Former political prisoner Rita  ‘Bo’ Brown passed away this week after a long and horrible battle with Lewy Body Dementia. For those not lucky enough to have met Bo, here is her bio from Matt Meyer’s Let Freedom Ring: A Collection of Documents from the Movements to Free U.S. Political Prisoners (Kersplebedeb & PM Press):

Bo (rita d. brown) is a 74-year-old white working class butch dyke lesbian anti-authoritarian anti-imperialist ex-political prisoner who has done 9 years in federal prison.  The first one was as a social prisoner in 1971 and the other 8 as a political prisoner in the l980s for several bank robberies in Oregon claimed by the George Jackson Brigade, an independent underground cell operating out of Seattle, Washington.

She has been a prison abolitionist for more than 30 years. Bo is also a founding mother of Out of Control: Lesbian Committee to Support Women Political Prisoners and also works regularly with the All of Us or None as well as the Prison Activist Resource Center in Oakland, California where she lives and spends a lot of time on the phone talking with prisoners’ families.  All of this grass roots work is volunteer and solely motivated by the need to create real change and real community where children will matter and prisons will not seem to be so damn necessary and will not be such an incredible source of income for the ruling class.

Please donate to her funeral fund at
https://www.gofundme.com/f/pfspu-show-up-for-bo-brown

Via Free Maroon Now

Russell “Maroon” Shoatz has been granted a compassionate release by Judge Kai Scott, today, October 25th, 2021. Maroon has been imprisoned for over 49 years and now suffers rapidly deteriorating health due to stage 4 colorectal cancer. His condition is terminal, and now requires palliative care that involves parenteral nutrition through IV, which the PA DOC has neglected to provide. 

Effective immediately, Maroon will be transferred from SCI Dallas to emergency care at an outside hospital. They will evaluate his current state of health and provide the necessary assessments to begin home hospice care. 

This concludes a decades long campaign and is a major victory for the abolitionist movement. We are grateful for the diligent work of Maroon’s family, the Abolitionist Law Center, Reed Smith, and countless friends and supporters. In love, in prayer, in solidarity!
Free Maroon Now Coalition

From our friends at the Certain Days collective:

“We are happy to announce that we just went to print and PRE-SALES for the 2022 Certain Days calendar (our 21^st edition) have begun! 

Order now and calendars will ship soon. 

In the U.S., order from Burning Books.
In Canada, order from Left Wing Books.
In Canada, BULK copies can be ordered via certaindays.org/orders

Order for people in prison for just $8 (we will mail it for you!)

Certain Days 2022: Creating a New World in the Shell of the Old
Your favorite intercontinental, inside/outside collective has produced our SECOND calendar during the COVID-19 pandemic and despite major obstacles, we think you will love it.

This year’s theme is “Creating a New World in the Shell of the Old” and features art and writings by Alanna Kibbe, Comrade Z, David Gilbert, Daniel McGowan, Eric King, Hanif Bey, Jesus Barraza, Leila Abdelrazaq, Martha Hennessy, Montclair Mutual Aid, Oso Blanco, Peter Railand, Roger Peet, Shukri Abu-Baker, Tauno Biltsted, Wendy Elisheva Somerson, Windigo Army, Virginia Lee, Xinachtli and Yumigou.

Your group can buy 10 or more for the rate of $10 each and sell them for $15, keeping the difference for your organization. Many campaigns, infoshops and projects do this as a way of raising funds and spreading awareness about political prisoners. Use the discount code “BULK” to get 10 or more calendars for $10 each. In Canada, you can order at our bulk rates at certaindays.org. 

Proceeds from the Certain Days 2021 calendar were divided amongst Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association (Palestine), Release Aging People in Prison (RAPP), Barton Prisoner Solidarity (BAPSOP), Tucson Anti-Repression Crew, Austin ABC, Prison Health News, Solidarity Across Borders, Buffalo Books Through Bars and Mongoose Distro! Proceeds from the 2022 calendar will go to some of the same grassroots groups and more.

Don’t forget – if you buy 10 or more, be sure to use the discount code “BULK” to get 10 or more calendars for $10 each.

The Certain Days: Freedom for Political Prisoners Calendar is a joint fundraising and educational project between outside organizers in Montreal, Hamilton, New York and Baltimore, with two political prisoners being held in maximum-security prisons: David Gilbert in New York and Xinachtli (s/n Alvaro Luna Hernandez) in Texas. Founding members Herman Bell and Robert Seth Hayes (RIP) were happily welcomed home from prison in 2018. Learn more about them at certaindays.org.

Dan Baker is a social justice activist and former army vet. He went AWOL instead of fighting in Iraq, and then took his training to help defend Rojava with the International Freedom Battalion and was featured on VICE. Dan was also active during the George Floyd rebellion and took part in CHAZ . He was arrested on January 15th, 2021 after the FBI compiled social media posts related to Trump supporters’ actions on inauguration day to build a criminal case against him.

Dan was facing up to 10 years for two counts of transmitting a communication in interstate commerce containing a threat to kidnap or injure. On October 12th, he was sentenced to 44 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. Join us on Jitsi (link will be shared the day of) as we listen to a podcast about the case and write letters of support to him. He is currently held at FDC Tallahassee, but will likely be moved to a longer-term facility in the coming weeks to serve out the remainder of his sentence.

We also encourage sending birthday cards or notes to political prisoners with birthdays in November: Ed Poindexter (the 1st), Joe Dibee (the 10th), Fidencio Aldama Perez (the 15th) and Josh Williams (the 25th).

More information via https://phillyabc.org/post/2021-10-21-letter-writing-dan-baker/

Via NYC ABC
WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, October 19th, 2021
WHERE: The Base – 1302 Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11221 (directions below)
NOTE: The Base is on the ground floor, is wheelchair accessible, and has a gender neutral toilet.
COST: Free

It’s tradition for anarchists to make their own traditions. A century ago there was a full calendar of anarchist un-holidays, from honoring the Haymarket Martyrs on November Eleventh, to celebrating May Day as a workers’ holiday (also an homage of sorts to the Haymarket folks), and marking the anniversaries of the Paris Commune, the Mexican Revolution, and other events that stirred the anarchist diaspora’s collective heart.

We’ve continued this tradition of DIY traditions, not to replicate the holidays of hierarchy and superstition, but to help build a revolutionary culture in which we can celebrate and hold place for our ideals (or The Ideal, as Emma Goldman would say) amidst the vicissitudes of human existence. We were able to restart one such tradition just two weeks ago, with our first in person letter writing event since March of 2020. And this coming Tuesday, we will mark another on our calendar, our annual Green Scare(Y) letter writing to earth and animal liberation prisoners.

As the recent conviction and sentencing of Jessica Reznicek unfortunately demonstrates, the corporate/state tactic of labeling those engaged in sabotage for earth and animal defense as terrorists remains in place, even as Marius Mason remains imprisoned with the same ridiculous enhancement. Since the early 1980s, public relations hacks have been working to reify the term “eco-terrorism.” By 2004, they became successful and a phrase that a decade earlier had no real meaning was now defined by the United States government and used to introduce legislation. In the face of global ecologic destruction and animal torture, those who try to end the suffering are the ones labeled terrorists.

So come join as we enact tangible solidarity by writing letters to our Green Scare comrades inside. While it can’t be said that this is a joyous occasion, it is a celebration of solidarity, and we can’t think of anything more worthwhile to celebrate than that.

Please take the time to send cards or write letters to Marius and Jessica:

Marie (Marius) Mason #04672-061
FCI Danbury
Route 37
Danbury, CT 06811
*Address card to Marius

Jessica Reznicek #19293-030
FCI Waseca
PO Box 1731
Waseca, MN 56093

Via Free Jessica Reznicek

“Water Protectors not Terrorist. Free Jessica Reznicek”

We are so excited to announce our new #FreeJessicaReznicek T-Shirts in partnership with Eagle Screen Printing in Minneapolis. Part of the proceeds will support the campaign to Free Jessica.

ORDER YOURS HERE!

Black 100% cotton tee with white and red print on front and white print on back. Unisex sizes. Designed by Kat Eng.

Buy a tee in support of Jessica and to raise awareness around her case and many other earth and water protectors being prosecuted.

The following is a statement from her team who organized this fundraiser.
“Jessica Reznicek is currently serving an 8 year prison sentence for actions she took to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline. A “terrorism enhancement” more than doubled her sentence, and she has been ordered to pay over $3 million in restitution. This is the criminalization of environmental protection!

Inspired by Indigenous leadership of the NODAPL movement at Standing Rock, Jess took a stand against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline in Iowa in 2016. She and a fellow Catholic Worker disabled construction machinery and the pipeline itself. No one was injured by their actions, and the land was protected from the flow of oil for an additional 4 months.

Biden’s Department of Justice continues to pursue terrorism charges against protestors across the country. We denounce this dangerous precedent and are working to appeal Jessica’s sentencing and get the terrorism enhancement removed. What happens to Jessica happens to all of us!”

Please get a t-shirt at
https://www.eaglescreenprint.com/shop/p/free-jessica-reznicek-tee

On Tuesday, a Florida judge sentenced Daniel Baker, an anti-fascist activist, to 44 months in federal prison for social media posts that called for armed defense against possible far-right attacks on the state’s Capitol in the wake of the January 6 riots. Baker, a 34-year-old yoga teacher and emergency medical technician trainee, had no previous criminal convictions and has already been held for 10 months of harsh pretrial detention, including seven months in solitary confinement. He never brought a weapon near a government building; he amassed no armed anti-fascist forces; he made no threats on a single individual.

Read the rest of this article by Natasha Lennard in the Intercept at
https://theintercept.com/2021/10/16/daniel-baker-anarchist-capitol-riot/

Write Daniel at:
Daniel Baker #25765-509
FDC Tallahassee
501 Capital Circle NE
Tallahassee, Fl 32301

The Judge in Eric King’s case has closed the court to the public for tomorrow’s evidentiary hearing.

You can call in and listen to court Thursday October 14th, 9:30am mountain time/11:30am EST
For public audio access to the hearing, call 877-336-1828 and enter access code 9449909#

Eric’s lawyers at Civil Liberties Defense Center have released a major update on his case. Please check it out.

As we prepare for key upcoming court dates for our client Eric King, we wanted to provide some insight on what’s happening and why this case is so important. Due to some restrictions around media and upcoming trials, we can’t say nearly as much about it as we’d like. However, you can educate yourself on its substance by visiting the resource page which includes links to all publicly-available court documents.

Please take a look and share it with your networks. You can also follow Eric’s support crew on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and consider making a small contribution to support his legal defense fund by donating to CLDC and designate your contribution for “Eric King.”

Background:
Eric was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2014 for his actions in solidarity with the Black liberation uprisings in Ferguson, Missouri, and is scheduled to be released in 2023. However, he now faces a new federal criminal charge for allegedly “assaulting” a Bureau of Prisons (BOP) officer in self-defense in 2018, and faces up to 20 more years in prison if convicted.

On Thursday, October 14, CLDC’s legal team will represent Eric at an evidentiary hearing in Colorado Federal Court where the Judge will rule on our Motion to Suppress Evidence regarding Eric’s coerced statements in the aftermath — determining whether the statements were involuntary as a result of torture and abuse he suffered at the hands of BOP Florence guards, among other issues. While we have a steep hill to climb, this evidentiary hearing is a monumental step forward in bringing the truth into the light of day. In addition to his upcoming criminal trial, CLDC is also representing Eric in a civil suit against the BOP relating to this incident and a continuing pattern of abuse within the federal carceral system.
In Solidarity,
The CLDC Team

We are happy to announce that PRE-SALES for the 2022 Certain Days calendar (our 21st edition) have begun!
Order now and calendars will ship soon.
In the U.S., order from Burning Books
In Canada, order 1-9 copies from Kersplebedeb/Left Wing Books

Order 10 or more copies (and raise funds for your own organizations and projects!) via certaindays.org

Certain Days 2022: Creating a New World in the Shell of the Old
The Certain Days: Freedom for Political Prisoners Calendar is a joint fundraising and educational project between outside organizers in Montreal, Hamilton, New York and Baltimore, with two political prisoners being held in maximum-security prisons: David Gilbert in New York and Xinachtli (s/n Alvaro Luna Hernandez) in Texas. Founding members Herman Bell and Robert Seth Hayes (RIP) were happily welcomed home from prison in 2018. Learn more about them at certaindays.org.

Your group can buy 10 or more for the rate of $10 each and sell them for $15, keeping the difference for your organization. Many campaigns, infoshops and projects do this as a way of raising funds and spreading awareness about political prisoners. Use the discount code “BULK” to get 10 or more calendars for $10 each. In Canada, you can order at our bulk rates at certaindays.org.

This year’s theme is “Creating a New World in the Shell of the Old” and features art and writings by Alanna Kibbe, Comrade Z, David Gilbert, Daniel McGowan, Support Eric King, Hanif Bey, Jesus Barraza, Leila Abdelrazaq, Martha Hennessy, Montclair Mutual Aid, Oso Blanco, Pete Railand, Roger Peet, Shukri Abu-Baker, Tauno Biltsted, Wendy Elisheva Somerson, Windigo Army, Virginia Lee, Xinachtli and Xue.

Your favorite intercontinental, inside/outside collective has produced our SECOND calendar during the COVID-19 pandemic and despite major obstacles, we think you will love it.

Proceeds from the Certain Days 2021 calendar were divided amongst Addameer Prisoner Support & Human Rights Association (Palestine), Release Aging People in Prison – RAPP, Barton Prisoner Solidarity Project, Tucson Anti-Repression Crew, Austin ABC, Prison Health News, Solidarité sans frontière/Solidarity across border/Solidaridad sin frontera, Buffalo Books Through Bars and Mongoose Distro! Proceeds from the 2022 calendar will go to some of the same grassroots groups and more.

Don’t forget – if you buy 10 or more, be sure to use the discount code “BULK” to get 10 or more calendars for $10 each.