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Mar 28, 17

Trumped Up But Not Beaten Down: Support the Week of Solidarity Against Repression April 1-7

As Trump was sworn in as president of the United States, tens of thousands of people poured into the streets of DC to successfully disrupt his inauguration and show the world that we reject his racist and hateful agenda. Despite a massive police presence and threats of right wing violence, protestors successfully prevented thousands of Trump supporters from getting into the inauguration and crippled parts of downtown DC. The protests were instrumental in showing that there would be no smooth transition for this Earth hating, white nationalist president.

But the resistance came at a heavy cost. Over 200 protesters were rounded up, kettled for several hours, and arbitrarily charged with serious felonies that could land each one of them in jail for 10 years. With this act, the state is trying to send a chilling message to our growing resistance; if you step out of line, you will feel the pain.

The same goes for Standing Rock. In addition to the dog attacks, pepper spray, rubber bullets, maimings, water cannons and beatings, hundreds of water protectors have been charged with felonies for simple acts of civil disobedience that would normally result in basic misdemeanor charges. Our resistance at Standing Rock was so effective, the only way the state could ensure the completion of the pipeline was by mobilizing one of the largest long-term police operations in US history; forcing North Dakota to borrow millions of dollars, call in the National Guard, and import additional police from several other states, while crippling protests with excessive charges and fines.

The equation is simple, in the face of massive resistance, the state has no choice but to  resort to repression and extreme violence in order to maintain the status quo. As Panagioti Tsolksas stated in his recent article, it takes a police state to build an energy empire.

This lesson is played out wherever we are effective. In Sacramento the California Highway Patrol is recommending charges against over 100 people for successfully shutting down a violent neo-nazi rally at the State Capitol at which several anti-fascists were stabbed. In Florida over a dozen activists are facing felonies, including the ridiculous “burglary” of a pipeline, for repeatedly shutting down construction of the Sabal Trail Pipeline. Meanwhile rightwingers who shoot and stab protesters continue to inflict violence with impunity, as seen in Seattle and Anaheim.

But the state hasn’t stopped there. Recognizing that many of these frivolous felony charges ultimately won’t stick, many state governments are attempting to ram through a wave of laws that will further criminalize dissent.

We have a choice. We can let the those in power crush our movement by locking us up and scaring us into inaction and despair, or we can use this as an opportunity to unite our movements, strengthen our networks, and further illustrate the illegitimacy of a government that will go to such great lengths to poison our water, steal people’s land, and protect white supremacy and the wealthy elite.

Fortunately there are many who are choosing the latter. A coalition of groups have called for a Week of Solidarity Against Repression April 1st-7th. The only way we will survive this government crackdown is to meet their repression with resistance, solidarity, and mutual aid. No matter what piece of the empire you or your group is chipping away at, we need to unite and take action to beat back this wave of repression. The call to action has an excellent list of suggested activities if you are wondering how you can help:

  • Make sure that everyone who has been arrested has all the resources they need to see them through the court process so they can get back out on the street and active again. Below, you can find a list of fundraisers to support arrestees. Donate right now while you’re thinking about it! What do you want people to do when you are facing charges?
  • Set up benefit events to raise funds for the defendants. You could set up a show, a dance party, a cake auction, or a bake sale; you could do the rounds with a donation jar at a bookstore or farmer’s market.
  • Organize an event for the upcoming grand jury resistance tour that the Water Protector Anti-Repression Crew from Standing Rock is setting up.
  • Help people understand Trump’s disinformation campaign as propaganda intended to set the stage for a totalitarian crackdown. This isn’t an issue for protesters alone—everyone’s freedom is at stake here. Any precedents that are set in repression against protesters will be used against everyone else.
  • Identify key figures responsible for this wave of repression and put direct pressure on them, connecting them with the crackdown on freedom. .
  • Drop banners, post fliers, set up educational events, and distribute information about the charges and how to support arrestees. Make sure the subject is on everyone’s minds at all times.
  • Refuse to cooperate with state investigations and grand juries. Teach people to know their rights, to remain silent when police and federal agents interrogate and threaten them, to support grand jury resisters.
  • Organize workshops on Security Culture, Know Your Rights, Resisting Grand Juries, and other counter-repression skills.

And most importantly keep fighting. The best defense is a good offense! If there is a powerful movement against Trump and the forces he represents, defendants from the previous clashes will be more likely to receive the support they deserve. Keep organizing new efforts against Trump, police, nationalists, and the pipelines and profiteering from which they draw their power.

Donate to Support J20 Arrestees in DC!

Donate to Support J20 Arrestees Elsewhere around the US!

Donate to Support Standing Rock Arrestees!

 

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The Earth First! Journal is the voice of the radical environmental movement. Published quarterly, it contains reports on direct action; articles on the preservation of wilderness and biological diversity; news and announcements about EF! and other radical environmental groups; investigative articles; critiques of the entire environmental movement; book and music reviews; essays exploring ecological theory and a sometimes-lively letters to the editor section. The Earth First! Journal is an essential forum for discussion within the Earth First! movement. It is meant to be bold, controversial, amusing and diverse in content and style. You won’t find hard-hitting news like this anywhere else.

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