Protest Against Needless Police Brutality at EOCI

By comrades in Oregon

[This article has been slightly edited by MIM to remove criticisms of persyns that we cannot confirm at this time.]

Protest against the needless police brutality and the truth about our corrections system. How do we stop these abuses inflicted on us prisoners by those placed in authority?

Comrades in the struggle,

Once again our theories and political practice have achieved amazing results. Throughout these past six years of captivity I've heard from almost every Anarchist publication that us revolutionary prison gangs have NO revolutionary potential. Yet we are the only ones, it seems, who through political protest and actions, not just words, are constantly fighting to change this oppression in their system we are held captive in.

Our movement exceeds far beyond the mere throwing of rocks or the extremism of burning an SUV vehicle, period. We are those who are the recipients of the oppression of their system, We are the troops on the front lines. Here, in the prison system, we risk bodily harm, and death daily by attempting to protest against the political wills of their elite. When you know that your very life may be forfeit, yet you still act, that is true ACTIVISM.

Yet, we are condemned for being gang members. With each prison gang, some who are enemies with each other, who supported and participated in unity in this uprising and protest against police brutality. And those who are not even members of gangs, we showed the establishment that WE as a whole, will not sit idly by while their representatives assault and brutalize helpless individuals.

Some say that there is no potential for activism among us gang members, yet you ignore the wealth and knowledge that we possess, and the extensive cultural history that goes into the foundations of our beliefs. Had this been 1776, we would have been lauded as revolutionaries, as was George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin and all others who have fought for their beliefs.

Do you think that those who rise against unjust authorities deserve to be heard? I do!

On June nineteenth 2005, at EOCI, at 10:00 am, a young man, 18 years old and weighing in at 150 lbs, was brutally assaulted by officer pease, who is an x-competition power lifter weighing in at at least 360 lbs, while he was detained in handcuffs. This delegated officer assaulted this young man with no physical provocation form the prisoner. So all of Us got together in a united uprising. It started with as many as 100 prisoners, and at least 70 prisoners went through with what turned out to be the Oregon Department of Corrections biggest protest against the brutality and violence by its officers in recent history. Anyone who doubts need only look at the death of Billy Owens at the hand of the department of corrections own GANG ("the Outlaw Prison Guards"), the proof of which was already reported by the author.

Combined and in participation in the oppression against us and the violence perpetrated against a young 18 year old adolescent, that is reminiscent of recent abuses of authority as shown in footage and photographs in the mainstream media, in Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo Bay and Camp Freedom in Afghanistan. Where is the outrage, we ask?? Where is the outpouring of support?? Where is the cry to amend and fix these inhumane actions and behaviors to ward people in our own country??? Are the aforementioned emotions and reactions reserved only for the "terrorists," who have shown a willingness to throw away innocent lives? What about those who wish for change, or have made mistakes and became victims of the system in the United States of America. Where is our supposed freedom? If you are fighting for change in a distant land, you are not to be abused or oppressed. Yet it is perfectly alright for "our own" people to be abused and oppressed, simply because we are convicts and/or gang members, or against the establishment. [MIM's OR Prison Coordinator responds: To claim that the amerikan people care more about Iraqi, Afghani and other foreign people is probably incorrect. Oppressed nations from the Middle East to Oregon are facing repression at the hand of u$ prisons with support from amerikan chauvinism. There are political reasons why Abu Ghraib is bigger news than EOCI, and we need to use that to our advantage as best we can, while uniting the national liberation struggles and aspirations of all oppressed people under unkle $ams boot.] It is our intention that here in our own systems, that these things happen and that as activists and Americans We need to protest against this type of behavior, and that this be clearly pointed out.

Has it been so long that when these abuses happened in these distant lands, that it was shown that the majority of those who carried out the abuses, and who misused the authorities given to them, were actually prison guards and workers in the correction systems in Amerika (see Abuse of Iraqi prisoners: the U.$. prison connection). In the fateful words of one of those accused, found guilty and sentenced for these crimes against decency... "Things like this are commonplace back home in prisons in Pennsylvania" ... How Absurd!

Send letters of protest and concern to:

Sharon Blacketter, Superintendent
2500 Westgate
Pendleton, Oregon 97801-9699

(541) 278-3602


Please cc MIM as well so that we can continue to cover this struggle