Revolutionary call out

i did the walk yesterday from Columbia Park to the Univ of Portland and saw a number of homes along the way
with patriotic decor either in the front windows, yard, or flags flying or some combos thereof.

most of the yards have wide additional yard space between the sidewalk and curb,and most of the grass is dead dry. the street leading to N. Williamette is pretty quiet, so there's no reason, hopefully, for folks to think it's ok to trash yards (vandalize corporate/business structures all you want, but as i wouldn't want my personal space wrecked--nor would i wreck that of anothers).

i'm assuming the march path will be going alone N Williamette---i talked to one person who was having a yard sale on that street, and asked if he knew about the Bush visit/protest this Thursday...his response, "well as long as Bush and that craziness stays over there on campus, i won't need to bring my gun out. otherwise..."
yeah, that was pretty heartwarming. it might also serve as another warning about not tresspassing on these homes/yards. considering the rate of unemployment in Portland overall, it's a safe bet that loads of St John's residences *will* be home that day.

not trying to be alarmist or anything.

i *was* quite happy to see the bush/international terrorist sticker on campus though...

Rest assured no one is going to be "trashing peoples lawns", what would be the point, I don't even know where you got that idea from cause I've never even heard of an incident of that happening. Demonstrators are interested in protesting Bush not pestering regular people. So put your gun away and stop worrying about people "trashing" a bunch of dead, brown grass.

Miracle grow do ya HAVE to be so goddamed MEAN? The guy's just trying to help, and yeah, people at protests sometimes DO fuck up shit that doesn't need to get fucked up, because sometimes assholes show up at protests just like sometimes assholes show up at a lot of things. Telling the guy to put his gun away is just inflammatory and mean, since the gun he was referring to belonged to a resident, not himself, and he was basically just trying to warn people about the possibility of violence from residents. Why did you have to post that comment in the first fucking place? Are you TRYING to start a fight?...

I must agree with clamydia. I'd be a little concerned if I heard that 5000 people were likely to march up my street, regardless of why they were doing it. Large crowds of any kind attract the flake element ... those who are selfish, arrogant and indifferent to others. It doesn't matter if it's a protest or a Rose Festival Parade, there will be assholes present.

was driving down Columbia yesterday and noticed signs announcing that that road which is accessible from the airport will be closed August 17-22nd 8 pm till 5 am, just so y'all are aware, there will be a possibility that this road will be closed to the public during the entire day - this would make sense and the infrastructure to completely close this road as well as the St. John's Bridge will be in place... know the routes well... possibilities may be limited.

I've seen, on a number of occasions, protests of one form or another leaving a wake of garbage, from water bottles to starbucks cups to odwalla bar wrappers. It is unfortunate that this happens, and contributes to the hostile feelings many of the ignorant public have toward activists. It would certainly be polite for some folks to "pretty up" the area after the demo, after the threat of arrest has passed.

The reason folks like the yard sale/gun owner are waving the flag is because they're scared and feel powerless and had Bush reach out to them with his "protecting the homeland" schtick. If they were engaged in conversation, many reactionary whitetrash would see the light. If we're not interested in stepping outside our "activist" cliques, we shouldn't be surprised when the public misunderstands.

This is not your enemy. You might not want him for a friend...or neighbor...or surgeon...but he's gettin' screwed by Bush just like everybody else.

thx to those who understood my message--

btw: the gun owner was/is african american.
i know st john's has an image of being mainly white, blue collar--but the income is mixed, and so are the races: white, hispanic, african american , etc.

just trying to get more details out ..
and yes, i'll bring a garbage bag to help clean up on my way out...

black blocs picking up trash. maybe this could happen before the day so these neighbors won't be so scared when they see millions of us?

wouldn't it be cool to have two full on acts of civil disobedience occuring simultaneously? what would the cops do if they had to be out in force in St. Johns and in downtown PDX?

you know, Germany lost WW II because it had to fight in several places simultaneously. a lot of people talk about the tactic of divide and conquer. would it be useful here in Portland? i don't know.

but the peace encampment does need all of the support that it can get.

kamf

Was out in St. Johns today helping folks canvass, letting those in the surrounding neighborhood know what is going to behappenning. I was pleasantly surprised at the response we had. Just ordinary people, and most are just as unhappy with Mr. Bush as the rest of us are. Some are down right pissed.

I agree with what was said above. Lets make a good impression on these people, prove the corporate media wrong.

I misintermerated who had the gun in the situation you were describing. That being said I think a couple people didn't quite understand what was being meant by the term trashing, it doesn't mean leaving trash in a certain place, it means breaking, burning or otherwise wrecking something. Such as if a bank is trashed it doesn't mean there's trash in front of it, it means the windows are broken or it's been burned. So I think people worrying about marchers trashing their lawns is going a tad overboard, nobody is interested in doing such a thing.

Since when is street protest revolutionary? You use that word, "revolution," like it's the hottest new buzzword, but how are street protests that end with my friends in prison part of a revolutionary strategy?

- These questions do not represent any effort at personal attack on either organizers or participants of this protest.


That's a good question. I too support a diversity of tactics. Does this mean that there's going to be strategies employed that actually target the political system? Tactics that employ force twards strategic goals? What does this protest really intend to do in any sense that trancends mere symbolism?
If the focus of this protest and all it's "diversity of tactics" amounts to symbolism, what is the importance of this symbolism in a revolutionary strategy to overthrow the government? How is this protest revolutionary? Does this mean that all street protests are revolutionary? What criteria do you use to judge a protest revolutionary? If a diversity of tactics is employed and this results in targeted government repression against "un-arrestables" does this mean that we are restricted to the forms of protest sanctioned by the state?

I am not trying to censor your thoughts or actions. I'm just confused by what you're saying.

in love and war,
mb

First, no one called this protest revolutionary. A callout for a revolutionary bloc serves the purpose of getting revolutionary groups together and talking to each other and making revolutionaries visual to the rest of the city. The revolutionary act called for by these groups consists of literature distribution and discussion of revolutionary ideas to the rest of the left. So to answer your question yes, there is a strategy that directly targets the politcal system. If you are confused by what is being said reread the post than sit back at your computer and spend some time putting together literature that is applicable to the rest of the Portland community. Revolutionaries would do better to spend their time talking and communicating at demos (which may or may not be revolutionary) and spend the rest of their time organizing in the community. Not toying with the semantics of a callout which serves the sole purpose of getting revolutionaries talking to each other. I really am at a loss as to why this is so fucking confusing. You cannot spread revolutionary ideas without TALKING to people and giving people something to tangible. Revolutionary strategy does not always require bricks being thrown or fighting with the cops or bullshitting about armed struggle to one another. Particularly in an atomoshere that is not ready for those types of actions (i.e. our current society.) Now stop wasting your time writing questions to a post you obviously did not read and spend your time writing up a leaflet explaining to people at the rally why they shouldn't vote democrat or green or whatever you think is revelevent to discuss with potential revolutionaries.

Yes I read the callout. You wanted dialoge and you got one. You assume a lot of things about my me and my politics. When you say you are a revolutionary I assume this is truth. I didn't question this. I would appreciate the same. I simply question open calls for revolutionaries to attend or ingage in protests that seem devoid of any strategy for meaningfull change. Your callout asks people to bring drums, flags, and participate- and protest this man and what he stands for. Your callout taken in it's intirety doesn't express that it is simply an effort to create dialoge on the need for revolution. If anything this effort seems geared twards building solidarity with a "movement" thats primary motivation is political reform. I question this tactics relevance to a revolutionary strategy. NOT the obvious need to communicate with potential revolutionaries. If this callout doesn't assume that this protest is revolutionary, why does it call for revolutionaries to participate? That was the focus of my questions.

I DO NOT WORSHIP VIOLENCE. I do not like violence. I recognize it's role in the sucess of previous revolutionary movements. It is not enough to say that the revolutionary efforts, and sacrafices of people in other countries are legitamit. I believe that we must build a revolutionary effort here- and all that that means. If we can hope to end the instutional oppression we both regard as wrong we will need to clearly define our goals. I do not feel that participating in whatever random protest happens along- does this. This is why I expressed confusion with your groups involvement in this effort. Not because I lack respect for your motivations or the work you've done to date.

In love and war,
mb