from Anathema
Volume 6 Issue 3 (PDF for reading 8.5 x 11)
Online only this issue ????????
In this issue:
from It’s Going Down
A group of tenants in the West Shore neighborhood of West Philly, all renting from Constellar Corp, are initiating a rent strike in response to the current public health and economic crises. Most of us have lost our jobs outright or seen huge reductions in working hours. Meanwhile, we are expected to pay or owe rent on properties managed by Constellar and owned by Hast Investments, owned by a millionaire real estate developer named Guy Laren.
We have attempted to collectively communicate the need for total rent forgiveness to Constellar, and were offered none. To be clear, deferred payment is not going to work for us. We cannot possibly know when we might be able to regain financial security during an ongoing pandemic, and we should not be expected to prioritize rent payments over our other immediate needs such as food and healthcare.
Most of us are rent burdened just like so many Philly tenants, and are unlikely to find employment that would allow us to resume regular rent payments on top of back payments — let alone to a man who once stated, “I buy stuff and figure it out later,” and whose net worth exceeds the cash and assets of all of us combined. It’s time for him to figure out that there is no ethical argument against full rent forgiveness for the duration of this crisis. The financial distress to Laren, Hast Investments, and Constellar Corp does not compare to that faced by poor and working people.
We hope that Laren and Constellar recognize this urgent need to move toward rent forgiveness. We also hope that the city council and state government move in the same direction and implement a moratorium on rent collection.
In making the difficult and stressful decision to go on rent strike, we join others in cities and towns throughout the country and world. We extend solidarity to and draw strength from fellow strikers in New York City, San Francisco, Montreal, Atlanta, Chicago, Toronto, Austin, and more, including those whose fight is happening behind bars.
In the hope of avoiding retaliation, the 13 households currently on strike have opted not to sign our names on this open letter. We continue to organize with other tenants of Constellar throughout the city, including commercial tenants, and with other renters in our neighborhood. We’re very excited to coordinate with other renters in the city organizing on their own terms and can be reached through the contact information below. Media inquiries can be addressed to the same contacts.
Solidarity, and spread the strike!
– West Shore Rent Strikers
CCTenants@protonmail.com
Submission
7. Make your way over to the property Joel Freedman owns on 21 and locust.
12 haviing come to a spiritual awakening
from It’s Going Down
[This post only contains information relevant to Philadelphia and the surrounding area, to read the entire articles follow the above link.]
Antifascist researchers exposed the real name of “GlockDoctor1488,” the host of the Alt-Right Armory podcast, who has disrupted a number of leftist and liberal events in Pennsylvania over the past year.
Joseph Berger, age 31, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, attended a protest of Drag Queen Story Hour at the Exeter Community Library in Reading, Pennsylvania, in February 2019, where he shouted obscenities at the families who had brought their children for the event, accusing them of being pedophiles.
In April 2019, he attended a show by Horna, a neo-Nazi black metal band.
In August 2019, Berger attended a Philadelphia Public Library talk by former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, where he screamed “Fuck you, you anti-white piece of shit! You will not replace us!” before fleeing the building.
Berger also hosts Alt-Right Armory, a podcast on Spreaker, where he disseminates antisemitic conspiracy theories and teaches the far-Right about guns.
Berger worked as a security guard at a water park in northeast Pennsylvania, but is currently laid off.
from Perilous Chronicle
Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
April 3, 2020
Nine prisoners under quarantine at the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center threw commissary containers at the windows of their cells in an apparent effort to break the glass. Guards responded in riot gear and used pepper spray on the prisoners. According to city officials, no prisoners or staff were injured during the conflict.
The description of the confrontation was related to media by two corrections officers who were not authorized to discuss the incident publicly. The event comes in the midst of the city frantically trying to manage the spread of COVID-19 inside the city’s jails. And as of April 3, the day of the disturbance, 31 prisoners in Philadelphia’s jails and an unspecified number of guards had tested positive for COVID-19 disease. This makes the rate of infection in the city’s jails four times the rate of the rest of the city.
Brian Abernathy, the Managing Director of Philadelphia, told media that the jails have adopted some measures to address the health of prisoners and prison guards and staff, such making masks available and enacting a “shelter in place” policy where prisoners must remain in their cells except for access to showers and phones.
“As the coronavirus gains strength in Philly’s jails, panic and fingerpointing mark efforts to avert crisis by thinning inmate population“, The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 4, 2020.
“Philly inmates in quarantine create disturbance as coronavirus concerns spread through jail“, The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 4, 2020.
Article published: 4/4/20
Header photo source: Sign of the Times
Submission
Looks like the autonomo gardeners are back this spring
Text of flyer reads:
“There is an autonomous garden here. There’ve been various gardens in this lot over the years but they were all destroyed by developers who want to build luxury condos here.
Below this plot is the old Mill Creek. The 2019 sinkhole occurred just a few days after developers began resuming their construction project.
This land should not be developed! It is not the time for new condos. It is time for us to begin healing our relationship with the land.”
Text of sign reads:
“Red Belly Autonomous Garden- Garden @ Ur Own Risk”
from It’s Going Down
[This post only contains information relevant to Philadelphia and the surrounding area, to read the entire articles follow the above links.]
Inspired by the spirit of the Political Prisoners Birthday crew (and recycling some of their old artwork because why not?), here’s a short listing of some rebel prisoners who have upcoming birthdays in April.
For 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.
To start things off on a positive note, April used to be a really busy month for prisoner birthdays because four of the MOVE 9 were April babies (I’ll leave it to the astrology experts to work out what that means). This list will be a fair bit shorter this year, because now Delbert, Chuck, Janet Holloway, and Janine Phillips Africa will all be celebrating their birthdays in freedom, or at least outside of prison anyway.
A call has gone out to make April a month of action for Bomani Shakur, who is on death row as a result of a conviction related to the Lucasville Uprising. April might not see much traditional, in-the-streets action, but if you’re stuck at home looking for things to do, then maybe consider hassling Ohio politicians or officials about Bomani’s case online throughout the month. Similarly, Xinachtli has asked that people raise banners demanding his release on May Day; since we may not be in a position to have the usual mass gatherings on the street then, you could think about ways you can uplift his name and demand his release online instead. And keep an eye out for phone/email zaps in support of prisoners endangered by the pandemic.
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.
Mumia Abu-Jamal
Mumia is an award winning journalist and was one of the founders of the Black Panther Party chapter in Philadelphia, PA. He has struggled for justice and human rights for people of color since he was at least 14 years old; the age when he joined the Party. In December of 1982, Mumia, who moonlighted by driving a taxi, happened upon police who were beating his brother. During the melee, a police officer was shot and killed. Despite the fact that many people saw someone else shoot and then runaway from the scene, Mumia, in what could only be called a kangaroo court, was convicted and sentenced to death. During the summer of 1995, a death warrant was signed by Governor Tom Ridge, which sparked one of the most effective organizing efforts in defense of a political prisoner ever. Since that time, Mumia has had his death sentence overturned, but still has a life sentence with no opportunity for parole.
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 Mumia as a contact by searching his name or “AM8335”.
Birthday: April 24
Address:
Smart Communications/PA DOC
Mumia Abu-Jamal #AM8335
SCI Mahanoy
Post Office Box 33028
St Petersburg, Florida 33733
Janiis Mathis
A former Vaughn 17 defendant. While the state has now given up on its attempts to charge Mathis in relation to the Vaughn uprising, he is facing continued retaliation, as he has been moved out of state to Pennsylvania, where many Vaughn defendants are being held on lockdown indefinitely (via placement on PA’s Restricted Release List) on vague and questionable grounds. More than two years later, these prisoners are still being abused for staying in solidarity with one another against the state.
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 “NU0423”.
Birthday: April 24
Address:
Janiis Mathis
SBI# 00492275
Sussex Correctional Institution
P.O. Box 500
Georgetown DE 19947
Submission
Attaching a graph I put together from a little study I did one night a couple of months back. Enjoy!
Submission
Following the example of someone in Hickory, North Carolina, tacks were spread around several Philly police station parking lots. Hopefully we have been as successful in flattening their patrol car tires.
News that the cops began disrupting homeless encampments at the Philadelphia Convention Center the morning the Covid-19 stay-at-home order was to be observed provided a catalyst, but it is not the reason. The very existence of the police is a reason to target them. Cops are violent antagonists of the living and enemies of freedom, in collusion with judges, prosecutors, bosses, landlords, and politicians.
We have no demands short of their destruction, and know that such a victory will never be handed to us. We react for now, but look forward to taking the offensive.
from Facebook
Supplies we need:
Close-able takeout containers
Plastic containers with lids
Ziploc bags (any sizes!)
Brown paper lunch bags
Plastic wrap
Aluminum foil
To go cups (with lids if you got ‘em)
Nitrile gloves
Face masks
Hand sanitizer
ANY VEGAN FOOD! Especially bread, peanut butter, bottled/canned water/drinks, and produce
Or donate money on Cash App! $NPFNB
from Instagram
The Wooden Shoe is temporarily closing due to growing public health concerns in the midst of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. As anarchists we assert that in times of crisis people have the capability of taking voluntary action, both collectively and individually, to mitigate the risks posed by an outbreak such as this. We understand it is imperative to slow the spread of contagion to lessen the chance of the catastrophically unprepared healthcare system becoming overwhelmed. It is in the spirit of these concerns that we make this decision. However, we are also aware that state and government forces are more than willing to exploit crises by abusing tools like quarantines and other states of exception. This often comes at the expense of the most vulnerable, especially those detained and imprisoned in overcrowded jails, prisons, and concentration camps. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and critically and encourage all to do the same. We apologize to all of those in the community who rely on this space.
This is a password protected entry.
from Facebook
For those who can help us with financial support, we greatly appreciate it! All funds go directly into getting supplies we don’t get donated. Help us out if you got the funds!
from Facebook
In this crisis time, Food Not Bombs Solidarity needs to do more.
In addition to our free meal, grocery, and produce distro on Thursdays, we serve 4 shelters on Saturdays.
We need to boost our food supplies (already low) and add cleaning stuff to our distro.
We want to support a community in need #ServeThePeople
So we set up a Cash App, this is a first for us!
$FNBSolidarity
PLEASE SHARE WITH YOUR NETWORKS
from Twitter
from Google Docs
Though COVID-19 is only just beginning to impact our city many of our neighbors have already been affected. This means we need to show up for each other. Especially for those who are at great risk.
If you would like food or other supplies dropped off at your door, need prescriptions picked up, transportation assistance please use this form.
How this works: When a request for aid is made we will go into our network of community members who have offered services ranging from delivering groceries/medicine, providing transportation assistance, donating money etc and we match the person who made the request with the people/people who can provide support.
We are simply neighbors helping neighbors. The aid provided comes from community support and solidarity thus we cannot guarantee to meet each request but we will be trying our best to do so . We are not funded, we are not a government or medical agency, we are simply neighbors connecting neighbors to neighbors who can help (and we happen to be organizers).
We are prioritizing those most vulnerable and affected by COVID-19 : the sick, disabled, quarantined without pay, those limited in work, undocumented, queer, Black, Indigenous, and or people of color.
Philly mutual aid update!
First over 100 people have filled out the form offering services and support! Keep sharing, sharing.
Second, here is a form for folks who need to request services.
http://bit.ly/phillymutualaidcovid19request
How this works: When a request for aid is made we will go into our network of community members who have offered services ranging from delivering groceries/medicine, providing transportation assistance, donating money etc and we match the person who made the request with the people/people who can provide support.
The important disclaimer: We are simply neighbors helping neighbors. The aid provided comes from community support and solidarity thus we cannot guarantee to meet each request but we will be trying our best to do so . We are not funded, we are not a government or medical agency, we are simply neighbors connecting neighbors to neighbors who can help (and we happen to be organizers
We are prioritizing those most vulnerable and affected by COVID-19 : the sick, disabled, quarantined without pay, those limited in work, undocumented, queer, Black, Indigenous, and or people of color.
We know that some of the most affected and most high risk people may not have access to the internet so please make sure to these point resources to those folks. We’re depending on people to be good faith actors. Don’t request help if you don’t need it. Please, we are trying to help those who need it.
If you would like to become a part of the support network and provide support services to those affected by COVID-19 fill out this form http://bit.ly/phillymutualaidcovid19 and we will connect you with some one in need of assistance.
Thank you to the rad folks at the Seattle area Mutual Aid Solidarity Network for making the request form inwhich this form was modeled after.
*This form was created by Tamara Baldwin on March 12, 2020
Managed by Tamara Baldwin (tblj1234@gmail.com), Rianna Salm (mlsnnr3@gmail.com) and Tab (tabsk@protonmail.com)
