Demonstration expresses solidarity with California prisoners on hunger strike

Holding anti-prison and anti-police signs and banners, around 45 people protested outside of the Guilford County Jail downtown Greensboro on Sunday afternoon to express their support for prisoners throughout California who are on hunger strike against prison conditions.

Part of the aim of the "noise demonstration" was to be loud enough to be heard inside the jail, and it appears they were successful as some cell lights visibly flickered, a common way for prisoners to communicate with people demonstrating outside. People banged on pots and pans, drums, yelled, chanted, whistled and waved anarchist flags.

Noise demonstrations have been held by anarchists across the country this week in places like New York City and St. Louis. Some of the demonstrators Sunday came from out of town to attend.

The weather cleared up from earlier in the afternoon, when the downpour likely would have prevented the lively protest action. At least six police cars massed in an adjacent parking lot, but there was no interaction between demonstrators and police even when they decided to march around the block to the site of the new jail.

The prison hunger strike began at Pelican Bay state prison in the security housing unit where inmates are locked in isolation for 22 hours a day. With little other recourse, the prisoners managed to coordinate a hunger strike that spread to a third of all prison facilities in California.