Author: mopress

By Katie at Houston IndyMedia

She was arrested on Mon evening, 5th of Dec at Houston & transferred to Victoria late afternoon on Fri the 9th. In all that time, she was never brought before a judge. She was unable to call her attorney because the phones wouldn’t work. Jail authority’s response to her complaint about the phones was met with “it’s not our problem”. She was constantly moved from one cold detention block to another. And the worst part, subjected to humiliating and dehumanizing treatment by the female jailors. I had already heard about some of it from her sister and phoned her lawyer to take legal action against the prison. He was unwilling to do anything until he got the facts directly from her. He also seemed to think that this was something that could wait until after she got out. Diane’s response was, “That was the most outrageous thing that’s ever happened to me in prison. And I’ve been arrested dozens of times, I should know! I’ve a sense now of how people in concentration camps must have felt…stripped of their dignity & treated like animals. And these were people who have just been picked off the streets on traffic violations, maybe suspicion of a misdemeanor…they have not been charged or indicted or even brought before a judge! How can these people be expected to go back into the world with anything less than hate and disgust for cops?!” She most certainly wants to file a complaint but she prefers not having to go through the debasing details with the attorney. She requested that I write it and mail it to her for her approval. Meanwhile, she will call the attorney and ask him to assist me in pursuing the matter. Need I say that I am having a traumatic time writing it? I brought her to speed on her attorney’s fruitless negotiations so far, with the sheriff & the DA, to cut down her sentence by one-third. Her response was, “I want to start this fast like thing for change…for world peace.” I couldn’t help but groan! On the occasion of Christmas, she thought it would be good idea to begin meditating on various issues such as the war in Iraq, bringing the troops home, justice for Bhopal & the environmental tragedy plaguing her Bay and the conditions in prisons such as the one she was held at in Houston. “They’re all connected and I want to do something about all of them.” Kind of like “meditating on the human condition” I said. She shook her head vigorously and flashed that famous grin. She assured me that she would not announce it as a fast or a hunger strike to the authorities. “It will be like a religious thing. The authorities won’t mind that sort of action ‘cos it’s non-confrontational…passive. ” She would just stop consuming whatever little solid food she was on. Just stay on water, Kool Aid and coffee. I explained that it would tough to publicise it or raise any support until after New Year’s. She didn’t seem to care about that. She was more interested in discussing meditation techniques. We had recently begun exploring Vipassna for her since I have been practicing for some years and we happened to meet a wonderful Vipassna-Zen teacher at Bioneers. Someone who wanted to help me take my practice to the next level and teach Diane in a manner that would prepare her for prison. I’ve added a couple of relevant titles to her book list.

It don’t get no better than this. Molly Ivins reviews Diane Wilson’s book, Unreasonable Woman. Check it out at the Bioneers Blog:

"I believe the book will become a classic, not just of the environmental movement, but of American lit, as well. It is the rare, clear, moving voice of a working-class woman goaded into action against the greatest massed forces in the world today: globalized corporate greed backed by government power."
And from Australia, a round of applause with this quip: "I reckon that ASIO didn’t think the Australian protest movement would be able to think like Diane Wilson unless we went to a Scott Parkin class."

Parkin is the Texas activist who got kicked out of Australia in 2005 for attempting to educate folks on nonviolent resistance. He now resides in the California bay area.

From Houston Indymedia

by Katie Heim Wednesday January 11, 2006 at 07:30 PM

Two of Diane Wilson’s daughters came to visit her in Victoria County jail on Sunday. They were made to wait over forty minutes to see their mother, while other inmates were able to visit with their respective loved ones. The youngest of Wilson’s daughters, who has always walked the straight and narrow and feared coming to the jail in the first place, was pulled aside and told she was under arrest. When Diane’s daughter (who prefers to remain nameless) asked why she was told the arrest was due to a traffic ticket from 1999. WIlson’s daughter says she’s only had one traffic ticket in her entire life, and she paid it. Despite these protestations, Diane’s daughter was searched and accused of trying to pass her mother information. She was put in a holding cell, where she wept uncontrollably. During this ordeal she encountered another prisoner, who asked her if she was there to see "that actvist Diane". The male prisoner said that the jailers didn’t like Diane, because Diane didn’t like Bush. WIlson has been attempting to organize the prisoners of the Victoria County Jail since her incarceration, and has asked for prisoner treatment standards several times. Diane’s daughter was held for several hours, until her sister posted the $320 to procure her release. She was then allowed five minutes with her mother, for whom she tried to wear a brave face. Diane’s daughter called Travis County, who issued the disputed ticket, and confirmed that the ticket had in fact been paid. She is now awaiting paper confirmation of this so that she can file a complaint with the sheriff’s office.

Why into jail, of course, with Medea Bejamin and other "raucous" perhaps "unreasonable" inaugural protesters, reports the New Standard via a source from CodePink.

This year, Wilson’s publishing house Chelsea Green proudly posts word of its author’s jailing Dec. 5, 2005 at a Houston fundraiser featuring Dick Cheney.

As Kristin Mack reported for the Houston Chronicle:

At least one protester infiltrated the event. Diane Wilson of the progressive women’s group Code Pink said she paid only $50."

"I guess they needed people inside," she said. "You can get in pretty cheap. I didn’t want to give too much."

She briefly disrupted Cheney’s speech and rolled out a banner that reads: "Corrupt greed kills from Bhopal to Baghdad."

Wilson was promptly escorted out.

Meanwhile, 21 organizations, among them Veterans for Peace, the International Socialist Organization and Progressive Action Alliance, protested outside.

Note: See also this web bonus from bhopal.net: Diane Wilson ‘Manhunt’ for Anderson Ends With Diane in Jail