TO the PRISONS Issue 6//Summer 09 an Insurrectionary Quarterly *WE ALL WANT SATISFACTION

FIRE TO THE PRISONS Issue 6//Summer 09 An Insurrectionary Quarterly *WE ALL WANT SATISFACTION

“If I win, I’m gonna buy a huge and strive so painfully to live that house and let all my friends live we compromise every moment in it.” to the future satisfaction money promises us one day. Images of “If I win, I’ll travel the world.” happiness surround us, our families and friends and destroy our “If I win, I’ll never have to work capability to dream. Is oppor- again.” tunity and ambition something that can only be determined and *You probably won’t win the lottery. granted by money? Is the rotting but subtle disappointment we ur understanding of oppor- O feel in our hourly wage or wrong tunity is limited to the amount lotto numbers worth the patience of money we have. Going from we have with the “opportunities” making $8-10 an hour, being the we are forced to accept? Some only person in a dry town with people rob banks, some people weed for sale, the ten seconds sell drugs, some people sell their between the first and last number bodies to evade a few of the hours called for the 90 million dollar they need for money. Money lottery: these are moments for steals from our lives, but money which we feel closer to satisfac- is still the origin of these fore- tion. We feel closer to comfort, seen opportunities. Still money stability, more possibilities in determines the potentiality of life, more freedom. So we ig- dreams becoming reality. What if nore our frustrations temporarily we never get a salary? What if we and return to the ever deceiving never lose a rich relative? What if faith we are taught to have in we neverwin the lottery? the economy and in the success and ambition we are forcefully Will we forever accept our lives taught to appreciate in this soci- in poverty? ety. We work so hard to survive *WE ALL WANT INSURRECTION

*You are not going to go to heaven, and even if you did, would it be worth it?

Heaven or hell? God’s approval or my approval? The present sucks so I hope for a better future. This is the fuel to most of the god-fearing religious folk of the world. We accept normalcy and routine in our lives because the morality of some alleged god tells us that if we are not to accept such a way of living, then we will be punished eternally. On the other hand, if we accept such a life, we will be rewarded an after-life of satisfaction and glee. The moment is worthless, because “god has planned your life”. It’s as if our lives are incapable of being good without god’s plan. Some may say that is kind of sad, or even pathetic. When something good happens, were told that it’s a miracle, a grace of god. How- ever, when something bad happens we are told it is part of

god’s plan to give us good things later, or we question if there is a god, until something good happens again. When things get hard, we are taught to pray, to never assume complete responsibility for the moment or the experience, never assume complete responsibility for our lives because we are all part of god’s plan. The church is one of the most praised institutions by the state. Religion is a tax-free enterprise that unlike the police, serves to enforce the normalcy of government controlled everyday life on a non-physical level. God, similarly to the state is something we don’t see, but something that determines our lives nonetheless.

We fear questioning god because the stories we are told of hell. We fear to question the state, because of the stories we are told of prison. If we are to assume responsibility for our lives, we must question everything that exists with an inherent intention to control them. Whether or not this means atheism or burning churches and killing priests, the sooner we are rid of god, the closer we are to experiencing a fuller and free life.

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-We All Want-2 *Just because your’re poor doesn’t mean your’RE supposed to be.

the bad neighborhoods are every- middle class people? Is the Middle When a cop shoots a “poor” thing else. In the globalized eco- East supposed to accept murderous black kid, you generally only hear nomic world, the stable nations are control by the west because it’s the about it if the killing was caught on the white ones (Western and North- way things are supposed to be? If video or unusually performed (un- ern Europe, North America), the you were born poor or non-white, usual being when the person was impoverished ones are everything are you supposed to accept that either shot in the back or 50 times). else. Again there are exceptions, the your life might be harder before the When white or rich people die it ruling class of India and China may economic coercion of modern sur- becomes a news story. The econ- propose this argument, but gener- vival because it’s the way things are omy is only bad when rich people ally speaking, we all privately rec- supposed to be? Why accept this? are losing money. A bad neighbor- ognize this. Is this not offensive? Is Because really, if we got our shit to- hood means a non-white, non-rich this something to accept? Will heav- gether and reclaimed our livelihood neighborhood. A safe neighborhood en be different? How do we ratio- as healthy communities working for means the opposite. White people nalize this to ourselves? Seriously, ourselves and those we care about, are expected to be rich, the other rich what the fuck!? do you think that the ones who are people are praised for being rich, 9/11 was a big deal because it hap- comforted by this set up would sup- and they are recognized as proof of pened on American soil. Never mind port that? The bottom of the pyra- social opportunity. Whether or not the fact that the part of the world mid is always bigger and it holds there are exceptions, whether or not the attack is accused of from stem- the whole thing up. there are rap and basketball careers, ming from has been under the mili- straight A’s, or modeling, everyone tary pressure of western nations for We should stop blaming ourselves, knows how the social geography of decades prior, reaching death tolls and start blaming the things sepa- the modern world is maintained. In far beyond 9/11. Will Smith, Jay-Z, rate of ourselves that control us. If American cities, the nice neighbor- Barack Obama: this is the evidence we keep blaming ourselves, we are hoods are the rich and white ones; to opportunity for non-white born accepting a system that does not accept us. Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-We All Want-3 * Police are cowards

Police are cowards. They front like they’re If I knew that I could fight a police officer with- tough, but really they are cowards. Anytime you out the concern of legal consequence, just the cop stand up to the police, no matter if you were beat- backing him or herself up, I would probably have en, beat them, were arrested, or got away, you are my daily planner set up for the next year. No- ALWAYS tougher. They’ll chase you and run red body who matters likes the police; they protect lights, beat the shit out of you (generally if you the property of the rich, the normalcy of every- are handcuffed or on the ground), hop fences, and day life and the fear that mediates our relation- shoot. But they are taking no risk, their pamper- ship with the world around us. If we had the back ing parent-the state- will always protect them. that they had, we would destroy them, humiliate When you run a red light, when you choose to them and eliminate the hand that feeds them: the fight back you are taking a risk. When the police state. If we had the back we would get our re- beat or kill people they do it while assured of no venge on these cowards. Because that is what the pre-determined consequence, they are basically police are: cowards. Our back will be the rage beating a blind and paralyzed 7 year old (they they produce. They are traitors to our humanity. probably do sometimes). They front like they’re All cops will always be. Nice or not; its inherent tough, but they ain’t shit. When they fight, they to their position. All cops are bastards. They are attack with the tank that is the state. When we the untouchable bully children of the State, but if fight, all we have is the tank that is our hearts, our we were to man up, we could be the uncontrol- sense of self-respect. lable children of their demise.

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-We All Want-4 You don’t have to be a punk, deviant, dork, or child of a *suburban divorce to be radical, to stand up for yourself on a big level. Smelly hippies, prissy college students, punk rockers power) of normalcy and patience, not through action and sleazy college professors make up the face painted and struggle without compromise. So according to the by the mainstream when presenting dissent. Opposition mainstream, when someone shoots as many cops as is something specialized, we are told. We are told that possible before they are killed, it is not an act of op- it is a privilege of the middle class, the trend of another position to the police presence in everyday life, but is generation, something that has already been done or is an act of “insanity”. You “protest peacefully” and we only feasible when one can fulfill a certain aesthetic or are told this is how to get our points across. You push identity. The origin of opposition is simple: it’s frustra- the boundaries of hygiene and image and express your tion, dissatisfaction. These are feelings that very acces- frustration with the world just by responding as much as sible and are seemingly more sincere when embraced you’re allowed to by the same world you’re frustrated by the less than typical revolutionary communities. We with, to the images that are presented to us by the main- riot when our frustration has gotten too strong, too in- stream. It is important to recognize that sub-culture and capable of being held in. Because our understanding of aesthetic have nothing to do with struggle. Freedom, change is within the context of politics, anything that is and the desire to achieve freedom, has no face that can not recognized as political is considered not a force for be painted. No political ideology or identity could ever drastic change. fully encompass freedom, because freedom is made Riots speak for themselves, cop shootings speak for freedom by an inability to set a limit or framework. The themselves, lootings speaks for themselves, rapists shot desire for freedom is something that should reflect the in the act speak for themselves, school and workplace same logic that determines a free context, making no shootings speak for themselves. But we are spoken to face, aesthetic, or lifestyle capable of fully representing about them by the mainstream that only recognizes op- a desire for freedom, or a desire to destroy what stands position on its terms: through politics (the game of between one from being free. You don’t have to be weird or political to be frustrated or want change. Real change is never political because to be political you must have an interest in working with the political forces that exist. To be weird you have to determine your aesthetic solely within the context of responding to what is normal. In both cases you are letting what you oppose determine the extent of your opposition; in both cases no goal could be achieved that really challenges the current, since the current sets the precedent for what you are responding to.

Revolt is strongest when it is through a commonly recognized desire for freedom, not an isolating need for distinct identity.

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-We All Want-5 *We all want satisfaction. We all want insurrection.

source of comfort in our everyday lives. But our op- We don’t have the time to cook so we eat Doritos portunities to bond are stolen from us by work and the and pre-packaged sandwiches when were hungry. We exhaustion of our constant strife to survive. We make only have the time for food when it’s fast. Our bodies up for a lack of time with Facebook or Myspace com- remain forever malnourished and we are constantly fill- ments, phone messages and the brief events where we ing the dietary void. We are unhealthy not because we have our scheduled social experiences. Because we are choose to be, but because we can’t afford otherwise. isolated by the prison of everyday survival, we feel a We don’t always have the time other then when were need to save up a days pay so we can afford to hang out sleeping to dream about what it is we want or where it at the bar or club, so we can AFFORD to meet people. is we want to see our lives go, so we look to the forever We go on vacations, if we have the money, where we changing but always somewhat the same set of images are told that these are the times to take risks or try new and ideas fed to us on television, radio, billboards, com- things. We can only experience inspiration when we mercials, etc. Our desires are limited to an understand- can think, we can only think when we can relax, we can ing of possibility by a very dreary social reality. Sex, only relax when we are away from work, when we are friendship, excitement, inspiration: these are all things away from the general portion of our lives. The beach is I assume people want. These are all things we yearn for a vision of nothingness, where everything as we know on a deep level. These are things that money sells to us it is gone. Maybe this is why the beach is understood as and the police mediate. We feel like we need to have inspiring (we are told there are resorts for this). When money to get sex. We judge our success in the bedroom our desires are told to us, or even more offensively, sold based on a standard of beauty we masturbate to in porn to us, do we really have any understanding of self, of or stare at in magazines and reality shows. We fall in our lives or of what it is that we want? The idea of re- love and conclude such warmth in our lives with the claiming our desires and possibilities in life without the cold government recognition of the relationship known rule of money or government is a very dangerous idea. as marriage. Our friendships may be the most important Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-We All Want-6 Re-examining the satisfaction bosses will listen, art will listen. create the realest opportunity for we find in spending hours of our They hope that the same forces freedom: a life that we are respon- life miserable to eventually buy that are perceived as the origin of sible for. the hottest new vintage Nike’s their frustration will change. They Drastic change can only be or Urban Outfitter jeans is a very look for brought about through drastic dangerous idea. Re-examining our the political fillers of more social measure. Insurrection also de- entire understanding of desire and leniency- one less law, one more fines a struggle that does not look satisfaction is a very dangerous national forest protected, one cop for permission. It is a word that idea. Since money and govern- punished by the system it works describes a force that does not ment exists to keep things (us) in for. If we look to change our lives ask, but takes without patience order, then examining possibilities or the context we are living in, and without compromise. Our beyond the context that money or there is no way to fully achieve life energy is forced to submit power produces is violating the the contrary by playing by the to the provided means to survive standard of safety or order, hence rules of the forces that motivate within an economy. If we begin to being dangerous. If we are to be our desire for change. Is it more look for a life to live, as opposed “dangerous” in this way, we are letters the politicians need to get? to just constantly survive, we daring to challenge everything as Or is it more bullets? Is it more could immediately take all of our we know it. We dare to contem- lawsuits the police need to get? Or energy and put it towards achiev- plate whether or not we are satis- is it more bullets? Is it a union our ing an everyday life and reality fied. Most of us feel this in subtle workplaces need so work will be we are comfortable with. Gangs ways, but most of us do drugs. more tolerable? Or is it fire? Is pa- could become mobile street crews The conclusions can be so hard. tience really something we should wreaking mayhem on the normal- Some of us choose to challenge show the forces that impoverish cy of police mediation of neigh- money, power, or whatever it is our lives? Insurrection is a word borhoods. Block parties could be- we see threatening our satisfac- for impatient struggle. Democrats, come occupied streets. In a free tion. Unfortunately, most peo- Republicans, communists, capital- life, anything is possible. In a life ple that choose to do this, let’s ists; such a word is not accessible of survival, we are forced to ac- say, “get political” and allow the to. Insurrection is a word that is cept and obey because any breaks ambition of their struggles to be free of the left and right wings. It along the way may mean no food restrained to the standards and is free of everything that looks to on our plates. possibility that the social reality be patient and work or manipulate of money and power encourage. the powers that be. Insurrection is They hope that politicians and a word that describes a non-filler police will listen, big companies political discourse, that looks to will listen, land-lords will listen, destroy the powers that be, and to Imagine insurrection being an immediate break from the lives we were told we were supposed to have. Imagine that insurrection is an opportunity for such a break to become permanent. The state wants us to play politics, the economy wants us to play the game of survival; our * lives are not games, we need to stop playing now. Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-We All Want-7 GREETINGS *A brief message from the editors. If your publication does not go through transitions, it does not grow. What you write about in some way reflects what you are inspired by or interested in. Each issue reflects the individuals or communities whom contribute to its production; the writers and those responsible for the resistance written about. We have become more and more frustrated with politics. It is frustrating to feel like we are catering to a specific milieu or political identity and in the process of destroying politics, we feel the need to remove our self from the aesthetic of politics in the process of challenging its very existence. But when you publish a periodical you sadly rely on the distribution or support of particular political groups or subcultures in society. We feel that dropping a formal identity would help to make this periodical an inclusive forum for frustration with everyday life, a feeling beyond politics and more specifically beyond isolating sub-cultures. We want this to be a forum for inspiration, not a collectible for a unique library. With this project we are trying to provoke a social force that will push for more of its kind. A diversity With the intention of trying to show support for campaigns we of attack is something we try to focus on. This are excited about, we try to raise awareness and encourage soli- is with the intention to reach the thoughts of darity with those who fall victim to the state’s attempts to defend different struggles and areas that experience itself. Those arrested that are mentioned specifically in this maga- their own repressions in everyday life. We are zine are individuals actively trying to expose state vulnerabilities trying to challenge having a particular aes- by attacking what it defends or more directly its formal presence thetic or identity attached to this publication. (government buildings, police, production sites, and so on.) In the process of challenging politics, we are We are a forum for frustration, a paper “blog” that looks to con- interested in discouraging any political as- nect different tensions in society, hoping to inspire a larger desire sumptions of this magazine. Those mentioned to radically challenge the circumstances of our everyday lives. as “political prisoners” for example, are those We are not a political party looking to have a say on the social imprisoned for participating in struggles we trajectory of politics (the game of power). We represent only our are sympathetic to, but do not exclusively sympathies for the physical presence of tension, acting as a force subscribe to. Conflict with the state, conflict for the social trajectory of freedom. Although anarchy is a word with the economy, conflict with industry, all that excites us, we are not representatives of a future world. We instances of conflict excite us and are seen are individuals who, along with everyone else, is stuck in the cur- as opportunities for something larger. As the rent social reality, but are looking to challenge in a real way the state is the sanction for politics, all prisoners presence of repression and mediation in modern everyday life. of any prisons could be considered political. Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Greetings-8 We want to encourage conflict and agitation by all means, therefore our content will report and comment coming from a perspective of pro-confrontation, pro-disruption, and pro- conflict. These are the things we want to be associated with in this publication. No banner could capture all the possibilities of our resistance. But a common knowledge of how others act to certain things we feel can help to strengthen forces of resistance in society, thus further help de-stabi- lize the forces of power in society that prevent us from being a fully existing

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Greetings-9 Table of Discontent

As we mention in every issue; our content is in- Fire to the Prisons is in no-way a “for profit” pub- tended for informational or educational purposes lication; nor is it a formal enterprise under state only. Fire to the Prisons is in no way responsible terms of legitimacy. All content in this publication for the decisions those reading this publication we encourage the re-printing or re-distribution of; choose to make in response to the message per- especially the issue in it’s entirety. Printable files ceived in the writings. Fire to the Prisons in no way for re-distribution of this magazine (current and encourages any illegal conduct. We are purely pro- back issues) are available for free on our website: viding a forum for conversation; and any attempt to connect this publication to any illegal behavior is www.firetotheprisons.com a complete fabrication by forces interested in im- peding information such as this.

P. 0, WE ALL WANT P. 44, TENSION REMAINS BOILING We all want insurrection. We all want satisfaction. Recognizing and learning from recent Bay Area tension between residents and police. P. 8, Greetings A pre-face to intentions with this publication. P. 48, Bash Back! Props to the anti-assimilationist queer tendency. P. 11, Anything Can Happen An account of the impossible by Fredy Perlman. P. 50, PURSUING STRATEGIC SOCIAL WAR Where do we stand? Obviously opposed to the social order. P. 19, “Fuck May 68’ Fight Now” An account of resistance on and around May Day 2009. P. 54, Conflict with Capital’s Global Con- quest P. 26, “All I Do is Party” Reports of native and anti-colonial struggle. Recognizing the potential of social conflict in the defense of “fun” P. 60, in TROUBLE Updates on those facing legal trouble and support for Imprisoned comrades. P. 29, A SOLIDARITY OF ATTACK “We look out for ours.” P. 70, frustration on the inside A chronology of North American prisoner resistance. P. 33, CONFRONTING FEAR Recognizing the emotional and logistical consequences of being P. 79, Long live mauricio! in struggle. Preserving a memory of Mauricio Morales Duarte.

P. 36, Collapsing the Security Archi- P. 80, links tectures Further news and knowledge for insurrection; for liberation. A call our for the “Summer of resistance 2009”

P. 41, Until All are Free For Total Liberation in Mexico.

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-T.O.C-10 anything can happen

“Be realistic, demand the impossible.” This slogan developed in May 1968 by revolutionaries in France, flies in the face of common sense, especially the “common sense” of American propaganda. In fact, in terms of American “common sense”, much of what happens in the world everyday is impossible. It can’t happen, if it does happen, then the official “common sense” is nonsense: it is a set of myths and fantasies. But how can common sense be nonsense? That’s impossible. To demonstrate that anything is possible, this essay will place some of the myths alongside some of the events. The essay will then try to find out why some of the myths are possible, in other words, it will explore the “scientific basis” of the myths. The essay, if successful, will thus show that anything is possible: it’s even possible for a population to take myths for common sense, and it’s possible for myth makers to convince themselves of the reality of their myths in the face of reality itself.

“American Common Sense”

-It’s impossible for people to run their own lives; that are why they don’t have the power to do so. People are powerless because they have neither the ability nor the desire to control and decide about the material and social conditions in which they live.

-People only want power and privileges over each other. It would be

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Anything Can Happen-11 impossible, for example, for university students to fight It’s impossible for them to change their situation any against the institution which assures them a privileged other way. position. Those students who study do so to get high grades, because with the high grades they can get high- -Even if some people tried to change the situation some paying jobs, which means the ability to manage and other way, it would be impossible for them to get to- manipulate other people. If learning were not rewarded gether; they’d only fight each other, because white with high grades, high pay, power over others and lots workers are racists, black nationalists are anti-white, of goods, no one would learn; there would be no moti- feminists are against all men, and students have their vation of learning. own specific problems.

-It would be just as impossible for workers to want to -Even if they did unite, it would obviously be impos- run their factories, to want to decide about their produc- sible for them to destroy the State and the police and tion. All that workers are interested in is wages: they military potential of a powerful industrial society like just want more wages then others have, so as to buy the United States. bigger houses, more cars and longer trips. The Events -Even if students, workers, and farmers wanted something different, they’re obviously satisfied with what Millions of students all over the world-in Tokyo, they’re doing, otherwise they wouldn’t be doing it. Turn, Belgrade, Berkeley, Berlin, Rome, Rio, Warsaw, New York, Paris—are fighting for the power to control -In any case, those who aren’t satisfied can freely ex- and decide the social and material conditions of which press their dissatisfaction by buying and voting: they they live. They are not stopped either by the lack of don’t have to buy the things they don’t like, and they desire or lack of ability; they are stopped by the cops. don’t have to vote for the candidates they don’t like. Perhaps they’re inspired by other fighters who held on

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Anything Can Happen-12 against cops: the Cubans or Viet- stuffed with intermediaries, that began to accept the students’ invi- namese… Students in Turin and poorly paid people are satisfied, that tation to come to the University of Paris, for example, occupied their ‘managers’ are proud of their privi- Paris auditoriums (at the Sorbonne, universities and formed general as- leges..” Some electronic workers Censier, Halle-aux-vins, Beaux semblies in which all the students distributed equipment to demonstra- Arts, etc.) to talk about abolishing made all the decisions. In other tors protecting themselves from the money relations and turning the words, the students started running police; some farmers delivered free factories into social services run their own universities. Not in order food to striking workers; and some by those who make and those who to get better grades: they did away armaments workers talked about use the products. Workers began to with tests. Not in order to get high distributing weapons to all workers, express themselves. That is when paying jobs or more privileges: they so that the workers could protect the owners and their administrators started to discuss the abolition of themselves from the national army threatened civil war, and an enor- privileges and high paying jobs; and police. mous police and military machine they started to discuss putting an In spite of a lifetime of business was deployed to make the threat end to society in which they had to propaganda about how “satisfied” more realistic. With this crass dis- sell themselves. And at that point, workers are with the cars, houses play of the forces of “law and or- sometimes for the first time in their and other objects they receive in der”, the king stood monetarily na- lives, they started learning. exchange for their living energy, ked: the repressive dictatorship of In Paris young workers, inspired workers expressed their “satisfac- the capitalist class was visible to all. by the example of the students, oc- tion” through a general strike which Whatever illusions people might cupied an aircraft factory and locked paralyzed all French industry for have had about their own “consum- up the director. The examples mul- a month. After being trained for a er sovereignty” or “voting power”, tiplied. Other workers began to oc- lifetime to “respect law and order”, whatever fantasies they may have cupy their factories. Despite the workers broke all the laws by oc- had about transforming capitalist so- fact that all life long they had de- cupying factories to see to it that ciety by buying or voting, they lost pended on someone to make their the factories continued to “belong” them. They knew that their “buying decisions for them, some workers because as they quickly learned, power” and “voting power” simply set up committees to discuss run- the cops are there to see to it that meant servility and acquiescence in ning the strike on their own terms, the factories “belong” to capitalist the face of enormous violence. The letting all workers decide, and not owners. The workers learned that student revolt and the general strike just on the union’s terms—and “law and order” is what keeps them in France (like the black revolt in the some workers set up commissions from running their own productive U.S., or the anti-imperialist struggle to discuss running the factories activity, and that “law and order” is on three continents) had merely themselves. An idea which is point- what they’d have to destroy in order forced the ever-present violence to less to think about in normal times, to rule their own society. The cops expose itself: this made it possible because it’s absurd, it’s impossible, came out as soon workers acted on for people to size up the enemy. had suddenly become possible, and their own dissatisfaction. Perhaps In the face of the violence of it became interesting, challenging, the workers had known all along the capitalist state, students, French fascinating. Workers even began to about the cops in the background; workers, foreign workers, peasants, talk about producing goods merely perhaps that’s why the workers had the well paid and the poorly paid, because people needed them. These seemed so “satisfied”. With a gun learned whose interests they had workers knew that it was “false to pointing at his back, any intelligent served by policing each other, by think that the population is against person would be “satisfied” to hold fearing and hating each other. In free public services, that farmers his hands up. the face of the naked violence of the are in favor of a commercial circuit Workers in Paris and elsewhere common oppressor, the divisions

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Anything Can Happen-13 among the oppressed disappeared: students ceased to destroy the state and its repressive apparatus, yet they fight for privileges over the workers and joined the occupied and started running the universities, and in the workers; French workers ceased to fight for privileges streets they returned the cops’ volley of teargas with over the foreign workers, and joined together with the a volley of cobblestones. This too was an exemplary foreign workers; farmers ceased to fight for a special action: workers in a number of factories took courage, dispensation, and joined the struggle of the workers occupied their factories, and were ready to defend them and the students. Together they began to fight against from the “owners”. a single word system that oppresses and divides students from workers, qualified workers from unquali- --The first workers who occupied their factories in fied, French workers from Spanish, black workers from order to take them over and start running them knew

white, “native” workers from “home” workers, colo- that they could not destroy the power of the capitalist nized peasants from the whole “metropolitan” popula- class unless all workers took over their factories and tion. defended them by destroying the state and its repressive power, yet they occupied the factories. This too was The struggle in France did not destroy the politi- an exemplary action, but these workers did not succeed cal and military power of capitalist society. But the in communicating the example to the rest of the work- struggle did show that this was possible: ers: the government, the press, and the unions told the rest of the population that the occupying workers were --Students at a demonstration in Paris knew they could merely having a traditional strike to get higher wages not defend themselves from a police charge, but some and better working conditions from the state and the students didn’t run from the police; they started build- factory owners. ing a barricade. This was what the March 22 Move- ment called an “exemplary action”: a large number of Impossible? All this happened in a two-week period at students took courage, didn’t run from the cops and be- the end of May in 1968. The examples were extremely gan building barricades. contagious. Is anyone really sure that those who produce weapons, namely workers, or even the cops and --Students knew that they could not, by themselves, soldiers, who are also workers, are immune?

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Anything Can Happen-14 “Scientific Basis” of the “Common Sense”

A “social scientist” is someone who is paid swallow it; a handful of people create and the to defend this society’s myths. His/her defense rest are passive; a handful of people perform mechanism, in its simplest formulation, runs and the rest are spectators. In short, a handful approximately as follows. s/he begins assum- of people have all the power over a specific ac- ing that the society of his time and place is the tivity, and the rest of the people have no power only possible form of society; s/he then con- over it even when they are learning what to do cludes that some other form of society is im- with it until they have it. From this the “sci- possible. Unfortunately, the “social scientist” entist” concludes that people have neither the rarely admits his/her assumptions and usually ability nor the desire to have such power, name- claims that s/he doesn’t make any assumptions. ly to control and decide about the social and It can’t be said that the social scientist is lying material conditions in which they live. More outright: s/he usually takes his/her assump- straightforwardly, the argument states: people tions so much for granted that s/he doesn’t do not have such power in this society, and this even know he’s making them. society is the only form of society; therefore it The “social scientist” takes for granted a so- is impossible for people to have such power. ciety in which there’s a highly developed “di- In still simpler terms: People can’t have such vision of labor”, which includes both a separa- power because they don’t have it. tion of tasks and a separation (“specialization”) Logic is not taught much in American schools of people. The tasks include socially useful and the argument looks impressive when it is things as producing food, clothing and houses, accompanied by an enormous statistical appa- and also such socially useless things as brain- ratus and extremely complicated geometrical washing, manipulation and killing people. To designs. If a critic insists on calling the argu- begin with, the “scientist” defines all of these ment simplistic and circular, s/he is turned out activities as useful, because society could not as soon as the “scientist’ starts “communicat- run without them. Next, the scientist assumed ing” in a completely esoteric language which that these tasks can only be performed if a giv- has all the logical fallacies built-in, but which is en person is attached to a given task for life, comprehensible only to “specific colleagues”. in other words if the specialized tasks are per- Mythological conclusions based on mytho- formed by specialized people. S/He does not logical assumptions are “proved” by means of assume this about everything. For example, the statistics and the charts; much of “supplied eating and sleeping are necessary activities; social science” consists of teaching young society would break down if these things were people what kind of “data” to gather in order not performed. Yet even the “social scientist” to make the conclusions come out, and much does not think that a handful of people should of “applied social science” consists of teaching do all the eating while the rest don’t eat, or that young people what kind of “data” to gather in a handful of people should do all the sleeping order to make the conclusions comes out, and while the rest don’t sleep at all. It is assumed much of “theory” consists of fitting this data that the need for specialization exists only for to the pre-established formulas. By means of those activities which are specialized in his/her numerous techniques, for example, it can be particular society. In the corporate-military so- “proved” that workers would rather have high ciety, a few people have all the political power, paying jobs, that people “like” what they hear the rest have none; a handful of people decide on the radio or see on television, that people what to produce, the rest consume it; a handful are “members” of one or another Judeo-Chris- of people decide what kind of houses to build, tian cult, that almost anyone votes either Dem- and the rest live in them; a handful of people ocrats of Republicans. decide what to teach in classrooms and the rest Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Anything Can Happen-15 Students are taught one set of methods for gath- The interviews, polls, and statistical demon- ering the data, a second for arranging them, a strations about people’s religious affiliations, third set for presenting them, and “theories” electoral behavior, job [preferences], reduce for interpreting them. The apologetic content people to monotonous data. In the context of the “data” is covered up by its statistical of this “science”, people are things, they are sophistication. In a society where eating de- objects with innumerable qualities-and sur- pends on getting pain, and thus where doing prisingly enough, each one of these qualities “meaningful work” may mean one doesn’t get happens to be serve by one or another institu- paid, a worker’s preference for high paying tion of the corporate-military society. It just meaning jobs merely means s/he would rather so happens that people’s “material tastes” are eat than not eat. In a society where people do “satisfied” by corporations, and their “physi- not create and control what they hear on the cal urges: are “satisfied” by “spiritual tenden- radio or see on television they have no choice cies” are “satisfied” by the cults, and that their but to “like” what they hear and see, or else “political preferences” are “satisfied” either by to turn the damn thing off. People who know the Republican or Democratic party. In other their friends would look at them funny if they words everything about American corporate- were atheists prefer to go to one or another militarism fits people just perfectly. church, and almost anyone who knows s/he is Everything is tabulated except the fact that in a society where friend or job loss would oc- a working person serves as a tool, that s/he cur if s/he were a socialist or an anarchist ob- sells his/her living time and creative ability in viously prefers to be a Democrat or a Repub- exchange for objects, that s/he doesn’t decide lican. Yet such “data” serves as the basis for what to make, nor for whom, nor why. the “social scientists” conception of people’s The “social scientist” claims to be em- possibilities and impossibilities, and even of pirical and objective; s/he claims to make their “human nature”. no value judgments. Yet by reducing the person to the bundle of tastes, desires and preferences to which they are restricted in capitalist society, the “objective scientist” makes the bizarre claim that this bundle is what the worker is; and makes the fantastic value judgment that the worker cannot be other than what he is in capitalist society. According to the “laws of human behavior” of this “science”, the solidarity of students with workers, the occupation of factories by workers, the desire of workers to run their own production, distribution and coordination, are all impossible. Why? Because these things are impossible in capitalist society, and for these “scientists” who make no value judgments, existing societies are the only possible societies, and the corporate-military society is the best of all possible societies.

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Anything Can Happen-16 Given the value judgments of these of demonstrating that animals also they’re superior to non-University experts (“who make no value judg- have a “human nature”—the psy- manual workers. ments”), everyone in American so- chologists drive rats mad in a situa- In such a society, WASP (White ciety must be satisfied. For these tion similar to a war which the psy- Anglo-Saxon Protestant) workers valueless “scientists,” dissatisfac- chologists themselves helped plan, who sell themselves for higher- tion is a “value judgment” imported and then they show that rats, too, paying, easier jobs, frantically tell from abroad, for how could anyone have a desire to kill, that they have themselves and their buyers that not be satisfied in the best of all pos- masochist tendencies,…) they’re better, work harder, and sible worlds? A person must have Given this conception of “human are more deserving than foreign- “foreign based ideas” if s/he doesn’t nature,” the strength of the corpo- ers, Catholics, Jews, Puerto Ri- recognize this as the best of all pos- rate-military system does not reside cans, Mexicans, and Blacks; black sible worlds; s/he must be unbal- in the potential violence of its army “professionals” tell themselves that anced if s/he’s not satisfied with and police, but in the fact that the they’re better than black manual it; s/he must be dangerous if s/he corporate-military system is consis- workers; all whites tell themselves means to act on his/her dissatisfac- tent with human nature. that they’re better then South Amer- tion; and must be removed from In terms of what the American ican, Asian, or African “natives”. his/her job, starved if possible, and “social scientist” takes for grant- Since WASPS systematically suc- killed if necessary, for the continued ed, when students and workers in ceed in selling themselves at the satisfaction of the expert. France started to fight to do away highest price, everyone below tries To the American social scien- with “reciprocity,” “exchange,” and to make himself as much a WASP as tist, “human nature” is what people the division of labor, they were not possible. (WASPS happen to be the do in corporate-military America: a fighting against the capitalist police, traditional ruling class. If midgets few make decisions and the rest fol- but against “human nature”. And systematically got the highest price, low order; some think and others do; since this is obviously impossible, everyone below would try to be a some buy other people’s labor and the events that took place in May, midget.) the rest sell their own labor; a few 1968, did not take place. To keep its relative privileges, invest and the rest are consumers; each group tries to keep the groups some are sadists and others masoch- “Common Sense” Explodes below from shaking the structure. ists; some have a desire to kill and Thus in times of “peace” the sys- others to die. The “scientist” passes The question of what is possible tem is largely self-policed: the colo- all this off as “exchange”, as “reci- cannot be answered in terms of what nized repress the colonized, blacks procity”, as a “division of labor” in it is. The fact that “human nature” repress blacks, whites repress each which people are divided along with is hierarchical in a hierarchic soci- other, the blacks, and the colonized. tasks. To the “social scientist” this ety does not mean that a hierarchic Thus the working population re- is all so natural that s/he thinks s/he division of people among different presses itself, “law and order” is makes no value judgments when s/ tasks is necessary for social life. maintained, and the ruling class is he takes it all for granted. Corpo- It is not the capitalist institutions saved from further outlays on the rations and the military even give which satisfy human needs. It is the repressive apparatus. “scientists” grants to show that it working people of capitalist society To the “social scientist” and the has always been this way: grants who shape themselves to fit the in- professional propagandist, this “di- to demonstrate that this “human stitutions of capitalist society. vision of labor is as natural as “hu- nature” is lodged in the beginning In such a society, students who man nature” itself. of history and in this depths of the prepare to sell themselves as high- unconscious. (American psycholo- salaried managers and manipu- Unity among the different “inter- gists—especially “behaviorists”— lators must tell their buyers and est groups” is as inconceivable to make the ambiguous “contribution” themselves that, as “professionals”, the “social scientist” as revolution.

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Anything Can Happen-17 BECAUSE

While holding as “scientifi- The same expert who de- ANY- cally proved” that the differ- fines the capitalist system ent groups cannot unite in as consistent with “human an anti-capitalist struggle, nature”, with people’s taste, THING the expert does all he can to wishes, desires, constructs prevent such unity, and his the arsenal of myths and colleagues design weapons weapons with which the sys- just in case people did unite tem defends itself. But what against the capitalist system. does the system defend itself against: human nature? If it Because sometimes the has to fight against human whole structure cracks. nature to survive, then by expert’s own language, the sys- IS tem is extremely unnatural. POSSIBLE

Thus while some experts define the rebellion of France as impossible because it is “unnatural”, their expert colleagues design the incapacitating gases with which cops can suppress such impossible rebellions.

Because anything is possible.

-Fredy Perlmen, 1968

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Anything Can Happen-18 May 1st; also known as Mayday; also known as international workers day; it has acted as a day for the exploited, tormented, and controlled by capitalism to feel recognized. Although Mayday has been perceived as an opportunity for the left to push its agendas and maintain its limited idea of resistance by buying protests and the attention of many con- scious proletarians; many have been able to intervene; now, and historically. In Europe we see this most; when the first brick is thrown; when the first barricade is built; the lines are clearly drawn. As the police maintain the system that coerc- *setting a precedent es us to accept class; to accept work; confrontation with them can only be necessary during this day of empowerment for the powerless. Mexico//April 30th: Banks, -In the Xochimilco borough, As the labor recognized in this day produces meat markets, and luxury Mexico City: 2 skotia banck the cash to consume and the products to sell, cars; targeted in mayday ATMs were incinerated. 4 attacking stores that celebrate the social divi- night of action. luxury automobiles from a sions that keep workers down and owners up; Jeep and Chrysler dealership attacking the symbols of wealth can only be Communiqué claiming the were incinerated. 7 Telmex necessary in framing the significance of this action: corporation phones were sab- day. The following is a compiled list of events otaged. 6 meat markets were from this Mayday 2009 from North Amer- (Translation from Bite Back glued. Various churches and ica and around the world; may our attacks magazine: www.directac- schools were painted. strengthen our side of this fence; may this tion. info, please mind the Mayday be an implication of the coming so- grammer) -In the Azcapotzalco bor- cial war. May these attacks spread; may these ough, Mexico City: various confrontations re-occur; not just on designat- Last night, April 30, as a re- paintings were done against ed days of dissent and distress; but everyday; sponse to the call for a day of the construction of a gas sta- for everyday is a celebration of exploitation action against capitalism and tion, against the police and in and domination in this culture; for everyday is in solidarity with the prison- solidarity with prisoners. another chance to reclaim the following one. ers of social war, the following sabotages were carried -In Ecatepec, Mexico State: out anonymously: 1 window was broken and a camera destroyed at a b.b.v.a. -In the City of Nezahualcoy- bank. otl, Mexico State: 3 Bancom- er and h.s.b.c. ATMs were in- -In Coacalco, Mexico State: cinerated. 1 Bancomer bank 1 luxury Toyota was inciner- was sabotaged with paint on ated. its windows. For the expansion of -In the Ixtapalapa borough, social war. Mexico City: 1 Banamex ATM was burned with a mo- That the flame of insur- lotov. rection spreads everywhere

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-May Day-19 that the powers that be tremble, that the world of capital explodes in front of the social uprising. War!!! against those who exploit nature to get rich, against those who kill animals, against those who murder and imprison our compañeros and social fighters. The virus of social control or ‘swine flu’ could not stop us, the virus of the insurrection against the state will expand.

These sabotages are claimed by: The informal and inflammatory coordinator for subversive and de- centralized action. May Day Asheville, NC 2009

On the night of May first a down town building in Asheville North Carolina was occupied for a dance party in honor of May Day. A banner hung from the roof read “Re- claiming space to reclaim our lives. Occupy everything!” and by the time the police arrived there was about 150-200 people doing just that. As pre-determined nobody fought for the space but instead took the party to the street. Once the police realized their mistake they seized the sound system but it was too late. Masks were on and the chants began. “Wu-tang Clan ain’t nothing to fuck with!”, “May Day is our day. Can’t forget peoples history!”, “Swine-Flu! Swine-Flu!” and A... Anti... Anti-Capitalista!”. The crowd took to the streets; breaking windows, neglecting police demands, and setting a precedent of no compromise before the normalcy of typical protest on this day. Below is a written account of the events on this day:

1. Capitalist time is the irrevers- where it could be interrupted by an ible repetition of non-events. The exception. Our task is to caress this regime of this time is a relation- potentiality. ship made material and intelligible through the subject/object fiction. 2. Language is increasingly incom- Which is to say, the playing out of mensurable. To speak is only to you and I being this or that iden- make intelligible the taking place tity; functioning by all the rules of language. The gesture is the we are supposed to abide by. On a form of vocabulary that must, at all given weekend it is reasonable to costs, be wildly practiced. kick back, to have a few beers, to go to a party, to engage in an in- 3. Any day can become a holiday, teresting conversation, to get laid. any holiday can be put to use. The In each of these, there are moments eventness of May 1st must be freed of potentiality, where the normal from 1886, 2001, and 2009. To pro- course could continue forward, and test the management of society

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-May Day-20 without attacking the relationship of lovely, to be fully kidnapped by the speakers. being managed and managing oth- eventness of the event. We dance, yet share a collec- ers is to leave both management and Thumping beats are calling tive intelligence that the police will society unscathed. A demonstration to us—seducing us closer as they soon be here—either in uniform or that remembers our fallen heroes increase in volume. “Is this the in the form of the dancing bodies of the past without passing over to space!? Oh my fucking god this is returning to their roles as activists a wild use of the present plays out the space!” A three-story monolith or punks or community organizers the sadness of yet another funeral is consuming every body that nears or hipsters or steam-punks. We are dirge. its margins. We follow the most prepared for just that occasion. fascinating haircuts as they are They are inside the fortress! 10:12 pm Friday, May 1st 2009: We sucked into the event’s singularity. Police are pointing their pathetic are becoming-unicorns because we An enormous banner drapes across flashlights, making it clear that they are an image from a terrible, magi- the building’s exterior exclaim- see what naughty things we are do- cal future, where our inhumanity is ing, “Reclaim space to reclaim our ing. We are out the back door, the given a place. We are analogous to lives!” and “Occupy everything!” A crowd has formed again. Smiling swine flu and other pandemics be- monstrous image of a galloping uni- mischievous faces whisper, “The cause we practice the dissolution of corn accompanies the text. A friend party’s not over.” The sound system society into communes becoming- of mine wears the image of Satan’s emerges. How did it get outside? unicorns, becoming-cats, becom- unicorn on his forearm. The uni- The police emerge again with their ing-pandas, becoming-werewolves, corn, is often associated with queer stupid gestures of surveillance. The becoming-that which attacks criti- practices. Widely circulate and ap- speakers come to life. The crowd cal arteries. We are parasites, a stat- propriate: the unicorn is that which goes wild. The police grab the ic noise of collapsing selves, which is swift and has an edge. the unicorn sound-cart. A voice shouts “Lets act with care but without remorse. is fantasy, armed. party without music!” The crowd PARK! We are at the vortex, At the door, we are greeted by our goes wild. Moments later, the police subcultural capital is fully spent. For most cherished friends: are left to deal with an object in a once, having dreadlocks is not the “Welcome to the party, this shopping cart—we enter into a ram- worst idea, yet giant traveler packs is an occupied space. It’s totally il- page against the past and against the are still a fashion “don’t.” Each legal and stuff, would you like a gift future. body is antsy, vibrating with poten- bag?” We feed alongside the other cy and anxious to receive the prom- Before its even possible to forces consuming capitalist soci- ised “secret.” There is a circle of consider the use of the contents of ety. We are inhuman. We illuminate bodies—it speaks, “Get into groups the bag—a pretty explanation of this fact to everything in our path, of ten to fifteen!” There are no po- the event, a mask, some condoms, “Swine flu! Wrecking You!”, “What lice at the park—we thought there a dental dam—we are entering comes up must come down, burn would have been police. Where are through another door of judgment. the cities to the ground!”, “Negate! the police? Groups begin diffusing The electronic music is turned up to Negate! Affirm! Negate!” We give into Asheville’s nightlife. Each of eleven. There are free expropriated an intelligibility to our methods of us is swept away in different lines of beers and bottles of water. Exuber- communication, adding gestures to flight. We play at being party-goers, ance, post-ironic cheers, and the “A...Anti...Anti-Capitalista!” Ob- students, hippies, those who appre- terrible motions of bodies losing jects are given new places and given ciate the typeface Gotham far too inhibitions—some moving sharply, flight. We make small obstructions much. We pass police occupied with some with composure—form noth- and interruptions in the arteries of the arbitrary enforcement of law at ing less than the harmony of rupture the petite metropolis. Things are a gas station. Whispers, murmurs, after rupture that fills the content thrown against plate glass and plexi- intrigue. I know little of whats go- of clicks and buzzes and droning glass. Many bounce, some make it ing on, but I wish I knew less. How bass thrust out without regret from to their new home.

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-May Day-21 What is achieved is a technological intercourse with forms-of-life and objects. What is achieved is a passing through our own limits to face and press up against thresholds. The feast of destructive gestures is not a matter of punishment for the evil of this or that business, but rather a rupture with the normal relationship of capital. It is the small businesses that employ many of us, and exploit every ounce of our potentiality. To attack not only what we hate, but also what we like: what holds us in this impoverished existence without experience, and these miserable conditions of hostility where we never get to give the gift of our submission, is what is at stake in the destruction of capitalism and in the violation of the sanctity of property. It is always a strike, but the point is always to go beyond the strike that can have an intelligible demand to power to the strike that spreads power as May Day Pirate a collective and sentimental intelligence. Flash Mob There have been no cameras, none of us Wreaks Havoc have stopped to forget the present yet. We have no in Downtown media to wash our vulgarities, but the police are San Francisco beginning to catch up with us. The old world of Late night May 1st: identities and their policing will soon come wag- Flash mob attacks stores in San Francisco’s wealthiest ging its finger and the future world of boots on shopping area: faces will soon align us in its sight. We cannot completely reduce the police to our object just Late evening May 1st; a group of 50 or so vandal yet, so we run faster. “pirates” begin to walk as one through San Francisco’s Some are caught on the worst street in Union Square; an area that has served to the entertain- Asheville, a terrified police officer wants to arrest ment and fashion of San Francisco’s wealthiest resi- everyone, but can do so little. Another officer is dents and tourists. The 50 or so pirates attacked some genuinely confused and wants to know why and of San Francisco’s fanciest stores; De Beers, Guess, what just happened. Everyone leaves. Prada, Longchamps, Macys, and Mont-Blanc were a After everyone has fully dispersed, a few of these stores. Windows were smashed, paint police officer identifies some of the ignoble on was thrown into the stores, fireworks were set off, and another street. In a very disappointed tone he at- trash cans were thrown into the street to create the tempts to shame them, “Good job guys... I mean space for this event. Mainstream reports of the events congratulations on destroying a lot of personal suggest that 30,000 dollars in damage occurred from property.” the party.

We add exclamations to his sentence, and The following is a communiqué discussing the event: spread the good news. “They had Swords”, Mayday Mayhem in SF

An officer radios to his dispatcher, “I don’t know what just happened, but they had swords”. Last night may have come as a surprise to some, fireworks going off

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-May Day-22 at every corner, smoke hanging omi- The urge to destroy is also a destruc- dead objects. A bank, whether at an nously in the humid night air, a mob tive urge. anti-war demonstration or on your marauding through 6 city blocks, The face of an old tired-ass way to a friend’s apartment, is still projectiles flying from every hand police officer appears on the nightly a bank. and in every direction along the news, “blah blah anarchy blah blah We see each other in pass- most opulent thoroughfares in the eleventy billion to infinity dollars in ing, exchanging inconspicuous nods city, but a certain amount of inten- damage”. and nervous glances, hoping for tion and decisiveness accompanied The confusion of the police someone to do something, anything us that night. We were elephants and the fear of the news anchors to break the monotony of daily ac- rampaging through the Alps, only was enough justification. tivity. It’s nice that we’re finally ac- with sledgehammers. “Who cares about the victim if the quainted. This is a model for what Distant sirens swiftly approached gesture is beautiful” determined crews, with a little plan- and the crowd scattered through The weight of the economy ning and intention, can do without downtown alleys, incurring no ar- bears down on us in every aspect sacrificing inclusion. Clandestin- rests while wreaking as much havoc of our lives, as such, disruption is ity has its place, but to generalize a as possible. always appropriate. The dogma of participatory violence against capi- De Beers, Prada, Coach, Tumi, exchange is never truly escaped, in tal there must be more than hushed Wells Fargo, Longchamp, Macy’s, the unemployment office, at work, conversations. Armani, Crate and Barrel, Mont- even in our most sincere embraces. We intend to confront economic blanc, Urban Outfitters and Guess We have no intentions of confining relations in our daily lives, disrupt- were all targeted for all kinds of confrontation to the fringes of sanc- ing the exchange of commodities as boring ass political shit, but primar- tioned demonstrations, or justifying often as possible. We hope you’ll do ily because fuck them. Exploitation it with vulgar political diatribes. the same. is the norm of economic activity, Actions always occur within a so- not the exception. We see no need cial context. The most brilliant And somewhere, perhaps a million to reveal our laundry list of griev- physicists on earth have never made miles from here, a young boy floats ances and solidarity. The mission a true vacuum. We are part of a lim- across a sea, waiting for the next oil was made clear: an attack on wealth itless conflict between people and tanker. that would leave its mark. wealth, between living activity and -RBH Crew

Milwaukee//May 1st: A group of 20 or 30 vandals; said to have looked like ninjas; attacked corporate businesses in the night.

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-May Day-23 Report from: www.amoryresistencia. blogspot.com May 1st//Santa Cruz, CA Wells Fargo Attacked in Santa Cruz county A group of about 20 to 30 Communique claiming the action: vandals, dressed in black and wearing masks, committed “In the early hours of May 1st, 2009, a Wells Fargo in south Santa Cruz multiple acts of vandalism just county was attacked. At least 13 windows and a glass door were smashed. after 11 p.m on May 1st. The Wells Fargo is a top investor in the GEO Group who runs I.C.E. prisons. group, which some witnesses Solidarity with the “immigrants” who riot in I.C.E. prisons. described as looking like “nin- Solidarity with the First Nations warriors attacking infrastructure through- jas,” damaged the windows of out “Canada”. several businesses and vehicles near the East Side intersection The war goes on.” of Farwell and North Avenue; they also threw construction barricades and smoke bombs April 24th to May 1st//Barecelona, Spain into the street. The police A week of sabotage against real estate offices and banks, under the slogan claimed that U.S Bank, Whole “We have lost our fear” Foods, Qdoba, and Bruegger’s Bagels all had broken windows “We have lost our fear: we won’t jump through the hoop” is the phrase or damage to the property. The with which the actions against banks, real estate offices, and temp agen- Milwaukee police are looking cies in the city of Barcelona during the week of April 24 to May 1 have into whether this activity was been claimed. According to manifestos posted on Indymedia, the actions related to a protest earlier in the were intended to “point out those guilty for the crisis” and motivate the evening by a group of self-titled people to take part in boycotts and disobedience against these entities “re- “anarchists” in the Riverwest sponsible for our misery.” area, department spokesperson Anne E. Schwartz said, “there is On the night of April 24-25, 400 cash machines were sabotaged in the no one in custody at this time.” neighborhoods of Sants, Gracia, Poble Nou, Clot, and Ciutat Vella. The action consisted of covering the screens with stickers that read “ATM out of service. No cash withdrawals possible. Please forgive the inconve- nience.”

[Forgive nothing. Live!]

Many cash machines also had the card slots glued so bank cards could not be introduced. Two days later, during the morning of April 27, a branch office of the temp agency Adecco in the neighborhood of St. Gervasi was THE attacked with paint and stones, causing damages in the entrance of the office. On the night of the 29th, an office of Manpower, a bank of La Caixa, WAR and a Social Security office in Gracia encountered the same fate. That * day, in the neighborhood of Clot, during the morning unknown persons attacked a Tecnocasa real estate office with paint bombs. In a communique GOES they remarked that their daytime action was “to reaffirm the legitimacy of our means of action against gentrification and capitalism.” In Sants, Thursday the 30th of April, the entrances to 16 supermarkets in the neigh- ON borhood had their locks glued shut and were painted with the phrase,

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-May Day-24 “responsible for the crisis.” They were also left with stickers explaining the reason for the closure. According to a communique made for one of the actions, this campaign was intended to be a tool of “social communication and direct action to denounce those who, having generated the global financial crisis, are provoking a serious social crisis.” The objective of the supermarkets, as stated in the communique, was to oppose the monopolization of the food supply by the major corporations, to denounce the pressure they impose on the food producers to lower prices, destroying local and sustainable production.

The communique ended: We already know that we own everything—the “We will do away with their circus and the clowns that defend it.” task is to exclude the

Translator’s note: intrusions of capi- The full text of a communique referred tal and power. to by multiple of the groups that partici- pated in the week of sabotage, appeared -”strategic social war” on a color poster that appeared in the hundreds throughout Barcelona in the week leading up to May Day.

The text of the poster reads:

We have lost our fear. We won’t jump through the hoop.

Since we were born they have taught us that the world is as it is and we have to resign ourselves to it. Those who repeat this to us in their classrooms, in their media, in their public announcements, are the same ones who benefit from the situation. And this won’t change as long as we don’t violate the norms they impose on us and as long as we don’t realize that the first step towards freedom begins with a NO.

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-May Day-25 “ALL I DO IS PARTY”

Starting with Panda-monium, sent; they cater to rituals and length- eryone now recognizes the police, a Panda themed roving street party en the circle those interested in being the most common physical presence at the end of summer 2008 in New “political” are constantly running of the state, to be the most annoy- York City, there has been a wave in. Parties such as Panda-monium, ing party poopers. Since these an- of anarchist instigated petty riots and others we’ve reported on in the noying bastards aren’t your typical and mob attacks disguised in the last 2 issues and this one, open up party poopers bringing up negative form of a simple party. Consider- space for accessible and non-exclu- events or stressful things coming ing that whenever one of these is sive conflict with the state. up early tomorrow morning, they claimed publicly the approaches and Special interest and ideology, two look to ruin the fun with arrest and sentiment of the party claiming the vital aspects to political protests, are violence. Due to the forcefulness party are of an anti-political and in- not on the invite list to these parties. of this forced boredom people can’t surrectionary nature, the more polit- From what we’ve read these parties just call the police losers and tell ical factions of the North American look to purely be a party, a place for them to go home to mommy, they anarchist milieu have brought up fun, where everyone would be inter- have a choice: to engage in the fight they’re boring concerns. Some say ested in going. The situation is this: the police are posing to our fun or that these events are “ridiculous”, in cities there are appointed places go home knowing the night could “absurd”, “juvenile”, or “non-politi- for fun and once fun goes beyond have been so much better. In the cal”. Although all of these accusa- those spaces, especially if it dis- cases of these parties, success has tions are true to a degree, when pro- rupts the flow of traffic, the parties been seen in the general response posing for a struggle that intends to become dangerous, lawless, and of people to choose to defend this shatter the normalcy of everyday a conflicting force with the social fun space. With Panda-monium life in this society, would one not framework of the city. Once these specifically, you saw people break- be interested in incorporating all of parties choose to go beyond the set ing away from police and building these accusations into they’re resis- space for fun, the police show up to barricades out of construction equip- tance? materialize the once imaginary limi ment to protect the fun or setting off Formally political protests are con- tations we were violating by raising fireworks to let the police know that tained and mediated spaces for dis- the stakes of fun. At this point ev- the fun will not only be stopped Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-”All I Do Is Party”-26 but will continue to be escalated as its violated.

We have to ask ourselves: what is more inspiring and capable of being generalized, people seeing people act on account of so and so single issue or political cause or creating situations where people realize what the state exists to do, and how it personally effects the lives of all of us? We see the potentiality of this in some of the May Day actions and in the reports fol- April 26th//Min- lowing this piece, but we feel that A block party near the University of Minne- neapolis, MN: the excitement some may feel from sota turned into mayhem Saturday night, April Partygoers Set this sets a precedent for how radi- 26th, when revelers hurled beer bottles at police Fires & Clash cals may want to approach politics: officers, lit a fire in the street and jumped on With Police that being not at all. cars. In the end, seven people were arrested, but not 400 partygoers who before officers used smoke grenades, tear gas “only got more incor- and foam bullets to disperse the crowd of sever- rigible” by lighting a al hundred people that gathered along Seventh large bonfire, jump- Street between 13th and 14th avenues. ing on cars and trying Several students who were at the off-campus to tip one over on its block party said Sunday that it was partly a side. spillover from the university’s annual “Spring Jam” event, which was planned by the student “They were creating activities office and ended Saturday night. mayhem in the neigh- But other students said the large gathering had borhood,” Garcia more to do with the two keg parties at houses said. The University of Min- along Seventh Street. *nesota is calling Saturday Sophomore Abe Gross, who lives a block About an hour and night’s Dinkytown riot away, said one party was underway as early a half later, more than “an unac- 8:30 a.m. and had already spilled into the street. 50 officers —- wear- By 5 p.m., the street was nearly impassible for ing helmets and gas ceptable motorists because of “rowdy students drinking masks and carrying beer and yelling,” he said. battalions — tried to display of Officers who arrived about 8 p.m. after a report quell the crowd with lawless of a large party were greeted with flying beer smoke grenades and bottles, rocks and other debris, Garcia said. chemical irritants. behavior.” “At one point, someone threw a 12-pack of beer The foam bullets were at an officer,” he said. “There was a lot of defi- used to “identify the ance there.” main agitators” The initial responding officers were forced to retreat and call for backup. In the meantime, Garcia said, the crowd swelled to an estimated Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-”All I Do Is Party”-27 PANDA! PANDA! PANDA! PANDA! PANDA! CAT! CAT! CAT! April 11th: a weekend of many exciting events. The subway, only to be bombarded by about 20 cops pre- weekend began with New School students occupying a pared to beat anyone who made the wrong move. school building that was occupied 3 months prior. This Some said fuck it and hopped the turnstile, some occupation received an intense and dramatic response bought single rides, and some had unlimited cards. by the NYPD as well as a courageous and bold show One Cat tries to get everyone to start hopping, but the of support from supporters not of the school outside. police try to make an example of him by grabbing Scuffles ensued outside of the occupation, leaving a and trying to arrest him for not paying the 2 dollar police officer injured, and unfortunately a few arrests. subway fee. Like the Cat this person seemed to be, Later that night a solidarity demonstration was held he swiftly escapes their hold and, with the support of with those arrested earlier in the day, windows of luxu- fellow cats, runs away into the night. The party ry cars were smashed out, the president of the occupied eventually makes it’s way into the subway; the train New School was harassed, and traffic was blocked by is rowdy as fuck. CAT! CAT! CAT! are the words out the event. This Friday set a precedent for the day that of most people’s mouths, and definitely in every per- followed. Saturday April 11th, was the day of the New son’s ears. The party gets to the 1st Ave. L stop and York City “Anarchist Book Fair”. An event known to leaves the subway prepared to escalate the fun. The be a routine ironic celebration of anarchist sub-mar- Cats are without police presence for one moment; im- kets, and a gathering of folks, some like-minded, from mediately McDonalds is spray painted and its win- all across the country making it so people who feel dows knocked out. The manager comes out and tries isolated with certain feelings can network, discuss, or to start a fight, but other then the 2 cops that are buy books. The book fair ended at 8. throughout the event flyers regarding a street party to meet in Union Sq. (the new youth park of Manhattan) were passed out. The flyers said, “meow more then ever, hisste- rical street party, CAT-TASTROPHE, Saturday, April 11th, 9pm sharp”. By 9:30, Union Square was filled with about 200 people: some coming from the book fair, some coming from who knows where, and some just walking by and gaining interest in the spectacle. At some point, Hot97 New York’s mainstream hip-hop radio station, blares from a few separate boom boxes. All of a sudden people are dancing. Many seem confused, but one Cat proposes that we get on the subway. Shortly after, people slowly make their way into the

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-”All I Do Is Party”-28 there at this point, he has no friends ing luxury cars, as the other half 7 arrests were made; none of which and can’t do that much. People con- continues to march. The remaining remained felony charges. Although tinue to party down the street, spray party swells to about 200 people. this only lasted about an hour or painting and building barricades to With sirens from every direction, two, any disruption in Manhattan is block the police from coming closer. Manhattan, North America’s most something to be proud of, especially Luxury cars begin to get attacked in controlled space, is temporarily vio- if it is to this degree. Although this Manhattan’s historic Lower East lated with mayhem. As the march didn’t make it beyond most local or Side; police are confused but begin continued, big businesses like Whole anarchist news, it is understood that to try and move in by driving into Foods and Washington Mutual are many random people that night saw the party. The party is split as half attacked, leaving their windows the fun and joined in. of it runs down a side street, attack- broken. Unfortunately around 6 or

Our comradery will be challenged by the state repeatedly. When a we must respond to repression, when riot is of no option, when only solidarity the active would be concerned: we must remain visible in the night. of attack

Week of May 3rd// Milwaukee, WI Anarchists Target “Green” Condos in Solidarity with Arrested Comrades * Communique found on socialrupture. unwilling to accept such actions by the State. blogspot.com: To express our deepest solidarity with those arrested, we attacked four condominiums in On Friday the State of Indiana arrested two Milwaukee’s Riverwest neighborhood. We people in connection with resistance to the smashed windows and glued locks. In par- construction of Interstate 69. We are entirely ticular, we targeted “green” condo

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-A Solidarity of Attack-29 developments. Next time we will be even more dreadful. The most revolutionary form of solidarity is to deepen conflict. We have identified the same faults, and are glad to be the contradiction that will rip them wide open. We won’t stop until we’ve derailed, burned and scattered the ashes of the “unstoppable train” that is this social order.

As always, eternal war on capital in all of its ugly permutations and forms.

-The Wild Ones.

* April 19th//Santa Cruz, CA McDonalds Attacked by Hooligans

Communique claiming the action is below:

April 19. Early morning, af- Secwepmec and other First Nations protecting ter the workers went home. Five windows their ancestors’ lands and bones, to smashed with rocks at McDonald’s on Ocean anarchist rebels smashing windows and light- St. An act of insurrection against work, capital, ing fires, and to saboteurs everywhere destroy- and the colonization of daily life. ing industrial infrastructure. We are part of this McDonald’s was mentioned recently in insurgent momentum that crosses borders and the local news for blatantly exploiting hun- distances like wildfire. dreds of workers over the span of years, forc- McDonald’s is almost embarassing in ing them to work overtime without pay when how much it symbolizes both the mainstay and they were already working minimum wage and the excess of capitalism. We are not those who denying them access to the records proving denounce, protest, appeal to them to change this situation. The workers have resorted to the their behavior. Their sponsorship of the 2010 bourgeois legal arena with a class-action law- Olympics and their obvious exploitation of suit, but McDonald’s is profiting off the class undocumented workers, are not “issues” for war every day with the cops and ICE at their which we seek reform, they merely mean that back. McDonald’s is the first to be destroyed in our McDonald’s is also a sponsor of the nocturnal attacks or in the coming riots. 2010 Winter Olympics that are set to take From Alaska to Argentina, warriors place on unceded indigenous land in “British unite! Don’t wait for 2010, riot now! Columbia” this upcoming February. The ac- companying land grab and development frenzy Attack and destroy slavery and coloni- have been resisted by native warriors and anar- zation everywhere! chists alike with an uncompromising ferocity and revolutionary spirit. Solidarity to the

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-A Solidarity of Attack-30 Week of March 29th//Chicago, IL Anarchist paintbomb Olympic billboards.

Communique claiming the action:

This past week has left us feeling inspired. The bus stops visit: ads, corporations supporting the bid, flags everywhere, www.no2010.com buses themselves, the Olympic spirit has gripped the city. Never have we felt such a sense of pride in our greater community. We owe it all to these fine people, who have been kind enough to grace us with their pres- he upcoming 2010 Olym- T ence for the week. Word got out about the soiree they pics in Canada have sparked were having last night, and we felt the need to do some- resistance by native and radical thing to show them how the city feels, much more than communities across Canada. dinner and drinks ever could. We couldn’t hide our pas- For the Olympics to happen, sionate pride for one more day. native land and people must be plundered. Either by exploi- April Fools you fucking idiots! tation or liquidation, western Canada will be made less com- Last night we paint bombed two billboard monstrosi- fortable for the poor and the ties overlooking the Kennedy expressway. They were horrid celebration of National- Olympic advertisements, just like the ones you see ev- ism that is the Olympics will ery time you turn your head. Except bigger. We kindly be tolerated. Please visit the suggest fellow citizens to find friends, some eggs, or site above to learn more about paint and bombard the advertisements that are trying projects of resistance coming to sell out of this anti-Olympic senti- gentrification, police oppression, profits for the rich, ment. and annoying tourists.

We Won’t Pay!

“The gentry will grow as they force us to move until Week of March 29th//Modesto, CA * Eviction Office Attacked there is nowhere to live: until we are dead. We will wage war on they’re comfort on Communique claiming the action: they’re space, and all that makes it possible.” The sounds of breaking glass rang out as two bricks dropped two windows owned by the eviction office in downtown modesto last week. we attacked it because they help the pigs evict people from their homes. we are against the foreclosures in the area and the banks taking people’s homes away from them. the feeling that we got from attacking them was great because we know that we hit them where it hurts. this is just the start. the central valley is a front line and we have taken a side. We are posting this on anarchist news because we know you love this shit.

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-A Solidarity of Attack-31 May 18th and 19th//Mexico We know that the state will always be a staunch enemy “Support for prisoners by means of stones, hammers, of those people who do not let themselves be domesti- paint and fire.” cated and who leave fear behind in order to face up to the consequences of their acts, crying out for consis- The following is a communique claiming numerous tency of ideals. Because of this, we in the underground, sabotage conducted in solidarity with Amadeu Castel- in some place plotting the next strike, say: las and all prisoners of the state, human and not: No more framing of Amadeu Castellas! Because of coordination that took place between groups with the goal of organized direct action in Mex- We want his freedom, if not, these acts will continue ico State as well as in Mexico City, from May 18 to 19 and will multiply! (it is not a coincidence that we have the following sabotages were carried out: a BBVA bank attacked the Spanish bank BBVA) was attacked, smashing the windows, an incendiary device was placed on top of an ATM belonging to another Fire to the prisons, which impede freedom at any cost! BBVA bank, leaving it completely melted and unusable and a note was left claiming the action, the windows of Solidarity with human and non-human prisoners! another BBVA bank were smashed with hammers, and red paint was spilled on the windshield and the hood -Autonomous Cells for Propagation of the Anti-author- of a truck belonging to the Lala milk company. These itarian and Anti-speciesist Offensive actions are done in solidarity with prisioners, human and non-human (animals), some imprisoned for putting Amadeu Castellas is an anarchist prisoner who has into practice their anti-authoritarian ideals and others spent 22 years in prison for politically motivated bank imprisoned for simply being another species, but both robberies in the 70’s and 80’s. He has remained ac- are victims of the dominant system. tive in prison, and conducted numerous hunger strikes The human jails and prisons, just like the industrial behind bars that have motivated solidarity across Spain farms, are full of mistreatment and inhumanity, of over- (where he is imprisoned) and the world; in the form crowding and fear. of physical resistance to the infrastructure that keeps Therefore, any person or movement that claims to be Amadeu in jail. truly revolutionary should fight actively for the abolition of both centers of mental, physical and psychologi- Write Amadeu at: cal extermination. Amadeu Casellas Ramon, Hospital de Terrassa, Modul We wanted to show our support for prisoners by means penitenciari, Ctra. Torrebonica, s/n, C.P. 08227, Ter- of stones, hammers, paint and fire, because that is what assa, Catalunya, Spain truly affects the powerful; direct action, individually and collectively, will be the response they will receive Learn more about his case and history at: to their repression and prison systems. www.indymedia.ie/article/88915

“WE LOOK OUT FOR OURS” Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-A Solidarity of Attack-32 confronting fear ...and recognizing the implications of being in struggle.

Struggle is a force that acts without concern Fear is the largest barrier between our in- for a set of recognized possible consequenc- ternal desires and our abilities to physically es. Fear is the stability of a mediated society. manifest them. I listen to sirens almost every- Fear is something required to uphold social day. I’m constantly distracted by the images peace and normalcy within a regulated world. of importance lighting up the metropolis that The effect and significance of a struggle is surrounds me and I think violent thoughts, weighed by our abilities to confront our own I feel violent feelings. I envision smashing fears, as individuals and as communities, every department store window; wanting to with the intention to strengthen the force of let a little air of my animosity inside them. I confrontation you are posing to what you are want to spit in the face of every suit wearing struggling against. motherfucker who floods the streets rushing to get to their comfortable homes between Political displays of dissent like permitted 5 and 7:30. I want to beat every cop doing pickets or marches are the most specific op- their job. I want to materialize my rage. I portunities I can think of that I’ve had as an want to communicate my love and my hate individual and self-appointed member of an the same way anyone would find satisfac- active minority to test my fear. I attend these tion in doing so: physically. The only reason events, like most similar to me, with the sole one would not is the fear of the set conse- intention to be a force for fearlessness or law- quences by the state for doing this. Fear is lessness. I was, have been, and probably will what makes a struggle; it is a battle between always be an incredibly anxious person when fear and desire. A desire pushing you in the envisioning how I am to produce this force or direction to act and fear turning this need to the possible consequences of sharpening the act into a struggle. threat of these events. Just like every crimi- Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Fear-33 nal or enemy of law, I will always never thought would of held up life. Something like this, that is so be so fucking scared of me or my makes apathy seem more appealing vulnerable to growth, is something friends going to jail. The morn- then struggle. the state looks to tear apart. It’s ing of each time I know I might dumb to expose ourselves when our break the law, especially when I’m Some of your friends don’t under- interests are so currently unique, expecting to do it in very police stand your anxiety. They ask you when our numbers are weak, and controlled space like a permitted where you were or what you did and resistance is limited. Strength can protest or state recognized space are offended when you are not com- come in an awareness and embrace for dissent, are horrible mornings. fortable sharing. Of course most of this knowledge in struggle. Peeing constantly, being unable to formal strikes against the current focus, or visualizing every possibil- order are claimed or written about in But how close to home can it get? ity of arrest or jail time that could some way to guide public response When people you are close friends happen. My hands are shaking to them, but people do love to war- with become headlines. right up until the planned moment story. As fun as it is (cause it is), begins, and right then, say when sometimes our anxiety really si- When you see yourself on the news, the first window is broken or the lences us (literally) and sometimes while police say there actively look- first dumpster or newspaper box is you can feel isolated and alienated ing for whose responsible for so and thrown into the street, I ask myself, from everyone through distrust. so crimes. “will I act on fear or will I act on This is what the state wants: more desire? Will I re-enter the unfor- isolation, more alienation, more Fear is something we must confront tunate reality once this moment un- distrust among more communities. internally and externally. fortunately dissolves, feeling a feel- This is struggle and in overcoming ing of empowerment or a feeling of fear individually, it’s important to Consequence is something that self-hatred and regret?” recognize that although insurrec- must be evaded at all costs (we are tion is something to not specialize not martyrs), but something that Speaking to the particularly ac- in, but an all inclusive permanent must be understood when being a tive minority of the world that looks holiday trip in the form of ruptures part of an active minority known to to spread a recognized frustration in the social reality forced upon us; be enemy of the state. with everyday life (organizing ri- it’s important to pay attention to cir- ots, writing propaganda, conduct- cumstances. Drug dealers, thieves, The face of fear is the police, the ing sabotage, engaging in active op- and professional criminals of the ones uniformed and not, watching position against the current order) like choose to keep aspects of their us from helicopters, cars, and sur- after awhile, when risk is essential lives secret whether or not their veillance cameras. This is where to strengthening your struggle, friends or families are offended. the risk lies; this is what I despise. many begin to feel a subtle but con- This is to help protect themselves, The aesthetic of desire is my friends sistent feeling of paranoia. Wonder- their friends, and family and keep embracing the same feelings I pas- ing if a car is following you, why their lifestyle going. Insurrection- sionately feel, the angry faces of the people you haven’t seen for awhile ists look to act now. Although strikes police as we temporarily destroy an or just met are so interested in cer- against police, surveillance, work acceptance of their power, the em- tain aspects of your life, why your places, and so on are all things most powered screams of freedom felt in cell phone is clicking, more or less people might subtly support, most that moment where risk is walked wondering why you are not in jail, people are not acting now. There through. For this moment to hap- and who or what intends to put you is an active minority that does not pen, I must make a decision. For there, and how. Twenty year sen- look to form a vanguard or social this moment to happen, we must tences for conspiracy and evidence program, but to produce an attack make a decision. against arrested comrades you model for the liberation of everyday

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Fear-34 “ A f r a i d ? Of course we are afraid; but we have always been afraid. But this way, even if for just one second; we get to make those were scared of, afraid too.” -Yokei Talones

Confronting my fears has always been hard, I know the battle becomes harder when we but to confront fear is to struggle and strug- read of new arrests and absurd sentences. I gle is defined by a task that is not easy. When know the battle becomes harder when we we challenge fear, we lose control. The forc- hear of new informants, new surveillance es that govern are only material at this point technology, new police funding, or new laws because the only way for them to be existing against us. But the only excuses are excuses beyond the physical is through our accep- because if we are to declare war against the tance of them. The conversation I’m trying world as we know it, we are responsible for to have here is something I know we all have accepting the position of being in a war. We with ourselves. are responsible for working through the hard- ship and never accepting an easy way out.

Of course we should be smart, especially since the capabilities of repression by con- ventional policing are so well known, but we need to weed out the cop in our heads that looks to fuel our anxiousness; that makes it so our hands shake even when nothing has happened.

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Fear-35 Collapsing The European S ecu r ity A r chitectu r e

Within the same few weeks France, Germany, and Britain- three of Europe’s most prominent economic elite nations, experienced intense rioting in response to national leaders meeting and planning around the “crisis” and methods of maintaining the globalized order. The G20 in London and the NATO summit on the border of France and Germany in Straousburg, France produced intense conflict in the city streets. In France, American and French first ladies Michelle Obama and Carla Bruni had to cancel their trip to the event; apparently the outside response to the political gatherings was too intense. On both sides of the border, police and military almost seemed afraid; confrontation was fierce; almost harsh. Full buildings were set ablaze; the local elite hotel being one of the many. Business streets were destroyed in their entirety; and nothing but conflict decorated the city. In London police were beaten with metal poles and people of all sorts were taking responsibility for looting and at- Economic crisis has always been seen as an op- tacking the Royal Bank of Scotland. portunity for radicals to conduct change; at least Shortly after the G20 and prior to the NATO summit in in theory. As the European economy experiences France, we discovered an article describing state expecta- recession along with the rest of the first world; so- tions and security measures created around the economic cial divisions are becoming strengthened as frus- crisis. As the state expects massive unrest over the next tration with the financial elite becomes more ap- year due to expected unemployment and poverty rates parent and popularized. With this, unfortunately increasing across Europe; the Nation-States of the EU, unlike in the States, radicals are recognizing this with help from American models of social control; are and looking to help produce the circumstances for preparing to “keep the peace” and secure its stability, in this kind of frustration to be comfortably embraced case people get too rowdy. The following article seemed and materialized. Being based out of the states we to be written as a call out; one that looks to recognize don’t want to fetishize resistance conducted by the vulnerabilities and capabilities of the state; but still anarchists and radicals in Europe in this publica- to encourage insurrectionary forces across Europe to take tion; as important as it is to recognize that different advantage of these times at the expense of the state and circumstances and histories set the precedent for economy. The article describes new security measures more severe and frequent rioting or conflict with and dialogue politicians and bureaucrats are conducting the state in Europe; it is still important to not feel as more and more people get frustrated. The article also isolated as an insurrectionary force in society; it is encourages strength before state intimidation, and looks also important we feel to learn how other parts of to upcoming events to set a precedent for conflict to come. the world are responding to the current economic The article mentions the NATO summit described above “crisis”. as being the kick-off for the summer of resistance. The

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Collapsing The European Security Architecture-36 call out looks to bring on the collapse of the security architecture of Europe; to respond to gestures of upcoming repression with nothing but harsher resistance. Pictures of France and London are included throughout the article; the pictures provide the response to the information mentioned in the article; and a vision of the next few months.

Since the end of the last mil- lennium a modification of the “security architecture” within the EU Michèle Alliot -Marie the “European Gendarmerie Force (EGF) was founded has taken place which has been ac- and has been established in 2004. The EGF shall ensure the ‘public order’, celerated by the attacks of Septem- combat insurgency, obtain intelligence information and protect property in ber 11 in the United States. Visible conflict areas.” phenomena are the entanglement The security industry is likely one of the few branches that profits a great of internal and external security, a deal from the current crisis of capitalism and the resulting battles. Europe’s “pooling” of prosecution authori- police forces are preparing themselves for protest and resistance against ties and intelligence services and the impact of the crisis. Even the Cheif of the International Monetary Fund a simplified data exchange. (IMF) Dominique Strauss-Kahn admits that more riots are expected in the At the technical level we are future, saying, “violent protests could break out in countries worldwide if confronted with new digital sur- the financial system was not restructured to benefit everyone rather than a veillance cameras; satellite sur- small elite”. The institutions of the “leading economic nations” are forced to veillance, biometrics, drones, re-organize themselves. The “summits” of NATO, G8 and G20 are of central software for intelligent search in importance for this reorganization. Topics such as climate, migration and databases and new broadband net- agriculture are considered as threat to the security of a “western lifestyle”. works to manage this huge flood Within the European Union, domestic political changes are taking place of digital data. New institutions whose effects are currently difficult to predict. Every five years, the interior and authorities have been created, and justice ministers of the new EU adopt new directives for a common including the “European Police domestic policy. The Tampere Program, terminated in 1999 under the Finn- Office Euro-pol, the police acad- ish “management of migration flows”: In addition to the appreciation of the emy CEPOL, the border agency police authority Europol was the establishment of a Task Force of EU Police Frontex and the Committee for the Chiefs which deals with “international terrorism” and “violent political activ- Management of Operational Co- ism”. With the Hague Program in 2004, it has been agreed upon the creation operation, which encompasses all of an “area of freedom, security and justice”. Again it was decided on inten- police agencies of the EU within sification of migration policy, including the construction of Border Agency its intelligence operation assess- Frontex and the interception of refugees already in their home countries. The ment center. At the initiative of Hague Program puts the “defense of terrorism” in the center. The level of former French Defense Minister‎ information exchange and cooperation must now count on the “principle of (‏and current Interior Minister) availability”. The guidelines of 2004 are already implemented by many

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Collapsing The European Security Architecture-37 EU member states: standardization ing the German EU Presidency of of the “terrorism” legislation, data 2007, the German Interior Minister retention, expansion of existing da- Wolfgang Schäuble created with the tabases and shared access, cross-bor- former European Commissioner for der police cooperation for example Internal Affairs ( “Justice and Home at sporting events or political mass Affairs”) Franco Frattini, the Fu- protests. Along with the police co- ture Group was created. This Future operation is “Border Management”, Group describes itself as “informal fingerprints when application for EU body of European interior ministers”, visa, starting in 2009 there will be which drafted guidelines for Europe- new biometric identifiers in identity an home affairs. documents, the development of se- To adopt the new Stockholm pro- curity research, cooperation in crimi- gram, the Future Group submitted nal matters, and police abroad. ‎The a wish-list for “police cooperation, Hague Program is running out and a fight against terrorism, management and information networks.” new program should be decided on in of missions in third countries, migra- Priorities are the maintenance autumn of 2009, in Stockholm under tion, asylum and border management, of the “European model”, the Swedish EU Presidency. Dur- civil protection, new technologies “coping with the growing in- terdependence between internal and external security” and ensuring of “Europe-wide the best possible data networks”. The measures which shall be decided in Stockholm will only be noticeable by the member states within its ratification in a few years. There are profound changes in the game: development and standardization of police databases, a central population register, “cross-border online search”, more control of the Internet, better satellite tracking, risk Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Collapsing The European Security Architecture-38 analysis “software, ”e-borders” and “e- the guarantor of security of “critical justice”, common deportation planes infrastructure” (energy, transportation, and flights, new refugee camp in “third communication). countries”, the use of the military de- The strategy document “Towards a fense of migration, more police inter- Grand Strategy for an Uncertain World” ventions outside the EU, the expansion by five ex-generals, which are anchored of paramilitary “European Gendarmerie in the defense industry, calls for the ex- Force”, more cooperation between do- pansion of “civil-military cooperation”. mestic and foreign secret services, etc. Considered as “civilian elements” are The aim is a kind of domestic NATO,‎ the Police, intelligence, research, acad- ‏with the creation of a “Euro-Atlantic emies, civil protection but also the pri- cooperation in the area of freedom, se- vate security industry. NATO wants to curity and justice” from 2014. intensify the fall back on the “European NATO also attached value to the Gendarmerie Force”. With the “civil- central role of European domestic poli- military cooperation” the militarization tics. On one hand, more and more po- of social conflicts is increasing, under- lice missions in “third countries” were pinned by domestic political rearma- structures: “Europe can, launched, which perform the tasks of ment and new “anti-terror” laws. The rather than just a consumer, the military. They strike down local former EU Commissioner for Justice be a producer of safety. But uprisings and train local police units. and Home Affairs, Franco Frattini, has EU and NATO need to in- NATO-strategists play the ball back to changed in Berlusconi’s Cabinet after tegrate, rather to interfere the European interior ministers and ex- the elections in Italy 2008. As the new with each others. We back plain that a European “Homeland Secu- foreign minister, he is now responsible up these thoughts in the rity” without a “strong defense” to the for the G8 on the Sardinian island of La context of the G8”. Italy outside wouldn’t be possible. NATO Maddalena. Frattini sees “security” as has adopted a “security sees itself within member countries as the central profile of the new G8 package” in May 2008 with far-reaching limitations for Migrants. After the EU already equipped Libya with financial help for refugee defense, Italy also signed a new cooperation agreement. The Italian arms corporate group “Finmeccanica” de- livers speedboats and the Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Collapsing The European Security Architecture-39 Interior Ministry is pleased that migration would now be diminished to “zero”. Frattini traveled in early 2009 to An- gola, Sierra Leone, Senegal and Nigeria to negotiate over “readmission agreements” for migrants, to equipt the countries with refugee camps, and to introduce tamper-proof passports. It’s again all about the raw material and police enforcement: in return Frattini acknowledges an audience with the G8 summit for the countries, to “promote the dialogue between oil producing and - consuming countries”. transnational struggle against the “se- In the delegation, Frattini and curity architecture” in 2009 at several We see the action day at the NATO the Italian police chief imme- cross-border mobilizations, whether summit as the kick off of the campaign diately implemented new con- they are timbered by the NATO, G8 or for a “Summer of Resistance 2009” tracts for police training and EU. against the global “security regime”: cooperation procedures. We see the action day at the NATO As the consequences of the summit as the kick off of the campaign collapse of global capitalism for a “Summer of Resistance 2009” Collapse around the world continue to against the global “security regime”: thesecu r ity show, more uprisings are ex- and anti-riot is still stuck too much of- a r chitectu r es ! pected. With the recent riots ten on a national level. Therefore we in Greece, Iceland, Sweden, call to push the development of a trans- Lithuania, Latvia, Bulgar- national struggle against the “security www.stockholm.noblogs.org ia, France, Guadeloupe and architecture”, in 2009 at several cross- www.euro-police.noblogs.org Lampedusa, the EU became border mobilizations, whether they are www.gipfelsoli.org the venue of intense contradic- timbered by the NATO, G8 or EU. www.riot.noblogs.org tions and militant struggles. The numerous movements are covered with investigations and prosecutions for “terrorism” as is found by “Joint investigation teams” research - supported by Europol - international networks. Manuals and databases on “Trouble- makers” will be bring protests at major international events under control. Resistance has been seen against the increase in surveillance and control, against repressive development of a Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Collapsing The European Security Architecture-40 and only connected through an in- that can happen. Accessibility and It is hard not to notice the con- formal affinity. With that said, un- easily generalized frustration are in- stantly occurring animal and earth like many of the ultra-militant ac- dispensable to the riot’s occurrence. liberation motivated resistance in tions conducted in the states around Clandestine resistance can often be Mexico. Especially over the last animal rights, it is not as common limited to appearing as an activity few years, we’ve noticed an es- that rhetoric changes or the claim of special-interest, because it is- it calation in the numbers and the goes beyond the specific company is the propaganda of those looking militancy of these types of attacks. or institution targeted. More and to act now, with-out concern for the Although sometimes overtly epic, more, claims of actions conducted judgment of politics, with out the communiques seem to always come in Mexico recognize the entire soci- patience most have with the misery out and claim the actions. We’re as- ety responsible for animal suffering, of daily life. It acts as a source of suming this is part of the inspiration not just a specific aspect or business empowerment for an active minor- anonymous others have felt when practice of it. There are limits to ity and a precedent for a struggle reading about these actions. Not clandestine resistance: the inherent that looks to act at all times, by only have numbers and militancy specialization of its practice being any means, without concern for the been escalated, but the rhetoric be- one, communities of resistance fe- enemy’s attempts to silence it. We hind these communiques has also tishizing its effect may be another. recently received an anonymous gone through transitions. Of course Yet when social stagnancy remains email including a list of actions no one is aware of who writes these before repression and exploitation conducted recently in Mexico. Due things other then the individuals re- some need an outlet; some need to to the frequency of this resistance sponsible, but we’re assuming all manifest frustration to the public and the sexiness of its claims, we of these actions are conducted in a beyond the capabilities of the pen. wanted to include it in this issue. de-centralized style of resistance Riots probably are the coolest thing

“We turn to the night, when we can’t turn to the public.”

*Until All Are Free Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Until All Are Free-41 a few of the many: total

February 17th: dom without having to endure Planned attack on church the domination of the church liber- failed due to security. Although or any other human being. tools were ditched afer fleeing; This is a message for all those the individuals chose to return who want to suppress the de- ation shortly after to leave some sort sire for freedom; if they put of mark; releasing 2 hens from walls in our way we will jump the church’s quarters. them, if they catch us we will in Mexico get away, and if they block Communique claiming the ac- our path we will knock them Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). tion: down! A machine which destroys the Earth was left forever unusable, and the administra- In the early morning hours Neither the security cameras, tion offices of the campus were burned. of February 17, FLA-CVN nor the police, nor the specie- The Frente de Liberación de la Tierra activists went out for a night- sists can stop us! (ELF) claimed this attack through a time stroll against speciesists. This is not over yet, the fire contact; we were informed that the univer- When the repressive Mexico continues to expand each time sity had been destroying a large part of the State ‘security’ discovered us, there is more...fire to all that ecological reserve where a so-called ‘edu- we got rid of the tools to carry oppresses us!!!! cation’ center is being built, several vari- out our action. They thought eties of trees and diverse plants were cut that this would prevent us from -Frente de Liberación Animal down, considered to be in the way of their reaching our objective, but -Comando Verde Negro ability to expand their facilities, and their they were wrong! mastery over nature; the progress and edu- When we were leaving the January 29th: cation that they extol in their classrooms filthy station, we went with Attack on University science is always based on domination and anthro- more rage and more of a department. The university pocentrism. In this act by the UNAM, it yearning for freedom for two was attacked for its campus is more than clear that not only do they hens who had been discov- expansion plans; that would wish to dominate and mold the minds of ered imprisoned, dominated come at the expense of the lo- students, they also seek to expand the same and deprived of their liberty cal ecological reserve. control over the land and the animals that in a church. The rescue was a inhabit her. That’s why the destructive little difficult without the tools Communique claimng the ac- machine was burned, and why we also de- that would have helped us, but tion: cided to set a fire on campus, now an indis- we had enough conviction and putable part of the ecocide that education courage to overcome the small In the early morning of Janu- implements, which only wants to produce impediment. We broke a fence ary 29, the submissive fire- people who are submissive to authority that separated the birds from fighters in Mexico City (D.F.) and power; they create beings who are un- their freedom and we left along quelled a fire within the prem- able to think and act for themselves and are with them under the light of a ises of the College of Sciences only educated to produce and consume. beautiful moon. Now this pair and Humanities south campus The mass media of miscommunication, of hens enjoy complete free- (CCH Sur) of the Universidad which hid the machine which had been

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Until All Are Free-42 burned, only now announced that December 22nd: on its tires, and in the transporting part of the administrative offices had Slaughterhouse trucks destroyed by box (made of wood), immediately been burned, and that this had been arson. after that it was set on fire using a caused by Porro (shock groups) pair of flares that were thrown at [groups organized to discredit stu- Communique claiming the action: the interior and exterior of the vehi- dent movements]; we want to make cles. Within minutes our shadows clear that the ELF/FLT is not com- Fire has returned to illuminate the and smiles of happiness were lost posed of such people, who are sent gray night on the outskirts of the in the darkness. by their bosses to do absurd and large city, our eyes shining against meaningless things; our reasons are its reflection. Two fires took the The sabotages continue, we will not clear, as we struggle for total libera- monotony out of the empty and sad stop, each time it is becoming more tion (animal, land and human), any- streets. While the chicken murder- intense, strong and direct. thing that blocks us will face attack ers were resting after the slaugh- Our passion will always be our until its complete destruction and ter, our shadows, reflected by the weapon. elimination. liberators’ abolitionist fire, became Wait no more, you only need con- visible; two trucks belonging to one viction and gasoline for action. We know that the estimated dam- of the many slaughterhouses in the age of this action was thousands of City of Nezahualcóyotl, to the east -Frente De Liberacion Animal. pesos, but still we are not satisfied of the city, were set afire. In one with that, and we will continue mak- gasoline appeared rose-colored in- February 22nd: ing war on all that oppresses us and side the cabin and on the seats and Attack on urban expansion equip- will not allow us all to be happy-- the steering wheel, because we had ment. us, animals and the land. the good fortune of a window be- Urban expansion is one of the big- ing down, in the other truck liters of gest ecological problems, with roads This was just a little message, for gasoline mixed with oil was poured being built over fertile land comes those who profit at the expense of loads of consequences such as pol- the ecosystem. lution, warming of the ground with excessive heat, massive falling of -ELF/FLT México trees, etc. The expansion of civiliza- tion and its unnecessary technology leaves the world in the hands of the powerful who control the repressive state apparatus ready to stop any kind of resistance that is put in front of them to halt their run of destruction. It is for this reason that on the night of February 22 we of the ELF decided to go out at night in Mexico State and set fire to a machine that destroys the earth and a truck owned by the dominators. *Stay up to date with news like this by visiting): We say it once again, there will be www.liberaciontotal.entodaspartes.net (only in Spanish) no mercy until the abolition of all that oppresses us.

-F.L.T/E.L.F Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Until All Are Free-43 Riots Cool Down, but remainstension boiling Recognizing and learning from recent On March 21st, Lovelle Mixon killed 4 Bay Area tension between residents and police officers in response to a routine traffic police; and showing support when no stop in Oakland. Lovelle was also killed in the * one else will. shoot out. There is quite a bit of controversy was sur prisingly sympathetic for 4 police officers being killed around this case: mainstream reports claim by one man. Obviously not really sympathetic; but we were ex- that Lovelle’s DNA matches the DNA found cited to notice that The New York Times, Washington Post, and from a rape and robbery earlier in the day. It’s similar media was making a connection between the shoot-out hard to write this article due to our disdain for between Lovelle and the Oakland Police and an escalation of such alleged behavior, but Lovelle is dead. tension with the police presence in Oakland following Oscar’s The only source we are aware of providing murder. Some of the more local radical Black nationalist groups such information is the police and the media. were quick to make the connection and show their support for With that said, it is hard to know what to think Lovelle as well. It was disappointing, but not surprising, that in regards to such accusations considering our there was very little information about Lovelle and the implica- obvious distrust in the media and police. The tions of his shoot-out death by activist or left-wing groups. Not truth is, that we do not know of the truth. This shoot out in, which 4 officers of the law were killed, came only 2 ½ months after Oscar Grant was murdered. In case you aren’t familiar with Oscar Grant, he is a resident of Oak- land who was killed on the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) train platform by a police officer. Police killing black people? Doesn’t that happen all the time? In this case the officer shot Oscar from behind while he was on his stomach, unarmed. The event was also caught on a cell-phone camera and made public to the world. Oscar’s unusually cruel murder helped to expose a tension in Oakland. One week after Oscar’s death, residents of Oakland staged riots across the city, smashing windows, setting up barricades and burning cars. Tension is still thick in the bay; people are still frustrated and people of Oakland recognize that Lovelle and every conflict with police that goes unreported is laced with the rage of Oscar’s death. We first read about Lovelle after getting an exciting text message from one of our Bay *Lovelle Mixon Area comrades. After finding out about it, we looked online for more info. It was certainly addressed by the mainstream media, which Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Bay Area Tension-44 only was there a lack of effort to create information and support, especially when the “SOLIDARITY with ALL mainstream is doing its best to demonize the individual COP KILLERS” and situation, but “radical” political groups were do- Claimed by an unknowable cell of Bash Back! ing their best to distance The following is a communiqué written in correspondence with a banner drop themselves from Lovelle that was conducted* in solidarity with Lovelle’s death; and with a recognition by blocking posts on news of the social tension between people and police in the Bay Area that may have websites, demonizing any provoked his behavior. The banner was hung from the University of Wiscon- attempt to create a dialogue sin-Milwaukee’s Union building on March 26th. The banner read “we love regarding his death, or flat Lovelle Mixon!”. Communique begins now: out siding with the mainstream without any consid- On March 21st, Lovelle Mixon shot five police officers, killing eration for the circumstances four before dying in the gunfire. In Oakland we see the fabric of of his death and the media’s capitalist normalcy being ripped to shreds. Daily instances of rac- capabilities of manipulating ist police violence are transformed into rupture and thrown back its audience’s perspective in the faces of our oppressors. In January, days of rioting fol- when it serves to. We com- lowed the police-murder of Oscar Grant. piled a few articles that have come out since the conflict. This week, people danced in the streets as cops were shot. At the We hope this contributes to a hospital, others snuck into the emergency room to chant that the perspective that recognizes shooting was vengeance made actual upon the police. People ral- the importance of this type lied to honor the memory of Oakland’s newest folk-hero. Oak- of tension: one leading to 4 land, reterritorialized as a terrain of war against the social order. cops dead over a traffic stop or one cop going from a cop In 1959, we fought the street-battles with the police as they ha- to a sitting duck in Modesto rassed queers at a donut shop in Los Angeles. In 1966, police bru- or all out rioting across the tality against street queens in the Tenderloin mutated into queens city. If it is politics you are beating cops with their purses. In 1969, a seemingly-ordinary interested in, Lovelle does police raid on a queer bar in new york, erupted into four days of not represent political ac- sustained rioting. In 1979 we burnt cop cars in the streets of San tion. If it is a sincere and Francisco. We meet queerbashers with bricks, mace and batons. commonly felt frustration with everyday life you look To bash back, is to reverse the flows of power and violence; to to for comfort, then Lovelle explode the hyper-normal into situations of previously-unthink- is an opportunity for dia- able revolt. We thus find the deepest affinity with all who fight logue and inspiration. back against the affective poverty and oppression of this world.

As the police and media work to defame and slander Lovelle Mixon, we express our total solidarity.

Until every queerbasher is beaten to a pulp and police are but a memory. Yours for the social war.

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Bay Area Tension-45 March 16th: Modesto, California- a hostile crowd when the tables TURN between 20 and 60 people confronted a lone police of- Tension travels beyond Oakland ficer. The officer decided to disrupt a street gathering to far East Bay’s Modesto at around 2:15 am. The officer claims that he was concerned of the gathering because of a car stolen earlier on * in the night. Obviously if a group of people are hanging out in the street. They’re most likely just having a yelling “Shoot me, shoot me!” or “You know you’re not small party, but considering the officer claims that they going to make it out of here!” to the officer. The offi- were a bunch of “Norteno gang bangers”, were under cer was slightly injured, but unfortunately an on-looker the assumption that he just wasn’t comfortable with the called 911 for back up. Allegedly some of the hostile group enjoying themselves in public. crowd were listening to a police scanner during this oc- The crowd threw glass bottles at the officer, and at currence. Once they heard that back up was contacted, one point an individual allegedly punched him in the the crowd was informed and dispersed. Afterward, po- face. When he arrived, he allegedly saw one man being lice claim to have found a loaded assault rifle nearby. beaten up by a larger group and as soon as the officer Six arrests were made. made his presence clear, the entire group decided to After the arrests were made, numerous calls were put collectively turn on the officer. At first, one man chal- out to the local paper and radio stations claiming that lenged the officer to a fight, the officer cowardly tried arrests were falsely carried out, reactionary, racist, and to arrest the man (most likely in order to beat him when done in a violent manner. Among the same messages he’s handcuffed). As soon as the officer grabbed the was a point to recognize the connection between this man, the crowd attacked the officer and got the man he incident, the 4 officers killed just a few weeks before was trying to arrest away from him. The crowd then and the murder of Oscar Grant. Who knows how often began to fully surround the officer. They stole his walk- this happens? We are happy to have heard about this in- ie-talkie and destroyed it, making it impossible for him cident; no painting could beat the face of that cop this to call for back up. Witnesses claim the crowd was report painted for us. m a y local papers and media claiming a In our last issue we included a residential support for Lovelle as lengthy chapter re-capping the events an Oakland hero, or in the interup- LOVELLE and and experiences that took place the tions of reporters at the scene of the first week of January in Oakland and shootout, where on live television OSCA R in response to the murder of Oscar on-lookers were rushing camera rest in peace; may Grant by the police. The aftermath crews screaming “fuck the police”, was and is one of mourning in the clearly communicating their feel- they’re LIVES be Bay. Not a mourning that looks ings on the event. to forgive but a mourning that looks The police are the material pres- avenged; to avenge his death and declare a ence of the state and the state is the may they live on in popular war on those responsible for enemy of all free people. Although it: the police. This war is visible in most are not comfortable with the and MEMORY the public’s response to the shootout lack of power over one’s daily life, between Lovelle and police, wheth- most choose to just accept and obey. CONFLICT er it be random visitors to Lovelle’s Although its sad that something as death bed, demonstrations in soli- horrific and drastic as Oscar’s mur- darity with Lovelle’s death, com- der is needed to wake people up, the t o come munity groups holding candle light tension between locals and police in vigils after the shoot-out favoring the Bay Area is a tension of poten- Lovelle, hundreds of calls made to tial: a tension that can spread. Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Bay Area Tension-46 because where there is tension ,

the r e is potential No matter what your opinion of violence is; if you don’t like the police, if you don’t like being controlled, Lovelle, the Norteno “gang bangers”, and all unreported things like them provide examples and inspiration for communities abused by the police to stand up for themselves.

Post-Script from the “Oakland 100” Support Group deal or be dealt a light sentence is postponed, meaning the District The dignified rage that exploded in certainly possible and we must brace Attorney has up to one year to file Oakland throughout January seems to act in solidarity and support with charges. There is a likelihood that to have taken place ages ago. Af- any ruptures that take place. Future those who thought they were in the ter Lovelle Mixon assassinated four arrests and criminalization of youth clear may still have proceedings Oakland Police Officers in March seem inevitable. Plan an action taken against them, especially in the basic conflict between people in your area for when the verdict the event of future clashes over the and control has become mystified, comes in but remember this isn’t Mehserle Case. Several defendants turned into a general “epidemic of about guilty or innocent or even Jo- are still facing severe felony charg- violence” that “plagues the East hannes Mehersle, this is about resist- es. All of this means money is still Bay”, a myth in which both a brutal ing police occupation and creating needed and any contribution will be inner-city street culture and an un- moments where we come together appreciated. We particularly encour- derfunded police force play equally to take over the city, to create nights age social centers and infoshops to responsible roles. But we know who when “we want them to be afraid”, do benefits to raise money. Those militarizes the community, who as someone said on January 7th. interested in donating to us can con- turns Oakland into an urban war- The Oakland 100 Support Commit- tact the support committee directly zone, hires private security guards tee is still actively encouraging peo- at [email protected]. to patrol whole neighborhoods, ar- ple to support those facing charges rests crowds of protestors in broad from the riots in whatever way they We took part in an unveiling of the sweeps. This can’t be brushed away can and prepare themselves to sup- curtain in January, a breath of fresh or rewritten as a simple problem port future arrestees. air. Let’s ensure that we can keep of violence. The parameters of the Propaganda: postering, flyering, this spirit alive and be in a strong conflict remain unchanged. banner drops, and other solidarity position to act in solidarity with fu- The police officer who killed Oscar actions are incredibly easy and ef- ture outbreaks of tension. Grant, Johannes Mehserle, is still in fective ways to keep Oakland in the the opening phases of his trial and public eye. For further info on how to support: there will no doubt be future upris- Funding: Contrary to some reports [email protected] ings in response to his case. The most charges in relation to the riots http://supporttheoakland100.word- possibility that he will take a plea have not been dropped but rather press.com Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Bay Area Tension-47 Images from the May BASH BACK 21st, 1979 “White Night Riots” in San Francisco. Both images capture a few of the 12 police cars burnt that night. The riots were provoked by the murder of San Francis- co’s first gay Mayor Har- “We have no sexual orientation, we are people vey Milk by Dan White. The riots broke out of desire. Our taste is not objective be- specifically when Dan cause our desires are not stagnant. White, who shot Harvey We represent a world of choice and possi- Milk with a gun, was accused of man slaighter bility. Our sexual angst cant wait not murder. for permission any longer and neither can our

rage.”

Queer struggle has for too long been restrained to politics of assimilation and the pathetic fight for more rights. Like feminism, most mainstream gay rights or queer groups seek the acceptance of men or hetero- sexual culture. Like the bullied youth who still desperately try to be popular, queer or gay struggle have for too long been asking to be beaten less or accepted in a hetero-sexual world; asking for freedom instead of taking it; looking to become part of a society inher- ently opposed to such desires, instead of looking to challenge society as a whole. Liberal thinking such as this; also known to some in the queer scene as “assimilationist politics”, has lead to delusional senses of victory.

Is asking to be beaten less make anything less pain- ful? Is asking to for more tolerance make anything more comfortable? Does feeding into the power of those who make our desires an issue really getting anywhere? Is determining the limits of our struggle to the standards of a male dominated hetero world allow us to really represent OURSELVES? Is being ourselves on our terms not the goal of such a struggle?

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Bash Back-48 March 11th: Seattle, WA Recently, as reported in our last church in Lansing, Michigan * Sabotage and vandalism to church few issues, courageous individ- last fall. Twenty-three individu- hosting anti-queer conference. uals are choosing to come out of als were served with sub-poenas Excerpts from the communique claiming the closets with axes not fear. by the FBI in Lansing and Mil- the action: Attacks on churches, banks, waukee in alleged connection stores, and events continue to to Bash Back! since the lawsuit Last night the Bash Back Unwelcom- happen frequently throughout was filed. The disruption we’re ing Committee greeted the Worldview North America, motivated by referring to was when a group Apologetics Conference attendees. The a hatred for a culture that cele- of individuals staged a dem- conference is being held today (March brates sexual stagnancy and vio- onstration outside the church, 11th) through Saturday at Crossroads Bi- lently defends it. Although not while a group of individuals ble Church in Bellevue, Washington. We all attacks on notoriously homo- disguised in attire of fellow bor- looked further into the host church and phobic churches or events have ing Christians broke out of the found out that Pastor Ken Hutcherson, is a been publicly claimed by the crowd during prayer screaming known supporter and colleague of Watch- name “Bash Back!”, it is a term blasphemous rhetoric, throwing men on the Wall, whose members are re- helping to provide a banner for pro-queer flyer’s into the crowd, sponsible for the death of Satendar Singh much of the anti-assimilation- and making out with each oth- (19 year old murdered in Lake Natoma, ist queer resistance we’ve been er (even if they both had the CA for being gay and indian) 2007. As reading about recently. same genitalia) for everyone to we write these effigies, we remember the Bash Back!, like many groups see. The event was captured on countless others that have been murdered similar to it, is not a formal orga- video by the way, and may we as a result of the sick bigotry spewing nization. It is a term that helps add, the confusion and shock of from Ken Hutcherson’s pulpit. He may to connect those queer and not the crowd was priceless. The not have tied the noose, pulled the trigger willing to ask for tolerance. It lawsuit was in response to the or thrown his fist, but his words have en- exists when resistance to hetero- police not being able to charge couraged others to do so. The Worldview dominated society comes about. anyone after the event. The FBI Apologetics Conference was another op- It is a call out; an invitation. It getting involved is implying that portunity for well-known queer haters to is comfort for those scared, re- the state is feeling threatened as spread their bullshit. With workshop titles venge for those scared, and queers get more comfortable, like, “The Difference Between Boys and empowerment for those acting. maybe also the frequency of this Girls; Exposing the Lies of Feminism and When actions are claimed, feel- resistance, or maybe its lack of It’s Cost to Society” and “It’s Not Like ings of joy and satisfaction are geographic limitation. As we Being Black; Why Homosexual Marriage explicit in the message. Bash included in our last issue, we is Not a Civil Rights Issue”. Back! is a term and social force wanted to include another dis- Starting with last night’s action, we’re re- setting a precedent for queer ruption claimed via communi- writing the “playbook”. “Smear the Queer” people today: to ask or to take? que by Bash Back! Space is may be your favorite pastime, but honey Although there is no member- limited so we had to also limit let me tell you, we fucking reclaimed the ship with an organization like the amount we could report on word Queer 15-fucking years ago and Bash Back!, the Alliance De- regarding Bash Back! resistance, we’ve got a diversity of tactics. When we fence Fund, an organization act- but we hope that you remain up wrote “Up Anarchist Queers”, “Watchmen ing as a front group for further to date with repression of Bash Are Killers”, “We Are Beauty” and glued Christian attacks on women, Back!, writings associated with all the doors shut, we threw open our own queers, gays, and people of col- the term, and future resistance doors and tattooed those words on hour or; are trying to sue individuals by visiting the link at the end of hearts. allegedly part of Bash Back! this section. for disruptions at Mount Hope Welcome to our world shitheads. Visit: Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Bash Back-49 www.bashbacknews.wordpress.com All of this occurs with the usual cast of friends, acquaintances, and allies. Many have come to terms with the anarchist subculture—we can travel PURUSING “STRATEGIC” across the country and see the same familiar faces at each site of conflict. For estranged enemies of capitalism, this is a welcome comfort. Our project SOCIAL has been to break with our own hierarchical socializations, and so we find ourselves adrift, gravitating towards the nearest sign of hope, to those few and far between like-minded individuals among whom we can feel a little less alienated. The individual: the core unit of capi- WAR talism. We searched for one another as individuals, as ourselves, estranged by modernity—embodying our personal ideas, thoughts, appearances, histories… our identity. And it follows that we encountered one another as individuals, and assumed that you were not as potent an ally if you didn’t look, speak, or act like us. The logic of individuality determined that we could only meet on the basis of our collective alienation. Therein contained was the usual judgment, gossip, mistrust, and social maneuvering we had hoped to escape. We thought we could free ourselves first, gather outside of the dreadful conditions we knew, and return to attack. We forgot that without context we are powerless. Our context, our A War of Position position, has become the subculture. In practice: five hundred anarchists Where do we stand? Obviously opposed to the social order. Obvi- converge on a city for a confronta- ously hating our jobs. Obviously disgusted by class relations. Decrying tional action—property is destroyed, the empty individualistic greed of consumerism, the despicable mani- resistance demonstrated, police out- festations of authority in our daily lives, the insidious oppressions so- smarted or repression meted out…and cialized into our behavior. We know all of the isms. the metropolis continues as if the in- So some of us avoid shopping. Some drop out, live collectively, terlude was planned all along, or as if eat trash, steal, avoid work. We travel, or wear dirty black clothes, or the interlude was part of the metrop- strike out against the behemoth in the ways we know how. Our current olis. With the subculture as our only positions are infoshops, demonstrations, convergences, affinity groups, position we find ourselves scrambling reading groups, discussion groups. for footing. The blind subservients of the main Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Pursuing Strategic Social War-50 stream media stumbled upon a truth when they called than likely the infoshop will disappear within a few us the “traveling anarchist circus.” Not because we are years, like any other presence that is unessential to the strange or introduce mayhem, but because we set up local dynamics. The anarchist localities in the US that camp, put on a show, and move on—leaving the land- continue to exist do so for a reason: relevance beyond scape essentially unchanged. Perhaps even worse, our the local subculture, or being birthed from one that has more stable manifestations can operate as local curios- transcended its boundaries as such. ity shops and private clubs. A yuppie couple walks by It is our task, then, to define a position that exists out- a storefront covered in anarchist posters: “Oh honey, side of individuality and outside of the non-location of how interesting, an infoshop!” Inside, a group of most- subculture. We must place ourselves—simultaneously ly white youth is watching Breaking the Spell. More digging-in and preparing for our next offensive.

The Conditions of Engagement

For us, it is quite fortunate that the social war currently exists on many fronts: under the surface, but indisputably present. The contradic- tions within capitalism and authority have always been felt if not fully articulated. With every eviction, every act of police violence, every layoff, every polluted river, every rape, we see the lines of the front drawn more clearly. The social war is ongoing—and we desire to con- stitute ourselves as a developed force within it. Our enemies, on the other hand, are already organized, and they frequently recognize themselves as standing openly on the terrain of social struggle; they understand the social divide and police us accordingly. As insurrectionists, it is up to us (but not us alone) to expose these social and class rifts, and to nurture the flame that rises out of the widening chasm. To expose and frame the conditions of open social war will require an uncommon commitment to place. It will take time to learn the terrain of a locality within the metropolis. The particular social undercurrents of capital and power in any place

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Pursuing Strategic Social War-51 are too mystified to understand in a month or a year. We cannot An Opening Salvo expect to move somewhere and comprehend neighborhood dy- Eventually liberated space will become too much for power to bear. We can namics, local alliances, political expect the worst in terms of violent repression and insidious co-optation, and social actors, historical con- and this will be nothing new to us, nor the other oppressed communities text, hidden geographies—so- who are our allies. It is here that our war becomes defensive, conservative, cial space— within any concise all the while actively expanding its zones of defense. The Greek anarchist amount of time. Firsthand knowl- neighborhood of Exarchia birthed one of the most powerful insurrections edge of the terrain is key to our in recent memory; suddenly, the whole metropolis became a simultane- success; establishing ourselves in ously offensive and defense front. Police, car dealerships, and Christmas places is one of the first steps in trees were no longer welcome, and were removed from the landscape. We realizing social war. already know that we own everything—the task is to exclude the intrusions We inhabit a place in an ef- of capital and power. fort to understand it. In the pro- Everyone knows where they stand when the conflict erupts. In Greece, cess, we build: relationships, in- more than just young anarchists rioted and supported the insurrection, frastructure at odds with capital, while bourgeois shoppers cowered in fear as stores were immolated. If they liberated autonomous zones. All do not know, we will involve them. this is done outside the confines It is worth noting that there will obviously not be just one engagement in of subculture, always collective- the social war. There will be no single determining battle. We are of course ly. As we learn more, our proj- aware that “the Revolution” is a myth. One may be tempted to view the ects become more appropriate realization of social war as an expanding singularity. On the contrary: en- and threatening, wedging open gagements are occurring all the time, the social rift deepening with each the fault lines exposed by local one. We need only to begin to pursue these particular engagements strategi- conflict. Taking into account lo- cally. cal exigencies, we might take “Everything about the insurrectionary process remains to be built.” over land to cultivate food, stop After the police murder of Oscar Grant in Oakland, it took a week for any paying rent, attack the police, substantial response, anarchist or otherwise, to materialize. What finally occupy buildings, seize mate- did has been mythologized as the “Oakland Rebellion”: one night of minor rial, or reconstruct the means of rioting contained within a few city blocks, a handful of autonomous attacks production inside our expanding against the responsible institutions. This—while a month earlier Alexan- stronghold. We capitalize on ev- dros Girgoropoulos was killed in Athens. The whole of Greece erupted in ery misstep and weakness in the rage, and for more than two weeks the metropolis was torn apart and re- system to deepen our collective made. opposition. The social conditions of Greece are undeniably different from those of the US. The history of military dictatorship has all but invalidated the Greek Thus, the lines of the social national hegemony, and nearly every person there maintains a deep suspi- war are drawn. cion of state authority. We cannot re-create Greece. But if we look closely enough, there are badly patched tears in American social life as well. What is required of us is a jarring rip at the seams. It is these rifts where the foundations of insurrection will be located. And in order to build an ef- fective base, we must move beyond our subcultures and identities.

An isolated and alone insurrectionary is hardly an insurrectionary at all, and the true power of the insurrection lies in the potential for its gener- alization. Can we hide in our neighbors’ houses? Can our community exist autonomously from the flows of capital? Can we defend each other from the police and the army? We pursue that day.

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Pursuing Strategic Social War-52 Postscript: The Realization of Social War down. The police called for back- propaganda, posters declar- Over the past eleven years, the empty up and issued a warning to dis- ing “JOIN THE DEFENSE”, lot had been transformed. What had been perse. The blockaders did not newspaper headlines reading a patch of tall brown weeds and cracked move. A van of riot police arrived, “HOODLUMS ATTACK PO- pavement was now a lush garden. Rows of and began to threaten the use of LICE”. Very quickly, normal- zucchini, growing out into the stone path- force. After an hour, the police lost ly inactive citizens made up ways, strawberries just coming into bloom, patience and pitilessly gassed the their minds as to which side and in the far corner a full acre of corn. blockade, moving in with batons. they were on. The fruit trees were finally growing above The group withdrew, the bulldozer The police did not give the wooden fence. After more than a de- cleared the barricade, and the po- up that day. In the following cade of concerted work by the surrounding lice continued on their way. weeks the city was torn apart, community, they could provide themselves Three blocks from the garden, as all the wounds of local in- with all the fresh vegetables they required. a hail of stones rained down on justice and oppression were Property values had recently increased in the police procession. In the next simultaneously re-opened. the neighborhood—it was now profitable moment, the fiery arcs of molotov In that city, the police now to develop the once vacant, abandoned lot. cocktails traced their way through walk in fear, the politicians The community had neglected to officially the air, exploding across the police know they are ignored, and purchase the land, and the owner, of course, vehicles. The squad cars were im- certainly no one wants to in- wanted sell it to a well-known developer. mobilized by the hail of rocks and vest. He had informed the coordinators of the fire—the officers scram- bled out of their flaming garden of his intention. But the community Meanwhile, the local com- refused to relinquish the land. vehicles, running for safety. A block away, munities organize themselves. Time was up, the police had been called. An insurrection is begun. They would arrive to evict the garden with- the riot police exited in the week. The community held a short their van, formed a line, meeting, and resolved to defend their land and planned their next through whatever means necessary. move. As soon as they Two days later, a dependable source had regrouped, at tacks told the community that the police would came from all direc- be moving in the next morning. They re- tions—adjacent yards, sponded, gathering the necessary materials cross streets, back allies. for defense: rocks, empty bottles, gasoline, Officers were knocked caltrops, sticks, metal bars, various debris, down by the sheer vol- while others sent out the call for assistance ume of the projectiles. They fired rubber from their allies and neighbors. bullets wantonly, not At dawn the next morning, three police sure who was an en- cars and a bulldozer approached the neigh- emy or bystander. borhood. As the police turned onto the They could not be boulevard that led to the garden, a crowd of sure how many they two hundred blocked their path. The group were up against, the quickly constructed barricades while others situation was stra- locked themselves to each other and sat tegically untenable. They piled hurriedly into the van and fled. The next day the city was flooded with

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Pursuing Strategic Social War-53 As the “first world” scrambles to retain its comfort and privi- ist society, or liter- lege before a failing economy or growing frustrated population, ally does, is a disrup- the “third class” of the “third world” continues to struggle tion to the trajectory to survive as unrecognized citizens of the of such an economic global modern world. Capitalist society looks system and must be to claim and profit from every facet of life and either assimilated or land; constant expansion is inherent to capital- destroyed for capitalist society. For the capitalist society to operate ist society to grow. it must present a way of living to strive for, Living in the “first suitable to profit and expansion, all life that world”, it is hard to looks to remain free the aesthetics and de- feel connected to ev- sires of this model for living must eryday life struggles be suitable to profit and expan- of the kind mentioned sion. All life that looks to remain after this introduc- safe,self-suffcient, tion, but the fight for free from capital- safe, self-sufficient, or free communities is one that we see all the time in different ways across the world. Native and lower caste struggles not only expose the inherent consequences of the system and era we live in, they also act as a force of subjectivity. In a global world so mediated by information technology and a global economy, native communities act as evidence to possibilities of living differ- ently from what we witness now. Migrant communities or lower caste villages in the third world provide examples of how the exclud- ed organize themselves in defense of their collective *CONFLICT livelihood and ability to overcome with social divisions capitalist society Capital’s thrives on. They also expose the Global inherent conflict between a global Conquest economy and autonomous communities. We could only fit a few reports that caught our attention, but Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Conflict With Capital’s Global Conquest-54 struggles such as these are historic-happening now-and will continue to exist as long as capitalist society looks to expand. February 14, 2009: Please visit some of the links included at the end of this com- * Bilbao, Spain pilation to stay up to date with struggles and conflicts similar to those mentioned below. We hope to encourage solidarity with recognized citizens frustrated with the nation claiming Hundreds of demonstrators in the Basque their existence, and the non-recognized citizens who fight region’s largest city built barricades of burn- to remain free from an ever encroaching capitalist society. ing dumpsters and fought police for control of these are historic-happening now-and will continue to exist the streets. Incendiary devices were thrown at as long as capitalist society looks to expand. Please visit the offices of the Basque Nationalist Party. The some of the links included at the end of this compilation to provocation for the riot was the banning by Spain stay up to date with struggles and conflicts similar to those of pro-independence groups from participating mentioned below. We hope to encourage solidarity with rec- in elections. The Basques are one of Europe’s ognized citizens frustrated with the nation claiming their ex- longest-colonized and least-assimilated indig- istence, and the non-recognized citizens who fight to remain enous cultures, with an equally long history of free from an ever encroaching capitalist society. resistance to the rule of Madrid and Paris. Until the last mis- sionary is hung February 15, 2009 * Tongxiang,China with the guts of Hundreds of migrant workers clashed with the last develop- more than 100 regular and armed police in this city in the southern province of Zhejiang on Saturday, leaving six police vehicles smashed er; all expan- or burned, witnesses and said. One witness described thousands of people besieging the police detachment: “the protesters, most of whom sion must be seemed to be migrant labourers, were so dis- contented and indignant that they hurled almost everything within their reach, including bricks, blocked. stones and bottles, even when the police seemed prepared to retreat.”

February 20, 2009 * Dzongu region of Sikkim, India

Forty-three Lepchas were ar- held a peaceful rally at the dam hydro projects will displace sev- rested last week in connection site on Feb. 7 to mark day 600 of eral villages, devastate the fragile to an ‘agitation’ carried out on their ongoing relay hunger strike ecology of the Khangchendzonga the controversial Panan hydel against hydro development in the Biosphere Reserve, and destroy a power project in the Dzongu re- region. sacred site that the Lepcha believe gion of Sikkim, India. The Af- ACT, along with the entire Lep- to be the birthplace of humanity. fected Citizens of Teetsa (ACT) cha population, maintain that the All of this, coupled with a

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Conflict With Capital’s Global Conquest-55 growing sense of frustration over a complete lack of February 20, 2009 action by the government, boiled into an agitation * Mindanao, Philippines aimed at the hyrdo site. Several members walked out and began to destroy machinery and vandalize buildings in the project area. After project developers got word of what was hap- At least 400 members of the Mamanwa tribe in Su- pening they filed an official complaint with the -po rigao del Sur, northwestern Mindanao, are in their lice, who then proceeded to sweep into several Lep- second week of a blockade against four mining com- cha villages and arrest every ’suspect’ they could find. panies: Taganito Mining Corporation (TMC), Oriental Among the arrested were two youths, three monks, Synergy Mining Corporation (OSMC), Case Mining and seven women. Company (CMC) and Platinum Group Mining Com- The group of 43 was then faced with a whopping pany (PGMC). 1,558 criminal charges in connection to the agitation, Under the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA), quite possibly a world record: 147 for rioting, 149 for Indigenous People in the Philippines are entitled to “a unlawful assembly, 436 for arson and fire mischief, royalty payment… which shall not be less than 1% 379 for theft of explosives and 447 for criminal tres- of the Gross Output of the mining operations in the pass. area.” Following the arrests, ACT demanded the uncondi- Only recently has the Mamanwa learned of this. In tional release of the entire group, saying they were a statement dated February 4, day seven of the bar- falsely imprisoned and subjected to torture. ricade, Datu Joel Buklas from the Taganito Mamanwa The two youths were later released, however the re- Association, notes that TMC has been operating in the maining Lepchas are still in custody. region since the 1960s, and recently “got a new con- tract to operate for another 25 years in the red moun- For more news and background, please visit: tain of Surigao del Sur.” “The moving truck loads of weepingsikkim.blogspot.com/labourers nickel ore is a regular scene for motorist passing along the Claver highway.” “Literally, the red mountain of Claver is moving inch by inch every day. Sumitomo February 23: Metal Mining Company together with TMC planned *Colombia to start this year the construction of a 30,000 ton-a- year smelting plant which would start its operation by 2012.” Meanwhile, Sumitomo is “determined to start the construction this year of the one-billion dollar We included this clip to confront any sympathies for [nickle mining] project.” authoritarian leftist groups such as FARC here; and “This is our land even before these mining compa- others similar to them. nies came, we were already here, we were forcibly Indigenous leaders issue “ultimatum” to FARC - In- ousted from these lands against our will and we hope digenous authorities in Colombia and Ecuador have concerned government agencies whom we have been issued an “ultimatum” to the Revolutionary Armed asking for years will wake up.” Forces of Colombia (FARC), demanding they return “Today, 4 February 2009, is our seventh day of hu- the bodies of the indigenous Awa who were brutally man barricade along the highway of Taganito, Claver, massacred this month, so they can be buried accord- Surigao del Norte to demand before the National ing to Awa tradition. Indigenous leaders issue “ultima- Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) on our tum” to FARC share agreed for allowing the mining companies to Indigenous authorities in Colombia and Ecuador have ruin our lives and our ancestral domain.” issued an “ultimatum” to the Revolutionary Armed With the blockade still standing, the Mamanwa report Forces of Colombia (FARC), demanding they return that five of their carpenters, who helped put the block- the bodies of the indigenous Awa who were ade together, have been missing since they left the site to harvest food for the protesters on January 29. (continued on next page) Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Conflict With Capital’s Global Conquest-56 brutally massacred this month, so they can be buried The claim has been used for decades to justify the according to Awa tradition. slaughter of Indigenous people, and is part of a much The statement warns that if the bodies are not returned broader campaign of subjugation, murder, land theft by February 23 at 6:00pm, a “Humanitarian Minga” and displacement. will be carried out by indigenous communities to enter In 2009 alone, it has resulted in the death 50, the the conflicted territory and recover the bodies on their wounding of hundreds and the displacement of thou- own, it also calls on “All armed actors, legal and illegal, sands. Awa Leadership, along with the National Indige- to immediately withdraw from Awá territory”” so an nous Organization of Colombia, further point out that a international team can access the region to clear it of total of 27 Awa were killed this month. They say FARC landmines. was responsible for all of them. The statement was issued by the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia (ONIC) on February 19, two You can read the statement (in Spanish): days after FARC accepted responsibility for killing http://colombia.indymedia.org/news/2009/02/98897. eight Awa this month, an act they say was justified be- php cause ‘the Awa were collaborating with the Colombian military’.

February 25, 2009 *Northern Ontario, Canada

March 13, 2009 Members of the Attawapiskat First Nation in northern Ontario are holding a winter * Rumieh, Lebanon road block near the DeBeers Victor Mine, in protest of the Impact Benefit Agreement (IBA) that the First Nation signed with De Beers, a massive diamond multinational company based in South Africa. The members have maintained a 24-hour presence at the blockade since it first went Over a hundred in- up on February 6. mates rioted in Beirut’s “We feel that the people of Attawapiskat are not fully benefiting from the DeBeers op- largest prison, “burn- erations in our territory. We are committed to ensuring that our people benefit directly. ing mattresses and oth- We are poor and we need to get out of the poverty we are in. DeBeers can help us in er items to press their improving our community living conditions,” states Greg Shisheesh, a spokesman for demands for reduced the protesters. The protesters want the terms of the current IBA to be revisited, so it can sentences”. address a number of pressing issues for Attawapiskat, including racism and discrimi- The same prison was nation, pay equity, a desperately-needed school and new housing. They also want the the scene of a mutiny the ratification process of the IBA to be reviewed. in April last year in “We want to ensure the membership fully understands how the IBA was ratified which seven warders and we are asking for full disclosure of its contents to the people,” says Shisheesh. were held hostage. A Shortly after the protest began, the Attawapiskat chief and council announced a series riot also broke out at of “emergency measures to encourage the resolution of the latest protest of some of its the Qubbah prison in members.” the northern Lebanon “Those measures include an immediate distribution of the IBA to more than 300 city of Tripoli in Janu- homes, earmarking the profits from Attawapiskat-owned businesses and joint ventures ary with inmates hold- toward legal fees (up to $100,000) school and education war chest and high-level meeting two wardens hos- ings have been confirmed with De Beers executives and representatives of the member tage. protesters with a mediator, to name a few,” notes the Daily Press. “De Beers is a rich company with millions of dollars,” states Louttit. “The company and the province are benefiting, but the community is benefiting only a little. We’re still in poverty, we’re still overcrowded and we don’t even have a school.”

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Conflict With Capital’s Global Conquest-57 April 2,2009 Saturday, March 14, 2009 * Chiapas, Mexico * Manila, Philippines

Hundreds of students clashed In a coordinated effort with According to eye witnesses, the with police outside the U.S. em- “civilian aggressors”, as many police, who were armed with bassy and Filipino Supreme as 260 police officers tried to pepper spray and riot shields, Court, demanding the immediate evict 500 Mayan families from cordoned off the area while withdrawal of U.S. forces and ex- a 6-acre lot of land they occu- the civilians began to raid and pressing rage at the Filipino Gov- pied last month, near the town set fire to the Mayans’ homes. ernment as well. The U.S. military of San Cristobal de las Casas, The civilians were themselves has maintained a presence in the in Chiapas, Mexico. armed with gasoline, sticks and Philippines since 1898. The eviction ultimately failed, Machetes. “They said nothing. but not before twelve Mayans They began to hit us and de- and fifteen police were injured stroy things,” said one Woman. March 16, 2009 and about 100 homes were de- “They treated us like animals.” * Nairobi,Kenya stroyed. Needless to say, the commu- The attempted eviction took nity defended itself, picking place on the morning of March up stones, sticks, and what- An anti-police demonstration 26, following an order from ever else was on hand. The po- sparked by the police killings of a the Mayor of San Cristobal de lice “tried to respond the same student and two human rights ac- las Casas. At the prompting of way” says the EFE News Ser- tivists turned into a riot in the Ke- civilians from the town, the vice, but they finally decided to nyan capital. Thousands of youth, Mayor said the Mayans have to withdraw without managing to who have faced a rising tide of be evicted because the land is expel the [Mayans].” The com- police violence in “anti-gang” owned by “the National Com- munity has since warned that crackdowns in recent years, built mission for the Development they have no intention of leav- barricades, beat up journalists, of Indigenous Peoples” (CDI), ing the land. pelted police with stones and loot- a Federal Agency that is sup- ed businesses. Witnesses said a posed to “protect and promote “We’re not leaving, because we rally of about 2,000 students more the interest and well-being of have nowhere to live and even than doubled in size as slum dwell- [Indigenous Peoples] with due if we have to die, we’re staying ers, jobless and others joined in. regard to their beliefs, customs, here.” traditions and institutions.”

April 7, 2009 *April 8, 2009 * New Zealand Beijing, China

5,000 villagers clash with police the coal mine. 5,000 villagers clash Otaraua Hapu occupation of in China, laying siege to coal mine with police in eastern China. Ear- mine reaches 17 days The Ta- - About 5,000 villagers clashed lier this month, some 5,000 villag- ranaki hapu of Otaraua have been with police in eastern China after ers clashed with police in eastern holding their ground near Waitara laying siege to a coal mine blamed China after laying siege to a coal for 17 days now while the Grey- for damaging local farmlands, a hu- mine, which they blame for damag- mouth Petroleum Co still refuses man rights group said. The villag- ing their farmlands. According to to meet with them on site. Produc- ers had “surrounded and attacked” Hong Kong’s Center for tion has been completely stopped in the meantime. Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Conflict With Capital’s Global Conquest-58 (April 8th; Beijing; continued)

Human Rights and Democracy, April 17, 2009 on April 7, the villagers “sur- Kenya rounded and attacked” the Gubei * coal mine in in Anhui province and demanded an end to its operation. Villagers say the mine is For more than three weeks now, the Kenyan government has been en- causing land subsidence over an gaged in a brutal campaign of violence against the indigenous Samburu 8,000-hectare region, which is af- people in north central Kenya. According to Cultural Survival (CS), the fecting as many as 50,000 people. government, who claims to be chasing after “cattle bandits”, has “strafed The human rights group goes on to the unarmed villagers with machine guns” from the air and “used clubs to say that more than 1000 paramili- beat them on the ground.” Further reports indicate that at least nine bombs tary police were sent to the protest, have been dropped on Samburu villages, and a yet-to-be-identified caustic and that the villagers confronted chemical was sprayed on group of children who were seeking refuge in the police, smashed at least one the bush. The government has also confiscated all of the Samburu’s cattle, of their vehicles, and injured vice leaving them without any access to food. chief Ma Shiping from Fengtai A Kenyan military officer has released documents “showing that these County. An unnamed police offi- attacks were planned months in advance, and there is explicit mention of cer from Fengtai, confirmed that a the intention to ‘bring these people into the modern era.’” “Without milk protest was held, however he said from their cattle, the community members will die,” Dan Letoiya, Director that no more than 1,000 villagers of West Gate Wildlife Conservancy stated. “We are experiencing another attended the protest. severe drought and this is their only source of protein and liquid. The milk from their livestock makes up 90 percent of their dietary intake.”

April 27 May 6, 2009 * Papua New Guinea * San Jose Progreso, Oaxaca, Mexico

More than 300 homes were burned to the ground in a vio- An urgent action alert issued by lent eviction of indigenous landowners near Barrick Gold’s Comité de Defensa de Los Dere- Porgera open pit gold mine in Papua New Guinea. At least chos del Pueblo (CODEP) de- 200 police and military personnel were sent to the village, scribes how “twenty-five hundred and began setting fire to the landowners’ homes. The Akali (2500) members of the federal Tange Association (ATA), a human rights organization in police, AFI, judicial police, and Porgera, said on the day of the eviction that that no one was the bomb corps entered the mine given any time to gather their possessions, and “anyone who (during a community blockade) spoke up was reportedly physically attacked by the security with a wealth of weapons: using forces and some were arrested,” relays protestbarrick.net. tear gas, shots from various types “Increasing numbers of people are reporting injuries, as are of firearms, police dogs, savagely those who are being detained. Although the landowners re- beating the people, and searching ceived no formal warning that they were to see their houses the homes of the people who were destroyed...” peacefully guarding access to the mine.”

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Conflict With Capital’s Global Conquest-59 IN TROUBLE Compiled statements from the support groups of some *of those currently facing repression by the state.

The Latest on the Love Park 4 State to appeal Judge Neifeld’s order, stating that the District Attorney was unable to meet the threshold test On Tuesday May 12, the remaining LOVE Park 4 de- for the appeal. This test measures whether or not the fendants - Jason Robbins, Tom Keenan and Jared Schul- prosecution would be hindered if Judge Neifeld’s order tz - appeared in court yet again. This hearing thankfully was upheld. The defense argued that in no way would moved in forward direction, instead of resulting in an- the prosecution’s case be hindered, but the omission of other continuance in a long line of delays dating back the identities of these officers does indeed hinder the almost two years. defense. They argued further that police officers - spe- Judge Frank Palumbo heard the State’s appeal of Judge cifically narcotics officers - regularly testify in open Marsha Neifeld’s decision from December’s court date. court. Referring to Lieutenant McConnell’s testimony She ordered the District Attorney to reveal the identities from December, they also pointed that these specific of- of two undercover Philadelphia narcotics officers who ficers in question have time and again testified in open had posed as neo-Nazis in LOVE Park on July 23rd, court. In response to the Assistant District Attorney’s 2007 - the day of the mysterious Ku Klux Klan rally statement that these officers would not be able to go that never actually happened. The prosecution argued back undercover with KSS if the investigation was to that revealing the undercover narcotics officers’ identi- be reopened, Paul Hetznecker reminded the judge that ties would both endanger the officers personally as well not only has it been almost two years since the begin- as prohibit them from participating in any future under- ning of this case, but the police department itself has cover investigation into the white power organization said the case against KSS was inactive 6 months prior Keystone State Skinheads (KSS). Supposedly, accord- to that date. The point here: the District Attorney’s of- ing to testimony given at December’s hearing by these fice is attempting to use a separate - not to mention officers’ superior Lieutenant McConnell that is why his closed - case to further impede the proceedings of the officers were present in Love Park - as part of an ongo- LOVE Park 4 case. ing narcotics probe into KSS. The only other argument the Assistant District Attorney Defense lawyers Larry Krasner and Paul Hetznecker presented for his case being hindered was that if Judge responded by arguing that there was no basis for the Neifeld’s order is upheld, the District Attorney’s office

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-In Trouble-60 “would be forced to withdraw the charges” against the and also asking all of the lawyers to submit additional defendants rather then reveal the identity of the under- briefs in support of their individual arguments. A new cover officers. Judge Palumbo expressed skepticism court date was scheduled for June 16th. It is expected time and time again in response to the prosecutor’s that Judge continued repetition of that argument. It is also worth Palumbo will make his ruling at that time. nothing that the hearing never even got to the point of Jason, Tom and Jared would like to thank everyone reviewing the merits or content of the original defense that took time out of their busy schedules to stand with motion asking for the witnesses’ identities, as Judge them in court this week. They would like to express Palumbo seemed to be in agreement with defense that the solidarity people continue to show them is counsel that the District Attorney had failed to meet amazing! the threshold test for the appeal. In the end Judge Palumbo chose to take the appeal In Solidarity with ALL Political Prisoners, under advisement, giving himself time to become fa- The LOVE Park 4 Defense Committee miliar with the notes and transcripts from the case, www.myspace.com/supportlovepark4

Marie Mason Sentenced to almost Update as of April 22nd 22 Years stamped envelopes to her – the pris- We received a letter from Marie on confiscates them. She can have Marie was sentenced to 262 months Mason recently with updates. As up to 25 pictures at one time in her on February 5th for alledgedly com- we said before, she expects to be at cell, but no polaroids. (One person miting an arson against Michigan Waseca for a while. She has been said the prison was rejecting enve- State University’s bio-technology assigned a job working in the kitch- lopes with more than two pictures in offices on December 31st, 1999, en (unfortunately not, originally as them, however.) She can have up that caused nearly $1 million dollars she was told, as a guitar instructor). to five books in her cell. There is of damage to buildings and equip- She is working out and getting most no limit on photocopies – but you ment, but no death or injuries. She of her vegan dietary concerns taken can’t send them in a cardboard box was also ordered to pay more than care of. She would like to receive (which requires prior approval), it $4 million in restitution. This is the the following kinds of books: a cal- must be in an envelope. Clippings largest sentence to be passed to a endar, a journal, language books (es- from magazines, etc. are accepted, Green Scare defendant. Mason’s pecially French and Spanish, which but in limited quantities – i was told lawyer John Minock has indicated she speaks to fellow inmates), fic- a manila envelope stuffed with them that he intends to appeal her 22-year tion, or radical history. She also is would be returned. Nothing with sentence but funds are needed to pay allowed to allowed to check a guitar sexually explicit content. Envelopes the legal fees for this. Please con- from the rec center and wants guitar must have a return address on them, sider making a donation so that they sheet music – especially “labor/folk/ and since the prisons sometimes can work to reverse her sentence. earth first!” songs. There is a library throw away the envelopes and give at the prison which she is able to use the prisoner only the letter, you Checks or money orders can be as well. That said, we are not sure should also put your address and the made out to “Karin Mason” and what kind political literature will date on the letter itself. sent to: be allowed in. Obviously, please do As far as the political content, Karin Mason NOT send anything that advocates we’re not sure yet. With the other PO Box 352 any illegal acts, as this may impact prisoners, letters have been rejected Stanwood, MI 49346 her negatively. We called Waseca that refer to other imprisoned Green and confirmed that individuals can Scare cases. If you would like to make a dona- send in softcover books, including Also, what’s allowed in federal tion via Paypal, please contact us used ones. No hardcover books are prisons is notoriously inconsistent, for more information: supportmari- allowed. Magazines and newspapers so one person in the mail room [email protected]. must come directly from a publish- might simply reject what another er. Please do not send stamps or accepts. Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-In Trouble-61 Email us if you mail anything in that is sent back. receiving letters and please continue to write her: She is slower at writing back these days then when she was at Clinton County Jail, and some of this may have Marie Mason #04672-061 to do with the delay in the federal system with getting FCI Waseca, Federal Correctional Institution, P.O. Box funds to her commissary to buy stamps. But she loves 1731, Waseca, MN 56093

Update on Eric Mcdavid From Sacramento Prisoner As you know, Eric is in the process of appealing both Support Below his conviction and sentence. We were hoping to be able to post the appeal with this alert, but are awaiting word There are a few things we would like to share with from the court. Eric’s lawyer filed the appeal on May 6, you in this update. Below you will find information on but also had to file a motion to file a brief that is twice Eric’s current situation, the tour in June, site updates, the length of a normal appeal. If the court accepts this and the status of the appeal. Eric sends his hellos to motion, then the appeal will officially be filed and we you all. Thanks so much for your continued support. can post it for you all to read. This is nowhere near We hope to see many of you soon! the end of the process, however. The government will have a month to respond to the brief once it is filed, and The Mail Situation then Eric’s lawyer will have another two weeks for his final response. We fully expect more delays (the brief Eric would like for us to let you all know that he is cur- was originally due last September). We will keep you rently unable to respond to snail mail. Victorville has posted as things develop. Eric has been in jail or prison recently implemented a new, illegal mail policy that re- for 3 1/2 years now. His strength and courage continue quires prisoners to submit a list of people to whom they to remind us all of what it means to stay true to our- would like to send mail. This list is kept on file in the selves and the things we hold dear. Our sincerest thanks prison’s Trulincs system, which was originally setup as to all of you who have helped make this journey more an email system for prisoners. The BOP has since ex- endurable. panded it’s use of the system as a way to keep track of prisoner phone lists, mail lists, and as a log-in system Eric Mcdavid is currently facing 19 years and 7 months for prisoner access to the legal library. The use of the in federal prisons for not only a crime he didn’t commit. system for these purposes has numerous legality issues, but a crime that never happened. Eric is one of the and Eric and a couple of other prisoners are attempting many facing the wrath of this new state trend known as to fight the new rules from the inside. In the meantime, “conspiracy charges”. Eric was arrested in Auburn, CA Eric will not be using the mail-labeling system set up on January 13, 2006 as part of the government’s ongo- by Trulincs, which means he is unable to send any writing Green Scare campaign. He was convicted guilty of ten correspondence. This does NOT mean that he can- “conspiracy to destroy property by means of fire or ex- not receive mail - so plosives”, and was sentenced to 19 years and 7 months, please keep those letters coming. for a crime that was never committed. The conviction was established based on the testimony of an FBI in- More dates are in the works. formant named “Anna”, and his 2 co-defendants, who chose to co-operate at his expense. Prior to his convic- We are in the process of some major additions to Er- tion he was denied bailed for 2 ½ years. During that ic’s website. Soon you will have access to all of the time he was in solitary confinement at the Sacramento transcripts from Eric’s trial, sentencing, the plea agree- County Jail. During that time he also suffered immense ments from his co-defendants, and more. We are also health issues due to the Jail ignoring Eric’s dietary adding a section for writings from Eric to make them restrictions. Eric deserves the utmost stoic and consis- more accessible. Check out www.supporteric.org soon tent support from our communities. to get the latest. Visit the link below to stay up with his case: Appeal Status www.supporteric.org

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-In Trouble-62 Two Charges Dropped Against the RNC 8; A statement during and since the RNC. from Friends of the RNC 8 “Make no mistake,” said defendant Luce Guillen- Givins, “This change to the complaint against us is a In the surest sign yet of the power of post-RNC court token gesture meant to placate our supporters and bol- solidarity, Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner ster a floundering political prosecution.” As defendant has dropped two of four unfounded charges against Eryn Trimmer pointed out, “This move only focuses the RNC 8. Caving to months and months of public attention more acutely on the outrageous nature of the pressure, Gaertner dropped one count of Conspiracy two remaining charges, Conspiracy to Commit Riot and to Commit Riot in Furtherance of Terrorism, and one Conspiracy to Commit Criminal Damage to Property.” count of Conspiracy to Commit Criminal Damage to In the months leading up to the RNC, the defendants Property in Furtherance of Terrorism. “We are heart- were involved in open, public organizing with a broad ened by the fact that our supporters have won this con- coalition of Twin Cities activists and community mem- cession,” said defendant Nathanael Secor. “It’s taken bers. We continue to assert that the only “conspiracy” a tremendous show of strength and solidarity over the committed by the RNC 8 was to provide basic and nec- past seven months.” essary infrastructure for people who wished to engage Originally facing a single charge–Conspiracy to Riot in their fundamental right to dissent. in Furtherance of Terrorism–Gaertner’s office added “We’re relieved and gratified that the most -sensa three additional charges against the eight defendants in tional part of the charges has been dropped,” said St. December of last year. Now, two of those charges have Paul peace and justice activist Betsy Raasch-Gilman, been dropped, clearly demonstrating that all the charges member of Friends of the RNC 8. She continued, “We are a matter of political maneuvering, hope that the conspiracy charges will also be dropped. not a reasoned look at the evidence. If planning a protest can be called conspiracy, the right On March 28, supporters delivered to Susan Gaertner’s to free speech is in real danger.” office a stack of over 3,000 petitions urging her to drop Friends of the RNC 8 asks Susan Gaertner to continue all four charges. Among other statements, a resolution in the direction of justice by dropping all the remaining from the 17,000-member Duluth Central Labor Body charges, thereby saving enormous financial resources in support of the RNC 8 was also delivered. National for the people of Minnesota in this time of rampant media attention, including an appearance on MSNBC foreclosures, unemployment and economic turmoil. on Wednesday morning, has drawn significant attention to the case at the same time as Gaertner is accelerat- We also remind supporters that while we should right- ing her campaign for Governor–having just hired full- ly celebrate this small victory, the time for increased time staffers, opened an office on University Avenue, action to defend the RNC 8 is now. and planned appearances at several DFL events in the next month. Additionally, the broad-based RNC 8 De- Visit the link below to stay up with their case: fense Committee has succeeded in calling widespread www.rnc8.org attention to the Minnesota PATRIOT Act, and played an instrumental role in applying the pressure that led to The RNC 8/RNC Eight are organizers against the 2008 this reduction of charges. In removing the controversial Twin Cities Republican National Convention who have MN PATRIOT Act from the debate at this moment, Su- been falsely charged in response to their political orga- san Gaertner obviously hopes to defray the costs of this nizing: Luce Guillen-Givins, Max Specktor, Nathanael unprecedented prosecution on her campaign for Gover- Secor, Eryn Trimmer, Monica Bicking, Erik Oseland, nor, and to mitigate the overwhelmingly negative pub- Robert Czernik and Garrett Fitzgerald. lic opinion of Ramsey County’s repressive behavior

Tarnac 9 Related News: French authorities on Thursday, May 28th, authorised Julien Coupat Released!, and the arrest of Tessa the release of Julien Coupat, who has been detained for more than six months on suspicion of sabotaging high- Julien Coupat Released! speed train lines, the Paris prosecutor’s office said. Ju- lien Coupat, 34, was arrested by anti-terrorist police in Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-In Trouble-63 November 2008 and his lengthy de- This crude attempt at intimidating upon people, but it also will never tention without charges being filed those who organize against anti- go anywhere. had become highly controversial. terrorist measures and for the sup- With each public statement by the His arrest was part of a wider swoop port of people imprisoned in Paris people who were indicted, by their on members of what Interior Minis- and elsewhere. The police justified lawyers and by their supporters, the ter Michele Alliot-Marie described this arrest on the grounds that Tessa accuser — the Minister of the In- as an “anarcho-autonomous” move- was “close to the hard core” of the terior, a judge, a cop or an expert ment that had been under surveil- group from Tarnac and “gravitated” — claims to pull from his or her hat lance by domestic intelligence around the farm at Goutaillioux. “exclusive” elements or other pseu- services for months beforehand. Not only has the justice system not do-proofs that in reality have no Coupat, the last of the 10 suspects abandoned its stupid set-up and the legal value and that, decontextual- arrested in November to remain in police categories that go along with ized, are used exactly as propagan- custody, has always said he was in- it (”cell,” “circle of influence,” “hard da. Besides this, what principally is nocent but he is still under investiga- core,” “circle” and “member”), but the purpose of the judge’s interroga- tion for organised, terrorism-related even claims to henceforth apply tions and investigations? Today, at destruction of property. Under the them to those who remain close to this stage of the inquest, it is The terms of his release, he will have to their friends who have been placed Coming Insurrection: who wrote it, stay in the Paris region and surren- under examination. Legal surveil- when and for what purpose. More der his passport and identity papers. lance prevents these friends from than what it says, it is this text’s res- The failure to secure any convic- seeing each other, indeed, from re- onance with the current explosive tions after a highly publicised raid turning to them. The SDAT’s new situation that becomes troublesome by hundreds of police has proved operations also tells them: “Your for power. embarrassing to the government, shared friends will henceforth be Party to a spontaneous reaction which has been accused of whipping considered as facilitating communi- that led to the creation of a certain up terrorism fears to justify tough cations between you and, thus, [oth- number of support committees ev- new security measures. In a written er] members of the same association erywhere in France, solidarity is ex- interview with the Le Monde news- of evil-doers; if you see them, we pressed ever more publicly, even in paper this week Coupat described can arrest them.” the pages of the newspapers. Judge his detention as a “petty revenge This indictment, which allows the [Thierry] Fragnoli doesn’t give a which is quite understandable given police to pursue someone without fuck; and, one year after the begin- the means that were deployed and attributing participation in crimi- ning of the inquest and six months the extent of the failure.” nal acts to them, is decidedly very after the incarceration of Julien useful. We see the evolution of this [Coupat], he still has no fear of The Arrest of Tessa: A Communique business. One day it is Eric Hazan, making himself look ridiculous by from the Support Committee the publisher of The Coming Insur- arresting anyone, anytime, though rection, interrogated for 4 hours. these people will inevitably be re- At 2 pm on Tuesday [28 April Another day it is a member of one leased. We will provide a practical 2009], a very active member of a of the support committees who is response to these petty maneuvers support committee was arrested on carried off from the street. The op- in a few weeks. the streets of Paris. The police fixed eration is clear: on the one hand, it her to the steering wheel of her car banalizes the summoning to court You fuck with us? You will not fuck and expelled the person who ac- and the taking into custody for long for long.[3] companied her, before taking flight periods of time and without any with our comrade. She was brought meaning; on the other, it generates Thank you. to the offices of the SDAT[1] under some mediatic[2] agitation to make an anti-terrorist regime (in custody people believe that this affair will [1] The federal anti-terrorism task for 96 hours and [access to] a law- advance when everyone has under- force in France. yer after 72 hours). stood that, not only does it trample [2] There is no equivalent in Eng-

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-In Trouble-64 lish for mediatique, which not only denotes the media, but the spectacular, as well. To stay up to date with the Tarnac 9 and repression [3] This slogan can be found at the end of Raoul Vanei- of the so-called French “anarcho-autonomous move- gem’s Treatise on Living for the Younger Generations, ment”; visit: first published in French in 1967 and translated into www. tarnac9.wordpress.com English as The Revolution of Everyday Life.

BJ Viehl and Alex Hall: Arrested for Utah Mink Libera- expires on June 30. If the Grand Jury is extended, Jor- tions dan can be held longer.

William “BJ” Viehl and Alex Hall were arrested Thurs- Send letters of support to: day March 5th after they were indicted by a grand jury Cache County Jail, Jordan Halliday, Inmate # 24836, for “suspicion” of a raid at a South Jordan, Utah mink 1225 West Valley View Highway Suite 100, Logan, farm. On August 18th 2008, 300+ mink were released Utah 84321 from the McMullin Mink Farm and all their breeding records were destroyed. Spray painted slogans found Please consult Cache County Jail’s website to ensure on the scene included “No More Mink, No More Mur- that you comply with the policies for inmate mail: der” and “ALF: We Are Watching.” The action cost an http://www.cachesheriff.com/Jail/jail.htm estimated $10,000 in damages. They are also accused of “suspicion” of an attempted raid at a second Hyrum, Please speak out for Jordan and stay tuned to his sup- Utah mink farm in October. They were both released port site for ways you can help Jordan and other up- after their March 10th bail hearing with the usual cur- dates. You can also financially support Jordan to ensure few and electronic monitoring. Interestingly enough, he has proper legal representation. Jordan’s lawyer is a they are also not allowed to have contact with anyone fellow animal activist who is representing Jordan free affiliated with “Straight Edge” or “ALF.” Their trial of charge. But so far he has spent nearly $3,000 in his dates are set for June 27th, 28th and 29th. own out-of-pocket expenses. Just the last appeal alone Jordan Halliday, was arrested for contempt of court on cost him over $1,000 in filing, copying, court costs, and March 13. The United States Attorneys office subpoe- traveling expenses. We must be able to pay him his own naed him to testify in front of a Federal Grand Jury, and expenses for him to continue fighting for the rights of provide information involving the mink liberation’s in Jordan. Any donations, no matter how small, will be Utah. He refused to cooperate, because the questions greatly appreciated and help tremendously. asked where not related to the investigation. He was only asked personal questions about his friend and as- Please send checks or money orders to: sociations. Karen Halliday, PO Box 25581, SLC, UT 84125 Grand juries are fishing expeditions that have been used throughout U.S. history to disrupt and destroy To donate via mail to their support team; send a check social movements. They take away rights to force an- made payable to SLAAM to the adress below: swers to questions, without being able to have a law- SLAAM, PO box 2555, Salt Lake City, UT 84110 yer present. Jordan was well aware of the exploitation and abuse of these tactics and resisted the proceedings To stay up to date with their case or donate via paypal which resorting in him being arrested. The judge or- please visit: dered that Jordan will remain in custody of the Federal www.supportbjandalex.com Marshal’s until he agrees to cooperate or the grand jury

2 Arrested For UCLA Campaign participation in campaigns against alledged petty theft and sentenced primate research at UCLA and ani- to 6 months in jail; the circumstanc- Lindy Greene and Kevin Olliff mal tests by the Pom juice company. es of his arrest and treatment were were arrested on April 16th on a 10 Kevin was arrested last year as well obviously politically motviated by count indictment for their alleged on trumped up charges related to the state. His release was also men- Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-In Trouble-65 tioned in our last issue. Their charges are: two counts Kevin appreciates the support at his court dates, but of Threat to employee of public educational institution recognizes that July 14 will be rather uneventful and 71, three counts of Stalking 646.9(a) and five counts of would prefer if everyone went to the dates in the future, Conspiracy to commit a crime 182(a)(1). They are also after the demurrer has been introduced. charged with the Criminal Street Gang 186.22(b)(1)(a) Don’t forget to write Kevin! He is requesting pictures enhancement. of the outside along with letters, for not having a win- Lindy was able to post bail and is now released on dow has left him with a complete lack of visual stim- house arrest. Unfortunately, Kevin was denied bail be- ulation. So get to sending! If you would like to visit cause he was on parole. As for the details of the last Kevin, please coordinate through either the myspace court date, May 20th, the date was set to discuss the de- (myspace.com/supportlaural) or send a message for a murrer. The demurrer challenges whether a legal cause phone number to contact a coordinator. of action exists for the facts, as stated by the complain- ing party, based on face value of said charges. The next You can write him at this address: court date is Tuesday, July 14th, and the schedule for Kevin Olliff #1300931, TTCF 161 D-Pod, 450 Bauchet the demurrer will be announced. The next date will be St., Los Angeles, CA 90012 all about the demurrer, with more motions being heard.

Four Arrested Under Animal Enter- that would be considered sadistical- present for the protest is based on prise Terrorism ly cruel were they not conducted in DNA evidence off bandanas seized the name of science.” from a car that was alleged to have Joseph Buddenberg, Maryam Kha- In the news release and associat- been used for the protest. javi, Nathan Pope, and Adriana ed criminal complaint the FBI lays • Two of the defendants were ob- Stumpo were arrested by the FBI out the basis for the arrests and the served via video surveillance foot- February 19 and 20 on trumped-up case against the defendants, alleg- age looking up public information terrorism charges under the Animal ing that: on vivisectors at UC Santa Cruz. Enterprise Terrorism Act. Each fac- • Two of the defendants were ob- es ten years in prison if convicted. • Three of the defendants attended served via video surveillance foot- The alleged crime? Attending pro- protests at the homes of vivisectors age standing near the location where tests in the Bay Area in 2007 and working at UC Berkeley where, a stack of flyers was later found at 2008 against animal experimenta- “…extremists dressed generally in a café in Santa Cruz. The flyer was tion at the University of California all black clothing and wearing ban- entitled “Murderers and torturers and allegedly publishing the names danas to hide their faces marched, alive & well in Santa Cruz,” which and addresses of UC researchers chanted, and chalked defamatory the FBI alleged in their news release who experiment on living animals, comments on the public sidewalks listed the names, addresses, and known as vivisectors. in front of the residences.” telephone numbers of several Uni- According to In Defense of Ani- • Three of the defendants attended versity of California researchers. mals, “Every year, tens of millions a protest at the home of a UC San- of animals are dissected, infected, ta Cruz vivisector whose husband The way the FBI has turned a injected, gassed, burned and blind- came outside to confront the ac- case that wouldn’t even warrant a ed in hidden laboratories on col- tivists and allegedly engaged in a misdemeanor arrest into a Federal lege campuses and research facili- “struggle” with one or more of the felony case is by charging Mary- ties throughout the U.S. Still more protestors. Of special interest in am, Joseph, Adriana, and Nathan animals are used to test the safety of this charge are the facts that (1) the with conspiring to interfere with cosmetics, household cleansers and husband appears to have initiated an animal enterprise. More specifi- other consumer products. These in- any sort of confrontation that took cally, the four now face two federal nocent primates, dogs, cats, rabbits, place, (2) the defendants are not al- charges – Conspiracy and violating rodents and other animals are used leged to have engaged in any sort of the Animal Enterprise Terrorism against their will as research sub- struggle themselves, and (3) the ba- Act (AETA), each count carrying a jects in experiments and procedures sis for the claim that they were even maximum sentence of five years. Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-In Trouble-66 These arrests mark the first batch of prosecutions un- in doors, subpoena people to grand juries, and seek to der the newly expanded AETA. The modified version eliminate dissent wherever it threatens corporate inter- of the law was introduced in 2006 at the urging of ani- ests. Instead we must stand tall -- continuing to speak mal industry groups and snuck through congress while out, protest, and resist government repression. only a handful of Representatives and Senators were While these four young people (known as the AETA4) present. face the full force of the US Justice Department, they The AETA makes it illegal to “interfere” with an ani- have the truth on their side and a skilled team of attor- mal enterprise, in an overly vague and extremely sub- neys to fight for their freedom. But with the deep pock- jective way. As a result this law not only endangers ets of the US Attorney’s Office opposing them, they these four defendants charged with violating the AETA need tens of thousands of dollars to finance their de- themselves, but also has the potential to have a chilling fense. If you can offer any assistance, whether large or effect on free speech and protest. In fact, the FBI news small, please consider donating to their defense fund. release announcing the arrests indicated the charges were designed to “send a message” by making an ex- Donations can be sent to: ample of the defendants. The AETA Defense Fund, PO Box 99162, Emeryville, We too can send a message – whether we are animal CA 94662. liberationists, civil liberties advocates, anti-authoritar- ians, or human beings of any sort. We will not stand For updates on the case or to donate online visit: idly by while federal agents begin witch-hunts, kick www.AETA4.org

Anti-I-69 activists arrested in Indiana

In what appears to be the culmination of a several year long case the state has been building against I-69 resistance, two Indiana residents, Tiga and Hugh, were arrested April 24th. Although the charges against the two include individual acts, for the majority they are trumped up charges of conspiracy - fairly explicitly; conspiracy to collectively organize, to challenge environmental and social devastation perpetrated by the state and capital - leveled against any (not easily recuperative) movement against I-69. Although it appears that no other warrants have been issued, that for now no other individuals will be facing the severe penalties these charges carry, it must be noted that this brash move by the state is a most blatant affront to any initiative towards social organization. Tiga, a long time Indiana resident, was arrested again as she appeared in Gibson County court on charges stemming from anti-I-69 actions this past summer. The arrest was made by the Indiana State Police, including Officer Brad Chandler, a particularly slimy scumbag whose full time job is to harass environmental activists. Tiga was being held on $10,000 cash bond by the state police on five charge: 2 counts of intimidation, 2 counts of conver- sion (all misdemeanors) and 1 count of corrupt business influence (a class C felony). A couple hours after Tiga was accosted at the courthouse, Hugh was arrested in northern Indiana by a US marshal driving an unmarked vehicle. Rather than pulling over the vehicle Hugh was traveling in, the cop trailed the car for some unknown du- ration waiting for it to stop, then arrested Hugh outside of a gas station. He was then taken to join Tiga in the Pike County jail, where he was being held on $20,000 cash bond. His charges are the same as Tiga’s, though many of the details of their warrants differ. Both Hugh and Tiga are released now; Hugh was bailed out April 28th and Tiga was May 4th. However, money is still needed for legal fees and to start paying back bail money. These arrests are an obvious continuance and escalation of the harassment of anti-I-69 activities in southern In- diana. People in both Evansville and Bloomington have been systematically targeted by a myriad of law enforcement agencies from throughout the state as well as by federal agencies. Nearly 20 folks are still held captive by the court system, facing both criminal and civil legal pressures stemming from last summer. As the state tries to squash its opposition by ensnaring individuals in isolating court cases, by monitoring and threatening individuals to try to pinpoint ‘leaders’ or groups responsible, it is important to recognize that every such instance of individual repression is easily and effectively repression of all resistance. To counter such repression with honest reflection on its functioning and on how action might challenge rather than support this repression, is to stand in solidarity Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-In Trouble-67 with Tiga and Hugh, with the best things they or we For info on who to make out money orders, email: might fight for. [email protected]

You can send a check or money order to: To stay up to date with their case or donate via paypal The Future, PO Box 3133, Bloomington, IN, 47402. please visit: (Please leave checks blank!) www.mostlyeverything.net

Under nighttime’s lovely coat; Soli- natan) that attacks by the state wont crush darity with swedish green anarchist On the night between the 20th and our ideas and break us. It just gives Jonatan the 21st if April 2008 ELF claimed us more rage and strength! But sol- responsibility for three actions in idarity is not just mutual aid! On the 14th of October 2008 the Almhult/Sweden. A communica- swedish secret police SAPO raided tion tower connected to the depart- Solidarity is a way to be a part- 3 houses in different places in Swe- ment of defense infrastructure was ner in struggle and crime, a way of den. They arrested the green an- sabotaged with a firebomb, a build- showing your happiness about an archist Jonatan and took different ing crane in a urban-sprawl-project action and deep affinity with a hos- tools, political pamphlets, his com- was sabotaged and a logging truck tage of the state. Its not just about puter and other personal stuff with got its security ropes and hydraulic giving a comrade infrastructural them. After two months in custody cables disabled. help. Its about showing the incar- he had his trial and was sentenced Nearly the same time another ELF- cerated that she/he is not alone and to about 15 Months in Prison, but cell has claimed responsibility for that her/his struggle was just the he appealed against the sentence. destroying a new luxury villa under beginning and will be continued on He is accused of three ELF-Actions construction in the forest by arson. the outside. Build up Revolutionary against Urban Sprawl. This action Jonatan was accused of, Solidarity! too. But the case was dropped. “Urban Sprawl is the destruction of Especially when comrades take ac- Let us make the time in prison for the natural world in order to expand tion on their own, without a group Jonatan and all the others as short the cities according to the ever-in- or community around them and are as possible and fight for the -free creasing mode of development and faced with repression its more im- dom of all and against every kind progress. Middle class villas, luxury portant then ever to show them that of oppression! mansions and industry are threat- they are not alone! ening wildlife and endangered spe- In this and other cases, for ex- For social war, anarchy and total cies (name one who is not?) and as ample in the case of Mikel Sykes, freedom! this is present on a global scale, a 17 year old north american green in every mayor or minor city, it..s anarchist comrade sentenced for To find out more about how to sup- a threat to the continuation of life different ELF actions against urban port Jonatan please contact: in this planet. It must be therefore sprawl to up to 10 years in prison, [email protected] be met with no-compromising resis- we have to be there, not just wait- [email protected] tance! It must be destroyed!” (Jo- ing on the outside. We have to show

Native Youth Movement Warrior Arrest He is currently being held for ransom in the Kamloops Regional Correctional Center (KRCC), facing charg- On Thursday May 21st, a Warrior from the Native es stemming from protecting Secwepemc mountains, Youth Movement Warrior Society was arrested and de- Skwelkwek’welt. These Sacred Mountains are being tained in Halkomelem Territory (near so-called hope, destroyed by Japanese company, Sun Peaks Resort Cor- british columbia, canada). Shark is a 27 year old Father poration. The governments of “British Columbia and of 5 Secwepemc children, from the Ohlone & Chumash Canada” are illegally selling Native Land to foreign in- Nations. vaders, and companies. These companies develop mass

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-In Trouble-68 destruction to the land water, in turn Movement and Skwelkwek’welt FREE SHARK! FREE PELTIER! killing the original, natural habitat Defenders. Many have been arrested FREE JOHN GRAHAM! FREE MA- of these mountains, including the in connection with Taking Back The PUCHE WARRIORS! FREE WAR- Secwepemc People. Land at Skwelkwekwelt. RIORS OF ATENCO & OAXACA! Since 2000, Secwepemc people We are asking all those who sup- FREE JACABO & GLORIA! FREE have been taking direct action to port the struggle for the Land and MUMIA! DROP ALL CHARGES stop Sun Peaks from destroying Indigenous Autonomy to make a ON POCC MOI JR. VALARY! NO Skwelkwekwelt, their Hunting, Ber- donation & spread the word to Free OLYMPICS ON NATIVE LAND! ry Picking & Medicine Mountains. Shark. Those who put themselves NO MINING! DOWN WITH SUN The People left the Indian Reserve between the Invader and the People PEAKS! NO SKI RESORT IN MEL- to take back their traditional terri- must be protected. A Warrior is a VIN CREEK! DOWN WITH THE tory and stop Sun Peaks expansion. special person who understands that TAR SANDS! NO INDEPENDENT In 2001, the Secwepemc formed a their willingness to protect women, POWER PROJECTS (DAMS). NO chapter of the Native Youth Move- children, land & water, may result RAILWAY & HIGHWAY EXPAN- ment. They called other Native War- in incarceration, injury or death, SION! IN SOLIDARITY WITH riors to help Defend the Land for the but they do it anyway knowing that THE MAYAN ZAPATISTA, THE Future generations. Shark was one Truth & Mother Earth are on their MAPUCHE, THE KUNA AND ALL of those who responded to the call. side. THE MILLIONS OF WARRIORZ From May to December 2001 FIGHTING THE ENEMIES OF there were over 50 arrests made Send donations ASAP to help Free THE EARTH WORLDWIDE. IT’S of Secwepemc People & their Al- Shark at: NOT OVER UNTIL WE WIN! TAKE lies, among them were 74 and 78 Miranda Dick: Royal Bank, Shus- BACK THE LAND! year-old women. Since then, there wap Ave., Chase, BC, Transit # has been targeting of Native Youth 00880, Account # 5055447 -Native Youth Movement; Statement to the People May 24th , 2009 THEY’LL TRY TO INTIMIDATE US. THEY’LL TRY TO SILENCE US. THEY’LL TRY TO DIVIDE AND ISOLATE. OUR STRUGGLE WILL OVERCOME; AS THE FORCES THAT GOV- ERN ARE RESTRAINED TO TYPICALITY AND GEOGRAPHY; WE ARE EVERYWHERE!

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-In Trouble-69 A CHRONOLOGY OF NORTH AMERICAN PRISONER RESISTANCE

16 January - Gainesville, Georgia - An inmate walked 21 January - Butte, Montana - Two inmates escaped the off of trash detail at the Hall County Jail and has not Montana State Hospital but were caught three hours been seen since. later hitch hiking on Interstate 90.

16 January - Madison, Indiana - A Jefferson County Jail 23 January 2009 - Matamoros, Tamaulipas - A fight be- inmate is caught trying to climb into the ceiling of his tween five or six inmates at the Centro de Readaptacion cell using a homemade rope. Socieal de Matamoros spread to other wings of the facility. It took authorities from over 50 local, state and 16 January 2009 - Jamestown, California - A fight be- national agencies an hour and a half to contain the dis- tween 60 inmates at the Sierra Conservation Center turbance, which grew to include more than 80 inmates. continued even after code 2 responders intervened. 23 January 2009 - Topeka, Kansas - A Shawnee County 17 January - Hagerstown, Maryland - While being Jail corrections officer fell 20 feet onto a stairwell when moved from the dining hall of the Maryland Correc- he was shoved over a second floor railing. The screw tional Institution, an inmate escaped by climbing over suffered a fractured skull, facial fractures, a blood clot the two razor wired perimeter fence. He was caught five on his brain, substantial bruising to the face, cracked days later. and bruised ribs, and seven staples to close a wound in the back of his head. Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-A Chronology of Prisoner Resistance-70 25 January 2009 - Orlando, Florida 1 February 2009 - Upper Marlboro, 14 February - Waynesburg, Penn- - A “large scale” fight broke out at Maryland - At least eight inmates sylvania - A shackled and deter- the Coleman Federal Correctional at the Prince George’s County Jail mined Greene County Jail inmate Complex until the screws opened forced their way out of their jail cells attempts to escape during an emer- fire. Eight inmates were injured. and attacked guards when the facil- gency room visit but it caught after ity went on lockdown and they were a foot chase. 26 January 2009 - Talipan, Mexico unable to watch the Super Bowl. - A fight between rival gangs at the 15 February - Eastman, Georgia - San Fernando youth prison escalat- 4 February - US Eastern Seaboard Two inmates at the Dodge County ed when inmates set fire to clothing - Somewhere between Florida and Jail escaped by tearing the wire cov- and bedding and climbed to the roof Pennsylvania, a cuffed and shack- ering off an air vent, ripping out an with a banner reading “No more led inmate escaped from the van of iron bar and crawling through a 10” beatings.” a private prison transportation com- by 10” opening but were caught a pany. The Nashville based Prisoner few hours later in an adjacent coun- 29 January 2009 - North Vernon, Transportation Services of America, ty. Indiana - When inmates at the Jen- LLC is the largest US firm extradi- nings County Jail were ordered to tion company, transporting over 15 February - Arcadia, Florida - A return to their cells, instead they 100,000 inmates each year. DeSoto County Jail inmate escaped jammed the cell block door shut during the confusion of an evacu- and destroyed surveillance cam- 6 February - Pelzer, South Caro- ation due to a kitchen fire. Video eras while setting fire to books and lina - An inmate on work detail at showed two inmates hold open a clothing. The cell block was evacu- the Perry Correctional Institution loose part of a gate while anoth- ated and two screws were treated jumped into the passenger seat of a er slipped underneath a door. He for smoke inhalation as a result. pickup truck and sped away. Unfor- was caught a day later after being tunately, he was caught less than 24 stopped in a stolen truck. 31 January 2009 - Pecos, Texas - A hours later. riot broke out at the Reeves County 20 February - Cedar City, Utah Detention Center for the second time 6 February - Laredo, Texas - A Webb - Two inmates walked away from in two months. As many as 2,080 County Jail inmate escaped custody a drug treatment center and were rioted after an inmate who needed but was only free for 12 hours. found almost four days later in Ari- medical attention was sent to soli- zona. tary confinement instead. Prisoners 7 February - Pueblo, Colorado - A took over the guards’ radio commu- Colorado Mental Health Institute 28 February - Fairview Township, nication equipment and the guards inmate escaped from the hospital Pennsylvania - While being trans- retreated from direct confrontation. but was caught over a month later in ported for preliminary hearing, a Fires heavily damaged buildings I North Carolina. York County Prison inmate over- and II. It took over 12 hours to re- powered a constable and stole his gain control of the facility. This is 12 February - Lloyd, New York - SUV to make his getaway. The car the second riot over medical atten- Three teens managed to escape the was found a day later with leg shack- tion in two months. Highland Residential Center and les and a handcuff restraint belt on The RCDC is privately run by the steal a car to make their getaway. the driver’s seat but the inmate was Florida based GEO Group, which Unfortunately, they were caught nowhere to be found. Three days operates 59 facilities on four conti- later that day after a brief chase by later he was recaptured after a high nents. state troopers. speed chase with police.

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-A Chronology of Prisoner Resistance-71 1 March - Cleveland, Ohio - An inmate escaped from 5 March - Santa Ana, California - A man has not been seen since walking out of the city jail by climbing the courthouse during his own grand theft trial. This comes six years after he and through a vent and climbed another inmate escaped jail through a storm drain. Five days later he was caught along until the ceiling col- in San Diego. lapsed. He fell through the ceiling on the sixth floor of 6 March - Beaufort, South Carolina - While being driven to the Beaufort County Cleveland’s Justice Cen- Detention Center, a soon-to-be inmate broke out of a pair of handcuffs and took ter, walked down the stairs off running. Unfortunately, he was caught shortly afterwards. and out the front door. He was caught the next day. 6 March - Gulfport, Mississippi - A man slipped away from the Harrison County Jail during a cigarette break but was caught about an hour later. 4 March - Cuidad Juarez, Chihuahua - As 14 mem- 7 March - Woodbine, Georgia - A Camden County Jail inmate was caught trying bers of a gang were being to sneak back into the jail after allegedly stealing 14 packs of cigarettes from a led back to their cells in a Snappy Foods store. With a little help from his friends, he used a bent wire from Juarez prison, they pulled a broom stick to bypass the electronic lock on the back door. Jail officials have out knives and forced the heard rumors of that inmates had been sneaking out this way, but this particular guards to unlock up to 150 inmate was the first that got caught. fellow members. Then a large scale fight broke out 7 March - Cancun, Quintana Roo - Inmates responded to an order to move a between rival gangs that detainee with gunfire in a municipal jail. They occupied the roof and it took 500 ended with 20 deaths; at state and federal police to gain control of the situation again. The jail, which was least two of them screws. designed to hold 400 inmates, now houses over 1,200. Of the 20 injuries reported, During the violence, in- at least one was a policeman. mates climbed to the roof and burned mattresses. 250 state police and federal soldiers eventually quelled the riot after three hours.

5 March - Stockton, Cali- fornia - A man smuggled a six inch metal spike into a courtroom and stabbed the judge presiding over his trial. He was shot immediately afterwards.

5 March - Bellingham, Washington - Two What- com County Jail inmates are accused are of trying to escape by trying to scrape out the concrete around their cell windows by using broken sink spouts as tools. Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-A Chronology of Prisoner Resistance-72 11 March - Carlisle, Indiana - An 22 March - Tell City, Indiana - Three 6 April - Toledo, Ohio - An inmate inmate at the Wabash Valley Cor- Branchville Correctional Facil- stabbed four correctional officers at rectional Facility walked out of the ity assaulted a maintenance worker the Toledo Corrections Center. prison and almost 100 miles to In- who was supervising them and stole dianapolis. He surrendered himself his tools, using the wire cutters to 8 April - Dartmouth, Nova Sco- a day later. cut through the exterior fence. They tia - Nearly 60 inmates went on a were caught four days later in Alli- rampage after refusing return to 13 March - Greensburg, Louisiana ance, Nebraska after leading author- their cells at the Central Nova Sco- - An inmate escaped from the St. ities on a 64 mile chase. tia Correctional Facility setting fire Helena Parish prison when deputies to garbage cans and bookshelves, sent him on an errand to throw trash 24 March - Weatherford, Texas - A smashing windows, using shards into a trash bin near the front gate. detainee escaped while being trans- of glass against the guards and ulti- He has yet to be found. ported to the Haskell County jail. mately causing more than $300,000 He was handcuffed to another in- in damages. 18 March - Delano, California - A mate but managed to free himself fight involving 38 inmates in the ex- and fled from the van as it stopped 9 April - Lancaster, Ohio - An in- ercise yard of facility B of the Kern for fuel. He surrendered himself two mate was able to escape from the Valley State Prison was quashed by days later. Fairfield County Jail by making his guards firing teargas, rubber bullets way to a room with a window and and 14 shots from a mini-14 rifle. 27 March - Lewisburg, Pennsylva- jumping the 10 feet. He was appre- One inmate died of stabbed wounds nia - A woman escaped the Buffalo hended after a short foot chase. and up to 16 were injured, four Valley treatment center after serv- from gunfire. Kern Valley, one of ing only two days of her 30 day sen- 9 April - Madison, Wisconsin - A two state prisons in Delano, houses tence. She was caught over a week Dane County Jail inmate ran out the more than 4,700 prisoners, which is later. fire escape door. He has yet to be nearly twice its designed capacity of found. 2,448. 28 March - Thorold, Ontario - About 17 masked inmates took control of a 11 April - Laurinburg, North Caro- 21 March - Dubois, Pennsylvania - small part of the Niagara Detention lina - Two correctional officers were A Jefferson County Jail inmate dis- Centre for five hours causing about cut by an inmate with a razor, one in appeared from the medical center he $2,000 in damages. Demands were the face and one in the arm, at the was taken to to treat a leg infection. made and a negotiator was sent in Scotland County Correctional Fa- He was caught a week later. but not details are available. cility.

21 March - Columbus, Ohio - With 29 March - Ukiah, California - In- 15 April - Palatka, Florida - Two the help of a resident, a 12 year old mates in the “B tank,” the most se- inmates from the Putnam County serial arsonist scaled the fence of a cure area of the Mendocino County Jail escaped with the help of a bot- juvenile detention facility. He has Jail, set a small fire after destroying tle jack they took from a transport been accused of several arsons in security cameras, fluorescent light van. They used the tool to jack up Columbus since his escape. bulbs and a television. The distur- the sink/toilet combination from bance was triggered by increased the wall of their cell, popping out 21 March - Durango City, Duran- restrictions imposed due to a rise the bolts which held it to the wall, go - A riot broke out at Prison No. in the number of contraband in the opening a hole to where the pipes 1 where the prison warden and his facility. run, which was obstructed by metal bodyguard were injured and another bars. The jack was used to pry the bodyguard was killed. 31 March - Brownsville, Texas bars open far enough to “shimmy - Eight Cameron County inmates through into a small maintenance clog toilets and flood floors. corridor called a ‘chase.’” After

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-A Chronology of Prisoner Resistance-73 making their way through the chase, Center and made a break for it. Un- 26 April - Palmetto, Florida, United they found a door that opened into fortunately, he was caught the next States - A jail officer was beaten the inner perimeter fenced yard. The day and the guards were not seri- unconscious during a cell search at pair then dug a hole, went under the ously injured. This was the fourth the Manatee County and suffered a inner fence to get to the outer fence escape from this facility that week. fractured jaw, left eye socket and si- and then squeezed between a gate nus cavity. and the outer fence to escape. They 18 April - Marion, Ohio - A fight 3 May - Portland, Oregon, United were recaptured on the 18th. broke out at the Marion Juvenile States - Two Multnomah County Correctional Facility which in- Sheriff’s deputies were attacked and 16 April - Tarboro, North Carolina volved 60 of its 100 inmates. injured at the Justice Center Jail. - Three inmates escaped the Edge- combe Detention Center by break- 18 April - Nayarit, Mexico - 20 as- 5 May - Charleston, South Carolina ing down a door. They were arrested sailants attacked a prisoner-transfer - A 15 year old Charleston County the following morning after robbing convoy in an attempt to free the in- Juvenile Detention Center inmate a bank and leading police on a chase mates. Four federal police officers, managed to scale the 15 foot tall, through Charleston, West Virginia. two federal investigative agents barbed wire topped fence without a and two prison employees died in scratch on him but was caught hours 16 April - Marion, Ohio - Two in- the attack but they managed to suc- later. mates assaulted a Marion Juvenile cessfully transport the nine inmates Correctional Facility corrections of- from the airport to the penitentiary. 6 May - Waynesville, Missouri - ficer. A Pulaski County Jail inmate fled 19 April - Decatur, Georgia - A from a doctor’s office and eluded a 16 April - Albuquerque, New Mex- DeKalb County jail inmate tried to three-agency manhunt for 75 min- ico - A fight erupted after a staff escape by tying together bedsheets utes before being recaptured. member restrained an inmate at in the recreation yard, climbed onto the Youth Diagnostic Development the rim of a basketball hoop and 6 May - Boise, Idaho, United States Center gymnasium during a bingo scaled a wall - all without being - A screw was injured after being event that was a reward for good seen. Unfortunately, his bedsheets attacked by an inmate in a general behavior. More than 45 of the 100 weren’t long enough and he fell 80 housing unit day room at the Idaho inmates were involved and six staff feet onto the roof of another build- Correctional Center. members were hospitalized. ing. 8 May - Florence, Arizona - An 18- 16 April - San Rafael, California, 24 April - Columbus, Georgia - Two year-old inmate walked out of the United States - As many as 450 Muscogee County Prison inmates Pinal County jail while on a work inmates rioted in the San Quentin escaped while on work detail but detail only to be captured three Prison’s dining hall. The 20 minute were caught the next day. hours later walking along a street riot had one screw admitted to the about a mile away. hospital with an injury to his hand. 26 April - Wentworth, North Caro- lina - An inmate escaped the Rock- 8 May - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 17 April - Waiawa, Hawaii - An in- ingham County Detention Center United States - About 25 of the 100 mate escaped from the Waiawa Cor- by climbing through the ceiling and inmates in one unit of the D build- rectional Facility. He has yet to be dropping into the laundry room. ing of the Curran-Fromhold Cor- caught. There another inmate provided him rectional Facility refused to lock in. with clothes that allowed him to The inmates damaged a computer at 18 April - Tarboro, North Carolina blend in with visitors and walked the guard station and phones were - An inmate overpowered guards at out. He was caught three days later. used by inmates before the incident the Edgecombe County Detention was contained.

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-A Chronology of Prisoner Resistance-74 15 May - Clarksville, Tennessee - Two Montgomery County Jail inmates escaped through their 18-inch window by working loose the fiberglass window after removing a metal bar holding it in place. They then tied blankets together to help scale the 20-foot drop to ground below. One inmate was injured in the escape and was caught shortly afterwards, while the other, who was scheduled for court the following Monday, was caught on May 18th after a chase with police.

16 May - Zacatecas, Mexico - 20 gunmen in 20 vehicles stormed a prison and freed more than 50 inmates. The entire raid took less than five minutes.

16 May - Pennville, Georgia, United States - The D building in Hayes State Prison “became uncontrol- lable with correctional officers eventually having to let the convicts take over for a while.” The prison suffered extensive damage with various items being set on fire; cells flooded; walls painted; beds destroyed; control room windows shattered, and tables and chairs broken.

19 May - Mexico City, Federal District - 100 inmates at the Reclusorio Sur prison rioted over visiting restrictions due to swine flu.

22 May - Chino, California, United States - A fight involving about 67 California Institution for Men inmates, more than half the inmates in the yard, ended after several non-lethal pepper rounds and one wood baton round was used.

27 May - Gainesville, Florida, United States - A Hall County jailer sustained serious injuries when he was beaten by an inmate while being transferred to a disci- plinary cell at the Hall County Detention Center.

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-A Chronology of Prisoner Resistance-75 But the totality of prison is is not simply a place, it is also a condition; the antithesis of freedom. By the same token, the absence of freedom is prison, and only when the latter is perceived as one’s own condition does it become possible to enter the destructive dimension, without measure. The viscid altru- ism that dams up the free-flowing energy of revolt disappears when disgust for the prison institution and its putrid essence reaches the invisible shackles that bind us all, turning empathy into projectuality.

Prison is not a domain reserved for ‘specialists’ such as those who have done time themselves or have a particular rapport with individual prisoners, it is the underlying reality of everyday life, each and every discourse of capital taken to its logical conclusion.

Now, their problem of prison must become our problem and we must think about it during the struggles we carry out, if we carry them out. All this, of course, w h i l e a w a i t i n g the next insurrection. b E c a u se in the case of ins u rre c tion it will be enough to open up the prisons and destroYthem fore v er .

-Alfredo Bonanno, “Locked Up” himself. The state’s existence drove LONG LIVE Mauricio to act. He chose to not be comrade Mauricio Morales victimized; and instead confront the “It was a whiplash in the heart perpitrator. Bomb attacks claimed and stomach. Our brother died by Anarchists are frequent in Chile, in combat; surpassing his fear and even prior to his death Mauri- and comfort, and facing his en- cio’s name was mentioned by those emies... Burn what little we have investigating some of these attacks. for ourselves; for we can lose Small acts of sabotage such as these nothing because nothing belongs are usually done without inflicting to us. We never said that the fight injury and always against either arly in the Morning of May was easy, and sometimes results E government or business infrastruc- 22nd in Santiago, Chile, Mauricio are scarce. We dp mpt always get ture. The bomb Mauricio was car- Morales, a 27 year old anarchist, the goals we are proposing; some- rying was a fire extingusiher filled was killed by an explosive device times our enemies win the game. with gun powder; the police claim he was carrying in his bag. He But the struggle has demonstrated he was intending to attack the will be respected by all those who that this their system is vulner- School of Prison Guards; within the shared his feelings; his memory will able. Despite our fear we want vicinity of the schoolat 1:30 am; be fostered in years of resistance to to destroy all social control; their he died. The Chilean government come. guardians of law and order... rarely catches those responsible; Maurico’s death has sparked mourn- And you Mauri, we give you a mo- unfortunately Mauricio is an excep- ing and rage across the world. The ment of silence and a life of strug- tion. Surveillance footage claims to average schmuck would respond to gle. Do not forget. Do not forget identify another hooded individual such news saying; “what an idiot”, running from the scene when Mau- or even more offensive; “he did this Nor forgive.” ricio died. The state is responding to himself”. We respond with a with escalating repression. Since feeling a repulsion and a saddend- -Taken from “Black Plague”; a Mauricio’s death; raids have been ed rage. Maurico died engaged in publication written in response to conducted on the homes of his fam- a war. When you are responsible Mauricio’s death. To view the full ily, and squats across Santiago. for the trajectory of your resistance; publication, please visit the link Threats of eviction and prosecution when you are responsible for keep- below. It is in Spanish, but can be against the squats associated with ing a feeling of social tension with translated via google. Mauricio and individuals living the state alive; you assume respon- there are coming out through fabri- sibility for the knowledge required Black Plague cated state evidence and the support to do so. The military or police are www.klinamen.org/textos/publi- of mainstream media. La Idea is provided with specialists in bomb mauri.pdf the social space most effected; this and weapon development; as well downtown Santiago squat has sent as an unlmitied supply of funding For more information on Mauri- a call out to the world for solidarity. to explore such skills. Maurico is cio and the aftermath of his death The Chilean state and media are try- fighting the system that sanctions please stay up to date and show ing to make a mockery of our fallen the military and police; Maurico, support by visiting the sites below. comrade; let us make a mockery of unlike the military and police is Unfortunately most of these are in them. only funded by a passion for anoth- Spanish; translating the sites is er world; and only equipped with feasible on google. If Mauricio made it to his loca- misc. resources available for poten- tion; prisoners across the world may tial “re-production” by civilizans. www.klinamen.org have have felt avenged; individuals This tragic mistake will be humili- www.hommodolars.org across the world may have have ated by the mainstream, but it is our been inspired; and a future genera- responsibility to counter such ma- tion of police may have witnessed a Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-Mauricio-79 nipulations. He did not “do” this to warning of coming attacks. NEWS AND KNOWLEDGE

for insurrection for liberation

*Online News *Publishing *Online Writing Fire to the Prisons Blog Fire to the Prisons Prole www.myspace.com/alongingforcollapsepress www.firetotheprisons.com www.prole.info Anarchist News Modesto Anarcho Situationist Archive www.anarchistnews.org www.geocities.com/anarcho209 www.nothingness.org/si Amor y Resistencia Quiver Anti-Politics Zine Library www.amoryresistencia.blogspot.com anti-politics.net/distro www.anti-politics.net/distro Social Ruptire Elephant Editions Insurgent Desire www.socialruture.blogspot.com www.alphabetthreat.co.uk/elephanteditions www.insurgentdesire.org.uk Libcom Little Black Cart Writings of Feral Faun www.libcom.org www.littleblackcart.com anti-politics.net/feral-faun Bite Back: Animal Liberation Blog Treason Bureau of Public Secrets www.directaction.info www.treason.metadns.cx www.bopsecrets.org Indybay Natterjack Press Zine Library www.indybay.org www.natterjackpress.co.uk www.zinelibrary.net Confrontation Blog: Social Conflict in Canada Eberhardt Press www.confrontation.wordpress.com www.eberhardtpress.org Indigenous Solidarity 325 Blog Non Fides (French and English) * www.325collective.com www.non-fides.fr Intercontinental Cry Break the Chains Halifax Anarchist Distro www.intercontinentalcry.org www.breakthechains.info www.myspace.com/dissenthalifax Survival International; Center for Strategic Anarchiy Institute for Experimental Freedom The Movement for Tribal People’s www.anarchiststrategy.com www.it-est-futurum.blogspot.com www.survival-international.org Klinamen (En Espanol) 4 Struggle Magazine NO 2010; Olympics on Stolen Land! www.klinamen.org www.4strugglemag.org www.no2010.com Direct Action in Germany Fires Never Extinguished Six Nations Reclamation www.directactionde.blogspot.com www.firesneverextinguished.blogspot.com www.reclamationinfo.com Social War in Greece Longing for Collapse Press Black Mesa Indigenous Support www.greeceriots.blogspot.com www.myspace.com/alongingforcollapsepress www.blackmesais.org

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-LIinks-80 Save the Peaks Coalition Shoelacetown Anarchist Black Cross www.savethepeaks.org P.O. Box 8085, Paramus, NJ07652 USA Boston *Special Thanks Native Youth Media/Redwire Magazine Anarchist Black Cross www.redwiremag.com P.O. Box 230182, Boston, MA 02123-0182 USA Shot out to peops in Dirty Support Sutikalh! Central Georgia ABC Jerz and Chi-Town for your www.sutikalh.resist.ca Po Box 610, Roberta, GA 31078 Indigenous Action Media Houston Anarchist Black Cross grammer! www.indigenousaction.org/ P.O. Box 667614, Houston, TX 77266-7614 USA Love to comrades in home- Whenua Fenua Enua Vanua East Bay Prisoner Support town for your patience! http://uriohau.blogspot.com/ 3124 shattuck ave., Berkeley, California 94705 Big up to the Cali encour- Wiinimkiikaa New York City Anarchist Black Cross agement! www.wiinimkiikaa.wordpress.com [email protected], NYC ABC. P.O Box 110034, Brooklyn, NY 11211 Props to Queens for your North American Earth Liberation Prisoner Sup- graphic advice! *Prisoner Support port Shot out to peops in Exar- www.ecoprisoners.org chia for your words! Earth Liberation Prisoner Support (UK) Anarchist Black Cross Network www.spiritoffreedom.org.uk www.anarchistblackcross.org Special thanks to all those Prison Activist Resource Center anonymous who helped to www.prisonactivist.org produce the content for Legal Sources Writing Prisoners: How To * this magazine. Keep writ- http://anti-politics.net/distro/download/ ing with your actions. writingprisonersflyer.pdf NYC Jericho Movement Security, Privacy, & Anonymity www.thejerichomovement.com www.security.resist.ca Yours. Green Scare Midnight Special Law Collective For the long run. www.greenscare.org www.midnightspecial.net Brighton Anarchist Black Cross Civil Liberties Defense Center -Fire to the Prisons www.brightonabc.org.uk www.cldc.org

Fire to the Prisons-Issue 6-LIinks-81 THE SECRET IS TO REALLY

BEGIN “Here is the ultimatum of our camp; what can be smashed should be smashed; what will stand the blow is good; what will fly into smithereens is rub- bish; at any rate, hit out right and left - there will, and can be no harm from it.” www.firetotheprisons.com - Pisarev