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Anarchist Resistance Legal Defense Fund
March 4, 2002 - 8:35am -- jim
Anarchist Resistance Legal Defense Fund
During the World Economic Forum, more than 200 people from all over the world were arrested and are facing criminal charges for participating in protests against the exploitive agenda promoted by this concentration of the world's wealthiest and most powerful people. The vast majority of the charges are baseless and were trumped up by the police. These protestors
were arrested for simply expressing their beliefs. Even if any of these charges are factually accurate, they are illegitimate attempts by the state to punish political expression.
However, many defendants are unable to afford to travel from their homes to New York for the numerous court appearances that they must attend to fight their charges. Without help to pay travel expenses, many of these people will be unable to attend their court hearings. The prosecutors know that many defendants cannot afford such travel expenses, and they are exploiting that fact to coerce defendants into guilty pleas. At least one defendant has already pled guilty, accepting a permanent criminal record, because she knew that she could not afford to travel to New York for future court appearances.
The Anarchist Resistance Legal Defense Fund is committed to raising funds to cover defendants' travel expenses, so that defendants who do not live in New York City can return to the city to tell the truth to the court: that they are not guilty of any conduct warranting punishment. We are profoundly and passionately opposed to a so-called “justice” system in which one’s criminal
guilt or innocence is determined by one’s financial means.
Please help the defendants stand up to the state and defend themselves against these illegitimate charges.
Q: What is the Anarchist Resistance Legal Defense Fund (ARLDF)?
A: The ARLDF is a Washington, DC-based anarchist collective committed to raising money to help anarchists and other political activists defend themselves against criminal charges arising from their participation in popular demonstrations. All of the ARLDF’s founding members are anarchists who, along with demonstrators of other political persuasions, were arrested
during the WEF for peacefully expressing their political opinions. We do not recognize the supposed authority of the State to sanction us and others for resistance against systematic oppression and exploitation. We plan to continue providing legal defense support to political activists arrested in the future, and we hope to inspire a federation of ARLDF collectives throughout the world to defend against States' efforts to use legal systems
to deter and punish dissidence.
Q: What will the ARLDF do with the funds it raises?
A: The ARLDF — being a DC-based collective — is starting its efforts on a local level, focusing its initial fundraising efforts in DC and first applying those funds to ensure that DC-area defendants can fight the charges. We anticipate that we will easily raise more than enough money to cover the needs of those DC-area defendants who need assistance, so we expect that we will apply the bulk of the funds we raise to provide mutual
aid to fellow defendants from other parts of the country.
Q: Why were so many people protesting at the World Economic Forum?
A: Nearly 15,000 people protested on the streets of New York City because they refused to support this gathering of the world's wealthiest, most powerful people. These protestors marched against capitalist globalization, a system which perpetuates a world where money is deemed more important than human lives. The protestors in New York included people from many different countries and many different backgrounds who came together to show their resistance to this exploitive economic system.
Q: What can I do to help?
A: Your contribution will help ensure that no one is forced to plead guilty solely for financial reasons. Please help the defendants stand up to the state and defend themselves against these illegitimate charges. You can donate to the ARLDF online with your credit card at infoshop or abolish the bank, or you can mail checks or money orders made payable to "ARLDF c/o Todd Hutchins" or "ARLDF c/o Clarissa Peterson" to P.O. Box 21372, Washington, DC 20009-1372. If you would like more information, you can contact us at
mutual aid.
On behalf of freedom-lovers everywhere, we thank you for your support!
With love & rage,
Anarchist Resistance Legal Defense Fund
Anarchist Resistance Legal Defense Fund
During the World Economic Forum, more than 200 people from all over the world were arrested and are facing criminal charges for participating in protests against the exploitive agenda promoted by this concentration of the world's wealthiest and most powerful people. The vast majority of the charges are baseless and were trumped up by the police. These protestors
were arrested for simply expressing their beliefs. Even if any of these charges are factually accurate, they are illegitimate attempts by the state to punish political expression.
However, many defendants are unable to afford to travel from their homes to New York for the numerous court appearances that they must attend to fight their charges. Without help to pay travel expenses, many of these people will be unable to attend their court hearings. The prosecutors know that many defendants cannot afford such travel expenses, and they are exploiting that fact to coerce defendants into guilty pleas. At least one defendant has already pled guilty, accepting a permanent criminal record, because she knew that she could not afford to travel to New York for future court appearances.
The Anarchist Resistance Legal Defense Fund is committed to raising funds to cover defendants' travel expenses, so that defendants who do not live in New York City can return to the city to tell the truth to the court: that they are not guilty of any conduct warranting punishment. We are profoundly and passionately opposed to a so-called “justice” system in which one’s criminal
guilt or innocence is determined by one’s financial means.
Please help the defendants stand up to the state and defend themselves against these illegitimate charges.
Q: What is the Anarchist Resistance Legal Defense Fund (ARLDF)?
A: The ARLDF is a Washington, DC-based anarchist collective committed to raising money to help anarchists and other political activists defend themselves against criminal charges arising from their participation in popular demonstrations. All of the ARLDF’s founding members are anarchists who, along with demonstrators of other political persuasions, were arrested
during the WEF for peacefully expressing their political opinions. We do not recognize the supposed authority of the State to sanction us and others for resistance against systematic oppression and exploitation. We plan to continue providing legal defense support to political activists arrested in the future, and we hope to inspire a federation of ARLDF collectives throughout the world to defend against States' efforts to use legal systems
to deter and punish dissidence.
Q: What will the ARLDF do with the funds it raises?
A: The ARLDF — being a DC-based collective — is starting its efforts on a local level, focusing its initial fundraising efforts in DC and first applying those funds to ensure that DC-area defendants can fight the charges. We anticipate that we will easily raise more than enough money to cover the needs of those DC-area defendants who need assistance, so we expect that we will apply the bulk of the funds we raise to provide mutual
aid to fellow defendants from other parts of the country.
Q: Why were so many people protesting at the World Economic Forum?
A: Nearly 15,000 people protested on the streets of New York City because they refused to support this gathering of the world's wealthiest, most powerful people. These protestors marched against capitalist globalization, a system which perpetuates a world where money is deemed more important than human lives. The protestors in New York included people from many different countries and many different backgrounds who came together to show their resistance to this exploitive economic system.
Q: What can I do to help?
A: Your contribution will help ensure that no one is forced to plead guilty solely for financial reasons. Please help the defendants stand up to the state and defend themselves against these illegitimate charges. You can donate to the ARLDF online with your credit card at infoshop or abolish the bank, or you can mail checks or money orders made payable to "ARLDF c/o Todd Hutchins" or "ARLDF c/o Clarissa Peterson" to P.O. Box 21372, Washington, DC 20009-1372. If you would like more information, you can contact us at
mutual aid.
On behalf of freedom-lovers everywhere, we thank you for your support!
With love & rage,
Anarchist Resistance Legal Defense Fund