From DropTheCharges.net:

Videographer Gregory Koger was found guilty on August 26th. The judge revoked bond and remanded Gregory to custody. The following is a statement by friends of Gregory Koger.

After 9 months of vengeful and unrelenting pursuit of a conviction by the Cook County (Illinois) State’s Attorney and the Ethical Humanist Society of Chicago (EHSC), videographer Gregory Koger was found guilty today of trespass, resisting a police officer, and battery for the "crime" of videotaping a brief but newsworthy statement by Sunsara Taylor at the EHSC. Gregory was maced and brutalized during the arrest, and this was acknowledged by police at trial, yet he was the one charged and now found guilty. 

The courtroom was continually packed with supporters of Gregory who were stunned and outraged by the verdict. Then the judge furthered this shameful persecution by upholding the prosecutor’s demand that bond be revoked immediately. Gregory was taken directly from the courtroom to the Cook County Jail until sentencing on September 8. He could be sentenced to up to 3 years in jail.

Gregory’s lawyer, Scott Frankel said, "I am unbelievably disappointed with the verdict and I know we will appeal. Gregory is a fine man and does not deserve this. I was stunned by the Court's decision to revoke Gregory's bond." A motion for an order to reinstate Gregory’s bond will be filed immediately.

Supporters went straight from the suburban courthouse to the jail to protest and demand "Hands Off Gregory". This was really welcomed by people coming in and out of the jail, by people driving by, and most of all, by prisoners in the windows and in the yard as the protesters chanted, "Videotaping is not a crime, Gregory Koger should not do time, Free Gregory Koger!" and "No Justice, No Peace, No Brutalizing Police!" and "Gregory Koger: Watch His Back!"

WE DENOUNCE THIS OUTRAGEOUS VERDICT! 

WE DEMAND REINSTATEMENT of BOND

and GREGORY’S IMMEDIATE RELEASE FROM JAIL!

FREE GREGORY KOGER! NO JAIL TIME!

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

* Send this newsflash to everyone you know. Use Twitter, Facebook, use the listservs you are on to get this out everywhere

* Immediately send statements of support for Gregory to the defense committee (AdHoc4Reason (at) gmail.com)

* Donate money for the appeal. Go to the defense committee website for more information (www.dropthecharges.net)

* Show your support at the sentencing hearing on September 8.

* More information will be coming; keep in touch with the Ad Hoc Committee at AdHoc4Reason (at) gmail.com

FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS OF GREGORY KOGER

 

This is a call out for a prisoner solidarity demonstration in Chicago on August 10th, ‘International Prisoner Justice Day.’

This date has become a marking point for prison struggle across the world. Often times with anarchists within the North American context it is seen as a point of recuperation due to it’s focus on setting demands and requesting reforms. However, some anarchist living within Southern Ontario have taken some time to reassess the origins of this date and the context of our situation and are calling out all prisoners, anarchists and disposed persyns to act in tandem with their desires and further our struggles in solidarity. Some of us in Chicago have decided to echo this call.

August 10th became a memorable date for prisoners across the world beginning in 1974 when inmate Edward Nolan bled to death at Millhaven* Maximum Security Prison in Bath, Ontario. He allegedly slit his veins from elbow to wrist after not being transferred from isolation into general population despite his approval for transfer. The following year inmates at Millhaven organized a day-long work strike in memory of Edward which ended with almost all of them facing solitary, some of which were still in the hole a year after the strike. (For more on this history please visit: www.prisonjustice.ca/politics/1014_history.html)

Join as 3pm at the US Prison Bureau at 71 W Van Buren St. Chicago, IL 60605 to express out pure hatred for the prison apparatus. (We will meet at the corner of Clark and Van Buren at 2:30pm and walk over at 3pm). We recognize the strictly symbolic value of such an action. We wish first and foremost to communicate solidarity with those locked inside. Secondly we would like to demonstrate solidarity with those advancing struggle in Ontario and everywhere. We do not wish to make any demands. We seek nothing less than the total destruction of every prison and the worlds that need them.

For the destruction of all prisons and the freedom of all prisoners!

 

 

Jail Cops Who Torture! Retrials for Their Victims! Cut Their Pensions!

Take A Stand Against Torture on May 24th, 2010*

@ Daley Plaza (55 W Randolph St) 8:30-10AM

*Trial date may change. Visit jailjonburge.org for more info.

Over 20 years of terror, Police Cdr. Jon Burge and his “Midnight Crew” tortured 200+ Latino and African American men and their children to obtain confessions. 20 of these victims are still incarcerated, hoping to be re-tried. Burge has been evading justice since ‘93 and the City of Chicago has spent over $10 MILLION in taxpayer dollars paying for his defense even after the Police Department Review Board ruled that he was guilty of using torture!

* If you would like to endorse this call for JUSTICE, please contact the Jail Jon Burge Committee by calling 312-772-2COP or or emailing contact@jailjonburge.org.

* Spread the word to your friends on Facebook: Event or Group

* Flyer: JPG or PDF

 

Here is a PDF of political prisoner birthdays for the month of May. Please take a moment to send a letter or card. 

April 22: “A Talk on Resistance and Repression: A Benefit for Legal Defense” in Chicago

* When: Thursday, April 22, 6-9pm

* Where: Biblioteca Popular, 1921 South Blue Island Ave, Chicago

With special guests:

- Luce Guillen-Givins, Rob Czernik and Garrett Fitzgerald of the RNC 8

- Recently released grand jury resister Carrie Feldman

- Paul Muller, former Marine and member of Iraq Veterans Against the War who went AWOL in order to avoid deployment

The evening will feature a discussion on governmental attempts to criminalize protest, organizing and dissent, and the communities that are resisting it. The talk will focus on three current cases against organizers and activists:

* The RNC 8 are 8 anarchists who organized against the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota in 2008. As a result of this organizing, they were arrested prior to the protests and charged with Conspiracy to Riot and Conspiracy to Commit Property Damage. They will be tried together in a trial scheduled for October 2010.

* Carrie Feldman and Scott DeMuth were subpoenaed to a federal grand jury in Iowa investigating an animal rights action. As a result of their political convictions, they refused to testify, which resulted in Carrie being jailed for four months and Scott being charged with “Conspiracy to Commit Animal Enterprise Terrorism,” which is set to go to trial in May.

* Marc Hall is an Army Specialist who expressed opposition to being redeployed to Iraq and wrote a political hip-hop song protesting the Army’s Stop-Loss policy, which the military deemed a “threat.” As a result, he was arrested and is currently being held awaiting a US Court Martial in Iraq.

Suggested donations $5-20, with all funds raised split between Friends of the RNC 8, the Scott & Carrie Support Committee and Friends and Family of Marc Hall.

For more information on the legal cases, visit:

http://www.couragetoresist.org/

http://davenportgrandjury.wordpress.com/

http://rnc8.org/

Last night we sent out letters and literature to political prisoners / prisoners of war who are having birthdays in the month of April. Click here to download the April list as provided by the Chapel Hill Prisoner Book Program so you can send off your own cards and letters.

Midwest Books to Prisoners (MWBTP) sends reading materials to those incarcerated. It was formed in June of 2004 and is all volunteer and collectively run. Books to Prisoners (BTP) is part of a larger national network of similar groups. MWBTP feels that by sending books we educate, entertain and empower a population that otherwise is disregarded by mainstream society. 

Since last summer we have shipped off books and zines to hundreds of prisoners in Illinois and neighboring states in the Midwest. We have corresponded with comrades of ours behind bars and are putting their writings, poetry, and artwork on the internet and in print. We have participated in demonstrations against police brutality, tabled at shows with zines and food to raise funds, written letters to political prisoners, and held book packing parties when there is money available to respond to requests. 

We have just under a year’s worth of requests to catch up with and although we’ve put good work there is still a lot of work to do. Our biggest burden is finances. It costs only $3 to send somebody a package of books and if we had the cash we could catch up with the back letters very quickly. So we try to raise funds to mail packages and by throwing shows and hustling food, books and zines.

We are also starting to more actively provide direct assistance to prisoner struggles and support organizations particularly in Chicago and the midwest. We are keeping up with news and updates about prisons, police corruption, changes in the law and are attempting to network with community groups facing police oppression. 

We meet at 8pm on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month.

Midwest Books to Prisoners is tabling our new zine at Chicago Zine Fest this weekend - Anthony Rayson is doing a workshop called "Handing the Mic Directly to Prisoners". You can also download the PDF of the zine and print it yourself. Copies are also available at Biblioteca Popular.

Hello all, this is the first blog post for the MWBTP website kicking off 2010 with a new website!

This website features writings from comrades we are corresponding with, the South Chicago Anarchist Black Cross Zine Collection in PDF form, and information on the MWBTP program.

MWBTP meets the first and third Tuesday of the month at Biblioteca Popular (1921 S. Blue Island). Over the past few months we have sent out hundreds of books to prisoners in the Midwest.