Kali is free!
Kali, a resident of the Occupy Oakland Occupation at Oscar Grant Plaza in 2011, was arrested in a raid on the plaza a month after the tents were cleared in November, 2011. His crime? Sitting on a bench, possessing a blanket, and being on parole.
Arriving at Santa Rita after futile attempts to bail him out, he was then charged with assaulting a prison guard
Kali later informed us that guards viciously attacked and beat him while transferring him to solitary, after which he was then charged with the alleged assault. In a matter of just four days, a minor misdemeanor obstruction charge had morphed into a felony assault case with bail now set at a staggering $580,000.
Kali had to plea bargain a term of four years and now, finally… Kali is free!
Great news – After 4+ years behind bars, Kali is finally being released TODAY, Tuesday August 30th 2016 from California State Prison in Sacramento!!! We are so excited to welcome him home.
Since his arrest in December 2011, Kali has endured wildly trumped up charges and time, and he has experienced solitary confinement, being denied meds and being attacked by prison guards – effects of the structural racism of the judicial system and his political affiliations with the Occupy movement.
Kali will need our support as he transitions out of prison. As you may know, the prison system offers very few resources for former prisoners, and Kali will need to find work, housing, and insurance that gives him access to medications. He also needs support with basic day-to-day costs like clothes and groceries.
Please donate what you can to support Kali as he returns to life in Oakland. Donate here.
On the two year anniversary of Kali’s arrest, Occupiers held a get-together in his honor at Oscar Grant Plaza. Pictures of the gathering were sent to him in prison.
Here are some events and articles about Kali published in 2012:
The Story of Kali. A Modern American Political Prisoner.
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