----- Original Message ----- From: "Nathan Newman" <nathan at newman.org> To: <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com> Sent: Tuesday, January 15, 2002 4:11 PM Subject: Re: Up and down the road to a big anti-war movement
---- Original Message ----- From: "Doug Henwood" <dhenwood at panix.com>
Nathan Newman wrote:
>Friends and family who are both antiwar and
pro-global justice, when I told
>them the Seattle style protests were coming to
town, could only marvel at
>the insanity of the idea of picking a rumble with
the NYPD right now.
-Who said anything about picking a rumble, except the Daily News and -some loons in government? Who do you think picked a rumble in -Seattle? Are we just not allowed to have large demos anymore? You -want to go along with that?
I was commenting more on the tying to the antiwar issues to the WEF forum protests. We'll see what happens on the style of the protests.
But as far as Seattle (and this applies even more to later protests) I think the vast number of activists are peaceful, disciplined fighters for justice-- and they have refused to restrain the small number of vandals and violence-freaks who give the police the excuse to arrest and beat the shit out of the rest. And if anything happens in New York that gives the NYPD the slightest excuse to take out the billy clubs, rubber bullets (or others ones), tear gas etc., the protests won't win the public relations fight.
Of course I want large demos-- I was just that down in DC, which was pretty mild compared to others, I had to watch black bloc folks trying to incite the police, who at the time were just sitting around doing nothing at the time. We had a pretty disciplined group running our corner, so they confronted them and stopped them from setting some cars on fire.
The police are bastards enough all on their own; giving them justifications for it when there are plenty of ways to protest and get arrested is stupid strategy. I am all for militancy combined with discipline-- and I said that long before Sept 11. It just makes it more imperative now.
I hope Chuck is right that the ANSWER folks will be marginalized and a nice mocking street party a la RTS's statement would be perfect if executed well. And a change of pace in tactics is always good, since nothing fails like monotony Creative evolution of message and tactics is the best way to make the case.
-- Nathan Newman
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Maybe all the protestors should dress as cops, firefighters, nurses, doctors etc.?
Ian