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Oct 1, 24
Filed under: Action, Anarchist Movement, Featured, Political Prisoners, Repression, Solidarity
Report back from the Anarchist Black Cross (ABC) Federation on Running Down the Walls events benefiting political prisoners.
What follows are recaps from many of the runs that took place on September 15, 2024. This was the 25th anniversary of Running Down the Walls. Since 1999, prisoners and supporters throughout North America have participated in this annual event, often running or walking simultaneously in many cities and prisons at once. As more reportbacks come in, they will be posted here. Read more about Running Down the Walls and the ABCF Warchest, here.
If you missed the chance to donate, you still can via these links:
- https://fundrazr.com/RDTW2024ABCF
- https://fundrazr.com/supportpdtw24
- https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/nycabc
Mexico City
As part of the call launched by the Anarchist Black Cross Federation of the United States, celebrating the 25th anniversary of Running Down the Walls, on September 14th, a non-competitive race was organized in Mexico City to raise funds to support the prison expenses of anarchist Jorge Esquivel. The call was launched by the Anarchist Black Cross Mexico and Sinteno Kolektiva (Collective Attitude in Esperanto), a combat sports school with anti-fascist and anti-authoritarian principles.
The event kicked off at 10:00 am in a park north of the city. The first participants arrived a little before the time of the call and immediately noticed the presence of at least two police officers dressed in civilian clothes at the entrance to the park who stood out from the rest of the people who were doing sports or recreational activities in the park at that time due to their haircuts, clothing, and radio communicators.
Little by little, people arrived to participate in the race and around 10:30 it was decided to start the activity with a brief talk about the situation of comrade Jorge, who is imprisoned in the Oriente Prison in Mexico City, sentenced to 7 years and 6 months in prison for an accusation of drug sales that is part of a coordinated State attack on Okupa Che, an autonomous and self-managed space where Jorge has participated for more than 20 years. The origin and objectives of RDW were also discussed, highlighting that it is not the first time that an event like this has been held in Mexico City. And despite not being a recurring event, a good participation was achieved, with 15 people attending.
An important point that was mentioned was about conceiving sports practice in a different way from that of the capitalist system, without competition and without turning it into a spectacle to consume. It was also mentioned that these types of events are of great importance to build solidarity with prisoners from other regions.
Before starting the race, the participants did a physical warm-up. And so, after the brief talk and warm-up, mind and body were ready to start the effort.
The race went off without a hitch, with the distant gaze of the two police officers who limited themselves to taking photos from a distance. There were those who covered the 5km in very good time, as well as those who preferred to enjoy the walk through the forest without rushing, but at the end everyone finished with the satisfaction of having contributed to breaking down the walls of isolation.
Registration for the race was $50MX, but there were those who contributed more, which allowed the amount of $2000MX to be raised, which will be divided half for legal expenses and the other part for expenses during the visit to Jorge.
Hamilton, ON
Following an inspiring day of books, zines, workshops and art at the Hamilton Anarchist Bookfair, we gathered to celebrate the 25th year of Running Down the Walls.
Participants gathered in Gage Park on Sunday, September 29th. We read statements from political prisoners, and then started five loops around the beautiful park for a total of 5km. Some ran, some walked and everyone was cheered on by an enthusiastic group.
The event continued with pizza, hot dogs and games including a giant ‘connect four’ and bocce ball tournament. We raised over $600 that will be split between the Anarchist Black Cross Federation Warchest and the Barton Prisoner Solidarity Project (BAPSOP). Thanks to everyone for showing your support and bringing your energy to this important day!
Olympia, WA
To keep it short – it was a huge success!
We had around 30 people come through – about half of which participated in the run and raised $604 that we are splitting between the Anarchist Black Cross Federation War Chest Program and regional prisoners. There were supplies for writing letters to prisoners which people used and people had fun hand screen printing shirts for the event on site. Before running, someone spoke a little bit about the warchest and the anarchist black cross and someone else shared snippets of writing from a zine a formerly incarcerated friend had written during incarceration. A few people came up during and at the after party grilling at Yauger Park and asked what was going on and we had really refreshing and receptive conversations about the destruction of prisons.
For those unfamiliar, the ABCF Warchest is a program started in 1994 “to send monthly donations to Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War who have been receiving insufficient, little, or no financial support during their imprisonment. Its purpose is to collect funds from groups and individual supporters and send that money directly to commissary accounts of vetted Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War (PP/POW) monthly.”
Running Down the Walls is a non-competitive 5K started in 1999 to raise money for the Warchest and to raise awareness about political prisoners and prisoners of war, as a way to constantly affirm that we have not forgotten our comrades and fighters captured by our enemies. These runs happen both inside and outside prisons, and this year saw runs in Chicago, Eugene, Portland, LA, Lowell, MA, Mexico City, NYC, Philadelphia, and Bristol.
Prisoner solidarity cannot be the specialized role of particular crews or organizations, it’s a project we must all take up. If anarchism isn’t just a social scene, if we are true to our revolutionary ideals we must understand that at some point we are probably going to do some time. Beyond that even, the degree to which our collective practice of prisoner support is strong is the degree to which people will feel empowered to take the risks that need to be taken and know that if something goes wrong, people will have their back.
It goes beyond this even, because to be an anarchist is to be at war with all forms of domination, and prison is the most direct form of domination – a core site of reproduction of hierarchies and the projection of state power – behind the power of the boss, the power of the landlord, behind the hoarding of the necessities of life and self actualization by the few, behind the impunity of racist and anti-queer vigilantes stands concrete walls, armed guards and locked doors for those of us who strike back.
Prison is the shock absorber for changes in social and economic domination, a continual site of capital accumulation via prison slavery. The United States is the largest incarcerator in the history of humanity and large swaths of the population – particular black and indigenous people – in one way or another are swept up into the machine as the raw materials for the ever expanding policing, corrections and border enforcement industries.
The prison industry and all its connected forms are a bi-partisan project of white supremacist terror on a scale the most extreme and well organized of fascist cadres could only dream of. Look at the bringing back of drug war era policies in Seattle via the SODA/SOAP ordinances, the broad criminalization of homelessness, the expansion of police training facilities all over the country.
Read the full report here on Puget Sound Anarchists.
Eugene, OR
On Sunday, September 15th, over 60 participants of all ages gathered in Eugene at the Owen Rose Garden. The event sponsor, Neighborhood Anarchist Collective (NAC), along with local organizations WVAP (Willamette Valley Abolition Project) and Eugene Jail Support joined the festivities. Food not Bombs provided snacks, and there was a tshirt-making station. The emcee gave opening remarks while wearing hot pink roller skates.
Participants took turns reading prisoner statements and then took off along the scenic 5K route which followed the Willamette River. Along the route, Solidaritea offered participants iced tea and water. Volunteer medics were on standby.
As participants returned from completing the 5K they were greeted with cheers. Over $1,000 was raised to be split between local A15 defendants and the ABCF Warchest.
Portland, OR
A beautiful blue sky welcomed about 65 participants (and our crew of organizers) to the Willamette River waterfront on Sunday, September 15th, and we were excited and honored to have Eric King as our very energetic MC! What an amazing way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of RDTW!
Eric greeted us and touched all of our hearts by reminding us of what it means for someone on the inside to receive solidarity support from the ABCF Warchest every month—how much of a difference it can make in getting through very hard times and just everyday life, and that it’s not a small thing to have the ability to pay for phone calls to loved ones, stamps, etc., and extra food—especially for vegans (like himself) and vegetarians. While celebrating this moment in community, Eric also drove home the urgency of continuing and increasing our support for incarcerated comrades through writing letters—especially to trans comrades who face so much nonstop hostility. This message was not lost on us, and it really renewed our steadfast determination.
Between reading this year’s statements from prisoners and calling out ticket numbers for some pretty sweet raffle items (including everything from gift certificates for tattoos, herbal tinctures, and bodywork, as well as handcrafted items, books, t-shirts, art prints, and more, one of our favorite local reggae DJs from Impact! Sound brought an excellent vibe to the afternoon, playing some classics on vinyl—thankfully under a canopy kindly shared with us by an unhoused neighbor at the last minute—truly in the spirit of mutual aid. The friends who prepared delicious BBQ provided some tasty nourishment for the sweaty, hyped-up crowd, and we appreciate them so much.
Finally, comrades supporting Alissa Azar, an independent Portland-based journalist currently locked up in nearby Clackamas County, Oregon, due to her alleged role in a clash with Proud Boys at an Oregon City park three years ago, were there to raise funds and awareness around her case. We are proud to share that we raised $3,374 this year, to be split between the ABCF Warchest and Samidoun, which supports Palestinian prisoners. Thanks to all who made this year’s RDTW such a great day! We are so grateful for you!
As Eric says, “toward liberation!”
Huntington Park, CA
Pushing Down the Walls raised money for political prisoners through a burpee contest.
Los Angeles, CA
This Saturday marked the 25thanniversary of Running Down the Walls. We marked this amazing milestone at the wonderfully scenic Echo Park Lake. We started the event by giving a history of the run, followed by an update on some of the recent cases – Peppy and Krystal, the Florida 4, Tall Can, and Casey Goonan.
Afterwards, volunteers read the statements that were provided by our imprisoned comrades who are participating in the event behind the prison walls. In total, thirty plus people and three dogs participated in the event. Luci, LA RDTW’s mascot, was there to greet everyone with friendly licks. After the run, the participants enjoyed themselves with food, music (glam/hair metal, of course), and a game of molov-toss (a new game that is soon to have a copyright by members of the LA ABC – just kidding, kind of.)
As of this moment, we have raised $3600, but more money is expected raised in the coming days. Lastly, we wish to thank our comrades from OC and IE ABC. Their participation and presence at the event was much appreciated.
Chicago, IL
On Sunday, over the course of the evening more than 100 people gathered in front of the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC), Federal Bureau of Prisons, in solidarity with those held inside and political prisoners everywhere. People from the age of 6 months to lord knows how old, rolled, walked, and ran laps around the MCC in an effort to raise awareness and struggle alongside those in cages in the heart of downtown Chicago.
Banners read “ACAB,” “Running Down the Walls,” “Stop Cop Cites,” and much more.ozens of windows of the prison were filled with hands waving, lights flicking on and off, and flash lights blinking back down on the crowd of people gathering in solidarity below. A green lazer flashed up at the windows letting each person in the window know that we saw them.Punk bands, including Glutton for Insurrection, played and we moshed in the intersection of the street.
When the DJs went on we danced. Taking up the intersection of Van Buren for a time but also yielding to the caravans of cars celebrating Mexican Independence day. Honks were shared between riotous attendees of these disparate energies.Coalescing into a rowdy vibe, attendees to Running Down the Walls launched fireworks and threw cans of garbanzo beans at a life sized paper mache police officer. Police hovered around and looked down on us from nearby buildings, but their numbers were thinned due to their over policing of a Mexican Independence Day celebration nearby.
Read the full report on It’s Going Down.
Bloomington, IN
Bloomington Anarchist Black Cross reported, “So stoked everyone came out today — we appreciate you all! It was so much fun, and we look forward to seeing you next year (or at our next letter writing night!)
Lowell, MI
Greetings, hope all had a blast this past RDTW weekend. We went to our usual spot at Boarding House Park and met to find that a late Summer concert was being set up at the park for 7:30pm that evening. We worked around it as we had used the spot for the past four years.
We had roughly 25 participants drop in and out, opened up with acknowledgment of the former Wameset reservation that now stands occupied in the urban area known as so called Lowell, MA (Mehqua’numa’onk wamesut nish patuckioag). We read Oso Blanco’s RDTW 2024 statement and called for a larger solidarity movement for our long term political prisoners to see freedom.
We partnered with some members of the Palestinian community to give direct mutual aid support to Gaza aid amid the genocide. Our Palestinian comrades spoke on the importance of not using non-profit fund raising models and using non-westernized mutual aid as an act of resiliency and independence for Gaza.
The run route was beautiful and scenic along the Merrimack river as usual. We raised a total of $2,119 of which $1,398 went to the ABCF warchest, $497 to the Palestinian people in Gaza, and $224 from RDTW CD Comp sales for Atlanta needs as they may arise. We hope to have the same participation and figures or better next year. As we say good bye to Summer – Thank You to all who came and donated.
Philadelphia, PA
Philly ABC held 2024 RDTW on Sunday, September 15th in solidarity with Palestinians resisting genocide. Philly ABC’s RDTW cleared 400 participants: 2 from inside prison and 398 outside plus multiple dogs and a kitten. People rolled in wheelchairs, bikes, and roller skates as well as participating on foot. A Samidoun member joined us to speak about their important work supporting political prisoners in Palestine.
In addition to our very popular main shirt design by Sugarbombing, we made two limited edition shirts in solidarity with Gaza and commemorating 25 years of RDTW. We are selling the last of the stock on our website at phillyabc.org/merch/, with the proceeds going towards the ABCF Warchest/Gaza mutual aid split.
Due to ongoing shirt sales, our total funds raised is still growing. We also are working with two matching donors to maximize the impact, which should help us clear over $40,000 in total. We will post the full reportback with details to phillyabc.org in November.
Brooklyn, NY
Running Down the Walls 2024 has come and gone. Here in NYC we had a beautiful day to do it, the mid-September New York weather finally feeling like autumn instead of a desert summer. Both Prospect Park and the City itself seemed even busier than usual, with buskers, vendors and birthday parties nearby and marches and rallies elsewhere in town. In coordinating a multi-city run with organizers on both sides of the walls, we have to find a day that works for everyone involved as much as possible.
As it turned out, not only did this year’s run land on Jamel Floyd’s birthday (September 15th), but it was also the 55th Annual African Day Parade. It also happened to be the day for at least three other political prisoner and/or anarcho-adjacent events in the five boroughs. So it was a busy weekend for many New Yorkers, including NYC ABC! Even still, a lively core of runners, bikers, walkers, and chillers assembled near the black RDTW banner to raise funds, awareness, and community solidarity for our political prisoners. It was wonderful to reconnect with long time friends and comrades, and to welcome some new faces!
The goal of RDTW, this year as much as any, is of course to raise much-needed funds for the Anarchist Black Cross Federation Warchest Program. Also though, and always, any chance to share information about the political prisoners and POW’s we support is heartily welcomed. Not to mention that events such as these are important in building and maintaining a community of solidarity in the here and now, rather than waiting for some dreamy future or idealizing pasts or present communities we are not a part of.
The namesake event itself kicked off a bit later than usual this year, as ‘anarchy time’ remains as reliable as ever. This year there were some pretty serious runners and bikers, as well as some casual perambulators happy to enjoy the fresh air at an unhurried pace. After the ‘run’, as is local anarchist tradition, organizers, participants and supporters shared an especially delicious home-cooked vegan meal, and spent a few more hours making new friends and catching up with cherished comrades.
