Support the “Bookin’ for Daniel” Marathon Run This Sunday

This Sunday, a supporter of eco-defense prisoner Daniel McGowan will run a full marathon – 26 miles and 385 yards – in order to raise funds for Daniel’s educational fund. The fund will assist with payment for Daniel's master's degree, which he will complete while serving a seven-year sentence in federal prison for acts of economic sabotage intended to raise awareness and to stop the destruction of the planet. The runner and those assisting her efforts state, “We believe that Daniel’s voice must not silenced by his imprisonment, and that communication and education are vital in the battle against global warming.”

As this event draws near, please consider a making a pledge. Every little bit counts! (Pledge details below.)

About Daniel McGowan:
Daniel McGowan is an environmental and social justice activist from New York City. He was arrested in a multi-state raid against the environmental community that revealed itself to be part of a much larger wave of repression known as the "Green Scare." On June 4, 2007 McGowan was sentenced to seven years in prison for charges of conspiracy and arson. These charges relate to two eco-defense actions that occurred in Oregon in 2001. While Daniel took a guilty plea and accepted responsibility for his own actions, he and three other defendants refused to name names as part of their "global resolution" plea deal. During his sentencing, Daniel was given a "terrorism" enhancement to his sentence, based on his involvement in acts of property destruction which hurt no living being. The National Lawyers Guild has decried this sentencing enhancement as an "unnecessary and excessive government tactic to discourage the exercise of free speech."

Daniel in his own words:
“Those in power have not dealt with global warming. That, in my opinion, is a crime. Old-growth forests in Oregon are still being logged, genetically engineered trees and crops are still being introduced into the environment and the only success I see is when people organize and pressure governments and corporations to change their behavior.”

About “Bookin’ for Daniel”
Some of you may know the runner, Esther of Portland, Oregon's Eberhardt Press, not only from her publishing efforts, but also from her consistent work around the "Operation Backfire" eco-sabotage cases. In a blog entry, Esther states her reasons for training for and participating in the marathon, writing: "I want to communicate to Daniel and his family that we who support him are down for the long haul. Today, tomorrow, after 26 miles or seven years we will continue to struggle for the health of our planet and the freedom of all humans, including our comrades behind bars."

For more details about the "Bookin' for Daniel!" run, or to make a pledge to Daniel McGowan's educational fund as sponsorship for this event, please visit: http://bookinfordaniel.eberhardtpress.org/

Background on Daniel McGowan's case and general support information is available at: http://www.supportdaniel.org/