Women Don’t Belong in Cages! Prison is Not a Housing Program!
Prison is Violence!
Rally at Grand Valley Institution for Women Saturday, 6-7pm
Bring noisemakers, signs and your dancing shoes!
As we come together this weekend to explore (en)gendering resistance, let’s bring our love, energy, and rage to the fence that physically separates us from our sisters within to make sure they know they are not alone and not forgotten.
Not only are incarcerated women more likely to have experienced both interpersonal as well as structural violence than most other women, but every day they are forced to endure the state violence that is the prison system.
Grand Valley Institution for Women (GVI) is a federal prison located in Kitchener. GVI is one of the institutions in which Ashley Smith faced torture, and it is where she was allowed to asphyxiate to death as guards looked on. In recent months, Kinew James came forward to confront the sexual violence and exploitation perpetrated by guards at GVI. Shortly after Kinew was transferred away from GVI she too died on a prison floor. The system has attempted to silence the voices of women who dare to speak up. Tragically we know that these stories are not unique.
We also know that women within GVI continue to resist the attempts by this institution to disappear and to silence them. Among others currently in GVI, Nyki Kish continues to fight for freedom and for justice. Let’s act in solidarity with these women in their struggles until these prison walls are themselves disappeared.
On this weekend of knowledge- and skill-sharing, celebration and resistance, let’s demonstrate our love and solidarity with the women in our community held behind the prison walls.
There will be a free bus to transport those interested in participating in the demonstration from the University of Waterloo to Grand Valley, and then to Kitchener Pavilion for the evening performance.
Hosted by the We Remember Ashley Smith campaign
Contact: werememberashleysmith@gmail.com