5k run for political prisoners in Greenfield, MA

~> Pledge/sponsorship form is attached...

~~> Directions to the event are at the bottom of the email...

~~~> Come one, come all to this family-friendly, accessible event...

Vermont Action for Political Prisoners and

the Prison Book Project of Western Massachusetts present:



The Second Annual

Connecticut River Running Down the Walls

A 5K run, walk, and bike ride to benefit U.S. political prisoners.



Sunday, August 7, 2011, 10am-1pm (Rain date: August 14)

Greenfield Community College, Greenfield, MA



v  Support social justice and environmental activists in U.S. prisons!

v  Free lunch and refreshments for all participants!

v  Route accessible to all abilities!

v  Children and families welcome!



How to get involved



Be a runner, walker, or cyclist: We ask that participants gather as many
sponsors for the run as possible. Those who do not gather sponsors may
participate in exchange for a donation of $12.  Sponsors should make checks
payable to Carrie Doggett with "CRRDTW 2011" in the note line. (If you
prefer, you may have checks written out to you instead, and bring your
donations to the event in cash form.) Please see the pledge form attached to
this message for more info.



You may RSVP for the event on facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=102933346469185

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=102933346469185


               *Please wear red to RDTW so that you can be identified as a
participant!



Sponsor a runner: This can be done through a flat donation to the runner of
your choice.



*Please contact vermontaction@gmail.com if you are interested in making a
tax deductible donation of $50 or more.* 



Benefactors



100% of funds raised at CRRDTW will benefit the following:

The Bradley Manning Support Network (BMSN): The BMSN is an organization
working to support and free Bradley Manning, a 23-year-old Army intelligence
analyst accused of leaking a
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/05/wikileaks-exposes-video-o_n_525569
.html> video showing the killing of civilians, including two Reuters
journalists, by a US Apache helicopter crew in Iraq. He is also charged with
sharing the documents known as the
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghan_War_documents_leak> Afghan War Diary,
the  <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_War_documents_leak> Iraq War Logs,
and embarrassing
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_diplomatic_cables_leak> US
diplomatic cables, with the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks.  The video and
documents have illuminated such issues as the true number and cause of
civilian casualties in Iraq, human rights abuses by U.S.-funded contractors
and foreign militaries, and the role that spying and bribes play in
international diplomacy.

               Although no one has been harmed by the release of this
information, Bradley faces 22 charges, including "Aiding the enemy by
indirect means," for which a conviction could result in the death penalty or
life in prison.  Bradley has been held in solitary confinement since May
2010 even though he has not yet been tried. He has been denied meaningful
exercise, social interaction, sunlight, and has occasionally been kept
completely naked.
<http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/12/14/manning> These
conditions, which are similar to those faced by other U.S. political
prisoners, are illegal even under US military law as they amount to extreme
pre-trial punishment.  For more on the BMSN, see:
<http://www.bradleymanning.org/> http://www.bradleymanning.org/

The Vermont Action for Political Prisoners and Anarchist Black Cross
Federation Warchest Funds:  These funds provide monthly assistance to many
of the nearly 100 Political Prisoners (PPs) incarcerated in the U.S. who
would otherwise receive no outside monies for stamps, toiletries, commissary
items, and other materials needed for daily survival and communication with
the outside world.  PPs are people incarcerated as a result of conscious
political actions to oppose economic, social, political, and/or
environmental injustice perpetrated by the U.S. government and U.S.
corporations.  U.S. PPs include blacks, whites, Latinos, American Indians,
and Arab-Americans from a variety of social and environmental justice
movements.  While the majority have been incarcerated since the 1970s and
80s, others have entered prison as a result of the U.S. government's more
recent attacks on environmentalist, animal rights, Muslim, Arab-American,
and anti-war activist communities. 

               For more information on VAPP, see:
http://vermontactionforpoliticalprisoners.blogspot.com/

               For more information on the ABCF, see: http://www.abcf.net/



Solidarity Runs



Connecticut River Running Down the Walls will take place in conjunction with
over a dozen other RDTW events occurring in cities, towns, and prisons
across North America.  In recent years, other RDTW events have taken place
in: Albuquerque; Arcata, CA; Ashland, OR; Bellefonte, PA; Boston; Dannemora
State Prison, NY; Denver; Elmore Correctional Center, AL; Guelph, ON; USP
Big Sandy, Inez, KY; Los Angeles; USP Marion, IL; Mexico City; Montreal; USP
Navosta, TX; New York; Pelican Bay State Prison, CA; Phoenix; Tucson; USP
Tucson, AZ; and Toronto.

               For more information on solidarity runs, see:
http://www.abcf.net/la/laabcf.asp?page=la/rdtw



Black August



CRRDTW is scheduled to coincide with observation of Black August, a month
designated for reflection on the lives and lessons of Jonathan Jackson,
George Jackson, and other revolutionaries who perished during the black
liberation and prisoners' rights movement of the 1960s and 70s.  For more
information on Black August, see
http://4strugglemag.org/2009/08/10/black-august-a-celebration-of-freedom-fi
ghters-by-doc-holiday-et-al/
http://4strugglemag.org/2009/08/10/black-august-a-celebration-of-freedom-fig
hters-by-doc-holiday-et-al/

Directions to Greenfield Community College

from the north
91 South to exit 26 for MA-2W Greenfield Center / North Adams
At the traffic circle take the 1st exit into MA -2 W / Mohawk Trail
At the traffic light take a right onto Colrain Rd.
Drive .6 miles and take a left onto College Drive (there is a large sign for
GCC)
Drive .5 miles and you will see a gazebo on your left where we will meet

from the south
91 North to exit 26 for MA-2W Greenfield Center / North Adams
At the traffic circle take the third exit onto MA -2W / Mohawk Trail
At the traffic light take a right onto Colrain Rd.
Drive .6 miles and take a left onto College Drive (there is a large sign for
GCC)
Drive .5 miles and you will see a gazebo on your left where we will meet



***For more information on CRRDTW, please contact VAPP at
vermontaction@gmail.com