Several immediate actions that we know about have taken place in Minneapolis, St. Louis, Atlanta, New York City and Seattle in solidarity with the rebels in Oakland, hundreds of whom were arrested and many injured during a long series of clashes with the police on January 28. More actions have been publicly announced, others may take place unannounced; we will of course continue to post any actions that take place in the coming days.
Much love and war to the Oakland rebels.
We are with you.
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We are with you.
Minneapolis, MN: Building occupation
On January 28th over 50 people met at Stevens Square Park in Minneapolis and marched to an abandoned historic building for a dance party and foodshare. This event coincided with a similar event in Oakland, and other solidarity actions around the country.
People blocked 3 lanes of traffic en route to the downtown Minneapolis building where they dismantled the plywood from the front doors, before seizing the government-repossessed church. Having stood vacant for a decade, the neglected building was cleaned and redecorated for the purpose of this day.
This occupation was temporary as it was a capacity-building action to grow the possibility of a squatting movement in Minneapolis as well as to inform the public of neglected buildings that the government has left to rot. As their movement gains strength, occupiers plan to indefinitely hold a building in the future and turn it into a social center/community space.
Videos of the Day of Action:
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St. Louis, MO: Solidarity March
January 29, 2012
In response to the events in Oakland, 50 or so people with Occupy St Louis and others met at the formerly occupied Keiner plaza for a march. For many tonight, the actions of the police against those in Oakland were very personal. The actions of the police in Oakland are not surprising to many who seek their dissolution and it is not an isolated case to be decried—especially considering the normal occurrence of police opening fire on people in St Louis (already six in January, one of them ending in death). And according to a federal study STLPD are three times more likely to fire their guns than any other police force in the U.S. The police are not our friends.
The march was in the streets to the jail. Reaching the jail, folks chanted their hatred of police and the jails they put us in. Leaving the jail we were trailed by some police as we came to a downtown bar district. Some of us overheard someone yelling “Stop fucking shooting people, stop brutalizing people, this is why we are fucking protesting. Fuck you!” at a bike cop who was asking them to stay on one side of the road. She then promptly biked off.
Some items were dragged into the street.
The police still trailing us, we weaved around to a hotel that has not been paying their workers and went inside chanting for them to pay their workers. When we went inside the police exited their vehicles to follow us in, but the lobby was small and we were quick to leave, so they were just left seemingly confused and in the dust. After this, they stopped trailing us. Soon words against the police (“From Oakland to STL, Fuck Da Police” and “Revolt”) were spray painted on buildings, met mostly with support from the crowd. It was sort of a collective shock mixed with excitement for many to see “vandalism,” and hopefully this behavior can become more normalized and celebrated.
But sadly, at one moment, an occupy security man (who in the past was a Sheriff in the Louisiana), decided that it was a good idea to try and take a photo of graffiti being put up and then threaten to take it to the police. He was met with immediate hostility and strong words were exchanged about the dangers of bringing police into any of our affairs. This inspired a long argument and discussion about tactics that went really well, though it was very tense. There was a request that the man who was trying to take photos be kicked out and that anyone who goes to State authorities be resisted. Unfortunately, there wasn’t any agreement about it.
Overall, it was a good night, but very tense.
There is a call-out for another demonstration on Tuesday night meeting on the corner of Grand and Arsenal at 9PM.
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Atlanta, GA: Solidarity March
On Saturday, January 28th an Atlanta march in solidarity with the Oakland Commune titled “From Oakland to Atlanta: Fuck the Police” ended in three arrests.
The march was roughly 50 people at its biggest and was surrounded by reinforced banners. During the march, anti-cop graffiti was written on a police station window and a MARTA station had a window smashed out (in October of 2011 a MARTA police officer killed 19 year old Joetavious Stafford). Debris was dragged into the street to disrupt police pursuit.
At the end of the march, participants dispersed in multiple directions and 3 were arrested. They are being charged with jaywalking and obstruction of traffic.
A fundraising party is scheduled for tomorrow in Atlanta and solidarity actions would be appreciated elswhere.
More to come.
Posted in the early hours of January 29th.
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Seattle, WA: Solidarity March and Anonymous Attack
A small march was held in solidarity. No report is available.
A Wells Fargo bank was vandalized. The communique read:
“last night in seattle a wells fargo was vandalized. in solidarity with the rebels of oakland. you continue to inspire us.”
New York, NY: Solidarity March
The NYC Solidarity march was excellent tonight… hundreds surged past cops and took the street, built barricades, cursed the pigs. A cop got a bottle broken over his head. Peace Police nowhere to be seen. Much love to Oakland!
