INFAMOUS ATTICA PRISON UPRISING; Convict support banner

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For those old enough to remember the protracted and racially charged inmate riot of Sept. 9-13, 1971 at New York state's Attica Correctional Institution, it was a ready-made stage for the political involvement of the anti-establishment radical chic. Liberal columnist Tom Wicker fairly gushed with admiration at the solidarity of the inmates and William Kuntsler--the then celebrity far-left criminal lawyer--was also on hand to "mediate" toward a resolution of the 30 demands of the hostage-holding inmates. With the five day siege becoming increasingly precarious, Attica warden, Russell Oswald finally felt compelled to retake the prison by force of arms. When the smoke cleared 43 people were killed, among them 12 of the prison guard hostages. In the immediate aftermath, various parades and public demonstrations were held in support of full amnesty for the recaptured convicts and their ringleaders. For activist political groups like nearby Buffalo's Young Workers Liberation League (previously known as the Young Communist's League , the youth arm of the Communist Party USA ) it was an opportunity to engage in the pro-convict protest march while carrying this 44x90 inch homemade banner of lightweight synthetic silk. (For whatever it's worth, I vaguely recall seeing a fleeting documentary video clip in the past of this very banner being read more

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