Mastodon Twitter Instagram Youtube
Aug 22, 18

#PrisonStrike Solidarity Action Across the US on August 21st

Across the US, solidarity actions took place to mark the kick off of the August 21st national prison strike. In Brooklyn, anarchists, abolitionists, wobblies, and members of the Revolutionary Abolitionist Movement (RAM) rallied and then took to the streets, leading to several arrests by police. Two rallies were held in the Los Angeles area, one outside of a women’s facility, and another a men’s prison. In Minneapolis, people wrote graffiti and set off fireworks, while in other cities, people dropped banners, painted slogans, and changed messaging on billboards to call attention to the strike. Other cities led protests against companies profiting off of prison slavery labor; in Seattle people disrupted a Starbucks, while in Des Moines, Iowa, people protested and disrupted a show room which sells prison made goods.

For more upcoming prison strike actions in solidarity, go here, and for a diary of action on both sides of the prison walls, go here.

Pacific Northwest

Portland, Oregon:

Comrades locked in the Multnomah jail in Portland, OR heard us make some noise for them yesterday. They must know that there are people out here waiting for them. !Solí a toda la gente en las jaulas! FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS, FREE ‘EM ALL!

Tacoma, Washington:

Solidarity rally is held outside of the Northwest Detention Center, where it is announced that 200 detainees inside will join the national prison strike.

Seattle, Washington:

Southwest

Oakland, California:

View this post on Instagram

#august21 #dtfiretotheprisons #prisonstrike

A post shared by Michelle Lessans (@smallfry_for_mayor) on

San Jose, California:

View this post on Instagram

On the first day of the 20-day Nationwide Prison Strike, activists rallied at San José City Hall on August 21, 2018 in support of prisoners' demands for: 1. Immediate improvements in inhumane prison conditions, solitary confinement, frequent denial of basic needs and health care. 2. Immediate end to prison slavery still allowed by the Thirteenth Amendment. 3. Repeal the Prison Litigation Reform Act that suspends proper channels to address grievances. 4. Rescind the Truth in Sentencing Act and the Sentencing Reform Act to stop denial of rehabilitation and parole. 5. Immediate end to racially-based overcharging, over-sentencing, and denial of parole of black and brown people. 6. Immediate end to racist gang enhancement laws targeting black and brown humans. 7. No denial of rehabilitation to those labeled as "violent offenders." 8. Adequately fund rehabilitation services in state prisons. 9. Reinstate Pell grants. 10. Stop denying the vote to detainees, prisoners, and ex-felons. . José Villarreal explained why prisoners are striking across the country. Nube Brown gave the call to action, and played voice recordings of several prisoners to let them tell their own stories about why the system is rigged to oppress rather than rehabilitate. The marched started in Plaza de César Chávez, wound its way through Paseo de San Antonio and downtown San José, and ended in City Hall Plaza. . The Nationwide Prison Strike is timed in memory of the murder of George Jackson by prison guards during an uprising at San Quentin Prison on August 21, 1971. Jackson was a prison activist and the uprising was in response to unbearable prison conditions and racist abuses by prison guards. The Nationwide Prison Strike ends on the 47th anniversary the Attica Prison Uprising on September 9, 1971 which was also motivated by demands for humane prison conditions, rehabilitation, and an end to racially-based abuses. . http://prisonstrike.forjustice.us . #prisonstrike #prisonstrike2018 #prisonslavery #13thamendment #prisonersrights #blacklivesmatter #brownlivesmatter #noracism #attica #georgejackson

A post shared by San Jose Peace& Justice Center (@sjpjc) on

Sacramento, Califronia:

Corona, California:

Los Angeles, California:

Phoenix, Arizona:

Central

Durango, Colorado:

The Dirty Hands Collective dropped a banner in solidarity with the #PrisonStrike rebels in our community of Durango, CO (occupied Ute and Diné territory). We send our love and rage to those resisting modern-day slavery inside the State’s incarceration apparatus. You are not forgotten.

Abolish Prison Slavery!

Abolish All Prisons!

Midwest

Des Moines, Iowa:

St. Paul, Minnesota:

Minneapolis, Minnesota:

Chicago, Illinois:

https://twitter.com/erinacorbett/status/1032082542357372928

Evansville, Indiana:

Northeast

Hartford, Connecticut:

Brooklyn, New York:

https://twitter.com/SoellerPower/status/1032046950269509632

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania:

View this post on Instagram

A couple of prison strike solidarity banners spotted over Philly freeways this morning. #August21 #SolidarityForever #PrisonStrike #PrisonAbolition #RememberGeorgeJackson

A post shared by PhillyIWW (@phillyiww) on

https://twitter.com/ciccmaher/status/1032072314744188928

Southeast

Gainesville, Florida:

Fort Lauderdale, Florida:

Washington DC:

View this post on Instagram

Tear Down The Walls #shutdownacdc #prisonstrike #august21

A post shared by Kezley Smit (@kezleyseeslife) on

View this post on Instagram

Solidarity from DC for the #august21 #prisonstrike

A post shared by smash racism dc (@smashracismdc) on

Knoxville, Tennessee:

Atlanta, Georgia:

Share This:

In search of new forms of life. It's Going Down is a digital community center and media platform featuring news, opinion, podcasts, and reporting on autonomous social movements and revolt across so-called North America from an anarchist perspective.

More Like This