Hello, to everyone from New York City to Los Angeles, and all the towns and cities North and South, who are running down the walls today, Sunday, September 6. This is Jaan Laaman, and yes, many of us will be running here inside the federal prison in Tucson, along with all of you in other federal and state prisons, and everyone running outside.
Let me put forward that Running Down the Wall 2015 be called a memorial run in honor of Hugo Pinell, who was killed in Folsom Prison on August 12. Many of us know that Hugo was a legendary California prisoners’ rights activist. Hugo was one of the San Quentin Six and an original comrade of George Jackson. Hugo Pinell was held in prison for 50 years, and spent most of that time in isolation and segregation cells. It is reported that Hugo was killed by two fascist minded prisoners, but it is clear that the real force behind his assassination was the capitalist police state prison system that holds over two and a quarter million men, women, and children in captivity.
Let us uphold Hugo Pinell’s unbreakable spirit of resistance in our runs today. Just as Hugo fought for prisoners’ rights, dignity, and freedom, and for racial and revolutionary unity among all prisoners, let us run for all these principles today. Let us run down these walls in revolutionary unity for freedom and justice, for political prisoners, and for all prisoners. Less talk. More action. Let’s get to running. This is Jaan Laaman.
These commentaries are recorded by Noel Hanrahan of Prison Radio.
