Ⓐnarcho Queer • Posts Tagged ‘FTP’
There will be another “vigil, march and FTP” tonight to protest the NYPD killing of Kimani Gray. Please RSVP on Facebook and invite your NYC friends. 16 year old Kimani “Kiki” Gray was shot 11 times on Saturday by two undercover police officers. Kimani, who begged for his life, told the police “Please don’t let me die,” to which they responded “Stay down, or we’ll shoot you again.” The police say Kimani was armed but witnesses who attended yesterdays protest say the undercover officers hopped into their car after shooting Kimani and “drove off”, which is definitely against protocol and extremely suspicious to say the least. Reblog this post to spread the news and if you’re in NYC and will be attending today’s protest, don’t forget to RSVP to the event page. Related: Teen Fatally Shot By Two Undercover NYPD Officers
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There will be another “vigil, march and FTP” tonight to protest the NYPD killing of Kimani Gray. Please RSVP on Facebook and invite your NYC friends. 16 year old Kimani “Kiki” Gray was shot 11 times on Saturday by two undercover police officers. Kimani, who begged for his life, told the police “Please don’t let me die,” to which they responded “Stay down, or we’ll shoot you again.” The police say Kimani was armed but witnesses who attended yesterdays protest say the undercover officers hopped into their car after shooting Kimani and “drove off”, which is definitely against protocol and extremely suspicious to say the least. Reblog this post to spread the news and if you’re in NYC and will be attending today’s protest, don’t forget to RSVP to the event page. Related: Teen Fatally Shot By Two Undercover NYPD Officers
Zoom Info

There will be another “vigil, march and FTP” tonight to protest the NYPD killing of Kimani Gray. Please RSVP on Facebook and invite your NYC friends.

16 year old Kimani “Kiki” Gray was shot 11 times on Saturday by two undercover police officers. Kimani, who begged for his life, told the police “Please don’t let me die,” to which they responded “Stay down, or we’ll shoot you again.”

The police say Kimani was armed but witnesses who attended yesterdays protest say the undercover officers hopped into their car after shooting Kimani and “drove off”, which is definitely against protocol and extremely suspicious to say the least.

Reblog this post to spread the news and if you’re in NYC and will be attending today’s protest, don’t forget to RSVP to the event page.

Related: Teen Fatally Shot By Two Undercover NYPD Officers

Source: anarcho-queer

On Jan 28, 2012 Occupy Oakland activists planned “Oakland Rise Up! Move-in Day”, an action intended to result in the takeover of a large building to be converted into a community center. The Oakland Police Department responded to a jubilant show of community support and enthusiasm for community service by firing “less lethal” weapons and deploying explosives on a crowd which very clearly included children. A second march leaving Oscar Grant Plaza around 5-6pm was kettled by OPD at 19th and Telegraph, where officers surrounded marchers, indiscriminately pointing weapons and firing explosives into a large, peaceful crowd confined into a small space. Some protesters made a brave move in tearing down a fence that constrained them, allowing all to escape onto Telegraph Ave, where we continued to march, chanting: “WHOSE STREETS?! OUR STREETS!” Today, Oaklanders will converge at Henry J. Kaiser Memorial Park for a mobile dance party to commemorate last year’s action.
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On Jan 28, 2012 Occupy Oakland activists planned “Oakland Rise Up! Move-in Day”, an action intended to result in the takeover of a large building to be converted into a community center. The Oakland Police Department responded to a jubilant show of community support and enthusiasm for community service by firing “less lethal” weapons and deploying explosives on a crowd which very clearly included children.

A second march leaving Oscar Grant Plaza around 5-6pm was kettled by OPD at 19th and Telegraph, where officers surrounded marchers, indiscriminately pointing weapons and firing explosives into a large, peaceful crowd confined into a small space. Some protesters made a brave move in tearing down a fence that constrained them, allowing all to escape onto Telegraph Ave, where we continued to march, chanting:

“WHOSE STREETS?! OUR STREETS!”

Today, Oaklanders will converge at Henry J. Kaiser Memorial Park for a mobile dance party to commemorate last year’s action.

Source: anarcho-queer

1st Memorial For Ramarley Graham On February 2nd, 2012, two NYPD officers shot and killed Ramarley Graham, an unarmed Bronx 18 year old, in his bathroom in front of his 6 year old brother and grandmother after barging into his home without a warrant when they suspected he has marijuana on him. The landlady, Paulet Minzie, 55, ran out the shower with only a towel after hearing the gunshots. Officers then put a gun to her head and told her to put her hands up. It wasn’t until she told them that there were cameras surveilling them, that they put their guns down. Court papers say “[He\] immediately lowered his weapon. His demeanor completely changed, and he alerted his colleague that they may be on camera,”. The footage later revealed that Graham walked calmly to his apartment followed by police (without a warrant), contradicting the officers original claim that the teenager was running away. One year later, Richard Haste, the NYPD officer who fired the shot, remains a free man. On February 2nd, the anniversary of Ramarley’s death, his family will be holding a rally, candlelight vigil and march. RSVP to the event on Facebook. For more info, contact the organizers: ramarleyscall@gmail.com 347-903-5379
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1st Memorial For Ramarley Graham

On February 2nd, 2012, two NYPD officers shot and killed Ramarley Graham, an unarmed Bronx 18 year old, in his bathroom in front of his 6 year old brother and grandmother after barging into his home without a warrant when they suspected he has marijuana on him.

The landlady, Paulet Minzie, 55, ran out the shower with only a towel after hearing the gunshots. Officers then put a gun to her head and told her to put her hands up. It wasn’t until she told them that there were cameras surveilling them, that they put their guns down.

Court papers say “[He\] immediately lowered his weapon. His demeanor completely changed, and he alerted his colleague that they may be on camera,”. The footage later revealed that Graham walked calmly to his apartment followed by police (without a warrant), contradicting the officers original claim that the teenager was running away. One year later, Richard Haste, the NYPD officer who fired the shot, remains a free man.

On February 2nd, the anniversary of Ramarley’s death, his family will be holding a rally, candlelight vigil and march. RSVP to the event on Facebook.

For more info, contact the organizers:
ramarleyscall@gmail.com
347-903-5379

Source: anarcho-queer

Protesters Call For An Independent Probe Into Police Shooting Death of Paul Heenan Up to 200 people gathered outside Madison’s City-County Building Saturday to protest the findings of a police department internal investigation that cleared an officer in the shooting death of local musician Paul Heenan. “It is with great remorse and anger that we gather here today to speak out against a process that found one person, Paul Heenan, dead at the age of 30, and another, Officer Stephen Heimsness, exonerated, totally, of any wrongdoing,” said Sam Stevenson, a friend of the Heenan family and an organizer of the event. In a speech lasting approximately 11 minutes, Stevenson criticized the internal review process conducted by the MPD, accused the police of a lack of transparency and called for an outside investigation. Stevenson also condemned the police for excusing certain actions taken by Heimsness in the build-up to the fatal shooting. Heenan died in the early hours of Nov. 9, when police responded to a report of a burglary in process on Baldwin Street. Upon arriving, Heimsness found Heenan in a physical struggle with a neighbor. According to police, Heenan did not respond to the officer’s commands to get down, and began another physical altercation with Heimsness that resulted in the shooting. Police said Heimsness thought Heenan tried to grab the officer’s gun and believed that his life was in danger. According to police, Heimsness did not hear the neighbor’s shouts that he knew Heenan. It was later learned that Heenan mistakenly entered his neighbor’s home. Toxicology reports showed he had a blood alcohol content of .208, more than twice the limit for driving. After nearly a half hour of speeches, much of the crowd broke up while a smaller cadre went to march down State Street with a banner that read, “Stop police violence.” Stevenson said he wants to see an independent review of the shooting performed either by citizens or a professional third-party. He said he would also like any future cases involving “lethal or excessive force” by police officers to be reviewed in this manner. In an interview after his speech, Stevenson said he would begin lobbying public officials to meet these demands. Mayor Paul Soglin has already expressed interest in exploring options for another investigation, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.
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Protesters Call For An Independent Probe Into Police Shooting Death of Paul Heenan

Up to 200 people gathered outside Madison’s City-County Building Saturday to protest the findings of a police department internal investigation that cleared an officer in the shooting death of local musician Paul Heenan.

“It is with great remorse and anger that we gather here today to speak out against a process that found one person, Paul Heenan, dead at the age of 30, and another, Officer Stephen Heimsness, exonerated, totally, of any wrongdoing,” said Sam Stevenson, a friend of the Heenan family and an organizer of the event.

In a speech lasting approximately 11 minutes, Stevenson criticized the internal review process conducted by the MPD, accused the police of a lack of transparency and called for an outside investigation. Stevenson also condemned the police for excusing certain actions taken by Heimsness in the build-up to the fatal shooting.

Heenan died in the early hours of Nov. 9, when police responded to a report of a burglary in process on Baldwin Street. Upon arriving, Heimsness found Heenan in a physical struggle with a neighbor. According to police, Heenan did not respond to the officer’s commands to get down, and began another physical altercation with Heimsness that resulted in the shooting.

Police said Heimsness thought Heenan tried to grab the officer’s gun and believed that his life was in danger.

According to police, Heimsness did not hear the neighbor’s shouts that he knew Heenan. It was later learned that Heenan mistakenly entered his neighbor’s home. Toxicology reports showed he had a blood alcohol content of .208, more than twice the limit for driving.

After nearly a half hour of speeches, much of the crowd broke up while a smaller cadre went to march down State Street with a banner that read, “Stop police violence.”

Stevenson said he wants to see an independent review of the shooting performed either by citizens or a professional third-party. He said he would also like any future cases involving “lethal or excessive force” by police officers to be reviewed in this manner.

In an interview after his speech, Stevenson said he would begin lobbying public officials to meet these demands. Mayor Paul Soglin has already expressed interest in exploring options for another investigation, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.

Source: anarcho-queer

Federal Court Rules Flipping Off Police Is Constitutional A police officer can’t pull you over and arrest you just because you gave him the finger, a federal appeals court declared Thursday. In a 14-page opinion, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit ruled that the “ancient gesture of insult is not the basis for a reasonable suspicion of a traffic violation or impending criminal activity.” John Swartz and his wife Judy Mayton-Swartz had sued two police officers who arrested Swartz in May 2006 after he flipped off an officer who was using a radar device at an intersection in St. Johnsville, N.Y. Swartz was later charged with a violation of New York’s disorderly conduct statute, but the charges were dismissed on speedy trial grounds. A federal judge in the Northern District of New York granted summary judgement to the officers in July 2011, but the Court of Appeals on Thursday erased that decision and ordered the lower court to take up the case again. Richard Insogna, the officer who stopped Swartz and his wife when they arrived at their destination, claimed he pulled the couple over because he believed Swartz was “trying to get my attention for some reason.” The appeals court didn’t buy that explanation, ruling that the “nearly universal recognition that this gesture is an insult deprives such an interpretation of reasonableness.”
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Federal Court Rules Flipping Off Police Is Constitutional

A police officer can’t pull you over and arrest you just because you gave him the finger, a federal appeals court declared Thursday.

In a 14-page opinion, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit ruled that the “ancient gesture of insult is not the basis for a reasonable suspicion of a traffic violation or impending criminal activity.”

John Swartz and his wife Judy Mayton-Swartz had sued two police officers who arrested Swartz in May 2006 after he flipped off an officer who was using a radar device at an intersection in St. Johnsville, N.Y. Swartz was later charged with a violation of New York’s disorderly conduct statute, but the charges were dismissed on speedy trial grounds.

A federal judge in the Northern District of New York granted summary judgement to the officers in July 2011, but the Court of Appeals on Thursday erased that decision and ordered the lower court to take up the case again.

Richard Insogna, the officer who stopped Swartz and his wife when they arrived at their destination, claimed he pulled the couple over because he believed Swartz was “trying to get my attention for some reason.” The appeals court didn’t buy that explanation, ruling that the “nearly universal recognition that this gesture is an insult deprives such an interpretation of reasonableness.”

Source: anarcho-queer

Justice For Reynaldo Cuevas - FTP March And Vigil Where: East 169th Street & Franklin Ave. Bronx, NY When: December 22, 5pm On September 7th, 2012, a bodega in Bronx, New York was being robbed by three armed masked men. Two of the workers were able to escape during the robbery, the first man ran out towards police with his hands on his head. The second man, 20 year old Reynaldo Cuevas, ran towards the police but tripped over a fire hydrant. Cops then shot him without saying a word. The officer dragged Reynaldo 25 feet away and left him to bleed for 20 minutes even after witnesses yelled at them, informing them that he was an employee.  A few days later, on  September 12th, the community held a vigil for Reynaldo and marched with his family to the 42nd precinct to demand justice (video). Since then, the Cuevas family has held a candlelight vigil for Reynaldo every Saturday at the corner of the block where he was killed. Less than two months later on October 27th, the NYPD rammed into the dirt bike which Reynaldo’s cousin and friend were riding. One of the riders, 20 year old Ronald Herrera, died a week later. Reynaldo’s cousin, Loenel Reynaldo, is now paralyzed from the accident. A witness from the scene says the NYPD rammed into the dirt bike purposely. The community is outraged and we want answers. Join us Saturday, December 22nd for a candle-light vigil and a Fuck The Police march with the Cuevas family to the PSA 7 precinct to demand justice and accountability. RSVP on Facebook
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Justice For Reynaldo Cuevas - FTP March And Vigil

Where: East 169th Street & Franklin Ave. Bronx, NY

When: December 22, 5pm

On September 7th, 2012, a bodega in Bronx, New York was being robbed by three armed masked men. Two of the workers were able to escape during the robbery, the first man ran out towards police with his hands on his head. The second man, 20 year old Reynaldo Cuevas, ran towards the police but tripped over a fire hydrant. Cops then shot him without saying a word. The officer dragged Reynaldo 25 feet away and left him to bleed for 20 minutes even after witnesses yelled at them, informing them that he was an employee. 

A few days later, on  September 12th, the community held a vigil for Reynaldo and marched with his family to the 42nd precinct to demand justice (video). Since then, the Cuevas family has held a candlelight vigil for Reynaldo every Saturday at the corner of the block where he was killed.

Less than two months later on October 27th, the NYPD rammed into the dirt bike which Reynaldo’s cousin and friend were riding. One of the riders, 20 year old Ronald Herrera, died a week later. Reynaldo’s cousin, Loenel Reynaldo, is now paralyzed from the accident. A witness from the scene says the NYPD rammed into the dirt bike purposely.

The community is outraged and we want answers. Join us Saturday, December 22nd for a candle-light vigil and a Fuck The Police march with the Cuevas family to the PSA 7 precinct to demand justice and accountability.

RSVP on Facebook

Source: anarcho-queer

Photo Caption: Roman & Ramona Cuevas with their son Leonel Cuevas in Lincoln Hospital. Leonel, 17, is now paralyzed after being hit by a police car while riding on a dirt bike. He is also the cousin of Reynaldo Cuevas, a Bronx deli worker who was shot and killed by the NYPD in September. Exclusive: NYPD Account of Accident That Left One Dead And Another Paralyzed Is Bogus (Must Read) The NYPD is lying about the death of a young man and the near-fatal injuries to another who were mowed down by a squad car in October, a witness told the Daily News. Cops said Ronald Herrera, 20, who died a week after the Oct. 27 Bronx motorcycle accident, and his now-paralyzed passenger, Leonel Cuevas, 17, were aboard Herrera’s Kawasaki off-roader when it “attempted to overtake” the cop car while zooming down Walton Ave. The dirt bike then ricocheted into a double-parked car as the cop plowed into a second parked car, the police account said. But a witness to the bloodbath on Walton Ave. told The News the police story is false. “They hit the dirt bike from behind, the bike twisted and Leonel flew off,” said the 18-year-old witness, who asked to remain anonymous. “It (the bike) went down and Ronald was still holding on,” added the witness, who was on another off-road motorcycle. “It started throwing sparks. The police car completely ran over him. They really didn’t have to crash him off the bike.” An NYPD spokeswoman said that the Internal Affairs Bureau is investigating the accident, but that there has been no change in duty status of the cops involved. The official police account — which claims the cop car was not pursuing Herrera and Cuevas, even though its flashers were whirling — comes from the driver of the squad car, Officer Sabrina Alicea. But that report leaves a lot out, said Cuevas’ lawyer Sanford Rubenstein. “The question is, did the officer operating the police vehicle use it as a deadly weapon?” asked Rubenstein. The NYPD Patrol Guide prohibits “ramming” in an attempt to stop a vehicle. The Cuevas family requested the accident report on Nov. 5, but did not receive it until Dec. 6 — along with an apology from Inspector Kevin Catalina “for any inconvenience that this may have caused you.” The delay in producing the basic information about the case left the Cuevas family fuming. “I have no confidence in the Police Department,” said the paralyzed victim’s mother, Ramona Cuevas, who is also the cousin of Reynaldo Cuevas, an unarmed Bronx bodega worker shot to death in September by a Bronx cop who mistook him for a robber. Residents of the neighborhood share that suspicion. After cops sealed off the accident scene, there was a tense confrontation with onlookers caught on cell phone video. In the video, a cop removed his gun and equipment belt and appeared ready to brawl after an onlooker questioned his toughness. “There’s a lot of disrespect from that precinct,” said Arabellis Herrera, the dead man’s sister. Herrera’s death marks at least the third questionable fatal run-in with an NYPD cruiser this year — but that figure is tough to quantify because there could be other incidents, like Herrera’s, that were never reported to the media. This Saturday, we are having a candlelight vigil and Fuck The Police March with the family of Reynaldo and Leonel Cuevas. We will be marching to the PSA 9 precinct to demand justice for Reynado, Leonel and Ronald.
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Photo Caption: Roman & Ramona Cuevas with their son Leonel Cuevas in Lincoln Hospital. Leonel, 17, is now paralyzed after being hit by a police car while riding on a dirt bike. He is also the cousin of Reynaldo Cuevas, a Bronx deli worker who was shot and killed by the NYPD in September.

Exclusive: NYPD Account of Accident That Left One Dead And Another Paralyzed Is Bogus (Must Read)

The NYPD is lying about the death of a young man and the near-fatal injuries to another who were mowed down by a squad car in October, a witness told the Daily News.

Cops said Ronald Herrera, 20, who died a week after the Oct. 27 Bronx motorcycle accident, and his now-paralyzed passenger, Leonel Cuevas, 17, were aboard Herrera’s Kawasaki off-roader when it “attempted to overtake” the cop car while zooming down Walton Ave.

The dirt bike then ricocheted into a double-parked car as the cop plowed into a second parked car, the police account said.

But a witness to the bloodbath on Walton Ave. told The News the police story is false.

“They hit the dirt bike from behind, the bike twisted and Leonel flew off,” said the 18-year-old witness, who asked to remain anonymous.

“It (the bike) went down and Ronald was still holding on,” added the witness, who was on another off-road motorcycle. “It started throwing sparks. The police car completely ran over him. They really didn’t have to crash him off the bike.”

An NYPD spokeswoman said that the Internal Affairs Bureau is investigating the accident, but that there has been no change in duty status of the cops involved.

The official police account — which claims the cop car was not pursuing Herrera and Cuevas, even though its flashers were whirling — comes from the driver of the squad car, Officer Sabrina Alicea.

But that report leaves a lot out, said Cuevas’ lawyer Sanford Rubenstein.

“The question is, did the officer operating the police vehicle use it as a deadly weapon?” asked Rubenstein.

The NYPD Patrol Guide prohibits “ramming” in an attempt to stop a vehicle.

The Cuevas family requested the accident report on Nov. 5, but did not receive it until Dec. 6 — along with an apology from Inspector Kevin Catalina “for any inconvenience that this may have caused you.”

The delay in producing the basic information about the case left the Cuevas family fuming.

“I have no confidence in the Police Department,” said the paralyzed victim’s mother, Ramona Cuevas, who is also the cousin of Reynaldo Cuevas, an unarmed Bronx bodega worker shot to death in September by a Bronx cop who mistook him for a robber.

Residents of the neighborhood share that suspicion. After cops sealed off the accident scene, there was a tense confrontation with onlookers caught on cell phone video.

In the video, a cop removed his gun and equipment belt and appeared ready to brawl after an onlooker questioned his toughness.

“There’s a lot of disrespect from that precinct,” said Arabellis Herrera, the dead man’s sister.

Herrera’s death marks at least the third questionable fatal run-in with an NYPD cruiser this year — but that figure is tough to quantify because there could be other incidents, like Herrera’s, that were never reported to the media.

This Saturday, we are having a candlelight vigil and Fuck The Police March with the family of Reynaldo and Leonel Cuevas. We will be marching to the PSA 9 precinct to demand justice for Reynado, Leonel and Ronald.

Source: anarcho-queer

Fuck The Police March - NYC Reynaldo Cuevas, Ramarley Graham, Shantel Davis, Noel Polanco, Dwayne Brown, Shereese Francis, Tamon Robinson. These are the names of some of the victims killed this year by the NYPD. They also share another thing in common, none of their killers have been brought to justice. The NYPD is arguably the most corrupt police department in America. They are rarely held accountable for their crimes, whether that be brutalizing young POC, falsely arresting protesters, spying on Muslims, stopping and frisking innocent people or even killing our neighbor. It is up to us and our community to hold them accountable and put a stop to their vicious crimes. Let us take to the streets to voice our anger and frustration against police brutality, oppression and violence. Join us December 7th* for a long needed FTP march in NYC. Bring your banners, flags, fliers and whistles so we can make some noise. No Justice, No Peace! RSVP To The Event on Facebook
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Fuck The Police March - NYC

Reynaldo Cuevas, Ramarley Graham, Shantel Davis, Noel Polanco, Dwayne Brown, Shereese Francis, Tamon Robinson. These are the names of some of the victims killed this year by the NYPD. They also share another thing in common, none of their killers have been brought to justice.

The NYPD is arguably the most corrupt police department in America. They are rarely held accountable for their crimes, whether that be brutalizing young POC, falsely arresting protesters, spying on Muslims, stopping and frisking innocent people or even killing our neighbor.

It is up to us and our community to hold them accountable and put a stop to their vicious crimes.

Let us take to the streets to voice our anger and frustration against police brutality, oppression and violence. Join us December 7th* for a long needed FTP march in NYC. Bring your banners, flags, fliers and whistles so we can make some noise.

No Justice, No Peace!

RSVP To The Event on Facebook

Source: anarcho-queer

Fuck The Police March (RSVP) Reynaldo Cuevas, Ramarley Graham, Shantel Davis, Noel Polanco, Dwayne Brown, Shereese Francis, Tamon Robinson. These are the names of some of the victims killed this year by the NYPD. They also share another thing in common, none of their killers have been brought to justice. The NYPD is arguably the most corrupt police department in America. They are rarely held accountable for their crimes, whether that be brutalizing young POC, falsely arresting protesters, spying on Muslims, stopping and frisking innocent people or even killing our neighbor.  It is up to us and our community to hold them accountable and put a stop to their vicious crimes. Let us take to the streets to voice our anger and frustration against police brutality, oppression and violence. Join us December 8th for a long needed FTP march in NYC. Bring your banners, flags, fliers and whistles so we can make some noise.No Justice, No Peace!
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Fuck The Police March (RSVP)

Reynaldo Cuevas, Ramarley Graham, Shantel Davis, Noel Polanco, Dwayne Brown, Shereese Francis, Tamon Robinson. These are the names of some of the victims killed this year by the NYPD. They also share another thing in common, none of their killers have been brought to justice. 

The NYPD is arguably the most corrupt police department in America. They are rarely held accountable for their crimes, whether that be brutalizing young POC, falsely arresting protesters, spying on Muslims, stopping and frisking innocent people or even killing our neighbor. 


It is up to us and our community to hold them accountable and put a stop to their vicious crimes. 

Let us take to the streets to voice our anger and frustration against police brutality, oppression and violence. Join us December 8th for a long needed FTP march in NYC. Bring your banners, flags, fliers and whistles so we can make some noise.

No Justice, No Peace!

Source: anarcho-queer

March Against Reppression - Bloomington, Indiana - Oct. 26, 2012

This past Friday, a small but wily group of anarchists and other angries took to the streets in a show of solidarity with those facing state repression. The specific call out for the march was to express solidarity with Grand Jury resisters Matt, Maddy, and KteeO, to rally against the criminalizing of the homeless population in Bloomington, and to convey ongoing solidarity with those who still carry charges from the anti-prison noise demo last new years.

Music blared as we took the streets downtown, holding together in tight formation. Pairs and threes sporadically broke away from the group to hand out fliers, wheatpaste posters, put up stickers, confront journalists, or set off small fireworks. We made a quick stop to yell at the jail, and then made our way south, taking all three lanes of College Ave. At this point, undercover cops who had been zigzagging around town on foot tailing the march grabbed two comrades, one of whom was in the process of spray painting “BURN THE PRISONS” on a wall. The two were quickly de-arrested and made getaways, much to the chagrin of the burly undercovers. Unable to put any humans behind bars, they settled for snatching and destroying our sound cart.

Shaken but undeterred, the march quickly regrouped and lit torches. Confronted with flaming torches and angry chants, the undercover cops quickly retreated and were replaced by other police followed from a distance. A few bar-goers bolstered our spirits as they popped out to shout Fuck the police! Our voices held strong with chants and yells until we approached a punk venue, shouting The punks: up ‘em! The pigs: fuck ‘em! A crowd of excited punks greeted us as the door, many expressing sadness that they had missed out on the fun. Despite blaring sirens and the appearance of even more cops, we were able to safely disperse among the crowd waiting for the show outside.

…

Some analysis from a participant:

By most standards, this march was fairly small (around 50-60 people) and arguably inconsequential. However, certain aspects of it are noteworthy, and represent a windfall for those of us here who are continually dreaming of ways to challenge and subvert our daily existance. When our comrades were retrieved from the beefy arms of the state, everyone knew that this was the thing that should have happened. Not even a year ago, other participants in such a march would have contested spraypainting or de-arresting on the spot, with finger-pointing and cries of violence!

All improvements aside, we should have kept better tabs on the undercovers the whole time (as we were well aware of them from nearly the beginning) and we should have been aware enough of our surroundings to prevent our friends from being snatched in the first place. Buddy up!

We’d also like to take a moment to discuss the messaging of the march. Clearly we hate cops as much as anyone with a head on their shoulders, but we have some complicated feelings about the message on the front banner: Police are the absolute enemy. The police are an easy target for anarchists, but they’ve lastingly proven to be a foolish gang to pick a fight with. We understand police as an absolutely integral and clearly visible part of the system we position ourselves against, but we could just as easily position ourselves against those people and objects that also affect us and hold us captive on a daily basis: landlords, bosses, bureaucrats, abusive partners. And let’s not forget the way our physical world has been constructed to alienate and police us: security cameras everywhere, hideous public art and architecture, graffiti-proof paint on the train bridge, etc. Falling into a populist, lowest-common-denominator rhetoric of well, everyone hates the cops, right? is dangerous and doesn’t help sharpen an analysis that calls for the destruction of not only the cops but the entire system of laws and control that they uphold.

We’re aware that, in a singular way, demonstrations and marches like this will not change much, and that our pithy cries are oh-so-barely audible by those that they are intended for. However, the level of interpersonal trust and camaraderie that de-arresting our friends and sticking together required was truly impressive, and points to an extended process of building relationships toward a project of revolt and insurrection. It is only by learning how to struggle – with each other, in the streets – that we can ever hope to move toward the destruction of this society, which is inseperable from the destruction of the prisons that hold our friends, and so many others, captive.

Source: anarcho-queer

NYC radicals and anarchists, march with us in solidarity with Chicago! Direct Action NYC will be coordinating an autonomous FTP march in solidarity with Chicago and several other cities (TBA). Meet at Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and 125th Street on Friday, August 24th. Bring banners, fliers and bandana’s. Wear black. For info on the march in Chicago, contact @OccupyUptown or @JoinRad on Twitter. RSVP to the event on Facebook and Like Direct Action NYC
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NYC radicals and anarchists, march with us in solidarity with Chicago!

Direct Action NYC will be coordinating an autonomous FTP march in solidarity with Chicago and several other cities (TBA).

Meet at Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and 125th Street on Friday, August 24th.

Bring banners, fliers and bandana’s. Wear black.

For info on the march in Chicago, contact @OccupyUptown or @JoinRad on Twitter.

RSVP to the event on Facebook and Like Direct Action NYC

Source: anarcho-queer

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