Delayed Report on September 9 Protest and Repression
This comes to you long overdue from High Desert State Prison (Nevada). September 9 has come and gone and I have no information as to how it went except for what follows below.
On September 6 I was cuffed up and put in the most isolated unit at the prison. Several others were simultaneously moved to other units. I was locked up “pending disciplinary” for write ups I’d gotten for doing legal work. However additional charges had been filed against me on 8/29 for organizing a work stoppage/disruptive demonstration. I did not know this at the time.
On 9/8 another comrade was also locked up behind a matter completely unrelated to 9/9 as well.
On 9/9 I fasted in my cell. No one else on this tier did so. It’s assumed they never got word, not surprising given the security level in this unit.
On 9/9 there was little notice of my fast and I heard no radio traffic which would indicate that anything was going on elsewhere in the prison. There was no discussion concerning anything irregular occurring.
On 9/21 I was served the second notice of charges.
On 10/5 I was found not guilty of the first legal work write up.
On 10/6 I was convicted of the work stoppage/demonstration write up. I was given 180 days disciplinary segregation, a class B state time referral and referred to the parole board for revocation/rescission of parole.
A letter received informed me that, in fact, few people from my former unit participated in the fast and this evidences a successful oppressor strategy: divide and conquer. They calculated (apparently correctly), that if they removed the perceived organizer and driving force behind the action that the witnesses to that removal and the remaining parties would be dissuaded and intimidated and abandon the action. Excepting a few loyal comrades, this was apparently correct.
This is a common and timeless strategy. Unfortunately it is successful all too often. There remains a few who spoke for the many and (as far as I can tell) I was the only target of retribution. I can live with that!
2013 is not far off and I will be again one of the few speaking for the many, if that’s what it takes.
For those who stood by us and our comrades country-wide, respects to all!
