4/17 Portland, OR benefit for Marie Mason

From:    freemarie@riseup.net
Date:    Fri, April 4, 2008

Reflections on the Cuban Revolution
An eyewitness presentation with Craig Rosebraugh

As the global community awoke on February 19, 2008 to the news of Fidel
Castro’s resignation, U.S. politicians, along with Florida’s Little
Havana, were in celebration of the impending change.

Local author and activist, Craig Rosebraugh, was in Cuba during this
historic changing of the guard. Come see his presentation and hear his
reflections on the current state of life and politics in this unique
Caribbean nation.

Thursday, April 17, 7:00pm
Flowform
5040 SE Milwaukie
(503) 621-6407

(TriMet Bus #70)

This event is a benefit for Marie Mason. $5-$10 sliding scale admission.

Marie is a local school teacher and loving mother of two in the MidWest.
On March 10, 2008 Marie was arrested by FBI, Homeland Security, and local
police and charged with the 2000 destruction of logging equipment and the
1999 arson at Michigan State University. This is the latest development in
what has been dubbed the Green Scare, a recent wave of government
repression aimed at disrupting and discrediting grassroots environmental
activism and criminalizing dissent.

Chile: Jhonny Presente!

Friday, April 04, 2008 ¡Amor Y Resistencia!

Mapuche Anarchist Jhonny Cariqueo Yañez died March31st, 2008 after suffering a heart attack while being beaten by the Carabineros (chilean police) during protests commemorating the Day of the Youth Combatant, in Pudahuel, Santiago. Jhonny was in the company of two comrades from the collective "Raised Fist" leaving the scene of clashes between police and protesters when a van full of special riot police intercepted them. The police beat and arrested Jhonny and his friends who were brought to the 26th Precinct in Pudahuel where they suffered constant verbal and physical assault...

Jhonny suffered from heart problems and as a consequence of the brutal beating he recieved from the Carabineros he began to have intense chest pains as well as pain in his arm. The police refused his pleas for medical attention claiming (falsely) to not have vehicles available to take him to the hospital. Finally after much insistence by his friends Jhonny was later taken to the emergency room where he was given injections to better him. He was then returned to the jail where he was beaten again, and released the next day. Monday the 31st around 2pm Jhonny laid down in his bed and had a heart attack, minutes later he was dead. The death of our compañero Jhonny Cariqueo Yañez was the consequence of his treatment by the Carabineros, and their subsequent negligence. The death of Jhonny is one more on the long list of radicals who have fallen in their fight against those who profit from our oppression. Are response will be to continue on the path that Jhonny made an effort to construct, the path of revolution, until we achieve our true liberation.

En Español Aqui.

Bashir Hameed needs immediate medical treatment

From:    "Political Prisoner News"
<ppnews@freedomarchives.org>
Date:    Fri, April 4, 2008

Fri, April 4, 2008

Bashir called today asking for urgent medical assistance. He has lost a lot
of weight, has diarrhea, can't sleep nights, loss of appetite; and the
authorities are refusing to let him have any medical attention.

Bashir had a triple by-pass heart operation about two years ago, so we have
to treat these symptoms very seriously. Call the prison immediately and
demand the following:
  1. Bashir must receive immediate medical attention.
  2. He must be taken to the hospital that did his heart operation
immediately.
  3. He must be transferred immediately to a facility where his medical
needs can be taken care of.

Make a similar phone call to Assemblyman Jeffrion L Aubry, Chairman of the
Corrections Committee, Telephone # (718) 457-3615. Bashir has reached out
to Assemblyman Aubry to investigate conditions at Great Meadows
Correctional
Facility with little success.

Please follow-up your phone call with a letter to the warden of the prison
demanding immediate medical treatment for Bashir. Copy the letter to
Assemblyman Jeffrion L. Aubry, 102-13A Northern Blvd., Corona, NY 11368.
Also copy the letter to the Honorable David A. Paterson, Governor of the
State of New York, State Capitol, Albany, NY  12224 Tel. 518-474-8390

Bashir's address:
Bashir Hameed/York #82A-6313
Great Meadows Correctional Facility
Box 51, Comstock, NY  12821

Great Meadows Corr. Facility
11739 State Route 22
Comstock, NY 12821
Tel. (518) 639-5516

Chairman, State Commission of Corrections
4 Tower Place
Albany, NY 12203-3764

Free all Political Prisoners

Herman Ferguson



Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

415 863-9977

www.Freedomarchives.org  Questions and comments may be sent to
claude@freedomarchives.org

Cincinnati Marie Mason Benefit Shows

From:    freemarie@riseup.net
Date:    Thu, April 3, 2008

Hey everyone, here's a quick update on some upcoming events in support of
Marie.  If you're in the area, please come out and show your support.
thanks a lot.

Cincinnati, OH, Thursday, 4/3/08: Benefit Show for Marie Mason, 9:00 @ the
Blue Rock Tavern, 4114 Hamilton Avenue, featuring Kalimah, Harvey, The
Gregory Morris Group, and Andreas Chronis.

Cincinnati, OH, Saturday, 4/5/08: Benefit Show for Marie Mason, 9:00 @ the
Blue Rock Tavern, 4114 Hamilton Avenue, featuring Defective Males, The
Tillers, and Sid Hatfield & the Deciders.

Cincinnati, OH, Friday, 4/25/08: Benefit Show for Marie Mason, 9:00 @ the
Blue Rock Tavern, 4114 Hamilton Avenue, featuring Background Music, Mona
Medusa, Defective Males and Andreas Chronis

in the struggle,

Got Your Back
Friends of Marie Mason
P.O. Box 19065
Cincinnati, OH 45219
freemarie@riseup.net
freemarie.org (coming soon!)

eco-prisoner awaiting trial in need of reading materials & letters

Hi all,

I just received a letter from Michael W. Sykes. He is awaiting trial on charges in connection with some anti-development/sprawl arsons in Michigan. He is 17 years old and an anarchist. He loves nature and would like to receive books, especially ones about native Americans, environmentalism, and field guides. He said that if people write him he can send them art work and that he would also like visitors.

He is currently being held in the Monroe County Jail and can get mail at the following address:

Michael W. Sykes
100 E. Second St.
Monroe, MI
48161

Support the Eco-Prisoners (April 2008)

Spirit of Freedom
(April 2008)
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 April 2008 edition of Spirit of Freedom.  Over the years ELP
has sent out a number of bulletins asking our supporters to help secure raw
energy, vegan or vegetarian diets for the prisoners we support.  Most of ELP
's prisoners are vegan or vegetarian and ELP recognises the importance of
helping the prisoners secure the diet they need.  Therefore ELP has
introduced a new element to our prisoner lists and we have started to list
what diet a prisoner follows.  For example, you'll see that the American
prisoner, Tre Arrow, is a raw energy vegan.  We encourage all our supporters
to ask a prisoner, who is a vegan or a vegetarian, if they are receiving an
adequate diet?  If they aren't receiving the correct food then please help
that prisoner by contacting the prison and asking, politely, that the
vegan/vegetarian prisoner is given the diet of their choice.   It is
important we support the prisoners in every way we can, and making sure they
have food to eat is obviously a highly important area of our support.  For
example, when American prisoner, Jonathan Paul, first went into prison he
lost a lot of weight because he wasn't receiving a correct vegan diet.  So
please, no matter where you are in the world, support the eco-prisoners and
no compromise in defence of Mother Earth!


ECO-DEFENCE PRISONERS

Tre Arrow, SWIS #640393, Multnomah County Detention Center, 1120 S.W. 3rd
Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97206, USA.  On remand accused of involvement with
an arson on logging trucks and 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).

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, Casa Circondariale, Via Burla 59, 43100 Parma, Italy.  Il
Silvestre activist awaiting trial accused of using explosives to damage an
electricity pylon in protest at nuclear energy.  (Daniele is a vegan).

Rod Coronado - See details in Animal Liberation Prisoners List.

Francesco Gioia, C.C. Sollicciano, Via Girolamo Minervini 2/R, 50142 Firenze
Sollicciano (FI), 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).

Jeffrey Luers, #13797671, CCCI, PO Box 9000, Wilsonville, OR 97070, 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).

Eric McDavid X-2972521 4E 231A, Sacramento County Main Jail, 651 "I" Street,
Sacramento, CA 95814, USA.  Awaiting sentencing having been found guilty of
planning to destroy the property of the U.S. Forestry Service, mobile phone
masts and power plants. (Eric is a vegan).

Daniel McGowan #63794-053, Unit I, FCI Sandstone, Federal Correctional
Institution, PO Box 1000, Sandstone, MN 55072, USA.   Serving 7 years for an
ELF arson against a Poplar Tree Farm and an ELF arson against 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.

Briana Waters, 36432-086, FDC - Seatac, Federal Detention Center, P.O. Box
13900, Seattle, WA 98198, USA.  Awaiting sentencing having been found guilty
of 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).

Jon Ablewhite TB4885, HMP Lowdham Grange, Lowdham, Nottingham, NG14 7DA,
England.  Serving 12 years for attempting to blackmail a farmer who supplied
guinea pigs for vivisection.  (Jon is a vegan).

Gregg Avery TA7450, HMP Winchester, Romsey Road, Winchester, SO22 5DF,
England.  On remand accused of conspiracy to blackmail, in relation to his
involvement with the SHAC campaign.  (Gregg is a vegan).

Natasha Avery NR8987, HMP Bronzefield, Woodthorpe Road, Ashford, Middx. TW15
3JZ, England.  Jailed for breaching her parole conditions imposed on her for
telling a fox hunting murdering scum what she thought of them.  Also
awaiting trial accused of conspiracy to blackmail, in relation to her
involvement with the SHAC campaign.  (Nat is a vegan).

Mel Broughton TN9138, HMP Woodhill, Tattenhoe Street, Milton Keynes, Bucks
MK4 4DA, England.  On remand accused of involvement with an arson and
blackmail campaign against an Oxford University vivisection establishment.
(Mel is a vegan).

Jacob Conroy #93501-011, FCI Victorville Medium I Federal Correctional
Institution, P.O. Box 5300, Adelanto, CA 92301, USA. Serving 48 months
imprisonment for helping organise the SHAC-USA campaign.  (Jake is a vegan).

Rod Coronado, Voice of the Earth, PO Box 732, Tucson, AZ 85702, USA.  Due to
be sentenced to one-year imprisonment after Rod informed people how to make
an incendiary device during a speech at an animal rights gathering.  (Rod is
a vegan).

Donald Currie A3660AA, HMP Parkhurst, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO30 5NX,
England.  Serving an Indeterminate Sentence, of not less than six actual
years, for carrying out arsons against targets associated the vivisection
industry including HLS.  (Don 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).

Sarah Gisborne, LT5393, HMP Downview, Sutton Lane, Sutton, Surrey, SM2 5PD,
England.  Serving 5½ years for conspiracy to cause criminal damage following
the damaging of 8 vehicles owned by people linked to Huntingdon Life
Science.  (Sarah 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).

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.

Heather Nicholson VM4859, HMP Bronzefield, Woodthorpe Road, Ashford, Middx.
TW15 3JZ, England.  On remand accused of conspiracy to blackmail, in
relation to her involvement with the SHAC campaign.  (Heather 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 Lowdham Grange, Lowdham, Nottingham, NG14 7DA,
England.  Serving 12 years for attempting to blackmail a farmer who supplied
guinea pigs for vivisection.  (John is a vegan).

Andrew Stepanian #26399-050, FCI Butner Medium II Federal Correctional
Institution, PO Box 1500, Butner, NC 27509 USA. Serving 36 months for
helping organise the SHAC-USA campaign.  (Andrew 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).

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).

THE LECCE FIVE
The Lecce Five have been charged with "subversive association" accused of
damaging Esso petrol pumps to oppose the War on Iraq; sabotaging the cash
machines of a bank which funds an immigration centre; and targeting the
multinational company Benetton in support of Mapuche land rights activists
in Chile.  All of the defendants are currently either under house arrest or
released on bail.

ANTIFA PRISONERS

Lasandra Burwell W063658, Ohio Reformatory for Women, 1479 Collins Ave.
Marysville, OH 43040, USA.  Serving 5 years for taking part in an
anti-fascist demonstration that turned into a riot. (Diet unknown).

Vahtang Devitlidze, ul. Libbedova 42, UO 68/2, otryad 14, brigada 142, g.
Hagyshensk, Krasnodarskiy Kray, 352680 Russia.  Serving 2½ years for
stabbing a neo-nazi in the leg whilst defending himself from attack. (Diet
unknown).

Augustin Kraus, Vazebni veznice, PP-1, Litomerice, 41 201, Czech Republic.
Serving 14 months for his participation in attacks against local neo-nazis.
His charge was "bodily harm". He speaks Czech, Slovak and Polish.  You can
also write him short postcards in English.  (Diet unknown).

Fabio Milan, C.C. via Pianezza 300, 10151 Torino, Italy.  On remand accused
of fighting with the police after an anti-fascist protest. (Diet unknown).

Andrea Neff, Bnr: 746/07/2, Justizvollzugsanstalt fur Frauen in Berlin,
Arkonastrasse 56, 13189 Berlin, Germany.  Serving 14 months for anti-fascist
activity. (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. (Diet unknown).

OTHER PRISONERS

Olga Aleksandrovna Nevskaya, UU163/5, 7 Otryad, pos. Dzerzhinskiy, Mozhaysk
140090 Moskovskaya oblast, Russia. Eco-activist serving 6 years for arson,
criminal damage and causing explosions in protest at the war in Chechnya.
Due for release in 2009. (Diet unknown).

Vaggelis Botzatzis, Komotini Juridical Prison ("Dikastikes Fylakes
Komotinis"), T.K. 69100, Greece.  On remand accused of setting fire to two
company cars owned by a energy/power company.  It is believed that the
person or persons unknown who carried out the arson did so in protest at the
destruction of the natural environment and in support of two workers who
died at the power plant.  Vaggelis is also accused of setting fire to a bank
and starting a fire inside a car yard.  (Meat Eater).

Maura Michlle Lungarlli, booking # 1167062, Century Regional Detention
Facility (CRDF), 11705 South Alameda Street, Lynwood, CA 90262, USA.  Well
known animal rights activist Laura Michelle Lungarlli serving one year
imprisonment for activity unconnected to animal rights.  (Please note the
prison officials have made spelling mistakes with her name, these mistakes
must be replicated on her letters of support - Laura is a vegan).

Kevin Olliff, booking #1167029, Terminal Annex, P.O. Box #86164,
Los Angeles, CA 90086-0164, USA.  Animal rights activist jailed for 16
months for activity unconnected to animal rights.  Co-defendant of Laura
Lungarlli (Kevin is a vegan).

Michael W. Sykes, 100 East 2nd St, Monroe, Michigan 48161, USA.  Youth held
on remand accused of anti-sprawl arsons, criminal damage, spray-painting an
anarchist sign and burning the American flag.  (Diet unknown)

Fran Thompson, #1090915 HU 1C, WERDCC, PO Box 300, Vandalia, MO 63382, USA.
Serving Life for killing, in self-defence, a stalker who had broken into her
home. Before her imprisonment Fran was an eco, animal & anti-nuke
campaigner. (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.
'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

William 'Lefty' Gilday needs your support!

Greetings all,
I am writing to inform you all that U.S. political prisoner, William
'Lefty' Gilday recently spent 13 days in the hospital after suffering a
silent stroke on his left side. Lefty wrote this week to inform us that
he is back in the medical unit at MCI Shirley, but that he is still in
bad shape. He can't walk, and can barely get out of bed. Lefty says the
prognosis is good, but your letters of support and get well cards can
help raise his spirits and maybe effect the healing process. Please take
a moment out of your day to write to Lefty. He needs your solidarity now
and every day until he and all political prisoners are free! Take care.

Write to Lefty at:
William 'Lefty' Gilday (W33537)
Box 1218
Shirley, MA 01464

Love and rage,
Dominic
Jericho - Boston

April 7th-Avelino Gonzalez Claudio Support Week

http://www.prolibertadweb.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/avelinogcsupportletter.pdf

Monday April 7th-11th– AVELINO GONZALEZ CLAUDIO SUPPORT WEEK!!

ProLibertad is calling on all our allies and supporters to fax out our letter of support (top of the page) to end the torture and inhumane conditions Avelino is being subjected to.
Public Pressure campaigns work!! Fax out thE letter and motivate your friends to do likewise. DON'T THINK YOU CAN'T HELP AVELINO!! OUR MASS LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGNS CAN HAVE AN IMPACT!!

The idea is to fax the entire week and tie up their fax lines all week!!

Avelino González . . . A Tireless Fighter

In August of 1985, Avelino González, along with other Puerto Ricans and 2 North Americans, were accused of having participated in the planning and authorization of an operation to secure $7,117,000.00 from a Wells Fargo armored truck in Hartford, Connecticut on September 12, 1983. That operation was carried out by the then PRTP-Macheteros. They are accused of being part of the Central Committee and Political Commission of the PRTP-Macheteros. Avelino, his brother Norberto and Victor Gerena, the main person accused, could not be arrested at that time. Norberto and Victor remain underground to this day.

The charges against those arrested that year ended in a trial of a group of the accused (Carlos Ayes, Filiberto Ojeda, Juan Segarra, Norman Ramirez and Roberto Maldonado) in 1989 and finally led to a political-legal agreement in 1992 with the accused Orlando González, Hilton Fernández Diamante, Jorge A. Farinacci, Isaac Camacho, Elías Castro and Angel Días Ruiz and later led to another trial of the accused Ivone Meléndez Carrión. The legal agreement reached recognized the Macheteros as a political organization that fights for the independence of their homeland.

Avelino was born in the town of Vega Baja on October 8, 1942. Since his days as a student in the public schools of his country he established himself as a fighter for the freedom of his homeland. Upon entering the University of Puerto Rico he became a member of the Pro-Independence University Federation (Federación Universitaria Pro Independencia –FUPI), a student organization founded in 1956 that has stood out for its struggle for university reforms to improve conditions at the university for our people. Avelino became its vice-president. Avelino stood out as one of its best militants and as a person for whom no task was too small or too big to take on.

Since becoming a student he embraced socialist ideas as his own, becoming a constant student of the history of our working people and their struggles, as well as, studying the socialist ideological classics. He always stood out for his knowledge of the history of the workers’ international struggles and their revolutions.

He married in the mid-1960’s and had 4 children who today are part of the professional classes of our country. At that time he moved to New York City where he lived until the beginning of the 1970’s. He worked in Wall Street in that city while he carried out political work with the Puerto Rican community and organized part of the resistance of the revolutionary forces that were beginning to organize themselves in “the belly of the Yankee beast” and had begun to stand out by the end of the 1960’s. Avelino became part of the leadership of the Vito Marco Antonio Mission of the Movemento Pro-Independence (MPI) in New York.

Avelino returned to his homeland to integrate into the political work where he stands out as one of its most capable and disciplined leaders. At the time of the arrests in 1985 he was known for his role in the administration of the operations of the political magazine Pensamiento Crítico (Critical Thought). It is at that time that he becomes one of the Puerto Ricans most sought by the enemy and he transforms himself into the citizen José Ortega.

Upon getting to know Avelino as one of the leaders most committed with his ideas of freedom for our homeland and the program of struggle of his organization, we do not doubt that he has been in the heart of our people, struggling alongside them for their civil rights to freedom and social justice for its working classes. Many have been the trenches of struggle of this well-known leader and militant of the revolutionary struggles of our people and its movement for national liberation for the past 50 years.

Following the arrests of August 30, 1985, Avelino became part of the struggles of our people as “José Ortega”. For the past 22 years he alluded the enemy and was able to participate not only in the struggle for our peoples liberation but also as a worker and computer teacher where he realized work for the improvement of the services provided by the Department of Education of Puerto Rico.

Avelino is known for his calm tolerant manner but at the same time for his firmness in the _expression of his positions and political ideas. For him there is no room for hypocrisy when it’s time to combat ideas that he considers incorrect. His personality, his demeanor and his ideas regarding the necessity for unity in the liberation movement led him to always espouse that differences should not be a motive for divisions. He has never been heard to make mean-spirited or derogatory accusations of those he has political differences, either in his organization or toward those outside it with whom he has differences because of their political practice or strategy. He said in his first communication after his arrest, “ . . . Pandora left desperation out of her box and because of this they may chain and imprison my body, but never my spirit and my ideas”

Avelino today finds himself incarcerated in a state prison in the city of Hartford in conditions of “maximum security”. 23 hours in isolation in a jail cell, with one hour to get fresh air, with no access to his family and denied communication by telephone with his family members, his lawyers or friends. They propose to judge him, as they have his comrades in struggle, faraway from his Puerto Rican homeland.

The U.S. government must recognize Avelino’s status as a fighter for independence and a political prisoner, as he demanded in its imperial courts!

We know that Avelino is man in very good health at the time of his arrest and we hope that he remains so. Any change in his health condition will be the responsibility of his enemy jailers.

Let Us Support The Defense of Avelino!

Comité familiares y Amigos de Avelino González Claudio

Friends and Family of Avelino González Claudio

apartado postal #22282

San Juan. P.R.00931-2282

avelinogonzalezclaudio@yahoo.com

Friday April 11th punk show benefit for Oregon environmental prisoner Jeff "Free" Luers

EUGENE PIRATE PUNX & FRIENDS OF FREE (JEFF LUERS) PRESENTS:

A Benefit for Oregon environmental prisoner Jeff "Free" Luers (www.freejeffluers.org) with,

RESIST
Portland punk legends, first show in Eugene in more than a decade
(http://www.myspace.com/resistportland)

NUX VOMICA
Portland hardcore, first ever show in Eugene
(http://www.myspace.com/nuxvomica2)

HAPPY BASTARDS
Eugene punk favorites
(www.happybastards.net)

Friday, April 11th, 7:30 pm sharp at the Wandering Goat Cafe, 268 Madison St. $5 suggested donation, nobody turned away for lack of funds. For more info, email breakthechains02@yahoo.com.

ARTICLE BY LINN WASHINGTON ON MUMIA RUKING

 IMPORTANT AND POWERFUL ARTICLE BY LINN WASHINGTON
  The following article analyzing the recent decision by the Third
Circuit to deny Mumia a new trial, is written by Philadelphia
journalist and long time friend of Mumia, Linn Washington.  It is an
excellent piece, asserting straight upthat there is NO victory in
this decision as Mumia is not even granted life in prison without
parole, horrific and unacceptable as that alternative is.  The
prosecution still has the right to fight for and potentially win the
execution of Mumia.  Also, in describing all the violations of their
own precedents that the Third Circuit committed in making this
decision, based on the minority position (remember it was a 2-1
decision), he provides us, through that dissenting voice, a means for
challenging the legitimacy, if not the legality, of this whole
process.  We must publicize this information while asserting the
total unacceptability and viciousness of this decision.  Read this
article.  And let's together fight like crazy to defeat all those f
 orces tha
t are determined to silence, execute, and forever imprison our
Brother Mumia.  ONTO PHILADELPHIA ON APRIL 19;TH!!! FREE MUMIA AND
ALL OUR POLITICAL PRISONERS
  ----------------------------
  Observations and analysis of Linn Washington Jr.  on the federal
Third Circuit ruling in the Mumia Abu-Jamal case issued on March 27,
2008.  Washington, is a journalist and university professor in
Philadelphia who has written extensively about the contentious case
since Abu-Jamal's arrest in December 1981.



 OVERVIEW
  The long awaited ruling by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in
the Mumia Abu-Jamal case released on March 27, 2008 again displays
the dismaying pattern of US courts ignoring precedent to deny relief
to this death row journalist whose plight generates international
support.



 Precedent in American law means courts following previous court
rulings when determining specific legal issues.



 Precedent is the bedrock of American law.



 America law requires courts to follow precedent unless significant
evidence and/or compelling rationales necessitate changing precedent.



 This Third Circuit ruling changes precedent.  This ruling changes
precedent by applying legal procedures in a highly questionable
manner to dismiss compelling evidence of injustice against Abu-Jamal.



 The Third Circuit did uphold the elimination of Abu-Jamal's death
sentence.  This is no victory because the ruling upheld his
conviction thus condemning Abu-Jamal to life in prison.



 This ruling refused to grant Abu-Jamal a new hearing or new trial
on three compelling issues: prosecutors using racism to exclude
African Americans from the jury during Abu-Jamal's 1982 trial; the
prosecutor making improper comments to that '82 jury at the end of
the trial; and pro-prosecution bias by the '82 trial judge during a
1995 appeals hearing.



 The Third Circuit previously granted relief to persons convicted of
murder in Philadelphia after ruling that Philadelphia prosecutors had
illegally excluded African Americans from juries.



 However, in this Abu-Jamal case ruling, the court found no fault in
evidence of exclusion of African Americans from the jury in his 1982
trial.



 Curiously, the evidence of exclusion at Abu-Jamal's trial is of
equal or greater magnitude than proof of exclusion previously found
acceptable for relief by the Third Circuit.



 These previous rulings on jury discrimination formed the precedent
on that issue for the Third Circuit.



 That precedent stated it is wrong for prosecutors to discriminate
against even one black potential juror.  Additionally, that precedent
stated defendants did not have to object to jury selection
discrimination by prosecutors immediately when it occurred.



 Yet, this ruling reversed precedent on those two points of legal procedure.



 A week before this Abu-Jamal ruling, the US Supreme Court granted
relief to a death row inmate in Louisiana because of a discriminatory
jury selection process.  That Supreme Court ruling was written by a
Justice on that court who formerly served on the Third Circuit.



 That Justice, Samuel Alito, had approved relief to Philadelphia
murder defendants due to discriminatory jury selection practices by
prosecutors.  Alito, in a February 2005 Third Circuit ruling, stated
prosecutors commit a violation by removing "any black juror because"
of their race À-- a position similar to the position contained in
that recent US Supreme Court ruling he authored.



 THIRD CIRCUIT RULING
  The Third Circuit's ruling rested on a procedural finding by two
of the three judges on this appeal's court panel.  This finding
stated that lawyers for Abu-Jamal during the 1982 trial and the 1995
appeal hearing failed to follow the procedures legally required to
properly raise the issue of prosecutors improperly using racism
during the jury selection process.



 The panel's majority asserted that "Abu-Jamal has forfeited his
Batson claim by failing to make a timely objection" to improper
procedures by prosecutors referencing the US Supreme Court's 1986
Batson ruling that outlaws the exclusion of black jurors for reasons
rooted in racism.



 Philadelphia area author and investigative reporter Dave Lindorff
notes the absurdity of holding Abu-Jamal's lawyer responsible for not
strictly following procedures during the 1982 trial that the US
Supreme Court did not create until four years later in that 1986
Batson case.



 No lawyer (or judge) in the United States could predicted what
procedure the US Supreme Court would order four years in the future
observes Lindorff, author of the seminal 2003 book on the Abu-Jamal
case: "Killing TimeÁchinin"



 In reaching this conclusion against Abu-Jamal's jury discrimination
claim, that Third Circuit panel's majority created a new standard for
persons raising Batson claims in that court.



 This standard requires that a Batson violation claim must be raised
at the time of jury selection -- a contemporaneous objection.



 Interestingly, in reaching this conclusion of procedural errors by
Abu-Jamal's attorney, the panel's majority failed to note that this
lawyer at 1982 trial was unfairly thrust into the jury selection
process after that process was underway without the opportunity to do
any preparation.



 The trial judge granted the prosecutor's request to remove
Abu-Jamal from selecting his own jury, a decision without merit that
unfairly benefited the prosecutor and stripped Abu-Jamal of his right
to represent himself.  Plus, this action aggravated tensions between
Abu-Jamal and his attorney.



 Further, the panel's majority faulted an Abu-Jamal lawyer for not
properly raising the jury selection racism issue during Abu-Jamal's
first appeal in the late 1989's to the Pa Supreme Court without
acknowledging a major error committed by the lawyer who filed that
appeal.



 That attorney prepared that appeal without ever reviewing the trial
transcript.



 There is no way that attorney could have prepared a legally valid
appeal without knowing what specifically had happened at trial. 
(That appeal attorney was also suffering from what proved to be a
fatal brain tumor, a medical condition that impaired that attorney's
cognitive abilities.)



 In creating this new standard, the panel's majority makes it harder
to prove Batson violations.  Plus, this standard changes that court's
precedent on procedures needed to raise Batson claims.



 The judge who dissented from his two colleagues faulted them for
creating this new standard, a standard not ordered by the US Supreme
Court.



 "This case's newly created contemporaneous objection
ruleÁchiningoes against the grain of our prior actions, as our Court
has addressed Batson challenges on the merits without requiring that
an objection be made during jury selection in order to preserve"
future appellate review, the dissenter said.



 This judge, speaking specifically to changing precedent, said since
Third Circuit precedent did "Áchininn have a federal contemporaneous
objection ruleÁchininI see no reason why we should not afford
Abu-Jamal the courtesy of our precedents."



 Additionally, this dissenter stated that jury discrimination
practices displayed in a now infamous video-taped training session at
the Philadelphia DA's Office gave "a view of the culture" of that
office during the 1980's when Abu-Jamal was tried.



 This dissenter criticized his two colleagues for failing to make
the obvious connection between the discrimination instruction given
at the taped session and discriminatory practices used by
Philadelphia prosecutors before, during and after the 1980's.



 "Indeed, given that Abu-Jamal's trial preceded Batson, it is not
far-fetched to argue that the culture of discrimination was even
worse," the dissenter declared.



 Previously, the Third Circuit ordered new federal trial court
hearings to collect more evidence to enable full and fair
determinations on jury discrimination claims.



 The Third Circuit's ruling rejected that procedure for Abu-Jamal.



 MAJOR FLAWS IN COURT RULINGS
  This practice of creating new court standards to only apply to
Abu-Jamal was criticized in an Amnesty International report of the
Abu-Jamal case controversy released in 2001.



 AI criticized the Pa Supreme Court for altering its prior rulings
À-- precedents À-- to reach results against Abu-Jamal.



 In 1986, for example, the Pa Supreme Court overturned a
Philadelphia death sentence after ruling that a prosecutor named
Joseph McGill made improper comments to the jury during a trail
presided over by Judge Albert Sabo.



 McGill prosecuted Abu-Jamal in a 1982 trial presided over by Judge Sabo.



 Abu-Jamal's attorneys had alleged that McGill engaged in jury
selection discrimination À-- a claim documented by evidence but a
claim that the Third Circuit panel's majority rejected.  Sabo's
rulings during that 1982 trail aided this documentable discrimination.



 During Abu-Jamal's '82 trial, McGill made the same comments to the
jury that the Pa high court faulted in its 1986 ruling.  But when the
Court upheld Abu-Jamal's conviction in 1989 it refused to find any
fault with McGill making the same comments it had faulted him for in
its ruling three years before.



 Then, in 1990, the Pa Supreme Court reinstated its 1986 standard
regarding prosecutors making improper comments like McGill made.



 The Pa Supreme Court's flip-flopping on this form of prosecutorial
misconduct led Amnesty International to state in its 2001 report
that: "This contradictory series of precedents leaves the disturbing
impression that the Court invented a new standard of procedure to
apply it to one case only: that of Mumia Abu-Jamal."



 McGill's improper comments to the jury faulted by the Pa Supreme
Court in 1986 were an appeal issue before the Third Circuit Court. 
That federal court panel found no fault in McGill's comments, denying
Abu-Jamal relief he should have received if those federal appeals
judges fairly followed established law.



 The Third Circuit panel also rejected allegations that Judge Sabo
was biased during a major 1995 appeals hearing.



 Sabo's biased antics during that 1995 proceeding were so outrageous
this misconduct provoked strong, caustic criticisms from even
Philadelphia's normally anti-Abu-Jamal media.  An August 1995
editorial in the Philadelphia Inquirer blasted Sabo's "injudicious
conduct" that included verbally badgering Abu-Jamal's attorneys and
even briefly jailing one of those attorneys for objecting to one of
his improper rulings.



 Scores of newspaper articles from the New York Times to the
ultra-conservativestlaw-and-order Washington Times reported on Sabo's
pro-prosecution bias at that '95 appeal hearing.



 The Pa Supreme Court curtly dismissed this widespread journalistic
criticism by contending that the "view of a handful of journalists"
did not convince that Court of Sabo's bias.



 Five of the seven Pa Supreme Court justices that upheld Abu-Jamal's
conviction in 1998 received campaign contributions from the lead
group seeking Abu-Jamal's execution, Philadelphia's police union, the
Fraternal Order of Police (FOP).  One of those '98 justices was the
ex-DA of Philadelphia who as DA fought to execute Abu-Jamal.



 The Third Circuit agreed with the Pa Supreme Court's 1998 ruling
that no evidence exists showing a "settled bias" by Sabo against
Abu-Jamal.  The Third Circuit panel made this assertion despite
noting Sabo making a series of "intemperate remarks" against
Abu-Jamal and his defense attorneys during that 1995 appeal hearing.



 In another flip-flop ruling, the Pa Supreme Court in March 1988
found that a single statement uttered by the judge during the murder
trial of a former Pa State Trooper "was extremely prejudicial" to
this Trooper who killed a woman inside a judge's office.



 Where the Pa Supreme Court granted a new trial to that killer cop
because of that judge's one improper comment, one year later the same
Court found no fault in numerous opinion laden statements Judge Sabo
made during the Abu-Jamal trial.



 Sabo rejected requests to remove himself from hearing that '95
appeal made by Abu-Jamal attorneys citing his pro-prosecution during
the 1982 trial.  News articles, editorials and commentaries all
faulted Sabo for not removing himself stating his failure recuse
himself graphically displayed unfairness in a proceeding where
fairness was desperately needed.



 Journalistic watch-dogs normally hostile to Abu-Jamal sought the
face of fairness in that '95 proceeding both to follow established
law and to quell critics claiming Sabo's unfairness against Abu-Jamal
undermined fairness.



 The federal panel's majority employed a legal procedure to sidestep
Sabo's clear and illegal bias À-- an Achilles Heel of that federal
ruling and this entire case.



 It is incredible to contend that the widely condemned Judge Sabo
who presided during most trial court proceedings in the Abu-Jamal's
case did not violate any of Abu-Jamal's rights at any time À--
despite his history of violating rights in this case and other cases.



 Judge Sabo handled 32 murder trials that ended in death sentences
before his retirement.  But 24 of those sentences in Sabo's courtroom
had been vacated for errors as of June 2007 according to the American
Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).  Some of those death sentences were
reverse due to misconduct and/or mistakes by Sabo.



 Sabo had once ordered prosecutors to pursue a death penalty when
the death penalty had been ruled illegal in Pennsylvania.  Sabo's
ordering that illegal procedure led to overturning that death
sentence.



 WHAT NEXT?
  This March 2008 Third Circuit ruling leaves Abu-Jamal with few
legal options to challenge his conviction.



 Abu-Jamal can appeal the panel's ruling to the entire Third Circuit
Court hoping for that full Court to overturn the panel's ruling. 
Further, he can appeal any Third Circuit ruling to the US Supreme
Court.



 There is a slight prospect of new action in Pa state courts.



 The Third Circuit issued an order stating Abu-Jamal will receive a
life-sentence unless Philadelphia prosecutors hold a new penalty
phase hearing seeking to reinstate his death sentence within six
months.



 This mini-trial style hearing would allow Abu-Jamal to present
evidence, including new evidence of innocence that has emerged like a
flood since his first trial.



 But it is unclear if prosecutors will pursue this route that could
create evidence and procedure that could secure a new round of
federal appeals for Abu-Jamal.



 OVERLOOKED CRUX OF CASE
  Sadly, the federal judges at the trial and appellate court levels,
like judges in Pa state courts, have refused to uphold the most
fundamental issue in the contentious Abu-Jamal case: the right to a
fair trial.



 Critics of Abu-Jamal's conviction from Philadelphia's Francisville
section to France all feel he was denied a fair trial.



 Police and prosecutors blatantly engaging in misconduct to secure a
conviction destroys fair trial rights.  A trial judge openly biased
towards police and prosecutors destroys fair trial rights.  Court
applying the law in the Abu-Jamal case differently from applied in
other cases destroys equal justice rights.



 The Pa Supreme Court declared in a 1959 ruling involving a
Philadelphia murder case that every defendant is entitled "to all the
safeguards of a fair trialÁchinineven if evidence of guilt piles as
high a Mt EverestÁchinin"



 Abu-Jamal was four-years-old when the Pa Supreme Court issued that
1959 ruling against judges and prosecutors cutting-corners during a
trial.



 Abundant evidence documents that corners-cut by the prosecutor and
judge during Abu-Jamal's trial and by judges during his appeals
corrupted his rights to a fair trial and equal justice À-- rights
guaranteed by the US Constitution.



 In June 2007, state courts in Pennsylvania overturned the 200th
death penalty case since 1978 when that state reinstated executions,
the ACLU stated.



 It is incredible to contend that 200 death penalty cases contained
errors egregious enough to be vacated but not a single element in the
Abu-Jamal case warrants either a new hearing or a new trial.
  comThe End-