Photo: Rally July 23 in support of prisoners in David Wade Correctional Center. Credit — @AudioBlahBlah
Through recent communications with the families of the “Hunt’s Forgotten” hunger strikers at David Wade Correctional Facility just after the July 23 action in Baton Rouge in front of the Department of Corrections, Liberation News has learned that retaliation has monstrously intensified against these striking prisoners at David Wade — even as the Louisiana prison system violates and ignores laws around solitary confinement as well as basic human rights.
The guards on the weekend shifts on the solitary tier appear to have been given the go-ahead to try to break the hunger strikers.
This is the system that upholds slavery and inhumane conditions in the prison. The system hates that the spotlight is on it, but their crimes this weekend cannot be kept secret. As in other struggles it’s the strength of the people who will make the final decision just as the hunger strikers have originally asked.
Guards were attempting to shackle the ankles of one striker Kermit Parker, so he was told to get into a kneeling position. Parker cannot kneel due to health issues.
On July 23, the guards forced him to be shackled and intentionally let him fall hitting his elbow on a steel toilet, causing injury; yet, he has not gotten x-rays, despite requesting them.
On July 24, the strikers were declared “suicidal” and only allowed to wear paper clothes. A nurse walking by Kermit Parker’s cell said to the guards: “You cannot spray him with that chemical spray because you know he’s on suicide watch.”
As soon as the nurse was out of sight the guards pepper-sprayed Kermit Parker and perhaps other inmates. The chemicals of pepper spray burns through paper clothing and burns the skin. He does not have access to soap and can only shower with water.
The hunger strikers of Hunt’s Forgotten believe that these actions are definitely retaliatory.
This retaliatory torture of Hunt’s Forgotten took place on the very weekend of the Solidarity Rally in Baton Rouge, La., and ongoing efforts on social media to bring attention to this very important hunger strike to end inhumane conditions in the prison.
The inmates have asked Liberation News to continue to tell their story as they’re not going to stop. And our message to the racist prison system is that the people outside the prison in solidarity with prisoners will not stop as well. Specifics about actions this week are forthcoming. Please follow Central Gulf Coast PSL on Facebook and other social media for updates.
