(For huge breaking news/update, jump to the end of the diary)
Civilly disobedient climate activist & fellow kossack Tim DeChristopher was moved yesterday recently to a small cell and rarely gets out to see the light of day. The reasons behind the move are shaky at best.
http://www.peacefuluprising.org/...
Tim was informed by Lieutenant Weirich that he was being moved to the SHU because an unidentified congressman had called from Washington DC, complaining of an email that Tim had sent to a friend. Tim was inquiring about the reported business practices of one of his legal fund contributors, threatening to return the money if their values no longer aligned with his own. According to Prison officials, Tim will continue to be held in isolated confinement pending an investigation. There is no definite timeline for inmates being held in the SHU — often times they await months for the conclusion of an investigation.
But the fact that it is an unusually harsh way to treat a non-violent inmate is clear-
In the SHU, Tim’s movement and communications are severely restricted. In the past two weeks, he has been allowed out of his 8 X 10 cell (which he shares with one other inmate) four times, each time for less than an hour.
Convicted for essentially disrupting an illegal Federal auction, this man is now being made an example to frighten and discourage anyone who wants to follow suit. The people who have grown filthy rich from trashing the planet roam free.
Do you stand with Bidder 70?
It is shameful that this is what the U.S. government is choosing to spend its energy and resources doing. Instead of launching a new long-overdue push to get our nation off of oil, we are cracking down in ever-more oppressive way on the brave few of us who point out the flaws in our system.
Tim has done more to inspire the youth in this country to take a stand for the planet than almost anyone in recent years. That scares the hell out of the corporate puppetmasters running our country and the oil barons who grease their wheels.
If the treatment of a non-violent, peaceful protester by our government bothers you, then perhaps consider doing something to help.
Actions:
Today-
Anyone near Salt Lake is welcome to come attend a hearing in support of Tim.
A PRESS CONFERENCE with Tim’s Legal Defense Team
…will be held on Thursday March 29th, at 1:30pm in front of the Salt Lake City Frank E. Moss Federal Courthouse, 350 South Main St.
Follow Tim's friends at
Peaceful Uprising on Facebook as they work to relocate and eventually help secure his release.
https://www.facebook.com/...
It has already been a rough year for the group, and this is just the latest challenge they must seek to overcome.
Their leader remains hopeful and strong in his core. This is from the day of his conviction:
As DeChristopher left the courthouse, he was met with applause. He told the crowd that the powers within the courthouse tried to convince him he was a little finger that could be broken. But the crowd of supporters showed he was a finger on a hand forming a fist, which is not a symbol of violence, but that "we will not be divided and we will not back down," he said.
As strong as he may be, all of us can be pushed to a breaking point. Let's ensure this is not the case with this inspirational young man.
2:19 PM PT: Make a donation to PeaceUp HERE:
https://secure.peacefuluprising.org/
Major News!!
http://www.peacefuluprising.org/...
Breaking: Tim transferred out of “the hole”, but questions remain
Tim was moved back to the MINIMUM SECURITY CAMP — late on the night of Wed March 28th, after FCI Herlong, the BOP office in Washington, DC and members of Congress received thousands of phone calls… from YOU!
Thank you for the overwhelming outpouring of support and for such effective public pressure. Peaceful Uprising will not stop investigating this situation because the most important questions remain unanswered: Why was Congress involved in moving Tim into isolated confinement, and who ordered the investigation? Martin Luther King said, “An injustice to one is an injustice to all”, and this abuse of power must be exposed in it’s entirety if we are to safeguard our own personal liberties.
Thank you all who took action on this front. Feel good about the fact that sometimes a large number of small actions add up to a greater whole than the sum of their parts.
Now let's get Tim out of federal prison altogether.