Anarchist Black Cross Federation

Anarchist Black Cross Federation (ABCF) was created in 1995 when the North American Anarchist Black Cross collectives from Paterson (NJ), Bronx (NY), and Washington DC merged into a federation. Soon after, the Bronx and DC groups left to form a separate Anarchist Black Cross Confederation, but the New Jersey ABC and others continued to build the ABC Federation and attracted new ABC groups to carry it on.

The aim of the ABCF is to build an organization capable of offering long-term, non partisan support of class war political prisoners and prisoners of war (heretoforth respectively PP,POWs).

ABCF believes that it is important to support PPs/POWs as a priority, because PPs/POWs have themselves helped to build the movement that supports them, "As people continuing to struggle for change, we are obligated and it is our duty to support those people who are in prison as a result of struggling to make change." [ [http://abcf.net/abcf.asp?page=whats2 ABCF - What is the ABCF?] ]

The ABCF defines a "political prisoner" and "prisoner of war" as an individual who is not in prison for committing social crimes, but rather for other activity deemed revolutionary. They describe them on their website as follows: "Different PP/POWs participated in progressive and revolutionary movements in varying levels. Some in educational and community organizing, others in clandestine armed and offensive people's armies. All are in prison as a result of conscious political action, for building resistance, building and leading movements and revolution... for making change." [ [http://abcf.net/abcf.asp?page=const1 ABCF - Who and What are Political Prisoners (PP) and Prisoners of War (POW)] ]

Government attention

Thanks in part to its "Tactical Defense Caucus" (which advocates armed self-defense), the ABCF has received significant government attention. In his testimony before the Senate Committee on Intelligence in February 2005, Robert Mueller, Director of the FBI, identified the ABCF as a potential threat to national security:

: "The potential for violence by anarchists and other emerging revolutionary groups, such as the Anarchist Black Cross Federation (ABCF), will continue to be an issue for law enforcement. The stated goals of the ABCF are "the abolishment of prisons, the system of laws, and the Capitalist state." The ABCF believes in armed resistance to achieve a stateless and classless society. ABCF has continued to organize, recruit, and train anarchists in the tactical use of firearms." [ [http://www.fbi.gov/congress/congress05/mueller021605.htm Congressional Testimony] ]

References

External links

* [http://abcf.net Official Website]
* [http://4strugglemag.org Montreal Anarchist Black Cross Federation]

ee also

* Anarchist Black Cross Network
* Anarchist Black Cross
* Prison abolition movement
* Prisoners' rights