subtitles-attica/Attica.srt

1
00:00:02,030 --> 00:00:06,030
Traduzione e sottotitoli a cura di Calusca City Light
Archivio Primo Moroni COX18

2
00:00:08,030 --> 00:00:13,000
Questo documentario contiene materiale duro da vedere.

3
00:00:34,430 --> 00:00:44,540
Il 9 settembre 1971 i detenuti di Attica, a 400km da New York
presero il controllo della prigione.

4
00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:51,200
Fu la più grande ribellione nelle carceri
della storia degli Stati Uniti.

5
00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:59,000
Giovedi
Il primo giorno.

6
00:01:02,032 --> 00:01:07,190
Stava sempre per accadere qualcosa, ad Attica.

7
00:01:08,170 --> 00:01:12,128
La popolazione era stanca.

8
00:01:15,700 --> 00:01:20,224
Stanca delle bugie, delle promesse.

9
00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:23,648
Eravamo stanchi.

10
00:01:25,710 --> 00:01:28,016
Qualcuno ha colpito una guardia..

11
00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:30,630
e quando colpisci una guardia, è finita.

12
00:01:30,670 --> 00:01:33,744
Ma poi si è scatenato l’inferno.

13
00:01:39,776 --> 00:01:41,810
Sono all'infermeria,

14
00:01:41,851 --> 00:01:43,686
e cominciano a suonare le sirene.

15
00:01:43,728 --> 00:01:45,146
“Che diavolo sta succedendo?”

16
00:01:45,188 --> 00:01:46,410
Ero sotto la doccia.

17
00:01:46,439 --> 00:01:49,275
Sono uscito, fradicio,

18
00:01:49,317 --> 00:01:51,150
e il posto stava impazzendo.

19
00:01:51,361 --> 00:01:53,738
All’improvviso,

20
00:01:53,738 --> 00:01:56,282
ho visto aprirsi la porta dell'infermeria aprirsi

21
00:01:56,282 --> 00:01:58,618
e ho visto gente correre ovunque

22
00:01:58,660 --> 00:02:01,000
con grossi tubi e coltelli

23
00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:04,570
E di colpo tutti stavano correndo

24
00:02:04,620 --> 00:02:06,464
E poi si cominciarono a vedere

25
00:02:06,784 --> 00:02:09,344
gente che schiacciava la faccia

26
00:02:09,380 --> 00:02:11,420
attraverso le finestre rotte

27
00:02:11,420 --> 00:02:15,120
gridando: "Prendi le guardie! Prendi le chiavi!"

28
00:02:15,250 --> 00:02:17,648
c'erano guardie che venivano picchiate.

29
00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:23,632
Chiunque del personale ti fosse caduto fra le mani
l’avresti picchiato.

30
00:02:23,810 --> 00:02:26,864
Ecco la mia occasione per
combattere chi mi ha picchiato,

31
00:02:27,168 --> 00:02:29,720
perché ora sto insieme
a un sacco di assassini.

32
00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:31,536
Noi contro di loro.

33
00:02:31,660 --> 00:02:34,290
Mi ci son buttato subito
senza pianificare niente.

34
00:02:34,352 --> 00:02:35,952
Non ero il tipo da pensare.

35
00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:38,736
Stavo prendendo a calci la polizia.
Mi son sentito bene.

36
00:02:38,740 --> 00:02:40,096
Sarebbe finita lì,

37
00:02:40,170 --> 00:02:43,270
perché erano in un’area confinata, i blocchi lucchettati

38
00:02:44,170 --> 00:02:48,208
la piazzetta (Times Square) era chiusa
ma i prigionieri sono tornati indietro

39
00:02:48,410 --> 00:02:50,528
e cominciano a strattonare il cancello

40
00:02:51,024 --> 00:02:54,416
I quattro blocchi si incontrano a Times Square

41
00:02:54,510 --> 00:03:03,344
è il punto d'incontro, per come è fatta la prigione,
Times Square è il centro, della prigione

42
00:03:06,288 --> 00:03:07,680
La mattina della rivolta,

43
00:03:07,824 --> 00:03:10,220
mio padre era a Times Square.

44
00:03:10,288 --> 00:03:13,424
Aveva le chiavi di tutte le porte

45
00:03:13,648 --> 00:03:16,336
e sfortunatamente,

46
00:03:16,510 --> 00:03:20,512
i detenuti nel tunnel continuavano a spingere

47
00:03:22,256 --> 00:03:27,024
quella porta, e gridavano

48
00:03:27,088 --> 00:03:29,984
a mio padre: Apri la porta!

49
00:03:30,048 --> 00:03:34,896
E Quinn è saltato su tipo: "oh ma questa è.."
e ha azionato l'allarme

50
00:03:35,344 --> 00:03:38,464
il corno che fa così: aahhoo

51
00:03:39,264 --> 00:03:43,712
E hanno cominciato a battere e battere sul cancello.

52
00:03:44,016 --> 00:03:45,328
All’insaputa di tutti

53
00:03:45,460 --> 00:03:49,340
uno dei cardini era stato
saldato provvisoriamente

54
00:03:49,456 --> 00:03:53,430
durante le ristrutturazioni degli anni '30

55
00:03:53,430 --> 00:03:55,520
e si è rotto.

56
00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:57,300
Il lucchetto è saltato,

57
00:03:57,300 --> 00:03:59,290
e tutti si son precipitati fuori. Boom.

58
00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:04,592
Quando la porta è caduta, hanno attaccato mio padre
e gli han preso le chiavi

59
00:04:04,690 --> 00:04:08,976
e hanno avuto così accesso a tutte le porte
di Times square

60
00:04:09,780 --> 00:04:12,400
È stato picchiato molto duramente.

61
00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:17,904
Torno indietro e metto due dita sul collo di Quinn.

62
00:04:18,060 --> 00:04:20,976
Sentivo il battito, ma era molto debole.

63
00:04:20,990 --> 00:04:22,576
Tipo una pulsazione,

64
00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:26,944
e dopo un minuto o due,
un'altra pulsazione

65
00:04:27,008 --> 00:04:30,080
Alcuni detenuti conoscevano mio padre,

66
00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:34,576
quattro musulmani han portato
un materasso dal blocco A

67
00:04:34,704 --> 00:04:41,136
l'hanno messo sul materasso
e l’hanno portato via da Times Square

68
00:04:41,296 --> 00:04:43,968
dicendo di avere una guardia

69
00:04:44,060 --> 00:04:48,112
gravemente ferita
e bisognosa di soccorso medico.

70
00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:52,592
A un certo punto è arrivata un’ambulanza.

71
00:04:53,168 --> 00:04:54,960
Nel frattempo, mia madre

72
00:04:55,210 --> 00:04:58,112
era stata informata del ferimento di mio padre.

73
00:05:00,256 --> 00:05:02,064
Presero le chiavi a Quinn,

74
00:05:02,176 --> 00:05:06,048
e hanno aperto tutti e quattro i lati
e han detto: “Ce l'abbiamo fatta”.

75
00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:08,736
e gridavano
“Ce l'abbiamo in pugno!”

76
00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:17,584
Abbiamo preso ogni blocco del complesso.

77
00:05:17,590 --> 00:05:18,544
L’abbiamo preso,

78
00:05:18,624 --> 00:05:20,670
ma non potevamo tenerlo

79
00:05:21,744 --> 00:05:25,008
Quindi ci siamo ritirati nel blocco D.

80
00:05:29,504 --> 00:05:34,128
Il posto sta esplodendo.
Fumo da cinque edifici,

81
00:05:34,224 --> 00:05:37,408
La cappella e la lavanderia
sono in fiamme.

82
00:05:38,224 --> 00:05:40,380
Avevamo sotto controllo solo il cortile.

83
00:05:40,928 --> 00:05:43,936
Loro controllavano il sistema,
e i cancelli.

84
00:05:44,192 --> 00:05:48,352
e le porte, e i passaggi.
Erano sui marciapiedi con le pistole.

85
00:05:48,512 --> 00:05:50,224
da dove possono vederti.

86
00:05:50,384 --> 00:05:53,920
Sto facendo una panoramica
del blocco B

87
00:05:54,448 --> 00:05:58,464
riprendendo un gruppo
sul tetto del blocco C.

88
00:05:59,312 --> 00:06:00,960
ok

89
00:06:01,088 --> 00:06:04,384
Ora si vede il cortile
e il blocco D.

90
00:06:04,544 --> 00:06:07,408
Adesso uso il telescopio
del fucile .270.

91
00:06:08,512 --> 00:06:11,216
sono brutti e sono neri,

92
00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:15,424
il più brutto gentiluomo negro
che abbia visto in vita mia.

93
00:06:15,440 --> 00:06:18,912
Sapevamo che erano
là fuori sulle passerelle.

94
00:06:19,696 --> 00:06:22,620
Posizionati
in un certo modo..

95
00:06:23,888 --> 00:06:27,152
Anche se sapevi che erano lì,
loro si mettevano in modo

96
00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:28,608
da non farsi vedere.

97
00:06:30,210 --> 00:06:33,904
I prigionieri, perlopiù, si sono travisati

98
00:06:34,032 --> 00:06:37,408
con sciarpe, asciugamani, per nascondere la faccia.

99
00:06:38,368 --> 00:06:40,704
Era un modo per celare

100
00:06:40,740 --> 00:06:42,240
la tua identità,

101
00:06:43,456 --> 00:06:46,672
se gli sbirri fossero entrati,
sai, tu eri protetto.

102
00:06:46,816 --> 00:06:48,224
O pensavamo di esserlo.

103
00:06:54,368 --> 00:06:57,610
Ad Attica New York, un migliaio
di detenuti di lungo corso

104
00:06:57,610 --> 00:07:00,980
oggi si sono rivoltati
e hanno preso il controllo della prigione

105
00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:06,000
Hanno preso in ostaggio 33 guardie
e ne hanno ferite altre durante gli scontri.

106
00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:09,216
La polizia ha ripreso il controllo
della maggior parte del carcere

107
00:07:09,232 --> 00:07:10,928
ma i guai non sono ancora finiti.

108
00:07:11,936 --> 00:07:15,408
Quando siamo arrivati ad avere degli ostaggi

109
00:07:15,630 --> 00:07:20,800
abbiamo urlato:
“Abbiamo degli ostaggi!”.

110
00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:24,140
Un migliaio di persone che lo gridavano.

111
00:07:27,930 --> 00:07:33,600
Avere degli ostaggi impedisce alla polizia
di attaccare.

112
00:07:33,600 --> 00:07:37,408
Avere ostaggi è l'unico potere che hai.

113
00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:41,400
Finché avevano gli ostaggi.. non avevano pistole

114
00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:43,990
non avevano niente

115
00:07:44,950 --> 00:07:47,450
ma avevano degli ostaggi.

116
00:07:47,830 --> 00:07:53,330
Uomini tuoi
e tu ne sei responsabile.

117
00:07:53,710 --> 00:07:56,890
Hai la responsabilità di proteggere i tuoi

118
00:07:57,250 --> 00:08:00,420
e devi fare il tuo lavoro.

119
00:08:00,420 --> 00:08:03,840
Siediti e negozia.

120
00:08:04,430 --> 00:08:07,720
- Entrando nell'area dove sono tenuti i 21 ostaggi.

121
00:08:08,970 --> 00:08:14,600
- Sono nel gruppo principale. Al centro.
Non riusciamo a distinguerli

122
00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:18,940
perché i prigionieri gli han preso i vestiti.

123
00:08:20,230 --> 00:08:24,928
Erano in cerchio, bendati
in mezzo al cortile.

124
00:08:24,976 --> 00:08:30,304
Avevano anche delle guardie, guardie carcerate
intorno a loro, per proteggerli.

125
00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:33,776
Li vedevamo come prigionieri.

126
00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:38,368
Li abbiamo visti come persone
sotto la nostra supervisione.

127
00:08:38,760 --> 00:08:40,336
La nostra supervisione.

128
00:08:40,550 --> 00:08:43,720
Quindi non potevamo far loro del male.

129
00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:47,390
Capisci cos'è l’Islam
Non devi fare del male a un prigioniero.

130
00:08:48,680 --> 00:08:51,680
Pertanto, si è deciso

131
00:08:51,680 --> 00:08:55,600
di lasciare che i fratelli musulmani

132
00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:57,776
fossero loro a badarci.

133
00:08:57,952 --> 00:09:00,944
Ero molto incazzato perché non mi lasciavano toccarli

134
00:09:01,008 --> 00:09:02,820
Volevo mettergli le mani addosso

135
00:09:02,820 --> 00:09:05,920
prenderne un paio
e conciarli per le feste.

136
00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:08,160
Erano le stesse guardie che mi trattavano male

137
00:09:08,360 --> 00:09:11,648
che mi parlavano sporco,
che mi davano ordini

138
00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:14,912
Così gli ho detto: “E adesso,
cosa ne pensi di me, eh?"

139
00:09:14,970 --> 00:09:21,008
E per fortuna c’erano quei musulmani perché altrimenti le avrebbero prese.
Davvero.

140
00:09:22,960 --> 00:09:24,800
È difficile per qualcuno che

141
00:09:24,800 --> 00:09:31,232
che non sia mai stato in galera
capire quanto surreale

142
00:09:31,392 --> 00:09:33,904
sia la situazione in quel dato momento.

143
00:09:34,032 --> 00:09:39,264
Nessuno ci minacciava. Avevamo..
suonerà una cosa da matti

144
00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:44,784
ma quando hai finalmente tanto così di controllo sulla tua vita
anche solo per un attimo

145
00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:48,288
E lo sai che lo pagherai. Carissimo.

146
00:09:48,352 --> 00:09:51,824
È stato un momento di esuberanza

147
00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:58,304
in cui potevi fare qualcosa
e avere il controllo sulla tua vita.

148
00:10:14,770 --> 00:10:18,048
Appena uscito fuori, era il caos totale

149
00:10:18,352 --> 00:10:19,968
La gente arrivava con

150
00:10:20,112 --> 00:10:22,704
cibo, vestiti. Tiravano su le tende.

151
00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:27,008
Atmosfera di festa.

152
00:10:27,104 --> 00:10:28,352
Eravamo liberi!

153
00:10:30,700 --> 00:10:33,968
Ci siamo ritrovati una comunità.

154
00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:37,024
In quel momento non esistevano

155
00:10:37,232 --> 00:10:40,816
neri, bianchi, ispanici
o chissacché.

156
00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:42,576
Siamo compagni di cella

157
00:10:42,944 --> 00:10:47,120
e dobbiamo essere capaci
di affrontare ogni cosa, per sopravvivere.

158
00:11:08,990 --> 00:11:12,128
I ragazzi che erano stati in Vietnam,

159
00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:15,072
han detto:
“Facciamo le cucce”.

160
00:11:17,488 --> 00:11:19,440
prendevi un bastone

161
00:11:19,552 --> 00:11:22,288
e ci mettevi sopra un lenzuolo

162
00:11:22,416 --> 00:11:25,088
e ho dormito come un bambino.

163
00:11:27,872 --> 00:11:31,344
Quando la gente ha cominciato

164
00:11:31,936 --> 00:11:34,512
ad aver bisogno del gabinetto

165
00:11:34,592 --> 00:11:37,120
Non ce n'era uno che funzionasse

166
00:11:37,248 --> 00:11:40,304
Ii gruppo che era stato in Vietnam, disse:

167
00:11:40,360 --> 00:11:42,864
“Dobbiamo costruire una latrina”

168
00:11:42,944 --> 00:11:44,560
Sapevano cosa fosse una latrina.

169
00:11:44,590 --> 00:11:46,800
Io non lo sapevo.

170
00:12:00,450 --> 00:12:02,656
Fratello.

171
00:12:02,880 --> 00:12:04,992
Dico: fratello. Ed era bianco.

172
00:12:05,120 --> 00:12:07,136
Lo chiamavano Il piccoletto.

173
00:12:07,312 --> 00:12:11,488
ed era come un'infermiera, anche da prima

174
00:12:12,464 --> 00:12:16,336
Hanno sistemato una sezione medica in cortile

175
00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:21,296
Chiunque avesse un problema andava lì
e il piccoletto lo curava

176
00:12:21,472 --> 00:12:25,104
E le cure mediche in cortile

177
00:12:25,232 --> 00:12:29,232
in cortile erano molto migliori
di quelle mai ricevute prima.

178
00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:32,208
Oh, e ci siamo divertiti.

179
00:12:32,416 --> 00:12:36,016
Facevamo il vino, e cucinavamo all'aperto.

180
00:12:36,144 --> 00:12:38,624
Era come un grande picnic,
in una baraccopoli.

181
00:12:38,752 --> 00:12:41,392
Era una scena del tipo di Buffalo Bill

182
00:12:41,552 --> 00:12:43,696
quando c'era Buffalo Bill..

183
00:12:43,792 --> 00:12:47,872
hai mai visto Gunsmoke?
il film western?

184
00:12:47,984 --> 00:12:52,672
Matt Dillon era il capo della polizia in Gunsmoke.

185
00:12:52,752 --> 00:12:54,544
manteneva l'ordine

186
00:12:54,656 --> 00:12:57,680
ma qui non non avevamo un Matt Dillon.

187
00:12:57,936 --> 00:13:01,904
Ogni uomo era la propria legge,
era lui stesso a farla.

188
00:13:02,064 --> 00:13:04,944
Faceva quello che gli pareva.

189
00:13:05,310 --> 00:13:07,632
Non c'era ordine.

190
00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:40,510
Il redattore capo dice che c'è questo posto chiamato Attica

191
00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:47,200
"C'è stata una rivolta nella prigione e
vogliamo che tu vada là a coprirla."

192
00:13:47,290 --> 00:13:52,592
"Non sappiamo i dettagli"

193
00:13:53,552 --> 00:13:56,160
E così sono partito.

194
00:13:57,440 --> 00:14:02,128
Prima a Buffalo e poi ad Attica.

195
00:14:07,500 --> 00:14:11,600
Per ABC news, John Johnson da Attica, New York.

196
00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:19,344
Era una situazione estremamente fluida
per così dire

197
00:14:19,472 --> 00:14:22,240
Ed era difficile avere informazioni.

198
00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:26,320
Non potevamo entrare
e tutto quello che sapevamo era

199
00:14:26,448 --> 00:14:29,264
che i detenuti volevano parlare.

200
00:14:29,344 --> 00:14:31,104
E che avevano prigionieri.

201
00:14:31,730 --> 00:14:38,016
E questa è una cosa che non era mai successa,
nella storia.

202
00:14:38,176 --> 00:14:42,624
Questa enorme istituzione
presa dai detenuti.

203
00:14:42,768 --> 00:14:44,160
Ti rendi conto?

204
00:14:44,990 --> 00:14:49,584
Attica, New York.
Mai sentita nominare prima. Cos'è un Atika?

205
00:14:49,824 --> 00:14:55,712
Francamente, non sapevo cosa aspettarmi.

206
00:14:56,432 --> 00:14:58,960
Abbiamo parcheggiato davanti alla prigione.

207
00:14:59,136 --> 00:15:04,880
Abbiamo sistemato le attrezzature e cominciato le riprese

208
00:15:05,248 --> 00:15:10,240
delle attività fuori dalla prigione.

209
00:15:10,672 --> 00:15:14,272
Non avevamo idea di cosa stesse succedendo dentro.

210
00:15:14,384 --> 00:15:20,032
Le istruzioni sono che le armi non devono esservi portate via.

211
00:15:20,256 --> 00:15:22,624
Vi opporrete con forza alla forza.

212
00:15:22,896 --> 00:15:26,784
Membri del personale carcerario
feriti gravemente sono dentro,

213
00:15:26,832 --> 00:15:30,656
stamattina. E di sicuro non vogliamo vedere nessuno dei buoni farsi male.

214
00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:35,424
Agli agenti della polizia di Stato

215
00:15:35,696 --> 00:15:39,536
sono state distribuite armi

216
00:15:39,664 --> 00:15:42,640
maschere antigas

217
00:15:43,248 --> 00:15:48,768
A me sembrava che fossero pronti
ad entrare e riprendersi la prigione.

218
00:15:49,168 --> 00:15:56,256
In quali circostanze, potreste entrare?

219
00:15:56,400 --> 00:15:57,616
Non si sa..

220
00:15:57,640 --> 00:15:58,352
Devo scriverlo.

221
00:15:58,384 --> 00:16:00,500
I detenuti hanno avanzato delle richieste?

222
00:16:00,512 --> 00:16:04,032
Hanno detto che vogliono parlare con il governatore
o con me.

223
00:16:04,208 --> 00:16:07,312
Sembrava al momento che ci fosse del buon senso.

224
00:16:07,440 --> 00:16:11,472
Che ci sarebbe stata una negoziazione.

225
00:16:11,712 --> 00:16:15,440
per salvare le vite deglio ostaggi.

226
00:16:15,520 --> 00:16:19,456
Proprio a causa degli ostaggi,

227
00:16:19,600 --> 00:16:24,032
c'era la possibilità che iniziasse una negoziazione.

228
00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:30,416
Stiamo cercando l'uomo

229
00:16:30,810 --> 00:16:35,744
che sta usando un megafono.

230
00:16:37,776 --> 00:16:43,776
Sembra che ci sia una grossa assemblea in quell'area,

231
00:16:43,872 --> 00:16:46,928
anche se non riusciamo a sentire niente.

232
00:16:51,160 --> 00:16:55,104
E i detenuti decisero che eravamo in una situazione,

233
00:16:55,264 --> 00:16:59,152
che richiedeva più attenzione,

234
00:16:59,376 --> 00:17:01,824
un po' più di disciplina.

235
00:17:02,160 --> 00:17:05,600
Ci siamo chiesti:
“Da chi volete essere rappresentati?”.

236
00:17:07,616 --> 00:17:11,648
Abbiamo fatto le elezioni.. bla bla bla

237
00:17:11,760 --> 00:17:14,240
È così che abbiamo avuto dei leader

238
00:17:14,600 --> 00:17:18,432
Alcuni ragazzi avevano già del sale in zucca.

239
00:17:19,152 --> 00:17:22,288
Ragazzi che erano dentro da un pezzo

240
00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:24,960
e che gli altri detenuti rispettavano.

241
00:17:25,152 --> 00:17:28,624
Quello che dicevano aveva senso
per tutti quelli che stavano nel cortile.

242
00:17:29,440 --> 00:17:31,296
E avevano un piano.

243
00:17:31,440 --> 00:17:35,328
Un piano per cambiare le cose nello stesso sistema carcerario.

244
00:17:35,660 --> 00:17:38,480
Tutto quello che volevamo erano cose di base:

245
00:17:38,608 --> 00:17:41,744
essere trattati come esseri umani

246
00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:45,216
anche se siamo in prigione
siamo esseri umani.

247
00:17:47,104 --> 00:17:51,856
I prigionieri in cortile
devono aver avuto una radio.

248
00:17:51,984 --> 00:17:54,368
Hanno saputo che ero lì fuori.

249
00:17:54,496 --> 00:17:57,200
Così mi hanno chiesto di entrare.

250
00:17:57,360 --> 00:17:59,216
E dissi: "certo".

251
00:17:59,856 --> 00:18:02,320
Così dissero:

252
00:18:02,416 --> 00:18:05,490
Vogliamo che il deputato Oswald venga fatto entrare.

253
00:18:05,696 --> 00:18:10,432
Qualcuno dei suoi assistenti disse:
"Non andare".

254
00:18:10,592 --> 00:18:13,728
Non andare. Non puoi fidarti.

255
00:18:14,032 --> 00:18:17,440
E Oswald disse: "Certo che entrerò".

256
00:18:18,064 --> 00:18:21,488
Eravamo lieti di avere con noi una persona dell'amministrazione.

257
00:18:21,648 --> 00:18:23,648
Di punto in bianco, che veniva dentro.

258
00:18:25,312 --> 00:18:27,840
Da questo momento in poi vedevamo un progresso.

259
00:18:27,936 --> 00:18:29,696
Avevamo un contatto con qualcuno.

260
00:18:29,856 --> 00:18:32,208
Per le negoziazioni
qualcuno ci stava ascoltando.

261
00:18:32,256 --> 00:18:34,810
Non avevo mai visto questa cosa prima

262
00:18:35,060 --> 00:18:38,800
una negoziazione con dei detenuti

263
00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:45,856
E ho pensato che questo era un momento storico

264
00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:51,808
della storia americana.
L'inizio delle negoziazioni.

265
00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:55,584
verso un'uscita umanitaria decente.

266
00:18:55,760 --> 00:19:00,048
Sembra che ci sia un piccolo equivoco
riguardo le ragioni,

267
00:19:00,160 --> 00:19:02,624
questo incidente sia avvenuto qui ad Attica.

268
00:19:02,720 --> 00:19:05,552
In questa dichiarazione spiegheremo le ragioni.

269
00:19:05,712 --> 00:19:10,016
L'intero incidente che si è sviluppato qui ad Attica, è il risultato..

270
00:19:14,930 --> 00:19:20,080
Ci sono città-universitarie, ci sono città-fabbriche
ci sono tanti tipi di città in questo Paese.

271
00:19:20,192 --> 00:19:21,984
e questa è Attica, New York.

272
00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:24,032
è una città-prigione.

273
00:19:24,672 --> 00:19:28,176
La maggior parte delle persone che vivono in questo centro abitato,

274
00:19:28,304 --> 00:19:31,440
si guadagna da vivere lavorando nella prigione statale.

275
00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:36,576
Per 40 anni, la maggior parte di loro
ha vissuto dentro i muri della prigione,

276
00:19:36,688 --> 00:19:38,928
non hanno mai avuto paura.

277
00:19:42,510 --> 00:19:46,560
Attica era un posto
fantastico in cui vivere.

278
00:19:48,304 --> 00:19:49,536
molto tipico,

279
00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:51,232
il classico paesino

280
00:19:51,344 --> 00:19:54,992
dove conosci tutti,

281
00:19:55,184 --> 00:19:58,960
e sei imparentato con metà del villaggio.

282
00:19:59,220 --> 00:20:03,344
Andavamo in bici per la città
andavamo al parco

283
00:20:03,408 --> 00:20:08,336
a fare il bagno nella piscina pubblica,
passeggiate per i boschi..

284
00:20:11,872 --> 00:20:14,752
Attica è una città-fabbrica (company-town)

285
00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:17,984
La maggior parte delle persone che lavoravano lì

286
00:20:18,060 --> 00:20:24,352
come impiegati civili o come guardie, vivevano qui
ad Attica.

287
00:20:25,088 --> 00:20:27,920
Mio nonno lavorava lì.

288
00:20:28,250 --> 00:20:30,800
Mio padre lavorava lì.

289
00:20:31,050 --> 00:20:36,064
E dalle 6 alle 8 case nella nostra via
erano abitate da guardie.

290
00:20:36,144 --> 00:20:41,904
o civili con le loro famiglie che lavoravano lì.

291
00:20:44,912 --> 00:20:47,920
Erano gli unici lavori disponibili nell'area

292
00:20:48,304 --> 00:20:51,072
nell'agricoltura e nella prigione.

293
00:20:51,344 --> 00:20:55,536
Esisteva uno scontro culturale
che si è condensato ad Attica.

294
00:20:55,664 --> 00:20:58,496
Tutte le guardie erano bianche,

295
00:20:58,768 --> 00:21:05,904
mentre la popolazione prigioniera era del 70% o più nera o di colore.

296
00:21:06,500 --> 00:21:08,896
Cosa potrebbe andare storto?

297
00:21:12,752 --> 00:21:16,752
La reputazione di Attica.
Era chiamata: "l'ultima fermata".

298
00:21:16,880 --> 00:21:19,728
Era la prigione più dura dello Stato di New York.

299
00:21:19,792 --> 00:21:20,480
si sapeva.

300
00:21:20,640 --> 00:21:23,952
Lo sapevano tutti, che quando ci arrivavi era finita.

301
00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:26,336
Un posto duro. L'ultimo posto.

302
00:21:26,448 --> 00:21:28,736
Attica era il posto finale.

303
00:21:29,120 --> 00:21:33,696
e dovevi vederla per capire perché

304
00:21:33,792 --> 00:21:36,048
Non c'erano guardie nere ad Attica

305
00:21:36,176 --> 00:21:38,880
Non c'erano guardie ispaniche

306
00:21:39,024 --> 00:21:43,264
Erano tutti bianchi. Gente che veniva dal quartiere vicino

307
00:21:43,472 --> 00:21:47,488
che non sapevano nulla della gente che veniva da Brooklyn

308
00:21:47,552 --> 00:21:51,344
o della gente che viene da Manhattan
o dal Bronx.

309
00:21:51,504 --> 00:21:53,792
Non sapevano niente di questa cultura.

310
00:21:53,900 --> 00:21:57,100
La maggior parte di loro
non ti rivolgevano neanche la parola.

311
00:21:57,180 --> 00:21:59,616
E te lo dicevano chiaramente:

312
00:21:59,664 --> 00:22:01,744
Non mi parlare! Non parlare con me!

313
00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:04,100
Usavano quel bastone con la punta di metallo,

314
00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:07,856
la punta di metallo

315
00:22:07,920 --> 00:22:11,872
che faceva un rumore e TAP! e cammini..

316
00:22:12,048 --> 00:22:15,536
e quando vogliono che ti fermi facevano: TAP TAP!

317
00:22:15,680 --> 00:22:17,632
Questa era la loro comunicazione.

318
00:22:17,820 --> 00:22:22,464
L'unica cosa giusta da fare era essere bianco
e lo dico sinceramente

319
00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:29,210
Nessuno era dell’idea di mescolarsi con altre culture,

320
00:22:30,176 --> 00:22:31,800
alloo scopo di sopravvivere.

321
00:22:32,096 --> 00:22:35,392
Ero bianco, e così avevo i lavori migliori

322
00:22:35,664 --> 00:22:40,048
avevo sempre un po' più di margine dei neri..

323
00:22:41,952 --> 00:22:46,496
potevo avere un pò di cibo extra se volevo
perché.. ero un bianco.

324
00:22:46,912 --> 00:22:51,376
Sono bianco, dai. Dammene un po' di più.
E lo ottenevo!

325
00:22:51,520 --> 00:22:56,816
Sono sempre stato in grado di manipolare il sistema
da dentro la prigione

326
00:22:57,008 --> 00:22:58,416
perché ero un bianco.

327
00:22:58,592 --> 00:23:02,928
Mi vergogno quasi di dirlo
che ho tratto dei vantaggi, allora

328
00:23:03,056 --> 00:23:05,536
ma era l'unico modo per sopravvivere.

329
00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:07,840
Sul serio.

330
00:23:17,700 --> 00:23:19,280
Un rotolo di carta igienica

331
00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:21,320
deve durarti un mese.

332
00:23:22,816 --> 00:23:25,296
Devi essere un mago
o strappare la carta

333
00:23:25,970 --> 00:23:28,384
dai libri e cose del genere
per pulirti il culo.

334
00:23:28,380 --> 00:23:31,840
I ragazzi si lamentavano
per cose elementari come il dentifricio,

335
00:23:32,290 --> 00:23:33,280
la carta igienica,

336
00:23:33,480 --> 00:23:35,792
un cambio di lenzuola

337
00:23:35,800 --> 00:23:37,488
più di una volta al mese,

338
00:23:37,790 --> 00:23:40,648
cose tipo il lavaggio dei vestiti da lavoro.

339
00:23:41,420 --> 00:23:44,464
L'igiene personale
essere trattati da esseri umani.

340
00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:49,120
Nessun programma scolastico.
Attica era…

341
00:23:49,330 --> 00:23:51,830
Non riesco a descriverlo
voglio dire

342
00:23:53,161 --> 00:23:54,537
Era morta.

343
00:23:54,670 --> 00:23:56,038
Era semplicemente morta.

344
00:23:58,630 --> 00:24:01,300
Non c'era alcuna libertà religiosa,
in particolare

345
00:24:01,300 --> 00:24:05,047
per il nascente movimento mussulmano.

346
00:24:05,200 --> 00:24:08,640
Non avevano il diritto di pregare.

347
00:24:09,024 --> 00:24:12,770
Gli davano da mangiare carne di maiale
perché la prigione aveva una fattoria

348
00:24:12,770 --> 00:24:14,348
dove si allevavano maiali.

349
00:24:16,416 --> 00:24:18,730
Per nutrirci spendevano
63 centesimi al giorno,

350
00:24:19,088 --> 00:24:20,780
cioè 21 centesimi a pasto.

351
00:24:20,780 --> 00:24:24,025
Come puoi dare da mangiare a qualcuno
con 21 centesimi?

352
00:24:26,740 --> 00:24:27,680
Lo giuro su Dio.

353
00:24:27,680 --> 00:24:30,880
Una volta una guardia mi ha rotto la testa,

354
00:24:31,250 --> 00:24:34,035
e sono stato messo in cella d’isolamento.

355
00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:36,913
È venuto il dottore,

356
00:24:37,632 --> 00:24:39,050
sanguinavo dappertutto.

357
00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:43,728
Così gli ho detto: “Ho un…
Mi hanno spaccato la testa.

358
00:24:44,110 --> 00:24:45,421
Dice: “Metti la testa qui”.

359
00:24:45,421 --> 00:24:49,000
Nella cella c’era un’apertura
per farci passare il cibo.

360
00:24:49,180 --> 00:24:52,100
Quindi ho messo lì la testa
e lui ha preso una torcia come…

361
00:24:52,140 --> 00:24:54,960
Giuro su Dio, quello mi ha colpito
con quella fottuta torcia,

362
00:24:54,980 --> 00:24:57,088
proprio lì dove c’era il taglio…

363
00:24:59,008 --> 00:25:00,353
… e se n’è andato.

364
00:25:05,552 --> 00:25:08,112
La notte, aspettano che tutti siano chiusi in cella,

365
00:25:08,110 --> 00:25:09,362
e poi vengono a prenderti.

366
00:25:09,730 --> 00:25:12,224
Vengono a prenderti come
una squadra di picchiatori.

367
00:25:13,866 --> 00:25:15,960
È la squadretta.

368
00:25:16,040 --> 00:25:19,872
Questi tipi arrivano
in una decina, pesanti.

369
00:25:20,416 --> 00:25:21,666
Dei tipi davvero grossi

370
00:25:21,860 --> 00:25:23,668
con dei bastoni altrettanto grossi.

371
00:25:24,032 --> 00:25:29,050
Entrano in cella e ti picchiano,
poi ti portano in isolamento,

372
00:25:29,050 --> 00:25:30,352
e a volte non fai ritorno.

373
00:25:30,350 --> 00:25:31,856
Attica era…

374
00:25:37,984 --> 00:25:39,180
Paura

375
00:25:39,820 --> 00:25:42,186
Una prigione retta dalla paura.

376
00:25:43,020 --> 00:25:45,840
Avere paura di loro:
era questo il loro modo

377
00:25:46,190 --> 00:25:47,328
di gestire la prigione.

378
00:25:51,424 --> 00:25:54,352
O chiudi la bocca
o sei nei guai.

379
00:25:55,700 --> 00:25:57,702
Alcune persone sono morte.

380
00:25:57,960 --> 00:26:03,296
Alcuni erano come paralizzati.
Alcuni sono rimasti segnati psicologicamente per sempre.

381
00:26:05,888 --> 00:26:07,424
e...

382
00:26:08,340 --> 00:26:10,432
Era un brutto posto dove stare.

383
00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:20,650
Facevano regnare la paura
per instillartela, per farti capire

384
00:26:20,650 --> 00:26:22,240
che avevano il controllo,

385
00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:25,600
anche se sapevano
che stavano perdendo il controllo.

386
00:26:27,740 --> 00:26:31,312
Quelli della mia generazione
che sono arrivati ad Attica a quel tempo,

387
00:26:32,110 --> 00:26:34,830
Non eravamo scoraggiati
In altre parole

388
00:26:34,830 --> 00:26:38,618
In altre parole, non stavamo strascicando i piedi
avremmo camminato a testa alta.

389
00:26:38,750 --> 00:26:41,000
Avremmo parlato a modo nostro.

390
00:26:41,424 --> 00:26:42,980
Eravamo ribelli
ecco cos'era.

391
00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:45,170
Non avremmo subìto nulla,
da nessuno.

392
00:26:46,288 --> 00:26:47,376
Volevamo rispetto.

393
00:26:49,552 --> 00:26:51,890
E tu dovevi darcelo,
volente o nolente.

394
00:26:52,780 --> 00:26:55,472
Avevo letto il libro di Eldridge Cleaver
“Anima in ghiaccio”

395
00:26:55,470 --> 00:26:58,880
Huey P. Newton e, sai,
le Pantere Nere,

396
00:26:59,200 --> 00:27:01,849
come la storia di George Jackson.
Avevo letto tutta questa roba.

397
00:27:01,850 --> 00:27:06,160
George Jackson era un rivoluzionario
Arrestato per una rapina di pochi dollarii

398
00:27:06,512 --> 00:27:07,696
Una rapina ad un benzinaio

399
00:27:07,900 --> 00:27:09,150
L'hanno condannato all'ergastolo

400
00:27:09,152 --> 00:27:12,193
È finito nel sistema nella prigione di Soledad.

401
00:27:12,350 --> 00:27:15,490
Lui ci ha mostrato… e intendo a “noi”,

402
00:27:16,512 --> 00:27:18,832
ai ragazzi più giovani
entrati ad Attica,

403
00:27:19,410 --> 00:27:22,203
Era giusto dire di no

404
00:27:22,460 --> 00:27:25,706
Che era giusto essere ribelli.

405
00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:30,211
Ci ha fatto capire che potremmo aver avuto
delle conseguenze al nostro dire NO

406
00:27:30,976 --> 00:27:32,416
Ma era OK

407
00:27:32,900 --> 00:27:34,460
Ed è stato educativo.

408
00:27:35,010 --> 00:27:36,416
E' stato educativo.

409
00:27:36,717 --> 00:27:40,912
Penso che il razzismo sia un dispositivo di controllo,
un meccanismo di controllo.

410
00:27:41,490 --> 00:27:44,992
Crea un’atmosfera
in cui ti controllano.

411
00:27:46,020 --> 00:27:50,768
Certo, qui in prigione vediamo
la repressione, lo sfruttamento

412
00:27:51,250 --> 00:27:53,760
la vittimizzazione

413
00:27:54,530 --> 00:27:56,904
di persone appartenenti alla classe inferiore.

414
00:27:57,405 --> 00:28:00,912
Un sacco di Pantere Nere
stavano entrando in prigione.

415
00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:04,510
Ho iniziato a vedermi con loro,
e mi hanno politicizzato.

416
00:28:04,912 --> 00:28:08,580
Il Partito delle Pantere Nere per l’Autodifesa
chiama il popolo americano, in generale,

417
00:28:08,580 --> 00:28:11,585
e i neri in particolare
a tenere d’occhio

418
00:28:11,590 --> 00:28:16,384
le agenzie di polizia razziste in tutto il paese
che stanno intensificando il terrore

419
00:28:16,380 --> 00:28:19,593
brutalità, omicidi
e repressione dei neri.

420
00:28:19,590 --> 00:28:24,100
Certo, ci sono stati i Black Muslims [Musulmani Neri],
e il loro messaggio all’uomo nero

421
00:28:24,100 --> 00:28:28,519
ha davvero dato la sveglia
a molti ragazzi dentro le prigioni.

422
00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:30,020
Vogliamo una cosa!

423
00:28:30,020 --> 00:28:33,392
Dichiariamo il nostro diritto
su questa Terra

424
00:28:33,520 --> 00:28:38,400
di essere uomini, di essere degli essere umani,
di essere rispettati in quanto esseri umani

425
00:28:38,400 --> 00:28:40,688
di avere i diritti di un essere umano

426
00:28:40,690 --> 00:28:44,000
in questa società, su questa Terra, in questo giorno,

427
00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:49,728
e che vogliamo realizzare questo nostro diritto
con ogni mezzo necessario

428
00:28:53,870 --> 00:28:56,704
Ufficialil del penitenziaricaliforniano di San Quentin
stanno ancora cercando

429
00:28:56,700 --> 00:29:00,032
stanno ancora cercando di ricostruire
che cosa sia successo di preciso e come

430
00:29:00,030 --> 00:29:01,886
in un tentativo di evasione avvenuto ieri

431
00:29:01,890 --> 00:29:04,889
costata la vita a tre detenuti
e tre guardie

432
00:29:04,890 --> 00:29:07,558
Uno dei detenuti morti
era George Jackson,

433
00:29:07,560 --> 00:29:11,562
dei sedicenti Fratelli di Soledad. Jackson aveva 29 anni.

434
00:29:11,740 --> 00:29:15,065
Le ultime parole di George Jackso sono state:
“Non me ne frega più un cazzo.

435
00:29:15,430 --> 00:29:17,568
- Ci uccideranno comunque.
- Non possiamo uscire.

436
00:29:17,570 --> 00:29:20,571
siamo in una gabbia del cazzo.

437
00:29:20,570 --> 00:29:22,928
So if we're going to die,
let's die as men.

438
00:29:22,930 --> 00:29:25,296
E i fratelli si sono sentiti frustrati.

439
00:29:28,208 --> 00:29:29,824
Andavamo in sala mensa

440
00:29:30,414 --> 00:29:31,880
con una fascia nera al braccio.

441
00:29:32,917 --> 00:29:35,920
e ci sedevamo lì.,
tQuando entri, prendi un cucchiaio.

442
00:29:36,096 --> 00:29:37,421
Non prendere cibo

443
00:29:37,664 --> 00:29:39,072
Non abbiamo parlato

444
00:29:40,128 --> 00:29:41,776
per tutto il tempo

445
00:29:42,080 --> 00:29:43,792
e non abbiamo preso il cibo.

446
00:29:44,430 --> 00:29:48,930
Questo, credo, ha fatto capire all’istituzione

447
00:29:48,933 --> 00:29:50,160
che eravamo solidali.

448
00:29:51,435 --> 00:29:54,768
Probabilmente non avevano mai visto prima
questo tipo di solidarietà.

449
00:30:02,613 --> 00:30:07,330
Si è parlato molto della situazione:

450
00:30:07,330 --> 00:30:11,072
perché i detenuti erano molto agitati,

451
00:30:11,330 --> 00:30:14,064
e lì stavano succedendo delle cose

452
00:30:14,060 --> 00:30:16,920
e c'era una grossa preoccupazione.

453
00:30:16,920 --> 00:30:19,930
It was a time bomb ready to blow,
and we live with it

454
00:30:19,930 --> 00:30:23,640
every day in my house
and every day I say goodbye to my dad.

455
00:30:23,890 --> 00:30:26,230
And I knew it might be the last day
I saw him.

456
00:30:26,270 --> 00:30:29,900
It was open conversation.

457
00:30:32,730 --> 00:30:34,320
Things were getting worse,

458
00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:36,690
and so they had a meeting
with the administration

459
00:30:37,360 --> 00:30:40,240
in the administration,
essentially dismissed their concerns

460
00:30:40,870 --> 00:30:43,120
and said everybody back to work.

461
00:30:43,740 --> 00:30:46,040
However, we think maybe it's a good idea
if you left

462
00:30:46,040 --> 00:30:49,420
your personal belongings at home
like wedding rings, wallets, et cetera.

463
00:30:49,830 --> 00:30:52,960
So my father absolutely knew
that something was going on.

464
00:30:53,380 --> 00:30:56,760
I was having breakfast with him
and he was talking to me,

465
00:30:56,800 --> 00:30:58,380
and I knew he was nervous.

466
00:30:58,380 --> 00:31:01,890
When he said something's going to happen,
he said, I just don't know what or when,

467
00:31:02,550 --> 00:31:03,810
but I think I'll be OK.

468
00:31:08,390 --> 00:31:09,350
There was a fight

469
00:31:09,350 --> 00:31:12,560
in a yard on September eighth,

470
00:31:13,230 --> 00:31:15,820
and the guards promised
nothing would happen as a result of this

471
00:31:15,820 --> 00:31:18,780
because they could feel the tension
building up.

472
00:31:19,320 --> 00:31:21,530
Then that night, they broke that promise.

473
00:31:21,780 --> 00:31:26,410
They came and pulled them out of cells
and about three or four of them.

474
00:31:27,040 --> 00:31:28,370
And then.

475
00:31:30,410 --> 00:31:32,540
He was thought to embarrass
Barroso would have a glass.

476
00:31:32,710 --> 00:31:37,170
May have had or cans or whatever they may
had, and it was a disturbance that dear.

477
00:31:37,590 --> 00:31:42,300
So the inmates decided at that moment,
Man, this is a man we tied.

478
00:31:42,550 --> 00:31:44,050
I mean, they killed Josh Jackson.

479
00:31:44,050 --> 00:31:45,680
They did this throughout the years.

480
00:31:45,680 --> 00:31:48,390
We tie, you know, and they they went off.

481
00:31:58,780 --> 00:32:01,110
I was in school that day.

482
00:32:01,360 --> 00:32:03,240
And the whistle

483
00:32:03,240 --> 00:32:06,240
from the prison just kept going,
and we could hear it.

484
00:32:06,950 --> 00:32:09,620
We got calls from somebody from the prison

485
00:32:09,620 --> 00:32:12,160
saying that your dad, you know,
is definitely being held.

486
00:32:12,960 --> 00:32:14,960
You know, I was scared,
I was worried for my dad.

487
00:32:14,960 --> 00:32:19,260
I love my dad, but we didn't really
know what was going on.

488
00:32:22,170 --> 00:32:25,010
Understanding about what?

489
00:32:25,010 --> 00:32:29,140
This incident developing it added
in this declaration here will explain

490
00:32:29,140 --> 00:32:34,190
the reasons for the entire incident
that has erupted here at Attica

491
00:32:34,600 --> 00:32:38,820
is not a result of the dastardly
bushwhacking of the two prisoners.

492
00:32:38,980 --> 00:32:44,660
September eighth of 1970
11 of the unmitigated oppression wrought

493
00:32:44,660 --> 00:32:48,450
by the racist administrative network
of this prison throughout the years.

494
00:32:49,040 --> 00:32:53,120
We want the government to guarantee
that there will be no reprisals

495
00:32:53,410 --> 00:32:57,380
and we want all facets of the media
to articulate this.

496
00:32:58,290 --> 00:33:00,960
We needed the media in there
because we needed

497
00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:03,260
to let the world know what was happening.

498
00:33:04,380 --> 00:33:08,390
We know this is one of the turning points

499
00:33:08,390 --> 00:33:10,350
in the whole thing.

500
00:33:12,480 --> 00:33:14,560
We would like the press to come in,

501
00:33:15,230 --> 00:33:17,560
including the television cameras

502
00:33:20,150 --> 00:33:23,030
that transformed everything.

503
00:33:24,950 --> 00:33:28,820
Because now
the prisoners had a worldwide audience.

504
00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:33,620
Whatever happens here at Attica
State Prison,

505
00:33:33,830 --> 00:33:39,000
I'm not sure how they heard
that there was a black journalist outside

506
00:33:39,380 --> 00:33:42,420
that they wanted me to be

507
00:33:42,420 --> 00:33:45,550
on the group that went in with us.

508
00:33:46,340 --> 00:33:48,550
Suddenly, I'm on in this group

509
00:33:49,260 --> 00:33:52,430
going into the prison with this.

510
00:33:53,640 --> 00:33:55,430
Head of the prison system.

511
00:33:55,430 --> 00:33:58,480
I was surprised
that they had asked for me.

512
00:33:59,560 --> 00:34:03,320
But I guess
because of the fact that they had watched

513
00:34:03,860 --> 00:34:07,410
the news, my reports were factual

514
00:34:08,070 --> 00:34:11,870
and I was not taking anybody's side

515
00:34:12,240 --> 00:34:14,290
in the whole thing.

516
00:34:15,960 --> 00:34:17,540
We went in

517
00:34:17,870 --> 00:34:21,920
and it was completely surreal,

518
00:34:22,420 --> 00:34:26,340
like, you're walking down a tunnel
and suddenly

519
00:34:26,550 --> 00:34:29,090
you walk into this huge yard

520
00:34:29,470 --> 00:34:34,680
where there are men everywhere
like thousands of men.

521
00:34:35,310 --> 00:34:37,560
And I remember

522
00:34:38,060 --> 00:34:40,310
some people yelling, Hey, J.J..

523
00:34:41,190 --> 00:34:43,320
I said hello to people

524
00:34:43,320 --> 00:34:46,150
that I knew from Bed-Stuy and Harlem,

525
00:34:47,280 --> 00:34:50,490
and they were in Attica.

526
00:34:52,950 --> 00:34:55,490
Once inside,
we were brought along through the yard

527
00:34:55,490 --> 00:34:59,040
with a member of the inmate security force
constantly at our side.

528
00:34:59,870 --> 00:35:02,250
We were allowed to go
where they told us to go.

529
00:35:03,090 --> 00:35:04,380
We were all allowed to film.

530
00:35:04,380 --> 00:35:06,510
Only one of the prisoners told us
we could.

531
00:35:07,090 --> 00:35:10,180
Inmates faces were covered
so as to keep their identities secret.

532
00:35:11,090 --> 00:35:14,680
Our first concern on entering was to learn
how the hostages

533
00:35:14,680 --> 00:35:17,730
were going to see the hostages, but

534
00:35:17,980 --> 00:35:20,190
I was able to ask.

535
00:35:21,230 --> 00:35:24,150
one question before I was moved

536
00:35:24,610 --> 00:35:28,150
to the negotiation table to read it,
all right.

537
00:35:28,280 --> 00:35:31,450
Yes, I have so far,
but very no, no complaints, but

538
00:35:31,910 --> 00:35:34,660
no problem solver so far and treat it
very good.

539
00:35:35,910 --> 00:35:38,580
Shortly thereafter, one of the inmates,

540
00:35:39,290 --> 00:35:42,080
a young man by the name of l.D.

541
00:35:42,120 --> 00:35:44,670
Barclay, started to read

542
00:35:45,710 --> 00:35:48,460
the demands of the entire prison
population.

543
00:35:48,550 --> 00:35:54,050
That means each and every one of us here
have set forth to change forever.

544
00:35:54,300 --> 00:35:57,350
The ruthless brutalization and disregard
for the lives

545
00:35:57,350 --> 00:36:00,310
of the prisoners here
and throughout the United States.

546
00:36:00,680 --> 00:36:03,020
He was saying,
What we all want you to scream.

547
00:36:03,650 --> 00:36:07,150
But he was explaining it
so that everybody could understand

548
00:36:07,570 --> 00:36:10,150
so that when you were sitting
in your living room,

549
00:36:10,150 --> 00:36:12,400
you could say, Well, the guy's a criminal.

550
00:36:12,400 --> 00:36:13,570
Yeah, but.

551
00:36:14,120 --> 00:36:15,240
He is saying something that's.

552
00:36:15,240 --> 00:36:15,660
That's

553
00:36:17,740 --> 00:36:19,370
that I understand that.

554
00:36:19,370 --> 00:36:22,370
How could we do that, you know,
he was waking up America.

555
00:36:23,290 --> 00:36:25,630
And he was the best one to do it.

556
00:36:25,630 --> 00:36:27,590
We are men.

557
00:36:27,590 --> 00:36:31,760
We are not beasts and we do not intend
to be beaten or driven effort.

558
00:36:31,970 --> 00:36:34,840
Audi is only going to be here for 90 days,

559
00:36:34,890 --> 00:36:38,310
he'll be getting out, but he wanted to
the outside world and noted.

560
00:36:40,520 --> 00:36:42,850
The prison is inhumane.

561
00:36:42,850 --> 00:36:45,400
What has happened here is but the sound of

562
00:36:45,400 --> 00:36:48,070
for the fury of those who are oppressed,

563
00:36:48,650 --> 00:36:51,280
we will not compromise on any terms

564
00:36:51,530 --> 00:36:54,610
except those terms
that are agreeable to us.

565
00:36:55,240 --> 00:36:56,700
We call.

566
00:37:01,410 --> 00:37:03,910
You felt it.

567
00:37:05,790 --> 00:37:07,130
And at that moment,

568
00:37:07,130 --> 00:37:09,880
I heard it and I seen it.

569
00:37:10,550 --> 00:37:13,340
And that reaffirmed

570
00:37:13,340 --> 00:37:16,300
why we was data, why I was there.

571
00:37:20,180 --> 00:37:22,430
It was a feeling that this was big.

572
00:37:23,180 --> 00:37:25,390
This was huge.

573
00:37:28,770 --> 00:37:32,280
Corrections Commissioner Oswald maintained

574
00:37:32,860 --> 00:37:35,070
that he had done

575
00:37:36,320 --> 00:37:38,910
quite a bit of the things

576
00:37:38,910 --> 00:37:41,910
that the inmates had requested.

577
00:37:42,410 --> 00:37:43,500
I've,

578
00:37:44,040 --> 00:37:46,170
uh, complied

579
00:37:46,170 --> 00:37:50,340
with the several things
I said I would do as my part.

580
00:37:50,880 --> 00:37:54,550
I brought the press and other media

581
00:37:54,550 --> 00:37:57,760
in here to listen as we talk.

582
00:37:58,010 --> 00:38:01,760
And now my question is I asked earlier,

583
00:38:03,220 --> 00:38:06,230
when will you release the hostages?

584
00:38:07,350 --> 00:38:09,480
Now the table was turned

585
00:38:10,270 --> 00:38:13,030
and we had the power,

586
00:38:13,400 --> 00:38:15,070
so when we asked him for something,

587
00:38:15,070 --> 00:38:18,070
he had to give it to us
because he had no choice.

588
00:38:18,360 --> 00:38:21,160
We wanted some assurance that we weren't

589
00:38:21,160 --> 00:38:23,450
going to be retaliated against.

590
00:38:24,500 --> 00:38:26,660
So we ask Herman Schwartz

591
00:38:26,660 --> 00:38:28,870
to go to District Court in New York.

592
00:38:30,500 --> 00:38:33,050
And I get an injunction

593
00:38:33,670 --> 00:38:37,340
that would assure us
that we wouldn't be retaliated against.

594
00:38:37,880 --> 00:38:40,090
I sat down and wrote an injunction.

595
00:38:41,760 --> 00:38:45,180
Which barred any kind of retaliation.

596
00:38:46,520 --> 00:38:48,560
It had been agreed that there would be

597
00:38:48,560 --> 00:38:50,560
another meeting the next morning.

598
00:38:52,730 --> 00:38:55,070
The time is now ten minutes late.

599
00:38:55,070 --> 00:38:58,360
We've been shooting this tape
for approximately two hours.

600
00:38:58,400 --> 00:39:02,030
We started about 6:00 p.m..

601
00:39:02,490 --> 00:39:04,540
Light is almost gone now

602
00:39:04,540 --> 00:39:07,910
we can see lights in cell block D.

603
00:39:10,960 --> 00:39:18,130
Oh. The guy next to me

604
00:39:18,670 --> 00:39:20,970
was named Raymond Wei.

605
00:39:22,050 --> 00:39:25,060
You open up in the air.

606
00:39:25,060 --> 00:39:28,230
Gardner still remain way, your way,

607
00:39:28,930 --> 00:39:31,270
your smear

608
00:39:32,560 --> 00:39:34,690
ain't been out at the dog and 22 years.

609
00:39:37,740 --> 00:39:38,690
And we was talking

610
00:39:38,690 --> 00:39:40,950
singing songs, it was
it was a festive night.

611
00:39:41,950 --> 00:39:42,950
I loved it. I loved it.

612
00:39:42,950 --> 00:39:46,580
Then I was out in the nighttime
looking at the stars.

613
00:39:47,040 --> 00:39:49,250
I was drunk.
I was happy. I was. I liked it.

614
00:39:49,250 --> 00:39:52,290
Yeah, I was having a good time
and it was good.

615
00:39:52,710 --> 00:39:54,380
I feel free.

616
00:39:54,380 --> 00:39:58,010
You know, I mean, prison was dead,
but you know, I felt free.

617
00:39:58,210 --> 00:40:00,260
And you had to hear

618
00:40:01,260 --> 00:40:03,640
the doors not locking.

619
00:40:03,640 --> 00:40:07,350
And if and if it was a good feeling
that that first night

620
00:40:08,890 --> 00:40:10,810
when it got dark

621
00:40:11,190 --> 00:40:13,480
and everybody was talking
about finding somewhere to sleep with,

622
00:40:13,520 --> 00:40:16,610
you know, don't sleep alone
and you know, that type of thing.

623
00:40:16,900 --> 00:40:19,740
There's a lot of psychopaths
and sociopaths

624
00:40:19,740 --> 00:40:23,280
in those facilities, so you know you
had to protect yourself from

625
00:40:24,410 --> 00:40:26,910
from your peers, even.

626
00:40:33,040 --> 00:40:36,790
Well,
I knew this was going to last forever.

627
00:40:36,840 --> 00:40:37,960
I knew they would.

628
00:40:37,960 --> 00:40:41,090
It would be an end this.

629
00:40:41,090 --> 00:40:42,720
But just because he was incarcerated

630
00:40:42,720 --> 00:40:44,800
didn't mean that we were less than human.

631
00:40:47,810 --> 00:40:50,520
Somebody had to take the stand.

632
00:40:59,690 --> 00:41:00,360
At dawn,

633
00:41:00,360 --> 00:41:04,910
a smoke from yesterday's fires lingered
over prison walls, a federal injunction

634
00:41:04,910 --> 00:41:09,580
was obtained prohibiting physical reprisal
against those involved in the riot.

635
00:41:11,290 --> 00:41:13,660
When I brought in the injunction,

636
00:41:14,370 --> 00:41:18,290
we talked to the prisoners
at opposite ends

637
00:41:18,540 --> 00:41:21,300
of a rather long tunnel.

638
00:41:22,340 --> 00:41:24,760
They said where where the administrators.

639
00:41:25,300 --> 00:41:26,590
I don't know.

640
00:41:26,590 --> 00:41:28,890
I'm here about know where they are.

641
00:41:28,890 --> 00:41:31,680
Finally, at 10:00, Oswald

642
00:41:31,680 --> 00:41:34,020
and the others show up.

643
00:41:35,100 --> 00:41:37,310
The prisoners were furious.

644
00:41:37,310 --> 00:41:41,440
They had been,
as they would put it, dissed.

645
00:41:42,030 --> 00:41:44,700
They're supposed
to meet at seven or 8:00 and.

646
00:41:45,950 --> 00:41:48,030
It was very clear

647
00:41:48,030 --> 00:41:51,200
the air was very tense.

648
00:41:51,620 --> 00:41:54,870
You had the table spread out.

649
00:41:55,500 --> 00:41:58,460
We were on one side.

650
00:41:58,460 --> 00:42:00,710
The inmates were on the other.

651
00:42:02,340 --> 00:42:03,960
And I gave the document

652
00:42:03,960 --> 00:42:06,340
that the judge had signed this.

653
00:42:07,590 --> 00:42:08,800
It's nothing.

654
00:42:09,140 --> 00:42:11,680
I'm sorry, I spent hours of

655
00:42:12,100 --> 00:42:14,730
of and got no sleep and trouble

656
00:42:15,390 --> 00:42:19,350
declaring that a federal judge
has signed off on an injunction

657
00:42:19,650 --> 00:42:23,440
saying that there would be no reprisals,
anything that can.

658
00:42:24,900 --> 00:42:26,820
Waving that at us

659
00:42:26,820 --> 00:42:29,240
and they're free to do so was the same.

660
00:42:29,620 --> 00:42:32,160
There was no judicial seal on it.

661
00:42:32,160 --> 00:42:35,830
I have received injunctions
from the Southern District,

662
00:42:36,080 --> 00:42:38,000
which are judicial fields.

663
00:42:38,000 --> 00:42:40,000
This paper is an empty gesture.

664
00:42:40,080 --> 00:42:41,080
Jerry, did you?

665
00:42:41,080 --> 00:42:42,750
That was his nickname.

666
00:42:42,750 --> 00:42:47,260
Jerry Rosenberg was a hell of a guy
and he was well respected.

667
00:42:47,510 --> 00:42:48,470
He had a law degree.

668
00:42:49,890 --> 00:42:51,850
Any new law he would help

669
00:42:51,850 --> 00:42:54,140
all the inmates,
she was a jailhouse lawyer.

670
00:42:55,560 --> 00:42:58,440
You can take this piece of paper
and throw it away

671
00:42:58,690 --> 00:43:00,150
because this is no protection.

672
00:43:00,150 --> 00:43:03,190
Geoffrey Rosenberg God bless him, sir.

673
00:43:04,150 --> 00:43:06,360
Charging scientists.

674
00:43:06,610 --> 00:43:09,660
There's
no there's no lost in district court

675
00:43:09,660 --> 00:43:13,830
stamp on this document
saying that, you know what?

676
00:43:13,830 --> 00:43:17,250
Nothing will happen to worse and torn up.

677
00:43:18,790 --> 00:43:20,750
You know, we know you mean well,

678
00:43:20,750 --> 00:43:23,130
but don't come with the bullshit here.

679
00:43:23,920 --> 00:43:26,630
We want a judicial seal and a continuing

680
00:43:26,630 --> 00:43:30,010
restraining order
until the litigation is finally ended

681
00:43:30,300 --> 00:43:33,800
without any reprisal or brutality
against any inmate

682
00:43:34,010 --> 00:43:36,060
of this institution.

683
00:43:45,440 --> 00:43:47,190
Well, lawyers know

684
00:43:47,190 --> 00:43:50,030
that seals don't mean anything

685
00:43:51,820 --> 00:43:55,030
so long as the signature is there.

686
00:43:55,030 --> 00:43:58,410
I could have kicked
Jerry's ass, and I should have

687
00:43:59,620 --> 00:44:00,500
read because

688
00:44:00,500 --> 00:44:03,290
he he just started to grandstand.

689
00:44:03,920 --> 00:44:06,380
You know, he was caught up in the moment.

690
00:44:08,300 --> 00:44:10,340
Good, smart as he is

691
00:44:10,340 --> 00:44:14,090
and a shrewd as he is, he over reacted.

692
00:44:14,600 --> 00:44:17,310
And we lost an opportunity there.

693
00:44:17,310 --> 00:44:20,680
And then somebody said, let's hold them.

694
00:44:21,060 --> 00:44:23,060
Let's add to the hostage Cal.

695
00:44:26,020 --> 00:44:29,570
I speak everybody here,

696
00:44:29,570 --> 00:44:31,900
I want to to you as well.

697
00:44:31,900 --> 00:44:33,990
When you come in here covering the game,

698
00:44:34,820 --> 00:44:39,620
I know you don't give a fuck about no max
that they somehow give a fuck about you.

699
00:44:39,950 --> 00:44:42,080
Nothing I know.

700
00:44:42,080 --> 00:44:44,670
Nothing, you know?

701
00:44:44,670 --> 00:44:46,880
And I'm gonna to leave you.

702
00:44:46,880 --> 00:44:49,550
It seems to me that you are

703
00:44:50,840 --> 00:44:54,220
saying to me that you,
you are an artist at pretty rare occasion.

704
00:44:55,050 --> 00:44:57,510
I bear witness
to your evil deeds, Mr. Art.

705
00:44:58,470 --> 00:44:59,970
Now I repeat,

706
00:44:59,970 --> 00:45:03,390
as I told you yesterday,
we are being lenient with you.

707
00:45:04,350 --> 00:45:05,940
We are negotiating.

708
00:45:05,940 --> 00:45:08,400
We are talking. We shouldn't be.

709
00:45:08,900 --> 00:45:10,530
We should be demanding.

710
00:45:10,530 --> 00:45:11,530
So why?

711
00:45:11,530 --> 00:45:15,200
Because we have 35 lives, not hostages.

712
00:45:15,860 --> 00:45:16,870
And I repeat Mr.

713
00:45:16,870 --> 00:45:20,950
Oswald, a moment's
hesitation would cause you delay.

714
00:45:21,330 --> 00:45:23,830
The meeting in the yard got very tense

715
00:45:24,790 --> 00:45:28,880
because Oswald would talk to you
from one side of the mouth.

716
00:45:29,170 --> 00:45:31,550
And then when he left the yard
and go outside,

717
00:45:31,550 --> 00:45:33,970
he talks from the other side of the mouth

718
00:45:33,970 --> 00:45:37,050
of the inmates made any demands
that, you know, there are all kinds

719
00:45:37,050 --> 00:45:40,760
of demands, you know, for the change
of change in the whole world.

720
00:45:40,890 --> 00:45:44,560
But what he forgot
was that he was being seen on TV.

721
00:45:45,640 --> 00:45:47,440
Come on, how could you do that?

722
00:45:48,520 --> 00:45:50,020
We watch you

723
00:45:50,020 --> 00:45:54,700
and you stated it yesterday on the news
media, in a huff, in a panic, you said.

724
00:45:54,820 --> 00:45:56,410
Well, I don't know what they want.

725
00:45:56,410 --> 00:45:58,530
They want the world and what you like.

726
00:45:58,530 --> 00:45:59,740
You walk away from reporters.

727
00:45:59,740 --> 00:46:01,830
Would you reply that the sidewalk?

728
00:46:01,830 --> 00:46:04,160
Yes, I did say that.

729
00:46:04,870 --> 00:46:05,580
Let him finish.

730
00:46:05,580 --> 00:46:06,620
I don't say that.

731
00:46:06,620 --> 00:46:09,210
Can't bullshit a bullshitter.

732
00:46:09,210 --> 00:46:10,630
You can't do that.

733
00:46:11,040 --> 00:46:13,090
The first time he came in, I'm going to do

734
00:46:13,090 --> 00:46:15,220
this, a b, c, d e f g

735
00:46:16,340 --> 00:46:18,760
and people said, All right,
going back to business, get it done,

736
00:46:19,180 --> 00:46:21,510
came back in and started talking
and you know,

737
00:46:22,390 --> 00:46:26,100
it was going around about hearing around
about then this scenario.

738
00:46:26,140 --> 00:46:28,190
Not that the hostages go.

739
00:46:28,690 --> 00:46:30,980
But you be hostage,

740
00:46:31,570 --> 00:46:33,020
whatever, you know, power

741
00:46:33,980 --> 00:46:34,780
and water.

742
00:46:34,780 --> 00:46:35,740
We haven't got that.

743
00:46:35,740 --> 00:46:38,860
We're going to get Mr. Harper for himself.

744
00:46:39,070 --> 00:46:40,370
So we got to.

745
00:46:42,830 --> 00:46:45,330
We're not letting him out of here
and keeping him in Austin.

746
00:46:46,330 --> 00:46:47,960
We all we shut that down.

747
00:46:47,960 --> 00:46:49,750
We're not going to be like them.

748
00:46:49,750 --> 00:46:50,920
We're not going to break our word.

749
00:46:50,920 --> 00:46:53,920
And it says, well, inmates
would be more honorable than them.

750
00:46:53,920 --> 00:46:57,800
Yes, we were because we gave him my word
nothing would happen to him.

751
00:47:06,810 --> 00:47:07,850
Everybody starts

752
00:47:07,850 --> 00:47:10,440
screaming at him, go, let him go.

753
00:47:12,110 --> 00:47:12,360
Don't.

754
00:47:17,400 --> 00:47:18,900
He got out of Dodge.

755
00:47:18,900 --> 00:47:21,240
He never came back.

756
00:47:25,240 --> 00:47:26,200
In New York State,

757
00:47:26,200 --> 00:47:30,580
some 500 inmates of the Attica maximum
security prison are still in revolt.

758
00:47:30,830 --> 00:47:34,000
Authorities tried unsuccessfully
to reach a settlement with the prisoners

759
00:47:34,290 --> 00:47:38,300
over demands for reforms and to obtain
release of more than 30 hostages.

760
00:47:38,670 --> 00:47:42,340
We have a report on what's been happening
at Attica from ABC's John Johnson.

761
00:47:42,760 --> 00:47:45,390
Fires were still burning at Attica
State Prison,

762
00:47:45,810 --> 00:47:48,680
despite a small army of police and state
troopers.

763
00:47:48,850 --> 00:47:51,480
The prisoners continue to call the shots
at Attica.

764
00:47:52,190 --> 00:47:54,610
Commissioner Oswald announced that

765
00:47:54,610 --> 00:47:57,570
prison officials
were attempting to bring to the prison

766
00:47:57,730 --> 00:48:02,530
those people requested by the prisoners
in areas under where the group

767
00:48:03,030 --> 00:48:05,490
was basically people

768
00:48:06,410 --> 00:48:10,040
whom they knew people like Tom Wicker,

769
00:48:10,120 --> 00:48:12,790
who had written a column about prisoners.

770
00:48:13,670 --> 00:48:16,000
Senator John Dunn was chairman

771
00:48:16,000 --> 00:48:18,590
of the Prisons Committee and sympathetic.

772
00:48:19,210 --> 00:48:21,170
He was asked to come.

773
00:48:21,170 --> 00:48:24,550
Bill Kunstler, a lawyer for the Chicago

774
00:48:24,550 --> 00:48:27,140
seven, asked him to come in

775
00:48:27,890 --> 00:48:32,350
and Clarence Jones,
publisher of the Amsterdam News.

776
00:48:37,190 --> 00:48:38,020
Have a driver was

777
00:48:38,020 --> 00:48:41,490
driving me up,
the ampersand is the driver, says Boss,

778
00:48:41,860 --> 00:48:43,990
they're calling your name on the radio,
so what you mean?

779
00:48:45,120 --> 00:48:47,200
Called Rockefeller,

780
00:48:47,200 --> 00:48:50,000
and lo and behold,
the governor picked up the phone.

781
00:48:50,000 --> 00:48:53,080
He said, thank you so much.

782
00:48:53,080 --> 00:48:55,500
Mr Jones, we have a major situation.

783
00:48:57,210 --> 00:48:58,500
A number of the inmates

784
00:48:58,500 --> 00:49:00,590
have called your name.

785
00:49:02,630 --> 00:49:04,630
We'll have a car and pick you up.

786
00:49:04,630 --> 00:49:07,010
And taking him to a private airport.

787
00:49:08,970 --> 00:49:10,100
We're a state private

788
00:49:10,100 --> 00:49:12,270
plane is waiting for you.

789
00:49:13,980 --> 00:49:16,020
And there are more.

790
00:49:16,520 --> 00:49:18,900
Atika, you be part of the.

791
00:49:20,230 --> 00:49:21,990
Observers committee.

792
00:49:23,570 --> 00:49:26,450
My wife and I were off on vacation
at the time

793
00:49:26,820 --> 00:49:27,870
and we got a call

794
00:49:27,870 --> 00:49:31,790
that they had asked me to come there,
and I felt that with my prior experience

795
00:49:31,790 --> 00:49:35,670
and my responsibilities as a chairman
of the prison committee ought to be there.

796
00:49:38,000 --> 00:49:39,750
I was optimistic.

797
00:49:39,750 --> 00:49:40,550
I thought.

798
00:49:41,090 --> 00:49:42,340
Give it a shot.

799
00:49:43,010 --> 00:49:45,760
For the rebel prisoners of Attica,
the encouraging appearance,

800
00:49:45,760 --> 00:49:47,680
the people, they consider friends.

801
00:49:47,680 --> 00:49:51,220
A 30 man mediation committee,
including a congressman for newsmen

802
00:49:51,680 --> 00:49:54,230
and most importantly, lawyer
William Kunstler.

803
00:49:54,560 --> 00:49:56,900
Have you heard anything from Governor
Rockefeller's office?

804
00:49:56,900 --> 00:50:00,110
I mean, has he put any time
limit on these negotiations?

805
00:50:00,440 --> 00:50:03,400
No, but I understand that
there is no present

806
00:50:03,650 --> 00:50:07,030
plan to use force in this prison,
and I hope that continues.

807
00:50:07,160 --> 00:50:10,910
I just hope that they realize
that this is a unique situation

808
00:50:10,910 --> 00:50:15,000
and that it may take time
and that if everyone has a good faith,

809
00:50:15,250 --> 00:50:17,080
something will work out.

810
00:50:18,750 --> 00:50:21,630
It was scary, the tension was tremendous.

811
00:50:21,630 --> 00:50:25,470
Eager to cut the air with a knife,
it was terrifying.

812
00:50:25,840 --> 00:50:28,890
I remember going into the yard
and saying to Mel, Where was I?

813
00:50:29,090 --> 00:50:30,050
Do you have a cigaret?

814
00:50:30,050 --> 00:50:30,470
And he said,

815
00:50:30,470 --> 00:50:33,770
You have one on you, one in your hand,
one in your mouth and one in your.

816
00:50:35,100 --> 00:50:36,600
I was scared.

817
00:50:37,520 --> 00:50:39,770
When you see a tower
with people with rifles,

818
00:50:41,150 --> 00:50:43,020
I kept thinking

819
00:50:43,440 --> 00:50:45,990
we should stay close to Tom Wicker
and Herman Badillo

820
00:50:45,990 --> 00:50:48,530
because they would be the least likely
to be shot.

821
00:50:51,200 --> 00:50:52,620
Frank Big Black

822
00:50:52,620 --> 00:50:56,540
Smith was the overall security leader.

823
00:50:57,410 --> 00:50:59,670
He took that job on himself already.

824
00:51:00,000 --> 00:51:02,000
He was the guy.

825
00:51:02,340 --> 00:51:04,170
Here's the big man.

826
00:51:04,250 --> 00:51:06,840
I mean, this is big.

827
00:51:06,840 --> 00:51:08,680
That was responsible to make sure

828
00:51:08,680 --> 00:51:11,680
that the observers that came in.

829
00:51:13,260 --> 00:51:15,890
They the same way
they can't manage the same way

830
00:51:15,890 --> 00:51:19,480
they did
that, you know, no harm come to them.

831
00:51:19,940 --> 00:51:23,060
He said, Well,
we've got to have a security force.

832
00:51:23,770 --> 00:51:26,610
So we were looking for volunteers.

833
00:51:26,610 --> 00:51:27,570
You, you.

834
00:51:28,530 --> 00:51:30,610
Along the way for her,

835
00:51:30,610 --> 00:51:35,330
can't be all black as we need
black guys, white guys and Puerto Ricans.

836
00:51:38,620 --> 00:51:41,420
We would line up and create a corridor,

837
00:51:42,000 --> 00:51:45,840
and they would walk down the middle
of the corridor with us being a barrier

838
00:51:45,840 --> 00:51:49,630
between general population
and the negotiators.

839
00:51:49,760 --> 00:51:53,680
So we would just
stand shoulder to shoulder and give them

840
00:51:53,680 --> 00:51:56,010
that safe space to walk through.

841
00:52:00,310 --> 00:52:01,730
We begin to talk with them

842
00:52:01,730 --> 00:52:06,690
about what they wanted,
and they had their their

843
00:52:06,780 --> 00:52:10,700
their list of things that they wanted
already written.

844
00:52:11,360 --> 00:52:13,950
You know, everybody wanted a voice.

845
00:52:13,950 --> 00:52:14,660
Good, bad.

846
00:52:14,660 --> 00:52:19,000
And it worked out,
so nothing went easy, but it went.

847
00:52:19,500 --> 00:52:24,920
We got to a point where we had
what we thought might be possible.

848
00:52:25,380 --> 00:52:27,670
Their demands were, you know,

849
00:52:28,130 --> 00:52:31,260
reasonable demands
about living conditions.

850
00:52:31,630 --> 00:52:34,090
They wanted medical care.

851
00:52:36,140 --> 00:52:38,430
Decent food,

852
00:52:39,560 --> 00:52:41,850
fair disciplinary hearings.

853
00:52:45,020 --> 00:52:46,440
Basically,

854
00:52:46,440 --> 00:52:50,400
they wanted to be treated
like human beings,

855
00:52:51,320 --> 00:52:54,820
prisoners late last night met
with a civilian committee

856
00:52:54,820 --> 00:52:58,160
in an attempt to clarify demands
ranging from better prison

857
00:52:58,160 --> 00:53:00,910
life conditions
to more religious and political freedom.

858
00:53:01,540 --> 00:53:03,920
I injected into the two demands

859
00:53:04,670 --> 00:53:08,170
for some people
to go to non imperialistic country.

860
00:53:08,800 --> 00:53:10,880
You have to be frightened flight out.

861
00:53:11,210 --> 00:53:12,920
We thought Cuba
was going to come and get us.

862
00:53:14,180 --> 00:53:17,800
You ship
troops to Vietnam to stop the men.

863
00:53:17,800 --> 00:53:20,810
Go to all these five countries
to press the button.

864
00:53:21,020 --> 00:53:23,850
You can bet why these helicopters
in air and ship

865
00:53:24,100 --> 00:53:26,230
on this country.

866
00:53:27,480 --> 00:53:29,440
We didn't seeing people snatch airplanes

867
00:53:29,440 --> 00:53:32,940
and all like dead and go to Cuba
and Algiers and all other places.

868
00:53:33,240 --> 00:53:34,950
Why not get out of jail?

869
00:53:34,950 --> 00:53:38,120
An Air France
jet was hijacked by Palestinian girls.

870
00:53:38,160 --> 00:53:41,830
17 year old girl hijacked a twb jetliner

871
00:53:42,000 --> 00:53:44,580
I have for years
and on a 25 to life sentence.

872
00:53:44,580 --> 00:53:46,960
Why not get out of jail?

873
00:53:46,960 --> 00:53:48,040
Why not?

874
00:53:49,290 --> 00:53:50,590
We all do that.

875
00:53:50,590 --> 00:53:52,010
I wasn't going to happen.

876
00:53:52,010 --> 00:53:54,260
We weren't going to go to

877
00:53:54,340 --> 00:53:55,840
Algeria on the plane.

878
00:53:55,840 --> 00:53:58,680
I knew that everybody
in the back of their mind knew that.

879
00:53:59,850 --> 00:54:01,010
But we need it, obviously.

880
00:54:03,520 --> 00:54:04,480
We want the federal

881
00:54:04,480 --> 00:54:08,560
judiciary to guarantee complete amnesty
to each and every one of us

882
00:54:08,770 --> 00:54:13,940
has taken part in the struggle
here at Attica to ensure that this amnesty

883
00:54:13,940 --> 00:54:19,120
will not be just a groping in the win, but
a reality for each and every one of us.

884
00:54:20,030 --> 00:54:23,620
They were not looking to be relieved
of the prison sentences

885
00:54:23,620 --> 00:54:27,080
to which they have been sent by the courts
after being convicted.

886
00:54:27,420 --> 00:54:30,500
They were looking to be freed from any

887
00:54:30,500 --> 00:54:32,880
prosecution or any penalties

888
00:54:33,300 --> 00:54:35,340
for their engaging in the riot.

889
00:54:38,470 --> 00:54:41,260
Besides the normal beatings
and everything else

890
00:54:41,300 --> 00:54:45,350
they're going to do to us, which is,
you know, automatic.

891
00:54:46,230 --> 00:54:49,940
We knew that they could also take us
and bring us to court and,

892
00:54:50,480 --> 00:54:55,690
you know, and turn us into the monster
inmates who took over the prison.

893
00:54:56,530 --> 00:54:59,110
We are not advocating violence.

894
00:55:00,160 --> 00:55:02,200
We all want to live.

895
00:55:04,990 --> 00:55:07,290
All right.

896
00:55:07,290 --> 00:55:09,290
If you get one on dog.

897
00:55:11,500 --> 00:55:14,420
You're treating them
better than we have been treated

898
00:55:15,130 --> 00:55:15,880
the last.

899
00:55:19,680 --> 00:55:21,220
They were fiercely

900
00:55:21,220 --> 00:55:25,520
trying to convince prison authorities
that they didn't cease

901
00:55:25,640 --> 00:55:29,100
being a human
being merely by the fact that they were

902
00:55:30,020 --> 00:55:32,400
incarcerated because they had broken.

903
00:55:33,360 --> 00:55:36,860
A law society,
and that's a profound thing.

904
00:55:37,780 --> 00:55:40,570
I am somebody.

905
00:55:40,570 --> 00:55:42,700
I'm not a thing.

906
00:55:42,990 --> 00:55:46,290
You can't treat me like a dog.

907
00:55:46,290 --> 00:55:48,580
I may be a prisoner, but I have dignity.

908
00:55:50,040 --> 00:55:52,040
And that's what they insisted.

909
00:55:53,500 --> 00:55:55,250
I'm getting the.

910
00:55:56,380 --> 00:55:59,420
Power structure of Africa to recognize.

911
00:56:00,590 --> 00:56:03,550
That they continue to be.

912
00:56:03,550 --> 00:56:04,930
Somebody.

913
00:56:05,560 --> 00:56:07,140
All of you have seen

914
00:56:07,220 --> 00:56:10,390
the observers,
they all were listening to us.

915
00:56:10,810 --> 00:56:13,600
I feel that they were supporting us.

916
00:56:14,980 --> 00:56:15,730
We see.

917
00:56:15,730 --> 00:56:17,900
And that meant a lot to us.

918
00:56:19,990 --> 00:56:21,280
This is our situation.

919
00:56:21,280 --> 00:56:23,740
Please listen to us.
And that's what they were doing.

920
00:56:24,160 --> 00:56:25,030
They were listening.

921
00:56:25,030 --> 00:56:27,410
It felt like they were somebody
that believed in us.

922
00:56:27,540 --> 00:56:29,160
It felt that way.

923
00:56:29,160 --> 00:56:32,080
If somebody believe that you know,
you did have some rights,

924
00:56:32,080 --> 00:56:34,420
even though you were a convicted felon
or whatever.

925
00:56:36,460 --> 00:56:37,920
Would we able to get

926
00:56:37,920 --> 00:56:41,340
a better mailing
privileges, better medical privileges?

927
00:56:41,670 --> 00:56:47,390
We tried to nail it down to that,
which was realistic and possible over

928
00:56:47,430 --> 00:56:50,100
distinguished from a plane waiting for us

929
00:56:50,680 --> 00:56:53,730
outside the cellblock, flying us to Cuba.

930
00:56:54,770 --> 00:56:57,690
That's what it was like it was
it was realism

931
00:56:58,190 --> 00:57:01,570
from fantasy.

932
00:57:01,780 --> 00:57:05,370
We want to be treated as human beings,

933
00:57:05,370 --> 00:57:08,280
we will be treated as human beings.

934
00:57:08,870 --> 00:57:11,290
Yeah, we have come to the conclusion.

935
00:57:13,540 --> 00:57:15,120
That's the study.

936
00:57:16,540 --> 00:57:19,920
After much suffering.

937
00:57:19,920 --> 00:57:23,090
After much consideration.

938
00:57:23,090 --> 00:57:25,890
But if we cannot move

939
00:57:26,090 --> 00:57:27,180
people.

940
00:57:28,390 --> 00:57:30,680
We will at least try.

941
00:57:30,680 --> 00:57:32,980
Today, let me.

942
00:57:36,100 --> 00:57:38,190
That statement was sounded

943
00:57:39,650 --> 00:57:41,070
everywhere.

944
00:57:45,990 --> 00:57:46,820
In that yard,

945
00:57:46,820 --> 00:57:50,790
when he said that a roar went up
like no other.

946
00:57:51,700 --> 00:57:54,580
This was this day, and I saw that

947
00:57:55,330 --> 00:57:58,540
I really none of us
were going to be observers,

948
00:57:58,540 --> 00:58:03,300
we were going to be mediators ,
whether we wanted to be mediators or not,

949
00:58:03,300 --> 00:58:06,010
whether we were called up to be mediators.

950
00:58:07,010 --> 00:58:11,510
This prison uprising had to be mediated.

951
00:58:11,510 --> 00:58:14,680
Otherwise it was going to end in disaster.

952
00:58:16,270 --> 00:58:19,020
If you people do not understand.

953
00:58:20,020 --> 00:58:22,150
If you people do not pick what?

954
00:58:23,650 --> 00:58:25,900
If you people can not make the commitment

955
00:58:25,900 --> 00:58:28,360
that we have made here.

956
00:58:29,910 --> 00:58:31,740
We all did.

957
00:58:32,080 --> 00:58:32,990
All right.

958
00:58:33,160 --> 00:58:34,870
We'll take you all

959
00:58:35,960 --> 00:58:37,750
to stand with us.

960
00:58:38,880 --> 00:58:42,170
Not necessarily.

961
00:58:42,380 --> 00:58:45,210
I know you want to

962
00:58:45,210 --> 00:58:48,090
hey, hey, before.

963
00:59:12,030 --> 00:59:14,950
Things were growing on the outside,

964
00:59:16,080 --> 00:59:17,370
don't take.

965
00:59:20,210 --> 00:59:22,380
There were more journalists.

966
00:59:22,380 --> 00:59:25,210
There were more police.

967
00:59:25,210 --> 00:59:27,510
And it was just getting bigger

968
00:59:27,800 --> 00:59:30,260
and bigger and bigger.

969
00:59:31,930 --> 00:59:34,350
People are coming night and day

970
00:59:34,640 --> 00:59:37,680
vans with reporters and police

971
00:59:37,680 --> 00:59:41,310
and things are building up.

972
00:59:42,900 --> 00:59:44,730
Among those keeping a vigil outside

973
00:59:44,730 --> 00:59:48,530
the prison walls, the families
of some of the 38 men held hostage.

974
00:59:48,690 --> 00:59:51,700
I was just home watching the TV.

975
00:59:51,990 --> 00:59:54,910
I just kept looking for my husband.

976
00:59:55,330 --> 00:59:58,410
Maybe he'd be killed or brutalized
in some way

977
00:59:58,660 --> 01:00:02,170
because the inmates at that time
had the power there, you know,

978
01:00:02,790 --> 01:00:05,500
and if they didn't like somebody
who who knew

979
01:00:05,500 --> 01:00:08,920
what you were scared to death that,
you know,

980
01:00:08,920 --> 01:00:12,300
they'd just kill him or something
and they didn't get their way.

981
01:00:14,050 --> 01:00:16,810
Families of the 31 hostages wait for word

982
01:00:16,810 --> 01:00:19,480
as part of the prison remains
in control of the inmate.

983
01:00:26,570 --> 01:00:27,860
They were upset.

984
01:00:27,860 --> 01:00:29,940
They were angry and they were scared

985
01:00:30,570 --> 01:00:35,030
standing out there while their loved ones
are being held hostage

986
01:00:36,030 --> 01:00:39,790
and they are waiting
for any scrap of information

987
01:00:41,330 --> 01:00:44,830
to hear something.

988
01:00:44,960 --> 01:00:47,250
And many of those families

989
01:00:47,250 --> 01:00:50,970
stood vigil day and night out there.

990
01:00:52,510 --> 01:00:54,340
A bunch of people crying,

991
01:00:54,340 --> 01:00:57,220
the wives and brothers and fathers

992
01:00:57,680 --> 01:01:00,430
freaking out to his panic.

993
01:01:01,180 --> 01:01:04,850
People are afraid to talk
in the parking lot because they thought

994
01:01:04,850 --> 01:01:10,280
that any reporters or anybody, even
they did it on the privacy

995
01:01:10,570 --> 01:01:13,780
because they didn't want the relatives
targeted, singled out

996
01:01:13,780 --> 01:01:15,780
by the inmates.

997
01:01:26,630 --> 01:01:28,290
I had sympathy for them.

998
01:01:28,290 --> 01:01:32,800
They were elsewhere, you're going to get
a job if you lived in that

999
01:01:34,180 --> 01:01:36,430
area and you had no

1000
01:01:37,180 --> 01:01:41,180
training and no understanding

1001
01:01:41,180 --> 01:01:44,310
of what it was like to grow up in

1002
01:01:45,390 --> 01:01:48,270
a poor black urban area.

1003
01:01:49,520 --> 01:01:52,690
You used these were aliens.

1004
01:01:52,690 --> 01:01:56,070
These were people from a different world

1005
01:01:58,240 --> 01:02:01,410
and your family members.

1006
01:02:01,580 --> 01:02:04,410
Maybe you're going to get killed

1007
01:02:04,410 --> 01:02:06,330
because of them.

1008
01:02:06,330 --> 01:02:08,670
Sure, you were.

1009
01:02:08,670 --> 01:02:10,880
Infuriated.

1010
01:02:12,050 --> 01:02:13,590
All these dogs up there with

1011
01:02:13,590 --> 01:02:15,800
all those rifles are trying to kill us.

1012
01:02:16,760 --> 01:02:20,510
Well, we ain't gonna quit the inmates
that we're giving microphones.

1013
01:02:20,510 --> 01:02:21,560
I'm on TV.

1014
01:02:21,560 --> 01:02:23,810
I mean, the very upsetting.

1015
01:02:25,060 --> 01:02:26,730
They should have resolved it right away.

1016
01:02:26,730 --> 01:02:28,730
It just went on too far.

1017
01:02:28,730 --> 01:02:31,440
We all just wanted it to end.

1018
01:02:32,320 --> 01:02:36,320
What I what you hear over the radio

1019
01:02:36,990 --> 01:02:40,320
and the TV was and it's inspiring to me

1020
01:02:41,030 --> 01:02:43,870
because it seemed to
me that what I was hearing.

1021
01:02:44,910 --> 01:02:47,540
I didn't think

1022
01:02:48,370 --> 01:02:50,670
they were doing the right thing.

1023
01:02:50,670 --> 01:02:52,840
It just seemed sort of limp to me

1024
01:02:53,670 --> 01:02:56,510
and it was frustrating.

1025
01:02:57,300 --> 01:02:59,180
You'd hear stuff from people.

1026
01:02:59,180 --> 01:03:03,140
That's where it got a little scary too,
because you could see how the inmates

1027
01:03:03,140 --> 01:03:07,310
were considered like less than human
kind of like animals.

1028
01:03:07,560 --> 01:03:10,900
There was people saying,
You know, don't worry about your dad,

1029
01:03:11,150 --> 01:03:14,020
you know, they'll get theirs type thing.

1030
01:03:14,020 --> 01:03:16,990
And so that kind of made it
even more scary.

1031
01:03:17,030 --> 01:03:20,700
You realize how emotionally charged
the community is getting.

1032
01:03:21,620 --> 01:03:23,660
The tensions got worse and worse. Worse.

1033
01:03:23,660 --> 01:03:25,750
Emotions got worse and worse and worse.

1034
01:03:35,760 --> 01:03:36,710
Sadly,

1035
01:03:36,710 --> 01:03:42,180
I think that the hope was stronger
than any doubt because after three days

1036
01:03:42,430 --> 01:03:45,390
Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

1037
01:03:45,970 --> 01:03:47,520
They had came in

1038
01:03:47,520 --> 01:03:50,980
we had like 30
demands and most of them what

1039
01:03:52,560 --> 01:03:53,940
possible,

1040
01:03:53,940 --> 01:03:56,530
and we will still be doing about it.

1041
01:03:57,150 --> 01:03:59,860
I've never seen anything like this.

1042
01:03:59,860 --> 01:04:02,160
The people in here are treated like dogs.

1043
01:04:02,160 --> 01:04:04,240
Not only the Black Lives Matter, white.

1044
01:04:04,950 --> 01:04:06,740
And we're going to get what we planned.

1045
01:04:06,740 --> 01:04:08,790
Are we going to die? Try.

1046
01:04:08,790 --> 01:04:12,370
But we thought that whatever happened,

1047
01:04:12,370 --> 01:04:15,710
we may maybe really walk away
with some improvement

1048
01:04:15,710 --> 01:04:17,170
in our lives.

1049
01:04:19,130 --> 01:04:21,760
Point was, is that whatever happened,

1050
01:04:22,300 --> 01:04:24,890
it just had to make a difference.

1051
01:04:25,180 --> 01:04:26,970
Change had to happen.

1052
01:04:26,970 --> 01:04:29,020
You had to embrace who.

1053
01:04:34,020 --> 01:04:34,690
There's a report

1054
01:04:34,690 --> 01:04:37,730
that prison officials
have yielded to most of the demands

1055
01:04:37,730 --> 01:04:40,860
by the rebelling inmates
of the Attica state prison in New York,

1056
01:04:41,150 --> 01:04:44,490
where more than 30 persons
have been held hostage for three days.

1057
01:04:45,740 --> 01:04:48,490
As you know, during this ordeal.

1058
01:04:48,490 --> 01:04:51,000
I have personally met with inmates

1059
01:04:51,460 --> 01:04:54,830
on several occasions
in areas under their control,

1060
01:04:55,670 --> 01:04:58,340
and they have demonstrated my commitment

1061
01:04:58,340 --> 01:05:00,760
to deal with the issues they have raised

1062
01:05:01,510 --> 01:05:04,050
by accepting 28

1063
01:05:04,050 --> 01:05:06,930
of the three major inmate proposals.

1064
01:05:07,680 --> 01:05:09,850
The second is like
any time of what's going to happen now.

1065
01:05:10,520 --> 01:05:12,810
Well, we hope negotiations will

1066
01:05:13,350 --> 01:05:16,310
start this afternoon and continue
until they reach a solution.

1067
01:05:16,650 --> 01:05:19,650
Huey Newton or Bobby Seale,
are they coming?

1068
01:05:19,650 --> 01:05:20,190
They were asked.

1069
01:05:20,190 --> 01:05:23,150
Or we hope
we understood that they were en route.

1070
01:05:23,360 --> 01:05:23,860
We had.

1071
01:05:25,030 --> 01:05:27,530
Kind of settled in on the demands

1072
01:05:28,200 --> 01:05:30,950
we had negotiated with Oswald

1073
01:05:30,950 --> 01:05:33,960
for his commitment to 28 of them.

1074
01:05:35,370 --> 01:05:39,880
The commissioner and the whole point of
Bobby SEALs coming there would be for him

1075
01:05:39,880 --> 01:05:43,420
to bless and support and urge the inmates

1076
01:05:43,420 --> 01:05:45,130
to accept them.

1077
01:05:50,310 --> 01:05:50,600
Bobby

1078
01:05:50,600 --> 01:05:53,600
Seale was our hero
because he was speaking out

1079
01:05:53,600 --> 01:05:55,810
about the brutality
that was happening in the prison system.

1080
01:05:56,940 --> 01:05:59,730
He was doing what we were trying to leave.

1081
01:05:59,730 --> 01:06:00,980
He was a panther.

1082
01:06:00,980 --> 01:06:02,820
The second in command.

1083
01:06:02,820 --> 01:06:05,780
I really thought it would help us out
of everything

1084
01:06:05,820 --> 01:06:08,240
we ever demand.

1085
01:06:10,660 --> 01:06:12,750
Bobby didn't stay long.

1086
01:06:12,750 --> 01:06:17,540
Bobby to stay long, came up to it and go
shake table was made a little speech.

1087
01:06:17,710 --> 01:06:19,750
You walk around your.

1088
01:06:20,920 --> 01:06:23,630
Well, we won't read about the jail.

1089
01:06:23,630 --> 01:06:26,050
A lot of times we're going back in time.

1090
01:06:26,090 --> 01:06:28,340
It was quite a letdown.

1091
01:06:28,340 --> 01:06:32,390
There is no remember me
at all, about three minutes.

1092
01:06:35,350 --> 01:06:37,100
At that point,

1093
01:06:37,100 --> 01:06:40,440
everybody's just sitting around
waiting for something to happen.

1094
01:06:44,990 --> 01:06:47,780
But then Billy Quinn died.

1095
01:06:49,200 --> 01:06:51,700
And that transformed everything

1096
01:06:51,700 --> 01:06:54,660
the state prison in Attica,
New York, is at the crisis point.

1097
01:06:55,000 --> 01:06:58,710
The death of one of the guards as harden
the position of prison officials

1098
01:06:59,040 --> 01:07:01,710
and there are
you don't get amnesty for a murder.

1099
01:07:01,960 --> 01:07:04,460
I immediately knew.

1100
01:07:07,470 --> 01:07:08,840
That the

1101
01:07:10,010 --> 01:07:11,510
process of negotiations

1102
01:07:11,510 --> 01:07:13,970
just became far more difficult.

1103
01:07:15,060 --> 01:07:16,680
I knew that was.

1104
01:07:17,520 --> 01:07:20,730
I was the worst
possible thing that could happen.

1105
01:07:20,730 --> 01:07:23,440
How could they peacefully negotiate?

1106
01:07:25,440 --> 01:07:28,700
With inmates
who they held responsible for the death

1107
01:07:28,700 --> 01:07:29,660
of a guard.

1108
01:07:33,280 --> 01:07:36,830
Prior to his passing on.

1109
01:07:37,120 --> 01:07:40,210
There was a hope and even an expectation

1110
01:07:41,170 --> 01:07:43,710
because people were listening.

1111
01:07:43,710 --> 01:07:46,420
People were coming to understand
what we had been living through

1112
01:07:48,090 --> 01:07:50,340
and suffering as prisoners there.

1113
01:07:52,300 --> 01:07:54,350
We know that it was a new ball

1114
01:07:54,350 --> 01:07:57,430
game was depression.

1115
01:07:57,430 --> 01:07:58,810
And fear.

1116
01:07:59,810 --> 01:08:02,770
And, you know, anxiety and yeah,

1117
01:08:04,230 --> 01:08:05,940
everything you can imagine.

1118
01:08:05,940 --> 01:08:08,990
We had to drop a lot of issues

1119
01:08:08,990 --> 01:08:11,030
and focus on amnesty

1120
01:08:11,030 --> 01:08:13,740
as one as the main issue

1121
01:08:14,240 --> 01:08:16,910
because we want to be charged

1122
01:08:18,120 --> 01:08:19,250
with murder.

1123
01:08:19,250 --> 01:08:20,660
We said.

1124
01:08:21,040 --> 01:08:22,540
As a group.

1125
01:08:24,630 --> 01:08:26,000
That we was going

1126
01:08:26,000 --> 01:08:28,170
to stay in solidarity with anyone.

1127
01:08:30,550 --> 01:08:32,630
They could not give amnesty to everybody.

1128
01:08:32,970 --> 01:08:36,140
Then was not going to leave
anyone in the clutch in

1129
01:08:36,680 --> 01:08:39,980
to take a towing back on the bus
or speak to take this.

1130
01:08:40,140 --> 01:08:45,190
We acted together
that we understood that this was us,

1131
01:08:46,020 --> 01:08:48,780
that if we didn't stand together now,
we never would.

1132
01:08:48,780 --> 01:08:49,820
And it would.

1133
01:08:49,820 --> 01:08:52,910
We would live
like dogs for the rest of our lives.

1134
01:08:55,490 --> 01:08:57,580
We understood that.

1135
01:08:57,580 --> 01:09:02,460
Did I wish that we could somehow
back away, but not without amnesty?

1136
01:09:02,500 --> 01:09:04,500
How do the inmates feel
about the current situation?

1137
01:09:04,960 --> 01:09:06,210
I will.

1138
01:09:06,210 --> 01:09:08,880
A group of us were in with the inmates.

1139
01:09:08,880 --> 01:09:10,670
We met with them.

1140
01:09:10,670 --> 01:09:13,220
We had two and a half hours.

1141
01:09:13,220 --> 01:09:14,590
Some of the people are here,

1142
01:09:14,590 --> 01:09:18,100
but we really have nothing to say about
it, except they are firm in their demands.

1143
01:09:18,430 --> 01:09:19,680
And that's it.

1144
01:09:19,680 --> 01:09:20,270
In other words,

1145
01:09:20,270 --> 01:09:23,390
they're not going to let the hostages
go until they're granted total amnesty.

1146
01:09:23,560 --> 01:09:26,650
That was their last position.

1147
01:09:31,110 --> 01:09:33,820
The flag at half staff
for the injured guard who had died

1148
01:09:33,820 --> 01:09:35,910
the night before
set the mood this morning,

1149
01:09:36,120 --> 01:09:38,910
it was clear that the troubles of this
troubled prison had grown worse.

1150
01:09:39,030 --> 01:09:42,120
That Sunday,
you had that fall that came over

1151
01:09:42,700 --> 01:09:44,750
and it was a certain chill in the air.

1152
01:09:46,250 --> 01:09:47,750
Something didn't feel right.

1153
01:09:47,750 --> 01:09:49,710
It didn't feel right.

1154
01:09:49,710 --> 01:09:52,550
There are strong indications tonight
that police will be sent

1155
01:09:52,550 --> 01:09:56,140
into the cellblock in an attempt
to rescue the rest of the hostages

1156
01:09:56,140 --> 01:09:57,260
by force.

1157
01:10:01,680 --> 01:10:03,480
Water was cut off.

1158
01:10:03,480 --> 01:10:05,810
Food was getting scarce.

1159
01:10:05,810 --> 01:10:09,060
Patients were getting shot
and people were totally

1160
01:10:10,190 --> 01:10:12,280
wondering what is going to be the outcome

1161
01:10:13,110 --> 01:10:15,030
of the situation.

1162
01:10:22,370 --> 01:10:24,960
There was enormous pressure,
and I witnessed

1163
01:10:24,960 --> 01:10:29,710
that as I took a breather
and went out to the public space

1164
01:10:30,880 --> 01:10:34,300
just outside the prison,
where a lot of correction

1165
01:10:34,300 --> 01:10:37,720
officers, their families, troopers
and other officials

1166
01:10:37,720 --> 01:10:39,640
were gathered together.

1167
01:10:40,930 --> 01:10:43,470
I mean,
the news was completely about that.

1168
01:10:43,770 --> 01:10:46,640
You know that the state troopers
and everybody were poised

1169
01:10:46,640 --> 01:10:49,560
on the top looking and

1170
01:10:49,560 --> 01:10:52,480
it was all about these rumors

1171
01:10:52,650 --> 01:10:56,950
that the prisoners were castrating

1172
01:10:56,950 --> 01:11:01,450
the hostages,
that they were torturing them.

1173
01:11:02,080 --> 01:11:04,540
And it's going to end in bloodshed.

1174
01:11:04,540 --> 01:11:08,960
And that was the storyline
that was terrifying, people.

1175
01:11:09,670 --> 01:11:11,170
Could you turn around
this way to the camera?

1176
01:11:11,170 --> 01:11:13,710
I think I did a few interviews

1177
01:11:14,760 --> 01:11:16,170
and the people were

1178
01:11:16,170 --> 01:11:20,760
made it very clear
that these are bad people in there and

1179
01:11:21,850 --> 01:11:23,430
they shouldn't be doing this.

1180
01:11:23,430 --> 01:11:25,600
You know, they should be taken care of.

1181
01:11:25,680 --> 01:11:26,850
You know what I mean?

1182
01:11:26,850 --> 01:11:28,770
And hang them and

1183
01:11:28,810 --> 01:11:29,940
crazy stuff.

1184
01:11:29,940 --> 01:11:32,310
I mean, they're just really crazy.

1185
01:11:32,690 --> 01:11:35,190
It was a very hostile environment.

1186
01:11:35,230 --> 01:11:36,400
And I just

1187
01:11:36,820 --> 01:11:39,110
don't I

1188
01:11:40,530 --> 01:11:42,990
don't think that Jaime,
I'll stick up your hand.

1189
01:11:43,870 --> 01:11:47,080
I'm a father of eight children
and my boy is the oldest,

1190
01:11:47,450 --> 01:11:50,580
and I wouldn't
want to see any one of them die.

1191
01:11:50,580 --> 01:11:52,580
Whatever he is going to die,

1192
01:11:52,580 --> 01:11:55,840
I want that whole damn thing
bound right to hell. OK.

1193
01:11:57,010 --> 01:12:00,510
And while we're talking went
on, the state police

1194
01:12:00,510 --> 01:12:04,050
kept reinforcing
at least 500 men in and out of the wall.

1195
01:12:04,470 --> 01:12:08,100
No indication that any of this force
will be used at the police already.

1196
01:12:09,390 --> 01:12:09,940
Well, any

1197
01:12:09,940 --> 01:12:15,230
time you went in and out of the prison,
there was an army

1198
01:12:15,690 --> 01:12:21,780
and they were armed
with every conceivable type of weapon .

1199
01:12:21,780 --> 01:12:25,120
And it really looked like

1200
01:12:25,950 --> 01:12:28,370
they wanted to use those weapons.

1201
01:12:28,410 --> 01:12:31,540
You had the sense of their anger

1202
01:12:31,540 --> 01:12:33,580
and they've been held back and

1203
01:12:37,670 --> 01:12:39,090
they wanted to move.

1204
01:12:39,090 --> 01:12:42,760
They wanted to to to attack.

1205
01:12:47,220 --> 01:12:49,890
Yeah, they were very impatient,

1206
01:12:49,890 --> 01:12:51,440
very unhappy.

1207
01:12:52,390 --> 01:12:56,940
They were all thrown into a situation
in which they are not prepared for

1208
01:12:57,440 --> 01:13:01,450
and about which
they had basically an animosity.

1209
01:13:05,320 --> 01:13:06,160
And I wish to

1210
01:13:06,160 --> 01:13:09,040
would any of the men that a lot us off
the roof?

1211
01:13:09,410 --> 01:13:14,210
Adobe that group is out of here because
if you get these shaky guy shooting off

1212
01:13:14,210 --> 01:13:18,340
or getting up, and all of a sudden
somebody is going to get excited

1213
01:13:18,750 --> 01:13:21,720
and then we're all going to say now,
this is not a joke.

1214
01:13:22,420 --> 01:13:23,130
This is not

1215
01:13:24,470 --> 01:13:26,760
some kind of a little tea party
we've got here.

1216
01:13:26,760 --> 01:13:29,350
And I just hope that the commissioner

1217
01:13:29,810 --> 01:13:32,480
and the other people in the committee
that they've gathered together

1218
01:13:34,190 --> 01:13:36,980
can come up with a solution

1219
01:13:36,980 --> 01:13:39,860
to solve these people's problems

1220
01:13:39,860 --> 01:13:40,820
and ours.

1221
01:13:41,070 --> 01:13:42,690
Thank you very much.

1222
01:13:46,370 --> 01:13:49,700
Late Sunday afternoon,

1223
01:13:49,790 --> 01:13:53,290
Commissioner Oswald
and the officials were prepared

1224
01:13:53,620 --> 01:13:57,040
and intended to retaking.

1225
01:13:57,670 --> 01:14:00,340
But I pressed Israel to agree

1226
01:14:01,130 --> 01:14:03,590
to give them until 7:00 on Monday

1227
01:14:03,590 --> 01:14:05,970
morning, by Sunday morning,
everything else had failed.

1228
01:14:07,390 --> 01:14:12,640
And so the the the final shot

1229
01:14:13,060 --> 01:14:15,850
was going to be
to try to get the Roc-A-Fella.

1230
01:14:17,060 --> 01:14:21,230
And there was there was a committee
of people put together to do that.

1231
01:14:21,940 --> 01:14:22,610
Good morning.

1232
01:14:24,150 --> 01:14:26,780
We wanted four friends of the governor

1233
01:14:27,030 --> 01:14:29,450
to call him and please as your friend.

1234
01:14:29,950 --> 01:14:33,950
Let me ask you to come to Attica,
not to meet with the prisoners,

1235
01:14:33,950 --> 01:14:37,960
but to come and lay your hand
on approving these measures,

1236
01:14:38,920 --> 01:14:40,460
Sergeant Cunningham.

1237
01:14:40,460 --> 01:14:42,550
Now, would you give us a message

1238
01:14:42,800 --> 01:14:45,130
for Governor Nelson Rockefeller?

1239
01:14:46,340 --> 01:14:47,590
I certainly would.

1240
01:14:47,590 --> 01:14:51,100
one of the recommendations is
and he said, No, I'm dead.

1241
01:14:51,680 --> 01:14:55,310
I and some of my fellow members
of the Service Committee felt

1242
01:14:55,310 --> 01:15:00,440
very strongly that if Governor Rockefeller
were to come to and identify

1243
01:15:00,650 --> 01:15:04,400
with finding a solution,
it might have broken the logjam.

1244
01:15:05,490 --> 01:15:09,200
So I placed the call, the governor
Rockefeller, somewhere around 3:00.

1245
01:15:09,530 --> 01:15:13,030
Governor, what about your
personal feelings right now?

1246
01:15:13,330 --> 01:15:15,790
On one level, it was a Hail Mary.

1247
01:15:15,790 --> 01:15:18,790
On the other level
it was more than a Hail Mary.

1248
01:15:18,790 --> 01:15:21,130
These were prominent people.

1249
01:15:23,090 --> 01:15:27,970
People
that you would think Rockefeller respected

1250
01:15:28,430 --> 01:15:33,050
making a sincere pitch come up here,
you don't have to go in.

1251
01:15:33,510 --> 01:15:37,270
You don't have to agree to anything
your presence will have mean.

1252
01:15:38,190 --> 01:15:41,310
Maybe if he came, that would be an opening

1253
01:15:41,310 --> 01:15:45,030
that would have allowed us to negotiate.

1254
01:15:45,030 --> 01:15:45,690
Maybe.

1255
01:15:47,030 --> 01:15:47,900
Some other

1256
01:15:47,900 --> 01:15:52,410
negotiators could be brought in
who would help the negotiation,

1257
01:15:52,410 --> 01:15:55,080
maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe.

1258
01:15:55,740 --> 01:15:58,960
But no known donor or man.

1259
01:15:59,000 --> 01:16:01,040
Death, death, death, death.

1260
01:16:01,790 --> 01:16:05,130
Prisoners had been demanding from the very
beginning that I come into the yard,

1261
01:16:05,710 --> 01:16:09,090
and I frankly felt
that the idea of governors

1262
01:16:10,090 --> 01:16:14,010
any time there was an uprising
or any time there was a prisoner

1263
01:16:14,010 --> 01:16:18,640
taken on a prisoner, but a hostage
taking being involved in the negotiation,

1264
01:16:18,640 --> 01:16:21,140
the next thing would be, we don't want
the governor, we want the president,

1265
01:16:21,850 --> 01:16:24,900
and we get to a situation
with an impossible one for this country.

1266
01:16:24,980 --> 01:16:28,190
By the time they spoke to him,
he had made up his mind.

1267
01:16:29,190 --> 01:16:31,990
He listened carefully,
he listened politely.

1268
01:16:32,950 --> 01:16:35,120
But by then, he had made up his mind.

1269
01:16:37,160 --> 01:16:39,750
We didn't understand the background of us

1270
01:16:39,750 --> 01:16:44,960
having consulted on an ongoing basis
during those days with the White House,

1271
01:16:45,630 --> 01:16:49,170
the administration in Washington
encouraged Rockey

1272
01:16:49,170 --> 01:16:51,590
to take a strong hard line position,

1273
01:16:52,340 --> 01:16:54,550
which was unfortunate.

1274
01:16:54,640 --> 01:16:58,220
It was all a part of President Nixon's
law and order agenda.

1275
01:16:58,810 --> 01:17:01,480
They were putting the pressure
yesterday on me all day

1276
01:17:01,480 --> 01:17:05,270
to go up there and it up
because everything else had failed.

1277
01:17:05,270 --> 01:17:06,480
And did you go?

1278
01:17:06,480 --> 01:17:08,530
Of course not. Of course not.

1279
01:17:08,530 --> 01:17:09,480
But I had the time.

1280
01:17:09,480 --> 01:17:11,860
Rockefeller wasn't calling the shots.

1281
01:17:12,900 --> 01:17:14,950
Because he was on the phone.

1282
01:17:16,410 --> 01:17:19,290
With Richard Nixon.

1283
01:17:20,750 --> 01:17:24,290
Rockefeller wanted to be president.

1284
01:17:24,290 --> 01:17:26,130
But the word on him was that

1285
01:17:26,130 --> 01:17:28,300
he was too soft on crime.

1286
01:17:29,590 --> 01:17:31,420
Where was he recommending amnesty?

1287
01:17:31,420 --> 01:17:32,090
Oh, yes.

1288
01:17:32,130 --> 01:17:35,760
Oh God, I tell you, is

1289
01:17:35,760 --> 01:17:38,970
this was the great this is separated
the sheep from the goats.

1290
01:17:39,430 --> 01:17:46,310
And if he wanted the support of Nixon
and the Republican Party, then

1291
01:17:47,610 --> 01:17:49,820
he needs to go along.

1292
01:17:49,900 --> 01:17:52,440
And so he wouldn't come.

1293
01:17:57,780 --> 01:17:59,120
You know, not that Rockefeller

1294
01:17:59,120 --> 01:18:01,330
wasn't coming in.

1295
01:18:03,290 --> 01:18:05,080
It's like slamming the door on you.

1296
01:18:05,080 --> 01:18:08,790
You know, I slammed the door
and we were locked in this room

1297
01:18:08,790 --> 01:18:10,800
and we didn't know what to do.

1298
01:18:11,960 --> 01:18:13,720
You were to a great degree,

1299
01:18:13,720 --> 01:18:17,550
despondent
that we had no solution to this.

1300
01:18:17,590 --> 01:18:20,310
We didn't know what to do.

1301
01:18:20,310 --> 01:18:23,640
Made one last chance
to convince the inmates

1302
01:18:23,640 --> 01:18:25,350
to surrender.

1303
01:18:30,610 --> 01:18:33,070
That last night, Cell Block D.

1304
01:18:35,200 --> 01:18:37,200
As we were trying to negotiate.

1305
01:18:38,870 --> 01:18:41,490
Demands that we thought.

1306
01:18:42,410 --> 01:18:44,200
But realistic.

1307
01:18:47,080 --> 01:18:50,960
Was. A come to Jesus moment.

1308
01:18:53,000 --> 01:18:55,300
This is what you wanted the demands.

1309
01:18:56,130 --> 01:18:58,550
This is what we were able to achieve.

1310
01:18:58,550 --> 01:19:01,300
This is where we stand now.

1311
01:19:03,890 --> 01:19:06,390
I'm not going to mislead you.

1312
01:19:06,390 --> 01:19:08,600
And believe
that you can get anything better.

1313
01:19:09,650 --> 01:19:11,560
I do not believe you can get

1314
01:19:11,560 --> 01:19:13,150
anything better.

1315
01:19:14,980 --> 01:19:16,280
I think we have to make

1316
01:19:16,280 --> 01:19:18,820
a peaceful accommodation.

1317
01:19:20,740 --> 01:19:24,490
Ready to be shot down like dogs.

1318
01:19:25,250 --> 01:19:28,540
I said this is what we achieved. OK.

1319
01:19:30,250 --> 01:19:32,420
And turn around, look,

1320
01:19:32,420 --> 01:19:36,550
cellblock, then you see all those guns
there, just waiting to kill us.

1321
01:19:36,550 --> 01:19:38,050
They want to kill us.

1322
01:19:38,050 --> 01:19:41,050
Do you understand that they want to show

1323
01:19:41,220 --> 01:19:44,010
that they have the power
from the barrel of a gun?

1324
01:19:44,060 --> 01:19:45,520
That's what they want to do.

1325
01:19:45,520 --> 01:19:48,270
Oh God, I don't know
what's happening to me.

1326
01:19:48,520 --> 01:19:51,310
We were warned by the observers

1327
01:19:51,310 --> 01:19:55,230
that if we didn't settle,
even without the amnesty,

1328
01:19:55,780 --> 01:19:59,200
they were going to come in
and it could get very bad.

1329
01:20:00,990 --> 01:20:05,660
And of course, we talked among ourselves,
and we just couldn't

1330
01:20:06,410 --> 01:20:09,460
go without the amnesty
because it would have been literally

1331
01:20:10,250 --> 01:20:11,670
sending all our leaders.

1332
01:20:13,540 --> 01:20:15,960
To the dogs to be

1333
01:20:15,960 --> 01:20:18,720
tortured, murdered.

1334
01:20:19,550 --> 01:20:21,930
Convicted of crimes and

1335
01:20:21,930 --> 01:20:23,970
who knows what else, we had observed

1336
01:20:24,550 --> 01:20:28,850
the organization
and preparation of the troopers to enter.

1337
01:20:29,020 --> 01:20:31,850
Hundreds of them with their shotguns

1338
01:20:31,850 --> 01:20:35,610
just outside the immediate
area of the yard.

1339
01:20:36,190 --> 01:20:40,820
We witness the stationing of sharpshooters
on one of the ledges

1340
01:20:41,320 --> 01:20:44,320
looking down into DAAD.

1341
01:20:44,320 --> 01:20:47,740
Fear overtook the observers committee.

1342
01:20:51,790 --> 01:20:54,170
It seemed like they felt
something was going to happen.

1343
01:20:54,830 --> 01:20:56,340
They were more.

1344
01:20:57,500 --> 01:21:00,300
Hesitant to leave,
they left with a solemn mood.

1345
01:21:00,340 --> 01:21:02,510
He left us with a solemn like.

1346
01:21:04,180 --> 01:21:07,600
But is this better, just take care.

1347
01:21:10,140 --> 01:21:12,480
I remember seeing them leave, and,

1348
01:21:12,480 --> 01:21:16,400
you know,
it was a scary moment to see them leaving,

1349
01:21:16,770 --> 01:21:18,980
you know,
knowing that there wasn't coming back.

1350
01:21:22,570 --> 01:21:23,400
I remember

1351
01:21:23,400 --> 01:21:27,910
Big Black saying, I want to thank you
for what you guys tried to do.

1352
01:21:27,950 --> 01:21:30,790
We really appreciate it.
So there was a lot of that.

1353
01:21:32,080 --> 01:21:33,290
When we went out of

1354
01:21:33,290 --> 01:21:36,670
that yard that night.

1355
01:21:37,090 --> 01:21:38,500
There were tears.

1356
01:21:39,300 --> 01:21:40,420
Tears.

1357
01:21:42,470 --> 01:21:45,010
And I think all of us were hoping

1358
01:21:45,010 --> 01:21:47,140
that something happened
at the last minute.

1359
01:21:48,430 --> 01:21:49,430
Stop it.

1360
01:21:51,720 --> 01:21:55,270
I felt complete failure,

1361
01:21:55,270 --> 01:21:57,650
a failure that I had let them down.

1362
01:21:59,730 --> 01:22:03,110
one of the most painful things.

1363
01:22:03,190 --> 01:22:06,160
As inmates begin to.

1364
01:22:06,160 --> 01:22:09,450
Hand me
written notes, the telephone number.

1365
01:22:10,910 --> 01:22:14,080
Of their of their

1366
01:22:14,080 --> 01:22:15,540
next of kin.

1367
01:22:16,460 --> 01:22:18,790
In case they didn't make it OK.

1368
01:22:19,380 --> 01:22:21,090
They wanted me.

1369
01:22:21,090 --> 01:22:24,050
They they I mean, a couple of them
looked me in the eye with tears

1370
01:22:25,300 --> 01:22:27,300
for the Jones, but I don't make it.

1371
01:22:28,050 --> 01:22:28,930
You're going to call right.

1372
01:22:28,930 --> 01:22:31,260
I said, You have my word.

1373
01:22:31,970 --> 01:22:34,350
I will call you

1374
01:22:35,390 --> 01:22:38,690
any way optimistic that this thing
could be settled by tomorrow.

1375
01:22:38,980 --> 01:22:42,530
I think I'm much too tired to be either
optimistic or pessimistic at this moment.

1376
01:22:42,530 --> 01:22:44,860
I'm kind of just freaked out.

1377
01:22:56,540 --> 01:22:58,290
Randall, I know

1378
01:22:58,370 --> 01:23:00,920
it didn't stop ran until about

1379
01:23:00,920 --> 01:23:02,960
six in the morning.

1380
01:23:03,500 --> 01:23:06,760
Cold Mountain, right?

1381
01:23:06,800 --> 01:23:12,390
And we were not prepared
for those little hunches that we had the

1382
01:23:13,060 --> 01:23:15,600
that people had built a yard up

1383
01:23:15,600 --> 01:23:18,020
in every day,
all alone started collapsing.

1384
01:23:18,900 --> 01:23:21,060
And you had to get on

1385
01:23:21,730 --> 01:23:25,820
solid ground concrete and huddled together

1386
01:23:26,110 --> 01:23:29,200
because everybody was shivering
and everything else.

1387
01:23:29,700 --> 01:23:32,830
It was a miserable night,
one of the miserable nights

1388
01:23:32,830 --> 01:23:35,040
I ever spent in my life.

1389
01:23:37,620 --> 01:23:40,920
I could feel the tension in the air,
the tension was so strong

1390
01:23:41,170 --> 01:23:43,880
that I could just basically grab it
and hold on to it

1391
01:23:45,050 --> 01:23:46,170
. Am I going to make it?

1392
01:23:46,170 --> 01:23:48,630
Am I going to to this?

1393
01:23:48,630 --> 01:23:53,760
And that tension was so strong I could touch it, I could cut improperly in my hand.

1394
01:23:56,850 --> 01:23:59,310
There was an air.

1395
01:24:03,770 --> 01:24:06,110
We've been out there for about four days.

1396
01:24:06,110 --> 01:24:08,610
Wake up that morning and it's

1397
01:24:08,610 --> 01:24:11,070
wet and dreary out there,

1398
01:24:11,070 --> 01:24:14,450
and you could always smell the fumes

1399
01:24:15,200 --> 01:24:18,200
of Guy's body
in that trench that we dug in the yard.

1400
01:24:18,410 --> 01:24:20,250
You use the bathroom.

1401
01:24:20,870 --> 01:24:22,960
Right there in front of You
Breathe initiative nowadays,

1402
01:24:22,960 --> 01:24:25,960
so you want out.

1403
01:24:28,380 --> 01:24:30,260
What was really bad?

1404
01:24:30,260 --> 01:24:33,260
People's moods was that way, and

1405
01:24:33,720 --> 01:24:34,510
it was crowded.

1406
01:24:34,510 --> 01:24:37,020
It started to rain a little bit.

1407
01:24:37,020 --> 01:24:38,140
You know, it was dog.

1408
01:24:38,140 --> 01:24:40,850
The sky was dark gray.

1409
01:24:44,020 --> 01:24:44,650
We heard that

1410
01:24:44,650 --> 01:24:46,770
we would be part of a medical evacuation.

1411
01:24:48,440 --> 01:24:50,530
And early on Monday morning,

1412
01:24:50,530 --> 01:24:52,950
we loaded into trucks
and headed for Attica prison.

1413
01:24:56,370 --> 01:24:58,450
In the three years
that I was in the National Guard,

1414
01:24:58,450 --> 01:25:02,580
I had not seen any kind of action
in which violence was involved.

1415
01:25:03,540 --> 01:25:05,500
But we had a sense of dread,

1416
01:25:05,500 --> 01:25:08,210
and we had a wish
that we could kind of not go.

1417
01:25:09,460 --> 01:25:12,760
And there was the hope,
even at the last minute, that

1418
01:25:13,470 --> 01:25:15,970
by some miracle, maybe

1419
01:25:16,300 --> 01:25:19,390
Rockefeller would intervene.

1420
01:25:20,560 --> 01:25:21,730
His refusal to come

1421
01:25:21,730 --> 01:25:25,860
here is a monstrosity, because what he is
saying is kill these men.

1422
01:25:26,110 --> 01:25:27,940
I have no concern.

1423
01:25:27,940 --> 01:25:31,240
All I want to do
is assault, law and order,

1424
01:25:31,280 --> 01:25:33,990
and I think that's a rotten
in exchange for life.

1425
01:25:35,570 --> 01:25:37,580
And we got to the prison

1426
01:25:37,580 --> 01:25:41,830
and saw the lines of state troopers
and deputies

1427
01:25:41,830 --> 01:25:45,540
with their raincoats
on and their weapons in hand.

1428
01:25:46,880 --> 01:25:47,920
They looked exhausted.

1429
01:25:47,920 --> 01:25:51,300
They had been there, many of them
for a couple of days at least,

1430
01:25:51,960 --> 01:25:55,260
and they really didn't look up to the
task that was given to them.

1431
01:26:03,310 --> 01:26:05,350
He was coming in, you could tell.

1432
01:26:05,350 --> 01:26:08,270
You can see them starting to get
more people I wasn't able to count on.

1433
01:26:10,480 --> 01:26:11,730
What I saw was.

1434
01:26:15,820 --> 01:26:18,870
We got another matches
to put up on that table committee, there's

1435
01:26:18,870 --> 01:26:22,750
going to be rubber bullets
and I say that's what that's

1436
01:26:22,750 --> 01:26:24,960
what the word was.

1437
01:26:27,460 --> 01:26:29,960
I thought they were going to be
a real old fashioned game for you.

1438
01:26:29,960 --> 01:26:32,380
David, you want to call it,
you know them versus us.

1439
01:26:32,630 --> 01:26:33,800
They've got the crowd.

1440
01:26:33,800 --> 01:26:36,680
We've got a few bats and stuff in here,
so we're going to

1441
01:26:37,760 --> 01:26:39,640
best guy win.

1442
01:26:41,760 --> 01:26:44,350
We started making preparations

1443
01:26:44,350 --> 01:26:47,350
and putting Vaseline
on every part of our body

1444
01:26:47,350 --> 01:26:50,570
that could be exposed to gas
and get burnt and stuff like that

1445
01:26:51,730 --> 01:26:53,900
padding ourselves with clothes.

1446
01:26:57,820 --> 01:26:58,780
Somebody saying

1447
01:26:58,780 --> 01:27:01,410
if they come in here,
then that's good because I know my sheik.

1448
01:27:04,040 --> 01:27:06,120
It became apparent to me

1449
01:27:06,120 --> 01:27:08,540
that the situation
was seriously deteriorating

1450
01:27:09,380 --> 01:27:13,250
and that the inmates,
many of whom are confined to this maximum

1451
01:27:13,250 --> 01:27:17,220
security facility
under light and long sentences.

1452
01:27:18,050 --> 01:27:21,640
We're not going to participate
in a reasonable negotiation.

1453
01:27:22,720 --> 01:27:24,770
Tensions within the walls

1454
01:27:24,770 --> 01:27:27,230
have steadily increased.

1455
01:27:27,230 --> 01:27:29,480
The action now underway

1456
01:27:29,480 --> 01:27:31,770
was initiated with extreme reluctance

1457
01:27:32,900 --> 01:27:36,240
only after all, attempts to achieve

1458
01:27:36,940 --> 01:27:40,820
a peaceful solution failed.

1459
01:27:40,990 --> 01:27:43,240
We were told that our mission
was protection

1460
01:27:43,240 --> 01:27:47,120
for the medical battalion
during the commander's briefing.

1461
01:27:47,330 --> 01:27:49,460
We were told that to our knowledge,

1462
01:27:50,170 --> 01:27:52,840
the inmates had no guns.

1463
01:27:52,840 --> 01:27:54,090
They had Spears.

1464
01:27:54,090 --> 01:27:56,340
They had some knives.

1465
01:27:56,340 --> 01:27:59,380
They had pipes
that they were using as clubs.

1466
01:28:00,010 --> 01:28:02,390
But that was the extent of the threat.

1467
01:28:02,850 --> 01:28:05,390
So we knew that going in for,

1468
01:28:06,720 --> 01:28:07,930
you know, 5:00 a.m.

1469
01:28:07,930 --> 01:28:11,440
September 13, we're on the roof of a block

1470
01:28:12,100 --> 01:28:14,980
waiting for the assault to begin.

1471
01:28:14,980 --> 01:28:17,360
This is a team of 270 rifle shooters.

1472
01:28:18,900 --> 01:28:22,530
The center of our pictures, men
distributing

1473
01:28:22,530 --> 01:28:24,830
baseball bats to the other prisoners.

1474
01:28:25,490 --> 01:28:28,250
We had no guns. We had no real weapons.

1475
01:28:28,250 --> 01:28:32,630
We had bullshit pieces of stick
or a piece of iron

1476
01:28:33,040 --> 01:28:37,210
or shank
that somebody made up on the sidewalk.

1477
01:28:37,630 --> 01:28:40,380
It was. It was pathetic.

1478
01:28:40,380 --> 01:28:45,100
Just four days, almost to the minute
after the convict insurrection started,

1479
01:28:45,430 --> 01:28:49,060
state police reinforced by sheriff's
deputies, National Guardsmen

1480
01:28:49,310 --> 01:28:54,610
and correctional officers moving in on
the prison time is 150 5:00 p.m.

1481
01:28:54,610 --> 01:29:00,070
We're on the roof of C Block
looking at a detail of 270 marksmen

1482
01:29:00,610 --> 01:29:03,860
with instructions
to clear the catwalks upon command.

1483
01:29:05,700 --> 01:29:06,660
They took some of the

1484
01:29:06,660 --> 01:29:12,120
hostages on top of the catwalks,
which is on top of the hallways,

1485
01:29:12,620 --> 01:29:17,670
and some of the inmates held knives to the
to their neck as a result.

1486
01:29:18,000 --> 01:29:20,800
In an effort to try to stop the assault,

1487
01:29:21,420 --> 01:29:25,220
the hostages are armed with knives
with their throats.

1488
01:29:25,800 --> 01:29:28,680
It was all just to show.

1489
01:29:28,720 --> 01:29:32,350
The try to get them to say, Oh,
wait a minute, it's my cousin, my brother.

1490
01:29:32,690 --> 01:29:34,100
All he's got.

1491
01:29:35,060 --> 01:29:38,150
We were hopeful that if they saw this,
they would back off

1492
01:29:39,280 --> 01:29:42,610
and try to renegotiate
so they could protect their own people.

1493
01:29:45,410 --> 01:29:47,660
The notion of sending

1494
01:29:47,660 --> 01:29:49,990
in correctional officers

1495
01:29:50,910 --> 01:29:53,000
who didn't love the prisoners
to begin with

1496
01:29:53,790 --> 01:29:58,420
and state police who were stressed
out was a serious miscalculation,

1497
01:29:58,420 --> 01:30:02,210
somebody should have said, wait a second,
wait a second, these people are on edge.

1498
01:30:03,800 --> 01:30:07,430
There is hostility

1499
01:30:07,510 --> 01:30:11,520
and it's going to get out of control.

1500
01:30:12,730 --> 01:30:15,480
We know that now, did we know that

1501
01:30:16,020 --> 01:30:17,940
in real time?

1502
01:30:19,690 --> 01:30:21,480
I guess not.

1503
01:30:24,110 --> 01:30:27,110
I seen this as a glorious fight.

1504
01:30:28,410 --> 01:30:30,660
They would come in with batons

1505
01:30:30,660 --> 01:30:35,580
and stuff like that,
and we would be fighting the brave battle

1506
01:30:35,580 --> 01:30:39,090
with baseball bats and stuff like that, I.

1507
01:30:51,180 --> 01:30:52,010
I did.

1508
01:30:57,730 --> 01:31:00,440
I just never expected.

1509
01:31:01,020 --> 01:31:03,650
The the coverage through
what actually happened,

1510
01:31:03,650 --> 01:31:04,990
I'm sorry.

1511
01:31:20,210 --> 01:31:23,840
Helicopter, two helicopters and a.

1512
01:31:28,720 --> 01:31:30,260
We're talking now going overhead

1513
01:31:30,260 --> 01:31:33,260
and over the wall into the prison.

1514
01:31:34,350 --> 01:31:37,350
It just disquieted,
and Sky was getting dark,

1515
01:31:37,850 --> 01:31:40,100
and then we heard
the helicopters does a dance.

1516
01:31:40,810 --> 01:31:43,230
This is fucking strange.

1517
01:31:46,440 --> 01:31:48,780
The helicopter comes up over the wall

1518
01:31:49,200 --> 01:31:51,820
and it's hovering over the yard.

1519
01:31:54,740 --> 01:31:56,120
I seen this.

1520
01:31:56,120 --> 01:31:57,960
I thought it was a monster.

1521
01:31:57,960 --> 01:32:00,290
It was a helicopter, a green helicopter.

1522
01:32:00,750 --> 01:32:02,000
It was flying low.

1523
01:32:07,720 --> 01:32:09,630
You see this.

1524
01:32:09,630 --> 01:32:12,760
It's like a sickly green gas with.

1525
01:32:13,470 --> 01:32:15,640
Sparkly stuff, minute coming down.

1526
01:32:16,470 --> 01:32:18,810
It tightens your chest.

1527
01:32:18,810 --> 01:32:21,440
Where you can hardly breathe.

1528
01:32:21,440 --> 01:32:23,650
That gas knocked me down.

1529
01:32:24,190 --> 01:32:26,730
Oh, what that was.

1530
01:32:27,030 --> 01:32:29,110
And they had me so weak I could not.

1531
01:32:29,860 --> 01:32:32,990
Your eyes are just all burning,

1532
01:32:32,990 --> 01:32:35,450
your nose is burning,
your mouth is burning.

1533
01:32:42,540 --> 01:32:43,830
I mean,

1534
01:32:44,290 --> 01:32:45,420
we are.

1535
01:32:48,800 --> 01:32:52,220
And you got on the microphone,
everybody in D-Block, yeah.

1536
01:32:52,260 --> 01:32:54,760
Put your hands in the air.

1537
01:32:54,760 --> 01:32:56,390
And you are not behind.

1538
01:32:56,390 --> 01:33:01,020
Go to the nearest police officer
and you will not be home.

1539
01:33:01,270 --> 01:33:04,440
You would not be home. We will not be.

1540
01:33:04,440 --> 01:33:06,690
You would not be here for that was.

1541
01:33:16,240 --> 01:33:17,160
Do just ended up

1542
01:33:17,160 --> 01:33:19,500
doing this to get blown away.

1543
01:33:20,700 --> 01:33:24,210
They blew his head off and then.

1544
01:33:24,210 --> 01:33:28,170
Has all of a sudden
there was all this popping all around us

1545
01:33:29,510 --> 01:33:31,130
and all these little pops

1546
01:33:31,130 --> 01:33:34,930
all around us were actually bullets.

1547
01:33:35,890 --> 01:33:40,560
Oh, and you could really see
because the CO2 public first heard

1548
01:33:40,560 --> 01:33:43,730
you blah, that you can hear the boom
going by your ear.

1549
01:33:49,150 --> 01:33:52,320
The hostages can't be seen in any.

1550
01:33:54,950 --> 01:33:57,320
I'm trying to stay on the ground
as long as possible,

1551
01:33:58,490 --> 01:34:00,660
just like
they were shooting down the barrel

1552
01:34:00,660 --> 01:34:04,500
and they started shooting
point blank range, blowing guys away .

1553
01:34:04,500 --> 01:34:08,090
I got shot in the arm up there right
through the back macroeconomist on.

1554
01:34:11,840 --> 01:34:15,680
I I felt something.

1555
01:34:16,640 --> 01:34:20,310
Go to my head,
it must go, and it was burning,

1556
01:34:21,390 --> 01:34:22,770
no was shot.

1557
01:34:22,770 --> 01:34:26,190
I felt something hit my arm

1558
01:34:26,190 --> 01:34:28,810
and we're all numb and realized needed.

1559
01:34:28,810 --> 01:34:31,940
I got shot in the arm
about two inches from my heart

1560
01:34:32,070 --> 01:34:36,360
and also a one to a football helmet
on Spanish food.

1561
01:34:37,200 --> 01:34:39,700
Now the guard is up on the catwalk.

1562
01:34:39,700 --> 01:34:44,120
He jumps out with a hammer
and throws it up and it hits the catwalk.

1563
01:34:44,660 --> 01:34:49,040
And you can hear the sound clip
and all of them turn looked at him,

1564
01:34:49,130 --> 01:34:53,590
and all of them turn their guns
on a brutal dashboard body.

1565
01:34:53,760 --> 01:34:55,260
I'm assuming that you guys got anywhere

1566
01:34:55,260 --> 01:34:59,180
from 20 to 50 shots
because his body was doing like that.

1567
01:34:59,180 --> 01:35:00,640
I'd never seen no shit like that.

1568
01:35:00,640 --> 01:35:02,640
Not as a nasty shoot in the street.

1569
01:35:02,640 --> 01:35:03,560
I'd never seen them. I did.

1570
01:35:04,600 --> 01:35:06,020
I mean.

1571
01:35:10,810 --> 01:35:12,940
This was a holiday for the.

1572
01:35:12,940 --> 01:35:16,070
We got no guns to shoot back.

1573
01:35:16,070 --> 01:35:16,650
You know what?

1574
01:35:16,650 --> 01:35:21,030
It is a shoe store man and it's a shoe,
but that's just a holiday

1575
01:35:21,780 --> 01:35:24,040
slow motion and all it was

1576
01:35:24,040 --> 01:35:27,620
that was save money.

1577
01:35:27,620 --> 01:35:30,170
That's what
they will follow to each other.

1578
01:35:30,500 --> 01:35:32,130
I was scared.

1579
01:35:33,550 --> 01:35:35,760
I've done bad things,
but I never did this bad.

1580
01:35:36,170 --> 01:35:37,260
As no.

1581
01:35:37,260 --> 01:35:40,640
These guys are real fucking cold blooded

1582
01:35:40,640 --> 01:35:42,260
killers and shit.

1583
01:35:43,930 --> 01:35:47,480
Until that moment came,

1584
01:35:47,560 --> 01:35:51,110
what is killing really started,
and I realize that

1585
01:35:52,150 --> 01:35:55,610
you're not that fucking bad guy, no more,
man, there's more power with his words

1586
01:35:55,610 --> 01:35:58,780
new, every bullet that missed by me,

1587
01:35:59,610 --> 01:36:01,160
if he could move.

1588
01:36:02,570 --> 01:36:05,410
Close to me, I winced,

1589
01:36:07,580 --> 01:36:09,160
then all of a sudden, it just stopped.

1590
01:36:25,180 --> 01:36:25,430
There are

1591
01:36:25,430 --> 01:36:28,680
people throwing off their smoke gear.

1592
01:36:29,230 --> 01:36:31,440
They ran out
screaming niggers, niggers, niggers

1593
01:36:33,060 --> 01:36:36,400
and two of them pointed their guns at me.

1594
01:36:37,030 --> 01:36:38,190
Negative niggers.

1595
01:36:38,190 --> 01:36:40,280
And I said, Don't shoot, don't shoot.

1596
01:36:40,320 --> 01:36:41,320
Don't shoot.

1597
01:36:41,320 --> 01:36:44,200
Well, I'm coughing with all the gas.

1598
01:36:45,160 --> 01:36:46,790
I've been gassed.

1599
01:36:46,790 --> 01:36:48,750
It's an awful thing.

1600
01:36:48,750 --> 01:36:50,540
William Kunstler

1601
01:36:51,540 --> 01:36:54,380
has said that people are dying in there.

1602
01:36:54,630 --> 01:36:58,550
And I agree with that.

1603
01:36:59,050 --> 01:37:03,390
But that people are dying
and then a shooting went on forever

1604
01:37:03,970 --> 01:37:07,220
and then it was like the shooting subsided

1605
01:37:07,680 --> 01:37:09,890
and then I heard some.

1606
01:37:10,310 --> 01:37:15,400
After the shooting subsided,
I heard some single shot

1607
01:37:15,480 --> 01:37:18,650
bang and bang.

1608
01:37:27,830 --> 01:37:30,040
After they took over the prison,

1609
01:37:30,040 --> 01:37:32,660
all those books
that had been speaking to the cameras

1610
01:37:34,170 --> 01:37:37,170
were all targeted and tortured.

1611
01:37:37,920 --> 01:37:40,840
So yes, yes, yes, yes, they were targeted.

1612
01:37:43,130 --> 01:37:45,050
Andy Barclay.

1613
01:37:45,180 --> 01:37:48,220
They were calling his name.

1614
01:37:48,260 --> 01:37:50,600
Going to that, Bob, looking for him

1615
01:37:51,310 --> 01:37:54,100
and threatening him
with what they were going to do to him.

1616
01:37:55,520 --> 01:37:58,320
When they when they found him
and they found him,

1617
01:37:59,190 --> 01:38:00,860
he was yelling.

1618
01:38:01,530 --> 01:38:03,990
No, no, but it's too fucking late.

1619
01:38:04,030 --> 01:38:07,070
They had him do acting, actually
dragging him towards a

1620
01:38:07,120 --> 01:38:10,370
block far yard over there.

1621
01:38:10,370 --> 01:38:13,080
He's Holland new agreement and the acuity.

1622
01:38:24,970 --> 01:38:27,590
You can see because the gas is so thick,

1623
01:38:28,390 --> 01:38:31,220
but all of a sudden a puff of wind comes

1624
01:38:32,560 --> 01:38:35,390
and disperses the gas.

1625
01:38:35,390 --> 01:38:37,560
And then I could see.

1626
01:38:37,560 --> 01:38:40,650
And what I saw was fright.

1627
01:38:41,190 --> 01:38:44,150
Hundreds of bodies just laying there.

1628
01:38:45,740 --> 01:38:47,950
Some were moaning, some wasn't moving.

1629
01:38:48,240 --> 01:38:50,740
Blood was everywhere.

1630
01:38:55,710 --> 01:39:00,040
We were given stretchers
and told to go into the prison.

1631
01:39:01,170 --> 01:39:03,260
It was really an unthinkable scene.

1632
01:39:03,260 --> 01:39:06,130
It was dead and wounded and simply

1633
01:39:06,130 --> 01:39:08,890
starting to carry them out.

1634
01:39:09,510 --> 01:39:12,140
It was far beyond anything

1635
01:39:12,140 --> 01:39:15,310
I had imagined when they said
we would be doing medical evacuation.

1636
01:39:16,230 --> 01:39:18,980
We were basically civilians

1637
01:39:18,980 --> 01:39:22,110
put into a situation where state troopers

1638
01:39:22,110 --> 01:39:24,530
and correctional officers
had created a war zone.

1639
01:39:26,990 --> 01:39:31,120
There was a pile of bodies,
maybe eight or ten people,

1640
01:39:31,120 --> 01:39:34,160
and the man on top,
it had his eyes shot out.

1641
01:39:56,930 --> 01:39:57,600
Right below us,

1642
01:39:57,600 --> 01:40:00,230
there was a huge pool of rainwater

1643
01:40:01,060 --> 01:40:03,400
and it was blood red.

1644
01:40:03,570 --> 01:40:07,070
And I looked down on down at it

1645
01:40:07,070 --> 01:40:10,070
and they said, Those are false
teeth down there, aren't they?

1646
01:40:10,820 --> 01:40:13,910
And somebody said, Yeah.

1647
01:40:16,540 --> 01:40:18,710
The attitude of the people

1648
01:40:18,710 --> 01:40:20,830
who should have been concerned

1649
01:40:21,750 --> 01:40:24,420
about what had happened
was simply that they were

1650
01:40:25,750 --> 01:40:28,010
pleased with what had happened

1651
01:40:28,010 --> 01:40:31,220
and had no qualms or second thoughts

1652
01:40:31,640 --> 01:40:34,470
or anything but satisfaction

1653
01:40:34,470 --> 01:40:37,640
with Walker wants to go back to.

1654
01:40:42,810 --> 01:40:45,230
Why white power weight,

1655
01:40:46,360 --> 01:40:48,400
right, right?

1656
01:40:53,820 --> 01:40:56,120
They had control.

1657
01:40:56,120 --> 01:40:58,410
And once they had control, you would think

1658
01:40:58,410 --> 01:41:00,830
that things would have stopped.

1659
01:41:01,620 --> 01:41:03,250
They didn't.

1660
01:41:06,380 --> 01:41:09,590
It was clear that at that point
it was all about revenge.

1661
01:41:10,130 --> 01:41:12,930
It was all about reestablishing
who was in charge.

1662
01:41:13,340 --> 01:41:16,680
And the most violent ways possible.

1663
01:41:24,270 --> 01:41:26,940
Everybody had to crawl through shit,

1664
01:41:26,940 --> 01:41:29,230
human waste.

1665
01:41:32,780 --> 01:41:33,660
But what do you do?

1666
01:41:33,660 --> 01:41:37,120
Do you live to tell your story

1667
01:41:37,280 --> 01:41:39,450
like I'm doing today
or do you fucking die?

1668
01:41:40,410 --> 01:41:41,200
I made a choice.

1669
01:41:41,200 --> 01:41:42,540
I want to live.

1670
01:41:46,380 --> 01:41:48,460
Chrome nickel chrome

1671
01:41:48,460 --> 01:41:50,550
for like a dog.

1672
01:41:55,140 --> 01:41:58,720
If you look up, nigga,
I'll blow your motherfucking brains out.

1673
01:42:00,600 --> 01:42:03,270
What the
fuck they care about calling you a nigger?

1674
01:42:03,890 --> 01:42:06,310
That was your name.

1675
01:42:07,150 --> 01:42:08,440
They had us marching

1676
01:42:08,440 --> 01:42:10,820
around the yard with our with our hands

1677
01:42:11,940 --> 01:42:13,900
interlocked like this on top of our heads,

1678
01:42:13,900 --> 01:42:16,110
abject surrender.

1679
01:42:28,250 --> 01:42:30,420
When I saw these naked bodies

1680
01:42:31,050 --> 01:42:35,300
lined up, snaked around the area,
it reminded me

1681
01:42:35,840 --> 01:42:40,970
of portrayals of of African-Americans
being heard it on the slave ships.

1682
01:42:41,720 --> 01:42:44,390
That was just horrendous, just horrible,

1683
01:42:44,560 --> 01:42:45,520
horrible.

1684
01:42:55,780 --> 01:42:58,280
We're next in the middle of fucking yard.

1685
01:42:59,200 --> 01:43:02,160
God's going around with like baby bats.

1686
01:43:02,200 --> 01:43:06,120
It was seven remote guys
as I'm laying here and I'm hoping

1687
01:43:06,120 --> 01:43:08,420
they don't come my way.

1688
01:43:21,010 --> 01:43:24,020
Frank Schmidt,
Big Black, was put on a table

1689
01:43:24,350 --> 01:43:27,690
with the football under his throat.

1690
01:43:30,810 --> 01:43:33,190
People stood up above him on the catwalk,

1691
01:43:33,230 --> 01:43:37,450
aiming their guns down at him,
throwing cigars and cigaret butts on him

1692
01:43:39,070 --> 01:43:39,740
. And

1693
01:43:39,740 --> 01:43:43,080
it said, Do said football falls, nigger,
we're going to shoot you.

1694
01:43:46,830 --> 01:43:49,170
He was told to get to his feet.

1695
01:43:49,170 --> 01:43:52,130
He tried, he stumbled, he fell.

1696
01:43:52,130 --> 01:43:54,170
He was hit with clubs

1697
01:43:54,380 --> 01:43:56,670
on his back between his legs.

1698
01:43:57,800 --> 01:44:00,260
And he was crying out.

1699
01:44:00,890 --> 01:44:03,050
You know, don't do this. Don't do this.

1700
01:44:03,640 --> 01:44:06,600
And then you could hear him screaming as

1701
01:44:06,600 --> 01:44:08,600
he went up to the prison.

1702
01:44:14,110 --> 01:44:16,570
It felt good
that I had survived this shit.

1703
01:44:17,570 --> 01:44:19,990
And now I got a look out

1704
01:44:20,610 --> 01:44:24,200
because some motion is coming.

1705
01:44:28,870 --> 01:44:30,170
The inmates were entering

1706
01:44:30,170 --> 01:44:32,710
these corridors off of the yard

1707
01:44:33,750 --> 01:44:36,380
and the guards were like

1708
01:44:36,380 --> 01:44:38,840
five or six feet apart with their clubs

1709
01:44:39,590 --> 01:44:43,640
and they would hit them against the wall
and there was just this

1710
01:44:44,680 --> 01:44:46,770
dull drum like sound.

1711
01:44:46,770 --> 01:44:50,310
And then they were hitting the inmates
as they ran a gantlet.

1712
01:44:55,070 --> 01:44:57,400
We could hear the screams coming out

1713
01:44:57,400 --> 01:45:00,990
so that we knew they were being tortured

1714
01:45:00,990 --> 01:45:05,330
and that we were somehow
part of this unthinkable scene

1715
01:45:05,530 --> 01:45:09,080
that there was no escaping from
but was completely wrong.

1716
01:45:12,960 --> 01:45:16,090
They had guards on both sides,
and they would be hitting you

1717
01:45:16,340 --> 01:45:17,840
as you were running through beating you

1718
01:45:17,840 --> 01:45:21,800
with hoses and batons
and whatever they had in their hands.

1719
01:45:22,010 --> 01:45:24,140
I'm ducking, trying to get through,

1720
01:45:24,140 --> 01:45:27,760
protecting my head,
so I hit all of my all the elbows.

1721
01:45:27,760 --> 01:45:32,140
My knees still hurt, beating you
and they're making you run

1722
01:45:32,140 --> 01:45:33,230
through the gantlet with it,

1723
01:45:33,230 --> 01:45:36,190
took all the glass out the fucking windows
and put it in the middle of the floor.

1724
01:45:36,520 --> 01:45:38,480
So you had to run through grass
with bare feet.

1725
01:45:38,480 --> 01:45:40,940
Nobody came out of that yard.

1726
01:45:40,940 --> 01:45:46,030
What with picking without having to pick
a shot of your feet for four weeks?

1727
01:45:47,910 --> 01:45:51,370
Couldn't walk, nobody could walk anymore.

1728
01:45:51,370 --> 01:45:53,460
But we had to run
because if you didn't run,

1729
01:45:53,920 --> 01:45:57,500
they just kept beating you
with these clubs.

1730
01:46:05,930 --> 01:46:08,810
The families of the hostages,
a lot of them waited

1731
01:46:08,810 --> 01:46:12,560
just outside the prison wall.

1732
01:46:14,980 --> 01:46:17,360
Then news began to filter out of Attica.

1733
01:46:17,690 --> 01:46:20,900
Names of freed hostages
were called out to the loved one

1734
01:46:21,070 --> 01:46:23,990
by Curtis Lieutenant Colonel

1735
01:46:24,280 --> 01:46:25,160
Robert

1736
01:46:26,110 --> 01:46:26,740
Elder.

1737
01:46:29,950 --> 01:46:31,750
Some didn't see their men come out.

1738
01:46:31,750 --> 01:46:33,580
All they learned
was the name of the hospital

1739
01:46:33,580 --> 01:46:35,370
where the survivors were being treated.

1740
01:46:35,370 --> 01:46:36,790
There were no time to wait.

1741
01:46:36,790 --> 01:46:40,210
They ran off to see their man.

1742
01:46:42,630 --> 01:46:44,670
People couldn't seem to run fast enough.

1743
01:46:49,430 --> 01:46:51,510
My mom came home
and she was with her sister,

1744
01:46:51,510 --> 01:46:53,730
and my mom was crying, obviously upset.

1745
01:46:57,150 --> 01:46:59,110
I was outside sitting on the front porch,

1746
01:46:59,110 --> 01:47:02,230
you know, praying and worrying,
and where's dad?

1747
01:47:02,400 --> 01:47:05,070
I respect him to show up, you know, and.

1748
01:47:06,490 --> 01:47:09,070
I again, my mom was dead.

1749
01:47:09,780 --> 01:47:11,870
What's what's
why are you crying, what's going on?

1750
01:47:11,910 --> 01:47:15,830
Well, my mother came back in the house
and, you know, he

1751
01:47:15,870 --> 01:47:19,210
she said, nobody to play with me
now, are you?

1752
01:47:19,210 --> 01:47:22,500
I mean, you know,
because I didn't want to believe it.

1753
01:47:22,840 --> 01:47:26,630
And she finally said, I saw him.

1754
01:47:26,930 --> 01:47:29,090
I saw him.

1755
01:47:33,060 --> 01:47:33,520
Finally,

1756
01:47:33,520 --> 01:47:37,480
she blurted out, Your father's dead.

1757
01:47:37,810 --> 01:47:39,270
So it ran.

1758
01:47:42,320 --> 01:47:44,610
We're in for a while, and I came back

1759
01:47:45,490 --> 01:47:49,910
and I was sitting on the front porch
trying to be strong and not cry.

1760
01:47:49,950 --> 01:47:53,030
And I could hear everybody in the house
crying

1761
01:47:53,030 --> 01:47:55,620
and I was trying to be so tough and.

1762
01:48:03,750 --> 01:48:04,880
All right.

1763
01:48:05,960 --> 01:48:06,630
Yeah, right.

1764
01:48:21,900 --> 01:48:24,690
The National Guardsmen
were told to get back in their trucks,

1765
01:48:25,150 --> 01:48:28,110
and we did that
and were taken out to the parking area.

1766
01:48:28,860 --> 01:48:33,660
And the colonel then addressed
the battalion, maybe several hundred men,

1767
01:48:34,280 --> 01:48:37,370
and he said, essentially you saw things

1768
01:48:37,370 --> 01:48:40,080
that were excessive and wrong today.

1769
01:48:40,960 --> 01:48:44,250
And I have to ask you
not to speak of this to anyone

1770
01:48:44,790 --> 01:48:48,630
because the world will not understand
what happened here today.

1771
01:48:51,300 --> 01:48:54,550
The most violent
rebellion in modern American penal history

1772
01:48:54,550 --> 01:48:58,020
came to an end today at the maximum
security prison in New York.

1773
01:48:58,310 --> 01:49:01,310
In the final hours of the revolt,
led primarily by blacks,

1774
01:49:01,600 --> 01:49:04,110
the inmates murdered
nine of their white hostages.

1775
01:49:04,480 --> 01:49:05,860
28 convicts were killed

1776
01:49:05,860 --> 01:49:09,150
by state troopers, and sheriff's deputies
will regain control of the prison.

1777
01:49:09,780 --> 01:49:12,820
The storming of the prison had the full
approval of New York's governor,

1778
01:49:12,820 --> 01:49:17,370
Rockefeller, who earlier had rejected
a prisoner demand for complete clemency.

1779
01:49:17,700 --> 01:49:22,080
The White House said that after the prison
was retaken, President Nixon telephoned

1780
01:49:22,080 --> 01:49:25,340
the governor to express his approval
of Rockefeller's action.

1781
01:49:26,920 --> 01:49:29,920
We went in we couldn't tell whether all 39

1782
01:49:29,920 --> 01:49:33,090
hostages would be killed
and maybe two or 300 prisoners.

1783
01:49:33,590 --> 01:49:35,970
So we were able to pick off

1784
01:49:36,640 --> 01:49:39,640
either
from the wall or as our men went in.

1785
01:49:41,100 --> 01:49:41,940
The man who had the

1786
01:49:41,940 --> 01:49:44,400
knives at the throat of the hostages

1787
01:49:45,020 --> 01:49:48,320
and they did a fabulous job.

1788
01:49:48,610 --> 01:49:50,740
I mean, this is this

1789
01:49:50,740 --> 01:49:53,950
are these primarily blacks?

1790
01:49:53,950 --> 01:49:56,820
Know, and the whole thing
was led by the black cabinet,

1791
01:49:56,950 --> 01:49:59,080
are all the All Blacks?

1792
01:50:00,660 --> 01:50:04,870
I haven't got that report,
but I have to admit I just out.

1793
01:50:05,040 --> 01:50:07,290
Yeah, yeah, we've got to have any.

1794
01:50:07,710 --> 01:50:10,420
We just not tolerate this kind of

1795
01:50:11,630 --> 01:50:12,590
anarchy.

1796
01:50:18,300 --> 01:50:20,640
Yesterday, officials at the prison said

1797
01:50:20,640 --> 01:50:23,560
eight of the hostages
had had their throats cut.

1798
01:50:23,980 --> 01:50:26,730
But today,
the Monroe County medical examiner,

1799
01:50:26,730 --> 01:50:30,280
having looked at the bodies, said no
throats were cut at all.

1800
01:50:30,860 --> 01:50:35,530
The medical examiner says the hostages
were apparently killed by a large caliber

1801
01:50:35,530 --> 01:50:38,620
ammunition
and shotgun blasts from a distance,

1802
01:50:38,990 --> 01:50:42,660
which immediately raised the possibility
that some of the hostages may

1803
01:50:42,660 --> 01:50:46,540
in fact have been shot down
by the lawmen who broke in to rescue them.

1804
01:50:47,790 --> 01:50:50,590
Some of the hostages were actually shot

1805
01:50:51,090 --> 01:50:53,920
running towards the state troopers
thinking,

1806
01:50:54,130 --> 01:50:57,140
I'm saved, I'm saved.

1807
01:50:57,140 --> 01:50:59,220
And the hostages were dressed

1808
01:50:59,220 --> 01:51:01,970
the same way the inmates were.

1809
01:51:02,310 --> 01:51:05,140
Anything that inmate garb on it.

1810
01:51:05,140 --> 01:51:07,980
They just started shooting at.

1811
01:51:10,020 --> 01:51:14,110
What Rockefeller had done was treat.

1812
01:51:15,190 --> 01:51:17,360
The hostages

1813
01:51:17,950 --> 01:51:21,370
as no more real live

1814
01:51:21,370 --> 01:51:26,290
human beings who deserve to be respected
than the prisoners.

1815
01:51:26,870 --> 01:51:30,540
And so you kill them all
and you restore order

1816
01:51:31,090 --> 01:51:35,170
and you make me into a major

1817
01:51:35,340 --> 01:51:38,510
figure who believes in law and order

1818
01:51:39,010 --> 01:51:43,260
at a time when that concept is beginning

1819
01:51:43,260 --> 01:51:46,890
to really take hold.

1820
01:52:08,670 --> 01:52:09,370
We should have entered

1821
01:52:09,370 --> 01:52:11,960
in a negotiated settlement.

1822
01:52:12,460 --> 01:52:14,880
No, they were they were interested
in that, they were interested in showing.

1823
01:52:16,300 --> 01:52:19,380
The naked fist of power law and order.

1824
01:52:21,050 --> 01:52:24,140
The national mindset of the nation
was law and order.

1825
01:52:25,060 --> 01:52:27,640
And law and order does not permit.

1826
01:52:29,230 --> 01:52:32,190
Any challenge?

1827
01:52:32,190 --> 01:52:35,150
To his authority whatsoever.

1828
01:52:35,150 --> 01:52:38,070
God willing, a few more months in
January will be 90 years old.

1829
01:52:39,490 --> 01:52:42,200
I will never, ever, ever, ever,

1830
01:52:42,660 --> 01:52:44,830
ever, ever, ever.

1831
01:52:45,830 --> 01:52:47,330
We get Atika.

1832
01:52:47,620 --> 01:52:48,290
Ever.

1833
01:52:51,370 --> 01:52:54,710
It didn't have to be that way.

1834
01:53:38,630 --> 01:53:41,130
All eight cases.

1835
01:53:41,220 --> 01:53:45,140
Died of gunshot wounds.

1836
01:53:45,260 --> 01:53:48,180
There was no evidence of slash throats.

1837
01:53:49,930 --> 01:53:53,140
We're sure

1838
01:53:54,350 --> 01:53:58,900
your. The.

1839
01:54:09,540 --> 01:54:11,910
I have never received an apology.

1840
01:54:13,790 --> 01:54:15,670
I've never received an apology,
and for me,

1841
01:54:15,670 --> 01:54:17,670
that's a pretty big deal.

1842
01:54:25,340 --> 01:54:26,140
What is money

1843
01:54:26,140 --> 01:54:29,140
do when you don't have your dad

1844
01:54:29,140 --> 01:54:31,970
or your brother or your uncle who?

1845
01:54:34,690 --> 01:54:37,310
How does that replace anything?

1846
01:54:37,650 --> 01:54:40,440
And I think it was the state's
way of saying,

1847
01:54:41,730 --> 01:54:45,820
we're going to give you this money
and we want you to go away and.

1848
01:54:49,580 --> 01:54:52,910
This is my.

1849
01:54:53,660 --> 01:54:55,710
True.

1850
01:54:57,330 --> 01:54:58,540
Well, she.

1851
01:55:00,960 --> 01:55:02,880
He threw

1852
01:55:02,880 --> 01:55:06,930
for nearly 30 years, former Attica
inmates have waited for justice.

1853
01:55:07,680 --> 01:55:10,350
Today, it finally came in the form of a 12

1854
01:55:10,350 --> 01:55:12,970
million dollar settlement.

1855
01:55:14,350 --> 01:55:18,940
Be. There's no justice.

1856
01:55:20,860 --> 01:55:22,900
All we got was money

1857
01:55:22,900 --> 01:55:25,360
and money wasn't enough.

1858
01:55:25,360 --> 01:55:28,070
Then you can't justify all the killings
that happened in Attica.

1859
01:55:28,700 --> 01:55:30,410
You can't justify that.

1860
01:55:30,410 --> 01:55:31,450
So there's no justice.

1861
01:55:31,450 --> 01:55:34,000
There is no justice.

1862
01:55:36,120 --> 01:55:39,040
We shall.

1863
01:55:40,130 --> 01:55:43,630
Be. And.

1864
01:55:47,720 --> 01:55:50,300
They might.

1865
01:55:51,470 --> 01:55:53,430
True.

1866
01:55:55,060 --> 01:55:57,640
Well, I'm sure.

1867
01:55:58,770 --> 01:56:01,980
Me, too,

1868
01:56:01,980 --> 01:56:04,530
do so.

1869
01:56:10,740 --> 01:56:12,910
And. Be.

1870
01:56:21,210 --> 01:56:27,090
You. Some

1871
01:56:27,090 --> 01:56:45,860
foolish. Oh.