On Monday, May 5, Jack attended his scheduled court appearance. This hearing was intended to hear his final plea, but the judge has yet to rule on any of the motions and the proceedings remain stalled.
Prosecutors say a jury trial is a last resort. Once again, the fate of his life is kicked down the line to yet another court appearance. He is expected in court again at the end of June, where his final plea and trial date is set.
Morale was high on May 5 as a support rally outside of the court house with banners, music, chanting, news crews, yard signs and donuts. Jack’s court case continues to move slowly and without much clarity, typical of court processes in the US.
Notes of gratitude: Jack is able to go to evening events again as his curfew was extended to 11 pm. Jack’s first child is expected in the early weeks of June and he will get to be there with his lovely partner as she delivers.
Letters of support mean so much to Jack during this time. Over the last six months, he has received hundreds of letters from all around the world, and he carefully reads each one. His gratitude is unending for everyone that takes the time to send him sweet messages of support. If you or anyone in your crew would like to write to Jack, please email [email protected]
Huge thanks to everyone who has thrown a fundraiser for Jack, without y’all we couldn’t afford a robust legal defense and we appreciate it!!!
[Read the 2025 call for the June 11th International Day of Solidarity with Marius Mason & All Long-Term Anarchist Prisoners at https://june11.noblogs.org/2025-call/ ]
Greetings and Gratitude to my community,
I want to begin with thanking everyone who wrote a support letter or went to a support event this past year- thank you so much! I know that your solidarity connects incarcerated resisters with so much strength and love. I wish I could have replied to every letter I received – and I will be adding several new contacts to my correspondence list and writing back as much as I can…..This year has been a tough one for me. My twelve-years-long gender-affirming surgery quest was abruptly torpedoed by an administration whose sole mission has been hate and division. On the verge of surgery, successfully integrated into a predominantly-male identified prison population (for years) – I was unceremoniously kidnapped and thrown into the SHU due to an Executive Order making my gender illegal and erasing my rights as a citizen. Since then, I have been transferred to a predominantly female-identified prison population at the Federal Satellite Low in Danbury, Connecticut. It’s been an adjustment socially, but my community here has been very welcoming and affirming. I work as a peer support for an integrated program treating trauma and addiction. That feels meaningful, as so many people lose control over their lives, and often even their very lives, because of untreated addiction problems. I really feel that the international epidemic has at its heart the sense of despair and alienation that so many feel right now.
It’s been an intense year for all communities of resistance – whether we were focusing on the war on Gaza or the war on immigrants. We have been hard-pressed to provide support to those among us who have been damaged by the increasing attacks on women, immigrants, as well as transgender and queer people. The past six months have been a military march backward in human evolution as even the most basic social agreements on the rights of individuals in a society have been violated time and again. Rights guaranteed at the signing of the Magna Carta – rights that were at the heart of the conflict between England and the former colonies, are being systematically disemboweled. It has been said that if we do not learn from history, then we are doomed to repeat it. We have seen the onset of fascism before, and should recognize it now. So…these times are a challenge to any who desire real freedom, who passionately espouse justice and who honor and respect human dignity – and who persist in the belief that we are responsible for each other and to each other and our shared home, this Earth. The strength to face this challenge will come from solidarity…this is always our secret weapon against the venal brutalities of fascism.
Persist and Resist! Love and Solidarity, Marius Mason
Write to: Marie Mason #04672-061 FCI Danbury Route 37 Danbury, CT 06811
HOLD FOR JULIE JACOBSON. Priscilla Grim’s dog, Francisco Arroyo, watches as she reads while a TENS machine is applied to her knees, Friday, April 18, 2025, at her apartment in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
As the domestic terrorism accusations grow across the United States, from Tesla dealerships to beach artists, I am forced to narrow focus on my fight against outrageous charges in a world sinking further into the mayhem and madness of fascism. The latest RICO hearing in Fulton County Court last week made one thing crystal clear: the state is scrambling to save face. But the accused, like myself among the Stop Cop City / ATL 61 and our supporters across the United States, are watching—and we will not be silenced.
I’m taking a quick break to let you know I need real help this month. I estimated I needed $700 to pay my rent, but it is actually $1375. Utilities bills hit me before we left for Atlanta last week. I also want to print a new run of fanzines to sell in my legal defense shop. Any help is appreciated. Until my charges are dropped, it is very hard for me to secure paid work. THANK YOU for being a part of my future.
**If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation, please send a message to [email protected], and we will put you in touch with the organization now fiscally sponsoring Priscilla (but we need a bit more time to set up the giving portal).
Judge Farmer wants to push ahead with trials starting in June, severing all the cases from each other and dividing the co-defendants into groups of five. Dozens of people are being railroaded with politically motivated RICO charges for daring to use free speech to protect a forest and the surrounding community against the bloodthirst of carceral capitalism. Last week, the courtroom was packed with lawyers calling out the state’s incompetence and chaosmaking.
🌀 Collective Defense Under Attack Judge Farmer wants every defendant to file their own motions—no sign-ons, no collective filings. He says it’s for “efficiency” but then admits it’s just how his brain works. This is an attempt to splinter a movement. Divide, delay, disorient. But guess what? Solidarity isn’t that easy to shred. I invite you to watch the entire trial on YouTube or browse through the highlights outlined below.
🧾 Discovery Disaster The state dumped 57 gigabytes of new “discovery” on defense counsel. Corrupted files, no timestamps, disorganized—this is standard now. Attorneys raised real concerns about having time to review this mess before filing motions by May 30. Judge Farmer said to hold those extension requests for later. Translation: sink or swim.
📞 Fowler’s Meltdown Prosecutor John Fowler had a courtroom tantrum over defense attorney Matt Bass supposedly calling him “26 times in five minutes.” (Hysterical!) Judge Farmer had to tell him to stop yelling about being gaslit during a procedural hearing. The court laughed. Fowler sulked. Judge Farmer stated, “Your phone will be ringing off the hook, Mr. Fowler. You’d better pick up.” The room erupted into laughter.
🧩 Trial Groupings & Power Plays Judge Farmer tried to give the prosecution grouping power, but one defense lawyer pushed back, arguing Farmer had the authority. It’s not resolved yet, but this moment could determine how trials unfold and whether the state gets to shape the narrative.
🛑 Speedy Trial Shuffle Ayla King’s attorney made a confusing argument about their speedy trial motion—it might push their trial date past others. This is more evidence that the court’s schedule is unraveling.
🧠 Gardner Fights for Collective Motions Another defendant’s lawyer, John Gardner, smartly opposed the idea of “individualized motions only.” He moved Farmer to concede: yes, some motions that affect all defendants should be heard before anyone’s tried. This is about the right to a collective defense—especially crucial in a politically targeted case like this.
📅 No Written Orders Yet Farmer talked about setting final deadlines and issuing written orders—but none were confirmed. With more discovery likely coming (yes, more), June trials seem like a fantasy.
🧠 Final Thoughts: This whole thing stinks of repression, confusion, and delay. The state is overwhelmed. The judge is frustrated. The defense is forced to do acrobatics just to get basic information and file motions on time. This isn’t justice—it’s a political circus.
Next steps:📅 May 30 – deadline for all defense motions (for now)💾 57 GB of evidence to review⚖️ Possibly more discovery drops incoming🧷 Trials “maybe” in June—but don’t hold your breath Stay ready. Stay loud. The world is watching Atlanta. Thank you for sticking with me. In solidarity and hope, Priscilla (and Comrade Heather)
PS: Help demand these bogus charges are dropped!
📞 Call, fax, or email Georgia Attorney General Chris CarrDial +1 (404) 656-8733 and tell him: we won’t let our people be punished for protecting forest life.Email: [email protected]: (404) 657-8733
Script for your communications: “Hello, I am calling to demand that Attorney General Chris Carr drop all charges against the 61 stop cop city RICO defendants. Civil rights and legal experts have widely condemned the charges as baseless and an attack on constitutional rights. I want to remind the Attorney General’s Office how expensive trials like this are for Georgia’s taxpayers (and voters) who elected Chris Carr and do not want to see their tax dollars wasted on prosecuting constitutionally protected activity. Dropping all charges will benefit all parties involved. Many people across the state and the country care about and support the 61 defendants and stand against the criminalization of social movements. The country is watching, and we urge you to drop all charges immediately. Thank you.”
PPS: If you have resources to spare, other forest defenders need financial support.Check out the Weelaunee Arrestees Linktree to support others. The first of every month is usually the most critical for all listed because needing to pay rent does not stop, even in the face of political repression. Any amount you give to those listed will support the brave warriors of Stop Cop City.
Our friend, mother, artist, and comrade Priscilla Grim is one of 61 people facing RICO charges in Georgia for resisting the destruction of the Weelaunee Forest and the violent expansion of the police state known as Cop City. This is a coordinated attack on our right to organize, protest, and dream of a livable future.
On Wednesday, May 14, Priscilla and her co-defendants will appear in court at Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta. This legal assault is part of a national wave of repression — designed to chill dissent and scare us into silence. But we know that when we show up for each other, we keep each other safe.We’re calling for a Day of Solidarity with the Stop Cop City 61. Here’s how you can plug in:
Call, fax, or email Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr Demand he drop these bogus charges. Dial +1 (404) 656-8733 and tell him: we won’t let our people be punished for protecting forest life. Email: [email protected] Fax: (404) 657-8733 Script for your communications: “Hello, I am calling to demand that Attorney General Chris Carr drop all charges against the 61 stop cop city RICO defendants. Civil rights and legal experts have widely condemned the charges as baseless and an attack on constitutional rights. I want to remind the Attorney General’s Office how expensive trials like this are for Georgia’s taxpayers (and voters) who elected Chris Carr and do not want to see their tax dollars wasted on prosecuting constitutionally protected activity. Dropping all charges will benefit all parties involved. Many people across the state and the country care about and support the 61 defendants and stand against the criminalization of social movements. The country is watching, and we urge you to drop all charges immediately. Thank you.”
Rally Outside the Courthouse If you’re in or near Atlanta, show up at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, May 14, outside Fulton County Courthouse. Let’s pack the space and make it clear: the movement is watching. Flyer to share
Take Local Action Banner drops, posters, sidewalk chalk, zines — speak the truth where you live. Let your neighbors know: the Stop Cop City 61 are not alone. Resources here
Donate to Priscilla’s Legal Defense Fund Court dates mean travel, legal fees, missed work, and mounting costs. Help Priscilla keep fighting; she still needs to pay rent this month, she is $700 short after setting up travel to Atlanta.
**If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation, please send a message to [email protected], and we will put you in touch with the organization now fiscally sponsoring Priscilla (but we need a bit more time to set up the giving portal).
Organize Your Group to Sign On Unions, collectives, faith groups, and mutual aid crews, please sign the statement of solidarity and raise your voice. Sign on here
Stay Informed This isn’t just about Atlanta. It’s about all of us.
The state is trying to make an example of Priscilla and her co-defendants. But we won’t let them stand alone. Spread the word, bring your people, and let’s build a wall of solidarity they can’t bulldoze.For Priscilla. For Weelaunee. For all of us. — Support Crew for Priscilla Grim and the Stop Cop City 61
SKU: 9798887440873 Author: Boris Yelensky, Edited by Matthew Hart, Illustrated by N.O. Bonzo Series: PM Press ISBN: 9798887440873 Published: 04/22/2025 Format: Paperback Size: 5 x 8 Pages: 160
From Cop City to the Dakota pipelines and Jane’s Revenge to numerous struggles worldwide, anarchist organizers are relentlessly targeted by the state today as they have been for over a century.
Shadows in the Struggle for Equality is the firsthand account of Boris Yelensky, an activist of the Anarchist Red Cross (later the Anarchist Black Cross), during the Russian revolutionary movement from 1905 through 1917, and the subsequent Leninist/Stalinist repression.
Written with great humility and compassion, Yelensky recalls his fifty years of tireless organizing to aid victims of state oppression and injustice, beginning with a vivid sketch of the history of the Russian revolutionary movement and the critical role played by anarchists. He then provides the rich history of the Anarchist Red Cross spanning the time from the Revolution to his settling in the US where he dedicated his life and his book “to the Fighters for Freedom, Humanism and Justice, to those who endeavored to help these fighters by applying the principle of mutual aid.”
In telling why an anarchist relief organization became necessary, he calls attention to a neglected aspect of revolutionary history—the sabotage and discrimination of many social-democrats against their fellow-prisoners and in the outside relief organizations. Of the vast sums collected all over the world, from czarist times up through the 1950s when the book was written, very little reached the anarchist prisoners.
With newly translated material, and over a dozen beautiful illustrations by N.O. Bonzo, this stunning edition of Shadows in the Struggle for Equality will serve to inspire a continuation of solidarity and support for those who are incarcerated in the struggle for freedom, humanism, and justice.
About the Contributors
Boris Yelensky (1889–1974) was a Russian anarchist propagandist who took part in the 1905 Russian Revolution. Due to czarist repression, he was forced to flee the country in 1907, eventually landing in the US. He helped to establish the Philadelphia and Chicago chapters of the Anarchist Red Cross. Yelensky later returned to Russia to participate in the 1917 Revolution. With Lenin’s rise to power and the increased repression against anarchists, Yelensky once again left his native country, settling permanently in the US. Once he returned to the US, he continued to provide support for imprisoned anarchists through his work in the Alexander Berkman Aid Fund, a section of the Anarchist Red Cross. For over fifty years he was an important figure in Chicago’s Free Society Group and active in the Anarchist Red Cross.
Matthew Hart is an educator and labor activist from the greater Los Angeles area. His participation in the political movement began with Whittier Food Not Bombs and the antiglobalization movement in the mid-1990s. In 1998, he helped to establish the Los Angeles chapter of the Anarchist Black Cross. Throughout the years, he has engaged in extensive research and archiving of the Anarchist Black Cross history. Hart has spent several decades in the labor movement as a rank-and-file activist and staff and teaches labor studies courses at Los Angeles Trade Technical College.
N.O. Bonzo is an anarchist illustrator, printmaker, and muralist based in Portland, OR. They are the illustrator of Mutual Aid: An Illuminated Factor of Evolution and creator of Off with Their Heads: An Antifascist Coloring Book for Adults of All Ages; Beneath the Pavement the Garden: An Anarchist Coloring Book for All Ages; and The Beautiful Idea.
Update from the Casey Support Committee as of 4/8/25
Sentencing hearing postponed and more evidence entered into discovery
Casey’s sentencing has been rescheduled to June 10th, 1 pm, at the Oakland federal courthouse. We will be mobilizing court support again for this hearing so stay tuned for confirmation and guidelines a few weeks before that date. We hope it won’t be rescheduled yet again but know that is a possibility. Also of note is that since the plea deal the US Attorney has entered substantial new material into evidence consisting of a large amount of phone call audio and copies of correspondence between Casey and supporters obtained via the jail’s monitoring of communications. This is concerning, but let it serve as a reminder that all comms into jails and prisons are actively monitored and that it is incumbent upon everyone to maintain responsible communication habits.
Rescheduling the sentencing hearing also means there is more time to people who know Casey personally to send the lawyers letters of character to file with the judge. If you want the guidelines and details, hit us up at [email protected].
Health and well being
As you probably know Casey has had a very difficult year health wise, but has been doing better physically in the last month even though they have repeatedly gotten sick from their food. As a result they have been spending a lot of time in bed, and haven’t been up for doing much letter writing lately. Letters are always appreciated but correspondence is also challenging due to 2-4 week delays in receiving mail. The emotional toll of the sentencing date being moved and continuing to be in the limbo of Santa Rita is taking a toll on their sleep and mental health. But they are doing their best to stay on top of their program and keep their energy and spirits up.
To write: Casey Goonan #UMF227 Santa Rita Jail 5325 Broder Blvd. Dublin, CA 94568
Support the Casey Goonan Legal Defense Fund
Casey is still in need of ongoing support to cover legal costs, restitution and fines. Though they’ve had some great support, we have a ways to go. In addition to the cost of legal defense, sentencing will definitely mandate substantial restitution and fines. Thank you so much to all those who have already contributed and organized support!
Some ways to support: – Throw fundraising events and raffles – Spread the word, share posts, and directly contact large donors. – Print up a QR code for the Chuffed account, share the details of the case and the legal defense fund while tabling at events – Send funds directly to the Chuffed account at https://chuffed.org/project/SupportCasey
You can reach out to us at [email protected] or the freecaseynow Instagram for any questions about collaboration, promotion, or guidance on fundraising.
Native American activist moves to home imprisonment after Joe Biden commuted sentence at end of presidency. (Donate to his release fund).
Anna Betts and agencies The Guardian Tue 18 Feb 2025
The Native American activist Leonard Peltier – convicted in 1975 for the killings of two FBI agents – was released from federal prison on Tuesday after Joe Biden commuted his sentence at the end of his presidency in January.
In a statement, Peltier said that he was “finally free!”
“They may have imprisoned me but they never took my spirit!” he added. “Thank you to all my supporters throughout the world who fought for my freedom.
“I am finally going home. I look forward to seeing my friends, my family, and my community. It’s a good day today.”
Peltier had maintained his innocence since his conviction before Biden ordered Peltier – now 80 and in poor health – to transition to home confinement after spending nearly 49 years federally imprisoned.
“This commutation will enable Mr Peltier to spend his remaining days in home confinement but will not pardon him for his underlying crimes,” Biden said at the time.
The National Congress of American Indians celebrated the commutation, calling it “historic” and adding that the case “has long symbolized the systemic injustices faced by Indigenous Peoples”.
Peltier’s imprisonment resulted from a 1975 shootout that occurred on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation between two FBI agents – who had entered the private property to serve arrest warrants – and members of the American Indian Movement (AIM), a cold war-era liberation group that sought to address police brutality and discrimination against Native Americans.
The group of Native American men who traded gunfire with the FBI agents included Peltier. The shootout resulted in the deaths of both agents, Jack Coler and Ronald Williams, who were shot in the head. Joseph Stuntz, a Native American, was killed, too.
Peltier, an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians in North Dakota and an active member in the AIM, was one of several individuals indicted in connection with the agents’ killings.
He was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and given two consecutive life sentences.
Two other movement members were acquitted on self-defense grounds.
Peltier has consistently claimed that he did not shoot the agents. His supporters have long argued that prosecutors withheld critical evidence that could have supported his defense while also fabricating affidavits against him.
Prosecutors argued during trial that Peltier shot both agents in the head at point-blank range. Peltier admitted to being present and firing a gun at a distance, but he claimed that it was in self-defense.
A witness who initially testified to have seen Peltier shoot the agents later recanted her testimony, saying her initial statements were coerced.
In a letter to Biden in 2021, Reynolds stated that Peltier’s continued incarceration reflected a flawed justice system.
Peltier’s “conviction and continued incarceration is a testament to a time and a system of justice that no longer has a place in our society”, he wrote.
Peltier was denied parole as recently as July and was not eligible to be considered for it again until 2026.
Biden commuted Peltier’s sentence despite objections from the former FBI director Christopher Wray. Wray had called Peltier “a remorseless killer” in a letter to Biden, which was obtained by the Associated Press and urged the president to not give him clemency.
Wray argued that granting Peltier “any relief from his conviction or sentence” would be “wholly unjustified” and “would be an affront to the rule of law”.
Doing 20 yrs in NYS prison system for steppin up & not just watching while Proud Boys were on the attack 4 yrs ago in Albany,NY! Lets make sure he knows the movements always got his back!
Alex is currently on lockdown at Upstate Correctional Facility- cops are claiming sickness from fentanyl (easy solution- stop importing it into the prisons in their backpacks).
Write: Alexander Contompasis 22B5028 Upstate Correctional Facility PO Box 2001 Malone, NY, 12953
