DAAA Collective Year in Review 2005

D.A.A.A. Collective Year In Review: 2005

By crudo

2005 was an interesting and busy year for us here in Modesto. In some ways we came into a routine in some respects, repeating many projects that we have done in past years, and in some ways it was totally new ground, as we ventured off into various new avenues of organizing, and made new connections with our community. Bellow is a blow by blow account of our actions, organizing drives, and projects throughout the year.

January 2005

January was a very busy month for us. In one week we did perhaps two of our most important events back to back, and I must say, did well at both. The first event was doing solidarity work for the Galvan family at a protest march for Sammy Galvan, who was shot to death by the Modesto Police in August of 2004. Sammy was cooking in his room when police came and responded to a domestic call, and then proceeded to shoot him numerous times. Police claim that he threatened them with his cooking instrument, but witnesses in the neighborhood state that Sammy make no threatening moves. The relationship between the collective and the Galvan family grew after meeting with them several times, and also providing a lot of the things that they used for their demonstration outside of the police station. The collective made flyers for the event, a large banner that was used in the front of the march, and also made up close to one third of the 60 person strong event.

Latter in the week we were back in the streets, with various other global justice activists, to protest the inauguration of President Bush. The event drew a crowd of about 90, and was complete with drums and buckets, a film showing of “We Interrupt This Empire”, and speaking from older activists who spoke on Bush and the Iraq war. About an hour into the event, we took to the streets, and held them for close to half and hour.

The “Community Alliance”, a progressive/radical newspaper out of the Fresno CA, also did a story on the collective, which can be read here at: http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/01/1712888.php

Related Reports:
http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/01/1714889.php
http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/01/1716336.php

Feb-April

February found us protesting with other animal liberation activists the Wet Seal Company, for their practice of selling fur. Also in February we were once again harassed by the Modesto Police department for distributing free literature in the downtown area, (“Anarchist Café”), and I was ticked for the offense. In response to this we launched a call in campaign to the police chief. Later all charges were dropped.

March found us in city meetings, defending Modesto Medical marijuana, and also confronting the Department of Justice, and Ceres PD, at a city meeting in the wake of the Andres Raya shootings which led to repression in the Latino community in Ceres. Along with others, we helped to disrupt the meeting, and also with others walked out.

In April, we participated in the yearly Modesto Earth Day celebration, and had a large interactive booth at the event, (booths were only $10). We had free literature, free food, a television showing various films, (including the ELF primer, perfect for Earth Day!), and also a free patch making station. We also brought back street theater that we had done at the last Earth Day, and this year introduced, “Sprawly”, the corporate sprawl monster. Sprawly interacted with people, harassed non-profits which helped the environment, and thanked groups and corporations that hurt the earth, and generally made everyone laugh. Sammy Galvan’s mother also showed up, and when local police harassed her and threatened to arrest her for handing out flyers, we did a spirited march around the park, with signs we quickly made reading, “Fuck Police Harassment”, and also telling the whole park about what the police had done that day.

Also, in February, the local newspaper, the Modesto Bee, ran a total of three articles on Critical Mass, which was organized through the collective. One night I got a call from a report who wanted to talk to me about the event, and I did so, thinking that it was off the record, only to read the story the next day, (http://www.modbee.com/local/story/10024953p-10856577c.html). However after the article came out, the collective began speaking again of putting on the ride, which lead to the writing of two more Critical Mass articles, http://www.modbee.com/local/story/10180816p-10997628c.html, http://www.modbee.com/local/story/10199338p-11014446c.html. Food Not Bombs was also featured in a small article about various programs for the homeless, (the article also featured Turlock Food Not Bombs, which is located very close to Modesto), http://www.modbee.com/local/story/9898695p-10742572c.html, a DAAA Collective member was also interviewed on Earth Day, http://www.modbee.com/local/story/10369037p-11172224c.html.

Related Reports:
http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/02/1723141.php
http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/02/1723978.php
http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/03/1724843.php
http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/03/1726343.php
http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/04/1734718.php

May - August

In the Summer, Copwatch and Anarchist café was continuing downtown, with various problems with police happening on and off. Copwatch continued, as we had successes with the public, and managed to become a trusted and common sight in Modesto’s downtown. In May, we also protested again with animal liberation activists, this time at KFC, and also brought a worker liberation/anti-urban sprawl aspect to the protests, and ended each protest by going into the stores, chanting, and passing out literature, and generally making the bosses mad, and then quickly leaving before the police came. In June we did a solidarity event for anarchist prisoner Jeff “Free” Luers, and also protested in nearby Tracey when “God Hates Fags” turned up to protest a local Gay-Straight Alliance. With pink bandanas of solidarity, and lots of free anarchist literature, we helped to create a militant and anarchist presence at the counter event.

In July we engaged in our most outgoing event to date, with our third annual “Reclaim the Parks”. The event was centered around bringing various issues facing working, poor, oppressed, and homeless people in Modesto together into one event. The event featured three free meals, free literature, a piñata that was a pig dressed up as a police officer, and finished with an unmerited march involving about 40 people. Anarchists from Fresno, the Bay Area, and Modesto were present, and also featured a round table discussion about various issues and projects going on in California. A video was made by one DAAA Collective member, and can be viewed here, http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/07/1757046.php. A Modesto Bee article was also published about it here, http://www.modbee.com/local/story/10954749p-11720310c.html. The collective launched a call in campaign after three organizers with the march were picked out of the group and ticketed.

Related Reports:
http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/05/1735746.php
http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/05/1744685.php
http://www.freefreenow.org/june2005recap.html#Modesto
http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/06/1747945.php
http://www.geocities.com/modanarcho/flyersarticles.html
http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/07/1755581.php

September - December

In September the collective joined with other community based groups to protest the Tallow Plant, which is an animal rendering facility that puts horrible smells into the surrounding community, has violated numerous environmental laws, and owes the city literately millions of dollars in various fines. In October the collective was back in front of the plant, (protests were organized every month), and landed in pictures on the front page of the Modesto Bee, along with a hard hitting critical article on the plant. That article with pictures can be viewed here, http://www.modbee.com/local/v-dp_morning/story/11354173p-12100741c.html.

Also in October, local workers at the Foster Farms chicken slaughter plant in Livingston went on strike, and we went out to the picket lines numerous times, with free food and literature. We got a good response from the workers, and people from the union asked for our information to sent us thank you notes. In November, with the help of students at Modesto Junior College, we passed out canned food, medical supplies, and literature on squatting to a mostly homeless crowd waiting to get into a free Thanksgiving dinner event in Modesto.

In December, rounding out the year we had one of our most successful events yet, when about 300 people showed up to our Really Free Market, in response to a Modesto Bee article on the event, viewed here, http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/12/1787238.php. We also began working with Ceres Copwatch, to monitor police misconduct in the Ceres area.

Related Reports:
http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/09/1766670.php
http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/10/1778675.php
http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/12/1788651.php

Ongoing Projects:

Food Not Bombs. Throughout the year we served at a total of three parks. We served at Tower Park for most of the year, and for a few months, we served at both Tower Park, and also Cesar Chavez park, also in Modesto. For several months we also served in Ceres, (right next to Modesto), at Whitmore park. Food Not Bombs picnics also included free literature on the collective, workplace organizing, squatting, know your rights info, and also information on upcoming events like Reclaim the Parks, etc.

Anarchist Café: This event included free literature, which largely was lots of pamphlets, journals, flyers, books, shirts, stickers, etc. We also usually had some type of free food item, or dumpstered goods. Anarchist Café’ took place over most of the year, and happened on Friday and Saturday nights.

Copwatch: Took place along side Anarchist Café’, and generally consisted of us keeping an eye out for police activity while doing outreach, and then if there was any, documenting that interaction, talking with people, and handing out free information on Know Your Rights type stuff. We also would go to the police station and get complaint forms for people, and also to hand out at Anarchist Café’. Happened largely every Friday and Saturday night.

Really Free Market: Started in late 05’, starting largely as a one time thing for Buy Nothing Day, turned into a weekly event. Happened every Saturday, from 1pm-3pm. Largely made up of free clothes, kids stuff, free produce and veggies, dumpstered stuff, books, etc.

In Conclusion:

We made some very good connections in our community through our organizing this year. Either with people being harassed by the police in various communities, or with people fighting various injustices like the Tallow Plant or at work. We also managed to go over very well in low key situations, like the Really Free Market or Earth Day, and we also managed to do well in the streets as militants. As we go into this new year again seasoned more than when 05’ started, we are working on new projects with new groups. In happy news, the Tallow Plant is shutting down, and Ceres Copwatch is a great success, with reports or little or no police entering the areas that are being monitored.

Picture Album of DAAA Collective:
http://photobucket.com/albums/b360/crudo/?

Personally I would also like to thank the following groups, collectives, and people for all their help with organizing going on here in Modesto, and in no particular order, (sorry if we forgot anyone):

Nick Degraff, RANCOR Collective, John M, Grayson Neighborhood Council, Industrial Workers of the World, Harjit Gill, Bruce, Industrial Worker, Green Anarchy and John Zerzan, Quiver Distro, SHAC, ARA-LA/PART, Fault Lines, Not My Government, Raum and others (for playing anarchist café‘!), Emcee Lynx, and all the bands that played benefit shows for us, Anarchist Action, Farhan, East Bay Animal Advocates, North Coast Earth First!, Crimethinc, Rolling Thunder, Modesto Peace and Life Center (for the scilla), Galvan Family, Raya Family, Social War, Sling Shot, Berkeley Copwatch, Sally M., Professor Al Smith, Sacramento Anarchists, Santa Cruz Insurrectionary Anarchy Tour, Turlock Food Not Bombs, Brad and Sandy at 106.1, Maria, Nacho, and County Rural Legal Assistance, Robert P. “The Cracker” Stanford (for the bling), Bishop, Fifth Estate, Joe and Susie, Mike Napp, California Coalition to Save “Tookie” Williams, Jim, John, Julia, and all others at Food Not Bombs, local rank n file unions members, Community Alliance, that weird photographer with the Modesto Bee with the Hendrix t-shirt, and all those that donated to help us with our projects, etc.

Extra shout out to Barbara, Barbara Kelly, who the collective helped clean her house, despite the mice infestation.

No thanks to:
Modesto Police Department, Ceres Police Department, all the other pigs in all the other cities, Modesto City Council, Mike Milich, Tallow Works, Covanta Plant, Foster Farms Inc, Modesto Bike Coalition, Modesto Bee for the misquotes, FBI, whinny and hatin liberals and leftists (you know who you are), the drunk Ceres City Council member who tore up our flyers, asshole Trader Joes workers that kick us out of the dumpster, new Jamba Juice manager, and many more!