“If Words”… a poem by Eric King

If words are as dangerous as bullets
and sharp as knives
Can we start filling the pages?
grinding our pencils to stubs
Turning ink into guillotines
prose the ropes onto their wrist
and rhyme these prison walls to paste
cause nothing else seems to be working
heads aren’t rolling, the streets are on holiday
maybe enough words can spark
a million fires in our hearts
which would create a million fires in the banks
a million convicts in the streets
Not giving a fuck about a voters box
Giving a fuck about having a life
our words can break these chains?
then gather our dictionaries
there aren’t enough thesaurus’ in the world
I need to fight more, I need to write more
My tongue has been shackled
I haven’t resisted, I haven’t insisted
More words, more battles, more victories
more poems, more struggle, more bumps
We’d be fighting w/our minds
dismantling the system that strangle us
Then turning those words into life
A life more important than burning & bombing
Enough magic, love, growth & life
We can grow into a space worth existing in
Our words can get us free

Brief Update on Eric King

We have been unable to share a lot lately because of ongoing issues with the prison. We hope to be able to share lot more within the week but have a brief update Eric would like to send out.

Eric is being held since arriving at FCI Englewood indefinitely in segregation since arriving in August. The prison has yet to provide a reason for this detention. There is no disciplinary sanctions being served nor reason to continue to hold him in segregation.  

He can not receive books. Letters need to be on white or lined paper. He can now receive newspapers and magazines. There has been a ton of mail held back and lost. He doesnt have a lot of addresses anymore. If you haven’t heard from him, please write again. He really could use word from folks right now. Articles are amazing. So are PDFs of books, poetry, zines ect. 

Please be mindful that there is a security officer assigned to Eric reading everything that you send in. Englewood has already used alleged (as in doesnt exist) mail to withhold visits. Please do not ask Eric about his case he cannot talk about it. Also know that he is being held in the same prison that an officer 2 years ago threatened his family (they’re still employees). Tensions are high at the prison. Also anything sent also has the potential of ending up in his current case’s discovery (state evidence) as well, so please kept that in mind.


Eric King 27090045
FCI Englewood
9595 W Quincy ave
Littleton co 80123

Eric King facing up to 20 more years in prison

[ for folks who are unaware Eric is an anarchist and anti-fascist prisoner who was sentenced to 10 years for an attempted arson, an action in solidarity with the Ferguson uprising in Kansas city. Throwing two Molotov cocktails into a state representatives office at night time. He has since remained outspoken against the prison system. Exposing abuses and standing tall in the face of constant attacks and oppression]

In august of last year Eric was dragged into a broom closet and attacked by Lt Wilcox at FCI Florence. Attacked because he is an anarchist and anti-fascist. It was timed to line up with the surgery for his wifes cancer. He was subsequently tortured and abused and never checked out medically despite being kicked in the head for 5 plus minutes. And tied to a 4 point restraint for 8 hours, having to urinate himself resulting in nerve damage to his wrists. 

Since the indictment was filed (in may but conveniently they wait for the painful anniversary to serve indictment) he has been attacked twice at the orchestration of the BOP. Once being blatantly led into a fenced in area where a fash was waiting to attack while the guards watched and by putting someone who was known to have attacked the last cellmates in his cell. Not even talking about all of the other attempts. 

Since the attack he was unable to see or talk to his family for a year, kept in segregation, not allowed even the most basic needs as the right to read a book, have a photo. Denied medical care as he begged for help August 1st, the day before his birthday. His words coming out in slurs because the whole left side of his body… paralyzed. Cognitive and confusion. 29 days without a scan, 29 days… every day further from the potential ability to minimize potentially life changing damage. Being held under the custody of the bop while fighting a bop case. Being held in a prison in which an adult man threatened their daughter 2 years before, a man who had access. A prison where this man still works. A prison where guards currently fuck with him by asking where his daughters go to school over and over. Despite the fact the BOP has attempted to attack and intimidate, orchestrating these attack by use of white supremacists.

Eric was indicted yesterday for his own assault. He faces up to 20 years in prison for being attacked and beaten.By a guard who feels safe dragging prisoners off camera and attacking. A guard who is known by the PD office for doing this and then destroying lives. Being brought up in the federal court system, a court system that is built to crush as a much more effective machine than any other in our country. Where only 2% go to trial bc the feds dont take a case they cant win. Fewer than 1% going on to win their case. Things are looking grim. 

We need folks help…

We need folks to write Eric letters, print articles, short stories… hell print books.

Eric King #27090045

FCI Englewood

9595 West Quincy Avenue

Littleton, CO 80123

[white envelopes, white paper, only black ink, no cards, card-stock, labels, marker, photos or postcards]

We need folks to donate, hold fundraisers, we need to be prepared

We need folks to show up at court appearances. We need to show the state we wont let them bury our friend. File court dates same day to try to ensure folks cant be there. We let them do this to Eric once already. We let the state convict him of attempted arson and give him 10 years in federal prison. Where they are trying to make sure he never walks out those doors. Is buried at the ADX.

We need help, Eric needs help.

With love and rage

-EK support crew

Eric on the final straw podcast

Eric In Transit to Colorado

Eric was picked up this morning to be taken to Colorado. We do not know what facility he is heading to. Hope to have an address soon. Eric is going to need all of the love he can get because the next step will be court and to face whatever the state is throwing at him.

He should be placed in a private non-BOP facility and his commissary money will not follow him.

You can donate here

Eric Called Into Court For Unknown Reasons

Yesterday on the eve of the anniversary of the attack in FCI Florence Erics family received word he was picked up at 3am on august 13th and told he was being called into court on a “writ” its been 5 days and he still hasnt seen any papers or been told where he is headed. It feels likely that they are bringing him back to Colorado to try to charge him federally for being dragged into a broom closet, attacked and then kicked in the head repeatedly by 6 officers, tied to a 4 point bed covered in blood for 8 hours having to urinate on himself before being placed in a cell with a toilet clogged with feces and a strobe light overhead for 4 days. There are other potentials for being called in but most of them are not good.

All of Erics money is in the federal system and he will no longer be able to access it while in county lockup. We imagine next week when they pick him up and bring him wherever he is heading. We need to fundraise asap for funds for him to start over regarding the things he needs. Also it is likely we will have to fight for vegan food and he will rely on his commissary for food again. Since he is leaving federal lockup he will no longer be guaranteed the non-flesh trays of the BOP. This will also mean phones will be insanely more expensive and communication will be essential in order to organize the support he needs. It folks could please share the donate page and try to help get some money in for Him to be prepared.

We still have shirts, stickers and books available. If local ABC’s or prison support groups want to print and fundraise shirts hit us up so we can send the design over.

If he is indeed being picked up on bullshit charges we will need as much help as possible getting him a lawyer. To ensure that being attacked by a lieutenant isnt going to result in another federal sentence to be added. He and his family are super scared and dont know what is happening. The idea he could possible stay beyond 2023 is so scary.

We also are going to spring into action to advocate for eric (in addition to the need for food) to get him the medical care he needs after he suffered the stroke like symptoms in which the medical staff chose to not even enter his cell to check him out.

Donate here

We believe he may be able to receive mail but are unsure if he will be in Grady County longer than a week,

Solidarity
EK support team

Eric Abruptly Transferred With Urgent Medical Concerns

On or around 8/3 Eric when in custody at USP Lee Eric woke up unable to use his left hand/arm whole side of his body. Unable to life his arm to brush his teeth. Slurred speech and paralysis of the whole left side of his face. When looking in the mirror he experienced mirrored-self misidentification which means that he did not recognize himself in the mirror. His brain could not connect that was him. Within 24 hours all symptoms were gone.

Medical staff came by without entering his cell and told him it was bells palsey which is a paralysis of the facial muscles after an infection. The thing is bells should be IMMEDIATELY ruled out with paralysis of the rest of his body, and the fact bells does not affect anything cognitively and the fact the earliest people can start see improvement is around 2 weeks (erics body was back to normal fully within 24 hours). Eric also carries an increased risk of stroke due to family history

The fact that he experienced stroke symptoms and it is absolutely not bells it is VERY urgent that he be seen by a neurologist.  The standard of care when this happens is to perform an immediate ct scan and ultrasound of the neck and be evaluated by a neurologist and have blood tests. The incident was witnessed by both his cell-mate and the staff on duty. There is no doubt this occured. 

What happened to Eric meets a lot of the qualifications of a transient ischemic attack or a mini stroke. Obviously without testing we can not know but if this is the case it puts him in danger. One in three folks w this go on to have a full blown stroke. If he doesn’t get medical intervention asap there is the possibility of  irreversible damage. If this happened on the outside he would have been taken seriously and ended up in the hospital for testing. While not surprising, or shocking his life is of less value due to him being in prison. Its pretty simple. Along with their sentenced prisoners are sentenced to shortened lives due to medical neglect and died, and sometimes death by prison healthcare. We have seen it happen to our comrades over and over.. 

In the past year in BOP custody he sustained 3 head injuries. At FCI florence he was kicked in the head and body by 6 staff telling him to die after being dragged into a broom closet (on tape) by a lieutenant and attacked. Denied medical care, no assessment for brain injury. Tied to a 4 point bed for 8 hours in his own blood and urine. Then at USP McCreary despite the lieutenant telling him he was going to be attacked they placed him on the yard, a week later guards escorted him to a fenced in area (on camera) where a large fash was waiting to attack him. Another head injury he wasnt assessed for. Then a person was put in his cell who was restricted from having cell mates due to attacking the last 4 cellmates who then attacked eric. Again was not assessed medically.

We received the info regarding his health probably 10-13 days later. We have no way of knowing what has happened since. He was abruptly transferred to the atlanta transfer center yesterday after only 2 weeks at USP Lee. We have no idea  where he is going, if he has received medical attention or really anything regarding his situation. We do not know how long he will be in atlanta because he is transferring through but there is the possibility he can receive letters. If you do i suggest copying them so you can re-send them when he arrives wherever he is going. 

No one can know if this was benign, if he is ok, anything because he hasnt received the necessary evaluations that can be lifesaving. There is always the possibility things are ok, but also a health situation that has the possibility of danger.

This is prison, life without parole is death by prison for folks. Tom Manning, numerous move folks… so many comrades have been killed by prison healthcare. Not to mention ALL of the social prisoners this is happening to every day who dont have a voice so we can not hear their suffering.

We have no asks at this moment besides keep eric in your thoughts. Write a letter and either send now or save it for his next facility if you can. Keep an eye out if he lets us know he needs help. 

All of the rage

-EK suppoprt crew

If you wish to write Eric in Atlanta this is his address. plain paper, black pen, no colored envelopes or even printer ink. no cards, no postcards

Eric King 27090045

USP ATLANTA
P.O. BOX 150160
ATLANTA, GA  30315

Shirts/poetry books/stickers ect

We have some various items to fundraise for Eric!

We have shirts in Large and Extra large. And ONE small left.

If you are an overseas support group or would wish to print some and fundraise/table them yourself please email us @ eksupportcrew(@)riseup(dot)net


We also have small stickers of the same design

We have a couple other designs for stickers

We have a poetry book/zine made for us by Radical paper press for fundraising! Titled “Pacing in my cell”

As well as another by Radical Paper Press

We have some posters available

Some patches

We do have a few of the old style shirts available as well One Large black and One small a few mediums and one large in grey

If folks want any items above we are sending them out for a sliding scale donation. Send what you can. Please include something for shipping! Send your donation as well as address and let us know what you want to the link below. Paypal should allow you to input text. If not email us at eksupportcrew(@)riseup(dot)net with all of the info!

Erics birthday/Update/Message

Yesterday Eric was transferred to USP Lee in Virginia. He will still not be allowed photos, books, magazines (we are looking into newspapers) or cards and will be housed in the segregated housing unit SHU. After a year he still unfortunately still has not been given glasses nor are his family able to send any.

August 2nd It will be Erics birthday. After a super long exhausting year we would love for folks to be able to send some love. Since he is not allowed to be sent books in segregation and because the BOP no longer allows cards we are asking folks to send him interesting articles, cartoons, memes, riddles, poems, short stories, articles about manchester united, the IRA anything. It must though be on standard weight printer paperwith black ink. Letters as well, black ink. No borders or any color on paper. Must be white envelopes.

We are unsure how many envelopes he will be allowed (previously he was only allowed 3 in segregation) so he may not be able to respond yet to folks. but it will mean so much to him to receive after 40 days in transit and almost a year of segregation.

We received a thought he would like to share about Willem Van Spronsen

This stuff about Willem Van Spronsen breaks my heart & makes me super proud at the same time. radical backlash, which is typical & expected. Some radicals HATE solo acts b-cuz the acts make the hater feel insecure & inadequate about their lack of action. It highlights their impotence. People who support action & those who do it will take pride in the ♥ that W.V.S. showed. It was a beautiful solo deed. The point isn’t to overthrow the system w/ one action, it’s to follow your heart & conscious, to listen to your internal compass & follow its lead. Maybe if you are lucky you will inspire someone, fuel someone, who then may fuel others. […] 100% solidarity, love, & warmth to W.V.S. & a big fuck you to anyone dragging or disrespecting him or his actions.”

His address is

Eric King 27090045
USP LEE
P.O. BOX 305
JONESVILLE, VA  24263

…………….

Eric is again in the transfer center in atlanta as of 8/13 we will post an address when he is placed

…….

Again only black ink, white standard weight or lined paper. no colored ink, no cards, white envelope.

“Oh Prison” a poem by Eric King

Oh prison 

You must think so poorly of me 

Think I’m weak enough to fold 

tisk tisk 

I’m not a fucking inmate, I’m a captive 

even if I spend 50 years here, my humanity stays 

I won’t hate those that you sucked into your trap 

keep your ‘cars’ chap, I can’t be bothered 

you’re a petulant waste of time 

Not converting for me, no head shaves or Qurans 

God aint real, neither is white power 

my happiness is mine and you can’t lay a finger 

Didn’t you know you’re dealing with a fighter? 

Block the phone & the mail, you’ve accomplished nothing 

snake scum, maggot 

the beauty I see in the world wont be diminished 

by your hatred 

The love I share in my soul won’t be doubted 

by your procedures 

walls were built to stand, and this one doesn’t shake 

Oh prison 

didn’t you know we stand by each other? 

we’re not jesters, we’re unbreakable 

when will you learn 

Somethings were built to last 

You can’t win this fight because we refuse to loose.