INDIANAPOLIS, IN -- Sixteen year old liberationist Tony
Wong was arrested on Fur Free Friday and jailed for 12 days during which
time he refused to eat. Although he was arrested with 13 other activists,
he was the only one to not be released on his own recognizance. Instead,
Magistrate Julie Cartmel decided to hold him in jail until his trial which
would be after Christmas.
Some suspect Cartmel's vendetta against Tony stems from
his writing her a polite letter stating he would not accept probation as
he felt it violated his civil liberties. He wrote this after being convicted
of charges stemming from another civil disobedience action for animals
of which he partook. Other activists suspect Cartmel's actions might be
racially motivated as Tony was the only minority among the 14 activist
arrested.
Jailers stripped Tony to his underwear and locked him
in solitary confinement where it was quite cold. The lights were kept on
around the clock making it hard for him to sleep.
The flood of calls to the jail and the courts, as well
as local demonstrations in support of Tony, helped get him out of solitary
and into some clothes.
But five days into his jailing, Tony's father put him
on complete phone restriction so he couldn't call other activists. Tony's
father also hired a lawyer, Kevin McGoff, who was more interested in pleasing
the Magistrate than helping Tony.
After the phone restriction went into effect, Tony did
manage to get a message out showing his true spirit and commitment to the
animals: "My father, mother and brother are worried and miss me, and
frankly I feel the same.. I miss my family, you guys, friends, home, freedom,
school, food, everything... it's getting harder each day to fight this,
but I keep in mind the whole animal liberation movement is on my side,
especially the animals... that is what keeps me fighting..."
The message also talked about the jailers threats: "I
am being threatened with being sent to Wishard Hospital soon so they can
intravenously pump nutrients into my bloodstream while handcuffed.... the
doctor says that is what will happen if I don't start eating... if they
really wanted me to start eating, they'd let me out.... my hands and feetare constantly uncomfortably cold... and I am getting real tired and trying
to sleep when I can."
On the twelfth day, Tony was finally released from jail
and placed on home detention. Besides going to school and doing community
service hours, he is not allowed to leave the house. He is also barred
from having visitors or communicating with over a dozen Indiana activists.
Letters of support for this courageous warrior can be sent to the ADL in
Indianapolis.
Calls of protest can go to Magistrate Julie Cartmel at
(317) 823-7476 and Cartmel's "Boss" Judge James W. Payne at (317) 924-4841.