Report Back from Noise Demo at Thurston County Jail

Two reports on a recent noise demonstration outside of the Thurston County Jail. Originally posted to Puget Sound Anarchists.

Note from Puget Sound Anarchists: Both of the following reportbacks from September 7th were submitted anonymously. They both note that no arrests were made at the noise demo. At the time of publication, one day after the noise demo, Olympia Jail Support reports that one person was arrested at their home, remained silent when questioned about the demonstration, and was quickly released.

Thurston County Sheriffs Can Gargle These Nuts

On the night of September ^7th, a small group of people dressed in all black converged on Thurston County Jail. With instruments, pots and pans, and fireworks in hand we went in and circled the jail, making noise and shooting off roman candles and mortars to break down the isolation between those held captive on the inside and those of us on the outside. People made a getaway before the police could mount a response and there were no arrests. In a word – we came to the stronghold and home turf of the police, made fools of them and got away. They’re not so scary nor so smart after all.

We’ve been trained not to think about jails and prisons, to not ask certain questions about them. Who are these people? Where are they from? Who is missing them? Why does the United States have the largest prison population not only in the world, but in history? Why is there a multi billion dollar “corrections” and security industry that wants them there? Why does the county and the sheriffs get money from having them there? Why have we normalized an armed force of the state disappearing people from public life?

The police spend millions per year in public relations and propaganda materials to convince us that they are necessary, to convince us that there is a natural class of criminals that need to be managed by them and their industries. We reject these myths.

We reject abdicating the responsibility of our safety, of our ability to engage in conflict, and handing it over to state backed warlords who act as they please in defense of their masters and their own interests as a distinct social caste.

We wholesale reject the world and order that the police protect – the world of hierarchical domination, the world of cowardice, submission and obedience. We reject the world that at gun point steals and encloses the means of life – which are the collective birthright of all living creatures – and forces us to sell our one life away for paltry bits while the warlords and their masters feast on the spoils of our continued exploitation. And not content with that they also demand we bow down to them and sing their praises.

Against all of that we affirm freedom, life, dignity – Anarchy! Rejecting the bloody hand of the state we accept the dangers of life and freedom. Rather than submit to the dominators, the occupying army and their bloodthirsty cheerleaders, we embrace the dignity of revolt. And choosing this we can not accept the indignity of others – that some are without food, clothing, housing. That some are disappeared from society and locked in concrete tombs. We do not simply want to carve out a little hole for ourselves – an empty playground surrounded on all sides by the wolves of capital and authority – we want to make links with other freedom loving peoples, those who cannot turn away from oppression and injustice, and wage a total war of extermination against the masters.

Though our action was modest, every action today contains the seeds of the future. We hope our ruckus annoyed the guards, and our sound and the light from our fireworks brought a moment of joy to those held captive by the occupiers.

Fire To The Prisons!

Death To Authority!

Long Live Freedom!

Long Live Life!

Long Live Dignity!

Long Live Anarchy!

Noise Demo at Thurston County Jail

On the night of September 7th around 20 people came together at the Thurston County Jail for a noise demo. Dressed in black, with drums, horns, pots and pans, roman candles and a mortar people made a round around the jail making as much noise as possible – banging, shouting, playing, shooting off fire works. The entire loop around the jail took around 20-30 minutes and as we approached the exit the county pigs rolled up flashing their lights. They sat dumbfounded in their cars as we walked around them. People made a quick escape and no arrests were made.

We took this action partially inspired by the call to action from the Asian and Pacific Islander Cultural Awareness Group (APICAG) who have recently faced repression from the Washington Department of Corrections for organizing cultural activities. While Thurston County Jail isn’t run by DOC (though we would like to remind people the DOC-run Probation Office is in downtown Olympia across the street from the City Jail) we felt inspired to confront the monstrosity of policing and incarceration in our own way. For most people it’s out of sight – out of mind but for those of us who refuse to bow down to the bloodlust ideology of nationalism and authoritarianism we must not only confront jails, prisons, juvies, detention centers and mental institutions but we must make them a social problem for others, to bring the struggle against the confinement of life out of the shadows.

It’s also important for us anarchists and anti-state antagonists to confront face to face jails and prisons so we can break the spell of fear they hold over us. To come flex on the enemy on their turf is – to say the least – intoxicatingly powerful. The police are neither all knowing nor all powerful. Jails, prisons and police departments aren’t impenetrable fortresses (shout out MPLS 3rd precinct). We should never forget this, especially in the aftermath of the flames of 2020 police all over the country have been trying to project a strongman image (while at the same time crying that they are under siege and constantly in danger).

As the conditions of prisons get worse, as struggles continue to intensify we must not only continually push jails and prisons from the outside but continue to make inside connections and build our networks on the inside. Push them from both ends and the whole slaughterhouse collapses.

Nothing but hatred for the jailers and their cowardly defenders
Love and Solidarity to all those held captive by the occupiers
Long Live Freedom!
Long Live Anarchy!

photo: BAILEY MAHON via Unsplash