SongRVA:

Join Southerners on New Ground (SONG) and the Virginia Immigrant People’s Coalition

Friday, February 17, 2012Day of Action for Immigrant Justice!Richmond, Virginia

As LGBTQIA people we must take a strong stance against inhumane, racist, anti-immigrant policies that seek to demonize and destroy our communities. LGBTQIA folks who are held in detention centers are under the constant threat of homo/trans-phobic violence at the hands of Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials. ICE continuously refuses to acknowledge the rights of LGBTQIA folks with HIV by denying their treatment in detention and rigorously perpetuates violence and fear in immigrant communities through massive raids and deportations.

Join us in calling for an end to the militarized incarceration and deportation tactics of the 287g-Secure Communities program which is currently in place in various parts of Virginia, including Harrisonburg and Prince William County. If the bills being proposed in this year’s Virginia General Assembly Session become law:

• • Police would be able to ask for papers from you based on the color of your skin
  • Undocumented children would be banned from attending state universities
  • Poor and elderly people who lack government ID would be prevented from voting.

Stand strong with SONG and the Virginia Immigrant People’s Coalition! We cannot allow our communities to be scapegoated and we must stand together!!Rally and Press Conference 11:00 am – 12:00 pmBell Tower on the Capitol GroundsN. 9th St. and E. Grace St.

Lobby Action and Literature Drop 12:00 – 4:00 pmGeneral Assembly BuildingN. 9th and E. Broad St.

Check out the facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/events/289546904437208/

Today (Wednesday, February 1st) was Jeremy Hawthorne’s trial for charges brought against him back in September. Numerous posts on this website and others (www.richmondlegalsupport.org) detail the charges and circumstances around them. He was facing felony charges for vandalism that happened to 7 tires of VCU vehicles, including 2 cop cars in August.

Over 40 friends showed up to the court building today to show their love and support for Jeremy. It was clear that he is part of a large community that likes and appreciates him.

Unfortunately, today he was found guilty. There were many aspects of this case which were bogus, including the last minute cancellation of his lawyer, leaving him stranded with a public defender unfamiliar with the case. Jeremy was found guilty of Felony Destruction of State Property worth greater than 1000 dollars. He was sentenced to 12 months in jail, and a fine of over 1300 dollars (the alleged cost of replacing the tires).

Fortunately, Jeremy is being allowed to remain out of jail until April 6th, when the details of his sentence will be decided in court. His lawyer will also hopefully be able to begin an appeal process before that date. We hope that court on April 6th and any future appeal dates go in Jeremy’s favor.

Our friend Kontra has written a very good article explaining in more detail the situation today in court, as well as the context which helps to better explain the overall case. Please take the time to check it out here:

http://kontradictions.wordpress.com/2012/02/02/apolitical-politics/

Jeremy Hawthorne is an asset to the Richmond community, loved by many, friend to many, and will continue to be supported by these people and community, including us. Solidarity and hugs to Jeremy.

RICO is the Racketeer Incluenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, a vague criminal statute whose broad purview has been abused by federal agents and government attorneys to harass, criminalize, and destroy communities of color, and to maintain inflated, racist hysteria about gang violence.

All the charges against these men are unsubstantiated, frivolous, or false. The indictment represents another iteration of the State’s latest campaign to impede and dismantle grassroots associations working for radical, positive change.

Come to a screening of “Black & Gold”, a documentary about the history of ALKQN, and for a brief discussion on their current situation, how it relates to other struggles, and what lies ahead.

Jeremy Hawthorne, arrested September 5th, 2011 while on a Copwatch patrol, is going on trial before a jury for allegedly slashing 7 tires on Virginia Commonwealth University vehicles, including two police cars. The charge is Destruction of State Property > $1,000, a Class 6 Felony.The case is clearly politically motivated; as a part of Richmond Copwatch, Jeremy is one of several who have been targeted by Richmond police in past months for their work against police brutality and poor jail conditions in the city. The notoriously heavy-handed RPD and its officers, ever the subject of much controversy, have bristled and taken a particularly antagonistic attitude with activists, protestors, and copwatchers, reacting in a consistently aggressive, violent, and reckless manner. Accountability, on the other hand, has been elusive.

The “evidence” used to indict Jeremy is insubstantial, and many details surrounding testimonies evidence gathering, and the circumstances leading to Jeremy’s arrest, are questionable at best.
Commonwealth Attorney Christopher Toepp is handling the case per his personal request, intent on a full conviction. Toepp has had a long year of high-profile cases, having been on the prosecution for the Monroe Park Occupation, and the African burial ground demonstration. If Chris Toepp has his way, Jeremy would face 5 years in prison.
The description of the person depicted in the so-far unreleased surveillance footage is incredibly mundane: a beard, a hat (maybe camo, brown, or black?), tattoos, a black sleeveless or rolled-up shirt, a bag, and a step-thru frame bike. In Richmond, this could easily be thousands of people. The alleged acts occurred on August 23rd, the Monday proceeding Best Friends Day, meaning hundreds more out-of-town hipster look-alikes were wild in the streets.

We encourage all those who think they may roughly fit this description to come to the hearing, inside the courtroom and out, as part of a “beard bloc.”

Folks who wish to come out in support- the hearing will be in courtroom 305 of the John Marshall Court Building, 400 N. Ninth St., Richmond, Virginia; 9:30AM Wednesday, February 1st.

For more information, you can contact rvaabc@gmail.com and check richmondlegalsupport.wordpress.com for updates.
We ask all to donate to his legal fund, via the Richmond Anarchist Black Cross (2005 Barton Avenue, Richmond, VA 23222).

Please share far and wide!

UPDATE:

“Today in court, Hunter Singleton accepted a plea deal offered by the prosecutor. The spurious charges of possession of a controlled substance had been previously dropped. Today, the prosecutor also dropped the Felony charge of wearing a mask. In exchange, Hunter took an Alford Plea (basically not saying you are guilty but recognizing that there is evidence against you) to a misdemeanor Disorderly Conduct charge. He was given 90 days, with 87 suspended. He had already served 2 days after his arrest, and will serve 1 more day on Friday.

Hunter has over 200 dollars in court fees, and needs help to pay these. Hopefully there will be an upcoming fundraiser, but in the mean time, if you just want to donate a few dollars towards his costs it would be greatly appreciated. Please get in touch if you want to donate money, or if you have an idea or venue or band for a fundraising event! rvaabc@gmail.com or 2005 Barton Avenue

It is excellent news and a great relief to many of Richmond’s activists, anarchists, and Occupiers that Eric Scott and Hunter Singleton have faired relatively well regarding their charges with resulted from a November 9th Occupy Richmond March. The use of felony charges seems to be a scare tactic by the Richmond Police Department. Participants in the march were using bandannas soaked in vinegar to protect from potential tear gas being used by the RPD (they have a tendency to use tear gas in crowd situations on a fairly regular basis). The felony charge of wearing a mask is a terrible law, and certainly one for anyone participating in political actions to keep in mind. Hopefully one day Virginia will be free of this repressive statute.”

- from wingnutrva.org

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Hunter, a local anarchist, Copwatch activist, Occupy Richmond participant, and friend of the Flying Brick Library is in court today, facing a class 6 felony mask charge, and disorderly conduct. He was arrested during the November 9th Occupy Richmond Freedom March on Monroe Park. Eric Scott, also arrested during the same march has taken a plea deal with community service, but Hunter has chosen to challenge the charges. We will post an update as soon as we hear. Please keep him in your thoughts.

For more info on the events surrounding Hunter’s case:

http://wingnutrva.org/2012/01/15/support-hunter-jan-18th-at-11am/

http://richmondlegalsupport.wordpress.com/eric-and-hunter/

http://occupyrva.org/2011/11/we-have-come-too-far/

Responding to the threat of more job losses and state budget cuts, Virginia activists representing a broad range of issues will converge in Richmond Jan. 14 for a networking conference, march and rally under the general theme of “Jobs, Peace, Justice!”
The day’s events will include a 5 p.m. march on the State Capitol to tell Gov. Robert McDonnell and the General Assembly: “Don’t balance the budget on the backs of Virginia’s working people!”
The conference, march and rally are sponsored by the Virginia People’s Assembly, an annual gathering of progressive activists held to coincide with the opening of the Virginia General Assembly.  “Jan. 14 is the day before the 83rd anniversary of the birth of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., so it’s a fitting time for us to march,” said VPA organizer and prisoner rights activist Lillie “Ms. K” Branch-Kennedy. “We’ll be standing up, just as he did, to demand jobs for the unemployed, an end to wars, restoration of civil and voting rights for those convicted of a felony and justice for all our communities.”

The VPA contends there are alternatives to balancing the state budget by cutting state jobs, slashing needed social programs and reducing support for cities and counties, “Instead, we say raise Virginia’s state corporate income tax rate, one of the lowest in the country,” said Ms. Branch-Kennedy. “End the use of the Virginia National Guard for wars abroad. Stop using state money to glorify the Confederacy. And use the savings to create a massive public jobs program, which will put money into the hands of the unemployed and really stimulate the economy.”

The 2012 Virginia People’s Assembly networking conference will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at St. Stephen’s Koinonia Church, 505 N. 33rd St. in Richmond’s East End. The march on the Capitol will begin at 5 p.m. at Monroe Park and end at Kanawha Plaza, followed by the rally from 7 to 9 p.m. back at St. Stephen’s.

Conference registration begins at 9:30 a.m. Child care, lunch and dinner will be provided. There is no admission charge, but donations for the meals and use of the church will be appreciated.

As of Jan. 7, the 2012 VPA had attracted more than three dozen endorsers, including the Occupy Wall Street movements in Blacksburg, Virginia Tech, Richmond and Virginia Beach; as well as organizations promoting the rights of immigrants, prisoners, labor, women, the lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender community; and civil rights, anti-war and community organizations. (See next page for a complete list.)
For more information on the 2012 Virginia People’s Assembly, see:  http://www.facebook.com/events/284484054920881/”http://www.facebook.com/events/284484054920881/, call 804-644-5834 or e-mail theflyingbrick@riseup.net

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Endorsers of the 2012 Virginia People’s Assembly – as of Jan. 7, 2012

Saba Abed – Palestiian-American Activist (Richmond)
Breanne Armbrust – Community Activist (Richmond)
Kwame Binta – President, Prosser-Truth Division #456, UNIA-ACL; Regional Representative, November Coalition
Lillie “Ms. K” Branch-Kennedy – Executive Director, Resource Information Help for the Disadvantaged (R.I.H.D.)
Rain Burroughs – Industrial Workers of the World, World Can’t Wait (Richmond)
Coalition for Justice (Blacksburg)
Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality
Ana Edwards – Chair, Sacred Ground Historical Reclamation Project (Richmond)
Flying Brick Library (Richmond)
House of Consciousness (Norfolk)
Rev. Benjamin Harris – Pastor, St. Stephen’s Koinonia Church (Richmond)
Rev. Rodney M. Hunter – Pastor, Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church (Richmond)
Ricardo Juarez – General Coordinator, Mexicanos Sin Fronteras / Mexicans Without Borders (Prince William County)
King Salim Khalfani – Executive Director, Virginia State Conference NAACP
November Coalition
Occupy Blacksburg
Occupy the Hood Richmond
Occupy Richmond
Occupy Virginia Beach
Occupy Virginia Tech
Tom Palumbo – Activist, Hampton Roads
Party of Socialism and Liberation
Peacemakers of Prince William County
Plowshare Peace Center (Roanoke)
Progressive Democrats of America – Virginia
Richmond Peace Education Center
Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project
Simin Royanian – Co-Founder, Women for Peace & Justice in Iran (Fairfax)
Adria Scharf – Director, Richmond Peace Education Center
Queen Zakia Shabazz – Director, United Parents Against Lead National, Inc.
Socialist Party of Central Virginia
Southerners On New Ground (SONG)
The Southwood Alliance (Charlottesville)
David Swanson – Author, “When the World Outlawed War” (Charlottesville)
Janet “Queen Nzinga” Taylor – Trustee, Prisoners and Families for Equal Rights and Justice (PAFERJ)
Virginia Organizing
Wayside Center for Popular Education (Faber)
Phil Wilayto – Editor, The Virginia Defender
Ann Williams – Activist, Hampton Roads
Kenneth Yates – Industrial Workers of the World (Richmond)

A networking conference (10:00 am-4:00), followed by a march (5:00-6:00 pm) to the Virginia General Assembly and then an indoor rally (7:00-9:00 pm).

Lunch and dinner are provided.

Each January for the last three years, progressive forces from around Virginia have gathered in Richmond on the Saturday before the opening session of the General Assembly to tell the legislators “Don’t Balance the Budget on the Backs of Virginia’s Working People!” This demand is especially important for state workers, whose pension fund has been raided to balance recent budgets.

While many organizations hold lobbying efforts during the GA sessions, what distinguishes the VPA is bringing all the issues and struggles together in one united movement. Trade unionists get to hear about the issues facing immigrant workers. Anti-war activists listen to reports of struggles of prisoners. Young activists benefit from the insights of the elders, who in turn learn from the innovative spirit of the youth. No just cause is left behind. The VPA raises the broad range of issues facing our state’s poor and working people, Black and other communities of color, immigrants, women, the LGBTQ community, students and youth, veterans and more.

One particular focus is the plight of prisoners. In 1995, Virginia abolished parole. And Virginia is one of only two states in the country that, without action by the governor, permanently denies voting rights and other civil rights to those convicted of a felony, which is a new form of the Jim Crow-era discriminatory laws. Each year the VPA encourages support for bills in the General Assembly being promoted by the prisoner advocacy organizations Resource Information Help for the Disadvantaged (R.I.H.D.) and Prisoners and Families for Equal Rights and Justice (PAFERJ). In the same way, the VPA encourages support for all struggles raised at the networking conference.

Endorsers (as of Dec. 6, 2011)

ARMBRUST, BREANNE – Community Activist (Richmond)
BINTA, KWAME – President, Prosser-Truth Division #456, UNIA-ACL; Regional Representative, November Coalition
BRANCH-KENNEDY, LILLIE “MS. K” – Executive Director, Resource Information Help for the Disadvantaged (R.I.H.D.)
RAIN BURROUGHS – Industrial Workers of the World, World Can’t Wait (Richmond)
COALITION FOR JUSTICE (Blacksburg)
DEFENDERS FOR FREEDOM, JUSTICE & EQUALITY (Richmond, VA)
EDWARDS, ANA – Chair, Sacred Ground Historical Reclamation Project
FLYING BRICK LIBRARY (Richmond)
HARRIS, REV. BENJAMIN – PASTOR, ST. STEPHEN’S KOINONIA CHURCH (RICHMOND)
HOUSE OF CONSCIOUSNESS (Norfolk)
JUAREZ, RICARDO – General Coordinator, Mexicanos Sin Fronteras / Mexicans without Borders (Prince William County)
HUNTER, RODNEY M. – Pastor, Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church (Richmond)
OCCUPY BLACKSBURG
OCCUPY RICHMOND
OCCUPY VIRGINIA BEACH
OCCUPY VIRGINIA TECH
PALUMBO, TOM – Activist (Hamptom Roads)
PLOWSHARE PEACE CENTER (Roanoke)
PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS OF AMERICA – VIRGINIA
RICHMOND REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM PROJECT
ROYANIAN, SIMIN, (Co-founder, Women for Peace & Justice in Iran, Fairfax)
SCHARF, ADRIA – Director, Richmond Peace Education Center
SHABAZZ, QUEEN ZAKIA – Director, United Parents Against Lead National, Inc
SOCIALIST PARTY OF CENTRAL VIRGINIA
SOUTHERNERS ON NEW GROUND (SONG)
THE SOUTHSIDE ALLIANCE (Charlottesville)
SWANSON, DAVID – Author, “When the World Outlawed War” (Charlottesville)
TAYLOR, JANET “QUEEN NZINGA” – Trustee, Prisoners and Families for Equal Rights and Justice (PAFERJ)
WAYSIDE CENTER FOR POPULAR EDUCATION (Faber)
WILAYTO, PHIL – Editor, The Virginia Defender
WILLIAMS, ANN – activist, Hampton Roads
YATES, KENNETH – Industrial Workers of the World (Richmond)

WBCH to Host: Chickens and YOU Training Series

From email announcement:

William Byrd Community House to Host: Chickens and YOU Training Series – Workshop 1

Chickens and YOU Training Series – Workshop 1
Saturday, January 28, 2012 from 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM

Chickens and YOU Training Series Leading to the

Master Chicken Keeper Certification

Chickens are mascots of the local foods movement. Chickens have skill sets that can be gainfully employed in backyard gardens. This series of courses explores in detail with hand-on, real-life information and discussions that give you practical and effective cutting-edge ways to integrate chickens in with your yard and garden that benefit you, your neighborhood and your community. They can empower urban agriculture, and serve as clucking civic workers to help save BIG TIME local tax-payer dollars. Benefits of using a “Chicken Have-More Plan” are explored. It’s time to “think outside the coop and inside your garden” and these courses show you how.
• Laying Hens 101
• Gardening with Chickens
• Brooding Baby Chicks from Scratch
• Way of the Hen: Using Broody Hens to Incubate and Hatch Eggs Naturally
• Composting with Chicken Helpers
• How to be a Chicken Whisperer
• Eggs-trordinary Eggs! The Chemistry and Science behind Cooking with Eggs
• Coop Construction
• Chicken Tractor Construction
• Processing Birds for Meat
• Roosters 101
• Showing Poultry
• How to Get Chickens Legalized In Your City: Strategies from Across North America
Sponsored by The Gossamer Foundation and Good Earth Publications, Inc.,
and hosted by ChiknEGG Productions, LLC.

UPDATE: Eric has agreed to a deal that will drop his felony charge, and after 3 months of good behavior and 50 hours of community service, all charges will be erased. Hunter has gotten a continuance.

Eric and Hunter, 2 Richmonders associated with Richmond Copwatch, Richmond Food Not Bombs, and the Wingnut Anarchist Collective were arrested during the Occupy Richmond Freedom March on November 9th, on the sidewalk lining Monroe Park. They are facing various charges, including a class 6 felony of wearing a mask with “intent to conceal one’s identity”. There is much suspicion that the arrests were made as a political attack, since there is much knowledge that the Richmond Police Department is not happy with Copwatch or the Wingnut, and has already targeted various other people associated with both groups with surveillance, harassment, arrests, intimidation, home searches without a warrant, and even a lawsuit. 4 other people marching close to Eric and Hunter were also assaulted by police. Their first court date is this morning at the Manchester Court Building on Hull St, at 9am.

E

E was arrested with 7 others in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, when anarchists there took over a building that had been vacant for 10 years. The occupation only lasted about 20 hours, when it was raided by a SWAT team. They are associated with the Flying Brick Library here in Richmond, as well as Richmond Food Not Bombs and the Richmond Anarchist Black Cross. Their court date was set for January 30th in Chapel Hill, and they are facing a charge of Breaking and Entering.

Jeremy Hawthorne

Jeremy was arrested back in September during a Richmond Copwatch patrol of First Fridays Artwalk. He has been charged with vandalizing 7 VCU vehicles, including a VCU Police Car. He has little evidence against him, except a grainy security camera footage of someone who is riding a bike, possibly with tattoos, a beard, and a hat. It seems to be one of many politically motivated attacks by the various police forces in Richmond against activists who speak out about their misconduct. Jeremy is also associated with the Wingnut Anarchist Collective and has been a fairly visible activist in Richmond for several years. His next court date is set for February 1st at 9:30, at the John Marshal Court Building on 9th St.

6:30pm- 8:30pm

“Join us for a free community course including lectures, films, and discussion presented by Dr. Shawn Utsey, VCU Dept. of African Studies & Afrikana Student Organization.”

Dr. Utsey is also the director of Meet Me in the Bottom, a film about the African Burial Ground in Shockoe Bottom and the struggle to reclaim it, as well as Until the Well Runs Dry a film about the practice of graverobbing of black cemeteries for dissections in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Dr. Utsey showed his film here at the Flying Brick a couple years ago, and it was amazing! Hopefully the community takes advantage of this opportunity to learn more about the history of people of African descent here in Richmond.