Bloc Party: Keep Your Head Up

Originally posted to It’s Going Down

It has been another horrible week in these so-called United States. Lately it has felt like every time we sit down to write these words to our fellow bad kids that there is little to be said. What can we say when white supremacy and ultra-violent misogyny take over the 24-hour news cycle so consistently? Not a whole fucking lot except that we have to start strategizing how to step up our games. We have to figure out how to actually attack this shit and tear it down. From prisons to murderous cops, anti-choice killers to neo-nazis, from Trump lovers to Confederate flag wavers, this shit has to burn down already.

Yeah, we’re still fucking pissed this week. This shit just isn’t going to let up is it? Planned Parenthood in Colorado Springs. More people killed by cops in Denver and in San Francisco just today. Another potential women’s clinic shooter in Houston. Continuing attacks and threats on Muslims. All the while right-wing officials stopping just short of praising the violence and the liberals clamoring for more “conversations” and “gun control”.

Friends, we think there are some conversations to be had too. Just not pointless ones about “hope-y, change-y,” bullshit. Community and movement defense is already something we are behind on, and our enemies are intensifying their methods quicker and quicker by the week. What does it look like to organize not only defensive, but offensive initiatives that can withstand repression? What would it look like to turn it against itself, all while holding back the reactionary tide? These are questions we have wanted to raise with this column, and we hope that it is helping wherever y’all are, but we have to keep following through after the conversations. This is for ourselves more than anything else. We are worried about our friends. We are determined to stay the course, but fuck if it isn’t feeling harder and harder lately. We get the sense from the internet, from late night texts and from talks in friend’s living rooms that a lot of us are feeling this way. Keep your heads up. There are a lot of us.

Because there isn’t much more to say other than let’s step the fuck up, here is all that anti-repression and prison related news:

Nicole & Joseph, arrested on July 24, 2015 and federally indicted for Conspiracy to Violate the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, have a court date coming up on December 21st. They are asking for courtroom support. While many of us would love to be physically there and support them, as well as hang out in much warmer San Diego, we can all show further support by donating to their ongoing fundraising campaign. 

from Support Nicole and Joseph

On Monday, December 21st at 2pm, Nicole Kissane and Joseph Buddenburg have a scheduled court appearance for a motions hearing. A trial date is also expected to be set at this court appearance. We are organizing court support on their behalf. It’s time again for the community to rally around these two as prepare for another day in court. Please be in attendance.

When: Monday, 12/21
Where: US District Court, Southern District of California

Courtroom 14A (Judge Burns)
Suite 1410
333 West Broadway
San Diego, CA 92101

The Fairbanks 4 had closing arguments earlier this month in a five-week hearing to consider innocence declaration requests by Kevin Pease, George Frese, Eugene Vent and Marvin Roberts, the 4 Native American men known as the Fairbanks Four — convicted of the 1997 murder of John Hartman. The decision is now in the hands of the Superior Court. Folks out in Fairbanks providing support to the Fairbanks 4 in this process have been the targets of investigations themselves throughout this process. Keep an eye out on their Facebook page for updates and ways to support from afar.

Are you already listening regularly to the awesome Which Side podcast? Do that if you haven’t already. But, definitely take a listen to their episode that features newly released eco-defense prisoner, Krow! Welcome home, Krow! <3

Jordan Halliday also has a dope zine available through the Which Side store on resisting grand juries. As things intensify across the country, having this kind of knowledge in our pockets is invaluable. Send the Which Side folks a few bucks and know that every penny goes to support political prisoners. Good deal.

We all know how fucked up major universities are for too many reasons to list out. Fuck the whole academy. But, now we have some specifics on which universities particularly suck this week. Surprise! This week’s award for shitastic-pieces-of-human-garbage goes to the University of California system which has over $25 million invested into, wait for it, PRIVATE PRISONS! These motherfuckers are funding CCA and GEO. They also have more than $425 million tied up in Wells Fargo, the largest investor in private prisons in the world. Talk about a school to prison pipeline. #prisonsareforburning

This past weekend some disgusting white misogynist shot up the Planned Parenthood in Colorado Springs, CO. The war on the bodies of folks who have a uterus is fucking real. Our bodies are born into a war zone. The risks we have to take to even gain access to basic medical care grow more grave. If we aren’t worried about taking the risk of getting a well-check or birth control at our local clinic, we have to be worried about being criminalized and imprisoned for having a goddamn miscarriage. Purvi Patel was convicted of feticide because she miscarried. Sitting in prison because she miscarried. Please send her a letter of solidarity and love:

Purvi Patel #240509
Indiana Women’s Prison,
2596 N. Girls School Rd.
Indianapolis, In 46214

Atlanta Anarchist Black Cross posted a letter from LaDarius Colbert AKA Comrade Sneer, a prisoner in a Georgia State facility, that details some of the current repression he is facing as an organizer and resister on the inside. While the letter is too long to share in it’s entirety here, please head over to Atlanta ABC’s site and read it. After you’re finished you can drop Comrade Sneer a letter of support and soli:

Mr. LaDarius Colbert #1000145093
G.S.P.
300 1^st Ave South
Reidsville, GA 30453

Last month, imprisoned comrades in Greece made a call for a Black December, a month to jump-start an anarchist offensive. All around the world, from Tijuana to Santiago to Barcelona, comrades have answered the call in many ways, including explosives, graffiti and poetry. We’re going to sign off this week with some words from Michael Kimble, an anarchist imprisoned in the US, that he wrote as a contribution to Black December:

Just as a worm struggles in resistance against the foot that crushes it so do we anarchists struggle and fight for the total destruction of a world system of coercive authority and domination in all of its manifestations and that wants to crush our spirits of resistance.

Kuwasi Balagoon, revolutionary extraordinaire and unrepentant anarchist within the Black Liberation Army, fell at the hands of the state of New York, USA in December 1986 through medical neglect.

In memory of this New Afrikan anarchist soldier i take the initiative to compose my contribution to the strategy of total annihilation of the state and its institutions by which the state exercises its power.

For me devising a strategy to destroy the state is simple. Attack the symbols of power using all tactics including improvised ammunitions, molotovs, demonstrations, etc. In other words, our strategy should be by any means necessary, including everything and excluding nothing. The debate about the fetishization of direct action needs to end. Direct action and counter-info projects both contribute to the destruction of power. Kuwasi understood this and so did Alexandros. The only strategy left to us is action/attack and that’s what Alexandros and Kuwasi both knew and practiced. We can do no less. The war continues to wage, find your place on the battlefield.

Friends, find your place on the battlefield. There are a lot of us out here with you.