There is a commonly held assumption that the police are a necessary presence in a civilised society, one that ensures the preservation of social order. And yet this assumption is deeply ideological, blurring the distinction between the act of policing with the existence of an institutional police force. Polite Ire queries the supposed necessity of the police, asking how they gain their legitimacy and whether this is deserved.
This article discusses the idea that the experience of struggle and direct action transforms people.
In 1970, prisoners protesting about the brutal regime at Folsom Prison, went on strike for 19 days. They wrote the following manifesto and bill of rights in support of their action.
