Monthly Archives: July 2019

Tom Manning has Passed

Our beautiful comrade, Tom Manning, has passed away due to complications related to a heart attack. Tom was a member of the United Freedom Front and dedicated his life to the struggle against imperialism. Whether it was over the struggle in El Salvador, Nicaragua or South Africa, Tom used any means necessary to support others fighting for their freedom. He dedicated and sacrificed his life for this endeavor. Those who knew him were better for it. We will miss him terribly. Amandla!

Mexican Anarchist Luis Fernando Sotelo Released from Prison

Anarchist political prisoner Luis Fernando Sotelo was released from prison on July 12 after more than 4 years and 8 months. Sotelo was arbitarily detained while protesting for the missing 43 Ayotzinapa students. The comrade burned his prison uniform after being released.

His detention was irregular; the judicial process never managed to prove his participation in the action that was prosecuted judicially. Despite this, the prosecutor for capital injustice kept him in custody. With an initial sentence of 33 years and despite all the inconsistencies of the process, they dismantled the lies of the government and thereby lowered the sentence.

It was thanks to his resistance, courage and knowledge of his innocence that he remained firm in his struggle. Many compañeras and compañeros joined his fight for freedom, among them the compañeras that made up the Luis Fernado Free Committee! who came every week to visit him in the Southern Prison.

Organizations such as the Popular Organization Francisco Villa de Izquierda Independiente, Weaving Revolutionary Organization, the comrades of the Vendaval cooperative, Street Brigade, organizations and collectives that fight together with the Indigenous Council of Government and support the EZLN, comrades who fight in the anti-prison movement, the CGT of the Spanish State, Zapata Vive coffee, among many others, participated in the meetings held in the courts, in the SCJN and in the marches called to demand his release.

Finally, this July 12, the comrade Luis Fernando left the Southern Prison in the company of his family and comrades who sang, hurled slogans and embraced him to welcome him.

After hugging his family, the comrade burned the uniform he had to wear in these years and gave a message of thanks to the organizations and compañerxs present and recalled that there are still many political prisoners in the country, inviting them to keep fighting for their release.

Down with the walls of the prisons!

FREEDOM for political prisoners!

Little Feather Released to Halfway House

The time has finally come for one of our greatest Indigenous NoDAPL Water Protectors to be released from prison. Little Feather has served 36 months in maximum security prison for protecting the water. His charges stemmed from October 27, 2106 when Treaty Camp was set up to honor the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851.

His family and friends could not be more thrilled. It takes a significant amount of strength and faith to not only survive in the federal prison system but to thrive! He used his time helping others when needed. It is time for us to help in any way we can to support him on his journey moving forward and healing from the time he spent away from his family and cultural practices.

We are asking our community and allies to help us welcome him back, and to help us support him through his journey of reintegration back into his community. It will be a journey of healing and we want him to have everything he needs on his journey.

Little Feather still has to endure four months in a North Dakota halfway house and three years of probation. We are attempting to get his probation transferred to New Mexico where his family resides.

Little Feather and his family would like to offer their appreciation and prayers for those of you who had stood by and with us. We are very blessed to have you all as our community, and you each have shown incredible acts of love, compassion, support and understanding to Little Feather.

Please donate now at paypal.me/LCowboy or venmo leoyla-cowboy-1

Anarchist Comrade In Canada Released

Anarchist comrade Cedar Hopperton has been released after spending nearly a month in jail for allegedly violating their parole conditions after giving a speech arguing that police should not be part of the queer community and applauding those at Pride who stood up to the police and fascists.

Despite the fact that they weren’t at Pride, Cedar spent weeks in jail in a clear case of retaliation by the Hamilton police against Cedar for expressing their anarchist convictions. Cedar went on hunger strike after their arrest, and the queer and anarchist communities of Hamilton mobilized in their support.

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Call for Solidarity for Mexican Anarchist Miguel Peralta

Compañerxs from different geographies:

We send our greetings from Mexico, where we are engaged in a struggle to
free our compas from state capture and tear down the prison walls.

We are a small solidarity group who have spent the last four years
accompanying Miguel Peralta, Indigenous anarchist prisoner of
Eloxochitlán de Flores Magón, Oaxaca. Miguel was detained for defending
the traditional forms of organization in his community and denouncing
the abuses of a cacique group that holds economic and political power
there. This group has maintained an environment of repression and
harassment in the community for over nine years.  

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Solidarity for Andreas Krebs

From ABC-Viena:

Our friend and companion Andreas is currently imprisoned in Naples (Italy). Since his imprisonment in Germany Andreas has been known as a rebellious prisoner. In April 2019 he was sentenced in Italy to 24 years in jail. In addition, Andreas has recently been diagnosed with kidney cancer. His health is deteriorating and we fear for his life. Actually, he should undergo surgery months ago, but the Italian authorities refuse to transfer him to a hospital.

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The Death of Will Van Spronsen

On July 13, a comrade by the name of Will Van Spronsen was killed will engaging in an action against the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washing. While the facts of this case are still coming to light what is known is that he was an anarchist. He was an anti-fascist. He was one of ours. The media and the State are attempting to paint him as a person engaging in a violent act against individuals. Let us be clear, he was engaging in an act against property; property that is used to rob people of their liberty and dignity as human beings. He will be remembered by the anarchist community as a person who took action while the rest of the world stood by and did little.

To his friends, family and the Puget Sound anarchist community. We wish to express our sorrow and solidarity with you all. We can only imagine that right now your hearts must be broken over the recent news of Will’s death. We cannot begin to imagine the feelings of loss and confusion that has covered over your community. But we are with you during this period of loss and we will continue to be with you until the sun breaks through. We know that desperate acts often take place when attempting to struggle for humanity in an inhumane situation. We can only imagine that this is exactly what Will was trying to do. We value this. You are our comrades and you have claimed Will as your own. We will do the same. 

To quote Pietro Gori’s “The First of May”:
“Give flowers to the rebels who failed, Their sight fixed upon the break of dawn, To the bold rebel who fights and works, To the far-seeing poet who sings and dies”

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Anarchist Prisoner Luis Fernando Sotelo to be Released

Luis Fernando Sotelo, anarchist political prisoner in Mexico City, is set to be released on July 12th after 4 years and eight months in prison.

Luis Fernando Sotelo Zambrano was arrested alongside Sergio Pérez Landero on November 5, 2014, near University City in Mexico City, following the Third Global Day of Action for Ayotzinapa. During the demonstration, a Metrobús station and a Metrobús (a rapid transit bus service) were burned.

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