From: "Vireo" <deisis19-AT-ix.netcom.com> Subject: Fw: [free radical] R2K REPORT Date: Sun, 13 Aug 2000 12:45:21 -0400 > Subject: Fw: [free radical] R2K REPORT > > To: <free-radical-AT-egroups.com> > > Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2000 17:26:35 -0700 > > Subject: [free radical] R2K REPORT > > > > > > FREE RADICAL: chronicle of the new unrest > > by L.A. KAUFFMAN > > -------------------------------------------------------- > > [to subscribe, send a blank email to free-radical-subscribe-AT-egroups.com] > > forward freely; sorry about the ad, I'm changing services soon > > -------------------------------------------------------- > > R2K REPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Issue #9 > > > > > > The police stole our message. > > > > The Philadelphia police, that is, before the massive > > direct action - or should I say, "lawless rampage" - > > outside the Republican National Convention on August 1. > > > > "Zero hour" for the protests, as folks called our start > > time, was set for 3:30PM that day. At that moment, > > affinity groups would converge on selected targets > > throughout Center City, blockading key streets and > > intersections, while "flying squads" of other protesters > > would circulate throughout the entire area, reinforcing > > blockades or creating temporary ones of their own. > > > > The tactical goal was to snarl as much traffic as possible > > for as long a time as possible. The objective was to draw > > attention to issues of criminal injustice, while inconveniencing > > convention delegates on their way to the GOP's festival > > of corporate wealth. > > > > A few hours before the appointed time, police surrounded > > the cavernous West Philly building that had been dubbed > > the Ministry of Puppetganda. They arrested everyone inside - > > about 70 Puppetistas - and then destroyed everything that had > > been built there: giant puppets, banners, signs, and costumes. > > These protest props were to dramatize the policing and prison > > issues that motivated the direct action, and to communicate > > our vision of change. > > > > It was a smart move by the police. Stripped of our means of > > communication, we looked as if we had no message to convey. > > This perception became a running theme in corporate media > > coverage of the August 1 demonstrations; we were cast as > > mindless hordes wreaking random havoc. > > > > There were about two hours on Tuesday when chaos reigned, > > and I have to say it was glorious. Not the small-scale > > window-breaking, tire-slashing, and graffiti, mostly targeted > > at police vehicles; the use of those tactics in the context > > of a big direct action leaves me lukewarm at best. (The sort > > of property destruction where people sabotage experimental > > genetically modified crops and so forth: that makes my heart > > go pit-a-pat.) > > > > What thrilled me in Philly was the success and character of the > > action from an organizational point of view. By about 5:00PM, > > all you needed to do if you wanted to know where disturbances > > were happening was to look up in the sky and follow the > > helicopters. I somehow never bothered to count them, but > > there were half a dozen at least, spread out over a large area. > > > > Each helicopter hovered over an effective, autonomously > > organized blockade. Throughout the afternoon, the whir of > > helicopters was joined by dozens of sirens, as long lines > > of police dashed around the city trying to contain the > > protests, only to encounter new disruptions in previously > > quiet locations. Center City was gridlocked, and delegate > > buses were stuck in the traffic before they could even > > pick up their intended passengers. (I got a great photo > > of my affinity group in front of one such vehicle, flashing > > the message "Take Next Bus.") Delegates who wanted to get > > to the convention had to walk some distance before they > > could even hail a cab. We made our presence felt. > > > > The decentralized character of the action rendered police > > surveillance ineffective and made our protest impossible > > to stop. The district attorney is already trying to pin > > conspiracy charges on people whom the authorities perceive > > as leaders, like John Sellers, the director of the Ruckus > > Society, which trains activists in blockading and other > > nonviolent techniques. (His bail was set at a jaw-dropping > > $1 million.) But the beauty of the action is that it wasn't > > a conspiracy. There was no central planning of the actual > > blockades: The people who created the various disruptions > > kept their plans to themselves, and no one knew everything > > that would go down. On the day of the action, communications > > people relayed information between the various geographic > > sectors, but there were no "leaders" in the usual sense, > > directing or even coordinating the course of events. > > > > Instead, actions of this sort rely on organizers - people > > who play a very different role. For Philly, these key > > activists crafted the call to action, focusing on police > > brutality and the prison-industrial complex; they got the > > word out about the protest, encouraged others to come, > > and handled endless logistical details. > > > > The lasting significance of the Philly action won't be > > its effect on public opinion (and wouldn't have been, even > > if we hadn't bombed so badly in the media). It will be how > > and by whom it was organized. The Philly organizers were > > not the same crew that put together the Seattle WTO > > protests or the IMF and World Bank actions in Washington, > > D.C. (The overlap between the organizers of the two earlier > > actions was so extensive that many called the D.C. > > mobilization "cliquish.") > > > > The major players in Philly were a good deal younger > > and far more racially diverse than the organizers of > > Seattle or D.C. Activists of color - including members > > of New York's SLAM (Student Liberation Action Movement) > > and Philadelphia ACT UP - were key in initiating the > > mobilization and played central planning roles > > throughout the months of organizing. > > > > In twenty years of activism, I've never seen a comparable > > effort: a decentralized direct action based on affinity > > groups and consensus decision-making process, that was > > substantially shaped by people of color. Throughout the > > last two decades, the movements that have used this > > structure and process have been overwhelmingly white - > > including the Seattle and D.C. mobilizations. In Philly, > > the issues, priorities, and analysis of movements of color > > intersected an organizational style developing in > > predominantly white movements: The convergence was > > wonderful to see. > > > > After Seattle, Elizabeth (Betita) Martinez published a > > widely circulated essay, "Where Was the Color in Seattle?" > > The piece, drawing on interviews with a number of young > > activists of color who attended the WTO protests, has > > sparked debate and action throughout the overlapping > > activist networks that make up the emerging movement > > for global justice. Many whites have taken anti-racism > > trainings in the months since, and have sought to make > > new alliances by supporting movements of color, rather > > than expecting activists of color to join predominantly > > white campaigns. Meanwhile, many activists of color - > > inspired by Seattle and D.C., even though critical of > > their monochromatic character - have embraced and > > transformed the Seattle organizing model, as part > > of a longer-term renaissance of direct action within > > African-American, Latino, and Asian-American movements. > > > > The Philly protests are an exciting sign of progress, > > an indication that sturdy bridges are beginning to form > > between predominantly people of color and predominantly > > white movements. If these alliances continue to strengthen, > > along with analogous bonds between labor and environmentalists, > > just imagine what this movement can do. Even without puppets. > > > > ******* > > > > You've heard of the Revolutionary Anarchist Black Bloc, > > with their controversial tactics and fierce demeanor. > > Philly marked the advent of a new force on the streets: > > the flying squad of the Revolutionary Anarchist Clown Bloc. > > Bedecked in silly wigs, red noses, and other trappings of > > resistance, the Clown Bloc aimed "to show the Republicans > > they are not the only clowns in town." > > > > As they swarmed through the streets of Philadelphia, > > they left fellow protesters giggling over their deadpan > > take-offs on classic activist slogans: "Hey hey, ho ho, > > hee hee!" "Three word chant, three word chant" and so forth. > > > > Their official communique, even more of an activist in-joke, > > stressed their political openness: "We are not, however, > > calling for a strictly anarchist clown bloc. We hereby > > open the call to those who do not identify as anarcho-clowns, > > but nonetheless struggle to create the same revolutionary > > antics: autonomist fan-dancers, situationist contortionists, > > anti-fascist jugglers, council communist hula-hoopers, > > wobbly tall-bike riders and stilt walkers, radical > > cheerleaders, primitivist fire breathers, and yes, > > even anti-state libertarian marxist mimes! Together, > > we can take back our lives from dominations by elephants, > > jackasses, ringleaders, and all others. Our intent is not > > to be divisive of the larger protests, but to support them > > by wearing very large shoes." > > > > ****** > > > > It was remarkable how many irony-impaired spectators didn't > > get the Billionaires for Bush (or Gore), several dozen > > delightful performers who marched under the slogan, > > "Because inequality isn't growing fast enough!" Wearing > > tuxedos and evening gowns in the Philadelphia heat, the > > Billionaires put it all in perspective: > > > > "Gore or Bush, Bush or Gore, > > we don't care who you vote for. > > We've already bought 'em > > We've already bought 'em" > > > > "What do we want?" > > Prison labor! > > "How do we want it?" > > Cheap! > > > > My favorite Billionaire moments came when my friend Alex > > took some of the paper money he was carrying and sidled up > > to journalists from the corporate media. He'd take a fake > > $5000 bill and slip it into the journalists' hand or pocket: > > "You all are really doing a great job for us," he'd say. > > "We're really happy with what you've been doing." > > > > ****** > > > > During the most chaotic part of the day on Tuesday, I was > > walking not far from City Hall with Alex and other members > > of my affinity group, when I spotted the loathsome Phil Gramm, > > Republican senator from Texas, heading right for us. "Hey Alex, > > that's Phil Gramm," I said. Alex was quick on his feet. > > "The party's over. The rich aren't going to have their way > > any more," said Alex. Gramm slowed down. "Bullshit," he replied > > (and I swear this is an exact quote). "The rich have always > > run everything, and they always will." What I would have > > given for a video camera. > > > > ******* > > For more on the Philly actions, visit > > www.phillyimc.org > > www.r2kphilly.org > > www.billionairesforbushorgore.com > > > > FREE RADICAL is an e-column on the current upsurge in activism, > > written by L.A. Kauffman. It will appear only sporadically > > until the end of September, as I labor to complete my book, > > DIRECT ACTION: RADICALISM IN OUR TIME. > > > > ABOUT THE AUTHOR L.A. Kauffman (lak-AT-free-radical.org) is writing DIRECT > > ACTION: RADICALISM IN OUR TIME, a history of U.S. activism since 1970. A > > longtime radical journalist and organizer, she is active in a number of > > New > > York City direct action campaigns. Her work has appeared in the Village > > Voice, The Nation, The Progressive, Spin, Mother Jones, Salon.com, and > > numerous other publications. . > > -------------------------------------------- > > TO SUBSCRIBE, send a blank email to: free-radical-subscribe-AT-egroups.com > > TO UNSUBSCRIBE, send a blank email to: > > free-radical-unsubscribe-AT-egroups.com > > -------------------------------------------- > > Back issues of FREE RADICAL are on the web at www.free-radical.org > > All contents Copyright 2000 by L.A. Kauffman > > FREE RADICAL is syndicated by Alternet (www.alternet.org) > > > > ignore any commercial advertisements that the corporate creeps who now > > rule > > eGroups have inserted into this message --- from list avant-garde-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
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