Anti-War Prison Solidairty Workshop Report/s

They're in Jail for Us, We're on the Streets for Them!

Following the conclusion of the court scene of Trial Day 7 (J17). Pitstops & solidarity activsts gathered at the Franciscan Church opposite to the Four Courts. Patriticpants included Catholic Workers (Dublin, London, New York City, Ithaca NY, 4 Pitstop defendants, Anarchist Prison Solidarity, Voices in the Wilderness/Chicago, Peace People, PSP trial solidarity activists, a homeless person, 2 independent film makers, punks hippies, priest & Nipponzon Myohoji Buddhist nun, AWI. More detailed input will be added to ths report as posted comments......

The workshop reflected on.....
a) Share experiences of prison & solidarity
b) Reflect on how we can support our present anti-war prisoners (both civilaian & military
c) Discuss how we can best support anti-war activists (present company excluded hopefully) during future prison time.

a) Kathy reflected on her approx 2 years of U.S. County Jaisl & Fed Prison time in the U.S. & the experience of being hogtied (www.soaw.org archives)
-Carmen (NYCW) on being set up by the NYPD for assault & a week in Rikers Island (pop 10,000) & receent experience of The Tombs (NYC)
-Martin on his 2 years in Rikers & 2 years in English prisons.
-Fr. Martin on his 4 months in Bedford Prison & 2 months in Belmarsh (London) max security.
-Scott on nights in police stations & a night in the Milton Keynes supermax.
-Eamonn on being bashed in police custody.(Ireland)
-Karen, Deirdre & Damien (Pitstops) on their time in Limerick Prison (www.peaceontrial.com).
-Justin on 6 months in Mountjoy Prison in the ' 70's (Ireland)
-Ciaron on his 13 months (USA) in Texas & New York County Jails & Louissiana & Oklahoma Fed Pens ("Bomber Grounded, Runway Closed", Rose Hill Books USA 1993), 5 months in Darwin Jail & short stints in Boggo Rd. (Brisbane) max security n the '80's. How prison solidarity work contributed to the closure of that barbaric prison. (Australia)
-Fintan on his 60 days in Limerick Prison following outbreak of the war (Ireland).
-Teresa (www.stpatricksfour.org) on her recent release from 4 months in U.S. County Jail & Fed Detention.(USA)

b) Solidarity from the outside anti-war movement was seen as basic to sustain the imprisoned anti-war resister & make it safer from attacks by prison staff & hostile (proactive minority,usually younger, fellow prisoners.) Acknowledgement as anti-war resistance grows within the militaries & civil society there will be more anti-war prisoners.

The "Prison Addresses" section of the following website was recommended as the best source for updated prison addresses primarily for U.S. anti-war prisoners & some internationals.
www.jonahhouse.org

c) Proposals & Suggestions
-that a group of 4 (Joe, Dave, Cathy, Fintan) be set up immediately if Ireland gets 5 new anti-war activist prisoners real soon! The 4 would coordinate outreach to sympathetic groups to politicise the imprisonment as a resistance to the war, nourish the activists in terms of the basics (visits, money for stamps, support during crisis etc), vigils (weekly at Mountjoy, monthly at Irish embassies), sustain the website (imprisoned activists encouraged to write reflections on war & custody).
-Similar solidarity collectives to be set up in Australia, England, Poland Scotland, U.S.
-to ask folks to do what they do best for the imprisoned resisters (punk musos & gig organisers to do benefits, artists to do posters, stickers, writers to wrote articles publicisng the incarceration as statements against ongoing Irish complicity in the war, walkers to walk, vigillers to vigil, priests to celebrate mass outside the jails, samba folks to make some noise outside the jails etc. Eamonn to finally finish his film!