On this day in 1986, former Black Liberation Army & New Afrikan, anarchist Political Prisoner Kuwasi Balagoon died of complications from AIDS.

We highly recommend reading Kuwasi’s writings at the link below, especially the Brinks trial opening and closing trial statement:
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/kuwasi-balagoon-brink-s-trial-opening-statement
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/kuwasi-balagoon-brink-s-trial-closing-statement

Video of Kuwasi:

A Solider’s Story:
https://bookshop.org/p/books/soldier-s-story-revolutionary-writings-by-a-new-afrikan-anarchist-kuwasi-balagoon/a9b0146cca243fdc?ean=9781629633770&next=t

In Memory Of Kuwasi Balagoon

Died of AIDS, 12/13/86, nine days short of his 40th birthday by David Gilbert

Kuwasi Balagoon (Kuwasi means Born on Sunday, Balagoon means Warrior) was a New Afrikan Freedom Fighter and anarchist and all around wonderful human being— creative, courageous, principled. He had been a light heavyweight boxer in the Army, then a tenant organizer in Harlem, and also a sparkling poet who read on the same programs as the Last Poets (considered the 1960s precursors to hip hop).

In 1969, he was indicted as part of the Panther 21. the most notorious case of the police bringing false charges to suppress political organizing, and he went underground to avoid arrest. Later, with incredible daring and brilliance, Kuwasi managed two different escapes from New Jersey state prisons. Each time he was out and clear, and only got caught later because he continued to try to free other comrades. Kuwasi was a free spirit and loving human being who didn’t feel bound by the gender binary. In his last year, at Auburn Correctional Facility, he whistled jazz tunes, painted surreal watercolours, and got up at 5:00 a.m. to work in the kitchen so that he could bake for friends.

He had a deep commitment to both uphold militant struggle and to openly admit and analyze errors—and was in the process of writing about that when he died. His sudden and surprising death led three of his close friends to initiate the first comprehensive peer education project on AIDS in a prison.

David Gilbert

via NYCABC
We’ve finished the latest version of the NYC ABC “Illustrated Guide to Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War” and it’s available for viewing (and download) by clicking on the tab at the top of this page. This update includes updated mini-bios, photos, and address changes for several prisoners. Sadly, this edition includes the removal of Imam Jamil Al-Amin. Rest easy, Imam.

Download the Illustrated Guide at
https://nycabc.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/nycabc_polprisonerlisting_latestdec2025-1.pdf

Holiday Writing Event for Prisoners at THRIVE, 99 Market St, Lowell MA with Lowell/Lawrence ABC
December 12th at 4pm.

Here is the latest compilation of every-other-week updates via NYC ABC
https://nycabc.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/9-dec-2025.pdf

NYC ABC, along with several other individuals and prisoner support
crews, now send hard copies to all political prisoners and prisoners of
war we support.

If you consistently mail the latest updates to a specific prisoner,
please let us know so we can insure there’s no overlap. The goal is to
have copies sent to all of the prisoners we list.

We’ve also been told that some prisoners are not receiving the copies
sent in, yet we aren’t getting rejection notices. If you are in steady
contact with a prisoner, please ask them whether or not they are
receiving the updates and let us know.

Free ’em all,
NYC ABC

The full archive of updates from March 2011 to today are available for download at
https://nycabc.wordpress.com/pppow-updates-announcements/

The Xinachtli Freedom Campaign is calling on the community to join us this Saturday, December 13, for a protest at Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s Mansion to demand urgent medical care and freedom for 73-year-old Chicano Indigenous political prisoner Xinachtli.

Xinachtli’s health is rapidly declining, and he is being denied basic medical care. We must mobilize now and fight for X before it’s too late!

• WHERE: 1010 Colorado St., Austin
• WHEN: Saturday, December 13, 12–2 p.m.
• CARPOOL (Houston → Austin): tinyurl.com/freexride
  
  

Our Demands

1. Reinstate Xinachtli’s commissary access.
2. Transfer him immediately to the TDCJ hospital in Galveston.
3. Move him from McConnell Unit to the LeBlanc medical facility in Beaumont.
4. Release him under Medical Recommended Intensive Supervision (MRIS).

Not in Texas? You can still help! 

Please share and repost the protest on Instagram to help spread the word: https://www.instagram.com/p/DR0GIc-jrw-/Your organization can also sign onto our demand letter to the TDCJ: tinyurl.com/xsupportletterA flyer with all event details is attached.

Thank you for standing in support of Xinachtli.

In solidarity,
Xinachtli Freedom Campaign

Philly’s 2025 Running Down the Walls event raised $2610 for political
prisoners! Join us for another reportback mailing party this Monday, 6:30pm at Wooden Shoe books so we can tell them all about it! Light refreshments provided; masks are required.

We’ll also be signing cards for political prisoners with winter birthdays: Casey Brezik (December 30th), Fran Thompson (January 4th), Abdul Aziz (January 9th), Joseph “Joe-Joe” Bowen (January 15th), and Marius Mason (January 26th).

—
[Image description: Drawing of a bird standing on a stretch of barbed wire, with the event details displaying as text above and below the bird.]

Des Revol’s support crew is trying to get 100 organizations this week to sign onto the support letter for “Free Des” (they currently have between 55 and 60 organizations signed on). Any outreach to liberal, mainstream, normie, nonprofit, progressive, and/or radical/anarchist organizations is greatly appreciated!

Here’s a great article about the case:
https://theintercept.com/2025/11/23/prairieland-ice-antifa-zines-criminalize-protest-journalism/.

For the sign-on letter, see https://freedes.net/sign-on-letter/ 
(which includes an email address for orgs to send their “YES” to!)

Write Des:
Daniel Rolando Sanchez Estrada, #95099-511
FMC Fort Worth
PO Box 15330
Fort Worth, TX 76119

GUIDELINES:
Des is pretrial. DO NOT mention anything about the case or charges. Write only in blue or black ink. No stickers, glitter, or whiteout. Include his first and last name as well as ID number, page numbers, date, and a return address at the top of each sheet. An example for the top of each page could look like this:

First Name, Last Name, ID Number
Page Number X/X
Date
Return Address

ALL correspondence is read, scanned, and cataloged by facility staff. Do not say anything you don’t want read on Fox News or in court about you or Des.

WHEN: Sunday, December 14th, 2025 10:00am-1:30pm
WHERE: Principles (139 9th Street, Brooklyn 11215)
COST: FREE (Donations to cover the cost of stamps greatly appreciated)

In what many prisoners have told us is their favorite event of the year, Resistance in Brooklyn and NYC Anarchist Black Cross again join forces to bring you the annual holiday card-writing party for U.S. held political prisoners, prisoners of war, and prisoners of conscience. This event is always a lot of fun, the food outstanding, the camaraderie lively, and the handmade cards flat out amazing. This year will be no different, and will be organized both in person and virtually. So plan to tell your friends and bring your creativity. We’ll have updates on the pp/pow campaigns as well as crayons, colored pencils, paper and envelopes.

This is a hybrid event and will have a zoom component for folks unable to make it in person. For the Zoom meeting information, contact Resistance in Brooklyn: resistanceinbrooklyn.ows at gmail dot com

For folks writing at home, here are some guidelines to follow to ensure your holiday card gets to the person you are writing:

GUIDELINES:
We recommend using the following guidelines to ensure your holiday card will get through the walls. The best bet for getting a handmade card through the walls is to either: print a design on plain computer paper or create a design on plain computer paper using blue or black pen only. Things have gotten very draconian and many facilities won’t even allow crayon or colored pencil anymore. Card stock or greeting cards are not allowed in most facilities. You cannot use paint of any kind. You cannot enclose glitter or write with glittery gel pens or puff paint pens or stickers.

If you DO use some colorful artsy craftsy things to make a card on cardstock, simply photocopy it onto computer paper and send in the copy only.

You cannot include articles or anything else torn out of a newspaper or magazine. However, you can print that same article from the internet or photocopy it.

ON THE ENVELOPE:
Return address labels are no longer permitted in most facilities, nor stickers of any kind (aside from stamps). Write your ‘to’ and ‘from’ address neatly in blue or black pen.

For more information, contact:
Resistance in Brooklyn– [email protected]
NYC Anarchist Black Cross– [email protected]

via https://www.instagram.com/freexinachtlinow/

After weeks of medical neglect and declining health, we are calling for local, national and international support to demand that Xinachtli receives the critical medical care immediately!

We have four ways you can support Xinachtli right now:
1. Call to put pressure for his demands on TDCJ and McConnell unit.
2. We are asking organizations to sign our demand letter to TDCJ. Link can be found in our bio or tinyurl.com/xsupportletter
3. Join us on December 13 to protest in Austin, Texas.
4. Donate to the campaign to support legal expenses.

Every day and every moment counts. We refuse to let our revolutionary elder Xinachtli die by incarceration. Please read the full post for more information on his condition and how to take action.

WHAT: Noise Demo
WHEN: 9:00pm, Wednesday, December 31st
WHERE: Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC, the federal prison in Brooklyn); 29th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues, Brooklyn, New York 11232 (D/N/R to 36th Street or R to 25th Street).
BRING: Noisemakers, air horns, drums, anything that is loud!

On the noisiest night of the year in New York City, come help us remind folks locked up that they are not alone. NYC Anarchist Black Cross, in response to an international call for noise demonstrations outside of prisons, is asking folks to join us outside of the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Come, not to appeal to authority, speak truth to power, or any other contrivance, but rather to stand with comrades, at a safe distance, and show direct solidarity to those on the other side of the wall.

The state, writ large, is targeting anarchists all across the United States and abroad. This will be both protest and celebration.