Protesters have gathered near the notorious Rikers Island prison in New York City to call attention to brutality towards inmates. The rally is part of “Rise Up October,” a three-day demonstration against officer-involved killings and mass imprisonment
READ MORE: #RiseUpOctober protests against police killing civilians begin in New York
The blockade of Rikers Island marks the second day of the protest, scheduled to culminate Saturday with a rally and march in Manhattan.
“Rikers Island must be shut down!” said Sunsara Taylor, one of the organizers of the event.
Since 1990, the city has settled six class action suits filed against the prison, with corrections officers accused of widespread abuse. The most recent lawsuit in 2015 found a culture of “deep-seated violence” where “adolescents are at a constant risk of physical harm,” protest organizers say.
Two Rikers Island guards were charged Thursday with recruiting inmates to attack another prisoner in January 2014, then covering up the attack.
Protesters carried the pictures of Kalief Browder, a 16-year-old who was arrested and held without charges at Rikers Island for three years – two of them in solitary confinement - before being released for lack of evidence. Citing his traumatic experiences at Rikers, Browder committed suicide in June this year.
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