This Week: Support Ojore Lutalo, released after 26 years!

Anarchist, New Afrikan political prisoner Ojore Lutalo was recently released from prison. He served 26 years, most of it in isolation, or "the hole," all in the service of revolutionary struggle. The NYC branch of the Anarchist Black Cross Federation has set up a gift registry to insure that of the challenges of shifting from prisoner to civilian, having basic apartment furnishings is not among them.

New Afrikan Anarchist Political Prisoner, Ojore N. Lutalo, is out after 26 years of imprisonment!

In continuation of the Anarchist Black Cross Federation (ABCF) fundraising efforts to support Ojore transition back to life on the outside, we have created a gift registry of items for his new apartment. Please visit the registry (or go to target.com and search for Ojore Lutalo or List ID:012399301813930) and make a purchase either as an individual or an organization.

This financial assistance will allow Ojore to transition more smoothly, giving him the needed time to readjust to life on the outside that he hasn't experienced since 1982. Please note that his move-in date is Sunday, November 15th so purchasing items for shipment on this Thursday or Friday is ideal.



As many former prisoners and their supporters know, coming back home after a doing a long stretch in prison is difficult, and without a support base it is even more difficult. The ABCF, anarchists, and many PP/POW supporters who have maintained contact with and supported Ojore over the years have immensely benefited from the example that he has set for what it means to be a revolutionary. His untiring advice and criticism has helped many of us and our organizations grow politically and deepen not only our commitment to the struggle to free political prisoners and prisoners of war, but also to that of building revolutionary movements.

It's our revolutionary duty ensure Ojore has all the support he needs!

We encourage folks to fundraise and/or donate whatever they can towards Ojore's housewarming fund, and circulate this appeal far and wide.

To make a donation without selecting an item from the gift registry, checks or money orders payable to Tim Fasnacht can be sent to:

Philadelphia ABCF
Post Office Box 42129
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19101


Thank you for your support! Solidarity and Struggle!

NYC Anarchist Black Cross
ABCF-NYC

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Ojore Lutalo was locked down in Trenton, New Jersey, for actions carried out in the fight for Black Liberation. In Ojore's own words, he is, "serving a parole violation sentence (we received 14 to 17 years) stemming from a 1977 conviction for expropriating monies from a capitalist state bank (in order to finance our activities) and engaging the police in a gun battle in December 1975 in order to effect our departure from the bank, and to ensure success of the military operation..." "After my parole violation sentence terminated in December 1987, I started serving a forty year sentence with a twenty year parole ineligibility (I was paroled in 1980, and I have been back in captivity since April 20, 1982) that I have received in 1982 for having a gun-fight with a drug dealer. The overall strategy of assaulting a drug dealer is to secure monies to finance one's activities, and to rid the oppressed communities of drug dealers."

Ojore was originally arrested with New Afrikan prisoner of war Kojo Bomani Sababu, and was struggling with comrade Andaliwa Clark. Andaliwa was killed in action within the confines of New Jersey's infamous Trenton State Prison after he shot two of the prison's security guards in the repressive Management Control Unit (M.C.U.) on January 19th, 1976 when they tried to stop him from escaping from captivity.

Ojore was a comrade of the late Kuwasi Balagoon, a New Afrikan anarchist prisoner of war, and states, "I've been involved in the struggle, the war against the fascist state since 1970. I've been an anarchist since 1975 without any regrets. Prior to my involvement in the struggle, I was just another apolitical lumpen (bandit) here in Amerika." "I was... influenced and highly motivated by the Black Liberation Army (B.L.A.) here in Amerika. These sisters and brothers were New Afrikans just like me from the streets of the ghettos who took the initiative militarily, to start assassinating members of the state's security forces who were murdering black people in our communities. From the inception of all revolutions, I feel that people need armed combat units to check state sponsored acts of terrorism by the government's security forces. In addition, I feel that these armed combat units are necessary to show the people that fascist acts of state-sponsored terrorism... will be responded to militarily. In 1975 I became disillusioned with Marxism and became an anarchist (thanks to Kuwasi Balagoon) due to the inactivity and ineffectiveness of Marxism in our communities along with repressive bureaucracy that comes with Marxism. People aren't going to commit themselves to a life and death struggle just because of grand ideas someone might have floating around in their heads. I feel people will commit themselves to a struggle if they can see progress being made similar to the progress of anarchist collectives in Spain during the era of the fascist Bahamonde..."

i know i'll be asking for a

i know i'll be asking for a lot of heat by saying the following, but in the interest of some history and clarification i need to bring up a few things.

first, ojore didn't go to prison for "the revolution". he went in this last time because he ripped off and kicked the shit out of a dealer. don't get me wrong--dealers who prey on the weak in their own communities definitely need to have their asses kicked and their bankrolls liberated, but let's not pretend that this action and his previous bank robbery were in the service of "the revolution" (anarchist or otherwise). he acted either alone or with the help of one or two of his pals, not an affinity group connected to a mass movement (not that such actions need to be part of something big to be considered "in the service of the revolution", but it helps if you have some projects you're trying to support through such acts. just saying...). so let's dispense with the illusion of his incarceration being due to some duty he was performing on behalf of some "revolution".

second, he didn't serve time in the hole because he was trying to serve "the revolution" either. ojore is a stubborn, hard headed, defiant black man, which is reason enough for the screws to punish him over and above what he suffered by being locked up for 27 years. but being stubborn, defiant and black doesn't make him an anarchist either. plenty of non-political prisoners end up in the hole for all kinds of petty or serious infractions of prison rules. so let's no exaggerate ojore's dedication to anarchism as a reason for the screws to come down on him extra.

third, ojore has some problems with women. his demand for porn (while certainly understandable in a male-only environment, a man has needs after all), and increasingly disturbing s/m kinds alienated not a few of his most dedicated supporters over the years. this demand, plus the issue of anti-drug violence that got him locked up, made for some very heated arguments within at least one group of his supporters in the late 80s, leading to its eventual dissolution. i don't know if ojore even knows that his case led to the disintegration of an ABC group...

all that said, by all means, collect money and get the brother some furnishings. he should not be allowed to be kidnapped by the state again, ever. consolidate some long-term support for him, get him re-integrated into a strong community. but don't be afraid to confront him when he fucks up. ex-cons still have a tendency to play convict games with people they find they can take advantage of. make sure your mutual aid has a "mutual" component. be unflinching in your support as well as your criticisms. don't patronize him because he's black or because he's an ex-con. demand the high personal and interpersonal standards we as anarchists desire and expect. eyes wide open comrades!

i think its good to know the

i think its good to know the truth.
also true: Ojore is not a prison or death penalty abolitionist.

I feel similarly as you as

I feel similarly as you as in many cases the "anarchist" becomes one after imprisonment and later assumes the criminal activity to be of the cause.

I am Avi Naftel, never ashamed to state name and comments. I did not commit my crime for the cause, I did kidnap a state trooper because it is my personal belief that anytime a cop tries to arrest me it is my duty to resist. I resisted to the tune of 25 years, had 3 attempted escapes which added to that time, and resisted both inmate cop (nazi's) and guards all the time I was in.

While released on Home Arrest status in 1997, as expected I cut off the restraining device and took to the streets, wandering for 11 years, participating in things I personally do to live my own anarchy (which includes service to others on a regular basis) - until I was recaptured in July of 2008. I just finished up another 15 months at the Arizona State junk yard, where things are worse than ever - and will be off parole in March of 2010. At that time my sentence will expire and I will be free of this state at last.

After my release I made little contact with my anarchist community friends who showed me much support during my first seventeen years in prison. I had my reasons for this, not least of which, correctly so, I feared someone might turn me it. In fact, it happened like that.

Additionally, I have not sought financial assistance or otherwise from the anarchist community whatsoever. I am relying on some ex-con friends who are taking care of me at this time. I am listed as homeless with the State.

I will not seek assistance from the @ community unless I am actively taking direct action and need support to maintain my activities anonymously. In which case, I doubt I'd get much anyway.

I agree with just about everything you've said, which leads me to believe you may have done a bit of time yourself.

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