ALBANY, NY – While New York City vigilante Daniel Penny was in court trying to convince a jury that his killing of Jordan Neely, a 30-year-old homeless man, was not criminal as it was done in defense of others (a case in which Penny ultimately prevailed), two and a half hours north, the New York State Supreme Court heard arguments Nov. 18 to set aside or outright dismiss the case of Alex Stokes Contompasis, who is currently incarcerated after being convicted for stabbing two Proud Boys at the New York State Capitol on Jan 6, 2021. The difference between the cases is those in the Proud Boys group were physically attacking others and Contompasis didn’t kill anyone. Still, Contompasis was sentenced to twenty years even though he was acting in defense of others.
Contompasis was not present at the hearing, but his attorney noted several issues with his trial, most notably that Contompasis was acting in self defense, was not afforded a speedy trial, and that a juror who was wavering in her impartiality was placed on the jury regardless, something that prompted a number of the justices to express particular concern.
Contompasis’ attorney Kathy Manley told the justices that when local Proud Boys chapter leaders Douglas Michael Ruso and James P. Warner were stabbed in a fight after Warner’s brother, Proud Boy Dominic Wierzbicki, began tazing those opposed to the “Stop the Steal” rally supporters of Donald Trump organized, Contompasis did so to defend others. “It’s clear that Appellant subjectively believed that he needed to do what he did and I would say that the evidence shows objectively under all the circumstances that it was reasonable,” Manley said. “Here we have Dominic Wierzbicki, this key witness, (who) tazed a counter protestor who was standing just with his hands in his pockets. At that point everyone said chaos broke out and there was several confrontations.” She goes on to note that Ruso grabbed Contompasis by the arm and another person by the neck, prompting the stabbing Ruso suffered. “At that point, Mr. Warner runs after Appellant and starts punching him, knocks him to the ground, breaks his wrist and continues to hit him while he’s on the ground.”
Manley notes that was when Warner was stabbed, it was done in self defense, however Assistant District Attorney Daniel Young attempted to put a more ominous spin on Contompasis’ actions, saying that he was there “targeting his political opponents” to attack and that his lack of remorse justified the 20-year sentence he received. “He believed even at the time of sentencing that he still believed that he was justified in what he did, not just because he was protecting people but because he was protecting them from his political opponents,” Young said.
Young however still had to acknowledge that Wierzbicki initiated the melee but downplayed his relevance in the case, despite him providing a witness statement. “The defense puts a lot of stock in the Wierzbicki statement because Wierzbicki essentially kicked off this whole melee but as it pertains to the defendant’s justification defense and the charges against the defendant, he’s not relevant in the slightest” Young said, noting that the only interaction that Contompasis had during the incident was when he initially slashed at Wierzbicki, causing him to back off. “This isn’t a witness that’s central to our case, that’s not even needed for our case.”
Wierzbicki turned himself into police in March 2021 and was charged with third-degree assault and possession of a weapon in the fourth-degree. He ended up just being fined.
Manley countered pointing out that Contompasis not only acted to protect others as even Young noted but also diffused a situation that he saw was going too far.
Manley also noted how “Juror #14” was equivocating when asked during selection whether or not she can be impartial to him. She was initially excused but was ultimately placed on the jury. “One of the prospective jurors gave many equivocal responses,” Manley explained. “When asked if there was anything that could affect her ability to be fair she said, maybe not. And then she said, ‘I’m more concerned.’ She said, ‘I think I can be fair, but it kind of makes me angry. There’s more support for criminals than victims.’ And finally at the end, she said, ‘Okay, I can set it aside, but I’m not happy with it.’” Although she was first set aside, eventually she was put on the jury.
Young denied that Juror #14 was equivocal. “I think a juror saying that they can set aside all biases, but they don’t like it, that’s the same as saying they can set aside all biases. That doesn’t turn it into an equivocal statement.” One of the justices disagreed at this point saying, “But she equivocates by saying things like I believe so, I think so.”
“She does,” Young said, “she says that she can set the bias aside.” This began a discussion with the one justice noting that the juror’s behavior was “problematic.” Later Young said that he understood if the court was hesitant to condone the juror’s behavior.
Since Contompasis’ conviction, Albany County District Attorney David Soares, whose office prosecuted Contompasis, was defeated in a Democratic primary by criminal defense attorney Lee Kindlon who went on to win the general election and will assume the office at the beginning of 2025. It is not known how Kindlon will go forward with the case.
Imam Jamil had a recent growth on his face that is potentially life-threatening.
This is on top of his multiple myeloma (cancer), strokes, other significant medical issues, and feeble old age. At 81 years old, Imam Jamil Al-Amin, formerly known as H. Rap Brown, a civil rights leader who has been wrongfully imprisoned for the past 24 years, needs YOUR IMMEDIATE HELP to stop his “death by medical neglect”!!!
Call USP Tucson and demand that they grant Imam Jamil an emergency medical transfer from United States Penitentiary (USP) Tuscon to Federal Medical Center (FMC) Butner for his immediate medical treatment.
My name is Annarella Rivera, my friends call me Rivers. I am a mother of two wonderful boys and a cat. My codefendants and I are pro-choice activists from the so called South & Middle Florida territory. Two of my friends Amber Smith-Stewart & Caleb Freestone were indicted by a grand jury on 01/23/2023 and Gabby & I on 02/01/2024 under the FACE Act, accused of vandalizing (graffiti) 3 crisis pregnancy centers (FAKE CLINICS!!) while simultaneously being charged by the state and the Archdiocese of Miami on RICO and Conspiracy charges, called a SLAPP suit, taking away our 5th amendment rights.
I am an Anarchist, I am also proud to say I am ANTIFASCIST. The Biden-Harris D.O.J. has sentenced 2 of my friends and I to the B.O.P. for graffiti!!!! Our fourth comrade Gabriella Oropesa is awaiting trial, and they WILL WIN. We stand in unwavering solidarity with Gabby and fully support them. We must build community, organize and abolish this genocidal, white-supremacist, carceral, police state war machine. We Keep Us Safe!
Thanks again to all of you in Casey’s extended support network! On every phone call we have with Casey they send their love to all! We have a few updates for you.
Biglegal news On Tuesday, Dec. 3, Casey’s lawyers and the prosecuting US Attorney filed a joint status report stating that they had reached a plea deal agreement. Casey will plead guilty on the one charge of “damaging property used in or affecting interstate commerce by fire” (18 U.S.C. § 844(f)) and the other two charges will be dropped.
Some important points concerning this agreement and plea deals in general:
This is preliminary. Discussions are still in progress between defense and prosecution regarding the details. Correspondingly, after the joint filing, last week’s court date to hear status reports was rescheduled to Jan. 14 when we imagine we will be provided more information.
This is a “non-cooperation” plea deal. No information or testimony is being offered against anyone else.
Once the plea deal is finalized, it will still need to be accepted by the judge.
No information is available yet on possible sentencing. By statute the minimum sentence is 5 years and the maximum is 20.
We of course will forward shareable details from the legal defense team as they become available.
Health is a struggle inside Casey maintaining their blood sugars and well-being inside continues to be a struggle and that has recently entailed stretches in the jail infirmary unit. Jail food and conditions are horrible across the board for everyone, but to be a diabetic trying to maintain one’s body and mind inside is especially hard. The special diabetic supplemental food packages from vendors are now flowing regularly and helping a lot! Thanks to all who contributed to the fund.
To donate to the food support fund and keep the packages flowing: Venmo @juliepetersonG
Writing Casey letters matters so much! The mailroom at Santa Rita Jail seems to work in spurts though, no mail for a week then a big ol’ batch comes through to Casey. So in addition to the ups and downs of jail life, the mail service being wildly uneven contributes to the time lag of you getting a response from C. But Casey values every piece! News from the outside is still very important to them – imagine being locked up with only the mainstream tv news being your lifeline. WTF.
Remember if you send zines and newsletters, no staples!
Casey Goonan #UMF227 Santa Rita Jail 5325 Broder Blvd. Dublin, CA 94568
Keep those support events poppin! Fundraisers, letter writing events and shout outs across the country keep rolling! Much love to all those making them happen. Hit up our insta or email box if you want collaboration or promotion. (Or even guidance on how to organize a support event if you haven’t done it before.)
We got a lot of funds to raise to cover the costs of legal defense A concerted fundraising push is in the works and we will be contacting people directly with asks on spreading the pitch and soliciting donors. To contribute right now, hit us on Chuffed. https://chuffed.org/project/SupportCasey
Amber is a 25 year old Nicaraguan- American from Miami Florida. They received a 30 day sentence in federal prison for their participation in tagging fake pregnancy centers in Florida in the wake of the Dobbs (abortion rights) decision (Roe v. Wade being overturned). According to Amber, Two things turned me into the person I am today, the murder of my mother by the hands of the prison system and the summer of 2020. This is a reminder to always remain ungovernable.
Caleb is a 29 year old from Florida who was convicted of tagging the outside of a fake pregnancy crisis center in the wake of the Dobbs (abortion rights) decision (Roe v. Wade being overturned). He and his codefendants were originally charged with the FACE Act and faced over 10 years in prison. He was sentenced to 1 year and 1 day in prison in September 2024 for the vandalizing of the South Broward Pregnancy Help Center; the Life Choice Pregnancy Center, and the Heartbeat of Miami Pregnancy Help Medical Clinic. The spray-painted messages on the buildings included “Jane’s Revenge,” “Your time is up” and “We are everywhere”. He is going to serve his time at FCI Yazoo City in Mississippi. For more information see https://linktr.ee/sfl_arc Birthday: 6/18/1995
“It’s hard to say which is worse” Federal Judge Equates Pro-Choice Graffiti to Arson of an Abortion Clinic During Sentencing of Pro-Choice Activists.
Community activists successfully negotiate a plea bargain that drops FACE Act charges, blocking federal precedent defining “fake clinics” as reproductive healthcare facilities. These so-called “crisis pregnancy centers” are known for coercive and pseudoscientific advice disguised as medical advice.
These three defendants refused any plea agreement that would result in this dangerous precedent. However the Biden-Harris administration forced the three to plead to felony Conspiracy and then demanded prison time from the judge. Caleb Freestone was sentenced to a year in prison, Amber Smith-Stewart and Annarella Rivera were each sentenced to 30 days.
In the fall of Dobbs, our worst fears have been realized. Democrats have thrice had the opportunity to enshrine the right to an abortion into federal law yet instead chose to repress four beloved community activists.
“I’ve supported and raised two children by working in my chosen field of ob/gyn healthcare. When not working, I’ve spent countless hours escorting patients to and from clinical appointments for their safety and the safety of our workers. Simply put, women’s health and the ability to choose their own path is my passion and calling. I never thought that the act of spray-painting a fake ‘clinic’ would result in the FBI violently raiding my house or that I would become a pawn in the fight for a person’s right to bodily autonomy-something an overwhelming majority of citizens in the United States believe in.” – Annarella Rivera, codefendant sentenced to 30 days in prison
Contribute to their commissary and follow for more ways to support over the next year https://linktr.ee/sfl_arc
In this cinematic memoir, follow one man’s journey from gang member to Black liberation leader to political prisoner-and the justice and redemption he fought for along the way.
Inspired by Malcolm X, Russell Shoatz became a lifelong crusader for justice, a soldier in the most militant units of the Black Liberation Army. Shoatz was convicted to life in prison following a coordinated attack on a park police station that left one guard dead.The prison walls, however, could not deter Shoatz’s battle for personal and collective freedom. He escaped state prisons twice, making him a living legend, and endowed him with the moniker “Maroon,” once used to honor runaway slaves from plantations.
He survived 22 years in solitary confinement, prompting an international campaign for his freedom.I Am Maroon charts a life of dizzying intrigue and a long struggle for liberation. With an unforgettable voice, Maroon reminds us that we too are capable of radical change, leaving us a blueprint for how we might dedicate our lives and minds to the ongoing fight for freedom.
What follows are recaps from many of the runs that took place on September 15, 2024. This was the 25th anniversary of Running Down the Walls. Since 1999, prisoners and supporters throughout North America have participated in this annual event, often running or walking simultaneously in many cities and prisons at once. As reportbacks come in, they will be posted here. Read more about Running Down the Walls and the ABCF Warchest.
Bloomington, Indiana We had a wonderful day in the park for the 25th anniversary of Running Down the Walls! It was only the second time we put one on (non-consecutively at that), but we had a great turnout of 30+ people and raised more money than expected. A local yoga instructor got us warmed up; we read statements from Toby Shone, Oso Blanco, Xinachtli, Tall Can, and former local Marius Mason before we set off; and we shared snacks and drinks in the shade afterward.
Chicago, Ilinois
On Sunday, over the course of the evening more than 100 people gathered in front of the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC), Federal Bureau of Prisons, in solidarity with those held inside and political prisoners everywhere. People from the age of 6 months to lord knows how old, rolled, walked, and ran laps around the MCC in an effort to raise awareness and struggle alongside those in cages in the heart of downtown Chicago.
Banners read “ACAB,” “Running Down the Walls,” “Stop Cop Cites,” and much more.ozens of windows of the prison were filled with hands waving, lights flicking on and off, and flash lights blinking back down on the crowd of people gathering in solidarity below. A green lazer flashed up at the windows letting each person in the window know that we saw them.Punk bands, including Glutton for Insurrection, played and we moshed in the intersection of the street.
When the DJs went on we danced. Taking up the intersection of Van Buren for a time but also yielding to the caravans of cars celebrating Mexican Independence day. Honks were shared between riotous attendees of these disparate energies.Coalescing into a rowdy vibe, attendees to Running Down the Walls launched fireworks and threw cans of garbanzo beans at a life sized paper mache police officer. Police hovered around and looked down on us from nearby buildings, but their numbers were thinned due to their over policing of a Mexican Independence Day celebration nearby.
. Eugene, Oregon
On Sunday, September 15th, over 60 participants of all ages gathered in Eugene at the Owen Rose Garden. The event sponsor, NAC (Neighborhood Anarchist Collective), along with local organizations WVAP (Willamette Valley Abolition Project) and Eugene Jail Support joined the festivities. Food not Bombs provided snacks, and there was a tshirt-making station. The emcee gave opening remarks while wearing hot pink roller skates.
Participants took turns reading prisoner statements and then took off along the scenic 5K route which followed the Willamette River. Along the route, Solidaritea offered participants iced tea and water. Volunteer medics were on standby. As participants returned from completing the 5K they were greeted with cheers. Over $1000 was raised to be split between local A15 defendants and the ABCF Warchest.
Hamilton, Ontario (Canada)
Following an inspiring day of books, zines, workshops and art at the Hamilton Anarchist Bookfair, we gathered to celebrate the 25th year of Running Down the Walls.
Participants gathered in Gage Park on Sunday, September 29. We read statements from political prisoners, and then started five loops around the beautiful park for a total of 5km. Some ran, some walked and everyone was cheered on by an enthusiastic group. The event continued with pizza, hot dogs and games including a giant ‘connect four’ and bocce ball tournament. We raised over $600 that will be split between the Anarchist Black Cross Federation Warchest and the Barton Prisoner Solidarity Project (BAPSOP). Thanks to everyone for showing your support and bringing your energy to this important day!
Huntington, California
On Saturday, September 28th, comrades from around Southern California came together for the Fourth Annual Pushing Down The Walls Burpee Marathon. This year’s event was a fundraiser for Abolition Now OC and Casey Goonan, who is currently being held in custody pending a federal investigation into alleged actions taken in solidarity with last spring’s student intifada occupations. We were graciously hosted by Midnight Books in Huntington Park, Ca.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with how the burpee marathon works, we basically arrange a group of participants into sections who will all perform a burpee together. One section will start and the final section will keep count. It takes about 5 minutes to do 25 burpees this way. We then all take a break of about 10ish minutes before the next set. Most importantly, we blast fun playlists that have a conducive, burpee friendly beat. We like to call this method the Burpee Council.
This year about half of our group crossed 200 burpee mark, with a handful of folks doing up to 250 before we had to pack up. As is the case every year, the MVP was someone’s kid. The highlights of this being the many, many burpees and cartwheels they threw down, as well as the words of encouragement they shared whenever they captured the microphone from an adult. Honorable mention goes to the scrappy lab mix who provided consistent hugs and games of fetch.
Between sets of burpees, we were able to share unique statements written for the event by Jesse “Tall Can” Cannon, Oso Blanco, and Casey Goonan’s mom. We also made space for the statement written by Marius Mason for RDTW ‘24. As the day progressed, and folks began to tap out, these very moving written pieces motivated them to jump back in for a few more rounds. Even some folks who came purely to support but resolved to skip the burpees were moved to join us for one or two sets.
Of course, the burpees weren’t the only thing happening. We had our letter writing station out, as well as an arts and crafts area. Our good friends from Brittlebush Distro brought a selection of zines to share. Last but not least, we were blessed to have vegan jack fruit carnitas tacos as well as extremely not vegan pulled pork sliders available to keep us all fueled throughout the day.
The final tally on money raised isn’t in quite yet since our Fundrazr still has a few days on it, but we can say that as it stands we’re close to the $2000 mark. Donations in cash and via payment apps are outperforming the crowdfunding site, so that’s something to keep in mind for next time.
We are deeply grateful to our abolitionist community for another memorable day of solidarity and building. One day, when every cage is empty, we won’t need to do these anymore. Until then, we’ll be getting ready for next year.
Los Angeles, California
This Saturday marked the 25thanniversary of Running Down the Walls. We marked this amazing milestone at the wonderfully scenic Echo Park Lake. We started the event by giving a history of the run, followed by an update on some of the recent cases – Peppy and Krystal, the Florida 4, Tall Can, and Casey Goonan.
Afterwards, volunteers read the statements that were provided by our imprisoned comrades who are participating in the event behind the prison walls. In total, thirty plus people and three dogs participated in the event. Luci, LA RDTW’s mascot, was there to greet everyone with friendly licks. After the run, the participants enjoyed themselves with food, music (glam/hair metal, of course), and a game of molov-toss (a new game that is soon to have a copyright by members of the LA ABC – just kidding, kind of.)
As of this moment, we have raised $3600, but more money is expected raised in the coming days. Lastly, we wish to thank our comrades from OC and IE ABC. Their participation and presence at the event was much appreciated.
Lowell ABC
Greetings, hope all had a blast this past RDTW weekend. We went to our usual spot at Boarding House Park and met to find that a late Summer concert was being set up at the park for 7:30pm that evening. We worked around it as we had used the spot for the past four years.
We had roughly 25 participants drop in and out, opened up with acknowledgment of the former Wameset reservation that now stands occupied in the urban area known as so called Lowell MA (Mehqua’numa’onk wamesut nish patuckioag). We read Oso Blanco’s RDTW 2024 statement and called for a larger solidarity movement for our long term political prisoners to see freedom.
We partnered with some members of the Palestinian community to give direct mutual aid support to Gaza aid amid the genocide. Our Palestinian comrades spoke on the importance of not using non profit fund raising models and using non westernized mutual aid as an act of resiliency and independence for Gaza. The run route was beautiful and scenic along the Merrimack river as usual. We raised a total of 2119 of which 1398 went to the ABCF warchest, 497 to the Palestinian people in Gaza, and 224 from RDTW CD Comp sales for Atlanta needs as they may arise. We hope to have the same participation and figures or better next year. As we say good bye to Summer – Thank You to all who came and donated.
Mexico City As part of the call launched by the Anarchist Black Cross Federation of the United States, and within the framework of the 25th. Anniversary of Running Down the Walls, on September 14, a non-competitive race was organized in Mexico City to raise funds to support the prison expenses of anarchist Jorge Esquivel. The call was launched by the Anarchist Black Cross Mexico and Sinteno Kolektiva (Collective Attitude in Esperanto), a combat sports school with anti-fascist and anti-authoritarian principles.
The appointment was at 10:00 am in a parkt north of the city; The first participants arrived a little before the time of the call and immediately noticed the presence of at least two police officers dressed in civilian clothes at the entrance to the park who stood out from the rest of the people who were doing sports or recreational activities in the park at that time due to their corpulence, haircut and clothing, since they carried radio communicators.
Little by little, people arrived to participate in the race and around 10:30 it was decided to start the activity with a brief talk about the situation of comrade Jorge, who is imprisoned in the Oriente Prison in Mexico City, sentenced to 7 years and 6 months in prison for an accusation of drug sales that is part of a media and judicial setup to attack Okupa Che, an autonomous and self-managed space where Jorge has participated for more than 20 years. The origin and objectives of RDW were also discussed, highlighting that it is not the first time that an event like this has been held in Mexico City. And despite not being a recurring event, a good participation was achieved, with 15 people attending.
An important point that was mentioned was about conceiving sports practice in a different way from that of the capitalist system, without competition and without turning it into a spectacle to consume. It was also mentioned that these types of events are of great importance to build solidarity with prisoners from other regions.
Before starting the race, the participants did a physical warm-up. And so, after the brief talk and warm-up, mind and body were ready to start the effort.
The race went off without a hitch, with the distant gaze of the two police officers who limited themselves to taking photos from a distance. There were those who covered the 5km in very good time, as well as those who preferred to enjoy the walk through the forest without rushing, but at the end everyone finished with the satisfaction of having contributed to breaking down the walls of isolation.
Registration for the race was $50MX, but there were those who contributed more, which allowed the amount of $2000MX to be raised, which will be divided half for legal expenses and the other part for expenses during the visit to Jorge.
NYC
Running Down the Walls 2024 has come and gone. Here in NYC we had a beautiful day to do it, the mid-September New York weather finally feeling like autumn instead of a desert summer. Both Prospect Park and the City itself seemed even busier than usual, with buskers, vendors and birthday parties nearby and marches and rallies elsewhere in town. In coordinating a multi-city run with organizers on both sides of the walls, we have to find a day that works for everyone involved as much as possible.
As it turned out, not only did this year’s run land on Jamel Floyd’s birthday (September 15th), but it was also the 55th Annual African Day Parade. It also happened to be the day for at least three other political prisoner and/or anarcho-adjacent events in the five boroughs. So it was a busy weekend for many New Yorkers, including NYC ABC! Even still, a lively core of runners, bikers, walkers, and chillers assembled near the black RDTW banner to raise funds, awareness, and community solidarity for our political prisoners. It was wonderful to reconnect with long time friends and comrades, and to welcome some new faces!
The goal of RDTW, this year as much as any, is of course to raise much-needed funds for the Anarchist Black Cross FederationWarchest Program. Also though, and always, any chance to share information about the political prisoners and POW’s we support is heartily welcomed. Not to mention that events such as these are important in building and maintaining a community of solidarity in the here and now, rather than waiting for some dreamy future or idealizing pasts or present communities we are not a part of.
The namesake event itself kicked off a bit later than usual this year, as ‘anarchy time’ remains as reliable as ever. This year there were some pretty serious runners and bikers, as well as some casual perambulators happy to enjoy the fresh air at an unhurried pace. After the ‘run’, as is local anarchist tradition, organizers, participants and supporters shared an especially delicious home-cooked vegan meal, and spent a few more hours making new friends and catching up with cherished comrades.
Olympia, WA
To keep it short – it was a huge success!
We had around 30 people come through – about half of which participated in the run and raised $604 that we are splitting between the Anarchist Black Cross Federation War Chest Program and regional prisoners. There were supplies for writing letters to prisoners which people used and people had fun hand screen printing shirts for the event on site. Before running, someone spoke a little bit about the warchest and the anarchist black cross and someone else shared snippets of writing from a zine a formerly incarcerated friend had written during incarceration. A few people came up during and at the after party grilling at Yauger Park and asked what was going on and we had really refreshing and receptive conversations about the destruction of prisons.
For those unfamiliar, the ABCF Warchest is a program(https://www.abcf.net/warchest-program/) started in 1994 “to send monthly donations to Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War who have been receiving insufficient, little, or no financial support during their imprisonment. Its purpose is to collect funds from groups and individual supporters and send that money directly to commissary accounts of vetted Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War (PP/POW) monthly.”
Running Down the Walls is a non-competitive 5K started in 1999 to raise money for the Warchest and to raise awareness about political prisoners and prisoners of war, as a way to constantly affirm that we have not forgotten our comrades and fighters captured by our enemies. These runs happen both inside and outside prisons, and this year saw runs in Chicago, Eugene, Portland, LA, Lowell MA, Mexico City, NYC, Philadelphia, and Bristol.
“Revolutionary solidarity that doesn’t see the prisoner as an inactive individual with whom you should unquestioningly show solidarity, but rather as a comrade who continues being part of the struggle and who, therefore, is active in exchanging visions of the different initiatives that are carried out.
I send an embrace charged with complicity to all the groups and individuals who carry revolutionary solidarity embedded in their daily struggles. Those who, each and every moment, persistently and obstinately confront this society that needs prisons, control, degradation and exploitation to perpetuate itself. Who are conspiring and devising new forms of spreading anarchist propaganda, carrying out attacks and acting in solidarity with prisoner comrades. A strong hug for all of them.”
-Francisco Solar (https://actforfree.noblogs.org/2024/09/11/chile-words-of-anarchist-comrade-francisco-solar-for-the-week-of-international-agitation-against-isolation/#more-1345)
Prisoner solidarity cannot be the specialized role of particular crews or organizations, it’s a project we must all take up. If anarchism isn’t just a social scene, if we are true to our revolutionary ideals we must understand that at some point we are probably going to do some time. Beyond that even, the degree to which our collective practice of prisoner support is strong is the degree to which people will feel empowered to take the risks that need to be taken and know that if something goes wrong, people will have their back.
It goes beyond this even, because to be an anarchist is to be at war with all forms of domination, and prison is the most direct form of domination – a core site of reproduction of hierarchies and the projection of state power – behind the power of the boss, the power of the landlord, behind the hoarding of the necessities of life and self actualization by the few, behind the impunity of racist and anti-queer vigilantes stands concrete walls, armed guards and locked doors for those of us who strike back.
Prison is the shock absorber for changes in social and economic domination, a continual site of capital accumulation via prison slavery. The United States is the largest incarcerator in the history of humanity and large swaths of the population – particular black and indigenous people – in one way or another are swept up into the machine as the raw materials for the ever expanding policing, corrections and border enforcement industries.
The prison industry and all its connected forms are a bi-partisan project of white supremacist terror on a scale the most extreme and well organized of fascist cadres could only dream of. Look at the bringing back of drug war era policies in Seattle via the SODA/SOAP ordinances, the broad criminalization of homelessness, the expansion of police training facilities all over the country.
Looking clearly at all of this, if we are true to our revolutionary ideals each and every one of us will take on the responsibility of attacking prison in some way – for some this may be of a more social nature of breaking the isolation between inside and out by writing letters and connecting to prisoners, getting their voices to the outside world, raising the issue of prison so it cannot be ignored, connecting the struggle against prisons to all other struggles. For others, this may be more combative by physically freeing captives, attacking jails and prisons, bringing the fight directly to the homes of the jailers and those who profit off it, preparing the groundwork and networks to support people on the run and escapees, preparing the tools and networks to help turn prison riots into full blown insurrection that opens the gates and reduces those human warehouses to rubble.
Don’t wait for someone else to tell you to write a letter, don’t wait for someone else to go physically look at the jails in prisons in your areas, don’t wait for someone else to study and analyze the process, flow and economy if the justice and corrections industries in your area to find where to best attack, don’t wait until it’s too late to factor the possibility of capture and jail/prison into everything you do, don’t wait to take up the project of the destruction of prisons.
See you next year, FIRE TO THE PRISONS LONG LIVE ANARCHY
Philly
Philly ABC held 2024 RDTW on Sunday, September 15th in solidarity with Palestinians resisting genocide. Philly ABC’s RDTW cleared 400 participants: 2 from inside prison and 398 outside plus multiple dogs and a kitten. People rolled in wheelchairs, bikes, and roller skates aswell as participating on foot. A Samidoun member joined us to speak about their important work supporting political prisoners in Palestine.
In addition to our very popular main shirt design by Sugarbombing, wemade two limited edition shirts in solidarity with Gaza and commemorating 25 years of RDTW. We are selling the last of the stock on our website at phillyabc.org/merch/, with the proceeds going towardsthe ABCF Warchest/Gaza mutual aid split.
Due to ongoing shirt sales, our total funds raised is still growing. Wealso are working with two matching donors to maximize the impact, which should help us clear over $40,000 in total. We will post the full reportback with details to phillyabc.org in November.
Portland A beautiful blue sky welcomed about 65 participants (and our crew of organizers) to the Willamette River waterfront on Sunday, September 15th, and we were excited and honored to have Eric King as our very energetic MC! What an amazing way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of RDTW!
Eric greeted us and touched all of our hearts by reminding us of what it means for someone on the inside to receive solidarity support from the ABCF Warchest every month—how much of a difference it can make in getting through very hard times and just everyday life, and that it’s not a small thing to have the ability to pay for phone calls to loved ones, stamps, etc., and extra food—especially for vegans (like himself) and vegetarians. While celebrating this moment in community, Eric also drove home the urgency of continuing and increasing our support for incarcerated comrades through writing letters—especially to trans comrades who face so much nonstop hostility. This message was not lost on us, and it really renewed our steadfast determination.
Between reading this year’s statements from prisoners and calling out ticket numbers for some pretty sweet raffle items (including everything from gift certificates for tattoos, herbal tinctures, and bodywork, as well as handcrafted items, books, t-shirts, art prints, and more, one of our favorite local reggae DJs from Impact! Sound brought an excellent vibe to the afternoon, playing some classics on vinyl—thankfully under a canopy kindly shared with us by an unhoused neighbor at the last minute—truly in the spirit of mutual aid. The friends who prepared delicious BBQ provided some tasty nourishment for the sweaty, hyped-up crowd, and we appreciate them so much.
Finally, comrades supporting Alissa Azar, an independent Portland-based journalist currently locked up in nearby Clackamas County, Oregon, due to her alleged role in a clash with Proud Boys at an Oregon City park three years ago, were there to raise funds and awareness around her case. We are proud to share that we raised $3,374 this year, to be split between the ABCF Warchest and Samidoun, which supports Palestinian prisoners. Thanks to all who made this year’s RDTW such a great day! We are so grateful for you! As Eric says, “toward liberation!”
Tampa, FL — In a deeply troubling move, a federal court today sentenced pro-choice activists Amber Smith-Stewart and Annarella Rivera to 30 days in custody and 60 days of home confinement and Caleb Freestone to 1 year and 1 day in federal prison for Conspiracy, while dismissing two counts under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, 18 U.S.C. §248. This unprecedented use of the FACE Act—originally designed to protect abortion clinics and their employees—has been twisted to prosecute activists protesting so-called crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs), which are in many cases religious-run facilities that actively work to manipulate and prevent people from accessing abortions. The crimes these defendants have admitted to and took responsibility for would normally result in a state or municipal court misdemeanor for graffiti. Caleb Freestone’s longer sentence was attributed to minor activism he had been arrested for wheat-pasting flyers on private buildings–the charges were later dismissed but the court heavily punished him for it.
The Federal Judge from the Middle District of Florida, Virginia Hernandez Covington, at one point inconceivably asserted that spray painting the outside of a closed fake clinic building was more threatening than fire bombing and causing a fire at an abortion clinic. Judge Hernandez Covington stated that the fear the crisis pregnancy center workers felt was in some way more serious than hurling two molotov cocktails at a legitimate health provider. Lawyer for Amber Smith-Stewart, Lauren Regan, Director of Litigation and Advocacy at Civil Liberties Defense Center (CLDC), pushed back on this statement with the Judge eventually conceding, “They’re both bad.” This colloquy with the Court exposed the clear bias against the reproductive justice activists. Regan provided extensive evidence and argument regarding all of the FACE Act prosecutions and sentences around the country. “These reproductive justice activists are the first pro-choice people to be prosecuted under this statute after pressure was applied to the Department of Justice by Florida politicians. They are also the first to be prosecuted for minor property damage that occurred when there were no patients or workers around. Anti-abortion defendants that firebombed clinics or had repeated violations of blockading patients trying to enter Planned Parenthood Clinics got less punishment than our clients did today.”
In the summer of 2022, Amber Smith-Stewart, Annarella Rivera, and Caleb Freestone spray painted three anti-abortion centers in Central and Southern Florida. The defendants previously admitted to tagging these facilities that Planned Parenthood calls “fake clinics,” with the following messages: “If abortions aren’t safe than niether [sic] are you.” These protests came in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision and were borne out of frustration and grief over the rollback of abortion rights in the United States in the wake of the overturned Roe v. Wade precedent. The defendants were arrested for spray painting messages on fake reproductive health facilities in Florida, which the government argued were “reproductive health service” providers under the FACE Act — a position highly questionable given that, To our knowledge, there are no licensed medical providers at these “clinics.”
Rivera, a long-time advocate for reproductive justice, expressed disbelief at the extent of the government’s response to the graffiti, stating “I’ve supported and raised two children by working in my chosen field of ob/gyn healthcare. When not working, I’ve spent countless hours escorting patients to and from clinical appointments for their safety and the safety of our workers. Simply put, women’s health and the ability to choose their own path is my passion and calling. I never thought that the act of spray-painting a fake ‘clinic’ would result in the FBI violently raiding my house or that I would become a pawn in the fight for a person’s right to bodily autonomy—something an overwhelming majority of citizens in the United States believe in.”
Smith-Stewart added: “In hindsight, I understand that the slogans we spray painted in 2022 could have been taken as a threat which was not our intent. The real threat here remains the assault by a vocal minority against a person’s right to choose. This is where the real danger lies. The Dobbs decision puts lives at risk. People seek abortions for a multitude of reasons, and the decision to terminate or carry a pregnancy to term should never be made by power brokers in Washington, D.C. In my case, my own life would be at risk if I was subjected to a forced pregnancy.”
The use of the FACE Act to protect CPCs, which often operate with the intention of dissuading or manipulating people from obtaining abortions, is a gross distortion of the law. Defense counsel for Smith-Stewart, Ms. Regan, condemned today’s ruling: “This case marks a dangerous shift in the misuse of the FACE Act, twisting it from a law designed to protect abortion providers into a tool for punishing those who stand up for reproductive rights. The government’s claims are a gross overreach. Using a statute intended to safeguard access to abortion to criminalize protest against anti-abortion centers undermines justice and bodily autonomy. This should alarm anyone who believes in the right to choose and the fight for reproductive freedom.”
The sentences handed down today send a chilling message to those standing up for reproductive rights and bodily autonomy, but CLDC will have your back and we will continue to support Amber Smith-Stewart, Annarella Rivera, Caleb Freestone, and all those fighting for a better world. Thanks to Michael Maddux, attorney for Caleb Freestone, and Vanessa King, attorney for Annarella Rivera.
