Anarchist Black Cross Federation
Encyclopedia
Anarchist Black Cross Federation (ABCF) was created in 1995 when the North America
n Anarchist Black Cross
collectives from Paterson (NJ), Bronx (NY), and Washington DC merged into a federation
. Soon after, the Bronx and DC groups left to form a separate Anarchist Black Cross Confederation, but the New Jersey ABC and others continued to build the ABC Federation and attracted new ABC groups to carry it on.
The aim of the ABCF is to build an organization capable of offering long-term, non partisan support of class war political prisoner
s and prisoners of war
(heretoforth respectively PP,POWs).
ABCF believes that it is important to support PPs/POWs as a priority, because PPs/POWs have themselves helped to build the movement that supports them, "As people continuing to struggle for change, we are obligated and it is our duty to support those people who are in prison as a result of struggling to make change."
The ABCF defines a "political prisoner" and "prisoner of war" as an individual who is not in prison for committing social crimes, but rather for other activity deemed revolutionary. They describe them on their website as follows: "Different PP/POWs participated in progressive and revolutionary movements in varying levels. Some in educational and community organizing, others in clandestine armed and offensive people's armies. All are in prison as a result of conscious political action, for building resistance, building and leading movements and revolution... for making change."
On January 12, 1996, the Jacksonville chapter was raided by a 22-man swat team. Twelve days later all but one member of the organization were arrested. Since then several members have been investigated, harassed and detained by numerous government agencies, including the FBI.
In 2005, because of perceived threat of Tactical Defense Caucus (which advocates self-defense
training for Leftist and Anarchist), the ABCF received additional government attention. In his testimony before the Senate Committee on Intelligence in February 2005, Robert Mueller
, Director of the FBI, identified the ABCF as a potential threat to national security:
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n Anarchist Black Cross
Anarchist Black Cross
The Anarchist Black Cross is an anarchist politics support organization. The group is notable for its efforts at providing prisoners with political literature, but it also organises material and legal support for class struggle prisoners worldwide...
collectives from Paterson (NJ), Bronx (NY), and Washington DC merged into a federation
Federation
A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...
. Soon after, the Bronx and DC groups left to form a separate Anarchist Black Cross Confederation, but the New Jersey ABC and others continued to build the ABC Federation and attracted new ABC groups to carry it on.
The aim of the ABCF is to build an organization capable of offering long-term, non partisan support of class war political prisoner
Political prisoner
According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, a political prisoner is ‘someone who is in prison because they have opposed or criticized the government of their own country’....
s and prisoners of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
(heretoforth respectively PP,POWs).
ABCF believes that it is important to support PPs/POWs as a priority, because PPs/POWs have themselves helped to build the movement that supports them, "As people continuing to struggle for change, we are obligated and it is our duty to support those people who are in prison as a result of struggling to make change."
The ABCF defines a "political prisoner" and "prisoner of war" as an individual who is not in prison for committing social crimes, but rather for other activity deemed revolutionary. They describe them on their website as follows: "Different PP/POWs participated in progressive and revolutionary movements in varying levels. Some in educational and community organizing, others in clandestine armed and offensive people's armies. All are in prison as a result of conscious political action, for building resistance, building and leading movements and revolution... for making change."
Government attention
Even at its early beginnings, the ABCF has been the target of government attention. In 1992, the Paterson Anarchist Collective, the precursor of the NJ ABCF chapter, had their bookstore shot up. Earlier in the day local police roughed up members of the group and threatened to shut the shop down. The next day members arrived at the shop only to discover the front door of the shop had been shot up. (It is believed that local police department was responsible for the incident.)On January 12, 1996, the Jacksonville chapter was raided by a 22-man swat team. Twelve days later all but one member of the organization were arrested. Since then several members have been investigated, harassed and detained by numerous government agencies, including the FBI.
In 2005, because of perceived threat of Tactical Defense Caucus (which advocates self-defense
Self-defense
Self-defense, self-defence or private defense is a countermeasure that involves defending oneself, one's property or the well-being of another from physical harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in times of danger is available in many...
training for Leftist and Anarchist), the ABCF received additional government attention. In his testimony before the Senate Committee on Intelligence in February 2005, Robert Mueller
Robert Mueller
Robert Swan Mueller III is the 6th and current Director of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation .-Early life:...
, Director of the FBI, identified the ABCF as a potential threat to national security:
- "The potential for violence by anarchists and other emerging revolutionary groups, such as the Anarchist Black Cross Federation (ABCF), will continue to be an issue for law enforcement. The stated goals of the ABCF are "the abolishment of prisons, the system of laws, and the Capitalist state." The ABCF believes in armed resistance to achieve a stateless and classless society. ABCF has continued to organize, recruit, and train anarchists in the tactical use of firearms."
External links
See also
- Anarchist Black Cross NetworkAnarchist Black Cross NetworkThe Anarchist Black Cross Network is a worldwide decentralized and egalitarian network of organizations committed to the original ideals of the Anarchist Black Cross movement -- of seeing prisons and the poverty, racism and genocide that accompanies them to be symptoms of a social order whose last...
- Anarchist Black CrossAnarchist Black CrossThe Anarchist Black Cross is an anarchist politics support organization. The group is notable for its efforts at providing prisoners with political literature, but it also organises material and legal support for class struggle prisoners worldwide...
- Prison abolition movementPrison abolition movementThe prison abolition movement seeks to abolish prisons and the prison system. The movement advocates for the abolition of prisons and the prison system on the basis of it being ineffective. Prison abolitionists present a broad critique of the modern criminal justice system, which they believe to...
- Prisoners' rightsPrisoners' rightsThe rights of civil and military prisoners are governed by both national and international law. International conventions include: the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; the United Nations' Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners and the European Committee for the...