Monday June 24th: Card-writing for Anarchist Prisoners

  • June 12, 2024 1:17 am

from Philly ABC

j11-card-writing-2024.jpg

Designed and printed by Dre.

 

Today is June 11th, the international day of solidarity with Marius Mason and all long-term anarchist prisoners! Read the 2024 call including updates on international political prisoners, and the 2024 statement from Marius Mason.

Then later this month, join us for a J11 themed card-writing event! We’ll be getting together on Monday June 24th, 6:30pm at Wooden Shoe Books to sign and send cards to Bill Dunne, Casey Brezik, Malik Muhammad, and Marius Mason.

The first official J11 was held 20 years ago in support of Jeff Luers and all eco-prisoners. In 2014, Jeff told the story of its origins and subsequent evolution:

In June 2000, I along with Craig Critter Marshall set fire to 3 vehicles at a Eugene car dealership in an effort to call attention to climate change. Unbeknownst to us I was currently under investigation and surveillance by the same counter terrorist unit that years later would be responsible for operation backfire. As a result, we were arrested and after a year of court battles Critter was sentenced to 5.5 years and I received a sentence of 22 years and 8 months.

Across the country and the world people expressed outrage that a young idealistic youth was to serve more time in prison than he had been alive for an action that harmed no one. In the years that followed that outrage would take shape in the form of the international day of solidarity with Jeff Luers and all eco-prisoners.

The majority of my incarceration was spent defending my actions to a skeptical public and media all the while being punished by the state for my articulate defense of direct action.

It was through this media campaign and the amazing work of my support group that my support network began to grow. Before my second year was finished Critter and I had been added to the list of political prisoners being supported by the Jericho Movement, ABCF, and numerous other prisoner support groups. We were among the first eco-prisoners in the US to be accepted in radical circles as political prisoners.

On June 11 2004, after years of networking and public outreach, the first international day of solidarity with Jeffrey Free Luers and all eco-prisoners was held. The event quickly drew the fury of the state and the FBI issued an unprecedented national security alert warning of imminent eco-terrorist attacks across the nation. News headlines for a week warned of the attacks, showing my picture along with the eco-terrorist caption.

In the years that followed June 11 came to be a rallying cry for social and environmental justice movements the world over to protect our planet and to demand that those that have sacrificed their freedom doing so be recognized as political prisoners and not terrorists. I have spent the years of my life since my conviction combating the application of the terrorist label to activists and eco-activists in particular.

As an anarchist and a veteran activist who spent 9.5 years of my life in prison because I fought to protect an imperiled planet, I humbly ask that we remember that June 11 is about gaining political recognition for eco-prisoners and their struggles.

June 11 reportback

  • June 23, 2023 1:33 am

Submission

In recognition of June 11th, international day of solidarity with Marius Mason and all long-term anarchist prisoners, we held a group bike ride and movie screening to raise funds for the anarchist prisoner war fund and support for a local anarchist. Starting at Rittenhouse Square, we biked west, taking over the street and playing music. Once we arrived at the screening location, we were greeted by snacks, drinks, June 11th stickers, and lit distroed by Dead Drop & Suburbicide. This included June 11th statements by Marius Mason, Eric King, and Xinachtli. We watched the film Okja together. At the end of the night, we raised $200 to split between the two funds above.
Empty the Prisons and Burn Them!

In Contempt #18: June 11th; Political Prisoner and Uprising Defendant Updates; Prison Mail Digitalization

  • July 3, 2022 1:32 am

from It’s Going Down

[This post only contains information relevant to Philadelphia and the surrounding area, to read the entire article follow the above link.]

June 11th Roundup

June 11th, the international day of solidarity with Marius Mason and all long-term anarchist prisoners, was marked by direct action against a fake clinic in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, incendiary actions in the Chilean state, and sabotage of ATMs in Java, Indonesia. Other events that were organised to mark the day included a party for Marius Mason in Cincinnati, Ohio, a BBQ in Philadelphia, and letter-writing events in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Oregon, Minneapolis, Minnesota, along with other events in the Basque Country/Euskal Herria, Utrecht, Netherlands, Richmond, Australia, London, UK, and Chile.

Uprising Defendants

Everyone should support the defendants facing charges related to their alleged participation in the George Floyd uprising – this list of our imprisoned comrades needs to be getting shorter, not longer. See Uprising Support for more info, and check out the Antirepression PDX site for updates from Portland cases. The status of pre-trial defendants changes frequently, but to the best of our knowledge they currently include:

David Elmakayes 77782-066
FDC Philadelphia
PO Box 562
Philadelphia, PA 19105

Lore-Elisabeth Blumenthal 70002-066
FDC Philadelphia
PO BOX 562
Philadelphia, PA 19105

Upcoming Birthdays

Kevin Berry

A former Vaughn 17 defendant. While the court found Kevin Berry not guilty on all charges in relation to the uprising, the Vaughn 17 have faced continued retaliation. Years after the uprising, these prisoners are still being abused for staying in solidarity with one another against the state.

Kevin Berry is a contributor to the Vaughn 17 “Live From the Trenches” zine, as well as the newer “United We Stood” zine, and also wrote a June 11th statement for the 2019 day of solidarity with long-term anarchist prisoners.

Pennsylvania uses Connect Network/GTL, so you can contact him online by going to connectnetwork.com, selecting “Add a facility”, choosing “State: Pennsylvania, Facility: Pennsylvania Department of Corrections”, going into the “messaging” service, and then adding him as a contact by searching his name or “NT0583.”

Birthday: July 17

Address:

Smart Communications/PADOC
Kevin Berry, NT0583
SCI Phoenix
PO Box 33028
St Petersburg, FL 33733

Philly June 11th BBQ Report

  • June 12, 2022 1:53 am

Submission

This year a BBQ fundraiser was organized for June 11th, in solidarity with anarchist prisoners and against all imprisonment. People got together to eat vegan foods and hang out. Suburbicide distro (http://suburbicide.keybase.pub/) came out with zines, stickers, and patches. At the end of the night the event raised $178 all of which is going to anarchist and political prisoners.

Fire to the prisons!

Fake Clinic’s Windows Smashed in Philly

  • June 12, 2022 1:46 am

Submission

We smashed out all of the windows of the “Hope” pregnancy center on Broad st. We are tired of your “family values” and you forcing families, and your values onto our bodies. This fake clinic spread lies and is part of a broader attempt to strip away body autonomy from hundreds of women and people. We are inspired by the actions of comrades in Wisconsin, Colorado, New York, and a growing list of places. If the attack on abortion does not stop our attacks will broaden. This is also intended as a small gesture of complicity with all those imprisoned by the state, in honor of June 11th.
-Anti Hope Brigade

Anarchist Prisoner Solidarity Bar-B-Que

  • May 31, 2022 1:59 am

Submission

June 11th
6PM
Clark Park (45th St & Chester Ave)

On June 11th come enjoy a vegan BBQ supporting anarchist and political
prisoners!

There will be food, drinks, and zines available by donation. All
donations will be sent to Bloomington ABC’s Anarchist Prisoner War Fund
and Anarchist Black Cross Federation’s Warchest Program. No one will be
turned away for lack of funds.

6PM at Clark Park in the square near 45th St and Chester Ave. There are
benches and picnic tables nearby, a paved path leads into the square.

Cameras Sabotaged for June 11

  • June 13, 2020 12:47 am

Submission

On June 11, international day of solidarity with anarchist prisoners, as a small act against policing and imprisonment we cut the wires of nine security cameras in a concentrated area. We want to remind prisoners that they are with us in the struggle against white supremacy and police.

Let’s keep things conflictual, forever fuck cops, towards a world with no prisons!
(A)

Letter Writing to Marius Mason (5/25)

  • May 19, 2020 11:39 am

from Philly ABC

Our letter writing event for this month will be for Marius Mason, who has unfortunately been recently diagnosed with COVID-19 and will be fighting the virus from behind bars. Marius was chosen both because of his diagnosis and also because of the fast-approaching June 11th International Day of Solidarity with Marius and all long-term Anarchist prisoners.

The event will be held on May 25th at 6:30 PM. Due to COVID-19, this event will be held online using the secure open source video conferencing platform, Jitsi. Privacy is encouraged – no one is expected to share their camera. The meeting details will be posted here a day before the event.

Background: Marius Mason is a transgender, environmental and animal rights activist. In 1999, in the name of the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) he set fire to a lab at the University of Michigan that was conducting research on genetically modified organisms (GMO).  After Marius’ husband turned states-evidence, Marius was threatened with a life sentence for the arson and other acts of sabotage. With little financial stability and fear of dragging his family into a costly legal battle, Marius pled guilty and was given an extreme sentence of nearly 22 years. No one was ever harmed in any of his actions.

Marius lived and worked in the Detroit area for most of his life. Like the late Earth First! (EF!) organizer, Judi Bari, he was part of a generation of radicals who worked to link the environmental and labor movements, and was jointly active in both EF! and the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). It was this alliance which led to the initial success of the anti-globalization movement such as at the 1999 anti-WTO demonstration in Seattle. Mason was an editor of the Industrial Worker, the IWW newspaper, and a musician who recorded a neo-folk album, Not For Profit, with fellow EF!er Darryl Cherney in 1999. He also worked with numerous political as well as traditional charity groups.

If you are unable to join us on Jitsi, please send Marius a letter anyways:

Marie (Marius) Mason -061

FCI Danbury

Route 37

Danbury, CT 06811

United States

Graffiti for anarchist prisoners

  • June 13, 2019 11:39 am

from Instagram

Saw this rally of anarchist prisoner shout-outs yesterday, #june11, prefaced by “FREE THE ANARCHIST PRISONERS!”[not pictured: #billdunne]

June 11 Rundown

  • June 13, 2019 11:35 am

Submission

For June 11th anarchist solidarity in Philly took a few different forms. In the lead up to the 11th stickers and posters were put up. Graffiti for anarchist prisoners was written on the Grays Ferry Bridge.
On June 11th a BBQ fundraiser was held. Vegan food and copies of Fireant were given away and money was collected for anarchist prisoners and local anti-repression efforts.

Anarchist prisoners to the street 🙂

June 11, 2019 statement from Kevin Berry of the Vaughn17

  • June 11, 2019 4:04 am

from June 11th

Peace and solidarity to all the men and women that’s behind enemy lines, who continue to resist and rebel against this oppressive system we face everyday.

Also peace and solidarity to all the organizations who support us and fight for us non-stop. A special shout out to Philly, Pittsburgh and Chicago Anarchist Black Cross (ABC), D.C Crew, R.A.M NYC, Ghost Town Prisoner Support and two friends of mine T and N, without all of y’all the Vaughn17 supporters, none of the not guilty verdicts and the charges dismissed for the remaining comrades wouldn’t be possible. So thanks to y’all for being there for us, the non-stop work y’all put in and the non-stop pressure y’all put on DE DOC, PA DOC and the judicial system to make sure were always good. As y’all know the fight continues, we still have three comrades* that have to face a corrupt judicial system. So to all that read this support these brothers and go to their trials the more supports they have the better, so support the #Vaughn17.

Now to my June 11th statement. As I sit here in my cell and write this I really don’t know what to write right now. As I told friends of mine I don’t consider myself to be a anarchist. I wouldn’t put a label on what I do and stand for as a man. I’m just write how I feel and what’s on my mind and hopefully other brothers and sisters behind enemy lines feel the same way. I hate all authority figures (police, C.O’s, judge etc.) with a passion. Some may ask why? My answer to that is why not! These so called authority figures don’t do anything but oppress people mainly people of color, trans men and women, and homeless people, so that’s why I hate them. I want to touch on something else I am passionate about. The abolishment of all theses concentration camps (prisons). I am with the abolishment of theses concentration camps “By any means necessary” as Malcolm X once famously put it. ^^ But to do away with theses concentration camps it must first start with us, the men and women who are on these camps, who endure every form of oppression daily, may it be verbally, mentally, physically or sexually, we face it everyday by our oppressor! To see the abolishment of these camps we must resist and rebel against our oppressor. We speak of resistance all the time but know that “words with no actions is just talk”. It starts with us, and it’s time we stand for something or continue to fall for anything.
Fred Hampton
“Dare to struggle”
You dare to win

Peace to all
#Vaughn17 Kev

*At the time of publishing only two of the #Vaughn17 still face charges, Obediah Miller has recently had his case quietly dismissed! For information about the 17 and up to date addresses (including Kevin’s) visit vaughn17support.org

Smart communications/PA DOC
Kevin Berry #NT0583
SCI Benner Township
PO Box 33028
St Petersburg, FL 33733

When sending to Kevin keep in mind that since he has been transferred to Pennsylvania mail for him is sent to a processing facility in Florida where it is scanned electronically then emailed to the prison where it is printed.

Call for Reportbacks!

  • July 3, 2018 11:28 pm

Submission

Hello friends!

It’s been a few weeks since June 11th and we are looking towards compiling a report-back about all the events and actions that happened around the world this year. If you have already emailed us to tell us about what happened in your part of the world, thanks! But if not then we would love to hear from you within the next couple of weeks. We want to know about what creative ideas you brought forth into the world! If you had an event, how many people showed up? What kind of connections were made, and if any money was raised for our friends? If there was an action of some sort, what beautiful gestures transpired?

We plan on putting out our compilation out in a couple of weeks, so please contact us at june11th (@) riseup (dot) net with your stories!

(Please take whatever security measures that you deem necessary if you choose to contact us!)

-The J11 crew

Remember the Anarchist Prisoners

  • June 28, 2018 2:03 pm

from Instagram

Saw this in the street and haven’t seen it shared anywhere, so here ya go. #june11th

Philadelphia, PA (USA): BBQ for anarchist prisoners

  • June 13, 2018 12:08 am

from June 11th


On June 11th in Philly we had a vegan barbecue in an autonomous garden. We raised money for anarchist prisoners and had a nice time hanging in the sun. We had anti-prison and anti-police literature on hand.

Up with autonomous spaces!
Down with prisons!
Anarchist prisoners we are with you!

All Out for Pablo

  • May 24, 2018 11:22 am

Submission

There was a call put out for a bike bloc to go” All Out for Pablo” and go all out we did. In response to our comrade Pablo Avendano being murdered by the gig economy relegating millenials to a precariat class, we set out on this bike bloc armed with bricks and ceramics. A car that was in a bike lane will need a new paint job after it met the force of our anger through a projectile brick. Pablo was murdered even though he was riding in a bike lane, it seems like drivers need to be reminded to stay the fuck out of our way. Pieces of brick were thrown at the windows of yuppie luxury condos, however the windows did not shatter :(. After the ghost bike memorial to Pablo, a fuck the police chant was started and a bank was attacked with bricks, unfortunately again the windows did not shatter. A mercedes benz was attacked with a piece of ceramic. Those scratches are probably costly $$$$, sorry not sorry ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. A lock was thrown at the windows of the Law Enforcement Benefits office because fuck every LEO who has ever breathed (except Chris Dorner), unfortunately we missed the tiny windows. Some light barricades were built of tires and wooden police barricades, to stop traffic in commemoration of Pablo. This is a fun and interesting tactic to play with, a bunch of angry cyclists attacking capital and anything that gets in their way, moving swiftly in all black attire. It can also be said that many people who did not participate in the attacks did participate in the barricade building, showing that a few folx demonstrating the possibility of conflictuality can spread to others who may want to express their emotions in a more confrontational manner. Some set backs were our aim and force, it is difficult to throw things effectively and hit targets at a distance from the back of a bike, but this situation was more a test of the waters for this kind of action in broad daylight in Philly. Hopefully more rowdy black clad bike rides happen in Philly for less somber occasions.

We claim these actions with hate in our hearts for the bourgiosie and the cops who protect their dying world, and in commemoration of Pablo. May you rest in power comrade. We also act in solidarity with All prisoners in commemoration of June 11th. Until all prisons are ash we will never stop fighting.

May this dying society tremble at our anger, in it’s destruction may we find joy. Every time their society kills one of us, we will attack them with furious revenge in our hearts and a wild fire in our eyes. Our future is already dead, but in the rubble of modernity may we be able to live in the now.

-N0 0N3