Summation of Politics and Positions Following the Comment Period for "A New Draft Proposal for an Anarchist Black Cross Network"

Introduction

In the fall of 2001, "A New Draft Proposal for an Anarchist Black Cross Network" was released for public comment and feedback. The objective of this proposal was to create a new network of autonomous anti-prison/prisoner support organizations. At the end of that draft proposal, organizers requested comments by January 31, 2002. What follows below is a summation of issues related to the 2001 release of "A New Draft Proposal for an Anarchist Black Cross Network," as well as a broad explanations of the political tendencies that can generally be said to unite autonomous anti-prison/prisoner support groups and potentially an Anarchist Black Cross Network.

Former Black Panther, political prisoner and a longtime anarchist revolutionary named Lorenzo Komboa Ervin wrote "A Draft Proposal for an Anarchist Black Cross Network" in 1979. In the 1990s, these ideas were a catalyst in helping many ABC groups focus their efforts. And it is with the growth of the autonomous Anarchist Black Cross movement worldwide over the last five years that "A New Draft Proposal for an Anarchist Black Cross Network" was introduced.

During the comment period, there were many thoughtful, honest and forward-thinking replies to the idea of creating an ABC Network. And many ABC collectives, prisoners, prison organizers and others came out to sign on to the creation of an ABC Network. This effort would not be possible without the broad support "A New Draft Proposal for an Anarchist Black Cross Network" received, and our heartfelt thanks are owed to the many people who took time to make their perspectives known, and for all the expressions of support.

Summation

Lorenzo Kom'boa Ervin, who has since stated his unity with the creation of an ABC Network, outlined the ideas that united the contemporary ABC movement in his original "A Draft Proposal for an Anarchist Black Cross Network." Kom'boa, in fact, made a number of clarifications and statements of beliefs that should guide the contemporary ABC movement. Some of these are paraphrased, in whole or in part, below. We hope these positions help to articulate the ABCN's direction to interested parties.

We want freedom for all class war prisoners locked down, and freedom for all prisoners held in state, city, county, juvenile and federal facilities. Class war prisoners are generally defined as those initially non-politicized prisoners who have been radicalized by their incarcerations to commit themselves to the revolutionary struggle. We recognize the importance of tapping into and bringing the voices of class war prisoners into wider revolutionary circles and making them a vital part of our movements.

While the release of all prisoners opens up a number of ethical and community questions, we raise this demand because of the understanding that the current state, built on the bodies of working-class and oppressed people, cannot mete out justice, and such matters should be handled on a community level. Clearly, how we deal with antisocial crime and violence require a broad-based discussion, yet we need to be clear that our solution cannot be to turn that role to the hands of the state.

We honor the just and righteous struggles of all political prisoners, and support the full and unconditional freedom of all political prisoners. Many movements use varied definitions of political prisoners. Regardless of definitions, we recognize that all prisoners, in whole or in part, are products of a war waged by the state, in the service of capitalism, colonialism, imperialism and genocide, against the people. We support these prisoners' fights for freedom, justice and liberation, affirm the correctness of their resistance and actively work to see all are free.

We want to bring attention to the plight of all prisoners, and through contact with and information about these prisoners, inspire an anarchist resistance and support movement on the outside. While we send regular financial aid to our comrades in prison, we also keep in regular contact with as many prisoners as possible, make visits and do whatever we can to prevent prisoners from becoming isolated. We believe in support as a strategic and tactical expression of our anti-authoritarian politics, and to reduce our efforts solely to fundraising, literature, etc. makes prisoner support activity little more than social service. As the Crossroad Support Network notes, "What determines the character of an issue is the political perspective that people bring to it; the class that leads the struggle around it; the class interest that the issue ultimately serves; whether the people become politically educated, develop revolutionary consciousness, and create revolutionary unity and institutions as they pursue the issue."

We believe that the police and the prison system are tools of the state, and a system for state slavery. Prisons, police and incarceration have become the panacea for all our social ills. Where once the U.S. looked to the welfare state to alleviate social problems, today the U.S. looks to prisons, prisons and more prisons. Likewise, police brutality is not the case of a "few bad cops," but of a system based on exploitation, colonialism, racism and oppression. Prison is not really for "criminals" or other "social deviants," and it does not exist for the "protection of society." Prisons serve the ruling classes and their colonial interests against all working-class and oppressed people. More than hold these beliefs, we believe the autonomous ABC movement should be actively engaged in exposing these issues and agitating for revolutionary solutions.

We are committed to the wider resistance in which prisoners are engaged. We see the setting up of anarchist defense organizations, such as the ABC, as a necessary part of the growth and development of an anarchist resistance movement, not divorcing ourselves from the revolutionary struggle or simply fighting for prison reform. We don't treat the struggle on the street as separate or secondary. Our effort is to build a movement in which the revolutionaries fighting for liberation from the belly of the beast, have support, camaraderie and people who identify their struggle as key to freedom for all of us. "Today we pay homage to the revolutionary spirit inside prisons," says former San Quentin Six political prisoner Luis Talamantez. "Understand that there are thousands of other George Jacksons in prison today just like him."

We want to make the Anarchist Black Cross into a mass movement against state terror and repression, one that can counter the drive of the state capitalists towards a police state, along with our work in the anti-prison struggle. We want to directly challenge the existence of prisons and this work also involves actively campaigning against prison conditions, and propagandizing the actual cases of political/class war prisoners (i.e. prisoners jailed for specific political reasons and those who have become politically aware of the reasons for their oppression while in prison, as well as victims of frame-ups) to the largest possible audience.

We believe in direct resistance to achieve a stateless and classless society. Some balk at supporting anyone accused of so-called violent acts, thus insinuating that anyone who resists oppression and takes up arms in self-defense, engages in economic sabotage against the state or capitalists, or rebels during a revolutionary insurrection is not worthy of support. The message is clear: do not resist. Our message is exactly the opposite, and this is what we work to support. We share a commitment to anarchism as opposed to liberalism and individualism or legalism; self-defense as opposed to dependence on the state; and solidarity as opposed to sectarianism in struggling for a more just world.

We affirm our common politics in expressing solidarity. The new ABC Network should be based primarily in, with and among ABC/anarchist groups (with inclusion of others as consented to by all collectives involved in the network). What was forwarded in the "New Draft Proposal for an Anarchist Black Cross Network" was a vision for our potential. With increasing repression, the need for organizers in many communities to find ways to work together is becoming more important. At the same time, it is essential that any organization purporting to be an Anarchist Black Cross Network be based primarily among ABC and anarchist formations, with inclusion of others, as affiliated groups deem necessary or helpful.

We affirm that organizations that profess anarchist/anti-authoritarian politics or use the word 'anarchist' in their names should make among their top priorities the defense of anarchists/anti-authoritarians in prison. A few feel such a position is sectarian; reality reveals many of these prisoners, by virtue of their politics, face extreme forms of repression and harassment. Even for prisoners who may not expressly identify as anarchists, but organize in an anti-authoritarian manner, repression is a constant threat. It is the duty of the aforementioned organizations to work with and in support of anarchist prisoners. At the same time, we believe in the principled support of all revolutionaries behind the walls, and all revolutionary prisoners are owed our honest efforts in solidarity.

Generally, we must be able work with all revolutionary prisoners and prison support groups, if they will work in sincerity and unity with us. However, we will not subordinate our ideals, nor will we sustain attacks or make apologies for our beliefs for a anarchist world. We won't moderate our struggle or still our tongues concerning any injustice we see anywhere, in order to accommodate anyone, friend or foe.

We support autonomy of collectives in their efforts. We support the autonomy of each collective to make their decisions of who they support and how on a case-by-case basis. We agree that the local efforts of organizers to aid prisoners in their regions and globally is where our strength lies; we should not uphold the ABC Network or creation of such to be a higher priority than the grassroots work going on today. We support collective decisionmaking in working together, while respecting our differences. We do not seek the creation of a vanguard, but rather the cultivation and support of resistance and organizing all over the United States and the world. We believe in decentralized resistance can only help our movement grow; we strive "for one, two and many more Chiapas," in the words of Chicano prisoner of war Alvaro Luna Hernandez.

We support accountability. Many questions have emerged about how an ABC Network would be structured. We believe in accountability to our comrades, the prisoners with whom we are engaged, and to the broader anarchist movement. We believe in actively involving all prisoners in our work, and in working with all sectors of the prisoner support movement. We affirm that all collectives should abide fully and completely with the wishes of prisoners pertaining to support work, as well as when engaging in non-support-specific activities which could directly or indirectly impact the nature of support. In addition, persons or groups who take funds or materials from prisoners or comrades should be fully accountable (i.e. able to document where money is going; crediting a prisoner's writing or art; saving receipts; etc.) and never use such items for personal gain. We believe all parties should seek joint resolutions to conflicts.

We strive for new paths. The purpose of the Anarchist Black Cross Network is not to recreate the Anarchist Black Cross Federation in a different form. Clearly, our explicit political and organizational differences -- especially the autonomous ABC movement's daily grassroots work in supporting prison organizers, political prisoners, class war prisoners and anarchist captives; its support for and advocacy of revolutionary change and resistance; and its work in movement defense -- set our organizing apart. We acknowledge the many correct criticisms of ABCF, as well as the efforts many of its chapters have made. Regardless of opinions of ABCF, we feel prisoners and their freedom is key above and beyond various differences. We discourage the spreading of false rumors or misleading information regarding any movement.

Conclusions

Based on the feedback received, we feel the initiation of an Anarchist Black Cross Network is not only necessary, but also supported by many prisoners and outside supporters. As a result, Austin ABC will be hosting the first autonomous Anarchist Black Cross conference to be held in the U.S. since 1994. This event, which will take place in Austin, Texas, in July 2002, will seek to unite many tendencies and empower interested people to organize their own local ABC groups via a series of discussions, workshops and more. Please contact Austin ABC at the address below.

While this summation reflects responses to the majority of comments and concerns raised regarding "A New Draft Proposal for an Anarchist Black Cross Network," more questions have been and will be raised. We welcome the opportunity to dialogue and network, so please get in touch.

Acknowledgements

The following individuals and organizations are owed thanks for their feedback, support and ideas during this provisional period of network efforts: Lorenzo Komboa Ervin; Gumby Cascadia; Chris Plummer; Ali Khalid Abdullah; Khalfani Khaldun; Syd Hawk Byrd; Eric Wildcat Hall; Robert Thaxton; Willie Milton; Jerome White-Bey; Yero Chaka (aka Bruce Cummings); Makis and New York City Anarchist Black Cross; Rabid and Noel M. of the North American and UK sections of the Earth Liberation Prisoners Support Network, respectively; Tod (Portland); Heather; Northwest Anarchist Prisoner Support Network; International Campaign to Free Ali Khalid Abdullah; Anarchist Prisoners' Legal Aid Network, Political Prisoners of War Coalition; Crossroad Support Network; and many others who are not listed, but without whose support this project would not be possible.

-Ernesto Aguilar
on behalf of the network organizing group

Conference contact:
Austin ABC
P.O. Box 19733
Austin, TX 78760-9733
austinabc_@hotmail.com

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