Oakland en llamas

[EE.UU] Oakland en llamas. Anarquistas, solidaridad y nuevas posibilidades en la rebelión de Oackland
Kara N. Tina. Traducido por alasbarricadas.org

"Siento que mi coche fuera quemado, pero la causa es muy triste." Ken Epstein, ayudante del editor de Oackland Post, que estaba terminando un artículo sobre la muerte de Grant, vio desde el 12º piso de su oficina entre la 14 y la calle Franklin cómo su Honda CR-V del 2002 se desintegraba en un mar de llamas.

El asesinato de Oscar Grant por el agente de policía de la BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) Johannes Mehserle a comienzos de la mañana del día de Año Nuevo trajo una oleada de dolor a toda la Bay Area (la Bahía de San Francisco) y recordó a todos ese racismo y violencia policia que siguen siendo componentes endémicos de la sociedad de los EE.UU.. Durante los días siguientes, este dolor se transformó en una ira desbordante cuando se comenzaron a difundir en internet y en los medios múltiples videos grabados por testigos del hecho. Una semana más tarde del 7 de enero, más de mil personas de distintas comunidades de toda Oackland y del Bay Area se juntaron para mostrar su enfado y estar en presencia de otra gente que sentía lo mismo.

Esta manifestación casi sin planearlo, cerró la comisaría de policía de Fruitvale donde tuvo lugar el crimen, cuando orador tras orador se iban dirigiendo a la multitud. Sin ningún plan u organización, la gran mayoría de los que estuvieron escuchando pacientemente a los oradores por más de dos horas llevaron la manifestación a las calles con un una marcha combativa que se dirigió al centro de la ciudad cuando el sol se ponía.

Cuando la marcha llegó a la comisaría de Lake Merritt y el cuartel de la policía en el centro, comenzaron inmediatamente los enfrentamientos dejando una furgoneta de la policía destrozada junto con un container ardiendo. Los manifestantes se dispersaron por las calles cuando se oían las armas de la policía descargar y el aroma del gas lacrimógeno en el aire. Las horas siguientes fueron testigo de oleadas de disturbios y manifestaciones en todo el centro de Oackland que llegaron a forzar al alcalde Ron Dellums a salir a la calle y prometer la apertura de una investigación por homicidio en un fallido intento de calmar a la enfurecida multitud. Al día siguiente, una junta de dirección de la policía se vio sobrepasada más allá de su capacidad con miembros de la comunidad expresando su rabia indignada, sintiéndose claramente respaldados y animados a hablar por la rebelión de la noche anterior.

En los días siguientes al suceso, comenzaron a circular rumores de que los anarquistas habían manipulado el evento que en condiciones normales habría sido pacífico, y que eran responsables de desencadenar la 'violencia'. Un artículo en la portada del San Francisco Chronicle dos días después de los disturbios citaba a un organizador de la manifestación de Fruitvale diciendo que fue llevado a las lágrimas cuando su trabajo fue "destruido por un grupo de anarquistas". Esta peligrosa y manipuladora narrativa oscurece lo que realmente sucedió y porqué, en aquella tarde, en las calles de Oackland se desencadenó una muestra tan poderosa de resistencia y solidaridad que dio a muchos un poderoso impulso de nuevas posibilidades radicales.

Es cierto que había anarquistas presentes desde el comienzo hasta el final el miércoles. En contra de algunas generalizaciones que asumen que todos los anarquistas son blancos, aquellos que estaban allá el miércoles venían de diversos entornos. Participaron en una amplia variedad de formas; desde difundir la convocatoria de la movilización para conseguir una amplia asistencia, a pasar horas pintando pancartas, participando en acciones callejeras militantes, siendo rodeados por la policía y en ocasiones golpeados y arrestados. Entre los más de 100 miembros de la comunidad detenidos hay anarquistas que ahora afrontan cargos que van desde disturbios menores a distintas acusaciones.

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Oakland on Fire

Oakland on Fire, Anarchists, Solidarity, and New Possibilities in the Oakland Rebellion
By Kara N. Tina

"I'm sorry my car was burned but the issue is very upsetting."
-Ken Epstein, assistant editor of the Oakland Post, who was finishing an article about Grant's death, watched from the 12th story of his office at 14th and Franklin streets as his 2002 Honda CR-V disintegrated in a roar of flames (Oakland Tribune)

The murder of Oscar Grant by Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) police officer Johannes Mehserle early New Year's morning sent a wave of grief throughout the Bay Area and reminded all that racism and police violence continue to be endemic components of US society. During the following days, that pain transformed into overflowing anger as multiple videos of the execution recorded by witnesses emerged on the internet and in the media. One week later on January 7, over a thousand people from diverse communities across Oakland and the Bay Area gathered to show their anger and be in the presence of others feeling similar grief. This hastily planned rally shut down the Fruitvale BART station where the shooting took place as speaker after speaker addressed the crowd. Without any plan or organization, the vast majority of those who patiently listened to speakers for over two hours took the demonstration into the streets with a spirited march that made its way towards downtown as the sun set.

As the march reached the Lake Merritt BART station and headquarters of BART police downtown, clashes immediately broke out leaving one police cruiser destroyed alongside a burning dumpster. Marchers dispersed down side streets to the sounds of police weapons discharging and the sting of tear gas in the air. The following hours witnessed waves of rioting and demonstrations throughout downtown Oakland that even forced Mayor Ron Dellums to come out into the streets and promise the opening of a homicide investigation in a failed attempt to subdue the angry crowds. Hundreds of businesses and cars were damaged or destroyed and dumpsters were left burning. The next day, a BART board of directors meeting was filled beyond capacity and overwhelmed with community members expressing indignant rage, clearly feeling validated and empowered to speak up by the previous night's rebellion.

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"We do not silently watch as they disappear us..."

"We do not silently watch as they disappear us into their prison dungeons, their service industries, or when they feel free to wave guns at us and shoot us"


In the follow up to the rioting in Oakland after the murder of Oscar Grant there has been some hand wringing from those who wished to contain the protests for their own gain. Petaluma Cop Watch published this extremely disappointing letter.

Yesterday a letter was released which addresses these reactions to the rage that took place the night of the 7th:

Dear Oakland,
The night of January 7th we were with you, you were with me, when we saw a glimpse of the future: we smiled and embraced as we lit fires, stomped in windows, destroying real estate, both big and small business as usual. We shared tips on makeshift face masks, we rested together on the sidewalk to catch a breath, we reminded ourselves to "stay calm! don't run!" when the cops gassed us or when they did their sorry shuffle: charging a little, pushing a little, running a little. We disbanded and came back together time and time again and realized we could make the city into anything we wanted.

We flew through the night, always outrunning the twin monstrosity of police and liberal politics-- both who call for passivity-- staying close to familiar faces, but always defending a stranger. Here we write this letter even while we know that where our words so often fail, only our fires emerge victorious. But let this letter be a word of encouragement. Let this letter be comfort in the courtroom when you stare up back at the judge, when they call you a criminal. We do not silently watch as they disappear us into their prison dungeons, their service industries, or when they feel free to wave guns at us and shoot us. Let this word be with you.

The early morning of January 1st was no accident, just as the fire lit night of January 7th was no accident. There are those who left early on the 7th who decry destruction and only want the specificity, the precision of a planned action with a planned target. They don't know that our plan was to rebuild our humanity and that the target was the city. They expose us to their legitimacy litmus. They are afraid of our wild ambitions, they have a smug disdain for our free humanity, they are torn between their boring critiques of capitalism and how they don't want to think we're mongrels-- but in their hearts, they do. We see them all the time: little conquistador Napoleons who want to mastermind a charge and lead a loud megaphone chant. Don't let them guilt or shame you-- if it helps, let this word be with you.

They do not know that our power does not have to look like neighborhoods of small businesses that cater to the middle road, businesses that employ us to work unending hours for them, all the while suspecting of us one perversion or another. Not now, or not ever, but especially not now when we live in a world where no one bats an eye when they kill us, imprison us, humiliate us each day. There is no human rights delegation to our daily lives-- there are only capitalist gate keeper service agencies and liberals who think they know what's good for everyone. No flashy car, no Obama/Biden bumper sticker, no "mom and pop" can prevent us or sell us the betrayal of our own experiences. We don't grieve for a car window, or a nail salon, or liquor store, just as we don't grieve for a McDonalds or a bank. We grieve that we are choked each day and we celebrate that just past the tear gas we finally caught a breath of reality. We finally found humanity, together.

It's cause to walk with a lighter step this week, to burn this memory into our histories, to remake our dreams for the future. We are reminded of what's possible: to be tender and patient with one another, and save our rage and distrust for those who destroy us. A heartfelt congratulations to you.


No business as usual, not ever, always towards humanity,
Barbarians,
Criminals,
POC Anarchists,
the dignified.


With a friendly nod to the day to day realities in Chiapas, the anarchist and the Arab in Greece, the civilian and the militant in Gaza, the suggestion of New School, the anarchist and the radio and the barricade in Oaxaca, the prisoner in Atenco, the legacy of Watts, the day laborer in Osaka, the uprising in St. Petersburg, the Burmese anti-fascist, the uprising in Cincinnati, the dignity of Benton Harbor, the dignity of suburban France, the farmer in Afghanistan, the Chinese in Milan, the young of Ungdomshuset, the militant's Chile, everywhere where our dignity overpowers our shame, where our strength proves itself collectively, where our emotions manifest publicly and collectively, where such basic humanity is born and breathes, where there are those who adhere to a human decency no culture can destroy-- which fortunately, is everywhere. Onwards!

Riots erupt in Oakland after funeral of Oscar Grant

"We live a life of fear, and we want them to be afraid tonight,"
-anonymous female rioter





In the early hours of January 1st, Bay Area Metro Transit (BART) police shot and killed a 22 year old man, Oscar Grant, on the platform of the Fruitvale BART station in Oakland. Grant was being held on the ground by two officers and was not struggling as another cop, Officer Johannes Mehserle, took out his gun and shot Grant in the back fatally wounding him. All of this took place in front of a crowd of people some of whom filmed the murder with cell phone cameras.

On January 7th Grant's funeral, as well as protests took place. A march leaving from the metro station where Grant was murdered made its way to downtown Oakland where the crowds fury was unleashed. Dumpsters were set on fire and a police cruiser was attacked, police counter attacked and over the course of the night cars were set on fire, businesses were attacked, and over 100 arrests were made.

Breaking News as it happened from Indybay


Video of Oscar's Murder:


Video of the rioting:




More footage

and here