Things have been busy over the past little while, and there’s no sign that things aren’t going to let up soon. There are lots of folks inside who welcome support and solidarity. Download the prisoner list here:

prisonerlist_jan2012 (PDF)

prisonerlist_jan2012 (DOCX – word)

prisonerlist_jan2012 (ODT – open office)

Drop them a line and get stuck in!

No one forgotten and nothing forgiven!

Demonstrate outside the Bulgarian Embassy in solidarity with Jock Palfreeman the young Australian man who was set up by the Bulgarian police and criminal justice system after he stepped in to stop an attack on a young Roma in December 2007. Jock Palfreeman was sentenced in December 2007 to 20 years in Bulgaria’s notorious Sofia Central Prison.
See the Free Jock website for in-depth information and analysis about Jock Palfreeman’s trial and imprisonment.
Watch the One Night in Sofia documentary for interviews with Jock Palfreeman, his family and supporters.
Check the 5 minute interview with Professor Dave Barclay, forensics expert.

11 a.m. Bulgaria Embassy.
186-188 Queen’s Gate.
London.
SW7 5HL

googlemap of bulgarian embassy

“Happy New Year” and “Fuck the Screws” was chanted over the walls. Fireworks were fired into the prison courtyard. People then climbed up onto an outer wall and made noise by hitting the fence with hands feet and rocks.

Around midnight the first police vehicle arrived with 2 officers who came over to talk to the crowd. Everybody stood their ground and the soundsytem was then led away from the police to prevent them from nicking it. Another police vehicle then arrived with 3 more officers who quickly came over to the two other officers who by this time were surrounded, whereupon without warning they began to pepperspray people in the face and take people to the ground with batons in their hands. During this time more police vehicles arrived. A few people were hit with batons. Some stood trying to de-arrest others and support their mates who had been pepper-sprayed. Once the majority of the people had realised that the police had taken control of the situation people decided to remove the soundsystem and themselves from the area. People got away but 4 were arrested. Each arrestee had an individual vehicle to themselves.

As people were retreating shouts and banging (presumably from inmates) could be heard from within the prison walls, and the floodlights and hall-lights all lit up.

At the moment all the arrestees are out. One person was released charged with assault of a police officer, one was charged with obstruction of a police officer, one person was charged with various crimes including assault on a police officer, section 5 and criminal damage to a police video camera (which would hold evidence to the whole situation), the last person was held until late evening on the 1st of January 2012 due to not complying with the police. They all have unconditional bail.

People heard at the police station that there was a backlog of arrests because trouble had flared at a new years free party which the officers said they’d had to retreat from because of the large numbers of ravers they faced.

People stood outside Trinity Police station until all the 4 arrestees were released the next day.

From UK Indymedia:

Last week John Bowden was put in solitary confinement in HMP Shotts. He continues to receive mail so please keep in touch and send him messages of support:
John Bowden – 6729,
HMP Shotts
Cantrell Road
Shotts
Scotland
ML7 4LE

John Bowden has been put into solitary confinement in HMP Shotts in Scotland. This was done after allegations that he was part of the “jail-wide” organisation of a sit down protest in the exercise yard, despite the fact that there was no evidence, the apparent protest did not take place and no-one else was punished for the “jail-wide threat”.

Despite the recent recommendation by the parole board that John Bowden be moved back to an open prison, the Scottish Prison Service, earlier this year, transferred him to Shotts, the most secure prison in the country. This was a blatant punishment move, one of hundreds John Bowden has undergone since he was imprisoned in 1978 – YES 1978!

By ‘coincidence’ the governor of Shotts, Ian Whitehead, was previously governor of Castle Huntley open jail, where John Bowden (and the Anarchist Black Cross) was the victim of an orchestrated campaign of lies in which an American psychologist, Matt Stillman, smeared the ABC as a “terrorist organisation” with which John was in contact.

After a robust campaign led by Leeds ABC, and by John himself of course, the Scottish Prison Service were forced to climb down, and Stillman’s career was ruined. John has never been forgiven for having the courage and integrity to stand his ground, and the SPS have not forgotten how they were humiliated.

Once again, we ask comrades to help shine an international spotlight on SPS abuse, and to support John in his long battle for freedom.

Please send letters of support to John at the following address:

John Bowden
6729
HMP Shotts
Cantrell Road
Shotts
Scotland
ML7 4LE

And letters of protest to:

Ian Whitehead
Governor
HMP Shotts
Cantrell Road
Shotts
Scotland
ML7 4LE

Scottish Prison Service HQ
Calton House
5 Redheughs Rigg
Edinburgh
Scotland
EH12 9HW

The Parole Board
Grenadier House
99-105 Horseferry Road
London
SW1P 2DD
England

More info:
John on the Prison System:  http://leedsabc.org/?page_id=116
Another Punishment Move:  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2011/08/483649.html
Interview with John:  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/05/369954.html
John on the Scottish Prison Service:  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2011/05/479691.html
The Price You Pay for Speaking Out:  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/05/369431.html

John has also been working very hard to expose the torture of inmates in Close Supervision Centres, the use of prison psychologists in the repression of prisoners, and behaviour modification techniques against prisoners with serious mental health problems.
John on CSCs:  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2011/03/476629.html
 http://leedsabc.org/?p=535
 http://www.insidetime.org/articleview.asp?a=776&c=deliberately_inflicted_powerlessness

Mikhail was assaulted by Nazis many times in the past. He has been stabbed twice during the last couple of years. However, he was never afraid of anyone and he was always standing up for his opinions, even if someone disagreed. Although he was often in trouble in vicinity of the local football stadium, he continued to support his favorite club.

Mikhail worked as an assistant of a priest. Currently, the police are investigating the case. There is no any evidence about the murderers, but anti-fascists of Dnepropetrovsk are certain, that this tragedy was caused by Nazis. We are doing everything we can to find out the truth, and to punish the perpetrators.

Rest in peace, brother

Anti-fascists of Dneproppetrovsk

For more information go here.

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

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.

Dinner will be served early at 5:30pm and the film will start at 6pm.
Kebele, 14 Robertson Road, Easton, Bristol, BS5 6JY

In October 1993 Charlie Ryder took part in a demonstration to shut down the
BNP headquarters in Welling, south-east London. This developed into a
serious riot, and a few months later he was featured on the TV show Crime
Monthly. He was arrested the next morning, then he waited nearly 2 years before he was sent to prison for 16 months.

Charlie has now developed his story into a feature film using shadow
puppetry, marionette puppets, rod puppets, masks, visual art, poetry and
dance to shine a light on his time inside. Charlie hopes that by painting a picture of his experience it will educate people and challenge perceptions of prison and prisoners.

Additional background info:
While in prison Charlie received a letter of support from a British Holocaust
survivor Leon Greenman who had also protested to shut down the BNP
headquarters. Charlie kept this letter in a scrapbook with poetry and
artwork he collected to record his time inside.

On his release from prison he developed the scrapbook into a one man play
which was critically acclaimed at Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Aug 2007 and
then performed in prisons universities and conferences.

“Charlie puts his heart and soul on screen and clearly has a point to make.
Prison is portrayed here as the antithesis to tabloid journalism’s
assertion that it is the equivalent of a holiday camp. A television or a
games console is not a worthy substitute for liberty. I certainly will not
be choosing prison as my holiday destination of choice. “ (Grant Holdsworth)

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.

The Calendar contains 44 pages of informative campaign, support and biographical info, including 14 beautiful full-colour pages of artwork. Contributors include current and former prisoners, campaign groups, solidarity activists & artists.

2012 back cover

Funds raised by the calendar go to:
New York State Task Force On Political Prisoners (for the release of 7 political prisoners in NY jails)
Addameer (a Palestinian prisoner support & human rights campaign)
The Freedom Archives (publicly available audio & visual history of movements in the USA)

You can buy the calendar:
- Direct from us at our public events and events where we have stalls. Price £7.00
- By post from us, prices include postage & packing. Cost per calendar is £8.00 in the UK, or £10 / 12 Euros to rest of Europe. Make cheques payable to ‘Kebele’ and write ‘ABC – calendar’ on the back. Send your payment clearly addressed to us: Bristol ABC, 14 Robertson Rd, Easton, Bristol BS5 6JY, UK
- Direct from Kebele Infoshop whenever Kebele social centre is open, and also from Kebele’s Infoshop stall at various events. Cost £7.00

More outlets to follow. See our Calendar page for more info.