May 7th Letter-writing for Anarchist Prisoners

  • May 1, 2018 12:00 pm

from Philly ABC

Join us for this month’s letter-writing event in honor of May Day. On May 1, 1886, more than 300,000 workers in 13,000 businesses across the United States walked off their jobs in the first May Day celebration in history. Anarchists led the strike in the Chicago area, and the strikers were met with heavy police force. In response, the anarchists called for an open forum on police brutality held in Haymarket Square.  Eight anarchist were arrested as organizers and became known as the Haymarket Martyrs as four were later murdered by the state.

Over one hundred years have passed since that first May Day. In the earlier part of the 20th century, the US government tried to curb the celebration and further wipe it from the public’s memory by establishing “Law and Order Day” on May 1. In honor of the Haymarket Martyrs and those who have come before and since, we will be writing to anarchist comrades behind bars: Bill Dunne, Jeremy Hammond, Eric King and Cedar.

We will also be sending birthday cards to political prisoners with birthdays in May: Alvaro Luna Hernandez (the 12th), Kojo Bomani Sababu (the 27th), and Doug Wright (the 31st).

The event will be held at 6:30pm at LAVA.  Food will be provided by North Philly Food Not Bombs.

[May 7th at LAVA 4134 Lancaster Ave]

J20 Benefit Series: LAVA 2

  • April 6, 2018 5:21 pm

from Facebook

The battle still continues….

Our efforts have led to full acquittals for the first 6 defendants to go to trial. The prosecution has dropped 129 additional cases since. There are 59 defendants still facing decades in prison for protesting trump. This is the SECOND of two LAVA shows to benefit the remaining 59. We must keep fighting and we must keep winning.

BANDS:

ZORN – Dark
https://zornphilly.bandcamp.com/releases

DEEP TISSUE – Deep
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJJ0T6yVDDU

IRON WIND – Drunk
https://ironwind.bandcamp.com/album/demo

CLAM – Snot
https://clamphl.bandcamp.com/

$5-$10
Nobody turned away for lack of $
Don’t be an asshole

VOL 1: https://www.facebook.com/events/424496247985195?%3Fti=ia

http://defendj20resistance.org/

[April 13 from 7PM to 10:30PM at LAVA]

Philly ABC April Letter Writing to Janet and Janine Africa

  • March 27, 2018 3:30 pm

from Facebook

On 04/02/18 Philly ABC will be hosting a letter writing event to Janet and Janine Africa, 2 members of the MOVE 9. Please join us in writing letters to these rad folks.

” The August 8, 1978, police attack on MOVE followed years of police brutality against MOVE and was a major military operation carried out by the Philadelphia police department under orders of then-mayor, Frank Rizzo. Mayor Rizzo’s reputation for racism and brutality was and is well known–it followed him up through the ranks of the police department to the police commissioner’s office to the mayor’s office.

During this attack, heavy equipment was used to tear down the fence surrounding our home, and cops filled our home with enough tear gas to kill us and our babies, while SWAT teams covered every possible exit. We were all in the basement of our home, where we had 10 thousand pounds of water pressure per minute directed at us from 4 fire department water cannons (for a total of 40 thousand pounds of water pressure per minute). As the basement filled with nearly six feet of water we had to hold our babies and animals above the rising water so they wouldn’t drown. Suddenly shots rang out (news reporters and others know the shots came from a house at 33rd and Baring Street, not our home, because they actually saw the man shooting) and bullets immediately filled the air as police throughout the area opened fire on us. Officer James Ramp, who was standing above us on street-level and facing our home, was killed by a single bullet that struck him on a downward angle…Nine of us were charged with murder and related charges for the death of James Ramp.” (http://onamove.com/move-9/)

J20 Benefit Series: LAVA 1

  • March 24, 2018 5:17 pm

from Facebook


The battle continues….

Our efforts have led to full acquittals for the first 6 defendants to go to trial. The prosecution has dropped 129 additional cases since. There are 59 defendants still facing decades in prison for protesting trump. This is the first of two LAVA shows to benefit the remaining 59. We must keep fighting and we must keep winning.

Bands:

Sciamachy – Epic melodic crust.

Bitter Taste – Punk
https://bitterxtastehc.bandcamp.com/

Bloated Subhumans – uncomfortable noises
https://bloatedsubhumans.bandcamp.com/

$5-$10
Nobody turned away for lack of funds
Don’t be an asshole

VOL 2: https://www.facebook.com/events/565095977187096?%3Fti=ia

Defendj20resistance.org

[March 31 at 7PM at LAVA]

Monday Feb 12th: Show some love to Debbie & Mike Africa for Valentine’s Day

  • February 5, 2018 12:09 pm

from Philly ABC

MOVE members and partners Debbie and Mike Africa have been incarcerated since 1978, spending years apart from each other, their children and families and from our community. Right before Valentine’s Day, let’s show them a little love and send them a stack of letters so they know we are still fighting with them from the outside. We will also be sending out birthday cards to all political prisoners with birthdays in February– Veronza Bowers & Norm Lowry (the 4th), Kamau Sadiki (the 19th), Oso Blanco (the 26th), and Ana Belen Montes (the 28th). North Philly Food Not Bombs will provide a vegetarian dinner!

NOTE: AFTER THIS, LETTER-WRITING WILL RETURN TO 1st MONDAY OF EACH MONTH!

[February 12 from 6:30PM to 9PM at LAVA Space 4134 Lancaster Ave]

Holiday Card Party for US-held Political Prisoners

  • November 27, 2017 2:22 pm

from Philly ABC

Join Philly Anarchist Black Cross as we send holiday cards to political prisoners. We will send cards and warm wishes to our friends and comrades inside. Maintaining and building relationships with them is the crux of what we do, so we will be sending cards to as many PPs and POWs as possible.

North Philly Food Not Bombs will serve up dinner!

[December 4 at 6:30 at LAVA Space 4134 Lancaster Ave]

October Letter Writing & Disrupt IACP

  • September 25, 2017 2:29 pm

from Philadelphia ABC

When: Monday, October 2nd, 2017 . 6:30-8:30 PM

Where: LAVA, 4134 Lancaster Avenue

ftp2
October is a significant month for the anti-police struggle. In June of 1996, a diverse coalition of organizers came together to strengthen the peoples’ resistance to police brutality. October 22 was the date selected for a National Day of Protest (NDP) against police brutality and the criminalization of a generation. O22 has been bookmarked for anti-police demonstrations ever since.

This year, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) is hosting their annual conference at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia on October 21-24th. In response, opposition has called for mobilizations to disrupt the IACP conference.

Philly ABC endorses disrupting the IACP conference and supports diverse community resistance to police terror.

In the spirit of fighting back, we’ll be featuring anti-police struggle political prisoners at our upcoming letter writing event on October 2nd, at 6:30pm at Lava. Join us for tasty vegan treats, as we ensure our imprisoned comrades, Alvaro Luna Hernandez, Reverend Joy Powell, and Josh Williams, know they are not forgotten. We will also be signing birthday cards for political prisoners with birthdays this month – Skelly Stafford (October 3rd), Jamil Al-Amin (October 4th), Mike Africa (October 6th), David Gilbert (October 6th), Malik Smith (October 8th), Seth Hayes (October 15th), Jalil Muntaqim (October 18th), and Eddie Africa (October 31st). If you cannot make it to the event, consider dropping one or more of them a line this month. This time is also dedicated to the hundreds of lives lost to badge-wearing, uniformed gang members who kill with impunity.

Brick x brick – wall x wall – free them all!
Philly ABC

– –
Rest In Power Chris Monfort. We’ll never forget you.

9/9/17: First Philly ABC Letter-writing event on Anniversary of Prison Strike

  • September 6, 2017 1:38 pm

from Philly ABC

When: Saturday, September 9th, 2017 . 2-5PM
Where: LAVA, 4134 Lancaster Avenue

Join the newly formed Philly ABC for the first of what will soon be monthly prisoner letter-writing events!  Letter-writing supplies, stamps, and light refreshments will be provided — just bring yourself, friends and comrades.

We will be listening to a podcast featuring two of the prison strike organizers, Siddique Abdullah Hasan and Kinetic Justice.  Hasan is a prison Imam, a skilled writer, and a compassionate mentor and friend to fellow inmates. He was placed on death-row for his alleged leadership role in the 1993 Lucasville rebellion, which occurred shortly before his scheduled release, but he maintains innocence. Kinetic of the Free Alabama Movement has been locked up in solitary confinement for years for organizing, in his words, non-violence protests against the prison system in Alabama.  We will also be signing birthday cards for political prisoners who have birthdays this month: Brian Vaillancourt (Sept 5th), Leonard Peltier (Sept 12th), and Abdul Maumin Khabir (Sept 15th).

For reports and analysis of the 2016 prison strike see The Fire Inside.

If you can’t make it to the event but would like to write on your own:

Siddique Abdullah Hasan (Carlos A. Sanders) #R130559
Ohio State Penitentiary
P.O. Box 1436
Youngstown, OH 44505

Kinetik Justice (In letter, use chosen name Kinetik Justice but address envelope to:)
Robert Earl Council, 181418
Limestone CF D69
28779 Nick Davis Rd.
Harvest, AL 35749

Brian Vaillancourt #M42889
Robinson Correctional Institution
13423 East 1150th Ave.
Robinson, IL 62454

Leonard Peltier -132
USP Coleman I
P.O. Box 1033
Coleman, FL 33521

Abdul Maumin Khabir (aka Melvin Mayes) #09891-000
Federal Medical Center Rochester
P.O. Box 4000
Rochester, MN 55903

Benefit show for Sophia (Hospitalized by Police)

  • August 17, 2017 7:22 pm

from Facebook

An amazing friend and accomplice Sophia was beaten by police at an Alt-Right Counter Rally in Seattle the day after Charlotesville. Most of y’all knew her when she lived in Philly, but now she goes to school in Seattle.

At the counter-rally, she was hospitalized and had to get a ct scan and stitches in her head. We are trying to raise money for her to cover her hospital bills (copay for insurance, and any healing requirements). We are looking for bands willing to play a set for her! if you are interested, please message us, or comment!

Door fee will be sliding scale, if you can do 5-10 bucks, that’d be great, if you can’t donate, no one will be turned away.

Here is her statement:
“Hey y’all I just wanted to let everyone know that I am doing okay. Yesterday I had to go to the hospital after being hit in the head multiple times with a wooden baton. I had to have lacerations in my scalp stitched up and get a ct scan. All results came back clear with no internal bleeding or skull fracture. I am still on watch for any vision, neck and nerve problems that might occur from blunt force to the head. I am so thankful that I currently have health insurance and all of my medical expenses besides a co-pay are covered. Thank you to so many of you who reached out about helping with medical expenses. I encourage you to donate funds to folks effected in Charlottesville. My injury resulted from police protecting white supremacists. They are reporting no injuries even though many folks were attacked with chemical weapons, flash bangs, and blunt force. The police do not exist for protection. They exist to uphold oppression, white supremacy, capitalist interests and will use any means necessary to do so. This injury will not keep me off the streets and I will continue to fight. I am just so thankful that injuries were not worse.” please to not share for protection, but you can copy/paste if you would like”

[August 24 from 8PM to 10PM at LAVA Space 4134 Lancaster Ave]

LAVA Benefit : Solarized, Sheena + Nosebleeds, Manikineter

  • June 18, 2017 2:27 pm

from Facebook

hey LAVA Space needs our help to pay some bills! come see some bands and give some cash!

SOLARIZED
http://solarized.bandcamp.com/
(transcend the paradigm…don’t want the moon, stay yo ass on earth then)

MANIKINETER
https://carlkavorkian.bandcamp.com/album/mannequin-eater
(the freedom and liberation of paranoia, the ghost in the machine)

SHEENA AND THEE NOSEBLEEDS
https://sheenatheenosebleeds.bandcamp.com/
(the queen of comets burst through the noise)

WEATHER
https://whatsweather.bandcamp.com/releases
(b-list gobots make messy trance)

DJ Yung Nila

[June 25 7-11PM at LAVA 4134 Lancaster Ave]

LAVA Benefit: The Guests, Ramona Cordova, Anili Mars, Talon Duch

  • June 17, 2017 12:10 am

from Facebook

After a bunch of bullshit, we owe the water department a lot of money. Come help us out and enjoy a bunch of dope music.

The Guests
https://theguests000.bandcamp.com/

Ramona Córdova
https://ramonacordova.bandcamp.com/

Anili Mars
https://soundcloud.com/anilimars

Talon Ducheneaux
http://bazille.squarespace.com/

$5-20 Sliding scale love for LAVA
Doors at 7PM

IF YOU CAN’T MAKE IT BUT YOU WOULD STILL LIKE TO THROW IN FOR THIS VERY SPECIAL SPACE, YOU CAN DONATE HERE:
https://www.gofundme.com/save-lava-from-water-dept-chumps

[June 24 at 7pm at LAVA 4134 Lancaster Av]

Vegan Solidarity Brunch / Book / Art Sale

  • June 10, 2017 7:24 pm

from Facebook

On June 17th from 10AM-2PM Food Not Bombs will be holding an all vegan brunch, book and art sale to raise funds for comrades. $5-$10 for brunch (no one turned away for lack of funds!) Tons of great books and art for sale.

50% of all we raise will go to LAVA, and the other 50% will go to the Philly J20 defense fund.

SOLIDARITY NOT CHARITY!
[LAVA Space 4134 Lancaster Ave]

SAVE LAVA FROM WATER DEPT CHUMPS

  • May 8, 2017 10:18 pm

from Go Fund Me

[Video]

HELP!!

LAVA Space is a grassroots organizing and media center located in the Belmont neighborhood of Philadelphia. For over two decades the space has served as a place for activist groups and communities to meet, eat and share art and music.

The water department recently cut our water supply off until we jumped through numerous hoops to get a water meter installed. After this was done, we went to pay the bill and found that we were being charged $3571.82 for 10 years of not paying for water. Apparently, in 2008 someone cut the meter out of the water main so that we wouldn’t get billed. We were able to put the debt on a payment plan so that we can pay $450 upfront and then $108 per month for the next 30 months. We’re asking for help as we already have trouble keeping up with other monthly bills and it will be extremely difficult to pay this one on top of the rest.

LAVA was established to provide a meeting space and resources to a neighborhood with serious needs. The downstairs of the building houses a library, weekly produce distribution and an event space that gives a platform to artists and organizations from a wide range of backgrounds. The upstairs is used as affordable office space for groups fighting for social justice (Human Rights Coalition and Radio Prometheus) and the Shark Tank recording studio, which has become an important resource for young musicians in the community.

Please help keep LAVA afloat by donating what you can and sharing this page with your networks.

Thanks!!!

Films at LAVA Library Tomorrow

  • January 31, 2017 9:36 pm

from Instagram

Tomorrow we’re screening documentary on the Quebec student strike of 2012 and an interview with radicals about gentrification. 5 to 8pm wednesday come out! (address in bio) [4134 Lancaster Av]

Lava Space Benefit Cypher with Pinkwash, Ronnie Vega and More!

  • January 21, 2017 11:56 am

from Facebook

LAVA Space is a community library and event space in Philadelphia where people meet, perform, create, collaborate and rise up. In our efforts to make the space as safe and as functional as possible, we’re raising money to fix it up a little. On January 28, noise rock geniuses Pinkwash will be playing a cypher for Philly MC’s Anili Mars, Kahlil Ali and Ronnie Vega. DJ Kilamanzego will also be rocking the house.
This will be the first of what we hope to be a monthly collaboration and fundraising event to make sure that LAVA can stay open, safe and available for everyone as a source of creativity and community.

AniLi Mars
https://soundcloud.com/anilimars

Kahlil Ali
https://soundcloud.com/kahlilali

Ronnie Vega
https://soundcloud.com/ronnievega

Kilamanzego
https://soundcloud.com/zeegystardust

Pinkwash
https://pinkwash.bandcamp.com/

Doors at 7, Music at 8
$5-20

If you can’t make it to the show, but would still like to donate to efforts to improve the library and event space, stay tuned. We’ll have a page up soon for that.