VA Is For Grand Jury Resistors: A New Year of Repression and Resistance

Today a group of people against the grand jury in Charlottesville blocked off the road where Heather Heyer was killed with a banner. What follows is their statement. For more info on fighting grand juries, go here.

A new year has arrived, and with it, the culmination of all the years before. Charlottesville, the history of white supremacy and the apathy of liberal capitalism that grips this city like fists around a broken neck was made readily apparent in 2017, with what so many have entitled: The Summer of Hate.

But this year is over, and as our relief might start festering, we must not forget that the next will be filled with just as much struggle, if not more. As you might know, a federal grand jury has begun to issue subpoenas, forcing victims of the horrific attack on August 12th to appear before the grand jury and testify on behalf of the state. On first appearance, this might seem beneficial, allowing a federal institution of the repressive state apparatus investigative power over the events of the summer, but as the state has oppressed low-income people of color and those in the fight for liberation in the past, the grand jury is another instance of this oppression.

https://twitter.com/MattTalhelm/status/948671098538938369

The process surrounding federal grand juries are about as undemocratic and unjust as one could fathom: there is no presiding judge, no opportunity for testifiers to obtain substantive legal council during the proceedings, and the prosecution leads the press. The State uses federal grand juries to determine indictments, but at the end of the day, this is a way for the State to expand its authority and further its monopoly on violence. These functions of the State are always and capitalist social hierarchy, and must be restricted at all times.

There are those in Charlottesville who have bravely chosen to resist this exultation of repressive power, and we stand in solidarity with them. This is a call for all residents of Charlottesville to stand as well, to fight along those in the struggle for justice and liberation. If you receive a federal subpoena, don’t be silent. Contact local community organizations like SolidarityCville and other groups involved in the fight for social justice.

The new year has begun, and with it the continuation of our life-long struggle. In the immortal words of Gramsci, “the old world is dying, and a new one struggles to be born; now is a time of monsters.” The crisis of our times is just beginning; we are at the forefront of history and now is not the time for idle passivity. For the freedom of the working class, of people of color, of women, of trans people, of queer people to be fully realized, we must find in ourselves the passive, apathetic element of ourselves, and destroy it. There are those currently fighting, and we have the responsibility of fighting alongside them in whatever way we can. This past year has been filled with horror, but don’t mourn: fight back!

With Love and Solidarity