Vanguard Properties smashed in the Mission

This is a fine thing -- THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN NOW! Bourgeois types in the US are not used to getting any kind of forceful opposition. Everything in this society of the spectacle is tailored to make life convenient for them -- and a little bit of the right kind of inconvenience can go a mighty long way! Stuff like this messes big time with their all-important sense of ease -- create two, three, many broken windows!

Looks like the youth of today are learning that it is best to take direct action against politically significant rather than convenient and visible targets and that being seen doing direct action and doing effective direct action are mutually exclusive.

"...being seen doing direct action and doing effective direct action are mutually exclusive."

This is what is known as a logical fallacy. That this may be true some of the time does not make it true all of the time. This sort of direct action must be highly visible to the public at large or it will have no impact.

"...that it is best to take direct action against politically significant rather than convenient and visible targets..."

Wrong again -- it's best to do both. Politically motivated vandalism is all about communication. In fact the spectre of vandalism can actually have more impact than the vandalism itself.

"Looks like the youth of today are learning..."

And how do you know how old they are, officer?

There's a narcissistic exhibitionist streak amongst recent direct action efforts in the region where the need to be seen taking ritualized sit-in or spray paint direct action against a bank or whole foods or the tear up of valencia trumps strategy. The targets are squishy and there is no appeal to or reflection of popular support. You might not think ad-populem a priority, I do and analyze accordingly.

This action appears to have struck at a crisply legitimate target, there was no ambiguity about target and message, and nobody seems to have been hurt or busted. By that measure, it was much more successful than the ritualized exhibitionist crap that we've seen recently. I hope that people take care to keep up the good work and do what they need to stay free.

I did all of my direct action back in the day, anti-apartheid, central american solidarity, actup and anti-first gulf war, the statute of limitations on all of that has long since expired. This was before the system adapted an immune response to direct action. Not only is this generation deprived of political and economic education to situate an analysis and a response, they face a much more resistant and vigilant state than we did in the 1980s and 90s.

I'm glad that the next generations are stepping up and doing what needs to be done. Thanks.

I'm writing a story for uptownalmanac.com and having reached out to Vanguard for comment wanted to reach out here as well. Please email for my phone number or use the following PGP fingerprint to find my public key for encrypting a message.

PGP fingerprint: DA7E 73EB 346C 1A28 6337 07AE C6FF 7235 2481 8A75

did it actually happen, uptown almanac. what did they say

I updated my story with a response from Vanguard's founder.

thats just what they deserve. i mean really. they've been around our community long enough to know that that kind of disregard would not go unnoticed. of course this reality company is filled with associates who clearly dont have a clue . i know from hands on experience, my exe worked for them and he truely hasnt a clue! "keep up the lousy work v.g."

tony

Anti-gentrification group claims Mission vandalism

Posted on Thursday, March 6 at 2:35pm | By Kurtis Alexander

A group that says it’s fighting gentrification in the Bay Area is claiming responsibility for vandalizing the offices of a high-end developer and housing manager in San Francisco’s Mission District.

Late Friday two windows were smashed at Vanguard Properties on the 2500 block of Mission Street, according to police. A brick appears to have been thrown through one of the windows, said San Francisco police Officer Gordon Shyy.

A person who identifies as Venceremos (meaning, “We shall overcome”) with Brigada Anti-Gentrification suggested on Indybay that the developer was targeted because it had built housing for the wealthy.

“Vanguard thought it was pretty funny to build some luxury condos on 24th, but we thought it was more funny for their property to get smashed. Vanguard thought it was pretty funny to buy foreclosed houses in Oakland and flip them at a profit. We think it’s more funny to bring the fight to the developers themselves,” the person wrote.

Protest over gentrification is not new to the Bay Area, and in a few recent cases have involved vandalism. A decade ago, the Mission Yuppie Eradication Project advocated controversial tactics.

Police have not identified any suspects in last week’s crime on Mission Street, but say they’re aware of the claims.

“Our investigators will look to see if any parties are related to the vandalism,” Shyy said.

Vanguard did not return a phone call from The Chronicle.

La Douche Sigue -- that was written like a spoiled 15 year-old.

Yeah -- nothing will "stop gentrification" like breaking a window. Dude, you're so rad and hardcore and shit! Breaking windows! What next -- spraypainting some pithy graffiti on a wall? You're SO going to save the world that way! Save the Mission for BlueBottle, $9 gourmet burritos and Bianchi Pistas!

Of course, the reality is that the "anti-gentrification" kids are just the pasty hipster reflection of what punk in the '80s was. At least back then, we were fighting against real problems (Reagan, the Contras/Ollie North, SDI, etc.) "Anti-gentrification" wouldn't've even made the top 100 issues we were concerned about. That speaks volumes about priorities nowadays.

It's laughable the way that so many of these fools harp on the Hispanic angle. News to the arrivistes: the neighborhood belonged to the Ohlone People long before the Hispanics stole it from them in the late-18th century. And after the City was built (post-1849), "the Mission" district was Irish, German and Polish; it wasn't until after WWII that the Central Americans moved in. So you can take your trendy Latinism and shove it up your nearest orifice, which would probably involve passing two sphincters.

Apparently, Vanguard Properties has been in the Mission since 1986, which is before most of these idiot hipsters were even born. Most of the "anti-gentrification" thugs arrived in SF within the last 5 years, despite their posturing like they're the saviors of their homeland.

Finally, it's telling to see who considers themselves fellow travelers with these oiks: a perusal of the Facebook page for attendees of the "Mission Anti-Gentrification Block Party" turns up one example after another of the entitled -- a guy in the Creative Writing program at Cal, a "barrista" at Peet's, a prep school girl now at MIT, a RISD alumnus and so on. Yeah, nothing says "anti-gentrification" like an expensive private education and gourmet coffee. /SMDH

LAUGHABLY lame.