Since 1999, prisoners and supporters throughout Turtle Island, and recently in the UK, have participated in the annual event known as Running Down the Walls (RDTW) often running or walking simultaneously in many cities and prisons at once.
RDTW is a non-competitive 5K run/jog/walk/roll to raise awareness and funds for political prisoners as the primary fundraiser for the ABCF Warchest Program. Over the years, we have raised *tens of thousands* of dollars and lots of awareness around the struggle to free political prisoners. Many places will be hosting RDTW 2024 on Sunday, September 15th with a portion of funds raised also supporting local groups of the organizers’ choosing– see event details below for specifics:
Chicago September 15th – 5pm MCC Chicago – 71 W Van Buren MARCH & RALLY – 5K MARATHON – BIKE & RUN – BANDS & DJs
Eugene, OR September 15th – 1pm Owen Rose Garden (300 N Jefferson Street) near the river (follow signs)
Los Angeles September 15th – Registration begins at 10am Echo Park Lake – 751 Echo Park Avenue
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Lowell, MA September 15th – 11am Boarding House Park – 40 French St.
New York September 15th- 2pm Prospect Park- Lincoln Road/East Lake Drive, east of the Terrace Bridge
Philadelphia (shirts shipped worldwide for remote participants) September 15th – 11am sharp (Yoga warm-up at 10am) FDR Park Registration deadline is September 1st (use link above)
Portland, OR September 15th – 11am Tilkum Bridge (East Side)
On July 23rd Casey was indicted by a federal grand jury on three charges all relating to the same incident. Two of the charges allege destruction of property by fire/explosives and carry a 5-20 year sentence each if convicted. The third charge alleges possession of an unregistered firearm and carries a maximum of 10 years (note: “firearm” here is referring to the alleged destructive device, not a gun). Casey’s lawyers have officially agreed to represent them in federal court.
Casey is back in Santa Rita in federal custody and expects to remain where they are for the time being. All the transfers and changes in custody were jarring and Casey will hopefully be able to finally settle into a routine. Alongside their already rigorous usual studies they have been pursuing their own legal self-education in preparation for their ongoing case.
In observance of Black August, Casey will be participating in FLEA days along with one other person from their pod- 24 hour fasts in commemoration of New Afrikan revolutionaries on the days they were assassinated. Here is more information about the history of Black August for those wanting to learn more!
People across the country have been putting out beautiful statements of support! These are so important as they demonstrate the incredible love people have for Casey for their years of commitment to community, solidarity, and mutual aid.
The support team has also been working on launching a crowdfunding campaign for Casey, so please stay tuned and start thinking about how to mobilize your networks or throw a fundraiser yourself! Updates will come soon. We can currently already accept large donations from individual donors in the form of checks, please reach out for more information to make this happen.
If you would like to write Casey, you can do so at:
Casey Goonan #UMF227 Santa Rita Jail 5325 Broder Blvd Dublin, CA 94568
Casey is still excited to receive mail including updates on news and current affairs as they have been feeling cut off from the world.
As a reminder:
– Do not discuss the case. Casey is still pre-trial and receiving mail concerning their case can seriously endanger them.
– Do not valorize Casey. They are a person and a member of our community, not a symbol or martyr. Casey isn’t looking for praise, but rather to maintain correspondence.
– Do not write anything you wouldn’t want Fox News, a cop, or a judge to see. Assume that intelligence and law enforcement agencies are reading your letter.
– As you correspond with Casey, they may send requests aside from books or commissary. Please coordinate directly with Casey’s Support Committee regarding additional asks.
If you wish to help keep money on Casey’s books, there are several ways to do this:
– At the jail via the TouchPay kiosk in the lobby.
– Sending a money order in the mail. The money order must be made payable to “Casey Goonan #UMF227” and there must be no other material in the envelope. No cash or personal checks will be accepted.
– Online with a credit card via one of the vendor platforms run by GlobalTel such as accesscorrections.com or connectnetwork.com. You will have to create an account. If the platform offers different fund options, the fund you want to get Casey money for commissary is called the “Trust Fund”.
Your ongoing support is so needed and appreciated. To receive these updates by email, message [email protected]
Please start Black August off by joining the Abolitionist Law Center on Tues., August 6th [from 6:00-7:30 PM ET] for a webinar “Overcoming Death By Incarceration: The Path to Freedom for Mumia Abu-Jamal.”
This webinar will present important information on the path to freedom for one of our longest serving political prisoners. Topics to be discussed include legal strategies and updates in Mumia’s case, commutation, International Advocacy and compassionate release.
The panel includes:
Saleem Holbrook, ALC Exec. Director;
Bret Grote, ALC Legal Director;
Ghani Kempis Songster, former Juvenile Lifer and organizer;
Jesse Cannon is a militant anti-fascist serving a five-year sentence for two separate cases. The first relates to the defense of his community against far-right and white supremacist groups. The second relates to Cannon’s alleged defense of his community from another credible outside threat to the safety of park attendees during an event at which elders and multiple families with children were present.
Cannon is a hip-hop artist, writer, and photographer who goes by the name “Tall Can” or “T.C.” He is also a long-time community activist, anarchist, and park defender. In recent years he has been involved in the campaign to push back white supremacist’s encroachment into Barrio Logan, a predominantly Latino area of so-called San Diego, occupied Kumeyaay land, and to protect Chicano Park, a historical landmark that represents generations of political struggle for the Chicano movement. It also has the largest concentration of Chicano murals in the world. In recent years, it has been the target of the American Guard, Proud Boys, and another white supremacist group by the name of Border Town Patriots. They have gone to the park with the goal of antagonizing or attacking the local community, which has been able to mobilize in opposition to their presence. Patriot March On January 9, 2021, three days after pro-Trump rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol building, the former president’s supporters in California organized a “patriot’s march” in the Pacific Beach area of San Diego. Groups organizing the march included the American Guard, Proud Boys, and another local right-wing racist group called Defend East County.
Local community activists and anti-fascists groups organized a counter protest. For several hours the two sides clashed with one another. Police attempted to separate the opposing sides but focused their brutality on the anti-racist protesters. After nearly seven hours of protests and street brawls, the area was eventually cleared. Local government, media, and right-wing activists placed the blame for the incident on the “Antifa Movement.” On December 6, 2021, after a grand jury hearing, the San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan announced the indictment of eleven anti-fascist activists on 29 felony counts, relating to the incident in earlier in the year. The indictment stated that 15 to 20 members of Antifa from San Diego and Los Angeles organized and executed acts of violence against participants of the Patriot March rally. The Antifa activists allegedly used rocks, glass, mace, sticks and other weapons to assault at least 16 victims. The indictment stated that a criminal conspiracy began with individuals liking and sharing social media posts that called for a counter-protest against the pro-Trump rally. Others allegedly entered into a conspiracy by showing up to participate in the anti-racist protest and engaging in violent actions.
Cannon was one of the indicted and was charged with felony conspiracy, felony assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon. The indictment also pointed out that Cannon was out on bail for a prior case for his role in community activism. Political Persecution After the indictment was announced, community organizers vocalized their outrage over the one-sided prosecution. Even though both sides engaged in the clash on January 9, 2021, the District Attorney chose to only prosecute those who were labeled as members of “Antifa”. Numerous individuals, who were victims of unprovoked assaults perpetrated by members of the American Guard and Proud Boys, witnessed the District Attorney turn a blind toward these attacks.
The DA also failed to inform both the grand jury and the defense witnesses for the eleven defendants that many of those who were labeled as “victims” were members of the American Guard and were aggressors during the conflict. While the DA’s office went to great efforts to hunt down the alleged “victims of Antifa,” they avoided interviews with numerous victims of the right-wing extremists because that would undermine the DA’s agenda.
an Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan’s action should be of no surprise since she previously built her entire election campaign for her position on fearmongering against Antifa and George Soros. In 2018, Stephan used images of black bloc with Antifa flags with captions such as “San Diego Public Safety is Under Attack” as part of her campaign for election. Her campaign also accused her opponent of being supported by George Soros, the Jewish philanthropist who is often used by the far-right in their coded antisemitic rhetoric While Stephan had no problem villainizing Antifa or George Soros in order to further her campaign, it also seemed like she had no problems taking money from white supremacist or using her position to protect them from prosecution.
One of those who donated to Stephan’s campaign was San Diego Republican Party leader and self-described local Republican “king-maker,” Tony Krvaric. Weeks before the January 2021 incident, Krvaric tweeted that police should be focused on “Antifa terrorists.” It should be no surprise that Krvaric disliked anti-fascists. In 2020, a video surfaced of a young Krvaric and friends giving white power salutes, drawing swastikas on their bodies, with a photo of Hitler bouncing across the screen.
One of Krvaric’s sons, who was a reservist, was investigated by the Marines because of an application to the Patriot Front, another neo-Nazi group. His other son worked for Trump’s Office of Personnel Management, participated in the January 6 insurrection, and had profiles on neo-Nazi websites where he praised Hitler, backed deportation of non-white people, and expressed disgust of the LGBTQ+ population.
This is not Stephan’s only connection to the local white supremacist community. In May 2018, just weeks after the DA launched her conspiracy campaign website, she accepted a campaign contribution from Kristopher Wyrick, the President of the Southern California chapter of the American Guard. Six months prior to the contribution, when Summer Stephan was acting as the interim DA, Wyrick and several other members of the American Guard assaulted several victims in a vicious attack. Despite numerous videos of the attack, the DA chose not to file charges against the white supremacists. This was not an isolated incident. In September 2020, members of the American Guard attacked racial justice protestors, including a man in a wheelchair. In July 2021, Wyrick and several other members of the American Guard attacked pro-Palestinian protesters during a rally, using weapons that included bear spray. Despite media reports documenting the incidents, the DA’s office yet again refused to prosecute. In total, there are at least five documented incidents where Stephan’s office chose not to prosecute Wyrick and his American Guard for violent assaults. To add insult to injury, many of those individuals they chose not to prosecute, were the alleged victims in the January 9, 2021, incident and prosecution witnesses.
In late 2023, Cannon was involved in another action in defense of his community against an outside threat that led to further charges, including alleged use of a deadly weapon, vandalism, brandishing a concealed firearm, and assault and battery. The mounting charges and potential sentencing enhancements led Cannon to make the decision to take a plea. In February of 2024, Jesse Cannon took a non-cooperating plea agreement where he received a two year sentence for the January 2021 case and three years for the additional charges from late 2023. In total, Cannon was sentenced to five years in state prison for defending his community against fascist and racist aggressors.
It is with a sad heart that we report the passing of Tsutomu Shirosaki. Tsutomu, a political prisoner and an alleged former militant in the Japanese Red Army, died Saturday while in a Japanese prison. Tsutomu died after choking during a meal. He was deeply loved and respected by members of the Los Angeles Anarchist Black Cross.
Marius Mason is an activist serving a 22 year sentence after being found guilty of arson at a laboratory and on logging equipment.
Marius was approved for gender affirming care in 2022 when he was moved to FCI Danbury, a male prison. He was then transported to FMC Fort Worth where he was supposed to get gender affirming surgery, but he was informed that the health company contracted by the prison was unwilling to perform a hysterectomy. Marius’ doctor has informed him that there are indications of an early onset of cancer on his uterus, yet the facility is unable to provide the care he deserves.
His support team has drafted a letter that they are asking to print and post to put pressure and show support. Please, read the words below, grab a stamp and print the letter.
Let’s show solidarity to Marius and fight for his health as fearsome as he has fought for our planet.
“Please copy and paste in to your own document, print and send to:
Director Collette Peters Federal Bureau of Prisons 320 First Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20534
Dear Director Peters: Thank you for prioritizing the rehabilitative purpose and programming of the BOP in your role as Director. It was encouraging to see the Transgender Policy Manual posted again, after years of being unavailable on the FBOP site when you came into office. I appreciate the atmosphere of respect, acceptance and safety fostered at the highest level under your administration for all LGBTQIA+ people currently in the carceral system.
I am writing today to call attention to the situation of Marius Mason (née Marie Mason, #04672-061). Mason has been approved by the FBOP for gender-affirming surgery since 2022. He was transferred from FCI Danbury, a male facility, and after living there for two years, he was transported to FMC Fort Worth, where he was to undergo gender affirming surgery. This was the culmination of a 10-year process, beginning in 2013 when Mason asked to be considered for the new transgender medical policy, after a lawsuit created a pathway to medical transition.
However, Mason was informed at a meeting with Dr. Mercado (the Health Services Administrator), Mr. Strickland and Mason’s therapist, Dr. Bartholomew on 5/24/24 that despite having been approved for surgery, the health services contractor that was working for FMC Fort Worth was not willing to provide gender-affirming hysterectomy. It is our understanding that there are in fact local medical professionals who can perform this procedure, without which the other surgeries will be delayed.
Also at this same meeting, Mason was informed that test results from a prior ultrasound had revealed that there was indications of an early onset of cancer in his uterus, and a further test was being ordered to confirm this possible result. If indeed Marius requires a hysterectomy due to uterine cancer, we hope this will be carried out with all possible speed.
I am asking that you please investigate the apparent refusal of a contracted health care to provide care to a trans prisoner, and also to ensure that this denial and delay do not endanger Mason’s health and safety or delay the approved care long enough to prevent it being fulfilled. Thank you for continuing to be an ally to LGBTQIA+ prisoners in the Federal system.
Former Political Prisoner Veronza Bowers is free after 50 yrs. He requests that ppl allow him quiet time for now with his family. We are glad you made it out alive! Donate to his release fund at https://www.gofundme.com/f/welcome-home-veronza-bowers
Following nearly ten years of incarceration and numerous attempts by the State to frame, murder, and break him – anarchist prisoner Eric King has now been released and is headed to a half-way house “for several weeks,” reports supporters.
I stand by my actions. After seeing what happened in Ferguson, so close down the road, I was disgusted by the lack of mobilization in my city. Three hours away people were fighting for their lives and we weren’t even taking to the streets. We were doing nothing. My act as a very personal display of my anger and rage toward the state as well as an act of solidarity to everyone in Ferguson. We never know our own strength until we are tested and even with my ridiculous sentence I feel at least proud to have been able to stand strong and refuse to cooperate with the state.
Eric’s bravery and courage in the face of years of torture and abuse is a testament of our collective ability to resist and weather the horrors of state repression. For future updates, be sure to check out the Support Eric King page, here.
