Prisoners News Archive
2004
International News Archive (2004):
August 20, Olmito (Texas, United States) - Prisoners refused to go back to their cells, barricaded themselves in a room, smashed TVs and phones, and used makeshift weapons against guards, injuring two of them. The inmates were defying a lockdown that was put in place on August 14 after a fight between prisoners. A SWAT team entered the jail, using tear gas, pepper-spray and rubber bullets, leaving 11 inmates injured.
August 18, Rome (Italy) - Inmates at the Regina Coeli jail set fires and used cooking gas-canisters to damage a living unit. Police were sent in to quell the disturbance.
July 20 (Colorado, United States) - Inmates held at the medium-security Crowley County Correctional Facility, the nation's largest corporate prison, rioted and set fires, destroying one living unit and causing extensive damage to four others. Several hundred prisoners took part in the revolt, which was only quelled five hours later. No guards were injured. 13 prisoners were transferred and three were hospitalized with injuries.
July 15-19, Paris (France)- On the night of July 15-16, two windows of the Italian "San Paolo" bank on Alesia street, and four windows of the same bank in the public square of Catalogne were smashed by anarchists. On the night of July 18-19, the display window of an Italian agency on Rochebrune street met the same fate. These actions were claimed in solidarity with those currently being prosecuted in relation to the revolt against the G8 in Genoa (July of 2001), and anarchists recently arrested and imprisoned in Pisa and Lecce in Italy.
July 18, Saliceto di Cadeo (Italy) - Two telephone towers were blown up in the night. The spray-painted messages "Carlo Lives" and "Free Marco" were found at the site, in reference to Carlo Guiliani, who was killed by police in Genoa during the revolt against the G8 in July of 2001, and Marco Camenisch, an anarchist prisoner recently sentenced to 17 additional years in jail for the murder of a Swiss border guard in 1989.
June 30, Zurich (Switzerland) - Windows were broken on the ground floor of an office connected to the Axpo corporation, which is the largest electrical energy producer in Switzerland. The words "We will blow you up - Free Marco" were written at the site, in reference to anarchist prisoner Marco Camenisch. The same building used to house the Wohlgroth, the largest squat in Zurich in the 1990's.
June 23, Happy Valley-Goose Bay (Labrador, Canada) - Two Innu women were sentenced to house arrest for their roles in a riot over the lack of housing on the Sheshatshiu reserve three months ago. Mary Angela Gregoire plead guilty to causing a disturbance, theft under $5,000, assault and breaching an undertaking. Charges against her for damaging the Band Council building and police vehicles were dropped. She was ordered to pay $1,000 in restitution to a convenience store that was looted and was sentenced to 10 months' house arrest. The Inuit judge went beyond the sentence recommended by the Crown prosecutor. The other woman, Sonya Milley, plead guilty to setting fire to a police car, mischief and causing a disturbance and was sentenced to six months' house arrest.
June 21, Burgos (Spain) - Anarchists broke the windows of the Italian consulate and spray-painted messages on its walls in solidarity with Italian anarchists who were recently arrested.
June 20 (Nebraska, United States) - Nine youths at the Lancaster County Juvenile Detention Center rioted for about two hours, after two inmates refused to return to their room. Guards were forced to flee as the young prisoners threw furniture and trashed a computer and a telephone, causing about $2,000 dollars damage. The rebellious prisoners then barricaded themselves in the "day room" and police were brought in to break down the door. Seven inmates have been charged with criminal mischief and two others with aiding and abetting. They have all been placed on lockdown (confined to their cells).
June 16, Santiago (Chile) - Riot police assaulted a demonstration in support of prisoners on their 68th day of a hunger strike. Objects were thrown at the police and capitalist institutions such as banks were attacked. 14 people were arrested and four were injured.
June 8, Santiago (Chile) - Masked-up students burned tires in the streets and set a McDonalds restaurant on fire in solidarity with hunger-striking prisoners.
June 4, Santiago (Chile) - Riot cops attacked a demonstration in support of prisoners on the 54th day of a hunger strike. Several banks were smashed up and solidarity graffiti messages were written on walls. 50 people were arrested.
June 4, Happy Valley-Goose Bay (Labrador, Canada) - Two Innu teens were sentenced to 18 months probabtion and 150 hours of community service for their roles in a riot against poor housing conditions and a police invasion of the Sheshatshiu reserve two months ago. They must also attend "anger management" counselling. They had been denied bail and held in custody since the confrontation. The adults charged in the case will go on trial later this month and another teen will go to trial in July.
June 8, Santiago (Chile) - Masked-up students burned tires in the streets and set a McDonalds restaurant on fire in solidarity with hunger-striking prisoners.
June 4, Santiago (Chile) - Riot cops attacked a demonstration in support of prisoners on the 54th day of a hunger strike. Several banks were smashed up and solidarity graffiti messages were written on walls. 50 people were arrested.
May 29, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) - A riot took place in a prison after 14 inmates broke through its main gate and escaped. The rebellious prisoners took 26 guards and prison staff hostage and stole their guns. Three of the escapees have been recaptured.
May 14, Santiago (Chile) - Police made several failed attempts to stop a march in solidarity with hunger-striking radical prisoners (including indigenous Mapuche prisoners, now in their 33rd day of the strike). As the march neared the government palace, demonstrators dispersed into small groups, as a large and initimidating police force was guarding the building. The small groups spread throughout the city, blocking streets and attacking property.
May 12, Happy Valley-Goose Bay (Labrador, Canada) - Three Innu teenagers plead guilty in court to charges relating to the trashing of the Sheshatshiu Band Council office and a riot which forced police to flee the area two months ago. One of the Native teens was convicted of carrying an axe as a weapon, assaulting a police officer, and two counts of damage over $5,000 to police cars and the Band Council office. Another plead guilty to carrying a piece of wood as a weapon, breaking in to a store, and attempting to steal a safe from the Band Council office. The third teen was convicted of stealing products from the store and two charges of damage over $5,000 to the RCMP vehicles and the Band building. All three will be sentenced next month. The trial for the adults charged in the case will begin in June.
May 8, Zurich (Switzerland) - About 100 people, including a Black Bloc, participated in an unauthorized march in solidarity with anarchist prisoner Marco Camenisch, passing by the court in which Marco will appear on May 10. Riot police encircled the demonstration and fired off rubber bullets and tear gas. Rocks and bottles were tossed at the police, in response. Almost all the demonstrators were arrested and later released. Three people are being held and charged with "assaulting a public official."
Marco, now 52-years-old, was first imprisoned in Switzerland after he was found guilty on charges of using explosives in an attack on a power station in 1979. He escaped prison in 1981, and was then arrested after a shoot-out with police in a small Italian town in 1991. An Italian court sentenced him to 12 years for bomb attacks on high-voltage power lines and "causing bodily harm" to a police officer. He now faces charges for the attempted murder of a prison guard in Zurich in 1981, and the murder of Swiss border guard in 1989. He was extradited to Switzerland in April 2002. Marco recently went on a hunger strike, lasting from April 1, 2004 to May 1, 2004, to resist the constant harrassment of prison guards and a their withholding of his mail.
May 6, Santiago (Chile) - About 50 masked university students took to the streets to support radical prisoners who have been on hunger strike for 25 days. Riot police showed up with water cannons and were hit by Molotov firebombs.
May 6, Sergnano (Italy) - The data transmission booth of a tower belonging to the Snam Gas corporation was set on fire. A solidarity message for Marco Camenisch was left at the site. The Snam company manages the Italian gas pipeline network (utilizing advanced telecommunications technology).
April 22, (Rondonia, Brazil) - A five-day uprising at the Urso Branco prison ended after the government gave in to the rebels' demands, including replacing the prison director and expanding the overcrowded facility. 14 prisoners were killed by fellow inmates during the revolt and 170 family members had entered the prison and agreed to stay to assist their imprisoned relatives. The jail is built for 360 people but houses more than 1,000 inmates. Officials say that the prison was totally destroyed and will take 40 days to repair.
April 20 (Italy) - Four anarchists were arrested and imprisoned, as the Marini trial came to an end.
The sentences are as follows:
Angela Maria (Marina) Lo Vecchio - 15 years
Alfredo Bonanno - 6 years
Orlando Campo - 10 years
Carlo Tesseri - 3 years and 9 months
April 16, Palmerston North (New Zealand) - Teenage inmates rioted at the Palmerston North detention centre, attacking guards with furniture and seriously injuring several of them.
April 16, Thessaloniki (Greece) - Police arrested a man who they allege was placing a gas-canister explosive under a private security vehicle. The pigs say that another suspect got away after pepper-spraying them. The guardians of public order had recently raided three apartments and seized documents and a computer. They then set up surveillance operations on security vehicles and an ambush which led to the arrest.
April 15 (Ecuador) - Police took control of prisons across the country, bringing an end to an uprising that began on April 4. A day earlier, a large number of inmates had escaped from the Garcia Moreno prison through Quito's sewer network. Six have been recaptured, but officials are not yet sure exactly how many prisoners escaped. Three inmates died during the rebellion, possibly from fighting between prisoners.
April 7 (Ecuador) - Masked inmates in a men's prison in Quito burned furniture and clashed with police in the third day of a nation-wide prison uprising. The rebellion began in the middle of a national strike by prison guards, who are picketing outside the prisons. On April 6, women in one prison took news crews and 130 visitors hostage, some of whom are relatives of the prisoners who may be staying willingly. In another prison in Guayaquil, women inmates took two police hostage and tied them to a gas canister, threatening to ignite it. 310 people are being held hostage in total. The prisoners are demanding shorter sentences and an end to overcrowding.
April 5, Rome (Italy) - The first degree of the trial against anarchists Massimo Leonardi and Marco Ferruzzi for the alleged beating of a plainclothes cop ended with sentences of one year and a year and two months respectively. The charges stem from the actions against a European Union summit that took place in Rome on October 4th of 2003. Marco and Massimo will also have to pay 1,000 Euros to the beaten cop. The sentence has been suspended until the end of the trial. Marco is under house arrest and Massimo has to register with the police daily. The judge has not yet decided on whether or not to lift these restrictions.
March 29, Happy Valley-Goose Bay (Innu Territory, Labrador, Canada) - Mary Angela Gregoire and two Innu youth are still in jail awaiting trial, after being refused bail on March 19. Mary Angela Gregoire, Kenneth Milley and Warwick Milley's trial will be in North West River on June 22. The trial date for the three youth who have been charged is set for May 15. Charges include assault on a police officer, theft, mischief and inciting a riot. Police are continuing their investigation and may lay more charges.
March 28, Adelaide (Australia) - "Suspicious" fires lit inside the Northfield Women's Prison caused more than $200,000 dollars damage. Authorities believe that fires were started in two locations, one in a cell and another in a recreation area. Two cells, a common room, and furniture were destroyed in the blaze. None of the cells were locked at the time and 16 prisoners were evacuated.
March 19, Nelspruit (South Africa) - 500 prisoners broke out of their cells in rage and desperation from not being fed. Mattresses and blankets were set on fire, cell doors were broken down, documents were destroyed, and taps were left on to cause water damage. The inmates charged at guards and ransacked kitchens for food.
March 17 (Australia) - An Iranian refugee at the Baxter Detention Centre refused to be taken to an isolation unit and climbed onto a roof, sparking a disturbance by his fellow detainees. Detention centre property was damaged and one staff member was injured, as refugees barricaded themselves inside their unit. 50 guards in riot gear broke in and violently suppressed the rebellion.
March 16, Steelton (Pennsylvania, United States) - A 16-year-old boy escaped from a juvenile detention center. He used a sock to disable the locking mechanism of a door, hid behind a table and used a guard's walkie-talkie to get the guards to open another door. He then ran past two guards and made his escape. No one was watching security cameras at the time. Two guards have been suspended without pay because of the break-out.
March 12, Pagbilao (Philippines) - Two prisoners were killed and six others escaped after inmates took guards hostage and looted the jail's armoury for weapons. A gun battle erupted outside as policemen showed up to control the situation. Four of the six escaped prisoners were wounded in the clash.
February 28, St. Petersburg (Russia) - 5,000 prisoners have gone on hunger strike in six different prisons in the region to struggle against the brutal conditions inside the jails and the recent murder of prisoner by guards.
February 18, Quito (Ecuador) - Prisoners released 300 people they had held hostage for three days. The prisoners have not been convicted of any crime and have been held over the amount of time allowed by law. 300 people had come to the prison to protest the conditions the prisoners are held under. The inmates held most of them hostage but allowed some women and children to leave for their health's sake.
February 14, Searcy (Arkansas, United States) - Two inmates in the White County jail removed a surveillance camera and destroyed it. Inmates also ripped a sink and shower from the wall, causing about $5,000 dollars damage. Smoking privileges had been suspended recently.
February 12, Whitehorse (Yukon, Canada) - One of eight inmates charged after a small riot broke out inside the Whitehorse jail on January 24, 2004, told the corporate media that guards provoked the incident with a late-night search for drugs. "For some reason the guards decided to shut off our television, I imagine just because they were disappointed in not finding anything in the dorm," he said, "The search in the middle of the night, and then taking away our chairs and some of our privileges, I think that really got to some of the guy's nerves." About eight prisoners barricaded themselves in the dormitory, ripped sinks off the wall, used the legs of beds to smash equipment and set small fires. The eight inmates are being charged with mischief over $5,000 and intent to escape.
February 10, Guatemala City (Guatemala) - A riot broke out inside a women's prison during a police operation. Six guards and 35 inmates were hospitalized. February 8, Rio De Janeiro (Brazil) - 49 prisoners escaped through a hole in the wall of their cell. 74 inmates were in the cell but guards didn't notice untill 49 has escaped. Six guards have been suspended because of the incident. Only two prisoners have been recaptured.
February 7, Edmonton (Alberta, Canada) - An inmate reportedly beat up a guard at the Edmonton Institution and sparked a riot by about 19 prisoners who refused to return to their cells and destroyed furnishings and computers, causing $170,000 dollars in damage. After being promised dinner the inmates went back to their cells.
February 6, Exeter (United Kingdom) - Inmates rioted at the Exeter prison, damaging computers, doors and an office, and arming themselves with chair legs and pool balls. The rebellion broke out when about 15 prisoners refused to return to their cells after socializing. Guards were forced to withdraw. Riot police were called in and some prisoners returned to their cells, but about 8 inmates barricaded themselves in a cell. The prisoners suspected of being involved in the revolt have been split up and transferred to a different prison.
Letter from Joaquin Garc�s Villacampa
Navalcarnero 10-02-04
�Salud Compa�eros!
First of all, a brotherly, anarchic and rebel hug to you and to everybody that, inside or outside the walls from every prison in he world, still resist the push from the greedy capitalist empire and from the �only way of thinking� they�re putting on us.
All of us (the Barcelona 5) are healthy physically and mentally. Even though the first they did was to seperate us all in differente prisons, we are in touch with each other, very close and very firm in our ideas. In the nowadays situation, the only thing that changes is that the repressive structure becomes more clear, more obvious...things that can only srengthen our desires of freedom, euqality and love to the Idea. If our own feelings weren�t enough, they are always risen by all of you friends all over the world. Since we got locked, even though the mail gets in late, we can be in touch with the news outside, we know that protests and solidarity actions are still happening there. That is somethings that gives us much strength and that makes us feel very proud of all of you.
Our situation has changed little since our imprisonment. You all know about the charges, they are serious and we don�t fool ourselves about getting probation (translators note: probation has been officially denied to all of them) The summaries are still secret in the Audiencia Nacional (National Court), which has taken the place of the old �Tribunal de Orden Publico� under the rule from dictator Franco. Even the lawyers don�t have access to those files. Seems like not much has changed... Counter-terrorist law applied in strange ways, FIES penitentiary regime: this is the democracy so many people wanted. Our dreams and wants are far from that democracy, dreams we know will come true, and dreams that are coming true every day and in many places...anarchy is inevitable. Let�s keep firm and upright in our resistance and fight morals. A fight which is the same for every anti-authoritarian and anti-capitalists hearts. Like i was told by Carol some time ago �we don�t ask permission to be free, neither are we sorry for being free� Freedom is a right for every human being, and when denied, we fight for it despising substitutes or mediators. That�s why we are insurgents, nomads, rebels, deserters from discipline...ANARCHISTS!
Lots of love from the very depth of my heart and my best wishes of health and freedom!
Hasta la victoria
September 2003 repression of anarchists in Barcelona, Spain
Hungerstrike in Texas Prison after Riots
Sunday, February 08, 2004
50 - 75 Ad -Seg. prisoners are on hunger strike at the Eastham Unit, in Lovelady,Texas, near Houston, Texas; over a multitude of grievances, between 350 & 400 have already been submitted at this 98.75 % to at-capacity unit. 304 beds shy of overflow, there have been two riots in General Population that have taken place in the past week. The word is out that imminent Unit - Lockdown status is forthcoming.
One of the hunger strikers, a self-styled Anarchist / Eco / Prison Activist, Ernest Martinez, Jr., #761046, with his Ad-Seg.-cellblock in lockdown, has sent us a list of 14 complaints/grievances from his assessments, and asked us for solidarity, and to publicize this, and also to write letters lodging complaints to the Eastham ( called the "HAM" ) administration : Senior Warden David L.Stacks, TDCJ Eastham Unit, P.O. Box 16, Lovelady, Texas 75851.
The deplorable conditions that exist at the "HAM", are here in the main list of demands:
1. Educational / Library access has been terminated due to budget cuts.
2. Food portions have been cut in half.
3. Food is being served cold / No bread (s) on tray for over a month.
4. Dishwasher broken / several weeks ( increasing hepatitis riskd )
5. Many cellblocks with very little or no heat. During rainy weather lower level cells are flooded due to leaks in roofs, walls, vents, and windows.
6. Prisoners who are elligible - are NOT being brought up for promotions and / or not being allowed to make a 5 - minute phone call every 90 days.
7. There is a chronic staff shortage. ( this includes both medical as well as guards )
8. Due to staff shortage, prisoners are not given alloted recreation periods. Some times we are only given 1 -3 hours of rec. per week.
9. Ad-Seg. rec. yard-kennels are literally caked with bird excrement ( very unsanitary and a health risk ).
10. Prison officials do not respond to and / or even bother to return requests made by prisoners.
11. Guards are quick to wtite updisciplinary reports for even the most mundane and / or archaic rule infractions.
12. Sick - Calls go unanswered for up to 2 weeks. ( Note: this prisoner has submitted two Sick - Call requests within the last 9 days and still has not been seen. )
13. As of December 13, 2003, U.S Mail is is no longer picked up / distributed on Saturdays.
14. Haircutting implements are not being properly sanitized. On haircut day 20 - 40 prisoners are forced to have their hair cut with the same clippers and blades. ( Increases Hepatitis risk / other skin and scalp infections )
Ernest says..." of course this is just the tip of the adversity iceberg, many other aberrant violations occur behind these walls every day."
Also write a letter to:
R.C. Thaler - Director Region I
TDCJ Region I Director's Office
1225 Avenue G, Huntsville, Texas 77340
James Borek, on the 23rd of January, in Southwark Crown (England) court pleaded guilty to a section 20 GBH and 2 violent disorder charges plus an additional charge of skipping bail in 2000. Jim was sentenced after attacking a policeman at the J18 protest in London. Jim will serve 4 and a half in prison. Jim is a 22 year old American lad, who by the time he is released in 2007 will not have seen his home of family ofor 8 years. Jim, an anarchist, moved to Dublin (ireland)when he skipped bail and was working in a record shop. He tought himself tin whistle and joined up with the punk/ Irish trad band Blood or Whiskey. It was while on tour with the band in Belguim that the law caught up with him. Jim feels he can now start looking to the future and would appreciate and needs our support
Please write to him at James Borek LL6803
B4-14
HMP Wandsworth
PO Box 757
Heathfield Road
London SW18 3HS
More info contact Anarchist Prisoner Support
anarprisonersupp-A-hotmail.com
Anarchist Prisoner Support
February 1 (Spain) - Anarchist Gabriel Pompo Da Silva escaped from an isolation unit and prison and released a statement to his family and comrades.
Gabriel's statement of freedom
Tim Fasnacht (IWW and ABCF) has lost his final appeal and is now the only Anti-Racist demonstrator from the now infamous York-Pennsylvania demonstration to go to jail.
Tim's final appeal was rejected by a panel of 3 judges of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania. He was charged with disorderly conduct and now must serve a 90 day sentence beginning February 9th 2004.
To add insult to injury Tim's lawyers never informed him of the verdict which was rendered on November 14th. He found out virtually by accident when the county prison mailed his old address the necessary information for reporting to the prison. He did not receive the official verdict notice until this week.
Tim requested an extension of time but a superior court judge immediately denied it.
Tim is in danger of losing his job. In a week or so he must begin serving the time and his job of the last 7 years is asking him to resign and to reapply when he gets out. Not a good sign at all.
Any and all help is appreciated. We may not have been able to keep Tim from going to jail but we can do our best to see that this incident does not completely disrupt and turn his life upside down.
For info on how to support Tim send an email to: TimFasnachtSupport@comcast.net
On January 21, 2004, Russian anarchist Dmitry Ryabinin was sentenced to six months in prison for "causing physical injuries."
More information - Autonomous Action (Russia)
On January 20, 2004, Spanish anarchist Eduardo Garcia was sentenced to four years in prison for "possession of explosives". In reality, the only evidence the police could present to the court was 36.8 grams of chlorate powder found in his home. Eduardo can appeal this sentence before imprisonment. He has already been in jail twice for charges relating to this case, for 11 months and six days in total.