Publish to Newswire
Add an EventFrom the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay Feature
§Creative intelligence on breakaway marches, a review of sorts
Writing a review of a march is and can be this boring
thing. We did this, we did that, they did this, they
did that. But just generally the breakaway marches
are really important, being visible outside of the
official protest area is very important. Disrupting
traffic and business is really important. Reclaiming
the streets is really important.
But also being creative and intelligent is also really
important. This breakaway march was at times
destructive and unintelligent. It missed the creative
energies of people, and the inspiration that brings
more people into the streets. There were people there
that were doing creative stuff, but there needs to be
more.
What this review is, is a call out for people who want
to change the polarity of the system and want to have
their art be in the streets and encourage dialogue,
for them to step up and be part of the renegade voices
of resistance.
On the police. The police were violent, that is what
they do, they traffic in violence as social control.
But that said, they are not the enemy. Politics need
to be way beyond, "fuck the police". I don't want to
see police getting hurt, the same way I don't want to
see protestors get hurt. If a cop gets hurt, way more
protestors will be hurt in retaliation. Police aren't the state. Also the police are looking to put people away, there are 5 people facing felony charges, and that is no
laughing matter. This kid in Eugene from 1995 or 1996 (Rob Thaxton) is still in jail, for throwing rocks at
police. I think people need some long term vision,
and that needs to be talked about.
Call out.
I hope people are planning to bring creative and
constructive energies out into the streets on the day
after the war starts. It is needed and it does change
the focus of how things are in the streets. Hopefully there will be a strong representation of the spirit that made Reclaim the Streets! so awesome in years' past.
thing. We did this, we did that, they did this, they
did that. But just generally the breakaway marches
are really important, being visible outside of the
official protest area is very important. Disrupting
traffic and business is really important. Reclaiming
the streets is really important.
But also being creative and intelligent is also really
important. This breakaway march was at times
destructive and unintelligent. It missed the creative
energies of people, and the inspiration that brings
more people into the streets. There were people there
that were doing creative stuff, but there needs to be
more.
What this review is, is a call out for people who want
to change the polarity of the system and want to have
their art be in the streets and encourage dialogue,
for them to step up and be part of the renegade voices
of resistance.
On the police. The police were violent, that is what
they do, they traffic in violence as social control.
But that said, they are not the enemy. Politics need
to be way beyond, "fuck the police". I don't want to
see police getting hurt, the same way I don't want to
see protestors get hurt. If a cop gets hurt, way more
protestors will be hurt in retaliation. Police aren't the state. Also the police are looking to put people away, there are 5 people facing felony charges, and that is no
laughing matter. This kid in Eugene from 1995 or 1996 (Rob Thaxton) is still in jail, for throwing rocks at
police. I think people need some long term vision,
and that needs to be talked about.
Call out.
I hope people are planning to bring creative and
constructive energies out into the streets on the day
after the war starts. It is needed and it does change
the focus of how things are in the streets. Hopefully there will be a strong representation of the spirit that made Reclaim the Streets! so awesome in years' past.
Comments
(Hide Comments)
Writing a review of a march is and can be this boring
thing. We did this, we did that, they did this, they
did that. But just generally the breakaway marches
are really important, being visible outside of the
official protest area is very important. Disrupting
traffic and business is really important. Reclaiming
the streets is really important.
But also being creative and intelligent is also really
important. This breakaway march was at times
destructive and unintelligent. It missed the creative
energies of people, and the inspiration that brings
more people into the streets. There were people there
that were doing creative stuff, but there needs to be
more.
What this review is, is a call out for people who want
to change the polarity of the system and want to have
their art be in the streets and encourage dialogue,
for them to step up and be part of the renegade voices
of resistance.
On the police. The police were violent, that is what
they do, they traffic in violence as social control.
But that said, they are not the enemy. Politics need
to be way beyond, "fuck the police". I don't want to
see police getting hurt, the same way I don't want to
see protestors get hurt. If a cop gets hurt, way more
protestors will be hurt in retaliation. Police aren't the state. Also the police are looking to put people away, there are 5 people facing felony charges, and that is no
laughing matter. This kid in Eugene from 1995 or 1996 (Rob Thaxton) is still in jail, for throwing rocks at
police. I think people need some long term vision,
and that needs to be talked about.
Call out.
I hope people are planning to bring creative and
constructive energies out into the streets on the day
after the war starts. It is needed and it does change
the focus of how things are in the streets. Hopefully there will be a strong representation of the spirit that made Reclaim the Streets! so awesome in years' past.
thing. We did this, we did that, they did this, they
did that. But just generally the breakaway marches
are really important, being visible outside of the
official protest area is very important. Disrupting
traffic and business is really important. Reclaiming
the streets is really important.
But also being creative and intelligent is also really
important. This breakaway march was at times
destructive and unintelligent. It missed the creative
energies of people, and the inspiration that brings
more people into the streets. There were people there
that were doing creative stuff, but there needs to be
more.
What this review is, is a call out for people who want
to change the polarity of the system and want to have
their art be in the streets and encourage dialogue,
for them to step up and be part of the renegade voices
of resistance.
On the police. The police were violent, that is what
they do, they traffic in violence as social control.
But that said, they are not the enemy. Politics need
to be way beyond, "fuck the police". I don't want to
see police getting hurt, the same way I don't want to
see protestors get hurt. If a cop gets hurt, way more
protestors will be hurt in retaliation. Police aren't the state. Also the police are looking to put people away, there are 5 people facing felony charges, and that is no
laughing matter. This kid in Eugene from 1995 or 1996 (Rob Thaxton) is still in jail, for throwing rocks at
police. I think people need some long term vision,
and that needs to be talked about.
Call out.
I hope people are planning to bring creative and
constructive energies out into the streets on the day
after the war starts. It is needed and it does change
the focus of how things are in the streets. Hopefully there will be a strong representation of the spirit that made Reclaim the Streets! so awesome in years' past.
When I see an actual flesh and blood
worker in conflict with his natural
enemy the policeman, I do not have
to ask myself which side I am on"
__________George Orwell
Cops have beaten people throughout American history. Union people on the picket line, Blacks trying to vote or eat at a cafe in the south. Cops are the tools of the state need I say more?
worker in conflict with his natural
enemy the policeman, I do not have
to ask myself which side I am on"
__________George Orwell
Cops have beaten people throughout American history. Union people on the picket line, Blacks trying to vote or eat at a cafe in the south. Cops are the tools of the state need I say more?
"Cops have beaten people throughout American history. "
This is why we must get out the vote!! Then WE can choose the police, and we can beat whoever disagrees with us.
We succeeded in keeping Michael Lerner off the stage, but such dissent must be crushed more effectively in the future.
This is why we must get out the vote!! Then WE can choose the police, and we can beat whoever disagrees with us.
We succeeded in keeping Michael Lerner off the stage, but such dissent must be crushed more effectively in the future.
hey,
thanks for posting that.
i was hoping from the title that there would be more information about cause in effect at demos and avoiding things like getting trapped, provoked, picked off, spied upon, etc. mayhaps there's a training manual for that somewhere?
but the message is important. i'm rather disheartened that someone hurt a demonstrator by throwing a rock, and felt like the few acts of ugliness kind of tarnished our halo. granted, the sheep are already blaming us no matter what "we" do, and the cops are counting on every skirmish and arrest to validate them and paint us as violent.
on the one hand, we don't care, we don't need to care, we shouldn't care, because the cops are wrong to the core and their acts of violence are all on them
sure, a few smoke bombs and a few choice windows gives them more of an excuse, although they can hardly blame the entire crowd for those acts. and those acts are such a small, small thing compared to the harm that's being done.
being creative and transforming public spaces is an effective tactic in many ways, and certainly can be more enjoyable than rushing around responding to every little thing they throw at us. but everything we do carries with it the threat of police abuse and interference, no matter how benign, once we step out of "line" and actually protest wherever we are. they do look a lot worse attacking a group of playful kittens messaging obstructively than a group that attacks corporate shopping centers.
cushions not cops.
thanks for posting that.
i was hoping from the title that there would be more information about cause in effect at demos and avoiding things like getting trapped, provoked, picked off, spied upon, etc. mayhaps there's a training manual for that somewhere?
but the message is important. i'm rather disheartened that someone hurt a demonstrator by throwing a rock, and felt like the few acts of ugliness kind of tarnished our halo. granted, the sheep are already blaming us no matter what "we" do, and the cops are counting on every skirmish and arrest to validate them and paint us as violent.
on the one hand, we don't care, we don't need to care, we shouldn't care, because the cops are wrong to the core and their acts of violence are all on them
sure, a few smoke bombs and a few choice windows gives them more of an excuse, although they can hardly blame the entire crowd for those acts. and those acts are such a small, small thing compared to the harm that's being done.
being creative and transforming public spaces is an effective tactic in many ways, and certainly can be more enjoyable than rushing around responding to every little thing they throw at us. but everything we do carries with it the threat of police abuse and interference, no matter how benign, once we step out of "line" and actually protest wherever we are. they do look a lot worse attacking a group of playful kittens messaging obstructively than a group that attacks corporate shopping centers.
cushions not cops.
He supports the status quo, ie., the occupation of Palestine by the racist, apartheid aggressor state of Israel.
Yep, agree with you definitely on that one for sure.
There was times during the breakaway march when we should have moved away from the cops in a group, and gotten on with marching and blocking other streets and doing other direct actions.
There's no real point in trying to fight the cops because they have much bigger weapons on their side, i.e. big metal truncheons, guns, the state and the law. I'm not a big fan of the White Overalls, but Casarini said after Genoa that "for us to take up militaristic tactics would be suicide - they would crush us", and he has a point.
They're bigger and better trained, and they're out to fuck us over in any way they can. Keep the rocks for the windows. I wouldnt say I'm a "pacifist" but I'm definitely against all types of violence against the person.
At the junction of 8th and Market when eventually we got out of the police surrounding us on both sides, we should have moved en masse away from the (ever increasing number of) cops and headed back into downtown elsewhere.
But people's blood was up and they wanted a fight. And lots of people just hung around that intersection because they were expecting more violence. And they got it. It was very frustrating for some of the DAAW heads who were trying to encourage people to come up towards the main square to regroup and relax for a short while.
Short of doing something Trotskyist like having march marshalls, I guess maybe the best thing to do is try to convince people to move on elsewhere where they can engage in better forms of protest. Its not easy though when you have the young'uns baying for blood in the cops faces.
Hmm I'm not sure if I had a real point there. Just some random thoughts I suppose.
Also I'm only a tourist so please dont lend too much weight to my shite-talking.
There was times during the breakaway march when we should have moved away from the cops in a group, and gotten on with marching and blocking other streets and doing other direct actions.
There's no real point in trying to fight the cops because they have much bigger weapons on their side, i.e. big metal truncheons, guns, the state and the law. I'm not a big fan of the White Overalls, but Casarini said after Genoa that "for us to take up militaristic tactics would be suicide - they would crush us", and he has a point.
They're bigger and better trained, and they're out to fuck us over in any way they can. Keep the rocks for the windows. I wouldnt say I'm a "pacifist" but I'm definitely against all types of violence against the person.
At the junction of 8th and Market when eventually we got out of the police surrounding us on both sides, we should have moved en masse away from the (ever increasing number of) cops and headed back into downtown elsewhere.
But people's blood was up and they wanted a fight. And lots of people just hung around that intersection because they were expecting more violence. And they got it. It was very frustrating for some of the DAAW heads who were trying to encourage people to come up towards the main square to regroup and relax for a short while.
Short of doing something Trotskyist like having march marshalls, I guess maybe the best thing to do is try to convince people to move on elsewhere where they can engage in better forms of protest. Its not easy though when you have the young'uns baying for blood in the cops faces.
Hmm I'm not sure if I had a real point there. Just some random thoughts I suppose.
Also I'm only a tourist so please dont lend too much weight to my shite-talking.
I agree with alot of the things you are saying. I also know that any reaction of aggression to the cops was first initiated by them - over and over again.
I also agree that something went wrong at 9th and Market. I was following the two large flags (one black, one pink). The march seemed well organized and it the people leading with the flags were making good decisions.
When they tried to turn us around at 9th and Market, first - they weren't united. Second, there needs to be a way to get the attention of/encourage people who are feeling very upset with the cops.
And you're right, there are people who are just looking for a fight. Alot of people believe in the power of our march and solidarity and when they see people take "leadership" in the form of rushing cops, they just follow behind.
I have a lot of other thoughts, but for now...
When they tried to turn us around at 9th and Market, first - they weren't united. Second, there needs to be a way to get the attention of/encourage people who are feeling very upset with the cops.
And you're right, there are people who are just looking for a fight. Alot of people believe in the power of our march and solidarity and when they see people take "leadership" in the form of rushing cops, they just follow behind.
I have a lot of other thoughts, but for now...
We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts!
Donate
$55.00 donated
in the past month
Get Involved
If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.
Publish
Publish your stories and upcoming events on Indybay.
Topics
More
Search Indybay's Archives
Advanced Search
►
▼
IMC Network