Stop the San Quentin Railroad

RUCHELL MAGEE MUST NOT BE TRIED BEHIND PRISON WALLS

Ruchell ‘ Cinque’ Magee was a pivotal figure in the radical prison movement of the 1970s, famously known as the longest-serving political prisoner in U.S. history. Originally arrested on dubious charges in the 1950s and 60s, Magee became a central figure in the American consciousness following the August 7, 1970, Marin County Courthouse shootout. As the sole survivor among the prisoners involved in the rebellion, Magee’s legal struggles became a rallying cry for left-wing counterculture groups, who viewed his incarceration not only as a matter of personal criminal justice but also as a reflection of the oppressive system of imprisonment.

This ephemeral handbill, printed by Berkeley Graphic Arts, was distributed by the White Panther Party (founded only two years earlier). The 8.5 x 11 mimeographed sheet advertises a protest on September 15, 1970, at the San Quentin prison to generate public support for Magee’s case in the ‘Ku Klux Kangeroo Court.’ The verso provides a straightforward street map of Berkeley, noting the locations of parks, landmarks, legal aid, medical aid, information, and ‘pigs’ (police facilities).

The September 15th rally at the San Quentin gates represented the peak of public, ‘above-ground’ agitation for the Marin County defendants. It also served as the final calm before a much more violent storm. Just weeks later, in October 1970, a series of bombings in connection with the earlier attack (most notably the explosion at the Marin County Civic Center) signaled a radical shift in tactics.