Statement by John Bowden
Friends of John Bowden | 17.05.2007 21:06 | Repression | Sheffield | World
Statement of John Bowden for the International Day of Solidarity in Defence of Himself and the ABC: Friday 25th May 2007
"To describe a perfectly legitimate prisoner support group as "terrorist" and to punish and victimise a prisoner associated with that group, speaks volumes about the current mentality pervading the administration of the British prison system. Just as the accusation of "terrorism is now being used arbitarily by the state in Britain to criminalise and outlaw increasingly wider areas of political dissent and opposition, so any radical resistance to the prison system by groups with a revolutionary perspective is now threatened with the "terrorist" label. The recent claims of prison social worker Matt Stillman concerning the Anarchist Black Cross (ABC) might be bizarre and ridiculous in the extreme, but in its subsequent treatment of me the prison authorities have clearly shown that it subscribes to Stillman's views and they have sent out a message to other prisoners that any contact with groups like the ABC will be seen as tantamount to supporting "terrorism", with all the consequences that would trigger in terms of increased repression and prolonged imprisonment.
"For many years in jail my struggle in pursuit of prisoners' rights, and my contact with prisoner support groups on the outside, was described as "subversive" by the prison authorities; now the label "terrorist" is applied and the political atmosphere has hardened to the extent to which my release is currently being opposed on the explicitly stated grounds that I am connected with a "terrorist" group (the ABC.)
"This criminalisation of radical prisoner support activity MUST be resisted and challenged vehemently, and absolutely no quarter given on our right to openly support prisoners in struggle."
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Come and join us outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh at 2.00pm. Bring placards and banners.
If you are unable to attend please show your solidarity in some other way, for example by phoning or faxing Glenochil prison and/or the Scottish Prison Service, contacting or picketing your nearest British embassy, organising a card signing, etc.
John Bowden Needs Our Support
Addresses:
John Bowden, 6729, HMP Glenochil, King O' Muir Road, Tullibody, Clackmannanshire, FK10 3AD Scotland.
Audrey Parks, Governor, HMP Glenochil, King O' Muir Road, Tullibody, Clackmannanshire, FK10 3AD. Scotland. Tel: (01259) 760471
Fax: (01259) 762003
Scottish Prison Service Headquarters, Communications Branch, Room 338, Calton House, 5 Redheughs Rigg, Edinburgh, EH12 9HW. Scotland. E-mail:
gaolinfo@sps.gov.uk Tel: +44(0)1259 760471 Fax: +44(0)1259 762003
"For many years in jail my struggle in pursuit of prisoners' rights, and my contact with prisoner support groups on the outside, was described as "subversive" by the prison authorities; now the label "terrorist" is applied and the political atmosphere has hardened to the extent to which my release is currently being opposed on the explicitly stated grounds that I am connected with a "terrorist" group (the ABC.)
"This criminalisation of radical prisoner support activity MUST be resisted and challenged vehemently, and absolutely no quarter given on our right to openly support prisoners in struggle."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Come and join us outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh at 2.00pm. Bring placards and banners.
If you are unable to attend please show your solidarity in some other way, for example by phoning or faxing Glenochil prison and/or the Scottish Prison Service, contacting or picketing your nearest British embassy, organising a card signing, etc.
John Bowden Needs Our Support
Addresses:
John Bowden, 6729, HMP Glenochil, King O' Muir Road, Tullibody, Clackmannanshire, FK10 3AD Scotland.
Audrey Parks, Governor, HMP Glenochil, King O' Muir Road, Tullibody, Clackmannanshire, FK10 3AD. Scotland. Tel: (01259) 760471
Fax: (01259) 762003
Scottish Prison Service Headquarters, Communications Branch, Room 338, Calton House, 5 Redheughs Rigg, Edinburgh, EH12 9HW. Scotland. E-mail:
gaolinfo@sps.gov.uk Tel: +44(0)1259 760471 Fax: +44(0)1259 762003
Friends of John Bowden
e-mail:
handsoffjohn@reborn.com
Homepage:
http://www.myspace.com/friendsofjohnbowden
Comments
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Want SOLIDARITY with John and the ABC's but not in Scotland?
24.05.2007 05:41
So if you can't get to Scotland on Friday 25th at 2pm, try and show your solidarity and support for a man and prison support groups that have shown it to plenty of others.
And this is about more than just John Bowden. With the new S.O.C.P.A. being used against more and more protesters, instead of nonces like it should, and with the 'War on Terror' being used as an excuse to bring this sort of draconian legislation in, with the U.S. and their Patriot Act, the always on-going class war has become more clearly defined.
Can we really let the state get away with punishing a prisoner who has served his time, proved he is no danger to the public by working about 2 years with mentally and physically vunerable people and been having home leave for a fair while now and who had gone thru the prison system to an open prison, where he was due before the board and getting made ready for probable release to be suddenly ghosted back and locked in a higher security prison, all cos some reactionary social worker said that John admits he is an anarchist and has written some articles and said he supports most of the aims and principles of Brighton Anarchist Black Cross.. And because John saw 2 members of ABC who the social worker called, and local paper reported that they were identified as a terrorist organisation by this eejit social worker.
ARE WE GONNA LET THE STATE HOLD ANARCHISTS HOSTAGE COS OF THEIR POLITICAL BELIEFS AND AFFILIATIONS??
Next time it could be you that gets unlucky in a demo and charged with assalting the filth, we can not let the British state use this to set a precedent where-by a person's politics become part of their punishment; if they are not views the state deems acceptable.
So if you cannot make it to Scotland, please try and do something, either as a group, or even making sure that the scottish prison service and/or whoever is mentioned above gets a great big heap of postcardsfrom all over the country showing solidarity with john on friday to tie in with the demo.YOU NEED TO POST CARDS TODAY 1ST CLASS for them to get there FRIDAY.
If your at home or college or work where you have access to a computer LETS BOMBARD THEM WITH E-MAILS, especially on Friday at 2pm, but any other day and time will help.
If you wanna meet up with like-minded people and HOLD A SMALL SOLIDARITY DEMO in your town or city, contact people and let them know.
i will be in LONDON trying to get some people together(if possible) and can probably print of some flyers if anyone wants to meet up and hand them out or something.
PUBLICISE ANARCHISM IS NOT A CRIME AND ABC's are not TERRORISTS. print out these leaflets, or contact the above people or even me and i send you some, PHONE everyone on your phone and ask them to just take 5 minutes to send a card and an e-mail.
POST OR BULLENTIN this or others articles from leeds abc or myspace profile and send them to everyone on your e-mail list.
SEND A CARD TO JOHN- LET HIM AND THE STATE KNOW HE HAS SUPPORT AND SOLIDARITY.
m.caroline F.T.S.
e-mail:
kj10680@yahoo.co.uk