Community Alliance Article on DAAA Collective

“Anarchism is based on the idea that organization does not require rulers— that people can get together and deal with all the problems facing them without an authority directing them. Only for those who think that the only way to organize is to have a boss giving orders, does “anarchy” mean “chaos.” -—from “Anarchists… What We Stand For” (Direct Action Anti-Authoritarians handout)

If I were to say that Modesto, California, is a wellspring of anarchist activity, what assumptions could be drawn? One could assume Modesto is subject to vandalism and random violence. But this would only be an assumption. The fact of the matter is that these anarchist activities include support for the impoverished, labor solidarity, ethical ecology and information for the disfranchised.

Direct Action Anti-Authoritarians (DAAA), based in Modesto, is an affinity group that focuses on anti-hierarchal community building. Operating without leadership or rules, they strive to improve the quality of life for all in their community through mutual aid and education. Given the stereotypes associated with anarchism, here are some definitions to help shed light on a rather convoluted subject. The following are quotes taken from the DAAA outreach leaflet:

Direct Action: “Direct action is about empowering people, it’s about breaking from dependency on others to run our lives. Direct action is any sort of action that works to directly stop or change something.”

Anti-Authoritarianism: “When we think about the core values of this country that we treasure and love: freedom, democracy, autonomy, it becomes clear that none of these things exist within the current capitalist landscape. There’s no freedom in renting yourself out in order to survive… The things we truly strive for: creation, love, meaning, accomplishment, community, self-worth; these things are not commodities… They are only created in a social relationship that lacks hierarchy, which lacks social class, bosses, coercion, and illegitimate authority. Since we can’t find them in authoritarian structures, we’re going to have to look elsewhere.”

Open movement toward freedom from oppressive rule. Well, there we have it. This sounds rather agreeable. I spent a day with members of the DAAA collective: Doug Gilbert, 20 years old, Brian Robinson, 32, and the Rev. Terry Clancy, 17.

Food Not Bombs projects aid the less fortunate by gathering citizens to take action against waste and hunger (see <http://www.foodnotbombs.net>). DAAA has been running Food Not Bombs meals in Modesto parks, providing “a plate for the system’s waste, and a banner and platform for the poor to organize under.” FNB is a movement without central leadership or direction that feeds the poor without incentive or religious affiliation, and gives the poor and homeless a place to organize and make their needs known and harder to overlook. Food gathered by FNB is liberated from the stigma of being “trash,” taken because it was otherwise discarded by less appreciating establishments (i.e., through dumpster-diving and donations). Trash from area dumpsters is reappraised and made into hot vegetarian meals available to all.

On a Saturday, one of the days the DAAA feeds in Cesar Chavez Park in Modesto, I lent a hand and helped them prepare that day’s meal. Carmella: “Where do you guys get the food for the feedings?” Rev. Terry: “Trader Joe’s dumpster. Every day’s like Christmas!” Every day, perfectly edible food is thrown out by supermarkets and restaurants. Doug: “And a friend of ours works in a bakery and gives us what they would normally throw away.”

One person’s waste is another person’s subsistence. DAAA hosted a “Really Free Market” and offered free food and clothing on Nov. 26 (Buy Nothing Day) at a busy intersection. Items were donated, traded, and given away: food, blankets, clothes, diapers, and toys were among the many items. DAAA counted the event a success. As indybay.org reported, “All in all, an autonomous zone, although short, was sustained beneath the trees in a corporate shopping mall, not only through the work of an anarchist collective, but mostly with the help of a community that directly saw the benefit in sharing over competition, and solidarity over class division.” Unfortunately this sort of compassion is rare. Rev. Terry: “We’re an oddity to [the people fed]. ‘What church are you with?’ ‘Is this community service?’ ‘You’re not getting paid?’ ”

The homeless are constantly harassed by local police and fined for numerous dubious offenses, then subsequently driven from a town because they can’t afford to pay the fines. Food Not Bombers are chased from one park to the next by cops and local establishments because no one wants to “attract more homeless.”

DAAA responded to continued harassment by police and complaints from a local church that shared space with the park they were feeding in. Someone from the church had a car broken into, and blame was instantly placed on the homeless, although evidence pointed to a petty thief.

Doug: The situation was that the church called the police, lied about the situation, and the police turned around and told the Good Samaritans, (church group), to leave. They didn't say anything directly to us, although the church did ask the police through petitions to get rid of us and other people who feed in the park. Brian: “Because they said there was ‘too much vandalism,’ ” he scoffs, giving the reason that the police gave the Good Samaritans for making them leave the park in response to the stolen purse.

DAAA has taken the initiative to “Reclaim the Parks” with an occupation in Tower Park complete with feedings and “Know Your Rights” education. In August of last year DAAA helped organize a protest march of homeless and activists from Tower Park to Graceada Park.

DAAA gave voice to many of the concerns of local homeless that turned to the “aid” of Modesto Mission. Thanks to Modesto bylaws, there’s no alternative shelter, despite repeated complaints of compulsory church service attendance, the strict enforcement of sex separation—men and women are kept apart from friends, family, and lovers, and being caught breaking the rules means expulsion—and repression of alternative religious views. A letter enumerating their concerns was published and sent to Modesto Mission, inviting the mission to meet with them to address the issues. (Find that letter at http://www.ainfos.ca/03/jul/ainfos00131.html.)

Sadly, some who were deterred by other homeless organizations from joining the protest were instructed to voice their grievances through “the proper channels” because it’s best not to ‘rock the boat’.

DAAA also lends its help to the organization of workers. DAAA supports Stockton truckers organizing under Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), showing solidarity for strikers and cheering them on as they’ve gained nearly 70% of their demands. The IWW truckers demanded that the DAAA supporters stick around after a day of picketing during the strike when pizza showed up. Unity means friendship: Rev. Terry (to Doug): “Remember how they made us eat with them? They were really grateful.”

Downtown Modesto, like most urban areas, is full of fun-seeking youth and panhandlers trying to get by—particularly on weekends. This poses a problem when these people stand in contrast to an image that business and local government are trying to project. The police have made it a policy to intervene with their “round ‘em up, scare ‘em out” policy, and this is where Anarchist Café comes in.

Anarchist Café sets up against an empty wall in downtown Modesto between a Jamba Juice and a Starbucks. There, DAAA provides free information about injustice and self-empowerment against oppression, and conversation (about everything from anarchy to religion to neo-conservatism to pop music), flyers and zines covering everything to organizing in the workplace, to newest copy of ’Green Anarchy’, and free snacks. Brian: “Some of their customers complain [about our presence], but the employees of Jamba Juice usually defend us. They’re really cool with us. There’s this one guy that works there who raises his fist and says ‘Freedom of speech!’ He’s awesome.” “Cool! Donuts!” comments a young passerby. “Can I get one?” Doug: “Yeah. Everything you see here is free for you to take. The information is free, but we have to ask for a $5 donation for the shirts.”

DAAA procured donuts discarded from the local Krispy Kreme. Rev. Terry: “We try to have some kind of free food every week.” The aforementioned shirts are do-it-yourself-style silk screens using stencils made by DAAA to raise awareness and revenue needed for small purchases for the group’s various causes; for instance, and most obviously, to make more shirts. The designs include stencils from http://www.notmygovernment.com, (a collective friend in the bay area), and PETA. Slogans include “Oink, Oink. Stay in Line!” and “Meat = Murder.” A shirt showing unity for the Zapatista movement depicts a masked Zapatista peering over “EZLN” in block lettering.

“Copwatch” is a part of the Café and DAAA’s public activity. The group carries a video camera “just in case,” to monitor the activities of local cops, and try to record arrests and general police harassment. Kids who have gotten to know the group and what they’re about report potential harassment to DAAA. Rev. Terry: “Once I caught [the cops] arresting a homeless man. So, I started filming it. They yelled at me and told me I was violating Penal Code 148. We didn’t know what that was at the time. We know now that it’s interfering with an arrest, and we weren’t breaking any laws by observing an arrest. They detained me and lectured me. It was like an hour of dumb cop talk.”

After spending the day with people with whom I began to identify with personally and politically, I began to wonder what brought them to allegedly extreme conclusions and direct action. Carmella: “So why anarchy?” Doug: “Anarchy strives for a higher standard of living for everyone, while at the same time maximizing personal freedom, and creating a better community and ‘work’ environment. It advocates a horizontal structure of decision-making that includes everyone. Local solutions for local problems. Environmentalism is essential to the movement. Rev. Terry: “I’ve always been critical. Anarchy is open and we all have a part. Most ‘liberal’ action works within a system that perpetuates what liberals are supposed to be against. Anarchy just makes sense. Mutual consensus and aid works on both large and small levels.” Brian: “I don’t consider myself an anarchist. Well, I guess I am, but I don’t like labels. I saw what was wrong and I’m trying to do something about it. Eventually I just saw that this (anti-authoritarian) is the way I always was.”

DAAA sees the dismantling of authoritarian rule as the means to meet a higher standard of living, in opposition to the idle wishing of Central Valley towns for a Nordstrom’s or an Ikea (as if our problems will be solved through more consumer culture). The betterment of a community depends on the health and contentment of all its citizens—and DAAA Modesto is working to build a community of mutual aid and independence governed by a real social contract. They, and those like them all over the world, are working to raise the standard of living locally, and networking to cultivate solidarity globally.