Vandalism in Seattle as well

[eridani]

We are going to have to figure out better ways of dealing with infiltrators.

http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2012/05/may-day/
UPDATE: 1:20 p.m. | The group dressed black appears to have dispersed for the most part by now, some folks saying they have mingled with the now 500 or so protesters gathered at Westlake Park. People there are listening to a rap concert.

UPDATE: 1:10 p.m. | Those bent on doing damage, who call themselves Black Blockers, broke out the front windows of Niketown and several windows of American Apparel next door. Graffiti was put on Fidelity Investments at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Pike Street. Police have blocked Pine Street and were moving along Sixth toward Westlake Park.

UPDATE: 1: p.m. | Protesters have broken windows in several places downtown and police were using tear gas and force to stop them. Police had chased the group dressed in black — the ones who vandalized the federal courthouse — down Sixth Avenue, then on Olive, then back up Fifth.

Meanwhile, many protesters returned to Westlake Park and are giving speeches and rallying.

UPDATE: 12:40 p.m. | Protesters are starting to do damage. They stopped briefly at the U.S. Court of Appeals, broke a window and set a small fire in front of the door. They also shot paintballs at the building. A large swarm of people dressed in black and carrying polls with flags on them were moving through the streets.

[DCKit]

1. I guess it's up to us to out them as LEOs, military or contractors.

The police and MSM aren't going to do it for us.

Do they really expect us to fall for this shit? If the police had reason to crack anyone's heads, it would be the guys wearing masks and face paint while committing vandalism. Instead, I've heard the police have been passively observing the infiltrators.

[freshwest]

2. That was the case during WTO, they knew their base of operations and did nothing, even though

The man who owned the building complained they'd taken it over and the police did nothing. He was on the television several times, but they were allowed to make mayhem while the other protestors suffered for it.

I blame the lack of knowledge of the general public nationwide in refusing to acknowledge that there is a class structure.

Although I don't like to use those terms as people's eyes tend to gloss over because it smells like socialism to them, we do have classes in this country and the current status quo is doing great harm. Unions know the way things are structured, but also seldom discuss it because they know it's forbidden here.

[DCKit]

3. If anyone should know the history of infiltrators, A.P.s and false-flag operations...

it should be union members. They paid a very heavy price back in the bad old days, and we're bound to repeat that history if we don't get our shit together.

[freshwest]

4. The problem is there are so few union members. When I was a steward and we organized, we learned it.

A big portion of the population regard unions as a thing of the past and no longer needed. And so goes all of that knowledge along with them. Instead many people go with the corporate model and commodification of human labor along with goods. It removes empathy.

[Zorra]

6. Yep. I was there.

Cops beat on the peaceful protestors, (including me and my partner), but did nothing to stop the masked vandals.

I'm north of Phoenix right now, waiting for our "festivities" to begin.

I have a bad feeling we are going to have several plants in the group.

[freshwest]

7. As we went into actions in the VW era, we generally knew each other from school, unions if we

Were in them, or organizations involved in civil rights, the environment, the ASF, our various locally created groups or alliances, or however we met. We did have the advantage of the college campuses to network, or union halls, or the various anti-war churches.

Many anti-war Democrats helped. And the VVAW were our big brothers, teaching us and giving us their strength and discipline. I remember being put up in D. C. at a beautiful cathedral the night before the march on the Pentagon. The SWP was also an aid for those who were in the YSA and we knew what to expect, we only got teargassed, though. The biggest difference I see in these actions is the sheer numbers. We were able to mobilize tens of thousands. Whether we went to LA or DC or places in between, we're talking crowds of a smiliar to those at MLK's 'Dream' speech in D.C. I have not seen such crowds since although what is going in NYC today is big.

Part of our strategy to organize was that we met several times in parks or homes before the actions, practicing our response to police violence, etc. The UC students who were peppersprayed were using our techniques. We socialized with each other most of the time that we were not marching. We often had professors, union officials, SWP, and older citizens, parents of some of us who helped us arrange longer transportation to go across the country or gave us places to practice what we were going to do and create temporary community on their land if we were in a rural area.

We discussed such things as agent provocateurs, the methods the police would use, who to contact for aid if injured, and talked with liberal lawyers to arrange our support if arrested. We sang our songs and got ourselves ready, in spiritual ways, each to his own, and practiced exercises about trust, handing each other over our heads, stuff like that to get emotionally ready.

I think it was easier because at that time we actually did have a 'liberal' media that gave us some common terms to use with each other. Anyone who talked the big talk about 'kicking ass and killing the pigs' were not allowed to go with us, we ferreted them out as agent provocateurs. There were no people running around with their faces hidden, so we knew who was to our side and our backs.

Occupy is dealing with a much different dynamic. It is taking in all the strangers from the street, because of social disintegration due to technological isolation and lack of a commons. We had a lot of commmons then, campuses, parks, other things that were low-cost and affordable to mobilize.

I hope none of that if offensive or depressing or however one might take it and I hope you and your love will be safe. The WTO coverage I watched the whole time, as I was far away, cheering the peaceful and creative people trying to educate. And weeping as I saw them being beaten, just like I had back in 1968 and other years. I see some of the kids and others now have gas masks, but we just took bandannas and eye wash with our medics, but we did not cover our faces. Compared to now, though, we were 'anonymous,' although Nixon did have a lot of people on lists.

Stay safe and let us know how the action goes. Our love goes with you, and we thank you, those of us unable to go.

[freshwest]

5. The thing about this article:

Police had chased the group dressed in black — the ones who vandalized the federal courthouse — down Sixth Avenue, then on Olive, then back up Fifth.

That was better than at WTO. Back then, the lawful demonstrators were having to try to contain the black block by themselves and protect property.

Eventually the peaceful people trying to educate the public about the problems WTO was bringing to the USA and the world, had to leave.