albert F. Sabo, presided at more trials that resulted in the defendants receiving the death penalty than any judge in the nation. Of the 31 so sentenced, five won reversals on appeal, an indication of extreme judicial bias. The Inquirer called him “a defendant’s worst nightmare,” a prominent defense attorney referred to him as “a prosecutor in robes.” A former court stenographer said in an affidavit in 2001 that during Abu-Jamal’s trial she overheard Sabo tell someone at the courthouse, “Yeah, and I am going to help them fry the nigger.”

During the third day of jury selection, Sabo stripped Abu-Jamal of his right to represent himself and interview potential jurors despite the fact that the Inquirer reported Abu-Jamal was “intent and business like” in his questioning. On the second day of the trial, Sabo removed Abu-Jamal from the courtroom for insisting that MOVE founder John Africa replace his court appointed backup counsel, Anthony Jackson. In turn, Sabo appointed Jackson to represent Abu-Jamal. This would put to rout the possibility of a fair trial.

Abu-Jamal’s first major appeal issue developed during jury selection when the prosecutor, Assistant D.A. Joseph McGill, used 10 or 11 of the 15 peremptory challenges he exercised to keep otherwise qualified blacks from sitting on this death-penalty-vetted jury. In a city with more than a 40 percent black population at the time, Abu-Jamal’s jury ended up with only two blacks. In 1986 – four years after Abu-Jamal’s trial – the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Batson v. Kentucky that it was unconstitutional for a prosecutor to exclude potential jurors on the basis of race. The ruling was retroactive.

The second major constitutional claim that would arise occurred at the end of the guilt phase of the trial when the prosecutor referenced the appeal process in his summation to the jury. He told the jury that if they found Abu-Jamal guilty of murder in the first degree that “there would be appeal after appeal and perhaps there could be a reversal of the case, or whatever, so that may not be final.”

Although Officer Faulkner had been killed by Kenneth Freeman, the prosecution mounted its evidentiary case against Abu-Jamal on the perjured testimony of a prostitute informant and a cab driver with a suspended license for two DUIs who was on probation for throwing a Molotov cocktail into a school yard during a school day. Both of these witnesses had been handpicked by Giordano at the crime scene.

“The Mumia Exception”

As Amnesty International established in its 2000 pamphlet entitled “The Case of Mumia Abu-Jamal: A Life in the Balance,” his tortuous appeal process has been fraught with “judicial machinations.” Claims that won the day in other cases were repeatedly denied him.

In 1989, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court turned down his first appeal even though one of his claims was almost identical to one that had persuaded the same court to grant Lawrence Baker a new trial in 1986. In that case, Commonwealth v. Baker, the court overturned Baker’s death sentence for first-degree murder on the grounds that the prosecutor improperly referenced the lengthy appeal process afforded those sentenced to death. That prosecutor – Joseph McGill – was the same prosecutor who used similar – almost verbatim – language in his summation during both the guilt and sentencing phases of Mumia’s trial. The judge who failed to strike the language in the Baker case was the same judge who presided at Mumia’s trial, Common Pleas Court Judge Albert F. Sabo.

The State Supreme Court ruled in Baker that the use of such language “minimize[ed] the jury’s sense of responsibility for a verdict of death.” When Abu-Jamal’s appeal included the very same issue, the court reversed its own precedent in the matter, denying the claim in a shocking unanimous decision.

A year later, in Commonwealth v. Beasley, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court reinstated the death sentence of Leslie Beasley, but exerted its supervisory power to adopt a “per se rule precluding all remarks about the appellate process in all future trials.” This rule not only reinstated the Baker precedent but it ordered all prosecutors in the state to refrain once and for all from referencing the appellate process in summations to the jury. The court could have made this new rule retroactive to Mumia’s case, but did not.

As Amnesty International declared in its pamphlet about the case, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s judicial scheming leave “the disturbing impression that the court invented a new standard of procedure to apply to one case only: that of Mumia Abu-Jamal,” Temple University journalism professor Linn Washington aptly dubs this and subsequent court decisions denying Mumia a new trial “the Mumia exception.”

Abu-Jamal’s Post-Conviction Relief Act hearing in 1995 was doomed from the beginning when Judge Sabo – the original trial judge – would not recuse himself from the case and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court would not remove him for bias.

Abu-Jamal’s federal habeas corpus appeal – decided by Federal District Judge William Yohn in 2001 – should have resulted in at least an evidentiary hearing on Abu-Jamal’s Batson claim that the prosecutor unconstitutionally purged blacks from the jury by using peremptory strikes to exclude 10 or 11 otherwise qualified black jurors from being empanelled. Abu-Jamal’s attorneys had included a study conducted by Professor David Baldus that documented the systematic use of peremptory challenges to exclude blacks by Prosecutor McGill in the six death-penalty cases he prosecuted in Common Pleas Court in Philadelphia. Abu-Jamal’s trial was one of the six trials studied by Baldus. Judge Yohn barred the study on the erroneous grounds that the study was not from a relevant time period when, in fact, it was completely relevant. Judge Yohn’s error was egregious and could have been easily avoided if he had held one evidentiary hearing on that defense claim. But during the two years that Judge Yohn considered Abu-Jamal’s habeas appeal, he held no hearings.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit should have corrected that district court mistake by remanding Abu-Jamal’s case back to Judge Yohn to hold the evidentiary hearing on the Batson claim, but in another example of the “Mumia exception,” the court instead continued the long and tortured denial of Mumia’s right to a fair trial. In a 2 to 1 decision released on March 27, 2008 that reeked of politics and racism, the court ruled that Abu-Jamal had failed to meet his burden in providing a prima facie case. He failed, the majority wrote, because his attorneys were unable to establish the racial composition of the entire jury pool.

In the decision written by Chief Judge Anthony Scirica, the court stated that “Abu-Jamal had the opportunity to develop this evidence at the PCRA evidentiary hearing, but failed to do so. There may be instances where a prima facie case can be made without evidence of the strike rate and exclusion rate. But, in this case [i.e., “the Mumia exception” is in play], we cannot find the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s ruling [denying the Batson claim] unreasonable based on this incomplete record.”

In a nutshell, the majority denied Mumia’s Batson claim on a technicality of its own invention, not on its merits. It also broke with the sacrosanct stare decisis doctrine – the principle that the precedent decisions are to be followed by the courts – by ignoring its own previous opposite ruling in the Holloway v. Horn case of 2004 and the Brinson v. Vaughn case of 2005. It is a general maxim that when a point has been settled by decision, it forms a precedent which is not afterwards to be departed from. In a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in 1989 in a case entitled United States v. Washington, the decision stated that an appeal court’s panel is “bound by decisions of prior panels unless an en banc decision, Supreme Court decision, or subsequent legislation undermines those decisions.” None of those variables were in play when the Third Circuit Court majority ruled against Mumia’s Batson claim.

Judge Thomas Ambro’s dissent was sharp: “…I do not agree with them [the majority] that Mumia Abu-Jamal fails to meet the low bar for making a prima facie case under Batson. In holding otherwise, they raise the standard necessary to make out a prima facie case beyond what Batson calls for.”

In other words, the majority, in this case alone, has upped the ante required for making a Batson claim beyond what the U.S. Supreme Court stipulated. When ruling in Batson in 1986, the U.S. Supreme Court did not require that the racial composition of the entire jury pool be known before a Batson claim may be raised. The high court ruled that a defendant must show only “an inference” of prosecutorial discrimination in purging potential jurors. Prosecutor McGill’s using 10 or 11 of the 15 peremptory strikes he deployed is just such an inference – and an extremely strong one. McGill’s strike rate of over 66 percent against potential black jurors is in itself prima facie evidence of race discrimination. Prima facie is a Latin term meaning “at first view,” meaning the evidence being presented is presumed to be true unless disproved.

In commenting on Holloway v. Horn, a Batson-type case with striking similarities to Abu-Jamal’s claim, Judge Ambro – the lone Democrat-appointed judge on the three judge panel – demonstrated just how disingenuous the panel’s ruling against Abu-Jamal’s Batson claim was. “In Holloway, Judge Ambro wrote in his 41-page dissent, “we emphasized that ‘requiring the presentation of [a record detailing the race of the venire] simply to move past the first state – the prima facie stage – in the Batson analysis places an undue burden upon the defendant.’ There we found the strike rate – 11 of 12 peremptory strikes against black persons – satisfied the prima facie burden.” In Holloway, the Third Circuit ruled that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s decision denying Holloway’s Batson claim was “contrary to” and an “unreasonable application” of the Batson standard.

In fact, in rendering both its Holloway and Brinson decision, the Third Circuit specifically rejected the requirement that a petitioner develop a complete record of the jury pool. In making its ruling in Abu-Jamal’s appeal, it reversed itself to make the pretext of an incomplete jury record his fatal misstep. Basing its ruling against Abu-Jamal’s Batson claim on this invented pretext demonstrated how desperate the majority was to block Abu-Jamal’s Batson claim. What the majority was implying was that Abu-Jamal’s jury pool may well have consisted of 60 or 70 percent black people and that therefore the prosecutor’s using 66 percent of his strikes to oust potential black jurors was statistically normal and did not create a prima facie case of discrimination. This hypothesis is, of course, absurd on its face. Blacks have been underrepresented on Philadelphia juries for years – and remain so today. What was likely was that the jury pool at Abu-Jamal’s trial was at least 70 percent white.

The Third Circuit – if it had followed its own precedent – would have found the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s ruling denying Abu-Jamal’s Batson claim “contrary to” and an “unreasonable application” of the Batson standard and remanded the case back to Federal District Court Judge Yohn to hold an evidentiary hearing to determine the prosecutor’s reasons for excluding the 10 potential black jurors he struck. If that hearing satisfied Judge Yohn that all of the prosecutor’s reasons for striking potential black jurors were race neutral, the Batson claim would fail. If, conversely, that hearing revealed racial discrimination on the part of the prosecutor during jury selection – even if only concerning one potential juror – Judge Yohn would have been compelled to order a new trial for Abu-Jamal.

Abu-Jamal’s final opportunity for judicial relief was filed with the U.S. Supreme Court in November of 2008 in the form of a Petition for a Writ of Certiorari. On February 4, the high court docketed and accepted that filing. According to Abu-Jamal’s lead attorney, Robert Bryan of San Francisco, “The central issue in this case is racism in jury selection. The prosecution systematically removed people from sitting on the trial jury purely because of the color of their skin, that is, being black.”

For at least two compelling reasons, it appeared that the U.S. Supreme Court would grant Abu-Jamal’s petition. In its last term, the high court expanded its 1986 Batson ruling in its Synder v. Maryland decision to warrant a new trial if a minority defendant could show the inference of racial bias in the prosecutor’s peremptory exclusion of one juror. Under Batson, the defense needed to show an inference – i.e., a pattern – of racial bias in the overall jury selection process. Ironically, the Supreme Court’s 7-2 decision strengthening and expanding Batson’s reach was written by Justice Samuel Alito, most recently of the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.

The second reason was that the Third Circuit’s ruling denying Abu-Jamal’s Batson claim undermined both the Batson and Synder decisions by placing new restrictions on a defendant’s ability to file a Batson claim. The Third Circuit ruling against Abu-Jamal had the effect of creating new law by tampering with a long-established Supreme Court precedent.

As a result, there seemed to be something more than a remote possibility that the Supreme Court would agree to grant Abu-Jamal’s writ.

A Writ of Certiorari is a decision by the Supreme Court to hear an appeal from a lower court. Supreme Court justices rarely give a reason why they accept or deny Cert. Although all nine justices are involved in considering Cert Petitions, it takes only four justices to grant a Writ of Certiorari, even if five justices are against it. This is known as “the rule of four.”

Despite needing only four votes to have his Batson claim argued, the Supreme Court on April 6, 2009 tersely denied Abu-Jamal’s request for a writ. The so-called “liberal block” of Justices Stevens, Ginsberg, Souter, and Breyer disintegrated, yielding to the awesome political power of the “Mumia exception.”

Abu-Jamal – who turned 55 on April 24, 2009 – will, barring the most unlikely intervention by a future governor of Pennsylvania, spend the rest of his life in prison for a crime he did not commit.

Thursday, May 07, 2009

Update from the Love Park 4: Court Solidarity and Financial Assistance Needed

Infoshop News May 6, 2009

The Love Park 4 case is still slowly winding its way through the court system after almost 2 years. Since the defendants' successful court date in December (see http://tinyurl.com/cyb9ux), the State has decided to appeal the judge's order to reveal the identity of the undercover narcotics officers posing as neo-Nazis in Love Park on July 23, 2007.

On Tuesday May 12th, Judge Frank Palumbo will hear the State's appeal. It has taken four court appearances since December to get to this point, but defense attorneys Paul Hetznecker and Larry Krasner will finally have the opportunity to show Judge Palumbo exactly why Judge Marsha Neifield found in favor of the Love Park 4 defendants; and why her decision should stand. The Love Park 4 defendants and their lawyers are confident that the State's appeal will be defeated; and that the case will finally be scheduled for trial.

The Love Park 4 Defense Committee and Anti-Racist Action are encouraging friends, family, and fellow activists to pack the courtroom on May 12th to show their support and solidarity for the defendants. This will be a good opportunity to show the State and the judge that Jason, Jared and Tom have a large amount of support; and to send a clear message that State-sponsored harassment of political activists will not go unchallenged.

While they appreciate courtroom solidarity, Jason, Tom and Jared want to stress that they understand that with work and school, it is hard to get a day off and have expressed that they would prefer the largest turnout at their actual trial date. So for those people who can't get that many days off, please save your time off for future court dates. If you don't have work or school on Tuesday - or can easily take off - please come to court to support these dedicated anti-fascist activists.

Aside from attending this court date, there are other ways you can help. Because of the State's decision to appeal, additional costs have been incurred. Defense lawyers have had to pay for the court transcripts from December's motion hearing so that they could successfully prepare for the upcoming appeal hearing. The copy of the transcript cost $375, which Jason, Jared and Tom need to repay to their lawyers. Thanks to the solidarity shown by Anti-Racist Action and Hit the Bricks Distro, $165 has already been raised, leaving the defendants in need of $210. Any amount you can donate would be greatly appreciated and very helpful. Please contact us for information on how to donate.

For those people who can come to court on May 12th, the hearing is scheduled to start at 9:00AM at the Criminal Justice Center, 1301 Filbert Street, Philadelphia - Room 504.

We are asking that everyone who comes to court please dress in an appropriate manner, and behave professionally. Coming to court will help show the judge and district attorney just how much support the Love Park 4 has - but anything negative will only hurt their case. Please keep that in mind when you are planning to attend.

In Solidarity with ALL Political Prisoners,
The Love Park 4 Defense Committee
http://www.myspace.com/supportlovepark4

Background on the Love Park 4

On July 23rd 2007, four Philadelphia-area anti-racist activists were arrested on multiple trumped up charges stemming from a counter-demonstration against a Ku Klux Klan rally that was scheduled to take place in Center City that morning.

Two men wearing neo-Nazi t-shirts were verbally confronted by anti-racists and forced to leave. The men then boarded a waiting SUV, at which time another verbal confrontation ensued, at the end of which one of the SUV's windows was damaged. Police personnel waited until this point to break their cover and identify themselves - the driver of the SUV was a Philadelphia Police Detective attached to an FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force while the passenger and owner of the vehicle was an FBI special agent.

movement for justice in el barrio occupied the mexican consulate

poor translation of press release (original text below):


PRESS RELEASE FROM THE OTHER NEW YORK DISTRICT OF MOVEMENT FOR JUSTICE

To our sisters and brothers of the People's Front in Defense of Earth:

To our brothers and sisters the Zapatistas:

To our comrades of the Other Campaign:

To our comrades of the Zezta Internazionale:

To our comrades following the International Campaign in Defense of the Barrio and our allies around the world:

A greeting of solidarity from the women, men and children, the socially marginalized from the Other Campaign New York, Movement for Justice in el Barrio in East Harlem Zapatistas.

Today, May 4, 2009, The Other New York peacefully took the Mexican Consulate in New York to demand release of 12 political prisoners who have been brutally repressed by opposing the predatory neoliberal development projects in life and culture, specifically the construction of an airport in Atenco and for the protection of flower growers in Texcoco.

las cuales estn bajo una vigilancia estricta y redoblada desde hace precisamente 3 aos que los mexicanos con corazn y memoria de La Otra Nueva York exigimos la liberacin de los presos de Atenco.

On this third anniversary of the repression, arrests, rape, torture and burglary committed by military police in Atenco, today, a committee of members of Movement for Justice in El Barrio was able to enter the offices of the Mexican Consulate in New York, which are under strict surveillance, stepping up the campaign in Mexican heart and memory, demanding the release of prisoners from Atenco. We managed to enter the offices to conduct a peaceful protest demanding the immediate release of prisoners from Atenco.

Once inside, the comrades of the Other New York, cried: "Political prisoners, freedom!, Freedom, freedom to prisoners to fight!" "We are all Atenco," among other slogans, and with our banners, some with masks simulating prison bars, and also with bandanas, distributed to passers-by DVDs of the video Rompiendo El Cerco (break the siege), about the repression in Atenco, and information leaflets where explaining the central demands.

Then we demanded to speak to the Consul Ruben Beltran to deliver a letter of demands.

First we were told that that was not there because he was in Mexico, but we knew that this was a lie since the day before had been consul in El Barrio performing an act proselytizing panista imposed in the celebration of Cinco de Mayo. After a time, the consulate told us that the ambassador was in New York but was not in the consulate, and closed to the public service of the consulate, asking all members to leave the office.

At the end of our event, the ambassador came.

We will deliver a letter amplified in a banner with the following demands:

1) Freedom of the 12 political prisoners from Atenco;

2) Cancellation of warrents for the 2 procescuted;

3) Withdrawal or cancellation of sentences;

4) Respect for human rights of detainees and persecuted; and

5) Punishment of those responsible for human rights violations.

At first Ambassador Ruben Beltran said he was willing to talk with all the Mexican residents in New York and listen to all their views, but then threw the blame on us and our cause, the release of prisoners of Atenco, have had to close the consulate and the service have left many people without being served.

We believe that reaction of the consul is an act of great injustice and cynicism, as if the government of Mexico not tortured, killed, raped and imprisoned unjustly for its residents to oppose its business with large multinationals that make up the water in goods, these things should not need to happen.

Notwithstanding this, we are pleased to have been able to successfully make this protest against the release of the martyrs of Atenco, as we now know that many Mexicans in New York will be able to learn through alternative means such as the DVD of break the siege that really made them.

Then in the afternoon of that day, the press went to the consulate because of another event called, and the consul took us to complain, complain and say that because we had closed the consulate every day. At that evening event, the consul to the press showed pictures of us from different angles.

It should be clear that our demonstration was peaceful.

If there were reprisals against us for exercising our right to freedom of _expression in Mexico (as is any dependence of the Embassy of Mexico abroad), this means that the consular authorities were violating our rights, not as respect the human rights of the people of Atenco.

It pains us greatly that the worthy social activists, the true defenders of our land and our country, remains in jail. Not rest until they are released. We can not remove and put to build airports and hotels, or in Atenco, or Blue Water, or in our Barrio in East Harlem.

Another from New York, brothers:

TODOS SOMOS ATENCO! We are all ATENCO!

PRESOS POLTICOS, LIBERTAD! POLITICAL PRISONERS, FREEDOM!

Movement for Justice in el Barrio, New York, May 4, 2009.


----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Movimiento por Justicia del Barrio
To: movimientoporjusticiadelbarrio {AT} yahoo.com
Sent: Tuesday, May 5, 2009 11:57:34 AM
Subject: CIERRAN EL CONSULADO MEXICANO EN NUEVA YORK POR EL CLAMOR
EXIGIENDO LIBERTAD A LOS PRESOS DE ATENCO

CIERRAN EL CONSULADO MEXICANO ANTE EL CLAMOR DE LA OTRA NUEVA YORK
EXIGIENDO LIBERTAD A LOS PRESOS DE ATENCO

En el tercer aniversario de la represion del estado al pueblo de
Atenco, el Consulado de Mxico en Nueva York fue tomado
pacficamente por el prozapatista Movimiento por Justicia del Barrio.

Las autoridades deciden cerrar el Consulado todo el da.

En una Conferencia de Prensa el Consul, muy
molesto, denuncia y les echa la culpa a los integrantes de La Otra
Campaa Nueva York

BOLETN DE PRENSA DESDE LA OTRA NUEVA YORK

MOVIMIENTO POR JUSTICIA DEL BARRIO

A nuestr@s hermanas y hermanos del Frente de Pueblos en Defensa de la
Tierra:
A nuestr@s hermanas y hermanos zapatistas:
A nuestr@s companer@s de La Otra Campaa:
A nuestr@s companer@s de la Zezta Internazional:
A nuestr@s companer@s adherentes a la Campaa Internacional en Defensa
del Barrio y nuestros aliados de todo el mundo:

Reciban un saludo solidario de las mujeres, hombres y ni@s, los
marginados sociales pertenecientes a La Otra Campaa Nueva York,
Movimiento por Justicia del Barrio, en el Este de Harlem zapatista.

Hoy, 4 de mayo de 2009, La Otra Nueva York tom pacficamente el
Consulado de Mxico en Nueva York para exigir la liberacin de los 12
presos polticos que brutalmente han sido reprimidos por oponerse a
los proyectos de urbanizacin neoliberal depredadora de la vida y la
cultura humana, especficamente la construccin de un aeropuerto en
Atenco y por la proteccin de unos floricultores desplazados en Texcoco.

En este tercer aniversario de la represin, los arrestos, las
violaciones, las torturas y los allanamientos de morada cometidos por
la polica militarizada en Atenco, hoy, una comisin de integrantes de
Movimiento por Justicia del Barrio logr ingresar a las oficinas del
Consulado de Mxico en Nueva York, las cuales estn bajo una
vigilancia estricta y redoblada desde hace precisamente 3 aos que los
mexicanos con corazn y memoria de La Otra Nueva
York exigimos la liberacin de los presos de Atenco. De cualquier modo
logramos entrar a las oficinas para realizar una protesta pacfica
exigiendo la liberacin inmediata de los presos de Atenco.

Una vez dentro, l@s compaeros de La Otra Nueva York, al clamor de:
Presos polticos, libertad!, Libertad, libertad, a los presos por
luchar!"; Todos Somos Atenco!, entre otras consignas, y con nuestras
pancartas, algunos con mscaras de barrotes simulando la crcel, y
tambin con paliacates, les repartimos a los paisanos usuarios del
consulado unos DVDs del video Rompiendo El Cerco, sobre la represin
en Atenco, y volantes informativos en donde explicamos las demandas
centrales.

Despues, exigimos hablar con el cnsul Rubn Beltrn para entregarle
una carta de demandas. Primero nos dijieron que no se encontraba ah
que porque estaba en Mxico, pero nosotros sabamos que eso era
mentira, pues el da anterior el cnsul haba estado en El Barrio
realizando un acto proselitista panista en la celebracin impuesta del
5 de mayo.

Despus de un tiempo, las autoridades del consulado nos dijieron que
el cnsul s estaba en Nueva York pero que no se hallaba en el
consulado, y cerraron el servicio al pblico del consulado, pidiendo a
todos los usuarios que abandonaran las oficinas. Al final de nuestro
acto, el cnsul lleg. Nosotros le entregamos una carta amplificada en
una pancarta con las siguientes demandas:

1) Libertad a los 12 presos polticos de Atenco

2) Cancelacin de las rdenes de aprensin a los 2 perseguid@s

3) Revocacin y anulacin de las sentencias

4) Respeto irrestricto de los derechos humanos de los detenidos y
perseguid@s;

5) Castigo a los responsables de las violaciones a los derechos humanos

El cnsul Rubn Beltrn primero nos dijo que l estaba
dispuesto a dialogar con todos los pobladores mexicanos en Nueva York
y escuchar todas las opiniones, pero en seguida nos ech la culpa -a
nosotros y a nuestra causa, la liberacin de los presos de Atenco-, de
haber tenido que cerrar el servicio del consulado y haber dejado a
tanta gente sin ser atendida.

Nosotros consideramos que esa reaccin del cnsul es un acto de gran
injusticia y cinismo, pues si el gobierno de Mxico
no torturara, matara, violara y encarcelara injustamente a sus
pobladores por oponerse a sus negocios con las grandes
transnacionales que hasta el agua la convierten en mercanca, estas
cosas no tendran por qu pasar.

No obstante lo cual, estamos satisfechos de haber podido realizar con
xito esta protesta por la liberacin de los mrtires de Atenco, pues
ahora sabemos que muchos mexicanos en Nueva York van a poder enterarse
a travs de medios alternativos como el DVD de Rompiendo El Cerco lo
que realmente les hicieron.

Posteriormente, en la tarde de este mismo da, la prensa acudi al
consulado con motivo de otro evento convocado, y el cnsul aprovech
para quejarse de nosotros, denunciarnos
y decir que por culpa nuestra el consulado debi cerrarse toda la
jornada. En ese acto vespertino, el cnsul mostr a la prensa
fotografas de nosotros desde distintos ngulos. Al respecto cabe
aclarar que nuestra manifestacin fue pacfica. Si hubiera represalia
contra nosotros por haber ejercido nuestro derecho a la libertad de
expresin en territorio mexicano (como lo es cualquier dependencia de
la embajada de Mxico en el extranjero), eso quiere decir que las
autoridades del consulado estuvieran violando nuestros derechos, como
no se respetan los derechos humanos de los pobladores de
Atenco.

Nos duele mucho que los dignos luchadores sociales, los verdaderos
defensores de nuestra tierra y nuestra patria, siga en la crcel. No
descansaremos hasta que sean liberados. Los seres humanos no somos
mercanca. No nos pueden quitar y poner para construir aeropuertos y
hoteles, ni en Atenco, ni en Agua Azul, ni en nuestro Barrio en el
Este de Harlem.

Desde la Otra Nueva York, fraternalmente:

TODOS SOMOS ATENCO!

PRESOS POLTICOS, LIBERTAD!

Movimiento por Justicia del Barrio, Nueva York, 4 de mayo de 2009.

----- Terminar mensaje reenviado -----

Monday, May 04, 2009

REMINDER- Send $$ for Robert Seth Hayes TODAY!!!

It's not too late!! Send your money today!! Every dollar helps!!

----

REPOST!
SPREAD THE WORD!

In his words, New Afrikan Prisoner of War Robert Seth Hayes is in the
process of reinventing his strategy for release. To these ends, he
has procured the counsel of an excellent attorney to assist with his
efforts toward release on parole. He is calling on movement support
communities to provide financial assistance. (letter from Seth Hayes
below)

Thanks to our wealthy benefactor, NYC Anarchist Black Cross (ABCF) is
able to offer an amazing proposition. . .

THIS WEEK ONLY, funds up to $500.00 for Seth Hayes' legal defense,
received in the NYC ABCF PO box or in person to a member of the ABC,
between Tuesday April 28th and Tuesday May 5th 2009, will be *
MATCHED * by our wealthy benefactor!

That's right. Seth will get double the money that you contribute.

If NYC ABC exceeds our fundraising goal of $500.00, money above that
will still go to Seth Hayes' legal fund. If the money coming in
exceeds Seth Hayes' total financial needs for legal costs, excess
money will go toward the ABCF Warchest Program for the commissary
needs of political prisoners and prisoners of war. (http://
www.abcf.net/abcf.asp?page=warchest)

Make your check payable to "123 Community Space LLC" and in the memo
of your check be sure to include "Robert Seth Hayes." Contributions
received in this manner will be tax deductable!

Mail check or money order to

NYC ABCF
PO Box 110034
Brooklyn NY, 11211

between Tuesday April 28th and Sunday May 5th, 2009.

In Solidarity for Freedom,
NYC Anarchist Black Cross
(NYC chapter of the Anarchist Black Cross Federation)
---------
March 24, 2009

Open Letter To:

Anarchist Black Cross Federation, NYC
Resistance N Brooklyn
New York Task Force
Jericho NYC
Malcolm X Grassroots Movement

From Robert Seth Hayes

Re: Request for Economic Assistance in Lieu of Parole Litigation

Comrades,

I have retained the services of Attorney Cheryl Kates to address my
parole appeal. I believe her skills are both fundamentally sound and
needed, and having this opportunity before me is nothing short of a
blessing. We spoke and though it's not etched in stone, the cost
appears to hover around $2,500.00 outside of unforeseen expenses. I
am therefore requesting assistance from you to establish this funding
so that the operation of appeal can begin. Anything you can offer,
in whatever amount will be greatly appreciated.

So that there is no doubt of my sincerity to leave any stones
unturned, be advised that I am also pursuing Buffalo Community
Activist as well as Canada to help secure the completion of this
economic contract. Please feel free to pledge your commitment to me
in whatever form, as soon as possible so that I can assess how far a
field I may have to travel henceforth.

Thank you for your consideration of my request and thank you for
whatever commitment/pledge you render.

Sincerely,
Seth
Robert Seth Hayes

cc: All of the Above
—————————

Exerpts from Seth Hayes' autobiographical piece at http://
www.abcf.net/prisoners/seth.htm

My name is Robert Seth' Hayes. I was captured and convicted in New
York City in 1973 under a host of charges, attributed to my
membership in the Black Liberation Army (BLA). Through my conviction,
I received a sentence of 25 years to life. In 1994-95 I began my
22nd-23rdyear in confinement. . .

. . . I have no optimism that I will be released, but I will
nevertheless struggle to become released.

If in the event I am not released, I will maintain a Revolutionary
Commitment to Struggle til Liberation comes or life ends. So I say to
you, one and all, the Struggle is arduous, therefore, so must your
commitment to changing society, humanity, be arduous. HARAMBEE (Let's
Pull Together). A Luta Continua'.

We Resist,
We Resist
We Resist!
Robert Seth' Hayes
BLACK LIBERATION ARMY AFRIKAN FREEDOM FIGHTER

Sunday, May 03, 2009

US Political Prisoners and POWS Birthdays in May

LAUREN GAZZOLA
93497-011
Route #37
Danbury, CT 06811
FCI Danbury
May 1st

DANIEL McGOWAN
#63794-053 / Box 1000
Marion, IL 62959
FCI Marion
May 2, 1974

ALVARO LUNA HERNANDEZ
#255735
Hughes Unit
Rt. 2, Box 4400
Gatesville, TX 76597
May 12, 1952

MONDO WE LANGA (D. RICE)
27768 / Box 2500
Lincoln, NE 68542-2500
May 21, 1947

The Angola Three: Torture in Our Own Backyard

By Hans Bennett

(Alternet.org, May 2, 2009)

“My soul cries from all that I witnessed and endured. It does more than cry, it mourns continuously,” said Black Panther Robert Hillary King, following his release from the infamous Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola in 2001, after serving his last 29 years in continuous solitary confinement. King argues that slavery persists in Angola and other US prisons, citing the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution, which legalizes slavery in prisons as “a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted." King says: “You can be legally incarcerated but morally innocent.”

Robert King, Albert Woodfox, and Herman Wallace are known as the ‘Angola Three,’ a trio of political prisoners whose supporters include Amnesty International, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Congressman John Conyers, and the ACLU. Kgalema Mothlante, the President of South Africa says their case “has the potential of laying bare, exposing the shortcomings, in the entire US system.” Woodfox and Wallace are the two co-founders of the Angola chapter of the Black Panther Party (BPP)—the only official prison chapter of the BPP. Both convicted in the highly contested stabbing death of white prison guard Brent Miller, Woodfox and Wallace have now spent over 36 years in solitary confinement.

The joint federal civil rights lawsuit of King, Woodfox, and Wallace, alleging that their time in solitary confinement is “cruel and unusual punishment,” will go to trial any month in Baton Rouge, at the U.S. Middle District Court. Herman Wallace’s appeal against his murder conviction is currently pending in the Louisiana Supreme Court, and on March 18, he was transferred to the Hunt Correctional Facility in St. Gabrielo, Louisiana, where he remains in solitary confinement. On March 2, the US Fifth Circuit Court heard oral arguments regarding Albert Woodfox’s conviction, after the Louisiana Attorney General appealed a lower court’s ruling that overturned the conviction.

An 18,000-acre former slave plantation in rural Louisiana, Angola is the largest prison in the US. Today, with African Americans composing over 75% of Angola’s 5,108 prisoners, prison guards known as “free men,” a forced 40-hour workweek, and four cents an hour as minimum wage, the resemblance to antebellum US slavery is striking. In the early 1970s, it was even worse, as prisoners were forced to work 96-hour weeks (16 hours a day / 6 days a week) with two cents an hour as minimum wage. Officially considered (according to its own website) the “Bloodiest Prison in the South” at this time, violence from guards and between prisoners was endemic. Prison authorities sanctioned prisoner rape, and according to former Prison Warden Murray Henderson, the prison guards actually helped facilitate a brutal system of sexual slavery where the younger and physically weaker prisoners were bought and sold into submission. As part of the notorious “inmate trusty guard” system, responsible for killing 40 prisoners and seriously maiming 350 from 1972-75, some prisoners were given state-issued weapons and ordered to enforce this sexual slavery, as well as the prison’s many other injustices. Life at Angola was living hell—a 20th century slave plantation.

The Angola Panthers saw life at Angola as modern-day slavery and fought back with non-violent hunger strikes and work strikes. Prison authorities were outraged by the BPP’s organizing, and overwhelming evidence has since emerged that authorities retaliated by framing these three BPP organizers for murders that they did not commit.

Albert Woodfox and Herman Wallace

Both convicted of murder for the April 17, 1972 stabbing death of white prison guard Brent Miller, Albert Woodfox and Herman Wallace have recently had major victories in court that may soon lead to their release. In response, Angola Warden Burl Cain and the Louisiana State Attorney General, James “Buddy” Caldwell, are doing everything they can to resist this and to keep the two in solitary confinement. In sharp contrast, Miller’s widow, Leontine Verrett, now questions their guilt. Interviewed in March, 2008, by NBC Nightly News, she called for a new investigation into the case: “What I want is justice. If these two men did not do this, I think they need to be out.”

Woodfox and Wallace were inmates at Angola, resulting from separate robbery convictions, when they co-founded the Angola BPP chapter in 1971. Woodfox had escaped from New Orleans Parish Prison and fled to New York City, where he met BPP members, including the New York 21, before he was recaptured and sent to Angola. Wallace had met members of the Louisiana State Chapter of the BPP, including the New Orleans 12, while imprisoned at Orleans Parish.

On September 19, 2006, State Judicial Commissioner Rachel Morgan recommended overturning Wallace’s conviction, on grounds that prison officials had withheld evidence from the jury that prison officials had bribed the prosecution’s key eyewitness, Hezekiah Brown, in return for his testimony. However, in May 2008, in a 2-1 vote, the State Appeals Court rejected Morgan’s recommendation and refused to overturn the conviction. Wallace’s appeal is now pending in the State Supreme Court, with a decision expected any month.

On June 10th, 2008, Federal Magistrate Christine Noland recommended overturning Woodfox’s conviction, citing evidence of inadequate representation, prosecutorial misconduct, suppression of exculpatory evidence, and racial discrimination. Then, on November 25, US District Court Judge James Brady upheld Noland’s recommendation, overturned the conviction, and granted bail. Attorney General Caldwell responded by appealing to the US Fifth Circuit. In December, the Fifth Circuit granted Caldwell’s request to deny Woodfox bail, but indicated sympathy for the overturning of the conviction, writing: "We are not now convinced that the State has established a likelihood of success on the merits." On March 3, oral arguments were heard by appellate Judges Carolyn Dineen King, Carl E. Steart and Leslie H. Southwick, and a decision from them is now expected within six months. If the three judge panel affirms the overturning of Woodfox’s conviction, the state will have 120 days to either accept the ruling or to retry Woodfox. The state has already vowed to retry him if necessary. If the Fifth Circuit rules for the state, Woodfox’s conviction will be reinstated.

Ira Glasser, formerly of the ACLU, criticized AG Caldwell, writing that following the October 2008 announcement that Woodfox’s niece had agreed to take him in if granted bail, Caldwell “embarked upon a public scare campaign reminiscent of the kind of inflammatory hysteria that once was used to provoke lynch mobs. He called Woodfox a violent rapist, even though he had never been charged, let alone convicted, of rape; he sent emails to [Woodfox’s niece’s] neighbors calling Woodfox a convicted murderer and violent rapist; and neighbors were urged to sign petitions opposing his release. In the end, his niece and family were sufficiently frightened and threatened that Woodfox rejected the plan to live with them while on bail.” In his Nov. 25 ruling, Judge Brady himself criticized the intimidation campaign: “it is apparent that the [neighborhood] association was not told Mr. Woodfox is frail, sickly, and has a clean conduct record for more than twenty years.”

When the October 27-29 National Public Radio (NPR) series on the case reported directly from Angola, reporter Laura Sullivan observed, “a hundred black men are in the field, bent over picking tomatoes. A single white officer on a horse sits above them, a shotgun in his lap…It's the same as it looked 40 years ago, and 100 years ago.” Commenting that many at Angola today “seem to want to bury this case in a place no one will find it,” NPR reported that Warden Burl Cain and others refused to comment. However, Caldwell told NPR he is convinced that Woodfox and Wallace are guilty, and that he will appeal Woodfox’s case all the way to the US Supreme Court. "This is a very dangerous person," Caldwell says. "This is the most dangerous person on the planet."

As NPR documented, there is no physical evidence linking Woodfox or Wallace to the murder. A bloody fingerprint was found at the scene but it matches neither prisoner’s prints. Prison officials have always refused to test that fingerprint against their own inmate fingerprint database. Caldwell vows to continue this policy, telling NPR: "A fingerprint can come from anywhere…We're not going to be fooled by that."

Caldwell also told NPR that he firmly believes the testimony of the prosecution’s key eyewitness, Hezekiah Brown, a serial rapist who had been sentenced to life without parole. Brown first told prison officials that he didn’t know anything, but he later testified to seeing Miller stabbed to death by four inmates: Woodfox and Wallace, and two others who are now deceased: Chester Jackson (who testified for the state and pled guilty to a lesser charge) and Gilbert Montegut (who was acquitted after an officer provided an alibi).

Pardoned in 1986, and now deceased, Brown always denied receiving special favors from prison authorities in exchange for his testimony. However, prison documents reveal special treatment, including special housing and a carton of cigarettes given to him every week. Testifying at Woodfox’s 1998 retrial, former Warden Murray Henderson admitted telling Brown that if he provided testimony helping to “crack the case,” he would reward him by lobbying for his pardon.

Solitary Confinement for “Black Pantherism”

In early 2008, a 25,000-signature petition initiated by ColorOfChange.org, calling for an investigation into Woodfox and Wallace’s convictions and solitary confinement, was delivered to Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal by the head of the State Legislature’s Judiciary Committee, Cedric Richmond. To this day, Jindal remains silent on the case.

In March, 2008, following a visit from Congressman John Conyers, Chairman of the US House Judiciary Committee; Innocence Project founder Barry Scheck; and Cedric Richmond, Wallace and Woodfox were transferred from solitary and housed together in a newly-built maximum security dormitory for twenty men. This temporary release from solitary lasted for eight months, during which time Woodfox reflected: “The thing I noticed most about being with Herman is the laughing, the talking, the bumping up against one another…we’ve been denied this for so long. And every once in a while he’ll put his arm around me or I’ll put my arm around him. It’s those kinds of things that make you human. And we’re truly enjoying that.”

In April, following his visit, Conyers wrote a letter to the FBI requesting their documents relating to the case, stating: “I am deeply troubled by what evidence suggests was a tragic miscarriage of justice with regard to these men. There is significant evidence that suggests not only their innocence, but also troubling misconduct by prison officials.” The FBI responded by claiming that they had no files on the case, because, they had supposedly been destroyed.

In his deposition taken October 22, 2008, Warden Burl Cain explained why he opposed granting Woodfox bail and removing him from solitary confinement. Asked what gave him “such concern” about Woodfox, Cain stated: “He wants to demonstrate. He wants to organize. He wants to be defiant…A hunger strike is really, really bad, because you could see he admitted that he was organizing a peaceful demonstration. There is no such thing as a peaceful demonstration in prison.” Cain then stated that even if Woodfox were innocent of the murder, he would still want to keep him in solitary, because “I still know he has a propensity for violence…he is still trying to practice Black Pantherism, and I still would not want him walking around my prison because he would organize the young new inmates. I would have me all kinds of problems, more than I could stand, and I would have the blacks chasing after them. I would have chaos and conflict, and I believe that.”

The only other known US prisoner to have spent so many years in solitary confinement is Hugo Pinell, in California. One of the San Quentin Six, Pinell was a close comrade of Black Panther and prison author, George Jackson. Currently housed in Pelican Bay State Prison’s notorious “Security Housing Unit”, Pinell has been in continuous solitary since at least 1971. The recently freed Angola 3 prisoner Robert Hillary King says Pinell “is a clear example of a political prisoner.” This January, Pinell was denied parole for the next 15 years, which King says “is a sentence to die in prison. This is cruel and unusual punishment, which may be legal but is definitely not moral.”

Robert Hillary King

The new book From the Bottom of the Heap: The Autobiography of Robert Hillary King has just been released by PM Press, and King is currently touring the East Coast to promote the book. This inspiring book tells of King’s triumph over the horrors of Angola. Born poor in rural Louisiana, he was raised mostly by his heroic grandmother, who King recounts “worked the sugar cane fields from sun up ‘til sun down for less than a dollar a day. During the off-season, she washed, ironed clothes, and scrubbed floors for whites for pennies a day or for leftover food. Her bunions and blisters told a bitter but vivid tale of her travails.”

King first entered Angola at the age of 18, for a robbery conviction. In his book, he admits to doing some non-violent burglaries at the time, but maintains his innocence regarding this conviction and every one since. Granted parole in 1965, at the age of 22, he returned to New Orleans, got married, and began a brief semi-pro boxing career as “Speedy King.” He was then arrested on charges of robbery, just weeks before his wife Clara gave birth to their son. After being held for over 11 months, his friend pled guilty to a lesser charge and was released on time served. Simultaneously, the DA dropped the charges against King, but he was not released, because his arrest, coupled with his friend’s guilty plea was deemed a parole violation. Therefore, King was sent back to Angola where he served 15 months and was released again in 1969.

Upon release, King was again arrested on robbery charges, and was convicted, even though his co-defendant testified that he had only picked King out of a mug shot lineup after being tortured by police into making a false statement. King appealed, and while being held at New Orleans Parish Prison, he escaped, but was re-captured weeks later. Upon returning to Orleans Parish he met some of the New Orleans 12--BPP members arrested after a confrontation with police at a housing project. He was radicalized and worked with the Panthers organizing non-violent hunger strikes, and engaging in self-defense against violent attacks from prison authorities.

In 1972, King moved to Angola shortly after the death of prison guard Brent Miller. Upon arrival, on grounds that King “wanted to play lawyer for another inmate,” he was immediately put into solitary confinement: first in the “dungeon,” then the “Red Hat,” and finally to the Closed Correction Cell (CCR) unit, where he remained until his 2001 release. At CCR, King writes that the Angola BPP chapter and others continued to struggle, using the one hour a day outside their cells (when they were allowed to shower and interact in the walkway) to organize: “That was how we talked, passed papers, educated each other, and coordinated our actions.”

King writes about the fight, started in 1977, to end the practice of routine rectal searches of prisoners: “Coming to a consensus conclusion that this practice was a carryover from slavery (before being sold, the slave had to be stripped and subjected to anal examination), and after months of appealing to our keepers, we decided to take a bold step: we would simply refuse a voluntary anal search. We would not be willing participants in our own degradation.” When King and others refused, they were viciously beaten. Woodfox hired a lawyer on the prisoners’ behalf and they filed a successful civil suit. The court ruled to ban “routine anal searches.” Another victory came after a one month hunger strike that stopped the unhealthy and dehumanizing practice of putting the inmate’s food on the floor to be slid underneath the cell door, whereby food would often be lost and the remaining food would usually get dirty.

In 1973, King was accused of murdering another prisoner, and was convicted at a trial where he was bound and gagged. After years of maintaining his innocence and appealing, his conviction was overturned in 2001, after he reluctantly pled guilty to a lesser charge of “conspiracy to commit murder” and was released on time served.

Kenny “Zulu” Whitmore

On June 21, 2008, Robert King attended the unveiling of a 40-foot mosaic dedicated to Angola prisoner and Angola BPP member Kenneth “Zulu” Whitmore, launching the “Free Zulu” campaign. King is working to publicize his case, saying “Zulu is a true warrior, Panther, a servant of the people. He has fought a good battle, for so long, unrecognized, unsupported!”

The mosaic adorns the back of activist/artist Carrie Reichardt’s home in the West London suburb of Chiswick. Reichardt says “we chose to base the design around a modern day interpretation of the Goddess Kali. She is considered the goddess of liberation, time and transformation. We wanted to use a strong, positive image of a female that would give hope and encourage others to join the struggle to bring about social change. Her speech bubble says 'The revolution is now'.”

Imprisoned since 1977, Whitmore met Herman Wallace while imprisoned in 1973 at the East Baton Rouge Prison. Whitmore was released but then arrested and subsequently imprisoned at Angola when he was convicted of robbery and second-degree murder after he had returned to the community and been a political organizer. Just like the Angola 3, the case against him is full of holes, and he is appealing his conviction. Whitmore does not have a lawyer yet, so the freezulu.co.uk website is raising money to support his appeal.

Angola: The Last Slave Plantation

Three court cases are now pending: the federal civil rights lawsuit at the US Middle District Court, Albert Woodfox’s appeal at the US Fifth Circuit, and Wallace’s appeal at the State Supreme Court. At this critical stage, a new DVD has just been released by PM Press, titled The Angola 3: Black Panthers and the Last Slave Plantation. The DVD is narrated by death-row journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal, and features footage of King’s 2001 release, as well as an interview with King and a variety of former Panthers and other supporters of the Angola 3, including Bo Brown, David Hilliard, Geronimo Ji Jaga (formerly Pratt), Marion Brown, Luis Talamantez, Noelle Hanrahan, Malik Rahim, and the late Anita Roddick.

The perpetuation of white supremacy and slavery at Angola is a central theme throughout the film. Fred Hampton Jr., emphasizes that “we’ve got to make the connection between these modern day plantations, and what went down with chattel slavery.” Scott Fleming, a lawyer for the Angola 3, says: “That prison is still run like a slave plantation…People like Albert Woodfox and Herman Wallace are the example of what will happen to you if you resist that system.”

Longtime Japanese-American activist Yuri Kochiyama says that Woodfox and Wallace “love people and will fight for justice even if it puts them on the spot. I think of them as real heroes…who hated to see people in the prison get hurt.” San Francisco journalist and former BPP member Kiilu Nyasha adds that “it behooves us to not forget those who were on the frontlines for us….We need to come to their rescue because they came to ours.”

The many years of repression and torture have failed to extinguish the Angola 3’s spirit or will to resist, as Woodfox explains in the DVD: “At heart, mind and spirit, we’re still Black Panthers. We still believe in the same principles as the BPP, we still advocate the ten point program. We still advocate that all prisoners, black or white, are human beings. They deserve to be treated as human beings.”

For more information, please visit www.angola3.org

Hans Bennett is an independent multi-media journalist (www.insubordination.blogspot.com) and co-founder of Journalists for Mumia Abu-Jamal (www.abu-jamal-news.com)

Saturday, May 02, 2009

Support the Eco-Prisoners (May 2009)

Spirit of Freedom
(May 2009)
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 May 2009 edition of Spirit of Freedom. Well for once ELP has
some good news. Bryan Griffiths, the British Hunt Monitor wrongly accused
of Murder following a tragic accident, which resulted in the death of a Hunt
Supporter, has been released on bail!!! This is of course brilliant news
and we hope its an indication that the British Courts are starting to accept
the obvious truth, Bryan did not murder anyone. The death of the hunt
supproter was an tragic accident and Bryan is entirely innocent.

However despite our celebrations about Bryan's release from prison, ELP has
some sad news as well. As of last month, the British 'Vegan Prisoners
Supporters Group' stopped producing a prisoner list on their website
(however we are assured the VPSG will continue to do their vital work). The
ending of the VPSG prisoner list on the website is a shame as the website
acts as vital source of information for many involved in prisoner support
work. Not least ELP happily admits we always used to check our prisoner
list against theirs to make sure all our prisoner list addresses were up to
date!!!

And thinking of ELP's prisoner lists, we do try to keep our lists as
accurate as possible (including checking other prisoner lists to make sure
we do have the most up to date addresses), but as we list prisoners around
the world (we currently list prisoners from ten different countries -
American, Britain, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Poland, Russia, Sweden
and Switzerland) and we do accept we do make mistakes from time to time. So
please, if you spot an address is out of date, or if you know of someone who
should be on our list who isn't listed, please let us know. And remember
our lists are international so it doesn't matter where the person is jailed,
if they fall into ELP's criteria for support, we'll list them! So please,
do help us keep our lists up to date by letting us know about any prisoners
you know about.

Support the eco-prisoners and no compromise in defence of Mother Earth!


ECO-DEFENCE PRISONERS

Tre Arrow, #70936065, FCI Herlong, Federal Correctional Institution, PO Box
800, Herlong, CA 96113, USA. Serving 78 months for his involvement in two
ELF arsons. 1) an arson on logging trucks 2) an arson on vehicles owned by
a sand & gravel company. (Tre is a raw energy vegan - He has asked that his
letters of support are written on scrap paper or tree-free paper).

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.
The letters ELF were spray painted onto all of the vehicles. (Grant is a
vegan).

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. (Diet unknown).

Julien COUPAT, N° d'écrou 290173, 42 rue de la santé, 75014 Paris, France.
On remand accused of sabotaging railway lines to protest against the nuclear
power industry (which carries waste by railway lines). (Diet unknown).

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. (Marco is a
meat eater who encourages organic living).

Daniele Casalini, Via Casale 50/a, 15040 San Michele (AL), Italy. Il
Silvestre activist awaiting trial accused of using explosives to damage an
electricity pylon in protest at nuclear energy. (Daniele is a vegan).

Francesco Gioia, Via Casale 50/a, 15040 San Michele (AL), Italy. Il
Silvestre activist awaiting trial accused of using explosives to damage an
electricity pylon in protest at nuclear energy. (Francesco is a vegetarian
and Straight Edge).

Jonatan. E-mail messages of support to freejonatan@yahoo.se A 20-year old
Swedish man sentenced to 15 months imprisonment after admitting damaging a
communication tower used by the Department of Defence, cutting the cables on
a crane used in creating urban sprawl, and damaging a vehicle used in the
logging industry. Jonatan is currently on bail as he appeals his sentence
(Jonatan is a vegan).

Jeffrey Luers, # 13797671, CRCI, 9111 NE Sunderland Ave, Portland, OR
97211-1708, USA. Serving 10 years for arson on a SUV dealership & the
attempted arson of an oil truck. The original sentence was 22 years & 8
months, but was reduced on appeal. (Diet unknown).

Marie Jeanette Mason, #04672-061, FCI Waseca, Federal Correctional
Institution, PO Box 1731, Waseca, MN 56093, USA. Serving 21 years and 10
months for her involvement in an ELF arson against a University building
carrying out Genetically Modified crop tests. Marie also pleaded guilty to
conspiring to carry out ELF actions and admitted involvement in 12 other ELF
actions. (Marie is a vegan).

Eric McDavid, 16209-097, FCI Victorville, Medium II, Federal Correctional
Institution, PO Box 5300, Adelanto, CA 92301, USA. Serving 19 years & 7
months for planning to destroy the property of the U.S. Forestry Service,
mobile phone masts and power plants. At the point of his arrest no criminal
damage has actually occurred. (Eric is a vegan).

Daniel McGowan, 63794-053, USP Marion, US Penitentiary, PO Box 1000, Marion,
IL 62959, USA. Serving 7 years for an ELF arson against a Poplar Tree Farm
and an ELF arson against an old growth logging corporation. Also admitted
his role in an ELF/ALF conspiracy. (Daniel is a vegetarian).

Jonathan Paul - See details in Animal Liberation Prisoners List.

Michael Sykes 696693, Richard A. Handlon Correctional Facility, 1728
Bluewater Highway, Ionia, MI 48846, USA. Serving four to ten years for
anti-sprawl arsons, criminal damage to a utility pole, spray-painting
political graffiti and burning the American flag. (Diet unknown)

Briana Waters 36432-086, FCI Danbury, Federal Correctional Institution,
Route 37, Danbury, CT 06811, USA. Serving six years for involvement in an
ELF arson on a University. (Diet unknown).

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. (Diet unknown).

ANIMAL LIBERATION PRISONERS
(All Animal Liberation Prisoners follow a minimum vegetarian diet and most
are vegan).

Jonny Ablewhite TB4885, HMP Ranby, Retford, Notts, DN22 8EU, England.
Serving 12 years for attempting to blackmail a farmer who supplied guinea
pigs for vivisection. (Jon is a vegan).

Dan Amos VN7818, HMP Winchester, Romsey Road, Winchester SO22 5DF, England.
Serving 4 years for conspiracy to blackmail Huntingdon Life Sciences. (Dan
is a vegan)

Gregg Avery TA7450, HMP Coldingley, Shaftesbury Road, Bisley, Woking, Surrey
GU24 9EX, England. Serving 9 years for conspiracy to blackmail Huntingdon
Life Sciences. (Gregg is a vegan).

Natasha Avery NR8987, HMP Send, Ripley Road, Woking, Surrey, GU23 7LJ,
England. Serving 9 years for conspiracy to blackmail Huntingdon Life
Sciences. (Nat is a vegan).

Mel Broughton TN9138, HMP Woodhill, Tattenhoe Street, Milton Keynes, Bucks
MK4 4DA, England. Serving 10 years for "conspiracy to commit arson" against
Oxford University vivisection department. (Mel is a vegan).

Dean Cain, WJ4309, HMP Lincoln, Greetwell Road, LN2 4BD, England. On remand
for allegedly trespassing at a rabbit farm. The charges include interfering
with a contractual relationship so as to harm an animal research
organisation, conspiracy to interfere with a contractual relationship so as
to harm an animal research organisation, and conspiracy to commit criminal
damage. (Dean is a vegan).

Jacob Conroy #93501-011, FCI Terminal Island, Federal Correctional
Institution, P.O. Box 3007, San Pedro, CA 90731, USA. Serving 48 months
imprisonment for helping organise the SHAC-USA campaign. (Jake is a vegan).

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. (Lauren is a vegan).

Linda Greene, #1300927, Century Regional Detention Facility, 11705 S.
Alameda Street, Lynwood, CA 90262, USA. On remand accused of stalking.
Exact details of the indictment have not yet been revealed but the charges
appear to relate to a person employed by an educational facility so may be
linked to vivisection. (Linda is a vegan).

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. (Josh is a vegan).

Jordan Halliday, Inmate #24836, 1225 West Valley View Highway, Suite 100,
Logan, UT 84321, USA. Jailed for contempt of court for refusing to testify
before a Grand Jury investigating animal rights actions in Utah. (Jordan is
a vegan).

PI Noordsingel, Peter Janssen 5102880, Postbus 37066, 3005 LB Rotterdam,
Holland. On remand accused of freeing mink from a fur farm. (Peter is a
vegan).

Sean Kirtley WC 6977, HMP Stafford, 54 Gaol Road, Stafford, ST16 3AW,
England. Serving four and a half years for running an anti-vivisection
campaign website. (Sean is a vegan).

Kevin Kjonaas #93502-011, FCI Sandstone, PO Box 1000, Sandstone, MN 55072
USA. Serving 72 months imprisonment for helping organise the SHAC-USA
campaign. (Kevin is a vegan).

Daniel McGowan - See details in Eco Defence Prisoners List.

Gavin Medd-Hall WV9475, HMP Coldingley, Shaftesbury Road, Bisley, Woking,
Surrey GU24 9EX, England. Serving 8 years for conspiracy to blackmail
Huntingdon Life Sciences. (Gavin is a vegan).

Heather Nicholson VM4859, HMP Bronzefield, Woodthorpe Road, Ashford, Middx.
TW15 3JZ, England. Serving 11 years for conspiracy to blackmail Huntingdon
Life Sciences. (Heather is a vegan).

Kevin Olliff, #1300931, Terminal Annex, P.O. Box 86164, Los Angeles, CA
90086-0164, USA. On remand accused of stalking. Exact details of the
indictment have not yet been revealed but the charges appear to relate to a
person employed by an educational facility so may be linked to vivisection.
(Kevin is a vegan).

Jonathan Paul, #07167-085, FCI Phoenix, Federal Correctional Institution,
37910 N 45th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85086, USA. Sentenced to 51 months for an
ALF arson on a horse meat plant. Also admitted his role in an ELF/ALF
conspiracy. (Jonathan is a vegan).

John Smith, TB4887, HMP Lindholme, Bawtry Road, Hatfield Woodhouse,
Doncaster, DN7 6EE, England. Serving 12 years for attempting to blackmail a
farmer who supplied guinea pigs for vivisection. (John is a vegan).

Luke Steele, WJ4308, HMP Lincoln, Greetwell Road, LN2 4BD, England. On
remand for allegedly trespassing at a rabbit farm. The charges include
interfering with a contractual relationship so as to harm an animal research
organisation, conspiracy to interfere with a contractual relationship so as
to harm an animal research organisation, and conspiracy to commit criminal
damage. (Luke is a vegan).

Nicole Vosper VM9385, HMP Bronzefield, Woodhthorpe Road, Ashford, Middx,
TW15 3JZ, England. On remand accused of blackmailing Huntingdon Life
Sciences. (Nicole is a vegan).

Dan Wadham, A5705AA,HMP Camp Hill, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO30 5PB,
England. Serving 5 years for conspiracy to blackmail Huntingdon Life
Sciences. (Dan is a vegan).

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. (Kerry is a vegan).

Sarah Whitehead, VM7684, HMP Bronzefield, Woodthorpe Road, Ashford, Middx,
TW15 3JZ, England. Serving two years for: 1) rescuing a puppy from horrific
conditions. 2) rescuing over 100 animals from a pet breeder who was later
prosecuted for animal abuse. Also awaiting trial for SHAC activity. (Sarah
is a vegan)

PARTY & PROTEST PRISONERS

Justizvollzugsanstalt Aichach, Natalja Liebich, Postfach 1380, 86544
Aichach, Germany. Jailed until June 2009 for taking part in anti-G8 and
anti-NATO protests. (Diet unknown).

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. (Diet unknown).

OTHER ANTI-WAR PRISONERS

Robert Alford VP 7552 HMP Lewes, 1 Brighton Rd, Lewes, Sussex, BN7 1EA,
England. On remand accused of disarming a weapons factory, which, amongst
other things, makes Hellfire Missiles. The action was in protest at Israel
military action against Gaza. (Diet unknown).

Elija Smith VP 7551 HMP Bristol, 19 Cambridge Rd, Bristol, BS7 8PS, England.
On remand accused of disarming a weapons factory, which, amongst other
things, makes Hellfire Missiles. The action was in protest at Israel
military action against Gaza. (Diet unknown).

THE LECCE DEFENDANTS
The Lecce Defendants 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

Aleksey Bychin, SIZO 47/2, ul. Akademika Lebedeva, dom. 39, 195005 St.
Peterburg, Russia. On remand for fighting with neo-nazis. (Diet unknown).

Andrei Mergenov, FGU IZ 64/1 OKB 2 komn. 73, Up. Kutyakova 107, 410601
Saratov, Russia. Serving 3 years for fighting with neo-nazis. (Diet
unknown)

Christian Sümmermann, Bnr: 441/08/5, JVA Plötzensee, Lehrterstr. 61, 10557
Berlin, Germany. Serving 40 months for breaching the peace whilst serving a
suspended sentence issued for anti-fascist activities. (Diet unknown).

Tomasz Wiloszewski, Zaklad Karny, Orzechowa 5, 98-200 Sieradz, Poland.
Serving 15 years for accidentally killing a neo-nazi whilst defending
himself. (Tomasz is a vegetarian).

OTHER PRISONERS

Pavel Delidon, ul. Timiryazeva-1, FGU IK-7, 309990 Valuyki Russia.
Anarchist/Animal Rights activist jailed for attempting to obtain wages owed
to him, but which had not been paid to him by his employer. (Diet unknown).

Richard Sills (Address Unknown, USA). Serving 15 months for bomb hoaxing a
University saying they would be targeted by the ALF if they didn't stop
their animal experiments. (Diet unknown).

Fran Thompson, #1090915, CCC, 3151 Litton Drive, Chillicuthe, MO 64601, 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. (Fran is a vegan).

MOVE
MOVE is an eco-revolutionary group who carried out protests in defence of
all life. All move prisoners describe themselves as vegetarians. 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
Graterford, PO Box 244, Graterford, PA 19426-0244, USA.

Edward Goodman Africa (AM4974), SCI Mahanoy, 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
including assault and murder. '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

Greek language ELP Website
http://greekelp.blogspot.com

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

Australian ELP.SN is our Australian contact. For more info 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.

Greek ELP.SN is our Greek contact. For more info e-mail greekelp@yahoo.gr

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

Protest against a prosecution that will endanger women

From: English Collective of Prostitutes [mailto:ecp@allwomencount.net]
Sent: 01 May 2009 00:11
Subject: PROTEST PROSECUTION THAT UNDERMINES SAFETY, 6 MAY

. . ACTION ALERT . . . ACTION ALERT . . . ACTION ALERT . . .

Dear Friends,

We enclose below a letter from Legal Action for Women (LAW) asking for the prosecution against Ms W to be dropped. She is facing charges of assisting in the management of a brothel yet she was only an occasional visitor at the premises and her primary role was to ensure the safety of other women working there. She is due to appear at Highbury Magistrates Court on 6 May.

Despite Legal Action for Women’s efforts to get the prosecution dropped, the Reviewing Officer for the CPS based at Holborn Police Station has replied saying that the case has been reviewed and that “there is sufficient evidence to proceed” and that it is “in the public interest to do so”.

We urge you to write immediately to Kier Starmer the DPP expressing your concerns, copying the letter to Nazir Afzal Chief Prosecutor for London and to the Reviewing Officer (addresses below).

We enclose below a model letter and a list of points that you may want to raise in addition to whatever other concerns you may have.

Please copy any letter you send to us at ecp@allwomencount.net

Many thanks

+++++++++++++++

Kier Starmer privateoffice@cps.gsi.gov.uk

Nazir Afzal nazir.afzal@cps.gsi.gov.uk;

The Reviewing Officer, 9th floor, Holborn Police Station, DX475 London Chancery Lane, 10 Lambs Conduit Street, London WC1N 3NR

Legal Action for Women

Crossroads Women’s Centre PO Box 287 London NW6 5QU

Tel: 020 7482 2496 minicom/voice Fax: 020 7209 4761

E-mail: law@crossroadswomen.net

Keir Starmer QC

Director of Public Prosecutions

50 Ludgate Hill

London, EC4M 7EX 28 April 2009

RE: Ms W

Dear Keir Starmer QC.

We are writing on behalf of Ms W who has been charged under section 33 of the Sexual Offences Act 1956 with the offence “to assist in the management of a brothel” at two premises, one in Kingsway and one in Gray’s Inn Road.

Ms W had no responsibility for either flat. She is not a tenant, did not hold keys, and does not pay any of the bills. She was an occasional visitor and her role was to ensure the safety of other women. Two years ago, she bravely escaped from a violent partner after 28 years of abuse. She is presently struggling to support herself, her disabled daughter and elderly mother who is housebound having suffered a stroke. Any prosecution would have a severe detrimental effect on her mental and physical wellbeing and on the welfare of her daughter and mother.

In addition, this prosecution is not in the public interest.

1. Alleged complaints against the flats were found by police to be unfounded. The justification for this prosecution is that these flats were “nuisance brothels”. The police made four visits in one month to the Kingsway flat claiming that they had received complaints that a woman was heard calling for help and that there had been a serious assault in the flat. Officers visited and investigated and found no evidence of this or of any nuisance. PC Barrington, the local officer also visited the address at least three times during this period and found nothing to report.

In addition to these police visits there have been two raids on the Kingsway flat and one raid on the Gray’s Inn flat. The only charges to arise from these raids are for brothel-keeping offences.

2. There is widespread opposition, including among members of parliament and peers, to women being criminalised for working collectively and consensually.

There is no evidence of force, coercion, violence, abuse or trafficking at these flats. Why are charges being brought?

We call your attention to statements from ministers and other parliamentarians that women working together in premises should not constitute a crime. In 2006, Home Office minister Fiona Mactaggart proposed changes to the prostitution laws:

“Where women are working for themselves and are not being managed or pimped on a large scale, in the interim it is probably more sensible not to use the very serious penalties we have against people who run brothels. Very small scale operations can operate in a way that is not disruptive to neighbours.” (Daily Telegraph 18 January 2006).

The Home Office has acknowledged:

“ . . .the present definition of brothel ran counter to advice that, in the interests of safety, women should not sell sex alone.” (The Times 18 January 2006).

During the Second Reading of the Policing and Crime Bill (19 January 2009) Minister of State, Alan Campbell spoke against the criminalisation of women who “were simply making cups of tea, keeping the diary and helping to keep the women safe”.

3. Public opposition to the arrest and prosecution of sex workers is centred on concern for safety and an acknowledgment, particularly since the Ipswich murders, that criminalisation deters women from reporting violence and makes them more vulnerable to attack.

Ms W, like other friends and colleagues of women working in the sex industry, was the first line of defence against violent attacks. Charges of brothel-keeping being brought against women in this situation will force women to work alone.

4. The public is also increasingly concerned at police priorities which result in 15 officers raiding premises where women are working consensually while the investigation of rape and other violence continues to be downgraded and dismissed. Following the revelations of police incompetence over the trials of John Worboys and Kirk Reid and the publication of the damning IPCC report on police rape investigation, Women Against Rape, whom we work with closely, said

“. . . while the public make protection from violent crime their top priority for what the police should be doing, the Met and the Home Office have other priorities. . . . every day rape survivors comment on how terrorism, surveillance of protests, property crime and arresting sex workers take precedence over the safety of women and girls.

5. Criminalisation institutionalises women in prostitution. Ms W has no convictions for prostitution offences. If she is convicted it will ruin her chances of finding other employment.

How can a prosecution be justified when there is no evidence of harm or nuisance being caused and where the prosecution would have a severe detrimental affect on a woman who is struggling to manage and has other vulnerable family members dependent on her? If this prosecution were to go ahead, many would view it as vindictive and persecutory. We therefore respectfully ask that you exercise your discretion and drop this prosecution.

We are available to answer any questions or provide any further information you may require. We would also welcome a meeting to discuss the issues concerning prostitute women’s safety raised in this letter.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

++++++++++++++

Niki Adams

Cc Nazir Afzal, Chief Crown Prosecutor London

Dru Sharpling, Chief Crown Prosecutor

OBM Reviewing Lawyer, Holborn Police Station

Women Against Rape

Andrew Pelling MP

MODEL letter

Dear Kier Starmer QC,

I have received information about the imminent prosecution of Ms W for assisting in the management of a brothel.

No force, coercion, trafficking or other violence was taking place on these premises. Why is it in the public interest for this prosecution to proceed? Why are serious charges, which could result in a sentence of seven years, being brought against a woman who was ensuring the safety of other women who were working consensually?

Women working alone without the help of women like Ms W are much more vulnerable to attack. Why is a prosecution being brought which undermines women’s safety?

Any prosecution would result in a criminal record which will prevent Ms W getting another job. Ms W is trying to earn a living in increasingly difficult economic times. She is herself a victim of domestic violence and has vulnerable family members dependent on her. She deserves support not criminalisation.

I would like to know why precious police and court time and resources are being squandered in this way while crimes of violence including rape, which the public consider a far greater priority for law enforcement, go unresolved?

I am additionally concerned that raids and prosecutions are being fuelled by Proceeds of Crime legislation which awards 25% of all assets and monies recovered to the police and 25% to the CPS. It seems that both police and CPS have a vested interest in such prosecutions, a recipe for corruption.

I oppose this prosecution. I would like an explanation for the CPS decision to pursue this woman. I also ask that you reconsider dropping these unfair and unhelpful charges.

Sincerely,

++++++++++++

LIST OF POINTS

Women working discreetly, consensually, independently and safely from premises should not be prosecuted. How can it be justified as being in the public interest to do so?

Public opinion is strongly opposed to the criminalisation of women who are not involved in situations where force or coercion is being used.

People are concerned about the devastating effect that a conviction would have on the life of a woman like Ms W, including the fact that a criminal record would prevent her getting another job.

Why are police and court time and resources being squandered on investigating and prosecuting women in this situation when crimes of violence including rape go unresolved?

Whenever the public is polled on what they consider should be a priority for the police violent crimes including rape and racist assault come top of the list. Prostitution where there is no violence involved never even features as a priority.

Ms W was trying to earn a living to support her disabled mother and daughter. At a time of recession it is particular unfair to deprive a woman in her situation of an income.

Raids and prosecutions are being fuelled by the Proceeds of Crime legislation which awards the police and the CPS with 25% each of all monies recovered when women’s income and assets are confiscated. This vested interest is a recipe for corruption.

Prosecutions have also increased since the government and particularly women ministers have initiated a moral crusade against consenting sex.

The Policing and Crime Bill currently going through parliament includes measures to throw women out of premises and criminalise clients. This will drive prostitution further underground and make it more dangerous for women.

English Collective of Prostitutes

PO Box 287

London NW6 5QU

Tel: 020 7482 2496

Fax: 020 7209 4761

Email: ecp@allwomencount.net

Web: www.prostitutescollective.net

Friday, May 01, 2009

PRican PP Scheduled for Parole in May

Puerto Rican political prisoner Carlos Alberto Torres is scheduled for a parole hearing in May.

He was initially scheduled for a January hearing, which he postponed after being falsely charged with a disciplinary violation the week before that hearing. The prison disciplinary committee proceeded to find him guilty of possession of knives hidden in a light fixture in the cell he shared with nine other prisoners, in spite of a sworn confession by the person responsible. Carlos’ administrative appeal is still pending.

The Parole Commission has not yet set a specific date, but it will likely be the week of May 25. There is still time to collect letters supporting his parole, and get them to the address below... deadline for receipt: May 15.


Jan Susler
People’s Law Office
1180 N. Milwaukee
Chicago, IL 60622
*****************************************
Sample letter for Carlos and Oscar - please print out, sign and send to Jan Susler
*****************************************
To the President of the United States:

We write to ask you to release two Puerto Rican men currently in federal prison: Oscar López Rivera and Carlos Alberto Torres. Both have served almost 30 years, convicted of seditious conspiracy, for their involvement in the Puerto Rican independence movement. Although they were not convicted of harming anyone or taking a life, they were given disproportionately severe sentences of 70 years.

Mr. López and Mr. Torres were convicted with many others, 11 of whom were released in 1999 by way of presidential commutation. In granting their release, President Clinton followed the example of other presidents who exercised this constitutional power, such as Jimmy Carter, who offered amnesty to 5 Puerto Rican Nationalists in 1979. Mr. Clinton was also responding to the requests of thousands of citizens who had requested their release. While he did not endorse their political beliefs, he recognized the injustice of their lengthy sentences, given that they were not convicted of harming anyone or taking a life. The women and men released by Presidents Clinton and Carter have successfully integrated into civil society, supporting themselves and caring for their loved ones.

The international campaign for their release in 1999 enjoyed wide support from a broad base, including Puerto Ricans in the U.S. and on the island, elected officials and religious leaders. Notable supporters of the campaign were President Jimmy Carter, Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Coretta Scott King, several Nobel Peace Prize laureates, as well as leaders of the major religious denominations in Puerto Rico and the U.S., all representing a variety of political ideologies and viewpoints. Yet, they shared a common belief that they had served sufficient time in prison­ at the time of their release 16 to19 years­ and supported their release as a human rights issue. This international campaign is still very much in place, and most recently included a resolution from the United Nations, specifically requesting you to release them.

Oscar López Rivera and Carlos Alberto Torres, both in medium security facilities, have been model prisoners, involved in a variety of educational and cultural projects while in prison. They have been separated from their families, friends, and communities for nearly 30 years. We urge you to exercise the constitutional power in your hands, commuting their sentences so that we may welcome them to our midst.

Yours truly,

Name ___________________________________________


Street Address_______________________________________


City, State, Zip Code______________________________________

Court rules against Peltier in documents case

The Associated Press - Thursday, April 30, 2009

MINNEAPOLIS-- Imprisoned American Indian activist Leonard Peltier has lost another round in court in his effort to compel the FBI to disclose about 10,500 pages of documents about his case.

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis ruled on the case Wednesday, rejecting Peltier's claim that the district court should have reviewed all the documents, not just a sample of about 500 pages.

The appeals court said Peltier didn't make that argument during the trial so the district court in Minnesota didn't abuse its discretion by not doing it.

Further, the appeals court said the lower court was correct in ruling that the Freedom of Information Act's exemptions cover the bulk of the disputed documents, shielding them from disclosure.

Peltier is serving two life sentences for the deaths of two FBI agents during a 1975 standoff near Oglala, S.D., on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. He has appealed his conviction several times, without success.

In 2001, he requested all the FBI's records about himself and received more than 70,400 pages of records.

However, the FBI withheld thousands more pages because it claimed they were excempt from the FOIA because they could disclose the identity of confidential sources, among other reasons.

___

8th Circuit Court of Appeals: http://www.ca8.uscourts.gov/