[I originally posted this in chapotraphouse, but it was deleted for being “pro-cop” even though that very much wasn’t the case. (I believe PSL was actually involved in organizing the protest if I’m not mistaken.) The mod that deleted it openly broke the sectarian rule too.]
Been seeing a lot of people hating on what the protest marshals did during the pro-Gaza protests at the DNC and I feel they definitely did the right thing. Instigating stuff like going up against the cops under the guise of “revolutionary” action just gets a lot of people arrested and doesn’t accomplish anything.
EDIT: Users who were present at the protests have said, counter to what is claimed in the screenshot, that the protest marshals did NOT call for the police. Thank you for clearing this up, comrades!
Nah I’m with you. I’ve been at actions in the past where a faction of people start pushing for intense escalation in the heat of the moment, and it’s never sat right with me. What’s the desired outcome? Optics?
Pushing people who aren’t ready or trained in any way to risk getting brutalized by the cops (and then potentially felonies after it’s all said and done) for no real outcome seems stupid and adventurist, and that’s what this smells like to me. People getting the shit kicked out of them and facing charges will do a lot to de-activate them and the people around them, which is directly counterproductive.
It's a "do you believe in democratic centralism or not?" moment. Sometimes that is going to mean supporting an action even if you think the org should have gone another way.
Yeah I'm disappointed with some of the responses here. This action was obviously planned as a peaceful protest/march, and whether you agree with that tactic or not (I think we should be past that, but I'm not in Chicago), the time to push for escalation is long before the action is currently taking place. Otherwise you just needlessly endanger people (and there were people with children at this event, apparently), and it comes off as wrecker behavior. Again, what was to be gained materially in that moment by pushing for confrontation with the police? Some broken bones and some felony charges? Unserious behavior AND mindset.
It doesn't just come off as wrecking, it definionally is wrecking. We're talking:
If that's not wrecking, nothing is!
This is kind of the leftist version of the "dig the fucking coal" meme: if you are part of an org, you have to follow the party line. You have to have some level of discipline. You get democratic input in decisions, but once the decision is made you can't just say "fuck it I do what I want."
I'm also disappointed in the responses. This was organized with little Palestine, the largest enclave of Palestinian refugees in the country and was founded by literal Nakba survivors.
Oh yea I forgot the terminally online leftist dip shit knows better how to organize than the literal survivors of an ongoing genocide.
lucky me, i sure fuckin don't, and neither do most people. when you encounter someone who isn't bound by your binding resolutions and committees, are you always going to side with your enemy against them?
What was to be gained in that moment by escalating the action (which was billed as a peaceful protest/march) to direct confrontation with the police?
probably nothing. but measure it against what is to be lost by doing cop work for the cops.