BK/NY – Tuesday, July 9th – Letter Writing Dinner for Eric King
WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, July 9th, 2019
WHERE: The Base – 1302 Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11221 (directions below)
NOTE: The Base is on the ground floor, is wheelchair accessible, and has a gender neutral toilet.
COST: Free
It’s rare we get good news in the political prisoner support world, or even the anarchist world, as you all well know. But recently NYC ABC was thrilled to find out that Eddie Africa, one of the MOVE 9 political prisoners, was released on Friday, June 21st after serving an abominable 40 years in prison. WELCOME HOME EDDIE! You can support the struggle to get parole for the two remaining MOVE 9 prisoners–Chuck and Delbert, via the Abolitionist Law Center. In the meantime, we keep grinding and hosting every-other-week political prisoner letter-writing dinners, and this week is no different.
This week NYC ABC will be writing to anarchist prisoner Eric King, who certainly feeds off of news of fellow political prisoners to keep his fire burning while inside. Eric is a vegan anarchist prisoner serving a 10 year sentence for an attempted firebombing of a 
government official’s office in Kansas City, Missouri in September 2014. Eric was charged with throwing a hammer through a window of the building, followed by two lit Molotov cocktails. The criminal complaint states that both incendiary devices failed to ignite. We encourage folks to send him a card or letter and spread the word about him if not already doing so. More information can be found at supportericking.org.
If for what ever reason you can’t make it out to write Eric in the company of fellow anarchists and vegan food, we hope you’ll still find some time to write to him here:
Eric King # 27090045
USP Atlanta
Post Office Box 150160
Atlanta, Georgia 30315
Illustrated Guide Version 14.4 Uploaded!
We’ve finished the latest version of the NYC ABC “Illustrated Guide to Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War” and it’s available for viewing (and download) by clicking on the tab at the top of this page. This update includes updated mini-bios, photos, and address changes for several prisoners. We are thankful to remove MOVE 9 prisoner Eddie Africa (paroled!).
BK/NY – Tuesday, June 25th – Letter Writing Dinner for Chuck and Delbert Africa
WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, June 25th, 2019
WHERE: The Base – 1302 Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11221 (directions below)
NOTE: The Base is on the ground floor, is wheelchair accessible, and has a gender neutral toilet.
COST: Free
We in NYC ABC are going to keep it short this time. One by one, the MOVE 9 are coming home! #FACTS. And it’s not due to a benevolent state apparatus, it’s due to folks on the outside busting their asses to make sure the spotlight remains on imprisoned comrades. Eddie was just released, Janine and Janet very recently, and they will all need help getting on their feet and acclimating to a world possibly more fucked up than when they went in. In short, DONATE! And help us keep the pressure on the state and the morale of our comrades high by coming to our every-other-week political prisoner letter-writing dinner. This week we write to the two remaining MOVE 9 political prisoners, Chuck and Delbert Africa.
If for some insane reason you cannot join us Tuesday, please write them from home:
Smart Communications/PA DOC
Charles Sims Africa #AM4975
SCI Dallas
Post Office Box 33028
St Petersburg, Florida 33733
Smart Communications/PA DOC
Delbert Orr Africa #AM4985
SCI Dallas
Post Office Box 33028
St Petersburg, Florida 33733
Running Down the Walls 2019: A Reportback
Running Down the Walls 2019 in NYC started in the same way many things start out here, with arriving at the crack of dawn to squat choice real estate in a public park and yelling at some yuppie asshole because he doesn’t know the basics of parallel parking. As we set up for the day, passersby stopped to check out the goings on, peruse our display of free literature, and inquire about the 5k. We have noticed year in and year out that setting up in public, with a lot of foot traffic, draws attention and helps begin great conversations with folks who, until that moment, might have never considered that there are political prisoners and prisoners of war in the United States.
By about 1:30 pm, folks started arriving to register for the 5k, as we blasted old episodes of Burning Cop Car to get the people hyped. There were plenty of participants showing up, including many comrades we see once a year, at this event, and a bunch of folks we hadn’t met before. If you want to know what makes a day like this amazing, imagine seeing Sekou Odinga riding up on his bicycle as a comrade’s toddler wanders after a dog, and a black banner of a clenched anarchist black cross fist blows in the background.
Have you ever seen so much Sun in your life?
Operating on anarchist time, the 5k started closer to 2:30 than the publicized 2:00 pm, but only after taking a photo around the Running Down the Walls banner, giving folks the rundown on the route, and reading a statement by anarchist political prisoner Jeremy Hammond. With that, folks were off. Thanks to comrades from NYC Action Medical for being at the ready in case anyone needed medical attention during the event.
After around 23 minutes, the first participant had made the slightly over 5k circuit and was ready for water. After cooling down and catching their breath, they told us that partway through the run, the thing that pushed them to run harder was the knowledge of what folks on the inside go through every day and how participating in this event renewed their strength in supporting imprisoned comrades.
After all of the folks participating in the 5k made there way around the circuit, we enjoyed a huge spread of unspeakable vegan delights. When Sekou Odinga came up to the table, one of his comrades pointed at one of the dishes and implored him to quickly try it, saying, “that one, there…that one’s special.” But where did he get his protein?!?
In the end, NYC ABC came close to reaching our goal of $4,000. If you’d like to help push us over the hump, you can still donate at paypal.me/nycabc or check the original event listing for other ways to donate.
The remainder of the day was spent socializing and enjoying a great day in the park, surrounded by comrades old and new. Later that same night, NYC ABC tabled a music night and fund raiser for the anarchist book fair. While there, we talked to a couple of folks who told us that the reason they love Running Down the Walls so much is that it’s a reminder that there is revolutionary community in NYC and that it is one of the few times in the year they know they will see a wide-ranging group of folks coming together to have fun, see each other, all while staying focused on those who are still inside. That’s what’s up and that’s how we get down (the walls).
BK/NY – Tuesday, June 11th – Letter Writing Dinner for Eco and Anarchist Prisoners + Prison Abolition Discussion
WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, June 11th, 2019
WHERE: The Base – 1302 Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11221 (directions below)
NOTE: The Base is on the ground floor, is wheelchair accessible, and has a gender neutral toilet.
COST: Free
NYC ABC isn’t big on screaming that the sky is falling. That said, THE SKY IS FUCKING FALLING. More and more folks are standing up and resisting impending ecological collapse, protesting unpopular and devastating petro-pipelines, and putting their bodies on the line for their communities and the environment. They are typically confronted by cops, known enemies of working folks and property defenders of the ruling class, and arrested. As a collective, we support those arrested and imprisoned for taking action to protect and defend the planet and part of that support comes in the form of our every-other-week political prisoner letter-writing dinners. This week we respond to the June 11th call for solidarity with long term anarchist political prisoners, while recognizing the history of this day by including earth and animal liberation prisoners. We will also join a discussion with other revolutionaries about prison abolition, as theory and practice.
Illustrated Guide Version 14.3 Uploaded!
We’ve finished the latest version of the NYC ABC “Illustrated Guide to Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War” and it’s available for viewing (and download) by clicking on the tab at the top of this page. This update includes updated mini-bios, photos, and address changes for several prisoners. We are thankful to remove MOVE 9 prisoners Janet and Janine Africa (paroled!).
BK/NY – Tuesday, May 28th – Letter Writing Dinner for Sundiata Acoli & Dr. Mutulu Shakur
WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, May 28th, 2018
WHERE: The Base – 1302 Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11221 (directions below)
NOTE: The Base is on the ground floor, is wheelchair accessible, and has a gender neutral toilet.
COST: Free
This week NYC ABC will focus our every-other-week political prisoner letter-writing dinner on Sundiata Acoli and Dr. Mutulu Shakur, a former Black Panther Party member and a former Black Liberation Army member who are serving time for charges connected to Assata Shakur and/or her successful 1979 prison break and escape.
A New York Black Panther, Sundiata Acoli endured two years of prison awaiting trial for the Panther 21 Conspiracy Case. He and his comrades were eventually acquitted on all the bogus charges. The case was historic and a classic example of police and government attempting to neutralize organizations by incarcerating their leadership. As a result of this political attack and because of the immense pressure and surveillance from the FBI and local police Sundiata, like many other Panther leaders went “underground.” On May 2, 1973, Sundiata Acoli, Assata Shakur and Zayd Shakur were ambushed and attacked by state troopers on the New Jersey Turnpike. Assata was wounded and Zayd was killed. During the gun battle a state trooper was shot and killed in self defense. Sundiata was tried in an environment of mass hysteria and convicted, although there was no credible evidence that he killed the trooper or had been involved in the shooting. He was sentenced to thirty years. Sundiata was ordered released on parole by a state appeals court in New Jersey in September 2014 when the court ruled the parole board had “acted arbitrarily and capriciously” when it previously denied him parole. The State of New Jersey has appealed the decision. More information: sundiataacoli.org
In 1987 Dr. Mutulu Shakur was sentenced to 60 years imprisonment for his role in the Black Liberation Movement. In March 1982, Dr. Shakur and 10 others were indicted by a federal grand jury under a set of U.S. conspiracy laws called Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) laws. These conspiracy laws were ostensibly developed to aid the government in its prosecution of organized crime figures; however, they have been used with varying degrees of success against revolutionary organizations. Dr. Shakur was charged with conspiracy and participation in the Black Liberation Army, a group that carried out actual and attempted expropriations from several banks. Eight incidents were alleged to have occurred between December 1976 to October 1981. In addition, he was charged with participation in the 1979 prison escape of Assata Shakur, who is now in exile in Cuba. After five years underground, Dr. Shakur was arrested on February 12, 1986. While he was on the street, Dr. Shakur challenged the use of methadone as a tool of recovery for addicts. He believed in natural remedies instead and, based on those beliefs, founded the Black Acupuncture Advisory Association of North America. Many people credit Shakur with saving their lives. Dr. Shakur has worked to free political prisoners and to expose government abuses against political organizers. While in prison, he has struggled to create peace between rival gangs. More information: mutulushakur.com
If for some insane reason you cannot join us Tuesday, please write them at home:
Sundiata Acoli* #39794-066
FCI Cumberland
Federal Correctional Institution
Post Office Box 1000
Cumberland, Maryland 21501
*Address envelope to Clark Squire
Dr. Mutulu Shakur #83205-012
USP Victorville
Post Office Box 3900
Adelanto, California 92301
