#78: June 11th—Prisoner Solidarity, COVID-19, and Anti-Police Rebellion

Today we celebrate June 11th, an international day of solidarity with long-term anarchist prisoners. While this is the sixteenth year this date has been observed, 2020 presents an unprecedented context: both the COVID–19 pandemic and the massive uprising sparked by the police murder of George Floyd have shifted our focus and sense of what’s possible. In solidarity with all prisoners, with particular care for anarchists in long-term confinement, we begin by sharing an excerpt from a history of June 11th as a day of prisoner solidarity along with the June 11th call issued for 2020. To these we add a short interview with a June 11th organizer and supporter of anarchist Green Scare prisoner Marius Mason. As politicians raise the specter of “antifa” to divide and defuse the militant anti-police resistance that has swept the US and beyond, we explore state repression of antifascists through an interview with antifascist prisoner David Campbell and his support crew. Another interview with a participant in the South Florida COVID–19 Hotline for Incarcerated People explores a model for prisoner solidarity in pandemic times. We conclude with updates on several long-term prisoners’ cases and upcoming birthdays. After today’s focus on prisoner struggles, next time we’ll return our focus to the Minneapolis uprising and the international movement to commemorate Black lives lost to police violence.

{June 11th, 2020}

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• Table of Contents:
  • Introduction {0:01}
  • June 11th: The History of a Day of Solidarity {6:59}
  • June 11th, 2020: Organizer’s Call {23:42}
  • Interview with a June 11th Organizer {30:52}
  • Interview with Antifascist Prisoner David Campbell {41:02}
  • Interview: Update From David Campbell’s Support Crew {1:19:42}
  • Prisoner Solidarity During the Pandemic: The South Florida COVID–19 Hotline for Incarcerated People {1:34:59}
  • Prisoner Updates and Birthdays {1:57:05}
  • Conclusion {2:01:16}
• This episode focuses on June 11th, the international day of solidarity with long-term anarchist prisoners. It includes the 2017 article June 11th: The History of a Day of Solidarity and the 2020 call from June 11th organizers. The history refers to two influential solidarity texts, “To Libertarians” and “Revolutionary Solidarity.”
• Some of long-term anarchist and anti-authoritarian prisoners in the US that you can support today include Marius Mason, Jeremy Hammond, Eric King, Bill Dunne, Alvaro Luna Hernandez, Michael Kimble, and Sean Swain. For a listing of international anarchist prisoners, see the Brighton Anarchist Black Cross page.
• We shared an interview with antifascist prisoner David Campbell. Here are some tips on writing to him, and this is his address: David Campbell #3101900657 Robert N. Davoren Complex 11–11 Hazen St East Elmhurst, NY 11370
  • If you want to virtually visit him, here are instructions:
  • Check the Visit Schedule, then click on the month (e.g. “May 2020”): Rikers folks can have up to three visitations as long as they fall under:1 weekday (Wed or Thurs), a Friday, and 1 weekend day (Sat or Sun).
  • Fill out Televisit Request form: You’ll need a photo ID, address, and e-mail to complete the form. You will need to upload a photo of your ID. Up to three people can visit at a time. You will also need to know the incarcerated person’s booking and case number; for David Campbell, his booking and case number is: 3101900657. You will be able to choose up to three potential visit times, unfortunately there is no guarantee that you will get your first choice.
  • Wait for an e-mail or call from Rikers telling you the date and time of your virtual visit. This will happen the day before your scheduled visit. (Note that the slot they give you might be different from any of the dates or times you requested).
  • Also check out “Stickup on Rikers,” an article David wrote on the hunger strike he helped to organize in March.
• Be sure to also check out the June 11th episode from The Final Straw, featuring interviews with a Marius Mason supporter and with anarchist prisoner Jeremy Hammond.
• If you’re interested in the South Florida COVID–19 Hotline for Incarcerated People (CHIP), please consider donating to them through GoFundMe, Venmo (@CHIP-Hotline), or PayPal (sflactivistdefensefund@gmail.com). If you want to volunteer or offer other support, or you’re interested in starting a similar project, you can contact the organizers at C19inmatehotline[at]riseup[dot]net.
• To understand the history that led to the arrest of Marius Mason and the emergence of June 11th as a day of anarchist solidarity, it’s helpful to learn about the Green Scare, the wave of arrests and state repression against earth and animal liberation movements in the early 2000s. Check out Ex-Worker episodes [#34, “Staying Safe so we can be Dangerous Together”](https://crimethinc.com/podcasts/the-ex-worker/episodes/34), and [#17, “Conspiracy! State Repression Strategies and Anarchist Resistance”](https://crimethinc.com/podcasts/the-ex-worker/episodes/17) for more background and analysis.
• Check out The Uprise Daily, an exciting new audio project offering a daily rundown of protests and ongoing rebellion in response to police killings.
• Here is a comprehensive list of bail funds for protestors across the country compiled by the Community Justice Exchange’s National Bail Fund Network.
• Upcoming Prisoner Birthdays:

  Jared Chase M44710 Dixon Correctional Center 2600 North Brinton Avenue Dixon, Illinois 61021 {June 12}

  Stephen Kelly #015634 Glynn County Detention Center 100 Sulphur Springs Road Brunswick, Georgia 31520 {June 12}

  Smart Communications / PA DOC Jarreau Ayers – NS9994 SCI Huntington PO Box 33028 St. Petersburg, FL, 33733 {June 15}

  Jason Renard Walker #1532092 Clements Unit 9601 Spur 591 Amarillo, TX 79107 {June 17} Also see this Final Straw interview with Jason

• Tips for writing to prisoners from It’s Going Down