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Title: Learning From Portland Author: Black Flag Catalyst Date: 7/16/2020 Language: en Topics: Portland, Oregon, Fascism, fascist, praxis, affinity groups, organizing Source: Retrieved on 2020-07-18 from https://cryptpad.fr/pad/#/3/pad/view/d1944e29c4e94f91e138272b6930e074/
My city: Portland, Oregon is currently under siege from an occupying
force. Make no mistake in assuming the state will hesitate to occupy
other cities with their militant, violent force, for less than
reasonable reason(s). It’s spread to Columbus, Ohio, and Miami. We
learned from Standing Rock, the state uses protests as a testing ground
for what they can do at other protests.
When it happens, please take into account the following lessons I’ve
learned from nights of protest interacting with federal agents and
police:
Federal agents in Portland, Oregon drove around in unmarked vans,
randomly selecting people to abduct, arrest, and search. The majority of
these vans are black, grey, or white. They all seem to be rentals given
the majority of their plates being out-of-state. Feds seem to have a
particular affinity for GMC Yukons and Chrysler Pacificas, though
there’s no reason for them to stick with just those cars and that may
change.
Typically they drive around for the block for a bit, seemingly looking
for someone to take. A general criteria might include: Being alone,
doing something supposedly “illegal” (like standing too close to a
federal building or a statue), looking “suspicious” or vulnerable (being
Black, femme, dressed in black bloc, etc.), not being near a camera or
journalist, not being near a National Lawyers Guild volunteer, or being
somewhere nearby the road or a parking lot so they don’t have to stray
too far from their car. These are just assumptions from the author. The
actual criteria may be much longer, or much shorter.
After they’ve decided on someone to take in, they stop their car as
close to the person as possible, and a group of them piles out of the
van. They approach the person without making any statements, grab them,
and drag them into the van without identifying themselves, why the
person is being abducted, and without even handcuffing the person
they’re arresting. They drag them as quickly as possible and seem to get
nervous around having their face shown.
Once in the car, victims of abduction have recalled being, quote:
“blinded” (using the victims clothing as a blindfold), and their
belongings are searched. One victim said that the feds looked through
his belongings and in frustration of finding no physical evidence to
justify escalation or arrest exclaimed: “this is a whole lot of
nothing.” The victim was then driven around downtown and dropped off at
a prison cell, where he was shortly released upon refusing to answer the
cops questions. Snatch vans also may serve to rattle and demoralize the
individual as well as the group more though that seems secondary to
searching people(s) bags and such.
Form an affinity group. An affinity group is a group of friends or
trusted people who you protest alongside with rather than protesting
individually. At all times stay with your affinity group. Do not go out
alone unless it’s completely impossible to form one or absolutely
necessary. If you can’t find an affinity group, you see someone without
an affinity group, or you lose your group, stand nearby to them. Take
care of each other as much as possible. When vans which may be federal
agents arrive, stay tight. Stand nearby to each other and hold the line.
Stand nearby to NLG (National Lawyers Guild) volunteers. Typically
identifiable by shirts/hats showing off that they’re here to watch over
the protests and watch police/federal action.
Police and federal agents have deemed anyone dressed in black bloc to be
a “violent anarchist” and will use it as justification for arrest and
abuse. Perhaps, (if it can be coordinated in your area) it’s time to
leave black bloc behind in favour of boring bloc. Dress in something
like grey hoodies, blue jeans, black shoes. Continue the point of black
bloc of confusing police and blending into a crowd, but change out black
bloc’s aesthetic. When in black bloc, or boring bloc, do not stand where
you’re the only one dressed in such a way. Stand by your comrades also
disguising themselves.
Do not unnecessarily carry anything incriminating on your person, unless
absolutely necessary for your survival. These will be found if arrested
and used as justification for your abduction.
Identify snatch vans. Any car you see driving around with federal agents
inside can be assumed to be one. Take down the type of car, the color of
the car, the license plate number, and where the license plate is from.
Make a list of them like the one I’ve put below and distribute it as
much as possible. Spread awareness of affinity groups and of cars to
especially look out for. If you see a car which has been identified as a
snatch van near you, leave the area and head to another area of protest.
Federal agents and police together have been seen brutalizing bystanders
or protesters simply passing by, aimed and fired their supposedly
“less-lethal” rounds not only at people, but at people’s heads (which
can, one-hundred percent kill someone), and drawn their guns due to them
being fucking pussies and getting scared when people heckled them.
On July 16^(th), at 12 AM on the dot and almost exactly one hour after
(implying it may be preplanned), federal agents (without any warning or
demands) unleashed an ungodly amount of tear gas and pepper balls
alongside the police. Federal agents used a fuck-ton of their typical
unlimited munitions, and police, alongside the federal agents used
what’s called a gas ladle. A long stick with a bucket on the end, that
when lit can let off even more CS tear gas than bombs. Furthermore, feds
explicitly use CS tear gas, which is much stronger than its softer
brother which police forces typically use to quell uprisings.
On the night prior to that, federal agents unleashed “ninebangs” a type
of stun grenade (also known as a flashbang) designed to go off multiple
times continuously. These aren’t just dangerous for the same reasons
your typical flashbangs are, but because under wet conditions (like the
rain that the Pacific Northwest is really well known for) they can
explode releasing projectiles and shrapnel in the same way any typical
shrapnel grenade does.
Federal agents and police also worked together to “kettle” protesters.
Trapping them on all four sides with fencing, police vans, and federal
agents. This, given federal agents’ ability to kill and brutalize with
no repercussion, is an extremely dangerous situation, especially given
federal agents, (according to the executive order signed by the
president), have the ability to fire live rounds on protesters seen
tampering with federal property, or with statues. They’ve shown
themselves to jump at the chance to beat up on protesters, we don’t
place murder above them.
Federal agents had at least one sniper nest on top of the justice
center. It’s unclear if this sniper had live-rounds or pepper balls, or
tear gas, etc. what is known is that it’s really dangerous. Federal
agents demonstrated to have at least one military drone. These drones
serve to moniter or watch crowds, and can be dangerous if falling out of
the sky or if flying towards someone.
On the night of July 16^(th), there were at least two protests in
Portland. One at the MCSO, (Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office) and one
at the jc (justice center). Nights prior most protests had occurred at
the jc, as a result almost all of the police presence was at the jc, and
no federal presence was at the MCSO. Only ten police stood at MCSO
initially. Further, the decision to protest at MCSO was made on the spot
of the protest. A speaker asked the crowd what we wanted to do and we
proceeded to have a group discussion, meaning police and feds couldn’t
have known where we were going until the last second. Comparatively, the
protest at MCSO had much, much greater success than the one at the jc
due to limited police presence.
One thing which may make snap decisions like this easier are apps such
as bridgify, an app serving as a walkie talkie for anyone nearby to you.
Also, airdrop information on where the protests are going. Generally,
spread information in such a way such that police and federal agents
can’t find it.
Further, MCSO is located in a white, rich neighborhood. Police there
weren’t even wearing gas masks because they weren’t willing to tear gas
in a white, rich neighborhood. Instead they bull rushed the crowd, still
dangerous, but a lot better than breathing in more gas. Organize in
areas like this as much as possible. Take the fight to them.
Do not stand in areas such as an intersection where federal agents and
police can block off every route of your escape. Do not stand still on
two-way streets waiting for both sides to be cut off by police. Stand in
areas with both mobility, and the ability to quickly leave when it seems
police are trying to kettle you. Do not ever, needlessly stand still
just waiting to be brutalized and for no other reason. Only temporarily
stay static, the protest can’t be a solid object, it has to blob around
the city as much as possible.
Federal munitions like tear gas can cover large areas and they can pull
from their unlimited supply of it as much as they like. Because of this,
“staying together,” and “staying tight” just means everyone gets gassed.
Instead, be able to split and spread apart in certain situations, (such
as when running from feds shooting tear gas) and stay tight in others
(when forming back together after running, when forming a line, when you
see snatch vans or police/feds moving in to arrest someone, etc.)
This means being coordinated and controlled. This means keep protests
united. No cop-jacketing, (assuming another person to be a cop with no
evidence) no infighting, and kicking out anyone who’s there to stir shit
up. We’re all in this together, comrades.
Feds fire without rhyme, reason, or demand. They’ll fire from two feet
in front of you, from buildings across the street, or from across the
park. They’re always ready and itching to brutalize, and unlike police
they haven’t had fifty days tiring them out.
We know feds have at least one federal agent in a sniper’s nest. We also
know police and federal agents are big fans of roof cops. We also also
know police and federal agents like to shine bright, blinding lights on
protesters, and protesters have our own bright, blinding light and laser
pointers.
Regarding snipers and roof cops, one very effective strategy might be to
blind them with bright lights and laser pointers, which we have. We’ve
also made reflective shields using tin-foil and other reflective
surfaces which we’ve used to shine the feds lights back at them. Not
only is this good for roof cops, but blinding on-the-ground federal
agents obviously can help with fucking up their aim.
Furthermore, you may find lights useful for blinding drones which are
monitering the crowd, and for blinding cameras which are recording
people’s faces, clothing, and especially shoes.
Do not needlessly give the feds any excuses to brutalize you. They will
immediately jump on it. I’m not telling you not to fuck with statues.
I’m telling you to be careful which ones you fuck with. Your actions
determine the entire crowd’s safety. Again, do not do anything which
might break the rules in the executive order signed by the president,
giving permission to federal agents to fire live rounds into the crowd.
Undoubtedly federal agents will use any excuse possible to brutalize and
murder. Do not needlessly give them one.
Also though, keep in mind federal agents will literally make up excuses
and justifications. For example, they claim on the 16^(th) there were
“violent anarchists” tagging buildings. Not one credible journalist has
reported on that though. Not one protester I’ve spoken to has seen it
happen.
This should go without saying, but your average teenager in black bloc
will get our shit smashed in by feds. As stated above, the point should
be to lure them out, to run around, to waste their time, and to
out-smart them. We cannot out-force them without our own militias.
That’s a legitimate possibility at this point, but outside of that,
don’t engage with them.
Don’t be fooled by copaganda and attempts to distance themselves from
homeland security, police and federal agents are one in the same. They
might pose for pictures separately, but they march together. They work
together. Any sign of police is a sign of federal agents, and vice
versa.
Portland has seen fifty continuous nights of protests and uprisings.
Over this time I can confidently say I’ve grown much more confident in
fucking with the cops. This has led to a more than significant
confidence boost, and I feel almost worryingly happy to see police.
Don’t be fooled though, just because feds and police are part of the
same oppressive state force, doesn’t mean feds will go as light as the
police. Federal agents will abuse you. Come into it with the
understanding you might get the shit beat out of you tonight if you
aren’t overly careful.
The Black Flag Catalyst Protest Guide v1.2
FUCK THE PIGS
ALL POWER TO THE PEOPLE