Protesters demand an end to prison deaths and torture in Rhode Island

Meanwhile, the coffins and headstones were once again hoisted and maneuvered through the crowd as the protesters outside headed toward the performance stage area to distribute informational flyers to the public. The portable speaker continuously blasted the sounds of the incarcerated banging on the cells inside the ACI. An artist performing on the stage, moved by the demonstration, paused and declaratively encouraged the audience to listen to what the protesters were saying and take their flyers.

With bullhorns in hands and surrounded by police officers, the procession advanced militantly across the street to solidify the group’s presence with those who were inside the CIC. They explicitly demanded action from Gov. Daniel McKee.

As the demonstration culminated, mYia X of WWP and SWI shared words of solidarity and remembrance of the Attica Uprising that happened 52 years ago on Sept. 9, 1971. She read an excerpt of the fiery rallying cry, “What has happened here is but the sound before the fury of those who are oppressed!” spoken by Eliot “LD” Barkley, one of the 29 Attica martyrs. mYia X bridged it with, “The sound of the people pounding on the doors for help at the ACI,” calling for these words to be a reminder cemented across the U.S. and around the globe that, “We must continue the struggle to abolish this system because it cannot be reformed!”