The Week of Solidarity with J20 Defendants Starts Tomorrow

By Crimethinc

July 19, 2017

From Crimethinc:

alt text

The Week of Solidarity with J20 Defendants begins tomorrow! July 20 marks six months since the mass arrest on L and 12th Street in Washington, DC; more than 200 defendants are now facing up to 75 years in prison apiece on Trumped up charges. We’re calling on all supporters to organize events and actions in solidarity with the J20 defendants throughout the week. Send reportbacks, photographs, and inquiries to J20solidarity@protonmail.com.

Ongoing Solidarity Actions

Before the week has even begun, we’re already learning of solidarity actions around the country:

  • Graffiti reading “200 People, 80 Years, Just for Protesting?” along the Atlanta Beltway;

  • Graffiti on a Starbucks in Binghamton, NY that says “Dismiss J20, Drop the Charges!”

  • Banner drops in Pittsburgh, PA and Elgin, IL demanding that the charges be dropped;

  • And a shout-out from Camp White Pine, the action camp in Pennsylvania currently resisting the development of the Marine East 2 Pipeline.

Organizations across the country have signed on to the Statement of Solidarity issued by DefendJ20Resistance, while a campaign is underway to demand that the DC Office of Police Complaints release $150,000 allocated for an investigation into the DC Metropolitan Police Department.

Events

A host of events is planned across the country to keep the pressure on throughout the week:

New York City, NY

Durham | Chapel Hill | Asheville, NC

  • July 20 • Anarchists on the Silver Screen @ Firestorm Books & Coffee

  • July 22 • BBQ, Bakesale and Benefit Show @ the Back House, 6:00PM

  • July 24 • Letter-Writing/Call-In Party @ Northgate Park, 6:00PM

  • July 25 • The Nightlight Presents “Institute”, A Benefit for J20 Defendants @ The Nightlight, 9:00PM

  • July 26 • Resisting State Repression, A Press Conference @ Durham Central Park, 12:00PM

Pittsburgh, PA

  • Roundtable discussion with Jude Ortiz of the Tilted Scales Collective for Pittsburgh J20 Defendants

  • Film Screening of “Born in Flames” @ 40th Street Bridge in Lawrenceville

Ypsilanti | Lansing, MI

Richmond, VA

  • July 20 • Screening of “Trouble - Episode 4: No Justice, Just Us” @ Community Room, 6:00PM

  • July 22 • Solidarity Demo @ Carycourt, 12:00PM

More events are being organized each day, and there are plenty of ways to plug in and plan one in your local area!

Resources

We’ve put together a resource kit specifically for tabling, so you can use these materials to explain the case to people where you live. It includes:

  • How the Government is Turning Protestors into Felons - a zine produced from an article written by Natasha Leonard describing the state’s intention to use the J20 case to set a precedent for mass arrests in the era of the Trump regime.

  • Why I Am Facing 75 Years - a zine produced from an op-ed written by Carlo Piantini, a J20 defendant, about the political nature of the J20 case, its connection to the larger scope of political repression in the United States, and the need for continued resistance.

  • An Unpresidented Case - a brief graphic zine composed of recollections from defendants about the Inauguration Day protests, the kettle, and the repression that has followed since.

  • “Week of Solidarity” - A new flyer and web graphics for this second Week of Solidarity to use for wheat-pastings and social media blasts.

  • “Show Up For Dane Powell” - A flyer calling for solidarity with Dane Powell, the first political prisoner of the Trump regime.

  • “#DropJ20” - A flyer to announce #DropJ20, a campaign demanding that the US Attorney’s Office drop the J20 charges.

  • “I Want You!” - A set of six flyers calling for action to demand an investigation into the conduct of the DC Metropolitan Police Department on Inauguration Day.

The kit also includes an archive of previous J20 solidarity flyers and a host of resources on legal support and prisoner solidarity, analysis and theory on Trump and anti-Trump resistance, anti-policing zines, and material for newcomers on how to join the resistance!

Stay in the Loop

Visit Defendj20resitance.org to sign up for email updates about the case, or follow “Defend J20 Resistance” on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Return