Abolish abuse.

It’s a long read.

The Shitlist

I was put on a “shit list,” a not-so-secret document that NYC scene folks created (whose names I’m not sharing) that accuses, among other things, people of being “part of” black bloc. If you know anything about bloc, you know that’s absurd on its face. But facts don’t really matter here.

S4

Earlier on the night of S4, I tweeted that people were regrouping at a park that I knew no one was regrouping at. Some folks will retell this differently to save face, but they had planned in advance to regroup elsewhere, which I won’t name in the event it’s used later. I knew this. I also knew that the NYPD had requested aviation to assist with a grid search of half of Manhattan. I also knew that if aviation found a group of people in bloc they’d have cops on them within seconds. NYPD’s aviation is incredibly precise and has been deployed to grid search for “stragglers” at other actions (including that one in Ft. Greene where SRG smashed a woman’s car windows after she was told she could leave). I knew these things not because I’ve got insider knowledge but because it’s all information that’s easy to find by just googling terms like “NYPD aviation abilities.”

The conspiracies

It was after S4 that a mysterious little claim that I’m an op would start circulating. The claim would include that I give location info to cops. This is based on a misunderstanding about what my “live-tweeting” looks like. I’ve talked about this before: For hotter actions, I post on a delay. To the average person, it seems live but it’s very much not. On S4, I asked the organizers their thoughts on how best to report — live or nothing? They said a 3 minute delay would be fine because cops had eyes on us anyway.

  • You shouldn’t wear bloc because only the white anarchists, who I’m in charge of, trying to break shit do that.
  • You shouldn’t go to autonomous actions because it’s a trap, organized by me for reasons unknown.
  • You shouldn’t listen to the info RUST is providing because I’m the one who runs it.
  • You shouldn’t contact local officials to end cop collaborating with the media because I’m the one who’s behind it.

Focus on the behaviors, not the person

When I see patterns of toxic behavior start to emerge, I put a pin in them. Maybe it’s just a temporary thing, maybe it’ll shake out. When they continue and start growing, I speak on them. I don’t name names because it’s not about the person. It’s about the behavior, which anyone can end up doing if they’re not careful.

It is our duty to fight for our freedom.

It is our duty to win.

We must love each other and support each other.

We have nothing to lose but our chains.

  • Send In The Feds: An analysis of the growing frustration of people wanting to escalate the fight as the summer’s uprising began to cool.
  • Mic Check Vibe Check: A rundown of what to expect at a protest, including signs of a safe and unsafe action.
  • A Tale of Two Scenes: How the NYC protest scene started to split between one that idolizes leaders/figureheads with people waiting to be told what to do and one that rejects the hierarchy in favor of horizontalism and community empowerment.
  • The Autonomy of an NYC Protest: An analysis of NYC’s rapid descent into scene death.
  • When Fascists Roam The Streets, Staying Home Isn’t An Option: A breakdown of every excuse that’s made to justify not fighting against fascism in any capacity just because the most direct one seems impossible
  • Report from DC: Activists Brace For “Klanuary”: Interviews with multiple DC activists and organizations about their concerns ahead of J6 and their plans on keeping people safe.
  • Report from DC: Hotel Workers Hope The Worst Is Over: How DC hotel workers had to smile and nod at white supremacists for three months, watch them raid the Capitol, and have their city taken over by a military occupation.
  • How We Cope: The myriad ways activists carrying incredibly heavy trauma are coping.
  • The New York Post Loves Doxxing Protestors: A breakdown of how the NYPost develops copaganda and works with police to intimidate people away from protesting — and what you can do about it.
  • Keep Cops Out Of Pride: The history of Pride, the NYPD, and how the NYPD’s most valuable tool in justifying their abuse is being well-perceived among New Yorkers.

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