Posted 7 years ago on July 2, 2013, 7:07 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt

Tags: california, days of action, prisoner rights

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Unless the Governor and the Department of Corrections take decisive action, prisoners throughout California will resume a hunger strike and work stoppage ONE WEEK FROM TODAY to protest the torturous conditions in solitary confinement--and other parts of the prison system.

Stand in Solidarity with the Hunger Strike and other Job Actions Being Called for July 8th!

Communities across the state, country, and world plan on taking action to help the strikers win their demands. [Ed. Note: Including this noise demo in Seattle, among many other places outside California!]

Sign up for updates [and find local actions, more info, background, prisoners' demands, resources, endorsers of the actions, etc] at prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress.com.

Wherever you are, please take some form of action on July 8th. Big or small, every voice counts! Click here for more: http://prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress.com/

On Twitter: @CAhungerstrike

On this Day of Action, we're asking for people all over the world to do whatever they can to draw attention to the struggle of these prisoners against torturous conditions-- public rallies, banner drops, candlelight vigils, marches and other forms of public demonstration.

We strongly encourage that these actions center the Five Core Demands made by the Pelican Bay Hunger Strike prisoners:

**1. End Group Punishment & Administrative Abuse.

Abolish the Debriefing Policy, and Modify Active/Inactive Gang Status Criteria. Comply with the US Commission on Safety and Abuse in America's Prisons 2006. Recommendations Regarding an End to Long-Term Solitary Confinement. Provide Adequate and Nutritious Food. Expand and Provide Constructive Programming and Privileges for those living in the SHU.**

We also hope that your actions will join the coalition and the strikers in demanding that the Governor and the CDCR enter into good-faith and accountable negotiations with the strikers immediately.

For more information about the Five Core Demands, please visit http://prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress.com

People who stand up to organize events on the Day of Action (or any other date) are asked to act in true solidarity by following these guidelines from the Coalition based on communication with the prisoners:

Support the prisoners by advocating for the Five Core Demands rather than agitating for other goals or our own demands. Remember that the prisoners chose a "nonviolent peaceful protest" and plan your solidarity actions with that spirit in mind. Honor the strikers, their loved ones, supporters, and the larger community of prisoner-rights and anti-prison organizations by refusing to claim leadership of the solidarity campaign.

Let us know what you have planned and we'll add it to our Action Calendar for all to see.

To add your event, please click here. http://prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress.com/take-action-2/add-your-event/

And, if you are in California, please support the statewide mobilization to Corcoran State Prison on July, 13! Details below.

Mobilization to Support the Prisoner Hunger Strikes

Corcoran State Prison

Saturday July 13, 2013

facebook event

Rides available by bus and carpool. Contact rachel-at-criticalresistance.org or 510-444-0484

Caravans will leave from MacArthur BART in Oakland at 9:00 AM and Chuco’s Justice Center in Inglewood at 9:00AM. We will gather at Cesar Chavez Park in Corcoran (1500 Oregon) at 2PM and then march to Corcoran State Prison where our demands will be heard!

In 2011, over 12,000 California state prisoners engaged in a hunger strike to end long term solitary confinement and to demand changes to the way that prisoners are assigned to torturous cells, known as the SHU (security housing units). Although the Department of Corrections acknowledged that their demands were reasonable and would be addressed - very little has changed for California prisoners since 2011. California is still spending millions of dollars a year to keep people in solitary confinement for decades!

Statewide Hunger Strikes Resume

On July 8, 2013 California Prisoners will begin an indefinite hunger strike and work strike until meaningful changes are made within the Department of Corrections.

On July 13, 2013 we will rally at Corcoran State Prison to show our support for the prisoners and pressure Jerry Brown to meet their demands! Like Pelican Bay, Corcoran isolates nearly 2,000 people in solitary confinement.

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