Today is the 16th iteration of this event and we wanted to include part of the call below.
” June 11th: International Day of Solidarity with Marius Mason and All Long-Term Anarchist Prisoners. In the 16 years this tradition has been observed, June 11th has facilitated support and action inspired by imprisoned anarchists — from noise demonstrations outside of jails to letter-writing nights, from fundraisers to arson. Setting aside this day is one way of remembering anarchists who are serving long prison sentences, generating support for them, and inspiring solidarity actions. “
“In this June 11th podcast special, we’re happy to feature two interviews. The first is with Letha, a supporter of anarchist prisoner Marius Mason who is 7 years from release for animal and earth liberation front actions in the late 1990’s. Marius, who tested positive for covid-19 recently at FCI Danbury, continues his activism including on behalf of other trans folks behind bars as well as to write and create.
Then I spoke with Jeremy Hammond who is an anarchist prisoner supported by June11th for hactivist activities in the early 2010’s as a member of Anonymous and other crews that released information to WikiLeaks to expose corporate and police spying and abuse and war crimes, as well as supporting whistleblowers in the Global War on Terror like Chelsea Manning. Jeremy also recently resisted a Federal Grand Jury around WikiLeaks with Chelsea Manning, he contracted covid-19 recently, and currently produces a podcast with his brother, Jason, called Twin Trouble which is in the Channel Zero Network.
Political prisoner Eric King has been hit with a major restriction from the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) this week. He cannot receive mail or correspond with anyone other than his wife and mother for at least 6 months. This is fairly unprecedented and comes at a horrible time, as Eric is fighting his criminal charges in federal court and can use all the support he can get.
Not only is this cruel but its over the top as Eric is already on severe communications restrictions (no phone, no visits) and is in segregation for 23 hours a day minimally (going on two years). He really needs our help right now and while he cannot receive letters from the general public, it seems he can still receive books and magazines.
Please send softcover books and magazines only. (we suggest 3 at a time). If the content is questionable, it is better not to send it. FCI Englewood is heavily censoring Erics incoming literature. Books can be sent from the publisher, Amazon or a website similar to Amazon. Eric King #27090-045 FCI Engelwood 9595 W. Quincy Avenue Littleton, CO 80123
As you know, many of our political prisoners are imprisoned in the federal prison system or Bureau of Prisons. The response to COVD from the BOP has been mostly smoke and mirrors. They talk shit about home confinement but then deny most people including those whose convictions are related to any ‘violence’, ‘terrorism’ or whether they have ICE detainers. We have no faith in this system to give our people justice. Below are the latest stats. Show support for our political prisoners by writing them and asking them what they need. Find addresses at https://www.abcf.net/prisoner-info/
Here is your Bureau of Prisons- COVD report for Saturday May 29th: * 1,649 COVD positive federal prisoners * 192 COVD positive BOP staff (1 death still unreported) * 3,582 prisoners and 420 staff have recovered. * 56 BOP facilities & 35 halfway houses have active confirmed cases. (75% OF BOP FACILITIES HAVE COVD.) * 66 people in federal prison have died of COVD
Total BOP Population: 135,739 people in 122 BOP-managed prisons/jails 12,529 people in halfway houses/home confinement etc.
Elder political prisoner Jalil Muntaqim Hospitalized with COVID-19
Widely respected elder Jalil Muntaqim (Anthony Bottom), who in his teens joined the Black Panther Party, and who was convicted at 19 and has been incarcerated for 49 years in NYS prisons on a 25-year minimum sentence, became ill last week, and has tested positive for COVID-19. His health deteriorated over the weekend and he has been hospitalized since Monday.
For months, public health experts, faith leaders, Congress members, and hundreds of others have warned NYS officials that the prisons are potential death traps in the COVID-19 pandemic. Recognizing this, a New York State judge on April 27th ordered Jalil’s temporary release from Sullivan Correctional Facility in Fallsburg, NY, based on his extreme vulnerability to the virus. Jalil is 68 years old and suffers from serious chronic health conditions that can make COVID-19 deadly.
However, NYS Attorney General Letitia James, acting on behalf of NYS DOCCS Commissioner Anthony Annucci, appealed the ruling, blocking Jalil’s release and forcing him to remain in prison. Just as we feared, Jalil, who was ordered released a month ago, eventually contracted COVID-19.
Tomorrow, May 28th, a NYS Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments from Jalil’s attorney and the DOCCS attorney. We ask you to call and tweet the AG and DOCCS commissioner today and tomorrow urging them to withdraw the appeal so that Jalil can be released from the hospital to the community, where he has medical and other support awaiting him, rather than be returned to the prison where his recovery will be impeded, and where he will again be vulnerable to contracting another COVID-19 infection.
Here’s what you can do:
TWEET!
@TishJames@NewYorkStateAG Withdraw your appeal of Judge Shick’s 4/27 order releasing Anthony Bottom. If you had not appealed/blocked his release, Mr. Bottom wouldn’t have contracted COVID & wouldn’t be seriously ill now. Withdraw the appeal so he can go home, recover & stay safe
@NYSDOCCS Cmr. Annucci should withdraw his appeal of the release of Anthony Bottom. On 4/27, Judge Stephan Schick ordered Mr. Bottom’s release to protect him from COVID-19, but DOCCS appealed, blocking release. Now he is ill. Withdraw appeal so he can go home, recover & stay safe
CALL the Attorney General and Commissioner
Attorney General Letitia James – (718) 560-2040
Sample Script For AG:
My name is [X]. I am calling to urge the AG to withdraw her appeal of the release of Anthony Bottom, DIN# 77A4283, which was ordered by Sullivan County Supreme Court Judge Stephan G. Schick on April 27. Had the AG not originally appealed that decision, Mr. Bottom would not have contracted COVID-19, as he recently did, and would not be seriously ill and in the hospital now. The AG’s appeal was responsible for his current life-threatening illness. She must now withdraw her appeal so that Mr. Bottom can return to his community after he recovers from COVID-19 and avoid being re-infected. The communities that elected her, and whom she claims to represent, demand this of her.
Commissioner Annucci – (518) 457-8126
Sample Script For Commissioner:
My name is [X]. I am calling to urge Commissioner Annucci to withdraw his opposition to the release of Anthony Bottom, DIN#77A4283. On April 27, Sullivan County Supreme Court Judge Stephan G. Schick ordered Mr. Bottom’s release to protect him from COVID-19, but DOCCS appealed and he was not released. Predictably, Mr. Bottom contracted the virus and now he is hospitalized with COVID-19. If DOCCS had not appealed this decision, Mr. Bottom would not have contracted COVID-19, as he recently did, and would not be in the hospital now. DOCCS should withdraw the appeal so that Mr. Bottom can return to his community after he recovers from COVID-19 and avoid being re-infected. Alternatively, the Commissioner should expedite and ensure approval of Mr. Bottom’s supplemented request for medical parole.
Pack the Virtual Courtroom – Thursday, May 28 at 1:00 pm
Oral arguments on the appeal of the decision to release Jalil will be streamed live.Link to hearing on Thursday, May 28 at 1:00 pm Go to the homepage of the court: http://www.nycourts.gov/ad3/ *click the box at the bottom that says “Court Session Webcast”
NYC Anarchist Black Cross has been promoting letter writing to political prisoners for many years and the COVD-19 pandemic has not slowed them down at all. Check out their latest announcement for their upcoming virtual letter writing event.
WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing WHEN: 7pm, Tuesday, May 19th, 2020 WHERE: YOUR HOME COST: Free
As COVID 19 continues to rear its ugly head and capitalism continues to exploit vulnerable communities made even more vulnerable in the wake of the pandemic, we have no choice but to continue our work as well. Although we remain quarantined from our in-person communities, our friends behind the walls are experiencing a level of isolation and danger to which our chosen social isolation cannot compare. Therefore, instead of coming together at The Base in Brooklyn, we at Page One Collective are (virtually) joining our friends at NYC ABC to maintain some semblance of a bi-weekly letter-writing tradition. We ask that folks participate as well, so we can do our best to keep prisoners from being more alienated than they already are, by writing from home. Please post a photo of your addressed envelope on social media and tag us (with your return address blurred out) and we will share it, building digital community while our analog community stays indoors and washes its hands.
This week we are focusing on two anarchist folks who have both had particularly rough years, even by the standard of the hell that is prison. Please join us in sending them some much needed love and support as they navigate their respective situations amidst the pandemic.
Jeremy Hammond is an anarchist computer hacker from Chicago. In November 2013, he was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for leaking the personal information of 860,000 customers of private intelligence firm Strategic Forecasting (Stratfor) through the whistle-blowing website Wikileaks. This information revealed that Stratfor spies on activists, among others, at the behest of corporations and the U.S. government. In early September 2019, Jeremy was transferred to Virginia and called against his will to appear before a grand jury. He was jailed at the same spot as Chelsea Manning, who was also being held for grand jury resistance, until March 12, 2020. Because of COVID, he is now stuck at Grady County Jail awaiting transfer back to a federal facility to resume his original sentence. For more information visit freejeremy.net.
In May 2019 Eric King was indicted by a grand jury in the District Court of Colorado for a new federal felony charge of Assaulting a Federal Official. This charge is based on what the government says happened during the interview in the Florence storage room with a Lieutenant. Eric now faces up to 20 additional years in federal prison and is fighting this charge while still in the custody of his accusers. Eric is pre-trial, do not mention his current charges.
Eric is a vegan anarchist prisoner serving a 10 year sentence for an attempted firebombing of a government official’s office in Kansas City, Missouri in September 2014. Eric was charged with throwing a hammer through a window of the building, followed by two lit Molotov cocktails. The criminal complaint states that both incendiary devices failed to ignite. We encourage folks to send him a card or letter and spread the word about him if not already doing so. More information can be found at supportericking.org.
Please take the time to write a letter to Jeremy and Eric (and share a photo of your completed envelopes with us online):
Jeremy Hammond #151960859 Grady County Jail 215 North 3rd Street Chickasha, Oklahoma 73018
Eric King #27090-045 FCI Englewood 9595 West Quincy Avenue Littleton, Colorado 80123
