Issue # 30 DFebruary 2010

Boston Anti-
Authoritarian
Movement Newsletter
A General Anarchist Union in the Boston Area

Ghosts in the Rubble:

Haiti’s Poverty Comes to Light
Page 6 Photo by Zoriah
Zoriah.com

Boston Protests Tea Party Tools Why the Cops

Against Gitmo Page 4 Hate Cell
Prison Page 3 Phones Page 10
BAAM Newsletter - 1
 Foxboro ICE Detentions - Obama’s
Forces Target Immigrant Workers
Boston May Day Committee (BMDC) condemns targeting of
immigrant workers by ICE agents and Foxboro police
department, calls for legalization of all undocumented
O
workers now. 
Build May Day 2010.
n January 6, Immigration and Cus-
tom Enforcement (ICE) agents and
police officers from Foxboro, Massa-
chusetts, detained 58 immigrant workers at a
roadblock near Gillette Stadium. They target-
ed a caravan of four passenger vans traveling
from Providence, Rhode Island. The workers
had been hired to shovel snow off the seats
at Gillette Stadium where the New England
Patriots football team would be playing the
coming weekend.
An ICE spokesperson said five of the work-
ers detained had been previously deported
but had re-entered the United States illegally.
Those five workers face up to 20 years in
prison if convicted of the felony of re-en-
tering the country without permission after
deportation. The other workers were taken to
a nearby police station where they were fin-
gerprinted, photographed, and released with
orders to report back to ICE to determine
their legal status in the country. Most of the
detainees are Guatemalan immigrants living
in Rhode Island. When they were released
federal officials offered rides to Gillette Sta-
dium for those who wanted to go to work. The
Boston May Day Committee condemns this
ICE action. ICE officials said they were only
targeting “fugitive aliens” and/or “criminals”
but that is not fact. They’ve arrested dozens
of workers who were not “targeted” and they
sent a direct threat in their message to the mil-
lions of workers who are in this country seek-
ing jobs and to work that they could be next. 

 why the message of the May Day 2010 rally
The Obama Administration has continued
in its policies to raid factories, to raid im-
migrant communities, places of business,
and private homes depicting many detained
BAAM Newsletter - 2
workers as criminals. By doing this, the US
government hopes to undercut support for the
legalization of undocumented immigrants.
The Administrations has also stepped up
the persecution of workers through “quiet”
means, such as the massive crackdown in the
Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul) in Oc-
tober, where 1,200 janitors were fired from
their jobs as the Obama Administration fol-
lows its policy to “punish” employers who
hire undocumented workers. Last year ICE
deported 387,000 immigrants - the highest in
US history.
During the recent Foxboro detentions, in
perhaps one of their most cynical moves yet,
ICE officials drove those they had previously
detained to work, underlying the fact that the
bosses want to keep the supply of immigrant
workers coming in but with more control
over the labor supply in this time of economic
crisis.
They want to reserve and maintain a supply
of super-exploited workers; a reserve army
of labor that they can tap at will. By keep-
ing millions of immigrant workers “illegal,”
they hope to intimidate them, undermine their
self-confidence, keep them from joining and
revitalizing our unions, and lower the value
of the labor power of all workers. 


The BMDC believes and states the exact
opposite and welcome all immigrant workers
with or without “papers”. They are not “il-
legals” they are our fellow workers. This is
is, ALL WORKERS UNITE, NATIVE AND
IMMIGRANT ALIKE! 

Boston, January 17,
2010. 
www.bostonmayday.org •
In This Issue
-Protestors Call for Closing of
Guantanamo Bay Page 3
-Teabaggers Page 4
-Haiti: The Debt Toll Page 6
-Update on Tarek
Mehanna’s Case Page 7
-Whitechapel’s Community
Spaces Page 8
-Update on Greece Page 9
-Cops and Videos Page 10
The BAAM Newsletter
is the monthly publication of the
Boston Anti-Authoritarian
Movement, a general union of
Boston anarchists. Our publication
aims to spread anti-authoritarian
ideas and practices, and to report
on the social struggles of workers,
tenants, students, radicals, and
others resisting the repression of the
state, bosses, landlords and banks.
BAAM Subscriptions
In striving to make our publication
sustainable, we are offering yearly
subscriptions, sent to your door for the
sliding scale cost of $12-15. We also
provide free email subscriptions. Email
Jake at Trenchesfullofpoets@riseup.net
for more information, or send checks or
well-concealed cash to:
BAAM c/o Boston ABC, PO Box
230182, Boston, MA, 02123
Issue Editors
Adrienne, Jeff Reinhardt
Issue Designers
Jake Carman, Jeff Reinhardt
Submissions
We accept submissions for our
paper! Email articles, photos,
events, letters, etc to Jake at
Trenchesfullofpoets@riseup.net

Protestors Call for Closing of
Guantanamo Bay Detention Center
Sergio Reyes of Boston May Day Coalition giving a speech on the Boston Com-
mon at an MLK Day rally to close Guantanamo Bay. Photo by Diana Mai.
O
by Jake Carman
n January 18th, Martin Luther King
Jr. Day, around 30 people gathered in
the freezing cold on the Boston Com-
mon to demand that President Obama follow
through on his promise to close down Guan-
tanamo Bay Prison. The President had vowed
to close Guantanamo Bay—located on a US
Naval Base in Cuba where hundreds of ac-
cused “terrorists” are detained, many without
charges or access to lawyers—within his first
year, which ended on January 20th. The pres-
ident, along with human rights organizations,
have condemned Guantanamo for the use of
torture and countless other violations of inter-
national human rights agreements.
Boston protesters carried signs and ban-
ners, and using a bullhorn, spoke directly to
onlookers, calling for an end to the wars, the
Speech from the Rally by Clara Hendricks
W
hile we are here today to recognize
Barack Obama’s failure to follow
through on his promise to close
the torturous prison facility at Guantanamo
Bay, it is also essential to recognize the im-
plications of his condemnation of torture, and
what this should mean for prisoners nation-
wide. We live in a country with the highest
per capita prison population in the world. We
live in a country where millions of prisoners
are subject every day to the same torture that
continues to occur at Guantanamo. In con-
demning torture, Obama was, in a way, con-
demning the entire US prison system. So to-
day we must not only demand that he closes
end of the use of torture, the closure of Guan-
tanamo Bay, and freedom for many of the
political prisoners held within United States
prisons. Others spoke in the memory of Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. who, toward the end
of his life, championed not only peace and ra-
cial equality, but rights for all working people
and an end to the war in Vietnam. The Greater
Boston Stop the Wars Coalition called for the
action and supporters, many of whom pro-
vided speakers, included the Boston May
Day Committee, the Boston Anarchist Black
Cross, the Socialist Party, Committee to Free
the Cuban 5, and Students for a Democratic
Society. Anarchists from BAAM, the ABC,
and the Northeastern Federation of Anarchist-
Communists were present. •
Guantanamo, but that he ends ALL torture- and
this means the abolition of the US Prison system.
This connection of Obama’s statements
to domestic prisons was not something that
was lost on our comrades on the inside. So,
rather than write up something new, I thought
I would share with you the words of some
prisoners I know.
The following, written last winter, comes
from the International Committee to End the
Torturous Facility at SCI Greene County:
“North of West Virginia dwells a covert
“Guantanamo Bay” death camp opened in the
early 1990s. Its famous name is S.C.I. Greene
County. Stationed in Western Pennsylvania,
it houses over 2,000 prisoners, 515 of those
prisoners are detained in the Control Unit, in-
cluding death row inmate Mumia Abu Jamal.
In addition, it primarily warehouses a colossal
amount of long term, lock down inmates un-
der the fabricated blanket excuse of “A threat
to their selves or others” status; demanding a
sensory deprivation type of situation.
“S.C.I. Greene County Lieutenant/Iraqi
Army Corporal Charles Graner participated
in and/or gave orders to the unlawful despotic
treatment of prisoners such as: depriving of
meals, beatings, depriving disability prison-
ers of their chronic disease needs; (sometimes
causing deaths), pepper spraying inmates,
electric shocks, all of this was executed by
him from late 1990s to the early 2000s. More
importantly, this is the same personnel that
utilized identical methods at Abu Ghraib
prison in the Middle East leaving the world to
watch it on film.”
Looking further south, there is an article
written by Jordan Flaherty, an ally of prison-
ers in Louisiana, published in January 2009,
shortly after Obama’s statement on torture,
“The torture of prisoners in US custody
is not only found in military prisons in Iraq,
Afghanistan and Guantanamo. If President
Obama is serious about ending US support
for torture, he can start here in Louisiana.
“The Louisiana State Penitentiary at Ango-
la is already notorious for a range of offenses,
including keeping former Black Panthers
Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox in soli-
tary for over 36 years. Now a death penalty
trial has exposed widespread and systemic
abuse at the prison. The behavior documented
at Angola stands out both for its brutality and
for the significant evidence that it was con-
doned and encouraged from the very top of
the chain of command.
“In a remarkable hearing that explored tor-
ture practices at Angola, twenty-five inmates
testified to facing overwhelming violence in
the aftermath of an escape attempt at the pris-
on nearly a decade ago. These inmates - who
were not involved in the escape attempt - tes-
tified to being kicked, punched, beaten with
batons and with fists, stepped on, left naked in
a freezing cell, and threatened that they would
be killed. They were threatened by guards that
they would be sexually assaulted with batons.
They were forced to urinate and defecate on
themselves. They were bloodied, had teeth
knocked out, were beaten until they lost con-
trol of bodily functions, and beaten until they
signed statements or confessions presented
to them by prison officials. One inmate had
a broken jaw, and another was placed in soli-
tary confinement for eight years.
“Torture and abuse are illegal under
both US law and international treaties to
which the US is signatory. Despite the laws
BAAM Newsletter - 3
and treaties, US prison guards
have rarely been held accountable
to these standards.”
While these two statements
just about say it all, I want to
make sure we recognize that it
is not just about SCI Greene and
Angola. It is not just about the
Angola 3 and Mumia Abu-Jamal.
These torturous conditions exist
across the country from county to
state to federal institutions. While
those we refer to as political pris-
oners often receive particularly
harsh treatment due to their ide-
ologies and beliefs, this same
treatment is just as often given to
countless others, whose cases are
not known or publicized. This is
the unknown and unspoken real-
ity for nearly 1% of the United
States population. The conditions
of torture are so widespread that
according to a court case in 1980,
they do not even violate the 8th
Amendment, as they are indeed cruel, but not Obama to follow through on his promise, we Chicopee, and across the nation. We must
unusual. They occur every day. must not forget those who are locked up in continue to strive for a day when torture is
So today, as we acknowledge the torture our backyards. Those in South Bay, in Con- truly nonexistent- and that day cannot exist
occurring at Guantanamo, and call upon cord, in Framingham, in Walpole, Norfolk, while a single prison stands intact. •

The Teabaggers’ Strategy: Obama and the Right

by Sublett
policies have proven identical to
George W. Bush’s. And unlike
Bush, Obama’s position at the
head of the Democratic Party,
along with his immense talent
as a salesman, allows him to
advance the Republican agenda
with almost no opposition from
self-described liberals. But this
unexpected windfall also pres-
ents the Republicans, or rather
their corporate paymasters, with
a dilemma. How do they get
Obama reelected while pretend-
ing to oppose him?
Ordinarily, of course, this
wouldn’t be a problem. An in-
cumbent President with Obama’s
Teabaggers held a rally at George Mason Uni- skills could be expected to coast
versity (top) to commemorate the falling of the easily to reelection regardless of
Berlin wall. Then, they left all their crap there for the competition, as Bill Clinton
did in 1996. Today, however,
Solving both halves of their problem is
essential for the Republicans. They have no-
body of national prominence who possesses
anything resembling Obama’s ability to si-
multaneously promise hope, deliver the exact
opposite, and get away with it. A John McCa-
in victory in the last election would have been
a disaster for the ruling class, and they face a
similar difficulty in 2012. A Black President
of Obama’s charisma, who is also willing to
completely ignore moral principles in the ser-
vice of corporate profits, is not something to
be discarded just because the economy is col-
lapsing. Likewise, the false conflict between
Democrats and Republicans that has kept the
US public mesmerized for decades is an in-
dispensable tool of social control, so the GOP
can’t be seen to just roll over and play dead.
Their only option is to mount an “attack” that
looks ferocious on the surface but has no abil-
ity to derail Obama’s reelection bid.
This is where Sarah Palin comes in. Palin,

A
somone else to clean up. Photo by Kenton Ngo.
the deepening economic depres- along with other unelectable far-right nut jobs
year into President Barack Obama’s sion complicates matters for the like Glenn Beck and Bill O’Reilly, have dom-
first term, it has become depress- establishment. By 2012, voters will have en- inated right-wing media coverage since the
ingly clear that he is, as Jay Leno put dured five-plus years of economic misery and election, at the expense of all 40 Republican
it, “our greatest Republican President ever.” flagrantly broken promises. Even Obama will Senators, and all the Republican governors
From warrantless wiretapping to bank bail- have a hard time getting reelected without except Mark Sanford. Palin and company’s
outs to endless war—on issue after issue—his some help from the “other side.” brand of faux-populist, crypto-racist dema-
BAAM Newsletter - 4
goguery, which carefully avoids any econom- the teabaggers widespread media coverage from the “opposition,” it makes perfect sense.
ically important issues, is now what passes via his Fox News Network, something else We don’t have to wait until 2012, though,
for the Republican platform. By contrast, any that tends not to happen to genuine grassroots to see the effects of the teabagger strategy on
mainstream Republican politician who has a movements. national policy. Having the Republicans tacit-
chance of toppling Obama, and quite a few Once one realizes that the teabaggers are a ly on his side has let Obama employ the clas-
who don’t, have been as close to invisible as giant astroturf operation, their usefulness to sic political strategy of getting the bad news
their positions allow. Mainstream political Obama and the ruling establishment becomes out of the way early, without having to worry
commentators have expressed surprise at the clearer. For one thing, they draw support unduly about his approval ratings (which in
“disarray” the Republicans find themselves away from Ron Paul and the “libertarians,” any case are well north of 50%). Consider-
in. They point to Arlen Specter, a “moderate” who, however misguided and destructive ing the sheer volume of bad news, he’s made
Republican Senator from Pennsylvania, who their ideas are, are a genuine threat to the es- good time. In less than a year Obama scuttled
was forced to defect to the Democrats to avoid tablished order. The teabaggers are also, with a global climate deal, engineered a massive
a loss in the upcoming Republican primary help from Fox News and friends, dragging the giveaway to the health insurance industry,
election, something virtually locked in a policy of bailing out
unheard of for an incumbent Wall Street whenever neces-
Senator. These commentators sary, increased US participation
are missing the point. Disarray in genocidal wars and confirmed
is exactly what the corporate the Bush administration’s policies
establishment needs from the concerning torture, illegal arrests
Republicans right now, and and government secrecy. About
Specter was a potential threat the only thing left is immigration
to Obama in 2012. Also, he is “reform,” and at his current pace
now a useful counterweight that should be wrapped up by fall
within the Democratic Party of this year.
to more liberal Senators like Here it’s interesting to note that
Al Franken. immigration, the teabaggers’ sig-
The so-called Tea Party nature issue, was saved until they
movement fits neatly into had established themselves orga-
this framework. A motley nizationally and in the media. That
collection of right-wing, will make them a better excuse
working-class white peo- Despite its claims of being a “grassroots” movement, the tea- for the package of increased re-
ple, the movement takes its baggers are funded, supported, and promoted by the infra- pression and employer giveaways
name from the Boston Tea structure of the right.. Photo by Wes Pennest. that will inevitably emerge from
Party. The “teabaggers,” as the “reform” battle. Amnesty for
they are known, have been in the media re- mainstream debate further to the right. This undocumented immigrants will be torpedoed
cently for organizing medium-sized protests means that liberals, confronted with Obama’s in much the same way the pubic option was
in Washington, DC and disrupting the town support for torture, war and global warm- during the health care debate, except with the
hall meetings on health care of last summer. ing, who might otherwise consider growing teabaggers taking most of the blame instead
Their positions include the claim that Obama a spine, are pressured to continue supporting of Joe Lieberman.
was born in Africa and is thus ineligible to the administration as the lesser of two evils. With immigration out of the way the White
be President, a demand that the government But the teabaggers’ greatest gift to the rul- House will be able to switch over to campaign
refrain from providing health care, and a ing class is their potential to divide the anti- mode, taking a harder rhetorical line with the
stand against immigration. While the teabag- Obama vote by adding a third evil to the mix. Republicans, throwing a few minor bones to
gers are presented in the corporate media as This was pointed out by the Wall Street Jour- the liberals to bring them back in line and
a spontaneous expression of working class nal in a mid-December poll, which found that otherwise shoring up a slowly dwindling base
anger, even a cursory look at their origins a hypothetical Tea Party had higher favorabil- of support. By Election Day 2012, Obama
and funding reveals that this is far from the ity ratings than either the Republicans or should be in position to sweep all 50 states
case. According to Jane Hamsher’s teabag- Democrats. Since then, a Tea Party Conven- against the GOP and Tea Party candidates and
ger timeline on Huffingtonpost.com, the first tion has been announced for early February at claim a “mandate” based on forty-something
protest to be labeled a “Tea Party” was orga- which Palin will be the keynote speaker. percent of the popular vote.
nized by Ron Paul supporters as a fund raiser Other speakers include Republican Repre- Noam Chomsky recently warned of the
in December 2007. Since then however, the sentative Michelle Bachmann and Republican possibility of an independent right-wing
theme has been appropriated by more main- Representative Marsha Blackburn. If you’re populist movement reminiscent of the Nazis
stream Republicans for their own purposes. noticing a pattern here, you’re not alone. A in Weimar Germany. A right-wing populist
By late February 2008 nation-wide Tea Party bunch of Republican politicians are creating movement under the control of the ruling
protests were being spearheaded by staffers a third party that can only split the right-wing elite could be even more dangerous. As we
from Freedomworks, a foundation chaired by vote, instead of working within the Republi- resist the US trend toward outright corporate
former Republican Congressman and House can party to advance views that are already fascism, the teabaggers will be worth keeping
Majority Leader Dick Armey, not exactly popular on the right. This behavior would an eye on. •
the first person that leaps to mind when you ordinarily be considered political suicide, but
think of grassroots community organizing. If for a party whose major donors (the defense, Further reading:
Armey’s involvement isn’t enough, consider insurance, and banking industries among oth- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jane-hamsher/
that media mogul Rupert Murdoch has given ers) are already getting everything they want a-teabagger-timeline-koch_b_187312.html

BAAM Newsletter - 5
 Haiti’s Debt Toll
Earthquake Tragedy Brings
Centuries of Imperialism to Light
A
by Jeff Reinhardt
s the TV screens and newspapers unless the imperial powers are stopped.
across the US continue to show im- Besides patting the US government on the
ages of the tragedy that has befallen
back for all its “aid,” the mainstream media
Haiti, more important political analysis has
makes offensive declarations on the tragedy’s
been largely overlooked as well as some of magnitude being caused by a “lack of infra-
the work that is being done by groups otherstructure” and “underdevelopment” in Haiti
than major NGO’s and the military. What (never mind Pat Robertson saying that Hai-
the mainstream media doesn’t want to reporttians signed a pact with the devil). In one Wall
happens to be some of the most important in-
Street Journal editorial, the 7.0 magnitude
formation on the matter. quake that happened January 12th in Haiti
What is most often discussed is the mon-was compared to the 7.0 magnitude quake in
etary support from the US. Major US papers California in 1994, where fewer than a hun-
constantly praise the incredible fundraising
dred people died. The Journal stated, “The
efforts at home including the new text mes-difference is a function of a wealth –generat-
saging fundraising, which as of Tuesday, ing and law-abiding society that can afford,
January 19th had reached $22 million alone.among other things, the expense of proper
This is all well-meaning and necessary char-
building codes.” Blaming an impoverished
ity; Haiti is the poorest nation in the western
nation for being poor is appalling, but all too
hemisphere. Though it is a land rich in re-accepted as most of Haiti’s history has been
sources and human spirit, it has been plun-left out of the discussion.
dered by western powers and it needs its own Haiti’s history is one of revolution, poverty
sovereignty because the country is currently
and imperialism, and that’s just the surface.
unable to rebuild itself. Let me be clear: Haiti
Theirs is a story of people with tremendous
has been intentionally impoverished. This amounts of courage to fight for justice against
imposed poverty has escalated the human a brutal ruling class. It is an utter condemna-
death toll from the quake, and it will continue
tion of capitalism from start to finish.
Like all of the
Americas, the is-
land Haiti shares
with the Domini-
can Republic was
home to indig-
enous peoples,
including the Tai-
nos, the Arawaks,
and other nations
who lived off the
land for centuries.
In 1492, Colum-
bus landed on the
island and claimed
it for Spain.
French pirates
soon plundered
A future of uncertainty awaits the children of Haiti, many of the coasts and in
whom will be recoving from injuries for the rest of their lives. 1625 it became a
Photo from Red Cross. prized colony of
BAAM Newsletter - 6
France, which decimated native populations
and brought slaves over from Africa.
The Haitian Revolution, the second revolu-
tion in the western European colonies, began
in 1791 as slaves across the region began to
revolt against the French
landowners. Toussaint L’Ouverture, a for-
mer slave, led the revolution until he was
kidnapped by the French and sent to die in
a French prison. Nevertheless, in 1804 Haiti
declared indepen-
dence from France,
but was only recog-
nized by France in
1825 upon agreeing
to pay a debt of 150
million francs back
to the French gov-
ernment (this was
the annual budget
of France in 1804,
which now would be
in the billions). This
debt was the begin-
ning of a new era of
slavery in Haiti, mir-
ing the young nation in permanent debt to the
powerful.
Fearing parallel slave rebellions, the Unit-
ed States refused to recognize Haiti until after
the Civil War and set up a trade embargo. Of
course, the US eventually bought out Haiti’s
National Bank in 1910, effectively securing
the nation’s treasury in the National City
Bank of New York (now known as Citibank).
In 1915, President Woodrow Wilson sent US
troops to Haiti to stabilize the country after a
series of Revolutions starting in 1911 (to pro-
tect their “investment”). The US would oc-
cupy Haiti until 1934, further increasing the
debt the country owed. During this period both
France and the US each diverted 40 percent
of Haiti’s GDP to paying back debts, mean-
ing the country was allowed to keep 20%.
Following this, the US helped install the
dictator Francois Duvalier who, with his son,
ruled Haiti for 29 years. Over 30,000 people
were murdered during the Duvaliers’ Regime layed or rerouted by the US to ensure all of sibilities for business and redevelopment.
and the country was further driven into pov- its military forces could land. So amidst the widely broadcast humanitar-
erty from the French and US debts. These are early signs of future US domi- ian aid from the US, we should question the
More recently, both Bill Clinton intentions of our military and the intentions
and George W. Bush enacted simi- of the large companies doing work there.
larly offensive strategies in dealing Then there are the relief groups—the
with one our closest neighbors. Jean- small grassroots ones—that get absolutely
Baptiste Aristide, a populist who no media coverage, but are doing good work.
spoke against neoliberal policies One group to note from the US is the Mu-
and military junta rule, was elected tual Aid Disaster Relief in Haiti organization.
in 1990. His election represented MADRIH is composed of skilled volunteers
an age-old class divide in Haiti: the from all over the US who want to provide not
poor majority supported Aristide only charity, but solidarity with the Haitian
and the rich hated him. Aristide People. Two teams are currently in Haiti pro-
was twice removed from power: viding mostly medical relief. According to the
first in 1991, by a violent military group’s website (mutualaiddisasterrelief.org)
coup, and then again in 2004 by the they have been meeting many bureaucratic
CIA. Aristide now resides in South A “looter” is arrested for possession of a bag of obstacles to providing the help they intended
Africa, and wishes to return to his powdered milk on January 15th. Repression of to provide. They also report serious backlogs
country to help his people. The US Haiti continues as the US military takes over. in getting food to people on the streets from
has not supported this. Photo by Carole Cole/Los Angeles Times. the UN. The group is currently heading out of
What the US has done is create the capital because of a huge influx of medi-
a PR campaign using two warmon- cal personnel. Other groups doing support
gering former presidents, Bill Clinton and nation in Haiti that could reap the benefits work include the Partners In Health, Grass-
George W. Bush, as special envoys to help of what author Naomi Klein termed “di- roots International, and Pastors for Peace.
the humanitarian response. Both Clinton saster capitalism” in her book The Shock Keep an eye out for these groups and this
and Bush exploited Doctrine. US companies are gearing up to author would strongly recommend donating
Haiti and destroyed finance the rebuilding of Haiti with one to at least one of them. As Haiti attempts to
real democracy concern in mind: profit. It happened to rebuild itself, citizens of the US and other
there. When Aris- New Orleans after Katrina, it happened to countries should try and think of the best
tide was let back the countries devastated by the tsunami in long-term solution for the people of Haiti, not
into power in 1994, 2004, and it is happening in Iraq. Disasters, its rulers, not its elite, nor the rich from the
Clinton imposed human-caused or otherwise, are huge pos- rest of the world. •
harsh neoliberal
policies and forced
the leader to accept
them, effectively
Update on Tarek Mehanna Case:
opening textile
trade between the
He Still Needs Our Support
two countries and Tarek Mehanna is a 27 year old Muslim. sisters, a decision that did not sit well at all
creating a whole Highly educated, he holds a doctorate in with the FBI.
slew of sweat- pharmacy from the Massachusetts College of The FBI threatened and eventually arrested
shops, eliminating all protection for Haiti’s Pharmacy. Tarek is described by those who Tarek. He is currently being held in solitary
economy. Bush similarly treated Haiti with know him well as humble, reserved, warm, confinement, facing accusations of aiding
contempt. In 2004, along with France and peaceful, intelligent, charismatic, knowl- and abetting terrorism. All of these FALSE
Canada, he helped orchestrate a second coup edgeable, dedicated, and straightforward. He charges have been fabricated by paid FBI in-
against Aristide, effectively relocating him to is a person with strong ethical values who formants. We ask you to join us to support our
South Africa. Both men have also killed thou- refuses to compromise on them regardless of brother until he is released and home with his
sands abroad in other foreign interventions, the circumstances. It is unfortunate that these loving family.
making them war criminals; not exactly the customarily admirable traits play a role in his For more information on Tarek’s case and
best faces to represent a “humanitarian” relief current situation. what you can do to help, please visit our
effort. But the media eats it up. Several years ago, the FBI began to ap- website. FREETAREK.COM
All this points to the possibility of further proach Tarek in an effort to recruit him as an Tarek has expressed that your letters are
US military involvement in Haiti. The Penta- informant. They recognized that he was a re- what have the greatest impact on keeping him
gon is effectively in control of the island and ligious Muslim who was active in the local Is- in good spirits while in isolation. Please send
is sending 10,000 US troops including 2,000 lamic community. They knew had earned the letters of support, love, inspiration, admira-
marines to occupy the country for “security” trust and respect of many, and was a beloved tion, solidarity, and strength to him at:
reasons. The US quickly gained control of the mentor to the youth. Their objective was to
main air terminal in Port-au-Prince shortly af- secure Tarek as a tool to corroborate any FBI *Tarek Mehanna**
ter the earthquake first hit, and immediately claims or accusations against members of the ID#50660 Unit GSE-108
began letting US troops land. Reports have community that might arise, at the discretion Plymouth County Correctional Facility
surfaced that the delay of some of the most of the FBI. Of course, Tarek flat out refused 26 Long pond Road
needed medical and food supplies were de- to backstab his fellow Muslim brothers and Plymouth, MA 02360* •
BAAM Newsletter - 7

Community
Spaces
W
Words and Photos by Kassie Carlson
hitechapel is an incredibly pro-
gressive area of London home to
countless radicals and open-mind-
ed individuals. Once the home of the infamous
Jack the Ripper and anarcho-syndicalist writ-
er Rudolf Rocker, Whitechapel is commonly
known for its local bars and restaurants, but
also as a central area for community-based
activism. Some of these centers included the
London Action Resource Center, an anar-
chist-publishing house called Freedom Press
and a local Food Not Bombs. Whitechapel
Anarchist Group circulates a free newsletter
called W.A.G. that can be seen in the hands of
locals and radicals alike.
One autonomous space named rampART
specifically caught my attention because of
its longevity. The collective self-describes it-
self as being “one of a number of autonomous
spaces around London providing a non com-
mercial venue for a wide-range of groups and
activities.” Currently there are about 100,000
homes empty in London, one of the richest
cities in the world. Unlike most areas of the
world, squatting isn’t illegal in England or
Wales. Once someone other than their owner
occupies a building, the occupiers will not
be evicted as long as there has been no dam-
age done to the building, they do not leave
the building unattended and you agree to pay
any relevant bills. The Advisory Service for
Squatters (ASS) is a useful resource for ram-
pART and many other autonomous spaces.
The rampART collective is an important
aspect of Whitechapel’s community. Events
at the building are attended by the whole
neighborhood instead of just a single age
group or social group. Even the firefighters
are friendly with the occupiers, especially
after a fire destroyed their first building next
door. RampART is usually a show space and
community space, but is used by other groups
BAAM Newsletter - 8
White-
Chapel’s
! ends of skill sharing and workshops. Some of
! workshops take place at different social cen-
as well if the collective consensually agrees.
One of their biggest events was called Behind
Bars, held to benefit Greek anarchist prison-
ers and to celebrate the 40th anniversary of
the July 1969 anti-police riots at the Stone-
wall Inn in Greenwich Village in NYC, where
queers showed the world that they would fight
back against police targeting of queer spaces.
This was the first time in American history
where the homosexual community fought
back against the police for their frequent un-
prompted and
unwarranted
raids of any
areas they
congregated.
The Behind
Bars party
was an all-
day, all-night
event includ-
ing an entire
weekend of
shows, a bar
and a Punx
Picnic in the
park. With most people paying donations of
five dollars at the door, a three-floor building
was stuffed to the ceiling with people spill-
ing out the door. There’s no wonder that ram-
pART collective made quite a bit of money
to support their cause. That night bridges
between countries were built but also within
varying social circles and communities.
Another autonomous space that opened
in London during the same time is The Non
Commercial House. The two-floor building
is an alcohol and drug-free community space
on Commercial Street. Beautiful, mural-like
graffiti covered the walls. Large comfortable
couches lined the walls. The Non Commer-
cial House offered a free store and bike shop
as well as Spanish lessons, film screenings,
discussions, and workshops. At the time, the
collective had even considered having free
music lessons on the large organ upstairs. It
opened its doors Friday to Sunday from 12-
8pm. The House “promotes community with-
out consumerism” and describes itself as “a
non-profit, non-hierarchal space open to all.”
The grand opening occurred in July 2009 with
free music and food. Individuals and families
all over the city attended the event.
The London Free School Collective aims
to “confront hierarchy and inequality in edu-
cation and reclaim knowledge to develop self
reliance.” The group frequently holds week-
these classes include clothes making, radical
reading group, computers, self-defense, no-
madic kiln construction, class politics and cli-
mate change, and DIY/zine publishing. The
ters around London. The London Free School
Collective found its temporary home at the Non
Commercial House on Commercial Street for
a couple months. However, the fact that the
London Free School Collective does not have
a permanent home can sometimes be benefi-
cial. Events are held at locations all over the
city. Changing places encourages many dif-
ferent communities to engage in the activities.
On November 30th, the rampART collec-
tive, The Non Commercial House and thus,
The London Free
School Collective
were evicted from
their spaces. All three
spaces had been fight-
ing court cases with
their owners for quite
some time. The great-
est loss of course was
the rampART col-
lective, however all
the spaces were ben-
eficial to London’s
growth as a popula-
!
tion. RampART held
strong against the bailiffs and landlords for
five and a half years. The building was evicted
by forty-five police officers with chainsaws,
however the collective still shouted strong:
“Our energy has not dissipated. We will not
be beaten!” Thus, activists have not lost any
steam or strength. RampART has moved to
another location and new autonomous spaces
are opening up everyday. With the London
Olympics just three years away in a desperate
economy, its not wonder that the city is trying
to “clean up” the best it can. The exceptional
dedication of activists in London’s Whitecha-
pel community proves that significant chang-
es in ideals, community structure and even
laws can be made if we put in enough effort
and enthusiasm. •
 nsters
Of Mo ligans:
oo
and H
Greece’s Trial of the Century
By Jake Carman
O
n January 22nd, in the remote moun-
tain town of Amfissa, Greece, the
trial began of Athens police officers
Epaminondas Korkoneas and Vassilis Sara-
liotis. Korkoneas murdered 15 year old anti-
authoritarian Alexandros Grigoropoulos on
December 6th, 2008, and Saraliotis is being
tried as an accomplice for encouraging the
killing. The shooting sparked more than a
month of full-blown insurrection, and though
it occurred in central Athens, authorities
postponed the trial from December 2009 to
January 20th, 2010, and moved it 125 miles
northwest from the Greek capital in hopes of
avoiding more civil unrest. As the drama un-
folds in quiet Amfissa, the whole of Greece
waits and watches. The outcome could deter-
mine if the ruling Socialist Party (PASOK) can
regain control on the rebellious nation, or if
the public continues at breakneck pace down
the road of uprising and rebellion. As Chris-
tos Fotopoulo, president of the Police Union
told the BBC, “If the public believes there is
a fair and proper trial...then this will improve
relations between the police and society.”
On January 20th, when it was announced
that the trial would again be postponed be-
cause, according to AFP, “the main lawyer
of...Korkoneas was occupied with another
trial,” 350 anarchists marched through Am-
fissa with much public support. 15 anarchists
had traveled from Athens and nearby Lamia
to Amfissa on January 16th to reach out to the
townsfolk and shatter the government-gener-
ated image of anarchists as vile terrorists. “So
will the hordes of barbarians come to Amfissa
to flatten the city? … Are the babies in dan-
ger, the olive tries, animals, the kiosks, the
drinkable water? The answer is no,” said the
fliers the anarchists handed out to residents
during of Amfissa at the beginning of the
week. While 400 police officers swarmed the
town days before the trail, and while shops
responded to government scare tactics by
boarding up windows, “upon hearing that ‘an-
archists were in town,’ crowds of people came
to meet them” and invite them for free drinks
in local cafes, said the anarchists’ statement.
Locals also came out to downtown Amfissa
to watch and participate in the
January 20th demonstration,
where anarchists and support-
ers chanted anti-police and an-
ti-government slogans, and de-
manded that the courts accept
the pleas of the victim’s mother
to move the trial back to Ath-
ens. The march included minor
confrontations with police.
Alexandros’ mother, Gina
Tsalikian, filed multiple com-
plaints against the transfer of
the trial to Amfissa, includ-
ing one to the European Court of Human
Rights. In an open letter to the judges, she
claims the accused officers are “subjects of
privileged treatment.” Moving the trial, Tsa-
likian argues, hinders the participation of key
witnesses—such as the school-aged youth.
Her statements also raise questions about the
second bullet (perhaps intended for a second
victim) and the oversight of the police-con-
duct files of the accused. Without waiting for
the decision of the European Court of Hu-
man Rights, the Greek Courts rejected all of
Tsalikian’s appeals. The police union also
protested the move to Amfissa, telling the
BBC it’s, “an insult that implies they could
not guarantee security in the Greek capital.”
When the trial finally began on January
22nd, police flooded Amfissa under the pre-
text of protecting officer Korkoneas from
urban guerrilla groups that have threatened
to kill him. Bullets have even been mailed
to his defense lawyer, Kougias, who began
the trial by claiming Alexis was involved in
water-polo hooliganism on December 6th.
Officer Korkoneas said, “The ones who re-
ally attacked were the boy and the witness.
Those 16 year old boys are not normal kids
like mine and yours.” Tsalikia, who had to
be restrained by police during Korkoneas’
slanderous statements, testified that Korko-
neas shot her son deliberately, and that the
two officers were “monsters in the guise of
men.” Tsalikian claims that even after the
murder, the police “...Just left. They went
back to their headquarters and did not say
they had shot a child. It was like they had
killed a little mouse. These people valued
the life of my son as much as a cockroach’s.”
At the stand, Korkoneas stated: “I don’t
accept liability for anybody’s death...I would
have stepped forward to shield anyone, in-
cluding these kids. It was the outcome of a
difficult moment.” Saraliotis also pled in-
nocent, saying, “I have nothing to do with
my colleague’s actions.” Korkoneas’ de-
fense is based on the claim that, according
to the Associated Press “the boy was killed
by a warning shot fired into the air that rico-
cheted.” However, that section of Exarchia,
the large anarchist “free” neighborhood
where the shooting took place, has no bal-
conies or other metal structures in the air
capable of deflecting a bullet, and the claim
is highly improbable. (See Greek cartoon de-
picting the murder, left) Ballistic evidence,
which could indicate if the bullet that struck
Alexis’ heart had been deflected, is key to the
verdict. The trial could last several months.
Besides the January 20th march through
Amfissa Center and to the nearby prison, and
along with the ongoing high school and uni-
versity occupations, anarchists and anti-au-
thoritarians have intensified their “urban guer-
rilla” campaign. This month, they blew up the
ground floor of the Ministry of Press, the front
yard of the Greek Parliament building, burnt
the Kallithea, Athens offices of the governing
Socialist Party (PASOK) as well as the usual
cars of diplomats, and raided and smashed up
the office of Deputy Justice Minister Aposto-
los Katsifaras. A new guerrilla group, calling
itself the Revolutionary Organization 6th of
December, after the date Alexis was mur-
dered, claimed the Ministry of Press bombing.
Labor is on the offensive. Striking work-
ers of the country’s second largest shoe com-
pany, Elite, responded to threats of closure
by occupying Elite’s main factory in Athens.
Civil Aviation workers also occupied their
headquarters on January 21st, while a sex
workers union protested for better healthcare.
In the countryside, during the lead up to the
trial, farmers used their tractors as blockades,
shutting down seven highways in the country
the size of Alabama, hindering cross-country
travel and even blocking national borders.
These blockades were organized regionally
by farmers unions from the left, as well as
many on the right. Around the start of the
trial, however, according to a report from
Greek anarchists, “farmers from the block-
ades of north Greece have declared they no
longer consider their official unions relevant
and have formed an ad hoc autonomous
council comprising of two elected members
from each blockade.” The farmers demand
that the PASOK government fulfill their
campaign promises, and the herders union
reinforced the blockades on January 25th. On
January 25th, though the government held a
Dialogue on Farming at the Presidential Man-
sion in Athens, farmers, calling it a “circus
of a dialogue,” boycotted, remained at their
Korkoneas (middle) on trial
BAAM Newsletter - 9
snow-covered tractors, and staged a “general
rehearsal of total blockade.” Only a handful
PASOK-controlled farm union reps attended
the Ministry of Agriculture’s dialogue. Trac-
tors crippled the highways and even side
streets, shut down all traffic north of Athens,
an international railway, and the Bulgarian
border. Some gave free produce to the trapped
drivers while explaining agricultural politics.
By the 26th, 5,000 tractors blocked roads,
and city buses besieged the Salonica police
headquarters and the city of Larissa, threat-
ening their own blockades. All in all, these
actions have cost the Greek state around 200
million Euros so far, and may escalate early
next month, during the 100 years anniversary
of the Kileler Uprising and the abolition of
To Wiretap the Wiretappers
I
By Adrienne
t is an unfortunate reality that ours is a
culture that worships cops. Given my
own manifold and multifarious experi-
ences with law enforcement officials, not to
mention being a person whose attention is
routinely directed towards the constant on-
slaught of internet videos of cops brutalizing,
humiliating, sexually violating, and killing
people with little to no provocation, all more
or less with impunity, I honestly don’t under-
stand the appeal. But it seems all these videos
are vexing law enforcement, making them
frowny and very cross indeed; videos of po-
lice conduct expose the lies that comprise at
least 80% of police reports and testimony and
wrest from the armed apparatus of the state a
smidgeon of the control that they spend their
vile lives pursuing.
It might be an optimistic overstatement to
say that such documented episodes undermine
the legitimacy of the state, but videos have
certainly been used in court and in journalis-
tic media to dismiss lie-based cases again po-
lice victims. Despite the many advantageous
ends served by street videography, the Boston
Anarchist Black Cross tends to advise against
using video cameras, particularly those with
audio capabilities, around Massachusetts law
enforcement for the very reason that Massa-
chusetts law can be and has been used against
videographers for recording public officials.
Indeed, the Boston Globe recently featured
five such cases brought against individuals
in recent years under the 1968 law that was
crafted to protect the privacy of private indi-
viduals, rather than to institute another barrier
against police accountability. It is wryly that
the politically aware person regards the real-
ity of electronic wiretapping charges brought
against citizens concerned with the exercise
BAAM Newsletter - 10
serfdom in Thessaly, east-central Greece.
Lastly, a hunger strike, organized by the Ini- Photo Below: Greek farmers protest at
tiative for Prisoners Rights on January 11th, their tractor blockades.
at the time of writing continues in Grevena
prison, including more that 400 prisoners. •
of state power by a state that perpetuates
much more pernicious, unwarranted wiretap-
ping against its constituents.
Monthly Events:
Twelve US states have such laws and while
the Globe article notes as being aware of and
First and Third Monday:
concerned with the issue the Massachusetts Papercut Zine Library meeting,
Civil Liberties Union and the Citizen Media 7:30pm, Contact papercut@riseup.net
Law Project at Harvard’s Berkman Center for for location
Internet and Society, and was penned by a
representative of the New England Center for
First Tuesday of Every Month:
Investigative Reporting at Boston University,
unlike in Pennsylvania, there is presently no BAAM public meeting, 7pm, Lucy Par-
direct challenge to the validity of the law. sons Center, 549 Columbus Ave. Open
The challenge in Pennsylvania is actually meetings feature an introduction to
being brought by the ACLU on behalf of Eli- BAAM, reportbacks, and workshops.
jah from Pittsburgh’s Landslide Community
Farm. In April 2009, University of Pittsburgh
police busted in on him and Von as they were
Second Tuesday of Every Month:
retrieving the excesses of capitalism from Anarchist Black Cross meeting (defense
a dumpster. At issue was a 2 minute and 55 and prison abolition group), 8pm, email
second video Elijah took with his cell phone bostonabc@riseup.net for location.
while the police cuffed Von and attempted to
ascertain her identity. While she was released,
Every Wednesday:
he was charged with wiretapping. The charge
was dismissed in July 2009 and the ACLU
Free Radical Film Nights, 7pm, Lucy
filed suit the following month challenging Parsons Center, 549 Columbus Ave.
the law, just in time for September’s G20 in
Pittsburgh, where citizen media was not as Second Sunday of Every Month:
thoroughly pummeled as it had been during
2pm Industrial Workers of the World
September 2008’s Republican National Con-
vention in St. Paul. The same team of folks meeting. Lucy Parsons Center, 549 Co-
who assembled the documentary Terrorizing lumbus Ave, Boston
Dissent about the RNC assembled another
documentary, Democracy 101, within five Every Friday:
days of the conclusion of the G20, salvaging Food Not Bombs free community
footage from broken cameras, stolen videos,
and arrested reporters. Because anarchists be-
meal, 3-6pm, Boston Common, Park St
lieve in the free distribution of information, T Stop, Boston
both documentaries are freely available for
viewing on the internet. Every Sunday:
As for us here in Massachusetts, there does Food Not Bombs free community meal,
not appear to be a challenge to our law in
3-7pm Central Square Cambridge, MA
sight. Take care and exercise caution when
documenting police conduct. •
 Calendar: Get Involved
Wednesday, February 3rd
Candlelight Vigil in support of Jason
Vassell. It has been 2 years since he was the
victim of a hate crime, for which he was ar-
rested. The trial continues. 7pm @ the First
Churches, 129 Main Street, Northampton.
www.justinforjason.org
Thursday, February 4th
Workers have no borders. This event Saturday, February 13th
seeks to build unity between immgrant
workers and US-based labor movement
by bringing together union workers, immi-
grant organizers and community activists.
It is part of the campaign by the Boston
May Day Committee and its affiliates to
unite workers across sectors and borders.
Featuring: Dorotea Manuela -- “On orga-
nizing towards May Day”
Camilo Viveiros -- “On the raids and
immigrant workers (such as the Foxboro
mobile raid experience)
Steve Early -- “On the organized labor
movement and immigrant workers”
At Encuentro 5, 33 Harrison Ave. 5th. Fl.,
Boston, Ma 02111 For more information:
www.bostonmayday.org
Sunday, February 7th
ABC Prisoner Support. 1pm @ The
Broad Majestic Shannon (email for direc-
tions: BostonABC@riseup.net) Join us for
an afternoon of prisoner support. We will
be writing letters, sending literature, doing
research, and more! All are welcome!
Monday, February 8th
Panel on Transgendered Communities
and the Prison Industrial Complex 7pm
@ Dockser Hall, Room 250 at Northeastern
University. Featuring Gabriel Arkles, and
Stefanie Rivera from the Sylvia Rivera Law
Project, and Elizabeth Marie Rivera-Valen-
tine from Cambridge Cares About AIDS.
Greek Solidarity Planning Meeting. Par-
ticipate in BAAM’s Greek Solidarity com-
mittee. Help plan upcoming events and de-
velop strategies for supporting the world’s
largest anarchist movement. 5:30pm at the
Lucy Parsons Center, 549 Columbus Ave.
Sunday, February 14th
Saintless Valentines Day Dinner and
ABC Fundraiser. Come eat delight-
ful vegetarian food for a cause! Vegan
and gluten-free diets amply accommo-
dated. Tickets Start at $15 (everything
over 15 will go to Justice for Jason- www.
justiceforjason.org/) Dinner includes 4
course meal and a drink. Ticket Deadline
is February 1st. To order, email boston-
abc@riseup.net. 6PM at the Community
Church of Boston 565 Boylston in Copley.
Tuesday, February 16th
Month of Anarchy Coordinating Com-
mittee meeting. Help get the ball rolling
for activities of the May Month of Anarchy!
7pm at Encuentro 5, 33 Harrison Ave,
Chinatown, on the 5th floor.
Sunday, February 28th
Serving Solidarity: A Night of Greek
Cuisine and Uprising. Homemade Greek
food, culture, and inspiring information
about the situation in Greece. With excerpts
from ZNet’s documentary “After the Greek
Uprising.” 5pm at Lucy Parsons Center.
Saturday, March 13th
Self-Styled Anarchist Fashion and Craft
Show. Back by popular demand! Watch reb-
els strut their stuff to raise the ABC defense
funds. At the Community Church of Boston.
Details TBA, check our next Newsletter.
Saturday, March 27th
Sacco and Vanzetti Social. Gather for a
cultural celebration, with food, drinks, info
about Tarek Mehanna’s case, and of course,
socializing. At Encuentro 5, 33 Harrison Ave.
Chnatown. www.SaccoandVanzetti.org
MAY Month of Anarchy
Coming out of the 9th NEAN Assembly,
a month of anarchist and related public
events and actions across the Northeast.
Specifics TBA

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For a free email subscription, contact
What is Anarchism?
Jake: trenchesfullofpoets@riseup.net Anarchism is the theory and practice of a human society
organizing without hierarchy, authority and oppression. This
Contributors to this month’s issue: means that all people have equal access to the decision-
making process and to the products of their collective
-Adrienne labor. Anarchy can be described as true, direct democracy. It
-The Boston May is horizontal: i.e. workers working together without bosses,
Day Committee neighbors organizing housing and neighborhoods without
-Kassie Carlson
landlords, and people making decisions without politicians.
-Jake Carman
-Clara Hendricks There are many different ideas on how to get there and what
-Diana Mai exactly it will look like. We can talk all we want, but only a
-Jeff Reinhardt truly free and revolutionary people will be able to decide what
-Sublett their revolution will look like. So comrades, let’s get to work!

WWW.BAAMBOS TON.ORG
BAAM Newsletter - 11
 Howard Zinn, Presente

1 9 2 2 - 2 0 1 0
With great sorrow, we mark the death of one of anarchism’s most thoughtful and productive minds, but it is with
great joy that we celebrate his contributions to the movement for true justice and freedom. We share our joy for what
he has given us with his actions and words, here in Boston and across the world. Far from being a lofty academic,
before his professorship and writing career he was a dock worker from Brooklyn who went on to fight in WWII, earning his de-
gree afterwards on the GI Bill. The following is a statement from members of the Sacco and Vanzetti Commemoration Society.
“The last time we interacted directly with Howard Zinn was June 11, 2009 when a small crew of young and old volunteers in-
vaded his personal home to record his views on the case of Sacco and Vanzetti. (See photos) Among the crew was Bob D’Attilio,
“Mr. Sacco & Vanzetti,” as Howard used to call him and Fred Clow, our very active retired photographer and member of the So-
ciety. Not long before that, Howard Zinn had lectured on the Meaning of Sacco & Vanzetti for the SVCS at the Dante Alighieri
Center, where he said that he was surprised to see so many people interested in the subject matter. Howard Zinn’s contribu-
tion to the theory of social analysis of U.S. capitalism and working class struggle will definitely outlive him and remain as a tool
to understand and change society for a long time. At the Sacco and Vanzetti Commemoration Society, we say raising our fists:
‘Howard Zinn, presente! Now and forever in the struggle!’” Howard Zinn (August 24, 1922 – January 27, 2010) will be missed.•

Photos by
Fred Clow

WWW.BAAMBOSTON.ORG
BAAM Newsletter - 12