St. Paul on May Day

March 30, 2012 at 3:38 pm.

Categories: Open Mic

By my understanding the St.Paul principles call for a separation in time and space of diverse tactics. How can one know , or reasonably expect, that such separation has been agreed to by the black bloc. Or to raise this another way will OO attempt to create such separation. I found it curious that the announcements of no shields, no masks, etc. for he Pacific Steel Workers march have not lead us to realize that such protection should also be extended to children, seniors, non documented protesters etc in every march.
It’s spring, time of rebirth, let us distance OO movement, with all its unimaginable potential, from the same old (often ritual) street violence. We need to have a clear contrast between police violence and protester non violence. As this over abused populace sees
their peaceful advocates being brutalized by state terrorists our numbers will swell to the point where we will have significant, effective power.

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One Response to “St. Paul on May Day”

David Heatherly April 4, 2012

Where to begin? How can one expect that separation of time and place have been agreed to by the “black bloc”? To start with, we should use more accurate language. Rather than saying essentially, “Will the black bloc show up?” we should rather be saying, “Will people decide to block up, and for which actions?”

It might surprise you to discover that people who participate in “black bloc” tactics don’t have any more desire to be attacked or snitched-on by the peace police than the PP have a desire to see windows smashed on the march with kids and undocumented workers. So why aren’t you also equally asking the question, “If there is a march with a broader range of tactics in the early afternoon, will the peace police show up?” Or will they also respect diversity of tactics?

This “clear line” you say that you need between violent police and non-violent protester…. do you expect the undercover cops to stay on the other side of the line as well?

And this scenario you describe where the general population, so inspired by seeing peaceful demonstrators attacked by police, rise up in massive numbers…. have you particularly known the people of Oakland to be inspired by sit-downs or by chanting and carrying signs? The scenario you described is where we somehow are given power by the State simply because enough people carried signs around and got arrested/beaten. What happened in Oakland with the Port Shut-downs was that the people said that we already have power, when we choose to use it.

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