Resisting Death: a report back and analysis of the current anti-police rebellion
This account focuses mostly on the first three days and nights (September 15-17) of the response to the not-guilty verdict in the murder of Anthony Lamar Smith and is the perspective of one participant Friday, September 15th Downtown Not guilty. It makes sense; most of us knew what was going to happen. It doesn’t surprise […]
Letter From A White Participant in the Stockley Verdict Demos
(submitted to antistatestl) also can be found at: https://www.reddit.com/r/StLouis/comments/70m6hv/stockley_verdict_protests_megathread/dng0db6/ and https://pastebin.com/dznAL3ci For the most part, I’d rather hear what people of color have to say about the Stockley verdict and ensuing protests, […]
Bail Fund for those Arrested after the Stockley Verdict
DONATE to the St. Louis Legal fund HERE. This fund is controlled by the St. Louis National Lawyers Guild. Antistatestl has nothing to do with the money and is only serving to spread the link to other circles. The last three days have seen fierce resistance from folks in St. Louis in response to the […]
Act Three: The Imminent Stockley Verdict
“Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it” The tension mounting in the city is all too familiar, with politicians calling for peace, the federal courthouse scheduled to be closed tomorrow, and the Missouri National Guard on standby. Governor Greitens has been afoot, meeting with area clergy and holding a press conference […]
“It will be a lot like Ferguson.” Awaiting the Verdict of Killer Cop Jason Stockley
(submitted to antistatestl) The Murder of Anthony Smith SLMPD Officer Jason Stockley, a military veteran who served a tour in Iraq during the height of the war, murdered Anthony Lamar Smith on December 20th, 2011 on the north side of St. Louis City. Stockley believed Smith was engaged in a drug deal in the parking […]
The Workhouse is the Poorhouse: 7/21 & 7/22 Noise Demos
Donate here to help those arrested over the weekend at the Workhouse. St Louis, you never cease to amaze and surprise me. Like on Friday night when three hundred beautiful, brave, rowdy people showed up to a noise demo at the Hall St Workhouse and pushed hard enough to breach the perimeter fence surrounding the […]
Ferguson Prisoner Steve Martin Sentenced
Here’s a submitted account/update/thoughts on a Ferguson prisoner who was just sentenced. You can write to Steve at: Steven Martin #01141003 // E.R.D.C.C, 2727 HWY K, Bonne Terre, MO 63628 For more info on how to write other Ferguson prisoners please go here! “Steve Martin got picked up during the Ferguson uprising in 2014. He […]
Justice for Isaiah ‘Vinney’ Hammett!
To donate to Isaiah’s funeral fund, please go here! Isaiah Hammett was murdered by St Louis City police officers on June 7th during a SWAT raid. Missouri is a state that paradoxically has both a castle doctrine (you have the right to defend your home from known and unknown intruders) and also allows for no-knock […]
The Management of Poverty: Larry Rice, the City and Capitalism
submitted by a reader who was there during the eviction of NLEC On April 2nd, 2017, the New Life Evangelistic Center (NLEC), a homeless shelter, ministry, and television station was forced to close down by the city after years of back and forth resistance. The shelter is the only one in the city that allows […]
Donate to the Legal Fund for Ferguson Mart Protestors!
Donate here Last night, March 12, at a demonstration in response to a newly released video of Mike Brown that challenges the bullshit narrative the police rolled out in August 2014, protestors near Ferguson Market & Liquor were charged at by police officers and tackled. At least four were arrested and some were injured. One […]
Spring Prisoner Newsletter // DC Anti-Inauguration Reportback, Vaughn Rebellion and Letters
Some folks in STL recently sent out a new prisoner newsletter. Contents include some thoughts on the Alt-right, white supremacy and Trump, a never before seen firsthand account of the J/20 DC anti-inauguration riot, information about the Vaughn Rebellion and some prisoner letters in response to the last newsletter. Follow this link to see it […]
2/25 reportback from LGBTQIA March + Rally
On Saturday, February 25 there was a fierce LGBTQIA march in downtown St. Louis. We gathered in response to Trump and new Missouri legislation targeting queer and trans folks, specifically trans youth and where they may or may not use the bathroom. But there are many other reasons that brought us out that go […]
Robert is Getting Out! Help Him Get Back on His Feet!
To donate, click this link: https://www.youcaring.com/1312robertstephenson Help us help Robert Stephenson get back on his feet after spending time in prison for his support and action during the Ferguson Rebellion. As anyone knows who has ever been to prison, it can be hard to get back on your feet without a little help. Especially with […]
Strike Reportback & News for Prisoners
For years now, various people have come together seeking to communicate with subversive prisoners in Missouri and surrounding states through the use of publications such as hotsheets and newsletters. While this has looked many different ways with varying groupings of intentional outside collectivity through the years, we keep trying to maintain correspondence with prison rebels. […]
Prisons and Jails are for Burning: September 9th Noise Demo
(Real quick announcement! Please donate funds to help Atlanta comrades who suffered police repression during their solidarity demo!) St. Louis, MO: Around dusk, 50 people gathered at Hickey Park and marched to the Hall Street detention center in solidarity with the nation-wide prisoner strike. Banners were unfurled. “Prisons are for burning,” “Let the crops rot, […]
Sept 1st: Abolish Prisons! A information and movie night about the upcoming Sept. 9th national prison strike!
Reposted from a Facebook event: On September 1st, let’s get together to discuss the upcoming National Prisoner Strike on the 9th at Love Bank Park! There is already a planned noise demonstration at the St. Louis City Work House on the 9th, so this event will give us an opportunity to eat together, prepare and […]
September 9th Nationwide Prisoner Strike Poster
Here is a poster (11×17) for the upcoming nationwide prisoner strike on September 9th. Download, print and put it up around your city if you feel it. There is a grayscale version here as well as a version in French here. For more information about the strike and the ongoing wave of prison rebellions across […]
Recent Holman Riots // Prisoner Hotsheet
Some folks in St. Louis recently sent out this hotsheet to over 300 contacts in Missouri and surrounding states. In hopes of spreading the rebellions, feel free to print it and mail it to prisoners near you. Let prisoners on the inside know more about what has been erupting out of an Alabama prison. There […]
Write to Josh!
Josh was transferred today to the Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre, Missouri. He will be held there for an undetermined amount of time before being transferred to a more long term facility. Josh has expressed that he would like to receive letters, so please take a moment to drop him a […]
Reportback from Josh’s Sentencing
The court room was certainly packed. It was full to capacity, with a number of people waiting outside the courtroom doors. Our phones were taken as we entered, a strict manifestation of the “no cellphones in court” rule, probably because there were so many of us (and maybe because so many of the people entering […]
Missouri Prison Newsletter #10
Issue #10, December 2015 The Missouri Prison Newsletter is distributed to (about 275) people in prisons across the U.S., but focusing on those incarcerated in Missouri and Illinois. The previous eight issues are available here: Issue #1, January-February 2014 Issue #2, February-March 2014 Issue #3, March-April 2014 Issue #4, April-May 2014 Issue #5, May-June 2014 […]
Pack the Courtroom for Josh’s Sentencing
Pack the Courtroom for Josh’s sentencing hearing Thursday, December 10th, 1:30pm Courts Building, 3rd Floor 105 South Central Avenue Clayton, MO 63105 Josh Williams, a 19-year-old rebel and a staple of the fight against racism and police terror in Ferguson and St. Louis will be sentenced on December 10th on charges associated with a demonstration […]
An Account of the Recent Rebellion at Donaldson Correctional Facility in Bessemer, Alabama
On September 9th, 2015, after days of lockdown and other unusual restrictions on their movement, inmates at Donaldson Correctional Facility in Bessemer, Alabama, rushed the unlocked door of the dining hall en-masse and occupied it before taking over the common area of the dormitory and refusing to lock down. The prison had been placed on […]
Missouri Prison Newsletter #9
Issue #9, October-November 2015 The Missouri Prison Newsletter is distributed to (about 230) people in prisons across the U.S., but focusing on those incarcerated in Missouri and Illinois. The previous eight issues are available here: Issue #1, January-February 2014 Issue #2, February-March 2014 Issue #3, March-April 2014 Issue #4, April-May 2014 Issue #5, May-June 2014 […]
Update from Menard Hunger Strikers
The hunger strike at Menard Correctional Center lasted 6 days, from September 23-September 28. Twenty-one prisoners participated. It seems like the administration has begun to cave to some of the strikers’ demands. The disciplinary reports filed during the strike have all been cleared from the prisoners’ records. However, they are still facing some amount of […]
Noise Demonstration in Solidarity with Hunger Strike at Menard Correctional in Illinois
On September 23rd, prisoners in the administrative detention unit at Menard Correctional Center in Chester, Illinois declared a hunger strike in response to the administration’s continued unwillingness to respond to their demands for relief from their conditions of long-term solitary confinement. See below for their list of demands and description of their conditions. This strike […]
8.19.15: The police kill again in St. Louis. Some accounts and thoughts on what happened in response
On Wednesday, August 19, 2015 at 11:30 a.m., St. Louis Police shot and killed 18-year-old Mansur “Man-Man” Ball-Bey. Within hours the police had been shouted off the block and by nightfall tear gas and fires dotted the neighborhood. August 19th marked the one-year anniversary of police shooting and killing Kajeme Powell. A march was held […]
Another Word for White Ally is Coward
Fear. Fear is real. There are times when fear should be listened to. Like when shots ring out and fear tells you to duck and run. There are other times when fear needs to be pushed through. We leave it […]
Survivor Speaks Out on Rafael Hernandez, Running for 12th Ward Alderman
This article contains an account of sexual assault that some might find upsetting to read. From Rafaelhernandezisarapist.noblogs.org You can read the police report of this incident here. St. Louis, MO – Survivor Monica*1 wants people to know that Rafael Hernandez who’s running for the 12th Ward Alderman attempted to rape her while she was closing […]
Beyond Innocence: On Recent Police Murders in and Around St. Louis
LeDarius Williams was shot and killed by St. Louis police on Tuesday afternoon. Shortly after, around sixty people gathered in the neighborhood where the shooting occurred. Through tears his mother cried, “People need to stand up. This shit is just gonna keep happening.” The crowd dispersed after a couple hours. As usual, the next day […]
The Dirt: Issue #1
The Dirt is a new print anarchist publication that takes on the prison-industrial complex and works to dig up “the dirt” on the powerful people who benefit from it. Also featuring a variety of news and resources of interest to anarchists, prisoner writings, and tips and info on techno-security. From the first issue: “Hello! We […]
Online Resources for Anyone Disillusioned with Ferguson “Movement”
For everyone who participated in the Ferguson unrest, we all have our unique experiences. And at some point, either on Day 1 or Day 101, we all inevitably ran up against some internal force that sought to limit the creativity and explosiveness of the moment, mirroring the actions and words of the State and business […]
Inanimate Objects and Human Bodies
The following is an excerpt from the zine One Four Seven: Some Notes on Tactics and Strategy from Durham’s Recent Anti-Police Marches. On Friday, December 5th protesters in Durham, NC took over the Durham Freeway (Rt 147). What follows is a reflection on the tactic used there of pulling objects into the streets to aid in […]
Berkeley, MO // December 23, 2014
A line forty or fifty cops long blocked the Mobil parking lot in Berkeley, MO where Antonio Martin had been shot and killed several hours earlier. It was chilling to see his body still lying covered on the ground when we got there. The horror, loss and pain felt palpable watching his body placed on […]
What’s Worked in the Past: Learning From Ferguson
Download a PDF of this article here. From Counter Punch /by Peter Gelderloos The announcement of the non-indictment of Darren Wilson caught me on the road, traveling to visit family for the Thanksgiving holiday. The next day I found myself in a protest, one of over a hundred occurring across the country. There I witnessed […]
Live Streamers Make Great Informants
From We Cop Watch There are many ways to effectively document the movement while protecting the space, its movements and people’s privacy. Live Streaming is generally NOT one of them. A common issue with Streamers is their display of entitlement, often citing the value of bringing the movement to the people. But Streamers have a […]
In Defense of Looting
From: The New Inquiry As protests in Ferguson continued unabated one week after the police killing of Michael Brown, Jr., zones of Twitter and the left media predominantly sympathetic to the protesters began angrily criticizing looters. Some claimed that white protesters were the ones doing all of the looting and property destruction, while others worried […]
Donations Needed to Bail and Legal Fund as Ferguson and St. Louis Erupt
As rebellion erupts once again in Ferguson as well as in St. Louis City, funds are urgently needed to support the rebels arrested. Initial reports suggest at least 61 people were arrested last night, and we expect the actual number is higher and will to continue to grow as the week unfolds. Please spread the […]
The Police Serve, Young People Die…An Open Letter on Calls for “Peace” in Response to Police Murder
The letter that follows was written by Farid El Yamni, the brother of Wissam El Yamni, murdered by the police in Paris, France on New Year’s Day 2012, and is addressed to the mother of Rémi Fraisse, murdered by police during a protest in France on October 31st of this year. He wanted it to […]
ZAD calls out for international day against police on November 22nd
The ZAD is a long-term occupation in France of people struggling against the construction of an airport. For years, people living on the ZAD have been battling the police who try to evict them from the land and crush their demonstrations. On October 26th, the police killed a protester, Rémi Fraisse, by shooting him in […]
Act Two: St. Louis Erupts After Another Police Murder
Just after dusk on Wednesday night in St. Louis, a cop killed 18 year-old Vonderitt “Drew” Myers. This is the third incident of cops killing black men in two months – sadly this is not above average. What is above average, though, is people’s response to it. Like Mike Brown, there has been debate about […]
A Timeline of the Ferguson Uprising
Saturday 8/9/14 – Michael Brown is shot and killed by police officer Darren Wilson. Brown was walking home from a convenience store to his grandma’s house, when the officer stopped him for jaywalking and a scuffle ensued. Witnesses say that the officer shot Brown as he fled with his hands up in surrender. A crowd […]
Accomplices Wanted: A few notes on race, legitimacy, and solidarity with the struggle in Ferguson
From Prison Books Collective On August 9th, a white police officer murdered an unarmed Black teenager named Michael Brown (“Mike-Mike”) on the streets of Ferguson, MO, a couple miles north of St. Louis. Nothing about this was abnormal or newsworthy in any way; it was simply another reminder of the cheapness of poor Black life […]
Support from the ZAD in Notre-Dame-Des-Landes to Ferguson
The following is a statement of support from the ZAD (Zone À Défendre, the zone to be defended) to those fighting back in Ferguson. The ZAD is “an ongoing occupation in countryside close to Nantes in France which according to the decision-makers should make way for an international aiport.” Texts and annoucements from the ZAD […]
A Zine, Some Posters, and Two Interviews
New poster to raise money for those arrested in Ferguson. From Corina Dross A new poster, by artist Corina Dross, about the uprisings in Ferguson is being sold to raise money for the bail and legal fund for those arrested. A Zine and Two posters from Ferguson and Further From Ferguson and Further Also, a […]
Ferguson. Over one week in.
What began as a protest movement after 10 days of sustained defiance, has taken a couple shaky steps towards revolt. The situation here is still fluid and ripe with potential. Locally, people are surprised that similar unrest hasn’t sparked off in other cities. If it were to spread, the scope here would likely widen. It’s […]
Let Us Not Become Police, Let Us Not Become Sheep
1. What happened to Mike Brown is a tragedy that can’t be put into words. A less spoken tragedy is that it’s the day to day reality for so many of us–especially those of us who are young, who are people of color, who don’t fit the cops’ idea of an acceptable, law abiding citizen. […]
New Bail and Legal Fund Established
A new bail and legal fund has been established to support the people who have been arrested during the anti-police demonstrations in Ferguson, Mo. The other account had to be closed for tax reasons, but a new account has been quickly set up. Please spread the word widely and help us get some money together […]
An Eye for an Eye Makes Our Masters Blind: One Account of Last Night’s Anti-Police Riot
“City—fuck ’em Narcotics—fuck ’em Feds—fuck ’em D.A.—fuck ’em” On the afternoon of Saturday, August 9th, 2014 an 18 year old, unarmed teenager named Mike “Mike Mike” Brown was murdered by a Ferguson Police Department cop. He was shot in the back and the head, as he knelt on the street with his hands in […]
Bail and Legal Fund for Those Arrested During Ferguson Anti-Police Demonstrations
A bail and legal fund has been established to support the 43 or so people who have been arrested during the anti-police demonstrations in Ferguson, Mo. Please spread the word widely and help us get some money together to get these people out.Also, we are looking for information on who was arrested so we can […]
A RUDE INTRODUCTION TO C0MpUTER SECURITY
//:2PM///:sATURDAY//:jULY26//:@bLACK.bEAR.bAKERY In this workshop we’ll discuss some concepts and philosophy of security followed by a basic introduction on how use TAILS (moar infos tails.boum.org) This workshop will be geared toward radicals for the purposes of combatting and evading repression. Things to bring: A laptop if you have one and a flash drive if you have […]
A DISGUSTING SIGN MADE BEAUTIFUL: Thoughts on panhandling, homelessness and the city and media’s response to recent vandalism.
Over the last week or so, stickers have appeared around town defacing anti-panhandling signs. They’ve brought the issues of panhandling, the city’s treatment of the homeless and vandalism back into people’s mouths. The media, the city and managers of the homeless have responded with predictable outrage and disappointment (hoping others will as well): “How could […]
Missouri Prison Newsletter #5
Issue #5, May-June 2014 The Missouri Prison Newsletter is distributed to (about 150) people in prisons across the U.S., but focusing on those incarcerated in Missouri and Illinois. It contains history of local prison rebellions, poetry, excerpts from zines available through the associated zine distro, and original content directed toward building affinity with those inside, […]
A View of Climate Change and Student Debt from the Sit-in at Washington University
The student sit-in at Washington University challenging Peabody Energy’s presence there is now over after 17 days. In the five-and-a-half years as a chemical engineering graduate student that I spent at that university there is nothing that I can compare the sit-in to. As a continuation of years of ongoing work that preceded it around […]
Despite Retaliation, Menard Inmate Urges Further Solidarity
The following is a letter from one inmate at the High Security Unit (HSU) at Menard Correctional, encouraging continued acts of solidarity despite retaliation. I am sorry to report that the guys here at Menard, HSU have again been subjected to oppressive, retaliatory acts at the hands of these evil, sadistic pigs. On April 12, […]
Call-In Day Monday April 28th In Support of Menard Hunger Strikers
On this upcoming Monday, April 28th we are asking and encouraging people to participate in a Call-In Day in support of the prisoners in the High Security Unit at Menard Correctional Center in Illinois who are facing retaliation for engaging in a hunger strike in January. Prisoners there have been beaten by guards and metal […]
Retaliation Against Hunger Strikers at Menard–Windows Blocked, Strikers Beaten
The following consists of excerpts, lightly edited by Alice Lynd, from letters by eight men in Administrative Detention at the Menard Correctional Center in Illinois, dated April 12-14, 2014. Windows covered On the morning of Saturday, April 12, 2014, maintenance workers drilled big metal boxes on the outside of our windows. We can no longer […]
Missouri Prison Newsletter #4
Issue #4, April-May 2014 The Missouri Prison Newsletter is distributed to (about 120) people in prisons across the U.S., but focusing on those incarcerated in Missouri and Illinois. It contains history of local prison rebellions, poetry, excerpts from zines available through the associated zine distro, and original content directed toward building affinity with those inside, […]
Potosi Prison Guards Known as “The Cowboys” Implicated in Torture Ring
Potosi Correctional Center, which could more accurately be described as the Potosi private torture dungeon, has for the past months or longer been home to a group of rogue prison guards, known as the “cowboys,” who specialize in torture and the denial of medication to inmates. They have intentionally been targeting those involved in the […]
Missouri Prison Newsletter #3
Issue #3, March-April 2014 The Missouri Prison Newsletter is distributed to (about 100) people in prisons across the U.S., but focusing on those incarcerated in Missouri and Illinois. It contains history of local prison rebellions, poetry, excerpts from zines available through the associated zine distro, and original content directed toward building affinity with those […]
Feedback from Menard Hunger Strikers on Noise Demonstration
The following excerpts are from people locked-up at the High Security Isolation Unit at Menard Correctional Facility in Illinois, responding to a noise demonstration by outside supporters during the hunger strike there last month. To the Drum Beaters, …I have been in Administrative Detention for 15 years without ever being charged. I’ve seen a lot […]
Menard Hunger Strikers’ Response to Noise Demonstration Outside the Prison
From: The Facebook Page of The Uptown People’s Law Center An update from the #Menard Hunger Strike was just released by Alice Lynd, an attorney in Ohio who has been in regular contact with several of the men. The men have won some local support. One of the prisoners wrote: “Yesterday, on Monday Jan. 27, […]
Report back on Solidarity Action with the Menard Correctional Center Hunger Strike
From: Maosoleum Guest post by St. Louis-area collaborator and comrade Ben Lind. Comments and questions are welcome in the comments section or at maosoleumblog@gmail.com. The Menard Correctional Center was built in 1878 and is the largest maximum security institution in the Illinois state prison system. Menard is grossly overcrowded and the prisoners suffer from all of […]
Menard hunger strikers endure beating, threats by nurses but vow, ‘We will not let them break us’
From: The San Francisco Bay View The following information is drawn from letters received from prisoners in Administrative Detention at Menard Correctional Center in Menard, Illinois, and compiled on Jan. 25 by Attorney Alice Lynd. Menard Correctional Center, built in 1878, is the largest maximum security prison in the state of Illinois. A 2011 report […]
Update on Hunger Strike at Menard Correctional in Illinois
From: The San Fransisco Bay View On Jan. 15, 2014, approximately 25 prisoners in Administrative Detention at Menard Correctional Center went on hunger strike. The hunger strikers have been told the prison administration is working on obtaining a preliminary injunction to force feed them. They expect to continue the hunger strike even if they are […]
Illinois prisoners in Menard High Security Unit plan to begin hunger strike Jan. 15
More information about the hunger strike going on at Menard. From: San Francisco Bay View by Alice and Staughton Lynd The following information is based on numerous letters from prisoners in the High Security Unit at Menard Correctional Center in Illinois written in December 2013. These prisoners expect to go on hunger strike on Jan. […]
St. Louis History: April 4th, 1968 City Jail Riot
The article below was originally published in the now-defunct St. Louis Globe-Democrat the day after MLK’s murder. The second article is an excerpt from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, containing information about vandalism and arson that took place around the city that night. Both articles use the horrifically outdated term “Negro” to refer to people […]
Potosi Hunger Strike Update
From: Kansas City ABC On October 13th 2013, we received word that nine people in Potosi MO Corrections went on hunger strike. The start date is unclear but we now know the hunger strike lasted three weeks, ending on Oct 20th 2013. Below is the transcript of a letter dated Jan 8 2014 from Shyheim […]
Prisoners on Hunger Strike at Potosi Correctional
The following is an excerpt from a letter written by Shyheim El-Mumin, a prisoner on hunger strike at Potosi Correctional Center in Potosi, MO. He and at least eight other prisoners began their hunger strike on October 13th. At this point, we are unclear as to whether they are still refusing meals. We will post […]
Watch Your Back
As yet another college semester begins, one less rapist will be returning to St. Louis University – but only for one semester. At a Take Back the Night event on SLU campus this past Spring, 30 or more people marched through SLU’s campus carrying banners which read “Touch me and I’ll fucking Kill you” and […]
Non-violence Must be Anti-Police
The following is a letter to the editor published in the Summer 2012 edition of The RoundTable, a publication of the St. Louis Catholic Worker Community. Dear Roundtable, I appreciated the latest issue about the occupation movement. It seems to me that the Roundtable offers a practice of concrete analysis of current social movements and […]
In the Spirit of Stonewall: Reflections on PRIDE and Queer Assimilation
Long gone are the days when our bars were raided by the police on a daily basis, when trannies carried bricks in their purses to swing at the cops, and pumps were both a fashion statement and a weapon. We have lost the sexual liberation we once found at truck stops and bath houses. Gone […]
On “The Icarus Project” – experiences from a St. Louis participant
The following text was published recently in the latest issue (volume 12) of “Soliloquies From Strange Dislocales” – a zine of poetry and prose of mad-pride, surrealist rebellion, and rebellious surrealism. The entire issue can be downloaded here: sols.pdf Here are documents which concerns St. Louis Icarus Project itself and something crafted for a film […]
Local community member visited by FBI
This morning 2 agents from the local FBI office visited a member of the St. Louis radical community. They first went to this individuals parents home where they were given this persons home address. The individual was approached at home and taken to the local office and asked a few questions. They were asked ‘if […]
One Year Anniversary of Scott Perry’s Murder
SCOTT PERRY, MURDERED BY THE STATE One year ago yesterday, guards at the St. Louis Justice Center held Scott Perry against his will, refused him medical treatment and let him bleed to death. Scott is one of six people known by name to have died in custody in St. Louis in the past few years […]
In Defense of Graffiti and Those Who Write
“The ugliness of buildings excites vandalism” -Raoul Vaneigem “Society gets the kind of vandalism it deserves” -Banksy “The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress” -Frederick Douglass (from a wheat-pasted poster in Toronto) Take a walk through the heart of any American city and you will see two things: […]
Chicago Solidarity Demonstration In St. Louis Ends With Arrests After Police Scuffle
On the evening of May 24th, 30 to 40 people converge to voice their anger against the brutal repression of Anti-NATO protesters by the Chicago Police Department. Protesters from around the world met in Chicago the weekend of May 19, to confront the NATO summit. During this three demonstrators were arrested for an alleged terrorism […]
Between a rock and a hard place, thoughts on Larry Rice’s new homeless camp and following eviction.
Between a rock and a hard place, thoughts on Larry Rice’s new homeless camp and the following eviction. Larry Rice is not your friend. The police are not your friends. The city government is not your friend. The media is not your friend. May 16th, 5:00pm, the City gets word that a group of neighbors […]
An Open Letter to the Occupy Movement–Part 2 by Anarchist Political Prisoner Sean Swain
Prisoners are people who occupy prisons and nothing more, arriving here by virtue of a government process. We are constantly indoctrinated to believe that prisoners are people who have committed crimes, who deserve what they get (whatever that is), who are qualitatively different from law-abiding citizens. This is much the same message that the German […]
Welcome to Compton Hill Reservoir Park…
This park brochure was distributed during the April 3rd anti-police brutality vigil at Compton Hill Reservoir Park: Full Text: Welcome to Compton Hill Reservoir Park “The park is gorgeous. The best time to come is shortly after 10 in the evening. The colors are simply spectacular. One night I remember these well-groomed men in a lovely […]
Occupy the Class War – Perspectives from Iowa City on the Rhetoric of Occupy
Written and published by Smooth Spaces in January of 2012: [A text I wrote to thinking through the rhetoric of Occupy and the effects it has on the class analysis within the movement. Written with help and support from a group I’m involved with, Wild Rose Collective, where the text was originally published.] It would seem […]
SHIT’S NOT CHILL: First Communiqué from Occupied Auditorium, Indiana University
From Rififi: This evening (Tuesday, April 10th), the Fine Arts Auditorium on Indiana University’s campus was seized by around fifty of us- students, graduates, employees, and others fed up with the implementation of austerity, both here in Bloomington and internationally. We’ve opened the space not only for the purpose of having ground from which to […]
The Noose Is Up! – Reflections on OMW from Farmington, MO
Another account of Occupy the Midwest. This time from Written Word, Spoken Word (written on March 20): The Noose Is Up! “What we call real estate—the solid ground to build a house on—is the broad foundation on which nearly all the guilt of this world rests.” —The House of the Seven Gables, Nathaniel Hawthorne By now everyone […]
Site of Police Violence and Home of Mayor’s Aide Vandalized
It would appear that in response to Thursday night’s eviction and police violence, Compton Hill Reservoir Park has been covered in graffiti. The home of Eddie Roth, who headed the eviction Thursday night as well as last Fall, was also vandalized with paint. Roth says it is the second time his home has been attacked […]
A personal account of the eviction of Occupy the Midwest
“Hey, would you help me unfurl this banner?” So I found myself holding a corner of a massive banner, the size of a billboard that read “Police State.” The moment that my friend asked me this question I knew that the attempt to hold the park had failed. What occurred thirty minutes prior – a […]
Police evict and severely beat protesters occupying Compton Hill Reservoir Park
Last night close to 150 people from the occupy movement – ourselves, our friends, and comrades – took over Compton Hill Reservoir Park. Met with overwhelming police force intent on evicting the camp, protesters marched into the streets. Where they were met with batons, pepper spray and fists… at least 15 were arrested and three […]
Autonomy Alliance: An Open Letter To Occupiers Regarding Tactical Diversity & The Police
From the Autonomy Alliance: The members of Autonomy Alliance recommend and applaud diversity in tactics as long as those involved are well informed in their decisions. Though successfully staging actions requires tactical diversity, we recognize that disagreements will inevitably arise among the various groups in our social movements. We affirm and encourage the right to air grievances within these […]
Occupy, Liberate, De-Colonize: An Open Letter to the Occupy Movement from Anarchist Political Prisoner Sean Swain
In 2007, in a published interview I observed that if Ohio prisoners simply laid on their bunks for 30 days, the system would collapse. I wasn’t talking about just the prison system, but Ohio’s entire economy. I came to that conclusion because I recognized that 50,000 prisoners work for pennies per day making the food, […]
Banner dropped from Old Municipal Court Building
Just as the horizon was turning pink and the city was awakening to the hustle and bustle of capitalism’s business-as-usual, a banner appeared in the most unlikely of places – hanging from the rooftop of the city’s Old Municipal Court Building downtown. The building, which on November 17th hosted an occupation and joyous dance party, […]
Report From South Grand Oakland Solidarity March & Solidarity Actions Around the Country
In response to police activity in Oakland on January 28, and a request from the Oakland Commune, people around the country have taken action against the police. A Wells Fargo was attacked in Seattle and another in Santa Barbara, a Landlord’s office in Modesto, the Police Bureau’s office and probation office in Portland were also […]
Reportback from Downtown Oakland Solidarity Demo & Attempted Building Occupation in Minneapolis
A report from the Oakland solidarity march Sunday night in St. Louis, and another piece about folks in Minneapolis attempting to occupy a building. 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 […]
Reportback From NYE Noise Demo
This New Year’s Eve marked the spreading of solidarity noise demonstrations outside of jails, prisons and other places of confinement. In North America there seems to have been over a dozen cities and even more the world over. Participating cities/countries included, Bloomington (IN), Oklahoma City, Chicago, Minneapolis, Oakland, Baltimore, New York City, Atlanta, Pensacola, Pittsburgh, […]
Undercover Police Discovered Spying on Local Meeting
From You Should Probably Know. “On the night of December 6, while concerned friends and neighbors met to discuss ways to help a local homeownwer save her house, the pictured individuals came to try and stop us. They are two undercover police officers from the St. Louis Police Department. They came half-way through the meeting […]
Proposed Central Principles for Occupy
At the core of the Occupy movement are a handful of deeply radical principles. These are important factors in understanding why the movement has been both contagious and powerful. Currently Occupy St. Louis is a bureaucratic nightmare, but in October it was so beautiful. Engaging these principles is paramount to rediscovering our power, whether that […]
Report from one participant: N17 March Against Austerity – A Joyful and Unruly Crowd Takes a Building
November 17th holds as a special day internationally. It’s not just a day against austerity or just a day organized by the new #occupy movement. November 17th is also the date (in 1973) when the dictatorship in Greece was overthrown. And still in Greece, it’s pretty much a holiday. It remains unclear as to how this day […]