Protest tactics at RNC this week -- use if election is stolen?

[lostnfound]

What's happening in New York now is incredibly interesting. If you haven't seen DemocracyNow! this week, and following Indymedia, you are missing out on some incredible stories. (Putting mainstream media as a major protest target today was awesome. And did you know the mock unemployment line was 3 miles long, about 8000 people, today?)

Diverse direct actions in a short period ...The use of group text messaging to allow coordination between multiple affinity groups (to alert other people about need for Indymedia photographers, or to warn them about paddy wagons and mass arrests, or to spontaneously re-organize routes etc) is also leaving a trail of eyewitness reports.

This is populism exerting its power without taking up arms. Kind of a controlled chaos. I really don't know what to think, but I do think it is revolutionary. And wonder, if the election gets stolen again, would this be a useful recourse?

This morning on Free Speech TV there was actually something of a documentary about yesterday's events, produced by an Indymedia group (called Unconventional News?), aired on Manhattan Neighborhood News (www.mnn.org). It showed --
*video of the poor peoples march,
*interviewed some of the organizers,
*showed an action by a 6-person affinity group who simply rode the subway dressed in black with white cream on the faces, wearing signs that said 'War Dead' -- they were arrested
*interviewed the head of the NYCLU (ACLU) and National Lawyers Guild about treatment of activists etc. and the "total control model" being used by police to micromanage dissent into blandness.


Don't miss the Indymedia & DN! coverage of the protests this week. Don't rush to judgment over irresponsible protesters until you see it through the eyes of alternative media. What's happening in NY is truly remarkable.

[Massacure]

1. If Bush steals it, then it will end in Revolution.

[milkyway]

2. I completely agree with you. These direct actions have been great and

are laying the groundwork if the repugs steal the election in November. They are providing the blueprint for a popular uprising. I'm getting tired of mainstream Dems wringing their hands about the protesters. If it weren't for people taking to the streets we'd probably still be in Viet Nam.

The large mass demos like UFPJ's on Sunday are very different from the smaller, more disruptive actions of this week, and I think both types complement each other very well. The large mass demos allow the elderly and parents with kids to take part without having to be too concerned that things will get out of hand. The more disruptive actions send a message that bush is losing control of the country and more and more people might join in. Even those voters who disagree with the protesters might vote against bush if they think he's done such a poor job as a manager that things are spiraling out of control.

And I love Democracy Now!, Amy Goodman, and Juan Gonzalez!

[lostnfound]

3. One very shameful kick for more input

[jukes]

4. i'll bite

a. those tactics can & will negate some of the advantage held by Senor Puerco.

b. we're facing the very real possibility of revolution whichever way things go.

[sweetheart]

5. tactics if election is stolen?

Geez, i hope we're not going that way... really.

Most of the world is holding its breath to oust the rabble in
november. If they subvert another election, international markets
will likely be used to adjust american influence... as all it will
take is china and japan dropping their currency intervention
behaviour, and for them to unload their treasury bond inventory,
dumping responsibility for the debt back on bush.

Such an act would drive the dollar way down, weakening its value
as an investment vehicle, and weakening american buying power to
finance wars, and ultimately weakening the deficit laiden executive
as it gears up to fight iran, korea and china. It appears their
second term objective is a full scale bankruptcy of the US
government, probably so they can buy up leftovers at fire sale
prices from their republican offshore corporate havens.

That we need be worried about another election being subverted in a
"democracy" speaks loads. I'm sure the framers of the constitution
are turning in their graves.

[LizW]

6. People wearing black on the subway were arrested?

What in the world were they charged with? Not wearing black, everyone in Manhattan would have to be jailed. Wearing too much white face cream? Carrying a sign?

How bizarre.

[G_j]

7. agreed

all kinds of interesting stuff going on.
You would never know it of course. 8000 folks with pink slips, poor people's march? not 'news' I guess.

www.democracynow.org