Posted on 02/20/2012 8:45:42 PM PST by nickcarraway
San Quentin was on lockdown and prisoners were kept in their cells.
Hundreds of people gathered outside San Quentin State Prison this afternoon for a protest that organizers are calling historic because they say it merges the Occupy and prisoners' rights movements.
Between 600 and 700 demonstrators were protesting peacefully outside the prison's East Gate, according to the Marin County Sheriff's Office.
The protest began at noon and protesters dispersed peacefully around 4 p.m.. A prison spokesman said San Quentin was on lockdown and that prisoners were being kept in their cells.
Organizer Barbara Becnel said the protesters were calling for a number of reforms, including the elimination of solitary confinement, the death penalty and California's "three strikes" law, and an end to the practice of trying some juveniles as adults.
advertisement The crowd included activists Sara Shourd, Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, who served time in an Iranian prison after being arrested by Iranian authorities while hiking along the Iraq border in July 2009.
Shourd was freed in September 2010, and Bauer and Fattal were released about a year later.
Speaking at today's rally, Shourd said, "The prison officials say they need more time to end solitary confinement ... I say we need to keep the pressure on and we need to end solitary confinement now."
Bectel said the protesters have already achieved one of their goals: bringing the Occupy movement and the prisoners' rights movement together.
Occupy Oakland's website encourages its members to participate and lists carpool information for those who planned to attend.
She said the San Quentin rally is one of 15 taking place today at prisons throughout the country -- including in New York, Baltimore and Boston -- as part of National Occupy Day in Support of Prisoners.
The groups are seeking change at both the state and federal levels, and are planning an "Occupy the Justice Department" action in Washington, D.C., on April 24.
Authorities shut down the Interstate Highway 580 on- and off-ramps at East Francisco Boulevard during the protest.
It sounds to me like the freeloading space cadets are losing it. They've gone in search of a cause.
I can't wait to see how Holder reacts to this.
Damn, I didn’t even know there was a ‘prisoner rights’ movement. Learn something new everyday.
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I bet we're polite to the oven attendants. |
Holy Toledo.....
Can I ask a stupid question???
Do these Occupy idiots really think that merging their movement and some half-blank “prisoner’s rights” movement is going to resonate with “middle America” and mainstream politicians? Do they really think that abolishing popular laws such as three strikes, or banning the trying of juveniles as adults, when accused of murder and other serious crimes, are winning issues?
These “Occupy” people complained about the homeless infiltrating their camps. How would they like hardened criminals who are not in prison for lengthy sentences because we abolish three strikes laws doing the same?
Or look at another way, how can anyone take the Occupy Wall Street movement seriously, if now they are moving on to some liberal fantasy of “prisoner’s rights”???????
Just let those people in, then re-secure the gates. Problem solved.
Doncha know, everybody has special rights, except for Conservatives and Republicans.
‘Prisoner’s rights, criminal’s rights, dog’s rights, gay rights..clearly these lefty pukes have so much time on their hands they keep coming up with more rights out of their rear ends.
I think Chuck Colson has been doing that for a long time.
Right location, wrong side of the fence.
What we need is a prison system more like Japan where prisoners aren't allowed a lot of contact with each other.
I sense a new drinking game in the making.
Funny that no Occupier is calling this “Occupy San Quentin.” I wonder why :-)
Holder will serve them coffee and doughnuts.
“Damn, I didn’t even know there was a ‘prisoner rights’ movement. Learn something new everyday.”
Yup, many of these are ‘prisoners rights’ moms.
I say put those occupy freaks in prison and everyone wins..throw them all in the pokey, including those idiots we set free from Iran, WOW what a terrible mistake that was..wonder if Iran would do US a favor and take them back
I guess in Japan prison they don’t get the seared tuna sashimi on rugula with a balsamic drip..
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