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Indybay Feature
Account of San Francisco Anti-Police Demonstration
No Calm in the Heart of the City.
Tonight, we took the struggle against police violence to the heart of capital, rampaging along the major corridors of a bustling financial district. When there is discord in the hood, there will be no calm in the metropolis.
At the demonstration's commencement, a panic ensued amongst downtown businesses. Store owners asked patrons to leave, pulled down riot gates to insulate commodities from the surging crowd, and locked their doors. Its obvious the news of Oakland's events is still fresh on everyone's mind.
There were police as far as the eye could see, the seemingly endless contingent of officers walking alongside the small march spanned nearly its entire length. Police motorcycles sped through traffic, and their vehicles were so abundant that they slowed rush hour Market Street traffic to a halt. The march was almost entirely surrounded, and nearly outnumbered. There is no doubt that the SFPD was prepared for a riot.
This preparation proved worthless when a group of participants decided to run full speed along the side streets of downtown, pulling trashcans and newspaper boxes into oncoming traffic, destroying prominent advertisements, spraypainting corporate facades, and lighting fires.
No arrests were incurred.
Perhaps it was more slapstick comedy than militant insurrection; masked youths running over luxury cars much to the dismay of their confused drivers and yuppies desperately diving out of the way of the oncoming mob. But make no mistake, we are dedicated to the struggle against state repression.
There was no organization behind tonight's demonstration, no front groups, no self-appointed leaders, no spokesperson, no tired ass community activists, and definitely no march organizer in tears over destroyed property (seriously, fuck that dude). There was a call posted online and a few dozen fliers handed out on the street one sunny afternoon. Anyone can organize this type of event.
The confused and uncomfortable looks of downtown businessmen were priceless: tonight the conflict came to their doorstep. They'd be wise to consider this a warning.
See you on Wednesday.
- That dude running over the BMW
At the demonstration's commencement, a panic ensued amongst downtown businesses. Store owners asked patrons to leave, pulled down riot gates to insulate commodities from the surging crowd, and locked their doors. Its obvious the news of Oakland's events is still fresh on everyone's mind.
There were police as far as the eye could see, the seemingly endless contingent of officers walking alongside the small march spanned nearly its entire length. Police motorcycles sped through traffic, and their vehicles were so abundant that they slowed rush hour Market Street traffic to a halt. The march was almost entirely surrounded, and nearly outnumbered. There is no doubt that the SFPD was prepared for a riot.
This preparation proved worthless when a group of participants decided to run full speed along the side streets of downtown, pulling trashcans and newspaper boxes into oncoming traffic, destroying prominent advertisements, spraypainting corporate facades, and lighting fires.
No arrests were incurred.
Perhaps it was more slapstick comedy than militant insurrection; masked youths running over luxury cars much to the dismay of their confused drivers and yuppies desperately diving out of the way of the oncoming mob. But make no mistake, we are dedicated to the struggle against state repression.
There was no organization behind tonight's demonstration, no front groups, no self-appointed leaders, no spokesperson, no tired ass community activists, and definitely no march organizer in tears over destroyed property (seriously, fuck that dude). There was a call posted online and a few dozen fliers handed out on the street one sunny afternoon. Anyone can organize this type of event.
The confused and uncomfortable looks of downtown businessmen were priceless: tonight the conflict came to their doorstep. They'd be wise to consider this a warning.
See you on Wednesday.
- That dude running over the BMW
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The news, and even this description above, made it sound like this was a very short demonstration that mainly involved people running through downtown.
This nicely edited video shows that a perfectly legitimate speakout rally occurred at Powell and Market.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGHtrSsNhec
This nicely edited video shows that a perfectly legitimate speakout rally occurred at Powell and Market.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGHtrSsNhec
Great, trash the property of workers in downtown Oakland, while a justice careerist in the hills pimps off you whether you like it or not.
Exactly who and what the fuck are you talking about?
Worker's property? What worker owns an office building in the financial district? What worker owns a corporate newspaper? Are you really this dumb?
Oh, and definitely don't expect anyone to give a fuck about the businesspeople who had their cars ran over, if you consider crying over luxury cars and financial district property being "class conscious" you are about as relevant to class struggle as the RCP, only a bit less coherent.
Worker's property? What worker owns an office building in the financial district? What worker owns a corporate newspaper? Are you really this dumb?
Oh, and definitely don't expect anyone to give a fuck about the businesspeople who had their cars ran over, if you consider crying over luxury cars and financial district property being "class conscious" you are about as relevant to class struggle as the RCP, only a bit less coherent.
....Good protestor/bad protestor. Speakouts are legitimate, while running in the streets is verboten. Fires on candles is good, while fires in dumpsters is bad. The demonization of angry rebellious people msut stop, just like the the killing must stop. Young black people (amongst others) are killed every day in this society. People have tried vigils and other peaceful means of redress, and they are uniformly ignored, and the killing continues. The only way to make themselves heard was to go beyond Kum-Ba-Ya. When the multi-racial crowd in Oakland rebelled, and rioted (and yes, sometimes not hitting the best of targets), the world listened. For once (altho it hasn't happened yet), a "peace" officer might get indicted on First Degree murder. For once the mayor came out to speak to the mob. (He said nothing useful, but he came.) Oscar Grant's cold-blooded murder became known worldwide. Not bad for one night in Oakland, where the the only damage to a human being was by the cops.
Now doing a support demo in another city, even one as close to Oakland as San Francisco, won't have the same effect as one in the locale itself (by the scene of the orignal crime). And yes going down Market St;. to the financial center was the way to go. This points us toward the future. We must hit them where it hurts.
Now doing a support demo in another city, even one as close to Oakland as San Francisco, won't have the same effect as one in the locale itself (by the scene of the orignal crime). And yes going down Market St;. to the financial center was the way to go. This points us toward the future. We must hit them where it hurts.
I inhaled the most acrid air in Oakland and so did folks that were perhaps not as healthy as I. The streets were slippery with garbage making it dangerous for all. Broken glass is ugly. Working-class consciousness helps here and knowledge about how our system negatively affects everyone of us. Do you know small businesses have to pay a buck to a bank every time you use a check card? Banks rip us off. I say put your cash in a credit union in protest.
This is beginning to sound like crap. Does literalism or fundamentalism strike anyone as applicable here? I think so. We live in horrible times, politically. There is so much to gain but so much at stake for the powers-to-be. No one with any sense talks like this. Is America becoming desperate? Or, are we being ensnared in garbage? I say, keep speaking up about whatever you feel. However, be careful that no one brands you as being extremist, which I feel is a word this poster is comfortable with. Peace and change benefit all.
"This is beginning to sound like crap."
No, it's not.
"Does literalism or fundamentalism strike anyone as applicable here?"
No.
"No one with any sense talks like this. "
Your post does in fact sound like the ramblings of a lunatic.
"Is America becoming desperate?"
Yes
"Or, are we being ensnared in garbage?"
What the fuck does this even mean?
"I say, keep speaking up about whatever you feel"
Ok
"However, be careful that no one brands you as being extremist, which I feel is a word this poster is comfortable with."
No one. No one. Now, doesn't this sound a bit ridiculous? How is no one going to brand someone as being extremist?
"Peace and change benefit all."
Yes, but I don't see how this is relevant. What peace is there when the police wage war against America's working class?
No, it's not.
"Does literalism or fundamentalism strike anyone as applicable here?"
No.
"No one with any sense talks like this. "
Your post does in fact sound like the ramblings of a lunatic.
"Is America becoming desperate?"
Yes
"Or, are we being ensnared in garbage?"
What the fuck does this even mean?
"I say, keep speaking up about whatever you feel"
Ok
"However, be careful that no one brands you as being extremist, which I feel is a word this poster is comfortable with."
No one. No one. Now, doesn't this sound a bit ridiculous? How is no one going to brand someone as being extremist?
"Peace and change benefit all."
Yes, but I don't see how this is relevant. What peace is there when the police wage war against America's working class?
You don't have to literally smash the state in order to change it. Yes, I am a lunatic I am on medications and see a shrink. IndyBay is a free place for people to offer feedback on issues and to write their own news. I hope people continue to do that and not worry about being insulted or sworn at. In our culture there is a thin line between being an activist and being seen as an extremist. My point is that peace and positive social and political change benefits all and is nothing to be ashamed of. It is certainly not taking on an unusual point-of-view to desire a better world. I don't people, however, that would back leftists and anarchists into a corner linguistically. It was once bad to be a communist, now it is terrorist. Like I said, our culture could easily slip on the label terrorist to folks who don't respect property by burning it or whatever. It is important to be focused and to THINK. Political change is serious business and I don't like posting here anymore anyway because it's deteriorating. What's next, SPAM?
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