A noise demo was called by London ABC for Friday July 26th in response to recent communication with inmates in HMP Wandsworth regarding the levels of both psychological and physical abuse from screws. A small but dedicated number of prison abolitionists and comrades took to the streets in the vicinity of the prison to manifest our solidarity.
Reaching the point on the perimeter of the prison that seemed to offer the optimum possibility of being heard best and by the most behind the walls; whistles, chants, megaphones, various improvised methods in the locality and fireworks were utilised. It wasn’t long before we were answered with shouting, whistling and the banging of cell doors. Moving along the perimeter gave us the chance to be audible by another wing of the prison and we made our voices heard for some time in the next location with a similar answer from the inside. By this point police had turned up although they seemed unprepared to engage with us further than moaning about the use of fireworks.
The day ended in some pretty positive debate with some locals, one of whom hadn’t previously considered the possibilities of anti-prison perspectives but was soon on the megaphone sharing his support.
Wandsworth prison is considered to have the highest number of screws being attacked. Thats is the clear sign of misery and rage and the inadequacy of this dehumanizing system.
For this reason we want to be solid and angry and only when we see this torture warehouse burning will we consider it a hot summer.
We gonna come back soon, again, always anger against the screws.
Some unidentified comrades have a message for those inside:
“We can’t promise that we will be listened to, or taken seriously by anyone who can improve the conditions you’re facing. But we can promise that we won’t be silent. We won’t stay passive. The same system that keeps people caged and frightened in Wandsworth grinds on all around us. The list of possible targets gets longer every day, and the list of excuses not to act gets shorter.
Everywhere people are researching, observing and experimenting. They are trying out methods of attach that are easily reproduced, and words of explanation that are easily understood: let’s act for freedom , NOW!”
