See You at the Finish-line, Leavin Em’ : Eight Months in Exile

From PSA:

—–Eight months ago I was subpoenaed for the Grand Jury investigating the incidents of May Day 2012 in Seattle Washington. However, unlike others involved I had not been “served”, therefore I had a chance to flee, and to do so legally. These past eight months have been the most trying months that I have ever lived. In this period I have loved yet I have lost, and I have felt emboldened yet defeated.
Though I am technically not breaking any laws, the degree to which I am public about my situation is something that has constantly been on my mind. I do not want to publish the exact place I am in or full name because I have already been harassed (both verbally and physically) in my current location. Yet, at the same time there seems to be a lot of confusion around the situation that myself and others are in, exile. This statement is an attempt to clarify the situation that I am in and speak a little about what my experience has been. This statement is also a call for support and solidarity. Both are things that I really need right now. Thanks for reading.—–

I understand that there has been some confusion around the issue of my exile and this is something I hope to clear up. I am a grand jury resister and though I am not in currently in prison, I am sure that if I were to enter back into the United States before the Grand Jury investigation is closed I would be served my subpoena and ordered to appear in front of the Grand Jury. Being that cooperation with the state is not something I would ever do, I view my leaving the country as an act of resistance, a refusal to engage in any sort of dialogue with the State. Since my leaving, I have been contacted multiple times by the FBI in regards to when my new subpoena date is, and also just to be harassed.
My subpoena was not the first interaction I have had with the FBI, it has been a fairly constant thing in my life for the past two years. I understand that there are other people who have also not been served who have been able to avoid being harassed and haven’t been ordered to appear in front of the Grand Jury. These people have not left the country and I think this is great news and wish nothing but the best for those people. Unfortunately I don’t see myself being in that situation, since there have also been people who the agents have gone to pretty extensive lengths to serve. Given all of the information I have, this is not a risk I am willing to take.
I want to be clear that I stand in complete solidarity with all other Grand Jury resisters, regardless of whether they chose to appear or not. To me, this is a personal choice and I don’t view the refusal to appear as either better or worse than the refusal to answer their questions in person. But if I can avoid going to prison, especially while doing so legally, that is what I will do, and I have no regrets about the decisions I have made.
In many ways thinking back on the past eight months is something that is hard to do. While it’s easy to recount the events; the late august beach trips, the three day drive fueled by four bottles of “5 hour energy” and too much McDonald’s(even for me), celebrating a friends birthday by trekking part way up a snow-covered and drinking champagne and sending fireworks in the night sky. It seems like time has just flown by. But that sinking feeling in my stomach is always there to remind me just how long it’s actually been. The countless number of sad phone calls made to my best friend at home remind of just how many days I have been gone. Experiencing the death of my 24 year old brother while not being able to attend the funeral or grieve in person with my family and old friends. This is what makes the weeks feel like months, and the months feel years. These are not so subtle reminders that, in some ways, my time is being stolen.
Financially there have been lots of amazing people and organizations who have provided me with what I need and I want to express my utmost gratitude to them.. But most of my money has come in the form of financial aid from the university I am still currently attending in the States. However, I am no longer able to receive money due to my graduating and am going to need to be relying on donations for the rest of my exile. Finding employment here is very hard given that I do not have status nor know the language you need to be employed. I will be having friends set up in a website in the near future with an option to donate both by mail, in person, and online. Anything than anyone can offer would be greatly appreciated as I currently have rent, bills, transportation costs, and I really really like tacos.
I very much appreciate all of the solidarity actions that have happened for Grand Jury resistors. I can’t think of any other act of repression that has inspired so many solidarity actions and it is heartwarming to see that they are still happening. While solidarity means lots of different things to lots of different people, I want to clarify that I have no interest in the discourse of rights and laws. I am not just opposed to some laws, I am opposed to all laws. And for there to be “rights” there must be a state-body that grants these rights. I don’t engage in and support acts of resistance for a more benevolent state and better laws, I desire the immediate eradication of the State, Capital, and all those who seek to uphold the domination I wish to destroy. Solidarity means a lot of things, but it also means attack!
I want to say that I stand in full support of all the actions that occurred on May Day 2012 in Seattle. The Kenzo Nakamura courthouse was attacked because it is an institution that perpetuates the racist, patriarchal, hetero-normative, and ultimately, capitalist forms of domination that continue to enslave the world. While Nakamura died in World War II fighting for a country that was solely trying to further it’s goal of empire and colonization, his family was forced into an internment camp (along with 110,000 other Japanese people) by the racist politicians and judges. Furthermore, the courthouse stands as a monument to two things which disgust me, the State and Capital. I wish nothing more than to see attacks targeted at all facets of domination multiply, as we continue to take care of each other and nurse our wounds, both physical and emotional, together.
While I have been removed from my life, my life has not been removed from me. I’m aware that while my life back in the Northwest goes on without me, but in many ways it’s hard for my life here to go on knowing that. I say this not to criticize but to clarify that I cannot simply view my situation as being on a adventure or “traveling”, and I don’t want others to view it this way either. The reason why I left was because it was the only option other than going to prison, any form of cooperation has never and will never be an option for me. I have been able to experience lots of amazing things during the past eight months, some experiences I wouldn’t trade for anything else. But I’m constantly reminded by the context in which all of these experiences are taking place, and as a special person once told me, context is everything.
This context is not something that ever goes away, but the people I’m able to surround myself with and spend my time with not only make the time pass faster but allow me to appreciate the amount of “freedom” I’m enjoying that I could have had taken away from me by being sent to prison. These people make me want to return and continue to have them be a large part of my life. All in all, I’m doing okay.

PS- It’s my birthday on Tuesday April 2nd, I’m turning 24! Luckily I will be surrounded by new friends but if you feel like celebrating with me, even though I can’t be there, here is a list of things I like so I can be there in spirit! The movie “The Notebook”, Ice-cream cake, jello-shots(!!), Caribbean food (especially Jamaican and Puerto Rican), The TV show “No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain”, and Mountain Dew “Baja Blast” from Taco Bell, and Doo-wop music.

Solidarity and Complicity to All Fellow Resisters!

Long Live Anarchy!

I Love You Maddy!

Yours In Exile,
S.

PSA: Call for Coordinated Week of Action for Grand Jury Resisters, April 24-May 1, 2013

Read the full call-out on PSA

“Call for Coordinated Week of Action
April 24-May 1st 2013
Solidarity with Grand Jury Resisters

“Remember that it was a year ago on May 1st, 2012 that anarchists so dramatically attacked Seattle, a city built on two hundred years of desecration. Anarchists organized with the clear and almost theatrical intent of acting on our disgust, sadness, and love of freedom. The holiday was to be a public display, in broad business daylight as part of the anti-capitalist march. We gave ourselves that arena for communal empowerment, a ritualized demonstration to exhibit our beliefs and attack our enemy. It was on that day that we evoked the spirit of our ancestors and comrades, risking the Everyday to give a tradition that lights our lives on fire room to play.

“Consider using the anger, pain, and sadness you’ve experienced because of this wave of repression or because of the State and its affects as momentum to express solidarity and continue on with the Beautiful Idea. Let’s use this coordinated week of action for the much needed joy, perseverance, and defiance. Yatta Yatta Yatta, get out there, do something, it’s easy to attack!”

Two Grand Jury Resisters Released; Maddy Pfeiffer Moved From Solitary Confinement

Last night Matt Duran and Katherine “Kteeo” Olejnik were released from the Sea-Tac Federal Detention Center where they spent the last five months for refusing to testify before a Seattle grand jury investigating the anarchist movement . A third resister, Maddy Pfeiffer, remains in prison, but has been moved from solitary confinement to the general population.

Duran and Olejnik were greeted by friends and family as they left the detention center.  Their lawyers, Kim Gordon and Jenn Kaplan, had filed motions arguing that their confinement was punitive. Under the law, imprisonment for civil contempt is not supposed to punish witness but coerce them into testifying.

Duran and Olejnik had been sent to prison in September after refusing to testify before a federal grand jury investigating the anarchist movement.  While ostensibly investigating vandalism that occurred during a May Day protest last year, the grand jury has been widely criticized for conducting a witch-hunt targeting people for their political ideas and affiliation. For the past five months, supporters across the country have been continually pressuring Judge Jones and District Attorney Jenny Durkan to release the grand jury resisters. Yesterday’s release was a victory for the resisters and all their supporters.

According to Judge Richard Jones’ decision:

“Both Ms. Olejnik and Mr. Duran have provided extensive declarations explaining that although they wish to end their confinement, they will never end their confinement by testifying.  The court finds their declaration persuasive.  They have submitted to five months of confinement.  For a substantial portion of that confinement, they have been held in the special hosing unit of the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac, during which they have had no contact with other detainees, very little contact even with prison staff, and exceedingly limited ability to communicate with the outside world.  . . .  [C]onfinement in the special housing unit entails 23 hours of solitary each day and an hour of solitary time alone in a larger room each day, a single fifteen minute phone call each month. . ., and exceedingly limited access to reading and writing material.  Their physical health has deteriorated sharply and their mental health has also suffered from the effects of solitary confinement.  Their confinement has cost them; they have suffered the loss of jobs, income, and important personal relationships. . . .  For these witnesses, however, their resolve appears to increase as their confinement continues.”

“We’re glad the courts have finally seen fit to stop torturing Matt and Kteeo in an effort to make them talk,” said Chris of the Committee Against Political Repression.  ”But of course they should never have been there to begin with, and Maddy Pfeiffer remains in prison for their refusal to cooperate with this political witch-hunt.”

You can find the full court order here.

MATT AND KTEEO TO BE RELEASED TOMORROW, 2/28

As reported by Brendan Kiley (a good man and fine reporter), Matt Duran and Kteeo Olejnik are scheduled to be released from SeaTac FDC tomorrow afternoon.

This is really really really really excellent news! We recommend following the link and reading the entire article.

Don’t forget that Maddy Pfeiffer remains imprisoned. Please continue writing to them and supporting them!

Matt and Kteeo’s hearing changed to February 28th, 9am

Matt’s and Kteeo’s hearing at which their lawyers will argue for their release from SeaTac FDC has been moved up to February 28th at 9am. The location is still the federal courthouse at 700 Stewart Street in Seattle. This is obviously a move to weaken solidarity – let’s not let the state succeed! Don’t forget to bring ID, otherwise you won’t be able to get into the courthouse.

Grand Jury Refusers: Attorneys Ask the Court to Let Them Go

Here is another article from the Stranger in Seattle about Matt, Kteeo and Maddy’s situation at the SEATAC Federal detention Center.

We are asking for people to pack the courthouse at Matt and Kteeo’s hearing. You can find more information about the event here. We are also asking for folx in other cities to have solidarity events on February 28th in support of Matt and Kteeo. Email us and let us know if you have an event in your community.

New Letter from Kteeo

Hey Everybody,

First of all, thank you, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!! Thank you for your incredible support, your kindness, and your strength! Ya’ll are the best.

So, today is my six week anniversary of being in the SHU. Yesterday was my first day with a pen (or pencil, or quill, or marker, or…) in a little over a week. (What? What?) That’s write (like my pun?). I haven’t had access to a writing utensil in over two weeks…Let me explain.

Ok, so in general population, you can order pens on commissary (if you have the funds to do so), and there are pencils provided by the institution (they run out…often), BUT in the SHU have to use special writing utensils, provided by the institution and they run out…ALL THE FUCKING TIME (I think this time they were out of SHU pens for 3 or 4 weeks. Luckily I got one right before they ran out, and it held out for a bit). So as I sit here with a pen in my hand I got to thinking about what I wanted to write to y’all about and I guess this is what’s on my mind…

So, in the SHU, you get one phone call a month (which I know I rambled on for a bit in my last public letter, but this will tie back to to the pen thing…I promise. Well, it should be noted that some people’s phone privileges get taken away completely so that they get zero phone calls a month. Or, because they can no longer make the minimum amount of money that they made at their prison job before life in the SHU,(you can’t work in SHU) then those folks have zero access to phone calls too. Phone time costs!! Any way, what I’, trying to get at is in the SHU the phone is not a consistent form of communication, so letters become even more essential than ever. They are our lifelines to our families and our family’s lifeline back to us. They are how we handle our responsibilities, and how we stay connected. When we are not allowed our writing utensils, (whether it be an oversight, budgetary, or intentional form of punishment, the result is the same and the implications are pretty similar. It is either more important that people are hurt, without communication, or that communication doesn’t matter). Our communication with the outside world; with our families and communities, drops to basically ZERO, which hurts and which hurts our loved ones.

PRISONS AND PUNISHMENT WITHIN THE PRISON DOES NOT JUST EFFECT THOSE WHO ARE INCARCERATED.

I don’t know…I don’t mean to continue to harp on that point, but almost everything here (at least in my head it seems) goes back to that. It’s why (again, in my head) a simple thing as a pen running out of ink has such larger consequences…and speaking of those consequences that are associated with this issue, there are more. (I hope y’all don’t mind if I ramble on a bit more)

It limits our creativity, our self-expression, and our academic pursuits. If we always have to worry about; “When is my pen gonna run out?” “I need to save my ink to write letters.”, or simply; “Shit, my pen ran out…wonder when I will get another.” (All three are regular musings in my brain), then the time our pens spend creating; drawings, verses, and prose; it becomes limited. Even if the primary use of your pen is academic and/or creative, when that pen runs out, one can become lost.

This was just something that I wanted to share with y’all. I know that before this experience, even in general population, I had never thought of pens when considering prisoner’s rights, now the two will be forever linked.

SO, the SHU is meant to punish, and it does…it totally DOES, but honestly y’all, I feel stronger than ever. After being in the SHU for six weeks, (five by myself, with a bunkie for weeks 3-4.) I now feel like there is nothing in the world that I can’t accomplish or do now. I wake up every morning with a smile on my face, and I know that they will never, no matter how hard they try, be able to take that; my smile, no one can take that away from me, and that knowledge makes me strong.

The knowledge that there are women in my unit (at least back when I was there), but women, who smile everyday, who laugh everyday, and who resist everyday by not allowing this place, this institution, to have complete control over their emotions makes me strong. Y’all make me strong! Your support, your kind words, your passion, our funny drawings of animal friends—knowing you’re out there, makes me strong, and with every letter I read, I grow stronger.

The amazing work that people are doing in support roles makes me strong. What I am doing would not be possible without the hard work of those awesome folks (this includes my lawyer, she is the raddest). The love of my families, both the one I was born into, and the beautiful ones that my friends and I have created makes me strong. The fact that every single one of those people have not let a second of this experience go by without making me feel their incredible love, that makes me strong.

Well, before I close this, I want to say I do have a pen now, but that is not a constant state. The ink issue, along with postage is going to make letter response time even longer, plus its taking longer for my mail to get through; both in and out. Please know how much I appreciate you all, and that the long response time is not due to a lack of gratitude, I cherish every single one of your letters. I truly hope everyone is doing well.

Keep smiling, keep struggling,
In solidarity and gratitude,
With Love,

Kteeo