SUMMER STARTING AN ANARCHIST BLACK ¢ CROSS GROUP: A GUIRE WELCOME WHAT 1S THE ANARCHIST BLACK CROSS AN WHY DOES IT EXIST? R RISONER OF THE STATE: 10U ARE N0 FORGOTTF The Anarchist Black Cross exists fo strengehen struggles for freedom and liberation by providing mental, 1, material, and physical support to individuals, groups, ommunities, and movements, Ultimately, we want to hel the strength of o from the inside struggles at. We want o beathreatto state, capitalist, white supremacist patriarchal power and other forms of domination. ‘The History of the Anarchist Black Cross. The Anarchist Black Cross Federation in the United States has written averview of the history we share below: Since the beginning narchist Black Cross (ABC), has been on the frontline in e imprisoned f tom and liberty Uniil recently, the history of the ABC movement has been lost to the p of time. The present generatio ABC collectives were left rootless with litle knovn in this organization. N questions ing our origin can be put to rest. We have begun o rediscover our roots. Century, the in has The year ofor 1 4 nagging question regarding the history of the Anarchist Black Cross, also known as the Anarchist Red Cross (ARC) According to Rudolph Rocker, once the treasurer for the Anarchist Red Cross in London, the organization was nded during the “hectic period betiveen 1900 and 1905." Despite his involvement in the early stages, we do not feel these dates are accurate. According to Harry Weinstein, one of the tio men who began the organization, it began after his arrest in July or August of 1905, O released, Weinstein and others provided clothing to anarchists sentenced to exile in Siberia. This was the early stage of the AR Weinstein contintied his efforts in Russia until his arrival in New York in May of 1907. Once he arriv helped to create the New York Anarchist Red Cross. Other accounts place the yeas arigin in 1907. Between June and 1907, Anarchists and athered Socialist Revolu gether in London for tw ferences. It s believed that Vera Figner, a Socialist Revolutionary, met with Anarchists to discuss the plight of the political prisoners in Russia After this meeting, the Anarchist Red Cross organized in London and in New York. In addition to this rmation, we know that members the organization were on frial in 1906-1907 in Russia. Therefore, We feel the most accurate date n r the Anarchist Red Cross would be late 1906-carly 1907 for the Russia n; June or August 1907 for the eation of the International section. Jy 7 VIEABK coit coy ' Hod How of the Anarchist R dispute. It was forme away from the Political R (PRC). The PRC was controlled by the Social Demoerats and refused to provide support to Anarchist and Social Revolutionary Politica ex, the reason for the reation affer breaking Prisoners, despite continued donations from other Anarchists and Social Revolutionaries. As one former rof the Political Prisoner and mem! Anarchist Red Cross state prisons there was ltle disfinction made befween Anarchists and other Politi in others Anarchists were refused any help. The newly formed ARC considered these actions criminal and vowed that any prison where Anarchists were in the majority, the ARC would provide support to all Anarchist and Social Revolutionaries Political Prisoners. Because of their support for Political Prisoners, members of the group were artested, tortured and killed by the Tsarist The arganization was deeme illegal and membership was on enough for arrest and imprisonment in Artvisky Prison, ane of the worst hard labor jails in Siberia. ARC members and prisoners who manay toescape 1 [IAVKA= from prison fled. from Russia creating chapters in London, New York, Chicago and other cit in Europe and North America. The 1917 Revolution caused a celebration throughout the Anarchist, and Comimunist communities. The ARC liquidated and members began tomake plans to return to Russia in hopes of participating in the new society. Sadly, their return was met by Bolshevik repression, similar to that of the Tsarist era. Afier @ few years of hibernation, the group was forced to resurface to assist the Politica Prisoners in the new Bolshevik ain the organization was made illegal and membership meant imprisonment andjor death. During the Russian Civil War, the ARC's name changed to the Anarchist Black Cross to avoid confusion with the International Red Cross, also organizing relief in the country. It was also during this period that the organization organized self-defense units against political raids by the Cossack and Red armies. ven decades, ntinue under various During the next groups would co names, but always as part of a | Anarchist Red Cross/Anarchist Black Cross formation. ABCS support for Political Prisoners spread to the four corners of the globe. What was once a typically Russian ) now had many f wish organization, and ethni During the 1960s, the Anarchist Bl Cross was reformed in Britain by Stuart Christie and Albert Meltzer with a focus on providing aid for anarchist prisoners in Francisco Franco’s Spain. The reason for this was Christie’ experience of the Spanish State’s jail and the importance of Feceiving food parcels At that time there were no international groups acting for Spanish anarchis prisoners. The first action of the re-activated group was fo brin Garcla, whom Christic out of Spain upon his Resistance Miguel Gar metin pr release. He went on to act as the groups International secretary, working for the relcase of others. In the 19805, the ABC began to grow and new ABC groups began to in North America. In the Unit States, the ABC name had n kept alive by a number of completely autonomous groups scattered throughout had grown to support a wide variety of country and prison issues. The 1990s and 20005 brought several ABC formations in North America (ABCC, ABCN, ABC). Prior to 2003, the relationship between these formations was considered strenuous. With the Break the Chains n August 2003, along with conference e bar d lectives, a better working relationship between the ABCF and ABCN formations was forged. (The ABC dying offin the early 1990s.) ussions befween was a short lived formation, Various AB Europe in oups have existed in ent forms for decades. HOW 10 ABC GROUPS ORGANIZE? There are a lot of different ABC groups around the world autonomy to decide how the group functions and ths group. Autonomy and decentralization help us make sure that o group o individual is capable princ To make sure that decisions within the groups are made with consideration of all the members of the group, we encourage everybody to make decisions based on a consensus model. However, some groups choose to use simple majority or super majority voting, Ultimately, it is up to you to decide what kind of decision making fits your group. However, it is important to talk it through before hand forming a group to avoid misunderstandings with other members. ‘Types of organizing Depending on the political situatior in different countries, groups can decide on the type of organizi ranging from open groups with membership 1o clandestine groups that are known only to the people facing repression. All types have pluses and minuses that should be taken in consideration when you start your awn group. Open Group. This ty used and is more common in liberal dem darity work might be not a risk repression of activists. In this form, the group is of organizing is not often racies, where sol apen to new members and has processes established to let new aple join decision making With an open pr passionate per solidarity without complicated procedures of building up a reputation and earning trust from the movement. With more ¢ group, more can be achieved. It is also ple to the work of nergy in the quite easy to fundraise, s real faces representing the grol more trust among than ma: As for the negatives, it is casy for police or other bad actors to infiltrate: the group and disrupt internal = ) o PR Mot e processes. Consider this seriously and think through how to confront this in case it appears. Finally, itis quite easy to determine group membership and bring the ‘group down by direct repression as membership is transparent. ‘Semi-Open/Closed group This is a type of group that only allows trusted o well-known folks into the group. These groups might be made up of individuals, but also members of local anarchist organizations that are aware of upcoming or existing repression. In this type of structure, membership in the group may or may not be publicly known, deciding in advance by the membership.. This might help members avoid possible repression in future, even ifrisks are minimal at the current stage of state repression. The benefit of this group structure is the atmosphere of trust that might push group activity further in different directions. 1t is harder for the state or capial o disrupt activity of the group. On top of that, many such groups develop into affinity groups, which is hard to do with Gpen groups. Apart from that, in the event of repression targeting the entire. group, it will be hard for the state to attack all members, meaning that semi-open or closed groups have a higher probability of surviving direct repression, One of the main downsides of semi-open/closed groups i the greater dependence on individual members. Due to the complicated procedures of building trust, it might be complicated to find new people to join the group instead of those who have decided to change their activity focus. 1t is harder for people o get in touch with the collective in cases of repressian or with questions connected to expected future, repression. This can be addressed by building up additional ways of contacting the group. For example, mail that is checked every day, or even one or two peaple from the group who are known within anarchist circles as ABC organizers. Organize locally Uliimately, ABC work done locally is heavily connected to the specifics of the region. That's why, for example, it is quite hard for people from Russia to directly support activists from Finland and vice versa. We discourage local groups from forming one big ‘group covering a big region for that reason. When we decentralize our structure, we make it hard for the state to hit everyone at once. However, local organization doesnit mean isclation. We encourage organizing with different groups and learning from each other. Solidarity and support from neighboring regions or even from distant parts of the world are extremely important for ABC work. Decentralized , we are strong, but real pover comes in coaperation, Decentralization also allows us the possibility to go different ways. ‘There have been situations where one group decides against supporting some activists/cases due o political principles, while others were cager to help. This level of group autonomy eliminates paralysis in contradictory situations. Itis worth learning about other groups in your region that might be interested in larger cooperative. projects. Most likely, there already arel I not, don't get discouraged. there are groups that prefer working independently, but that doesn't mean that all groups do. Keep asking and. scarching and you might find a group that you work with for years to come. Donit get surprised if some groups are. more open than the others. Different political situations build different political profiles, where activists might be suspicious of new. groups/peaple before they figure you out. This is a process that most of us have to go through one way or another 1o build up networks of trust, WHAT [0 ABC GROUPS 120? ‘To make this section more interesting, we published interviews with ABC organizers from around the world. They share what their different groups have been doing, as well as the highlights and challenges they have experienced. 1 got involved in ABC a few months after a close friend was murdered in prison in Texas. I wanted to do Something productive with the anger | felt after his death, Our group does all kinds of stuff, from fundraisers (we have started doing monthly burger nights as one. of us s an amazing chef) to letter writing, to demos. Its important becausé of how non judgmental the approach is—we arent looking for “worthy” people to support, but want to show love and solidarity toall people in prison, en route to destroying the prison system altogether. ‘The group itself keeps me going, because whilst the crew is super on i, they are also super kind and thoughtful. 1 only hope I can do the same for them! My advice would be take care of the other people in your crev, and yourself, You have an incredible potential to change so much, so take care of each other’ Ijoined a new group that formed in Warsaw at the very beginning of 2014 or 15. L already knew about ABC and how it works in Poland but the situation in Warsaw started to be complicated for some activists and there was a need to have a supporting group here. Plus 1 was skeptical and eritical about how support for the politically repressed people looks like and how it could look Fecling like this smal ‘edicated to this work and good relations in the group step by We are trying as much s its possible to skip the way of bureaucracy’ and trying to take an ndividual decision about individual cases. We are also interested in communicating abou the values and political beliefs that this group times. I think that we network 1¢hink the biggest challenges for me we - How to deal with keeping this grou and accessible and working well the san time. How to communicate that you can join ort it and how to leave a space for nt ideas not lose fecision making proce - How to create new way of group in the sense of who you suj how fo overcome mechanisms that people already get used to. “.. A close friend was murdered in prison in Texas. Iwanted to do something productive with the anger I Jfelt after his death....” got involved in ABC nportance of supporting Lsaw how few people give spends a lot of time fundraising neals/raffles) and then a small amount of that m other prison g part of. Its important because prisons are ontact difference to peoples I ABC means solidarity to me, the threat of prison ople and so our solidarity orite ABC moment mine and ex-ABC-mum changed his life The sense of support in th memorable, and it keeps m ‘people on the “The value of ABC is also in it’s political core of that the other person doesnt — solidarity, where support is vt more eers not just humanitarian aid, but a political statement that unites us in struggle.” Somewhere around 2009-2010 became clear to many of us in the anarchist movement in our country that we will get repressed by the state sooner or later. We started ABC to get organized before the state strikes. Afier almost a year of existence, we did get in trouble with the state after a massive wave of arrests and detentions of anarchists and antifascists ‘The main focus of the group is supporting prisoners and people on trial This is also the main part of spendings. Apart from that, we publish our own brochures on security culture, how not to talk to police and so o We also run our website where we try o track all the repressions against anarchists and antifascists around the country. We are also one of the groups trying to push the international week of solidarity with anarchist prisoners. For me, ABC is somehow this wall you build in front of the repressive regimes that allows activists to do their stuff without worrying about the necessity to gather money or hother about organizing your own salidarity campaign in case of repression. Apart from that, the value of ABCis also in ts political core of solidarity, where support is not just humanitarian aid, but a political statement that unites us in struggle. Our challenges have been surviving! For all the years the group has existed, its been underground with invitation only membership. With that in mind it is worth mentioning that we try to act in most of the cases without bringing the ABC brand to the table as it might potentially cause some troubles for those who are calling themselves ABC members. But thase who need to know, know it anyway. Another challenge is always the collection of money. It might be one of the most boring jobs ever. At the same time, if you do it properly it might turn info fun. But it s a real challenge not to end up broke afer another wave of repressions that the state starts against the movement. Ithink the most inspiring moment was when we organized an infotable with letter writing at one of the big, events. A really young girl came. with her mother to write letters o prisoners. Her mother was crying, while the daughter was writing something on the postcard. I think moments like that hoost my faith in humankind even if sometimes it crumbles. What keeps me going? I think there is this egoistic approach that if something happens to me, 1 would love people to help me out. This is one of the reasons, and the other thing is that through the years of work in ABC it is becoming clearer what solidarity means and how important it . Not just the words, but actions that move the walls around the people and make repressions a lttle bit less successful. My advice to new people-ask other ‘groups if you are hesitant about how to start. Some support from collectives now far from you might help you understand hov the things are working way faster and you can start spreading your solidarity very soon! And try il Itis a ot of fun although at the very beginning it might look overwhelming. Just start doing and trying to support people and it will give you this burst of doing something that makes difference. Starting from the small letters and ending up supporting people during the trial. Every drop in the acean of struggle counts. Tactually first received support from an ABC when 1 was in prison. This solidarity and support from the group. made a huge impression on me, and when 1 was released and then finally free of these state conditions, 1 joined the group. Our ABC group has engaged in many activities over the years. At some points, we have friends and comrades we know personally who are in prison, and our work may be more directly supporting them - like prison visits, writing letters, fundraising, et cetera. Other times, our work is more focused on international salidariy. We try to organize at least one. monthly event; this could be anything from a vegan burger night fo raise money, to hosting a speaker who is touring and talking about a certain situation. We also 1y to keep our website updated with news from around the world. We have produced. anumber of publications and also write articles. Fortunately, there is another group in our area that focuses on supporting defendants before prison, so our main focus can be supporting people in prison. We also get involved in national campaigns against prison expansion and more. We also organize actions as part of international days of action. 1feel that ABC is beautiful and necessary for many reasons. I feel it is really important that the anarchist movement builds up the infrastructure that enables us tobe. resilient to repression. It clear from history that effective struggles will alvays be met by state and capitalist forces. We need to learn from history and be. preparcd. s uscful o have ABC groups in existence so that when the shit hits the fan, we are ready and can respond. It also meaningful to be organizing international solidarity and constantly developing and strengthening these relationships. For mysel, on a very personal level, ABC gave me hope and strength in prison. Knowing that one day | could get out and meet these kind people who supported me really meant the world Itkept me going and it gave power to my heart knowing these people existed! I think our main challenge has been finding enough people willing fo organize in a dedicated way. It is very easy to find people to help with certain events, like doing cooking, but it has been harder at fimes to have enough people who will do this more boring or invisible work ke checking ‘emails or updating the prisoner list There have also been some challenges with the gendered division of labour but this is improving! ‘Sometimes, the emotional work involved in ABC can be challenging, too. Like when you hear from comrades who have been tortured or beaten in prison, or are just struggling with imprisonment. organizing can help you to feel less powerless, but you still feel like you just want o go there and destroy the walls and get these people out! I think this fecling of ‘ot doing enough is something that many people feel who are engaged in struggles,it's not exclusive to ABC My favorite momentis I think definitely visiting one prison on the New Year's Eve solidarity demos and making noise outside. Inside the women were shouting back, and banging on the doors - and ifs like: the whole prison came alive with noises of defiance. It was amazing! We later heard from a woman in this prison at the time who said it really icked off in the prison that night and everyone there felt amazed that people would come on NYE to support them. “What keeps me going is knowing that these systems of oppression and exploitation still exist and that the necessity to fight remains.” What keeps me going? It sounds really cheesy to say things like “Until All Are Free or “Until Every Cage is Empty but 1 really feel this way. That, we simply cannot stop until all the cages and prisons in this world are destroyed. What keeps me going is knowing that these systems of oppression and exploitation still exist and that the necessity to fight remains. Emotionally, what keeps me going is friendships that I have gained through the ABC network. There are some incredibly inspiring people active in this struggle and it is an honor to know them. My advice for new groups s to ask for support when you need it - contact one of the longer running groups and simply ask for help. We have all made 50 many mistakes and learned so much over the years that people are happy to help others to get started. Also, make sure you take care of yourself and each other! And fuck macho bullshit For some years, I was aware about the existence of such a group in our city. I rather felt it is something. super-secret and to me it was a kind of 7th level of anarchism or something. Now it sounds really ridiculous, but | guess it was so because it was vital o not talk about who is doing what and who is who, you know: My involvement started with a wave of repression which also hit me and my comrades, and anti repression work got much wider scale than before and involved more people After some time, 1 realized that actually we are doing things which ABC is doing for a long time, and the. only difference is that I don't meet other people from the group, who don't necessarily do public things and don't want many people to know about their involvement. So after some time I got closer and ‘took some responsibilities that I wanted to take care of. It was simple because we are just bunch of friends and see each other very often, and it is actually hard to name the day when Igot involved as our ABC group doesrit have ritual for accepting new. people, ke oaths around the campfire when if's a full moon-which is really nice ritual 1 think! My favorite moment-1 think I really liked how we were inventing nicknames for all these police and state assholes who were (rying to send usto prison. Making jokes about all of them while writing an article and sometimes trying to write it in the most funny way we could-1 think I could count so many hours that we spent laughing about the police. And I think all these organizing moments were not how many people imagine activism or what actually activism looks like-something boring and taking a lot of time. Because it is not activism. Our case is a bunch of friends, cooking food together and having a good time, and meanwhile actually doing things. But also 1 got to say that there are things which start to be hard afier some time, Like publishing things on the website, especially if you have dozens of other things to do. Itis good to share these responsibilities and not to create hierarchies. 1 mearn, for example, really try to avoid a situation when thereis only one or two people who know how to put things on a website or have access to e-mail, because these things are very routine or they start o be routine very soon. So share it, and when you feel that tasks are hard for you, share them with people in your group to give yourself a small reward. 1 think it a ip for how to make things a bit more inspiring. I'm doing ani-repression-stuff for nearly 18 years and, as an anachist, Iwas always interested in organizing as an ABC group and doing anti-prison projects. There was an ABC group somewhere else in the country in the late 90s/beginning of 2000, when I just started by myself ‘oing things in the radical left and 1 had some loose contact. Later, I was organizing with an anti-repression-group that did legal support service for demonsrations and so on. 1lft this group because: of some big differences concerning the political goals we were fighting for and my personal affections to radical theory and practice. Then some peaple in my home town started an ABC group in 2008. It took some years because of different personal and political issues but then Tjoined them. One of my favorite moments was when we organized the Anti-Prison-Days some years ago and an anarchist long-term prisoner joined the meeting, He vas 16 years behind bars and was released 10 days before he traveled to the meeting. It was really impressive to meet him and listen to his words during the discussions. He was so open-minded and talked about his experiences in prison. For me, it was the affirmation of why I'm fighting against the prison industry and that we are right What keeps me going? Its fucking. important. Yes, i's hard work and nothing fun about that, but it has to be pushed forvward. We are not just doing anti-repression work, we are ‘enemies of the state and capitalism and ABC is just one part of a lot. | cannot stop. There will be always repression as long there is the state, sowe wil continue My advice to people starting-do your work and fight. It not a hobby or some kind of project that you can quit when you are interested in something hew or more fascinating. For me, it makes no sense to startan 'ABC group and then stop with it some years later because nobody is interested in the things you are doing orthe fights you are going through. Of course not. Anti-Repression is never some fun-stuff. 1ts hard work. And it hard to continue. But dont give up. ‘Some small breaks, ok, but dont give up. 1 also story of trust and dependability for other people in the same or similar fights “We are not just doing anti-repression work, we are enemies of the state and capitalism and ABC is just one part of a lot. I cannot stop. There will be always repression as long there is the state, so we will continue.” “This work started for me almost 20 years ago, when I started to get involved with a quite active punk scene. At this time, there was an active ABC group in the south of this country and one of the peaple was also doing a DIY Punk Zine and | ordered it. And with and within the zine was also ABC Material. | immediately had the fecling that this is important and got drawn to this topic. And so. friend and | made an ABC Solidarity Benefit Compilation on ‘Tape. We spread and printed flyers and pamphlets about ABC and prisoners. Over the next years, the topic was still important for me and | did some solidarity stuff for ABC groups but it would take almost 10 more years to start our own group in my cify in 2008. Prison or Ani-prison perspectives were not a topic in the anti authoritarian movement at all and the anti-repression groups did not have an anti-prison/anti authoritarian perspective. We wanted to change this. In the first years, our main focus was to spread the ideas of an anarchist view against prisons and make prisons/repression and solidarity a bigger topic within the anti-authoritarian movement, After a while, the banners on solidarity demonstrations changed from freedom for all polifical prisoners” to freedom for all prisoners’ ) haha. But we did a lot of talks about why we as anarchists are against prisons and that there can't be a free saciety with prisons. A lot of peaple within the movement seemed to have a hard time with these ideas at least at first. We also did an Infotour through the country about this topic. We made and printed fiyers and zines about prison related topics, made: talks about current cases and prisoners and always collected money to support prisoners and other groups. We took part in international gatherings and also organized Anti-Prison-Days. We participated in solidarity actions and for 6 years now, we organize a solidarity-festival once a year. For the last 4 years, we've published a monthly printed newsletter. We have aregular updated website with current events and an incomplete list of prisoners. And we have an always growing book and zine distro. Sometimes, we manage to travel around and give talks about ABC.related topics and/or the history of Anarchist Black Cross in general. We are always happy to get asked to do talks. We consider ourselves more an anti-prison group than an anti-repression group, but also do anti-repression work. Starting about one year ago, we do a monthly letter-writing workshop. Ithink ABC is important because such a part of anarchist struggle. We have to support (our) prisoners and also have to keep the struggle against “It sometimes does not feel like much what you can do, but then you get letters from prisoners and they still have so much fight in them and they let you feel how important your support is to them.” this prison saciety going. ABC can be auseful abel under which different ‘groups can also connect more easily There s a lot of material to use from other ABC groups and the ABC also has a long history we can look back and try to learn, but also take. inspiration, from, Most people who are somehow involved with an anti-authoritarian movement or just the punk scene know what ABC is. There are punk festivals all over Eur solidarity with ABC groups who want to support this cause even if they are not part of groups themselves. On the other side, I think it is important to get organized and have anarchist structures to support prisoners, which keep on going an not form new from case to case. And also not to completel German Rote Hilfe, for example, who managed to print in the last two years at least two articles in the Rote Hilfe-Newspaper celebrating authoritarian communism (who Kkilled and incarcerated anarchists/anti-authoritarians). Of course many of the ‘sub-groups” who are part of Rote Hilfe are not like this, but I think this over reliance in Germany on this structure is dangerous. And it also shows somehow that we are everywhere! ) And that we are international network nnected in a loose The challenges have been to keep going and not to burn out. In this line af work, so to speak, there are not so many moments of success, where you immediately seea result. We started with a group which was more than twice the size than we are now. Many people lost interest in the group, the ideas, the strugele... But I guess otherwise the usual stuff ike life ina capitalist society in general The best moment is often justa letter you get from inside prison. The last fwo years we also got invited to talk at a festival about our work and they wrote some really nice words about our group and our work and why they doa benefit especially for us. It felt nice to get appreciated for the work you do. Its not why we doit, but to be honest it felt really good. What keeps us going? I is really important and its just part of our struggle as anarchists. It sometimes does not feel like there is much you cando, but then you get letters from risoners and they still have so much fight in them and they let you fecl how important your support s to them. And most of the time you never met them but you read their words and you feel this strong bond and affnity. 1 personally get a lot of power and energy back from these letters. Also meeting people over the years who are involved since the 805 and even 705 in anti-prison struggles is alvays very inspiring for me. Or people who do this work living in far more repressive countries. And their experiences and how they manage. And there are still prisons and capitalism and no liberated society, So there i also still the need of ABC. ) My advice to new people is don' do it because s cool or trendy, or because you think it gets you scene credibiliy or shit like this. Don't do this if you see this as “activism, what you do for a while, get disillusioned because things don' work as you aren't hobbies. People rely on you and. your support, Give yourself realistic goals (for the start]. 1 mean of course, anarchist revolution is the main goal, but you know what I mean. ;) You will need a lot of stamina and it will take a lot of energy. Mayhe get in contact with other ABC groups-there is a lot you canleam from their experiences. You want them, or prisoners are difficult, don' have to start at zero. or you just get bored and just quit again. Anarchism and solidarity INTERNATIONAL DAYS OF SOLIPARITY Many international days and weeks of action take place throughout the year in solidarity with prisoners. This lis represents a few of those that take place. These days can help keep prisoner support active and visible in our movements and struggles-but we are not limited to them, ABC groups organize many other events and actions throughout the year. Shared days of action help us to build momentum, share resources and gain strength for particular prisoners and struggles. These days are the same each year, but many new days and weeks of action are JUNE T1TH wrernariona announced spontancously when solidarity is urgently needed. ! ! DAY OF SOLIDARITY WITH MARIUS MASON & ALL LONGTERM New York ABC also produce a poster e ReHes Pt ach month of political prisoner birthdays. This is a great resource for regular letter writing events: nycabe.wordpress.com ‘Trans Prisoner Day of Action and Solidarity January 22 This grassroots project was initiated by Marius Mason, a trans prisoner in Connecticut, USA. This annual event is lead by trans prisoners and their supparters from around the world, It is a chance for those on the outside fo. remember those behind bars, give. real solidarity and support and raise awareness about issues facing trans prisoners. It is a chance for those on the inside to have a voice and organize together. International Women's Day Marchs While this day continues to be. whitewashed and channeled into liberal and capitalis feminisms, many anarchists and others use this day to fight against patriarchy and remember the radical history of Womenis Day. ABC groups have organized letter writing events and info nights about incarcerated women worldwide. International Day Against Police Brutality March 15 ‘The International Day Against Police Brutality is observed on March 15. It first began in 1997 as an initiative of the Montreal based Collective Opposed to Police Brutality and the Black Flag group in Switzerland. ‘Acceptance of March 15 as a focal day of solidarity against police brutality varies from one place o another Palestinian Prisoners Day Aprit17 During this day, people worldwide organize rallies, events and actions in solidarity with Palestinian Political Prisoners. Every year, Palestinian prisoners carry Gut an open-ended hunger strike, while those on the TRANS PRISONER DAV OF ACTION AND SOLIDARITY outside seck to amplifytheir voices httpsamidoun.net International Workers' Day/May Day May 1 May Day is held in commemoration of four anarchists executed in the USA in 1886 and all the thousands of others who have struggled for the warking classes. Many groups in this period organize solidarity actions and use it as an apportunity to highlight prison labour and all the incarcerated workers in prison. Read more about the history here: https:/libeom.org/history/1556- ‘haymarket-martyrs. mayday International Day of Solidarity with Long:-term Earth & Animal Liberation and Anarchist Prisoners June 11 Each year, June 11th serves as a day for us to remember our longest imprisoned anarchist comrades through words, actions and ongoing material support. The June 11 website shares many resources and a listing of prisoners who value increased support in this ple are encourage s all over the vorld and re them back. Each year, azine is created of writings and reports, hitpss/junel Lnoblogs.org. Prisoners Justice Day August 10 August 10th is 2 day set aside o remember all those who have died unnatural deaths inside Canadian prisons. The day of action started in Canada in 1974 when prisoner Edward Nolan bled to death at Millhaven Maximum Security Prison in Bath, Ontario. This date has now mé a marking point for prison struggle across the wo http:/prisonjustice.ca International Week of Solidarity with Anarchist Prisoners 23-30 August This is a global week of action dedicated to anarchist prisoners. Solidarity can express itself in many forms; from graffiti to attacks to letter. writing evenings. A colle er and call-out is written and shar online and then groups make autonomous actions and can send reports for the website if they wish. The beginning of the week was chosen because of the histo ution date of Sacco a cal tovo Halian American anarchists, in 1527, They were convicted with a very litle amount of evidence, and many stil consider that they were punished use of their anarchist views hitpssolidarity.nternational International Trans Day of Remembrance 25 November The Transgender Day of Remembrance was set aside to memorialise those who were kille due to anti transgender hatred o prejudice. It honors th and fights for the living. Many anti-prison groups have taken actions against prisons on these days, remembering trans prisoners who have died inside. ‘New Year's Eve Noise Demonstrations It has become tradition, that on the noisiest night of the year we also make noise Internationally, nois outside of prisons are a way fo remember held captive by the state and a way to show solidarity with imprisoned comrades. andloved ones. We come together to break the loneliness and isolation. Demos take place all over the world o let prisoners know they are not alone. ose who are FUNIIRAISING: TOP TIPS Fundraising is one of the biggest parts of our activity. Whether we want it or not, alot of solidarity work requires money. Starting from lawyers for the legal aid and ending up with parcels to the prisoners and support for those that are at the Snancial bottom du to repression. Some people find it to be a nasty business, ofhers fumn it info quite @ positive. experience. Itis up to you to decide which approach you take but it should be. clear that if you are taking your ABC activity seriously you wonit be able to avoid fundraising. Here are some tips from our own experience on how you can make some money. Some of it might not it into reality due to polifical repressions. This list is for updating for sure. Soif you or your group have something to add-feel free to write us back with your experience. Fundraising Evening/Presentation These are some kinds of presentations, discussions or workshops that are connected with the matter for which you are fundraising. For example, a presentation on repression against activists protesting against G20, that might be a platform fo raise soldarity funds. These are quite good in case you want to collect morey for causes ‘that are not really present in your region. Through these events you can inform people and potentially inspire: people fo start being active in support of this or that cause. However, you shouldnt expect a lot of money from these kinds of events, as people are normally not eager to donate money directly after a presentation. The interest in donating might be encouraged with some materials for sale/donation on the topic. Even such things as tshirts or patches might be a small connection to the topic for some peaple. You can also go away from a traditional presentation format and organize a solidarity dinner. Some groups report that a well-organized dinner might raise more funds and attract more people than just a presentation. Solidarity Calls ‘Sometimes it is worth to making a call to anarchist movements for help. It might be that other groups have more. access to funds than you do. For example, western countries have more wealth than castern or southern countries. In that case, such a call can provoke other people to take action in their own town and raise funds for you. Do not underestimate the power of solidarity-you might be positively surprised how people are eager fo help those they don' know, but with whom they share ideas. Party ‘This is one of the most popular ways of fundraising in western counries In most cases you can openly advertise the cause of the party and give people an opportunity to party for the cause. It s a great way to raise 31.01-02.02.14 | [T > e . B\ drugs at their soli-parties. Infotours Infotours are a more advanced version of a presentation event/pary Aninfotour is a set of events that happen around different cites wi the goal of inf the cause Connections that you build on the struggle. Peo you meet during till the end of your life RESISTING | [FUR] rePRESSTON i 9 Hov itis also a lot of work. In IN BELARUS i Necdb| urs have weeks, otherwise your head v up belreyour ot "FREE THE BELARUSIAN J;@ NS ¥ Tattoo Circus Many ABC and ofher autonomous groups raise money for prisoners through o These are events where fattoo artists nizing Tattoo Circuses. give their time for free. People p get tattooed and al this money goes to prisoners or support campaigns. They can raise many thousands of er one weekend. Tattoo Circuses workshops and presentations to raise awareness about different cases of repression and different strugeles. Many groups also organize music food, and drinks to sell to raise funds aver the weekend. have programs of ‘Benefit Gigs/Shows/Concerts gigs are a great way fo raise money. However, i you are paying the bands or even just paying their travel expenses, sometimes it is hard to simply “break even.” Benefit are often best when bands give. their time for free so all the money 1 g0 to prisoners They can be a good opportunity to do an info-table and prisoner letter-writing too. Many groups find they make more events that draw in more people, su hip hop night compared to a punk show. Then again, some groups organize whole festivals that raise a lot of money through punk/meta ust music-see the Fest in Vienna for inspiration! Sport and Sponsored Events Some individuals and groups wil raise money through sponsoring. They will ask friends to give them a onation if they do a 10k run for example. Some people even do this with shaving their head or other silly things! It takes a ot of energy and commitment bu to fundraise. The Anarchist Black Cross Federation (ABCF) and supporting groups also organize an annual ‘Running Dovn the Walls." These sponsored runs much needed funds for their work, People can also walkbikefroll the Sk routes. See hitps:/www.abefnet/rdtw for defals Raffles Raffles are simply where people buy a ticket and potentially win a prize They can be a great addition at any event, such as a presentation o nefit gig. You can ask s onate prizes and can get extra-nice things through five-finger discounts at pporters to Merchandise Merchandise never goes out of fashion. People aluways seem happy to buy henefit tshirts, patches, and other items. They can be expensive to print and organize, but costs can be reduced through doing the screen inting yourselves or finding volunteers o do i, as well a finding tshirtsin thriftjcharity shops. Some. groups also appropriate blank tshirts, ready to be screen printed on, from corporate stores! B UNTILIT BENEFIT BREARS Monthly donations Many antiauthoritarian a anti fascist groups have the option for people to donate regularly, typically a small amount per month. This creates a sustainable income source and is a good model to replicate if you have a ik account and this structure. It can be more difficult if you are informal without an account (many groups do not have a formal account for security reason Anarchist Defense Fund An International Anarchist Defense was laun 8. It collects funds from membs then contribute to dec response to applications for the fu The callective solidarity structure provides support to anarchists around the world who are persecuted or find themselves in a difficult life situation use of their political ideas or tivities. https://afund.info jon making in Last words Whether it is a dinner or a party, infotour or single presentation, it is important to understand that fundraising events also build an atmosphere of solidarity inside anarchist movements, If tday peaple are taking are of comrade A. when hejshe/they are facing repression, then it means that tomorrow nobo is going to give up! This feeling of support from your comrades is extremely important in building revolutionary community that embarks on revolution. Sodont hesitate. If you dorst have experience, ask other groups or your friends to help you out. Be creative and embrace the hard parts of fundraising so you can later enjoy the good parts of it. Disclaimer: We on't want to lst only legal options or discount more traditional ways of fundraising anarchists have, e.. expropriation ;) ized in previous centuries, s\)PPO/q, & X, % INTERNATIONAL ANARCHIST DEFENCE FUND afund into HOW TO KEEP AN ABC GROUF GOING One could say that the fuel ABC goes on is active work around cases of repression that the group is familiar with, That i to say, when repression is not happening, anti-repressive groups like ABC might go into ‘sleeping mode,”f not just disappear. People stand up and leave, Like afier a film finishes, and folks go home since an action is over. ‘Sometimes this is the case with ABC groups, too. Some contemporary ABC groups have stopped being active after the most visible and active parts of repression happening in their communities are over. But it doesrit mean it should always be this vay. There are plenty of reasons why ABC groups might stop existing after repression. For example, very offen peaple who are involved in ABC group are part of other projects, and starting an ABC group might be a practical necessity to organize against repression, especially if no anti-repressive groups already exist. Among other reasons, there might be some traumatic experiences that were connected to the support work that had been done. All of this is understandable. But many of us who participated in ABC noticed acontinuing need to keep it going. Why? ABC, as a type of organization, and as one of the ways anarchists have tactically fought against states and supparted those who got caught, has a great tradition. And the Anarchist Y, 7 Black Cross organizational philosophy is sill an abolitionist philosophy. More than 100 years ago, anarchists in the same type of organization were actively opposing the tsarist regime, and just few years later they became an enemy to the Bolshevik stafe- just as to all other states states on Earth, Coming through both Tsarist and Bolshevik prisons and executions back then, and today fighting against prisons and state repression all around the world, Anarchist Black Cross as an idea gains historical perspective on revolution, the State and its prisons, but also brings a clear abolitionist perspective to ABC' long term goals and everyday struggle. It clear: we absolutely need to destroy all prisons; this institution of control ill a role as a connecting. glue to other systems of oppression, such as patriarchy, classism, and racism. Prisons have never solved problems, but instead created countless numbers of them; destroying so many lives, cultures, and beautiful human and animal beings. We know its not as simple as destroying prisons in a single act of liberating violence, but rathera complicated and long-term process of building other kinds of relationships within society: It s about moving our mutual understanding of punishment, prison, and life without them towards an uncompromisingly deep and radical analysis of how they work, what can be done do destroy them, and what social relations we want, OF course, all of these go together. We can' create an analysis first, then destroy prisons, then think of how we want folive. We doit all at once, and that is what makes our abolitionist ideas strong. The positions presented above means a damn huge amount of wark to be done. And that’s why your local ABC group should go on. As destroying prisons i a hell of an effort, it has to be said alsa that repression never stops. ‘What might be done to keep an ABC ‘group going? First, think of repression in a wider context. It might seem that repression is a relatively short.term situation but repression s actually a part of The Situation. That means that The Repression is always present. The State s always out there and its control aver people’s ives iself means repression and social warfare. Whatever it is: a fine; laws and the whole mechanism and collective. illusion that make them work; borders; a criminal case; the Cop which passes by in a police car on your street; the papers; the courts; the whole so-called public order and so on. Not all repression s visible: some is insidious such a part of our everyday life that we donit necessarily consider it repression in our usual understanding-whether the state is apening a large criminal case against our comrades or cops are beating us up on the streets. Our desire for liberation is equally in conflict with ‘small and ‘big’ repressions, and prisons uphold all of them. As along term, infrastructural undertaking, discuss particular goals ‘within your ABC formation. This can be much more useful than a manual. ‘Some things to discuss that we have, found useful include: + What kind of anti-repressive or abolifionist work is missing in our Iocal area? + What is something that your ABC group could organize around, from an anarchist tactical perspective, for fighting prisons and the State that hasrit been present in your area and could be meaningful? + What kind of projects or initiatives inspire you? - Are there any legal support groups that you can be in contact with? Does it ‘make sense to start one? - How could you organize periodic educational events, connected to raising awareness of security culture? Are there ways how you could make such events more interesting, interactive and easy? What can be done to get more, ‘people interested? ~Think through organizing benefit events to raise funds for your project andjor for prisoner support, How can you make such events more effective and get more peaple involved? How can you connect such events to other ideas you've been having within your group? + Look out for events that you could participate in as a group and present your ideas, perspectives, and work that you are doing. - Have there been any large andor known state repression cases in your area that you are familiar with and that could be highlighted as a lesson for ‘people in your area and beyond? Can you offer in-depth analysis of what happened and what it can potentially teach you? - Think of starting cooperative and common projects with other ABC groups and other friendly callectives near your area and even further. + What are some possible short., middle- and long:term goals for your ABC group? + What are the practical ways in which you could connect your ABC work outside of prison with things that are happening on the inside? How can that can deepen and widen the struggle? - What are the limitations of your ABC group? - Is there anything that can bring peaple in your ABC group closer together as friends and comrades? What could emposer you as a project, or as a group of active individuals? + What is your relation to the dichotomy of political and social, especially in relation to political’ and ‘social prisoners? What are the limifations of such divisions and where do these divisions rise from? +What can be done to keep your group activities more sustainable? Go on and talk to your comrades. Share ideas, make things happen, organize-the sky is the limit! TAKING CARE OF EACH OTHER ABC work can be hard, stressful and emotionally challenging at times. Seeing our friends and comrades arrested, beaten, have their houses raided by police, sit through rials, go to prison, and more can be seriously tough. Many people in ABC groups might also be active in other groups so may be simultancously ‘experiencing repression and supporting others to survive repression. Prisoner support work can mean an infimacy with death. We may lose the people e love due to medical neglect, suicide or even at the hands (or guns) of the police. Coping with grief and managing chronie stress are important skills for ABC organizers. Many people burn out from prisoner support and anti-repression work and this is why taking care of ourselves and each other is super important! This section of the zine aims to explore this topic and share some resources. Vicarious trauma & ABC work s anarchists, as people resisting the ‘dehumanizing nature of capitalism and the state, we see a lt of fucked up shit. We may experience this ourselves directly (like prison), or we may support people we are close to surviving certain chronically stressful and traumatic situations. Or we may just be reading and writing about what other people are going through. Either way, we are exposed toa lot of heavy and upsetting things and itis ‘obvious this is going to begin to affect us (otherwise we wouldn't be humar). One way this is recognized is in the concept of “vicarious trauma Vicarious trauma has been described by the Headington Institute as the ‘process of change that happens because you care about other people that have been hurt, and fecl committed or responsible to help them. Over time this process can lead to changes in your psychological, physical, and spiritual wellbeing, Increasingly, trauma conversation and writing acknowledges the effects of long term and complex trauma, beyond one-off traumatic incidens like a car accident. It shines a light on the potential cumulative consequences of bringing other people grit, fear, anger, and despair into our own awareness and experience over a longer period of time. Some of these changes might be noticed through different signs. ‘Physical and physiological ‘There can also be changes in how we signs can include: see and experience the world: - Hyperarousal symptorns (e.., - Changes in spirituality and beliefs nightmares, difficulty concentrating, around meaning and purpose. We being easily startled, sleep ‘may start to question what we difficulties) believe or lose hope or lose our - Repeated thoughts or images sense of purpose. Our palitical regarding traumatic events, worldviews and beliefs may change especially when you are trying notto aver time, too, in response to the think about it ongoing trauma we witness. For Fecling numb example, for many going to prison Feeling unable to tolerate strong ‘may increase their rage and keep emotions them going in their fight. For many Increased sensitivity o violence others, prison will make them feel - Cynicism, Anger, Disgus, Fear that ighting back is pointless and - Generalized despair and hopeless and they may abandon the hopelessness, and loss of idealism ‘movements that were once a huge - Guilt regarding your own survival part of their life. andj or pleasure - Changes in identity - you may feel Behavior and relationship disconnected from certain identities signs may include: that you once held dear (such as calling yourself an anarchist or - Diffculty setting boundaries gy . F«‘mg’fikg ynugnmr e eor feminist). You may find that you nerge for youtodtt can' cope with organizing any more - Feeling disconnected from loved ::3 ;*:;5 affects your sense of who ones, even when communicating with them - Increased confictin relationships * Changes in beliefs elated to major - General social withdrawal peychological needs (e, beliefs - Acting outexhibiting the “silencing egarding safety, control trust, response” - finding yourselfunable ¢51¢em, and intimacy). In an ABC topay atiention to other' distressing