defiantspirit Issue Two 2011 of the IWW General Defense Committee FEATURES: •Letters from Prisoners •How to Handle Police Interviewing •Direct Action Blotter •Steering Committee speaks out against SFPD’s secret contract with the FBI •Beginner tips for pickets and protests •Prisoner? Get sponsored! AND MORE! Persistence is Power CONTENT 2 Contact and Contents 3 Letter from the CST 4 How to handle police interrogation 5 Letters from Prisoners 9 Beginner Tips for Pickets and Protests (from an ABC ‘zine, updated, edited, 11 Direct Action Blotter 12 Steering Committee speaks out against SFPD’s secret contract with the FBI 13 “Help I’m getting arrested!” Android application review 16 GDC Motions Passed 17 GDC Statement to the police, the press and the public regarding Occupy Wall Street police violence The General Defense Committee is the defense wing of the IWW. We exist to provide legal and moral support to prisoners of the Class War. D E F E N S E C O M M I T T E E ’ s Q U A R T E R L Y and added to by editor) G E N E R A L The Views and Opinions expressed in the Defiant Spirit do not necessarily reflect the views of the IWW, the GDC, or their respective members. However, everything within these pages are something we’ve deemed worthy of sharing. Most of it is reprinted without permission. In the same spirit, you can use and reprint anything in the Defiant Spirit as long as it is for personal and/or not-forprofit use. All photographs and linked-to videos, and anything else that can be used as evidence have been edited , changed, tampered with and doctored. T H E Electronic Subscriptions are free with membership which is $5 per quarter, paper subscriptions are $20 per year and proceeds benefit the GDC. Paper subscriptions are and always will be free for the incarcerated. Learn more at http://GDC.IWW.org Editor: x356829/CST Steering Committee: Marie Mason Chuck Bailey FW Sparrow CST: Eric Zenke (Temporary) SEND YOUR SUBMISSIONS defiantspirit We want letters and articles from prisoners about life on the inside, about your experiences, about what working in prison is like, and whatever else you’d like to share. We want updates on political prisoners. We want news about direct actions, with or without arrests. We want our readers to make submissions, write us letters, give us feedback, and help us make the General Defense Committee grow to be a strong, immutable organization. Help us make the Defiant Spirit a strong line of communication between those who are incarcerated and those who are out in minimum security - that is, the free world. Send us photographs, stories, articles, links, newspaper clippings, ransom letters, anonymous claims of responsibility, or whatever else you’d like us to see or you think we should print. Send submissions to: IWW/GDC PO Box 180195 Chicago, IL 60618 OR E-mail us at [email protected] JOIN THE GDC Initiation fees are US$5, and dues are a low US$5 per quarter (or US$20) annually. To join all you need do is send a check or money order for your initiation fee and the current quarter dues payment (minimum US$10). You may of course pay for additional quarters at US$5 a quarter: US$25 will take care of initiation and dues for one year. ___ I affirm that I subscribe to the general principles and aims of the GDC and the IWW. ___ I agree to abide by the by-laws and regulations of this organization. Name:___________________________________ Occupation:____________________ Adddres:____________________________________________________________ City:_____________________________State/Province:______________________ Zip/Post Code: _____________________ Country:_____________________________ Phone: ___________________________Email:_____________________________ Initiation $ ____________ Dues $ ____________Total amount enclosed $ ______ When you join the GDC, you will receive a your membership card, a copy of the by-laws of the organization, and a membership button. You will also receive regular quarterly mailings of our newsletter, The Defiant Spirit, which contains information on political prisoners, and their battles, financial reports, and members’ discussion of various internal matters. Mail to: 2 IWW/GDC PO Box 180195 Chicago, IL 60618 LETTER FROM THE Central Secretary-Treasurer The hardship and injustices the workers of the world have come to face are, for many, unavoidable. Though being replaced by the G20 as the worlds main economic forum, the G8 (circa 1975 as the G6) has been disenfranchising the poorest people of the world for decades. The oppressive vicissitude of world markets, which is reflective of the insustainability of the capitalist system, is bringing that calamity closer to home for many in Europe and North America. These sentiments are echoed with movements like Occupy Wall Street beginning to emerge. Just as well, we T H E can continue to witness the disenfranchising of the working masses through the aggressive treatment of dissenters by the D E F I A N T police-state and the shady actions of the richest of the rich on Wall Street, and elsewhere. Globalization is a disease, even if only a symptom of every other economic powerhouse around the world and the individuals involved are responsible for the continued the ones who profit most from the disparity of workers would do everything possible to continue their conquest of expropriating our wealth? With the G8 coming to Chicago, Illinois (U.S.) in May that power is the only tool we have to utilize to get our organizers and fellow workers out of jail. It is imperative that we grow this organization, each one of us as individuals, to build a strong defense. We must swell the ranks of the GDC with all members of the working class and our supporters. 2012, there will no doubt be an increase of unwarranted FBI attention among radicals in the US and Canada. In addition It is up to us, each and every member of the GDC, to to USA PATRIOT ACT approved surveillance, and no doubt ensure the building of this unbreakable foundation that must raids and other federally sanctioned forms of police-state be laid for which to establish our new world upon. repression, there are over 130,000 police officers currently being trained by the Chicago Police to repress resistance If your area doesn’t have a delegate, your delegate during the G8. While the GDC neither condemns or is unavailable, or you are not a delegate, consider carrying condones actions against the G8 summit, we unconditionally membership applications with stamped, addressed envelopes so FW’s can join through GDC Central. condemn the use of force and incarceration as a method of silencing dissent. With state-oppression not unlike this unraveling daily around the globe, building a strong and unwavering Out here for them, in there for us, Eric “AntiFa” Zenke Temporary CST 2011 resistance to the States’ unjust tactics for quelling dissent is something that needs to be founded in an unshakable 3 http : / / G D C . I W W . O R G who continue to produce their wealth. Is it a surprise that until the working people of the world are banded together, - disempowerment of the billions of individuals, you and I, defense. In a capitalist society, money is power. At times, and S P I R I T Capitalism. Wall Street, the Fed, G8, WTO, every central bank, how to handle police interviewing by Poacher (originally published as “Both Sides of the Story” in 2600 magazine Autumn 2011) “Because of what appears to be a lawful command on the surface, many citizens, because of respect for th law, are cunningly coerced into waiving their rights due to ignorance.” - U.S. Supreme Court opinion, U.S. v. Minker T H E G E N E R A L D E F E N S E C O M M I T T E E ’ s Q U A R T E R L Y In the dime store novel that’s been my life, I consider it (with hindsight) to be my good fortune to have been on both sides of the bars (at last temporarily). I’ve sat at both sides of the interview dsk. I’ve put people in jail and had people try to put me in jail. But if you live by the sword... The police interview is a subject close to my heart. I’ve made a study of it, and there are some excellent books out there to prepare you, if you’re willing to take the time to study. And don’t for a second think that just because you have done nothing wrong that you have nothing to fear. There is nothing so dangerous as being an innocent person in police custody. It mans you hav nothing to gain and everything to lose. Nothing and no on to give up or trade, and usually no real clue as to why you are really there. This I learned through hard gained experience. This isn’t a get out of jail free guide. If you’ve done wrong and been found out, your best bet is to get a good lawyer and get a plea bargain to get out of the worst of it. However, we’re all supposed to be innocent until proven guilty, so anyone, and I mean anyone, can find themselves on the wrong side of the bars. Rule Number Two: Be Civil and Polite That dosn’t mean cave in and roll over. You can be firam, but be as pleasant as you can. No matter what provocation. If you are nice, they will tend to be. At the very worst, even if they aren’t nice back, you are not adding any further charges like resisting arrest to your worries. You must act cooperative, even when you are being uncooperative. The phrase here is “Passive resistance.” Just keep in mind, no one there is your friend. One of the most common techniques is for an interrogator to try and establish a connection with you. One of th tenets of social engineering is the desire to please. Interview techniques play on this. Many people also have a strange burning desire to confess. People love to unburden themselves on sympathetic strangers. Don’t be so foolish. A lot of these ideas you can also us and turn against them. But be subtle. If you are nice, polite, cooperative, and meek, then the people dealing with you will be tempted by the impulse to desire to please, and may make slips that are favorable to your position. Rule Number Three: Get Lawyered Up If you are in a country that provides a free lawyer, or you can afford one, get one. It may delay things, but hey, you got all day and all night; you are not going anywhere. Good or bad, a lawyer will know the local law. They will normally also know the local law enforcement personnel. Just remember that a lawyer is there to advise you. It’s advice and you don’t have to take it. Therefore, based upon my experiencs on both sides, here is my survival guide. These are other advantages to a lawyer. In certain legal systems, they will be given a lot of information that you won’t get on your own. They can ask questions to people that you can’t. The other big advantage of a lawyer is that hopefully you hav got an independant witness to everything that is going on. Ruler Number One: Say Nothing Rule Number Four: Say Nothing. In the initial stages, the drama of the events will be overwhelming. In military circles, this is referred to as “shock of capture.” There is a great temptation at the start to attempt to de-escalate the situation and try to talk your way out of it. It’s human nature. Fight it. Say nothing. Use the time to observe and remember everything that is happening. A lot of convictions are helped along by thing the soon to be - or recently arrested - person blurts out, in a misguided attempt to help themselves. *So keep it zipped.* This is so important that it’s worth covering twice. If you have a right to silence, use it. You can still talk with your captors, but keep it to small talk. Say nothing about anything you could have been arrested for. If you feel (or your lawyer advises) that you have to answer certain questions, then keep it brief and to the point. Answer always in a way that closs the conversation. Don’t leave a sentence hanging that invites further follow-up questions. At first, your only priority is to try and gauge what exactly you have been accused of and what evidence is being used against you. You are nevr going to be told that last bit until it’s too late, however, by observing what they are looking for and accssing the qustions you are being asked, you can get a very good idea of what they know and don’t know and what information they have and where it might have come from. You need to get into the mindset that what is happening is happening. Nothing you can do will stop it, slow it down, or speed it up. They are following guidelines, laws, and protocols that they can’t vary. You are on a roller coaster and you can’t get off until the end. So don’t fight it. Don’t fight them. Try and enjoy it if you can. In the words of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, “Don’t panic.” a 4 The more information you give, the deeper the hole you are digging for yourself. Keep things short and factual, and never give an opinion. If you don’t remember somthing, then say so. No one has a perfect memory. What you are aiming for here primarily is to avoid intentionally or accidentally incriminating yourself. Secondly, you are making them work for every piece of information from you. By being polite, calm, and answering each question in a way that shuts down that topic, you are interrupting the flow of the conversation and breaking the interrogators train of thought. Don’t ever get emotional. One thing I have learned is that when either the interrogator or the suspect gets emotional, then the game is up. Anger is the worst enemy, but any emotion will be your downfall. Distance yourself emotionally from everything that is happening and take nothing personally. The moment you do, (continued on page 11) LETTERS from Prisoners Class Warfare: Obama Administration Targets Federal Prisoners On June 20, 2011, the US Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) began implementing new rule changes that substantially revamp federal regulations governing inmate discipline and Special Housing Units. The fine provisions are of questionable legal validity. First, it is far from clear whether the BOP possess the statutory authority from Congress to impose fines of any sort. The most relevant statutory provision merely authorizes the BOP to provide for “the discipline” of federal prisoners (see 18 USC 4042). Like all federal agencies, the BOP may only take those actions within the scope of authority expressly endowed by the Constitution or the Congress. S P I R I T http : / / G D C . I W W . O R G A second contentious provision surrounds new authority to impose monetary fines as sanctions for disciplinary offenses. The regulations do not D E F I A N T The most controversial provisions surround new and extended sanctions. The maximum duration of disciplinary segregation as a sanction has increased dramatically, from an already draconian 60 days to 18 months. Currently, most prisoners fail to psychologically survive the 60 days duration unharmed. The impact of disciplinary segregation in stretches as long as 18 months (or longer in the case of multiple disciplinary offense convictions) is sure to prove the death knell to the psychological stability of many prisoners destined to such torture. Ironically, it is psychological illnesses that are responsible for many of the disciplinary infractions committed by prisoners in the first instance. To punish such infractions with further psychologically destructive sanctions is beyond cruel, regardless of how usual in practice. “Greatest” severity offenses permit a fine of up to $600, or 75% of the prisoners commissary account balance; “high” severity offenses up to $300 or 50% of account balance; “moderate” offenses up to $100 or 25%; and “low” offenses $50 or 12.5%. The Obama administration has not identified how these proceeds will be used. T H E The new rules, codified at Title 28, CFR Part 541 (accessible at regulations.gov), add several new prohibited acts, including a ban on circulating petitions, and moves several pre-existing prohibited acts into more severely sanctionable categories. The changes maintain the distinction between “administrative detention” (non-punitive segregation) and “disciplinary segregation” (punitive segregation) in name only, removing the mandatory requirement that prisoners in administrative detention be provided with access to radios and to those privileges afforded general population prisoners unless inconsistent with unit safety and security. prescribe any fiscal scale, maximum or minimum amounts, but the revised BOP “Program Statement,” a policy document through which the new regulations are implemented, provide a sliding scale that increases with the categorical severity of the alleged offense. Second, even if some broad grant of statutory authority might be arguably identified, absent something more specific to include use authority, the fine provisions appear to constitute taxation absent representation, and, concomitantly, may offend the Constitution’s “Takings Clause.” Third, the procedural process provided for in the regulatory scheme is aimed at meeting no more than the minimum due process requirements mandated by the Supreme Court in Wolff vs McDonn for the dis-allowance or withdrawal of prisoners’ good time credits. It would appear that disciplinary sanctions that include monetary fines are outside of the sentence imposed and therefore requires greater procedural process under the Fifth Amendment’s Due Process Clause, such as a right to counsel, to access and prevent evidence 5 LETTERS FROM PRISONERS(Con’t) and witnesses, higher evidentiary standards and burdens, etc... Q U A R T E R L Y The rule changes were initially proposed by the Bush administration, and believed abandoned with the 2010 administration change. Progressives and those in the (prison) abolitionist movement were only marginally surprised that the Obama administration would finalize the rule making. C O M M I T T E E ’ s As with all US “laws”, this one can be accurately understood through the dialectical lenses of class warfare. The mass austerity hype has left many governmental agencies seeking funding from anyplace possible. As a general rule, the agency cares not from whence its funding derive, although those placed in charge of the agencies often do. G E N E R A L D E F E N S E Tens of billions of dollars are generated annually by a plethora of corporate entities and individuals profiting from the Prison Industrial Complex, present today in the United States through mass imprisonment of almost exclusively lower-caste citizenry and immigrants. This mass imprisonment is, of course, the result of laws and policy, in turn the conspiratorial product of elected officials and the corporate lobbyists and profits that control them. T H E Given this plutocratic state of government, it is simply irrational to expect Congress or the Obama administration – note the upcoming elections – to dare tax those corporations and individuals profiting from the horrors of the Prison Industrial Complex to keep the BOP flush in needed funds. Such a scheme would be self-defeating. Sadly, the solution embraced by the Obama administration was to impose a tax under the guise of fines against the very victims of that Prison Industrial Complex, the prisoners themselves and by proxy their families and loved ones who financially provide for them. This tactic is all too illustrative of the capitalist “new 6 deal”, a deal with global corporations a deal to further consolidate power and wealth and enrich the elite at the expense, enslavement (economic and otherwise), and often deaths of the lower class. It is the capitalist version of bottom-up economics: bleed them from the bottom up. Indeed on June 20, 2011, the new rules effective date, BOP staff throughout the country conducted mass shakedowns of prisoner populations seeking unauthorized items as bases for issuance of misconduct reports. Staff at the US Penitentiary in Lewisburg, PA admit to the establishment of informal quotas on the number of misconduct reports that must be issued prisoners. Prisoners better off financially and others with savings on their commissary accounts are rushing to deplete these funds – funds many prisoners were saving to assist in community transition upon release – for fear that they will be targeted for fines under the new rules. IWW/GDC members incarcerated in the BOP and subjected to disciplinary fines under the new rules may write to the GDC (mailing address is on the cover of this Defiant Spirit) requesting a copy of a draft informational exploring legal strategies for arguing against and challenging the legalities of the rules. Those prisoners contemplating a legal challenge to any disciplinary action against them in Federal court are required by the Prison Litigation Reform Act to first exhaust all available administrative remedies prior to proceeding to Federal court (see 42 USC 1997(e)). In the Federal BOP this means filing a Regional Administrative Remedy Appeal, BP-10 form, within 20 days of receiving the Discipline Hearing Officers Report, and then further appealing from any denial of the Regional Director to the BOP General Counsel via a Central Office Administrative Remedy Appeal, via a BP-11 form (see 28 CFR 542.14(d)(z) – 542.15). The BP-10 and BP-11 forms are available from Unit team staff. Mark Jordan, USP Lewisburg August 21, 2010 To: Industrial Workers of the World Dear Comrades: I am an inmate/prisoner of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, imprisoned at Allenwood Low S.C.I. in Pennsylvania. While I was “free” I had been a militant in worker movements and an anarchosyndicalist. I would love to receive copies of your newspaper and any free literature you might be willing to send me. I am planning to start a studygroup here among inmates. As you possibly know, my current circumstances limit what I can do to participate in the IWW. However, one must start somewhere and not allow confining factors be a deterrent in taking steps onto a path. Any help with this will be greatly appreciated. Whether putting me in touch with Fellow Workers on the GDC, sending literature about the GDC, or suggesting advice. I thank you for your time, help, Respectfully, Michael L. G. (Release date: 2120) 6 Sep 11 Dear Steve, Greetings from the Texas gulag! I received your kind note, the pamphlet Think It Over, and the IW newspaper, and I thoroughly enjoyed each. http : / / G D C . I W W . O R G At the same time, I’m seeking to obtain a deeper understanding of the GDC. What it is pursuing, strategies, goals, and how I may be able to participate. I want this so that I can contribute to the GDC and IWW in the best manner possible; now and upon my release from prison. The purpose for me writing is to request to be a member. I am in prison and without sufficient funds to pay the dues. - My name is Phillip R., I’m a Fellow Worker (x371601), a Wobista and yes, a prisoner in one of the many Neo-Gulags. I am very interested in becoming actively involved and engaged with the GDC. 6-12-2011 General Defense Committee, S P I R I T Salutations. An abundance of Respect Wholeheartedly Conveyed. This letter is written as a request for information about the General Defense Committee. PS: The road is known, but the way is learned. D E F I A N T 7-12-11 To Whom it may concern; In Solidarity, FW Phillip R. #V91301 T H E In Solidarity: RUBEN A. M. (Release date: 2024) and I anticipate your response. In my opinion the review of Upton Sinclair’s book The Goslings, which deals with governments love affair with indoctrination - which it intentionally mislabels “education” - and its use of the school system to condition youth to be unthinking cogs is worth the entire paper. I’m reminded of a pin I saw years ago which read “My boss must think I’m a mushroom. He keeps me in the dark and feeds me bullshit!” It’s tempting to blame capitalism because it’s so predatory; and it’s equally tempting to blam government in total, because it’s only natural for a ruling body to promote it’s own ideology, but I view government as a tool and its methodology dependent on the values of those who wield it. A government can value analysis! In Cuba right now the youth, who have lost touch with revolutionary values if they ever had them, are disenchanted with the government because they see all the glittery crap people in the capitalist north have access to - via illegal cable TV - and they’re drinking the consumer kool-aid: more stuff will make you more 7 LETTERS FROM PRISONERS (con’t) happy; while the Cuban government can’t even keep its people in necessities due to a variety of reasons, not least of which is the collapse of Soviet Russia and the US Embargo. Q U A R T E R L Y In India they trap monkeys by anchoring a coconut to the ground, boring a hole in it, and putting in candies. When a monkey comes along it sees the candy in the coconut, squeezes its hand through the small opening and grabs onto the candy. The problem for the monkey is, so long as it grasps onto the candy its fist won’t fit through the hole, but it lacks the intellect to recognize its desire for luxury is costing it its freedom and even its life. C O M M I T T E E ’ s The sad fact is many people are on a level with those unfortunate monkeys. If left to their own devices, they would cast off their freedom & independence to become mindless consumer/slaves, owing their souls to Mastercard - “master” indeed! - and avoiding suicide by a diet of antidepressants and booze. D E F E N S E Is a government obligated to at least try to educate and thereby rescue its people, even if from themselves? If 51% majority elects to stick its collective hand in the coconut - then what is to be done? T H E G E N E R A L Henry David Thoreau said in his essay On the Duty of Civil Disobedience (quoting Thomas Jefferson I believe and I paraphrase for convenience): If that which governs least governs best, then that which governs not at all is better still, and that’s the kind of government we’ll have when we’re ready for it. In the mean time, I’d settle for a better government that truly serves the interests of the people. Even though I have “Enemy of the State” tattooed across my breastbone (this no doubt helped get me into superseg!) I actually endorse this spirit wholeheartedly; and it seems to me even a union is a form of self-government, or a “dictatorship of the proletariat” by another name. I’ve enclosed a Revolution to check out. I’m an ideological heretic but I have a copy of Basics, and Bob Avakian seems to really “tell it like it is” on a par with Noam Chomsky. You should get a copy of the book for scholarship sake. 8 I just received a stack of subversive books from a books-for-prisoners place: I got Emma Goldman’s Living My Life, volume 1 & 2; a book on dialectical and historical materialism; and anarchism & anarchasyndiscalism by Marx, Engls, and Lenin. I’m in heaven! :) Emma Goldman is on of my heroes, so I’ll be busy for a while reading about her exploits. Thank you again for the subscription. I’ve got nothing now but I intend to prey on the predators and help to support the kind pople who supported me and subsidized my revolutionary education upon release in December 2014. Peace! Richard O. PS: Please forgive me if I’ve rambled TIPS FOR BEGINNERS on pickets and protests FROM THE FRONT LINES Smartphone users: check out applications such as Redphone and TextSecure for encrypted (wiretap-proof ) talk and text transmissions, and OTR for applications like Pidgin/ AIM, etc. DON’T FORGET YOUR LEGAL SUPPORT NUMBER: write down the number of your local NLG hotline or legal defense hotline in PERMANENT MARKER someplace that isn’t immediately visible. LOCK YOUR CELL-PHONE: while cell-phones and social network outreach, like twittering, can be useful during demos, be sure to use a passcode or other authentication method to protect personal data on your phone. Thanks to the USA PATRIOT ACT, police don’t need a warrant to look through any of your personals, especially electronics. Make sure your password is difficult to crack and EASY TO “FORGET.” 9 9 http : / / G D C . I W W . O R G people may have reasons for not wanting their identities known to the authorities, in today’s age of “terrorism,” you can be held for longer periods of time and are subject to different treatment and charges than if you give your name. IF ANY, THIS IS THE ONLY INFORMATION YOU SHOULD GIVE TO THE STATE (THE POLICE, ETC) WITHOUT A LAWYER PRESENT. - REMEMBER: YOU DO NOT EVER HAVE TO ANSWER THE POLICE DURING QUESTIONING. STAY RESPECTFUL WHILE IN CUSTODY, AND REQUEST A LAWYER UPON QUESTIONING. While some S P I R I T Don’t bring this stuff Drugs/Alcohol: never bring drugs or alcohol to a protest. They can get you in a lot more trouble and get folks around you in more trouble. Stay sober before and during the protest Piercings and Loose Items: things like earrings and long hair can be pulled by cops to incapacitate you. Loose clothing can make it harder to run, and easier for the police to grab you. Contact Lenses: in case of chemical attacks, contact lenses can trap chemicals under the lens and cause severe eye damage. Wear glasses if necessary. If you must wear contacts, get goggles. Organizers/Address Books: if the cops get these they will use them to hurt your friends and other activists you might have written in them. Keep all personal info away from cops. Fear: don’t listen to rumors unless they can be verified and always stay strong. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Authoritarian Attitude: leaders don’t help situations and people feeling like they are being told what to do will turn them off. We can easily be a leaderless movement and run things on consensus. Being leaderless also confuses cops and allows us to act as one. DO: Always stick together and stay calm. Be aware of your surroundings and know your limits. if you have time prior to the demonstration, try to practice/ study/organize/participate in trainings on topics such as street medic training and basic first-aid, direct action, police tactics, marching, picketing, occupation and self defense. Prepare for the protest: get your mind and body all ready for the protest/action. eat a healthy fruit/veggie/whole grain filled breakfast, exercise and get plenty of sleep and if possible take a shower to remove excess oil from your skin that many chemical irritants rely on. D E F I A N T Affinity Group: an affinity group is a small group of friends (3-15) you know and trust very, very much that can fill various roles and help support each other and keep each other safe and together. If you plan on doing more risky actions make sure to keep ALL information between those involved in the action. Loose lips sink ships, and bragging WILL land your ass in jail. Create a name for your group that is something obscure and unrelated to people involved, if you hear people shouting this name - find them. If you need to be found, shout out the name of your affinity group. Medic: someone with some medical training or basic first-aid training and some basic medic supplies or better yet an actual trained certified medic (street or otherwise.) Butterfly stitches, band-aids, L.A.W., and dressings for broken arms and legs can be very useful. Legal: someone who has some basic knowledge of the laws or at least someone who can deal with police if your friends get arrested and can observe and record what police are doing and violations of peoples rights. Always maintain a professional and respectable attitude with police, ESPECIALLY once in custody. Concerted action in jail is different, but when you’re alone and under arrest your ass is theirs until you get your lawyer. Jail Support: someone who is non-arrestable who has their groups contact info and will contact and work with the legal defense teams for the demonstration. “Vibes” Watcher: someone who keeps an eye on everyone in the Affinity Group and people in the area. This is the person who keeps an eye on the police and analyzes police actions, movements, and attitudes. Arrestables: those who plan on getting arrested or who can get arrested if the situation arises. Make sure legal or jail support has info for you. Buddy: if you don’t have an affinity group at least find a buddy and watch out for each other, make sure you know each others comfort levels and keep an eye on the police. T H E What to Bring Water: preferably filtered water in your own bottle rather than bottled water and make sure to bring plenty of it regardless of weather. Your body needs water especially after long days of occupation or protest. Food: try to start your day with a full, healthy meal. It may be a while until you get lunch or dinner, especially if you get arrested. Bring snacks! Dried fruits and nuts help give you energy and keep you going as well as provide some nutrients. Proper Clothes: dress properly for the weather and make sure your clothes are not going to trap chemicals easily. Avoid loose, synthetic clothing. Also make sure you are not identifiable by what you wear, no patches or pins and have extra clothes in your bag in case you need to make an exit into or out of a crowd or change from contaminated garments. Keep them in a sealed plastic bag in case of chemical attack. Bandanna/Balaclava: helps protect your face and it provides anonymity and potential unity. When soaked in apple cider vinegar or lemon juice it can help against chemical attacks - including mace, pepperspray, and teargas. Balaclava are best for anonymity and bandannas are best for chemicals. Vinegar soaked bandanas can be kept in ziplock bags until needed. Goggles: they can help keep chemical weapons out of your eyes just make sure they are shatter proof and tight fitting. Ensure no liquids or chemicals can get inside of them and you can see easily. Swim goggles work and are easily available. Medicines: if you require insulin or an inhaler or other medicines make sure to bring them and have them in the bottle they came in case of arrest plus have a doctors note and keep medicines on you in case of arrest (cops don’t allow unmarked medicines). Saline Solution: good to have if you get hit in the face chemically it will help flush out your eyes (do so from the inner eye outwards) it can also be good for cleaning small open wounds. L.A.W. Solution: a common solution of water and Maalox (or other liquid antacid) in a 1:1 ratio used by many medics to help treat pepper spray. Tilt back the victims head and have them hold their eyes open, one at a time. Pour the solution so that it rinses over and out of the eye, from the inner eye outward. Rinse with purified water if needed. Non Oil Based Sunscreen: water or alcohol based sunscreens help protect against sunburn and don’t trap chemicals if you do get attacked. Menstrual Pads: when at a protest it is possible you won’t be able to change your tampon, due to arrest or other situation and having a tampon in for 4+ hours can cause Toxic Shock Syndrome. Cloth pads are best and can be bought or hand made. Knowledge of The Action: know what you are protesting against and why. Also know any march routes or action plans, weather, the nature of the cops in the city or jurisdiction you are taking action in and other important information. It’s always smart to know a way out. Be prepared, know as much as you can about your surroundings. DIRECT ACTION BLOTTER EDITORS NOTE: All stories are received anonymously or stolen from the internet. Sept., 17th: Palestinians and allies march on White House for UN statehood recognition C O M M I T T E E ’ s Q U A R T E R L Y The UN is expected to vote in recognition of Palestine as a state as soon as Sept. 20th. Here in DC, Palestinians marched from the State Department to the White House demanding noninterference and NO VETO of full membership from the US. G E N E R A L D E F E N S E The September 15 march was the same day as the Palestinian march on the UN’s headquarters in New York-a march that I saw promoted on websites from Palestine as long ago as late June or early July. T H E One chant at the march was “no justice, no peace,” there has been speculation by some other news commentators that if recognition of Palestine as a state is blocked in the UN, that could force the Abbas to step down and the entire PA to resign. After all, if they are not a government of a nation, that would leave them as enforcers of occupation, a role that they could not long survive in and might not be willing to accept 10 anyway. That, in turn, some say could force Israel to attempt another full-scale invasions of both the West Bank and Gaza, this time with an energized Arab world watching-and reacting. They would be attempting to replace the PA with direct Israeli government, a steppedup occupation on steroids and in the open, with no further attempts to pretend they are not occupying Palestine. If that happens, the consequences could be anything from a third Intifada to a regional war. Needless to say, anything that prevents the PA from being recognized as a state will bring this about, so any US Veto in the Security Council of full membership in the UN for Palestine is risking war. The PA has tried the “Peace Process” but gotten only 20 years more settlement construction. Now they are trying a bid for statehood. If that fails too, look out! The last time I saw this sort of situation, people in Palestine had become fed up with the increasing invasion by settlers, there was a late 2000 or 2001 (I forget which) deadline-and the Second Intifada erupted shortly thereafter. It was so powerful it forced Israel to abandon and forcibly remove all settlements from Gaza. The last decade has brought war and siege to Palestine, and Israel has faced rockets and bombs, all because Israel foolishly insisted on talking peace while planting more and more far-right, land-grabbing, armed settlers in the West Bank. Shortly before all that erupted, I still remember a giant Palestinian rally in front of the White House that marched in from Freedom Plaza, complete with Jumbotron coverage of speakers and massive prayer sessions. Now we have another deadline, another decision to be made, and another worldwide series of Palestinian marches of which this is just one. Keep an eye on this one folks, I think we are about to see history in the making here! (from DC Direct Action News) not highly aggressive manner. The US Supreme Court can at this point be regarded as a nine-pack of crackers waiting to crumble. George W Bush, known as the “Texacutioner” at one time, managed while in office to pack the court with reactionaries, and this may have had a hand in the permission given to another group of crackers in Georgia to murder Troy Davis. Yes, we are in town, and yes, we are watching! Send us your stories! Send us news clippings, admissions of guilt, claims of responsibility, articles about direct action, blurbs about actions, links to news articles, photographs, and anything else you feel like sharing. Anonymity is welcomed, and prefered. SEND SUBMISSIONS TO: OR IWW/GDC PO BOX 180195 Chicago, IL 60618 Sept. 21: Late night on September 21, after Troy Email us at [email protected] Davis was murdered with permission from the US Supreme Court, anarchists assembled on U st and marched from there to the US Supreme Court. Cops at the Supreme court objected strenuously to anyone “protesting” on the steps of the building and behaved in a somewhat inconsistent though how to handle police interviewing(cont’d) you will not be able to think clearly and will be playing yourself in a state where you are highly likely to talk to much. It’s quite fun if you have the ability and opportunity to gt your interrogator to lose their temper. However, I seriously wouldn’t recommend going down that route, unless you are either vrey confident or very experienced in being interviewed. A ploy like that is extremely likely to involve you investing emotion into the interview and thus falling into that trap. - To sum up, prepare for the possibility of arrest if you can, then... S P I R I T In the worst case scenario that you are arrested in a country that doesn’t have the fundamental guarentees on freedom, like a right to silence and a right to an attorney and, heaven forbid, may even use physical or mental torture, then my personal advice is to just tell them what they want. Confessions obtained under duress are morally reprehensible and would not be valid to any sane court. D E F I A N T http : / / G D C . I W W . O R G If you’re unlucky enough to be arrested somewhere that doesn’t have a right to silence, then you are going to have to give some kind of account. Here, as earlir, keep it simple, keep it factual, and keep it short. If you’ve already told them somthing and then you are asked the same thing a second time, just politely refer them to your original answer. Don’t get drawn into expanding upon answer you’ve already given. A very good technique if you are going to give an account is to prepare a written statement. This is best done with a lawyer. Outsid eof the pressure of the interview, you can carefully write down your statement. Then, in the interview, refer all questions to your written statement and answer nothing else. As a final point, laws differ the world over. If you are engaged in activities that mean you are likely to receive som unwelcome attention from the authorities, take the time to do a little study of local laws and criminal procedures. If you know what things are likely to happen to you and you know the rules the law enforcement people have to follow, if any, you will be a lot more calm and able to focus on getting yourself out of the situation. It may even be worth doing a bit of checking for local lawyers and finding out any who spcialize in the fields of law that may be of use to you, as well as learning what their reputations are like. Once you’ve found a good lawyer, get a business card from them or memorize the phone number so you can call them at your hour of need. T H E Staying calm is really the key to it all. Arrest and interview are by their very nature stressful. As is potentially losing your liberty. It is worth learning (if you haven’t already) some breathing and visualization excersises that you can then employ in the interview to get your pulse rate down and your head claer. in your mind. -Say Nothing -Be civil and polite -Get a lawyer -Say nothing One the interrogation is over and the tapes stop turning, say nothing more in relation to the case. Don’t let the relief of it being over tempt you into opening up. Their chance to question you is over. Unless they convene another interview, they have had their opportunity. Just because the tapes have stopped doesn’t mean they can’t use anything else you say against you. Whether you get bail or they keep you in lockup, say nothing more to anyone about the case. Even in a cell or an office, there could well be hidden recording equipmeny or someone who isn’t who they appear to be. If you get released, try to obtain copies of all records you’re entitled to. If you can get a copy of the interrogation, then do so. If you can’t, then go and write it down as soon as you can, whil it’s still fresh 11 FW Sparrow Addresses Secret SFPD & FBI Contract Representing both the IWW General Defense (GDC) Steering Committee and the International Solidarity Committee - Northern California (NorCal ISM), I did my two minutes of fame before the San Francisco Police Commission October 5th to give a statement supporting the SFPD severing ties with the FBI [http://thetender. us/2011/10/04/help-stop-racial-profiling/] Q U A R T E R L Y In response to SFPD feeding files on legal organizations to the Anti-Defamation League [http://www. foodnotbombs.net/Antifa%20Info-Bulletin.html] , restrictions were put on the SFPD’s infiltration and reporting on organizations who have no illegal activity manifested. C O M M I T T E E ’ s A recently released FOIA file showed that SFPD had signed a secret contract with the FBI that circumvented oversight of the SFPD by the Police Commission Board which had no knowledge of this contract [http://ca.cair. com/sfba/news/sfpd_officers_working_with_fbi_given_ more_leeway]. Testimony (Obviously with only two minutes, I had to restrict my comments drastically): G E N E R A L D E F E N S E My name is sparrow and I am representing the International Solidarity Movement - Northern California and the IWW General Defense Steering Committee. I am also an active member of the California State Bar with experience in asylum law representing Palestinians, Iranians, and Central Americans. T H E The primary reasons to sever ties with the FBI are, (1) Lack of Accountability, (2) Lack of Oversight, and (3) Star Chamber Secrecy. You must reassert your limitations of SFPD actions – limits that have been secretly circumvented by the FBI. I wish to incorporate into the record by reference a recent article from the New York Times. [article submitted] The following speech was delivered over 30 years ago in this same City Hall; ‘:...A lot of people ...question why a City and County concerns itself with the international affairs of the nation. In response, I think it is of the... utmost concern of this city what takes place at the international level. ... this nation ignored ...the War in Vietnam..., hoping that leadership would come out of the White House... Finally, after... not seeing the leadership out of the White 12 house, the people of this nation themselves took the leadership and themselves exerted the pressure upward to finally force Washington to carry out what the people themselves wanted. Once again I find ...where the people of the country seem to find something taking place very offensive and asking the White House and Congress to take the leadership. Lacking that leadership, once again... the people of this nation have decided to demand something,... the government in Washington must hear the people since they apparently have deaf ears themselves. ...strong legislation, strong statements from the cities and states to Washington, apparently is the way they get the message. sometimes the voice of the people can come up with having an effect on Washington.’” Those remarks were made by Supervisor Harvey Milk in 1978. I have no doubts that Harvey Milk would fully support the severing of the SFPD from the FBI Terrorism Program.’ Harvey Milk’s remarks were given in March of 1978 at the start of public testimony before the SF Board of Supervisors on the removal of the South African Consulate from San Francisco. I was present when he gave his speech and I taped it. In terms of their relevance now, his remarks are doubly poignant. Once because the struggle then against South African Apartheid and occupation of Namibia has become our current struggle against Israeli Apartheid and occupation of Palestine. And second, because shortly after delivering those remarks both Harvey Milk and SF Mayor Moscone were assassinated in November, 1978. Harvey’s fellow supervisor became San Francisco’s next Mayor and was subsequently propelled into the United States Senate where she is a leading advocate of Israeli Apartheid and a major proponent of the repressive Patriot Act and its draconian expansion of FBI powers. fw sparrow, GDC Steering Committee Delegate Number 2011 0005 Help, “I’m getting arrested!” by Jaymar Cabebe October 12, 2011 5:17 PM PDT Follow @jaymarcabebe (originally published @ http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19736_7-20119537-251/help-im-getting-arrested/) Imagine you’re in New York (or perhaps another major metropolitan city) peacefully protesting. Your cause? Let’s say, to curb excessive influence of big business and the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans on U.S. laws and policy. You’re holding up a sign declaring your heartfelt beliefs and chanting a bit with some of your fellow demonstrators when, all of a sudden--bam! The cops slap the cuffs on you, with the intention of carting you off to the nearest police station. Meanwhile, your friends and family are at home completely clueless about your situation. T H E Enter I’m Getting Arrested, a creative Android app that, according to developer Quadrant 2, was inspired by a similar incident. It lets you quickly notify your family, friends, and crack legal team (if you have one) of your situation with a single tap of your finger. Just initially enter a custom message and some SMS-ready numbers to contact in the event of your arrest. Then, as you’re about to be corralled into the back of a squad car, fire the app up and long-press the bull’s-eye for 2 seconds. From there, you can rest assured that your message will be sent to the appropriate contacts. D E F I A N T S P I R I T From what we’ve seen, I’m Getting Arrested is straightforward and works exactly as described. Our only question is, why no Twitter or Facebook support? Considering we’re talking about a grassroots movement here, it just makes sense, no? Built-in social media would not only expand the app’s reach to potentially large numbers of friends and loved ones, but it would also serve as a bullhorn for rallying support after every arrest. I’m Getting Arrested is available for free download now in the Android Market. And for supporters of the Occupy Wall Street movement, you might want to download it before October 15. Just saying. http : / / G D C . I W W . O R G 13 Motions of the G.D.C. Steering Committee The following contains the passed and pending motions of the GDC’s Steering Committee and Central Secretary Treasurer. EZ-2011-04 I move that the General Defense Committee of the Industrial Workers of the World formally endorse the International July 31 Day of Action Against Fascism and Racism. Solidarity, Eric G E N E R A L D E F E N S E C O M M I T T E E ’ s Q U A R T E R L Y On July 31, 2010, militants and organizers across the U.S., Canada, and Europe participated in the International Day of Action Against Fascism and Racism. Please join us on July 31, 2011, as we collaborate again to struggle against white supremacists organizing in our communities. Who: Revolutionaries everywhere! What: Organizing events and actions against fascism and white supremacy! When: July 31, 2011! Where: Wherever you are! Why: To clean up the streets and take out the trash! On March 27, 2010, Luke Querner was shot while exiting a bar in downtown Portland, Oregon. While police investigation and local reporters initially played this off as gang-related violence, friends, family, and community members spoke up to let the truth be known: Luke was an anti-racist skinhead that organized against white supremacists in his community, and was in turn attacked by white supremacists in an effort to silence and intimidate anti-racist/anti-fascist organizers. Luke survived the shooting, which left him partially paralyzed. In response to the shooting, anti-fascists organized the July 31 Day of Action Against Fascism and Racism to publicly fight back. This occurred in the midst of a rise of racist far-right activity in the U.S., including Arizona’s racist SB1070 immigrant bill, Tea Party tax protests, and vigilante border patrols by neo-Nazis. We have chosen to put out a call to action again this year as a means of coordinating anti-fascist struggles. In 2010, we saw a variety of actions and efforts that reflected the diversity of the participating organizations, which included benefit shows, public events, protests, and public outings of white supremacists. Only by organizing against white supremacists and fascists can we protect ourselves from their violent attacks, and not by putting faith in the police and legal systems that enforce borders and criminalize People of Color. On July 31, 2011, join together with radical anti-fascists to take it to the streets and oppose racism and fascism in our communities. List of Endorsers Circle City Anti-Racist Action Four Star Anarchist Organization Gay Liberation Network South Side Chicago Anti-Racist Action Central Texas ABC Dirty Hands(Durango, CO) Arch City ARA General Defense Committee of the IWW PASSED - CB Y EZ Y SA Y T H E EZ-2011-05 Withdrawn EZ-2011-06 The General Defense Committee of the Industrial Workers of the World stand in solidarity with our brave brothers and sisters at Occupy Wall Street. We denounce and detest the intimidation, harassment, and brutality exhibited by the New York Police. The actions of the police lay bare the true nature of Wall Street and Capitalism. We call on all those that still retain a sense of humanity to show their support of the working class by refusing to engage in the brutal silencing of dissent. The only individuals who remain unaffected by the volatility of capitalism, globalization, and the stock market are those who are getting richer from furthering the disparity of all workers through calculated economic calamity. We support all of our brave fellow workers on the front lines of this occupation throughout the United States, and those like it across the world. We recognize that the true occupying forces are the wealthy ruling classes, their institutions, and the States that legitimize their power. The police and military forces that protect their masters wealth and power are just as guilty as their masters. Only by uniting as workers and standing together as a class, can we take back our streets and our workplaces. To find more information and join the IWW and GDC visit www.iww.org Donations can also be made to the General Defense 14 Committee at http://store.iww.org/gdc-donations.html. Solidarity Forever! Passed - CB Y EZ Y FS Y CB-2011-07 Approve new GDC delegate report passed - CB Y EZ Y SA Y CB-2011-08 Application Approve new GDC Local Charter PASSED - CB Y EZ Y SA Y CB-2011-09 Global Feminist Petition: Take Strauss-Kahn charges seriously Feminists Demand Freedom from Sexual Assault and Harassment We agree: Rape is always about power and domination; it is sexualized violence. Rape and sexual harassment of women are pervasive at all strata of society and in all corners of the globe. Women will never be fully free and able to enjoy equality with men until this ends. As feminists, we see the arrest of former International Monetary Fund director Dominique Strauss-Kahn on sexual assault charges as an opportunity to increase public awareness and as a wake-up call to renew action against sexual violence, not only in the US where his arrest occurred and in France, where media and many public figures are portraying him as the victim, but around the world. We join French feminists in saying that just as StraussKahn is innocent until proven guilty, his accuser must also be respected and believed to be credible unless proven false. We commend her employer, Sofitel, and the action of the NYC Police for taking her complaint seriously. We call for feminists around the world to join with her union (New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council Local 6) in collecting funds for legal and daily expenses, as her work is now curbed and life circumstances vastly altered. Contributions can be sent to Judson Memorial Church (attention Women’s Fund) 55 Washington Square South, New York, NY 10012-1018. We also share French feminist indignation at the deliberate and opportunistic confusion of seduction and sexual violence, from Strauss-Kahn’s declaration that he “loves women,” to the journalists and politicians who rally behind this “Great Seducer.” It is outrageous that the allegation of attempted rape during the course of a housekeeper’s work day raises issues about any woman’s life story and sexual history. And portraying powerful StraussKahn as “too civilized” to commit a violent crime plays upon colonial and racist stereotypes vis-à-vis an African immigrant woman. We adamantly oppose all harassment, sexual violence and rape, and we know that when there is a large discrepancy between the power, the wealth and racial hierarchy of the parties involved, justice is even harder to come by. All rapists and harassers believe they are entitled, and often when they are part of the power elite they assume that influence will outweigh the legal protection and freedom from coercion all women should enjoy. Feminists around the world demand that justice be done. Women of all countries, unite! The Bylaws Reform committee will accept recommendations from the membership, but will have final say on its recommendations. The recommendations from the Bylaws Reform committee will goto referendum to be voted on by the members of the General Defense Committee. SA-2011-05 Close Metro Lighting Defense Fund WHERE AS Metro Lighting was a campaign in the Bay Area, that the GeneralDefense Committee is still holding a Defense account for, WHERE AS Metro Lighting ceased to be a campaign in 2008 BE IT RESOLVED that the remaining $20(USD) in the Metro Lighting Fund be transfered to the Central Fund. PASSED - CB Y EZ Y SA Y SA-2011-06 Close October 22nd Defense Fund WHERE AS THE GDC has collected donations for The October 22nd Coalition to Stop Police Brutality, WHERE AS there is still $6(USD) in this fund, WHERE AS The October 22nd Coalition to Stop Police Brutality is unable to be reaches, as there email address ([email protected]) bounces, and there phone number (1-888-662-7882) goes immediately to a message “Thank You for Calling, Good Bye!” BE IT RESOLVED that the remaining funds in The October 22nd Coalition to Stop Police Brutality, be deposited into the Central Fund, AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all assessments sold in the future which were originally intended for The October 22nd Coalition to Stop Police Brutality, also be deposited into the Central Fund. passed - CB Y EZ Y SA Y SA-2011-07 Close Andrew Nellis Defense Fund WHERE AS Andrew Nellis is not a member is good standing, and has not been for over a year, WHERE AS the GDC has maintained a Defense Fund which contains $13 (USD), BE IT RESOLVED that the GDC close the Andrew Nellis Defense Fund and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the remaining $13 (USD) be transfered to the Central Defense Fund. passed - CB Y EZ Y SA Y SA-2011-08 Close All Defense Funds that are NOT Mason, Kappas, and Svoboda WHERE AS the only Defense Cases that have report to the CST are, Kappas, Mason, and Svoboda WHERE AS there are no funds earmarked for any defense fund excluding the one list above BE IT RESOLVED that the GDC official close all other Defense Cases that are not Kappas, Mason, and Svoboda passed - CB Y EZ Y SA Y SA-2011-09 Disperse Andrew Nellis Defense Funds WHERE AS the Andrew Nellis Defense Fund had $13(USD) WHERE AS Ottawa GDC Local 6 is still working on FW Nellis’s Defense BE IT RESOLVED that GDC Central Disperse $13(USD) to Ottawa GDC Local 6 for the purpose of the Andrew Nellis Defense Fund. passed - CB Y EZ Y SA Y CB-2011-10 Sttement against AFTRA members appearing in Target’s anti-union video SA-2011-10 Resolution to Convention BE IT RESOLVED that the following statement be sent to General Convention for ratification by the membership via referendum. All members of the Industrial Workers of the World, who are financially capable, should join the General Defense Committee. PASSED - CB Y EZ Y SA Y passed - CB Y EZ Y SA Y PASSED - CB Y EZ Y SA Y CB-2011-11 GDC Huffington Post PENDING Endorse NWU Boycott of SA-2011-04 Formation of a Bylaws Reform Committee WHERE AS the bylaws of the General Defense Committee are out date, e.g. mentions of General Assembly BE IT RESOLVED that the General Defense Steering Committee form a bylaws reform committee, to consist of three to five members, none of whom may be part of the Central Administration, to be appointed by the Central Administration. SA-2011-11 Remove from IWW Constitution Article III Section 5(h) WHERE AS the IWW Constitution Article III Section 5(h) conflict with IWW Bylaws Article II Section 4(c) BE IT RESOLVED that the General Defense Steering Committee Official petition the General Executive Board to send an amendment to General Convention to strike from the Constitution Article II Section 5(h) in its entirety to resolve this conflict. passed - CB Y EZ Y SA Y T H E D E F I A N T S P I R I T - http : / / G D C . I W W . O R G 15 “BUILDING THE RESISTANCE: T H E G E N E R A L D E F E N S E C O M M I T T E E ’ s Q U A R T E R L Y one by one, day by day.” defiantspirit IWW GDC PO Box 180195 Chicago, IL 60618 POSTAGE
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