Prisoner Art Tour Arrives In London

New social space Colorama #2 hosts start of the prisoner art tour, Lancaster Street, Southwark

From the ABC Art Tour Committee:

A Prisoner Art Exhibition, collected and co-ordinated by Anarchist Black Cross (ABC) groups and allies, has now arrived at Colorama #2 (or C2), South London, as it begins a year-long tour visiting over a dozen venues across England, Wales and Ireland.

Opposite the old Colorama Cinema, C2 is fast becoming a hub of activity as residents transform the office block and ground level warehouse into an anarchist social centre, while hosting the start of the ABC art tour for approximately 10 days. It will then move onto Britain’s largest anarchist bookshop Freedom Press, in Whitechapel, before being displayed at the London Anarchist Bookfair in the University of London on October 27th.

Featuring 32 pieces from seven current and past prisoners, including well-known artist Lucy Edkins and Phil Africa from the MOVE family, the exhibition shows the artistic talent of those behind bars, as well as highlighting the political cases of the prisoners themselves.

From collaboration between Bristol & London ABC, the art exhibition aims to be an extension of solidarity to those behind bars, as part of the many ways to support prisoners. The Anarchist Black Cross has been a banner name for prison abolition for over a century, with groups in the UK re-forming in the 1960’s, and now a global network of anarchist prisoner support groups.

Commenting on the art exhibition in July 2012, Ben Gunn a recently released lifer who spent 33 years inside said; “In attempting to see into the darkest corners of the states activities, we are privileged to have the spotlight provided by prison artists… Struggling to obtain their bare tools for creativity they tower above their captivity to reveal their unique perspective – I hope that their art invites you to think – and be moved to ACT.”

Full tour details to come very soon, watch this space!

Now – October 6th: COLORAMA #2, 44-58 Lancaster Street, Southwark, SE1 0RP (Viewings 2-6pm)*
October 7th – 26th: FREEDOM BOOKSHOP, Angel Alley, 84b Whitechapel High Street, E1 7QX (Mon-Sat: 12-6pm, Sun: 12-4pm)
October 27th: LONDON ANARCHIST BOOKFAIR, Queen Mary, University of London, Mile End Road, E1 4NS (Open from 10am until 6pm)

*the building with the double doors, ring the string bell round the left of the entrance

Belarusian Political Prisoners Solidarity Demo, London 23/09

From Belarus ABC:

Sunday September 23rd

1pm — 5pm.

Embassy of Belarus

6 Kensington Court. London. W8 5DL.

Nearest Tube: High Street Kensington.

Release All Political Prisoners.

The Belarusian embassy will be open on Sunday September 23rd for voting in the parliamentary elections.

Five anarchists; Ihar Alinevich, Mikalai Dziadok, Artsiom Prakapenka, Pavel Syramolatau, Aliaksandr Frantskievich and another activist, Jauhen Vas’kovich, were arrested over the autumn of 2010 and the winter 2011. They were accused of various actions including participation in an illegal anti-militarist demonstration; physical attacks on symbols of capitalism, an attack on a KGB headquarters and hacking into government websites.

Those activists have been jailed for different terms, varying from 3 to 8 years in prison.

In August 2012 the International of Anarchist Federations asked for solidarity demos:

“We call everybody to protest against these tortures and demand the immediate liberation of the political prisoners of Belarus, including anarchists.”

IFA statement:

http://i-f-a.org/documents/statements/45-call-for-solidarity-with-imprisoned-comrades-from-belarus-iaf-ifa

For more info about the arrests, charges and sentences check Anarchist Black Cross – Belarus:

http://abc-belarus.org/?p=133&lang=en

You may also write to the prisoners by email: belarus_abc ]a[ riseup ]d[ net – emailed letters of solidarity will be printed out and passed to the prisoners by ABC Belarus members. For further details of the prisoners’ addresses check the Autonomous Action page:

http://wiki.avtonom.org/en/index.php/Category:Prisoners_in_former_Soviet_Union

London Demo in Solidarity with Anarchist Political Prisoners in Belarus

From London ABC, see also call for action and link to ABC Belarus:

Demonstrate with us at the Belarusian Embassy from 12pm on the 2nd of July!

6 Kensington Court
London W8 5DL.
Tel: 020 7937 3288 – Fax: 020 7361 0005
Nearest Tube: High Street Kensington

June 30th to July 2nd are days of action in solidarity with Belarusian anarchist and political prisoners, so please join London ABC for a demonstration outside the Belarusian Embassy from 12pm. We plan to have a banner and some noise, but we hope others will come down with their own ideas too!

There are now officially 13 explicitly political prisoners in Belarus, some of them inside for attacks against the state and other symbols of capital and oppression. Three of them, Alinevich, Dziadok and Frantskievich, received sentences between 3 and 8 years of ‘hard regime’ in May, despite the fact that evidence of their guilt was lacking at the trial. All of them have been subjected to psychological intimidation and abuse whilst in state custody.

Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko is under pressure from the European Union to free all political prisoners before Belarus can be accepted into the EU ‘community’. However, rather than back down and release the prisoners, Lukashenko is demanding that each one petition him individually, admit their guilt and ask for ‘mercy’. Those currently inside deny their guilt and have not co-operated with the state by giving testimony against others.

ABC Belarus and other supporters of those imprisoned are calling for as many solidarity actions as possible to put pressure on the Belarusian regime; both during the days of action and beyond! We stand in solidarity with imprisoned comrades in Belarus whilst also recognising the many political prisoners in EU countries and the hypocrisy of the EU demand.

Prisoners to write to:

Mikalaj Dziadok, SIZO-1, ul. Volodarskogo 2, 220050 Minsk, Belarus

Aliaksandr Frantskevich, k. 46 SIZO-1, ul. Volodarskogo 2, 220050 Minsk, Belarus

Ihar Alinevich, P.O. Box 8, Glavpochtampt, 220050 Minsk, Belarus
(Unfortunately Ihar is only allowed correspondence in Belarusian and Russian language, but you may send postcards and such)

London: Noise Demo at HMP Brixton – 5th June

From London ABC:

Her Majesty’s Pleasure*? Stuff that!

A noise demo to show solidarity with prisoners at HMP Brixton, because frankly we don’t feel like celebrating 60 years of having a queen, especially a queen who takes pleasure from imprisoning our mates, comrades, and other fellow human beings. What kind of a sick mind takes pleasure from locking people up in prison? Prisons destroy people. They destroy familes, friendships, and communities too. Putting somebody in prison is an act of violence which contributes nothing real or positive and only brutalises those who are already struggling.

We don’t believe that prison is the answer to any question we have ever asked.

We want to show the people inside HMP Brixton that they are not alone, that they are not forgotten, that queen liz and her government have not succeeding in hiding them away from us, that we support them and give a shit about them. That we think prison is a crime.

So, please join us on 5th June, part of the so-called “jubilee weekend” for a noisy and spirited demo at HMP Brixton. We’ll meet outside Brixton underground station at 3pm to walk up to the prison together. Please bring things to make noise with, your mates, and your righteous rage.

Organised by London ABC, who can be contacted c/o Freedom Bookshop, Angel Alley, 84b Whitechapel High Street, London E17QZ or via our website at http://network23.org/londonabc

(* her majesty’s pleasure is the phrase used when someone is sentenced to prison, eg. you will serve 20 years at her majesty’s pleasure. Prisons in the UK are formally known as Her Majesty’s Prisons (HMP).)

Jock Palfreeman Solidarity Demo. Thursday 15th March. 11am. Bulgarian Embassy – LONDON.

Jock Palfreeman Solidarity Demo. Thursday 15th March 2012. 11 am. London

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