Support prisoners’ hunger strike!

The U.S. prisons at Abu Ghraib in Iraq, Baghram in Afghanistan and Guantánamo in U.S.-occupied Cuba gave evidence to the world of the ruthless and criminal behavior U.S. imperialism perpetrates toward those it considers its foreign enemies. This behavior is no aberration. It’s as “American” as apple pie.

The heroism of now more than 6,600 California prisoners have put home-grown prison torture, clear evidence of U.S. cruelty and depravity, before the world.

Only struggle can bring out this truth. The prisoners at the Pelican Bay Security Housing Unit began on July 1 just about the only action available to those locked up and isolated: the hunger strike. They have kept up this action for more than two weeks.

It has spread to SHUs and Administrative Segregation facilities all over California. It has spread to the general prison population, inspiring the more than 2.3 million prisoners all over the country. Their courage has sparked solidarity actions in dozens of cities among those outside of the bars in this locked-up country.

The U.S. laws are cruel: One in every 131 people is behind bars, many for long sentences. They are racist: One of every 138 white men is locked up. That’s bad enough. But more than one of every 21 Black men is locked up.

At the pinnacle of cruelty and racism in direct competition with Guantánamo are the SHUs and Ad. Seg. units, which add to the physical beatings and discomfits the especially cruel tortures of isolation and sensory deprivation. As in Abu Ghraib, the purpose of torture in these units is to break the prisoners and force them to give evidence against other prisoners. Those who break are even more isolated.

It is astounding and inspiring that the prisoners have taken this bold action. But it is no easy road. They have lost an average of 25 to 35 pounds. Their health and lives are in danger.

We remember all too well what happened to the Turkish prisoners on hunger strike against isolation just a few years ago, and the Irish freedom fighters in the 1970s. Many lost their lives rather than submit. The perfidy and intransigence of the California prison officialdom puts these current hunger strikers at risk.

The prisoners’ demands are clear and fair; see prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress.com. They add up to ending the physical and psychological torture at these SHUs and Ad. Seg. units, and Workers World stands in solidarity with the prisoners’ demands and their struggle. WWP members in New York, Philadelphia, Durham, N.C., in Ohio and throughout California have helped organize or taken part in public solidarity actions with the prisoners, actions that attract the applause of the people.

The prisoners need the solidarity of those on the outside; those outside need the example of the prisoners’ courage and solidarity. Like the prisoners in Attica, N.Y., 40 years ago next Sept. 9, they are showing what workers and oppressed people can do under the most difficult circumstances, and setting an example for more working-class struggles looming in the near future.