Reportback from ABC Boston
Here at ABC Boston, we've continued holding prisoner support events twice a month, sending letters and literature and doing research for the prisoners who write to us.
We've received an alarming number of letters from prisoners in Eddyville State Penitentiary in Kentucky describing unusually horrendous conditions. Boston ABC has been trying to raise awareness around the plight of these inmates and draw the attention of people with law degrees and proximity to Kentucky. So far, little success has been had in dealings with non-profits.
In addition to holding another benefit show, we gave a Know Your Rights presentation at T.J. Scallywaggle's, our local vegan pizza workers' collective, and passed a hat for funds.
In late May, we held a massive two-day skillshare event on legal, medical, tactical and practical activist information, which was successful not only as a skillshare, but also as a fundraiser.
In June, Boston's Radical Arts Troupe (RAT) took two arrests while sidewalk chalking outside of the site of Boston University's proposed BSL4 biolab. The lab would bring deadly incurable pathogens to be developed as bioweapons in a densely populated low-income area. It continues to be built with federal funding, despite the six-year opposition of the residents of the area.
Four members of the Boston RAT were using sidewalk chalk to make known the purposes of the construction when police swarmed them. Two were encouraged by their comrades to leave and the remaining two were arrested on property destruction and disturbing the peace charges. Boston ABC bailed out the two and provided court solidarity at the arraignment the next morning.
We've also been working more closely with Jericho Boston, an organization fighting for political prisoners. In addition to helping with planning Jericho's 1010 Freedom For All Political Prisoners March, we've begun monthly contributions to Jericho's commissary fund, which provides monetary resources for imprisoned activists.
Several ABC members were in Providence to support IWW victims of police brutality. Money from our defense fund went to offset the effects of ICE raids in Rhode Island. We also contributed to the defense funds of our comrades, the I-69 resisters and Ohio Earth First!
While we were hosting the entirely productive annual ABCN gathering, less positive things were transpiring in our community.
T.J. Scallywaggle's was shut down due to a lack of licensure just as the former financial follies of the long-gone boss came back to haunt them. A $1000 initial tax payment was demanded of the shop, which would have been doable, had they not lost an entire weekend's income by being shut down.
An emergency benefit and the kindness of friends and customers raised enough for the initial payment and all of the necessary steps were taken to reopen the shop and keep it open, but the establishment is still financially vulnerable. Contributions to the efforts of the workers' collective are still being requested. Paypal payments can be sent to naylor.a |AT| neu |DOT| edu and checks can be mailed to T.J.'s Vegan House of Pizza, 487 Cambridge Street, Allston, MA 02134