ALERT: STATEMENT SUSPENDING THE 3RD HUNGER STRIKE –WHAT WE WON, NOW WHAT, WHAT WE CAN DO “Greetings of Solidarity and Respect! The PBSP-SHU, Short Corridor Collective Representatives hereby serve notice upon all concerned parties of interest that after nine weeks we have collectively decided to suspend our third hunger strike action on September 5, 2013. To be clear, our Peaceful Protest of Resistance to our continuous subjection of decades of systemic state sanctioned torture via the system’s solitary confinement units is far from over…” (Read the complete statement prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress/2013/09/05/statement-suspending-the-third-hunger-strike/ ) The prisoners tell us how much they value your actions as a member of the Pledge of Resistance. We have continuing opportunities to support the struggle to win the Five Core Demands. We also want to share with you some of the wins as a result of this struggle. You can: 1. Continue as a Pledge of Resister and the actions will be the same as when the prisoners were on Hunger Strike, but hopefully the Alerts will be less frequent. 2. Become a Human Rights Pen Pal and write to a prisoner who is working for change from within the system. For more information on becoming a Human Rights Pen Pal please email [email protected]. 3. To learn about the many other ways you can continue to work for the Five Core Demands of prisoners in solitary please check prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress/ 4. To unsubscribe to the Alerts, respond to this message with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line. WHAT WE HAVE WON! 1. A historic meeting of prison hunger striker leadership in Pelican Bay. They were able to meet together to COLLECTIVELY decide to suspend the hunger strike. They were also able to have conversations by phone with their collective who had been transferred to New Folsom prison for medical reasons. 2. Wardens at San Quentin, Tehachapi and Calipatria prisons met with organized prisoners and promised to meet many of their demands relating to specific issues at these prisons. (BUT only the department of Corrections has the power to meet the Five Core Demands of all prisoners in solitary confinement). 3. A historic protest: 30,000 prisoners began the Hunger Strike and 100 Hunger Strikers went nearly 60 days. The number of prisoners who protested with work stoppage is still unknown because the prison system controls those numbers. 4. There has been a reduction of violence in the prison systems that has been directly related to this Human Rights struggle with the October 10th, 2012 Agreement to End Hostility Statement. (read the statement prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress/agreement-to-end-hostilities/ ) 5. Despite guard provocation of strikers, prisoners were extremely disciplined and never responded with violence. 6. There has been an outpouring of outside support – within California, nationally and Internationally, and widespread coverage in the mainstream and progressive media. 7. There was tremendous unity of family members and other community supporters. The coalition members have mirrored the prisoner’s actions in building unity across differences and have prioritized the voices and leadership of prisoners, family members and formerly incarcerated people. 8. Supportive legislators have scheduled public hearings for Wednesday October 8 in Sacramento and later in the month at Los Angeles. Thank you for your continued solidarity! Cile Beatty for The Pledge of Resistance work team.
Posted on: Wed, 09 Oct 2013 06:47:25 +0000
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