Recently Joe Black of CAPS, one of the most knowledgeable anarchists involved in prisoner solidarity work, was interviewed for the lefty rag Solidarity (organ of trot group Workers Liberty). Its a wide ranging interview covering diverse prison and prisoner-resistance related topics, and well worth a read, so we’ve cut and pasted into our blog below. You can read the original online version here if you think you can handle exposure to WL! We also recommend a visit to the CAPS website where there is plenty of info, facts and politics.
Solidarity with the 14 kidnapped by the Chilean ’democracy’.
On Saturday the 14th August, special police forces violently raided 3 squatted social centers and many private homes in 5 communes in the cities of Santiago and Valparaíso in Chile. The police intimidated people with weapons of war, broke windows and doors, and took many personal items from the houses. 14 people were detained without being informed of the reason for their detention for 3 hours.
Later 6 people were released on probation for lack of evidence against them. As for the people that remain imprisoned, they were put in isolation cells in maximum security jails where they are awaiting a 180 day-long investigation process and potentially a 20-year sentence for alledged illegal terrorist association. Read More
Call-out for international solidarity with Marco Camenisch
Marco Camenisch, known for his active role in the anti-nuclear movement of the 70s, has been a political prisoner for almost 20 years. As a militant green anarchist he has been taking part in struggles, campaigns and protests in and outside prison during all these years. He is currently detained in Regensdorf, near Zurich.
In two years Marco should be granted conditional release (which is the norm in the Swiss prison system). However his situation is a particular one: he’s been refused all special privileges and preparatory measures for release. The medical treatment he needs continues to be insufficient (Marco has cancer). Day releases and parole are refused on the grounds that he does not renounce his political convictions and has to many friends all over the world who might help him escape – yet having good social contacts is one of the criteria for conditional release.Read More
August prisoner support list and letter-writing solidarity night
Public solidarity letter-writing night on 11 August
Bristol ABC’s August 2010 list of prisoners requesting support is available here as a pdf: prisoners list_AUG 2010
We are aware these lists may not be 100% correct, especially for international prisoners, but we do try! Where possible the list includes links to support websites and other resources. If you have any confirmed updates or additions please email us. Thanks.Read More
Prisoner support list July 2010 and a meeting
Our Prisoner Support list for July 2010 is now available as a pdf: prisoners list_JULY 2010
Have a good look, and feel free, because you are, to write to and otherwise support a prisoner or two. The list contains many links to further information, as do the links to the right of this blog’s front page. Please use them.Read More
8 out 1 to go so free Elijah Smith now
(UPDATE – Elijah was released on bail from prison on Thursday 8 July. He can now be found out and about in Bristol. Welcome back. He remains on bail facing charges relating to alleged threats against Paul Hills, the EDO boss).
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Atenco prisoners free!
The twelve Mexican political prisoners seized in the aftermath of the 2006 Atenco uprising have been released following a sensational high court ruling. Judges ruled that not only was there no evidence to sustain the prosecution’s case but also that the charges the twelve faced – organised kidnapping – didn’t even exist in Mexican law.Read More
Free the Atenco prisoners: protest at London Mexican Embassy
While world headlines feature the deployment of the army by the Mexican government in a seemingly losing battle against drug cartels, it’s less well-known that the Mexican government has moved ruthlessly to crush grassroots people’s movements who have nothing to do with organised criminality.
Twelve activists from the Peoples Front for the Defence of the Land from San Salvador Atenco near Mexico City are serving jail sentences of up to 112 years. Now their case is set to be reconsidered by the Supreme Court in Mexico and people in Britain are to gather at the Mexican Embassy in London on 29th June to demand their release.Read More
Prisoner support list and letter writing night on 16 June
solidarity with political prisoners
Monthly letter-writing night for people to come along and send cards/letters to people imprisoned for their political activities. These small gestures can be a real boost for people locked up for their beliefs, and an opportunity for you to find out more about their cases/campaigns and prison reality. Whether you just write a short one-off solidarity note, or go on to engage in long-term correspondence…is up to you. Read More
EDO boss under pressure at Decommissioners trial
first week goes well for the EDO-smashers
The first week of the trial of the EDO Decommissioners was dominated by questionning of EDO boss Paul Hills, who was in the dock from Tuesday to Friday, and will be back again on Monday. He did not have a pleasant time as the defence team dug into what exactly EDO get up to, and with who. He was openly accused of lying by the defence, and at one point was warned by the judge of the risks of perjuring himself. Of interest to anti-militarists will have been discussions around export licenses and the inter-connected nature of the international arms trade, along with its links into political patronage. Also worth noting was the judge’s ruling that the jury be given as background info a very brief summary of the Goldstone report into Israel’s bombing of Gaza in 2008/9.Read More