Attica Prison Uprising

September 9th marked the 40th anniversary of the Attica State Prison uprising. 1289 prisoners took over the prison, taking 40 guards as hostages. They set up an encampment in the yard, demanding removal of the warden, amnesty for those who had taken part in the revolt, and better conditions in the prison. What was incredible about the revolt was the unity amongst the prisoners. As one survivor of the urprising stated: “I never thought whites could really get it on. … But I can’t tell you what the yard was like, I actually cried it was so close, everyone so together.” They held out for 5 days, until the national guard, prison guards, and local police stormed the yard. Thirty one prisoners were killed, along with 9 guards in the brutal assault. Prisoners who had participated were sysematically beaten and tortured by the vengeful guards. The uprising inspired numerous other rebellions in other prisons. Here are some neat videos on the uprising: 

(PBS Documentary, narrated by the daughters of lawyer William Kunstler)

Attica Is All Of Us from Freedom Archives on Vimeo.