Ben Fletcher: The Life and Times of a Black Wobbly Philadelphia virtual book launch

  • January 6, 2021 1:47 am

from Google Calendar

Join us for the Philadelphia virtual book launch of Peter Cole’s Ben Fletcher: The Life and Times of a Black Wobbly on Wednesday, January 13th at 7pm EST hosted by Wooden Shoe Books and co-sponsored by the Independence Seaport Museum and Philadelphia IWW. Peter will be joined by labor journalist Kim Kelly and Royce Adams, a Philadelphia native and longshoreman in ILA Local 1291. Details and free registration link to be announced.

Ben Fletcher, an African American who helped lead the IWW’s most militant and effective interracial branch, epitomized the union’s brand of anti-capitalism and anti-racism. Fletcher (1890−1949) was a tremendously important and well-loved member of the IWW during its heyday, the first quarter of the 20th century. A brilliant union organizer and a humorous orator, Fletcher helped found and lead Local 8 of the IWW’s Marine Transport Workers Industrial Union. When founded in 1913, this union was a third African American, a third Irish and Irish American, and a third other European immigrants. Despite being hated by the bosses and redbaited by the government, Local 8 controlled the waterfront for almost a decade.

Peter Cole, a Professor of History at Western Illinois University and Research Associate in the Society, Work and Development Program at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. He is the author of Wobblies on the Waterfront: Interracial Unionism in Progressive Era Philadelphia and the award-winning Dockworker Power: Race and Activism in Durban and the San Francisco Bay Area. He also is the founder and co-director of the Chicago Race Riot of 1919 Commemoration Project (CRR19). He tweets from @ProfPeterCole.

 

Political Prisoners and Prison Rebel Birthdays for January

  • January 6, 2021 1:33 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.]

Inspired by the spirit of the Political Prisoners Birthday crew, here’s a short listing of some rebel prisoners who have upcoming birthdays in January.

For an an introduction on how to write to prisoners and some things to do and not to do, go here. If you have the time, please also check IWOC’s listing of prisoners facing retaliation for prison strike-related organizing.

Wishing a very happy birthday to Jeremy Hammond, who will be celebrating in freedom this month! Please keep sending mail and books to Eric King, who’s off his mail ban for now but may end up being hit with another one soon. Chicano anarchist political prisoner Xinachtli is coming up for parole in the new year, you can find details on how to support his application at the end of this recent article he wrote. There are a number of ongoing clemency campaigns that could use some support, including ones for the aging political prisoners Russell Maroon Shoatz, Ed Poindexter, and David Gilbert. Two of the Kings Bay Plowshares 7 have just begun prison sentences, with others expecting sentencing soon. Mumia Abu Jamal has won a victory in court against an attempt to replace his prosecutor with an even harsher and more vicious one, although his road to freedom remains long and difficult.

In international news, 22 anarchist groups from around the world have issued a joint statement in solidarity with the prisoners from the 2019 revolt in Chile. January 22nd is the Trans Prisoner Day of Action and Solidarity, so you may want to think about doing something for that.

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. The status of pre-trial defendants changes frequently, but to the best of my knowledge they currently include:

Lore-Elisabeth Blumenthal #70002-066
FDC Philadelphia
P.O. Box 562
Philadelphia, PA 19105

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

Shawn Collins #69989-066
FDC Philadelphia,
PO Box 562,
Philadelphia, PA 19105

Steven Pennycooke #69988-066
FDC Philadelphia,
PO Box 562,
Philadelphia, PA 19105

Finally, much as I hate to see even more of our lives and communications being enclosed by tech companies, it seems inescapable at the moment, so for anyone who doesn’t want to leave their house to buy stamps/cards/envelopes or to send mail, a reminder that many prisoners can be contacted electronically, via Jpay or similar services.

Joseph “Joe-Joe” Bowen

Black Liberation Army (BLA) Prisoner of War, serving two life sentences for the assassination of a prison warden and deputy warden, as well as an attempted prison break which resulted in a five-day standoff.

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 “AM-4272”.

Birthday: January 15

Address:

In 2018, the PA Dept of Corrections instituted a restrictive mail policy where all mail to prisoners must be sent through a mail processing facility in Florida where all correspondence is scanned, copied and then the copy is mailed to the prisoner. There is an active campaign to get Gov. Wolf to repeal the restrictive policy so that friends and family members can send mail such as greeting cards again.

Smart Communications/PADOC
Joseph Bowen #AM-4272
SCI Fayette
P.O. Box 33028
St. Petersburg, FL 33733
United States

Against the Party for “Socialism” and Liberation: Proletarian Feminism is the Weapon to Smash Revisionism!

  • January 6, 2021 1:21 am

from People’s Voice

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

Character Assassination and Denial: Steven Powers and PSL Philly

In July of 2020, Dakota of PSL Philly reported fellow member Steven Powers for sexual misconduct at the behest of Powers’ then-girlfriend, who used the name Griselda online. In the weeks following his report, Dakota was charged with violating PSL’s constitution, removed from organizational chats, slandered by his so-called comrades and generally isolated by party leadership. Dakota highlighted this process in detail1 after attempting to struggle over the issue through the proper channels. PSL claims that Powers was throroughly investigated, but thus far the only people to see any consequences for his predatory and abusive actions are the people he harmed.

Griselda, who brought his behavior to the attention of other party cadre, has been systematically harassed and stalked by party leadership. In a formal party statement, PSL even disclosed Griselda’s legal name and location, and declared that their investigation committee concluded that Griselda had falsely accused Powers. It’s worth noting that PSL has taken down the statement down due to Griselda threatening suicide; some members now insist that she was not doxxed, repeating the lie that that the original statement had only her first name in it.

What is perhaps most concerning about PSL’s treatment of Griselda is the fact that the party’s investigation into the matter was entirely internal, though she was never a party member. An internal committee of PSL members reading through text messages is not only unqualified to rule out abuse, it is obviously a ploy to avoid transparancy and protect the org’s reputation at any cost. Let us be crystal clear:This is not an internal issue of party discipline. This is an issue of a party member abusing someone outside of the PSL.

The process was further compromised by Powers’ close friendship with members of the Steering Committee, which headed the investigation. Steering Committee member Timour K. was seen hanging out with Steven Powers with other PSL members during the investigation, despite contact with Powers being restricted by the Party.

A recently released statement by former PSL Philly members2, originally intended for internal struggle, details how PSL manipulated Griselda’s accounts to make her out to be a “hysterical woman” and distorted the context for Griselda’s “consent” in order to find Steven Powers innocent of abuse. The Steering Committee also concealed the fact that Powers had another accuser.

If revolutionary parties truly wish to earn the position of vanguard, they must be accountable to the masses, both inside and outside party membership. PSL’s attempts to resolve contradictions between themselves and the unorganized masses through secretive internal meetings reveals not only a disconnect from the broader masses, but a deep fear and distrust of them as well. This is far from the first time that PSL has sprung to the defense of over-degreed white chauvunists in its ranks.

1. archive.is/yT5vp

2. docs.google.com/document/d/1ntjUqtB-k4wuBuN4bc8r9ABxfNsIDVU2YOHW9E92TzM/edit

Police Scanner Transcription December 31, 2020

  • January 3, 2021 1:50 am

(Below is a message from someone who was listening to the scanner during the new year’s eve noise demonstration. It’s being published to give an idea of how police responded to the demonstration, hopefully we can learn from their response and better understand their tactics.)

Listened to scanner on two channels: city wide and 6th district, where the federal detention center is located.

At 8:27 PM, a report of a group of about 50 protesters outside the federal building at 7th and Arch.

Cop 1: Should I send for backup?
Cop 2: Yeah, we’re sending some bike officers from the 9th district your way.
Cop 1: Okay.
Cop 3: Yeah, these guys do this every year. They make a lot of noise and shoot fireworks. It doesn’t get violent.
Cop 4: Okay, we’re staging backup around city hall by 15th and market in case you need them.
Cop 5: It looks like an-teefa. Wearing all black, they got their faces covered, some of em carrying hammers.
Cop ?: You said hammers?
Cop 5: Yeah, they all got hammers.

About one minute later:
(All the cops are ? in this part so they are all labelled as cop without a number)

Cop: We’re gonna need backup, they’re smashing windows. They busted out the windows of a cruiser.
Cop: Okay, where at?
Cop: Around 7th and Arch. They’re moving now.
Cop: Okay, see if you can follow them.
Cop: Yeah, they’re smashing more windows now. Storefronts.
Cop: All right move in on them.
Cop: Woowww…
Cop: All right, I’m giving an order to arrest on sight.
Cop: Where are they now? Does anyone have eyes on them?
Cop: Yeah, the split up. Most of em are headed westbound on Arch and some of them went north on 8th toward Chestnut.
Cop: Okay, I’m diverting all highway units to that area.
Cop: Can we get more cars in that area, see how many of them we can pick up?
Cop: Yeah, I’m gonna say between 7th and 10th and Arch and Chestnut, we want all nearby available units patrolling that area looking for them.
Cop: Can someone check social media too, start seeing if you can find anything about this?
Cop: I’m on it.
Cop: Does anyone have eyes on them?
Cop: Yeah, I’m following a few right now.
Cop: You can arrest on sight, go in.
Cop: All right.
Cop: I’m driving up Chestnut, I don’t see any sign of them.
Cop: Okay. Maybe we can get in touch with SEPTA, see if they got any reports of a large group of people in black enter a subway.
Cop: Yeah, there’s a subway entrance on 8th and Chestnut.
Cop: I got one arrested here. Male. Where do you want me to take him?
Cop: Just hold him there for now. Can someone get in touch with the federal building?
Cop: Did they damage done on federal property?
Cop: Yeah, two windows at the federal building smashed.
Cop: All right. Someone send an officer over there to talk with them, see what they wanna do.
Cop: We can pull footage from the city cameras around the area, see if we can get any video of them getting out of cars, get their plates…
Cop: Does anyone know where they are now?
Cop: I don’t see them.
Cop: My guys don’t see any sign of them.
Cop: SEPTA officer reported a large group of juveniles boarded the train at 8th and Chestnut. But they were headed eastbound…
Cop: (disappointed) Okay…
Cop: I just spoke with a very nice man from the federal building who said the they’ll handle the booking.
Cop: Okay, they wanna handle the booking. Take anyone you pick up to the federal building.
Cop: We got two prisoners here, two females. Taking them there now.

A few minutes later, approximately 8:45:

Cop: Any sign of them?
Cop: Yeah, I got three individuals detained in a lot over by 7th and Sansom now.

Got interrupted after that by a phone call and stopped listening.

New Year’s Eve vandalism of federal buildings in Philly leads to multiple arrests

  • January 2, 2021 1:40 am

from mainstream media

New Year’s Eve vandalism of federal buildings in Philly leads to multiple arrests

[Philly Anticap note: Everyone arrested has been released. See Up Against The Law’s post here]

Several people were arrested Thursday night after police and city highway patrol officers responded to reports of large unruly crowds and vandalism at federal buildings in Philadelphia.

Police observed a crowd on the 900 block of Market Street at about 8:50 p.m. Thursday, on New Year’s Eve. A 25-year-old man threw a brick through a window of the Robert Nix Federal Building, according to police.

The man, along with another man, age 24, and two 23-year-old women, all dressed similarly in black clothing, tried to flee the scene, but were taken into police custody.

The damage to the Nix building was estimated at $3,000.

Shortly after at 9 p.m., Philadelphia Highway Patrol officers were also in the area of 900 Market Street responding to reports of a large group of people breaking windows and spray-painting the federal building.

Officers stopped three individuals who had spray paint on their clothes, markers in their possession, and other suspicious materials.

A 25-year-old man had a glass jar with a fuse going into a bottle with a strong flammable odor, police said. He also had a container with a powder labeled “Fire Starter.”

A 22-year-old woman had bottles of liquids with chemicals and spray paint on her hands and clothes, police said.

And a 26-year-old woman had spray paint on her clothing.

The three individuals were taken into custody and charged with attempted arson, risking catastrophe, having an incendiary device, conspiracy and related offenses.

The materials they had with them will be examined by bomb technicians, police said.

Prison Break: New Year, Same Struggle for Abolition

  • January 2, 2021 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.]

With The Marshall Project reporting that 1 in 5 prisoners in the U.S. have had COVID-19, we are beginning the new year with an intense struggle ahead. In the last few weeks it was announced that political prisoners Russell Maroon Shoatz, Mutulu Shakur, Eric King, Rattler, Jaan Laaman, and Joe Dibee have tested positive for COVID-19. Since April, other political prisoners including Marius Mason, Sundiata Acoli, Reality Winner, Jeremy Hammond, and Jalil Muntaqim have also contracted the virus. Elder political prisoners Imam Jamil Al-Amin, Ed Poindexter, David Gilbert, Chip Fitzgerald, Leonard Peltier and numerous others face acute risks due to their continued confinement.

Looking back at 2020, we welcomed home several political prisoners, including Chuck and Delbert Africa (the last of the MOVE 9 still imprisoned), Ramsey Orta, Chelsea Manning, Red Fawn Fallis, David Campbell, Jay Chase, Jeremy Hammond, and Jalil Muntaqim. We mourn the passing of Delbert Africa in June, though we are glad he was able to do so from outside the prison walls. Since the police killing of George Floyd in May, we have witnessed a rise in people willing to directly confront the system, many of whom are currently facing lengthy prison sentences if convicted. Providing support and solidarity to these groups and individuals will be paramount in the year ahead.

Political Prisoner Birthdays

With four political prisoner birthdays in January, the new year is a great time to throw an online prisoner letter-writing party! The personal touch of a birthday card means so much to those inside, so write a letter, have people sign a card, and show your solidarity with those locked behind bars. Remember that prisoners at Federal prisons (USPs and FCIs) cannot receive cards, colored paper, or colored ink.

January 15th

Joseph Bowen*, #AM4272
Smart Communications / PA DOC
SCI Fayette
PO Box 33028
St. Petersburg, FL 33733
*Address card/letter to Joe-Joe

Ongoing Cases and Appeals

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has dismissed a petition to remove the DA’s Office from handling the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal. What this means for Mumia’s case is yet unknown.

In Case You Missed It

 

  • “40 Years a Prisoner” is a new documentary exploring the MOVE 9, political prisoners connected to Philadelphia’s back-to-nature organization, which has faced police brutality and state repression since its inception.

 

City Officials Addressed In Paint

  • December 31, 2020 1:28 am

Last night in North Philly, on 19th & Oxford street, the site that the city planned to move unhoused individuals into today Wednesday, December 30th was targeted.

The unhoused individuals are currently staying in “Covid hotels” at the Holiday Inn on 13th and Walnut streets for shelter from the pandemic and cold. City government says they’ve run out of funding and can no longer house them here, but we know that’s not true. The city wants to save money and alternatively use the site to shelter housed and employed people suffering from covid. Yet another instance of the city further displacing unhoused people and prioritizing the privileged.

We’ve had enough of the bullshit and the runaround. We’ve had enough of orgs that hardly show up or don’t make proactive and decisive moves. We have decided to act autonomously and will continue to.

The slow trickle of evictions started on December 15th when advocates began to post up outside the hotel and distribute donations to residents and friends on the streets.

Mayor Kenney, in an attempt to ward off bad press, put out statements to the effect of “do not be concerned, the hotel residents will be situated with permanent housing, we will not be kicking people out on the street.” Spewing his usual bullshit, he is interested only in saving face and assuring liberals they need not be concerned or called to action. Meanwhile, some hotel residents were moved to an unused former PRISON in Kensington that same week — an interesting take on “permanent housing.”

The recent snow fall and protests have delayed planned evictions. However nothing concrete has changed. We’re tired of pushing meekly against the force of those in power, of doing nothing more than creating delays. Delays that temporarily disrupt the plans city officials still intend to carry out when we become fatigued and distracted. Despite the protests, another eviction notice was issued this week. Today marked the last day residents were apparently going to be permitted to stay in the hotel.

The site at 19th & Oxford, where they were expected to be transferred, appears to be a detention center of sorts. Word on the street is that it does not have hot water, some units may not have heat & the residents were going to be roomed in pairs. The point is this situation is abhorrent.

The city treats unhoused residents like undesirables they mean to discard of. They prioritize saving minimal amounts of money at the expense of the most vulnerable, marginalized Philadelphians— most of whom have existing health issues, adding to the stress and trauma they already endure by being unhoused. Our neighbors are not disposable. They should not be shuffled around from place to place, often without understanding where they’re going or what the conditions they’re walking into will be.

All attempts at negotiating with the city for better treatment have failed and been full of deceit on behalf of city officials… no fucking surprise. We have been too gentle in our modes of feedback. Protests have received media attention and some public support, but none of this is stopping the city from making their moves.

We all know this city loves and hoards it’s property. We need to “dialogue” with them in a language they understand or at least can’t ignore. Instead of waiting for the city to move people into the Oxford building, last night anarchists rolled up to sabotage the locks, graffiti the building and smash about 20 large windows and the glass door entrance.

Liz Hersh, the Office of Homeless Services, Resources for Human Development and Mayor Kenney have been addressed in paint. No one should be mistaken about the intention behind the actions. The media will surely spin its usual narratives, but we are not interested in letting the anticipation of their words influence or silence ours.
We did our thing. We said our piece.

What it’s like to get COVID-19 from a federal prison

  • December 31, 2020 1:17 am

from We Love Lore

Lore Elisabeth is among the hundreds of people who have contracted COVID-19 from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons’ federal detention center in downtown Philadelphia (FDC Philadelphia). She is recovering well and helping others to weather this storm wrought by the cruelty of a few and the incompetence of a great many more. The facility continues to obstruct information and preventative care to those who need it, but you know that’s when people like Lore can help the most ????

Virus_syntethises.gif

Lore contracted COVID-19 some time between October 26 and November 6. She was especially ill with flu symptoms for about 10 days but maintained steady breathing throughout. During this time she received no medical attention save for a nasal swab test and a bottle of tylenol. She was not informed of her positive test result.

FDC Philadelphia imposed a strict lockdown on November 1 due to the rampant spread of COVID-19 throughout their building. Lore and others in the women’s unit were let out of their cells weeks later, by which time more than half of them had contracted the virus. Another detainee then informed Lore that a warning sign was hung on her cell door during the lockdown. A staff nurse eventually confirmed to Lore this meant that she’d indeed had the virus. As they continue to get sick, women are now moved into the special housing unit (SHU)—solitary confinement—for weeks at a time, a regular violation of the United Nations Convention Against Torture committed by US federal prisons.

This is infuriating, but it is not surprising. FDC Philadelphia’s inability to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and keep its detainees healthy has been known since the onset of the global pandemic. FDC Philadelphia’s own staff joined an OSHA complaint against the Bureau of Prisons in March, arguing that their facility constituted an imminent danger to all. A lawsuit filed in April finally succeeded by October to force the facility into at least performing regular COVID-19 tests. The case reports, the complete lockdown, and a communications blackout followed.

birdcage.gif

Hundreds of people at FDC Philadelphia have been infected since October, including dozens of staffers and correctional officers. Still, we cannot expect conditions to improve meaningfully in the near term because FDC Philadelphia’s correctional officers continue to flaunt even the most basic COVID-19 protocols, like wearing masks and social distancing. I observed this during the very brief time in October when outside visitations were allowed. COs demanded that I remove my latex gloves before entering, claiming that they attract the virus. They refused repeatedly to maintain even a reasonable distance from our mom, a senior with elevated risks of COVID-19 complications. Even with us in the meeting room, groups of 5-6 gathered closely and maskless to socialize. It is no wonder that they continue to infect people, the majority of whom are simply waiting for their day in court.

This didn’t have to happen. Since the virus took hold in the United States, public health experts have clamored for home confinement of pre-trial detainees, compassionate release of medically vulnerable and/or suffering seniors, and other provisions available to prison wardens around the country. Their pleas fall on deaf ears. Wardens have approved fewer than 2% of the compassionate release requests they’ve received. FDC Philadelphia has even less reason to worsen this crisis. The facility is primarily a pre-trial detention facility, wherein people like Lore are confined before they even get to mount a defense. This may be because they cannot buy their freedom through the abominable cash bail system or, like Lore, they are just too useful as political effigies.

Virus_2.gif

We are lucky to still have Lore. We warned the US Attorney’s office that they weren’t equipped or motivated to protect Lore’s health. They countered first by blocking Lore from signing the HIPAA releases that were necessary to share her heart condition, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) affirms puts her at elevated risk for COVID-19 complications. When that failed, they falsely claimed that FDC Philadelphia could take proper care of her. Lore has been denied her prescription medications for Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT) and other conditions since she was taken into custody. I’m relieved that we don’t currently need to call the facility every day, only to be denied any kind of proof-of-life, but we must now focus on the myriad potential near- and long-term effects of COVID-19 that FDC Philadelphia will not treat.

All of this could have been avoided. We begged for the opportunity to care for Lore safely at home until her trial, which still has no foreseeable start date. Sadly, the judge decided that Lore’s charges and treatment in confinement were too obviously political in nature and extent to grant her this safety, lest others take sympathy with her and join the movements for racial justice and against police brutality.

We need to step in for a broken criminal justice system. Lore is just one of the more than 275,000 people who were forced to contract COVID-19 in a prison cell —1 out of every 5 incarcerated people in the United States. I’m very grateful to the Marshall Project for collecting these statistics assiduously throughout the year, providing us some useful perspective on the scale of the crisis, and I encourage you to donate to their efforts. Likewise, the Amistad Law Project, who organize so well on the behalf of people incarcerated by the City of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The people incarcerated at FDC Philadelphia and other federal prisons nationwide deserve the same kind of support.

butterflies_flowers_md_wht.gif

At the moment, the women’s unit at FDC Philadelphia has Lore to help them ???? Since recovering from Covid, she has been absolutely tireless in collecting public health and legal information for them, quickly becoming a kind of unofficial librarian for the group in addition to its de facto therapist ???? I’m so proud of her! I know you are, too. If you haven’t had a chance recently, please send her your love and let her know that she isn’t forgotten. (We’re using the free Ameelio app to send pics too, and it’s good!). Lore’s wishlist is also up-to-date with reading material to share with the whole unit. And if you’re feeling especially generous, donate to her fund via PayPal or Venmo. With a major fundraising goal met, this money can go to her commissary fund—mostly pre-packaged food to augment the typical meal of an apple and a peanut butter sandwich.

Please hold Lore and FDC Philadelphia’s detainees in the light with us ????☮️

Acts Against Goliaths

  • December 27, 2020 1:49 am

Submission

Carpet tacks spread in the police headquarters’ parking lot before a demonstration. More tacks dispersed at the local Amazon warehouse’s truck entrance. One valve stem cut on an Amazon truck’s tire. Two Amazon van tires slashed. Fiber optic cables cut where they hung low on three telephone poles in more affluent neighborhoods.

Small but unceasing acts against so many Goliaths. We hope to put a sling in many more hands while hunting for low-hanging fruit that might actual nourish our revolt.

The spectacle of the spell-out on the Regional Rail train is hardly worth mentioning without documentation, but our word is all we have. Those straight letters reading NO MORE PRESIDENTS taking up half the clean car in the earliest hours of somebody’s election day blazed bold in black and chrome. Maybe CLIP or Septa Police have the flicks to share from this earlier act. Either it ran and shared the message or was taken out of commission for cleaning.

We won’t stop. This world teeters on too many terrifying and enchanting precipices to stop. We invite you join us, with these recent acts as a minimum of examples. The greatest difficulty is in beginning, but once you’re out the door it gets easier. Take care and it gets easier.

“Let every act of repression visited upon us bloom infinite vicious resistance.”

Looking toward a winter of anarchy.

Transaction Denied

  • December 22, 2020 1:26 am

Submission

On the 20th day of Black December some pranksters gave to me, 12 banks sabotaged with glee! Sabotaging card slots is easy. We sabotaged some vestibule entrance slots and ATM card readers. We put gift cards with glue on them in the slots. We cut each card into 3 to have more and to make it harder to pull each out. We covered everything but our eyes because ATM’s have high resolution cameras. It looked like we were just using the ATM, no one suspected a thing. You can also use cardboard or the free business cards found at cafes. Make sure you wipe any fingerprints off the cards.

RIP all the homies we lost this year!
Here’s to hoping 2021 is more lit than 2020!
Long Live Anarchy!

– Transaction Denied ????

Monday December 28th: Letter-writing for Eric King

  • December 22, 2020 1:24 am

from Philly ABC

eric-king-letter-writing-2020.jpg

Happy solstice everyone! As 2020 draws to a close and we celebrate the days getting longer, join us next Monday at 6:30pm to show anarchist political prisoner Eric King some solidarity and send new year’s cards to comrades behind bars! We’ll be joined by someone from Eric’s support crew to provide the most updated info and answer questions. This event will be held on Jitsi – we’ll post the meet link on social media the day of. You can also message us to get the link beforehand.

Thankfully the mail ban against King has been lifted for the time being, so we’re taking this opportunity to send him some love. 2020 has been a rough year for many, particularly people whose lives are in danger inside prisons and folks like Eric who are facing additional repression such as communication restrictions and solitary confinement. Eric’s account of life in solitary confinement in the Bureau of Prisons (Flipping the Script) was featured in Solitary Watch earlier this year. Read his take on the Kafkaesque existence of over 10,000 people being housed in segregation for at least 23 hours a day.

If you can’t make the event, please drop him a line without mentioning his current case, Covid, or anything about the mail ban.

Eric King #27090-045
FCI Englewood
9595 West Quincy Avenue
Littleton, CO 80123

We will also send birthday cards to political prisoners with birthdays in January: Fran Thompson (the 4th), Abdul Azeez (the 9th), Sundiata Acoli (the 14th), Joe-Joe Bowen (the 15th), and Marius Mason (the 26th).

Gentrifying Activist Spaces – PSL Philly

  • December 17, 2020 1:56 am

from Google Drive

[Document Here]

Viscera Reading Group

  • December 13, 2020 1:21 am

from Instagram

Photo by Jules Bonnot on December 01, 2020.

we’ve decided to discuss these next readings both in person and online! so if you’re in philly, join us on sunday, december 20th at 1pm in clark park (meet at the orange tables) for a socially distant discussion on… social distancing, isolation, and solitude. see you then!

rail interference

  • December 10, 2020 1:44 am

Submission

We halted freight train traffic on two different sets of tracks in Philly using the copper wire method to send a false signal. Solidarity with first nations people continuing to oppose colonial destruction of this continent and the rest of the earth. Solidarity with those facing prosecution for similar actions.

Two Missives from a PA Prison, from Comrade Elliot

  • December 7, 2020 1:57 am

from Dreaming Freedom, Practicing Abolition

ONE:

What’s so sad now a days these young men would rather fight someone over $5 then peacefully stand up for their rights and what they believe in. I must specify because these devils are crafty that everything I am doing and attempt to do in the future is PEACEFUL so I do not care if they read it or know its from me. I would like to put certain information on these social media sites such as what’s going on in the prison as well as the individual it is occurring with. Sci ***** is EXTREMELY corrupt! They plant drugs and weapons on inmates, the guards bring in phones and drugs. In other facilities when the inmates get caught with these things they’re usually transferred. Not here. They sweep it under the rug and keep it in house because then it will prove the corruptness of this institution. They took away our mail and visits so please explain why and how the drugs are still entering the facility at an all time high after all the jails having NO VISITS for over 8 months!! I was transferred from SCI+++++ for no reason 200 miles away from my family because of grievances and a lawsuit I was filing. They kicked me out and said I was a high ranking gang member calling shots and I was a threat with no misconduct, no proof or anything. Placed me in the hole up here for two weeks telling me welcome to *****. That was September of last year. In this past year I’ve seen staff abuse both physically and verbally, officers lying on misconducts, racism and bigotry at an all time high and basic corruptness. The racism even lies with the officers and their co workers smh. I would appreciate pen pals and any literature you may be able to share. I believe we need a social media site where we can expose not only the institutions but the individual staff as well.

TWO:

CW: Racist, homophobic slurs and violence

There’s this one sergeant who is not only racist, a bigot and disrespectful but also abusive physically, verbally and mentally! His name is Sergeant HATER. The staff below him are intimidated because of his stripes and those above him are intimidated because of the union. He’s assaulted inmates and wrote misconducts stating the inmate assaulted him but once video is reviewed it is seen to be a lie; dusted under the rug. He’s lied on numerous misconducts; dusted under the rug. He’s been assaulted due to his behavior after he was put on suspension and wasn’t allowed to work on any blocks! Dusted under the rug. Now I’ve dealt with racism, belittling sexual context (Mexican cocksucker and I’m not even Mexican!), retaliation for placing numerous grievances and complaints on him and all that happens is grievances are denied and/or rejected. He’s continuously denied me showers, phone calls and the opportunity to clean my cell all on his watch during a pandemic. Continuous racist and derogatory remarks. I’ve had one lieutenant attempt to assist me by the name of [FRIENDLY] but honestly NOTHING has changed it continues to get worst! Today he once again denied me a phone call which I was signed up for as well as a shower and when I asked the other guards who was working with him why I wasn’t allowed the response was “I’m not getting in between you and HATER’s gang war.” Just like in the street when an officer is doing something wrong, instead of his partner or fellow coworkers letting him know he’s doing things wrong they turn a blind eye or condone in his actions. There needs to be a way that we expose these guards and those actions to society and the public. We must let everyone know what goes on even if that means we start a webpage and post all grievances up as well as the answers to the grievances so EVERYONE is held accountable for their actions. I understand the job of a correctional officer but the racist undertone and continuous abuse can not be acceptable! Thank you

Image thanks to Just Seeds, created by Roger Peet, available here: https://justseeds.org/graphic/prison-pandemic-1/