then we can step back and talk about the tactics to make change happen. I have been somewhat fixated on the controversy about the black bloc, the whole diversity of tactics debate since the Chris Hedges cancer of black bloc challenge. My friend Austin Kelley sent along an interesting link this morning that makes the point that while we argue about a single tactic, and while we argue about diversity of tactics as if it is one thing (diversity - doesn't that mean a bunch of things?) , we neglect the strategy that ties tactics together. Here is some of what Austin sent along:

What is a demand?

“[A demand] is a goal which is not only a thing but, like capital at any moment, essentially a stage of antagonism of a social relation. Whether the [demand] we win will be a victory or a defeat depends on the force of our struggle. On that force depends whether the goal is an occasion for capital to more rationally command our labor or an occasion for us to weaken their hold on that command. What form the goal takes when we achieve it…emerges and is in fact created in the struggle, and registers the degree of power that we reached in that struggle.”

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Thanks to Abby Zimet at Common Dreams for her thoughts about this and for running this video there.

There are reports of police assault on the occupation of Wall Street.   The first amendment grants us the right to assemble and speak out.  It's a shame that this country has so little tolerance for first amendment rights. I am reminded of the video I have seen from China when the military was streaming toward Tiananmen Square and the Chinese people flooded into the streets to slow the military, they pleaded with the soldiers to join the protest, to side with the people. The pleas were not heard. It's going to be hard for the protestors who occupy Wall Street to reach the police who are ordered to come in and disperse the crowds, but things change when the shock troops of the empire hear the message that peace, freedom, equality, justice are not always compatible with order.   We have to reach across the lines and ask the police to choose constitutional freedoms over order.

It's a live feed, for as long as it lasts or as long as they loop the footage, so the activity and engagement level varies depending on what is going on at any given moment, but thought I would embed the video in case you want to plug in for a minute or two and "be present at this moment" in the Wall Street occupation.

Watch live streaming video from globalrevolution at livestream.com

I think it's fair to say that the corporate media coverage of this real occupation is very slight, but they will jump and run to cover a tea party event funded by right wing plutocrats. Connect the dots, Kemosabe. Catapult the propaganda.

Activists tell Zim - Israeli ships not welcome in Vancouver

August 24, 2010

Vancouver – Locally-based activists, called out by the Boycott Israeli Apartheid Coalition (BIAC), are mounting a picket line at the Port of Vancouver's Delta Port facility at Roberts Bank, south of Vancouver, as part of a mounting international campaign to put pressure on the government of Israel.

The Israeli ship Djibouti, owned by Zim, one of the ten largest shipping companies in the world, is scheduled to land at Delta Port at 7:00 a.m. this morning.

“The behaviour of the Israeli government has been going from bad to worse,” explained BIAC spokesperson Gordon Murray. “We are going to be out there today to tell Zim and other Israeli companies that their business won't be allowed to continue normally as long as Israel's blockade on Gaza continues,” he said.

“Israel has been behaving as a rogue government,” said Mike Krebs, the other BIAC spokesperson for the demonstration. “People from Vancouver are coming out to emulate actions that have already been taken in South Africa, Scandinavia, India and Oakland, California, where Israeli ships have been prevented from unloading their cargo in a normal manner.”

“Israel has been violating international law and acting with impunity for far too long,” Murray said. “It's obvious to us that they won't change their behaviour unless their forced to,” he concluded.


For more information contact:
Gordon Murray
Phone: 604-727-3542 (cell)

Mike Krebs
Phone: 604-779-7430 (cell)

http://www.sources.com/Releases/NR959.htm

The jury returned what I think is a disappointing verdict in the case of State v. Imani. Imani was arrested in August of 2008 when she entered highway exit ramp 120 off of Southbound I-5 (which is near the main-gate to Fort Lewis.) Imani entered the roadway in an effort to resist aggression of the US government.
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Although the Jury verdict was disappointing, I think it is reasonable to consider Imani as a winner. It seems to me that she was a winner when, in a courageous act of conscience, she stood in the way of the war machine. Her's was an attempt to prevent harm, an attempt to save lives. It was not a criminal act, and the state was wrong to prosecute her for acting in principle.

Several witnesses for the defense gave very compelling testimony in support of Imani's act. Whether Imani acted out of privilege, right, or duty and obligation, it is clear that she acted in a way so as to resist the conduct aggression by the government of the USA.

Among several brilliant testimonials was that of Mr. Daniel Ellsberg, who talked about his life and experience: ranging from education at Harvard, to service in the Marine Corps, to consulting with the White House and State Department, to releasing the Pentagon Papers, which detailed incriminating documents, documents that showed the invasion and occupation of Vietnam by the US government constituted aggression, and was therefore illegal under the law.

[now updated with photo link to the Dow Chemical Golden Skeleton.]

April 26, 2010 — Olympia, Washington

The South Puget Sound Community College student group B.R.I.C.K. (Building Resistance by Increasing Community Knowledge) hosted Andy Bichlbaum of the Yes Men at the Capitol Theatre.

The Yes Men are composed of Andy B. and Mike Bonanno. During the presentation, Andy mostly talked about what the Yes Men have done, how they work, and also about their recent film, The Yes Men Fix the World.
Andy Bichlbaum of The Yes Men
at the Capitol Theatre in Olympia Washington

"Israeli apartheid and occupation isn't going to end by itself - it will end when it becomes ungovernable and unmanageable." Anarchists Against the Wall was established in 2003 in response to Israel’s construction of the Separation Wall on Palestinian land in the Occupied West Bank. Activity began with a four-month protest tent in Mas’ha, where the wall was to leave 96% of the Palestinian village's land on the Israeli side. AATW continues to work with Palestinians in joint popular struggle and, throughout the West Bank. Efforts are coordinated through local Palestinian villages’ popular committees and are essentially Palestinian led. Anarchists Against the Wall believe it their duty as Israeli citizens to resist immoral policies and actions carried out in their name. “We believe that it is possible to do more than demonstrate inside Israel or participate in humanitarian relief actions. It is time to physically oppose the bulldozers, the army and the occupation.” Polokow will discuss the work of AATW and his own experiences in solidarity with Palestinians in villages in the West Bank. Under occupation law, people are indicted for simply participating in demonstrations and AATW activists are faced with mounting legal expenses to cover defense in Israeli courts. Donations in the evening are suggested to help meet legal costs for Palestinians and Israelis arrested in the course of non-violent protests against the Separation Wall being built on Palestinian land. Events will be held at Evergreen from 12pm to 1:30pm in Sem II room D1105 and at Traditions Cafe from 7pm to 8:30pm Sponsored at Evergreen by Students Educating Students About the Middle East, OMJP and Political Economy of the Media. Sponsored at Traditions Cafe by OMJP and the Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice.

More information about protest and repression in St. Paul around the RNC.

MEDIA ADVISORY September, 4, 2008

For Immediate Release:

Contingent of Lawyers, Activists, and Media Take Concerns of Police Brutality at RNC to Mayor Coleman's Office

- WHAT: Attempt to meet with Mayor Chris Coleman about escalation of police brutality in St. Paul

- WHO: Lawyers, activists, and members of the media

- WHEN: September 4, 2008 @ 4:00 p.m.

- WHERE: St. Paul Mayor's Office, 15 W. Kellogg Blvd.

Police violence has not been limited to the streets. The Coldsnap Legal Collective, providing support to people arrested at the RNC, has received numerous reports of abuse in the jails. In addition to widespread denial of medical attention, multiple people have been brutalized by Sheriff's Deputies inside their cells. At a press conference earlier today, recently released activist Elliot Hughes made statements that while in jail he had a bag placed over his head, a gag in his mouth, and was beaten to unconsciousness by multiple correctional officers.

The USNS Brittin arrived early on July 29 in the Port of Tacoma. This is a large medium speed roll-on, roll-off ship which last visited Olympia in November of 2007. You might recall some controversy over that visit. We do not yet know if it is bringing back the 4th/2nd Stryker Brigade, or the 864th Engineers.

Olympia PMR contingency is to meet at 3PM at Media Island to decide how to handle such a confirmed ship arrival. Media Island is at 816 Adams Street, in downtown Olympia.