David Gilbert,
Political Prisoner
David Gilbert is a North American political prisoner. The Civil
Rights struggle of the 60s exposed David to the sham of US democracy
and embodied the beauty of collective struggle. In 1965 he started the
Vietnam Committee at Columbia University in NY and became a founding
member of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) there. In 1967, David
authored the first SDS pamphlet on US Imperialism and participated in the
Columbia Strike of 1968. After about 5 years of organizing in the above
ground movement, David joined the revolutionary underground, spending a
total of 10 years engaging in building a clandestine resistance movement. He has discussed his time in the Weather Underground in particular in the award-winning documentary, The Weather Underground. (An interview with David included in this movie is available from Kersplebedeb as part of the DVD Voices of Three Political Prisoners; it can also be viewed online here.)
On October 20, 1981, he and other comrades were captured at Nyack, NY during an attempted expropriation by a unit of the Black Liberation Army working with white revolutionaries (subsequently known as the Revolutionary Armed Task Force- RATF). During the expropriation attempt, a Brinks guard and two police officers were killed. Charged and convicted of felony murder, David is serving a 75 year (minimum) to life sentence.
While in prison, David has been actively involved in the struggle against AIDS, and has remained a staunch opponent of oppression still dedicated to human liberation. He is also a longtime advisor and collaborator in the annual Certain Days Free Political Prisoners Calendar project, and the author of two books, and several pamphlets.
Books by David Gilbert
In December 2011, David's book Love and Struggle was published
by PM Press. This is an important
book for radicals to read and discuss - for a list of book launches click here. The following are reviews of Love and Struggle available online:
In June 2004, David's book No Surrender was published
by Abraham Guillen Press. This is an important
book for radicals to read and discuss. The following are reviews of No
Surrender available online on this site:
AIDS conspiracy Theories:
Tracking the Real Genocide,
by David Gilbert with commentary. An important investigation into the racist and reactionary underpinnings of many conspiracy theories about AIDS. Reviewed in:
Incomplete List of Online Writings by David Gilbert
