Guest
9th February 2005, 23:27
June 10-12 'Weekend of Resistance' for Jeff 'Free' Luers
June 2005 marks the five-year anniversary of the imprisonment of our
friend and comrade: Oregon environmental political prisoner, Jeff
Free Luers. Jeff was sentenced to more than 22 years in prison for
burning three Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) at a car dealership in
Eugene, Oregon, and on trumped up attempted arson charges. Jeff set
fire to SUVs to call attention to climate change and to protest oil
wars and environmental destruction. Jeff was motivated by compassion
and a desire to protect life, not to harm it, despite what some
might think of his tactics. Prior to his arrest, Jeff was a popular
community activist in Eugene. He was well-known to law enforcement
because of his involvement with national forest protection (starting
an occupation of a controversial old-growth timber sale in 1998),
anti-police brutality activism (documenting rampant police abuse in
Eugene), free food programs in a local park and his teaching of
self-defense to women. Since his imprisonment, Jeff has continued to
be extremely active in prison and fight oppression with his words
and inspiration.
On June 12, 2004, social and environmental activists in the US,
Canada, England, Scotland, Norway, Finland, Australia, and Russia
participated in an International Day of Action with Jeff by
organizing non-violent protests and community events to show their
support for him and their disgust for his cruel sentence. The FBI
responded by creating a real 'Green Scare', sending a memo to
businesses, corporate media, and government agencies warning of
planned terrorist attacks by the Earth Liberation Front on June
12. Of course, no terrorist attacks ever occurred. All of the
events were peaceful and public, ranging from concerts and
demonstrations, to video showings and dinner parties. Even some
mainstream media outlets recognized the FBI memo for what it was - a
manipulative, dishonest attempt to incite fear- and criticized them
for that. Some participants in the June 12 day of action withstood
intense
harassment including being photographed, videotaped and questioned
with one group actually being evicted due to the hysteria from the
FBI.
Since the June 12, 2004 Day of Action, support for Jeff has
continued to grow and strengthen. People all over the world see Jeff
as a political prisoner and acknowledge that his sentence is meant
as a deterrent to increased resistance to oppression. Overall
however, the political climate in the US and abroad has become more
corrupt and repressive. On the home-front, the prison industrial
complex continues to expand, repressive laws and legislation
continued to get pushed by lying politicians, political prisoners
are denied parole as the real criminals receive little or no
punishment, and the already weak laws that exist to protect the
environment are quickly being eliminated by blood-thirsty industry
and the Bush administration. On the international level, the Bush
regime is intensifying military aggression in Iraq, planning future
actions in Iran
and the proposed Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales is attempting to
undermine the Geneva Convention to justify the torture tactics used
by US soldiers and prison guards at Abu Gharib and Guantanamo Bay.
The
conditions are ripe to expose the hypocrisy of the system.
Opposition and dissent is needed now possibly more than ever before.
During the weekend of June 10-12th, 2005, social justice activists
from across the world are called upon again to organize and show
their outrage about Jeffs imprisonment and the continued abuse and
isolation of dissident prisoners across the globe. State repression
is meant as a deterrent to social and environmental movements all
over. Jeff received a sentence of over 22 years for an action that
harmed no one except for the pocketbook of a local car dealer.
Typical arson charges in Oregon result in sentences less than five
years. The Judge in Jeff's case sentenced a man to 18 years last
year for child molestation. Charles Graner Jr, responsible for the
brutal torture and sexual harassment of Iraqi Prisoners of War at
Abu Gharib received only ten years! Every day in every city, cops
receive little or no punishment for crimes against the public. This
cannot be tolerated! Fight for the political prisoners because they
have fought for you, against racism & poverty, war & imperialism,
and the pillaging of the natural world. Theyre in there for us - we
are out here for them!
June 10-12th, 2005, is a Weekend of Resistance with Jeff Free
Luers. There is no central organizing body or group to check in
with but the Jeff Luers Support Network can help by providing you with
flyers, graphics, and merchandise such as videos, zines and stickers
about Jeff and allies in the struggle. Begin planning your event
now. Read more about Jeffs case at http://www.freefreenow.org. Read
more about political prisoners at http://www.thejerichomovement.com.
Plan an action that makes sense for your area: a demonstration,
treesit, music festival, teach-in, stenciling campaign, rally,
protests at an American consulate or embassy overseas or public
forum. Circulate petitions. Write letters to the Governor of Oregon
asking him to look into Jeff's case. Contribute to Jeff's legal
defense. Do what you think is appropriate. But please remember when
planning an action or event think about how it could affect Jeffs
upcoming appeal. Ask yourself: does this help or hurt Jeff? Does
this strengthen the movement or weaken it in the long-term? More
ideas for action and updates for the June 10-12 Weekend of
Resistance for Jeff
'Free' Luers will be posted to
http://www.freefreenow.org/june2005.html
East Coast contact:
Friends of Jeff 'Free' Luers [email protected]
West Coast Contacts:
Break the Chains [email protected]
San Francisco Jeffrey Luers Support Network
[email protected]
http://www.freefreenow.org/
June 2005 marks the five-year anniversary of the imprisonment of our
friend and comrade: Oregon environmental political prisoner, Jeff
Free Luers. Jeff was sentenced to more than 22 years in prison for
burning three Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) at a car dealership in
Eugene, Oregon, and on trumped up attempted arson charges. Jeff set
fire to SUVs to call attention to climate change and to protest oil
wars and environmental destruction. Jeff was motivated by compassion
and a desire to protect life, not to harm it, despite what some
might think of his tactics. Prior to his arrest, Jeff was a popular
community activist in Eugene. He was well-known to law enforcement
because of his involvement with national forest protection (starting
an occupation of a controversial old-growth timber sale in 1998),
anti-police brutality activism (documenting rampant police abuse in
Eugene), free food programs in a local park and his teaching of
self-defense to women. Since his imprisonment, Jeff has continued to
be extremely active in prison and fight oppression with his words
and inspiration.
On June 12, 2004, social and environmental activists in the US,
Canada, England, Scotland, Norway, Finland, Australia, and Russia
participated in an International Day of Action with Jeff by
organizing non-violent protests and community events to show their
support for him and their disgust for his cruel sentence. The FBI
responded by creating a real 'Green Scare', sending a memo to
businesses, corporate media, and government agencies warning of
planned terrorist attacks by the Earth Liberation Front on June
12. Of course, no terrorist attacks ever occurred. All of the
events were peaceful and public, ranging from concerts and
demonstrations, to video showings and dinner parties. Even some
mainstream media outlets recognized the FBI memo for what it was - a
manipulative, dishonest attempt to incite fear- and criticized them
for that. Some participants in the June 12 day of action withstood
intense
harassment including being photographed, videotaped and questioned
with one group actually being evicted due to the hysteria from the
FBI.
Since the June 12, 2004 Day of Action, support for Jeff has
continued to grow and strengthen. People all over the world see Jeff
as a political prisoner and acknowledge that his sentence is meant
as a deterrent to increased resistance to oppression. Overall
however, the political climate in the US and abroad has become more
corrupt and repressive. On the home-front, the prison industrial
complex continues to expand, repressive laws and legislation
continued to get pushed by lying politicians, political prisoners
are denied parole as the real criminals receive little or no
punishment, and the already weak laws that exist to protect the
environment are quickly being eliminated by blood-thirsty industry
and the Bush administration. On the international level, the Bush
regime is intensifying military aggression in Iraq, planning future
actions in Iran
and the proposed Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales is attempting to
undermine the Geneva Convention to justify the torture tactics used
by US soldiers and prison guards at Abu Gharib and Guantanamo Bay.
The
conditions are ripe to expose the hypocrisy of the system.
Opposition and dissent is needed now possibly more than ever before.
During the weekend of June 10-12th, 2005, social justice activists
from across the world are called upon again to organize and show
their outrage about Jeffs imprisonment and the continued abuse and
isolation of dissident prisoners across the globe. State repression
is meant as a deterrent to social and environmental movements all
over. Jeff received a sentence of over 22 years for an action that
harmed no one except for the pocketbook of a local car dealer.
Typical arson charges in Oregon result in sentences less than five
years. The Judge in Jeff's case sentenced a man to 18 years last
year for child molestation. Charles Graner Jr, responsible for the
brutal torture and sexual harassment of Iraqi Prisoners of War at
Abu Gharib received only ten years! Every day in every city, cops
receive little or no punishment for crimes against the public. This
cannot be tolerated! Fight for the political prisoners because they
have fought for you, against racism & poverty, war & imperialism,
and the pillaging of the natural world. Theyre in there for us - we
are out here for them!
June 10-12th, 2005, is a Weekend of Resistance with Jeff Free
Luers. There is no central organizing body or group to check in
with but the Jeff Luers Support Network can help by providing you with
flyers, graphics, and merchandise such as videos, zines and stickers
about Jeff and allies in the struggle. Begin planning your event
now. Read more about Jeffs case at http://www.freefreenow.org. Read
more about political prisoners at http://www.thejerichomovement.com.
Plan an action that makes sense for your area: a demonstration,
treesit, music festival, teach-in, stenciling campaign, rally,
protests at an American consulate or embassy overseas or public
forum. Circulate petitions. Write letters to the Governor of Oregon
asking him to look into Jeff's case. Contribute to Jeff's legal
defense. Do what you think is appropriate. But please remember when
planning an action or event think about how it could affect Jeffs
upcoming appeal. Ask yourself: does this help or hurt Jeff? Does
this strengthen the movement or weaken it in the long-term? More
ideas for action and updates for the June 10-12 Weekend of
Resistance for Jeff
'Free' Luers will be posted to
http://www.freefreenow.org/june2005.html
East Coast contact:
Friends of Jeff 'Free' Luers [email protected]
West Coast Contacts:
Break the Chains [email protected]
San Francisco Jeffrey Luers Support Network
[email protected]
http://www.freefreenow.org/