From: "K Kinkel" <kakinkel-AT-hotmail.com>
Subject: Denver anarchist calls for 'attack" on cops, peace marshalls in D.C.
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 15:16:39 PDT


Hi all, this is an article that appeared today in the Colorado Daily, a 
local paper here in Boulder with a liberal slant.  Following the article I 
have posted my letter to the editor, I was hoping people could give me tips 
to improve it before I send it out tonight or the next.


The Colorado Daily
Brian Hansen

        A Denver-based anarchist on Sunday called on people to “attack” 
police officers and self-appointed “peace police” who try to prevent 
property from being destroyed during the anti-World Bank/International 
Monetary Fund demonstrations that are expected to erupt in Washington, D.C., 
early next week.
	In an email message obtained by the Colorado Daily, an anarchist known as 
“Blackstar” declared that such people “should and will be attacked 
indiscriminately” during the World Bank/IMF demonstrations.
	“There has been talk of the ‘peace police’ who are determined to stop any 
rebellious (de) constructive behavior,” Blackstar wrote.  “They are the 
friends of the IMF/World Bank.  If anything crushes the upcoming 
insurrection, it would be them.”
	Blackstar’s call for action contrasts sharply with the guidelines that have 
been agreed to by scores of groups that will take part in the IMF/World Bank 
demonstrations.  Those guidelines, established by an umbrella groups known 
as the Mobilization for Global Justice, include prohibitions no property 
destruction, physical and/or verbal violence towards any person, and the use 
of weapons, alcohol and illegal drugs.
	For Blackstar, those guidelines go too far.
	“I can promise you that the IMF/World Bank is not going to be listening to 
a bunch of people yelling about how sweatshops are bad, or how pollution is 
killing our mother (earth),” Blackstar wrote.  “They don’t care about the 
people they trample over daily.  Their only concern is capital.  Sources 
close to Blackstar tell the Colorado Daily that the Denver-based anarchist 
will not be traveling to Washington for the demonstrations.  Still a host of 
anarchist collectives from across the nation have indicated that they will 
take part in the protests, and that they will not be governed by any 
guidelines promulgated by the Mobilization for Global Justice or any other 
group.
	Many of the anarchists heading to Washington have sign on to a collective 
known as the Revolutionary Anti-Capitalist Bloc, which is planning marches, 
concerts and a host of other activities.
	While the Anti-Capitalist collective has not publicly called on people to 
“attack” police officers and civilian peacekeepers, it is clear that its 
adherents will not be governed by the MFGJ’s rules.
	“We cannot accept the active participation of cops and/or peacekeepers in 
this or any other movement, protest, or demonstration,” declares the 
collective on its Web site.  “those whose job it is to protect the ruling 
class’ interests cannot be trusted to simultaneously support us.”
	For more information on the Anti-Capitalist Block, see the group’s Web site 
are www.infoshop.org.



              Anarchists do more than destroy property

Though I have enjoyed reading the Colorado Daily for the past four years I 
cannot, as an anarchist, sit idly by after reading Brian Hansen’s repeated 
attempts to discredit anarchists over the past few months.  While I am glad 
that Hansen took a sympathetic view towards the protestors who were attacked 
by the police in the Seattle riots, I can’t understand why he would choose 
to demonize all of the anarchists who attended that event just because a 
small number of those anarchists choose to protest by destroying the 
property of businesses like The Gap, Starbucks, and Nikeworld.  By and 
large, most anarchists in Seattle choose to employ non-violent tactics just 
like the other groups with whom they protested.  However, like in every 
other group, there are always a number of anarchists within the community 
who choose to take more direct action against those whom they protest.  
These anarchists, though small in number, were still able to grab media 
attention by engaging in targeted property destruction of the same kinds of 
companies that all of the protestors claimed to be protesting.  Why should 
we be so quick to denounce these protestors simply because they choose a 
different method of protest, especially when one considers that they never 
once initiated violence against the police during the Seattle protests.  It 
seems strange to assume that a group who targeted specific companies for 
vandalism has been described as rampaging through the city with acts of 
senseless violence.
	Nonetheless, I am encouraged that in his latest article Hansen was able to 
differentiate between personal violence and property destruction.  
Unfortunately, because Hansen was unable to recognize such a difference 
months ago, many readers were lead to the mistaken conclusion that the 
anarchists in Seattle were all a bunch of wild teenagers tearing through the 
otherwise peaceful city, causing destruction and mayhem in their wake.  I am 
now afraid that Hansen’s recent article may lead a number of readers to the 
erroneous belief that because most anarchists refuse to agree to the MFGJ 
rules, that this means that all anarchists privately intend to engage in an 
all out attack on police and civilians as the strangely anonymous Mr. 
Blackstar encourages.  I would like to ensure Mr. Hansen and his readers 
that when anarchists refuse to accept the MFGJ’s rules, it is most likely 
because those anarchists want to remain free to respond to the acts of 
violence that will undoubtedly be perpetrated by the police.  Furthermore, 
those anarchists probably wish to retain the right to protest in the ways 
which they feel are most effective and appropriate, to cause direct 
financial cost to those companies which they are protesting.  Nonetheless, 
this in no way means that all anarchists or even that most anarchists will 
choose property damage as vehicle for their message, nor does it mean that 
those anarchists who do should be vilified without first considering what 
they have to say.

                                                                             
                                          Kevin Kinkel



______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com