Black Cross – Free Speech

for now this is only an idea of a group, not a real organisation.

Black Cross – Free Speech is an international prison abolitionist and anti‑censorship group dedicated to linking the two movements.

Statement of name

The name combines the reference to political prison abolitionist movement (Anarchist Black Cross) and the freedom which anti‑censorship movement is protecting (freedom of speech). The intention of this is to drive home the idea of combining two movements.

Statement on political prisoners

Black Cross – Free Speech believes that all the prisoners are political prisoners. However, as we have limited resources

Statement on affiliation

Black Cross – Free Speech will attempt to gain membership in Anarchist Black Cross Network and other organisations with the copatible goals, which do not limit the actions that Black Cross – Free Speech can take. The membership to the larger organisation must be decided by the entire membership of Black Cross – Free Speech.

Statement of organisation

Black Cross – Free Speech will be organised by principles of anarchy, free non‑hierarchical society. Members do not have to apply the label of anarchist to selves, but cannot attempt to attempt to gain control over the group by building visible or invisible hierarchical structures.

Members are free to be members of other organisations, but this dual membership does not mean automatic support of those other organisations by Black Cross – Free Speech (see Statement on affiliation).

Decision making

Decisions will be made through concensus of the membership. No single individual or a subset of individuals can make a decision on behalf of the whole group.

Statement on actions

Some of the actions which may be done by Black Cross – Free Speech include:

• support of prisoners locked up for speeking out against the oppression
  • we acknowledge the fact that the “official” charges may differ from the reasons of imprisonment
• support of prisoners who speak out agains the injustices in prisons
• support of groups and individuals which spread the truthful information about the prison system

Statement on agreement

Our support of a an individual or a group does not imply our complete agreement with one. We can support free expression while not supporting or even opposing the specific content of that free expression; however, we will not support insightment of voilence against an arbitrary group, since violence is not a form of self‑expression.