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An open letter to the Bay Area Anarchist Community
An open letter to the Bay Area Anarchist Community
I have been part of a lot the demonstration against the Marine recruiters in Berkeley; in some of them I demonstrated waterboarding, showing people that waterboarding is torture. I’m an Anarchist, but I was very disappointed to not see any anarchists participate in shutting down the recruiting office. Shouldn’t we be part of eliminating the ways in which the state preys on kids to solicit them to next war for rich? Shouldn’t Anarchists in the bay-area be at the front of the campaign to close the local-forces of the state? In many other cities Anarchists has tried and were part of challenging the local army recruiters, what the fuck is the bay-area anarchist community doing to confront this shit?
Look, I don’t agree with a lot of the politics of Code Pink, World Can’t Wait, the RCP, etc., but engaging in direct anti-recruitment action is profoundly important right now, whether your agenda is anarchist, communist, or socialist.
Fuck state power! And let’s be clear, the right wing groups like A Gathering of Eagles, and Move America Forward, are not only all about state power, but they want state power to be used to crush us. They represent the most reactionary elements of the state which support the most disgusting acts performed by “our troops,” from the bombing of Falluja to the torture of Iraqi civilians, to supporting the mercenary pigs of Blackwater.
You can argue that world can’t wait, Answer, and code pink are authoritarian groups, but who do you see wielding the ax at your throat the most, right now as you read these words? What is needed right now is direct confrontation of these right-wing assholes who are coming to our area, in order to silence and keep us in line (oink!). Think what great advancement and opportunities will come if the Marine station closes down, we can already see the great amount of debate and polarization that is happening just by challenging the existence of one military recruitment center. Let’s turn up the heat!!!
Are we just going to passively sit here and allow these right wing political Nazis, to come to Berkeley and enforce their will on us? Let’s shut down the recruiting office, and mobilize people to shut down the war machine, which will only make the March 19 action more effective.
Monday, Feb 11, from 7:00 p.m. to Tuesday Feb 12, 7 p.m. a vigil in front of the Berkeley City Council, the right wing groups are going to be there all day.
Look, I don’t agree with a lot of the politics of Code Pink, World Can’t Wait, the RCP, etc., but engaging in direct anti-recruitment action is profoundly important right now, whether your agenda is anarchist, communist, or socialist.
Fuck state power! And let’s be clear, the right wing groups like A Gathering of Eagles, and Move America Forward, are not only all about state power, but they want state power to be used to crush us. They represent the most reactionary elements of the state which support the most disgusting acts performed by “our troops,” from the bombing of Falluja to the torture of Iraqi civilians, to supporting the mercenary pigs of Blackwater.
You can argue that world can’t wait, Answer, and code pink are authoritarian groups, but who do you see wielding the ax at your throat the most, right now as you read these words? What is needed right now is direct confrontation of these right-wing assholes who are coming to our area, in order to silence and keep us in line (oink!). Think what great advancement and opportunities will come if the Marine station closes down, we can already see the great amount of debate and polarization that is happening just by challenging the existence of one military recruitment center. Let’s turn up the heat!!!
Are we just going to passively sit here and allow these right wing political Nazis, to come to Berkeley and enforce their will on us? Let’s shut down the recruiting office, and mobilize people to shut down the war machine, which will only make the March 19 action more effective.
Monday, Feb 11, from 7:00 p.m. to Tuesday Feb 12, 7 p.m. a vigil in front of the Berkeley City Council, the right wing groups are going to be there all day.
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So... I take it you came from somewhere else to America to preach your idiocy as English is obviously not your first language. Yes it is an easy shot, but if it is there, I'm going to take it.
The minutemen are planning a counter demonstration this Friday at the marine recruiting station. Might be a good time for the anarchists to get involved.
Hola. Please give no thought whatsoever to that person (who must be on drugs) who complained about your language and spelling. Both are fine. I understood everything you said and I didn't see any typos.
And I agree with you. Unfortunately, I can't come to Berkeley otherwise I would be there for the protests.
I certainly understand your frustration.
The reality is that the "progressive movement" is dead. Talk show host Mike Malloy---who is a Dem koolaid drinker depending upon what night one listens to him---said the same thing last week, I believe it was....that the "progressive movement" is dead. I've thought the same thing for some time.
In the big scheme of things, there's just a handful of people who are "activists" today. Many people have frankly just given up and it's easy to understand why since progressives have no representation in DC today. We are ignored.
On so-called "progressive" websites it's about 25-50 people or so who posts repeatedly and they go from one website to another, some often using the same screen name. But some if not many of those who posts on message boards don't do anything other than write posts. They are solely keyboard "activists." One can't get them to go to a protest unfortunately because that would require something other than sitting on their ass and typing. I go to the protests in San Francisco (where I live) but other than that I can't travel.
I agreed with the original decision made by the Berkeley City Council. But, like typical so-called "liberals" of today, of course they would have to cave in to the right-wing trash. It's a given that so-called "liberal" politicians will cave. It's what I've come to expect from them. We've seen this over and over and over from the bush-enabling trash in the US Congress who pretend to be something of a "liberal" or who have a reputation of such. The scum.
Caving is a requirement is seems for so-called "liberal" politicians. We wouldn't be seeing some right-wing trash politician caving in to a "liberal" or "progressive"...that's for damn sure. When does that ever happen?!
Hopefully many people will get up off their ass and show up for the protests in Berkeley to protest this despicable, spineless move by the cowards on the Berkeley City Council.
I wish you well. Thank you for protesting. Gracias.
And I agree with you. Unfortunately, I can't come to Berkeley otherwise I would be there for the protests.
I certainly understand your frustration.
The reality is that the "progressive movement" is dead. Talk show host Mike Malloy---who is a Dem koolaid drinker depending upon what night one listens to him---said the same thing last week, I believe it was....that the "progressive movement" is dead. I've thought the same thing for some time.
In the big scheme of things, there's just a handful of people who are "activists" today. Many people have frankly just given up and it's easy to understand why since progressives have no representation in DC today. We are ignored.
On so-called "progressive" websites it's about 25-50 people or so who posts repeatedly and they go from one website to another, some often using the same screen name. But some if not many of those who posts on message boards don't do anything other than write posts. They are solely keyboard "activists." One can't get them to go to a protest unfortunately because that would require something other than sitting on their ass and typing. I go to the protests in San Francisco (where I live) but other than that I can't travel.
I agreed with the original decision made by the Berkeley City Council. But, like typical so-called "liberals" of today, of course they would have to cave in to the right-wing trash. It's a given that so-called "liberal" politicians will cave. It's what I've come to expect from them. We've seen this over and over and over from the bush-enabling trash in the US Congress who pretend to be something of a "liberal" or who have a reputation of such. The scum.
Caving is a requirement is seems for so-called "liberal" politicians. We wouldn't be seeing some right-wing trash politician caving in to a "liberal" or "progressive"...that's for damn sure. When does that ever happen?!
Hopefully many people will get up off their ass and show up for the protests in Berkeley to protest this despicable, spineless move by the cowards on the Berkeley City Council.
I wish you well. Thank you for protesting. Gracias.
I am glad that someone from the anarchist community is willing to come out and protest along with codepink, i have been out there a few times to show support, but more radical action is needed especially from bay area anarchists.
Email me so we can touch base for future actions
Email me so we can touch base for future actions
there are anarchists organizing actions against the war. maybe not at the recruiting center, but otehr things.
check out direct action to stop the war: http://bayareadirectaction.wordpress.com/
they are planing direct action at the chevron plant in richmond.
they are also planing actions for march 19th in the city.
there is also an anti-war protest in walnut creek on march 15th.
check out direct action to stop the war: http://bayareadirectaction.wordpress.com/
they are planing direct action at the chevron plant in richmond.
they are also planing actions for march 19th in the city.
there is also an anti-war protest in walnut creek on march 15th.
Unless those at the action are required to wear their political philosophy on their sleeve, I'm curious as to how you can tell there are no "anarchists" at these protests? I agree that people, anarchist or not, should get out there. At the same time it is difficult for many as virtually all the actions are during times when most folks are at work. I suggest you talk with your fellow anarchists and hit up the local infoshops if you're concerned about this.
Anarchists are among the most factionalist of left factions, in the SFBA anyway. Have been for a long, long time. That's not slander, that's empirical observation. Of course, that won't save this particular comment from unexplained, unappealable censorship, er "hiding" I mean. Kudos to the original poster for mentioning it, though-- it's definitely among the major reasons why we don't have a lot more social impact, for all our numbers and resources here in the SFBA-- resouces in amounts that are "privileged" in comparison to almost any other anarchist "community," in North America certainly and maybe worldwide.
Many thanks to "Odesusus" for reminding that MAF et al are the same "Minutemen" antimigrante racists who staged the Oct 29 2006 Sacramento/State Capitol event promoting anti-immigrant vigilantism.
So it seems to me to be a natural for Bay Area anarchists.
I myself have v. little use for Media Benjamin, RCP, UFPJ, nor would I follow the PSL honchae around the block. Clashed repeatedly with Anarchist honchae over Oct 29, but I was there & they were there that day.
So my take is, this is United Front time. We need to put aside differences, postpone all the grudges (I have a few myself) and come together to stop these fascist nightriders from appearing in daylight.
So be there or be square.
Plenty of time for bickering etc later.
So it seems to me to be a natural for Bay Area anarchists.
I myself have v. little use for Media Benjamin, RCP, UFPJ, nor would I follow the PSL honchae around the block. Clashed repeatedly with Anarchist honchae over Oct 29, but I was there & they were there that day.
So my take is, this is United Front time. We need to put aside differences, postpone all the grudges (I have a few myself) and come together to stop these fascist nightriders from appearing in daylight.
So be there or be square.
Plenty of time for bickering etc later.
A conglomeration of liberals, stalinists, and assorted idiots a "united front"?! Don't you know that a united front is a working-class alliance of different political philosophies? A popular front (what this is) is a cross-class alliance of "progressives" who have come together to fight some larger "common enemy". Popular fronts require a squelching of political differences, a lowest common denominator that won't alienate the most timid liberal. Fuck that.
This is an interesting post. It brings up the larger question of why many anarchists have abstained from anti-war stuff in general that is organized by liberals and marxists. I guess I'm thinking of the big anti-war rallies organized by these folks, as well as the convention protests of '04. While I know that there was anarchist participation and action, anarchists didn't exactly have the same impact as they did in the anti-globalization movement, to say the least. Once again, I understand too, that anarchists have been involved in other anti-war stuff like counter-recruiting. But I don't fully understand why anarchists have conceded ground on the mass anti-war demo scene. So what if they are organized by liberals and progressives? The anti-globalization movement in North America would have been practically invisible had it not been for anarchists. Not surprisingly these mass protests, even though they involved hundreds of thousands, have been virtually invisible. On the other hand where anarchists did take signicant action such as the protests on March 19 '03 where downtown SF was shut down for 2 or 3 days or at the mass demo a while back when anarchists rushed the capitol building and did dome damage, there was alot more public exposure. I should also point out that most of the people that have shown up to the mass anti-war stuff are ordinary people angry at the war and not hardcore anti-anarchist liberal and progressive organizers. You would think this would be prime real estate for anarchists to spread their ideas. Many people would like to do something more effective than state permitted marches. And for many anarchists it was this frustration that pushed them to examine anarchy to begin with. Anarchists should keep in mind that they have every right to do what they do. We are try to stop this system from devouring the planet. Liberals and Marxists on the other hand, have no right to bully anarchists out of events, hand them over to the police, or stop them from taking action. Anarchists are the most consistently dedicated and most risk taking activists in all the major "left" (I use this term loosely) social movements - anti-globalization, anti-war, anti-GM, anti-border, evern disaster reliefe(check out articles on Common Ground) and plenty of others. Let's not concede an inch of ground to folks who's vision and stratagey will only solidify domination.
This is an interesting post. It brings up the larger question of why many anarchists have abstained from anti-war stuff in general that is organized by liberals and marxists. I guess I'm thinking of the big anti-war rallies organized by these folks, as well as the convention protests of '04. While I know that there was anarchist participation and action, anarchists didn't exactly have the same impact as they did in the anti-globalization movement, to say the least. Once again, I understand too, that anarchists have been involved in other anti-war stuff like counter-recruiting. But I don't fully understand why anarchists have conceded ground on the mass anti-war demo scene. So what if they are organized by liberals and progressives? The anti-globalization movement in North America would have been practically invisible had it not been for anarchists. Not surprisingly these mass protests, even though they involved hundreds of thousands, have been virtually invisible. On the other hand where anarchists did take signicant action such as the protests on March 19 '03 where downtown SF was shut down for 2 or 3 days or at the mass demo a while back when anarchists rushed the capitol building and did dome damage, there was alot more public exposure. I should also point out that most of the people that have shown up to the mass anti-war stuff are ordinary people angry at the war and not hardcore anti-anarchist liberal and progressive organizers. You would think this would be prime real estate for anarchists to spread their ideas. Many people would like to do something more effective than state permitted marches. And for many anarchists it was this frustration that pushed them to examine anarchy to begin with. Anarchists should keep in mind that they have every right to do what they do. We are try to stop this system from devouring the planet. Liberals and Marxists on the other hand, have no right to bully anarchists out of events, hand them over to the police, or stop them from taking action. Anarchists are the most consistently dedicated and most risk taking activists in all the major "left" (I use this term loosely) social movements - anti-globalization, anti-war, anti-GM, anti-border, evern disaster reliefe(check out articles on Common Ground) and plenty of others. Let's not concede an inch of ground to folks who's vision and stratagey will only solidify domination.
"Many people would like to do something more effective than state permitted marches."
This from the segment of the left that has never made an enduring revolution anywhere.
"Anarchists should keep in mind that they have every right to do what they do."
"Have"? The "right"? And from where does that "right" derive?
Is it a natural right, granted by God? or is it a right granted by the laws of man?
Please, elaborate.
"Liberals and Marxists on the other hand, have no right to bully anarchists out of events..."
Since when is turnabout not fair play?
This from the segment of the left that has never made an enduring revolution anywhere.
"Anarchists should keep in mind that they have every right to do what they do."
"Have"? The "right"? And from where does that "right" derive?
Is it a natural right, granted by God? or is it a right granted by the laws of man?
Please, elaborate.
"Liberals and Marxists on the other hand, have no right to bully anarchists out of events..."
Since when is turnabout not fair play?
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