Title: Staff Notes
Subtitle: As We Go To Press
Date: 1984
Notes: Fifth Estate #317, Summer 1984

As we were just finishing this issue, we received word from the anarchists of the Spooner collective in Willimantic, Connecticut that they are sponsoring an Anarchist UNconvention on Sept. 8. They apparently have a beautiful outdoor spot available for a picnic, music festival and campout. Musicians and bands are being sought to perform. Rain date will be Sept. 15. Full details by sending a SASE to Spooner Collective, Box 433, Willimantic CT 06226 or call their bookshop at (203) 423–5836.

One of the pleasures of this issue was the increased participation by several new writers and artists. We encourage readers to send articles, drawings, cartoons, clippings or whatever you would like to see in the issue. By the way, graphics without credit means we somehow managed to lose the artist’s name. Please write if you want to overcome your anonymity.

Also, despite our differences in perspective with radical christians (see exchange on pages 8 through 10 in this issue), we applaud their efforts at nuclear installations and manufacturing plants such as at Williams International at Walled Lake, Michigan. Contributions to help in the defense of Williams protesters should be sent to Williams Peacemakers Defense Fund do Mona Scott, 4517 Commonwealth, Detroit MI 48202. As for the discussion on religion and radicalism, the latest issue of Strike! (P.O. Box 284, Main Station, St. Catherines, Ontario L2R 6T7 Canada) has an exchange titled “God and the Anarchists” between sometime FE contributor Jay Kinney and Fred Woodworth, editor of The Match. Subs to Strike! are $5 a year, free to prisoners. And Telos 58 (see our Bookstore page) has a special symposium on religion and politic which is worth reading as well.

Italian Anarchist Draft Resister Released

After one year in prison, anarchist draft resister Mauro Zanoni was released from Italy’s Peschiera del Garda prison on March 23 (see FE Summer 1983). During his incarceration the authorities refused to permit an operation on his injured knee because he would have to have been transferred to a civilian hospital: Some of the prejudiced guards withheld mail sent to him as a further harassment. Mauro sends thanks to all who wrote to him to whom he was unable to reply.

In Italy most inmates are given a reduction in their sentence, but Mauro was denied even the usual 20 days off. The parole officials gave this reason for the denial: Zanoni showed no signs of penance or rehabilitation; he would not cooperate with certain prison regulations and was a continuous burden to the guards; he held steadfast to his anti-war militarist and anarchist philosophy. Therefore, they contended that Zanoni did not deserve a reduction in sentence.

(Information from Resistance News, Box 42488, San Francisco CA 94142.)