November Prisoner List

November has been a busy month and we have seen the forces of global capitalism attempting to tighten their grip and control – murdering the planet and stepping on a lot of us along the way. Their so-called solutions to the economic crisis seem only to be streamlining and intensifying the power of capital. Many are not fooled and have been rising up! Folks have been inspired by the Occupy movement, unions are out on the streets (if only for a day), travellers and friends have resisted violent eviction at Dale Farm, campuses have been occupied as students continue to rebel, Maggs & Allen estate agents offices have been attacked in solidarity with those protesting gentrification and  the Factory eviction , Santander bank was attacked in Bristol, and much more… and after all this there are still folks inside who need our support and solidarity.

Bristol ABC does montly letter writing nights, or you can take a few minutest to write someone a card (but remember that whatever you say can be read by the screws).

No one forgotten and nothing forgiven!

Prisoner list_Nov2011

Support Imprisoned Comrades: The Toronto G20 “Main Conspiracy Six”

On November 22, 2011, six of our friends pled guilty to counselling charges for organising to disrupt the Toronto G20 summit in June, 2010. On November 28, 2011, Erik Lankin, Adam Lewis and Peter Hopperton were each sentenced to 3-5.5 months in jail. Leah Henderson expects to be sentenced to 10 months on December 20, 2011. Mandy Hiscocks expects to be sentenced to 16 months on January 13. Alex Hundert expects to be sentenced to 13.5 months, date to begin TBA.

Click here to follow the link to a support flyer for the “Main Conspiracy Six” facing imprisonment.

Click here to read the collective statement of the G20 Main Conspiracy Group, individual statements of co-defendants, and statements read to the courts.

Guelph Anarchist Black Cross is providing some of the support for these comrades. We are fundraising money to facilitate meeting the everyday and immediate needs of comrades facing jail and of their support networks. Specifically, we will be putting money towards: sending letters and reading materials to those incarcerated; transportation costs for family, friends and supporters visiting them; collect phone call bills; canteen; rent money when they get out; and storage for their belongings. We need help providing funds for this material support.

Here’s how to donate to the Guelph ABC G20 Support Fund:

1. Paypal: guelphabc@riseup.net or click the button on http://guelphprisonersolidarity.wordpress.com

2. Deposit cash to the following TD bank account: Transit # 00182, Institution # 004, Account # 00185228263.

3. Write a cheque or money order to Guelph ABC with G20 in the memo line.

Mail to the PO box below.

Letters to comrades in jail is encouraged, to help them stay connected to struggles and communities, and to break the isolation inherent in prisons. It is possible that folks will be moved between jails during their incarceration. We will try to keep their addresses updated on our website. You can also send letters to the address below and we will forward them. When writing letters, remember that they will be read by prison guards.

Guelph ABC, PO Box 183, Guelph, ON, N1H 6J6, Canada.

Check out http://guelphprisonersolidarity.wordpress.com for regular updates and more information. Your support and solidarity is deeply appreciated. Most importantly, keep up the struggle. In solidarity with anarchist prisoners worldwide, and all prisoners fighting for freedom.

Resistrance. A benefit for defendant solidarity in Bristol

Here’s the full details of the massive political party planned for Saturday 3 December in Bristol, with all proceeds going to maintain the work of Bristol Defendant Solidarity in supporting those arrested and/or imprisoned following the disturbances earlier this year in Stokes Croft and elsewhere. Organised and hosted by Resistrance, Kebele Sound, Next2Nothing and friends…

BDS info

Film Night at Kebele. Sunday 4th Dec from 5.30pm: Prison? “A Film by Charlie Ryder”

Bristol Anarchist Black Cross and Bristol Defendant Solidarity are proud to present Charlie Ryder’s new film Prison? Following the 80 minute film there will be a Q&A with discussion.

Freedom for political prisoners fundraising calendar 2012

The USA remains not just one of the most unequal countries in terms of wealth distribution, but also one of the most oppressive.

Artwork - May 2012

Recent figures (end of 2010) indicate that it locks up some 2.4million people in its various prisons, an adult incarceration rate of about 0.8%, or just under 1 adult in every 100. In addition, over seven million more are under ‘correctional supervision’, and over 13 million pass through U.S. prisons and jails annually. America’s prison population has risen by some 1000% in 30 years. Unsurprisingly, two thirds are either unemployed or were surviving on an income of less than $5000 a year. At least 40% of women prisoners have young children. The USA imprisons more people than any other country in the world, and accounts for over 25% of the worlds prison population. Welcome to the land of the free. Not. With the US clamping down on its growing ‘Occupy’ movement with brutal robocops and chemical weapons (see Oakland – general strike 2 Nov & police repression;  Denver; Wall St), we can be sure the number of prisoners will increase.

Artwork - December 2012

Bristol ABC is pleased once again this year to be distributing the Certain Days ‘Freedom for political prisoners calendar 2012′. This is a long term fundraising, info & campaign project by Canadian activists & 3 long-term US political prisoners, who have collectively spent over 100 years inside prison. The 3 are all being held in maximum-security prisons in New York State, they are Robert Seth Hayes, Herman Bell & David Gilbert.

Letter From Uk Comrade Huw ‘badger’ Norfolk From Clandestinity

Expressions of support for Bristol anarchist Huw ‘Badger’ Norfolk have been growing since he published an open letter online last month. The letter first appeared on an international solidarity website and has since been linked to numerous other sites, before being front paged on the Bristol Indymedia site on 22 October (and also therefore showing on the UK Indymedia newswire).

Here’s the text from his communiqué:
1st communication October 2011. An open letter to whoever wants to be concerned.

Two months have passed since the police execution of Mark Duggan tipped the already-fragile balance of power in the UK, unlocking an orgy of defiance across this island. A well of frustrations finally boiled over and the system was left reeling by a determined insurrection from a wide range of people. Following these days and nights of brazen attacks in Bristol (as in other places) a house is raided in a police and media orchestrated scene as part of their revenge operation for the blows they have both received in the uprising – they leave without the hostage they sought there, but I am made aware by their blunder that I am on their wanted list.

Two months have now passed of successful evasion, and meanwhile the winds of insurgency still blow in many towns and moments – indeed, for many they started long before this summer. There have also been at least two more deaths at the hands of the Law in August alone…

Resistrance prezentza Riotous Assembly

RESISTRANCE returns on 3 December bringing ya an all-nighter to remember!

Band lineup so far includes: A0S3; Autonomads; Cop on Fire; Spanner; No Choice; Primeval Soup.
Plus at least 2 rooms of DJ’s and crews, and much much more TBC.

All monies raised go directly to support Bristol Defendant Solidarity.
Hosted by Resistrance, Kebele Sound, Next2Nothing & Friends: “Big shout out to the Bristol Old School. This is a Resistrance rallying cry to all radical ravers, partying punkers n serious skankers out there – lets have a political party!!! Recent events in Stokes Croft have persuaded us here at Resistrance HQ to drag our sorry arses out of retirement for a one-off riotous rave-up in aid of the Stresscos Rebels. We ain’t had it – we’re avin’ it!!”

So keep the night free – full details to follow shortly…

They are inside for us and we are outside for them

Discussion meeting: An Introduction To Prisoner Support Work

On Sunday 6 November, 4.30pm sharp to 6pm, in the Events Room, at Kebele social Centre, 14 Robertson Road, Bristol BS5 6JY.
There will be two short introductions:
Firstly about the importance of prisoner support work.
Secondly we will look at what exactly ABC groups in the UK do these days, and what else they could be doing.
This will be an informal meeting, with plenty of time for questions and discussion, and we hope you will help us generate more ideas about what we can do, and how we can do it together.

Barry Horne 10 year anniversary memorial event

Barry Horne was an animal liberationist who quite literally died for his beliefs whilst serving an 18 year prison sentence. Whilst in prison he engaged in 3 hungerstrikes in less than 3 years, the first two whilst he was still on remand.

Barry Horne was arrested in Bristol in July 1996, spent a lot of time on remand at Bristol prison (in Horfield), and was tried at Bristol crown court. His hungerstrikes were a political action aimed at forcing first the Tory government, and then NewLabour, into taking action to end vivisection and then general abuse of animals for profit. During his hungerstrikes and throughout his prison sentence until his death there was a masive upsurge in animal rights related actions, and some of the most well known such campaigns began, including at Hill Grove (cat) Farm and Huntingdon Life Sciences.

Hunger Strike in Cárcel de Alta Seguridad (Chile)

October 26th 2011 - Prisoners on the
second and third floors of the H
wing of the Cárcel de Alta
Seguridad took action and started an
indefinite liquid hunger strike. 

This mobilisation has come about
because of the failure of the screws
to comply with past agreements and
the constant harassment of prisoners, as
well as their friends and families.
This is a spontaneous action by 24
prisoners, that is born from the
urgency of their situation.

This list of demands alone explains the daily conditions under which people must survive in the dungeon like prison: