Jeffersonking Anyawu and Sulayman Sarr are currently on a week+ hunger strike at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma. Both men have been in the NWDC for over three years. This is the 18th hunger strike at the NWDC just this year, as reported by La Resistencia. This is incredibly newsworthy, but nowhere near the news–it’s up to us to learn their story and spread the word of the resistance that is happening behind the prison walls. La Resistencia is an amazing organization doing just that.
Day 3: https://www.instagram.com/p/DawAuIBAcUR/
Day 4: https://www.instagram.com/p/DayUfQlATHd/
Day 5: https://www.instagram.com/p/Da1EbQwAauZ/
Day 6: https://www.instagram.com/p/Da3tVsqgWKy/
Day 7: https://www.instagram.com/p/Da6De0eAbfc/
Day 8: https://www.instagram.com/p/Da8ik63D0WW/
From the Day 8 Update (July 18th):
Jeffersonking is still on hunger strike. Today is day 8. His energy is depleting but he is doing okay. There have been a lot of ups and downs.
Retaliation: medical came to speak with him and told him if he continues, he will be sent to medical isolation and if his blood pressure continues to be low they will get a warrant to force feed him.
Important: The medical provider who came to see Jeffersonking yesterday said that what GEO is telling the medical staff/how GEO views the situation is that “the hunger strike situation doesn’t work with the system – it’s a hostile situation, a terrorist act to demand this and they don’t negotiate with terrorists.” Jeffersonking explained that he was not a terrorist or holding anyone hostage but himself; he is not making any demands regarding his own release from detention – he is asking for them to stop discrimination, targeting, and unnecessary punishment. That’s it.
Jeffersonking words: “I just want to thank everyone for their support and solidarity; taking time to come to NWDC to support those of us inside. I will keep fighting. We all should keep fighting and speaking up for our voices to all be one and heard, to make change.”
Day 9 (July 19): https://www.instagram.com/p/Da_FTSqj3Iz/
Reaching 9th day of hunger strike, La Resistencia was able to speak to JeffersonKing Anyanwu. La Resistencia was not able to reach Sulayman Sarr. JeffersonKing said their demands stay the same. They demand to be released from solitary confinement. They are also protesting against injustice and racism, targeting, overall conditions of the facility, horrible, and harsh conditions in general. GEO punishing people for no reason with excessive searches, retaliation.
JeffersonKing has not heard communication from GEO staff. They only communicate through medical. Medical staff just encourage him to eat, but continue to threaten him with sending him to medical isolation. JeffersonKing said that he wants to encourage everybody, thank everybody for coming out and supporting. “It’s not easy, but we just gotta keep fighting.”
La Resistencia continues demanding for the strikers demand to be met and for them and all detained at NWDC to be released!
More information
— Join Melt ICE Lane County Emergency Response System
— Donate to support detainees in Tacoma, WA
#AbolishICE #AbolishGEOGROUP #ChingaLaMigra #ShutdownNWDC #FreeThemALL