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7
CSU & Fort Collins folk are in DC to protest
neoliberal globalization, IMF/WB, racism, and war
departing
w.9.26 | returning m.10.01
updates
from the dcS29 crew
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relevant websites:
 dc
indymedia
anti-capitalists
and
peace groups
 home
page
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Friday
in DC: DC seems quite normal to us, we have not seen significant police
or military presence at all. But we learned that the HUM-Vee's were in
the streets until just a couple of days ago and that cops have been making
very threatening public statements against protesters. There is local
media torpor about anti-globalization activists being terrorists. Also
normal rights in jail have been suspended, such as phone calls and speedy
trials.
Attended the People's Summit Teach-In with useful sessions on structural
adjustment, Palestine, and U.S.-Gulf States Relations. (I learned that
the US underwrites the Gulf States regimes, most of which are emirates
and other kinds of royal/dictatorial regimes. This means that the people
of most Arab states are resentful of how our support for their elitist
diminishes the possibilities of any kind of social movements there. We
control Arab oil not for our own purposes of consumption but because it
is the "gas pump for capitalism", meaning that we control the supplies
for Japan and Europe, which is part of our power over the whole capitalist
system. Israel is more often than not an inconvenience to this project
because the Arab states are pissed at us for supporting Israel. Right
now we've told Sharon NOT to increase repression of Palestinians as we
line up some sort of support among Arab states for the anti-terrorist
project. This also means that an Islam vs. US war or West vs. Arab world
war is not really feasible.)
Also attended a sort of movement strategy session with about 60 people
which was endless statements of the obvious; really disappointing. Made
me feel that [UpRoot] really has our stuff together. Saw a pretty large
Critical Mass (60-70 bikes) off into rush hour traffic from Dupont Circle.
One helicopter and 5 motorcycle cops who looked like they belonged in
the Shriner's parade on their miniature bikes...
Went to the Anti-Capitalist Convergence for a 7 pm "General Meeting".
We asked if there was spokescouncil and they said "no, just a meeting".
It didn't start until 8, about 150 people there, and the vanguard group
not only didn't identify themselves but really limited any discussion
of substantive issues. Fithian and Starhawk are skulking around the ACC,
doing their usual pseudo behind the scenes behavior (others who I don't
recognize are acting that way but not speaking up). ACC are mounting two
main activities, a march tomorrow at 9 am starting at Louisiana and C
(they won't tell us where we are going or the route) and a Temporary Autonomous
Zone in Malcolm X Park. They are hosting a community dinner at this TAZ
on Saturday night and then various activities on Sunday.
We later learned: that a lot of long-term radical anarchists have abandoned
ACC as they find it extremist; that the ACC has rejected offers of radical
Mob for Global Justice activists to participate (after MGJ was disbanded);
that they are trying to maintain the TAZ on Sunday, when the Washington
Peace Center/AFSC march has a permit to depart from there, thus they are
endangering the latter and have resisted withdrawing. Familiar faces from
other actions tell us that everybody is scared and have no idea what will
happen tomorrow. There is no legal support team. Indymedia is in good
shape. Bread and Puppet Theater from Vermont is supposedly sending a large
number of puppets for tomorrow morning's march. Also tomorrow at noon
is the International Action Center march. And Starhawk et. al. are going
to "exorcise" the World Bank to "drive out the evil spirits". Then Sunday
at 11 is the Washington Peace Center/AFSC march.
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Saturday
in DC: We attended only two events today: the Anti-Capitalist Convergence
march at 9 AM and the International Action Center rally/march at noon.
We arrived at 8:45 at the meeting point for the non-permited ACC "march
to the World Bank" only to stand around for over an hour with little information
and no action except for cheers and excitement when a protester with a
bullhorn pointed out two undercover cops who subsequently joined their
uniformed comrades and tried to maintain their "manhood". It appeared
as if we were waiting for an escort from several troops of riot cops who
arrived at about 10:00 and surrounded us on 3+ sides. As soon as they
were in place we took the street and headed directly toward a wall of
cops. They wouldn't let us take the route our leaders desired, but said
they would not arrest us or use chemical weapons if we followed their
"quickest and safest way to the World Bank". Perhaps 800-900 of us (IMC
probably has a better estimate that we haven't seen) marched obediently
behind several police cars and no one tried to challenge the rows of riot
cops who marched on either side of us. We always ask them to join us and
march with us, but it's really not that empowering when they do. We arrived
at the bank, which was closed, as is most of the rest of the city on weekends,
chanted at it for a while, and then just stood around. There was no attempted
direct action or civil disobedience except for a few people who tried
to "exorcise the evil spirits" from the bank. Let's hope they were successful.
The crowd began to disperse and we decided to head toward the afternoon
rally/march organized by the International
Action Center.
Before we could leave,
hundreds of riot cops completely surrounded the large intersection and
would not allow anyone to leave. Lots of people were frightened and tense;
we just sat on the grass and ate sandwiches. The rumors were plenty throughout
our two-hour detainment--that we would be allowed to leave in a minute,
that we were all going to be arrested, that we were going to be assaulted
with chemical weapons, that we would not be allowed to leave until the
conclusion of the IAC event, etc. No one would tell us why we were being
detained or when we would be allowed to leave. The cops were frightened
as an anarchist soccer match ("no rules just goals") broke out in the
middle of one of our streets. Non-detained protesters chanted "let them
go" from across the street and the several thousand at the IAC action
debated whether or not they would march toward us pressure the cops for
our release. At about 1:00 Lisa Fithian (a protest organizer) announced
that they had negotiated with the cops who agreed to allow us to march
to the IAC action. We were herded several blocks to the action and were
greeted with cheers.
The IAC action was sanctioned by the state--a rally in "Freedom Square"
followed by a march to the capitol. The rally was mostly uneventful and
lasted until about 3:15. We marched, several thousand strong, with less
police presence than the ACC march. We encountered patriotic counter-demonstrations
at one point; they numbered less than 50, carried pathetic signs, and
had no chants whatsoever. There were shouts between the two groups but
no serious confrontations. We arrived at a park across the street from
the capitol where there was another rally--IAC leaders told us that there
were 25,000 of us, but we estimated 10,000-15,000 at the most.
There is a march tomorrow at noon that is supposed to be larger than either
of the two today. We think there will be no direct action because protesters
are timid and there are just too many cops.
Hopefully a more exciting update tomorrow...sounds like Denver was more
eventful than DC.
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Sunday
in DC: This information was dictated over phone, I apologize for any
misrepresentations
Amory: The
action today was a festive march of 3-4 thousand through ethnic and gay
neighborhoods. It had a strong educational component (radical leaflets).
There were 200 puppets from Bread and Circus.
Some of the signs
and chants seen and heard today:
-Our Grief is not
a call for war
-The people of Afghanistan
need food and Medicine. NOW! or Millions will die. Millions!
-Americans get a clue,
People around the world hate you. Guns to Israel, War in Iraq. What made
you think they'd never fight back?
-Spare the world more
misery, Take control of your history
-Bin Laden, Saadam,
Pinochet, all created by the CIA
-Stop the war, Stop
the execution, Save it for the revolution
Brian and Matt:
There was no direct action. The action was sanctioned by the state. It
was disempowering and boring.
Beth: It was
a place for people to unify. It was educational and positive. The emotion
during the action was pretty consistent throughout the day, as compared
to Saturday which was filled with highs and lows. There was a woman from
Italy who performed journalistic theater. She gave a good speech about
the situation of the Kurds. She presented this information by enacting
a news broadcast from the Kurds point of view.
Josh: It was
a peace love fest. It was passive and non aggressive. There was more diversity
in age and ethnicity that Saturday. The parade started in Malcom X Park
and culminated at Sheridan Square. People stopped to pray around a statue
of Ghandi. The black bloc Climbed the statue of General Sheridan(?) riding
a horse. They put a black flag in his hand and duck-taped his eyes. They
also hung an anarchist flag from the horse. The speeches that took place
at the park were focused on the Kurds- the park was near the Turkish Embassy.
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