June 11th in Athens: News on the appeals court of anarchist André Mazurek, prisoner of the December ’08 uprising

June 11, 2012 Contra Info

Today marks the second anniversary of the international day of solidarity 
with Marie Mason, Eric McDavid and other long-term anarchist prisoners.

On the same day in Athens, a solidarity gathering was called for the appeal trial of comrade Andrzej Mazurek, who was convicted on frame-up charges amid the December ’08 riots. He was incarcerated in Larissa prisons when fellow prisoners spread his case widely for the first time in December 2011. That’s how Andrzej was even named ‘the forgotten prisoner of the December 2008 rebellion’ by the Assembly of solidarity to imprisoned and prosecuted fighters/Athens.

After the appeal hearing of June 11th, 2012, his prison term was reduced to 8.5 years. Since he has completed already 2/5 of his sentence, he is anticipated to be released within a short time. We are waiting for more details, but there’s no need to wait to show solidarity to Andrzej and other dignified fighters.

 

Here follows a message from the June11.org solidarity group in the US.


‘Happy June 11th! Good luck in your show of solidarity, and thank you.

We’d like to share this urgent call from Athens in solidarity with one of many long-term anarchist prisoners in Greece:

Let’s make the 11th of June also a support day for imprisoned anarchist Andrzej Mazurek, who immigrated to Greece from Poland in 2007, put all his passion into the days of revolt in December 2008, and is held in the prison cells of the Greek State ever since; therefore, he is the only prisoner from that period of generalized uprising. His appeals court was set for the 11th of June in Athens. Recently, the comrade himself wrote in a solidarity call with his case: “I have been sentenced to 11 years in prison, and I will be tried in the Mixed Jury Court of Appeals on Loukareos Street on the 11th of June 2012; for that I am asking for your solidarity if and in any way you find proper…”

You’ll be pleased to know that on June 10th, for the solidarity block party [mikrofoniki] in Bloomington, Indiana, one of the statements read over a PA was regarding the situation of political prisoners in Greece, including Andrzej, and that those comrades who are imprisoned in Greece are on our minds and in our hearts as well. The words for our comrades could be heard throughout the entire downtown of our small city. We hope this small gesture brings warmth and strength to those imprisoned by the State and those fighting against this prison society.’

FREEDOM FOR ERIC AND MARIE! SOLIDARITY IS OUR WEAPON!

Marie Mason and Eric McDavid Support Zines for June11th, 2012

May 27, 2012 Zinelibrary.info

Marie Mason support zine for June11th, 2012

Marie Mason has been involved in both environmental and labor struggles,
has edited many radical publications, and has been involved in water
rights, anti-infrastructure, anti-logging and anti- development projects
in the Midwest, organizing above ground and clandestinely for the past 30
years. She is a mother of two and companion to many wonderful animals, a
militant anarchist, and continues to be an involved member of each
community she’s lived in over the years.

This is the new zine that was distributed on the Never Alone Tour in the
lead up to June 11th, 2012.

http://zinelibrary.info/files/MarieZineCover.pdf


Eric McDavid support zine for June 11th, 2012

Eric McDavid is an environmental activist, a writer of zines, a
sometimes-poet and an almost always magician. He is a son, a brother, and
an uncle. He is an amazing partner (although, maybe the author is a bit
biased). He also happens to be an anarchist political prisoner.

This is the new zine that was distributed on the Never Alone Tour in the
lead up to June 11th 2012.

http://zinelibrary.info/files/Ericzine_cover.pdf

Marie Mason support page on Facebook

A new page on Facebook has been set up for Marie Mason, Green Scare
political prisoner:

http://www.facebook.com/supportmariemason

"Like" it to get updates about Marie.

Jesse Waters gets 6 months in 2000 MSU action

Waters did not cooperate with authorities but has not asked for support.

Man gets 6 mos. behind bars in MSU arson case

Jan. 27, 2012

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A Detroit-area man has been sentenced to six months in
prison for concealing what he knew about a major arson by environmental activists at
Michigan State University.

Jesse Waters was seeking probation Friday, but the sentence still is far short of
the maximum penalty of three years in prison. He also was fined $5,000.
In September, Waters of St. Clair Shores pleaded guilty to knowing about the 2000
arson at MSU's Agriculture Hall and concealing it. At the time, he was friends with
Frank Ambrose and Marie Mason, who are now in prison for the arson and other violent
protests.

Mason and Ambrose were fighting plant research at MSU. In 2009, Mason was sentenced
to nearly 22 years in prison. Ambrose, her ex-husband, exposed her and got a shorter
punishment.

June 11th Reportback

Dear friends and comrades!

On June 11th, 2011 events were held in approximately 30 cities across the
globe in solidarity with Marie Mason, Eric McDavid and other long-term
anarchist prisoners. Hundreds of people participated in this international
event – and Marie and Eric have been receiving your words, your pictures,
your love and energy that were poured into making this day a celebration of
resistance and an expression of solidarity with our friends and loved ones
on the inside.

If you missed a June 11th event but still want to participate, it's not too
late! NYC has extended the deadline to purchase raffle tickets until July 11
th. For more information, visit www.supportmariemason.org

Below are just a few excerpts from report backs from around the world. We
are including everything that we heard about - inclusion on the list does
not imply an endorsement.

In *Detroit* they raised $560 and will split the sum between Eric and Marie.
About 35 people came out to Detroit's Cass Cafe and heard talks on the cases
and their political implications, plus a speaker who just finished 20 years
of hard time in federal prison, who described from his experience in the
system what daily life is like for Marie and Eric. The highlight of the
evening was when Marie telephoned one of the organizers and everyone shouted
hello into the phone. She wasn’t able to talk to anyone else, but everyone
was buoyed by the phone call and so was she

In *Bloomington*, folks tabled and distributed materials at both the
Farmers' Market and at Boxcar Books. They were able to reconnect with some
of the 'older generation' who knew Marie when she lived here and with a
number of people who had never encountered the cases before. Boxcar is now,
also, carrying lots of information on Marie, Eric, June 11th and Marie and
Eric shirts!

In *Austin*, (occupied Tonkawa territory), Treasure City Thrift and Deep
Green Austin hosted a letter-writing event at Spiderhouse, a popular outdoor
cafe. They report: “As we wrote our letters, we complained about the
hundred-degree heat, until we realized how dumb it is to complain about the
heat while writing Eric and Marie... who will probably not be sitting at an
outdoor cafe with their friends any time soon.”

In *Israel *there were two events - one in Tel Aviv and the other in
Jerusalem. They raised $160 which we will be split 50/50. In Tel Aviv they
cooked an asian style meal: Sushi, spring rolls, seaweed and glass noodles
salad with Tapioca and bananas in coconut milk for desert. In Jerusalem they
held an event in the Mahatma- the Jerusalem veggie bar – where they served
an Italian style dinner. Pizza, Gezpacho, green salad, Antipasti and
Tiramisu for desert. About 30 people attended each event.
During both events they sold zines, cd's, tshirts etc. After the meal in Tel
Aviv there was a drag show which is well known and much appreciated in the
radical scene in Israel. The show deals with animal rights, the environment,
human rights, militarism, queer politics etc- Its called "The mice and Leah
Goldberg horror picture show." In Jerusalem they screened a movie about
animal liberation. Before both shows there were talks about Marie and Eric
and about the situation in the US, green scare etc.
After both shows people wrote postcards to Marie and Eric and took pictures
of people holding a sign that reads "I support Marie Mason" and "I support
Eric McDavid".

In *Columbus*, OH, Redbird Prison Abolition staged a reading of Accidental
Death of an Anarchist and raised $54 for Amelia Nichol, which Insurgent
Theatre matched for a total donation of $108. The event generated insightful
discussion and laid the groundwork for building a stronger, more cohesive
community.

In *Minneapolis, *they made $150 and had over 30 letters written. They
invented a nutritional yeast bacon cupcake (which is pretty much the ideal
brunch cupcake) and watched the Lorax.  It was a moving time, and they had a
tele conference with Eric's partner that brought people to tears.

In *Sacramento*, there was a film screening of “Better This World” which was
attended by both of the filmmakers (who did Q&A afterwards). About 30 people
were in attendance. The event began with a talk about Eric and Marie, then a
former political prisoner spoke about his experiences before, during and
after prison. Over $100 was raised to be split between Eric and Marie. They
also debuted new “Stop Snitching” shirts designed by local artists, the
proceeds of which will go to Eric and Marie.

In *San Francisco*, they raised over $2200! The evening began with a line of
people out the door waiting to attend the soon-to-be Standing Room Only
event. Former political prisoner, Jake Conroy of the SHAC 7, spoke about
Marie and Eric's cases, his own experiences in prison, and the importance of
supporting those currently incarcerated. They then screened the new
award-winning documentary *If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation
Front*. The movie tells a powerful story that at times reflects Marie and
Eric's own experiences. The evening was capped off by an amazing vegan bake
sale, silent auction, and raffle which left attendees with full stomachs and
some amazing items.


Solidarity Actions


-Argentina: ATMS Burned in Solidarity with Marie Mason & Eric McDavid
and other Prisoners and Combatants!
http://www.anarchistnews.org/?q=node/14855

-Peru: Arson of church in solidarity with comrades of the social war
Marie Mason and Eric McDavid
http://www.anarchistnews.org/?q=node/14825

-Cambridge, UK: Bank action in solidarity with eco-anarchist prisoners
http://www.anarchistnews.org/?q=node/14814

-Finland: Railways sabotaged in solidarity action
http://www.anarchistnews.org/?q=node/14792

-Logging Equipment Sabotaged in Olympia
http://www.anarchistnews.org/?q=node/14786

-ELF Russia – Informal Anarchist Federation / International Network
claim series of attacks in Solidarity with Marie Mason, Eric McDavid &
Long-term Anarchist Prisoners
http://www.anarchistnews.org/?q=node/14785

- Development Building & Bank Visited in Tacoma
http://www.anarchistnews.org/?q=node/14784

-Seattle: SUV Attacked in Solidarity with Eco Anarchist Prisoners
http://www.anarchistnews.org/?q=node/14776

-Banners in Greece
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/06/11/18681574.php

These stories are only a small sampling of what happened on June 11th. But
they are representative of the kind of creativity and energy that we would
like to see poured into prisoner support every day of the year. We want June
11th to be a starting point – not an end in itself. We hope that everyone
feels re-energized and re-committed to the work that they do, to their
communities, and to our friends, lovers and comrades who are being held
hostage by the state.

Thank you all...

Yours,

June 11th Solidarity

Final June 11th Communication and Statement from Jeff Luers

June 10, 2011, Infoshop News

Both of these communications are available on the website,
june11.org/resources, as are a new radio interview about the day and the
cases as well as an interview with Eric McDavid done by Jeff Luers.
Thanks!

Dear Friends and Comrads, As June 11th quickly approaches we wanted to
share some thoughts with you about what this day means to us, and why we
have felt it necessary to give it to all of you- to build and strengthen
the work you do in your own communities, but also to weave us all together
a little tighter and bring our bonds that much closer to unbreakable.

For that is partly why we find ourselves in this predicament to begin
with, is it not?

Both Eric and Marie are in cages due in no small part to the fact that
people they loved betrayed them--- and people that they thought were
deeply committed to the same causes they were proved to be more interested
in saving their own assess than in struggling for the earth and for
liberation.

In organizing for June 11th, we are forced to remember why we do the work
that we do in the first place. And why supporting each other can be such a
powerful tool with which to attack the very systems and institutions we
are struggling against.

Eric and Marie are locked away because they felt like they could no longer
sit idly by while everything they loved was being destroyed. Their
motivations were the same as ours when we do the work we do every day. And
when we feel the people we love being torn from us, we know that searing
pain in our chests will only be quelled by working against that which
would tear us apart.

But this needs to be more than some well-intentioned, youthful rebellion.
Marie and Eric know this. They are both spending 2 decades in prison.
Marie will be in her 60s when she is released, and Eric well into his 40s.
But they carry on from inside those walls---having sacrificed their
freedom for resistance. A resistance free of spatial or temporal limits.

And if we are going to continue support them---we need to be just as
committed. For the earth, for Eric and Marie, for each other. For
ourselves. We need to be in this for the long-haul. And for longevity’s
sake, we need to be rock solid in understanding why these struggles
matter. Otherwise, when the shit hits the fan people’s priorities seem to
suddenly shift in unacceptable directions.

If we are serious about liberation, we also need to be serious about how
we deal with the consequences of fighting for it. Because repression is an
inevitable part of any real, viable struggle. And prison is an inevitable
part of repression. We will not let our friends disappear into the belly
of the beast. They are an integral part of our movement---they were on the
outside and they remain so on the inside. If we let their voices go
unheard, we are complicit in their silencing. If we don’t include them in
our strategizing, our process, the work we do---we are the ones who lose.

June 11th is for those who are forced to fight against this prison society
in its most tangible manifestations. For people who are quite literally
fighting for their lives and their liberation. The forms are probably
eerily similar to what they experiences on the outside---but the content
is horrifyingly more blunt and forceful.

What we ask from each of you is a commitment. A commitment to the work
that you do. To the people that you love. To the movements of resistance.
A commitment that is unwavering and timeless and indestructible. It is no
small task. But it is the only thing that will see us through to the end.
And to a new beginning…

Until all are free,

The Sacramento June 11th Crew

*****************************************************************************

Statement from Jeff ‘Free’ Luers Today is a sad day for me because I
continue a legacy that started with me, but sadly does not end there. June
11th 2001 was the day I was sentenced to 22yrs and 8 months in prison. It
is a day that both forever changed my life and the life of this struggle.

But, rather than collapse under the weight of the states repression we
rose. It took time. It took years actually but in 2004, after 4 years in
prison, my support group and I organized the first annual international
day of solidarity with myself, Jeffrey Luers. It always feels weird to say
that.

48 cities in a dozen countries spread across 4 continents held solidarity
events and actions demanding my release. And those numbers held true the
next and the year after that.

In 2006, the hammer really fell and what started with the arrests of
Critter and me spread to radical communities across the nation. To this
day the FBI is actively hunting down eco-saboteurs and activist both
underground and above. We have numerous of our people in prison today:
Marie Mason, Eric McDavid, Daniel McGowan, Nathan Exile Block, Joyanna
Sadie Zacher, Grant Barnes, Michael Skyes, and Steve Murphy, with Briana
Waters fate still unknown.

This June 11th marks the first international day of Solidarity with Eric
McDavid, Marie Mason, and all our long-term anarchist political prisoners.
We are here to honor them, support them, remind them that they are not
forgotten, and most importantly to demand their release.

June 11th is a reminder to us that though we spend our days outside of a
prison many of our friends and allies spend theirs behind bars having
sacrificed what little freedom they had to fight for something greater
than themselves. We have a responsibility to them and to ourselves to
struggle and fight until all are free.

I may no longer be imprisoned, but I cannot and will not rest until my
friends are back home with their families and our struggle for Earth,
Animal, and Human liberation is successful.

We must free our political prisoners and prisoners of war.

Reminder - SF, June 11 - Day of Solidarity with Political Prisoners Marie Mason and Eric McDavid

International Day of Solidarity with Political Prisoners Marie Mason
and Eric McDavid

Please join us on Saturday, June 11th for the sneak peek Bay Area
screening of the 2011 Sundance Film Festival award winning
documentary If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front.
The documentary tells the story of Daniel McGowan, a political
prisoner who is currently serving out a seven year sentence at the
Control Management Unit at FCI Terre Haute in Indiana for his role in
two multi-million dollar arsons against Oregon timber companies.

This screening will be done in conjunction with the International Day
of Solidarity with Political Prisoners Marie Mason and Eric McDavid.
Cities worldwide will be holding events to highlight the cases of
Marie and Eric, who share the unfortunate distinction of having the
longest standing sentences of any persons imprisoned for their
environmental advocacy in the United States. Both are serving
sentences of 20 years or more as a result of the government's
sweeping campaign against earth and animal liberation activists.

In addition to the film screening, we will have scrumptious treats
for sale and amazing items up for auction. All proceeds from this
event will go directly to Marie's and Eric's support funds.

Come out to learn more about Marie and Eric's cases and to show them
that we have not forgotten them.

Free Marie and Eric!

Saturday, June 11th - 7 pm sharp!
$15.00
The Women's Building
3543 18th St (in between Valencia and Guerrero St.)
San Francisco

http://www.june11.org/
http://supportmariemason.org/
http://supporteric.org/

Rooftop BBQ + Raffle For Marie Mason and Eric McDavid! Saturday! June 11th! NYC

[Background http://freemarie.org/ http://supporteric.org http://greenisthenewred.com] . . .

It's hot outside! Join us on a Lower East Side rooftop for drinks, food, and music, all in support of two long-term Green Scare anarchist political prisoners! Events in support of Marie Mason and Eric McDavid are happening on four continents-- come and be a part of this worldwide day of international solidarity!

Solidarity BBQ + Raffle For Marie Mason and Eric McDavid SATURDAY JUNE 11

4:00pm to Late 190 Orchard Street (btwn. Houston & Stanton) [F train to Lower East Side-2nd Av.; J to Essex; #6 to Spring; N/R to Prince; D to Broadway-Lafayette; buses via Houston or Allen or Essex or 2nd Av.: <http://is.gd/tzzm0Q-/> -t.] Cheap Drinks (alcoholic and not) and Eats (vegan burgers, dogs, and sweets). Please do not BYOB.

And if you can't make the BBQ, you can support Marie and Eric by buying tickets for the June 11th Raffle! Raffle tickets are ON SALE NOW! Available for purchase at the BBQ and ahead of time at Book Thug Nation (100 N. 3rd Street) in Williamsburg. Tickets are $2.00 each or three for $5.00.

Win prizes from: Spectacle Theater Book Thug Nation Champs Family Bakery Autonomedia Black and Red Books Mooshoes Acupuncture by Famous Sparrow Media Arissa Media Kingsland Sandwich Shop Green is the New Red Bluestockings Amie's Vegan Truffles Original Artworks by Local Artists & much more!!

For more information, visit: june11.org SupportMarieMason.org SupportEric.org or e-mail: supportmariemason@gmail.com nycabc@riseup.net

June 11 International Day of Solidarity with Marie, Eric and Long-term Anarchist prisoners (USA, Global)

Received from the USA collective June 11th Solidarity. In this time of ecological
collapse and social repression let’s show solidarity with our prisoners of
resistance, who have paid a high price for their ideals, as well as all those who
deny to legitimate the demands of authority, – it’s time to attack again the
concepts, symbols and structures of the cruel and exploitative capitalist system.
-
June 11th Reminder and Event Suggestions
ANNOUNCEMENT
May 27, 2011
The Day for Solidarity with Long-term Anarchist Prisoners is now two weeks away.
June 11th is an open invitation to demonstrate support for Marie Mason and Eric
McDavid, who are each serving 20 years. This date provides an opportunity to build
links of affinity and solidarity towards the destruction of the prisons and
prison-society.
As anarchists, this occasion to support Marie and Eric has been exciting – it’s a
practical basis for solidarity, for linking together anti-repression and anti-prison
struggles in many places. Currently there is a substantial list of June 11th events
occurring across the US and internationally. And there are more to come!
This occasion for solidarity—as an open invitation—can to be responded to however
people want, according to their own ideas and contexts. But many people have written
asking for suggestions so we wanted to share a quick list of ideas for people who
wish to plan events:
*Organize an info-night. Prepare a presentation on these two cases, or about
repression more generally and other examples of anarchists who have faced the
state’s wrath. Include a movie, such as in San Francisco, or a practical workshop on
resisting grand juries and supporting prisoners, such as in Cincinnati. We are happy
to help prepare presentations and provide materials if desired.
*Throw a benefit party/show/pancake breakfast/barbeque/picnic, such as in New York
City. Both Marie and Eric have serious ongoing legal and logistical costs even
though they’ve already been convicted. If you’re facing repression locally and have
fundraising needs, we’d invite you to still throw a benefit in conjunction with June
11, to make clear the practical links of solidarity against the state’s conspiracy
to wipe out resistance. (Please keep in mind, when organizing food events, that both
Marie and Eric are vegan.)
Though Marie and Eric’s cases cannot be simplified to a lack of support, we
understand that the state succeeded in imposing such long sentences on Marie and
Eric in part because it was able to isolate them, both politically and socially.
In the wake of these long-term sentences, support for Eric & Marie—and for other
Green Scare and anarchist prisoners—has relied on the consistency and commitment of
their respective families and support crews.
To prevent further repression against them in prison and to break out of the current
lull, we need to respond with an upsurge in both ongoing material support AND an end
to the political isolation and invisibility experienced by anarchist prisoners. As
anarchists, we think there are many ways to improve their visibility that don’t rely
on the mass media, but rather on organizing and face-to-face interactions in the
street.

“No one should be able to walk down any street . . . without seeing the prisoners’
names written on the walls. And the songs that are sung about them must be heard by
all.”
Thus, in particular we encourage people to:
*Organize microphone demos and other very public events. A microphone demo means
occupying a corner or a busy park, setting up banners and a sound system, and
passing out materials about Marie and Eric and against repression. Switching between
music and reading statements over the microphone helps create a good atmosphere, but
of course adapt it to your local resources and constraints.
*Put-up posters, and drop banners (only with permission, of course!). Full-color
posters were just printed that can be sent your way. Just ask!
*Operas, plays, ballet, like Redbird Prisoner Support in Colombus, OH! They are
performing Dario Fo’s Nobel Prize-winning “Accidental Death of an Anarchist.”
*Other, wholly-new and original plans that we’d be excited to promote and spread for
June 11, 2012, and until every prisoner is free,
-Mid/east June 11 Crew
Expect two more lead-up missives before June 11, including a longer strategy
statement! Get organized, and get in touch with us if you need to!
june11thsolidarity_at_gmail.com                  

SF - June 11 - Day of Solidarity with Political Prisoners Marie Mason and Eric McDavid

International Day of Solidarity with Political Prisoners Marie Mason
and Eric McDavid

Please join us on Saturday, June 11th for the sneak peek Bay Area
screening of the 2011 Sundance Film Festival award winning
documentary If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front.
The documentary tells the story of Daniel McGowan, a political
prisoner who is currently serving out a seven year sentence at the
Control Management Unit at FCI Terre Haute in Indiana for his role in
two multi-million dollar arsons against Oregon timber companies.

This screening will be done in conjunction with the International Day
of Solidarity with Political Prisoners Marie Mason and Eric McDavid.
Cities worldwide will be holding events to highlight the cases of
Marie and Eric, who share the unfortunate distinction of having the
longest standing sentences of any persons imprisoned for their
environmental advocacy in the United States. Both are serving
sentences of 20 years or more as a result of the government's
sweeping campaign against earth and animal liberation activists.

In addition to the film screening, we will have scrumptious treats
for sale and amazing items up for auction. All proceeds from this
event will go directly to Marie's and Eric's support funds.

Come out to learn more about Marie and Eric's cases and to show them
that we have not forgotten them.

Free Marie and Eric!

Saturday, June 11th - 7 pm sharp!
$15.00
The Women's Building
3543 18th St (in between Valencia and Guerrero St.)
San Francisco

http://www.june11.org/
http://supportmariemason.org/
http://supporteric.org/

New Marie Mason t-shirts, Facebook page

The new Marie Mason t-shirts are now available for order online or bymail. Designed by Just Seeds artist Erik Ruin, the shirts are available in black or brown for $18ppd in the US/Canada/Mexico. Bulk rates are available for June 11th or other benefit events.

http://supportmariemason.org/merchandise/

There is also a new Facebook page. We encourage folks to sign up
either to the FB page or to the listserve to get updates about Marie's
situation which do not appear on the main website.

Facebook:
www.facebook.com/defend.marie

Listserve:
http://lists.interactivist.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/supportmariemason

And last, we have posted a short video by Indian feminist and
environmental activist Vandana Shiva on Marie Mason:

http://vimeo.com/23099099

Vandana Shiva on Marie Mason from Support Marie Mason on Vimeo.

Marie Mason is serving almost 22 years for two acts of
environmentally-motivated property destruction in which no one was
harmed. This is the longest current sentence of any of the Green Scare
prisoners. (The Green Scare is the name given to the recent
prosecution of eco-saboteurs and animal liberation activists, in which
the government has labeled them as “terrorists” and sought huge
sentences.) Mason was turned in by her then-husband, Frank Ambrose,
who had secretly spied on activists for years and then filed for
divorce the day she was arrested. Mason eventually pled guilty to 14
actions: 13 were claimed by the Earth Liberation Front and one by the
Animal Liberation Front. At her sentencing, the judge said she had
“violated the marketplace of ideas” and gave her an even longer
sentence than the plea bargain stipulated. In August 2010, Mason was
transferred to a special wing of Carswell prison, where communications
are tightly monitored.

For more information on Marie Mason:
www.supportmariemason.org

June 11th International Day of Solidarity With Marie Mason, Eric
McDavid and long-term anarchist prisoners:
http://www.june11.org/

New Green-Scare Indictment over Sabotage of Logging Equipment in Michigan 10 Years Ago

April 12, 2011 Earth First! Newswire

A recent indictment order by Federal prosecutors in Grand Rapids Michigan
has charged Jesse Waters, a Detroit area man, with damaging logging
equipment and a flatbed trailer near Mesick, MI more than 10 years ago
during an environmental campaign to halt deforestation.

The indictment further states that others painted the message “log in
hell!” at the site of the incident.

Environmental activist, musician, and mother of 2, Marie Mason was also
charged and convicted for her alleged role in the Mesick sabotage. She is
currently serving 22 years in prison.

June 11th Day of Solidarity with Eric McDavid and Marie Mason and Long-Term Anarchist Prisoners

April 4, 2011 Anarchist News

June 11th began as an international day of solidarity with long-term
anarchist prisoner Jeff "Free" Luers in 2004. At the time, Jeff was
serving 22+ years. Infuriated by the environmental devastation he saw
occurring on a global scale, Free torched three SUVs at a car dealership
in Eugene, OR. The sentence imposed on him was meant to send a clear
message to others who were angered by capitalism's continued war on the
Earth's ecosystems – and to those who were willing to take action to put a
stop to it. Free is, after all, not alone in his concerns about climate
change, fossil fuels, pollution and genetically modified organisms.

After years of struggle, Jeff and his legal team won a reduction in his
sentence and he was released from prison in December 2009. But in the
years intervening Jeff's arrest and release, the FBI had carried out a
series of indictments and arrests in an attempt to devastate the radical
environmental and anarchist communities. Two of the people caught up in
this maelstrom of repression were Eric McDavid and Marie Mason.

Eric McDavid was arrested in January 2006 after being entrapped by a paid
government informant - "Anna" - and was charged with a single count of
conspiracy. Eric – who never carried out any actions and was accused of what
amounts to “thought crime” - refused to cooperate with the state and took
his case to trial. After a trial fraught with errors, the jury convicted
Eric. He was subsequently sentenced to almost 20 years in prison. More
information on Eric's case can be found at www.supporteric.org

Marie Mason was arrested in March 2008 after her former partner - Frank
Ambrose - turned informant for the FBI. Facing a life sentence if she went
to trial, Marie accepted a plea bargain in September 2008, admitting her
involvement in the burning of an office connected to GMO research and the
destruction of a piece of logging equipment. At her sentencing in February
the following year, she received a sentence of almost 22 years. More
information on Marie's case can be found at www.supportmariemason.org

Marie and Eric now share the unfortunate distinction of having the longest
standing sentences of any environmental prisoners in the United States.

Please join us in an International Day of Solidarity with Long-Term
Anarchist Prisoners Marie Mason and Eric McDavid on June 11th. This is a
time to remember our friends who are in prison – who are continuing their
struggles on the inside. This is a time to continue and strengthen the
very work for which Eric and Marie are now serving so much time - to
struggle against capitalism, ecological devastation, and the ever more
diffuse forms of control in this prison society.

Free Marie and Eric!
Free all prisoners!

Please be in touch:
june11thsolidarity@gmail.com
june11th.org (more content soon)

Marie Mason is Being Denied Visitors and Mail in a Special Prison Unit

by Will Potter on March 16, 2011 Green is the New Red

Marie Mason was arrested three years ago and charged with destroying genetic-engineering research and logging equipment. Her crimes did not cause any physical injury. Leading up to her sentencing, the FBI had warned that “terrorists” might attend the hearing. She was sentenced to nearly 22 years in prison. As I wrote at the time, Mason’s sentence was twice that of violent racists who assaulted African Americans on the night Barack Obama was elected president.

From the outset, Mason–a mother of two–was facing the longest prison term of anyone associated with the Earth Liberation Front. Then in August, 2010, she was transferred to FMC Carswell in Fort Worth, TX, which is described by the Bureau of Prisons as providing “specialized medical and mental health services to female offenders.”

Since being transferred to FMC Carswell, she has been denied all visitors except immediate family. Every single request by non-family has been turned down. In addition, for months she has not been receiving mail (prison officials say they have not officially refused any correspondence). Marie Mason is not being held in solitary (as she was previously at FCI Waseca), but she reports that she is being housed away from the general prison population, in a special prison unit.

Special Prison Unit

At least one other political prisoner is also housed there. In 1984, Helen Woodson and others entered a Missouri nuclear missile silo with sledgehammer and jackhammer. They said they were inspired by the Book of Isaiah, which says “They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.” Woodson is scheduled for release in September, 2011, after 27 years in prison. [Update: To clarify, that 27 years has been cumulative. Woodson was briefly released from prison during that time, but she committed additional non-violent political crimes and was sent back.]

I have written extensively on secretive prisons called Communications Management Units, which radically restrict prisoner communications with the outside world. Daniel McGowan, an Earth Liberation Front prisoner, and Andy Stepanian, of the SHAC 7, were both imprisoned in a CMU. (These prison units were recently covered by both The Nation and NPR).

The Bureau of Prisons has not responded to my inquiries about the CMUs, nor about Mason’s conditions at FMC Carswell. However, Mason’s supporters and attorneys report that federal officials have repeatedly denied that FMC Carswell is a CMU.

Disproportionate Treatment

Whether or not that is true, it’s clear that Mason is being singled out for harsher treatment than other so-called “eco-terrorists,” and harsher treatment than other prisoners at that facility. Her restrictions on visitation are actually more extreme than those for CMU prisoners, who are allowed non-contact visits with family and friends.

Mason’s case truly puts on display the unaccountable, unchecked power that the government has acquired in the name of fighting “terrorism.” Like many other defendants, Mason was labeled a “terrorist” from day one, and that label has followed her into the courtroom, through a draconian sentence, to these disproportionately harsh prison conditions.

As the president backpedals on his pledge to close Guantanamo, and alleged Wikileaks conspirator Bradley Manning is inhumanely being held naked and shackled, it should be clear that this is fundamentally about a lack of checks and balances on government power.

“An evening like this”

Marie Mason’s support committee reports that she has faced these three difficult years with strength and courage, and she continues to do so. She has been particularly interested in her artwork and poetry. Here is an excerpt of one of her poems, dated August, 2008:

An evening like this: summer sunset…

The air no cooler than my blood, and still, so still

The tiny humming of mosquitos hovering in my line of sight

I will remember this when I cannot see the sun for days on end.

Please visit SupportMarieMason.org to write her a letter and donate to her support fund.

Marie Mason’s mail delivery disrupted, most visitors refused

Feb 16, 2011 supportmariemason.org

Unfortunately, it seems that numerous letters and packages which have been
mailed to Marie Mason have never arrived. They have neither been returned
to the senders, nor officially refused by the prison (Carswell has denied
that this disruption has been on their side). This seems to be a repeat of
what happened at one time at Waseca prison, where Mason was held before
her transfer.

If you have written Mason and are not sure if she has received your
communication, please contact us.

Additionally, Carswell has refused every single request to visit Mason in
prison, with the sole exception of her direct family. This attempt to
isolate Mason is even more draconian than what happened to Green Scare
prisoners like Daniel McGowan when he was held in a CMU (Communications
Management Unit); even then he was allowed visitors who were not
relatives.