* *  The Maoist Internationalist Movement  * *

     -   MIM Notes 107, December 1995  -


RALLY AGAINST REPRESSION IN MASSACHUSETTS PRISONS

Boston, November 18th--The Revolutionary Anti-
Imperialist League held a rally outside the offices 
of the Department of Corrections and NYNEX co-
sponsored by MIM, Latinos Against Abuse of 
Prisoners, the Committee to Free Puerto Rican 
Political Prisoners and POWs, the UMass- Amherst 
Radical Student Union, and Freedom Now. Over 40 
people joined the rally to oppose the increasing 
repression in prisons in this state and in 
particular to target the new NYNEX contract with 
the DOC to cut prisoners' access to phones and tape 
and control every phone call. 

People holding signs and banners opposing the 
Amerikan injustice system, and decrying the real 
criminals in the Amerikan government marched 
through downtown Boston. We marched past Channel 7 
news pointing out how the media is a tool of the 
imperialists, past City Hall voicing our opposition 
to the role they play in empowering the police 
officers to harass the people, and ended at the 
Boston Common where many people stopped to join the 
rally and sign petitions. 

Among the participants in the rally were parents of 
prisoners who expressed outrage at the treatment of 
their sons, and people who had been in prison and 
experienced the repression first hand. One man had 
just been released from jail that day and happened 
on the rally and was very excited to join in and 
help build the movement. Many sheets of petitions 
opposing control units were filled with signatures 
of people attending the rally and passing by.

People spoke about the increasing use of control 
units to torture prisoners, the lack of access to 
education and health care, and the systematic 
repression of political activists, and oppressed 
nations. One prisoner from Walpole wrote a letter 
to RAIL about the rally updating us on the 
continuing repression in this Supermax prison and 
pledging his solidarity with us. He wrote: "Thank 
you so much for being concerned about the on-going 
UnLawfulness that continues to go on behind these 
prison(s) walls... I greatly thank you for being 
there for us in Our Struggles my Dear Comrades!"

RAIL will continue its vigilance in fighting this 
battle against repression in Massachusetts prisons. 
We are planning other rallies for the spring and 
are ready to respond quickly if Weld is successful 
in getting money to build new prisons and more 
control units. We have educational and organizing 
meetings every Wednesday at 7:30pm in the Old 
Cambridge Baptist Church, 1151 Massachusetts Ave, 
Cambridge. Anyone interested in joining the fight 
is welcome.

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