[News] Political Prisoner Event June 10 at New College

[News at freedomarchives.org]

Subject: Political Prisoner Speaking Event June 10
Political Prisoner Speaking Event

http://www.freefreenow.org/june05sf.html>http://www.freefreenow.org/june05sf.html 



Friday June 10th 6:30pm
New College Cultural Center
766 Valencia Street in San Francisco
Donations requested ­no one turned away.

This speaking event will focus on the importance of prisoner support and
what it means to be a political prisoner in the US.  We will hear from former
prisoners as well as prisoner support activists.

This event is inspired by our fallen friend Jeff ‘Free’ Luers who is currently
serving his 5th year of a 22 year and 8 month sentence for an action that did
not hurt or threaten anyone.  He burned 3 SUVs to make a statement about
increased environmental destruction caused by fuel inefficient vehicles. It is
believed and obvious that it is Jeff’s political beliefs that landed him this
unjust sentence.

Former Political Prisoner Speakers:

Luis “Bato” Talamantez is a human rights activist and artist who speaks on the
prison­industrial complex. A former political prisoner (one of the San Quentin
6 whose trial gained international attention during the 70s), Talamantez was
acquitted and released in 1976. Drawing on his experiences of 30 years behind
bars, he works to expose conditions at maximum security prisons like
California’s infamous Pelican Bay, Corcoran State Prison and Valley State
Prison for Women. Talamantez is co-founder of California Prison Focus and
currently pens a column for their publication. He has published two books of
poetry and is an accomplished visual artist.

Rita ‘Bo’ Brown:  Former political prisoner of the George Jackson Brigades,
founder of the Out of Control Lesbian Committee to Support Women in Prison,
Prison Activist Resource Center community advisor, and regional representative
of the Eddie Hatcher Defense Committee.

Claude Marks:  Claude is the Project Director of The Freedom Archives, a
political, cultural oral history project in San Francisco.  He is a former
political prisoner who served time for a conspiracy to break two Puerto Rican
and Black political prisoners out of Leavenworth.  Claude taught ESL,
literacy, writing and history inside. Claude remains a prison activist and 
uses media to
educate, advocate for prison abolition and the freeing of all political
prisoners.

Rahula Janowski:  Rahula Janowski spent 4 and a half months in jail for her
part
in the pie-ing of then San Francisco mayor Willie Brown.  Politicized in the
anarchist community centered around Food Not Bombs in the early 1990’s, Rahula
now works with the Heads Up Collective, a group of white antiracists whose
focus is on anti-war and anti-imperialist organizing in the bay area. She has
spent the past 10 years working for radical social change, writing and, more
recently, raising an amazing child.

Prisoner Support Speakers:
Kiilu Nyasha:  Kiilu Nyasha is a revolutionary artist, activist and journalist
in the liberation struggle for over 35 years. A former Black Panther, she is a
radio and newspaper journalist who has done much to keep political
prisoners in the public eye.

CAPS-California Anarchist Prison Solidarity:  CAPS formed in September 2004 to
support those who face incarceration as a direct response to their beliefs or
actions which challenge the oppressive nature of the state, the injustices
that exist due to class, racism, sexism, and homophobia, or the destruction 
of the
earth and the species who inhabit it. We recognize that the plight of political
prisoners is only a small part of the sprawling injustice of the global Prison
Industrial Complex. We seek the abolition of prisons as part of a dismantling
of all repressive state apparatus and also extend our solidarity to those
imprisoned around the world. However, we have so far chosen to focus most of
our limited resources on political prisoners in California and neighboring
Mexico with the idea that if we do not fight locally for those who suffer as a
result of our common struggle then our beliefs themselves become meaningless.
Through corresponding with prisoners, fundraising on their behalf, and
building public awareness by circulating information on their situations, 
we hope to
remind those on the inside that they are not alone, while helping to 
break  down
the bars that separate us from them and inspiring those on the outside to
continue their battle.

There will also be a short speech written by Jeff ‘Free’ Luers.

For more information: <http://www.freefreenow.org>http://www.freefreenow.org


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June 10-12, 2005 "Weekend of Resistance" for Political Prisoner Jeff 'Free'
Luers

June 2005 marks the five-year anniversary of the imprisonment of our friend
and
comrade: Oregon environmental political prisoner, Jeff "Free" Luers. Jeff was
sentenced to more than 22 years in prison for burning three Sport Utility
Vehicles (SUVs) at a car dealership in Eugene, Oregon, and on attempted arson
charges. Jeff set fire to SUVs to call attention to climate change and to
protest oil wars and environmental destruction. Jeff was motivated by
compassion and a desire to protect life, not to harm it, despite what some
might think of his tactics. Prior to his arrest, Jeff was a popular community
activist in Eugene. He was well-known to law enforcement because of his
involvement with national forest protection (starting an occupation of a
controversial old-growth timber sale in 1998), anti-police brutality activism
(documenting rampant police abuse in Eugene), free food programs in a local
park and his teaching of self-defense to women. Since his imprisonment, Jeff
has continued to be extremely active in prison and fight oppression with his
words and inspiration.

On June 12, 2004, social and environmental activists in the US, Canada,
England, Scotland, Norway, Finland, Australia, and Russia participated in an
"International Day of Action" with Jeff by organizing non-violent protests and
community events to show their support for him and their disgust for his cruel
sentence. The FBI responded by creating a real 'Green Scare', sending a
memo to businesses, corporate media, and government agencies warning of planned
"terrorist attacks" by the "Earth Liberation Front" on June 12. Of course, no
"terrorist attacks" ever occurred. All of the events were peaceful and public,
ranging from concerts and demonstrations, to video showings and dinner
parties. Even some mainstream media outlets recognized the FBI memo for 
what it was - a
manipulative, dishonest attempt to incite fear- and criticized them for that.
Some participants in the June 12 day of action withstood intense harassment
including being photographed, videotaped and questioned with one group
actually being evicted due to the hysteria from the FBI.

Since the June 12, 2004 Day of Action, support for Jeff has continued to grow
and strengthen. People all over the world see Jeff as a political prisoner and
acknowledge that his sentence is meant as a deterrent to increased resistance
to oppression. Overall however, the political climate in the US and abroad has
become more corrupt and repressive. On the home-front, the prison industrial
complex continues to expand, repressive laws and legislation continued to get
pushed by lying politicians, political prisoners are denied parole as the real
criminals receive little or no punishment, and the already weak laws that
exist to protect the environment are quickly being eliminated by blood-thirsty
industry and the Bush administration. On the international level, the Bush
regime is intensifying military aggression in Iraq, planning future actions in
Iran and the proposed Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales is attempting to
undermine the Geneva Convention to justify the torture tactics used by US
soldiers and prison guards at Abu Gharib and Guantanamo Bay. The conditions
are ripe to expose the hypocrisy of the system. Opposition and dissent is
needed now possibly more than ever before.

During the weekend of June 10-12th, 2005, social justice activists from across
the world are called upon again to organize and show their outrage about
Jeff’s imprisonment and the continued abuse and isolation of dissident 
prisoners
across the globe. State repression is meant as a deterrent to social and
environmental movements all over. Jeff received a sentence of over 22 years 
for an action
that harmed no one except for the pocketbook of a local car dealer. Typical
arson charges in Oregon result in sentences less than five years. The Judge in
Jeff's case sentenced a man to 18 years last year for child molestation.
Charles Graner Jr, responsible for the brutal torture and sexual harassment of
Iraqi Prisoners of War at Abu Gharib received only ten years! Every day in
every city, cops receive little or no punishment for crimes against the
public.

This cannot be tolerated! Fight for the political prisoners because they have
fought for you, against racism & poverty, war & imperialism, and the pillaging
of the natural world. They’re in there for us - we are out here for them!

Read more about Jeff’s case at www.freefreenow.org Read more
about political prisoners at www.thejerichomovement.com. Plan an action that
makes sense for your area: a demonstration, treesit, music festival, teach-in,
stenciling campaign, rally, protests at an American consulate/embassy overseas
or public forum. Circulate petitions. Write letters to the Governor of Oregon
asking him to look into Jeff's case. Contribute to Jeff's legal defense. Do
what you think is appropriate. But please remember when planning an action or
event think about how it could affect Jeff’s upcoming appeal. Ask yourself:
does this help or hurt Jeff? Does this strengthen the movement or weaken it in
the long-term?

Download a PDF of this call here.
East Coast contact:
Friends of Jeff 'Free' Luers-freefreenow at mutualaid.org

West Coast contacts:
Break the Chains-PO Box 12122, Eugene, OR 97440, breakthechains02 at yahoo.com
San Francisco Jeffrey Luers Support Network- freejeffreyluers at resist.ca

European contact:
Brighton Anarchist Black Cross- PO Box 74, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 4ZQ, UK,
mail at brightonabc.org.uk

***************************************************************
Free the Land!
Free Jeffrey Luers!
Free all Political Prisoners!
Show your Solidarity!
http://www.freefreenow.org/>http://www.freefreenow.org/
http://www.freefreenow.org/howtohelp.html




The Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 863-9977
www.freedomarchives.org 
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