Solidarity fundraiser for Bristolian anti-fascist

Bristol’s self-sustaining DIY fundraising activists put on another important cracker this Friday, 10 December, in support of local comrades facing charges from recent anti-fascist actions.

So whether you’re into the music, or not, come on down to show some solidarity, you can always have a good drink and natter out the back! The strength of our movement can in many ways be measured by the solidarity we show to those friends and comrades facing repression, let’s not let them down!

This little gem has been put together by ‘Inna Minute Innit Presents’…

Seasonal letter writing night for political prisoners

Bristol ABC’s monthly public letter-writing session sending seasonal solidarity greetings to prisoners around the world. For our last letter-writing bash of the year we will be in two places at the same time.

We’ll be at both venues from 7 to 9pm on Wednesday December 8. We should be on time, but if we aren’t it’ll be down to the latest students anti-fee rises and general anti-cuts protests that day. Hopefully we’ll see you at all events.

Prisoners requesting support December 2010

Here is our updated December 2010 list of international and UK political prisoners welcoming support.

Download a copy:
As a PDF: Prisoners list_Dec 2010
As an open office doc: Prisoners list_Dec 2010

Why not print off a copy and pass it around/pin it up at your workplace, community or social centre, local pub/bar or alternative bookshop/space? Get your friends or campaign group to adopt a prisoner, or just send a few seasonal cards of solidarity? Remember these people are in prison because of acting on their political beliefs. It could be you one day.

Callout for support for Belarus anarchists facing repression

The following callout was published on the Moscow ABC site by the Belarus ABC & friends of the arrested:

In connection with the situation about repression of anarchists and social activists getting worse WE – anarchists, friends and nearests of repressed ones – are calling you to take part in Days of Solidarity with Belarus Anarchists on the 10-13 December 2010. We consider that only international protests against repressions of independent activists trying to change things in Belarus for the better are able to make Lukashenko (Belarus president since 1994) give the go-ahead to stop mass arrests and to close political cases of Dedok, Frantskevich and Vetkin.

Political prisoners fundraising calendar 2011 is out now

FREEDOM FOR POLITICAL PRISONERS
CERTAIN DAYS : 2011 CALENDAR

Bristol ABC is once again selling this superb and informative calendar in the UK & Europe on behalf of the publishing collective, to raise funds to support political prisoners. Full details about the calendar are here, and on the Certain Days website. Why not let your friends, family and comrades know where you stand on political prisoners, by getting them a copy as a present?

News from Swiss prisons: hunger strike and international solidarity week

Marco Camenisch has announced another hunger strike from 6th to 8th December, in connection with the international week of solidarity with Silvia, Costa and Billy planned for the 6th to the 12th December.

Marco has denounced the extreme isolation that Silvia, Costa and Billy are being subjected to by the Swiss state and has remembered the “Gathering Against Isolation”, which this year was organised by Turkish activists to commemorate once more the many prisoners died in the infamous F-Type prisons in Turkey.

“In my heart and mind, every living being kept in a cage, isolated, tortured, exploited, annihilated. And all the social warriors that, caged or free, fight to end this system of State and capital, of dominion, racism, oppression and exploitation.”

Greek prisoners launch new mass action

Echoing the large mobilisations of November 2008, when prisoners went on meal abstaining/ hunger strikes across the country, a fresh wave of mobilisations in the Greek prisons began last Monday 29 November, as first reported here.

Solidarity poster for Dimitrakis: "What's breaking into a bank compared with founding a bank?" Bertolt Brecht (the Beggars Opera)

This comes as there is a fresh escalation of struggles across various sectors in Greece. December 6 marks the 2nd anniversary of the murder of the teenager Alexis, that led to weeks of street battles. There are then further protests leading up the next Greek general strike on 15 December. Many anarchists & anti-authoritarians in prison face trials in the next few months, starting with the appeal trial of Giannis Dimitrakis on 6 December – read the callout for solidarity. Perhaps unsurprisingly, over the last couple days there has been a huge crackdown by the state in major Greek cities with searches and arrests.

Jock Palfreeman appeal news

According to a report from Moscow ABC, Jock’s appeal case continued in court in Sofia, Bulgaria, on 11 November with 2 witnesses re-questionned by the judge.

However the case was then adjourned again until 25 November, because 3 other witnesses due to be re-questionned did not appear in court. They include 2 cops (!), and a member of the gang who attacked Jock, who is now fortuitously studying abroad! We await news as to whether the case did in fact continue on the 25th?

Jock got 20 years for acting in self-defence in late 2007, when he went to the aid of 2 Roma youth being attacked by a gang of right-wingers, and was himself attacked. More background info here.

Updates on Canadian G20 defendants and prisoners

News received from friends at Toronto ABC…

Toronto G20 Arrestees
June 2010 saw mass protests against the G8/20 meetings in Toronto. There were also mass arrests, with 1093 detained in brutal conditions. Of these over 250 were released facing pending charges, while a few outspoken community activists remain in jail or under house arrest, facing more serious charges.

The Canadian government is clearly hoping to utilize the “conspiracy” model pioneered in the SHAC 7 and RNC 8 cases to terrorize dissidents involved in laying the framework for protests. Your general messages of solidarity to the individuals under house arrest and in jail will mean a lot to them.
More info: g20.torontomobilize.org and Toronto.mediacoop.ca and torontoabc.wordpress.com