December Prisoner Letter Writing Night

Right now there are people sitting in federal prisons, caged, for their efforts to liberate animals, defend ecosystems and sabotage life-destroying infrastructure. Right now there are people facing life sentences for resisting the designs of the Trump Administration and Energy Transfer Partners. We as activists who still benefit from and enjoy relative freedom owe these people our emotional and financial support for the sacrifices they’ve made. One key form this can take is letter-writing, something which is easy and doable for almost everyone and which can oftentimes mean a whole world to the recipient.

On December 10th, Animal Liberation Prisoner Support Toronto will hold a letter writing night at Ryerson University for animal/ earth liberation prisoners Walter Bond and Marius Mason, as well as Oglala Lakota Sioux water protector RedFawn Fallis.

For this event all you need to bring is yourself, or yourself and a few friends. Letter-writing materials, information on prisoners’ individual cases, and a brief tutorial regarding the dos-and-don’ts of sending letters into the prison system will all be provided. The idea is that we come together to compose thoughtful dispatches to Walter, Marius and Red Fawn which, when received, will help keep them connected to the outside world from behind bars – or in RedFawn’s case: the halfway house where she awaits trail. Articles formatted as internet print offs (provided they’re not stapled) can be mailed into prisons too, as can *artwork*!

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Walter Bond is an imprisoned Animal Liberation Front activist who was arrested in the summer of 2010 for the “ALF Lone Wolf” arsons of a sheepskin factory in Denver, Colorado, a leather factory in Salt Lake City, Utah and the Tiburon restaurant in Sandy, Utah which sold the incredibly cruel product foie gras. He pled guilty to all three arsons as well as one count of AETA (the infamous Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act). Walter received a total prison sentence of 12 years and 3 months and is scheduled for release on April 14, 2021.

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Marius Jacob Mason (Marie Mason*) is a long-time environmental and social justice activist and loving parent of two. He was arrested on charges related to Earth Liberation Front actions that occurred in Michigan in 1999 and 2000; no one was injured in the actions. In February 2009, Marius received a 262 month sentence (a little under 22 years).

Marius is being held in a high security, tightly restricted unit at the notorious FMC Carswell prison in Texas. Marius has been given no indication of why he is there or what he can do to be moved back into the general prison population. Marius’ supporters have started a campaign to pressure the Federal Bureau of Prisons to transfer Marius to a low security facility near his family and friends. Learn more about the “Move Marius” campaign here: www.movemarie.com

*In July 2014, Marius announced that he would no longer be using the name Marie, and will be using male pronouns. Until his name is legally changed, mail sent to Marius in prison will need to be addressed to “Marie Mason.”

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Red Fawn is a human rights advocate, organizer, and a community leader within the Oglala Lakota Sioux. She grew up in Colorado and was raised in traditional Lakota ways, grounded with love and a deep connection to the earth and all things sacred. Her mother, Troylynn Yellow Wood, taught her the importance of fighting for social and environmental justice, and standing up for her people.

On Oct. 27th, 2016, police raided the 1851 Treaty Camp on route 1806 in unceded Lakota territory. Grandmothers, grandfathers, and youth were pulled out of a sweat lodge, and sacred and ceremonial items were confiscated and destroyed

Red Fawn was serving as a trained medic. She was helping injured water protectors who had been sprayed with mace and hit by rubber bullets. As Red Fawn retreated from the front lines, three officers targeted, tackled, and threw her to the ground. Police reports allege that one of the officers pulled his weapon and placed it against her back. While she was pinned to the ground, shots were fired.

Red Fawn is being accused of firing a weapon. Eyewitness accounts and video show otherwise.

More than 140 people were arrested that day. Red Fawn was initially charged with state felonies, that were subsequently dropped when she was taken into custody by US Marshalls and charged with three federal felonies. The federal detention system is not a cash bond system. Red Fawn could spend the rest of her life as a political prisoner.

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“If they haven’t got prisoners, we have stopped fighting. If our prisoners are forgotten about, they have beaten us.”

— Keith Mann, ALF activist and former prisoner

https://www.facebook.com/SupportWalter/

https://www.facebook.com/supportmariusmason/

http://indi.com/freeredfawn

https://nycabc.wordpress.com/write-a-letter/

http://directaction.info/prisoners.htm