THE RNC WAS A SUCCESS…
While the statement can be qualified in innumerable ways, let’s say it right from the start—the protests against the Republican National Convention (RNC) were a success for anarchists. Whether it be through the networking and connections made with anarchists all over the country, to collaborations on various RNC related projects, or the actions on the first day—which largely eclipsed the RNC and in so doing made good on our plan to “crash the convention”—we succeeded. Granted, it’s a small part of a much bigger struggle—as indicated in the call to action put out by the RNC Welcoming Committee over a year ago—we should be proud of what we accomplished on the streets—and we should take that energy back to our own communities and use it to build a stronger anarchist movement.
During the week of the RNC, we shared food and conversation. We became better friends and fighters as we dodged tear gas, pepper spray, and everything else the state threw at us. We blocked busses, built barricades, and locked down. We were flexible and fluid, adapting quickly to both changes in the RNC’s schedule and the actions on the street. We brought a coherent critique of capitalism to the permitted antiwar march and we marched with our allies in the March for Our Lives. We ducked down alleys and side streets to avoid arrests. We cheered when corporate and state property was destroyed. We danced in the streets. And, we supported—and will continue to support—our brothers and sisters who were arrested.
THE (A)MAZING BACKGROUND WORK…
The actions on the streets of St. Paul were the product of over a year and a half of organizing. Beginning with the “pReNC” gathering in August of 2007, anarchists and anti-authoritarians from around the country decided that a primary goal of the RNC protests was going to be shutting down the conventions. While “the usual suspects”—progressives, liberals, and various socialists groups organized yet another permitted march—anarchists were clear from the start that it was long past time to take a more direct approach to fighting the systems of oppression that owe their existence—in part—to the two major political parties and the system that they represent. A call was put out to anarchist groups from around the country to participate in blockading the convention, and for the better part of a year, anarchists dedicated a lot of time to doing outreach and revising the strategy via a series of gatherings around the country.
Eventually, downtown St. Paul was carved up into seven different “sectors” and groups from around the country stepped up and coordinated activity in their respective “sectors.” The model worked well and helped assure that when the police attempted to destabilize the plans via a series of raids and targeted arrests, plans were able to go through relatively unchanged.
Aside from the extensive work put into providing the infrastructure for a decentralized and militant protest aimed at shutting down the RNC, there was an equally important amount of work put into providing logistical support for the protests. The RNC Welcoming Committee opened a “convergence center” to coordinate plans and hold trainings—while also coordinating housing throughout the Twin Cities for protestors. The Coldsnap Legal Collective coordinated legal support and made sure that when folks were released from jail, there were folks there to greet them. The Tin Can Comms Collective developed an innovative communications system for coordinating the protests. Seeds of Peace and Food Not Bombs provided two meals per day for protestors and frequently were in the streets—whether it was delivering meals during protests or feeding people after they were released from jail. The bike collective also played an important role in giving protestors an easy way to get around the cities.
Moreover, no matter how frustrating the long meetings were in the weeks before and during the mobilization were, they show the power of anarchist organizing models and speak volumes to both what we can accomplish now and in the future.
IT WASN’T ALL ROSY…
Of course, not everything turned out how we thought it would. We honestly believed that we had a shot at shutting down or at the very least delaying the convention, but upon arriving in town, we quickly realized that wasn’t going to happen. We were disappointed that despite a year of outreach, most people seemed to come to the Twin Cities without solid plans to blockade the streets. It seems that most folks wanted to be “mobile” and had only loose plans centered on creating temporary blockades built by found objects or reacting to the actions of the police. Looking back on the RNC, it becomes apparent how important the words “diversity of tactics” are not only in assuring a respect for a variety of forms of resistance, but also in assuring that a variety of tactics are used. When it simply becomes a code word for black bloc style mobile tactics, its power is unnecessarily limited.
Aside from the lack of plans for blockades, our effectiveness was also hampered by the turn out. Some of the seven sectors had nowhere near the numbers that were needed—we’re talking as low as thirty people—and courageous as people’s actions were at times, there was no way we could hold the streets on September 1. Our numbers were also not bolstered much by the simultaneous antiwar march, as its organizers way overestimated their numbers. We feel it is important to admit that many folks—our group included—made a mistake in believing that this march would attract a far larger number of folks than it did. The mobilization probably would have benefited from a well-publicized (at least locally in the Twin Cities, perhaps regionally) direct action that gave folks upset with the two-party system an easier way to plug into the direct action strategy. We were disappointed that the Twin Cities weren’t covered in posters inviting people to help shut down the RNC.
HERE AT HOME…
While ACTIVATE gained a lot on the streets of St. Paul and in the year leading up to the RNC, those gains are only tangible if we can bring them back to our local community. We put a lot of work into the RNC—we hosted consultas, did outreach, did presentations, did trainings, and recruited folks to go to the RNC—all of which we believe qualify as a success. We established a good amount of “buzz” around the RNC—certainly more than any previous convergence—and used the RNC to expand the capacity of our group, and hopefully, the capacity of other radicals in our city. Moreover, the RNC helped us advance a critique of electoral politics and sharpened our own group’s political focus.
INSPIRATION FOR FUTURE ACTION…
As folks settle back into their local communities, we think there is a lot that can be taken from the RNC and we hope that the energy is put to good use. There’s still time for anti-election work, and with all of the networking around the RNC, there are plenty of opportunities to connect up with other anarchist groups in your region or across the country to share ideas and propaganda and to build stronger political analyses. Similarly, as the Democrats and Republicans continue to show their irrelevance, there are numerous opportunities for anarchists to take the initiative and make concrete gains. Alternatives to the current system as well as mainstream activism are needed—and it is up to anarchists to provide these.
As for lessons from the RNC, there is a lot that we can learn. We should constantly critique our strategies and refine our tactics. Similarly, we should be renewing them as well. While we were down in numbers and our initial plans were not carried out to their fullest extent, we should recognize that learning from our past and rekindling empowering moments can strengthen us and make us grow. We can dwell on what should we should have done better—and that has its place—but we can also retell stories from St. Paul with excitement for future actions, both in our local communities and in far away places.
TO THE TWIN CITIES…
We will never forget our friends in the Twin Cities and the hospitality of your community. We thank you once again for inviting us into your city–we can only hope our collective actions made you proud.
TO THE FUTURE…
Late in the afternoon on September 1st—when the sun was beating down on us and our feet were swollen and tired—many of us met up for a high-energy re-convergence in downtown Saint Paul.
A wagon blaring music through a sound system wheeled around while newspaper boxes and street signs were dragged across the pavement into the intersection. A bus—possibly containing delegates—was stopped. People were dancing and singing and police were surrounding, yet we didn’t stop. Our songs drowned out the swooshing helicopter blades from above and for a moment we were unstoppable. Though this moment was not what many of us envisioned in our planning, it was one that charged us with enough energy to resist every oppressive system that had brought us to St. Paul.
When we hear stories, recollect memories, or see pictures or film filled with people, fists clenched and raised, mouths open and loud, in the streets, chanting, arms linked, banners held, energy radiating from every individual, we yearn to jump in to that scene and either relive it—or improve it.
From Seattle to Miami, there are moments that could have been different and there are others that could never be changed. When we reflect on what happened in St. Paul, we should recount our victories and in the effort to continue to fight, let’s conclude these reflections with looking into our future and continuing what we’ve always created.
For many moments to come, it is likely that we will continue to dodge rubber bullets, taste tear gas, and run like hell, and while some may believe the corporate media and think we are simply trying to make history—we will tell them that we are simply trying to make a future.
From St. Paul to Grand Rapids, with Love and Rage,
- ACTIVATE