Resistance to State Mandated Violence

Thursday, February 13, 2014 was such a healing day. The day actually started the evening before at a reception for families of incarcerated men, women and children, the day after a hearing at the State Capital where former prisoners, current through proxy and families affected by solitary confinement gave testimony, this two years after a historic hearing hosted by the Health and Safety Committee chair, Assemblyman Tom Aminano, D-San Francisco. See http://solitarywatch.com/tag/tom-ammiano/

Justice Now, Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, California Coalition for Women Prisoners, Coalition to Free the Angola 3, Critical Resistance, Amnesty International, Freedom Archives--parents of incarcerated persons, children of prisoners, wives, husbands, friends, prison abolitionists--all were at Delancy Street networking and sharing strategies for ending the inhumane practice of locking people up for any length of time in these secured housing units, cages, metal containers--

Friday, February 14 CCWP members went to the Thao & The Get Down Stay Down concert at the Fillmore. It was really exciting. Thao is a true revolutionary who uses her art for social change. She met with us afterward, called the organization out by name from the stage and donated part of her sales to CCWP.

The week before there was a march to end police violence in front of State Attorney General Kamala Harris's office at the State Building in Oakland. Families of victims of police violence were out marching and demanding Harris arrest "killer cops." The rally was called by the Buffords, whose son, Alan was killed by Oakland police, an officer who is still on the payroll.

I had the opportunity to meet Kaylah Moore's family. She was killed by the Berkeley police in a mishandled medical call. Instead of getting help, they smothered her.