DISRUPT january 2017 ISSUE #1
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ardor NOUN Enthusiasm or passion. “they felt the stirrings of revolutionary ardor�
This art of living counter to all forms of fascism, whether already present o r impending, ca r r i es with it a certain number of essential principles which I would summarize as follows if I were to make this great book into a manual or guide to everyday life:
F R E E P O L I T I C A L A C T I O N from all unitary and totalizing paranoia. DEVELOP ACTION, THOUGHT, AND DESIRES by proliferation, juxtaposition, and disjunction, and not by subdivision and pyramidal hierarchization. WITHDRAW ALLEGIANCE FROM THE OLD CATEGORIES OF THE NEGATIVE (law, limit, castration, lack, lacuna), which Western thought has so long held sacred as a form of power and an access to reality. Prefer what is positive and multiple, difference over uniformity, flows over unities, mobile arrangements over systems. Believe that what is productive is not sedentary but nomadic. DO NOT THINK THAT ONE HAS TO BE SAD IN ORDER TO BE MILITANT, even though the thing one is fighting is abominable. It is the connection of desire to reality (and not its retreat into the forms of representation) that possesses revolutionary force. DO NOT USE THOUGHT TO GROUND A P OL ITICAL P RACTICE IN TRUTH ; nor political action to discredit, as mere speculation, a line of thought. Use political practice as an intensifier of thought, and analysis as a multiplier of the forms and domains for the intervention of political action. DO NOT DEMAND OF POLITICS THAT IT RESTORE THE “RIGHTS” OF THE INDIVIDUAL, AS PHILOSOPHY HAS DEFINED THEM. The individual is the product of power. What is needed is to “de-individualize” by means of multiplication and displacement, diverse combinations. The group must not be the organic bond uniting hierarchized individuals, but a constant genera- tor of de-individualization. D O N O T B E C O M E E N A M O R E D O F P O W E R.
M I C H E L F O U CA U LT Preface to Anti-Oedipus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia
On Work
a brief preface: This is not some nostalgia piece on how there was a time when people had endless opportunities and their relation to work was utopian. People work because under neoliberal capital they have to, as they have always had to under all forms of capital. Most don’t do something they enjoy. The very framework of capital is built on hierarchy and exploitation, even if it is not readily seen. Nor is this an attempt to flatten precarity under the universal category of work. Race, class (not the same as work), gender, sexuality, ability, citizenship, and religion make the intersectional terrain of work topographically diverse.
work: From a young age we are taught to think in relation to work. We are asked what our aspirations are in the form of what we want to be when we grow up. Primary and secondary school are meant to shape those desires into some form of productive identity. College is supposed to give you the precision to master a particular subset of knowledge, enshrined in the diploma. And graduate school is for when you discover that all of your previous education has been a resounding failure, either because you are somehow still not qualified for any job or you simply have no idea what else to do. Of course this also carries with it the gross inflation of an already substantial debt load further skyward, but you think that debt is useful if it gets you somewhere. In these things, education aims constantly towards something, a trajectory meant to culminate in an effective product. It also holds a promise, that by becoming
a particular kind of person, by surviving a decades-long educatory gauntlet you are rewarded with financial security and care (health benefits especially in the U.S.). In the 21st century, for those of at least moderate privilege anyway, however, work is defined not simply by safety and security, but also as an expression of one’s fundamental identity. In looking for the ideal job, we seek to be an ideal representation of ourselves. Contemporary capital has thus made our relation to work fundamental to our being. If I become this, then I will be a particular kind of person, and I will be protected and safe. Unfortunately, however, in order for that ideal to be perpetuated, one still has to be able to get that job. So what happens when there is no ideal job to be had? That realization, though far from being a majority opinion, is prevalent. The façade of American dream politics is being recognized by a growing number of millennials with few prospects and fewer social structures to help them. The lack of ideal work, across the board, is emblematic of our time, but it is a symptom, not a cause. It is a symptom of the toxic relation we share to work, how it defines us, shackles us, and enlists our help in perpetuating a job as a de facto necessity when more than enough wealth exists to provide adequate care for the population. In short, it is an act of perverse alchemy that heralds work as both an enduring necessity and a category of pure economy. And when work is described solely in its relation to economy, we are only offered economic solutions to its problems. The answer becomes a deification of unemployment rates rather than an assessment of the ethical implications of being a worker; a measure of the stock exchange instead of an ecological look at exploitation for profit.
HOW SHOULD I INTERACT WITH POLICE WHILE PROTESTING? (source aclu-wa.org)
CAN I CRITICIZE THE POLICE? Yes. The First Amendment grants individuals the freedom to verbally criticize police actions. Courts have upheld this constitutional protection in many circumstances, and for many different offensive words and statements. Even when words directed at police may be “disrespectful, discourteous, and annoying, they are nonetheless constitutionally protected.”
CAN I FILM THE POLICE ON MY CELL PHONE OR WITH A CAMERA? Yes. Washington state and federal courts have upheld the right to record or observe the police performing their official duties in public, so long as the conduct does not interfere with police doing their job. Individuals should keep a reasonable distance from police and take care to not actually interfere with police activities while recording.
CAN THE POLICE EVER BREAK UP A DEMONSTRATION? Sometimes. The police are charged with safeguarding the public during a demonstration, but they are also required to protect free speech rights. The police may not break up a gathering unless there is a clear and present danger of riot, disorder, interference with traffic upon the public streets, or other immediate threat to public safety. [6] If the police issue an order to disperse, you must obey it or face the possibility of arrest.
CAN I BE ARRESTED DURING A PROTEST? It’s possible. Even if you view your activity as lawful, there’s a chance that the police will regard it as breaking a law. Remember, if you disobey an order you believe is unconstitutional, you may still be arrested and charged (even if the officer is wrong). So, whether you’re planning to engage in civil disobedience or not, you may want to be
prepared with information about your rights if you’re arrested (see below). Washington laws that are most often used against demonstrators include: Disorderly Conduct (RCW 9A.84.030, and local ordinances) Failure to Disperse (RCW 9A.84.020) Obstruction (RCW 9A.40.020) Pedestrian Interference (RCW 46.61.250, and local ordinances) Resisting Arrest (RCW 9A.76.040)
Trespass (RCW 9A.52.070; RCW 9A.52.080) Disturbing school, school activities, or meetings (RCW 28A.87.060) Even if the charges are dropped, you will still have gone through the hassle of being detained, and the arrest will remain on your criminal record. Alert the ACLU if you believe an official order has unconstitutionally restricted your right to protest or if you have been arrested in violation of your civil liberties.
IF YOU ARE ARRESTED OR TAKEN TO A POLICE STATION • Do not resist! Ask for a lawyer immediately if you are arrested. If you can’t afford a lawyer, you are entitled to a free, court-appointed lawyer before you are questioned. • You have the right to remain silent, use it. You may simply say, “I am going to remain silent and would like a lawyer.” • Do not discuss your case over the phone; calls from police stations and jails are monitored or recorded.
• Do not discuss your case with others being held; they may be undercover police. • Do not make any decisions in your case until you have spoken with a lawyer. • A judge will decide if the charges against you are supported by probable cause, and if so, the judge may set bail. Bail may be denied if you don’t have ID.
VULNERABIL In the Trump presidency those in already precarious positions will be made even more vulnerable. But this is not new. Together the structures of state and capital have inflicted centuries of suffering on migrants, people of color, queer people, indigenous peoples, religious minorities, and people with disabilities. The history of the U.S. is one long genealogy of systemic violence. Racism, sexism, classism, transphobia, ableism, and xenophobia do not run counter to the ideals of this country, but are central to it. From the slave trade to HB-2, from the trail of tears to the BP oil spill, those in power have sought to destroy our bodies, our minds, and our ecosystems. This sweeping tide of fascism that has long characterized the actions of those in power, through white supremacy, imperialism, and settler genocide, is now crescendoing. Fascism is as powerful an ideology as it has been in a long time. Hatred has been conjured and it is all around us. With the burgeoning normalization of fascism vulnerable populations are now at a greater risk than ever. Things will only get worse.
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LITY But we are not powerless. We have and will continue to fight back. As this election has shown (as all U.S. elections do under a regime of hierarchy and exploitation) that those in control do not wish to cede even a modicum of their wealth, privilege, or power. Our answer to oppression is ardent opposition. They have the police, but we have the masses. So it is with the violence of American history in mind that we move forward. Some of us will be more exposed than others. Some will be bled slowly through lack of access to food, shelter, or health care. And some of us will be outright murdered in the streets with no consequences, while others will face heinous propaganda about their supposed parasitism, their inferiority, or their deviance. It is not enough to simply cite the illegitimacy of these claims, they must be smashed head on. Those of us with privilege in whatever form of access that may take: monetary, racial, gendered, ability, or otherwise have a responsibility to those who are at risk. The current political institutions will not help you; they are designed to oppress. It is only through direct action and solidarity that we will succeed. Use your privilege to infiltrate and subvert. Provide sanctuary and care.
And above all, disrupt.
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PROTEST HOODED SHIRT OR BEANIE: Protection for your head from rocks, batons or rubber bullets
SCARF/BANDANA: To protect your neck and to cover your face if needed.
A THICK JACKET/TOP: Protection for your upper body.
JEANS/HEAVY PANTS: Protection for your legs/crotch
FULLY CHARGED PHONE: (with code lock, not fingerprint ID) To document police brutality, spread info, organize. Consider leaving at home if you have sensitive info. DO NOT COMPROMISE OTHER PROTESTERS.
IDENTIFICATION: Do not show unless you have to
ESSENTIALS RUNNING SHOES GAS MASK (IF POSSIBLE): To protect from deadly effects of tear/ nerve gass. Full mask recommended or add swimming goggles to protect the eyes from gas, rocks and rubber bullets.
SPRAY BOTTLE: Filled with 50% water and 50% Maalox Liquid Antacid (To treat the effects of tear gas/pepper spray) Can also soak bandana and keep in Ziploc bag.
MARKERS: To write legal aid number on your arm
GLOVES: To hold and throw gas canisters back at police without burning your hand.
SMALL WATER BOTTLE & FOOD
WHAT CAN YOU DO NOW?
SECURE YOUR PRIVACY Edward Snowden’s revelations about illegal NSA surveillance is just one aspect of government intrusion into your privacy. President Obama has done nothing to curtail the surveillance state, even expanding many of its powers, and incoming President Trump is likely to be even more intrusive. Protect yourself.
ORGANIZE One of the reasons the Black Panther Party was so well-respected and successful at organizing in the late 1960s was their community outreach, through their self-described survival programs. Among these were the free breakfast for children program, clothing distribution, transportation services, education programs, medical clinics, and first aid/self-defense training.
AGITATE The continued success of the current fiscal and political infrastructure of the U.S. is mostly reliant on two mutually constitutive components: institutional power and ideological faith. Institutions like the police, prisons, and the military have large sums of money, weapons, and most importantly the law on their side. They are also underwritten, however, by a widespread public belief in their efficacy and righteousness. Without that confidence, by our sheer numbers alone they are untenable.
›› Download Signal (Use for all messages/phone calls you don’t want being monitored) ›› Encrypt all of your digital storage ›› Use Tor Browser/Tails OS ›› Learn and use PGP encryption for sensitive information
›› Talk to friends, family, and community members about local needs and what each contributor can do ›› Begin small grassroots committees that address these needs and demonstrate the efficacy of community solidarity ›› Use that solidarity to both provide much needed services and to confront any fascist, police, or state forms of aggression (protest fascist lectures, provide sanctuary for migrants, etc) ›› Plan and organize large actions with other local groups that have specific aims
›› The systemic oppressions of capital are invigorated through its ability to freely traverse our lives. If those flows are sufficiently blocked, it can be stifled. On a long enough timeline, it can be eradicated. ›› Banks are hated symbols of capitalist greed, make them a prime target ›› Interrupt local political/media events with a demo ›› Disrupt any and all fascists who have been given a platform to speak, if they are constantly shut down they cannot be normalized ›› TAKE TO THE STREETS.
RESOURCES LOCAL: p u g etsou n d a n a r c h i sts.or g se a sol.n et n w dcr esi st a nce.or g thetransmetropolitanreview.wordpress.com
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL: fo o d n otb o mb s.n et its g oi n g d ow n.or g l ib co m.or g bl ac k a n dpi n k.or g cr i m et h i nc.co m t r ut h-out.or g t h e a n a r c h i stl ib r a r y.or g
NATIONAL LAWYERS GUILD (SEATTLE): 206-422-4663