Report back from SCF Solidarity Demonstration / Parade

Here are some photos from the action.

Developers Don't Give A Fuck About Us
http://indybay.org/newsitems/2006/07/09/18286718.php

I was glad to read the posters and see some of the signs and am encouraged by the general thrust of the sentiments. But it leaves me wondering what next. Since attention has been drawn to a few local issues and the LA farm, are people gearing up to actually address some of these things. Or is this just one more action in isolation? In some ways I did find this action disappointing because demonstrators abandoned the subversive activity (of the blockade) if favor of a tactic typical of activists (the rally and march). Outreach in this case was probably more effective than during the blockade, but unfortunately all activists tend to do is run around doing outreach and demonstrations for the latest hot issue.

What's the average number of times we have a rally and march in Santa Cruz, 2 or so per month (maybe more)? As was stated about the last action, people are bombarded with issues in Santa Cruz. With this in mind what are you trying to get out this demonstration? It stated that people were trying to spread awareness about what's happening in LA, and by doing this are you trying to convince people to get involved in supporting the Farm? What's so significant about this issue that would compel people to get involved in it over the myriad of disasters (Palestine, Iraq, global warming, wage-slavery, famine, etc.) that compose daily life in a quickly degenerating world? And what are people in Santa Cruz going to do? We can be sure that most anything we do (and especially not marching) is going to sway the LAPD, LA's mayor, or the rich bastard of a land owner. It also seems that this action was done to show support for the struggle of the South Central Farmers and thereby hope to boost spirits and let them know we care. I see some value in this but was this gesture more substantial then the last? I imagine that if I was in L.A., I'd be much more excited to hear about a blockade, or an actual attack on the institutions of power, instead of a march, but maybe that's just me. Just because another action was organized, it doesn't mean that you should necessarily change tactics. More diversity in tactics does not necessarily mean more effectiveness. I don't know if any of you were involved in the blockade, but this doesn't really matter. I want to know, why the change tactically?

There's two other things I can think of that would be motivations for this action: trying to build momentum and to cause a disruption. Whether or not this action was effective in either of these would probably be best understood by people who were involved. Though I am skeptical that any substantial level of disruption resulted and I also think that the very circumscribed activities of the march and rally generally do not help build momentum. Especially if done repeatedly.

I also don't want to come across as against rallies and marches per se, but they have become redundant and predictable. Thus, I would question the relevance of adopting such a method. I read that 60 people marched. With that number of people, you could cause quite a disturbance as a break-away from a larger march. But if 60 people is all you have, could you have come up with something more interesting to do? It would be better to have 5 comrades take an action that resonates with how people actually feel (is marching really what you want to be doing?), rather then settling for default activities and run-of-the-mill watered down activism. There's plenty of of those awful bulldozers, developers and cops around. Who amongst the exploited doesn't hate these things? There's plenty of targets for our rage that relate more directly to peoples lives here and have perhaps greater symbolic value for people in L.A. If people in Santa Cruz want to start setting precedents by doing solidarity actions, let’s make sure these actions really mean something to us and others.

I'm also curious about all the recent flurry of activity around the South Central Farm. Why the solidarity actions around this, but not with the Six Nations struggle? Or what about all the people in the Northwest who will in all likelihood be serving life sentences for very substantial ELF/ALF actions? And there’s also the land struggles in Atenco, Mexico. And what about these local struggles against logging, developers, or the mad scientists in their labs digitalizing life into an artificial world? The enemies are many. Why are your priorities such as they are?

Looking at the tendency of activism in general, I have a few thoughts about taking on a role that is primarily reactive, of being reactionary. My criticism in this paragraph doesn't directly relate to the farm solidarity actions, but these actions did inspire these thoughts. Typical role of a (re)activist: Wait around for a problem to happen, then raise a stink about it, using public 'pressure' to shooo it away (hopefully, but often not successfully). Aside from evaluating the effectiveness of this approach on a case by case basis, I'll just say that it's a losing strategy. The rulers of this world have an ongoing daily program of domination. If we are to cause a rupture in the way society functions, we need to do more than just react to the most offensive excesses of capitalism (as there are far too many). We need to look at our situations, analyze our surroundings, and come up with a plan that destabilizes the continued functioning of the economy of exploitation. We need an ongoing project of revolt that targets the functioning of the social order. That said, we may find ourselves responding to the states' repression of communities from far away places like LA or our own, but we should not become too distracted from continuing our actions that actually pose an on-going threat.

While marches of solidarity against developers and cops can be valuable in some circumstances, there is much more subversive potential in complicity with those resisting the development.

People in Santa Cruz seem to often forget what planet we're living on. The world is going to shit and silly parades just mock the necessary and challenging efforts that we must engage in if we're going to make a difference. We need to muster up some courage and choose to do things that really are impactful.

May a thousand machines burn, to protect the sprouting of new generations.

In defense of autonomy,
@gent Orange

SOUTH CENTRAL FARMERS
URGENT UPDATE – Media Opportunity

Tuesday, July 11

Horowitz Watchman Brutalizes Farm Supporter Days Before Hearing

Recovery of South Central Farmers' Personal and Religious Objects Denied

7/11/06 - Los Angeles, CA -- On Monday, June 10th at approximately 4:30 p.m. a community supporter of the South Central Farmers was assaulted outside the farm by a security guard hired by land developer Ralph Horowitz. The farmers have been trying for weeks to recover personal property including religious objects remaining on the farm since the eviction, many of which were destroyed and dug under by Mr. Horowitz's bulldozers when they flattened the farm July 5th and 6th .

Under lawyers' permission and at the contractor's request, volunteer Steve Murphy (age 39), was legally authorized as a 3rd party individual to be on the property. Lawyers on both sides had arranged for the recovery of what remained of farmers' and supporters' personal belongings inside the devastated farm.

"I spent 3 hours going through the farm without incident; it was like the ruins of a war zone." said Mr. Murphy, "I was crying as I picked up backpacks, farmers' tools and one farmer's daughter's tattered notebook. I was overwhelmed with
feelings of despair looking at the devastation of what had once been a lush green refuge."

The assault occurred when another security guard came onto his shift and ordered Mr. Murphy off the farm, in violation of the agreement. "I saw the security guard become verbally aggressive, some words were exchanged between the two. The guard pursued Mr. Murphy to the outside of the farm and then struck his face repeatedly," said Jorge Garcia-Luna, a witness to the assault. Mr. Murphy sustained a major head injury, concussion and his nose was broken in two places.

The head of security on site did nothing to intervene with either the verbal assault or ensuing violent physical attack. Responding L.A.P.D. officers discouraged a shaking [distressed] Mr. Murphy from filing a citizen's arrest. Additional officers arriving on scene later ticketed a farmer for littering when he was picking up paper bag luminarios used around the farm to light the way for vigil walkers.

"I think it's sad and ironic because everyone associates high crime rates and gangs with South Central and yet the only conflict and harassment that has happened to me since I have been at the farm has come from Horowitz's security and the police," said Robert Fofrich, a young community supporter of the farm who was hurt by both the L.A.P.D. and Mr. Horowitz's security at the time of the bulldozing.

"Yesterday's violent attack is yet another example of the brutality that farmers and farm supporters face," said Alma Soto, another volunteer and supporter. "From the traumatic eviction, to the brutal bulldozing, to this; we have remained
peaceful and still have been choked, beaten and ridiculed by the police and Horowitz's hired thugs. When can we begin to heal?"

This assault came two days before the court case that will challenge the legality of the city's sale of the farm to developer Ralph Horowitz.

All above-mentioned are available for interview with the press. Contact Media contacts.



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