This site is about taking kids to demonstrations, rallies, protests, civil disobedience actions, parades, marches, and places like that.  It's about parents and others raising and protecting children safely, while shaking up the unjust foundations of our society. 

After pepper spraying a family in Portland, a police officer said, "That’s why you shouldn't bring kids to protests."  Blaming the victim is the standard defense for political violence.  Kids and parents should be safe at legal rallies because protests shouldn't be cordoned off, ordered to disperse without time or a place to go, and attacked. 

At least one woman had a miscarriage after the WTO demonstrations in Seattle in 1999.  I told somebody about this and they got angry saying, “Anybody who goes into a situation like that while they're pregnant is irresponsible!”  But she was a local resident who's neighborhood was invaded by police using tear gas.  Who was responsible for that? 

In a different situation, at an anti-police brutality rally in LA, members of the Catholic Worker community had to throw themselves in front of small children and the families of victims of violent cops, when police opened fire on the crowd with “less-likely-to-be-lethal” weapons.  Some “radical” activists had taunted the cops before they attacked, but whoever was to blame, little kids got shot at.  Protecting those families should have been the highest priority in that tense confrontation.

Pondering these events, and helping raise twin radical toddlers, I  contacted the family that got pepper sprayed in Portland and offered to bring our kids if they ever held a protest against the way they were treated.  It felt good to talk about my anger and the fear of kids being hurt at political events.  Talking with them inspired our first zine in 2003.
 

Chant This At Your Next Protest:

“What Do We Want?!”        “Whaaaaa!”       “When Do We Want It?!”          “Whaaaaaa!”

I have seen real caring and love for kids and their care-givers at some political events.  The folks from the Infernal Noise Brigade drum corps in Seattle talked with us, hoping they weren't too loud for the little ones.  (We moved back when they were, but it was really nice they asked).

I saw Martin Sheen tell reporters  at an event that they shouldn't interview him, “Talk to that young woman there,” and he directed them to a nine year old girl.  She introduced the national media to her turtle puppet and said how bad it was that the School of the Americas trained people to hurt kids like her, and that's why she was being arrested with her dad.  The family that gets arrested together....

We Propose a “BABY BLOC”

To make fun of the macho image attached to the black bloc tactic.

Because babies are born anarchists.  (Twins are an affinity group.)

To help us raise money so we can go to the School of the Americas demonstrations in Georgia.   (Come make puppets with us!)

To spread Baby Bloc tactics to protect families and supporters at demonstrations so we can raise our voices along with our kids. 

As a group in a demonstration we could calm situations around us and care for each other.  Imagine: big banners, entertainers and puppets (hand puppets for little ones), press-work so kids can be interviewed about what they think, sharing child-care and snacks, portable safe areas for running around... who knows what people can do.  Like children and families, every one will be different.  We'd love to hear what you're doing or have already tried!

Activist Families do more than demonstrate, and it doesn't matter what you call yourselves.  There's the Anarchist Baby Brigade, Revolutionary Activist Mom and Baby League (RAMBL), Anti Authoritarian Baby Sitters' Clubs, Mothers Acting Up.  You can pick your own cool name, do your own art, make your own zine.  Have potlucks, organize conferences, edit books, see your community's activist family needs and see how you can respond together.  I'm inspired thanks to all of you.

Peace, justice, nap time    —Papa Bruce

Baby: n.      a. A very young child; an infant.      b. The youngest member of a family or group. Bloc: n.      a. A group of persons, parties, or nations            united for common action.      b. A coalition acting together for a common           purpose or interest.

Laurel is a lesbian, and she asked Bruce to donate sperm so she could have a baby.  We'd known each other for ten years and even smooched for a while once, but this was friendship at a new and sometimes confusing level!  Six months of trying bore fruit.  Then at the first ultra-sound exam, the clinician said, “Oh my god, I have to tell you something! (...long pause…) There’s two of them in there!”   Laurel said,  “You’re shittin’ me.” 
 

At seven months, Laurel was arrested on Mothers’ Day at the Trident Nuclear Submarine base.  She was interviewed on TV in handcuffs looking very pregnant. Charges were dropped, and Harriet and Myriam were born July 31, 2001, a little after their due date.

Since then Laurel's published her book Set Them Free: the Other Side of Exodus, and been the best Mom the twins could ever have.  Bruce became a part-time Sperm-Donor-Dad (the girls call him "Papa").  He made this web site, T-shirts, and edited zines.  The Twins have been to a bunch of anti-war stuff (which war now?), and to rallies and marches to close the School of the Americas.  They were also in giant puppet pageants seen by many thousands of people.

Laurel has a very good support network to make our activism possible.  (Thank you Aunty Cathy, Nick, Julie, the Tacoma Catholic Worker community and now Rosie and Brian & kids in Vancouver.)  Helping activist parents with their kids is a political act.  Share this message with non-parents and offer the chance to Challenge Corporate Hegemony by Changing a Few Diapers.  Come on and give mom/dad/care-giver-of-choice a break!