Who Is Marilyn Buck? R.I.C.O. Case Resistance Conspiracy Case
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Who is Marilyn Buck? R.I.C.O. Case Resistance Conspiracy Case In March 1982, Marilyn Buck and 10 In 1988, Marilyn Buck was also indicted Marilyn Buck is an anti-imperialist politi- others were indicted by a federal grand along with six other North American anti- cal prisoner. Her involvement in the libera- jury under a set of U.S. conspiracy laws imperialists (Linda Evans, Laura tion movement has spanned over nearly five called "Racketeer Influenced and Whitehorn, Susan Rosenberg, Ti m o t h y decades. Her activities in the anti-colonial Corrupt Organization" (RICO) laws. Blunk, Dr. Alan Berkman and Elizabeth movement has resulted in the US labeling These conspiracy laws were ostensibly Duke) in the Resistance Conspiracy case. her as a threat to national security developed to aid the government in its The seven were identified as being mem- She began her anti-racist activism as a prosecution of organized crime figures; bers of a group that variously called itself teenager in Texas, participating in protests h o w e v e r, they have been used with vary- the Revolutionary Fighting Group, the against racism and the Vietnam war. In ing degrees of success against revolu- Armed Resistance Unit, and the Red 1967 she became part of Students for a tionary organizations. Guerrilla Resistance. Democratic Society (SDS) and worked with Marilyn Buck was charged with con- The Armed Resistance Unit had previ- SF Newsreel, a radical filmmaking and spiracy and participation in a clandes- ously claimed responsibility for the Nov. propaganda collective, showing films as an tine paramilitary unit that carried out 7, 1983 Capitol bombing in protest of the o rganizing aid at community meetings, high actual and attempted expropriations U.S. invasion of Grenada and involve- school groups, workers' committees and in from several banks. Eight (8) incidents ment of Marines in Lebanon. They were the streets. She also participated in interna- were alleged to have occurred between accused of conspiring to bomb the Capitol tional solidarity groups supporting the December 1976 to October 1981. In and seven other buildings in Wa s h i n g t o n Vietnamese, Palestinians, and the Iranian addition she was charged with participa- and New York City as part of a campaign struggle against the Shah. She worked in tion in the 1979 prison escape of A s s a t a of ''armed propaganda'' waged by a secret solidarity with Native Americans, Mexicano S h a k u r, a member of the Black "communist politico-military org a n i z a- and Black liberation struggles. Liberation Army (BLA) who is now in tion" from 1983 to 1985. Because of her consistent support for living in Cuba. Despite the indictments, The seven were tried and sentenced for national liberation struggles worldwide and Marilyn was able to avoid arrest. conspiracy to protest and alter the U.S. particularly her support for the Black In May 1985, however, she was recap- government policies (i.e., the invasion of Liberation Army (BLA), she was targ e t e d tured after a concerted hunt by the Joint Grenada and intervention in Central by COINTELPRO, a program designed by Terrorist Task Force and faced 4 sepa- America) by attacking U.S. military insti- the FBI to neutralize and destroy liberation rate court trials. She was sentenced to tutions and the Capital. Marilyn Buck movements. In 1973, she received a 10-year 70 years in prison for her actions. received an additional 10 years, making sentence for buying two boxes of ammuni- her total to 80 years in prison. tion with false identification. After serving Marilyn continues her activism inside four years in Federal prison in A l d e r s o n , the Federal women's prison in Dublin, West Vi rginia, she was granted a furlough California. She has continued to work in and did not return. The following eight A I D S / H I V peer education despite new years she was underground. Although she limitations by Bureau of Prisons (BOP) was a fugitive, she continued to support the policies at FCI Dublin that diminishes Black liberation struggle as well as Puerto AIDS education to a bare minimum. Rican independence and other international Joining with other political prisoners inter- s t r u g g l e s . n a t i o n a l l y, she issued one of the early calls to organize for Mumia Abu-Jamal's life. She is deeply involved in cultural and educational activities for all prisoners, and translates for Spanish-speaking Free Marilyn Buck women inside. She has lifted her own voice through poetry for the whole time Marilyn Buck she has been incarcerated, and has partici- pated in Poetry for the People workshops inside. She also writes a column, "Notes Marilyn Buck from the Unrepenitentiary," for Prison 00482-285 / Unit A Legal News. 5701 8th St., Camps Parks Marilyn has recently completed her Dublin, CA 94568 work for a bachelor's degree in psycholo- g y. "I am deeply interested in the psychol - For more information regarding ogy of re p ression and resistance, and the Marilyn Buck, please contact: psychological results of both state and self censorship. I see psychology as a use - Friends of Marilyn Buck ful field to support other women prisoners c/o Legal Services for Prisoners with as well as to maintain my own personal Children, integrity and well-being. I intend to use my skills to help explain and transform 100 McAllister St. prison conditions and existence. I see my San Francisco, CA 94102. p o e t ry and writing as vehicles in accom - E-mail: [email protected]. plishing this." Marilyn believes that peace, social jus- Local groups supporting Marilyn Buck: tice, and women’s liberation can be real- ized only through victories of national Los Angeles Branch of the liberation and socialism. Anarchist Black Cross Federation Her dedication for the freedom and lib- PO Box 11223 eration of all people has resulted in her Whittier, CA 90603 own liberty being taken from her. Despite S E RVING EIGHTY YEARS IN E-mail: [email protected] her imprisonment she has continued to PRISON FOR HER SUPPORT inspire others to act in solidarity and OF BLACK LIBERATION engage in act of self-liberation. Jericho Amnesty Coalition PO Box 34186 Los Angeles, CA 90034 “I am not a criminal, I am a political prisoner.” - Marilyn Buck.