March Against Mass Incarceration During COVID-19
Protesters derided the conditions in jails and prisons, especially during the pandemic.
Activists marched through Milwaukee’s downtown Thursday protesting mass incarceration and raising awareness for prisoner rights during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The protest began in Cathedral Square Park and marched to the Milwaukee Police Department‘s District 1 building, 749 W. State St., and the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility (MSDF), at 1015 N. 10th St., to highlight and criticize the conditions of incarceration during the pandemic.
The march was put together by All Of Us Or None Wisconsin, a project of Breaking Barriers Mentoring, Inc. in partnership with JustLeadershipUSA, a national prisoner rights advocacy group. Also known as JLUSA, the organization bought several billboards across the country, including one in Milwaukee. Local activists Vaun Mayes and Sedan Smith marched with them.
Two women using bullhorns led chants of “Prison lives matter,” and “No justice, no peace,” as they led around 30 protesters west on State Street. They were followed by approximately 15 support vehicles and some police officers on motorcycles, some of whom provided roadblocks to ensure safe passage through downtown traffic.
Caliph Muab-El, the co-founder of Breaking Barriers, said, “Prison advocacy is important right now because we’re talking about the most pressing issue in the civil rights movement, that is a mass incarceration epidemic in the United States.”
Mayes said that the march’s timing with the last day of the Democratic National Convention wasn’t deliberate. Though, “It’s a good opportunity,” he said.
One of JLUSA’s concerns was the spread of COVID-19 in prisons. There was a huge outbreak at the Milwaukee County House of Correction during the first months of the pandemic. And, so far, there have been 13 confirmed cases at MSDF, according to the state Department of Corrections.
“I can’t imagine being in there right now with COVID-19,” said one woman through a bullhorn at the rally outside of the MSDF building. “They’re probably still there in bunks.”
They ended the march around 3 p.m. and held a press conference afterward on N. 10th Street and W. Winnebago Street, where a billboard paid for by JLUSA hung over the interchange between I-43 and Highway 145. The conference was like a cookout, with hip-hop music playing through loudspeakers and food being served.
Many of the people who attended the prison march that afternoon would join the Coalition to March on the DNC to march for social justice around downtown Thursday night.
If you think stories like this are important, become a member of Urban Milwaukee and help support real, independent journalism. Plus you get some cool added benefits, all detailed here.
More about the 2020 Racial Justice Protests
- Evers Reflects on Year of Pandemic, Protests - Shawn Johnson - Dec 28th, 2020
- The Year of the National Guard - Jenny Peek - Dec 28th, 2020
- Baldwin Questions U.S. Marshall’s Role in Tosa Protests - Isiah Holmes - Dec 19th, 2020
- Op Ed: Vote No on COPS Grant - Markasa Tucker - Dec 18th, 2020
- People’s Revolution Marks 200 Days of Protest - Graham Kilmer - Dec 15th, 2020
- Supervisor Clancy Applauds Activists on 200th Day of Protests - Sup. Ryan Clancy - Dec 14th, 2020
- The “Molotov Cocktail” That Wasn’t - Jeramey Jannene - Oct 23rd, 2020
- City Hall: Police Chief, Alderman Fight Over Use of Canines - Jeramey Jannene - Oct 23rd, 2020
- Will BLM Movement Sway State Voters? - Bridgit Bowden - Oct 20th, 2020
- City Hall: Community Groups Propose Changes - Jeramey Jannene - Oct 19th, 2020
Read more about 2020 Racial Justice Protests here
More about the Coronavirus Pandemic
- MKE County: COVID-19 Declining to Summer Levels - Graham Kilmer - Feb 26th, 2021
- State Launches Vaccine Provider Map - Graham Kilmer - Feb 26th, 2021
- WI Daily: 656 New COVID-19 Cases - Urban Milwaukee - Feb 26th, 2021
- Supervisor Martin Calls on State Officials to Prioritize District 7 in Vaccination Effort - Sup. Felesia Martin - Feb 26th, 2021
- WI Daily: 840 New COVID-19 Cases - Urban Milwaukee - Feb 25th, 2021
- Evers Signs Bill on Unemployment System - Laurel White - Feb 25th, 2021
- DHS Announces Groups Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine on March 1 - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Feb 25th, 2021
- Milwaukee Health Department Adjusts Testing Hours at American Family Field - City of Milwaukee Health Department - Feb 25th, 2021
- WI Daily: 747 New COVID-19 Cases - Urban Milwaukee - Feb 24th, 2021
- State Creates 4 Community Vaccine Clinics - Megan Hart - Feb 24th, 2021
Read more about Coronavirus Pandemic here