originally published on Ablition Media, December 27, 2024
aboltionmedia noblogs.org/13395/

with whatever weapons at hand

Casey Goonan is the only US political prisoner from the 2024
pro-Palestine student encampments. They are an abolitionist
and anarchist who has dedicated themselves to multiple forms
of prisoner support work and directly engaging with
incarcerated comrades. The impact they've made inside is
prevalent, as indicated by statements from their comrades
Stevie Wilson and Hybachi Lemar. They've always pushed to
ensure an understanding of Black struggle and revolt as central
totheir abolitionist work, and through understanding the
totality of anti-Blackness the importance of an anti-police and
anti-prison perspective was brought into any and all of their
efforts towards liberation.

In June of 2024, they were arrested by a task force comprised of
the FBI and other law enforcement agencies in connection with
an alleged direct action which took place in solidarity with the
UC Berkeley encampments which had been brutalized by police
and zionists earlier in the year® . If convicted, they could face up
1020 years in prison with a minimum sentence of 5. The
investigation and court proceedings are currently ongoing but a
non cooperative plea deal is pending in which Casey will plea
guilty to one charge to allow additional charges to be dropped.
This plea deal does not include information or testimony against
anyone else.

While Casey has received a great amount of support from
decentralized community in New York, Chicago, California, and
elsewhere, the pro-Palestine movement needs to be publicly and
actively supporting them. Right now, their primary accomplices
are those who personally know them, those who prioritize
prisoner support, and fellow anarchists. Despite vague
assertions of the interconnectedness of repression and struggles
between the American policing and prison apparatuses to that of
Israel, there has been little material manifestation from that
understanding within the US pro-Palestine movement.
Meanwhile, coordinated struggle between prisoners and outside

fov casey
militants has been a key point of success for Palestinian
liberation.

We must recognize the necessity of attacking the infrastructure
of occupation domestically. Amidst calls for escalation, it s of
vital importance to defend those experiencing repression from
the legal system. To not do so is to allow one of the state’s most
well-funded and structured counterinsurgency tactics to take
complete hold of movements. If people are abandoned to
incarceration, the fear of repression will throw everyone
towards inactivity. This need for defense isespecially true for
those facing charges beyond the more palatable ways of dissent,
like marches and encampments.

State repression must be met with expanding our community
resources to reach those inside. Bravery must be met with
support.

10’ not surprising that, despite the large presence of the
Palestinian diaspora in the American pro-Palestine movement,
tactics focus primarily on vocalizing dissent through marches
and making demands of the state, which are a far ery from the
struggle within Palestine itself. This is partially attributed to the
class character of the diaspora — a petty bourgeois group would
have no investment in attacking infrastructure they partially
benefit from evenif that same infrastructure perpetuates the
genocide of indigenous groups including Black people and
Palestinians both domestically and globally. Equally, the
‘motivations and interests of the community organizations and
student groups that are largely in control of the movement not
only harbor that class character but also rely on funding from
the infrastructure they refuse to attack. Despite the student
movement being referred to as an intifada, it’s activity is
incomparable to what has occurred during the numerous
intifadas leading up to the Al-Aqsa Flood.
Considering pro-Palestinian community groups and political
organizations like USPCN, CJP/SJP, Dissenters, NAARPR, JVP
and PSL are supplied with enough funds to bus people in for
marches, plan conferences, and campaign for local policy,
certainly donating money towards legal fees for those facing
repression would be no issue.

Even with all the attention and credibility being given to the
pro-Palestinian student movement and despite the numerous
pro-Palestine student groups on university campuses, there
have been no publicly cireulated student-led support efforts for
Casey. Outside of participants of the Columbia University
encampment, there has been no mention of them from any
other university space, most likely attributed to groups aligning
themselves with certain tactics, a hesitancy towards anarchists,
and the fear of repression.

Beyond the bare minimum of ensuring people are supported in
obtaining adequate legal counsel, any revolutionary horizons
with teeth require long term prisoner support. This practice is
key to the current struggle that led to the Al-Aqsa Flood as
exhibited by the rich history of organizing within prisons and
the ongoing liberation of those being held hostage by Isracl. In
Khalida Jarrar’s words, “[t]he ongoing conquest to liberate
prisoners is in tandem with the Palestinians’ constant and
multifaceted struggle against colonialism. Hence, the slogan
“emptying the prisons” is derived from and a core component in
the Palestinian struggle through various stages in its history.’

Those of us living under a plantation economy already have our
own reasons to ensure incarceration is a central site of struggle.
But if one does insist upon taking guidance from elsewhere and
ifone intends to “bring the Intifada home” or “escalate for
Gaza”, Palestinians have provided plenty of methods for how
carcerality can be attacked.

fov casey
Casey understood this prior to their incarceration and there’s no
doubt this knowledge influenced their own political horizons. If
the pro-Palestine movement wants to also tote itself s an
intifada they should take note of the militant organizing and
support infrastructure within and between prison walls that
oceurs in Palestine. Abandonment of prisoners is where
revolutionary ideals die.

Empty The Prisons

Free Casey Goonan
Casey is adedicated community educator, writer, distroist,
and printer who has committed their life to struggles for
liberation. A federal investigation by the FBI and several other
law enforcement agencies resulted in Casey’s arrest in June
2024 for actions including burning a UCPD vehicle in
response to UC Berkeley's treatment of student protestors for
Palestine. On September 23, 2025, Casey was sentenced to
nearly 20 years in prison followed by 15 years of close
supervision and was ordered to pay over $94,000 in
restitution.

As of October 4, 2025, Casey is located at FCI Mendota, but we
expect them to be moved through several federal facilities
before they reach their long term placement. Check the BOP
Inmate Locator for Casey’s current location before writing.

Just as Casey has persistently for years cared for, supported,
and struggled alongside incarcerated comrades, we aim to
replicate these actions in solidarity with Cascy as they
continue their struggle from the other side of the wall.

A note from Casey in September 2025:

“Thanks to everybody out there who has shown me love and
offered support through this time. I wish every prisoner
could experience the level of support you all have shown to
me.In here, I've done my best to show my love to all my
fellow prisoners and I remain steadfast to the movement to
Palestinian liberation and the movements for decolonization
and abolition worldwide.”

fov casey
“State repression
must be met with
expanding our
community.
resources to reach
those inside. Bravery
must be met with
support.”