Courtesy CPAC Chopra @steak_ham
Police, prison and abolition
Re: Police, prison and abolition
Bootlicking is one thing, but I’ve never seen anyone deepthroat a boot
Courtesy CPAC Chopra @steak_ham
Courtesy CPAC Chopra @steak_ham
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."
Re: Police, prison and abolition
National Prison Strike
Men and women incarcerated in prisons across the nation declare a nationwide strike in response to the riot in Lee Correctional Institution, a maximum security prison in South Carolina. Seven comrades lost their lives during a senseless uprising that could have been avoided had the prison not been so overcrowded from the greed wrought by mass incarceration, and a lack of respect for human life that is embedded in our nation’s penal ideology. These men and women are demanding humane living conditions, access to rehabilitation, sentencing reform and the end of modern day slavery.
These are the NATIONAL DEMANDS of the men and women in federal, immigration, and state prisons:
1. Immediate improvements to the conditions of prisons and prison policies that recognize the humanity of imprisoned men and women.
2. An immediate end to prison slavery. All persons imprisoned in any place of detention under United States jurisdiction must be paid the prevailing wage in their state or territory for their labor.
3. The Prison Litigation Reform Act must be rescinded, allowing imprisoned humans a proper channel to address grievances and violations of their rights.
4. The Truth in Sentencing Act and the Sentencing Reform Act must be rescinded so that imprisoned humans have a possibility of rehabilitation and parole. No human shall be sentenced to Death by Incarceration or serve any sentence without the possibility of parole.
5. An immediate end to the racial overcharging, over-sentencing, and parole denials of Black and brown humans. Black humans shall no longer be denied parole because the victim of the crime was white, which is a particular problem in southern states.
6. An immediate end to racist gang enhancement laws targeting Black and brown humans.
7. No imprisoned human shall be denied access to rehabilitation programs at their place of detention because of their label as a violent offender.
8. State prisons must be funded specifically to offer more rehabilitation services.
9. Pell grants must be reinstated in all US states and territories.
10. The voting rights of all confined citizens serving prison sentences, pretrial detainees, and so-called “ex-felons” must be counted. Representation is demanded. All voices count!
We all agree to spread this strike throughout the prisons of Ameri$$$a! From August 21st to September 9th, 2018, men and women in prisons across the nation will strike in the following manner:
1. Work Strikes: Prisoners will not report to assigned jobs. Each place of detention will determine how long its strike will last. Some of these strikes may translate into a local list of demands designed to improve conditions and reduce harm within the prison.
2. Sit-ins : In certain prisons, men and women will engage in peaceful sit – in protests.
3. Boycotts: All spending should be halted. We ask those outside the walls not to make financial judgments for those inside. Men and women on the in side will inform you if they are participating in this boycott.
4. Hunger Strikes: Men and women shall refuse to eat.
We support the call of Free Alabama Movement Campaign to “Redistribute the Pain” 2018 as Bennu Hannibal Ra – Sun, formerly known as Melvin Ray has laid out (with the exception of refusing visitation). See these principles described here:
https://redistributethepain.wordpress.com/
How You Can Help
Make the nation take a look at our demands. Demand action on our demands by contacting your local, state, and federal political representatives with these demands. Ask them where they stand.
Spread the strike and word of the strike in every place of detention.
Contact a supporting local organization to see how you can be supportive. If you are unsure of who to connect with, email millionsforprisonersmarch@gmail.com
Be prepared by making contact with people in prison, family members of prisoners, and prisoner support organizations in your state to assist in notifying the public and media on strike conditions.
Assist in our announced initiatives to have the votes of people in jail and prison counted in elections.
For the Media: Inquiries should be directed to
prisonstrikemedia@gmail.com
Register Your Organization in Solidarity Below
http://sawarimi.org/national-prison-strike
Men and women incarcerated in prisons across the nation declare a nationwide strike in response to the riot in Lee Correctional Institution, a maximum security prison in South Carolina. Seven comrades lost their lives during a senseless uprising that could have been avoided had the prison not been so overcrowded from the greed wrought by mass incarceration, and a lack of respect for human life that is embedded in our nation’s penal ideology. These men and women are demanding humane living conditions, access to rehabilitation, sentencing reform and the end of modern day slavery.
These are the NATIONAL DEMANDS of the men and women in federal, immigration, and state prisons:
1. Immediate improvements to the conditions of prisons and prison policies that recognize the humanity of imprisoned men and women.
2. An immediate end to prison slavery. All persons imprisoned in any place of detention under United States jurisdiction must be paid the prevailing wage in their state or territory for their labor.
3. The Prison Litigation Reform Act must be rescinded, allowing imprisoned humans a proper channel to address grievances and violations of their rights.
4. The Truth in Sentencing Act and the Sentencing Reform Act must be rescinded so that imprisoned humans have a possibility of rehabilitation and parole. No human shall be sentenced to Death by Incarceration or serve any sentence without the possibility of parole.
5. An immediate end to the racial overcharging, over-sentencing, and parole denials of Black and brown humans. Black humans shall no longer be denied parole because the victim of the crime was white, which is a particular problem in southern states.
6. An immediate end to racist gang enhancement laws targeting Black and brown humans.
7. No imprisoned human shall be denied access to rehabilitation programs at their place of detention because of their label as a violent offender.
8. State prisons must be funded specifically to offer more rehabilitation services.
9. Pell grants must be reinstated in all US states and territories.
10. The voting rights of all confined citizens serving prison sentences, pretrial detainees, and so-called “ex-felons” must be counted. Representation is demanded. All voices count!
We all agree to spread this strike throughout the prisons of Ameri$$$a! From August 21st to September 9th, 2018, men and women in prisons across the nation will strike in the following manner:
1. Work Strikes: Prisoners will not report to assigned jobs. Each place of detention will determine how long its strike will last. Some of these strikes may translate into a local list of demands designed to improve conditions and reduce harm within the prison.
2. Sit-ins : In certain prisons, men and women will engage in peaceful sit – in protests.
3. Boycotts: All spending should be halted. We ask those outside the walls not to make financial judgments for those inside. Men and women on the in side will inform you if they are participating in this boycott.
4. Hunger Strikes: Men and women shall refuse to eat.
We support the call of Free Alabama Movement Campaign to “Redistribute the Pain” 2018 as Bennu Hannibal Ra – Sun, formerly known as Melvin Ray has laid out (with the exception of refusing visitation). See these principles described here:
https://redistributethepain.wordpress.com/
How You Can Help
Make the nation take a look at our demands. Demand action on our demands by contacting your local, state, and federal political representatives with these demands. Ask them where they stand.
Spread the strike and word of the strike in every place of detention.
Contact a supporting local organization to see how you can be supportive. If you are unsure of who to connect with, email millionsforprisonersmarch@gmail.com
Be prepared by making contact with people in prison, family members of prisoners, and prisoner support organizations in your state to assist in notifying the public and media on strike conditions.
Assist in our announced initiatives to have the votes of people in jail and prison counted in elections.
For the Media: Inquiries should be directed to
prisonstrikemedia@gmail.com
Register Your Organization in Solidarity Below
http://sawarimi.org/national-prison-strike
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."
Re: Police, prison and abolition
National Prison Strike
Men and women incarcerated in prisons across the nation declare a nationwide strike in response to the riot in Lee Correctional Institution, a maximum security prison in South Carolina. Seven comrades lost their lives during a senseless uprising that could have been avoided had the prison not been so overcrowded from the greed wrought by mass incarceration, and a lack of respect for human life that is embedded in our nation’s penal ideology. These men and women are demanding humane living conditions, access to rehabilitation, sentencing reform and the end of modern day slavery.
These are the NATIONAL DEMANDS of the men and women in federal, immigration, and state prisons:
1. Immediate improvements to the conditions of prisons and prison policies that recognize the humanity of imprisoned men and women.
2. An immediate end to prison slavery. All persons imprisoned in any place of detention under United States jurisdiction must be paid the prevailing wage in their state or territory for their labor.
3. The Prison Litigation Reform Act must be rescinded, allowing imprisoned humans a proper channel to address grievances and violations of their rights.
4. The Truth in Sentencing Act and the Sentencing Reform Act must be rescinded so that imprisoned humans have a possibility of rehabilitation and parole. No human shall be sentenced to Death by Incarceration or serve any sentence without the possibility of parole.
5. An immediate end to the racial overcharging, over-sentencing, and parole denials of Black and brown humans. Black humans shall no longer be denied parole because the victim of the crime was white, which is a particular problem in southern states.
6. An immediate end to racist gang enhancement laws targeting Black and brown humans.
7. No imprisoned human shall be denied access to rehabilitation programs at their place of detention because of their label as a violent offender.
8. State prisons must be funded specifically to offer more rehabilitation services.
9. Pell grants must be reinstated in all US states and territories.
10. The voting rights of all confined citizens serving prison sentences, pretrial detainees, and so-called “ex-felons” must be counted. Representation is demanded. All voices count!
We all agree to spread this strike throughout the prisons of Ameri$$$a! From August 21st to September 9th, 2018, men and women in prisons across the nation will strike in the following manner:
1. Work Strikes: Prisoners will not report to assigned jobs. Each place of detention will determine how long its strike will last. Some of these strikes may translate into a local list of demands designed to improve conditions and reduce harm within the prison.
2. Sit-ins : In certain prisons, men and women will engage in peaceful sit – in protests.
3. Boycotts: All spending should be halted. We ask those outside the walls not to make financial judgments for those inside. Men and women on the in side will inform you if they are participating in this boycott.
4. Hunger Strikes: Men and women shall refuse to eat.
We support the call of Free Alabama Movement Campaign to “Redistribute the Pain” 2018 as Bennu Hannibal Ra – Sun, formerly known as Melvin Ray has laid out (with the exception of refusing visitation). See these principles described here:
https://redistributethepain.wordpress.com/
How You Can Help
Make the nation take a look at our demands. Demand action on our demands by contacting your local, state, and federal political representatives with these demands. Ask them where they stand.
Spread the strike and word of the strike in every place of detention.
Contact a supporting local organization to see how you can be supportive. If you are unsure of who to connect with, email millionsforprisonersmarch@gmail.com
Be prepared by making contact with people in prison, family members of prisoners, and prisoner support organizations in your state to assist in notifying the public and media on strike conditions.
Assist in our announced initiatives to have the votes of people in jail and prison counted in elections.
For the Media: Inquiries should be directed to
prisonstrikemedia@gmail.com
http://sawarimi.org/national-prison-strike
Men and women incarcerated in prisons across the nation declare a nationwide strike in response to the riot in Lee Correctional Institution, a maximum security prison in South Carolina. Seven comrades lost their lives during a senseless uprising that could have been avoided had the prison not been so overcrowded from the greed wrought by mass incarceration, and a lack of respect for human life that is embedded in our nation’s penal ideology. These men and women are demanding humane living conditions, access to rehabilitation, sentencing reform and the end of modern day slavery.
These are the NATIONAL DEMANDS of the men and women in federal, immigration, and state prisons:
1. Immediate improvements to the conditions of prisons and prison policies that recognize the humanity of imprisoned men and women.
2. An immediate end to prison slavery. All persons imprisoned in any place of detention under United States jurisdiction must be paid the prevailing wage in their state or territory for their labor.
3. The Prison Litigation Reform Act must be rescinded, allowing imprisoned humans a proper channel to address grievances and violations of their rights.
4. The Truth in Sentencing Act and the Sentencing Reform Act must be rescinded so that imprisoned humans have a possibility of rehabilitation and parole. No human shall be sentenced to Death by Incarceration or serve any sentence without the possibility of parole.
5. An immediate end to the racial overcharging, over-sentencing, and parole denials of Black and brown humans. Black humans shall no longer be denied parole because the victim of the crime was white, which is a particular problem in southern states.
6. An immediate end to racist gang enhancement laws targeting Black and brown humans.
7. No imprisoned human shall be denied access to rehabilitation programs at their place of detention because of their label as a violent offender.
8. State prisons must be funded specifically to offer more rehabilitation services.
9. Pell grants must be reinstated in all US states and territories.
10. The voting rights of all confined citizens serving prison sentences, pretrial detainees, and so-called “ex-felons” must be counted. Representation is demanded. All voices count!
We all agree to spread this strike throughout the prisons of Ameri$$$a! From August 21st to September 9th, 2018, men and women in prisons across the nation will strike in the following manner:
1. Work Strikes: Prisoners will not report to assigned jobs. Each place of detention will determine how long its strike will last. Some of these strikes may translate into a local list of demands designed to improve conditions and reduce harm within the prison.
2. Sit-ins : In certain prisons, men and women will engage in peaceful sit – in protests.
3. Boycotts: All spending should be halted. We ask those outside the walls not to make financial judgments for those inside. Men and women on the in side will inform you if they are participating in this boycott.
4. Hunger Strikes: Men and women shall refuse to eat.
We support the call of Free Alabama Movement Campaign to “Redistribute the Pain” 2018 as Bennu Hannibal Ra – Sun, formerly known as Melvin Ray has laid out (with the exception of refusing visitation). See these principles described here:
https://redistributethepain.wordpress.com/
How You Can Help
Make the nation take a look at our demands. Demand action on our demands by contacting your local, state, and federal political representatives with these demands. Ask them where they stand.
Spread the strike and word of the strike in every place of detention.
Contact a supporting local organization to see how you can be supportive. If you are unsure of who to connect with, email millionsforprisonersmarch@gmail.com
Be prepared by making contact with people in prison, family members of prisoners, and prisoner support organizations in your state to assist in notifying the public and media on strike conditions.
Assist in our announced initiatives to have the votes of people in jail and prison counted in elections.
For the Media: Inquiries should be directed to
prisonstrikemedia@gmail.com
http://sawarimi.org/national-prison-strike
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."
Re: Police, prison and abolition
All Out To Support The Prison Strike!
By It's Going Down - August 1, 2018154
On August 21st, prisoners across the United States will begin a strike against prison slavery. This strike comes hot on the heels of the inspiring actions against ICE and the planned anti-fascist mobilizations in the first weeks of August. Not only are all of these struggles connected, but our best chances of succeeding in any of them are to build momentum across these different moments and beyond.
With this in mind, we’re collecting a list of solidarity actions and events going on to support the prison strike on the outside.
Events:
August 4th
Chicago, IL: Day of Solidarity
Los Angeles, CA: Political Prisoner Correspondence Support
August 9th
Minneapolis, MN: Info Night & Banner Making
August 11th
New York, NY: Letter Writing & Newsletter Launch
August 16th
Minneapolis, MN: Prisoner Letter Writing Night
August 21st
Los Angeles, CA: Noise Demo
New York, NY: Noise Demo
August 23rd
Lansing, MI: March
August 25th
Bay Area, CA: Mobilization at San Quentin
Michigan City, IN: Protest Indiana State Prison
Know of an event that we haven’t listed? Submit it! Or email us at info [at] itsgoingdown [dot] org
Nothing organized in your city yet? It’s not too late to do something yourself!
https://itsgoingdown.org/all-out-to-sup ... on-strike/
By It's Going Down - August 1, 2018154
On August 21st, prisoners across the United States will begin a strike against prison slavery. This strike comes hot on the heels of the inspiring actions against ICE and the planned anti-fascist mobilizations in the first weeks of August. Not only are all of these struggles connected, but our best chances of succeeding in any of them are to build momentum across these different moments and beyond.
With this in mind, we’re collecting a list of solidarity actions and events going on to support the prison strike on the outside.
Events:
August 4th
Chicago, IL: Day of Solidarity
Los Angeles, CA: Political Prisoner Correspondence Support
August 9th
Minneapolis, MN: Info Night & Banner Making
August 11th
New York, NY: Letter Writing & Newsletter Launch
August 16th
Minneapolis, MN: Prisoner Letter Writing Night
August 21st
Los Angeles, CA: Noise Demo
New York, NY: Noise Demo
August 23rd
Lansing, MI: March
August 25th
Bay Area, CA: Mobilization at San Quentin
Michigan City, IN: Protest Indiana State Prison
Know of an event that we haven’t listed? Submit it! Or email us at info [at] itsgoingdown [dot] org
Nothing organized in your city yet? It’s not too late to do something yourself!
https://itsgoingdown.org/all-out-to-sup ... on-strike/
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."
Re: Police, prison and abolition
Courtesy Jailhouse Lawyers Speak #August21 @JailLawSpeak
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."
Re: Police, prison and abolition
Solidarity underway with prison strikers
Atlanta
By Dianne Mathiowetz posted on August 14, 2018
Atlanta organizations responded to a call from the Workers World Party branch here to work cooperatively in support of the 2018 National Prison Strike.
Beginning Aug. 21 and continuing to Sept. 9, prisoners in state institutions and for-profit prison facilities across the U.S. are expected to conduct a series of work stoppages and hunger strikes to bring attention to their demands.
Among the issues driving them to take the risk of severe repression are demands to be paid for their labor; immediate improvements in their living conditions, such as decent food and medical care, access to rehabilitation programs and education; and the end to brutality at the hands of guards.
The first Atlanta support event is a pre-strike cookout on Aug. 18 to reach out to families of prisoners and formerly incarcerated people in an expression of solidarity. When a father, mother, sibling or child is imprisoned, the chains of incarceration wrap around the family and strangle the community.
Women on the Rise, an organization of formerly incarcerated women of color, are key organizers of this gathering, and will be bringing their members and contacts to the neighborhood Westside Park for food, music and socializing.
On Aug. 21, the first day of the strike and the date of the murder of famed prisoner writer and Black Panther Party leader George Jackson, the coalition will direct messages of solidarity through words, music, poetry and drumming to those caged in the Atlanta City Detention Center.
The ACDC is already the target of grassroots organizers demanding an end to its contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to hold im/migrants there. Community demands further call for closing the entire facility and using the tens of millions of dollars spent on its operation for services to alleviate homelessness, poverty and addiction.
Additional programs planned to expose the inhumanity and class oppression of prisons are a film night and a Sept. 9 teach-in tracing the history of prison rebellions from Attica to the resistance of today’s imprisoned liberation fighters. The Attica Uprising by those imprisoned in the maximum security facility near Buffalo, N.Y., began Sept. 9, 1971.
The organizations taking part in the coalition keep growing and, in addition to Workers World Party, include Georgia Detention Watch, World Without Police, the New Jim Crow Action Group, Uplifting People, the Industrial Workers of the World, Black Lives Matter, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, Food Not Bombs and The Tear Down.
https://www.workers.org/2018/08/14/soli ... -strikers/
Somebody AWOL here....................
Atlanta
By Dianne Mathiowetz posted on August 14, 2018
Atlanta organizations responded to a call from the Workers World Party branch here to work cooperatively in support of the 2018 National Prison Strike.
Beginning Aug. 21 and continuing to Sept. 9, prisoners in state institutions and for-profit prison facilities across the U.S. are expected to conduct a series of work stoppages and hunger strikes to bring attention to their demands.
Among the issues driving them to take the risk of severe repression are demands to be paid for their labor; immediate improvements in their living conditions, such as decent food and medical care, access to rehabilitation programs and education; and the end to brutality at the hands of guards.
The first Atlanta support event is a pre-strike cookout on Aug. 18 to reach out to families of prisoners and formerly incarcerated people in an expression of solidarity. When a father, mother, sibling or child is imprisoned, the chains of incarceration wrap around the family and strangle the community.
Women on the Rise, an organization of formerly incarcerated women of color, are key organizers of this gathering, and will be bringing their members and contacts to the neighborhood Westside Park for food, music and socializing.
On Aug. 21, the first day of the strike and the date of the murder of famed prisoner writer and Black Panther Party leader George Jackson, the coalition will direct messages of solidarity through words, music, poetry and drumming to those caged in the Atlanta City Detention Center.
The ACDC is already the target of grassroots organizers demanding an end to its contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to hold im/migrants there. Community demands further call for closing the entire facility and using the tens of millions of dollars spent on its operation for services to alleviate homelessness, poverty and addiction.
Additional programs planned to expose the inhumanity and class oppression of prisons are a film night and a Sept. 9 teach-in tracing the history of prison rebellions from Attica to the resistance of today’s imprisoned liberation fighters. The Attica Uprising by those imprisoned in the maximum security facility near Buffalo, N.Y., began Sept. 9, 1971.
The organizations taking part in the coalition keep growing and, in addition to Workers World Party, include Georgia Detention Watch, World Without Police, the New Jim Crow Action Group, Uplifting People, the Industrial Workers of the World, Black Lives Matter, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, Food Not Bombs and The Tear Down.
https://www.workers.org/2018/08/14/soli ... -strikers/
Somebody AWOL here....................
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."
Re: Police, prison and abolition
Today is The Day it starts.
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."
Re: Police, prison and abolition
@IWW_IWOCA few words on this, the eve
#AUGUST21, the largest collective prisoner action ever attempted
To the inside:
You've already been heard no matter what tomorrow brings. Already in hell, you're risking what little you migt have left.
1/
7:53 PM - 20 Aug 2018
To the inside:
You set the standard for commitment, for strength and possibility in the face of unfathomable violence and abandonment.
You light the way. And you have an army now of thousands supporting you.
No matter what tomorrow brings.
To the outside:
We are an army of thousands upon thousands who have reached across the wall and heard the call.
We know the true enemy and dig deeper than the fear and the policing and the nightmare that is America to embrace what we know to be real.
LIBERATION!
3/
To all of us:
They saw us coming and have readied for war. But it's always been war, hasnt it?
500 years of war on this Turtle Island.
In this moment, this battle, we have already won ground.
Think of it!
4/
We are twice the force
triple the force! we were
on that night in April whem 7 brothers lay dead in Lee ,
setup by the system,
but stabbed by a brother.
In state after state, rival sets are sitting down to negotiate ceasefires,...
5/
...to come together to face the primary predator, the beast holding the keys, the state itself!
It is WE who face reality, humanity, and the arc of history unvarnished or spun.
IT'S UP TO US.
No solutions to our misery are coming from above. They are the source of it!
6/
(There was 1 more post to this thread but cannot find it after an hour and suspect it disappeared. Ah, what do you expect?
THIS is AGITATION.
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."
Re: Police, prison and abolition
Palestinian prisoners declare solidarity with US National Prison Strike
By Palestinian prisoners of the Popular Front for the Liberation of PalestineAug 22, 2018
National Prison Strike graphic: Melanie Cervantes
Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails have issued a statement supporting the U.S. National Prisoners Strike, which began Aug. 21 and will run to September 9. The statement, printed in full below, was released by the Palestinian prisoners of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, according to Samidoun, the Palestinian Prisoners Solidarity Network. They are among nearly 6,000 Palestinians imprisoned by the Israeli occupation today.
Message of Solidarity to the US National Prison Strikers
We write today as imprisoned Palestinians of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, held in Israeli jails for our participation in struggle for the liberation of our land and people from colonialism and occupation. Today, we extend our solidarity to the prisoners in the jails of the United States participating in the national prison strike beginning on August 21, fighting exploitation, racism and capitalism from within the heart of imperialist prisons.
We begin by expressing our mourning for George Jackson, the imprisoned revolutionary and martyr of the Black Liberation struggle. The strike is beginning on the 47th anniversary of his martyrdom, an event that was recognized in Palestine and around the world at the time as an assassination of a true voice of struggle by the U.S. ruling class. As Palestinian prisoners, we also know that George Jackson was an internationalist and that the works of Palestinian poet Samih al-Qasem – addressing imprisonment and resistance – were found in his cell after his assassination. Today, we write to you to once again forge that connection of struggle, despite our different circumstances
The prison strike is a struggle of oppressed and exploited workers, first and foremost, confronting the unmasked brutality of capitalism behind bars. Around the world, prisoners have only protected their human rights and won victories through struggle. We know that you are demanding improved conditions, the right to fight in court for your rights and an end to excessive, lifelong sentences. You are also demanding an end to the new form of slavery found in U.S. prisons, where prison workers are paid pennies to produce goods and perform services for some of the country’s largest corporations.
We also salute your struggle against racism. U.S. settler colonialism and imperialism practices its vicious racism both internally and externally, and the prison system reflects that reality. Black communities, Latino communities, Arab communities are under attack, facing mass incarceration and a system that seeks to imprison and exploit rather than support and nurture youth and elders.
Today, prison workers are some of the most exploited workers in the United States, and the same ruling class that profits from the confiscation of Palestinian land and resources and from the bombing of children in Yemen also profits from the forced labor of prisoners. Your struggle is a workers’ struggle that is part of our global conflict against the vicious exploitation that our peoples face today. This struggle inside the prisons highlights the deep connections between racism and capitalism and how the struggle against them both can never be de-linked.
The boycott campaign that is part of your strike also emphasizes the critical role of boycott in confronting exploitation and oppression. While our circumstances and lives may vary greatly from one another in many ways, we too face economic exploitation through a “canteen” system that seeks to profit from our imprisonment as Palestinians. We know that prison profiteers in the United States also profit from prison canteens, phone calls and other purchases, and we salute your campaign of boycott. This is the same reason why we call on people around the world to join the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel. We cannot and must not be the consumers of those who profit from our misery and oppression.
As you enter your strike, we salute all of you and your struggle, and we urge all who are not already committed to join in the strike. We extend a special revolutionary salute to the imprisoned strugglers of the Black Liberation Movement and other liberation movements, including Mumia Abu-Jamal, whose consistent internationalism and principled struggle is known and resonates around the world. We demand the freedom of these freedom fighters in U.S. jails, from Leonard Peltier to Mutulu Shakur.
We know from our experience that it is through struggle and confrontation that true freedom can be realized. Your strike is being launched within the heart of U.S. imperialism, the greatest danger faced by our Palestinian people and the people of the world. We know that your victory will also be a victory for Palestine – just as our victories in Palestine will be a victory for all of the struggles against imperialism, racism and oppression in the United States and globally.
With revolutionary greetings,
The Palestinian prisoners of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine inside Israeli jails
The Palestinian liberated prisoners of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
20 August 2018
By Palestinian prisoners of the Popular Front for the Liberation of PalestineAug 22, 2018
National Prison Strike graphic: Melanie Cervantes
Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails have issued a statement supporting the U.S. National Prisoners Strike, which began Aug. 21 and will run to September 9. The statement, printed in full below, was released by the Palestinian prisoners of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, according to Samidoun, the Palestinian Prisoners Solidarity Network. They are among nearly 6,000 Palestinians imprisoned by the Israeli occupation today.
Message of Solidarity to the US National Prison Strikers
We write today as imprisoned Palestinians of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, held in Israeli jails for our participation in struggle for the liberation of our land and people from colonialism and occupation. Today, we extend our solidarity to the prisoners in the jails of the United States participating in the national prison strike beginning on August 21, fighting exploitation, racism and capitalism from within the heart of imperialist prisons.
We begin by expressing our mourning for George Jackson, the imprisoned revolutionary and martyr of the Black Liberation struggle. The strike is beginning on the 47th anniversary of his martyrdom, an event that was recognized in Palestine and around the world at the time as an assassination of a true voice of struggle by the U.S. ruling class. As Palestinian prisoners, we also know that George Jackson was an internationalist and that the works of Palestinian poet Samih al-Qasem – addressing imprisonment and resistance – were found in his cell after his assassination. Today, we write to you to once again forge that connection of struggle, despite our different circumstances
The prison strike is a struggle of oppressed and exploited workers, first and foremost, confronting the unmasked brutality of capitalism behind bars. Around the world, prisoners have only protected their human rights and won victories through struggle. We know that you are demanding improved conditions, the right to fight in court for your rights and an end to excessive, lifelong sentences. You are also demanding an end to the new form of slavery found in U.S. prisons, where prison workers are paid pennies to produce goods and perform services for some of the country’s largest corporations.
We also salute your struggle against racism. U.S. settler colonialism and imperialism practices its vicious racism both internally and externally, and the prison system reflects that reality. Black communities, Latino communities, Arab communities are under attack, facing mass incarceration and a system that seeks to imprison and exploit rather than support and nurture youth and elders.
Today, prison workers are some of the most exploited workers in the United States, and the same ruling class that profits from the confiscation of Palestinian land and resources and from the bombing of children in Yemen also profits from the forced labor of prisoners. Your struggle is a workers’ struggle that is part of our global conflict against the vicious exploitation that our peoples face today. This struggle inside the prisons highlights the deep connections between racism and capitalism and how the struggle against them both can never be de-linked.
The boycott campaign that is part of your strike also emphasizes the critical role of boycott in confronting exploitation and oppression. While our circumstances and lives may vary greatly from one another in many ways, we too face economic exploitation through a “canteen” system that seeks to profit from our imprisonment as Palestinians. We know that prison profiteers in the United States also profit from prison canteens, phone calls and other purchases, and we salute your campaign of boycott. This is the same reason why we call on people around the world to join the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel. We cannot and must not be the consumers of those who profit from our misery and oppression.
As you enter your strike, we salute all of you and your struggle, and we urge all who are not already committed to join in the strike. We extend a special revolutionary salute to the imprisoned strugglers of the Black Liberation Movement and other liberation movements, including Mumia Abu-Jamal, whose consistent internationalism and principled struggle is known and resonates around the world. We demand the freedom of these freedom fighters in U.S. jails, from Leonard Peltier to Mutulu Shakur.
We know from our experience that it is through struggle and confrontation that true freedom can be realized. Your strike is being launched within the heart of U.S. imperialism, the greatest danger faced by our Palestinian people and the people of the world. We know that your victory will also be a victory for Palestine – just as our victories in Palestine will be a victory for all of the struggles against imperialism, racism and oppression in the United States and globally.
With revolutionary greetings,
The Palestinian prisoners of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine inside Israeli jails
The Palestinian liberated prisoners of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
20 August 2018
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."
Re: Police, prison and abolition
I've been away for a few days but it seems that word from the 'inside' is being massively repressed. This is certainly the case in SC. It will get out after the fact and it's going to be ugly.
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."