Freed hikers speak at Occupy Oakland protest
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Three Americans who were imprisoned in Iran and accused of spying voiced their support Monday for activists with the Occupy Wall Street movement and California prisoners protesting solitary confinement conditions...
...The three University of California, Berkeley, graduates thanked supporters who advocated for their release and said they are inspired by the Wall Street protests.
"This is the perfect place to celebrate our freedom," said Bauer, a freelance journalist who proposed to Shourd while they were in prison. "I feel proud of this happening in my city."
The three were accused of being spies and arrested by Iranian authorities in July 2009 while hiking near the Iran-Iraq border. Shourd, 33, was released in September 2010 after 14 months in prison...
...In Oakland, the trio voiced support for prisoners who have gone on a hunger strike to demand better conditions in solitary confinement units at California's maximum-security prisons.
Fattal, an environmental activist, said he has been on a hunger strike for 24 hours to show solidarity with the California prisoners who are refusing food.
"Solitary confinement was the most cruel part of my detainment, and getting out of solitary was the first moment in a long process of feeling more free," Fattal said. "Here in Oakland I feel like my freedom has hit a whole other level..."
http://www.ktvu.com/news/29511521/detail.htmlRaw Video of their address to Occupy Oakland:
http://www.ktvu.com/video/29514399/index.html