Report Back from Solidarity Caravan Outside of Ware State Prison Following Rebellion

Report back from car caravan in solidarity with the recent rebellion at Ware State Prison in Georgia. To read more about the rebellion, go here.

On Tuesday of last week, abolitionists organized a caravan and noise demonstration in front of the Ware State Prison. While they stopped through town, the demonstration was not for the free people in Waycross, but for the incarcerated people in Ware, who are without power, running water, or medical care.

Formal statement and video for our action last week, a thread: On Tuesday of last week, peaceful protestors organized a caravan and noise demonstration in front of the Ware State Prison. pic.twitter.com/l8rypU4CLy

— Atlanta IWOC (@AtlantaIWOC) August 12, 2020

Protestors presence was not to support understaffed COs, who often come from the same backgrounds and experiences as the people they are tasked with subjugating.  Protestors showed their support for full prison abolition, and the freedom of all prisoners. These protestors are not outside agitators, but people who drove across the state (some for as long as four hours each way) to show solidarity for people who are suffering under the same injustices we all suffer under the US Government–people who, it should be noted, are imprisoned from all over Georgia.

They reached out to locals for information and listened to what they had to say. They spoke to people in town, many of whom were welcoming and kind. Protestors say every decision made during this action was made by consensus, demonstrating the belief in listening to each other as individuals, and in not overriding any person’s autonomy or freedom.

Here are some updates on our Car Caravan yesterday! We went down to #WareStatePrison to support the revolt.

We saw incarcerated folks at the loading dock, and they threw up their fists in solidarity as we circled the prison for a while. pic.twitter.com/UM2ehld7CV

— Atlanta IWOC (@AtlantaIWOC) August 5, 2020

Their slogans are radical, and they are honest. The police response to protestors presence proves the necessity of radical actions – 13 vehicles, surrounding them as they sat peacefully in a parking lot like they were carrying out a SWAT raid. When this is the response to less than twenty people using nothing but their words, you can see why we do not believe in half-measures, budget reductions, or rebranding. The Ware State Prison may be renamed the Ware State Rehabilitation and Education Institute, but it will always be the same inside.

Until there are no more humans locked away from the world in cages, none of us will be free.