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Sep 16, 19

#BurnDay Actions Across US Against Biden’s Crime Bill

Responding to a call from Jailhouse Lawyers Speak, people across the US held demonstrations and took action to mark the 25th anniversary of the passing of Joe Biden’s Crime Bill. The 1994 bill, which extended prison sentences and allocated massive amounts of money towards mass incarceration and more police, marked a turning point and acceleration of State and police counter-insurgency strategy towards poor communities of color.

The bill, which was sold in the post-LA uprising era as a way to keep “super predators” from coming after and into middle class white communities, built many of the key legal aspects which have come to define our present era of mass incarceration. The bill put into place mandatory minimums, the three strikes law, gave money to states for incarcerating undocumented immigrants, allowed minors to be placed into adult prisons, and was also coupled with so-called community policing operations and infrastructure. This accelerated the War on Drugs and further militarized police departments and prisons, who received an influx of cash. The crime bill was also coupled with other Clinton era policies such as so-called welfare reform, the passing of NAFTA, and the militarization of the border under “Operation Gatekeeper.”

Responding to the call, people across the US organized various actions, from rallies, to banner drops, to outreach, and noise demonstrations. Check out our roundup here:

Oakland, CA:

Milwaukee, WI:

Read full report here.

Gainesville, FL:

Wilmington, DE:

Read full report here.

Durham, NC:

Read full report here.

Atlanta, GA:

Brooklyn, NY:

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