Milwaukee: Prisoner Strike Solidarity Demo Report

Submitted to It’s Going Down

Community members, Milwaukee and Madison I.W.W. members, I.W.O.C. members, Ex-Prisoners Organizing members, allies, and sympathizers came out in support of the National Incarcerated Workers Strike which kicked off yesterday. So we discussed the hardships of being incarcerated, solitary confinement, indentured servitude, and cramped overcrowded sleeping arrangements. We discussed issues specific to Wisconsin such as the usage of solitary confinement and there being no limit to how long these prisoners can be confined in such conditions and the Hunger Strike that has been going on for 95 days now and has led to the force feeding of prisoners.

There was discussion about the ventilation system in Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility (MSDF) being inadequate as well as the lack of contact with the outside world being another unique aspect seeing as MSDF really is a building inside of a building where those incarcerated there have no ability to see natural light. The protest took to the streets and marched from MSDF to the Starbucks at Red Arrow Park since their company actively utilizes incarcerated workers to fill their holiday gift bags with coffee grounds and that was when we ran into police opposition to our protest. We unfortunately had two I.W.W. members that were arrested and cited today for marching in the street and yet the very officers who did the arresting themselves were standing and mulling about in the street, they even claimed that “they would be out of the way shortly” kind of like the protesters in the street would have been out of the street shortly as well as soon as they were allowed to march to their demonstration. Those members were out before the march had even concluded but were cited for “standing in roadway,” to the tune of $73 each.

The struggle continues and for more information please contact the Milwaukee I.W.W., their I.W.O.C. members, and/or Ex-Prisoners Organizing