A Reportback on the May 16th NMLD Conference

All social movements that confront the power of the State must deal with repression. From the campaign to free the imprisoned Paris Communards, the fight in America to release the Scottsboro boys against racist railroading, to the battle to free prisoners of various liberation movements of the 1960s and 70s, as long as there is resistance there has also sadly been political prisoners. In order to learn from past movements, we must bridge the gaps between generations of those who struggled, fought, died, and went to prison with current struggles for freedom and revolution. We must also come to view prisoner support as something that we must normalize amongst each other – not setting it aside or allowing it to be relegated to a set group. Also, we must never forget those that are still locked away; who still rot behind prison walls, and who still desperately need to be freed.

On Saturday, May 16th, the No More Locked Doors Conference took place in Oakland, California at the Qilombo radical community center. It featured tabling by various groups, workshops, an evening meal, as well as an ending panel comprised of former political prisoners.

In preparation for the conference, the No More Locked Doors collective reached out to over 40 political prisoners from a variety of movements, asking them to fill out a questionnaire regarding what prisoner support meant to them. We sought to highlight the voices of current political prisoners and those who have spent time behind bars front and center. Prisoners, from those who have become revolutionaries while inside, to MOVE members, anarchists, Puerto Rican independence fighters, former Black Panthers, and earth and animal liberationists, all responded. The finished product is, “What is Prisoner Support?,” which you can download and print out. We feel that this collection offers insight into decades of prisoner support and resistance, and offers a glimpse into how prisoners themselves view the invaluable work of solidarity.

At the conference, workshops took place on a variety of issues, prisoners, and struggles. From the ongoing fight to keep Mumia alive and release him, the history of the ILWU’s support of political prisoners, discussions by former political prisoners such as Richard Brown, Raul ‘Curly,’ and Eric McDavid, presentations by members of both Mexico City and Denver Anarchist Black Cross, to an open discussion on the fight to free all aging political prisoners, such as Oscar Lopez Rivera. We also had the honor of a 45 minute call in Q + A with Bomani Shakur, who currently is on death row for his participation in the Lucasville Prison Uprising. Before the discussion with Bomani, attendees listened to a pre-recorded interview made especially for the conference. Attendance at these workshops ranged from about 5-25, and discussion lasted throughout the two hour segments.

The former political prisoner panel (which was recorded and we encourage everyone to listen to), featured an amazing cast of militants from a variety of groups and movements. Richard Brown from the Black Panther Party and the San Francisco 8, “Bo” Brown from the George Jackson Brigade, Linda Evans from Weather, Sundiata Tate from the San Quentin 6, and Raul ‘Curly’ of the Young Lords and the Black Liberation Army. MCing the panel was recently released anarchist prisoner, Eric McDavid. Speakers discussed their radicalization and the early days of their involvement in the revolutionary movement, as well as their time during incarceration. They touched on the work that they were involved while inside prison walls, as well as their thoughts about what the current generation should do to free political prisoners. As Linda Evans said, the best thing that kept her going was, “Knowing that there was a movement still fighting for change.”

It was in prison that Sundiata encountered revolutionary ideas, through his friend and comrade, George Jackson. “When I first met him, it was about studyin…He talked in terms of self-determination…Basically that what it was about, ruling ourselves.” “Bo” Brown, a white working-class woman, was radicalized after getting out of prisoner herself, and then joined the group, the George Jackson Brigade. She stated regarding prisoner support, “The most important thing people can do is write the prisoners and let them know that you are out here.” Also on the mind of those on the panel and the audience were the recent rebellions in Ferguson and Baltimore. Panelists spoke on the recent riots and offered support to the rebels resisting police terror. Curly commented, “Join those demonstrations, go there, you do not have to stand up and break anything if you don’t want to, but if you want to, go right on ahead. Just make sure that when you aimed that wonderful three pointed rock - that you’re going to throw [it at a target] has something to do with imperialism.” Curly went on to stress, “As Malcolm X said, ‘Revolutions, overturn systems. You shut down everything that gets in your way.’”

Richard Brown helped put the conference in an extremely sober perspective. “I wake up every morning and I feel bad. I’m free…[political prisoners] are not free, they languish in prison. I know every day, they must ask, ‘What’s wrong, why don’t people don’t come and get us? Why aren’t they fighting harder?” Panelists urged those in attendance to take up the fight to free all political prisoners and build opposition in the streets and by getting organized amongst each other.

After the conference, we are left with many questions. What does it mean to support a prison rebellion when they explode? In what ways can we rebuild a prison movement on the streets that seeks to be in solidarity with prisoner resistance and also push for the release of all political prisoners? How can we place support for prisoners and against repressive state violence into our daily work as revolutionaries? These are all questions that we do not have the answers to yet, but we hope that this conference is a step in the right direction.

We thank everyone who participated in the No More Locked Doors conference and we hope to do it all again soon!

For the destruction of prisons and the system they uphold!

Free all prisoners!

The .pdf of "What is Prison Support?", a pamphlet collecting letters from prisoners about support and solidarity, can be found here.