Stand with prisoners in the USA on strike and organise a soli-action this month, October 15th – 22nd

Re-posting below callout from It’s Going Down website here: https://itsgoingdown.org/call-renewed-actions-solidarity-prison-strike-october-15-22/

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It hardly seems necessary to summarize what has gone down inside U.S. prisons since September 9th. Hunger strikes, work stoppages, and riots have spread throughout the country on a scale that we likely aren’t even fully aware of yet. Some uprisings appeared took us by surprise, such as in several Florida prisons, while others presumably grew from recent organizing endeavors on the inside, such as at Kinross in Michigan or Holman in Alabama. By rough estimates, over 20,000 prisoners were involved in some way. That’s huge.

On the outside, solidarity burned so brightly all over the world. Banner drops, graffiti slogans, noise demonstrations and more showed that we had the backs of all who would partake in the strike. It is worth noting however that the vast majority of this took place the first weekend of the strike. But this prison strike—and the struggle against prisons more broadly—is about more than a day or a week. It didn’t start on September 9th and it isn’t ending any time soon. Some prisoners may return to work while others decide to stop working for the first time. It’s easier when there is a definitive date to take action on, to build momentum towards, but that’s not going to be enough.

Therefore, we would like to offer a call for renewed actions in solidarity with the prison strike and the struggle against prison society. Right now many are organizing anti-repression campaigns for striking prisoners and that is of course very necessary and not nearly as exciting work. But it would be a mistake to conceive of this struggle in a linear fashion—that is to say, a single wave where we demonstrate as it crests and write letters as it crashes. How many prisoners hadn’t heard about the strike until after it had started? How many knew but didn’t think people would actually be there to support them? Three weeks after the start of the strike, inmates in Turbeville, South Carolina rebelled against a guard and took over their dorm. How can we stop while inmates are still risking their lives for freedom?

We propose the week of October 15th – 22nd for a concentration of actions to remind everyone locked up by the State that we will always have their back. Once again, it is important to take these dates with a grain of salt. No one’s going to judge you if you take action on October 23rd, or in November, or even in 2017. Neither should anyone sit on their hands waiting for the 15th to get going. New Year’s Eve should also be kept in mind, which has traditionally seen noise demonstrations outside of prisons every year, despite being an equally arbitrary date.

When times seem slow and uneventful we let ourselves stagnate, but imagination and revolt are like muscles: the less we use them the weaker they become. We can push back the boredom of less eventful times and point towards insurrection. Solidarity actions and struggling on our own timelines is a way we can create momentum and tension when there isn’t much.

– “Our Own Timelines” Anathema, Vol 2 Issue 6

It is undeniable that many comrades exist outside of realities where organizing a protest or noise demonstration is tenable. Many of us are still searching for a few like-minded comrades, let alone attempting to bring out a crowd. There are still opportunities to act, whether it is a one or two person team dropping a banner or putting up posters, or hosting a letter writing or informational event that can help connect future accomplices. It certainly can never be overstated how important writing letters of support and calling in to prisons is in and of itself, but why pass on an opportunity to build our capacity?

If nothing else, we should all feel ashamed that the most active city in terms of U.S. prison strike solidarity actions is Athens, Greece. They already have such a head start but we can at least give them a bit of challenge, can’t we?

– Some Restless Uncontrollables

Great news from Prague – Martin has been released from remand! Solidarity to you, it’s not over yet but we’re glad you’re among friends and family.

Originally posted on the Anti-Fenix website on 27th September 2016 here: https://antifenix.noblogs.org/post/2016/09/27/martin-propusten-z-vazby/

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Martin was released from remand! WELCOME HOME!!!

The supreme court denied the confidential file written by former
criminal police chief about his sister as an anarchist organizer and
criminal element whom the court deciding about Martin awaiting trial
outside of remand should not trust. Therefore the court had to decide to
“free” Martin. The struggle is not over at all. In contrary it is in its
beginning and Fenix 5 (people being charged of a conspiracy of
preparation a terrorist attack against the train with military equipment
– prepared by two undercovered/infiltrated state agents) will face
another series of court hearings on October 3rd to 6th.

WE CALL FOR SOLIDARITY ACTION.

Reposted from Act for Freedom Now!

The attack of the State will only fuel the insurrection Solidarity to the anarchist comrades arrested in Italy.

The insurrectionist attack and international solidarity continues in the hearts and action of the rebels around the world . Repression will lead to nothing more than their spreading .The attack of the state will only fuel the insurrection.

We send our flaming solidarity to the anarchist comrades arrest in “Operazione Scripta Manent” in italy Alessandro, Marco, Danilo, Valentina, Anna, Alfredo, Nicola, and Daniele.

Individuals of act for freedom now!

PDF

Last year between 29 September and 3 October some comrades from around Europe and beyond gathered for a few days of discussions and encounters in Brussels, where anarchists and other rebels have been waging a concerted struggle against the construction of the massive new maxi-prison project. Some transcripts from the talks and debates have now been collected and translated into English, and can be downloaded below as a PDF. The points discussed are very much relevant for struggles in other places including the maxi-prison-city of London. Via Act for Freedom Now and Rabble

PDF on Act for Freedom Now.

Come along on the 7th  October, Solidarity squat gig and party for the Warsaw 3 ! Three anarchist arrested and charged under new anti-terrorism laws in Poland. All proceeds on the night go towards the Warsaw 3 legal cost.

Until All are Free !

More Info about the Warsaw 3:

https://wawa3.noblogs.org/other-languages/english/

Article taken from its going down website: https://itsgoingdown.org/letter-support-quebec-prisoners-strike/

A Letter in Support of Prisoners in the US who are striking against prison slavery

First, we want to tell you that you are not alone! We are keeping our eyes on your struggles. We support you!

In your call for a strike on September 9^th you evoke the uprising in Attica that began on September 9, 1971. You write about ending prison slavery by ceasing to be slaves yourselves. We see you. We hear you. We support you.

We are a group of people, some in prison, some not in prison, and some who are in between. We are critical of the prison system and all its trappings. We would like to share with you some stories of our struggles.

Where we are, there is a traditional work stoppage inside federal prisons on August 10^th. Though stronger in years past, Prisoners Justice Day is a day when prisoners here refuse to eat, refuse to work, refuse to leave our cells. We commemorate those who have died in prison. When the tradition started in 1974, prison officials would punish us for it, write us up, lock us up, dock our pay. One day in Collins Bay Penitentiary, a federal prison in Ontario, the kitchen decided to not cook breakfast on August 10^th. They knew we were not planning to eat, but we knew that this day is about more than fasting. We lined up in their kitchen demanding breakfast and one by one disposed of it in the garbage.

Federal prisoners in Canada pay room and board. In 2013, our pay was docked and half of that was justified by an increase in room and board payments. In February of 2016, we wrote a list of demands to the federal government. We excerpt the section on work and pay here:

“We protest the cuts to our wages. We should have access to real wages, not pennies. CorCan (Corrections Canada Industries) is a separate entity of Correctional Services Canada (CSC). Its mission was to provide meaningful employment and skills. It was a way for long term prisoners to keep their families together and short-termers to build some money for release. In fall 2013, prisoners’ pay was cut. The bonuses/incentives that prisoners used to receive for working at CorCan were taken away… Currently, the maximum wage we make in 10 days is $69. Of that sum, we must pay $15.18 to kitchen services, $5.52 to telephone services and maintenance, $11 to television fees and maintenance, and $3.73 to savings. Only $33.57 remains. Our pay rates have not been indexed to inflation since 1982.”

We went on to demand access to the provincial minimum wage, access to the Canadian Pension Plan, and real workplace insurance. We demanded access to trades and training while in prison that have an accreditation that is recognized on the outside. We have, thus far, received no concrete response to our demands.

The complete list of demands to the federal government is included with this letter. (As this is an email, here is a link to the entire list of demands: www.demandprisonschange.wordpress.com).

If you want to write to us, for whatever reason, you can reach us here:

PO Box 55051

CP Mackay
Montreal, Quebec
H3G2W5

or at demandprisonschange@riseup.net

In commemoration of all those who have died inside, including the prisoners who died in the uprising at Attica, when state troopers stormed the prison with shotguns and teargas, we connect our struggle to yours. We will be watching.

In solidarity,

the Termite Collective