File spoon-archives/anarchy-list.archive/anarchy-list_2000/anarchy-list.0002, message 544


Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2000 14:03:40 -0500 (EST)
From: Steven C Diamond <scd-AT-cisunix.unh.edu>
Subject: Re: Washington, DC: Police get ready for Seattle-like protests


On Thu, 24 Feb 2000, Chuck0 wrote:
> These poor D.C. cops will be sooooo unprepared. They're going to be
> pissed when they find out that nobody plans to apply for protest
> permits. The days of the protest permit are behind us.

   Indeed.  I'm still a bit concerned about how things are
developing for A16, though.  Seattle was a real victory, but
this one could turn into a disaster.  I'm not trying to be a
wet blanket, just hoping that serious thought is going into
this, and that the participants will be very well prepared. 
   D.C. is an unusual area:  well over 5 major overlapping
jurisdictions of hard--AT-$$ed goons, and it sounds like the more
mainstream organizers of this protest intend to distance
themselves completely from any sort of militancy... not a good
sign.  
   My estimation of the public's reaction from N30 is
some discomfort with what the police did, but general
acceptance of the basic premise that violent police repression
is legitimately founded.  The plus of A16 will be that it's
building from the momentum of Seattle, the minus is that the
idea is less novel and the authoritarians will be 3 times as
equiped and ready to use force.  We have to expect
a lot of video surveilance, undercover cops, and of course
rubber bullets and tear gas at a hair-trigger.  Sonic
crowd-control weapons, psychoactive gas, and any number of
other spy/counterinsurgency toys could be used there.  I hope
some thought is being put towards how to respond to this and
defend against these sort of attacks.                   

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