Saturday, May 24, 2008

What are the anarchist saying about our tactics?


The following exerpts are taken from Info Shop News. I'd recommend reading the whole article and related comments:

"While anarchists are organizing for the conventions, what’s going on in boardrooms and at police trainings? What strategies can we expect the authorities to apply at the conventions, and what factors may tie their hands?

Both Minneapolis and St. Paul have liberal governments that need to come across as supportive of law-abiding protesters; in this regard, healthy relations between anarchists and other antiwar organizers constitute a real challenge for them. Officials have emphasized that the police will be civil—not starting in riot gear; that there will be no “free speech zones”—demonstrators will be allowed “within sight and sound” of the Excel Center hosting the RNC; and that the police strategy will not resemble the brutal “Miami model” applied at the 2003 FTAA protests, but rather will establish a new “St. Paul model.” It’s also worth pointing out that St. Paul will be fielding about 3000 police, compared to the tens of thousands on duty in New York City during the 2004 RNC.
All this could change overnight if the powers that be saw a significant threat to their ascendancy; but it suggests that compelling the police to use force at the conventions this summer would be a coup, in that it would frame them as aggressors in a time when they are trying to dispel that image. Rumor has it that the St. Paul police are consulting European police forces for tips on how to control crowds via containment rather than brute force. We should strategize accordingly. "
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What is their main strategy? Blockading!

6 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:55 PM

    Is the command being provided this information?????

    ReplyDelete
  2. I've spoken to those in charge in the past and they claim to be in the know.

    Of course they share very little with us in the name of security, so who knows what they really know. They share on a "need to know" basis.So I make it my business to find out what I think we need to know.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous11:08 AM

    The less you say ONLINE about it, the less the anarchist will know... Command is doing the right thing... Keeping it too themselves until it is time to tell us... THEY DO KNOW EVERYTHING!

    No need to talk about it... Nothing is going to happen... Just relax!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I never share our information online, just republish what they have already put online themselves.

    As far as anonymous statement, "THEY DO KNOW EVERYTHING!"

    I won't hold my breath!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous11:01 PM

    Dear anonymous,

    WOW...nothing is going to happen? You know this? Have you been in the middle of anarchists when they are operating? Have you ever met an anarchist that won't do anything, if given the chance, against the REPUBLICAN PARTY?

    "the less you say online..." what a profound statement, why don't you try your own advice.

    When, or, if something does go wrong, I hope you have enough balls to apologize to anyone and their family that had something happen to them.

    Please don't take this lightly. I would like to be overprepared and have nothing happen, than under prepared and have the worst happen.

    ReplyDelete
  6. sangambayard-c-m.com

    ReplyDelete