Tyranny in Philadelphia

This summer I had the unusual experience of being an American political prisoner. I am from Northern California. I had the audacity to assemble with others and to speak, uninvited by the wealthy and powerful, in Philadelphia during the Republican National Convention. Along with 419 others, I was arrested.

Though my stay in various jails and prisons was relatively brief, it seemed to drag on for ages. Unlike many political prisoners, I only had to endure two weeks of legally sanctioned kidnapping. Incarceration is the norm for two million Americans, who live under total control in concrete, brutality, filth, and metal.

Though my experience was comparatively painless, I still have nightmares about it. Guards only beat me twice, police and guards only threatened me with rape frequently, the authorities only tortured and beat others in my view a handful of times, and guards only dragged me by my hair down a hallway once. I was on hunger strike for eight days, and emerged with no permanent disability, though I lost sensation in one hand and uncertainty in the other hand to bear weight for months. The police caused these injuries by intentionally over-tightening plastic handcuffs at the initial scene of arrest and later denying relief.

Unlike others with whom I had the privilege of serving time, my genitals were not tortured by guards, and I was not denied vital AIDS or asthma medications, hog-tied, or denied water.

I was held incommunicado for most of the first week: denied any time out of a cell, phone calls, and access to an attorney. Eventually I was charged with "malicious mischief," "disorderly conduct," "conspiracy to commit malicious mischief," and "conspiracy to commit disorderly conduct," low level misdemeanors. My bail stood then at $10,000. I agitated for in-jail solidarity by the hundreds of us charged with misdemeanors with the 30+ protestors charged with absurd felonies. Our solidarity included insistence on remaining silent, hunger strike, and singing. I was held on "lockdown" for a while in a maximum-security prison. Two weeks into my stay, I was re-arrested and charged with dozens of new charges including felonies and high level misdemeanors. The authorities added new bail, at $100,000.

In those two weeks, I was given the treatment I expect from institutions of power. However, I did not expect the depth of solidarity, love, warmth, strength, vulnerability, courage, and commitment I would find there among the prisoners: my new and old friends and allies. Equally stunning has been the support I have received from various people, now that I face bogus charges that could result in decades more in prison. I do not have all the money I need for my legal defense, including lawyer's fees, travel expenses to Philadelphia, and possible court and investigation costs. Friends have been working on benefits for the other Philly defendants and me. I believe one is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, December 17 in San Francisco. One of its organizers asked me to post something on the SF IMC - this is it. Any money I raise above my legal defense I will give to other Philadelphia Republican National Convention defendants or the legal collective attempting to help us all.

To find out more about what has happened and continues to happen to the RNC 420, check out the Philadelphia IMC web page, at phillyimc.org.