4strugglemag 21
PDF• Raw TXT (OCR)
![ISSUE 21 NEXT ISSUE: Combating Sexism, Homophobia and Transphobia [Note: Issue 23, coming outin the winter, will be a special issue on combiting sexism. homophobia and transphobia in our movements. This theme was suggested (0 us by po- cal prisoner David Gilbert and he is helping Jaan and 1 compile material to further the discussion. We know that ight-wing backlash agains the rights of women, queer people and trans people is growing right ow. But s revolutionaries we must aso Strugele azainst these tendencies in our own movements and communitis. Many of s internalized & lot of poisonous ideas growing. up in this Society. and we have to confront and Work to ehange atitudes that contribut to the oppression of ohers. Tmyself have been working to be a beter ally o the trans. people n my It Thope that the following letter from David will inspire you 10 reflect on your own attitudes and experiences, and that you willsend us some writings or Isue 23 — nd for future issues, as T sure this important dialogue will continue. — Sara Falconer] An Open Letter to Move- ment Men About Sexism BY DAVID GILBERT De Brothers, There is no way we can be revolutionaries, o Way we can stand with humanity for iberdtion, withot acively com- bating male supremacy. That imperative requires both 3 political program against patrarchy and concerted strugele gainst sexism within ourselves. We all grew up i this so- ety 0, even with our passionate ideals, problems with g0, racism, classism, sexism. homophobia, transphobia ‘and ableism within ourselves are inevitable. What i in- excusable s to fail to engage in sincere and open-hearted efforts to change. i has been extremely upseting to have heard. even with my limited contact with the ouside activist communi of several incidents of sexual assault and then 10 add terinsult 10 monsirous injury — the frequen falures o have: a process for holding perpelrators accountable and for set- ing unmistakable standards for activist communitics. We are ighting for & world without sexual assault,abuse, coet cion how can we allow tha 1o continue within our ranks? Men’s sense of entilement t0 Women’s bodies, the viols- tions and the denial o Self-determination involved. paral- lels the ideology and practice of imperialisn. Each atack docs vicious harm to 4 sistr, while the reality of sexual ‘asault is the ferocious spearhead of the much broader offensive against women’s fully active and assertive role in our movements, which we sorely need for the colossal challenges we Tace. Also, our failure (0 develop a process 10s10p such erimes i corrosive 10 our own humanily. In the 19605 we started from nowhere in terms of dealing. Wi pariarchy — and nowhere mean the continued domi- nance of male supremacy. Then, women’s collective lead- ership around feminism and ant imperialism, alibough of- ten faced with reactionary resistance from me, won major advances. As dramatic 15 those changes were, they of course weren’t neasly enough on (0p of that we have evidently failed in our esponsibility to pass on hard-won lessons 1 the post- Seatle, 1999, géneration of acivists. If we don’t do belter o this, we léave 4 lethal hole in the heart of our move- men. In my own experience, the most fruitul response o Women’s iberation came in the form of Men Against Sex- ism groups — i they eren’t just a place (o alk sbout our feelings but if we also consclously grappled with sexism. checked-in with and sought guidance from feminists, and ook on solidarty work such as childeare and/or educating other men and boys. Today, we may want and need additional formats, for ex- ample, to fight the oppression of those who are gender nonconforming. Whatever the forms, concerted siruggle against patriarchy, with male supremacy as 4 central axis, is absollely necessary Male supremacy s extremely deep-seated n hisory and in society. Change doesn’t come casily and won’t alvays be ‘comfortable. As difiult s it may seem, advances on his front can stop the bruality of men’s assaults on women in our communities and help create 4 welcoming climate for their fll prticipation. We can’t have real movement, we can’tpossibly be successful, without the invalusble contri- butions and Ieadership women can provid. Such advances can also make us men more whole, moré loving human beings ‘White supremacy, male supremacy, homophobia, trans- phobia, class rule, and imperialism are powerful pillars of oppression. We have to dismanile them all o clear the ‘round to build the more humane and sustainable world that i so urgenily needed. One love, David Gilbert (anti-imperialis political prisoner)](4strugglemag-21-fall-2012 5.png)
![ASTRUGGLEMAG Collected Updates from the Occupy Movement and More... COMPILED BY ROGER DREW [Note: Roger compiled this great account of the carly months of the Occupy movement. Actions and analysis un- der the banner “Occupy” has continued to evole in cites around the world since then. We’ve added a few updates to his list - Sara Falconer] ‘Some Major Victories Occupy Our Homes Oceupy Our Homes has been preventing evictions of people who are Tacing foreclosure and helping families Without homes move into empty buildings. “Occupy Our Homes is 4 movement that supports Americans who stand up to their banks and fight for heir homes. We believe ex- eryone has a right o decent,alTordable housing. We stand with the Occupy Wall Street movement and a place to call home. These actions have been taking place for years led by community-based. orzanizations. Recently, more atter on has been focused on the illegal and immoral actions by the banks which have led to people losing their homes. Since the Oceupy Movemen has begun, community orgs have partnered with Occupy. and there have been more and more victories nation\ide of people being able to save: their homes! (As recenly 15 Apel 2ad in DC when an evic- tion was prevented!) [occupyourhomes.org] Occupy Oakland Oskland has set 4 tone for powerful non-violent actions confronting injustice, including the West Coust port shut down. This was one of the most militant, large-scale ac- ions since the beginning of the Oceupy Movement. In De- cember of 2011, stikes led by labor nd Occupy groups Shut down a nurber of West Coast Ports in support of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) who Were in coniract negoliation. Dozens of occupysites partcipated in he sction on some level, led by the miltant {hut down of the Oakland port by OccupyOakland and oth- ers. In February, ILWU ratified a new contract and thanked the Occupy Movement for thei essential support: “This s a victory for Occupy intheir involyemen in orcing nego- tations. Make no mistake — the solidariy and organiza- tion between the Oceupy Movement and the Longshore- men won this contract,”said Jack Mulcahy. ILWU officer with Local 8. “The mobilizaion of the Occtipy Movement acoss the country,partcularly in Oakland, Pordand, Seat e, nd Longyiew were a riical element in bringing EGT 10 the bargaining tsble and forcing o setlement with ILWU local 21 [westcoastporshutdown org] Oceupy Oakland has led in other ways. including the Oc- cupy4Prisoners National Day of Actions opposing and exposing racist_policies of mass incarceration. Occupy Okland also has been a leader nationwide in confron ing brutal and violence police repression to heif protess (AS well as Occupy Wall Stret in NYC where they have secenly joined the call for the tesiznation of the NYPD police chi Ray Kelly, especially following murders by NYPD members ) Occupy Chicago Chicago recenly saw two big victories with the help of Oceupy Chicago. First. on February 18 the Brian Piccolo ‘Specialty Schoolin Humboldt Park. was Occupied by par- ents,teachers, and students. Occupy Chicago and other al- Ties were outside the building in Solidurity and set up an encampment.Piccolo, an elementary school with a student body that is smostentirely from low-income communities of color,is one of 16 Chicago public schools shted o be closed by Mayor Rahmy’s service cus to the poor. Afier less than 24 hours of occupation the Occupiers emerged from the school to thunderous applause and declared vic- tory! The demands were met,proving tha dicect action and community power can be leveraged for real change! Par- ents il be given the opportunity 1o mee with the Board of Directors o submit a counter-proposal for local educa- on. This is what real community control looks lke ‘Secondly, on February 24 workers facing layoffs at a Chi- cago window factory declared victory afier oceupying thei plant for 11 hours. Through dict community action, including the support of Occupy Chicago. the workers and their union prevented the California-based Serious Encrey company from closing the pl; ther 90 days. The Workers hope this Will give them time to keep the plant open, possibly by purchasing it themselves and creating ’ worker-owned co-op. This dction Was led by the union United Flectric Local 1110. Some people may remember in 2008, workers a the same fuctory occupied their plant forsix days during a lsbor dispute With it previous own- ers, Republic Windows and Doors. (They won then, 0o1) National Days of Action February 29: Shut Down The Corporations and the American Legisltive Exchange Council (ALEC) “This national day of action included actions n over cighty tes and specifcally called “on people 10 tarzet corpo- sations that are members of the Americun Legislaive Exchange Council (ALEC). The biggest corporations in America, ike ExxonMobil, Bank of America, BP, Mon- Santo, Piizer, and Wal-Mart use ALEC (0 buy off legis- Tators and craft legislaion that serves only the interests](4strugglemag-21-fall-2012 6.png)
![ASTRUGGLEMAG fes. Protests have been organized by anti-capitalist groups. and libertaian grassroots unions from all over Europe. The initiative is labeled M31 — European Day of Action against Capitalism. Members of M31 want to send & clear siznal against curcent austerty policies and authoriarian labour seforms by ais and the Troika (Euro- pean Union, Eu I Bank and Intemnational Monetary Find) on the backs of wageworkers. migrants ‘and the unemployed. NYC and other places held solidarity demonsirations s well ‘The 9% Spring’ and May Day 2012 Many organizers and supporters of the Occupy Wall Stzect movement have been building towards the “American Spring." The concept is that come Spring time in the Unit d States - and the warmer weather, many Occupy pro- tests will sce & huge upswing in activiy. The name comes from the Arab Spring - the pro-democracy movements. that swept across the Arab worl Tas Spring. Not only did the Arsb Spring overthrow dictators in Tunisia, Egypt and elsewhere, but they were 4 primary inspiration for the Oc- Cupy Wall Stret moverment. Tuking place from April 9-15, they aimed (0 trsin 100,000 people “in homes, places of Worship, campuses and the Sirect...n non-violent sction and join fogether in the work of reclaiming our country.” The website sates: “History is calling: it’s ime 10 siép up.” Most exciting about this effort is that So many differen orzanizations are coming together anti-poverty organizations, workers rights orgs. anli-war, environmental and more e uniing under the banner of the “99% Spring.” This is 4 real opportunity to build strong movemens for change! the99spring.com May Day, (May Istlntermational Worker’s Day), always sees globil protests, ncluding i the United States In the. lastfow years there have been larger o 2006 naiional immigrant sirke “A Day Wit ‘erant.” This May Day saw some o the biggest protests in recent memory — in the U.S. and around the world. ‘Oceupy Wall Srcet i proving one thing without doub. Another World IS Possible! [Much of this info was pulled word-for-word from Occupy Wall Street, oceupywallstorg s well as from the weekly Oceupy roundup Witten by Jennifer Sacks and posied on Oceupy Together] Roger is an activist working for world with econonic Justice and gender and racial equaliy. He sits on the ad- Visory board for the WESPAC Foundation, a grassroors peace & justice action nenvork in Westchester Counry, NY. A5 a youing white man, he lives ith te understanding that people with privlege must work 10 end inequality in soci- ety Jaan Liaman and other political prisones have been important mentors for his acivism. March on the RNC The corporate media won’t report on i, s0 follow and find livestreams o Twitier: #resistRNC #maschontheRNC #OccupTheRNC #fime.@OccupyRNC and_ @Oceupy- Tampa. The protest will continte throughout the weck. Nonviolent direct sction marches will take place every day at 10 am as an atemative to the offcal, brbed: closed "event zone” (cage) declared by the city 10 Keep protesters far away from the eyes of while the wealthy are iven lavish paries and the ars of the politictans inside the heavily-guirded walls. Those who come to demonsizate at the RNC do ot come 1o confront you. They come to conont: « those who give you your orders, our Elected Offcials. « those who give them their orders, he Power Elite. ‘We, police officers and protesters alike, should be standing togéther 0 remind our goverment thi they work for us, the people. That it is WE THE PEOPLE who elect them, and e who give them thei orders. You have been told that we are coming to commit acts of violence and destruction. We are not. We utlize peaceful means to promote peaceful ends and to stand up for jus- tice..social, economic and environmental jusice. You have been told that we are consing 1o fight the police. ‘We are not You are being sbused right along with us. It i the Power Elte we are aftr. They are screwing over all of s and Taugh at s when we fight one another 11s time we stood together. We know wha the real enemy is, and is neither you or us. So i’s poiatless (0 ight one. another. I you are ordered to assault a non-violent peaceful crowd, we ask you to defy your orders. Stand for justice. It is ous Sincere hope that you allow the demonsiritors o do what they come 10 do, peacefully protest an unjust system. We stand for justce. “resisIRNC resistenc.org “Agitators are a set of interfering, meddling people who come down to some perfectly contented class of the community and sow the seeds of discontent among them. That is the reason why agitators are So absolutely necessary.” -Oscar Wilde](4strugglemag-21-fall-2012 8.png)
![ISSUE 21 10 stay focused and sane in this environment. The pain and suffering are everywhere, constantly with you. But, it was. also S0 much more than tha. 1 had dreams and they were beautifuldreams. 1 used to ok forward to the nights when T could sieep and dream. There’s no describing the day to day assaulton your body and you mind and the feelings of hopelessness and despai. There s far more than a casual relationship between the Oceupy Movement and the work so many of you are doing 10 change the criminal justice system. “The same people who make the laws that favor the bank- ers. make the laws that il our prisons and detention cen- ers. We have to continue o make the connection between ‘Wall St and the prison industial complex. The growth of the private prison industry i just one symptom of this un- holy alliance. 1 stand in soldarity with the Occupy 4 Prisoners rally and hope these rallies shed further izht o the insidious ffects of prisons for profit and politics Free all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience. Steve Champion L wani to thank al the patiipants of Occupy San Quentin for being here today. Thank you for eading my saiemen My name is Steve Champion. I’ve been incarcerated for over 30 years and twenty-nine of those years and counting, have beén spent on San Quentin’s death row. ‘We are living in critial time in history. There i a global and domestic crisis going on. Our body politics is under Siege because it is dominated by crony capitalism and so- cial and economic indifference. We are fast moving toward & biceniric society of “haves” and “have nots.” If we fail 10 take strong stand to transform this nation then \e can expect an llForecast for the future. One of the most powerful uions in the state of Califor- nia is the Correctional Peace Organization Association (CCPOA). As ition for students are being rased. schools being shut down, cuts being made in the fields of educa. tion, social programs, nurses and other care-givers, every- e i being forced to make a sacrifice. But we don’t hear cuts being made in the salaries of prison guards. Why is that? Because the CCPOA (through rigorous lobbying in ‘Sacramento) have the ear of Calfornia State Legislators. ‘They make huge campaign contibutions to both the Gov- emor and State Legislators. This allows them to peddle influence and get implemented the policies they Wan in place. ‘What this oughi o el those o us who are concerned about social jusice, prison reform and the abalishment of the death penalty is we have to up the ante of our struggle. If Wwe want to s the eradication of the death penalty and the prison, it requires a mulifaceted approach. s not enough for prisoners o strugale on the inside; it i not enough to picket, protestor occiupy specific places. Those things are mportant. But we also need to have 4 robust voice and it among the decision makers who shape. influcnce and create policies that we vehemently oppose. We necd to build a grassroots poliical organization to challenge those: in pover. Too offen, our social movements are on the defensive. We react as opposed to being proactive and taking initiative on programs we want implemented and policies we want changed. Building a grassroots politcal organization can facilitate a lot of the fragmentization tht exists in our movements by uniting us. 1t Would give focus o our ob- jectives. 1T we don’tdo this, then who? If we don’t do this now, thén when? “The one percent who dominate the politcal and economic: system in this county is not an accident. It was carefully planned. They want 4 government for the one percent and by the one percent, but not by the people. We have to strengthen and inensify our struggle. We have: 10 become more comitted. We have to remember that our Struggle isn’ & sprint. but & marathon. What we do today Wil aler the course of history tomarrow. Thank you. Long live the strugele. Todd Ashker Youall know we’ve been on a “counter propaganda’” cam- paign here [in Pelican By State Prison] since Dec. 09 and much of what myself, Castellano, Sitawa, and Mutope have. in mind in our Wwritings about our struggle and resistance 2477 s in line with our counter propaganda campaign!! ‘Actually. ’d prefe eriminal prosecution because 1) I’d be acquitted and 2) the publicty it would gammer would be real grea for the cause. Now that i’s not a DA referral (I expect due 10 legislative inguiry). 1 expect to be railraded ‘& found guilty administratively (st time guily of & seri- ous rule Violaton since Jan 04). “This will be used by the Bord of Parole Hearings (o issue me a longer parole hearing deferral when 1 g0 in Aug 2012 (probably a 7-10 year deferal). It will mean o art material or pliotos for a year, etc., etc., etc. This bogus CDC 115 RVR should be getting propagated out there as much a5 possible s well s other CDCR /PSP diry shi. “This is where I (and many others) stand on this strugele: For mre than 30 years CDCR policy and practice has becn “us v, them” — Viewing us as the enemy who they are at war with, 1](4strugglemag-21-fall-2012 15.png)
![ISSUE 21 v Cuz I’m young. black. and sell crack in da streets. Babies conmiting robbery Istdegree. Even with blind eyes Tcould se it in’t ool ‘They building prison programs and earing down schools We al got an opinion just ke we all have & choice No one can hear you speak if you don’t use you voice! Veronica Hernandez My name is Veronica Hemandez and T am o 20-year- old young woman that has been incarcerated since 1 was 16-sears-old and tred as an adult at 17-years-old. Prior o being charged us an adult T was appointed a no- ‘2ood atomey that couldn’t have cared less about me or the outcome of my case and consequently had put absolutely o effort into epresenting me adequately. There are no law libaries o lezal ervices at Juvenile Hall so juverile sather it b for beter or for worse had leally no choice but to be dependant on his or her court-appointed attorney and trust that bim o her willlead them in the right direc. tion. Unfortunately for me tht direction was to adult coust Where I now face life sentence should 1 be convicted. In California, peopel who are 16-years-old are cligible to be tried as adults and in some saies, the minimum age to be tried a5 an adult is 13-years-old and in others, there s o age limit at all depending on the nare of the crim. Regardless of the age. juvenles that are tred 25 adulls are subjected o harsher punishments that juv judges Tack the power to impose such as lfe possiblity of parole or Sentences that are so fike “43 to i or “51 to life” tha those sen s well be lfe without the possibilty of parol. Although a juvenile’s right to a hearing before a case can be transferred to adult court was established by Kent V. US.(US. Sup. Ct. 1966) therearesill cases tha get trans- ferred to adult court without & hearing at all and that is Known as “direct filing.” The D_A. can file a direet fling on a juvenile that is 14-years-old or older and that conra- dicts California’s so-called minimum age of 16-years old o older to be elgible a being tred 45 an adult and 3 juve- s so-called right o 3 hearing. “The human mind docsn’t siop developing unil the age of 25, 50 it i ridiculous that 4 judge can even be given the power o determine that 4 juvenile can never be rehabili- tated and will remain at the same state of mind tha the ju- venile was in at the time of thei crime was commitied for the res of his or her life. Aside from ridiculous...i is out- rageous..oppressive. .opprobrious...and somehing. that needs to cease...abolish this oppression and give children the chance at 1 that ach and everyone of them deserves. Sean Swain: Occupy, Liberate, De-Colonize: A State- ‘ment for Occupy Columbus from Prison In 2007, in a published interview I observed that f Ohio prisoners simply laid on their bunks for 30 days. the sys- fem would collapse. | wasn’t talking about just the prison system, but Ohio’s entire economy 1 came o that conclusion because | recogaized that S0.000 [Ohio] prisoners work for pennies per day making the food, aking out the trash, mopping the floors. We produce. pasts For Honda and other mult-nationals at Obio Penal In- dusties (OPI), making millions of dollars in profit for the Stte. 1 we stopped participating in our own oppression, the State would have to hire workers t union-scale wages 10 make out food, take out the trash, and mop the floors: slave labor for Honda and others would cease Ohio would lose millons of dollars a day in production. “The State’s economy would not recaver for 4 decade. ‘When I made that observation, | didn’t know for certain that T was ight. | suspected 1 was. But more than 3 year later, prison offcialscame 10 get me. My cell was plastered. Wil rime tape. All of the ixures, including lights, sink. 1, were removed and inspected, something that | haven’t seen bapper in 20 years o captiviy. was taken to segregation and slated for transfr to Super-mas. ‘The reason? My observation in a year-old published intr- view, that Ohia’s economy would collapse without prison labor. Thar’s when 1 knew my observation was right. The enemy confirmed i T eventually avoided super-max because friends and sup- porters made enough noise. but I am now on & Security Theeat Group list even thouigh | have never been past of any organization, and my incoming mail i screened 1 share all of this in order to underscore how seriously and irrtionally terified the state i about the possibility of angone awakening the prisoner population (o its own power. The state is hystrically shit-heir-pants petifed of an organized prisoner resistance, the way planiation own- ers feared a slave uprising. 1 was subjected to repression in 2008. Since then, the situation for the State has become even more dite. Git- en austerity cuts and privatization of few prisons. the suard-to-prisoner atio has drastically dropped. leading (o more distuption in the standard prison operations. On top. of that, the Kasich administraion’s efforts (0 bust public Worker’ unions, though a failue, has destroyed the morale of puards and ST the majority of whom now only care ‘bout collecting their pay checks. With cach downurn in 13](4strugglemag-21-fall-2012 17.png)
![ISSUE 21 Occupy Oakland is Dead. Long Live the Oakland Commune. BY SOME OAKLAND ANTAGONISTS May 2012 from bayolrage.com For those of us in Oakland, “Occupy Wall Sreet” was al- Ways a strange fit. While such of the country sat cerly quict in the years before the Hot Fall of 2011, 3 unique rebelliousness.that regularly erupted in’ miliant antago- nisms with the police was already taking root n the strcets of the Bay. From numerous anti-polic iots riggered by the exceution of Oscar Grant on New Year’s Day 2009, 10 the wave of anti-ausierity student occupati 2009 and easly 2010, 1o the Native protest a1 Glen Cove in 2011, 1o the the sequence of Anony BART disruptionsin the month before Occupy Wal Strect Kicked ol our greater metropolitan area re-emerged in re- centyears 5 primary hub of sirugele in his couniry. The intersection at 14th and Broadway in downtown Oskland Wwas, more often than ot “ground zero” for these conlits. I we had chosen to follow the specific trajectory pre- scribed by Adbusters and the Zucott-based organizers of Oceupy Wal Street, we would have staked out our local Oceupy camp somewhee in the heart of the capitol of ‘West Coast capital. as & beachhead in the enemy territory of San Francisco’s financial disrict. Some did this carly o, following in the footstcps of the encampments scattered across the country like & colorful but confused archipelago of anti-financial indignation. According 10 this logic, it would make 1o sense for the epicenter of the movement to emerge in a medium sized proletaran city on the other side of the bay. We intentionally chose o different path based o 4 longer rajectory and experiences that emerged from tecent 5. Vague populist s about the 9% Savy use of social net Working, shady figures funning around in Guy Fawkes masks, none of this played any kind of significant role in bri ing us 10 the forefront of the Occupy moveren. Inthe rebel town of Oak: land, we built @ camp that was not so_much diseetly the emergence of a new social movermen. but the unpres. edented converzence of preexisting local movemens and ‘antagonistic tendencies all looking for a fight with capital ‘and the state while leaming to take care of each other and ourcity in the most radical ways possble “This is what we bey that dense network of new found affnity and ret ness that shiced through seemingly impenetrable social basrierslike never before. Our “war machine and our care maching” as one comrade put it. No cops. no politicians, plenty of “autonomous actions™ the Commune materil. lzed for one monih in liberated Oscar Grant Plaza at the corner of Lith & Broadway. Here we fed each other, ved together and began to learn how 1o actully care for one another while launching unmediated assaults on our en- emies: local government, the downtown business elie and ransnational capital. These attacks culminated. with the General Strke of November 2 and subsequent West Coast Port Blockude. i their repeated attacks on Occupy Oskland, the local de- colonize tendency is in some ways correct 1] Oceupy Wall Street and the movement of the 99°% become very prob- Tematic when applied o a cit such as Oakland and reck of white liberal polities imposed from afar on a diverse popu- lation already living under brutal police oceupation. What our decolonizing comsades fail © grasp (intentionally or o) s that the rebellion which unfolded in front of City Hall in Oscar Grant Plaza does not trace its roots back 0 September 17, 2011 when thousands of 99%ers marched through Wall Siret and set up camp in Lower Manhattan ‘The Oakland Commune was born much carli on January 7.2009 when those youngsters climbed on top of an OPD eruiser and started Kicking in the windshield o the cheers of the crowd. Thus the name of the Commune’s tempo- tarily rechimed space Whete anti-capitalst processes of decolonization were unleashed: Oséar Grant Plaza](4strugglemag-21-fall-2012 21.png)
![ISSUE 21 and racist HR4437 legislation by organizing the largest protestin US_ history (and arguibly the closest thing we have ever séen 1o 4 nation-wide general strke) on May L of that year [2]. The movement was quickly scared off the sreets by a brutal wave of ICE raids and deportations that continue 1o this day.Closer 0 home, the ant austeity movement that seept through Californi campuses n late 2009 escalated rapidly during the fall through combative building oceupations across the state. But by March 4, 2010, the movement had been successfully split apart by fepressing the militan tendencies snd trapping the more modersie ones in an impotent campaign 1o lobby elected officials in Sacramento. Such is the fapid ¢ycle of mobi- lization and decomposiion for social movements in late capitalist America ‘The Decomposition o what then killed Oceupy? The 99%ers and reactionary liberals will quickly point {0 those of us in Oakland and our counterparts in other cites who wave the black flag having alienated the masses with ou “Black Bloc Tactis and extremist views on the police and the economy. Many militants Wil just as quickly blame the sinister forces of o-optation, whether they be the trade union bureaucrats, the 99% Spr wiolence training seminars o the array of pacifying social justice non-profts. Both of these posi- tons fundamentally miss the underlying dynamic that has been the determining factor in the outcome tht the camps were evicted by the cops. Every si Al of those liberated spaces where rcbellious relation- Ships, ideas and actions could proliferate were bulldozed like So many shanty towns across the world that stand in the way of arports, highways and Olympic arenas. The sad sealty is that We are not getting those camps back. Not after power saw the contagious militancy spreading from Okland and other poins of conflct on the Oceupy map and realized what 3 threat all those tents and cardboard izns and discussions lte ino the night could potentially become. No matter how different Occupy Oakland was from the rest of Occupy Wall Stree, its life and death were mately connected with the healh of the broader move- ment_Once the camps were evicted. the other major defin- ing feature of Occupy. the general assemblies, were left without an anchor and have since foated into ielevance. as hollow decision making bodies thal represent 1o one ‘and are more concerned With their own reproduction than the next ude foreclosure defense. the port blockades. inking up with rank and file labor 10 fight bosses in a variely of sectors, clandestine squating. ‘and exen neighborhood BBQs. All of these are intetesing. directions and have potential. Yet without being connected 1o the vortex of a communal occupation, they become iso- phase of the movement. These Tated activist campaigns. None of them can replace the es- sential ole of weaving together & rebel social fabric of af- finiy and camaraderic hat only the camps have been able 10 play thus far. May | confirmed the end of the national Occupy Wall Street mavement because it was the best opportunity the movement had to reestablish the occupations, and yet it couldn’t. Nowhere was this mare clar thun in Oakland ‘s the sun set after a day of marches. pickets and clashes. Rumors had been circulating for weeks that tents would tart going up and the camp Would reemerge inthe evening of that long day. The hundreds of fiol police backed by armored personnel carrers and SWAT teams carrying as- Saul rifles made no secret of thei intention to sweep the plaza clear afer all the “go0d profesters” scurried home, naking any reoccupation physically impossible. It was the Same on January 28 when plans for 3 large public build- ing occupation were shattered in 4 shower of flzsh bang. grenades and 400 arrests, just as i was on March 17 in Zucott Park when dreams of a new Wall Steeet camp were clubbed and pepper sprayed to death by the NYPD. Any hopes of aspring offensive leading 0.4 new round of space: seclamarions and liberated zones has come and gone. And with that, Oceupy Wall Street and Occupy Oakland are now dead The Future I one had already come 10 terms with Occupy’s passing, May 1 could actualy be viewed s an impressive Success Noother 24 hour period in recent memory has unleashed such a diverse array of militancy in ciies across the coun- ry. From theallday sseet fghting in Oakland. o the shield bloc in LA, 10 the courageous attempt a a Wildeat March i New Yok, 10 the surprise atack on the Mission police sation in Sa Francisco, 10 the ant-capitalist march in New Orleans. to the speciacular trashing of Seatle banks. and corporate chains by black flag wielding comrades, the large crowds which tok o the sireets on May 1 weré no longer afraid of militunt confrontations with police and scemed reltively comfortable with property destruction. “This s an important urning point Which suggests tht the tone and tacticsof te next sequence will b quite different from those of st fll e the consistent thythim and resonance of esistance that the camps made possible has not returned. We are once again wading through a depressing sea of everyday nor- mality waiting for the next spectacular day of action to come and goin much the same way as comrades did lobalization movement or the an- -war movement. In the Bay Area, the call 0 srike was picked up by nurses and ferry workers who picketed their respective workplaces on May | along with the longshore- men who walked off the job for the day. This display of Solidity is impressive considering the overall lack of momenti in the moverment right now. SHl. it was not 19](4strugglemag-21-fall-2012 23.png)
![ASTRUGGLEMAG enough of an interruptios late out of a day of action saw on November 2 capital’ daily flows to esca- into @ general stike like we And thus we continue on through this quicter peiod of un- certainty. We still occasionally catch eimpses of the Com- mune in those special moments when friends and com- rades successfully break the rules and stat self organizing 10tk care of one another while simultancously launching attacks against those Whao profit from mass immiseration. ‘We saw this off and on during the actions of May 1, o in the o oceupations of the building at 888 Turk Stret in San Francisco or most recently on the occupied farmland that was temporarily iberated from the University of Cali- fornia before being evicted by UCPD riot police few days. ag0. But with the nertia of the Fall camps nearly depleted, the fierce but delicate lie of our Commune relies more and more on the vibrancy of the rebel social relationships Wwhich have always been is foundation. The task ahead of us in Oskland and beyond s to search out and nurture new means of finding each other. We are quickly reaching the point where the dead weight of Occi- Py threatens to drag down the Comune ino the dust bin of history. We need to breathe new life into our network of rebellious relationships that does ot rely on the Oc- Cupy Oakland seneral assembly or the array of moverment protagonists who have emerged to represent the sirugele. “This is by no means an argumen against ssemblies or for a retreat back into the small countercultural ghettos hat Keep us isolated and irrlevant. On the contrary, we need more public assemblies that take different forms and ex- periment with themes, styles of decision making (or lack there of) and el of affinty We need new ways to ecl m space and regularize & con- tagious rebel spirt rooted in our specific urban contexts while breaking a losing cycle of atempted occupations fol- lowed by state repression that the movement has now fall- eninto. Mostof all, we need desperately o stay connected Wit comeades old and new and not lt these elationships. completely decompose. This wil determine the health of the Commune and ultimately ts ability to effectively wage Wwar on our enemies in the sirugeles to come. Notes 1] The decolonize tendency emerged in Oakland and elsc- Where s a people of color and indigenous led initative within the Ocelpy movement to confront the deep colo- nialis roots of contemporary oppression and exploiation Decolonize Oakland publicly split with Occupy on De- cember 5. 2011 after faling to pass 2 proposal in the Oc- cupy Oakland general assembly 1o change the name of the local movement to Decolonize Oakland. For more infor- mation on this split sce the ‘Escalating Identity” pamphiet: escalatingidentity.wordpress com 2] The demonstzations on May 1, 2006, called EI Gran Faro Estudounidense of The Greal American Boyeo, were the climax of 4 nationwide series of mobilizations. that had begun two months carlier with lucge marches in Chicago and Los Anseles as well s spo school walkoutsin California and beyond: the streets across the country that May 1. ith an o million marching in Los Angeles alone. Enire busi- ness disricts in immigrant neighborhoods or where imimi- ‘erants made up the majority of workers shut down for the day in what some called “A Day Without an Inimigr Stay Strong, Stay Committed BY COYOTE, There is no time better than right now o take a deeper ook at self, fe and struggle. Many of us n the struggle have long resisted before we even knew there was a strugale. There’s something inside of us; like fire! But where does it come from? How did we get like this: [ mean what made us so honorable to carry this fir inside of us? For most of us, this rebellious spiit, of course, Stems from some form of abuse of injustice n our pasts, o from our early childbood. or something; e are who e are for a reason. Well, for lots of reasons actually. ‘Once you know yourself, you can only become strength ened ind empowered throigh this understanding. 1 speak Of it here, because i’ important 10 understand what i is that has cultivated usinto the rebels and warriors we are, especially now that we know and see who and wha it i this terible beast — that we are up against. ‘Sometimes we have 1o go through our own personal Strife before we can again be awakened to the ulimate Strugele. T think this is the critical importance of un- derstanding ourselves and our inherent connection o ‘humanity. liberty and strugele. We have (o g0 through things i ife, stumble, full,and then pick ourselves back up and usk ourselves what just happened and why, be- fore we can eally start 10 tinderstand things. and some- where i allof this urmoil we begin 10 s that there’s a connection between one’s own personal ife and experi- ences and the lives and experiences of humanity 3 ‘whole. And that’s when we realize that we’re not alone in this struggle. We are 4 part of something. Something. that’s bigger and greater than we ever understood. And now that our eyes are opened., we must say strong, Stay focused and we must stay committed. 1’S not just about “me” anymare, now i’ sbout “us”. Solidariey is what we have, freedom is what we stsve for 20](4strugglemag-21-fall-2012 24.png)
![ASTRUGGLEMAG Short Corridor Collective Announces Agreement to End Hostilities from hungenstrikesolidariy wordpres com Representatives o the CA Hunger ke isued 8 stte- et calling for an end 10 ll violnce and Bty be- tween different groups of prisoners throughout the stae of (CA from maximum security prisons o county jils. The statement asks prisoners to unite beginning October 10,2012 “The full statement s reprinted below. Agreement to End Hostilities August 12,2012 “To whom it may concern and all California Prsoners: Greetings from the entire PBSP-SHU Short Corridor Hun- e Sirke Representatives. We are hereby presenting this mutual agrcement on behalf of al racial groups here in the PBSP-SHU Corridor. Wherein, we have arrved at a mu- wal ageeement concerning the following points: L. I we really want o bring sbout substantive meaning ful changes 1o the CDCR system in & manner ben- eficial 0 all solid individuals, who have never been broken by CDCR’s torture tactics ntended 1o coerce one (0 become 4 state informant via debriefing. that ow s the time to or us o collectively seize this mo- mentin e, and put an end (0 more than 2030 years of hostiiies between our racal 2roups. Therefore, beginning on October 10, 2012, al hos- ilties betiven our racial groups. General Population, and County Jails, will officially ease. This means that from this daté on, all racial ‘eroup hostiltes need o be t an end...and if personal issues arise between individuals, people need to do all they can to exhaust all diplomatié means o settle such disputes; do not allow personal. ndividual ssues o escalate nto racial group issues!! We also want to warn those in the General Popula- n that 1G] will contnue o plant undercover Sensi- ive Needs Yard (SNY) debriefer “inmates” amongst the solid GP prisoners with orders from IG to be in- formers, snitches. rats, and obstructioniss, in order 10 attempt to disrupt snd undermine our collective ‘eroups” mutual understanding on issues intended for our mutial causes [ie., forcing CDCR 1o open up all GP main lines, and etun (0 4 rehabiltativ-type system of meaningful programs/privileges, including Tier conjugal viits, etc. via peaceful protest actvity/ noncooperation e ¢ hunger Strike. no labor, . etc | People need 10 be aware and vigilant 0 such tactics, and refuse to allow such 1GI inmate snitches 1o ate chaos and reigaite hostlities amongst our racial In conclusion, we mustall hold trong o our mutual gree- ment rom his point on and focus our time, atention. and energy on mutual causes benefcial o al of s [i.,prison- ers], and our bestinerests ‘We can no longer allow CDCR 10 use us against ach other for their benefit!! Because the reality i that collectively. We are an empowered. mighty force, tht can positvely change this entirecorrupt sysiem o 4 system that seually benefis prisoners, and thereby, the public a a whole...and we simply cannot allow CDCRICCPOA — Prison Guard’s Union, IGI, ISU, OCS, and SSU. 0 continue (0 get away Wil their constant form of progeessive oppression and Warehousing of tens of thousands of prisoners. ncluding. the 14000 (+) plus prisoners held in solitary confinement torture chambers [ie. SHU/AG-Seg Unis], for decades!!! We sen heat our love and respects o al those of ike mind and. ‘onward in strugele snd solidarity. Presented by the PBSP-SHU Short Corridor Collective: Todd Ashker, CS8191, DL 119 Arturo Castellanos, CI7275, DI-121 Sitawa Nantambu Jamaa (Dewberry), C35671, D1-117 Antonio Guillen, PS1948. D2-106 And the Representatves Body: Danny Troxell, BT6STS. DI-120 George Franco, D46556, DA-217 Ronnie Yandell, V27927, D4.215 Paul Redd, BT2683, D217 James Baridi Willison, D348 D4-107 Alfred Sandoval, D6100G. D4-314 Louis Powell, B39864. DI-104 Alex Yrigollen, 32421, D2-204 Gabriel Huerta, C80766. D: Frank Clement, DO7919. D3.116 Raymond Chavo Perez, K129 Jarmes Mario Perez, BAR186, D [NOTE: All names and the ststement must be verbatin When used & posted on any website or media, or non-me- dia, publications]](4strugglemag-21-fall-2012 30.png)
![ISSUE 21 Suicide in Solitary: The Death of Alex Machado BY SAL RODRIGUEZ soltarywatch.com Alexis “Alex” Machado was a prisoner at Pelican Bay State Prison’s isolation units for nearly (o years wher 0ok his own life on October 24,2011 According (0 the autopsy report, Machado was last seen alive at approximately 12:15 AM “as he was examined ‘and then cleared by medical Saf for & complaint of heart palpitations ™ Thirty minutes later, at 12:45 AM, an offi- Cer found Machado and reported that hanging Machado [was] "THe was seen “Sitting on the floor ied o the top side bis cell Concluded the autopsy: “The decedent died as a result of asphyxiation due to Strangulation by hanging.” Toxicology Tepors Were negative. As institutional records and letters from Machado in the yearleading up to his death show, he had been suffering sc- Lere paychological problems in response 1o his prolonged isolation. Once a jailhouse Tawyer Whose writings were both clearly and inteligently composed, his mental sate would decline at Pelican Bay Machado had been incarcerated since 1999 on a rob- bery charge and related shooting. He was sentenced to an 80-to-lfe prison term. Described as an intelligent and thoughtful man with a warm smile by his siser, Cynthia, he generally experienced no problems in his nitial 11 years of incarceration. For most ofhis time, he was held at Kern Valley State Prson. ‘Things began to change in ate 2007, when a race iot ook place. “The prison said he was the one who started the riot” according to Cynthia, “when he really had nothing 10.do with i His involvement n theriot would esultn his being placed in’ Adminisiraive Segregation Unit (ASU) in December 2007. Though he was never offcially found guily for the ot prison wang investigators would begin [0 build a case: for s validation a5 gang menber.In December 2008, he e ASU again for “manufacturing a weap- 2009, confidential informant was official- Iy cited by prison offcials a evidence of his gang activity. He was finally validated as o gang associate, in large part due to the confidential informant, on February 4, 2010 In his appeal of the validation, he argued that the Souce fems usedin his validation were insuffcient,saying that “these. allegations are not true and | intited nothing.™ He further charzed in his appeal that his validution as & ‘zang member was in retaliation of his acquittal n the racial He was sent o Pelican Bay to serve. sentence on Februry 17, 2010 from the Ke adeterminate SHU Valley ASU. Being screened into Pelican Bay. he reported no psycho- logical problems. ‘Soon afte ariving, however, he reported i letters that he was consistentl harassed by the guards. In leter dated March 10, 2010, he wrote that “when | st go here an of- ficer told e that he was being pressured to make a bogus psychologist referral on me...1 guess they ant o make it ook like T am going crazy." He reported that puards took himn to debrief inan attempt o make him look Like an nfor- mant_Futher, he was (old that a green ight (hitorder) had been placed on him: claim that he dida’t believe. AnASU classifcation document indicates that h received. Some mental health services in May 2010, and previously in October 2009. Amental health chronos indicates his first significant prob- lem at Pelican Bay surfaced on January 24, 2011 with a mental health referrl from a correctional offcer for para- noia.” Al beginning in January, he was noted to have de- creased the number of showers he took, from a regulas of three a week 1o only once of tice @ Week. He received a 115 (rules violation report) on March 1, 2011 Tor "willfully resisting” officers after “fishing line" for communication with other inmates was found and he sefused to “cuff up-" He told the health care worker who Saw him after his extraction with pepper spray that I want You o put down that they ace denying m legal mail” On May 31,2 mentl healthreferal eported that he “staed e i being atched. isened o, cell has bugs and cameras. He also stated he hears knocking on al his cell walls Things would decline sigaificantly in June. On June Sh, 2 mental health record reports that he was depressed. anx- fous, poor hygienelgeooming. hallucinations, pardnoia and delusion. He reported that is presenting complints were niety atacks, Some- listed as “hearing voices, can’t skeep onelsomething contrlling thoughis, three days. Days late he would receive another referral for ansiety ‘and reporting increased heart rate and breathing. On 12, he was placed in a crsis room for threatening to kill hignselr “The following is from a Counseling Chrono dated June 21, 2011 27](4strugglemag-21-fall-2012 31.png)
![ASTRUGGLEMAG “On Thurssday, June 16, 2011 4t 1440 hours 1 was sum- moned 1o the cell of fnmate Machado...by Repistered Nurse._.Upon looking in the cell window, I observed a noose hanging from the air duct. 1 observed the No-Tear Mattress ying on the el loor torn apart. | ordered Mach- ado 1o submit 1o handeuffs. o which he complied. Afier handeuing Machado I placed him in holding cell #136 s0 Dr. N could speak with him. 1 returned to cell 158 and ob- served feces smeared on the right wall. I sppears Machado had torm off the outer layer of the mattres, fashioned 3 noose from it and tied the noose (0 the vent. Just days after the incident, he was issued & notce that he would be placed in Pelican Bay’s Administrative Segrega- tion Unit: You were endorsed by the CSR on 0204110 to serve an indeterminate SHU term, due (© your validation as an As- Sociate of the _.prison gan...On 06/2211. your Mental Health Level of Care (LOC) was elevated 6 Correctional Clinical Case Management (CCCMS), PBSP-SHU Ex- clusionary: therefore, your placement in PBSP-SHU is no longer appropriate. Due 10 the above, on 062211, a dec sion was made 10 place you in the PBSP Administrative Segregation Unit. Single celled due to prison zang valida- ion. By June 30, he was deemed to have “active psychotic symptoms” but had a low risk of suicide. On July 6 he threw his breakfast through his food port and refused breakfast the next day. On the date of the incident a referral indicated "inappropriate behaviors.” “hallucinat- ing” and “poor impulse control." The referra] notes that he believed “clectromagnetic pulses are interfering with his thoughts.™ A mental healih document says later that “The] is believed. 10 in a desperate sitation with an equal amount o ansi- ety During ICC in Ad Seg, he refused the debriefing pro- s hence his situation appears (0 be deferiorating pos- Sibly leading to [his] cureent stat of mind.” In June and July. he was variously diagnosed with Ani- social Personality Disorder and Briet Psychotic Disorder. According (0 his sister, though he was offcially granted a vegetarian die for relgious reasons, he would primar- ily subsist on an unhealthy cheese-only diet due to his be- in allergic 1o peanuts,the other primiry component of & prison vegetarian food iray. This i believed by his sstr to have ben one of the factorsthat conributed to the already physically and mentally stresful environment. Machado’s sister noticed her once coherent and seem- ingly adjusted brother decline i his e at Pelican Bay. iced he started writing strange things. about seeing things” she says. Around this time, she and her mother called Pelican Bay after teceiving a despondent leter from Alex. “T’m afraid for my son’s fife.” Machado’s mother told one of his mental health counselors. ‘Though CDCR has previousl that e was not 4 partiipan Machado family believes tht the strikes. He reportedly men in etters sent 0 his family. gone on the record to say he hunger stikes. the he in fact dd paricipate in foned the strike many times I ate July or early Augus, he sent a leter (0 his sister claiming that he saw “someone 1 know and 1 saw another in picces and demons...1 don’t know the siznificance of it hope it was a hallic He wrote that was taken o the infrmary for leg pains, where he further wrote: “I was handeuffed in a cell and was being watched by two officers I never scen before...I Was handeuTed for what Seemed like an eternity 1 el ike I was n that room hand- culfed for days but it Was only an bour...the shooing in imy case fashed in my mind and they suggested 1 died that day i the shooring and that 1 was now in “purgatory” or in “Dianes Inferno. elt trapped. | thought 1 was condénmned. 10be handeuTed inthatcel frever. They miade me beleve: Twas Killed in real life. 1 thought I was caught i another sealm, L saw insects in the cll and demons. It was way out Tdon’t know what happened. Also writien while at Pelican Bay. Machado reflected on his decade long incarceration, writing ™I wish my ife was different and that we could a1l be out there together...1 don’t know what to do. T’m stuck and T have been away from home for long time now. i the final months of his lfe., he would continue (0 spend. over 22 hours 4 day in o small cell. His leters came less ‘and lss frequenly. During his time at Pelican Bay. be told his family not o make the over T00-mile trip to Visit him. He didn’t want them (0 see him in chains. Though his leters in the two months leading to his death were increasingly distorted. he did have some glimmer of hope. He had secured a lawyer who was in the process of ehallenging his original criminal convicton. His sister describes his plight this way, It takes one inmate. informant to report you falsely. Then you are in solitary confinement. When you want o fight fo get out it is impos- “Truth has a power of its own...A poem can inspire a movement. A pamphlet can spark W evolution, Civi disobediénce can rouse people and provoke us to think ~Howard Zinn 28](4strugglemag-21-fall-2012 32.png)
![ASTRUGGLEMAG ‘comparison (0 social housing which is S5 ‘are being buil in the place of housing. day - yetjuils I you wan (0 genuinely make communities safer, the so- lution cannot be locking away more people for longer in jils where we. e angry and disillusioned. er which people arc locked away and we need stralegies o make sure fewer people from our communites are locked up at al, We need 1o focus on ehabilitation and not warchouses. We need to focus on the root causes of why people end up here in the fist place 50 that when people get out there is something better o g back to. We need (o uphold human dig ot deprive people of it. We can o this by safezuarding people’s human rights. not by siripping thern of al respon- Sibilty and opportunity. We need to foster community and interpersonal les tht are based on something decper than the “us against them’ mentalit that this system inslls in By moving towards a system that protects the rights of all people including prisoners we can move towads real jus- ice foral Support Six Nations Land De- fenders: An Open Letter to All Those Who Have Supported Me BY ALEX HUNDERT [G20 politcal prisone] alexhundert wordpress com “This is a lettr Lam wriing to everyone who supported me over the past two years, since our arrests brought 1o ight the massive police operation against & zeoup of solidarty activiss and community organisers In that ime 1 have received such an incredible amount of support from frends and family, from alles, from “move- ment” organisations. and dlso from civil iberties organisa- tions, academic and journalist associations, and unions. | have a tremendous dmount of ratitude and appreciation forallof i As T head back into jail on Tuesday, los of people have. been offering renewed support, and having seén how sub- stantial that support can be, 1 am asking tha the support people are hoping 1o give (o me over the next year, be in- tead extended to the new Legal Defence Fund recently established for Six Nations Land Defenders “The type of targeting, repression, manipulation, intimida- tion and harassment that ere directed at anarchist and other activist communities in the Iead up o the Olympics and the G20 are realities that are standard fe in Indig- enous communities where resistance o colonialism is 4 partof daily lfe However, in the years since the Reclamation action in 2006, pecdple from Six Nations have not always scen the. Same Kind of support tha T and some of he other G20 de- fendants received. Part of what is sadly ironic about the contrasting levels of support s that those Who were most dirctly targeted by the intelligencesecurity operation 3gainst actviss in the lead up o the G20 were those Whose primary organising work includes building linkages and relationships with the Strong network of Indigenous Sovereignists and thei al- Ties, migrant justce organisers, and anaschists. The polic- ing operation was largely designed to disrupt those rela- tonships and that movement building. These are standard tactics used against the resistance movements that arise: from Indigenous and other racialized or otherwise targeted. Twould like to propose that we now strengthen those lnk- ages by tuming the massive capacity for support that e have developed over the past 1o years towards supporting front line land defenders from Six Nations. Since 2006 there has been particulaly insidious wave of eriminalisation and demonisation aimed at Haudenosaunee people who are assering the sovereignty of the Six Na- tions Confederacy and defending the and. The tactis used in everyday policing operations against Six Nations. like with other Indigenous nations, are exactly the type of op- pressive state sccurity that the rest of the Southern Ontario Facivist community’” got & tste of around the G20. T would strongly encourage you to consider formally sup- porting the new Six Nations Land Defenders Legal De- ence Fund. “The fund is curmently being administered and coordinated by the April 28 Coaliton which includes organisers from Six Nations as well s established alies from various unions and activist organisations. If the fund is success- ful, 4 formal board of directors Wil be established and procedures codified. For now, the immediate concern is fundrsising for Francine “Flower” Doxtator and Kevin Slecper” Greene, though the goal is 4 sustainable fund that can cover legal costs for people from Six Nations who are charged while engaging in land defence actions. Support for the Six Nations Land Defenders Legal De- fence Fund could include formal endorsement, public tatement of support, promotion within your organisations or networks, and/or making donations. Please contact the ‘Apil 28 Caaliion (kanonbstaton@ gl com) for more. information, or visi this link (0 donate dicectly: bitly! K39HCN. ‘Thanks again 5o much for your continued suppor. £](4strugglemag-21-fall-2012 38.png)
![ASTRUGGLEMAG er asked, refering 10 Stewarc’s isuing the press release on her clients behalf, “Lynne. if you had t0 do it all over ‘again would you do ihe same thing?” With 4 tear n her eye. Stewart Sated, “I would hope that I would have the ourage 10 do it again, 1 would do i aga Stewart also insisted that her sworn duty 1o represent her client had to-be Weighed against the formalities of laws o courtorders that prevented such diligent representation. “This efusal 10 bow o suthority. o show the “required def- erence” (0 legal bulles with power, outraged her persecu tors, who sought vengeance in he rigged criminal “jus. ice? system. Stewart’s now rejected appeal arzued three essential poins: L I selying on Lynne Stewarc’s public ststements o enhance the original sentence of 28 months, her First ‘Amendment ights were abridged. 3. The fourfold increase in the sentence was substan- tively unreasonable and failed o balance her lfeime of contribution to the community and country with the crminal act of which she was conticted. 5. The Judge’s findings of Perjury and Misuse of her postion s an Attorney on Which he also based the Free Lynne Stewart” must remain the rallying cry of ll those who cherish civil iberties and democratic Stewart, like so many others, but perhaps among the first er, was vitim of the govérnment-promoted malicious and murderous “war on teror” aimed at sifling all dissent ng the innocent (o justify its Wars against Working people at home and against the oppressed and ex- ploited across the globe. Weite Stewartat: Lynne Stewart S3504-054 FMC Carswell PO.Box27137 Fi_ Worth, TX USA76137 Contributions can be made payable to the Lynne Stewart Organization 1070 Dean Steeet Brooklyn, New York USA112i6 Jeff Mackler isthe West Coast Coordinator of the Lynne Siewart Defense Commiltee. ‘Panther Baby’: The Journey of Jamal Joseph REVIEW BY MUMIA ABUJAMAL From wwwsworkers org Joseph, Jamal, Baby Panther: A Life of Reinsention & ‘Rebellion. Chipel Hill NC: Algonquin Books, 2012. If one is high school age in America, the story of the Black Panther Party, one of the most significant Black radical organizations of the mid-20th century, is virtu- ally unknown. Few teachers dare o each i, burdened ss they are by the repressive, politically driven testing frenzy hat ensures teachers stck only 1 the tests, amid fears of the conse- quences of filure. I some rare teacher wanis toteach this powesful period, they need look no further than Jamal Joseph’s new auto- biogeaphy, Panther Baby. Jamal Joseph was a member of the New York chapter of the Black Panther Party, but 4 member with a ifference. AULS, he was still in high school and thus the youngest member i the Sate. “Thankfully, he writes with the head of a teenager, ex- plaining his choices s they are presented to him — of- fen based on his rampaging emotions a the time. Why did he join the Party? Why not other such groups? What did bis foster grandpareas, who though they were: old Garveyites [named after Marcus M. Garvey, the founder of an early 20th century nationalist group], re- ally think of his joining? “That story is as funny us it is tender, for these parents — though not of his blood loved him intensely. and Wortied about a boy his age running around with Black Panthers. people frankly regarded a crazy. Jamal’s story is one of a social movement, that, a the eight, 1fis 3l to new levels of possibility. But like a Wave, it can wash away. leaving the once-high stceped i mud. Theoughout this often heartrending excle of love and betrayal, Joseph finds his best self and arises from the mud to find a life of sevice and reconciliation. Panther Baby is a touching, beautiful and transforma- tive document. May it reach as many young people a5 possible 36](4strugglemag-21-fall-2012 40.png)
![ISSUE 21 ept of Manifest Destiny. which held tha it was the colo- nists” inherent right 10 expand and congquer. Further it was. a duty, he “white man’s burden.” (0 save the “natives. 10 atempt to convert ll heathens, encountered. Protestant Calvinism provided a set of ethics that it perfectly with the colonists conguests. Max Weber, in his definitive study on sligion, The Sociology of Religion, wrote, *Calvinism held that the unsearchable God possesséd good reasons for having distributed the gifs of fortune unevenly”™ it “repre- sented as Gods will [the Calviniss’] domination over the Sinful world. Clearly this and other features of Protestant- ism, such as its rationalization of the existence of @ lower class. were not only the bases for the formation of the Ut d State, but sl prominently exist today. “One must g0 10 the etics of ascetic Protestantism,” Weber asserts, “to find any ethical sanction for cconomic rationalism and for the entrepreneur.” When a nation can’tadit 0 he process through which it builds hegemony. how can anything but delusion be a realty? “The monopoly of truth, including historical truth,” stated Daniel Singer in @ lecture at Ever- ereen Stae College (Washington) in 1987, is implied in the monopoly of power.” Clearly, objective History is an impossibility. This under- to0d, the signficant problem lies in how the general popu- lation defines the term: history mplies that tuth is being. told. s unfortunate fact that istory is unfilingly wri ten by the victors, which in the case of the Uited States are 1ot only the original imperialists, but the majorty of the “founding fathers.” dedicated t0 uniting and strengthen- ing the exising mercantile lass among disjointed colonies There can be no doubt that from the creation of this young. nation, hisory as a created and perceived enity moved fur- ther and further away from the objectve ideal. Genocide, necessiry for “the development of the modern capialisi economy.” according to Howard Zinn, was rationalized s & reaction o the fear o Indian savages. Slavery was simi- Tarly consirued “The personalization of istory, the process by which we ‘construct heroes and pariahs, i a consequence of its dalec- tical nature. Without fal, an 0dd paradox is reated around someone who, by virtue of his or her actions, becomes prominent enough to warrant the designation “historical Tigure.” There is o leap on the part of the general publi sparked by the media, to another mindset. Sensational decds are glorifed, horsble acts reviled. A fow points are selected as defining characteristics. The media, conform- ing 10 ther estrictions of concision (which make accuracy nearly impossible o ttain). reiterate these points over and over.Schools and textbooks not nly teach these poins but rill them into young minds. Howard Zinn comments that his learned sense of mora proportion, coming from the apparent objectiviy of the scholar is accepted more casiy han hen it comes rom poliicians at press conferences. It is therefore more deadly." A few tidbiss, factual o o . incomplete and selective, are used to describe the entirey of a person’s existence. They become part of mainsiream consciousness. We therefore Know that Lincol freed the slaves, Malcolm X was a black extremist, and Hitkr was solely responsible for World War 1 and the Holocaust. Al halE-truths 20 unexplained, all fallacies 2o unchallenged., a they appear 10 make perfect sense (o the everyday, noncritcaly thinking American. The paradox has been created: The more famous 4 person be- Comes, the more misundersiood he orshe i. This accepted occurrence is incredibly counterintuiive: the publc should Kinow more, not less, about & noteworthy individual and the sociopolitical dynarics surrounding hi of her. “This historical mythicizationis ot or he most part a con- sciously ¢reated phenomenon. The media don’t g0 out of their way 10 mislead the publc by construcing fale heroes and emphasizing the mundane. Fewer “dimly lit confer- ences” take place than conspiracy theorists believe. It s the cal system that i responsible for the informa- ion that teaches the seneral publc. The sate’s control of information created the system, and it coninually re- atesit. Propagated by schooling and the media, nformation that reaches the public i subject 1o three chiel mechanisms of state control: denial, self-censorship. and imprisonment. Denial s the casies conrol mechanism, and therefore the most common. If events do not follow the state’s agenda or its ccumenical ideology and might bring unrest. they are denied. Examples are plentiful: prewar stale terrorism against the people of North and South Vietnar and later the bombing of Cambodia; government funding and miliary aid 1o the Nicaraguan Contras, and support of UNITA and South Africa in the virtual desizuction of Angola, among many others. Denial goes hand in hand with self-censorship. The media emphasize certain personal characterstcs and events and de-emphasize others, in 4 pattern that supports US. he- ‘zemany. The information that reached the public afir the U invasion of Panama in 1989 is teling. It was not until mich ater, afer the heat of controversy. tht the average en had access o the scope of the devastarion. The cf- iveness of sell-censorship in this case was maximized, as the fll details of the Panama invasion were patchwork foryears. ‘Whill we may assume that the media have an obligation to accurately convey such an event 1o the public, the media in fact perpetuate the government’s position by engaging. in thei own self-censorship. Noan Chomsky points out in Deterring Democracy, “With a fringe of exceptions — mostly well after the tasks had been accomplished - the media rallied around the flag with due picty and enthusi- asm, funnelling the most absurd White House tales (0 the public while scrupulously refraining from asking the obvi- s questions, o seeing fhe abvious facts.” Denial and self-censorship create a comfort zone for the 39](4strugglemag-21-fall-2012 43.png)
Issue 21: Fall 2012
ASTRUGGLEMAG
from the hearts and minds of north american political prisoners and friends
IN THIS ISSUE: The Occupy Movement ® Prison Struggle
Letters ® Poetry ® Updates & Actions ® and more!
Welcome to 4strugglemag
You have just come upon a dynamic and unique publica-
ton, wheie Truth (el and raw) speaks to power. This
magazine focuses on the insights and experiences of north
american politcal prisoners on major issues of the day.
‘While 4 1ot ofthe writng is by palitical prisoners, oher ac-
iviss,allies, revolutionaries and nsightfl outside voices
are indluded. We publish three issues a year and all back
issues remain posied on the Website (4strugelemag org)
srugglemag is an independent non-sectarian revolution
ary voice. We are unapologetically anti-imperialst and
soldly in support of progressive national iberation, espe-
fally the strugeles of New African/Black, Mexicano/Chi
ano, Puerto Rican and Native American Nations presently
onirolled by U.S. imperialism. Reflecting on the work and
principles of political prisoners hel by the United States,
Astrugplemag advocates for jusice, equality. freedom, so-
cialism, protection of our Earth, huinan rights and peace.
W Astrugglemag org is primarily an e-magazine, but
hard copies are availble (see sidebar for subscripton de-
tails)- We encourage readers o respond, critique and carry
on discussions in the magazine. We value and encous
feedback and discussion. The address of each politcal
prisoner s posted with hisher articl so people can ditect-
Iy communicate with them (Few politial prisoners have
ecess o the internet).
‘We like dialogue, but we are not going (o print racist or
pro-imperialist messages, s0 you povernment agents and
Klansmen don't other wasting your time.
Each issue of dsirugglemag focuses on at last 3 main top-
ics. Additional poems. graphics. essays, announcements
and more are included. Unsolicfed itings and graphics
are accepted and welcomed. We won't guaranice printin
but we'd like to see your work. This and other cortespon.
dence should be sent Via regular mail 1o the following ad
dress (remermber it costs 75 s tosend a letter to Canada
from the U.S).
Astrugglemaz
PO. Box 97048
RPO Roncesvalles Ave.
Toronto, Ontario
M6R 353 Canada
o via email 10
juanlaaman@ gmail.com
Jaan Luaman, editor
‘antiimperialist poliical prisoner
Call for contributors
tributes to critical, revolutionary thought and reflec-
tion. In partcular, we are interested in the following
Feature articles: In-depth, analytical articles that
eritcally examine a particulir issue, historical occur-
rence, political idea, or current event.
Book reviews: Is there a book you'd like to review
for dstrugglemag? Let us knov.
Letters: We love to hear from you. Please let us
know if we have permission to print your leter,
Moving? Don’t forget to send us
your new address!
Subscriptions
free prisoner subscriptions by subscribing o donat.
ing. We publish 3 issues a year.
1 year standard subscriptio
1 year solidarity subscription: $30
(Solidarity subseription covers 1 year for yourself
and subsidizes a free prisoner subscription).
To subseribe by credit card or paypal, check out our
website: www strugglemag.org
If you wish to pay by cheque or money order, please
et n touch first. We cannot cash cheques made out.
o dstrugglemag,
1 you are one of our 500+ subscribers with a free
prisoner subscription, one way to contribute is t©
Send us stamps. which help off-set our huge mailing
costs.
Back issues
Unfortunately, we lack the funds and resources to.
send back issues. You can printartiles from our
website, or have a fiend do o, if you don't have
internet access: dstrugglemag.org
Table of Contents
Cover image:
prisoners in the Aica rebellion
occuPy
Collected Updates from the Oceupy
e Py
Movement and More.
compiled by Roger Drew
March on the RNC
August 26th Day of Action
AMemory or 3 of OWS
by Alozie
On #5317, Follow the Money
® 9 o wa
Statements from People in Prisons.
for February 20th: National Occupy
Day in Support of Prisoners
Occupy Oakland is Dead. Long
Live Occupy Oakland Commune.
17
21
It Didn't Start with Occupy, and it
‘Won't End wit the Student Strike!
by CRAC
31
36
43
POETRY AND REVIEWS
Gaza Talks
by Anonymous
“Panther Baby': The Journey of Jamal
Joseph
by Mumia Abu-Jamal
Clipped Wings
by Jalil Muniagim
37
38
BLACK AUGUST
Ruchell Cingue Magee: Sole Survivor Still
by Mumia Abu-Jamal
Commemorating the 42nd Anniversa
Marin Courthouse Slave Rebellion
by Jonathan Jackson Jr
of the
23
25
26
27
29
30
32
33
PRISON
Solitary Confinement: Torture Cham-
bers for Black Revolutionaries
One Year After Historic Hunger Strike,
Isolated California Prisoners Report
Little Change
by Sal Rodrigu
Short Corridor Collective Announces
Agreement to End Hostilities
Suicide in Solitary: The Death of Alex
Machado
by Sal Rodriguez
Central Prisoners Vote to End Hunger
Strike
Supporters Rally for Albert Woodfox
Samidoun Statement on Prisoners
Justice Day
Prisoners’ Statement on Prisoneres
Justice Day
43
45
46
THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES
USS. Elections: Flag-waving and False
Unity
by Lois Danks
Support the Tinley Park Five
by Monica Moorehead
United Struggle Project
16
20
32
34
UPDATES
Survivor of Domestic Violence Gets
20 Years
by Margaret Viggiani
Stay Strong, Stay Committed
by Coyore
Solidarity Statement
Raids and Grand Jury
Support Six Nations Land Defenders
by Alex Hundert
gainst the
Court Confirms Ten-Year Sentence
for Lynne Stewart
Introduction to Issue 21
Welcome 1o dsm, issue 21 We are very glad to finally
e this issue ol in Fall 2012 1 know a lot of readers,
friends and activists have been wondering what happened
10 dutrugelemag? This i the first issue e are putting out
in 20121t . combined Summer and Fall issue. Normally
5 comes out thee times a year (Masch, July/Augusi,
Noverber). Thisis the frst tinie we have hid (o combind
1o issues nto one.
Some people may have been wondering sbout my abiliy
1 continue working on 4sm, after the death of my son last
October. Without any doub, the death of Rick was and
ontinues to be the hardest raliy in my life. This was not
the reason for the delay in issue 21. We have had medical
and personal problems with key outside people. A valued
precious sister (Sara), who does s0 much 0 make 4sm &
reality sriously broke her arm in a bicycle accident earlier
this year
‘Some material in this issue covers events from carlir in
the year,but all of i emains important and pertinent. Reg-
ular readers know that 4sm always runs a section on Black
August in our summer issue. Because 21 is coming out So
late this summer, here is n0 usual Black August section
‘We are running some significant nsight and analysis, by
Mumia Abu Jamal, George Jackson and his nephety Joni.
than Jackson Jr. about the events of August 7, 1970 (the
Marin Courthouse Raid and the deaths of Jonathin Jackson
and others on that day).
Also, because of the late arrival of this issue, we are not
helping 1o announce and organize this years Running
Down the Wall, which tkes place on Sepiember 2 We do
wan people who participated in RDTW, both inside pris-
ons and out in cities across the country, o send us words
‘and photos of your run. We will use some of his material
inthe next ssie,
There are many other important and informative artcles
in thi issue. Definitely check out the reports on Occupy.
‘Also check out the lenathy section on prisons. Finally take
ime (0 read David Gilbert’s leter, calling for discussion
and action around the issue of sexist and male chauvin-
st atiudes and behavior in activis and radical communi
ies. This is a serious and ongoing problem and 4sm hopes
many readers will espond and begin 3 discussion on this.
We welcome our readers” thoughts and responses 0 cv.
erything in dsm. Send us your thoughts and best writing.
Lstue 22 will b out i the Winter. And yes.there is another
election coming up inthe United Staes in Noverber. The
Republicans seem to be more reactionary and backwards
than ever. Certainly Mit Romney i 4 shameless member
and advocate for the corporate imperialst 1% clite. He
also would be a horror for prisoners. 1 was in Walpole state
prison in Massachusets when he was Governor, and I can
tell you from personal experience, the Mass DOC got even
worse under His rule. As for Obima and the Democrats.
more war, more secrecy, more drone atacks and litle real
help for all the restof s — unemployed, underemployed,
stillTosing homes, mounting college oans and other Blls,
and well over 2 million peaple in prison. One thing is for
sure. no Washington politician Will secure a better future
for the vast majority o the people. Both imperialist prties
~Republicans and Democats - have o plan of inention
1o change the inherently unequal, unjust, racist and warlike
USA capitalist imperialistsystem. It s time for more acti.
ism on all levels - more unity and more direet action and
participation of the people. Some time tested slogans seem
appropriat and called for now:
Black and white, unite and fightLess talk, more action.
All Power to the People!
On that thought, we'llsee you n issue 22
Jaan Laseman, editor
Jaan Karl Laaman
#10372:016
USP Tucson
PO. Box 24550
Tucson, AZ
USASST34
ISSUE 21
NEXT ISSUE: Combating
Sexism, Homophobia and
Transphobia
[Note: Issue 23, coming outin the winter, will be a special
issue on combiting sexism. homophobia and transphobia
in our movements. This theme was suggested (0 us by po-
cal prisoner David Gilbert and he is helping Jaan and 1
compile material to further the discussion.
We know that ight-wing backlash agains the rights of
women, queer people and trans people is growing right
ow. But s revolutionaries we must aso Strugele azainst
these tendencies in our own movements and communitis.
Many of s internalized & lot of poisonous ideas growing.
up in this Society. and we have to confront and Work to
ehange atitudes that contribut to the oppression of ohers.
Tmyself have been working to be a beter ally o the trans.
people n my It
Thope that the following letter from David will inspire you
10 reflect on your own attitudes and experiences, and that
you willsend us some writings or Isue 23 — nd for future
issues, as T sure this important dialogue will continue. —
Sara Falconer]
An Open Letter to Move-
ment Men About Sexism
BY DAVID GILBERT
De Brothers,
There is no way we can be revolutionaries, o Way we can
stand with humanity for iberdtion, withot acively com-
bating male supremacy. That imperative requires both 3
political program against patrarchy and concerted strugele
gainst sexism within ourselves. We all grew up i this so-
ety 0, even with our passionate ideals, problems with
g0, racism, classism, sexism. homophobia, transphobia
‘and ableism within ourselves are inevitable. What i in-
excusable s to fail to engage in sincere and open-hearted
efforts to change.
i has been extremely upseting to have heard. even with
my limited contact with the ouside activist communi
of several incidents of sexual assault and then 10 add
terinsult 10 monsirous injury — the frequen falures o have:
a process for holding perpelrators accountable and for set-
ing unmistakable standards for activist communitics. We
are ighting for & world without sexual assault,abuse, coet
cion how can we allow tha 1o continue within our ranks?
Men’s sense of entilement t0 Women's bodies, the viols-
tions and the denial o Self-determination involved. paral-
lels the ideology and practice of imperialisn. Each atack
docs vicious harm to 4 sistr, while the reality of sexual
‘asault is the ferocious spearhead of the much broader
offensive against women's fully active and assertive role
in our movements, which we sorely need for the colossal
challenges we Tace. Also, our failure (0 develop a process
10s10p such erimes i corrosive 10 our own humanily.
In the 19605 we started from nowhere in terms of dealing.
Wi pariarchy — and nowhere mean the continued domi-
nance of male supremacy. Then, women’s collective lead-
ership around feminism and ant imperialism, alibough of-
ten faced with reactionary resistance from me, won major
advances.
As dramatic 15 those changes were, they of course weren't
neasly enough on (0p of that we have evidently failed in
our esponsibility to pass on hard-won lessons 1 the post-
Seatle, 1999, géneration of acivists. If we don't do belter
o this, we léave 4 lethal hole in the heart of our move-
men.
In my own experience, the most fruitul response o
Women's iberation came in the form of Men Against Sex-
ism groups — i they eren't just a place (o alk sbout our
feelings but if we also consclously grappled with sexism.
checked-in with and sought guidance from feminists, and
ook on solidarty work such as childeare and/or educating
other men and boys.
Today, we may want and need additional formats, for ex-
ample, to fight the oppression of those who are gender
nonconforming. Whatever the forms, concerted siruggle
against patriarchy, with male supremacy as 4 central axis,
is absollely necessary
Male supremacy s extremely deep-seated n hisory and in
society. Change doesn't come casily and won't alvays be
‘comfortable. As difiult s it may seem, advances on his
front can stop the bruality of men's assaults on women in
our communities and help create 4 welcoming climate for
their fll prticipation. We can't have real movement, we
can’tpossibly be successful, without the invalusble contri-
butions and Ieadership women can provid. Such advances
can also make us men more whole, moré loving human
beings
‘White supremacy, male supremacy, homophobia, trans-
phobia, class rule, and imperialism are powerful pillars
of oppression. We have to dismanile them all o clear the
‘round to build the more humane and sustainable world
that i so urgenily needed.
One love,
David Gilbert
(anti-imperialis political prisoner)
ASTRUGGLEMAG
Collected Updates from the
Occupy Movement and More...
COMPILED BY ROGER DREW
[Note: Roger compiled this great account of the carly
months of the Occupy movement. Actions and analysis un-
der the banner “Occupy” has continued to evole in cites
around the world since then. We've added a few updates to
his list - Sara Falconer]
‘Some Major Victories
Occupy Our Homes
Oceupy Our Homes has been preventing evictions of
people who are Tacing foreclosure and helping families
Without homes move into empty buildings. “Occupy Our
Homes is 4 movement that supports Americans who stand
up to their banks and fight for heir homes. We believe ex-
eryone has a right o decent,alTordable housing. We stand
with the Occupy Wall Street movement and
a place to call home.
These actions have been taking place for years led by
community-based. orzanizations. Recently, more atter
on has been focused on the illegal and immoral actions
by the banks which have led to people losing their homes.
Since the Oceupy Movemen has begun, community orgs
have partnered with Occupy. and there have been more
and more victories nation\ide of people being able to save:
their homes! (As recenly 15 Apel 2ad in DC when an evic-
tion was prevented!) [occupyourhomes.org]
Occupy Oakland
Oskland has set 4 tone for powerful non-violent actions
confronting injustice, including the West Coust port shut
down. This was one of the most militant, large-scale ac-
ions since the beginning of the Oceupy Movement. In De-
cember of 2011, stikes led by labor nd Occupy groups
Shut down a nurber of West Coast Ports in support of the
International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU)
who Were in coniract negoliation. Dozens of occupysites
partcipated in he sction on some level, led by the miltant
{hut down of the Oakland port by OccupyOakland and oth-
ers. In February, ILWU ratified a new contract and thanked
the Occupy Movement for thei essential support: “This s
a victory for Occupy intheir involyemen in orcing nego-
tations. Make no mistake — the solidariy and organiza-
tion between the Oceupy Movement and the Longshore-
men won this contract,”said Jack Mulcahy. ILWU officer
with Local 8. “The mobilizaion of the Occtipy Movement
acoss the country,partcularly in Oakland, Pordand, Seat
e, nd Longyiew were a riical element in bringing EGT
10 the bargaining tsble and forcing o setlement with ILWU
local 21 [westcoastporshutdown org]
Oceupy Oakland has led in other ways. including the Oc-
cupy4Prisoners National Day of Actions opposing and
exposing racist_policies of mass incarceration. Occupy
Okland also has been a leader nationwide in confron
ing brutal and violence police repression to heif protess
(AS well as Occupy Wall Stret in NYC where they have
secenly joined the call for the tesiznation of the NYPD
police chi Ray Kelly, especially following murders by
NYPD members )
Occupy Chicago
Chicago recenly saw two big victories with the help of
Oceupy Chicago. First. on February 18 the Brian Piccolo
‘Specialty Schoolin Humboldt Park. was Occupied by par-
ents,teachers, and students. Occupy Chicago and other al-
Ties were outside the building in Solidurity and set up an
encampment.Piccolo, an elementary school with a student
body that is smostentirely from low-income communities
of color,is one of 16 Chicago public schools shted o be
closed by Mayor Rahmy's service cus to the poor. Afier
less than 24 hours of occupation the Occupiers emerged
from the school to thunderous applause and declared vic-
tory! The demands were met,proving tha dicect action and
community power can be leveraged for real change! Par-
ents il be given the opportunity 1o mee with the Board
of Directors o submit a counter-proposal for local educa-
on. This is what real community control looks lke
‘Secondly, on February 24 workers facing layoffs at a Chi-
cago window factory declared victory afier oceupying
thei plant for 11 hours. Through dict community action,
including the support of Occupy Chicago. the workers and
their union prevented the California-based Serious Encrey
company from closing the pl; ther 90 days. The
Workers hope this Will give them time to keep the plant
open, possibly by purchasing it themselves and creating
' worker-owned co-op. This dction Was led by the union
United Flectric Local 1110. Some people may remember
in 2008, workers a the same fuctory occupied their plant
forsix days during a lsbor dispute With it previous own-
ers, Republic Windows and Doors. (They won then, 0o1)
National Days of Action
February 29: Shut Down The Corporations and the
American Legisltive Exchange Council (ALEC)
“This national day of action included actions n over cighty
tes and specifcally called “on people 10 tarzet corpo-
sations that are members of the Americun Legislaive
Exchange Council (ALEC). The biggest corporations in
America, ike ExxonMobil, Bank of America, BP, Mon-
Santo, Piizer, and Wal-Mart use ALEC (0 buy off legis-
Tators and craft legislaion that serves only the interests
ISSUE 21
of corporations and not people. They then duplicate and
spread this corporate legislation in Washington, D.C. and
in state legisatures across the couniry. The anti-lsbor leg-
islation in Wi the acist bil SB 1070 in Arizona
are two recent and destructve examples of what corpora-
tons use ALEC 1o do.”
As an overview, the actions varied from sitins and pick-
15 o street theater and bunner drops. There Were many
creative actions including 4 foreclosure on Citibark, &
“Corporate Debutant Ball" in Salt Lake City. teach-ins
Norman, OK and Nuples, FL, actions targeting Pfizer the
Koch Brothers and Bank of America in New York, and a
delicious e Cream Bloc in Oakland. Thiee distribution
centers of Wal-Mart were shut dow in a coordinated
Southern California sction, as well s the World Corporate
Headquarters of Pfizer in Connecticut, Further ALEC cor-
porations targeted included Monsanto in Washington D C.,
AT&Tin Kansas City, MO and Atlanta an action at the BP
rialin New Orleans, Bak of Americd in Charlote, PNM.
in Alburqurgue, Altfia in Richmond, and Peabody Codl
in St Louis. Dozens of other cites took action as part of
F29 including Denver, Minneapalis, Louisvlle, Winston-
Salem, and many others. We are proud to say the tone of
the actions remained jubilant and focused even in the face
of police repression.
‘Simulaneously, European trade unions have declared
February 29 a European Day of Ac ins auserity,
following massive demonsirtions against budget cuts in
lum, and elsewhere. Decentralized ac-
tons in all 27 European Union nations and beyond wil be
a clear message 1 the EU leaders: this imposed
austerity is going to plunge Europe into 3 recession!”
Wwuncshutdownihecorporations.or.
March Ist National Day of Action For Education
From March | (0 5, Oceupy Education Californa staged
2 99-mile march from Berkeley 1o San Francisco, CA 1o
mark the nationl day. There were addi-
tonal actions in dozens of other ciies in
defense of th right o quality. afordable
education.
Meanwhile, studens in Spain ct
thei fight against cuts i education by
occupying university buildings. Solidar-
ity protests have erupted actoss Europe
after police violently suppressed peace-
ful student demonsirations in Valencia,
which have seen as many a5 60,000 peo-
ple i the streets. Students o also tak-
Ing action 10 support workers and other
masginalized 9%kers. In the Netherlands,
Students along with Oceupy Utreich, Oc-
cupy Rotterdam. and other local Occupy
s of cleaners who
oceupied buikdings at the University of Uttecht for betier
Working conditions. Students at Harvard il be taking ac-
o 10 stop lay-ofs of school workers. From last year's
student rebellions in the United Kingdom 10 the recent
massive postsecondary strike in Quebec that saw 36.000
Students Wl out, students are rising up against austerity
across the world.
March saw additional lage protest, under the
cupy the Capitol protess are taking place in S
California, and Albany. New Yok, to demand full Funding
for education. ww.occupyed org
What ese? A lot more...
“This is only a small snapshot of actions associated with
the Oceupy Wall Street Movement. There are sil oce
sites around the country and world. From Occupy Niger
o Cesupy London fo mmerous Occupy sis n South AL
sica to actions in Huntsille, AL and New Brunswick, NJ.
There is Women Occupy and Oceupy Patrarchy - which
aims (o address sexism on & systemic level as well s with-
movement. There are also movements in-
eluding Oceupy Our Food Supply — which held 3 national
day of action on February 27.
Increasingly. local Oceupy sites support and are a part of
the ongoing strugeles of their communities. There e more
-existing
community organizations, unions etc. For example, O
Cupy Atlanta has joined with Jobs With Justice, the Team-
strs, AFL-CIO, Communication Workers of America,
AFSC, the Georgia NAACP and others (0 work together
10 oppose job layoffs at AT&T and fight back against pro-
posed anti-worker legisltion.
On March 31, “justdays after a General Stike againstaus-
terity in Spain, protesers are again taking 10 the sireets in
Europe. Orzanizers said. there will be simultancous dem.-
onstrations, rallies and assemblies in many European
ASTRUGGLEMAG
fes. Protests have been organized by anti-capitalist groups.
and libertaian grassroots unions from all over Europe. The
initiative is labeled M31 — European Day of Action against
Capitalism. Members of M31 want to send & clear siznal
against curcent austerty policies and authoriarian labour
seforms by ais and the Troika (Euro-
pean Union, Eu I Bank and Intemnational
Monetary Find) on the backs of wageworkers. migrants
‘and the unemployed. NYC and other places held solidarity
demonsirations s well
‘The 9% Spring’ and May Day 2012
Many organizers and supporters of the Occupy Wall Stzect
movement have been building towards the “American
Spring." The concept is that come Spring time in the Unit
d States - and the warmer weather, many Occupy pro-
tests will sce & huge upswing in activiy. The name comes
from the Arab Spring - the pro-democracy movements.
that swept across the Arab worl Tas Spring. Not only did
the Arsb Spring overthrow dictators in Tunisia, Egypt and
elsewhere, but they were 4 primary inspiration for the Oc-
Cupy Wall Stret moverment.
Tuking place from April 9-15, they aimed (0 trsin 100,000
people “in homes, places of Worship, campuses and the
Sirect...n non-violent sction and join fogether in the work
of reclaiming our country.” The website sates: “History
is calling: it's ime 10 siép up.” Most exciting about this
effort is that So many differen orzanizations are coming
together anti-poverty organizations, workers rights orgs.
anli-war, environmental and more e uniing under the
banner of the “99% Spring.” This is 4 real opportunity to
build strong movemens for change! the99spring.com
May Day, (May Istlntermational Worker's Day), always
sees globil protests, ncluding i the United States In the.
lastfow years there have been larger o
2006 naiional immigrant sirke “A Day Wit
‘erant.” This May Day saw some o the biggest protests in
recent memory — in the U.S. and around the world.
‘Oceupy Wall Srcet i proving one thing without doub.
Another World IS Possible!
[Much of this info was pulled word-for-word from Occupy
Wall Street, oceupywallstorg s well as from the weekly
Oceupy roundup Witten by Jennifer Sacks and posied on
Oceupy Together]
Roger is an activist working for world with econonic
Justice and gender and racial equaliy. He sits on the ad-
Visory board for the WESPAC Foundation, a grassroors
peace & justice action nenvork in Westchester Counry, NY.
A5 a youing white man, he lives ith te understanding that
people with privlege must work 10 end inequality in soci-
ety Jaan Liaman and other political prisones have been
important mentors for his acivism.
March on the RNC
The corporate media won't report on i, s0 follow and find
livestreams o Twitier: #resistRNC #maschontheRNC
#OccupTheRNC #fime.@OccupyRNC and_ @Oceupy-
Tampa. The protest will continte throughout the weck.
Nonviolent direct sction marches will take place every day
at 10 am as an atemative to the offcal, brbed:
closed "event zone” (cage) declared by the city
10 Keep protesters far away from the eyes of
while the wealthy are iven lavish paries and the ars of
the politictans inside the heavily-guirded walls.
Those who come to demonsizate at the RNC do ot come
1o confront you. They come to conont:
« those who give you your orders, our Elected Offcials.
« those who give them their orders, he Power Elite.
‘We, police officers and protesters alike, should be standing
togéther 0 remind our goverment thi they work for us,
the people. That it is WE THE PEOPLE who elect them,
and e who give them thei orders.
You have been told that we are coming to commit acts of
violence and destruction. We are not. We utlize peaceful
means to promote peaceful ends and to stand up for jus-
tice..social, economic and environmental jusice.
You have been told that we are consing 1o fight the police.
‘We are not You are being sbused right along with us. It i
the Power Elte we are aftr. They are screwing over all of
s and Taugh at s when we fight one another
11s time we stood together. We know wha the real enemy
is, and is neither you or us. So i's poiatless (0 ight one.
another.
I you are ordered to assault a non-violent peaceful crowd,
we ask you to defy your orders. Stand for justice. It is ous
Sincere hope that you allow the demonsiritors o do what
they come 10 do, peacefully protest an unjust system. We
stand for justce.
“resisIRNC
resistenc.org
“Agitators are a set of interfering, meddling people
who come down to some perfectly contented class
of the community and sow the seeds of discontent
among them. That is the reason why agitators are
So absolutely necessary.” -Oscar Wilde
ISSUE 21
August 26th Day of Action:
Women’s Equality Day
occupywallstor
Call to Action via Women Organized to Resist and Defend.
Oceupiers across the country are organizing in solidariy
We encourage everyone who can to attend!
On Women's Equality Day. August 26 — on the eve of the
Republican National Convention in Tampa, Flrida, which
diately followed by the Democratic National
- and their alles will ake o thesteets
rights.
August 26 — Women's Equality Day — commemorates
the 1920 passage of the 19th amendment, giving women
the right to vote. Winning the righ 1o voté Was an mpor-
tant victory. bu the strugale for foll equality contintes.
Celebrate Women's Equality Day by taking to the srcets
and demanding full equality now. Honor the women who
Tought for the righis ve've won and continue the St
for full equaliy.
Many women voted for President Obamma_believi
would stand up for women's rights. But he has compro-
mised with the anti-choice forces on many occasions.
When Republicans opposed a 2009 provision for family
planning. he dropped 1. In 2011, the White House took
the unprecedented siep of overruling the FDA in order o
keep Plan B out of the reach of women under 18. While
President Obama is not 4 right-wing pro-lifer, we cannot
ount on him o any politcian to defend our ights. In fact,
in onder 10 reach & budget compromise with Republican
Speaker of the House John Bochner in July 2011, Presi
dent Obama said, “T'll give you abortion in D.C.” Mean.
ing. low-income tomen n the District of Columbia would
be prevented from receiving Medicaid assistance offered
by the D.C. government for sbortion procedures.
bt continue 1o be slashed at the
state level. Legal restrictions on abortions tripled from
2010 10 201192 new abortion restrctions were enacted
in 2011. In 2011, there were 114 reported violent attacks
inst. abortion providers. Clinics that provide vital s
Vices for millions of working-class women are under
More than 55 percent of reproductive o
now live in states that are “hostle” o abortion
(Guttenmacher Insitute)
Women's reproductive i
So while they're convening and concocting
attack our ights and our ives, et's come 10
Sireets 10 stand up and
There will be mass demonsirations in Los Angel
Francisco and other cites around the country. We will mo
ilize thousands in the strets to show the world that there
i 4 new women's movement rising and we will not
back.
We believe that access to reproductive choice — the basic
tightof women to control our own bodies — is a fundamen-
tal right and must b defended. We believe in equality. We
support working women. We are fired of the
irying to tum back the clock and take our hard-
aiay. All people who support equaliy and choice should
organize with us and belp these actions grow.
I you can't make it 1o protest in Tampa and Charlotte oin
or organize a protest n your community. There is s o
proud tradition of women in the United Staes mobilizing
ing to win equality and respect. Let’scontinue this
his summer!
cert?in DAYS:
2013
i
RESISTING THE RULE OF THE 1 PERCENT
ASTRUGGLEMAG
A Memory or 3 of OWS
BY ALOZIE
Lam always skeptical sbout describing the Occupy move-
ment, particulasly because the only narrative I can tell is
my own. Tha being said, [ will ry o touch on a few mo-
ments that stand out o me a1 ponder upon my months in
the movement. My original reason for joining the move-
mentis because s an AIDS activist, highlighiing the social
and economic injustices of our society is my job. Whal the
Oceupy movement is doing now is nothing few under the
sun. ACT UP Oceupied Wall St during thei first action
Z'how many ever years ago that was. It just so happens
hat the rhetoric of the plight of the 99°% veally resonates
with almost everyone. This economic crisis has touched
almost everyone one i some way, even if you haven'tlost
everything.
“The beginning was unorganized, uncertain, and beautiful
allin one. T recall being excitd to finally drag my sleep-
ing bags out o my closet 0 join the moverent n seeping.
outdoors. Mind you, this is way before there were quasi-
Comiy tents hrown up. I remember thinking to myself that
first might that sept outside, “Thank god [ have friends to
do this with, and thank £0d 1 drank enough 1o fll asleep
riht away T recall waking up to people Walking around
imy listless body, taking photos of my friends and | sleep-
ing and posing sbove us. Many of these individuals were
dresed in business like garb with nooses sround their
necks, as If o sigaify the evils of the corporate world. 1
decided T would no Tonger sleep outdoors. because unless
Lam inebriated, 1 doubt 1 would ever be able (0 close my
eyes and sleep wilh that many people around me. Up till
oW Ttruly tip my hat to those \ho can sleep easily with so
many strangers constantly moving about.
‘The moverment o me changed once I realize that many ac-
ivist groups were slowly Teeding themselves into the Oc-
cupy movement. A lo of the working eroups 1 saw being
formed were transfers of already established social justice
‘eroups tha realized there Wwas great press coverage in be-
ing part of the movement. 1 decided 1o join the Queering.
and People of color (POC) caicuses (o become more ac-
ive, The difference between a working group and 4 Cau-
cus s that working aroups actualy actively had tasks to ac-
‘complish, such a feeding people of managing the Iibary.
Caucuses on the other hand Were meant for groups that
were historicall silenced and needed a space o present
“For every one torturer, there are a thousand peo-
ple ready to risk their lives to save another. For
every soldier who shoots in a neighborhood, there
are a thousand companeros who help and protect
cach other.” - Isabel Allende
and get heir voices heard within the movement. The POC
aucus was one of the largest groups 1 have yet 1o be a part
of. 1 did’t feel the need 1o attend meetings because they
had everything taken care of. The Queering groups on the
other-hand were much more of mi3fts who reminded me
of mysell I've stuck with them for mostof the moverment
While pushing my goal forward.
My goal has been to bring attention to the need to imple-
ment 4 financial speculation tax on the fnancial insitu-
tons that gamble away funds in the specultive market
Asmall tax of 0.01-0.05 could aise billions of dollrs for
lobal health, Focusing specificaly on this tax's connec-
tion to HIV/AIDS, we are at 2 moment n time when s
ence clarly dictates that if we treat people with medication
‘and they become undetectable. he chnces of spreading
the virus are vistually impossible - essentially we can end
the AIDS pandemic if we reat everyone.
Even though science has been excitng, our econormy has.
been the bearer o horrible news. Social ervices have been
cut at every level and a lot o them affect people Who are:
HIV positive. The housing budzet for peaple living with
AIDS has been cut on a federal level, the ban on feder-
al funding for needle exchange has been reinstated, the
President’s Emergency plan for AIDS has been cut, and
the current round of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB,
‘and malara has been paused and so much more. The U,
made some powerful clims, when Secretary Clinton said
it is now US. policy to creite & gencration free of HIV/
'AIDS back in the end of 2011. Exerything our government
is doing now is going against this goal, al n the name of
Timited funding. The Financial Speculaiion T is he way
10 fund al the socialservices and funding streams we need
10 end the AIDS pandernic!
“The moment that stands out the most in my mind was the
march (whose date T don’t remember) that had several
tarting points throughout the city. 1 decided to start with
the student group a Union Square. Although 1 am no lon-
era student, 1 like to feel ke I've sill got it oing on by
hanging out with them. 1 lve for lage groups of protesters
who are coming together o make 4 noise. | had no idea
what the game plan was for this march, but when realized
We were going fo take the streets and match down Sth Av-
enue 1 became ecstatic. 1 remember holding up our group
banner and chanting, “Show me what democracy looks
Tike, this is what democracy looks like.” We were cut off
on Gu way southbound by the blockage of police officers
o their motorbikes at 141h street. Luckily for me this was
right on the corner of the New School, where students were
oceupying their school in soldariy.
1 remember spotting this one anarehist looking kid from
the New School, whom I recognized from previous actions
— with a pink beanie and a sepum piercing throwing paper
‘outsde into the srcets. Totally my type! The March unfor-
tunately was fitrated down smaller sireet with the Police
ISSUE 21
being the bastier from us staying together and remaining o
large mass. 1 lost most of m frends during this process. |
ended up on Broadway walking side by side with a double:
fow of offcers — the frst zow on oot and the second on
motorbikes. I could not believe the city was spending so
much money on cops when e are obviously in a time of
austerity. The march ended by the Brooklyn Bridge, where
apparently an affnity sroup carler that day conducied o
civil disobedience. Belore we could get on to the bridze
the cops tried to block the entire march from entering the
bridge. By then it was already sunset and the weather was
getting a bit nip. | was clearly already upset. Oceupy m
‘ged 1o g L projections onto the sid of the buldings
that read "99%. which 1 thought was an amazing visual
when approaching the bridge. The march ended in Dumbo
Brooklyn, where 1 found myself wishing I wore another
laer.
The movement is sill alive today. It has endured a lo of
eriicism and pifalls long the Way. There e s0 many hor-
ible things I have experienced and witnessed during my
time as well, but that is totall for another time. When &
£roup represénts 9% of the population withou 4 screen.-
ng process you can get all types of people i there. 1 have
iteracted with many people | wish I never did, but it
that a part of life. Occupy is not over and this spring will
be 4 true American Spring. 1 cannot wait to se¢ what the
movement has in store.
On #817, Follow the Money:
All Roads Lead to Wall Street
Last September 17, as part of a wave of global protest,
people from across the country raced 1o the heart of New
Norks financial distict 1o occupy Wall Srcet. In the face
of big banks foreclosing on our homes, killing our jobs,
buying up our democracy. and wning our enironment
1o just another toxic assét, you showed up, and we be-
came the 99%.
On September 15-17. join us in his ight for our country,
our world — this ight for our lies.
For years, people al over the world have been crippled
by the corporate greed of the 1. They buil their bonses
ot of stolen pensions of teachers, civl servants, and our
neighbors. We pay for their welfar. They bet and borrow
against our fuiee, We drown in debt. So who is really in
debt 10 whom? Now our elected representatives want us 0
embrace austerity—work harder for less, reire later (f at
) and say goodbye 0 our fundamental Tabor protections.
“They're betting on our obedience. They e betting wron.
Join us for theee days of education, celebration and ress
ance to cconomic injustice with permitied convergences
and assemblies, concerts, and mass ivil disobedience.
For every crumbling aspect of our society, the cause of
the uin can be traced back to corporate greed. Follow the
money. All oads lead to Wall Street And in the days and
Weeks before (and long afer) September 17, we will be
e, demanding system that puts the healdh of our c
munities over the profis of the 1. We are the 99%.
Can'tjoin s in NYC? s just s important that we Oceu-
py Min Stret. Pick a loca target that embodies corporate
ereed—occupy your state Captol building like the people
of Wisconsin, or s chamber of commerce conference 15
they did i D.C. Take inspiration from revolutionary oceu-
pations worldwide, from the ralroads of India 0 the rivers
of the Amazon to the izcets of Spain. Wall Stecet has occu-
pied our entir planet. What do you have to say sbout that?
There are more of us than them and they know i
‘One year,and over 7,000 armess ate, we are stillfighting
We are not afeaid, and we Wil never, ever, qut
Joi us September 15-17,2012 for three days of education,
elebration, and resistance!
— Oceupy Wall Street
ANOTHER
WORLD
IS POSSIBLE
#S17
ASTRUGGLEMAG
Statements from People in
Prisons for February 20th:
National Occupy Day in
Support of Prisoners
occupyforprisoners.org
Pelican Bay Human Rights Movement Hunger Strikers
in Solidarity (PHSS)
Sitawa Jumas, s Dewberry C3S671: Todd Ashker
CS8191; Antonio Guillen PS1938; and Ao Castellanos
ci72s
Corporate Amerika has coalesced its cfforts around the
exploitation of Human Beings, while using the poltical
atus of the U.S. government, federal, state and local
tute policies that st in motion the creation of cor-
porate police stae, which has targeted the poor as a surplus
for incarceration and exploitation.
w
Those of us housed in solitary confinement throughout
California and Amerika, support “Occupy Wal Stcet” and
understand the necessty 10 rsist azainst corporate greed.
‘We will no longer willingly accept the subjugation, oppres-
sion and exploitation of Humanity.
Banks and the “prison industial complex” are corporate
empires that prey on the souls of Humanity. Therefore we
offcially join you all i Struzele
Mumia Abu-Jamal: Souls on Tee
‘When [ heard of the call just rased in Oskland, Californa,
10 Occupy the Prisons. 1 gasped
I was ot an especially radical cal, but it was right on
ime.
For prisons have become a metaphor; the shadow-side, if
you will, of America, With oceans of words about free-
om, and the reality that the U.S. s the workds leader of
the incarceration ndustry. s more than time for the fo-
cused attention of the Occupy Movemen.
s pasttime.
Forthe U.S. is the world’ largest imprisoner for decades.
muich wrought by the i
“drug war' —what I call
terational movement, certainly
s 0 shortage of prisons to choose from. Every sate, ev-
ery rural district, every hamlet in America has 4 prison: 4
place where the Consttution does’t exis, and where slav-
ery i all but legalized.
‘When law professor Michelle Alexar
her book, the New Jim Crow, took o
ing over 100,000 in just a few months.
et took on the topi
Tike hotcakes - se
And where there are prisons,there s torture: brutal beat-
ings, grave humiliations, perverse censorship-and even
miurders—all under a logal system that 1 as blind as that
statue which holds alofl 4 scale, her eyes covered by a
frigid fold of cloth.
o, whatis Oceupy to do?
ntially, it must support movements such as those call-
ing for the freedom of Lakota brother Leonard Pelter, the
MOVE veterans of August 8h, 1978, the remaining two
members of the Angola 3 (Herman Wallace and Albert
‘Woodfo), Sundiata Acol, Russell “Maroon” Shotz, and
many other brothers and sisers who've spent fetimes in
teel and brick hellholes
But, the Occupy Movement must do more.
As it shified the discussion and paradigm on cconomsic
issues. it must turn the Wheel of the so-called ‘Criminal
Justice System’” in America, that is n fact, 4 destructve,
ounter-productive, annual 569 billion boondoogle of re”
pression, better-known by activists a the Prison-ndusts-
al-Complex.
That means more than & one-day event, no matter how
massive o impressive. It means building a mass move-
ment hat demands and fighs for real change, and eventu-
all abolition of sructures that do far more social damage
than good.
i means the abolition of soitary confinemen, for it s o
more thin modern-day torture chambers for he poor.
I means the repeal of repressive laws that support such
structures
I means social change—or it means nothing.
o let us begin—Down With the Prison Industrial Com-
plext
Lynne Stewart
“This occupy rally s what Must happen at every jal in the
United States-a direct challenge 10 Arbitrary Power that
thinks it can Tock up those with the greatest grievances
against the system and systematically demonize them to
ther fellow citizens. 1 speak now for all the 2 Million but
of course, particularly on behalf of those poiitical prison-
ers who actively fought and tesed this unjust system and
ISSUE 21
now suffer in SHUS, and other forms of Soliary, for that
Many have been toriured for the st thirty years of more.
‘When they were captured n the heady poliical days of the
605 und 705, we were convinced tha fundamen
was inevitable —indeed that it was right
Tt still remains nevitable but now we understand the pro-
racted strugle necessary to breach this evil system. 1 for
one am recruited 1o accomplish the freedom of poitical
prisoners and as my comade Chairman Fred says “FREE
'EMALLY
Khalfani Malik Khaldun
Al power to the people. T am in supportsolidarity with
your work (o expose the contradictions existing 3t San
Quentin prison, and all prisoners across the couniry
Please extend my clenched fist salutation to brother Kevin
Cooper/those men on death row.
Lam poliical prisoner here in Indiana. T have ben in
prison for 26 years now, with 8 years n isolated confine-
ment.Lam currently being held in a Secure Housing Unit,
where the conditions are cruel and unusual punishment
and there are deplorable violations of state and federal
policy all across the uni
Those in charge have used eriminal tactics to keep many
of us in perpetual isolation. We could use some organized.
principled help here in Tndiana. Could you provide me
and e-mail or other address of oiher oceupiers in solidar-
ity against prison injustice? We need to organize 4 force.
hete 1o Occupy the Indiana SHU. 1 have some commitied
supporters._along with others we can move mountains. |
‘agree with Kevin: just never forget s,
Kevin Cooper: We Dissent — An Occupy Death Row
Production
A few of the defiitions of the word dissent are: o with-
hold assent; to diffe in opinion; difference of opinion
religious nonconformity: a wrtten statement in which 1
justice disagrees with the opinion of the majority.
“The above word “Dissent” and these few defnitons speak
in part to what al the different “Occupy Movem;
about.
‘While they all, each and every one of them, have differ-
ent thoughts, deas, tactics, agendas, and people who they
represent, hey all ave, for the most part “dissented” fom
what has been going on, and going on for decades, in this
World and country
‘We all disagree With, and do not wan 10 be part of, the
orm anymore! Nor do we want wha is considered “nor-
mal” o be part of us, because the status quo is outright
harming us on al of fe’s different levels
‘We al are saying in our own unique way that e don’t trust
the people Who are running the system, just as we don’t
st the system itselr
Al across the world, people who don't eat the same food,
o wear the same garb, speak the same language. belong (6
e same religion or pray (0 the same named God. i they
do pray.are dissnting.
Everywhere, people are standing up and fighting back, and
speaking out from under the universal umbrella of human-
ity This umbrella provides protection for the oppressed,
from the oppressor.
‘The Occupy Movement as a whole is another form of the
universal umbrella for human rights. From within this
movement, we dissenters can spesk the truth as 0 how the
tatus quo,the ruler’s agenda, has a negative effect on “We.
the People” and this one planet we all must live on, and
share.
‘Something must be seriously wrong and it is not us! The
System s wiong and it has always been wrong and wil
always be wrong!
‘Some in the top 1% use their subordinates 10 ask, “What
i it that they want?" Each movement within Occupy may
Want diffesent things. especally since we all come from
different places and ave different real life and death ex-
periences
So while 1 can’t speak 1o what any one movement wants
per se, L can speak 10 what ll these different oceupy move-
ments don't want
‘We don't want tertorism of any Kind. against any people.
‘We don’t want polluion of th ai or Waler and other natu-
ral resources that Mother Earth produces; We don't
‘overament that uses the mainsiream news media to hel
4 President send i people to war based on lies; We don 't
want war in any of its forms; We don't want sexism, rac-
s, classism, or poverty!
‘We don’t want cormuption, he death penalty, the prison in-
dustial complex — either public or private prisons. We
don’t want unions to be busted. nor do we want jobs sent
overseas to other countries. We don't want to g0 Without
healthcare or 4 good education. We don’t want police bru-
tality or intimidation of any kind!
These few things mentioned sbove should g0 a long way
10 help people understand that thre are two sides o every
story, and while many seem © want o focus o
Side... “What s it that they wan?” they must
10 terms with some of what we don't want!If they do, then
they will ruly understand why we dissent. Everything that
we don't wanl is very real part of What is wrong Within
this country and world, and i is having a very negative
9
ASTRUGGLEMAG
affect on the quality a
people-—the poor!
quaniity of e of the masses of
Allthese manmade ils are happening and have happened.
Simply because of greed and the very eal fact that the
powers that be - They really don't care about us!
S0, we respectiuly dissent!
Jane Dorotik
“The 2.3 million individuals that we as & nation incarcerate
has become one of the defining qualies of this couniry
of ours. Never before in the hisory of civilization has
Country locked away so many of is own people. Have we
s society become so violent, o incorrigible tha we must
lock away so many? How did we get o this point under the
uise of “public safety
“The cost of incarcerating women is immense. The average:
annual cost to ncarcerate 2 woman is $30,000 and the av-
erage cost o incarcerate 4 Woman over 53 s a staggering
SI38.000. Because of ther role as mothers, the costs and
consequences go far beyond the criminal justice system.
Their children are cither raised by other Fly members
or ate sent 0 the state’s foster care system. Children whose:
parens are incarcerated are 4-5 times more likely 1o be-
come incarcerated themselves, thus perpetuting the inter
‘cenerationsl incarceration cycle. Since 1991 the
of childten with a mother in prison has incredsed by more
than 131% and nationwide more than hall of children
whose mothers are incarcerated are under age 10.
systemis system gone awry, gravely compro-
rampant with sbuses. It i 4 errifying breeding
national
occupy day
in support of
PRISONERS
¢ Al i Condton & Unos St
REIER Fve P P& End Repnsin f At
FETh
7%
‘sround for anger, hatred, sexism, homophobia and domi-
nating exploitation of other human beings. We are ware-
housing people, punishing them and then returning them
10 society Worse off than when they enered the sysiem.
“The Violence that then comes outof hese prisons i 4 much
eater threat to public safety than any foreign terrorist
roup ever could be.
Krista Funk.
‘The bankers are legal racketcers. They are rewarded for
thei crimes. But the people at the bottom of the 9%, the
poor, e ae warchoused i the Prison Indusrial Comples.
They take away our abilty o vote once we are inside be-
cause that might change the way things are. The rich get
icher,the poor give up. and out of desperation they tirn
o their families and their communities. This cycle has to
Change!
Herman Wallace
Most all US. citizens benefit in some ay from the capi-
talist mode of production. a system that exploits underde-
veloped nations as well s 9% of ts own nation’s people.
“This creates 4 vast contradiction that causes much emo-
ional pain.
In 1365, Union Generals admitted t© Lincoln that they
were on the verge of losing the War and could only wrn
the tides i Lincoln would ree the slaves. OF course, slaves
were never reed: it was only the form of slavery practiced
in the South that was disrupted. moving from chatiel sla-
ery to wage slavery as has been s well documented.
form of
change.
Defy permits to occupy. civil disobedience is
struggle, and where thereis no struggle, there i
‘We must strengthen our forces by uniting with the Occupy
movement and fiberation movements throughout the world
in onder to disrupt the capitalist mode of production and
Send capitalism o its grave
Free All Political Prisoners and Prisaners of Consciousness.
All Power to the People
Robert King
First of all 1 would like 10 applaud and salute those i the
Oceupy movement for focusing on the hideous cormuption
of corporate America and the effects this corruption has on
allof us in the 99% including the well over two million in-
dividuals that il oie detention facilites and their families.
Being in prison, in solitary was terribe. It was a nightmare
My soul Sl cris from all that | witnessed and endured. It
does more than cry — it mourns, continuously. 1 saw men
50 desperate that they ripped prison doors apart. starved
‘and mutilated themselves. I takes every serap of humanity
10
ISSUE 21
10 stay focused and sane in this environment. The pain and
suffering are everywhere, constantly with you. But, it was.
also S0 much more than tha. 1 had dreams and they were
beautifuldreams. 1 used to ok forward to the nights when
T could sieep and dream. There's no describing the day to
day assaulton your body and you mind and the feelings of
hopelessness and despai.
There s far more than a casual relationship between the
Oceupy Movement and the work so many of you are doing
10 change the criminal justice system.
“The same people who make the laws that favor the bank-
ers. make the laws that il our prisons and detention cen-
ers. We have to continue o make the connection between
‘Wall St and the prison industial complex. The growth of
the private prison industry i just one symptom of this un-
holy alliance.
1 stand in soldarity with the Occupy 4 Prisoners rally and
hope these rallies shed further izht o the insidious ffects
of prisons for profit and politics
Free all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience.
Steve Champion
L wani to thank al the patiipants of Occupy San Quentin
for being here today. Thank you for eading my saiemen
My name is Steve Champion. I've been incarcerated for
over 30 years and twenty-nine of those years and counting,
have beén spent on San Quentin's death row.
‘We are living in critial time in history. There i a global
and domestic crisis going on. Our body politics is under
Siege because it is dominated by crony capitalism and so-
cial and economic indifference. We are fast moving toward
& biceniric society of “haves” and “have nots.” If we fail
10 take strong stand to transform this nation then \e can
expect an llForecast for the future.
One of the most powerful uions in the state of Califor-
nia is the Correctional Peace Organization Association
(CCPOA). As ition for students are being rased. schools
being shut down, cuts being made in the fields of educa.
tion, social programs, nurses and other care-givers, every-
e i being forced to make a sacrifice. But we don't hear
cuts being made in the salaries of prison guards. Why is
that? Because the CCPOA (through rigorous lobbying in
‘Sacramento) have the ear of Calfornia State Legislators.
‘They make huge campaign contibutions to both the Gov-
emor and State Legislators. This allows them to peddle
influence and get implemented the policies they Wan in
place.
‘What this oughi o el those o us who are concerned about
social jusice, prison reform and the abalishment of the
death penalty is we have to up the ante of our struggle. If
Wwe want to s the eradication of the death penalty and the
prison, it requires a mulifaceted approach. s not enough
for prisoners o strugale on the inside; it i not enough to
picket, protestor occiupy specific places. Those things are
mportant. But we also need to have 4 robust voice and
it among the decision makers who shape. influcnce and
create policies that we vehemently oppose. We necd to
build a grassroots poliical organization to challenge those:
in pover.
Too offen, our social movements are on the defensive. We
react as opposed to being proactive and taking initiative
on programs we want implemented and policies we want
changed. Building a grassroots politcal organization can
facilitate a lot of the fragmentization tht exists in our
movements by uniting us. 1t Would give focus o our ob-
jectives. 1T we don’tdo this, then who? If we don’t do this
now, thén when?
“The one percent who dominate the politcal and economic:
system in this county is not an accident. It was carefully
planned. They want 4 government for the one percent and
by the one percent, but not by the people.
We have to strengthen and inensify our struggle. We have:
10 become more comitted. We have to remember that our
Struggle isn' & sprint. but & marathon. What we do today
Wil aler the course of history tomarrow. Thank you.
Long live the strugele.
Todd Ashker
Youall know we've been on a “counter propaganda’” cam-
paign here [in Pelican By State Prison] since Dec. 09 and
much of what myself, Castellano, Sitawa, and Mutope have.
in mind in our Wwritings about our struggle and resistance
2477 s in line with our counter propaganda campaign!!
‘Actually. 'd prefe eriminal prosecution because 1) I'd be
acquitted and 2) the publicty it would gammer would be
real grea for the cause. Now that i's not a DA referral (I
expect due 10 legislative inguiry). 1 expect to be railraded
‘& found guilty administratively (st time guily of & seri-
ous rule Violaton since Jan 04).
“This will be used by the Bord of Parole Hearings (o issue
me a longer parole hearing deferral when 1 g0 in Aug 2012
(probably a 7-10 year deferal). It will mean o art material
or pliotos for a year, etc., etc., etc. This bogus CDC 115
RVR should be getting propagated out there as much a5
possible s well s other CDCR /PSP diry shi.
“This is where I (and many others) stand on this strugele:
For mre than 30 years CDCR policy and practice has becn
“us v, them” — Viewing us as the enemy who they are at
war with,
1
ASTRUGGLEMAG
“The Istthing one does in war is propagate against and de-
humanize the enemy. For 22+ years PSP has been propa-
st as Housing “the worst of the wors,” responsible for
allthe stae’s gang problems
We see it in reverse. CDCR (the prison industrial com-
plex) are the criminals commilting muld billions in fraud
nd many murders each ear (1w makers and courts are
enablers and just as guily). CDCR is housing us o put
money in their pockets. all of which s part of the bigger
problems — the class war in this couniry: the 1 vs. the
9% (the ultza rich v. poor). I’ n0 longer a “people of
color . white man” isue: i’ a “poor V. ultra rich” issue.
The soclled middle clas i long gone.
We're at war (the poor 99% including the prisoners) and
the people in power ae scared to death and they should be.
Most of us should have been out long ago. A lfe senence.
has never meant “Hfe” unil the las 30 years. Most of s
are many years beyond our minimum eligible parole daes.
We're no serving a legally valid sentence anymore. We're:
here illegally, immoraly, and unethically based on politcs
and money
Our supporters need to propagate against the system ot ev-
ery opportunity and te our srugele o tha of he poor and
disenfranchised at lasge. This is just the start. We plan to
force CDCR to open up all the level IV General Popula-
tions and spend money on our benefit, such as rehab pro-
grams, etc. and force change to sentences and paroles
Our supporters need 10 see the system for wha i eally is
and 0 educate people about it bring more supportin. I
mportant o humanize and decriminalize us 1o the main-
rcam,. Granted we're “convicted felons.” but we've al-
seady served above and beyor
term.
‘any form of a vald prison
‘We shouldn' even be recognizing thatthese CDCR “crinsi-
nals” have any power over us. We really should be actively
sesisting our llegal confinement a ot more and our people:
outside should be doing 50 100, withall of ur beings, until
these “criminals” cut us loose or Kill us.
Right now we're waiting — waitng 10 get out 0 these Gen-
eral Population prisons. Then wel straighten out the B.S.
‘on theim 50 these people can no longer jusify warchousing
everyone. Then, we'l go from there. People need to realize
these “criminals™ re thereal enemy who we're at war with
and act accordingly in & smart way. The time is coming
Wwhen they il all and i’ not 00 f n the fuure. But we.
all must Stay strong and do our part o make it happen. We
nced srong outside support. People should not far nor be
intimidated by CDCR's “crime syndicate” Staff. They're
seally cowards in truth and need 10 be forced to get right.
Asalways, I send my best 0.l
FROM CCWP WOMEN (Alisha, Veronica, Margarita)
Truth .
“The pictue I'm about 0 paint can only be heard,
solisten closely to every word.
Innocent unil proven zuily?
They can't be serious,
In system where
Drug dealers get mare time.
than serial killers,
juvenles get ried as duls,
before they become ane.
T guess nobody musta Warned'en
about playing with knives and guns.
Guilty by association?
Thar's what it called
then they et hauled.
off (o he pen.
Whete some gils become boy: and some boyz
become wormen.
Sittng around
unaware of who they are
wounded while in the bely of the beast.
Fcallem invisible scars,
the kind that can'tbe healed
by Neosporin and sitches
Wentin walkin'
came out switching.
‘Could you imagine what it like?
Being fold tht the beginning.
is really the end of your lfe.
3 strikes and you're out!
Some think i a game.
buri's really outta my hands.
Lord knows, I'm not ryna do life
oninstallment plans
Everybody wanna be a pat
OF the occupy system,
Lnced to occupy my e and
find something to do with i
otherwise if's seless
‘Some may mistake my words as verbally sbusive,
Bt the tuh s
How do we expect our kids o grow
from concrete,
accept defeat,
have to fend for themselves
incells where it s dark
and hot as hell?
More parents come to see kids in jil
than they do at graduations.
Thar's cuz the new diploma
is parole or probation
Fucked up situation
No contender.
“Now Ill be gone until Novermber”™
Listening t0 4 public pretender
telling me to plea
12
ISSUE 21
v
Cuz I'm young. black. and sell crack in da streets.
Babies conmiting robbery
Istdegree.
Even with blind eyes
Tcould se it in't ool
‘They building prison programs
and earing down schools
We al got an opinion
just ke we all have & choice
No one can hear you speak
if you don't use you voice!
Veronica Hernandez
My name is Veronica Hemandez and T am o 20-year-
old young woman that has been incarcerated since 1 was
16-sears-old and tred as an adult at 17-years-old.
Prior o being charged us an adult T was appointed a no-
‘2ood atomey that couldn't have cared less about me or the
outcome of my case and consequently had put absolutely
o effort into epresenting me adequately. There are no
law libaries o lezal ervices at Juvenile Hall so juverile
sather it b for beter or for worse had leally no choice
but to be dependant on his or her court-appointed attorney
and trust that bim o her willlead them in the right direc.
tion. Unfortunately for me tht direction was to adult coust
Where I now face life sentence should 1 be convicted.
In California, peopel who are 16-years-old are cligible to
be tried as adults and in some saies, the minimum age to
be tried a5 an adult is 13-years-old and in others, there s
o age limit at all depending on the nare of the crim.
Regardless of the age. juvenles that are tred 25 adulls
are subjected o harsher punishments that juv
judges Tack the power to impose such as lfe
possiblity of parole or Sentences that are so
fike “43 to i or “51 to life” tha those sen
s well be lfe without the possibilty of parol.
Although a juvenile’s right to a hearing before a case can
be transferred to adult court was established by Kent V.
US.(US. Sup. Ct. 1966) therearesill cases tha get trans-
ferred to adult court without & hearing at all and that is
Known as “direct filing.” The D_A. can file a direet fling
on a juvenile that is 14-years-old or older and that conra-
dicts California’s so-called minimum age of 16-years old
o older to be elgible a being tred 45 an adult and 3 juve-
s so-called right o 3 hearing.
“The human mind docsn't siop developing unil the age of
25, 50 it i ridiculous that 4 judge can even be given the
power o determine that 4 juvenile can never be rehabili-
tated and will remain at the same state of mind tha the ju-
venile was in at the time of thei crime was commitied for
the res of his or her life. Aside from ridiculous...i is out-
rageous..oppressive. .opprobrious...and somehing. that
needs to cease...abolish this oppression and give children
the chance at 1 that ach and everyone of them deserves.
Sean Swain: Occupy, Liberate, De-Colonize: A State-
‘ment for Occupy Columbus from Prison
In 2007, in a published interview I observed that f Ohio
prisoners simply laid on their bunks for 30 days. the sys-
fem would collapse. | wasn't talking about just the prison
system, but Ohio’s entire economy
1 came o that conclusion because | recogaized that S0.000
[Ohio] prisoners work for pennies per day making the
food, aking out the trash, mopping the floors. We produce.
pasts For Honda and other mult-nationals at Obio Penal In-
dusties (OPI), making millions of dollars in profit for the
Stte. 1 we stopped participating in our own oppression,
the State would have to hire workers t union-scale wages
10 make out food, take out the trash, and mop the floors:
slave labor for Honda and others would cease
Ohio would lose millons of dollars a day in production.
“The State’s economy would not recaver for 4 decade.
‘When I made that observation, | didn’t know for certain
that T was ight. | suspected 1 was. But more than 3 year
later, prison offcialscame 10 get me. My cell was plastered.
Wil rime tape. All of the ixures, including lights, sink.
1, were removed and inspected, something that |
haven't seen bapper in 20 years o captiviy. was taken to
segregation and slated for transfr to Super-mas.
‘The reason? My observation in a year-old published intr-
view, that Ohia's economy would collapse without prison
labor. Thar's when 1 knew my observation was right. The
enemy confirmed i
T eventually avoided super-max because friends and sup-
porters made enough noise. but I am now on & Security
Theeat Group list even thouigh | have never been past of
any organization, and my incoming mail i screened
1 share all of this in order to underscore how seriously
and irrtionally terified the state i about the possibility
of angone awakening the prisoner population (o its own
power. The state is hystrically shit-heir-pants petifed of
an organized prisoner resistance, the way planiation own-
ers feared a slave uprising.
1 was subjected to repression in 2008. Since then, the
situation for the State has become even more dite. Git-
en austerity cuts and privatization of few prisons. the
suard-to-prisoner atio has drastically dropped. leading (o
more distuption in the standard prison operations. On top.
of that, the Kasich administraion’s efforts (0 bust public
Worker' unions, though a failue, has destroyed the morale
of puards and ST the majority of whom now only care
‘bout collecting their pay checks. With cach downurn in
13
ASTRUGGLEMAG
the economy, the prison system takes more essenial ser-
vices from prisoners — from medical to food 1 clothes —
and thereby increases hostilty and resentment of the pris-
oner population.
With very litle effor, very litle money. and a great deal
of advanced planning, Ohio's prison population could be:
inspired to completely disrupt the operation of the en-
{ire prison complex. If such a disruption were 10 occur, it
would cause more than the economic collapse of the State
that T already discussed. Such a disruption would ullimate-
Iy scize from the State the power the power o punish. This
Would pose more than & simple political problem for the
‘zovernment: in such a scenario, it oses all power (0 en-
force it edicts and impos isel the government ceases to
be the government.
Such a development would be a preat benefit 1o the Oc-
Cupy Movement. While Occupy direcly challenges the
crapitalist sstem, it must be remembered tha the lobal
Crapitalist matri tses governments as actory managers. 1
Yo protest private bankers, you get baten by public cops.
Given the recent bal-outs,the public rust i noihing more
than & corporate slush-fund. It i nearly impossible in this
blackwater-enron outsource era (o el where governments
end and corporations begin - and vice-versa.
“The prison complex is an essential component o the larger
erapitalist matrx. 1f an Occupy-prisoner collaboration in
‘Ohio could ske the prison system out of the enermy’s con-
ol — if the Occupation could expand to the prisons — we
can colectively create a prototype forthe larser moverment
1o replicat, building momentum that collapses prison
complex after prison complex, paralyzing state govern-
ment after state government, spreading like a computer
virus, liberating and de-colorizing the most-essential and
intimidating bulwark against freedom the empire relies
upon: the prisons,
For those of you wh are part of the 99% but don't really
want 10 identify with this seement of the 996 and object to
the possibly causing all of these criminals 0 go free, | re-
mind you: The most hardened and iemediable criminals.
the most ruthless illers and rapists, currently run the For
tune 500; they dictate US. foreign policy; they drive cars
emblazoned with “To Protect and To Serve”. You serve the
‘azenda of those criminals f you turn your back on these
“Criminals.” Without us. you're not the 99%. If my math s
right, without us, you'sé only about 947%.
“This 5% is only waiting for the invitation. You can et your
enemy keep his slaves and possibly defeit you over e,
o you can liberate his slaves and defeat him quickly. To
me. i 4 no-brainer. 1’ 4 matter of actually iving up (0
Whill you present o be — something your enemy s never
done.
We're sl waiting for thatinvitation.
Gerardo Hernandez
On behalf of the Cuban 5 we send you ou solidarity on
this the National Occupy Day in Support of Prisoners, We
Know first hand about the injustce inherent in the U.S. ju-
dicial system. In our case we ae serving long sentences for
defending our country agains terrorist aitacks by monitor-
ing groups whose whole existence is 1o carry out violent
acts against Cuba. I s our hope that what you are doing
today will bring atietion to the plightof those behind bars
and help bring about & more humane sociely that provides
jobs, housing, education and opportuniy instead of incar-
Ceration.
A big embrace o you all
Venceremos!
Leonard Peltier
From inside a prison cell I call out o you. Hello to Mu-
mia Abu Jamal Supporters. Hello to Troy Davis supporters
Hello to Oceupy Ogkland. Hello to my own supporters
Hello to everyone clse whose conscience compels you
10 gather here today. I'm so thankiul this couniry and the
world sl has people who look beyond thei own lives and
their own conditon to remember others who for different
seasons have become vietims of a deeply flawed justice
System. I believe whenever people gather ogether ith an
interest of the common good ofall men in thir hearts, that
isa sacred gathering and pleases the Creator. For what man
is a man and what oman i & woman who does ot try to
make the world a beter place?
Today in the shadow of San Quenin, the belly of the beast
housing 700 men the state wants o kil you come together
10'speak of injustice and reform. While they will not come
ournd say it T have been given a ife sentence for a rime
T did not commit. | defended my people from 3 government
Waging war on defenseless elders and raditional believers.
Many friends of mine died in that war, and because (o
FBI agents also died, | have been i il for 36 years 1 have.
been held despite evidence the government Withheld and
manipulated evidence, coerced witnesses, and did all they
could do to keep me from proving my innocence. 1 have
been held longer than their own aws Say 1 should be. All
because Lam a symbol and a reminder of what they will do
10 anyone who stands up against thei authorit. But ll this
shows is that they only have violent access (o authority
“They do not have righicousness or decency or even legal-
ity on thei side. Throughout history all such systems that
ignored justice and rights to ule by force eventually fell.
‘We have seen that minorites are incarcerated for more and
for fa longer periods of time than Caucasians. We fur-
ther know that minorites receive the death sentence in far
reater numbers. We know poor people get conticted and
Serve longer than those with moniey and influence. Even if
You support a death penalty these facts alone indicate that
14
ISSUE 21
We must have & moratorium on executions unil we can
secify these issues. I's the only reasonable allernative to
continuing & racist and biased sysiem.
Ihelieve civilized country does not commit murder. Mur-
der is not justice no mattr the erime or ituation. Justice
is all parties azrceing on 4 suiable outcome. Murder does.
ot bring closue o anyone or any situation. Murder does.
ot create healing. We know that America has executed in-
nocent people. We further know more innocents will dic
unless this sysiem s rebuilt from the ground up. I s tre.
that for those working 10 right these wrongs, the lfe you
save may be your own.
And so my friends T ask you t0 look around. Look at your
friends and family and alles. Appreciate thern and support
one another, for in doing 50 you support myself, Mumia.
‘and 50 many others wrongly serving fime. Know that 1 am
with you and appreciate your efforts. Know that 1 am in the
water that refreshes you. in the food thatnourishes you, and
inthe i that sustains you. You cannot lock jusice within
Wallsor bas. Justice sirges through all of us d unies us
Justice has done more o further he advance of mankind's
endeavors than any un or weapon. Thank you for your
belief in Justice. Thank you for your time. Thank you for
your love. Thanik you my brothers and sisters. Thank you.
Mitakuye Oyasin, We Are Al Related
Herman Bell
In your pushback for social justice, you give us hope. Fil-
uré 1o claim your rights is Tilure 1o know whether they
exist or not. Abstrac terms though they be, you make them
teal. A parasitc social order bas fully emered and affied
itself 0 our existence and now requires our unquestioned
loyalty and obedience o its Will. And we have come dan-
erously close to complying.
Odinary people doing uncommonly brave things have re-
Kindled our hopes that we can do beter this time in safe-
‘uarding the public rus. Far to0 many of us have grown
Complacent in our civic and moral résponsiblity, which
xplains in part how Wall Street, big banks, and corpora-
tions, in political connivance, have gotten iway With so
much. So'we have 1o take some responsibilty for that
1 think we are now coming t u
cupation i these troubl
armogance, no divisiveness, and consult the elders as you
20 forth, because youth ofien do the wrong thing for the
et reason.
And in a clear, unwavering voice Wherever you g0, wher-
ever you speak. Wherever you occupy. demand release of
‘our poltical prisoners,for hey are the crbodiment of our
movements resolve. And dor'tlet anyone punk you out,
because what you do maters. Big jobs call for big people
and you aleady stand prety all in my cyes.
David Gilbert
Your creativiy, energy, and love of humanity bring warm
sunshine to many of us behind these prison walls. You've
eloquently and concisely artculated the central problen:
society run by the 1% and based on corporate greed
s opposed 1o human need. That obscenity of power and
purpose creates countless specific and urgent concerns.
‘Among those. the criminal injusice system is not just 4
Side issue but essential to how the 1% consolidate potwer.
The U.S. mania for putting people behind burs is coun-
terproductive in ts stated goal of public safely. A system
based on punishment and 1solation breeds anger and then
diffculty in functioning pon return o society - things hat
‘enerate more crime. The U.S.,
‘about seven times thérat of oher industrilized countris,
has 4 higher rate of violent crime. Punishment does not
work. A transformative, community-based justice model
Wwould be mare effctive as well as more hurhane. 1t would
both support vietims and work with offenders. to enable
themto function well i make & posiive contribution.
Although the punitive approsch does not make comymuni-
s saf, it has served the rules well In the same 30 years
that the 1% nearly tripled their share of U S. national in-
come—with alobal inequities far siceper—the number of
‘people behind bars in the U_S. went up from about 500,000
1023 million. I no coincidence. The “war o crime’
started n 1969 as 4 code forattacking the Black Liberation
Movernent,at a moment when that movement was at the
front of a Widespread wave of radical social action which
seriously threatened the dominance of the 1. Mass incar-
ceration, especlly of people of color, was an important
part of the 19 srategy for holding on 1o their wealth and
power.
The second way the criminal injustice system works to
Keep the powerful in power is that a the 1% steal more
andmore of humanity’s wealih, they face the pressing
politcal need of deflcting atention from thei colossal
crimes. Over the past 30 years mainsiseam politics have
been driven by a series of coded forms of racial seapegoat-
ing—against “criminals,” Welfare mothers, immigrants.
Muslims, the poor wh' get token concessions from the.
overnment—to tum the frustration and anger of the ma-
Jority of white people away from the rulers and toward the
racially consiructed “other.” Confronting that demagogy
and hatred i critcal (0 resistng the 1%'s offensive.
AS actvists, we often grapple with tension between
prioritizing ihe needs of the most oppressed —based on
race, class, gender, sexuality, ability —and maintaining 4
universal vision and broad uniy. Bu those 1 important
concerns are not in contradiction. The only road to prin-
15
ASTRUGGLEMAG
cipled and lasting unity is through dismantling the barri-
ers formed by the series of paricular and intense oppres-
Sions. The path to our commonality is soldarity based on
secognition of—and oppostion to--the ways this society
malkes us unequal. Our challenge is to forge this synthesis
in practice, on the ground, in the daily work of building the
movement of the 99%.
With an embrace to you and your
spiring stand, one love.
Jalil A. Muntagim
“The 2.3 million U citzens in prison represent more than
problem of eriminality. Rather,the human (ol of the U-S.
prison industrial complex addrésses and indicts the very
Toundation of America’s history
In 1865, the 13th Amendment of the U.. Constitution
served 1o insttutionalize prisons as a slave System. “Nel-
ther lavery nor involuntary servitude, except 3 punish-
ment for crime...shall exist within the United Staes.”
“This Amendment exolved out of the Civil War allegedly
o abolish chattel slavery. However, since that time, pris-
ons have become an industrial complex. As an indusiy. its
investors are financial institutions such as Goldman Sachs.
& Co. Prudential Insurance Co.of America, Smith Barmey
‘Shearson, Inc, and Meil Lynch & Co. Understand, these:
investors in this slave industy in 1993 are no different
from investors i the slave sysiem prior o 1865
“The political system supportsthis industry by passing lavs
that enhance criminal penaltes, increase penal incarcera-
ton and restset parole. Former U.S. President Clinton's
1985 Crime Bill effectively caused the eriminalization of
poverty, exponentially increasing the number of people
being sent 1o prison. On May 12, 1994, the Wail Sireer
Journal featured an article entided, “Making Crime Pay:
Triangle of Interess Created Infasiructure [0 Fight Law-
lessness; Cities See Jobs; Politcians Sense a Popular ssue
and Businesses Cash In—The Cold War of the “905." The
article clearly indicated how prisons have become a profit-
able industry, including so-called privat prisons.
Given tis realiy, the strugale to abolish prisons i 4 strug
sle 10 change the very fabric of American society I s &
Siruggle to remove the financial incentive—the profitabl
ity o the prison/slave system. This il essentially change
how the US. addresses the issue of poverty, of ethnic
equality, and misappropriation of tax dollars. 1wl speak
tothe realit that the prison system is 4 lave systemn, asys-
tem that dehumanizes the social structure and denigrates
America’s moral social values.
“The prison system today is an industry that, as did chattel
slavery, profits off the misery and suffering of other hu-
man beings. From politicians to bankers 1o the business
nvestment comimuaity, the prison industrial complex is 4
multi-billon dollar criminal enterprise, ll of which has
been sanctioned by the 13th Amendment of the U.S. Con-
titution.
I is imperative that those of you here come 10 terms with
the reality that America i the prison industrial complex.
and that thesilence and inaction of Americans is complicit
in mintaining & ystem hat in it very nature is inhumane.
‘Abolish the American prison industrial complex!!
All Power o the People! All Power o the People! Al Pow-
erto the People!
Survivor of Domestic
Violence Gets 20 Years
BY MARGARET VIGGIANT
Freedom Socialist, Vol. 33, No. 4,
‘August-September 2012, socialism com
In August 2010, only nine days afer giving birth, Marissa
Alexander fired 4 warning shot into the Kitchen ceiling
of her home in Jacksonville, Fa., 0 fend off her abusive:
estranged husband. Alexander i a young Black mother
of three.
The jury deliberated 12 minutes before convicting Al-
exanier of aggravated assault ith a deadly weapon —
ven though her husband had previously hospitalized her,
She had no prior eriminal record, and no one was injured.
On May 11,2012, a judge rejected Alexander’s “stand
Sour ground"” defense and sentenced her 10 20 years un-
dr Florida's mandatory minimum sentencing rules. AS is
S0 often true for bused women, especially those of color,
the “jusice system” proved to be anything but.
Outtaged supporters around the country,including Radi-
cal Women (RW), ae organizing rallis. vigils, and letter
campaigns. Seattle RW Wrote a statement and has col-
lected hundreds of ignatures on a pettion demanding Al
exander’s release. The statement and a link to an online
petition can be found at wwwkcadical women org.
In June, Friends of Marissa Alexander organized a Fiee-
dom Raly and Motorcycle Ride to raise awareness and
funds. And on July 13, the Jacksonville NAACP chapter
held 3 rally in defense of Alexander and victims of do-
mestic abuse.
In a leter thanking RW for its support, Alexander wrote
that she is “Keeping my head up!” To help build a big,
visible, and determined fight for her pardon and release.
‘2010 JisticeMariss.com,
16
ISSUE 21
Occupy Oakland is Dead.
Long Live the Oakland
Commune.
BY SOME OAKLAND ANTAGONISTS
May 2012 from bayolrage.com
For those of us in Oakland, “Occupy Wall Sreet” was al-
Ways a strange fit. While such of the country sat cerly
quict in the years before the Hot Fall of 2011, 3 unique
rebelliousness.that regularly erupted in’ miliant antago-
nisms with the police was already taking root n the strcets
of the Bay. From numerous anti-polic iots riggered by
the exceution of Oscar Grant on New Year's Day 2009,
10 the wave of anti-ausierity student occupati
2009 and easly 2010, 1o the Native protest
a1 Glen Cove in 2011, 1o the the sequence of Anony
BART disruptionsin the month before Occupy Wal Strect
Kicked ol our greater metropolitan area re-emerged in re-
centyears 5 primary hub of sirugele in his couniry. The
intersection at 14th and Broadway in downtown Oskland
Wwas, more often than ot “ground zero” for these conlits.
I we had chosen to follow the specific trajectory pre-
scribed by Adbusters and the Zucott-based organizers of
Oceupy Wal Street, we would have staked out our local
Oceupy camp somewhee in the heart of the capitol of
‘West Coast capital. as & beachhead in the enemy territory
of San Francisco's financial disrict. Some did this carly
o, following in the footstcps of the
encampments scattered across the country like & colorful
but confused archipelago of anti-financial indignation.
According 10 this logic, it would make 1o sense for the
epicenter of the movement to emerge in a medium sized
proletaran city on the other side of the bay.
We intentionally chose o
different path based o
4 longer rajectory and
experiences that emerged
from tecent
5. Vague populist
s about the 9%
Savy use of social net
Working, shady figures
funning around in Guy
Fawkes masks, none of
this played any kind of
significant role in bri
ing us 10 the forefront of
the Occupy moveren.
Inthe rebel town of Oak:
land, we built @ camp
that was not so_much
diseetly
the emergence of a new social movermen. but the unpres.
edented converzence of preexisting local movemens and
‘antagonistic tendencies all looking for a fight with capital
‘and the state while leaming to take care of each other and
ourcity in the most radical ways possble
“This is what we bey
that dense network of new found affnity and ret
ness that shiced through seemingly impenetrable social
basrierslike never before. Our “war machine and our care
maching” as one comrade put it. No cops. no politicians,
plenty of “autonomous actions™ the Commune materil.
lzed for one monih in liberated Oscar Grant Plaza at the
corner of Lith & Broadway. Here we fed each other, ved
together and began to learn how 1o actully care for one
another while launching unmediated assaults on our en-
emies: local government, the downtown business elie and
ransnational capital. These attacks culminated. with the
General Strke of November 2 and subsequent West Coast
Port Blockude.
i their repeated attacks on Occupy Oskland, the local de-
colonize tendency is in some ways correct 1] Oceupy Wall
Street and the movement of the 99°% become very prob-
Tematic when applied o a cit such as Oakland and reck of
white liberal polities imposed from afar on a diverse popu-
lation already living under brutal police oceupation. What
our decolonizing comsades fail © grasp (intentionally or
o) s that the rebellion which unfolded in front of City
Hall in Oscar Grant Plaza does not trace its roots back 0
September 17, 2011 when thousands of 99%ers marched
through Wall Siret and set up camp in Lower Manhattan
‘The Oakland Commune was born much carli on January
7.2009 when those youngsters climbed on top of an OPD
eruiser and started Kicking in the windshield o the cheers
of the crowd. Thus the name of the Commune’s tempo-
tarily rechimed space Whete anti-capitalst processes of
decolonization were unleashed: Oséar Grant Plaza
ASTRUGGLEMAG
‘Why then did it tske nearly three years for the Commune to
finally come out into the open and begin to unveil it true
potential? Maybe it needed time 10 grow quietly,celebrat-
Ing the small Victores and nursing iself back 1o health af-
ter bier defeats such as the depressing end of the student
movement on March 4, 2010. O maybe it needed (0 see.
its own reflection in Tahrir, Plaza del Sol and Syntagma
before having the confidence to brazenly declare war on
the entire capitalit order. One thing s for sure. Regardless
of Oceupy Wall Street’s shortcomings and the reformist
tendencies that latched on to the movement of the 99%.
fact that some Kind of open revolt was rapidly spreading
like a Virus across the festof the country 13 what gave s
the poliical space in Oakland to realize our rebel drearms.
“This point cannot be overemphasized. We are strongest
when e are not lone. We will be isolated and crushed i
Oakland is contained as some militantoutlier while the rest
et and our comeades in other cities
ot porn emerging from ou sicets
while cheering us on and occasionally coming (0 Vist,
hoping to get thir small picce of the action.
‘The Movement
For 4 whole generation of young people in this country.
these past six months have been the frst aste of What
means to struggle a5 part of 4 muliplying and complex
Social movement that continually expands the realm of
possbilties and pushes paricipants through radicaliza-
o processes that normally take years. The closest recent
equivalen is probably the first (and most vibran) wave
of North American anti-slobalization mobilizations from
late 1999 through the first half of 2001 This movement
also brought a wide fange of tendencies together under
reformist banner of “Fair Trade” & “Global Justice™ while
Simultancously pointing tovards a sysiemic critique of
elobal capitalism and & militant streel politics of disrup-
The similarities end there and his break with the past is
what Occupy got right. Looking back over those heady
days at the (wen of the millennia (or the waves of summit
hopping that Tollowed), the moments of actually living in
struzgle and experiencing ruplure in front of one’s eyes
were few and far between. They usually unfolded during o
mass mobilization in the middle of one “National Securty
Event” or another in some city on the other side of the
country (or world). The affniies developed during that
ime were invaluabl, bt cannol compare (0 the seeds of
resisance that were Sown simulaneously in hundreds of
urban areas this past Fll
I makes no sense to overly fetishize the tactic of oceupa-
tions, o more than it does f limiting resistance exclusive-
1y to blockades or clandestine attacks. Yet the widespread
emergence of public oceupations qualitaiively cl
Wha i means 10 resist. For contemporary Americ
movements, it is something new to
normally policed to keep the city functioning smoothly as
4 wealih generating machine and transform i into & node
of strugele and rebellion. To do this day afer day, rooted
in the city where you ive and strengthening connections
i neighbors and comrades. i firsttaste of whal t ruly
means to have a lfe worth iving. For those fewt monihs in
the Tall, American cities took on new geographies of the
movement's making and rebels began {0 sketch out maps
of coming insurections and fevolts.
“This was the climate that the Oskland Commune blos-
somed within. In those places and momen
Wall Street embodied these characteistics a5 opposed 1o
the reformist endencies of the 99%'s noniolent campaiga
10 capitalism, the movement self was & beautiul thi
Litle communes came 1o lie in ciies and towns near
far. Those days have now passed but the consequ
imillions having felt that soldariy. power and freedom will
have long lasting and extreme consequences.
Where Occupy
‘We shouldn't be surprised thatthe movement
is now decomposing and that we are
more or less. aone. passing that empy park
or plaza on the way (0 work (or looking for
work) which seemed only yesterday so loud
and colorful and full of postibiltis
Al of the large social movements in this
country following the ani-globalization
dy. bringing in
period have heated up qui
millons before being crushed or co-opted
equally as quickly. The anti-war movement
brought millions out in mass marches in the
months before bombs began faling over
Baghdad but was quickly co-opted into an
“Anybody but Bush campaign Just in time
for the 2004 clection cycle. The immigrant
fights movement exploded during the spring
of 2006, successfully sopping the repressive
18
ISSUE 21
and racist HR4437 legislation by organizing the largest
protestin US_ history (and arguibly the closest thing we
have ever séen 1o 4 nation-wide general strke) on May
L of that year [2]. The movement was quickly scared off
the sreets by a brutal wave of ICE raids and deportations
that continue 1o this day.Closer 0 home, the ant austeity
movement that seept through Californi campuses n late
2009 escalated rapidly during the fall through combative
building oceupations across the state. But by March 4,
2010, the movement had been successfully split apart by
fepressing the militan tendencies snd trapping the more
modersie ones in an impotent campaign 1o lobby elected
officials in Sacramento. Such is the fapid ¢ycle of mobi-
lization and decomposiion for social movements in late
capitalist America
‘The Decomposition
o what then killed Oceupy? The 99%ers and reactionary
liberals will quickly point {0 those of us in Oakland and
our counterparts in other cites who wave the black flag
having alienated the masses with ou “Black Bloc Tactis
and extremist views on the police and the economy. Many
militants Wil just as quickly blame the sinister forces of
o-optation, whether they be the trade union bureaucrats,
the 99% Spr wiolence training seminars o the array
of pacifying social justice non-profts. Both of these posi-
tons fundamentally miss the underlying dynamic that has
been the determining factor in the outcome tht
the camps were evicted by the cops. Every si
Al of those liberated spaces where rcbellious relation-
Ships, ideas and actions could proliferate were bulldozed
like So many shanty towns across the world that stand in
the way of arports, highways and Olympic arenas. The sad
sealty is that We are not getting those camps back. Not
after power saw the contagious militancy spreading from
Okland and other poins of conflct on the Oceupy map
and realized what 3 threat all those tents and cardboard
izns and discussions lte ino the night could potentially
become.
No matter how different Occupy Oakland was from the
rest of Occupy Wall Stree, its life and death were
mately connected with the healh of the broader move-
ment_Once the camps were evicted. the other major defin-
ing feature of Occupy. the general assemblies, were left
without an anchor and have since foated into ielevance.
as hollow decision making bodies thal represent 1o one
‘and are more concerned With their own reproduction than
the next
ude foreclosure defense.
the port blockades. inking up with rank and file labor 10
fight bosses in a variely of sectors, clandestine squating.
‘and exen neighborhood BBQs. All of these are intetesing.
directions and have potential. Yet without being connected
1o the vortex of a communal occupation, they become iso-
phase of the movement. These
Tated activist campaigns. None of them can replace the es-
sential ole of weaving together & rebel social fabric of af-
finiy and camaraderic hat only the camps have been able
10 play thus far.
May | confirmed the end of the national Occupy Wall
Street mavement because it was the best opportunity the
movement had to reestablish the occupations, and yet it
couldn't. Nowhere was this mare clar thun in Oakland
‘s the sun set after a day of marches. pickets and clashes.
Rumors had been circulating for weeks that tents would
tart going up and the camp Would reemerge inthe evening
of that long day. The hundreds of fiol police backed by
armored personnel carrers and SWAT teams carrying as-
Saul rifles made no secret of thei intention to sweep the
plaza clear afer all the “go0d profesters” scurried home,
naking any reoccupation physically impossible. It was the
Same on January 28 when plans for 3 large public build-
ing occupation were shattered in 4 shower of flzsh bang.
grenades and 400 arrests, just as i was on March 17 in
Zucott Park when dreams of a new Wall Steeet camp were
clubbed and pepper sprayed to death by the NYPD. Any
hopes of aspring offensive leading 0.4 new round of space:
seclamarions and liberated zones has come and gone. And
with that, Oceupy Wall Street and Occupy Oakland are
now dead
The Future
I one had already come 10 terms with Occupy’s passing,
May 1 could actualy be viewed s an impressive Success
Noother 24 hour period in recent memory has unleashed
such a diverse array of militancy in ciies across the coun-
ry. From theallday sseet fghting in Oakland. o the shield
bloc in LA, 10 the courageous attempt a a Wildeat March
i New Yok, 10 the surprise atack on the Mission police
sation in Sa Francisco, 10 the ant-capitalist march in
New Orleans. to the speciacular trashing of Seatle banks.
and corporate chains by black flag wielding comrades, the
large crowds which tok o the sireets on May 1 weré no
longer afraid of militunt confrontations with police and
scemed reltively comfortable with property destruction.
“This s an important urning point Which suggests tht the
tone and tacticsof te next sequence will b quite different
from those of st fll
e the consistent thythim and resonance of esistance that
the camps made possible has not returned. We are once
again wading through a depressing sea of everyday nor-
mality waiting for the next spectacular day of action to
come and goin much the same way as comrades did
lobalization movement or the an-
-war movement. In the Bay Area, the call 0 srike was
picked up by nurses and ferry workers who picketed their
respective workplaces on May | along with the longshore-
men who walked off the job for the day. This display of
Solidity is impressive considering the overall lack of
momenti in the moverment right now. SHl. it was not
19
ASTRUGGLEMAG
enough of an interruptios
late out of a day of action
saw on November 2
capital’ daily flows to esca-
into @ general stike like we
And thus we continue on through this quicter peiod of un-
certainty. We still occasionally catch eimpses of the Com-
mune in those special moments when friends and com-
rades successfully break the rules and stat self organizing
10tk care of one another while simultancously launching
attacks against those Whao profit from mass immiseration.
‘We saw this off and on during the actions of May 1, o in
the o oceupations of the building at 888 Turk Stret in
San Francisco or most recently on the occupied farmland
that was temporarily iberated from the University of Cali-
fornia before being evicted by UCPD riot police few days.
ag0. But with the nertia of the Fall camps nearly depleted,
the fierce but delicate lie of our Commune relies more
and more on the vibrancy of the rebel social relationships
Wwhich have always been is foundation.
The task ahead of us in Oskland and beyond s to search
out and nurture new means of finding each other. We are
quickly reaching the point where the dead weight of Occi-
Py threatens to drag down the Comune ino the dust bin
of history. We need to breathe new life into our network
of rebellious relationships that does ot rely on the Oc-
Cupy Oakland seneral assembly or the array of moverment
protagonists who have emerged to represent the sirugele.
“This is by no means an argumen against ssemblies or for
a retreat back into the small countercultural ghettos hat
Keep us isolated and irrlevant. On the contrary, we need
more public assemblies that take different forms and ex-
periment with themes, styles of decision making (or lack
there of) and el of affinty
We need new ways to ecl
m space and regularize & con-
tagious rebel spirt rooted in our specific urban contexts
while breaking a losing cycle of atempted occupations fol-
lowed by state repression that the movement has now fall-
eninto. Mostof all, we need desperately o stay connected
Wit comeades old and new and not lt these elationships.
completely decompose. This wil determine the health of
the Commune and ultimately ts ability to effectively wage
Wwar on our enemies in the sirugeles to come.
Notes
1] The decolonize tendency emerged in Oakland and elsc-
Where s a people of color and indigenous led initative
within the Ocelpy movement to confront the deep colo-
nialis roots of contemporary oppression and exploiation
Decolonize Oakland publicly split with Occupy on De-
cember 5. 2011 after faling to pass 2 proposal in the Oc-
cupy Oakland general assembly 1o change the name of the
local movement to Decolonize Oakland. For more infor-
mation on this split sce the ‘Escalating Identity” pamphiet:
escalatingidentity.wordpress com
2] The demonstzations on May 1, 2006, called EI Gran
Faro Estudounidense of The Greal American Boyeo,
were the climax of 4 nationwide series of mobilizations.
that had begun two months carlier with lucge marches in
Chicago and Los Anseles as well s spo
school walkoutsin California and beyond:
the streets across the country that May 1. ith an
o million marching in Los Angeles alone. Enire busi-
ness disricts in immigrant neighborhoods or where imimi-
‘erants made up the majority of workers shut down for the
day in what some called “A Day Without an Inimigr
Stay Strong, Stay Committed
BY COYOTE,
There is no time better than right now o take a deeper
ook at self, fe and struggle. Many of us n the struggle
have long resisted before we even knew there was a
strugale. There’s something inside of us; like fire! But
where does it come from? How did we get like this: [
mean what made us so honorable to carry this fir inside
of us? For most of us, this rebellious spiit, of course,
Stems from some form of abuse of injustice n our pasts,
o from our early childbood. or something; e are who
e are for a reason. Well, for lots of reasons actually.
‘Once you know yourself, you can only become strength
ened ind empowered throigh this understanding. 1 speak
Of it here, because i’ important 10 understand what i is
that has cultivated usinto the rebels and warriors we are,
especially now that we know and see who and wha it
i this terible beast — that we are up against.
‘Sometimes we have 1o go through our own personal
Strife before we can again be awakened to the ulimate
Strugele. T think this is the critical importance of un-
derstanding ourselves and our inherent connection o
‘humanity. liberty and strugele. We have (o g0 through
things i ife, stumble, full,and then pick ourselves back
up and usk ourselves what just happened and why, be-
fore we can eally start 10 tinderstand things. and some-
where i allof this urmoil we begin 10 s that there's a
connection between one’s own personal ife and experi-
ences and the lives and experiences of humanity 3
‘whole. And that's when we realize that we're not alone
in this struggle. We are 4 part of something. Something.
that’s bigger and greater than we ever understood.
And now that our eyes are opened., we must say strong,
Stay focused and we must stay committed. 1'S not just
about “me” anymare, now i’ sbout “us”. Solidariey is
what we have, freedom is what we stsve for
20
ISSUE 21
It Didn’t Start with Occupy, and
it Won’t End with the Student
Strike! The Persistence of Anti-
Authoritarian Politics in Quebec
BY ANNA KRUZYNSKI, RACHEL SARRASIN AND
SANDRAJEPPESEN. Research Group on Collective
Autonomy (Collectir de Recherche sur I Autonomie Col-
lecive or CRAC)
What we are seeing today in Quebec, and par
Moniséal, i a public moment of a miuch more i
movement that has been around for decades. 1f we use the
hizome analogy, we can beter understand what s happen-
ing. Athizome i ke & oot that runs underground: once in
a while ltle shoots pop out above ground, and sometimes
an enormous shoot breaks the surface. It i an analogy that
suits the deseription of the ant-authoritarian movere
the province.
We could o back quite far in the history of social move-
ments in Quebec o idenify traces of this movement, but
let's start with What is now considered as the fist large
contemporary shoot which erupted through the sufuce.
Sianalling & SHifl in the province’s political sphee. April
2001, Quebec City: huge steet demonstzations o0k place.
protediing against the Third Summit of the Americas to
hegotiate the Free Trade Arca of the Americas (FTAA).
Building ona major wave of counter-globalistion protesis
that irsterupted in North America n Seattle 1999. in Que-
bec City opposition t the FTAA was so widespread that
poliicians had a massive chain-link fence perimeter buill
24 perimeter that was rapidly torn down by protestors!
Prior 10 this pivotal moment, however, several smaller
shoots were beginning 1o poke through the surface of
caln in Quebec: 1) in 1997, Complexe G, which houses
the Ministry of Education, was blockaded: 2) in 1998, a
“commando boule” (food commando) was. unleashed.
where community activists went nto the Queen Elizabeth
Hotel and served themselves at the lunch buffe, bringing
food to hungry people outside; 3) also in 1998, the Con-
sl du Patronat du Québe was occupied for theee days.
More recently. in June 2010, another big shoot sprang up.
as Monireal activists were involved in the protests againsi
the G8/G20 in Toronto. From our perspective, the Occupy
Montreal movement that started in the Fall of 3011 follow-
ing Oceupy Wall Street and the sockal justice mobilisation
anchored i the on-going student Strke,can also be seen as
new shoots of this thizomatic movement.
These momens of publi protest represent a turning point
in recent Quebec history for several reasons: 1) activist
began explicily targeting symbols of capitalism: 2)
people have been arresed with subsequent poli
als: and most importandy. 3) they signalled the emer-
‘zence of an anti-authoriarian movernent that is at the heart
of what we are seeing today. Tndeed. all of these shoots
emerged from a shared ool & politial culture — way of
hinking, doing and being — prounded in shared values and
principles which can be defined according to three main
Characteristis.
Fisst, we can identify an explict critigue of the root causes
of the social problems that we are facing, be it poverty,
lack of access 1o public services, racial profiling, ho-
mophabia, gentrifcation, environmental degradation and
the Tke. This explicit discussion links al of these prob-
lems t0 systems of exploitaion — capitalism, colonialism,
racism, patriarchy, heterosexism, etc. — that work together.
reinforce each other, and disadvantage the majority of the
World's population. From the anti-authoritarian perspec-
tive, is it mpossible o eradicate injustice unless. these.
systems are all dismanted. This s precisely what e are
earing now in th stcets when capitalism is named by the
‘Occupy Movement as the source of the loss of our Social
services, and when students oppose tition hikes because
of the capitalist logic of the commodification of ducation.
Second, we find an explicit critique of representative de-
mocricy and the State, as well 4 experimentation With
ew types of politial organization based on decentralised
horizontal direet democracy. This critique goes beyon
denouncing corruption Within traditional politcal nsti-
tations, and supersedes the notion that if we replace one
political pasy with another, things will be betier. I means
that people who e directly affected by politcal issue
must be involved in the decision-making process on that
issue. Anti-authoritaian activiss believe that society is
best managed closer (0 home, in smaller circls, in face-
to-face deliberation that occurs in spaces such % general
assemblies, consultas or spokescouncil meetings, through
decision-making by consensus, and through implementa-
tion of decisions by merber commitees. Al the core of
this movement are (o fundamental principles: self-deter-
mination and self-organisation. CLASSE is an excellent
example—albeit not a perfect one—of this kind of orga-
nizing: general assembliesare held in departments, CEGE-
PS and universtis, then delegates participate in weekly
spokes-council meelings Where they coordinate decisions
and actions. There are no represenatives, no presidents,
0 leaders, just people working together ind experiment.
ing with néw, empowering, horizontal, and equitabl social
elations. People who speak 10 the media, though perhaps
perceived as leaders, re simply spokespeople
“Third — last but notIeast — the moverne
0 one mode of expression but rather, we consider a rin-
bow of possibiiies when it comes time o take sctior
“This respect for a diversiy of tactis, which has been at
the heart of many controversial debales. is the result of
over ten years of work by anti-authoritirans to get this
principle aceepted by mainstream social moverments. This
21
ASTRUGGLEMAG
principle does not reston the idea that unyihing goes in any
iven situation, but imlies thl the debate about he legit
macy of various tactcs must oceur within the movement.
and should be decided for each situation by the people
taking action themselves. Certainly the media should not
make this decision for us. Indeed., we have all witnessed
ot many occasions how the mainstream media,along with
(end o create an image of the “good ver-
Sus the "bad” protestor in an effort 0 divide and congquer.
“This sratepy has been used again azainst the current su-
dentstike actvists However, or the irst time, movernent
“leaders” — or spokespeople — for the most part, have not
denounced tactics such as cconomic disruption., contrbut-
ing 10 the maintenance of & certain ity and srong sense.
of solidarty within the movermen.
“The politial culture described above is not consecrated
into & platform or rulebook. 1ts values and principles are
organic, spontancous, and constanty evolving. To return
0 the hizome metaphor, what happens underground or
unscen between moments of eruption of big shools is What
builds the strength and collective empowerment of these:
important moments. People are working every day, in their
communities — based on_neighbourhoods, workplaces.
Shared identiies or even just frend groups — o consoli
date 3 burgeoning organitational interface hat forms an
‘ani-authoritarian commons. I order to reduce depen-
dency on the capitalist economy, the movement sets up
Self-managed autonomous “services” — based on a mutual
aid model — o satisfy specific needs identified by commu-
nities, such as allermative media, bike repair, autonomous
libraries, collective Kitchens, or childeare collectives, 1o
name but 4 few. To conrol the means of production, the.
movement organizes self-managed cooperatives such a5
restaurants, book publishers, information technology pro-
viders, orginic Famers, electicians,etc. Finaly, in order
10 rediice dependency on mainstream media and cultural
institutions, the movement has its own journalists, essay-
ists, and researchers. as well s its own nformation sits.
communication networks, adio shows, zines and newspa:
pers. i also creates its own cultural nsttutions, such as the
anarchist theatre fesival, cabarets, video-making collec-
{ives, music venues or silk-screening spaces. And, because
one cannot separate the private from the public spheres of
life, antt-authoritarian principles are also fundamental (o
how Kinship is practiced in the movement: in collective
houses, intentional communidies, party networks, etc
Digging below ground level, we can see the anti-authori-
nituring the many smaller and
larger shoots that have begun erupling over the past ten
years. We can see wha the mainsiream media and public
opinion might not notice, such as the inks between what
otherwise may appear a5 fragmented groups and collec-
ives is an organisational interface that prefigures the kind
of political, social and economic institutions we are build-
ing not jus for tomorrow but also for today. This anti-au-
thoritarian commons is art of a poltial aternative based
o the two core principles of collective autonomy — self-
determination and self-orzanisation — where people are
aking things in their own hands instead of eaving them to
acornupt and disconnected corporate and sate leadership.
“This s What i now happening in neighbourhoodsall over
Montreal where we hear pots and pans banging thythimi-
cally in solidarty with the student stike and against the
Liberal government, and where people iee starting 10 0
nize in popular assemblies. These actions and assemblies
are the spreading shizomatic sprouts of alternative political
institutions
In 2001, we used to say, It didn’e start in Seatle, and it
won'tend with Quebec.” Pechaps now we might proclaim,
I didt start with Oceupy, and it won' end with the st
dent stike.” The student Stike has now evolved nto a na-
ional nd perhaps even international social movement that
‘20¢s beyond the original opposition o the tition hike. For
his shoot 1o become a full-grown. mature, fruit-bearing
plant - or even a wild forest! — et hope more and more.
people will engage in this politis of proximity inspred by
n ani-aurhortarian political cultue.
Note
“1.The use of theyfwe in this paper indicates that we are
making this contribution s participants i the anti-author-
itarian movement, and. within th a mem.
bers of 4 feminit research collectve called the Research
Group on Collective Autonomy (Collectifde recherct
Vautononse collective or CRAC) that is document
analyzing the movement. Using a prefigurative participa-
tory action research (PAR) methodology, e have inter
viewed 120 activists since 2005, in nine ifferent groups.
and networks, each of which has participated ot is parlici-
pating in the production of & monograph, from witng to
Validation o Lay-out and public launch.
CRAC s afflisted with the School of Community and
Public Affairs, Concordia University. Websit: wiew crac-
Kebecorg. Contact info@crac-kebec org,
CRAC members authoring this aricle are: Sundra Jeppe-
sen, Assistant Professor, Interdisciplinary Studies, Luke-
head University, Orillia; Anna Kruzynski, Assistant
Professor, Schiool of Community and Public Affirs, Con-
cordia University (anna knuzynski@ concordia.ca): Rachel
. Université de
Monirél
“Ordinarily, a_ person leaving a courtroom
with a conviction behind him would wear a
somber face. But I left with a smile. Tknew.
that T was a convicted criminal, but 1 was
proud of my crime
~- Martin Luther King Jr.
2
ISSUE 21
Solitary Confinement:
Torture Chambers for Black
Revolutionaries
aljazeers.com
“The torture technicians who developed the paradigm used
in (prisons’) “contol units” realised that they not only had to
separate those with leadership qualiies, but alo break those
individuals” minds and bodies and keep them separated untl
they are dead.” - Russell “Maroon” Shoats
Raussell “Maroon” Shoats has been kept in soltary confine-
ment in the state of Pennsylvania for 30 years after being.
elected president ofthe prison-approved Lifens” Associaion.
He s nitially convicted for his alleged role n an atack
auhortes claim was caied out by mlitant black actvists
o the Fairmont Park Police Staton in Philadelphia tht left
@ park sergeant dead.
Despite not having violated prison rules in more than two.
decades, state prison offiials refuse 0 reease him ito the
‘ceneral prison populaton.
Russells fanyily and supporters claim that the Pennsylvania
Department o Cortections (PA DOC) has unlawfully alered
the consequences of his riminal conviction.sentencing him
to.dic i soltary confinement 4 death imposed by decades
of no-touch tortue.
The severity of the conditions he is subjected o and the ex-
traondinary Tength of time they have been imposed for hus
sparked an international campaign 1o elease him from soli-
Ly confinemen & campign tht has quickly atracted the
supportof leading human righis Iegal organistions. such a5
the Centre for Consituional Rights and the National Law-
yers Guild.
Less than two months afler the campaign was formally
launched with events in New York City and London, Juan
Mendez, the United Nations Special Rapporteut on Torture
and Othér Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Pun-
ishment, ageeed to make an official inquiry into Shoats” 21
years of soltary confinement, sending 4 communication to
he US. State Department representatve in Geneva, Swit-
zerland.
What the liberals won't tell you
‘While the state of Pennsylvania bas remained unmoved in
this matter o far, some in the U.S. government are inally
catching on. Decaides afte rights activists st began o efer
o the practce of olitary confinement as “torture.” the Sen-
ate Judiciary subcommitie on the consitution, vl rights
‘and human rights held a hearing on June 19 to “reassess”
the fscal, security and human costs of locking prisoners into
ting, windowles cels for 23 hours 4 day.
Needless 10 say.the hearing echoed in @ whisper what hu-
man rights defenders have been shouting for nearly an entire
‘peneration: that sensory deprivation, lack of socal contact,
4 near total absence of zeitzebers and resricted access 1o all
inteleetual and emotional stimuli re an evil and unproduc-
tive combination.
‘The hearing opened a spate of debate: with newsppers in
Los Angeles, New York, Washington DC, Tennessee. Pts-
burgh, Ghio and elsewhere seizing the occasion fo denounce
the practice a5 “orture” and call for 4 reversal of a 30-year
rend tht has shattered — 4t minimun —tens of thousands
of people’s lives inside the vast US. prison archipelago.
But as happens with virtwally al pison-elated stores in the
US.mainstseam media, the two most important words were
lefl unprinted. unuttered: race and revolution
Any discusion on solitary confinement begins and ends
with & number: a prisaner i kept in his or her cell 23 or 24
hours per day, allowed theee showers every week and served
thtee meals o day. According t0 @ report by UN torure rap-
porteus Mendez. prisoners should not be hld i iolation for
more than 15 days a a stcech. But in the U.S., i is typical
for hundreds of thousands of prisoners o pass in and out of
solitary confinement for 30 of 60 days at 4 time each year.
Human Rights Watch estimated tha thre were approsiomate-
Iy 20,000 prisoners being held in Supermax prisons, which
areentie facilties dedicated to soltay confinementor ear-
solitary. I is estimated that at least 80,000 men, women and
even children are being held in Solitary confinement on sny
iven day in U.S. jils and prisons.
Unknown thousands have spent years and. i some cases.
decades in such isolation, including more than S00 prisoners
held in Californias Pelican Bay stae prison for en years
Peshaps the mostnotorious case of allis that of the Angola 3,
three Black Panthers who have been held n solitary confine-
ment i Louisiana for more than 100 years between the three
of them. While Robert King was eléased after 29 years in
olitary, his comrades — Albert Woodfox and Herman Wal.
lace — focently began their 40th years in soliary confine-
ment, despite an ongoing Lawsuit Challenging their solation
and s growing international movement fortheir freedom that
has been supported by Amnesty Internaional.
But all these numbers fl to mention what Robert Slem
Holbrook, who was sentenced 1o i without parole s &
16-year-oid juvenile and has now spent the majorty of his
Ve behind Bars, pointed out: *Given the control unis' rick.
secord in diving men crazy. i is notsurprising tha the ma-
joityof prisoners sent into i are either poiically conscious
23
ASTRUGGLEMAG
prisoners, prson lawyers, or rebellous young prisoners. It
15 this cliss of prisoners that occupies ihe control units in
prison systems across the United States.™
Holbrook's observation is anything but surprising 10 those
familiar with the routine violatons of prisoners’ human
rights within U.S. juls and prisons. The prison discipline
tudy, a mass national survey assessing formal and nformal
punitive practices in U.S. prisons conducted in 1989, con-
cluded that “solitary confinement, Ioss of privileges, physi-
cal beatings” and other orms of deprivation and harassment
Wwere “common disciplinary practices” that were “tendered
routinely, caprciously and brutally” in maximurn-security
US. prisons.
“The study also note receiving “hundreds of comments from
prisoners” explaning tht jailhouse wyers who fle griev-
‘inces and lwisuis about abuse and poor conditions were the
most frequently tarzeted. Black prisoners and the mentally
I were also targeted for espectally harsh treamen. This
patter of guard brutalty” was “consistent with the vastand
varied body of post-was Tterature, demonstating hat guard
use of physical coercion s highly Sructured and deeply en-
renched in the guand subculure.
Race and revolution
But while broad patterns can be discemed, these are the
numbers that are missing: how many of those in soltary
confinement are black? How many are sell-taght Lawyers,
ducators or political acivists? How many iniiated hunger
Surkes, which have long been anathema o theprison admin-
istation” How many were caught up in the FBLorzanised
dragnet that hauled ihousands of community leaders, actv-
st and thinkers ino the maws of the US. “Justice” system
during the Black liberation movement of the 19605 and
197057
Former Warden of Urited States Penitentiary Marion, the
prototype of modem supermax-syle solitary confinement,
Ralph Arons, has sated: “The purpose o the Marion Control
Uit s to onirol revolutionary atlitudes inthe prison system
andin'the society at lage.
One of these revolutionaries is Russell “Maroon” Shouts,
the founder of the Black Uity Council, which lter merged
with the Philadelphia chapter of the Black Panther Pary. He
was frst jiled in early 1970, Hailing from the gang-war-
tom steeis of West Philadelphia, Shoats escaped twice from
prison system. firstfrom Huntngdon state prison in Septem-
ber 1977 and then again in March 1980,
Shoats” escapes — the first of which lasted a full 27 days,
despite a massive national search complete wih helicopters,
dogs and vigilante groups from predominanly white com-
munities surrounding th prison — carned him the nickname
“Maroon. i honour of slaves whabroke avay from planta-
tions in Surinam, Guyana and lter Jamaica, Brazil and other
colonies and established soversign communities on the out-
it of the whie seter zones
Lt was not until Shoats was elected president ofthe prs-
on-approved Lifers’ Organisation in 1982 — the closest thing
102 union for inmates. through which they demanded basic
rights such s proper visiting hours, aceess (0 legal docu-
mnts and healthierfood thit he prison system decided he
Was a “threat” t0 administrative sabilty and placed him in
olitary confinement.
For the past 0 years, Maroon has been transferted from one
“torture chambér” o another, where his best effots (0 inter.
‘act with his fellow prisoners or esurreet his old study ses-
ions for the younger generation are thwarted a every turn.
In 2006, the US. had an incarceration rate for black males.
that was mor than five-and-o-haf times rcater than that of
‘South Afrca a the end of the apartheid era in 1993.
Yet most mainstream autborities on the prison system in
the U, such as the eminent scholar Michelle Alexander,
whose baok The New Jin Crow Suggests that the prison
System i racally “biased” — do not come close 1o oiching.
on the phenomenon of poltical prsoners. lt alone on the
inmates who take up the cudgels on beblf of ther fellow
detainees and attempt 10 carve outniches of fustic ina mas-
Sive chamber of error.
The discussion of solitary confinement 35 & violaton of a
basic human right comes five decades after Malcolm X first
began o preach that black people in America should take
thei grievances not (o the U'S. Supreme Court, but 0 the
United Nations, 0 appeal not for ivl rights, s white bour-
‘seois palance Wwould have t, but for basic human ghts, 5
‘acolonised people.
He argued not for “integration” ino & system that had bru-
talised and enslaved *Africans in America” for years, but
foran averhaul of that system and a transie of power away
from those who created and maintained t. Not master wilk-
ing hand-in-hand with slave, but an end (0 mastery and slav-
ery altogether. As a black revolutionary, Malcolm X's words
Were lagely painied over by mainsireqm historians. But if
the strugele 0 end inhumane tratmsent insid prison st be-
ome anything more than s argely apolitical movemen for
so-called “civi rghts,” it must put two long:gnored points
back on the agenda: ace and revolution.
Kanya D' Almeida is an edior for the Inter Press Service
(IPS) News Agencs, currenly bsed in Colombo. Si Lanka.
Bret Grote is an investigator with the Hiuman Rights Coal
ion, a Pennsylvania-based prison abofitionis and prisoner
rights organisation
The views expressed inthis articl are the auhor's own and
o not ecessarily reflect Al Juzeera’ ediorial poicy
24
ISSUE 21
One Year After Historic
Hunger Strike, Isolated
California Prisoners
Report Little Change
BY SAL RODRIGUEZ
soltarywatch.com
Atthis ime one year ago,a three week hunger strke scross
Culifornia prisons had been concluded. and the California
Assembly had begun planning a hearing on the use of soli-
tary confinement in California's prisons.
“The conditions of the California Security Housing Units,
where over 3000 inmates are held in isoltion, many for
decades, had come 10 the public’ attention.
In the time since August 2011, there would be another
round of three week hunger strikes, a smaller series of
hunger strikes t the Corcoran Administrative Segregation
Unit, 2 new “Step Down Progran” announced in Califor-
nia, 4 federal Luwsuit il by Pelican Bay SHU inmates,
anda US. Senate hearing on solitary confinemen.
Even so, the situation in the SHUS and ASUs remains.
imuch s it did one year ago. A few concessions by prison
officials, such as issuing sweatpants and allowing fanily
photos. did nothing to change the problem of long-term
Isolation and non-existent due process.
I should be reterated that in Califoria, the majority of
SHU inmates are not necessarily there for conduct, but for
ang membership.
Ina leter o California actvists, Pelican Bay hunger strike.
leader Alfred Sandoval teports Teeling like “just bunging.
my head against the wall because nothing ever changes
around here. Right now the Department of Corruption and
the current administration have been attemping to pacify
prisoners with ifems...ic. sweats. watch caps. and Various
Tood items from canicén-in hopes of distracting us
He continues, “the sad fact s that some have been compla-
cont and aceepted the physical and psychological abuses
‘s normal because it has been implemented in small incre-
ments over decades, year afer year so it has become the.
Kolated inmates throughout Californa continue to report
desolate condiions and more-of-the-same.
According 1o one inmate n the Corcoran Sate Prison SHU,
“The reality s there s 4 significant nurmber of us for whom
death holds no real fear, n fact, in some ways—as an al-
temative to another few decades of this—it hokds some
appeal. I it becomes necessary to take up peaceful pro-
e again—and it's unfortunately looking that Way—You
may be writing alot more Chrstian Gomez artcles...Most
here only want (o, afte 50 very long, hold ther children,
Kiss their wives, speak 10 their fumilics, and have access (@
some meaningful program that will give them some hope
of parole, higher education, and marketable job skills But
Al1Of this i indicarive o a sick society, of values and mo-
res that have never been seriously and conronted and cor-
sected i the history of U.S. social. political. and economic:
development.™
Chiistian Gomez was an inmate n Corcoran State Prison’s
ASU who died while participating in & January-Feburary
hunger strike protesting the conditions of the ASU.
One of the leaders of the Corcoran ASU stike. Juan Jui-
mes, was transfered during the strike (0 Kern Viley State
Prison’s ASU unit s & means o limitng the srike. Jaimes.
secenily reported to the San Francisco Bay View that he
has received poor medical care for a broken back.
Another Corcoran inmate who has been in the SHU for
over 20 years also reports doubts about the Step Down
Program, and thinks thit there willbe o changes. He also.
offers hi opinion on the alidity of the SHU in the frst
place, echoing the sentiments of many SHU inmaes that
ny uke of isolation should be based on conduct rather than
‘ang affliation.
don't think anyone should be housed in isolation for
more than a few Weeks, if at al, and without meaningful
program. SHU should consist of a system that includes.
caming meaningful privileges, and 4 dignified manmer in
being released. The SHU should be used for exactly the
purpose that it is supposed to be used for: to house those.
prisoners who conduct threatens the safety and security of
the prison.” he wites
An inmate ot North Kern State Prison's Administrative
Segegation Unit reports that bimself and several inmates
have waited over 4 year (o be transferred to one of the
SHUS. “The waiting list can take up to three years, e
been here 15 months du o the overcrowding by the L.G.1
(Insitutional Gang Investigators) validating everybody a5
prison gang members.” he wrics. “a lot of s New Afri-
kans, Latin Amerikans, poor whites and indigenous people:
have been Iabeled for reading our culture and hisory
Tve witnessed men lose theis minds behind these walls,
cul their wrists o Kill themselves in order 1o escape this
mental torture, spread feces on themselves and the walls,
yell out and scream, some are on psychotropic medication
hat Causes them to trn nto human zombies where they
don't even know who they are anymore.”
Solitary Watch will continue to report on the situation in
California as information becomes available.
25
ASTRUGGLEMAG
Short Corridor Collective
Announces Agreement to
End Hostilities
from hungenstrikesolidariy wordpres com
Representatives o the CA Hunger ke isued 8 stte-
et calling for an end 10 ll violnce and Bty be-
tween different groups of prisoners throughout the stae of
(CA from maximum security prisons o county jils.
The statement asks prisoners to unite beginning October
10,2012
“The full statement s reprinted below.
Agreement to End
Hostilities August 12,2012
“To whom it may concern and all California Prsoners:
Greetings from the entire PBSP-SHU Short Corridor Hun-
e Sirke Representatives. We are hereby presenting this
mutual agrcement on behalf of al racial groups here in the
PBSP-SHU Corridor. Wherein, we have arrved at a mu-
wal ageeement concerning the following points:
L. I we really want o bring sbout substantive meaning
ful changes 1o the CDCR system in & manner ben-
eficial 0 all solid individuals, who have never been
broken by CDCR's torture tactics ntended 1o coerce
one (0 become 4 state informant via debriefing. that
ow s the time to or us o collectively seize this mo-
mentin e, and put an end (0 more than 2030 years
of hostiiies between our racal 2roups.
Therefore, beginning on October 10, 2012, al hos-
ilties betiven our racial groups.
General Population, and County Jails, will officially
ease. This means that from this daté on, all racial
‘eroup hostiltes need o be t an end...and if personal
issues arise between individuals, people need to do all
they can to exhaust all diplomatié means o settle such
disputes; do not allow personal. ndividual ssues o
escalate nto racial group issues!!
We also want to warn those in the General Popula-
n that 1G] will contnue o plant undercover Sensi-
ive Needs Yard (SNY) debriefer “inmates” amongst
the solid GP prisoners with orders from IG to be in-
formers, snitches. rats, and obstructioniss, in order
10 attempt to disrupt snd undermine our collective
‘eroups” mutual understanding on issues intended for
our mutial causes [ie., forcing CDCR 1o open up
all GP main lines, and etun (0 4 rehabiltativ-type
system of meaningful programs/privileges, including
Tier conjugal viits, etc. via peaceful protest actvity/
noncooperation e ¢ hunger Strike. no labor, . etc |
People need 10 be aware and vigilant 0 such tactics,
and refuse to allow such 1GI inmate snitches 1o
ate chaos and reigaite hostlities amongst our racial
In conclusion, we mustall hold trong o our mutual gree-
ment rom his point on and focus our time, atention. and
energy on mutual causes benefcial o al of s [i.,prison-
ers], and our bestinerests
‘We can no longer allow CDCR 10 use us against ach other
for their benefit!! Because the reality i that collectively.
We are an empowered. mighty force, tht can positvely
change this entirecorrupt sysiem o 4 system that seually
benefis prisoners, and thereby, the public a a whole...and
we simply cannot allow CDCRICCPOA — Prison Guard's
Union, IGI, ISU, OCS, and SSU. 0 continue (0 get away
Wil their constant form of progeessive oppression and
Warehousing of tens of thousands of prisoners. ncluding.
the 14000 (+) plus prisoners held in solitary confinement
torture chambers [ie. SHU/AG-Seg Unis], for decades!!!
We sen
heat
our love and respects o al those of ike mind and.
‘onward in strugele snd solidarity.
Presented by the PBSP-SHU Short Corridor Collective:
Todd Ashker, CS8191, DL 119
Arturo Castellanos, CI7275, DI-121
Sitawa Nantambu Jamaa (Dewberry), C35671, D1-117
Antonio Guillen, PS1948. D2-106
And the Representatves Body:
Danny Troxell, BT6STS. DI-120
George Franco, D46556, DA-217
Ronnie Yandell, V27927, D4.215
Paul Redd, BT2683, D217
James Baridi Willison, D348 D4-107
Alfred Sandoval, D6100G. D4-314
Louis Powell, B39864. DI-104
Alex Yrigollen, 32421, D2-204
Gabriel Huerta, C80766. D:
Frank Clement, DO7919. D3.116
Raymond Chavo Perez, K129
Jarmes Mario Perez, BAR186, D
[NOTE: All names and the ststement must be verbatin
When used & posted on any website or media, or non-me-
dia, publications]
ISSUE 21
Suicide in Solitary:
The Death of Alex Machado
BY SAL RODRIGUEZ
soltarywatch.com
Alexis “Alex” Machado was a prisoner at Pelican Bay
State Prison’s isolation units for nearly (o years wher
0ok his own life on October 24,2011
According (0 the autopsy report, Machado was last seen
alive at approximately 12:15 AM “as he was examined
‘and then cleared by medical Saf for & complaint of heart
palpitations ™ Thirty minutes later, at 12:45 AM, an offi-
Cer found Machado and reported that
hanging
Machado [was]
"THe was seen “Sitting on the floor
ied o the top
side bis cell
Concluded the autopsy: “The decedent died as a result of
asphyxiation due to Strangulation by hanging.” Toxicology
Tepors Were negative.
As institutional records and letters from Machado in the
yearleading up to his death show, he had been suffering sc-
Lere paychological problems in response 1o his prolonged
isolation. Once a jailhouse Tawyer Whose writings were
both clearly and inteligently composed, his mental sate
would decline at Pelican Bay
Machado had been incarcerated since 1999 on a rob-
bery charge and related shooting. He was sentenced to
an 80-to-lfe prison term. Described as an intelligent and
thoughtful man with a warm smile by his siser, Cynthia,
he generally experienced no problems in his nitial 11
years of incarceration. For most ofhis time, he was held at
Kern Valley State Prson.
‘Things began to change in ate 2007, when a race iot ook
place. “The prison said he was the one who started the
riot” according to Cynthia, “when he really had nothing
10.do with i
His involvement n theriot would esultn his being placed
in' Adminisiraive Segregation Unit (ASU) in December
2007. Though he was never offcially found guily for the
ot prison wang investigators would begin [0 build a case:
for s validation a5 gang menber.In December 2008, he
e ASU again for “manufacturing a weap-
2009, confidential informant was official-
Iy cited by prison offcials a evidence of his gang activity.
He was finally validated as o gang associate, in large part
due to the confidential informant, on February 4, 2010 In
his appeal of the validation, he argued that the Souce fems
usedin his validation were insuffcient,saying that “these.
allegations are not true and | intited nothing.™
He further charzed in his appeal that his validution as &
‘zang member was in retaliation of his acquittal n the racial
He was sent o Pelican Bay to serve.
sentence on Februry 17, 2010 from the Ke
adeterminate SHU
Valley ASU.
Being screened into Pelican Bay. he reported no psycho-
logical problems.
‘Soon afte ariving, however, he reported i letters that he
was consistentl harassed by the guards. In leter dated
March 10, 2010, he wrote that “when | st go here an of-
ficer told e that he was being pressured to make a bogus
psychologist referral on me...1 guess they ant o make it
ook like T am going crazy." He reported that puards took
himn to debrief inan attempt o make him look Like an nfor-
mant_Futher, he was (old that a green ight (hitorder) had
been placed on him: claim that he dida't believe.
AnASU classifcation document indicates that h received.
Some mental health services in May 2010, and previously
in October 2009.
Amental health chronos indicates his first significant prob-
lem at Pelican Bay surfaced on January 24, 2011 with a
mental health referrl from a correctional offcer for para-
noia.” Al beginning in January, he was noted to have de-
creased the number of showers he took, from a regulas of
three a week 1o only once of tice @ Week.
He received a 115 (rules violation report) on March 1,
2011 Tor "willfully resisting” officers after “fishing line"
for communication with other inmates was found and he
sefused to “cuff up-" He told the health care worker who
Saw him after his extraction with pepper spray that I want
You o put down that they ace denying m legal mail”
On May 31,2 mentl healthreferal eported that he “staed
e i being atched. isened o, cell has bugs and cameras.
He also stated he hears knocking on al his cell walls
Things would decline sigaificantly in June. On June Sh,
2 mental health record reports that he was depressed. anx-
fous, poor hygienelgeooming. hallucinations, pardnoia and
delusion. He reported that is presenting complints were
niety atacks, Some-
listed as “hearing voices, can't skeep
onelsomething contrlling thoughis,
three days.
Days late he would receive another referral for ansiety
‘and reporting increased heart rate and breathing. On
12, he was placed in a crsis room for threatening to kill
hignselr
“The following is from a Counseling Chrono dated June 21,
2011
27
ASTRUGGLEMAG
“On Thurssday, June 16, 2011 4t 1440 hours 1 was sum-
moned 1o the cell of fnmate Machado...by Repistered
Nurse._.Upon looking in the cell window, I observed a
noose hanging from the air duct. 1 observed the No-Tear
Mattress ying on the el loor torn apart. | ordered Mach-
ado 1o submit 1o handeuffs. o which he complied. Afier
handeuing Machado I placed him in holding cell #136 s0
Dr. N could speak with him. 1 returned to cell 158 and ob-
served feces smeared on the right wall. I sppears Machado
had torm off the outer layer of the mattres, fashioned 3
noose from it and tied the noose (0 the vent.
Just days after the incident, he was issued & notce that he
would be placed in Pelican Bay's Administrative Segrega-
tion Unit:
You were endorsed by the CSR on 0204110 to serve an
indeterminate SHU term, due (© your validation as an As-
Sociate of the _.prison gan...On 06/2211. your Mental
Health Level of Care (LOC) was elevated 6 Correctional
Clinical Case Management (CCCMS), PBSP-SHU Ex-
clusionary: therefore, your placement in PBSP-SHU is no
longer appropriate. Due 10 the above, on 062211, a dec
sion was made 10 place you in the PBSP Administrative
Segregation Unit. Single celled due to prison zang valida-
ion.
By June 30, he was deemed to have “active psychotic
symptoms” but had a low risk of suicide.
On July 6 he threw his breakfast through his food port and
refused breakfast the next day. On the date of the incident
a referral indicated "inappropriate behaviors.” “hallucinat-
ing” and “poor impulse control." The referra] notes that he
believed “clectromagnetic pulses are interfering with his
thoughts.™
A mental healih document says later that “The] is believed.
10 in a desperate sitation with an equal amount o ansi-
ety During ICC in Ad Seg, he refused the debriefing pro-
s hence his situation appears (0 be deferiorating pos-
Sibly leading to [his] cureent stat of mind.”
In June and July. he was variously diagnosed with Ani-
social Personality Disorder and Briet Psychotic Disorder.
According (0 his sister, though he was offcially granted
a vegetarian die for relgious reasons, he would primar-
ily subsist on an unhealthy cheese-only diet due to his be-
in allergic 1o peanuts,the other primiry component of &
prison vegetarian food iray. This i believed by his sstr to
have ben one of the factorsthat conributed to the already
physically and mentally stresful environment.
Machado’s sister noticed her once coherent and seem-
ingly adjusted brother decline i his e at Pelican Bay.
iced he started writing strange things. about seeing
things” she says. Around this time, she and her mother
called Pelican Bay after teceiving a despondent leter from
Alex. “T'm afraid for my son's fife.” Machado's mother
told one of his mental health counselors.
‘Though CDCR has previousl
that e was not 4 partiipan
Machado family believes tht
the strikes. He reportedly men
in etters sent 0 his family.
gone on the record to say
he hunger stikes. the
he in fact dd paricipate in
foned the strike many times
I ate July or early Augus, he sent a leter (0 his sister
claiming that he saw “someone 1 know and 1 saw another
in picces and demons...1 don't know the siznificance of
it hope it was a hallic He wrote that was taken
o the infrmary for leg pains, where he further wrote:
“I was handeuffed in a cell and was being watched by two
officers I never scen before...I Was handeuTed for what
Seemed like an eternity 1 el ike I was n that room hand-
culfed for days but it Was only an bour...the shooing in
imy case fashed in my mind and they suggested 1 died that
day i the shooring and that 1 was now in “purgatory” or in
“Dianes Inferno. elt trapped. | thought 1 was condénmned.
10be handeuTed inthatcel frever. They miade me beleve:
Twas Killed in real life. 1 thought I was caught i another
sealm, L saw insects in the cll and demons. It was way out
Tdon't know what happened.
Also writien while at Pelican Bay. Machado reflected on
his decade long incarceration, writing ™I wish my ife was
different and that we could a1l be out there together...1
don’t know what to do. T'm stuck and T have been away
from home for long time now.
i the final months of his lfe., he would continue (0 spend.
over 22 hours 4 day in o small cell. His leters came less
‘and lss frequenly. During his time at Pelican Bay. be told
his family not o make the over T00-mile trip to Visit him.
He didn't want them (0 see him in chains.
Though his leters in the two months leading to his death
were increasingly distorted. he did have some glimmer of
hope. He had secured a lawyer who was in the process of
ehallenging his original criminal convicton.
His sister describes his plight this way, It takes one inmate.
informant to report you falsely. Then you are in solitary
confinement. When you want o fight fo get out it is impos-
“Truth has a power of its own...A poem can
inspire a movement. A pamphlet can spark
W evolution, Civi disobediénce can rouse
people and provoke us to think
~Howard Zinn
28
ISSUE 21
sible because of all the torture that goes on i there physi-
cally and menall
Afier years of isolation, paranoia,
ion, He took his life.
d pradual deteriora-
“He was a loving brother, son, and uncle.__rased by 4 sin-
sle mother and got lost i the system,” says Cynthia. “He
Wanied to be treaed fair
Central Prisoners Vote
to End Hunger Strike
prisonbooksinfo,
We received word that prisoners at Central in Raleigh vor-
e 10 end their hunger ke, started on July 16 in protest
of conditions on Unit 1, We have not heard from prisoners
at Berte or Scotland. Small groups of prisoners i Foot-
hills C1 and Tabor CT have also said they have joined the
protest
The srike was organized 10 take aim at the fundamental
‘conditions of sensory deprivation, psychological and phys-
ical torture, and abise that characterize salitary confine-
ment, and for (hat matter, prisons in general. Ii was also
catalyzed by the need for law libraries for prisoners (0 be
able 1o be better organized and defend themselves in the
legal tealm.
‘Some of the short term demands of prisoners. such s tools
with which to clean cells, clearing the Windoiws o the out-
side, and other demands have already been pranied, but
moré significant demands have been put o the unit manag-
erand have yet 1 be addressed. For he stikers involved.
Seems like this stike Was & Way (o gamer much nceded &
tention towards theie conditions, as well a demonstzae (o
other pritoners that it is indeed possible to
Tines of race or gang status, and 10 do 50 with meaningful
support and solidarity from the outside
At least one of the strikers, Jamey Wilkins, who has also
been active n a successful Lowsuit against guards, s ucing
seprisals for his involvement in organizing aci
spite not having write-ups or infractions, he is b
ommended for Supermax. Outside supporers are strongly
encouraged to continue tocall in or demonstrate on his and
others” behalf.prison officials are trying (0 send 4 warning
1 others who Would organize or rebel, and they must be
opposed resolutly
I related news, several o the “Strong 8” prisoners, eight
men who refused to coninue o work in the face of unad-
dressed labor grievances in Central’s kitchens, have been
taken off I-Con status and allowed back to gencral popula-
tion, despite their involvement in the hunger strke.
Others have remained on solitary due (0 (the admin.
claims) infractions.
“This hunger stike has gamered a good deal of atention,
and the support and solidarity of a umber diverse groups.
‘A least four solidarity demonsirations have occurred, a5
ell as a prowing swellof support from alternative and so-
al media sources and call-in days from all over the coun-
y. So it seems appropriae to end this update with some
words of thanks from the strikers with regards to outside
Support and protest
0 had assumed that the strike was over uniilFriday when |
heard it on NPR! I'm going 1o practce solidariy with my
fellow activists abroad and push out 2 o 3 days... really
appreciate you guys on your activism and bringing things
together. Siay solid!” - Foothills CI, Morganton, NC
“I've been housed on Unit 1 since May 15 2009 for assault
o police back in 2007. So T know all the bulshitthat goes
on here at cental o unit 1.1 heard y"all by my cell window
‘2ood around 1 pm or 130 pm on’ Sunday. but 1 couldn’t
understand the words that was said because everybady on
unit one was Kicking their cell doors.” — Central Prison,
Raleigh, NC
“Keep up the good work al the up and tell everybody e
do rally, really appreciate all the help of stepping up for
prisoners period.” - Central Prison, Raleigh, NC
told a couple guys about the hunger stike and we began
alitle something of our own. I only like four of us, but
fouris plenty ™~ Tabor CI, Tabor City, NC
“Thank your for the dem! 1 heard it from outside. The
solidarty is fell.” - Central Prison, Raleigh, NC
“We heard y'alll T was ready to go all ou
on, Raleigh, NC
Central Prs-
Hopefully this srike can be seen and felt s a begins
Not (0 editorialize, but we would uge fellow supporters
o the outside not 1o see this Sort of flare-up as a Simple
quest for certain demands, ke toilet brushes or cleaner
Windows or even law libraries. This kind of moment, even
on the small scale in which it has occurred here, car only
be fully understood as a strugele for dignity and freedom in
the face ofthe lrgest and arguably the most brutal system
of policing and human warchousing in the history of the
World. The forms of these moments il prow and change:
it may be a hunger strike today and 4 Fot tomorrow, or &
quiet study proup the next day. But the content of ihese
truggles, at least for some, remains a burning desice for
Tiberty set against an institutonal maix of pety tyrannies
and genocidal abuses that characterize all prisons every
Where.
29
ASTRUGGLEMAG
Supporters Rally for
Albert Woodfox
Angola 3 supporters_filled
the'federal courtzoom in Ba-
ton Rouge. LA, from May 29
through May 31 for Albert
Woodfox's evidentiary. bear-
ing on racial discrimination in
the selection of the grand jury
foreperson in West Feliciana
Pasish, where in 1993 Wood-
fox was rindicted for the 1972
mueder of & prison guard.
Woodfox sat at the defense
table with his team of atorneys,his feet shackled and with
one hand chained o his waist with two prison guards sitting
Justa few feet behind him, yet several imes he managed
10 acknowledze the family, riends and supportes who had
taken offfrom work and school o be n the coutroom.
“The fist day of the hearing, bus of supporters a
st from New Orleans joined others from all round Loui-
siana, s well 2 from New York City: Houston; Oakland,
(Culif: Alanta; and Memphis, Tenn. [ternation support”
ers were there from Britan, Scotland and Ireland.
Sitting in the courtzoom each day were Robert King, the
only Treed member of the Angola 3: Woodfox's brother,
Michael Mable: Black Panther historian Billy X Jennings.
publisherof s about Time BPP" activit and playwrighi
bamell Herbert, whose play. “The Angola 3.” was recent-
Iy produced in New Orleans: Gordon Roddick from Re-
pricve in Britain: Southern University law professor An-
sela A Allen-Bell; Everette Harvey Thompson, Amnesty
International’s Southern regional director n Atlanta: and
Mualimu Johason, with the Capital Post Conviction Proj-
eetin New Orleans.
‘Woodfox's case began 40 years ago, deep in rural southern
Louisiana, when he and two other young Black men, Her-
man Wallice and Robert King, were silenced for exposing
sacialsepregation,systematic corruption and horrific abuse
in the biggest prison in the U.S. at that time, an 18.000-
acre, former slave plantation called Angola
Protests such as hunger strikes and work stoppages were
organized by prisoners, s were political education classes.
‘Achapter of the Bluck Panther Party was formed. Prison-
ers called for inestigations to uncover numerous uncon-
titutional and inhumane practices.
After a prison guard was killed in a 1972 rebellon, off-
als framed the three acivists and threw them into Solitary
confinement. King was released from prison in 2001, but
‘Woodfox and Wallace remin in solitary confinement to
thi day and are continuing t0 ight their convictions
Solitary confinement and racism
“The matter heard in court was the issue of racial disrimi-
nation n the selection of the grand jury foreperson in 1993,
when Woodfox was reindicted for the guard s murder, aftes
having had his conviction tossed out n 1992,
“The foreperson of the arand jury that ndicted Woodfox for
his 1998 rerial was white.
‘Woodfo'slawyers presented expert estimony on the con-
sistent undertepresentation of Alrican Americans as grand
jury Torepersons compared to their numbers i the general
population and pool of cligible voters.
“The hearings were presided over by Judge James A. Brady.
the same jude who overturned Woodfox's conviciion the
second time in 2008. Brady i expecied o rule before the
end of 2012,
April 17 was the 40th anniversary of the Angola 3 being.
heldin solitary confinement — held every day for 40 years
inasix-by-nine-foot cell These cruel and debiltating con-
ditions are internationally considered torture.
Adelegation of Angola 3 supporters joined Amnesty Inter-
co'at the Louisiana stte Capitol
on April 17. They then submitted to Gov. Bobby Jindal's
office more than 67000 petition signdtures from people
in 125 countries urging that Woodfox and Wallace be re-
moved from solitary confinemen. Jindal refused to meet
With the delegation.
Ina statement, Thormpson argued that “the 40-year isolated
incarceration of these two men is scandalous. There s o
legitimate penal purpose for keeping these men in solitary.
Louisians suthorities must end this inhumanity.”
Thirty-three people stood ina line on the Capitol steps. cach
e leter to form the message: “40 YEARS OF
“40 YEARS OF TORTURE!"
“The story of the Angola 3 has been spotlighted by many
media outlets. There are two new art exhibits focusing on
the Angola 3: “The House That Herman Built” and “The
Deeper They Bury Me, The Louder My Voice Becomes.
Aplay — “The Angols 3" — writien by New Orleans ni-
ive Parnell Herbert, has been produced in New Orleans
and Houston.
Information on the case of the Angola 3 can be found on
Facebook as well 8 at Angola3Action.org: Angola3.org:
and Angola3News blogspot com.
30
ISSUE 21
Gaza Talks
ANONYMOUS|
as i walk through the check-points-
PSS! fires at me.
i grimace, flashing the papers that allow me
10 get to my destination
i never make eye contact,
only press my paper on the gates.
we're all in uniforms.
weapons surround us as we weave through traffic/
long lines of lost souls
trekking through the fog of
broken lives,
broken hearts and
hard life sentences.
afew rebels are sprinkled in the mix.
lethargy surrounds me.
P've been able to blend in.
only slightly detectable
when my fice goes stone at the sounds of
“RIGHT SIDE OF THE LINE!
SINGLE FILE!"
¥'m shuffled back into place that
atleast 905% of my surroundings don’t know exist,
even though the guards are the same,
the walls are the same,
the mentalites are the same and.
the slow motion genocide is the EXACT same!
the beast continues to chomp away at the
people whom are less fortunate
P'm part of the few that have
merged with the feelings of rage of the oppressed!
Suheir Hammad's poetry has become a
Bible Study in my daily walk.
i pass the check points/gates/cages
and almost fail to realize
This is MeConnell Unit
(and not Palestine)
which is like Polunsky
which i like Telford
which is like Michaels-
the prototypes
of a new oppression:
conirol unit prisons!
boxes within boxes within boxes.
we have apartheid here too!
we smuggle tastes of freedom under our clothes too!
we hustle for extra food too!
Justtrying to
reclaim those feclings of
humanity stripped from our fingertips.
my face contors at orders and.
those that accept them with no rejection.
atleast give me some disdain.
our annihilation has become 4 sugar-coated bormb.
in our gluttony and ignorance
we greedily gobble down the
high cholesterol laws and policies
that are slowly
erecping through our valves
‘getting ready to
STRANGLE OUR HEARTS!
there has been no true cease fire.
Just as Israel has increased the
number of settlers in the West Bank
from 190.000 to more than half a million
Texas has bult over 120 prisons
over a span of 20 years.
137 prisons total
political minded prisoners should be sprouting abun-
dantly!
Texas and Gaza are fraternal twins separated at birth-
Both spawning concentration camp like conditions
amerika can't swallow the Intifada breathing down
their door.
we must tap into the wind of
international consciousness
which brings our pain to ONE inhale
and our actions into ONE exhale.
¥'ve overridden my prison #'s with
Arabic tattooed on my neck-
my body
(chest o back)
i now a billboard for revolutionary messages.
assacre is unfolding in slow motion
and not even death
should stop us
from trying to rewind this
fucked up story
which has become our
LIFE!
31
ASTRUGGLEMAG
Samidoun Statement on
Prisoners Justice Day
samidoun.ca
August 10, Prisoners” Justce Day, was initated by prison.
ers'at Milliaven Maximum Security Penitentary in 1976
s a day o remember all of the men, women and youth
who have dicd inside Canadian prisons. and 10 dra\v gt
tention to the conditons that contrbut t0 prisoner deaths.
Thousands of prisoners across Canada went on 4 one day
hunger strike o protestthe deaths of prisoners and. in par.
ticular, the use of solitary confinement, and supportes ot
side el vigils and fass outsde prisons across the country.
i the ensuing years, prisoners n the U S and Europe also
joined in 23 hou fasis on August 10 for justice, dignity and
‘gainst solitary conting represiion
36 years later, on Prison Justice Day 2012, Samidoun Pal
estinian Prisoner Solidarity Network stands in solidarty
Wil prisoners in Canada and around the world siugelin
forjustice on this day. We note in partcular that the prison
system disproportionately affects Indigenous people and
‘communitis, and has been a weapon of colonialism and
destruction further uprooting Indigenous nations from
thei land. Prisons continue 10 reflct the horrors of the
residential schools, as people, families and communities
affected by residential Schools continue to be frequently
criminalized today.
Refugee claimants, migrants, asylum seekers, racialized
and oppressed communities are Subject to detention and
imprisonment, and heavily criminalized_physically in
prisons and through government thetori i Canada. The
Greation of securky cerificate regimes and other forms
of “anti-terror” imprisonment_partcularly Garpet Arab.
Muslin and South Asian communitie. and highlight the
ways in which political imprisonment, criminalization and
sacism go hand i hand for all prisoners. And while the
sovernment denies refugees access [0 health care, defunds.
prosrams and supports for migants, refugees and commu
nities, it pursues the buikling of evér more prisons 1cross
the country
Palestinian prisoners in occupation prisons strugale daily
against solitary confinemen, racism, and & mass imprison.
ment system tha targets Palestinians 25 a whole for crimi
nalizaton and subjugation. Yet Palestinian prisoners have
of resistance and steadfastness. leaders of
movement for liberation. Today, at least
4 Palestinian prisoners are on hunger strike — Samer -
Barg (81 days). Hassan Safadi (51 days). Ayman Sharawna
(41 days), and Samer al-Issawi (10 days) — demanding
freedom and an end 1o ther unjust imprisonment without
charge or trial.
‘Samidoun expresses its solidarty with allthose in prisons
sruggling against soliary confinement, racism and op-
pression, and longs for a day of freedorn, justice and I
eration for al.
Solidarity Statement Against
the Raids and Grand Jury
On Wednesday July 25, the FBI conducted a series of
‘oordinated raids against activsts in Portand, Olympia,
‘and Seatle. They subpoenaed several people 10.a special
federal grand jury, and seized computers, black clothing
and anarchist Titeraure. This comes after similar raids
in Seatle in July and earlir raids of squats in Portand.
‘Though the FBI has said thatthe raids are part of vio-
lent crime investigation, the truth i that the federal
thoriies are conducting a poliical witch-hunt against
‘anarchists and others working toward a more just, free,
‘and equal society. The Warrants served specifically list-
ed anarchist lierature as evidence (0 be seized, point-
ing o the fact that the FBI and police ae largeting this
‘eroupof people because of their politcal ideas. Pure and
simple, these raids and the grand jury hearings are be-
ing used to intimidate people whose politics oppose the
Sale’s agenda. During & ime of growing economic and
ecological rises that e broadly affecting people across
the world, i i an attemp o push back any movement
towards creating a world that is humane, one that meets
every person's needs rather than serving only the iner.
estsof the rih.
“This atack does not occur in & vacuum. Around the
‘country and around the world, people have been rising
up and resisting an economie System that puts the end-
less pursuit of profit abead of the basic needs of human-
ity and the Earth. From the Arab Spring to the Occupy
movement 0 now Anaheim, people are taking (0 the
streets. In each of these cases, the state has responded
‘with brutal political repression. This is not coincidence.
s 4 long-lerm strategy by state agencies to stop le-
itimate poliical challenges o a status quo that explots
mostof the world's people.
‘We, the undersigned, condemn this and allother poitical
sepression. While we may have differences in ideology
or chose 10 use different actics, we understand tha e
are n a shared strugele to create & just. ree. and lierated
world, and that we can only do this if we stand together.
‘We will notle seare tactcs or smear campaigns divide
s, intimidate us, or stop us from organizing and working
for abetter world
No more witch-hunts! An injury o one s an injury to
all
32
ISSUE 21
Prisoners’ Statement on
Prisoners Justice Day
alexhundert wordpress.com
On Prisoners" Justce Day in every jai in Ca
prisons around the warld. inm
Hunger srike. We do this 1o temember
dic
1973 35 a vietim of the inhumane.
atthat time. We do this o e
fou
1971 at Kingston Penite
o major reforms in the
» priso
S0 that we ourselves remember. We
institutions and the world that oven bel
we are sl
“This statement for Prisoners” Justice Day 2012
was. writen by Alex. Hundert, with input from
more than dozen inmates inside the Central
North Correctional Complex in Penetanguishene
Onari, and Mandy Hiscocks at the Vanier Cen-
e for Women in o, Both are pro
vincial jails in Onta atement
has becn signed so far by 56 inmates in Penctang
Il of those who had
it. Most of those at Penc
nto the very first draft
le 1o sign onto this i
and Vanier, which is 100
the
nal version as they
the drafing of hi statement, ither moved or are
now i the hole (administrative segregation).
Crime.
i,
Stzeets and Con.
munities Act”on August 9. just one day before the
annual Prisoners’ Justice Day. This bill wil only
Serve 1o make prisons more crowded and will
make ou prison system even less about justice
than it currently is. We want people o know how
bad thing:
are before they get worse.
In provincial jils in Ontario we hae no function-
l protections for our human rights the way that
federal penitentiaries have had since the 19703
when inmates fought and died for them. In pro-
vincial ubject 1o arbitrary authority
wilh no e process. Provincial
prisons 4 y more overcrowded than
federal penitentiaries. Close to 706 of inmates in
Ontario provincial institutions have nor
been convicted. and are insea
wal or in ma
14y Noian who
in Millhaven Penitentiary in Ontario on August 10
aditions in that prison
ember all of the inmates who
tand the two who died in o four day riotin April of
Both of those incidents led
em. We fast
WAR ONLAND DEFENDERS & TH
With the loss of condiionsl sentences and instcad new
uth) and mandatory
ance on the
the federal
already un-
harsher measures (o5
minimums, there
prison sysicm. We a
& 10 do nothing
in Rehabilitation p
our have become i
ihis year ve wil
Program by
money will y
10'will cost Ontar
W prison infrastruct
e gutted, further driving people
et says that the
A provincial prison is S183d:
into po
cost o keep someone
RIGHT TO EXIST RIGHT TO RESIST'
conference, toronto, november 8 to 10, 2012
WAR ON RESISTANCE
s right forebel
WAR ON WORKING PEOPLE
ebuingthe movement of mitant aboor
WAR ON COMMUNITIES
arratonageda nd the containpent of the peope
IVIRONMENT
uiding anant mperast Envtoanen i
andunitng withndgenos eopes strugges
woeips rataa
s oacagmoi com
ASTRUGGLEMAG
‘comparison (0 social housing which is S5
‘are being buil in the place of housing.
day - yetjuils
I you wan (0 genuinely make communities safer, the so-
lution cannot be locking away more people for longer in
jils where we. e angry and disillusioned.
er which people arc
locked away and we need stralegies o make sure fewer
people from our communites are locked up at al, We need
1o focus on ehabilitation and not warchouses. We need to
focus on the root causes of why people end up here in the
fist place 50 that when people get out there is something
better o g back to. We need (o uphold human dig
ot deprive people of it. We can o this by safezuarding
people’s human rights. not by siripping thern of al respon-
Sibilty and opportunity. We need to foster community and
interpersonal les tht are based on something decper than
the “us against them’ mentalit that this system inslls in
By moving towards a system that protects the rights of all
people including prisoners we can move towads real jus-
ice foral
Support Six Nations Land De-
fenders: An Open Letter to All
Those Who Have Supported Me
BY ALEX HUNDERT [G20 politcal prisone]
alexhundert wordpress com
“This is a lettr Lam wriing to everyone who supported me
over the past two years, since our arrests brought 1o ight
the massive police operation against & zeoup of solidarty
activiss and community organisers
In that ime 1 have received such an incredible amount of
support from frends and family, from alles, from “move-
ment” organisations. and dlso from civil iberties organisa-
tions, academic and journalist associations, and unions. |
have a tremendous dmount of ratitude and appreciation
forallof i
As T head back into jail on Tuesday, los of people have.
been offering renewed support, and having seén how sub-
stantial that support can be, 1 am asking tha the support
people are hoping 1o give (o me over the next year, be in-
tead extended to the new Legal Defence Fund recently
established for Six Nations Land Defenders
“The type of targeting, repression, manipulation, intimida-
tion and harassment that ere directed at anarchist and
other activist communities in the Iead up o the Olympics
and the G20 are realities that are standard fe in Indig-
enous communities where resistance o colonialism is 4
partof daily lfe
However, in the years since the Reclamation action in
2006, pecdple from Six Nations have not always scen the.
Same Kind of support tha T and some of he other G20 de-
fendants received.
Part of what is sadly ironic about the contrasting levels of
support s that those Who were most dirctly targeted by
the intelligencesecurity operation 3gainst actviss in the
lead up o the G20 were those Whose primary organising
work includes building linkages and relationships with the
Strong network of Indigenous Sovereignists and thei al-
Ties, migrant justce organisers, and anaschists. The polic-
ing operation was largely designed to disrupt those rela-
tonships and that movement building. These are standard
tactics used against the resistance movements that arise:
from Indigenous and other racialized or otherwise targeted.
Twould like to propose that we now strengthen those lnk-
ages by tuming the massive capacity for support that e
have developed over the past 1o years towards supporting
front line land defenders from Six Nations.
Since 2006 there has been particulaly insidious wave of
eriminalisation and demonisation aimed at Haudenosaunee
people who are assering the sovereignty of the Six Na-
tions Confederacy and defending the and. The tactis used
in everyday policing operations against Six Nations. like
with other Indigenous nations, are exactly the type of op-
pressive state sccurity that the rest of the Southern Ontario
Facivist community’” got & tste of around the G20.
T would strongly encourage you to consider formally sup-
porting the new Six Nations Land Defenders Legal De-
ence Fund.
“The fund is curmently being administered and coordinated
by the April 28 Coaliton which includes organisers from
Six Nations as well s established alies from various
unions and activist organisations. If the fund is success-
ful, 4 formal board of directors Wil be established and
procedures codified. For now, the immediate concern is
fundrsising for Francine “Flower” Doxtator and Kevin
Slecper” Greene, though the goal is 4 sustainable fund
that can cover legal costs for people from Six Nations who
are charged while engaging in land defence actions.
Support for the Six Nations Land Defenders Legal De-
fence Fund could include formal endorsement, public
tatement of support, promotion within your organisations
or networks, and/or making donations. Please contact the
‘Apil 28 Caaliion (kanonbstaton@ gl com) for more.
information, or visi this link (0 donate dicectly: bitly!
K39HCN.
‘Thanks again 5o much for your continued suppor.
£
ISSUE 21
Court Confirms Ten-Year
Sentence for Lynne Stewart
BY JEFF MACKLER
Iynnestewart ory
“The USS. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit today
confirmed the 2010 decision of Federal Distrct Court
Judge John Koelt to change his 28-month jail sentence for
radical itorney and human rights actvist, Lynne Stewart,
10 ten years. The cour’s June 28, 2012 decision was nol
unexpected
Following federal prosecutors” appeal of wht was widely
considered a “lenient sentence.” the Second Circuit all
but ordered compliant Koell o re-sentence Stewart and
harshly. Koel did just thar, forcing Stewart 1o appeal to
the very court tht orginally pressured Koeld, n what was.
widely considered a “carcer decision” 10 do Stewart greal
ham,
Stewart was convicted at an outrageous 2005 New York
frame-up tial on five counts of conspiracy (0 4id and sbet
and provide materia support o terrorism. Her crime? Rep-
resenting the “blind Sheik,” the Egyptian leric, Omar Ab-
del Rachman, who has also been convicted on trumped-up
‘conspiracy charges, Stewart issued a press release from her
client staing his views on how Egyptian Muslim opposi-
ionists should react to the ongoing crimes and murders of
Egypt’ then President Hosni Mubarak.
Stewart was convieted of violating &
Vaguely-worded court-ordered SAM
(Special Adminisrative Measure)
that barred her from tevealing her
clients opinions. The penalty for
Such violations had traditionally been
a mild slap on the wrist, peshaps a
Warning to not repeat the “Violation”
and to bar attormey-client visits for o
few months. Stewart, barring an un-
likely Supreme Court reversal, will
oW Serve her ten-year sentence with
perhaps one-year of ten percent te-
duction for “good behavior” She is
presently_incarcerated at FMC Car.
swellin Fort Worth, Texas.
Koells original 28-month sentence
statement,n the face of federal prose-
cutors demanding 30 years.
Stewart, known for fepresent
poor and oppressed for three decades
With e nancial remuneration, was
credit o the legal profession.”
Stewart served as lead counsel for her client along with
former USS. Attorney General Ramsey Clark, Who test
fied on her behalf during the trial. Clack himself has is
sued simila press rleases with no punishimen. Indeed. an
indignant prosecutor during Stewart’s trail suggesied fhat
Clark himself be charged with conspiacy. but his superiors
decided that imprisoning the nation's former top attorney
Was not et in their game plan and the suzgestion was
nored.
“The Second Circuit decision was based on the allegations
that Stewart demonsirated insufficient deference 10 the
original sentence. The court climed that her statement to
the media immediately Tollowing her sentence that, "I can
do 28 months standing on my head” demonsirtcd cont
tempt for the legal sysiem.
T was standing next to Stewart at that moment and s
nothing other than & great expression of elief that she
Would not be sentenced. in effect 0 eath,based on the 30
years that ederal prosecutors sought. Stewart entered the
Sentencing hearing on that day. totall ignorant of whether
her sentence would b the decply punishing 30 years de-
manded by the federal prosccuors or perhaps something.
that'she, 70 years old at the time, could “live with® and
ook forward 10 4 normal life. She carried nothing but &
plastic bag, some medicines and 4 toothbrush.
“The Second Circui also took umbrage at Stewarts cou-
rageous statement when she took the stand o make her
closing remarks. Her atorney at that moment, Michsel T
ASTRUGGLEMAG
er asked, refering 10 Stewarc’s isuing the press release
on her clients behalf, “Lynne. if you had t0 do it all over
‘again would you do ihe same thing?” With 4 tear n her
eye. Stewart Sated, “I would hope that I would have the
ourage 10 do it again, 1 would do i aga
Stewart also insisted that her sworn duty 1o represent her
client had to-be Weighed against the formalities of laws
o courtorders that prevented such diligent representation.
“This efusal 10 bow o suthority. o show the “required def-
erence” (0 legal bulles with power, outraged her persecu
tors, who sought vengeance in he rigged criminal “jus.
ice? system.
Stewart’s now rejected appeal arzued three essential poins:
L I selying on Lynne Stewarc’s public ststements o
enhance the original sentence of 28 months, her First
‘Amendment ights were abridged.
3. The fourfold increase in the sentence was substan-
tively unreasonable and failed o balance her lfeime
of contribution to the community and country with
the crminal act of which she was conticted.
5. The Judge’s findings of Perjury and Misuse of her
postion s an Attorney on Which he also based the
Free Lynne Stewart” must remain the rallying cry of ll
those who cherish civil iberties and democratic
Stewart, like so many others, but perhaps among the first
er, was vitim of the govérnment-promoted malicious
and murderous “war on teror” aimed at sifling all dissent
ng the innocent (o justify its Wars against
Working people at home and against the oppressed and ex-
ploited across the globe.
Weite Stewartat:
Lynne Stewart S3504-054
FMC Carswell
PO.Box27137
Fi_ Worth, TX
USA76137
Contributions can be made payable to the
Lynne Stewart Organization
1070 Dean Steeet
Brooklyn, New York
USA112i6
Jeff Mackler isthe West Coast Coordinator of the Lynne
Siewart Defense Commiltee.
‘Panther Baby’:
The Journey of Jamal Joseph
REVIEW BY MUMIA ABUJAMAL
From wwwsworkers org
Joseph, Jamal, Baby Panther: A Life of Reinsention &
‘Rebellion. Chipel Hill NC: Algonquin Books, 2012.
If one is high school age in America, the story of the
Black Panther Party, one of the most significant Black
radical organizations of the mid-20th century, is virtu-
ally unknown.
Few teachers dare o each i, burdened ss they are by the
repressive, politically driven testing frenzy hat ensures
teachers stck only 1 the tests, amid fears of the conse-
quences of filure.
I some rare teacher wanis toteach this powesful period,
they need look no further than Jamal Joseph's new auto-
biogeaphy, Panther Baby.
Jamal Joseph was a member of the New York chapter of
the Black Panther Party, but 4 member with a ifference.
AULS, he was still in high school and thus the youngest
member i the Sate.
“Thankfully, he writes with the head of a teenager, ex-
plaining his choices s they are presented to him — of-
fen based on his rampaging emotions a the time. Why
did he join the Party? Why not other such groups?
What did bis foster grandpareas, who though they were:
old Garveyites [named after Marcus M. Garvey, the
founder of an early 20th century nationalist group], re-
ally think of his joining?
“That story is as funny us it is tender, for these parents
— though not of his blood loved him intensely. and
Wortied about a boy his age running around with Black
Panthers. people frankly regarded a crazy.
Jamal's story is one of a social movement, that, a the
eight, 1fis 3l to new levels of possibility. But like a
Wave, it can wash away. leaving the once-high stceped
i mud.
Theoughout this often heartrending excle of love and
betrayal, Joseph finds his best self and arises from the
mud to find a life of sevice and reconciliation.
Panther Baby is a touching, beautiful and transforma-
tive document. May it reach as many young people a5
possible
36
ISSUE 21
Ruchell Cinque Mage
Sole Survivor Still
By MUMIA ABU-JAMAL
Slavery s being practiced by the system under color of aw
Slavery 400 years ago, slavery (oday: s the same thing,
but with & new name. They're making millions and mil-
Tions of dollars enslaving Blacks, poor whites, and others.
= people who don't even know ihey e being railroaded.
Ruchell Cingue Magee (from radio interview with Kiilu
Nyasha, “Freedom is a Constant Struggle,” KPFA-FM, 12
August 1995)
1 you were asked to name the longest held politcal pris-
orir n the United States, what would your answer be’
Most would probably reply “Geronimo ji jaga (Prat)
Sundiata Acoli.” or “Sekou Odinga” — all 3 members of
the Black Panther Party or soldiers of the Black Libera-
tion Army, who have been encaged for ther politcal be-
liefs or principled actions for decades. Some would point
10 Lakota leader, Leonard Pelter, who struggled for the
freedom of Native peoples, thereby incurring the enmity
of the U.S. Gaverniment. who framed bim in 4 1975 double:
murder trial. Those answers would be good guesses, for all
of these men have spent hellfed years in state and federal
dungeons, but here’s man who has spent more.
Ruchell C. Magee arrived in Los Angeles, California in
1963, and wasn'tin town for six months before he and a
ousin, Leroy, were arested on the improbable chrges of
Kidnap and robbery, afte a ight with a man over a woman
and a'$10 bag of marijuana. Magee. in 4 slam-dunk “tial
Wwas swily convicted and swifter sil senenced to lf.
Magee, politcized in those years, t0ok the name of the
African freedom fighter, Cingue, who. with his fllow cap-
{ives seized control o th slave ship, the Amistad, and ried
10 sail back o Africa. Like his ancient namesakeé, Cinque
would also fight for his freedom from legalized slavery.
and for 7 long years he filed Wit after writ, learning what
he calls “guerrlla Taw.” honing it a3 a tool for liberation
of himself and his fellow captives. But Califoria courts,
Wwhich could care lss about the aleged “rights” of 3 young.
Black man like Magee, dismissed his petitions willy-nilly
In August, 1970, Magee appeared us 4 witness in the 1s-
sault il of James MeClain, a man charged with assaul-
ing a guard after San Quentin guards murdered a Black
prisoner, Fred Billingsley. McClain, defending himsell,
presented imprisoned witnesses to expose the racist and
fepressive nature of prisons. In the midst of Magee's s
timony, a 17 year old young Black man with a huge Afto
haido busst into the courtroom, heavily armed.
Jonathan Jackson shouted “Freeze!”, tosing eapons (o
McClain, William Chistras, and Startled Magee, who
siven his 7 year hell where no judze knew the meaning
of justice, joined the rebellion on the spot. The four reb-
els took the judge, the DA and three jurors hostage, and
headed for a radio station where they were going to i
the wretched prison conditions 10 the world, as well s de-
mand the immediate telease of group of political pis-
oners, know that The Soledad Brothers (these were John
Cluckette, Fleeta Drumgo, and Jonathan’s oldest brother,
‘George). Wil the men did not hurt any of heir hostages.
they did notteckon on the state’s ruthlessness.
Before the men could get theit van out of the cout house.
parking lot. prison suards and sherifTs opened furious fie
on the elicle, killing Christmas, Jackson, McClain a5
Well s the judge. The DA was permanently paralyzed by
aun fire. Miraculously, the jurors emerged relatively un-
Scratched, alihough Magee. seriously wounded by gunfie,
Was found unconscious.
Magee, who was the only Black surivor of what has come.
10 be called “The August 7th Rebellion.” would awaken
1o leam he was charged with murder, Kidnapping and con-
spiracy, nd further, he Would have co-defendant, a Uni-
versity of California Philosophy Professor. and friend of
‘Soledad Brother, George L Tackson, named Angela Davis,
who faced identical charges.
By tialtime the cases were severed, with Angela garner-
ing massive support leading to her 1972 acquital on ol
charges.
Magee's tial did not gamer such broad support, yet he
boldly advanced the position tha a his imprisonmen was
itselfillegal, and a Form of unjustiable slavery,he had the.
inherent right to escape such slavery, an hisorical echo of
the position taken by the original Cingue, and his fellow
capiives, who took over a Spanish slave ship. killed the
crew (except for the pilot) and tred to sal back (0 Afrca.
The pilot surrepitiously sicered the Amistad o the U
coust, and when the vessel was seized by the U.S.. Spain
Sough thei return (o slavery in Cuba. Using natural and
intemational aw principals, UsS. courts decided they cap-
ives had every right (o resist siavery and fight for their
freedom.
Unfortunately. Magee's jury dida’t agree, although it did
acquit on at least one Kidnapping charge. The court dis-
missed on the murder charge, and Magee s been batiling
for his freedom every since.
That he s sill fightng is a tribute 10 a truly remarkable
man, & man who Knows what slavery is, and more impor-
tantl, what freedom means.
FREE CINQUE !!
37
ASTRUGGLEMAG
Commemorating the 42nd
Anniversary of the Marin
Courthouse Slave Rebellion
BY JONATHAN JACKSON. JR.
From the Forward to Soledad Brother (1994)
Twas born cight and s half months afer my fuher, Jonithan
Jackson, was shot down on August 7, 1970, at the Marin
County Couthouse, when he tried (0 gain the release of
the Soledad Brothers by taking hostages. Before and espe-
cilly aer that day, Uscle George kept in constant contact
with'my mother by wriing from his cell in San Quentin.
(The Department of Corrections wouldnt put her on the
visitors list) Daring George’s numerous trial sppearances
for the Soledad Brothers case, Mon would lft me above
the crowd so he could see me. Consistently, we would re-
ceive aleter a few days later For a sngle mother with son,
‘alone and in the middle of both controversy and ot litle
unwarmanted trouble with the authoriies, those messages
of sizength were no doubt instrumental in helping ber carry
‘on. No matter how oppressive hi situation becae, George
‘l\ays had time to lend his spirt 1o the people h cared for.
A year and two weeks afier the revolutionary takeover in
Marin, George was ruthlessly murdered by prison puards
Both he and my fother left me 4 great dea
‘unmistakable name. My experience has
W incredibly diffcult. My lie is
‘consumed by the Jackson legacy. but my charge is an
accepted and cherished piece of my existence. It is out of
my tesponsibiity to my legacy that 1 have come to wite
this Foreword to my uncle’ prison Writings.
Today I read my inherited letters often — those witten from
George to my mother with 4 dull pencil on prison statio-
nery. They are things of beauty, my most valuable posses-
ions, pussionate pieces of wrting that have few fivals in
the modern ea. They willremain unpublished. However,
the leters of Soledad Brother demonsizate the same insight
and eloguence the way George's wrilings make his
Sonal experience universal i the mainstay of is brilliance
Fletters was fist released i 1969, it
broughta young revolutionary o the forefront of a tempest,
a tempest characterized by the Black Power,free specch,
and antiwar movements, accompanied by a dissatistaction
with the status quo theoughout the United States. With un-
Minching directness, George Jackson coneyed an intelli
‘ent yet accessible message with is trademark style. fato-
nal rage. He illumvinated previously hidden viewpoints and
feclings that disenfranchised sezments of the population
were unable (0 articulate: the poor,the victmized, the im-
prisone,the disillusioned. George spoke in a revolutionary
Voice that they had no idea exisied. He was the prominent
figure of true radical thought and practce during the period.
and when he was assassinated. much of the movement died
along with him. But George Jackson cannot and Wil not
ever leave. His 1ife and thoughts serve as the message —
George himself s the revolution.
The reissue of Soledad Brother at this point in time i es-
sential. T appears that the ninetis are going 1o be 4 telling.
decade in US. history. The signposts of sysiemic break-
down are as glaringly obvious a they were in the sixtis
unrest manifestng itself in inner-city turmoil, widespread
e of volence in the culture, and infernational oppression
tolegitimize a state in criss. The fat that imprisonments in
California have more than tripled over the last decade, sup-
is merely one sign of socital decom-
ic change occurred during the sxties
5’3 myth. The United States n the nineties faces stikingly
analogous problems. George spoke t the issus of his day.
but conditions now are so simila tha this work could have
been written last month. I is imperative that George be
heard, whether by the angry but unchanneled young o by
the cynical and worldly mture. The message must be car-
i farther than here he bravely lef it in August of 1971
Over the past twenty-five years, why has George Jackson
ot been an integral part of mainsiream consciousness? He
has been and sl is underexposed. reduced 10 simplistic
terms. and ultimately misundersiood. Racial and conspir-
acy theory aside. there are rational reasons for his exelu-
Sion. They stem not only from the hard-line revolutionary
‘aspects of Georze's philosophy. bt more importanty from
the nature of the poliical ystem that he existed n and un-
der,
Howard Zinn has pointed outin A Peaple’s History of the
United States that "he history of any country,presented as
the history of family, conceals fierce conflits of inter.
est (somefimes exploding, most often repressed) between
‘conquerors and conquered, masters and slaves, capitalists
‘and workers, dominators and dominated” US. hisory is
essentially that type of hidden history. Without denying
important mitigating factors, the United States of 1oday is
urongly linked tthe values and premises on which t Was.
founded. That i, it s setlr colony founded primarly on
o basic pillrs, upheld by the Judeo-Chiistian tradiion:
‘zenocide of indigenous peoples and slave labor in support
of a capitalst infastructure. Although the Bible repeatedly
xalts mass slaughtr and oppression, Judeo-Christan mo-
ity i publicly held to be inconsisient with them. This
dissonance, evident within the nation’s structure from the
2. informs the state’s firstfunction: o oversimplify
imize immoral events in order (o legitinize history
‘and the stae’s very existence simultancously.
onically,taditional Judeo-Christian morality s a perfect
vehile for genocide, slavery, and teritoial éxpansion. As
sical progression from biblical example. expansion and
mperialism culminated i the United States with the con-
38
ISSUE 21
ept of Manifest Destiny. which held tha it was the colo-
nists” inherent right 10 expand and congquer. Further it was.
a duty, he “white man's burden.” (0 save the “natives.
10 atempt to convert ll heathens, encountered. Protestant
Calvinism provided a set of ethics that it perfectly with
the colonists conguests. Max Weber, in his definitive study
on sligion, The Sociology of Religion, wrote, *Calvinism
held that the unsearchable God possesséd good reasons for
having distributed the gifs of fortune unevenly”™ it “repre-
sented as Gods will [the Calviniss'] domination over the
Sinful world. Clearly this and other features of Protestant-
ism, such as its rationalization of the existence of @ lower
class. were not only the bases for the formation of the Ut
d State, but sl prominently exist today. “One must g0
10 the etics of ascetic Protestantism,” Weber asserts, “to
find any ethical sanction for cconomic rationalism and for
the entrepreneur.” When a nation can'tadit 0 he process
through which it builds hegemony. how can anything but
delusion be a realty? “The monopoly of truth, including
historical truth,” stated Daniel Singer in @ lecture at Ever-
ereen Stae College (Washington) in 1987, is implied in
the monopoly of power.”
Clearly, objective History is an impossibility. This under-
to0d, the signficant problem lies in how the general popu-
lation defines the term: history mplies that tuth is being.
told. s unfortunate fact that istory is unfilingly wri
ten by the victors, which in the case of the Uited States
are 1ot only the original imperialists, but the majorty of
the “founding fathers.” dedicated t0 uniting and strengthen-
ing the exising mercantile lass among disjointed colonies
There can be no doubt that from the creation of this young.
nation, hisory as a created and perceived enity moved fur-
ther and further away from the objectve ideal. Genocide,
necessiry for “the development of the modern capialisi
economy.” according to Howard Zinn, was rationalized s
& reaction o the fear o Indian savages. Slavery was simi-
Tarly consirued
“The personalization of istory, the process by which we
‘construct heroes and pariahs, i a consequence of its dalec-
tical nature. Without fal, an 0dd paradox is reated around
someone who, by virtue of his or her actions, becomes
prominent enough to warrant the designation “historical
Tigure.” There is o leap on the part of the general publi
sparked by the media, to another mindset. Sensational
decds are glorifed, horsble acts reviled. A fow points are
selected as defining characteristics. The media, conform-
ing 10 ther estrictions of concision (which make accuracy
nearly impossible o ttain). reiterate these points over and
over.Schools and textbooks not nly teach these poins but
rill them into young minds. Howard Zinn comments that
his learned sense of mora proportion, coming from the
apparent objectiviy of the scholar is accepted more casiy
han hen it comes rom poliicians at press conferences. It
is therefore more deadly."
A few tidbiss, factual o o
. incomplete and selective, are
used to describe the entirey of a person's existence. They
become part of mainsiream consciousness. We therefore
Know that Lincol freed the slaves, Malcolm X was a black
extremist, and Hitkr was solely responsible for World War
1 and the Holocaust. Al halE-truths 20 unexplained, all
fallacies 2o unchallenged., a they appear 10 make perfect
sense (o the everyday, noncritcaly thinking American. The
paradox has been created: The more famous 4 person be-
Comes, the more misundersiood he orshe i. This accepted
occurrence is incredibly counterintuiive: the publc should
Kinow more, not less, about & noteworthy individual and the
sociopolitical dynarics surrounding hi of her.
“This historical mythicizationis ot or he most part a con-
sciously ¢reated phenomenon. The media don't g0 out of
their way 10 mislead the publc by construcing fale heroes
and emphasizing the mundane. Fewer “dimly lit confer-
ences” take place than conspiracy theorists believe. It s the
cal system that i responsible for the informa-
ion that teaches the seneral publc. The sate’s control of
information created the system, and it coninually re-
atesit. Propagated by schooling and the media, nformation
that reaches the public i subject 1o three chiel mechanisms
of state control: denial, self-censorship. and imprisonment.
Denial s the casies conrol mechanism, and therefore the
most common. If events do not follow the state’s agenda
or its ccumenical ideology and might bring unrest. they
are denied. Examples are plentiful: prewar stale terrorism
against the people of North and South Vietnar and later the
bombing of Cambodia; government funding and miliary
aid 1o the Nicaraguan Contras, and support of UNITA and
South Africa in the virtual desizuction of Angola, among
many others.
Denial goes hand in hand with self-censorship. The media
emphasize certain personal characterstcs and events and
de-emphasize others, in 4 pattern that supports US. he-
‘zemany. The information that reached the public afir the
U invasion of Panama in 1989 is teling. It was not until
mich ater, afer the heat of controversy. tht the average
en had access o the scope of the devastarion. The cf-
iveness of sell-censorship in this case was maximized,
as the fll details of the Panama invasion were patchwork
foryears.
‘Whill we may assume that the media have an obligation to
accurately convey such an event 1o the public, the media
in fact perpetuate the government's position by engaging.
in thei own self-censorship. Noan Chomsky points out
in Deterring Democracy, “With a fringe of exceptions —
mostly well after the tasks had been accomplished - the
media rallied around the flag with due picty and enthusi-
asm, funnelling the most absurd White House tales (0 the
public while scrupulously refraining from asking the obvi-
s questions, o seeing fhe abvious facts.”
Denial and self-censorship create a comfort zone for the
39
ASTRUGGLEMAG
US. ciizensy, generally uncritical and willing 10 accept
digestible versions of hisorical personaliies and world
“The reasoning behind denial and sell-censorship:
i make the public uncomfortable. even if that means
diluting. sensationalizing. or lying about the truh.
Ultimately, when denial and self-censorship may ot be
suffcient for conteol of information, the ste resorts 0 im:
prisonment. All mprisonment is political and as such ll
imprisonments carry equal weight. Society does, however,
distinguish two catégories of imprisonment: one for break:
ing a law, the other for poliical reasons. A diffrence is
clear: American Indian Movement leader Leonard Pelter,
Serving a federal sentence for his supposed role at Wound.
ed Knce, i considered a different type of prisoner than an
‘armed robber serving a ive-to-sevenyear senience.
State policy reflcts institutional needs. When the state 35
‘an insttution cannot olerate an ouiside threat, eal o per
ceived., from an individual oF group, the consequences at
its command include isolation, persecution, and palitcal
imprisonment. All may occur in greater of loser form, de-
pending on the degree of hreat.
Politcal incarcerati
removes threats to the politial and
economic hegemony of the United Staes. Even though in
1959 George Jackson iniially went t prison s an “every
day lawbreaker” with 4 one-year-o-lie senence, it Wis
his politcal consciousness that kept him incarcerited for
eleven years. In 1970 George wrote:
International capitalism cannot be destroyed without the
extremes of strugele. The entire olonial World i watching
the blacks inside the UsS., wondering and waiting for us
ome to our senses. Their problems and stzuggles with the
‘Amerikan monste are much more difficul than they ould
beif we actively sided them. We are on the inside. We are
the only ones (besides the very small white minosity eft)
Wwho can get at the monsier's heart without subjecting the
world to muclear fire. We have a momentous historicalrole
10 act out if we will. The whole warld for ll ime in the
future il ove us and remember us 4 therighteous people
who made it possible for the world to live on. If we fail
theough fear and lack of aggressive imagination, then the
slaves of the future will Curse us, a5 We somelies curse
those of yesterday. 1 don't want o die and leave.
songs and 4 hump in the zround as my oaly m
wan t leave a world that is iberated from rash, pollution,
tion.states, naton.state wars and aries, from
pomup.bigotry,parochilism, a thousand ifferen brdnds of
unteuth, and icentious usurious economics.
Nothing is more dangerous 1o a system that depends on
formation than a voice that obeys its own dictates and
i courage to speak out. George Jackson's imprison-
ment and further isolation within the prison system were
clearly u function of the Stte’s response o hi outspoken
opposition to the capitalist structur.
Politcal incarceration i tangible form of state control.
Unlike denial and self-censorship, imprisonment s public
Iy scrutinized. Yet public teaction to poltcal incarceration
Has been minimal. The U.S. government clams it holds
o poliical prisoners (denial). while any notce eiven to
protests focused on politcal prisoners invariably takes the
form of a human inteest story (self-censorship)
carceration in the United States
serves not only as physical barr-
er,but a commurication restraint. Prisoners are completely
osisacized from society, with litle or no chance 1o break
through. Those fow outside who might be sympathetic e
aliays hesitant to communicate or protest past a cerlain
poia, earing their own persecution or imprisoniment Also.
deep down most people beieve that al prisoners, reard
less of their individual sitations, eally did do something
‘wrong." Added 1o that prejudic. Society lacks & distinc
on betuween 4 prisoners actions and his o her personal
worth: bud sct equals bad person. The bottom lne s that
the majority of people simply will not believe hat the state
openly or covertly oppresses without criminal cause. As
Daniel Singer asked at he Evergreen conference in 1987,
I8 it possible for a class which exterminates the native
peoples of the Americas, replaces them by ruping Africa
for humans it then denigrutes and dehumanizes 25 slaves.
while cheapening and degrading its own working clas — s
it possible for such lass o create democracy, cquality
and to advance the cause of human freedom? The implicit
answer i "No, of course not™
How does aperson —inside o outside prison — confront the
cultural mindsets,the Layers of misinformation propagated
by the capitalist system? Sooner or ater wha can be called
the “radical dilemma” surfaces for the Fow Wanting 1o enter
into & structural attack/analysis of the United Stats. Cul
wally,educationally, and politicaly.al o us are similarly
Timited by these layers of misinformation; e are all prod-
ISSUE 21
ucts of the system. None of us functions from a lean slate
when considering or debating any issue, especially history
as it pertain to the United States.
George Jackson struggled against the constaints of deni-
al and self-censorship. 0 say nothing of his physical and
communicative distance from society. Political prisoners
‘are inherently vulnerable o an citber/or situation: solating
silence or elimination. For George, his vociferous revalu-
tonary atitude was cither futile o self-exterminating. He
was well aware of his situation. In Blood in My Eve, his
politcal treatise, he wrote:
“I'm i a unigue political position. 1 have & very nearly
closed future, and since 1 have alWays been inclined to
et disturbed over organized injustice or teroris practice
‘against the innocents - wherever -1 can now say just about
what T wan (Ive always done just bout that), without fear
of sel-exposure. L can only be executed once.
George was equally aware tha revolutionary change hap-
pens only when an entire society is ready. No amount of
action,preaching, o teaching wil sark revoluton if social
conditions do not Warrant it My father's case, unfortunate-
Iy, is an appropriate indicator. He attempted a evolutionary
act during reactionary time; elimination was the only pos-
Sible consequence.
“The challenge for a radical in today’s world is to balance
reformist tendencies (political iberalism) and revolution-
ary actiondeology (radicalism). While eformism entils 1
legitimation of the status quo as & search for changes within
the system, radicalism posits 4 change of system. Because
revolutionaries re partcularly vulnerable, & certain degree
of reformism is necessary 10 create space. space needed (o
begin the laborious task of making revolution.
George’s statement “Combat Liberalisn” snd the general
seaction o i ypify the 2ulf between the two philosophics.
George was universally misunderstood by the left and the
right alike. As s the case with most modern political pris-
oners. nearly all of his support came from reformists with
liberal leanings. It seems hat they acted in spite of, father
than because of, the core of his message.
The left’s attitude toward COINTELPRO is & useful illus-
ation. COINTELPRO the covert_government program
used 10 dismantle the Black Panther Party. and later the
American Indian Movemen. is typically cited by many
leftists as a damning exampl of the government's conspir-
atorial nature. Declassifed documents and ex-agents' et
monies have shown COINTELPRO to be one of the most
unlawiul, nsidious cells of government in the nation’s is-
tory. COINTELPRO, however, was really a symptomati
expendable entity; a Small police force within a lrger one
(FBI). within @ branch of government (exceutive). within
the government itself (beral democracy), within the eco-
nomic system (capitalism). Reformists i radicals” clod-
ing unknowingly argued againstsymptoms, ather than the
100ts, o the entrenched system. Doing away with COIN-
TELPRO or even the FBI Would not alter the structure that
produces the surveillunce/elimination spparatus
In George's day,others who considered themselves left of
center, or even revolutionary, concered themselves with
inner-ity reform issues. mostly black ehettos. The prob-
lem of and debate about inner cities sul exiss. However,
secognition of a problem and analysis of that problem are
1o ery different challenges. The demand o bettr only
predominantly black inner-city conditions is unrealistic at
best.Inthe capitalistsructure.there must b 40 upper, mid-
dle, and especially a lower class. Improving black neigh-
borhoods is the equivalent of ghetoizing some other seg-
ment of the population — poor whites. Hispanics, Asians.
etc. Nothing intrnsic 10 the system would change, only
Superficial alterations that would mollify the liberal public
‘AS Chomsky asserts in Turning the Tide:
Determined oppositon to the atest lunacies and atrocities
must continue. for the sake of the victims as well 35 our
own ultimate survival. But it should be undersiood a8 3
‘poor substitute for a challenge to the decper causes, a chal-
lenge that we are, unfortunately,in 00 position (0 mount at
the present though the groundwork can and mus be lid.
Failure 0 understand the radi
in th sintes led t reformysa
left completely deserted any attempt at the radical balance
required of the politically conscious, leaving only liberal-
ism and its narrow vision to flourish
Nobody comprehended the radical dilemma more fully
than George Jackson. Indecd, he developed his philosophy
ot out of mere happenstance. but with 3 very conscious
eye upon maintaining his evolutionary ideology. He wrtes
i Blood in My Exe:
“Reformisen is an old story in Amerika. There have been
depressions and socio-cconomic politcalcrises throughout
the period that marked the formation of the present upper-
elass uling circle, and their controllng elites. But the par-
ies of the lft were too commitied o reformism to exploit
thei revolutionary potential.”
George’s inolvement with the prison reform movement
should therefore be seen as o matter of survival. Unlike
the reformist Lft, prison oppression was direcly affecting
him. His balanced reform activites - improving prisoners”
rihis while speaking out against prison 2 un entty — were
sequired o make living conditions olerable enough for him
to continue on his revolutionary path. Simply. he did what
he had 1o do to survive created space While simultane-
ously pursuing his radical theory.
The reform George Jackson did accomplish was and sill
is ncredible, transforming the prison environment from
a1
ASTRUGGLEMAG
unlivable to livable hell from encamprments that he called
seminiscent of Nazi Germany (0 at leasta saled-down ver-
sion o the ike. With his nfluence, these changes occurred
ot only in California, bt throughaut the nation. Only now
is i influence beginning 10 sip. Wih reactioniry poliics
bringing about torture and senory deprivation aci
such as Pelican Bay State Prson in California, as well as
the reintroduction for adoption of the one-to-life indeer.
minate sentence. This type of senence s fertle ground for
state oppression, as it is up 10 4 parole board 0 decide if
an inmate is ever o be let g0. A prison can casily and ef-
fectively create situations that transform a one-to-ife into
alife sentence. (Tellingly, the ndeferminate sentence is be-
ing promoted not by the right. but by a Califoria senator
Tormerly associated with mainstream liberal causes.)
Politcally, George Jackson provided us al with a radi-
cal education, a viable altemative (0 viewing not only the
United States but the world s political entiy. He gave
the disenfranchised alens through Which they could cearly
s their situation and become more conscious sbout it He
Wwrote n April 1970
“I0all fulls into place. 1 see the whole thing much clearer
ow, how fuscism has taken possession of this couniry, the
interlocking dictatorship from county level on up to the
Grand Dragon in Washingion, D.C.”
Crucially, George's treatment s & concrete, undeniable ex-
ample of political oppression. Race is more times than not
the'easy answer to 4 problem. Among people of color in
the United States, the quick fix, “blame it on whitey” men-
tality has becomé so prevalent that it shortcuts thinking.
‘Conversely, stereotypes of minorities act s simple-minded
tools of divisivencss and oppression. George addressed
these issues in prison, setting 4 model for the outside a5
well: “T'm always teling the brothers some of those whites
are willing to work with us azainst the pigs. All hey got
10 do is siop talking horky. When the races siar fighting.
all'you have i one maniac group against another.” On the
surfuce,face has been and is sl being put forth 15 an over-
riding i¥sue that needs to be addressed a3 4 prerequisit for
social change. In fac, although it seems (0 loom as a large
problem, rice us an issue is again 4 sympiom of capital-
isim. Of course, on a paltry level and among the relatvely
powerless,race does play a part i social structure (the rac-
ist cop. the bigoted landlord, et.). pittng segments of the
populaion against each other. But tevolutionary change
Requires class analysis that drives appropriste actions and
eliminates race s & mitigating factor. Knowing these so-
cioeconomie dynamics, George Jackson was first and forc-
most a people’ revolutionary, and he acted as such at all
times without compromise. His writings clearly relect his
beliefinclass-based revolutionary change.
Considering the many stnuctural elements affecting him,
it is casy 1o see why George and his message have been
misinterpreted. The quick takes on him are abundant: s
assumed that he s imprisoned and oppressed because he
was black. becase he had publicized fies with the Black
Panther Piny and was a well-known organizer within the
prison teform movement. Although George becae a “pris-
o celebrity.”a satus tha certanly dida’t help him n terms
of acquital and release, ignorance of the actual forces re-
Sponsible for his prolonged imprisonment is inexcusable
The radical viewpoint 15 absolutely indispensable when
segading both George's life circumstance and philosophy.
His life serves not s a mere individual example of prison
cruely, but as a scalding indictment of the very nature of
capitalism.
i these times, there are 1o very different ways (0 be bom
into privilege. Fist and most obvious in the system of capi-
alisto be born into wealth. Second, and not precluding the
first, s to have an intelectual. politcally conscious base
from which 1o grow s a person philosophicall and spir-
wally. Radical hgures in modem society — Lenin, Trotsky.
(Clé Guevara, my father, Jonathan Jackson, and iy uncle
George Jackson have the capability o providing this base
through their xamples and wriings
Those not born into privilege can achieve a poitcally con-
scious base i different ways. No veils separae the lower
class from the ealites of everyday life. They have been
siven the gift of disillusion. Bourgeois lifestyle, although
perhaps sought after.is in tost cases ot itinible. Dai-
Hy survival is the primary goal, as it was with George. OF
Course, when it inally becomes more attzactive for one (0
fight,and perhaps die, than 0 live in a survival mode, evo-
lution stafts 0 become a possibiliy. Not a ok, not & gov-
ement takeover by one or another group, but & people’s
revolution led by the politically conscious.
This consciousness doesn't simply appear. Individuals
must grow and work inlo t, but i’ an invaluable gift to
have insight into and access 1o an alternative to the frus-
ration, a goal on the horizon. The nineties are an uncon-
scious era. The unimportant i all-important, the essential
neglected. What system than capitalism, whit time period
than now. i beter suited t0 naurally creite the scape-goat,
the seldomheard politcal prisoner, misunderstood in his
cult-ol-personality status. held back in a choke hold from
Society? 1 not oaly ous Fight, but our duty. {0 listen 10 and
comprehend George Jackson's message. To not do so is
turn our backs on one of the brillant minds of the twentieth
century,an individual passionately involved with iberating
ot only himself, but all of us.
“Settle your quartels, come together, understand the ealiy
of our situation, understand that fuscism is already here,
that people are dying who could b saved, that generations
more wil di or ive poor butchered hallives if you fal
10 act. Do whal must be done, discover your humanity and
your love in revolution. Pass on the torch. Join us, give up
Your lfe for the people.” - George Jackson
a2
ISSUE 21
Clipped Wings
BY JALIL MUNTAQIM
frecjalil.com
‘With clipped wings I'm laid to the test,
where the weary gets no rest.
Subject to psychological warfare to learn
i I can withstand others who grandstand
because they believe they own the land
While my | ined by sleight of
hand - no it’s not magic - i’s a matter
of having & beter plan.
You ask, what is the plan? Well,it's to
know your enemy as you know yourself. Be
capable of adjusting to conditions you do
not trust; stay away from those who don't
have your best interest at heart; and
always depart when all else is lost.
Get as much education as your brain can
stand; build a strategy even from a grain
of sand - heat applied to sand will make
glass - so turn up the heat and out your
ass to the task.
As they say, free your mind and your ass
will follow - as apposed to a closed mind
that i often hollow. Nothing on the
brain and time to waste i the place
where the devil makes grace - prepared to
feast on your lfe, like your enemy to
1o ensure you stay on & path of strife
‘What can be said when you know the
repercussions of your decision?
Amatter of acknowledging a reality not
the farce of it, ot claiming its name for
all the shame that strains the brain, that
hurts the heart and stirs the soul in
dark place, in haste to escape,
However, my light ignites the night and puts
shadows in convulsions, as death creeps on
my illumination, footsteps moving from the
pastin slow motion, the turning back to
darkness incremental reaction to revolution.
‘The future beholds the enlightened, as earth
emits magnetic gravity, holding down truths
asis often said, truth crushed (o the
earth will rise again.
And, again I Rise |
The defiant denial of the demented ra
although my aspirations are chained o
steel bars as the grim reaper tests my.
hope for tomorrow, unable to kill my
dreams.
IRise !
Soaring to make a couniry a home of my
‘own embraced by a population in elation,
who identify themselves as free beings,
never to deny each other’ lives - to be.
Idream beyond M L. King, for I seck to
redeem the scheme of Afrikan Kings from
Abkenaton to Kwame Nkrumah, that Marcus
Garvey and Malcolm X claimed the pain
10 demand the same,
For we know that Liberators freed their
minds of colonial consciousness!
erators freed their minds and grew
Wings |
U.S. Elections:
Flag-waving and False Unity
BY LOIS DANKS
Freedom Socialist, Vol. 33, No. 4, Aug-Sept 2012
socialism com
Every four years the big capitalst partes break out the
red, White, and blue banners o create 4 frenzy of patri-
s, Voters are expected to jump on the bandwagon and
cheer for he good old USA, Blind 10 the gulf between Wall
Street’ bilionaires and Main Stret's evicted.
“This is especally true in the 2012 election, because the rul-
ing class is fced with & staggering econom, big-time in-
temational trade competition, and unprecedented popular
anger at the high and mighty. So they pour llusory phrases
into the public air Waves such as. “nafional economic inter-
est,” “national security.” “national unity.” “national com-
petiiveness.” and so on. Here's what these words. really
Puinting over class differences
One of the key arenas for nationalis fast alk i the ccon-
omy. In the patriotc fog voters are urged to ignore class
divisions, shun unions, and join the bankers and bosses.
Sacrficing ther own worker Inerests for the “good of the
43
ASTRUGGLEMAG
Obama tells the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, “We need
10 make America the best place on carth o do business.
and we have to do this ogether: business and government.
Workers and CEO’s; Democrats and Republicans.™
Romney charges “Unions drive up costs and introduce
rgidities that harm competitiveness and frussate inno-
Vation.” Lumping workers and business together against
unions, he asks “Whose interests should come first, those.
of workers and businesses. or those of organized libor?™
Put s way, you'd never Know the “costs” union
up e workers' wages — for creating all the wealth!
o lr’s get real. Service cutbacks, austeriy measures. and
Wage cuts benelit only the bigwiss, ot the whole counry.
“The capitalst economy can never work for al of us, be-
cause iU’ designed for the wealthy, who control the élec-
ions and rlentlessly widen the gap between rich and poor.
Romney promises o “press for an immigration policy
designed to maximize America’ economic potential” by
atracting those with advanced degrees and granting imme-
diate citizenship to Wealthy “job creators.” This 3ssumes
that immigeants with money Wil ix our economic crisis,
and others should be turned away
But ich business owners are not job creators — workers.
are. Bosses don't create jobs out of kindness. They hire
more workers When other Wage camers have enough in-
ome 10 buy more products and services.
Miliarization pure and simple.
Ever since 9-11, the USS. public has been pressed (o the.
heights of patictsm, dread of terforism, and fear of “for-
eigners.” I is al crafied t justify warmongering and mas-
sive miliury operations sbroad. and Homeland Security
Spending at home. This al in the name of “national secu-
ity Militarization, of course, is very profitable
But ot for the soldierivorkers. Occasional, well pub-
licized flag-waving and war medals welcome some re-
wurning troops. But poor youth volunteer for service out
of necessity, or 0 gain ciizenship. When they get home,
Soldiersare not geting what they need — jobs. healthéare
and support services.
Romney chillingly pledges to use “the full powers of the
presidency to complete an impermeable border fence pro-
tecting our southern frontir from infiltration by llezal i
migrants, trans-national criminal networks, and terorits
Tmigrans, we are 0 believe, have becore the *national
enemy.”
Condoleezza Rice called education & “nationsl security™
issue, turming charter school foes into national enemies
Wall Strcet concern over increasing Ching and India trade:
with Latin America has led 10 troop deploymments, activa-
tion of the Pacifc flet, and massive spending on Latin
o “protect U, eco
An escalating milltary presence in Ausialia i creat
ing area for U.S. inervention in Asia and the Pacific—
10 “preserve our global compeitiveness.” And over 3,000
more ULS. traops are being sent 10 Africa o gain conirol of
resources there — i the guise of “spreading democracy.”
Protectionismis not for workers.
‘When Obama intones, “I hope you buy 1n American car”
o unions run “Made in America” campaigs, they are r&-
all pittng U S. workers against thei class ailies in other
counlries. These pro-America campaigns enrich the very
corporations that outsourced and caused job losses in the
fist place in order 0 exploi cheap labr.
Union misleaders fan the flames of nationalism to hide the
fact that they are not willing 1o fight against mass layoffs
and take backs. I0s their Way of diverting U.S. workers™
‘anger toward oiher countries’ laborers and away from the
seal cause ofthe economic crsis — the profit system. U
Working people can improve their conditions by uniting
with the mates across borders, instead of swallowing pais-
otic slogans against their own class interests.
I the same way, union heads push through endorsements
for Democrats, against the wishes of many union members.
in onder to keep the rank and fle causht up in the capital
ist electoral campaigns instead of building their own labor
pasty. Obama says, 1 Know we can out-compete any other
hation on carth. We just have to make sure we're doing.
e can to unlock the productiviy of American
s really code for speed-
t0ld they must nobly sacrifice to save the economy a
nation. “Bullshit” a good many say.
“Shared sacrifice” means accepiing giveback contracts
without rocking the boat with protests and strkes — all
for the good of “our” economy! Now, docsn't
that sound better than sacrificing for the bonuses of “our™
CEOW
Inthis together?
A Michelle Obama campaign leter says “America pros-
pers when we are all in this ogether, when everyone from
Nain Street to Wall Street — does ther faie share.” Speak-
ing at Laborfest in Milwaukee. the president exhorted
emernber that we allise o falltogether — a5
one nation, and one people.”
‘Some progressive and liberalthind partes ae also treading
4“4
ISSUE 21
in this nationalist goo. Dr. Jil Stein, Green Part
dential candidate, says “I0 time 10 . make ihis y
Work for all of s and o “no rest il we've pulled our
nation back from the brink.” Rocky Anderson of the Jus-
tice Pasty is muich concerned with “national securit.”
The working poor and shrinking numbers of well-puid
workers in the U.S. hate much more in common with ¢
ploited workers in India, austerity. protesters in Greec
student strikers in Quebec, and farmers reclaiming land it
Honduras, than with capitalist America. This year's elec-
o i 4 great time to rejct the fals unity of nationalist
appeals and vote for socialists and anti-capitalists — our
own working clas inerests.
Send feedback to Iidanks @yahoo.com.
Support the Tinley Park 5
BY MONICA MOOREHEAD
From workersorz
‘The Tinley Park Five — Jason W. Sutherland, Cody L.
Sutherland, Dylan J. Sutherland, Alex R. Stuck and Johi
. Tucker — are currenly imprisoned in Cook County Jail
in Chicago. The Five, white anti-racist anarchists, were
artested on May 19 for allegedly physically breaking up
an “economic summit” by members of the linois Euro-
pean Hertage Association a & restaurant in Tinley Park, 3
Chicago subusb. The Five are facing major felony chargds.
including “mob action, criminal damage t property and
ageravated battery.”
Two ofthe IEHA members were also arested at the scene.
One was charzed with Internet child pormography. The
other was charged with unlawful possession of 4 semia-
tomatic Weapon in his car. which was parked near the res-
taurant. Bail Torthe later charge s $25.000.The bonds for
the Five, who reportedly possessed no guns, are S175.000,
5200.000 and 52500001
“The IEHAs part of a worldwide network of whi
acist neofaseists known s “Pioneer Little Edrope.” Which
is connected with Storm Front. This network promotes the
outright extermination of people of color and Jewish peo-
ple. The “summit” was one in a series caled throughout
the Midwest over the past several years. White suprema-
sts have ratcheted up thir racit demagogic organizing,
especially in the economically hard-hit Midwes! region.
“The Five e being defended by the Hoosiers Anti-
Movement, based in Indiana. HARM his been monitor-
ing and exposing the activities of the neofascists for many
years. Thiricen other anti-racist activits allegedly took
st in the breakup of the IEHA meeting and are stll being.
pursued by the police.
When this WW reporter asked Chandra Vanvliet from
HARM about the well-being of the Fiv, she explained,
“They have & wonderful legal team representing the.
“They are in preat spirts. They e looking forward to thir
day i court and are humbled by the shows of solidar-
ity that theyve received. especially froms people they've.
never met. They're geting along fine without any prob-
lems whatsoever from fellow inmates and guards, Their
support network has been doing all they can to make sure
that they're 4 comfortable as possible and have reading
material to keep their minds occupied.
June 12: Pack the courtroon
“The Five are scheduled to have an inital court hearing on
June 12.at 9 a.m. a the Bridgeview Courthouse, which is
Tocated at 10230'S. 76th Ave. in Bridgeview, Il
HARM is urging supporters (o pack the courtroom. Van-
Vler's message 1o the progressive movement, which she
conveyed 1o W, s the following: “At he arraigament,the
mainsream media decided to take pctures and hound a few
personal frends of the defendants after they made it clear
they Weren't interesed in talking 1o the press. These unaf-
filited friends have since received death threats because
of the recklessness of the Chicago Tribune, despite the fact
that they were clearly warned about the potenial conse-
quences of releasing idenitis of fumily and friends when
‘2 member of HARM gave an iterview {o Stacy St Clir”
Vanyliet went on 10 say: “What we're tring 10 do. is to
ather a large enough group of supparters at the courthouse
and in the courtroom that the white Supremacists will be
unable o ascertain who actually has tes o the Tinley Park
Five and who is simply there o support, We wish to stress
that this show of support sill carries some degree of risk,
butwe encourage those that might come out to Support not
10 allow themselves to be intimidated by white supremcy.
“We're hearing stries about other groups all over the coun-
ey raising funds to help thei familes and legal defense by
having benefit shorws and bake sales. The Tinley Park Five
and ther friends and fumilis are so moved by the support
they've received, especially Trom the anarchist community
Fean't tel you how much any show of solidarity means to
boih them and us
WIW wiote in 4 recent editorial called, “Tinley Park Five:
Fight Fascism.” which is posted on HARM's website
“What the Tinley Park 5 did on May 19 was o carry out
precmpive siike ohelp expose the rea danger that exirem-
ISt groups pose to the movement and the masses here and
worldwide: The Five heroically showed that these groups
have to be crushed sooner than later. Free the Tinley Park
51" Go'to indianaanifa wordpress.com for nformation on
the case. To send leters of suppor 1 the Tinley Park Five
along wih reading materials, g0 o tinyurl com 885tk
a5
ASTRUGGLEMAG
United Struggle Project
Giving 3 voice to displaced people globally through music.
United Strugele Project aims (0 produce CDNDVDs of sons,
music videos, and documentaries ecorded in remote communi.
ties shums refugee camps, and prisons in Afrca, Palestne, A
‘chanistan, Cambodia and Austsalia. Help us bring these vaices
tothe world,
1 want 1o produce 1000 audio CDs and DVDs containing the
best musical and video elements of my project United Strugele.
1 ill consist of songs. music videos and mini documentaries
that T have recorded and fimed over the past 2 years of United
Staugele tours in slums,tefugee camps, war zons and prisons.
in Africa, Paletine, Afghanistan, Cambodia and remote aborig-
inal communities in Australia. 1 am currendy trying 1o source
funding 10 produce these DVDs and CDs and send them 10 the
artiss involved as wellas unleash tothe world this unbeard tl-
ent and stories of survival.
My name s Tsabella Brown, founder of the no profi collective
— United Strugale Project, fapper in Melbourne hip-hop band
‘Combat Wombat and ¢o founder of the Lab Rat Solar sound
system. T'm a yricis, performer and flm maker. My latest flm
“Ghettomolo” premiéred a the London International Docu-
menitary Film Festval. T presently ive in Melboume but have
Spent the lastfew ears on tour with United Staugele project.
Donate a Beat
Producers from around the world delved deep into their hard
drives to donate beas o host unherd voices of displaced peo-
ples. 1 hen took the donated beats to those atists in places with
Tl access o beat making technology o collaboraie on
Objectives:
1. Record music and make music video clips addressing is-
ues faced by displaced people with artsts n affected areas.
displaced by war, colonisation, development, poverty and
environmental issues.
Create collaborative Songs with representative artists from
each place.
3. Create forum for displaced people t0 express their stories
through music and video and documentary making.
4. Create networks to unite strugeles and creae links amongst
antists globally
5. To target sacism in the broader international
With music.
sunity
Background and Inspirations
s frstinspied 1o do this project whils 1 was n Kenya 2007
filming the documentary Ghetto Moto (se) about the journey
of a hip-hop spoken word poet after the post electon violence.
During the flming 1 was approsched daily by arits from he
slums in Nairobi o produce music videos of thei songs. 1 no-
ed the huge demand and lack of accessible equipment and
kills in video production fo people i these poverty siricken
‘areas. Talso noticed a wealh o tlent and wisdom.
Lmet a Rwandan refugee in Nairobi who got me to ilm
sic video for his song One Nation Afrca. He told me of many
other atists like himself but who were sill rapped in refugee
Camps. Afte the success and popularity of the music videos in
he slun T thousht wh not 1y and reach atist i these camps.
and give thems the opportunity to record music and communi-
cate thei issues through video. | had a very strong feelng that
there was some incredible talent and insight hidden in these iso-
lated plces of imbo,
An example of uniting arists and strugeles s the song “Bow
Down No Way." collsboraiv track between Shoeshine Boy
from Mukure Slum and Adel from St Studios in Nairobi wilh
Monikeymare (Combat Wombat) and mysel The video clip was
shotin Nairobi, Melbourne and Alice Springs. It has had zood
response and draws paralles betseen the poverly of indigenous
people in Australia and Afrca and unites thir iruzgles.
Palm Istand was 4 prison island made up of 65 diffrent tribes
displaced from ther traditional Lands. The pecple from Palm
Kland are dealing with similar social isues a3 the displaced
people in the camps i Afica, Palestine and Cambodia,includ-
Ing overcrowding. poor health and tibal tensions. Today they
are sill suffeing th effects of colonisation.
I feel like a efugee in my own county,” Uncle Chappy, Ab-
original Tt Embassy.
Ihave been working i remote Aboriginal communitis all over
Austala since 2000. 1 have seen 4 very positve response from
the kids and the community 10 the music and video workshops.
They have proven to b & fanastic way for youlh 0 voice theis
issues. Even though Australia is 2 very muliculieal socity
there is a defnie underlying racism tha needs to be addressed
in the cases of refugees and indigenous people. Music, being a
iversal language. can be a very effective Way to address the
issues of acism in sciety.
Another element of the projet s the ‘Donie & Beat"web st
“This ives producers from anywhere in the world the opportu-
ity 0 donate beats o the project via th Interne, Thus creating
Tinks with producers and atits globally.
My min motivation is my love for music and belief in social
and environmental jusice. Music can be used s & tool for
chunge and education to break down wals, create common
‘round and unite common siruzgles
‘With a suitcase sized recording studio in hand, my 7 year okl
Son Bussi Brown and [ will st auton 4 2 year oi o record and
Collaborate on trax snd make music videos in the fa corners
of the planet in refugee camps slums and prisons and remote
Communities. Help us bring these voices 1o the world.-enjoy
the journey
itedstruggleprojectory
46
To the Man-Child, Tall, evil, graceful, brighteyed, black man-child = Jonathan Peter Jackson
~ who died on August 7, 1970, courage in one hand, assault rifie in the other; my brother,
comrade, friend — the irue revolutionary, the black communist guerrilla in the highest state of
development, e died on the trigger, scourge of the unrighteous, soldier of the people; 10 this
terrible man-child and his wonderful mother Georgia Bea, to Angela Y. Davis, my tender experi-
ence, I dedicate this collection of letters; 10 the destruction of their enemies I dedicate my Iife.
George L. Jackson
August 7, 1970, just a few days after George Jackson was transferred to San Quentin, the case
was catapulted o the forefront of national news when his brother, Jonathan, a seventeen-year-
old high school student in Pasadena, staged a raid on the Marin County courthouse with
satchelful of handguns, an assault rifle, and a shotgun hidden under his coat. Educated into a
political revolutionary by George, Jonathan invaded the court during a hearing for three black
San Quentin inmates, not including his brother, and handed them weapons. As he left with the
inmates and five hostages, including the judge, Jonathan demanded that the Soledad Brothers be
released within thirty minutes. In the shootout that ensued., Jonathan was gunned down. OF Jona-
than, George wrote, *He was free for a while. T guess that's more than most of s can expect.”
www.4strugglemag.org
4strugglemag
PO. Box 97048
RPQ Roncesvalles Ave
Toronto, Ontario
M6R 383 Canada