An update on the arrested F/friends

For those who may have missed it, several Quakers, including members of Friendly Fire Collective, were arrested during the protests against Richard Spencer’s event at Michigan State University. We put out a write-up as soon this happened, which you can read here.

We have several updates.

All comrades arrested, which were about two dozen, have been bailed out of jail. That said, the fight is far from over. Seven comrades are facing felony charges including Blair Ellis, a member of our collective. They are currently collecting evidence to pack on more felony charges and have a window of four years to reopen charges.

Support in the Quaker community

Last week, a few hours before Blair was scheduled to appear in court, Friends from Red Cedar Monthly Meeting hosted a simple lunch and meeting for worship. Local anti-fascists and Quakers shared presence and sat in the Light together. Support from the Quaker community was not just a local phenomenon, as Friends all over the world have been donating to the bail funds and praying for these comrades. This has been incredibly encouraging for the Friends on trial and all radical Friends, as there is hope that Friends are learning to embrace the prophetic culture so vital to early Friends.

About 100 supporters, mostly anarchists and radical organizers, including Chelsea Manning, as well as 23 Quakers, filled up the courtroom in support of Blair and others on trial.

The collective defense agreement & moving forward

The defendants are determined to work together. While outlining ways they could could stand in solidarity with each other and not let the state play them against one another, they came to consensus on working with an autonomous legal collective to form a CDA (collective defense agreement). They are working with a number of the J20 Defendants in order to learn from their experience, as well as Solidarity & Defense and a team of 16 lawyers from the National Lawyers Guild.

Many were offered pleas and some have been threatened with more charges, but the defendants are trusting the lawyers to secure better outcomes than what is currently being offered.

Fascists have been continually doxxing and harassing the defendants. Their lawyers have filed motions to keep media out of the courtroom because of a concern for the defendants’ safety as well as motions to seal portions of their records that make them vulnerable to attacks from the Right. All these motions were denied.

Continue to hold these comrades in the Light. If you are in Michigan, please consider offering court support. For more information, you can email the collective: friendlyfireinfo@protonmail.com

Financial support is still needed for the defendants. The lawyers are paying out of their own pockets in order to help these defendants. Many of the defendants are traveling from other states, and one of the defendants has to pay for surgery due to injuries received from Nazis. You can donate to the legal fund for the defendants on their fundedjustice page.

May the charges be dropped! May fascism crumble! Whiteness is anti-Christ! All cops are apostate!
Kin-dom come!