{"article":{"id":19475,"heading":"rund down the walls","author":"abcf","created":"2002-10-02 01:36:28","modified":"2002-10-02 01:36:28","last_modified":"Wed, 02 Oct 2002 08:36:28","article":"

Get ready for the 4th annual running down the walls. The Los Angeles

ABCF is organizing a 5K run to raise money for political prisoners

and the autonomous settlement of Maclovio Rojas in Mexico. Dubbed

\"Running Down the Walls\", the LA Anarchist Black Cross (LA-ABC)

will be holding it's fund raiser on October 19th at 9a.m. in Griffith

Park in Los Angeles. The run is a fundraiser to get much-needed

funds to the families of Maclovio Rojas and Political Prisoners in the United States.

The fund raising goal set by the group is $5000. The group is recruiting

people to run in the 5K and each runner is asked to find people

and groups to sponsor them. Sponsoring runners can be done in two

ways: either a flat rate donation (i.e. 15 bucks for the whole run)

or pledging a certain amount per kilometer. Groups and individuals

can also sponsor the run itself, rather than individual runners.

Presently, Maclovio Rojas is resisting an assault by the Mexican

government, who is attempting to expel the 2000 families that currently

preside on the settlement. Maclovio Rojas, which sits on 1800 acres

of land, is surrounded by maquiladores and is prime real estate

for us capitalists who are in search of cheap labor costs. The

LA-ABCF sees a need for an active role in the support of those presently

facing repression in the same way we see a need for supporting political

prisoners and prisoners of war. Let us show our support in actions,

and not just in words! Support our comrades in Maclovio Rojas.

LA-ABC, which is one of 8 groups in the Anarchist Black Cross Federation,

aims to not only raise money through Running Down the Walls, but

also to raise general awareness about political prisoners and help

build the movement to free all political prisoners. The group is

actively working to build ties and relationships with other organizations

in the LA area and beyond. They are also focusing energy on outreach

to students and they have already done several presentations to campus groups.

As part of the Anarchist Black Cross Federation they contribute

money to the Warchest Program which provides monetary support to

political prisoners: thousands of dollars a year are given out in

monthly checks to prisoners who generally do not have their own

support committees. The Warchest Program also provides emergency

financial assistance to prisoners in times of need. The Federation

provides concrete solidarity to political prisoners from different

movements and has been able to build alliances between anarchists,

communists, socialists, revolutionary nationalists and anti-imperialists.

The Anarchist Black Cross Federation also provides ways for political

prisoners to be actively involved in organizing on their behalf.

There is a Prisoners Committee, which helps advise and direct the

Federation. The Prisoners Committee is a rotating body of political

prisoners and POWs who serve yearly terms on the Federation Council,

which is the decision making body of the Federation.

When asked why it is so important to support political prisoners,

Matt of LA-ABC responded, \"These people are our freedom fighters

who have been captured. It is our duty not to forget these individuals

and to support them and demand their freedom now.\"

What you can do to support Running Down the Walls and Maclovio Rojas?

* Sponsor Runners - either through a flat donation or pledging a

certain amount per kilometer or mile.

* Sponsor Running Down the Walls rather than individual runners- any amount helps.

* Donate funds for Maclovio Rojas, can be sent to LA-ABC PO Box

3671 Anaheim, CA 92803 (all checks can be written out to Anarchist

Black Cross Federation of Los Angeles).

* Get involved in the planning or participate in Running Down the

Walls. Pull up your running socks, put on your running shoes, collect

as many sponsors as you can and get ready to sweat. Call 310.608.4106

or email la_abcf_bg@hotmail.com<\/a> for more info.

For more info on ABC and political prisoner support write to ABCF

Box 8532 Paterson, NJ 07508-8532 and order the ABCF Guide to Political

Prisoner and Prisoner of War Support - send $1 and 2 stamps

<\/p>\n","contact":"","link":"","address":"oh okay","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/plain","summary":"a benefit for maclovio rojas and political prisoners","numcomment":0,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2002\/10\/19475.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[]}