last night was a discussion and reflection on this years may day march in san diego, which went from chicano park to the federal building. in attendance were members of union del barrio, colectivo zapatista, derechos humanos in city heights (who i thank for organizing the evening and facilitating), raza rights coalition, san diego food not bombs, bikes del pueblo, and the city heights free skool. dhch provided guidelines for discussion and a progression of topics, such as 1 what happened, 2 self criticism, 3 moving forward (in so many words). food was provided by the snowdrop house.
in attendance were over ten members of udb/rrc, about five or six members of dhch, four anarchists from the different organizations, and tour members of colectivo zapatista. prior to the discussion dhch had said that they hoped it would be a smaller turnout so that facilitation could be quicker and to reduce back and forth. after introductions the first question was "why is this important?". it was fairly quickly stated and agreed upon that sharing collective lessons and stories of our work, put into a proper context and with direct participation would lead to analysis. that coalition work and organizing is a process that involves many groups, each that share goals and methods yet have their own at the same time.
during the work in preparation for the may first march udb proposed to exchange information with the police as they usually do not to ask permission but to ensure safety for undocumented and prevent harassment. this was approved by the coalition.
the majority of the evening became a back and forth over the issue of youths primarily from the neighborhoods of encanto and logan but also organizors and youths from city heights that attempted to take the street and were met with hostility from security. in another post from may we have a link to a two part 20 minute video of the incident. in the video is the first part going against traffic, a segment in which the turn lane is filled with marchers and a police motorcycle is riding alongside, physical harassment of marchers by security (including a reverse bump/board check sort of deal), and an instance when a compañera is attacked by a man in all white with a blue bandana. there is a still of his face. there is also an instance recorded in full of police removing a marcher with a drum, in which a potential undercover (plainclothes with walky-talky) talks to police and the drummer is quickly let go.
the anarchists in attendance insist there was no endangerment, that all participants at a march have freedom of movement, that security or organizers should not and can not dictate to participants how to participate, and that the police should never be trusted. udb/rrc counter that there was endangerment in a risk from infiltrators/provocateurs, that security could not see every rooftop, that participants acting outside of the predetermined parameters of the march disrespects and destroys months of work, that marches are not spaces for individual action or expression, and that police provocation would have put families and undocumented at risk. rica from dhch put forward that human rights observers as well as ordinary marchers were kept ignorant of what was happening, which was a liability to the whole march and movement should marches and actions get bigger.
after the discussion a greater understanding i feel was not achieved however a dialogue was opened between two sides of movement in this city that dont communicate as often as they should. i personally welcome future dialogue and collaboration. however, as for marches and demonstrations, anti-authoritarian radicals and anarchists must get more creative and expressive if we want to be seen without things blowing up and becoming incomprehensible to outsiders. more larger diy drumming groups and performers as opposed to solely confrontational march participants would be more inviting to other marchers than a scuffle with security (not even police!). more banner drops such as took place the morning of may 1st in addition to fliering, wheatpaste, and outreach can put our movement and a direct action approach more in context.
ultimately this should not be seen as a set back for anybody. disagreement is inevitable for tactics and theory and will come to surface as our movements grow and progress. we cant ignore them or brush them off, we've all got to adapt
Late last year, the National Socialist Movement announced the opening of a California chapter based in Riverside, the largest city in southern part of the state's Inland Empire. On September 26, they held a protest at the corner at Madison and Indiana, where people of color gather to look for work. In response, activists formed a broad-based coalition composed of political parties, students groups, labor unions, churches, and community groups to demonstrate their opposition to racism and hatred at City Hall. Meanwhile, a smaller contingent of antifascist activists took a more direct approach at the targeted corner, confiscating swastika-laden flags from the nazis and ultimately expelling the ragtag bunch after a few small skirmishes.
Humiliated, the Nazis decided to return the following month. Once again, the community rallied against them, drawing anywhere between 700 and 1000. On this occasion, however, the racists enjoyed the protection of numerous riot-gear clad police officers from multiple agencies who allowed them to make their hateful stand. When valiant antifascists from the Brown Berets penetrated the police perimeter, a small conflict took place. The day ended with two of our comrades behind bars, one for disobeying a police order and the other for throwing a "deadly weapon" later identified as a lemon.
As Nazis continued to organize, community activists recognized the need to increase the pressure. They published Jeff Hall's home address, which he uses as a base of operations, and called for a protest, scheduled to take place during the NSM's monthly meeting. "We're doing this because there are people in our community--people of color--who live in that neighborhood," explained one of the organizers, who asked to remain anonymous.
In response, the Nazis published a flyer calling for a demonstration at the home of a longtime Riverside activist, accusing him of "child endangerment," who had been active in the anti-Nazi organizing last year. Apparently, the Nazis were under the impression that the Riverside activist--who is Jewish--had called for the demonstration at the Nazi house, where a young child also resides. The Riverside activist was not involved in the planning and execution of the home demonstration, but made a handy scapegoat, especially for those who believe that people of color are incapable of organizing in their own defense. Unlike Hall, the activist, who is a leader in a statewide socialist party, does not use his home as a base for organization.
However, due to the the overwhelming presence of California human rights defenders at the National Day of Action for Arizona, turnout was relatively low. Only about seven members of the SoCal Antiracist Network were present, backed up by a contingent of about five Brown Berets. "Our reason for being there was to be security, to get Chicanos out of there if anything happened. We were not there to break any laws, we were not intending to go into the house," said of the the leaders from the Brown Berets.
Four police officers in riot gear were at the end of the cul-de-sac where Hall lives, and the police helicopter hovered overhead. Once the antifascists took their stand, a crowd of about thirty Nazis in full fascist costume swarmed out of the house and confronted one of the organizers. "We're not here to fight," he explained, and backed up about thirty feet. The Nazi charged him aggressively, but the antiracist defended himself, knocking the Nazi out cold at the end of his charge. The Nazis continued their offensive against the antiracists, chanting "Get the girl!" and attempting to strike the only woman present, a member of the Brown Berets. They brandished two firearms as police looked on, refusing to intervene in the violence. "If you don't like it, get out of here," one of the officers told a member of the Berets.
In light of the armed Nazi aggression, the antiracists withdrew their picket for the day. The antifascist struggle in Riverside, however, is anything but over.
