No More Prisons

> a full Critical Resistance wrap-up is available on indymedia. -dj

Activists of the Month

ACT-UP Philly Kicking Ass,
Needs Your Help


MARCH 13-Yesterday was a busy day for ACT UP Philly, with another successful day of protest in Washington, DC in the fight for lower AIDS drugs prices in thedeveloping or poor nations where 90% of people with HIV live. In the battle against the drug company lawsuit against South Africa, we held a supportive rally at the South African Embassy and presented the Ambassador with a letter of solidarity and then had an angry protest at PhRMA the drug company industry pressure group.

It was also a very tense day, with the final day of the felony trial of our member Kate Sorensen, who was targeted by the FBI and police during the Republican National Convention, held in jail for over a week on $1 million bail, and charged with multiple felonies.


After over 7 months of defamation against both Kate and ACT UP, Kate
was ACQUITTED on all felony charges, found guilty only of criminal mischief a very
minor charge for which there was no evidence, but it was likely that the jury responded to the political pressure and hype about this trial and felt it was necessary to have a minor conviction rather than full acquittal.

ACT UP Philly has never been stronger or larger. But, as an
all-volunteer group of mostly low-income people with no staff, we are currently struggling to sustain this level of work, in which we have been widely credited with sparking a national movement to hold the US government and drug companies accountable for denying AIDS medication to millions infected worldwide.


To speak bluntly, we are broke.


Our long distance service - used for phone calls and faxing, it
currently runs $800- $1000 a month has been turned off.

Our forceful protest yesterday cost approximately $12,000 for buses, food, local transportation, sound equipment, and materials. Most of our members are low income or poor and can not contribute towards the costs of these events.


Our 8 year old photocopier would be on its last legs -- if it had
legs -- jams constantly, and is unable to make multiple or two sided copies yet we can no longer afford to keep up the service contract essential to its operation.


And we are working with allies to organize a national protest in
Washington DC on April 12 against the FTAA the Free Trade Area of the Americas,
which as currently planned would restrict generic drug production and
access throughout North, Central and South America. But we may not be able to fufill this commitment if we can not secure funds.


We are asking for your help. Every penny you donate to ACT UP
Philadelphia goes into our activism. We have no staff, a donated
office space, and find prop materials in dumpsters if necessary. And we will never accept funding from a pharmaceutical company, pharmacy, or government.


Your help goes a long way:


$20 covers the costs for materials and transportation for one
“teach-in” at a local drug treatment program.


$50 pays for food and room rental for one of our weekly ACT UP
strategy meetings.


$200 will allow us to provide one month of local public
transportation to enable low income ACT UP members to participate in planning meetings.


$800 covers one month of long distance for our communications network
of faxing and phone banking.


$1000 enables a busload of 50 low income protesters living with HIV
and their loved ones to participate in a Washington, DC protest,
including their meals for the day.


Donations can be mailed to:


ACT UP Philadelphia

PO Box 22439

Philadelphia, PA 19110


We are not a non-profit; thus, donations to our group are not tax-deductable. However, donations of $1000 or more can be made as donor-advised grants to Bread and Roses, a local social change funder, and are tax-deductable. For more information, contact Christie Balka, Bread and Roses Exective Director, at christie@breadrosesfund.org or call 215-731-1107.


Julie Davids and Asia Russell,
for ACT UP Philadelphia

360Hiphop Politics Killed!

I've been a politics columnist for 360hiphop.com for six months and the axe finally fell on our whole section, including my brilliant editor Jeff Chang and I think most everyone else at 360 too! 360 was bought by BET which was bought by Viacom and hip-hop journalism just lost its best political editor. We will be archiving my columns from 360 here for anyone who wants to read them. Peace to everyone who's been buying my books on the subways and busses lately. You're keeping me financially afloat. Thanks for the love.
upski

Looming Victories

The New York Times reported yesterday that New York State will ease some of its crazy mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines by restoring judicial discretion in class C, D, and E drug felonies. Democrats are pushing to add Class B felonies as well, which most drug cases are. Republican Governor Pataki has been feeling the heat and he knows he has to change something, but he's trying to change as little as possible. Turn up the heat on your Representatives at the Drop the Rock Rally Tuesday March 27th in Albany. For more info please call The Kunstler Fund for Racial Justice 212-924-6980


Also New Mexico is preparing to pass the most sweeping drug reform legislation in the nation. -led by a Republican governor. Hey, we need all the allies we can get!