Support Teams

Solidarity refers to how you act together in the face of oppression to strengthen and build your movement.

Some jail solidarity strategies and court solidarity strategies involve using the strength of numbers to pressure the system into assuring equal treatment for all, and into accepting demands that they reduce or drop charges. Activists have employed a variety of tactics to ensure that the police keep them in jail, where they cost the system the most money and trouble. Activists arrested in certain actions have also all pleaded not guilty so as to clog the court system.

These strategies require planning, preparation, and the commitment that arises from the group’s decision making process. They work well in situations where there is some social restraint on police brutality, and when people’s differing needs and life circumstances are respected.

Guilt free solidarity can empower the people who take part in it: but it is also exercised at a cost. Even in the US and Canada, political prisoners have been brutalised, tortured and even killed. Regular prisoners face these dangers every day.

In countries and situations where there is less restraint on the police, where people are being severely beaten, brutalised, or potentially murdered in jail, solidarity may best be exercised by putting pressure on the system from outside.

Ideally, have a legal support team in place, with lawyers and legal workers trained to understand the principles of solidarity. At the very least, know some lawyers you can call on for emergency help.

Inform people. Trainings and preparations should include basic legal and jail information. Legal briefings can be offered before the action. Handouts with basic information and phone numbers can be available at the action.

Know what your solidarity strategy is, and include information about it in trainings and preparations.

Know who your political allies are that you can call on for support. Unions, NGOs, sympathetic politicians, Green Party members, religious groups and progressive mayors may not be willing to go out on the streets with you, but are often willing to help get people out of jail, or to pressure authorities to provide decent treatment. Progressive journalists, and civil liberties groups and legal associations are often your best ‘safety net’ in terms of generating immediate public debate and support for your cause.

You need to be aware of how your actions and strategies can be used against you by authorities and the media. If your group can be painted as being ‘extreme’, then it may make it less likely that you can generate support and solidarity. It can also provide authorities with the opportunity to increase repression of your group. In the Post 911 environment, use of emotionally laden tags like ‘terrorist’ and ‘extremist’ can be used by authoroties and commentators in order to drive a wedge between specific activists and the general public. In taking on specific actions or protest activity it is always worth considering how that action could ‘play out’ in the media or whether it might alienate potential supporters.

Before going to an action where arrestTo take into custody. More is a possibility, each person, or each affinity group, should arrange a home support person who expects a call at an agreed time. If that call is not made, they will assume their action buddy has been arrested, and will begin to mobilise support. They should have full information on each person they’re supporting, including passport numbers or driver’s licence numbers, health issues, legal issues, etc. This is a great way to involve people who cannot do an action due to home commitments, age, physical challenges, or simply fear. Have that number memorised. It might also be good to have a second, fallback number.

Have a general support number that people can call to report information about who has been arrested, how people are being treated, etc. Ideally, have two. Make them separate from the number for the lawyers themselves – this phone needs to be kept free as much as possible in case people call from jail. Memorise the general support number or write it on your arm in indelible ink before the action.

Ideally, have another number that friends and relatives outside of jail can call for information. Make sure support people have it and are also in contact with each other.

As soon as you are arrested, begin to extend your network of support to those who did not plan on arrestTo take into custody. More. On the bus, in holding cells, in jail itself, offer moral support, practical support, and basic information on legal rights and on strategy.

In jail, collect as much information as you can about who has been arrested. If you are allowed to make phone calls, the first person who calls should convey as much of that information to those outside as they possibly can. Remember, calls can be cut off at any time. And expect all calls to be monitored by the authorities.

It’s generally easiest to reach your personal support people from jail and give them the information to pass on to the Legal Support Team, which may be busy or even blocked. But have both.

Make the authorities aware that they are being scrutinised!

Call or appear in person to demand information about specific prisoners. Knowing that someone will do this for you will help you avoid panic and despair.

Mobilise political support: This is your best protection in jail! Call, write letters, send faxes and emails to jail authorities, police authorities, politicians, etc. Mobilise others to do the same. Start close to home; with the politicians’ own constituencies. Through the Internet, it’s easy to mobilise international pressure. Be sure the phone and fax numbers and emails you provide work internationally.

Conduct a vigil at the jail itself. Inform the media. Call a press conference, give interviews, talk on the radio, arrange interviews of released prisoners, write letters to the editor. If the general media won’t cover the issue, contact Indymedia.

Organise support demonstrations at home, at embassies abroad, at government offices, etc.

Contact people who might have influence with the authorities. Is your aunt’s second cousin a government minister? Call on your political allies and enlist their help and support. Contact international organisations such as Amnesty International.

Mount legal challenges.

Providing supporting for the needs of prisoners may include the following:

This section has been reprinted with permission from the author and adapted to the Australian context.

The original version appeared on the Starhawk website.

For those arrested, charged or injured by police, the consequences of participation in the action may extend well beyond the action itself. If activists are arrested and charged as a result of this action, then activist legal support may need to continue for months if not years after the action.

One of the most difficult features of the legal process is the time it takes to reach a decision. A not-guilty plea in magistrates’ courts will generally take many months before a decision is reached. However if the case goes to appealAn appeal is when a higher court reviews the decision made by a lower court. If an appeal is successful, the higher court can change the lower court’s decision or order the lower court to hear the matter again. More, even minor matters can take years before they are resolved. The presence of on going legal/organisational support is essential.

The responses to criminal charges may also affect the aims of the action itself. Will it build or undermine support for the campaign? Will a plea of guilty or a court loss create a precedent for future actions? How will this court case affect the campaign strategy?

Because court cases can be a long, intimidating and isolating experience for activists, support and solidarity is vital. It may be important to plan:

Case study:

The G20 Arrestee Solidarity Network (GASM) was came together after Victoria Police proceeded to arrest approximately 30 people (including minors) on charges including riot, affray, assault police and criminal damage in the weeks after the protests against the economic leaders meeting.

As many of the arrestee did not know each other prior to the protests or prior to their arrests, the solidarity group provided an important space to meet other arrestees facing similar charges. It took over two years from the time of the protest until all the court matters were finalised, and longer still until all the arrestee had completed their sentences which included community based orders, suspended sentences and time in custodyControl; e.g. when arrested and not free to leave; formerly, care and control of a child. More. It was clear to GASM from the beginning that solidarity required a long term commitment.

Over this period of time GASM organised several benefits gigs and established a bank account to raise funds for legal support. This money was used primarily to support arrestees from interstate to travel to and from court appearances in Melbourne and to help finance an appealAn appeal is when a higher court reviews the decision made by a lower court. If an appeal is successful, the higher court can change the lower court’s decision or order the lower court to hear the matter again. More against sentence for one of the arrestees. The group produced t-shirts to publically express support with the arrestees (‘I didn’t do it but I dug it’ and ‘I *heart* arterial bloc’) and badges, which also helped raise additional funds.

GASM also organised several public forums about the criminalisation of dissent at which defenceA formal denial of an alleged fact raised by the plea of not guilty. More lawyers, arrestees and members of the solidarity collective spoke. Members of the group wrote articles to raise awareness about the extreme police and legal response to the protest which were printed in Arena, Chain Reaction and student newspapers.

Members of GASM attended numerous court hearing with the arrestees, to provide support and solidarity. At times GASM organised protests outside the courthouse, took detailed notes of proceedings in court and put out media release about the court dates.

Some of the clear challenges faced by GASM were that not all arrestees wanted to be involved or have contact with the group. The fact that different defenceA formal denial of an alleged fact raised by the plea of not guilty. More lawyers advocated different legal strategies and that various arrestees chose to pursue different legal strategies also caused a lot of tensions in the group. This demonstrates the clear challenges involved in respecting that arrestees may make different decisions regarding how best to approach the legal system, ensuring that different strategies do not undermine other arrestees, but showing support and solidarity for these decisions.

Thanks to David Mossop and his article: Legal Organisation and Nonviolent Action published in Nonviolence Today

No. 16, August/ September, 1990.