Italy: Chiara, Claudio, Mattia and Niccolo sentenced to 3 years and 6 months

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musine_notav_14122014

From contrainfo

On December 17th, 2014, after a two-hour closed session, the Special Court of Assize of Turin sentenced Chiara Zenobi, Claudio Alberto, Mattia Zanotti and Niccolò Blasi to 3 years and 6 months each. The four comrades, imprisoned since December 9th, 2013, were found guilty of having sabotaged the TAV [High speed train line being bulldozed through the Susa valley] construction site in Chiomonte but were all acquitted of terrorism-related charges, for which the prosecutor had asked for a total sentence of nine years and a half.

In the meantime, anarchists Francesco Sala and Graziano Mazzarelli – arrested in July 2014 along with comrade Lucio Alberti for the same facts of which the other four were convicted at first instance – were both transferred to the high security section of Ferrara prison. The transfer is a direct consequence of the charges of “attack with the purpose of terrorism” that the Turin prosecutors pressed against Lucio, Francesco and Graziano a week ago.

Graziano Mazzarelli, Francesco Sala
c/o C.C. via dell’Arginone, 327, IT-44100 Ferrara

Lucio’s address, for now, remains the same:
Lucio Alberti
c/o C.C. via Cassano Magnago 102, IT-21052 Busto Arsizio (Varese)

Freedom for anarchists Chiara, Claudio, Mattia, Niccolò, Lucio, Fra and Graziano!

Prisoner Debbie Vincent moved to HMP Send

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Debbie VincentDebbie Vincent, a long-term animal rights campaigner, who was sentenced to 6 years in prison in April for  ‘conspiracy to blackmail’ has been moved to HMP Send.

Please write to Debbie in prison, her address is:

Debbie Vincent  A5819DE
HMP Send
Ripley Road
Woking
Surrey
GU23 7LJ
UK

 

Action report: Back at ya police harassment!

admin BDS, events, repression

Around 20 local anarchists, friends & badgers visited the HQ of the Bristol CID & Special Investigations at Sir Kenneth Steele House on Feeder Road in Bristol last Saturday 15th November. Officers operating from there have recently been visiting people’s homes and workplaces, harassing and putting pressure on local activists, musicians and their friends to become informants for the police. As a response, it was decided to turn the tables and start asking some questions of our own.

Armed with police style spotter cards displaying some of the ugly faces of Big Brother, our investigations began in the car park as decidedly nervous looking CID operatives arrived for their dirty work. Our unannounced presence seemed to produce a sort of mild panic for the first officer on the scene. All requests for “A friendly chat” and information on “shadowy figures stalking people and harassing communities” were met with a stony and awkward silence. Interestingly, they didn’t have anything to say on the matter and most stared straight ahead, avoiding eye contact and going No Comment all the way. We could only conclude that they were feeling the pressure and had something to hide. The CID photographers were visibly nervous and especially camera shy but found themselves in a few photo opportunities anyway.

Deciding that our investigations could go no further today we left the premises. Soon afterwards armed police, dog units and a lot of agitated cops arrived, playing catch up and blocking the street. After a brief show of the sort of over reaction they’re well known for and what we pay our taxes for there was a stand off around the theme of “Give me your details”, “No!” “Well then we’ll arrest you”, “No you can’t!”. Once they realised we knew the law and were standing our ground the disgruntled police backed down and skulked off. Satisfied that our investigations had rattled a few cages we adjourned for refreshments and to plan further lines of enquiry… and solidarity!

2demo

New publication: Never Alone – A zine about supporting prisoners by those on the outside

admin prison industrial complex, Uncategorized

To download the zine click here: Never Alone

Never Alone CoverNever Alone was created to give a voice to those that support people in prison. Often invisible, unsupported and unrecognised, thousands of people in the UK, and millions internationally, support friends, family, partners and comrades in prison.

Their support, love, money and solidarity help people survive their time inside. They directly experience the harm of the prison system; separated from the people they love and losing their lives to give time and energy to support people behind bars.

This publication, while not distracting from the acknowledgement that those behind the walls are the centre of our struggles, seeks to amplify the voices of those on the other side of the fence, and share their experiences of interacting with the prison system. We hear from mothers, nephews, lovers, friends and organisers of support campaigns, about how it feels to know those you care for are behind enemy lines.

Bristol Anarchist Black Cross is a prisoner support organisation based in the South West UK. While commonly focusing on supporting prisoners of political struggle, we should never forget that all prisoners are political. Human beings are in cages because of class, race, gender, sexual orientation, because they are poor, and it serves the state and capital to exploit and control them.

The Empty Cages Collective is a new collective launched in 2014, which aims to bring prison abolition to centre stage in the UK. We are fighting against prison expansion and connecting people in the struggle to resist and dismantle the prison industrial complex.

We have worked together to produce this publication and hope it is the first of many so that those impacted by the ever- growing reach of the prison industrial complex are not forgotten.

If you have any comments, criticisms or would like to submit articles for future editions please contact us. We welcome stories of your direct personal experience, the harm the prison system causes and how you have got through, or continue to get through. Political commentary is also more than welcome, as well as ideas of how we can better support each other to cope with the emotional, practical and financial challenges of supporting someone we care about through their time inside.

Until Every Cell is Empty,

Bristol Anarchist Black Cross & Empty Cages Collective September 2014

www.bristolabc.wordpress.com | www.prisonabolition.org

Statement against Police Harassment

admin BDS, repression, Uncategorized

Police in Bristol appear to be stepping up their so far fruitless efforts to find individual anarchists and those that they think are responsible for property destruction actions over the last few years in Bristol. One year after their firearms training centre at Portishead was burnt down, they have turned to desperate measures to try and get any scrap of useful information.

They have made a number of arrests, detained people at airports, and raided people’s homes. The majority of people targeted have not even been charged with a crime, and we do not know of anyone who has been successfully prosecuted. Further, officers from CID have recently visited people at their homes under the pretext of having “a friendly chat”. Not surprisingly, they have been met with a resounding wall of silence with no cups of tea involved, as most good people understand the importance of not getting drawn into conversations with the police. Even if any one of the people recently harassed by these visits knew anything about these actions or the people involved, we are confident that common sense and solidarity would prevail and the police would get the sum total of zero information. Anything else would be working for the police.

These home visits, arrests, searches and requests to snitch are not just about information and evidence gathering. They have as much to do with a concerted effort to intimidate and divide us all. A big part of their plan is to scare people into inaction and to create divisions between us. They hope to get us blaming each other for increased surveillance to the point where someone falls for their lies and starts talking to the bad guys. These are tactics that have been used against social movements in countless places and times.

But they won’t work here in Bristol. None of us will ever co-operate with those whose job it is, all in the name of “security” and “safety”, to defend the rich and powerful while keeping us down.

We know that we are not the only people who face repression from the police – in no way do we want to compare what is happening to us to the things they are doing to others, for example their systematic use of anti-terrorism powers against people they see as Muslim. We oppose all police brutality and harassment, whoever they do it to. We also understand the need to stick together in the face of state control and repression. Anarchists and others targeted by the police have a wide range of opinions and preferred tactics, but we know who our comrades are and recognise the enemies at our front doors.

Signed:

  • Bristol Defendant Solidarity
  • Bristol Anarchist Black Cross
  • South Wales Anarchists
  • Bristol Solidarity Network
  • Bristol Legal Observer Network
  • Bristol SolFed
  • Kebele Social Centre
  • Riot Ska Records
  • Rising Tide
  • Spanner
  • Bristol Hunt Saboteurs
  • Empty Cages Collective
  • Bristol AFed
  • Bristol Animal Rights Collective

Here is some useful information on dealing with the police, both on the street and at your front door….

There are no friendly chats with the police! If police try to talk to you, we recommend you refuse to answer anything – answer “no comment” or “I am not obliged to answer that” to all questions. This isn’t just about protecting others – any other response will be taken by them as a sign of weakness, and they may hassle you more as a result. The ONLY time you legally have to tell them anything other than your name and address is if you are stopped at an airport under “Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act”. Even then, you do NOT have to answer questions about others, and they can ONLY ask you questions related to terrorism. If this happens to you, request a solicitor.

If police come to your door, do not let them in unless you have to. The only times they can force entry are when they have a warrant, when someone who lives at your house has been arrested, or in order to prevent a crime from happening. If you live in a shared house and someone is arrested, they can ONLY search communal areas and the room of the person arrested.

Dealing with police can be upsetting and intimidating, so it’s important that we support each other. Counselling For Social Change may be able to help if you need to talk through anything that’s happened www.counsellingforsocialchange.org.uk. Activist Trauma Support has a list of resources to help understand and deal with trauma – www.activist-trauma.net. The most important thing is to give each other space to talk without being given advice, and not to be left to deal with things alone.

Bristol Defendant Solidarity is a group of local people committed to putting principles of solidarity into practice and standing alongside anyone facing trouble from the authorities for involvement in radical politics. Anyone approached and harassed by the police to give information about people involved in struggle, here in Bristol or elsewhere, can contact BDS for support. We are also compiling a list of arrests, home visits and interviews at airports so far to get a clear picture of their lines of questioning, to track their operations and to use in any future court cases that people may want to bring against them.

Contact:
bristoldefendantsolidarity@riseup.net
07746741104

We have compiled a more extensive guide to police powers and your rights if they target you, which you can read here: bristolabc.wordpress.com/defendant-solidarity/police-harassment

Verdict in Nate Mancha’s Colorado Spring’s Trial for Self-Defense Against Homophobic Attack

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Source: http://denverabc.wordpress.com/2014/10/07/verdict-in-nate-manchas-colorado-springs-trial-for-self-defense-against-homophobic-attack/

On October 6, the jury trial for Nate Mancha, reached it’s conclusion. The jury came back with a guilty verdict for the 1st degree Felony Assault charge. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on the Attempted Murder charge, resulting in a mistrial for that charge alone. Today the El Paso county District Attorney’s office announced that they would not pursue a new trial for the Attempted Murder charge, which means the process moves to the sentencing phase for the guilty verdict. On December 2, 2014, Nate will have his sentencing hearing, where he faces a minimum of 10 years and a maximum sentence of 32 years.

While we are relieved that Nate and his family do not have to face another trial experience, we are angered and saddened that yet another community member is facing the harsh realities of the criminal injustice system. Our hearts are heavy today as we grieve this verdict with Nate and his family.

We know all too well that LGBTQ communities face severe and deadly violence. We also know that LGBTQ people who defend themselves from violence are often fighting for their lives, as Nate was on March 1st, 2014.

Nate’s support campaign will continue. Colorado Anti-Violence Program calls on it’s community of supporters, organizations, and families to come forward to support Nate and continue the fight against hate violence. Please check in with Nate’s support site and CAVP for news and to give support.

A little background info on Nate from his support site:

Nate Mancha defended himself against homophobic hate violence that is believed to be triggered by a rainbow sticker on the back of his car. Three months later, it is Nate, not his attacker, awaiting trial for 2nd degree attempted murder. This case fits a disturbing trend of people of color and LGBTQ people facing prosecution for defending their lives.

On March 1, 2014, 24-year-old Nate Mancha was driving his partner Carlton “Cruz” Mohn to work in Colorado Springs.  To avoid being late, Nate cut off a driver to make a quick left turn. As Nate and Cruz pulled into the shopping center, they noticed that the car they cut off, a green 2002 Dodge Caravan, followed them. As Cruz got out of his car to go to work, the driver allegedly yelled out “faggot assholes” and drove away. After Nate dropped Cruz off, the same man, cornered Nate and used his van to block the exit to the Erindale shopping center parking lot.

 

The man allegedly yelled a variety of slurs against Nate’s sexual orientation, along with threats of violence. The same man then exited his vehicle and approached Nate’s truck, crowbar in hand, and continued yelling and threatening Nate. He hit Nate’s truck with the crowbar, visibly damaging the vehicle.

 

Nate Mancha feared for his life. He had no weapon to protect himself. He could see no individuals to approach for help. He had no weapon to protect himself. He did not have a cellphone to call for help. It is alleged that as Nate fled the scene, he hit the attacker with his truck. The attacker suffered injuries and was hospitalized as a result.

 

Colorado Springs local news sources portrayed the incident as a vicious case of road rage. The man who shouted derogatory terms and threatened Nate’s safety, was portrayed as the victim. Nate, who fled in self-defense, was described as “armed and dangerous.” The media reports made no mention of the homophobic attack or details about who was the initial aggressor.

 

In the police report, the aggressor misidentified the vehicle make, model, color and license plate, but was very specific about the rainbow sticker on the back of Nate’s car.

 

Nate’s partner Cruz explains that when they saw the biased reporting of the homophobic attack they felt betrayed by the media, police, and the Colorado Springs community. Nate did not turn himself in because he feared that the police would arrest him without hearing his side of the story.

http://www.justice4nate.com/