Eris Arrestee Benefit THIS THURSDAY, March 31st!

Beautiful friends --

So the Eris Solidarity team has just received word of an upcoming benefit show for the 12 Eris arrestees. The event is this coming Thursday, March 31st, at Brydie's Gallery (2422 St. Claude Ave.). DJ Beesknees as well as Nicola Krebill will be selling their drawings and photos, respectively, from their recent tour with bounce artist Vockah Redu -- as well as showcasing other pieces of New Orleans-related art. Beesknees will also be unleashing his fresh new mixtape "Bounce to Bmore" upon the wily masses. All proceeds go to those arrested at Krewe of Eris, who are in desperate need of funds to pay for lawyers. Show begins at 7pm.

We would also from the bottom of our hearts like to thank our comrades in the amazing What Cheer? Brigade from Providence, RI. Aside from casting enchanting fell brass wizardry, filling with wonder all those who hear it, this band is also comprised of some seriously rad people. At their packed show at Hi-Ho Lounge following the Krewe of Eris parade, the band used a considerable amount of stage time to inform people of the police brutality that had just occurred and -- in a touching display of generosity and solidarity -- offered all the money given to them from the door, as well as band tips, to the Eris support fund. Forever are we indebted to their gestures of kindness; it's empowering and beyond describable to know that this kind of community support transcends the local borders of New Orleans. Definitely one of my new favorite bands -- and cetrainly deserving of homebaked vegan cookies and platonic backrubs whenever their nomadic spirits make their way back to our neck o' the woods!

And last but not least -- thanks to all of you, our local friends, who have lent unwavering support! Hope to see you all your wonderful faces on Thursday! 

<3

Hello friends!

The saga continues with optimistic internal news, as well as positive media response and general sympathy from the broader community. It's crucial that we remain calm and clear-headed while we move forward slowly but steadily to secure the safety of the arrestees and other people and places currently under scrutiny.

Some defendants have had their arraignments and hearings have been slated anywhere from later this month to late April. These court dates are rule dates by which the court checks in with the DA's office to see whether the charges have been accepted. Thanks to a wonderful group of hardworking attorneys, all of our defendants will be well-represented. We will keep you posted if and when the allegations turn into formal charges.

One of the primary functions of erissolidarity@gmail.com is to be a data dump for media resources, as well as eye witness account contact information. Sending video footage via email may be impossible due to file sizes. Please send an email with a description of the type of media you have. Alternatively and/or additionally, there is the possibility of uploading video to youtube while definitely selecting "private, view only by link" in which it can only be accessed via a weblink, which should also be sent to the email. There are also free file uploading/storage websites out there such as Megaupload. Keep in mind, though, that the free accounts will limit the file size you can upload at one time. See their 'FAQ' pages. Megaupload's limit is 1024mb, or 1gb.

We are still in need of roughly $2,400 to repay the individual donors who graciously posted bail for the arrestees. Legal procedural costs will also be thousands of dollars for the defendants. If you would like to contribute, know someone with a kind heart and a big chunk of money, or would like support in organizing a benefit show in New Orleans or other cities, please contact Derek. (see Get in Touch page)

In this time of struggle we have to be reminded of our immense capacity for change. We are coming together in beautiful ways and it will be our grounded collectivity that will lead us towards a more unified, and thus stronger, social movement in this city laden with corruption. Please be taking care of yourself and giving support to one another where you can.