I just got this email from a listserve I’m on that is relavant to the ongoing Porn Wiki problem, so I thought I'd quickly post to share the information onto this long-dormant blog of mine. I should add I have not done this myself so I don’t know for sure if this works or not. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t stop PWL from continuing its violent attack on models in the porn industry but it may prevent the sites you specify from popping up if someone is to search your legal name/personal info etc that PWL is distributing via interweb. If anyone tries it, or has any thoughts on this, I would be interested in hearing about it!
---------copied text of email:
Hey, folks,
I know there are a lot of concerns about the porn wiki leaks site. A friend has had some success with removing the site and her personal information from a google search for her legal name. This is what she says:
Here is the breakdown:
1) Click under "Help Center" on the bottom right corner of the Google home page.
2) Go to "Web Search Help"
3) Under Search Issues, click "Concerns about Web Search Results"
4) Click on "Remove page or site fom Google's Search results"
5) Click on "A site is publishing my confidential information"
6) Click on "Your first and last name or name of your business is appearing on an adult content site that's spamming Google's search results"
Follow the instructions from here. You will need to copy and paste the http link of Google's search results that link your name to the site. You will also need to copy and paste the http link of the website with your name on it.
A few hoops to jump through, but well worth it. About a week later, my info disappeared.
As with most wiki pages, there is the option on porn wiki leaks to become an editor. I would suggest, if you can stomach the time and the energy on this suck-ass site, trying to edit your information. It may not work, but who knows? It might.
Much luck,
xxx
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Something Fun! Legal Defense Benefit this Saturday
Station 40 is hosting a split benefit show to raise money for legal defense for folks arrested in the Jan. 7 Oscar Grant protest, and for the venue. Please spread the word! And come out this Saturday.
_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_
Flaming Acoustics Benefit Show
Saturday January 17
6:30 pm
Station 40
3030b 16th Street, SF
(at Mission St.)
$3-5 donation
split benefit for station 40
& legal defense for the jan 7
oscar grant uprising
homostamens &
the flaming pistils
electro acoustic gay from the east bay
annah
acoustic electric looping
system and kitchen utensils
k. sugar hill
superfab folksy tunes
b rex & the riot bikes
anarchy angst and brutality blues
rae spoon
transgender country singer
traversing territories from art folk,
to indie-rock, to electronic/experimental
emcee extraordinaire: alex fisher
_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_
Flaming Acoustics Benefit Show
Saturday January 17
6:30 pm
Station 40
3030b 16th Street, SF
(at Mission St.)
$3-5 donation
split benefit for station 40
& legal defense for the jan 7
oscar grant uprising
homostamens &
the flaming pistils
electro acoustic gay from the east bay
annah
acoustic electric looping
system and kitchen utensils
k. sugar hill
superfab folksy tunes
b rex & the riot bikes
anarchy angst and brutality blues
rae spoon
transgender country singer
traversing territories from art folk,
to indie-rock, to electronic/experimental
emcee extraordinaire: alex fisher
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Riot As Strategy?: A Critique on the Breakdown of Violence in the BART Police Protest
Let's talk for a moment about the use of violence as a form of reactionary protest. Since the Oakland riots last week, this has been largely on my mind. While some have reacted positively to the destruction (see account in my reportback), for many others, especially during this economic crisis, the riot created greater difficulties.
In my younger days, I was all about fucking shit up as a measure of my anger and dissent of state power. But last Wednesday, watching as rioters smashed store windows and cars on a street lined with Korean and Chinese-owned shops, I felt a pang of protectiveness and resentment towards those who were causing the destruction.
Don't fuck with my peoples' shit! I yelled sardonically. I was only half joking. No one paid attention.
Each time the police dispersed us, we mobbed through quieter neighborhoods, running sidestreet to the major intersections of the police standoffs. Mail boxes knocked down, trashcans dragged out, cars smashed up, small fires being lit. Predominantly black neighborhoods.
Why are we rioting through the streets of our own communities - the ones that we are supposedly demanding justice for? We should be setting police stations on fire, breaking bank windows, and bum-rushing BART stations. Not destroying the property of our struggling brothers and sisters.
Many articles, such as this one, have since reported comments from various storekeepers whose shops fell victim to the riots. By now, I think everyone's heard about Creative African Braids. The woman who owns the hair salon is pissed that the rioters targeted her shop, a black family-run business, and criticized the protest, calling the protesters "stupid", among other things.
The intentions behind the protest Wednesday night is a far cry from stupid. But these criticisms and this kind of tangible misguided destruction give the media more fodder to discredit the validity of the protest's demands. It creates obstacles against building bridges between communities and gaining allies within movements. For those sitting on the fence, this can make or break their political support of an issue.
It gets worse.
An account from a fellow comrade's blog: "Another friend said that an older Asian man -- on crutches no less-- pleaded with rioting youth not to smash his car up. But they did. Right in front of him. And i saw a middle aged Asian woman running, screaming because her bag had been snatched."
Many fires were lit, and stones thrown, by those in the black bloc. "Anarchists". Well, predominantly white youth, dressed in all black, wearing black bandanas, and waving a black flag. Many were not even from Oakland, and I wonder how many were familiar with the areas that they were rioting in. The way some of them escalated rioting scenes really pisses me off. As anarchists, I expect them to know better, and to recognize when it is their place and time to escalate a situation, and when to step back in solidarity as allies in a struggle. To march into a protest preoccupied with their own agenda above all others is selfish and entitled to me. To be able to walk away while other are left to pick up the pieces is to avoid accountability. For those who have been arrested, I stand in solidarity with them.
How can we demand accountability when those of us within the movement cannot even do it ourselves? We must lead by example if we are to gain the trust and faith of others and create stronger alliances against governmental terrorism.
"Revolutionaries"? "Anarchists"? As a self-identified anarchist activist (who also has a few black bandanas), this is embarrassing. It leads me to wonder, when the shit hits the fan, will we remember why we are fighting? Will we even know? Is it possible to reconcile such chaotic fury with collective solidarity when massive public direct actions escalate? For the brothers and sisters who helplessly feel the brunt of the destruction the next morning, how can we be mindful to include them in our actions of solidarity and protest?
I'd like to think that everything is possible. As responsible autonomous activists, one of the most radical positions we can take on is to hold ourselves accountable for our actions, and ask ourselves how these actions will affect - not only those involved in the moment - but those who will be affected the next days, months, years afterwards. The systemic hierarchies of power imposed on race and class dynamics are elusive, and we must remember to check ourselves using an anti-oppression lense in order to disarm these oppressive structures, and avoid these destructive power dynamics from manifesting internally within our own movements and struggles.
Don't get me wrong. A flaming dumpster shoved into a cop car as angry protesters jump on it and smash chairs into the windshield is goddamn satisfying sight.
Yet, in the particular context, this kind of reactionary violence may be cathartic, but in the long run, it is counterproductive. An angry mob is a volatile weapon - and though I would opt for a non-violent path if given the choice - sometimes fighting back becomes necessary for one's basic emotional and physical survival. So let's start talking about how we can wield this weapon more effectively, and arm ourselves with strategy.
In my younger days, I was all about fucking shit up as a measure of my anger and dissent of state power. But last Wednesday, watching as rioters smashed store windows and cars on a street lined with Korean and Chinese-owned shops, I felt a pang of protectiveness and resentment towards those who were causing the destruction.
Don't fuck with my peoples' shit! I yelled sardonically. I was only half joking. No one paid attention.
Each time the police dispersed us, we mobbed through quieter neighborhoods, running sidestreet to the major intersections of the police standoffs. Mail boxes knocked down, trashcans dragged out, cars smashed up, small fires being lit. Predominantly black neighborhoods.
Why are we rioting through the streets of our own communities - the ones that we are supposedly demanding justice for? We should be setting police stations on fire, breaking bank windows, and bum-rushing BART stations. Not destroying the property of our struggling brothers and sisters.
Many articles, such as this one, have since reported comments from various storekeepers whose shops fell victim to the riots. By now, I think everyone's heard about Creative African Braids. The woman who owns the hair salon is pissed that the rioters targeted her shop, a black family-run business, and criticized the protest, calling the protesters "stupid", among other things.
The intentions behind the protest Wednesday night is a far cry from stupid. But these criticisms and this kind of tangible misguided destruction give the media more fodder to discredit the validity of the protest's demands. It creates obstacles against building bridges between communities and gaining allies within movements. For those sitting on the fence, this can make or break their political support of an issue.
It gets worse.
An account from a fellow comrade's blog: "Another friend said that an older Asian man -- on crutches no less-- pleaded with rioting youth not to smash his car up. But they did. Right in front of him. And i saw a middle aged Asian woman running, screaming because her bag had been snatched."
Many fires were lit, and stones thrown, by those in the black bloc. "Anarchists". Well, predominantly white youth, dressed in all black, wearing black bandanas, and waving a black flag. Many were not even from Oakland, and I wonder how many were familiar with the areas that they were rioting in. The way some of them escalated rioting scenes really pisses me off. As anarchists, I expect them to know better, and to recognize when it is their place and time to escalate a situation, and when to step back in solidarity as allies in a struggle. To march into a protest preoccupied with their own agenda above all others is selfish and entitled to me. To be able to walk away while other are left to pick up the pieces is to avoid accountability. For those who have been arrested, I stand in solidarity with them.
How can we demand accountability when those of us within the movement cannot even do it ourselves? We must lead by example if we are to gain the trust and faith of others and create stronger alliances against governmental terrorism.
"Revolutionaries"? "Anarchists"? As a self-identified anarchist activist (who also has a few black bandanas), this is embarrassing. It leads me to wonder, when the shit hits the fan, will we remember why we are fighting? Will we even know? Is it possible to reconcile such chaotic fury with collective solidarity when massive public direct actions escalate? For the brothers and sisters who helplessly feel the brunt of the destruction the next morning, how can we be mindful to include them in our actions of solidarity and protest?
I'd like to think that everything is possible. As responsible autonomous activists, one of the most radical positions we can take on is to hold ourselves accountable for our actions, and ask ourselves how these actions will affect - not only those involved in the moment - but those who will be affected the next days, months, years afterwards. The systemic hierarchies of power imposed on race and class dynamics are elusive, and we must remember to check ourselves using an anti-oppression lense in order to disarm these oppressive structures, and avoid these destructive power dynamics from manifesting internally within our own movements and struggles.
Don't get me wrong. A flaming dumpster shoved into a cop car as angry protesters jump on it and smash chairs into the windshield is goddamn satisfying sight.
Yet, in the particular context, this kind of reactionary violence may be cathartic, but in the long run, it is counterproductive. An angry mob is a volatile weapon - and though I would opt for a non-violent path if given the choice - sometimes fighting back becomes necessary for one's basic emotional and physical survival. So let's start talking about how we can wield this weapon more effectively, and arm ourselves with strategy.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Support for Those Arrested in the Protest - Repost from Berkeley CopWatch
By the way, CAPE sponsored the rally at Fruitvale BART and is not responsible for events that took place later on. They have sent this message and Copwatch is encouraging everyone to show solidarity. See how quick the DA can arraign people when he wants to...
From the Coalition Against Police Execution:
Critical Resistance and the National Lawyers Guild are amassing lists of names of arrestees and trying to do visits to support folks getting released.
Please call the NLG hotline (415) 285-1011 if you know of someone who has been arrested and/or email me nat@criticalresistance.org. At this point, we are still creating a list of folks who were arrested, and folks are being charged with obstruction, rioting, failure to disperse, remaining at the scene of a riot and unlawful assembly. Most folks are either being held at Santa Rita jail or the Glenn Dyer County Jail.
Many folks are being cited and released and are awaiting a February court date, but many are being held at Glenn Dyer for their
court date Jan. 9th (Friday) at 2pm
Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse
Room 107
661 Washington (near 7th)
Oakland
Please come to support arrestees tomorrow, and if you have the means, try to raise bail money for folks being held. Again, if you know of someone who may have been arrested, please contact us, and if you can do legal support, please contact us as well.
By the way- Check out this Oscar Grant art!! Download print and distribute!
http://www.eastsideartsalliance.com/
From the Coalition Against Police Execution:
Critical Resistance and the National Lawyers Guild are amassing lists of names of arrestees and trying to do visits to support folks getting released.
Please call the NLG hotline (415) 285-1011 if you know of someone who has been arrested and/or email me nat@criticalresistance.org. At this point, we are still creating a list of folks who were arrested, and folks are being charged with obstruction, rioting, failure to disperse, remaining at the scene of a riot and unlawful assembly. Most folks are either being held at Santa Rita jail or the Glenn Dyer County Jail.
Many folks are being cited and released and are awaiting a February court date, but many are being held at Glenn Dyer for their
court date Jan. 9th (Friday) at 2pm
Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse
Room 107
661 Washington (near 7th)
Oakland
Please come to support arrestees tomorrow, and if you have the means, try to raise bail money for folks being held. Again, if you know of someone who may have been arrested, please contact us, and if you can do legal support, please contact us as well.
By the way- Check out this Oscar Grant art!! Download print and distribute!
http://www.eastsideartsalliance.com/
Thursday, January 8, 2009
IndyBay Reportback from Oakland Riots - Repost
Oakland: Riots In The Streets
"Walter Benjamin asked himself how in 1830 the Paris rioters shot at town clocks, in different parts of the city and without coordinating the action; for our part we cannot fail to reflect on why wild youths of today are burning cars. In fact, what does the car represent in contemporary society? We leave the question unanswered."
Stop protesting. Start fighting.
A protest was held January 7th at the Fruitvale BART station. Protesters gathered at 3pm and by 5pm the crowd had swelled to around one thousand people. At 6pm some of the protesters started marching down Broadway towards downtown Oakland. Around 6:35 there was a confrontation with a police car and a burning dumpster was shoved into it as people shook and jumped on the car. Hundred of police then moved in, shooting tear gas into the crowd. The protest continued into the night as dozens of protesters took over and blocked the intersection of 14th and Broadway for over an hour with several people lying on the ground to show how Oscar was lying when he was shot. A line of hundreds of riot police then moved in and pushed the crowd up 14th. The crowd pushed back and dozens of car windows were broken and a minivan was set one fire. The police then charged and as protesters dispersed windows were broken on a McDonalds and at least two more cars were set on fire.
8:30pm Two more cars near 14th and Madison are on fire and there have been more arrests.
8:10pm Crowd is dispersing. KPIX helicopter shows windows being smashed in on a McDonalds a block of so away.
8:07pm All cars on one side street have had their windows smashed and a minivan is on fire.
8:05pm Police are dividing crowd and charging at protesters. Several people are being put in police vans. An online feed from kpix.com seems to show police have dragged one person behind a police van and at least 4 police are beating the person with batons .
8:00pm A line of police is moving in and pushing the protesters out of the intersection. Many protesters are pushing back and several car windows are being smashed.
7:45pm Police just ordered the crowd to disperse and have told the crowd that anyone who does not leave the area in 10 minutes will be arrested.
7:40pm Dozens of people are still at 14th and Broadway, surrounded by hundreds of police cars and police in riot gear. Several people are lying on the ground in the intersection re-enacting how Oscar Grant was lying when he was shot.
7:10pm People are blocking Broadway and 14th chanting “We are Oscar Grant”
7:05pm: 50 or so people now marching back up Broadway towards 13th
6:40pm: Police are using tear gas and rubber bullets on crowd. 12 cops on foot and an armored truck chased people on Broadway towards the freeway.
6:35pm: Reports of people jumping on cop car and dumpster on fire near 7th and Madison
4:00pm: The crowd has swelled to around 300 people. BART has issued an advisory announcing the closure of the Fruitvale station "due to civil protest." A bus bridge has been established at Coliseum station.
3pm: Protesters have begun to gather at Fruitvale BART.
http://www.indybay.org
"Walter Benjamin asked himself how in 1830 the Paris rioters shot at town clocks, in different parts of the city and without coordinating the action; for our part we cannot fail to reflect on why wild youths of today are burning cars. In fact, what does the car represent in contemporary society? We leave the question unanswered."
Stop protesting. Start fighting.
A protest was held January 7th at the Fruitvale BART station. Protesters gathered at 3pm and by 5pm the crowd had swelled to around one thousand people. At 6pm some of the protesters started marching down Broadway towards downtown Oakland. Around 6:35 there was a confrontation with a police car and a burning dumpster was shoved into it as people shook and jumped on the car. Hundred of police then moved in, shooting tear gas into the crowd. The protest continued into the night as dozens of protesters took over and blocked the intersection of 14th and Broadway for over an hour with several people lying on the ground to show how Oscar was lying when he was shot. A line of hundreds of riot police then moved in and pushed the crowd up 14th. The crowd pushed back and dozens of car windows were broken and a minivan was set one fire. The police then charged and as protesters dispersed windows were broken on a McDonalds and at least two more cars were set on fire.
8:30pm Two more cars near 14th and Madison are on fire and there have been more arrests.
8:10pm Crowd is dispersing. KPIX helicopter shows windows being smashed in on a McDonalds a block of so away.
8:07pm All cars on one side street have had their windows smashed and a minivan is on fire.
8:05pm Police are dividing crowd and charging at protesters. Several people are being put in police vans. An online feed from kpix.com seems to show police have dragged one person behind a police van and at least 4 police are beating the person with batons .
8:00pm A line of police is moving in and pushing the protesters out of the intersection. Many protesters are pushing back and several car windows are being smashed.
7:45pm Police just ordered the crowd to disperse and have told the crowd that anyone who does not leave the area in 10 minutes will be arrested.
7:40pm Dozens of people are still at 14th and Broadway, surrounded by hundreds of police cars and police in riot gear. Several people are lying on the ground in the intersection re-enacting how Oscar Grant was lying when he was shot.
7:10pm People are blocking Broadway and 14th chanting “We are Oscar Grant”
7:05pm: 50 or so people now marching back up Broadway towards 13th
6:40pm: Police are using tear gas and rubber bullets on crowd. 12 cops on foot and an armored truck chased people on Broadway towards the freeway.
6:35pm: Reports of people jumping on cop car and dumpster on fire near 7th and Madison
4:00pm: The crowd has swelled to around 300 people. BART has issued an advisory announcing the closure of the Fruitvale station "due to civil protest." A bus bridge has been established at Coliseum station.
3pm: Protesters have begun to gather at Fruitvale BART.
http://www.indybay.org
Oakland Riot Reportback - We Are Oscar Grant
Last night, nearly a thousand people gathered in solidarity at the Fruitvale BART station to seek justice for the shooting murder of Oscar Grant by the BART police on New Years Day. The protest turned into a riot when we marched downtown, and the police used tear gas, rubber bullets, beat people with their nightsticks, and even started turning off street lights later in the evening to lessen visibility in the areas where we had stand-offs with the swat.
From 430pm to 930pm, me and Cootie, a few comrades, and an entire mob, moved through the streets of downtown Oakland, from rally to march to riot. Crowds were dispersed by the police, would break off into smaller factions, and regroup for new stand-offs. The police were clearly struggling to keep up. The cops shoved me around a bit, but I later retaliated (after recovering from the gas) by calmly taunting them with a camera in their faces - knowing that they could not arrest me for what I was doing. Turns out, my dog doesn't like cops either, and we spent a good amount of time at the front during standstills, facing off with the line of cops while Cootiemonster barked at them and I videotaped them.
A few were arrested. Some were provoked, others seemed arbitrary. The line of cops would occasionally swarm out like a flash in a mob, grab someone - seemingly at random - and suck them back behind the police line. All those I saw arrested were men of color, the majority black. Some of them beaten within distant view after they were detained. The line of cops held back protesters from getting close enough to videotape, and often attempted to block our view from scuffles that would break out occassionally. Some of the cops would actually honor our rights once we asserted that WE HAVE A RIGHT TO OBSERVE, but most of the time, they would respond with threats of violence and arrest.
A police car was jumped on and smashed up after a dumpster on fire was pushed into it. Cars were smashed and trampled in the path of the protest, several cars were lit on fire, and I saw at least one explode. Windows were smashed, trashcans, kiosks, and dumpsters were dragged into the streets to create obstacles against the pursuing line of cops. The windows of the McDonald's were smashed, and I watched as the cops came out of nowhere and chased down the kid. We all cheered him on, but ultimately, he got caught. Those fuckers can run really fast, so be warned.
I was teargassed while helping put out a fire that had started on the side of someone's house. I was pissed, and it burned like hell. Cootie was fine, and stuck beside me calmly like a badass riot dog the whole time (except for the one time I dropped her leash and she ran to the front of the march.)
I saw two women walking back from their car which had been completely smashed up, and said, "Hey lady, we're sorry about that", gesturing to their car. The owner of the car smiled back at me, saying casually, "Oh don't worry about it. I have insurance. And if that means that there is the chance that that kid will see justice, then its worth it. The police shouldn't get away with this kind of violence."
Fucking awesome.
Oakland mayor Ron Dellums came out later on during the riots with two bodyguards, and were swarmed by protesters who pleaded, demanded, yelled at, and reasoned with him to take action against the perpetrators of the shooting and address the urgency of the situation. Nervous police officers monitored the crowd some 50 feet away as the mob encircled the mayor and they strolled down 14th St. surveying the event.
"He said the killing was a homicide and that he had ordered the City of Oakland to investigate the BART killing. The crowd interrupted much of his speech, expressing their displeasure with the situation."
I left around 930pm, right before "Round 2". You can read more about it at indymedia. By the end of the night, 105 people had been arrested.
It is also important to note that the organizers did NOT plan for this riot to happen. I can attest to the multiple times throughout the rally and march that the organizers were yelling for the crowd not to use violence or provoke the cops - to remain calm and keep it a peaceful protest. It was not the strategy, nor the intention of the organizers for this event to turn into a riot. But you can't control an angry, hurt mob in the face of riot police with a history of racist authoritarianism. Emotions were running high, and the tension between the cops and the crowd was at a palpable breaking point.
And things broke.
Sometimes you gotta stop protesting, and start fighting back. More strategy, more self-control, and more organizing if we are to gain allies and arm ourselves effectively against the state.
I caught a lot of footage on my camera-phone (they're really handy for that!), and once I figure out how to upload and increase the quality of the videos, I will upload them to the blog. If anyone has any suggestions for video editing programs I can use to lighten and sharpen dark cameraphone footage, that would be great!
Stay tuned for updates.
From 430pm to 930pm, me and Cootie, a few comrades, and an entire mob, moved through the streets of downtown Oakland, from rally to march to riot. Crowds were dispersed by the police, would break off into smaller factions, and regroup for new stand-offs. The police were clearly struggling to keep up. The cops shoved me around a bit, but I later retaliated (after recovering from the gas) by calmly taunting them with a camera in their faces - knowing that they could not arrest me for what I was doing. Turns out, my dog doesn't like cops either, and we spent a good amount of time at the front during standstills, facing off with the line of cops while Cootiemonster barked at them and I videotaped them.
A few were arrested. Some were provoked, others seemed arbitrary. The line of cops would occasionally swarm out like a flash in a mob, grab someone - seemingly at random - and suck them back behind the police line. All those I saw arrested were men of color, the majority black. Some of them beaten within distant view after they were detained. The line of cops held back protesters from getting close enough to videotape, and often attempted to block our view from scuffles that would break out occassionally. Some of the cops would actually honor our rights once we asserted that WE HAVE A RIGHT TO OBSERVE, but most of the time, they would respond with threats of violence and arrest.
A police car was jumped on and smashed up after a dumpster on fire was pushed into it. Cars were smashed and trampled in the path of the protest, several cars were lit on fire, and I saw at least one explode. Windows were smashed, trashcans, kiosks, and dumpsters were dragged into the streets to create obstacles against the pursuing line of cops. The windows of the McDonald's were smashed, and I watched as the cops came out of nowhere and chased down the kid. We all cheered him on, but ultimately, he got caught. Those fuckers can run really fast, so be warned.
I was teargassed while helping put out a fire that had started on the side of someone's house. I was pissed, and it burned like hell. Cootie was fine, and stuck beside me calmly like a badass riot dog the whole time (except for the one time I dropped her leash and she ran to the front of the march.)
I saw two women walking back from their car which had been completely smashed up, and said, "Hey lady, we're sorry about that", gesturing to their car. The owner of the car smiled back at me, saying casually, "Oh don't worry about it. I have insurance. And if that means that there is the chance that that kid will see justice, then its worth it. The police shouldn't get away with this kind of violence."
Fucking awesome.
Oakland mayor Ron Dellums came out later on during the riots with two bodyguards, and were swarmed by protesters who pleaded, demanded, yelled at, and reasoned with him to take action against the perpetrators of the shooting and address the urgency of the situation. Nervous police officers monitored the crowd some 50 feet away as the mob encircled the mayor and they strolled down 14th St. surveying the event.
"He said the killing was a homicide and that he had ordered the City of Oakland to investigate the BART killing. The crowd interrupted much of his speech, expressing their displeasure with the situation."
I left around 930pm, right before "Round 2". You can read more about it at indymedia. By the end of the night, 105 people had been arrested.
It is also important to note that the organizers did NOT plan for this riot to happen. I can attest to the multiple times throughout the rally and march that the organizers were yelling for the crowd not to use violence or provoke the cops - to remain calm and keep it a peaceful protest. It was not the strategy, nor the intention of the organizers for this event to turn into a riot. But you can't control an angry, hurt mob in the face of riot police with a history of racist authoritarianism. Emotions were running high, and the tension between the cops and the crowd was at a palpable breaking point.
And things broke.
Sometimes you gotta stop protesting, and start fighting back. More strategy, more self-control, and more organizing if we are to gain allies and arm ourselves effectively against the state.
I caught a lot of footage on my camera-phone (they're really handy for that!), and once I figure out how to upload and increase the quality of the videos, I will upload them to the blog. If anyone has any suggestions for video editing programs I can use to lighten and sharpen dark cameraphone footage, that would be great!
Stay tuned for updates.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Justice for Oscar Grant! Protest His Untimely Death - Wed, Jan. 7, 3-7pm
Repost. I don't know who is organizing this protest, but the event was posted on my Facebook.
------------------------------------------------------>
Justice for Oscar Grant
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
3:00pm - 7:00pm
FRUITVALE BART STATION
3401 East 12th Street
Oakland, CA
Please spread the word - we need numbers tomorrow to show our outrage and demand accountability!
WE DEMAND:
1) All officers involved be taken off duty without pay, and fully prosecuted;
2) That the U.S. Justice Department investigate the incident as a violation of civil rights;
3) That BART establish an independent citizens’ review board for its officers; and
4) That the BART police officers be disarmed!
------------------------------------------------------>
Justice for Oscar Grant
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
3:00pm - 7:00pm
FRUITVALE BART STATION
3401 East 12th Street
Oakland, CA
Please spread the word - we need numbers tomorrow to show our outrage and demand accountability!
WE DEMAND:
1) All officers involved be taken off duty without pay, and fully prosecuted;
2) That the U.S. Justice Department investigate the incident as a violation of civil rights;
3) That BART establish an independent citizens’ review board for its officers; and
4) That the BART police officers be disarmed!
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