Calais: 6 held in prison for storming “Spirit of Britain”, trial in February

admin Uncategorized

Today (25 January) 8 people appeared before the court in Boulogne (near Calais), after Saturday’s mass invasion of the port and occupation of the ferry “Spirit of Britain”. The judge set the next hearing for 22 February. 6 of the defendants were without European papers, and they are now being held in Longuenesse prison until the trial. The other 2 are citizens, and have been released on bail. Report below from Calais Migrant Solidarity.

Today, the 25th of January, 8 defendants were led out in front of the Tribunal de Grande Instance (TGI) in Boulogne-Sur-Mer for occupying the ‘Spirit of Britain’ ferry after Saturday’s protest in Calais port. 6 of the defendants were people without papers from the Jungle, charged with a breach of the transport code which involved entering a ferry without permission. The residents of the Jungle that appeared in court today were from conflict zones across the world, there were people from Afghanistan, Sudan, and Syria. There were also 2 supporters in court, these two francophones were charged with the same breach of the transport code and also face an extra charge of facilitating entry. The maximum sentence for these offenses is 6 months in prison or a €3,500 fine.

The accelerated nature of the hearing was a point of contention. After the defence barristers were informed that all 8 cases would be heard together, they requested that the tribunal be delayed. The judges decided to put the hearing back until February 22nd. After the delays placed upon this case the 2 francophone supporters were released on bail, while the 6 people without papers were held in dentention. They have since been returned to Longeunesse penitentary near Saint-Omer to stew for a month in prision before the next hearing. Calais Migrant Solidarity will be organising prisoner support for those detained in the coming month.

The political nature of this prosecution is obvious. After a demonstration involving over two thousand people and supported by an entire pletheroa of organisations (including: ATMF, CISPM, CNT-RP, Collectif Paris 20ème Solidaire avec touTEs les migrantEs, CSP 75, Droits Devant !!!, EELV Paris, Intégration 21, La Horde, LDH, NPA, Sans-Voix Paris 18ème, SNPES-PJJ-FSU IDF, SUD Culture, UJFP, Union Locale Solidaires des 5e-13e arrondissements de Paris et d’Ivry, UNSP, London2Calais, and Nord-Pas-de-Calais Antifascists) these 8 people face prosecution. Similar to the continual disrubitions over the summer and the imprisonment and political prosecution of the three Channel Tunnel walkers for ‘disrupting a railway carriage’, even after one of the defendants, Abdul Rahman Haroun, was granted asylum. The French state is reproducing the tactics of its British counterpart by criminalising the actions of those fighting the border. As those without papers, detained by the state for willing to fight for their freedom of movement, sit in their cells tonight, those outside the prisons walls should not forget our friends inside!

(posted from rabble.org.uk)

Italy: 3 comrades arrested for the struggle against Brindisi detention centre

admin repression, Uncategorized

From: http://rabble.org.uk/italy-3-comrades-arrested-for-the-struggle-against-brindisi-detention-centre/

liberitutti-300x224

Via Act for Freedom Now.

We receive and spread:

Following a greeting in front of the CIE of Brindisi – Restinco three comrades of Lecce were arrested on charges of resistance and non-authorized demonstration. They are now under house arrest. Below the leaflet distributed during the march that took place on January 10 in the city centre in solidarity with the arrested:

Since the beginning of October 2015, in the district of Restinco in Brindisi, a CIE(immigration detention centre for identification and expulsion) is open again after several revolts of those locked up inside had rendered it unfit for use.

The CIE are true concentration camps where undocumented immigrants are detained. Life in a CIE is made up of harassment by soldiers and police and good earnings for the management bodies: in the case of Restinco, the cooperative Auxilium.

Since the reopening of the centre some comrades often went outside those walls to bring solidarity to those locked up. After repeatedly being held by police, on Saturday, Jan. 9, three of them were arrested on charges of illegal demonstration and resisting a public official. We would reiterate that the main goal of repression is to make sure that this camp remains a place of segregation totally isolated and unknown to most people.
Who is indifferent is complicit in these camps.

AGAINST BORDERS, ALL FREE, FIRE TO THE CIE !!

—————————————-

From informa-azione
11/01/2016  Translated by act for freedom now

Cardiff: Pete and Josh free, acquitted of all charges

admin repression

 Article from: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/men-accused-violent-disorder-after-10733879
Joshua Longbottom (left) and Peter Simpson were acquitted of violent disorder and ABH
Joshua Longbottom (left) and Peter Simpson were acquitted of violent disorder and ABH

Two men accused of violent disorder after protesters occupied a Cardiff bank on May Day last year have been acquitted.

Joshua Longbottom, 26 – also known as Joshua Howe – and Peter Simpson, 30, were accused of having a confrontation with police at the HSBC branch in Queen Street on May 2 last year.

Demonstrators had been involved in a peaceful May Day march in the city centre organised by Cardiff Uncut and Cardiff Trades Council.

Cardiff Crown Court previously heard that a small minority broke off from the main march and occupied the Queen Street bank where they shouted slogans and protests.

Longbottom was accused of assaulting a police officer and Simpson was accused of trying to prevent Longbottom’s arrest.

‘Acting instinctively’

Both were arrested and taken to Cardiff Bay police station.

Longbottom and Simpson, both of Clifton Street, Adamsdown , Cardiff, were accused of violent disorder and assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH).

They both denied the charges against them and argued they were “acting instinctively” to protect themselves.

During the trial Judge Michael Fitton QC gave the jury a direction to find Longbottom and Simpson not guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH) as the evidence could no longer sustain the allegation.

On Thursday the jury found both men not guilty.

Read more: Anarchist protest at Cardiff bank was ‘serious piece of mob violence’, say prosecutors

‘Peaceful protest’

During the trial both men gave their accounts of what happened at what Longbottom called a “peaceful protest”.

He told the court joined the protest at the end of St Mary Street and entered the HSBC bank along with other protesters when they reached Queen Street.

He said: “I thought we were going to hand out some leaflets and maybe try and engage with some members of the public.

“We all lined up against the back wall and someone started making a speech about HSBC and tax. There was nothing untoward.”

After spending 15 minutes in the bank Longbottom said he approached the entrance to hand leaflets to members of the public who had been refused entry to the bank as it had closed.

The defendant then claimed he was shoved by a police officer and was refused re-entry.

A picture showing the May Day 2015 anti-austerity march in Cardiff's Mill Lane. Those pictured were not involved in the trial
A picture showing the May Day 2015 anti-austerity march in Cardiff’s Mill Lane. Those pictured were not involved in the trial

Defendant claimed he was thrown to floor by police

When he tried to get back into the bank he claims he was grabbed by the officer who tried to shove him back out.

Longbottom said: “I wanted to finish my protest and I felt it was unfair they wouldn’t let me back in.”

When he tried to get back into the bank he claimed he was grabbed and “thrown to the floor” by an officer before later being warned he could be Tasered.

He claimed he sustained bruising to his collar bone, chest and arms as a result of his arrest.

Simpson said he saw Longbottom on the floor and believed he was being “attacked” and added: “I was concerned by the level or force being used by police officers.

“An officer had come down on top of Joshua. It just seemed really sudden and I was shocked by it. I was trying to figure out what was going on.”

Simpson also claimed to have been grabbed and elbowed by a police officer during the incident.

Speaking after the acquittal, Mr Simpson said: “There’s an element of relief but I wouldn’t go as far to say I’m relieved.

“I knew that we both weren’t guilty. We were treated as guilty until proven innocent and that shouldn’t be the way things work.

“The jury was able to see the evidence and and not be brought into this sensational thing. The evidence wasn’t there.”

Mr Longbottom added: “It’s been stressful. I’ve hoped it would turn out like this.

“It’s nice to see the justice system working how it should.”

Solidarity with Yusef

admin soldarity

From: https://southwalesanarchists.wordpress.com/2016/01/12/solidarity-with-yusef/

Yusef Asad was unjustly sentenced to two and a half years in Prison for defending himself from racists attacking a Palestine March in Cardiff in July 2014. He received the heaviest sentence despite only responding as racists at a pub started the violence throwing bottles, glasses and chairs at the demonstrators, who included young families.

Yusef welcomes letters of support.

Yusef Asad

A4424DD

HUNTERCOMBE PRISON

NUFFIELD

HENLEY-ON-THAMES

OXFORDSHIRE

RG9 5SB

Sean Swain: To Rebels, Insurrectionists, and Hacktivists Everywhere

admin soldarity

A letter from anarchist prisoner Sean Swain.

I’m ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard, but I’m still swinging with all that I’ve got. I gave the state an ultimatum: reinstate my communications or I’ll refuse blood pressure meds – which will lead to heart attack, stroke, or aneurysm. The state hasn’t budged and neither have I. I’m now out of meds and facing a spike in blood pressure. If I die I hope everyone reading this holds the same people responsible for my death as I do.

Odds aren’t so good that I’m going to live through this no matter how it stacks up. My website is in a state of transition, my access to the radio show is essentially cut off, and it feels like I’ve been obliterated beyond prison fences.

I dropped the federal civil rights action. Fuck the hierarch courts. I’m now relying entirely on the potential of rebels, insurrectionists, and hacktivists to develop methods of direct action to drive this common enemy to its knees.

State terrorists now have home addresses posted at blastblog.noblog.org. These are State agents and collaborators who have employed a program of torture and ideological targeting. So, just to be clear – this isn’t about me. I’m aware I’m not that important. In fact, by the time this is circulated, I may have already sputtered out. This is about a common enemy, those who serve the forces of non-freedom, and a real opportunity for those of us who envision a future that’s not under their control to send clear a message : Those who maintain the program and dig the mass grave will pay for what they’ve done.

And again, in my own situation, this does not begin and end with prison officials. In legal documents, prison officials made clear that they were taking their marching orders from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The FBI. I don’t know what field office or what agents, but whoever they are, I think it’s important that they find out the rude way that they can be found too.

Just for the purpose of setting out what I think to be a healthy orientation, if the FBI can come after us, we can go after them. And we should. They have home addresses. They have personal vehicles.

Imagine what this can evolve into… disrupting their personal communications like cellphones… hacking into their personal systems…stealing their identities and destroying their credit… probing their government databases and melting them down… all while their cars burn…and their homes…and they tremble in fear in the Kroger parking lot when a stranger a stranger asks them for a light, because a coworker was knee-capped with a baseball bat when stopping for a dozen eggs and a loaf of bread on the way home from work…

We might make minor promises in exchange for meeting demands, but our ultimate demand is for a future without these fuckweasels running it.

And we attack, wherever we are, whatever our situation, until we get the world we deserve. We’re not going to vote them out or petition them out or protest them out or sue them out.

We know that if the means you employ do not require you to wear a ski mask or its electronic equivalent, your just not serious.

We’re serious.

If I’m already dead by the time this gets out, I want to express my deep gratitude to everyone who has extended my life in struggle, and to everyone who continues that struggle.

Gasoline is cheap. Matches are free.

We own the future. And it’s time to make them know it.

Stay dangerous,

Freedom,

Sean

Post Script from An Outside Rebel:

In order to place the above statement from Sean in some context, I would like to explain some of what’s been going on in Sean’s life in the last few months.

Sean has been off his blood pressure medication for about a month now. During his last med strike he hid his meds and secretly took them until he was moved to a special cell and placed under “medical observation.” In this new cell, he was watched at all times by pigs and medical staff via a surveillance camera pointed at the cell. At this point, he was actually, for real, was not taking his meds. During this time he experienced a blood pressure spike, which he says is “really uncomfortable, makes you want to crawl out of your own skin.”

While under medical observation, Sean made sign language messages to the camera in an attempt to communicate with those observing him. In response, his cell lights were turned off. Presumably, this was done to stop his ability to communicate, or crush his spirit or whatever. We don’t think like pigs so we can’t really tell you.

Sean then faked a heart attack. Those observing him did not respond in any way.

From this episode, Sean drew many conclusions. When observing the ODRC’s active medical negligence, for instance, one could easily draw the conclusion that they would prefer Sean dead.

A few months ago Sean attempted to send some rather incendiary messages through his Jpay account (the privatized prison email system) that related to the CEO of Jpay, Ryan Shapiro. He recieved a 60 day suspension of his Jpay usage. However, in practice this was a more universal shutdown and harassment of his communications. Many of his letters in and out were delayed by several weeks. He was and still is denied use of the telephone. Not only this, but it has been well beyond 60 days since his Jpay communications were suspended and they haven’t been reinstated. At the same time, he’s had two people who support him get upset at his tactics and stop talking to him. On top of all this his parents are aging and both experienced injuries during this time.

He’s expressed that he feels like the state is using him as a weapon against those that he loves. He seems very resolved about following through with this action.

If you have strong feelings about this situation, if you yourself are very resolved, now would be the time to act.

Solidarity Campaign for Mauricio Hernández Norambuena

admin soldarity

“We have to be non-sectarian when it comes to fighting for the rights
and freedom of the victims of prison state slavery. Our policy must be
that we will work with and for any prisoner and prison support group, if
they will work in sincerity and unity with us. We do this so as to
obtain the widest possible mobilization on the part of the people in
support of the prison movement and the cases of political/class war
prisoners.” Lorenzo Kom’boa Ervin

cnario.noblogs.org/mauricio-hernandez-n…/
www.mauriciohernandeznorambuena.com/

Mauricio Hernández Norambuena is one of the most significant
oppositors to the chilean military dictatorship first and, later, to the
“democratic” transition guided by the same dictator Pinochet (till his
death). Mauricio Hernández Norambuena today is suffering the 5038day
of an inhuman detention regime, that is to say 95.06 times what
Washington Olivetto, the victim of the offence for which Mauricio is
jailed, suffered during his kidnapping.

In 1976, during the dictatorship, Mauricio was a Communist Party
militant, while in 1983 he was one of the founders of the Manuel
Rodríguez Patriotic Front (FPMR), an organization borned as the military
organization of the Communist Party that later developed its own
authonomy to fight and defeat the dictatorship on the military plan.

Mauricio was condemned many times in Chile as intellectual and material
author of many actions developed by his own organization and he was
arrested in 1993. Freed from prison in 1996 thanks to an operation of
his organization, he was arrested in 2002 in Brasil for the kidnapping
of a company manager and he was condemned to 30 years of prison.

For almost 14 years, Mauricio Hernández Norambuena has beensuffering an inhuman prison regime that violates all the “Standard
Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners”, adopted by the First
Congress of the United Nations about the Prevention of Crime and the
Treatment of Offenders:

  • A cell 3×2 meters, bathroom included.
  • Two hours a day in a tightened courtyard.
  • Visits just of his brothers and systers, for 3 hours a month.
  • No access to newspapers, TV, radios, etc..
  • Just a book a week.
  • No contact with other prisoners.

The aim of this website it to make know his situation, denounce the
Human Rights violation promoted by the Brasilian Government, speed up
the Brasilian Authorities to an humanitarian act by the repatriation of
Mauricio Hernández Norambuena to Chile, (the Chilean Government has
already presented an extradition request to the Brasilian Authorities).

The Brasilian Government in 2002 destroyed the lager of the Carandiru
(2nd of October in 1992, 111 prisoners killed by its security forces)
and replaced it by many modern prisons where the physic torture is
replaced by the psicological torture. *Stop the Human Rights violations
of the Brasilian Government Now !!! *

Write to Mauricio Hernández Norambuena NOW !Mauricio Hernández Norambuena
Penitenciária Federal em Porto Velho/RO
Av. Presidente Dutra, 2701 – Caixa Postal 521
Porto Velho/RO – CEP 76801-974
Brasil

Message from Daniel McGowan on the 10 year anniversary of his arrest

admin Uncategorized

Ten years ago today, I was finishing up stuffing holiday cards for my
employer when 2 beefy men asked me if i was indeed, Daniel McGowan. Once I
was handcuffed and being frog-marched through the office, I knew what it
was about.

At the same time, 6 of my codefendants were getting arrested at the same
time. Others were receiving grand jury subpoenas as well. Sadly, all the
people arrested that day became cooperating witnesses save for William
Rodgers, who I knew as ‘Avalon’, who took his life in a county jail on the
Winter Solstice, two weeks after we were arrested.

Of course, other arrests followed in the months after that, with a handful
of codefendants refusing to play the game. We came together in solidarity
to fight the charges and reduce the potential sentence as much as
possible.

For that, I will always have gratitude to Jonathan Paul, Nathan Block and
Joyanna Zacher (though it would be disingenuous for me to not point out
the latter two peoples’ identification with esoteric fascist movements
currently).

I was bonded out of jail, fought my case on house arrest for a year and
months after that, worked out a plea that did not involve naming names or
becoming a witness against anyone. It had repercussions for me including
more time and no protection from grand juries (and surely, two years
later, I was called before one as a witness and put on civil contempt of court).
That said, I cannot have seen it going any other way. My regrets with the
case is that more of my co-defendants did not stick with us and move
forward together-something that had been the idea when worst case
scenarios had been discussed years prior.

10 years later, its obvious to me every time I go to any activist event
that many younger activists do not know this history. I suppose it is the
struggle we all face-how to remember and memorialize, but not live in the
past and nostalgia. I can tell people to watch If a Tree Falls or read
Green is the New Red (thanks, Marshall Curry, Sam Cullman & Will Potter) but that is an incomplete picture.

How then, do we, move forward in our fight for justice and pass on to
others what we learned? Its a longer question.

I use the word “I” often in this post and perhaps others as I am talking
about the past but at no point have I ever felt alone and not connected to
others. Without these stalwart, loyal and amazing people in my life, I
know with certainty that things would have gone a totally different way:
Jenny Malone – my former partner and best friend. The rock. The Wizard of Oz behind every aspect of the support campaign and the ‘trying to keep me sane’ campaign. G.O.A.T. EXES4EVAH!

My family especially my sister Lisa who funded my legal defense, let me
live with her while on house arrest and did not waver or flinch one time.
These people taught me loyalty.

Family and Friends of Daniel McGowan better known as FAF.
This small group worked their asses off, put on so many shows, sold a
zillon t-shirts, made my court dates, wrote articles, supported me
mentally, emotionally and financially, put their lives on hold for some
time to make sure I would have a life to come home too. So much gratitude
to all of them. I am not even in touch with all of them, which to be
honest, saddens me but I have nothing but lifelong gratitude for all of
them. Shoutouts to Andrew,Ainsley Belle Bowman, Eliza Brooklyn, Kitty, Corey Eastwood, Sideshow,Cin Dee, Marianne Maeckelbergh and Ryan DC

Anarchist prisoner Osman Evcan resisted and won his fight again!

admin soldarity

Anarchist prisoner Osman Evcan resisted and won his fight again!

Osman Evcan and Hasan Çınar gained the victory from the determined struggle which they put their lives against the state inside the thick walls of prison which they are enclosed. Osman and Hasan, got what they demanded through this hard period. Osman Evcan ended his indefinite hunger strike which took 39 days against intimidation and extermination politics against prisoners in prison and again he proved us that how he is right about his call to raise struggle.

We celebrate Osman Evcan who has proved that the thick walls that are built in order to revitalize the new “terrorist” wave that the Turkish state needed and the legitimize further operations cannot obstacle anarchists at all. The “punishment” system and their officials that made comrade Osman Evcan suffer hunger for 39 days and tortured him are our enemies. The recognized demands of Osman Evcan and Hasan Çınar are not matter of grace, instead that is the end of torturous practices. Torture is the state policy. We are grateful to everyone who have held demonstrations, spoken up, and support for Osman Evcan’s cause. Osman Evcan is now trying to get over the adverse effects of the hunger strike process, and his present health condition is fine. We will share the message from Osman Evcan and Hasan Çınar soon.

With anarchist solidarity,

ABC Istanbul

Important petition about NY State Prisoner

admin soldarity

Herman Bell has been imprisoned for over 40 years in NY State and the parole
board continues to hold him and look at his behavior and time in prison
instead of the original offense.

Sign at: www.thepetitionsite.com/677/086/596/in-…/

To Chairwoman, Board of Parole, New York State, Tina M. Stanford
Grant parole to New York State prisoner Herman Bell

We are asking that Herman Bell be granted release on parole at his February
2016 hearing

Herman Bell has been in state custody since 1973 and has been denied
release on parole 6 times since he first became eligible in 2004.

Every time Herman has been denied, it has been for the same reason-that
releasing him would undermine the law and deprecate the seriousness of the
crime. Herman has taken responsibility and expressed regret for the
shooting of the police officer and has served 4 decades in prison for this
offense. He is by all accounts, a much different person than he was in 1971
and further incarceration serves no purpose other than vengeance. We
believe Herman has done everything he can to make amends for his crime and
we ask that he be granted parole at his 7th parole hearing in 2016.

While incarcerated, Herman has been a model prisoner and a positive
influence on those around him. He has been a mentor and father-figure to
many young men in prison, helping them take advantage of every academic and
vocational program they can to prepare for release and reintegration into
society. In addition to earning a dual Bachelor of Science degree in
psychology and sociology, and a Masters degree in sociology, Herman has
coached football and basketball in order to have a positive influence on
the many young men he has met during his 4 decades in prison. With Herman’s
help, the Victory Gardens project was established in 1995 with two farmers
in Maine. The project brought together people from diverse lifestyles and
remote locations to plant, grow, tend, harvest, and then distribute the
food free to our communities. This life-giving project enjoyed eight
successful seasons distributing food in Maine, Boston, New Jersey,
Brooklyn, Harlem, and the Bronx.

Herman’s continued denials at the parole board are sadly, not a rarity but
the norm. The number of incarcerated people ages 50+ in New York has
increased 81% from 2000 to 2013, even as the total number of people locked
up has fallen by 23% during the same period. Today, 17% of incarcerated men
and 15% of incarcerated women in the New York prison system are over 50
years of age- roughly 9,000 people. Herman is 67 years old.

This is an unnecessary crisis. Many of these elders should be released. New
York routinely denies parole to elders behind bars, even though they pose
no risk to public safety and are fully prepared to successfully re-enter
and contribute to society. The recidivism rate of people who have served
long sentences for serious felonies is 1.3%—lower than any other category
of those released. Many, like Herman, have records of positive achievement
in prison and are praised by prison officials as peacemakers and role models.

Germany: Attack on the RWE open cast mine at Hambacher Forest

admin soldarity

From: http://rabble.org.uk/germany-attack-on-the-rwe-open-cast-mine-at-hambacher-forest/

From some anarchists.

On the night of December 31st we carried out 3 acts of arson and sabotage against the open cast lignite mine operated by RWE at Hambacher Forest.

We set up home made stingers on the road used by the mine security forces to harass and distract them whilst we set fire to various bundles of cables and some wiring boxes by the side of the train tracks which are used to transport brown coal from the mine to nearby power stations. Halting the trains for some time.

Then we put the torch to a telecommunications mast on the edge of the mine and watched from a distance as the entire device went up in flames and continued to burn for over an hour.

And finally, just after midnight we attacked again, setting up more stingers on the security road closer to their compound. We then set fire to a burning barricade of car tyres and a large pile of logs by the roadside to lure security into our traps before retreating again into the forest to the sound of fireworks.

By making use of home made stingers (wooden boards with large nails through them) we send a warm and rebellious embrace to imprisoned anarchist comrade Emma Sheppard on the anniversary of her arrest.

We carried out these attacks in solidarity with the ongoing resistance to the mines expansion from within the Hambacher Forest.

Strength and courage to all anarchist fighters, on the inside and outside.

Happy Black December.

-⁠ some anarchists