Bastille Day

On 14th July 1789, the people of Paris stormed the Bastille. On July 14th 2000 diverse and independent groups will unite, taking action, against prisons and the companies behind them.

Now is an important time, private companies are building and running prisons for profit, allowing more prisons to be built and creating a huge industry that protects the powerful and the rich.

Security Companies like Group4, Wakenhut and Correction Corporation of America, construction firms such as Kvaerner and Carrilion and even hotel corporations like Sodexho are fighting for contracts to build and run prisons. Hundreds of others from Microsoft to The Ecologist magazine are queuing up to exploit cheap prison workers.

Prison populations are growing, but so is our resistance. There are groups fighting on a whole range of prison, policing and asylum issues. Here is an opportunity to bring our struggles together. Around Bastille Day “CAGE” will be organising an occupation of a space related to the prison industry. They aim to transform it into a place where resistance can grow and groups of people can meet, discuss ideas, plot and scheme and promote their campaigns. They also aim to build on Bastille Day to create a broad network of groups resisting the prison industry.

CAGE is a network set up to support and create resistance to prisons. They organise without leaders to take direct action against prison building, e-mail: prison@narchy.fsnet.co.uk Bastille Day discussion list: bastilleday@narchy.fsnet.co.uk post: CAGE c/o PO Box 68, Oxford, OX3 1BH, England tel: 07931 401 962 web: www.veggies.org.uk/cage