The New Orleans Workers Group made up of employed and unemployed workers is organizing a motorcade to the prison at Pine Prairie to show solidarity with African detainees on hunger strike and all our detained brothers and sisters in this hideous prison. Currently, 48 African migrants (most from Cameroon) are on a hunger strike to demand their immediate release, an immediate end to ongoing deportations, and that Oakdale Immigration court judge Scott Laragy be condemned and investigated.
Thousands of migrant men, women and children are imprisoned without adequate food, medical care, Covid safety measures or access to legal assistance. Thousands of families have been ripped apart, leaving children in violent and unsafe conditions. These incarcerated workers, imprisoned without end for the crime of trying to feed their families, are in a desperate situation, they are suffering cruel and inhuman conditions. Even worse, in their struggle they are isolated and their conditions hidden from the people outside.
At a time when money needs to be spent for critical support of workers due to a crisis brought on by the rich, led by Trump, by ignoring the Covid 19 pandemic, billions of dollars are given to companies like GEO who are profiting from human misery. They are using the scapegoating of migrants to distract attention from their total disregard for the workers of this country. As we go hungry, evicted, and die from Covid 19 in higher numbers than anywhere in the world.
Dozens of cars will be travelling to Pine Prairie to say Release migrant workers now, relief for the unemployed now, workers on the outside support workers in the prison.
It took decades for the racist mass incarceration of Japanese people to be recognized for the crime it was. Across the country millions of people are horrified by this same crime happening today.
We are asking the media to break the silence on this crime against humanity, cover the event, demand to enter the facility, speak to the imprisoned workers, and not be complicit in this travesty.
