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George Floyd Solidarity in the Bay Area: Representation and Power
This is a critique of weaponized identity politics used to silence rebels and gain political capital.
George Floyd Solidarity in the Bay Area:
Representation and Power
“We must never forget that the insurrectionary project belongs to the masses alone; organizers help it-leaders betray it.” - Raoul Vaneigm
This is an open letter to provoke an alternative political position to the weaponized authoritarian use of identity politics. Self-pronounced leaders in the Bay Area have tried to insinuate that anyone who desires conflict with the police after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis are “White people [who] DON’T get to use Black pain to justify living out riot fantasies.” As if the real white fantasy isn’t people of color policing their own behavior in order to save the white supremacist society from being destroyed. This is an old trick that is worth being exposed, again.
Power operates through representation. In court it’s “the people” vs. the defendant, the state purports to represent all people against the criminal activity of an individual. In movements it’s the leaders who pretend to represent us when saying it’s not time or it’s not safe for us to revolt, usually hiding behind the vulnerability and power of the uncontrollable youth of color. They mediate our rage in order to gain a seat at the table of power. They are aspiring politicians. This type of power, similar to state power, operates on false binaries. George W. Bush told us “you’re either with us, or with the terrorists” and the movement leaders tell us “you’re either peaceful or you’re a provocateur”, or in this case they weaponize identity politics for obedience to their ideology: “you do what we say or you’re white.” They erase the rage of people of color because they cannot gain power from us. Since it is impossible to choose between such ridiculous choices “we are led into the realm of tolerance and relativity that is so dear to the bourgeoisie” ( Vaneigm, 1967). We are forced to choose a side where in the end, hierarchical power remains intact, and thus the ruling order only changes in branding.
As insurrectionary anarchists of color it’s important to demystify a few facts: 1.) when the youth of color decided to take the 580 freeway on 5/28/20 it wasn’t movement leaders they called for support- it was us, because we love their rage and want nothing but for them to be successful and safe. After all it’s because of our failures that they live in a world where police continue to murder with impunity, yet movement leaders are constantly drowning out their grief, rage, and agency with calls to give peace a chance, all in the name of same youth they are repressing. Representation is impossible with an uncontrollable force, because it is not legible or respectable, it can’t get you votes or make you look good on the internet. In this particular case the “leaders” are visibly out of touch with what is actually happening in the street 2.) Our political desire is not to consolidate power through identity politics. The nationalist failures at decolonization revealed that the colonial structures of the state and racial identity as a whole must be abolished in order to gain our freedom. Categories are only useful in analytically understanding power, but I am not only my oppression. It is not an essential characteristic of my being; my love for my comrades is, my desire for total freedom is, the joy I receive in rebellion during upheaval is. Until all the prison doors are open, and the border comes crashing down, we’ll see you on the barricades.
Representation and Power
“We must never forget that the insurrectionary project belongs to the masses alone; organizers help it-leaders betray it.” - Raoul Vaneigm
This is an open letter to provoke an alternative political position to the weaponized authoritarian use of identity politics. Self-pronounced leaders in the Bay Area have tried to insinuate that anyone who desires conflict with the police after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis are “White people [who] DON’T get to use Black pain to justify living out riot fantasies.” As if the real white fantasy isn’t people of color policing their own behavior in order to save the white supremacist society from being destroyed. This is an old trick that is worth being exposed, again.
Power operates through representation. In court it’s “the people” vs. the defendant, the state purports to represent all people against the criminal activity of an individual. In movements it’s the leaders who pretend to represent us when saying it’s not time or it’s not safe for us to revolt, usually hiding behind the vulnerability and power of the uncontrollable youth of color. They mediate our rage in order to gain a seat at the table of power. They are aspiring politicians. This type of power, similar to state power, operates on false binaries. George W. Bush told us “you’re either with us, or with the terrorists” and the movement leaders tell us “you’re either peaceful or you’re a provocateur”, or in this case they weaponize identity politics for obedience to their ideology: “you do what we say or you’re white.” They erase the rage of people of color because they cannot gain power from us. Since it is impossible to choose between such ridiculous choices “we are led into the realm of tolerance and relativity that is so dear to the bourgeoisie” ( Vaneigm, 1967). We are forced to choose a side where in the end, hierarchical power remains intact, and thus the ruling order only changes in branding.
As insurrectionary anarchists of color it’s important to demystify a few facts: 1.) when the youth of color decided to take the 580 freeway on 5/28/20 it wasn’t movement leaders they called for support- it was us, because we love their rage and want nothing but for them to be successful and safe. After all it’s because of our failures that they live in a world where police continue to murder with impunity, yet movement leaders are constantly drowning out their grief, rage, and agency with calls to give peace a chance, all in the name of same youth they are repressing. Representation is impossible with an uncontrollable force, because it is not legible or respectable, it can’t get you votes or make you look good on the internet. In this particular case the “leaders” are visibly out of touch with what is actually happening in the street 2.) Our political desire is not to consolidate power through identity politics. The nationalist failures at decolonization revealed that the colonial structures of the state and racial identity as a whole must be abolished in order to gain our freedom. Categories are only useful in analytically understanding power, but I am not only my oppression. It is not an essential characteristic of my being; my love for my comrades is, my desire for total freedom is, the joy I receive in rebellion during upheaval is. Until all the prison doors are open, and the border comes crashing down, we’ll see you on the barricades.
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Please quote accurately. The statement supports a diversity of tactics, it just cautions about setting fires during a respiratory pandemic.
It is cut and pasted below
“EMERGENCY COMMUNIQUE
Anti Police-Terror Project
George Floyd’s Murder: Hitting the Streets of Oakland and Wanting a World Worth Fighting For
An anonymous group has called for a display of “vengeance” Friday night beginning at Oscar Grant Plaza at 8pm in response to the murder of George Floyd.
If you are watching what’s unfolding in Minneapolis, you may be wondering why people break social distancing guidelines to protest police violence. The Minneapolis Police Department, like police departments across the country, have a long and bloody history in the killing of Black bodies including Jamar Clark and Philando Castille. And here in the Bay Area, we are still reeling from the murder of Steven Taylor in San Leandro and the shooting of one Black and one Chicano men by the Hayward Police Department in the last seven days.
What is the risk of catching a virus when you are told continuously that your life doesn’t matter and can be stolen from you at any time? The risk in the minds of many Black and Brown people is worth it. Rightly so, we feel enough is enough and post this pandemic, we want a world worth fighting for. One where there is a semblance of justice. One where our lives actually do matter. It’s a conundrum because we want to live but, also, we want to live.
Oakland’s Black and Latinx residents are experiencing the largest brunt of COVID-19’s devastating effects. We are being infected and dying at higher rates than any other population. COVID-19 is a disease that attacks the lungs. Weakened lungs lead to more serious symptoms and more fatalities. Be clear that the Oakland Police Department will not consider that fact before spraying the crowd with tear gas which wreaks havoc on respiratory systems. Conversely, from the standpoint of many, it wasn’t COVID-19 that stopped George Floyd’s breath Monday night, it was the knee of Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin—we are clear we need to protect lives on multiple levels.
To the organizers behind Friday’s 8pm demonstration, we ask that you consider the potential impact of burning things. In all neighborhoods of Oakland, there are people with vulnerable conditions who have contracted, or are likely to contract, COVID-19 and whose lives hang in the balance. Even if they do not attend your rally, smoke from what you burn will travel and it will do harm.
We want people to be as safe as possible. Here are some suggestions for anyone thinking of attending tomorrow’s demonstration:
1. Bring extra masks and hand sanitizer for others at the protest that don’t have them.
2. Maintain 6 feet of social distancing at all times
2. Attend with a protest buddy. Stay together and have the National Lawyers Guild Legal Hotline 415.285.1011 written on your arm in case you are arrested. Let your buddy know who to contact if you are.
A. If you are taken to Santa Rita, document conditions there—we have reports of COVID spreading and sanitation supplies not being readily available. There have been more cases of COVID in Santa Rita than the whole city of Livermore. Be aware of the health implications of being arrested, both for you and your community.
B. If you are Black or Brown and are arrested, please let the National Lawyers Guild know when you call. The Anti Police-Terror Project has bail funds and will work through the night to get you home.
3. Breaking the Shelter In Place (SIP) order has serious legal implications—it can result in a misdemeanor, punishable by jail time or a large fine—in some cases $600 to $1000—that is selectively enforced. Know this and be aware of the consequences of being in the streets if you see cops writing tickets or closing in on you.
We are also calling on street medics and legal observers to be in the streets in full force to deliver mutual aid to the people in what will surely be a violent attack on our community by the Oakland Police Department. We must be the ones who take care of us.
Alternatively, The Anti Police-Terror Project led by the most impacted communities, will be holding actions this weekend that include mutual aid for Black and Brown people tomorrow night, a virtual vigil on Saturday afternoon and a car caravan for #georgefloyd and #breonnataylor on Sunday at 3:00 pm. Please check the APTP FB page for details.
Additionally, Black Oakland youth have made a call out for a demonstration Monday at 4pm beginning at Oakland Tech and on June 3rd there is another demonstration in SF at Mission High". Please share these suggestions with our young people and show up to provide mutual aid to them as well.
It is cut and pasted below
“EMERGENCY COMMUNIQUE
Anti Police-Terror Project
George Floyd’s Murder: Hitting the Streets of Oakland and Wanting a World Worth Fighting For
An anonymous group has called for a display of “vengeance” Friday night beginning at Oscar Grant Plaza at 8pm in response to the murder of George Floyd.
If you are watching what’s unfolding in Minneapolis, you may be wondering why people break social distancing guidelines to protest police violence. The Minneapolis Police Department, like police departments across the country, have a long and bloody history in the killing of Black bodies including Jamar Clark and Philando Castille. And here in the Bay Area, we are still reeling from the murder of Steven Taylor in San Leandro and the shooting of one Black and one Chicano men by the Hayward Police Department in the last seven days.
What is the risk of catching a virus when you are told continuously that your life doesn’t matter and can be stolen from you at any time? The risk in the minds of many Black and Brown people is worth it. Rightly so, we feel enough is enough and post this pandemic, we want a world worth fighting for. One where there is a semblance of justice. One where our lives actually do matter. It’s a conundrum because we want to live but, also, we want to live.
Oakland’s Black and Latinx residents are experiencing the largest brunt of COVID-19’s devastating effects. We are being infected and dying at higher rates than any other population. COVID-19 is a disease that attacks the lungs. Weakened lungs lead to more serious symptoms and more fatalities. Be clear that the Oakland Police Department will not consider that fact before spraying the crowd with tear gas which wreaks havoc on respiratory systems. Conversely, from the standpoint of many, it wasn’t COVID-19 that stopped George Floyd’s breath Monday night, it was the knee of Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin—we are clear we need to protect lives on multiple levels.
To the organizers behind Friday’s 8pm demonstration, we ask that you consider the potential impact of burning things. In all neighborhoods of Oakland, there are people with vulnerable conditions who have contracted, or are likely to contract, COVID-19 and whose lives hang in the balance. Even if they do not attend your rally, smoke from what you burn will travel and it will do harm.
We want people to be as safe as possible. Here are some suggestions for anyone thinking of attending tomorrow’s demonstration:
1. Bring extra masks and hand sanitizer for others at the protest that don’t have them.
2. Maintain 6 feet of social distancing at all times
2. Attend with a protest buddy. Stay together and have the National Lawyers Guild Legal Hotline 415.285.1011 written on your arm in case you are arrested. Let your buddy know who to contact if you are.
A. If you are taken to Santa Rita, document conditions there—we have reports of COVID spreading and sanitation supplies not being readily available. There have been more cases of COVID in Santa Rita than the whole city of Livermore. Be aware of the health implications of being arrested, both for you and your community.
B. If you are Black or Brown and are arrested, please let the National Lawyers Guild know when you call. The Anti Police-Terror Project has bail funds and will work through the night to get you home.
3. Breaking the Shelter In Place (SIP) order has serious legal implications—it can result in a misdemeanor, punishable by jail time or a large fine—in some cases $600 to $1000—that is selectively enforced. Know this and be aware of the consequences of being in the streets if you see cops writing tickets or closing in on you.
We are also calling on street medics and legal observers to be in the streets in full force to deliver mutual aid to the people in what will surely be a violent attack on our community by the Oakland Police Department. We must be the ones who take care of us.
Alternatively, The Anti Police-Terror Project led by the most impacted communities, will be holding actions this weekend that include mutual aid for Black and Brown people tomorrow night, a virtual vigil on Saturday afternoon and a car caravan for #georgefloyd and #breonnataylor on Sunday at 3:00 pm. Please check the APTP FB page for details.
Additionally, Black Oakland youth have made a call out for a demonstration Monday at 4pm beginning at Oakland Tech and on June 3rd there is another demonstration in SF at Mission High". Please share these suggestions with our young people and show up to provide mutual aid to them as well.
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