Occupy Everything - Anarchists in the Occupy Movement 2009-2011

285 Pages·2016·1.56 MB·English

by  Aragorn Moser

Occupy Everything:
Anarchists in the Occupy Movement
LBC Books 2012
licensed under creative commons
This book is set in Gentium Basic, Gill Sans,
Gill Sans Light and Segoe Script

ISBN 978-1-62049-000-6
Occupy Everything:
Anarchists in
the Occupy Movement
2009 - 2011
edited by
Aragorn!
acknowledgements
Most of the material in this book has been written by anonymous
anarchists and posted to the Internet. Anarchists write anonymous-
ly because they don’t believe in singular authorship. They write
anonymously because in many contexts what they are saying is
illegal.
We write anonymously because we are conspiring to take apart
everything in this world.
Occupy has been as energizing of a moment for anarchists in North
America as we have had since the events in Quebec City in 2001
and Seattle in 1999. This book is about this moment in the context
of past anarchist occupations and of future anarchist actions. It is an
expression of anarchist hope, anger, and energy.
This book would not have been possible without the great effort of
many people. This includes the named and unnamed authors in this
book and Ariel Attack, Alejandro De Acosta, Gold Tooth, Lawrence
Jarach, Sam K, Kathyrn, Brandon Long, Mitch, Tim Simons, the STL
crew, the NC posse for showing me a time, SC “Team Oocupy”,
The Oakland Commune for making me believe, Zoe from Denver,
and the Phoenix Class War Council for being the coolest class es-
sentialists around.
Special thanks to the authors of
Occupied with Class (Phoenix Insurgent),
the Antistatestl articles (anonymous),
For the Rupture of Reality (R.R.),
Occupying Terminology, Decolonizing Assumptions (Dot Ma-
trix),
and
I’m Tired of This Shit (anonymous),
whose pieces were written (and re-written) for this book.
Table of Contents
Introduction i
History
From Tsarist Russia to Zuccotti Park:
the Paradox of Anarchism by Thai Jones 2
Squatting in the Beginning by ADILKNO 5
We are the Crisis by anonymous 9
The Characteristics of the Occupation by anon 22
Resolution by Public Assembly of Syntagma 38
Ideas as Origins - Theory
Autonomous Organization and Anarchist Intervention
by Wolfi Landstreicher 41
Occupy Wall Street’s Anarchist Roots by David Graeber 52
Reclaim the Cities by Cindy Milstein 57
Occupied with Class by Phoenix Insurgent 66
Locations
various
i. Chicago – Open Letter to Occupy Chicago
by some potential friends/enemies 77
ii. Portland – An Anarchist Account
by A Former Occupier 79
iii. Southern Ontario – Why are Anarchists Involved
by Some Southern Ontario Anarchists 85
iv. Vancouver – Occupation is a Fuckin’ Freak Show
& notes for We, Antagonists by d. 85
v. Chapel Hill – This Building is Ours
by anonymous 89
vi. Santa Cruz – 75 Hours In by anonymous 91
Philadelphia
i. Who Threw the Can of Green Paint
by Ben Webster 97
ii. We are Anarchists by anonymous 98
iii. We are Our Own Demand by Cindy Milstein 106
Denver
i. #occupywallstreet Begets by Ignite! Collective 112
ii. Eyewitness Testimony by anonymous 113
iii. Denver ABC Statement on Occupy Denver 115
St Louis
i. Introduction by anonymous 119
ii. Are We an Occupation or Just a Gathering
by anonymous 120
iii. N17 by anonymous 123
Seattle
i. The Port Shutdown was a Wild Success!
by anonymous 130
ii. Capital Hell Commune by anonymous 131
iii. Becoming Uncontrollable: an Anarchist Reflection
on Occupy Seattle by anonymous 133
Oakland
i. Open Letter to the Anarchists of Occupy Oakland
by TEOAN 140
ii. #occupyoakland: One Week Strong
by Autonomous Individuals 142
iii. Dear Occupy Oakland by ingirum 148
iv. Letter from an Anonymous Friend
after the Attack by anonymous 149
Oakland General Strike/Port blockade
a. Statement on the Occupation of 520 16th St.
by Some Friends of Occupy Oakland 152
b. Blockading the Port is Only the First of Many
Last Resorts by Society of Enemies 154
c. The Anti-Capitalist March and the Black Bloc
by member of Bay of Rage 161
d. Oakland’s Third Attempt at a General Strike
by Hieronymous 170
Violence and the Police
Seven Myths about the Police
by CrimethInc 190
Next Steps (Strategy)
The Other Way to Occupy Denver
by igloosRforever
196
A Somewhat Belated Intro Communique
by The Turritopsis Nutricula Collective 197
Occupy Wall Street Act 2 by Peter Lamborn Wilson
200
Occupy Boston’s Anarchist Alliance Calls for
Neighborhood-Based General Assemblies by anon 203
Occupy Wall Street’s Next Steps by John Jacobsen
204
Criticisms
Lost in the Fog by Lost Children’s School of Cartography 210
A Debate on Occupation and the 99%
by Cresencia Desafío & R.R.(anon) 227
Occupation, the Other Word for Work
by Wylden Freeborne 235
On the Recent #occupations: a communique
from W.A.T.C.H. 238
Occupying Terminology by Dot Matrix 245
I’m Tired of This Shit by anonymous 246
Appendix
Thank You Anarchists by Nathan Schneider 256
Sources
ADILKNO. “Squatting in the Beginning.” of Many Last Resorts by Society of Enemies”
Cracking the Movement New York: Autono- Bay of Rage. http://www.bayofrage.com/from-
media, 1994 the-bay/blockading-the-port-is-only-the-first-
of-many-last-resorts/
Anon. “We are the Crisis.” After the Fall Com-
muniques. Anon. “Statement on the Occupation of
http://afterthefallcommuniques.info/?p=47 520 16th St. by Some Friends of Occupy
Oakland” Indybay.
Anon. “The Characteristics of the Occupation.” http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011
Crimethinc. http://www.crimethinc.com/texts/ /11/03/18697018.php?show_comments=1
recentfeatures/barc.php#b
Anon. “Letter from an Anonymous Friend
Anon. “Open Letter to Occupy Chicago by after the Attack.” Bay of Rage.
some potential friends/enemies” Anarchist http://www.bayofrage.com/from-the-bay/
News. http://anarchistnews.org/node/15459 letter-from-an-anonymous-friend-after-the-
attack-on-the-oakland-commune/
Anon. “An Anarchist Account by A Former Oc-
cupier” Anarchist News. http://anarchistnews. Anon. “#occupyoakland: One Week Strong by
org/node/16607 Autonomous Individuals” Bay of Rage.
http://www.bayofrage.com/from-the-bay/
Anon. “Why are Anarchists Involved by Some occupyoakland-one-week-strong-at-oscar-
Southern Ontario Anarchists” Get to the grant-plaza/
Roots blog. https://gettotheroots.wordpress.
com/2011/10/26/why-are-anarchists-involved- Anon. “Capital Hell Commune” Tides of Flame
in-the-occupy-movement/ blog. https://tidesofflame.wordpress.com/
Anon. “This Building is Ours” triAnarchy blog. Anon. “The Port Shutdown was a
https://trianarchy.wordpress.com/2011/11/13/ Wild Success!” Tides of Flame blog
this-building-is-ours-chapel-hill-anarchists- https://tidesofflame.wordpress.com/
occupy-downtown-building/
CrimethInc. “Violence and the Police Seven
Anon. “75 Hours in #75River” Serf City Myths About the Police” Crimethinc. blog.
Revolt blog. http://surfcityrevolt.blogspot. http://www.crimethinc.com/texts/
com/2011/12/75-hours-in-75river.html atoz/fuckpolice.php
Anon. “Eyewitness Testimony from Police D. “Occupation is a Fuckin’ Freak Show &
Aggression in Denver.” Ignite! Denver https:// notes for We, Antagonists”
ignitedenver.wordpress.com/ Moment of Insurrection blog.
https://momentofinsurrection.wordpress.com/
Anon. “Lost in the Fog by Lost Children’s occupation-is-fucking-freak-show-all-power-
School of Cartography”Occupied London. to-the-freaks-and-notes-for-we-antagonists/
http://www.occupiedlondon.org/
blog/2011/12/03/lost-in-the-fog-dead-ends- Denver ABC. “Statement on Occupy Denver”
and-potentials-of-the-occupy-movement/ Denver ABC blog.
https://denverabc.wordpress.com/2011/12/09/
Anon. “The Anti-Capitalist March and the Black denver-abc-statement-on-occupy-denver/
Bloc” Bay of Rage.
http://www.bayofrage.com/from-the-bay/the- Wylden Freeborne. “Occupation, the Other
anti-capitalist-march-and-the-black-bloc/ Word for Work” This Is Primal War blog.
http://thisisprimalwar.blogspot.com/2011/10/
Anon. “Blockading the Port is Only the First occupation-other-word-for-work.html
David Graeber. “Occupy Wall Street’s Anar- Nathan Schneider. “Thank You Anarchists” The
chist Roots” AlJazeera 30 November 2011. Nation.
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opin- http://www.thenation.com/article/165240/thank-
ion/2011/11/2011112872835904508.html you-anarchists
Hieronymous. “Oakland’s Third Attempt at a TEOAN. “Open Letter to the Anarchists of
General Strike” Libcom. Occupy Oakland” Applied Nonexistence. http://
http://libcom.org/news/oakland%E2%80%99s- appliednonexistence.org/?p=212
third-attempt-general-strike-13112011
Various. “Resolution by Public Assembly of
igloosRforever. “The Other Way to Occupy Syntagma” Occupied London
Denver” Colorado Indymedia. http://www.occupiedlondon.org/
http://colorado.indymedia.org/node/8333 blog/2011/06/03/609-resolution-by-the-popular-
assembly-of-syntagma-square-2nd-june-2011/
ingirum. “Dear Occupy Oakland” Occupy
Oakland. https://occupyoakland.org/2011/10/ Various. “We are Anarchists” Rad Occupy Philly
dear-occupy-oakland-a-letter-on-strategy/ blog.
https://radoccupyphilly.wordpress.com/we-are-
Ignite! Collective. “#OccupyWallStreet Begets anarchists/
#OccupyDenver” Ignite! Denver blog.
https://ignitedenver.wordpress.com/ Various. “A Debate on Occupation and the
99%” The Sovereign Self #2-3. Tacoma WA
John Jacobsen. “Occupy Wall Street’s Next
Steps” The Trial by Fire blog. Various. “Occupy Boston’s Anarchist Alliance
http://thetrialbyfire.org/2011/11/29/occupy- Calls for Neighborhood-Based General Assem-
wall-streets-next-steps-part-1/ blies” The Phoenix blog. http://anok.me/o
Thai Jones. “From Tsarist Russia to Zuccotti Various. “Are We an Occupation or Just a Gath-
Park: the Paradox of Anarchism”. The Jewish ering” Antistate STL blog.
Daily Forward 2 December 2011. https://antistatestl.wordpress.com/
http://forward.com/articles/147124/?p=1
Various. “A Somewhat Belated Intro Commu-
Wolfi Landstreicher. “Autonomous Orga- nique by The Turritopsis Nutricula Collective”
nization and Anarchist Intervention” The Puget Sound Anarchists.
Anarchist Library. http://pugetsoundanarchists.org/node/1153
http://theanarchistlibrary.org/HTML/
Anonymous__Autonomous_Self-Organiza- W.A.T.C.H. “On the Recent #occupations”
tion_and_Anarchist_Intervention__A_Ten- bmorewomentrans blog.
sion_in_Practice.html https://sites.google.com/site/bmorewomentrans/
communique
Cindy Milstein. “Reclaim the Cities” The
Anarchist Library. Ben Webster. “Who Threw the Can of Green
http://theanarchistlibrary.org/HTML/Cindy_ Paint” Viewpoint Magazine.
Milstein__Reclaim_the_Cities__From_Pro- http://viewpointmag.com/who-threw-the-can-of-
test_to_Popular_Power.html green-paint/
Cindy Milstein. “We are Our Own Demand” Peter Lamborn Wilson. “Occupy Wall Street Act
Outside the Circle 2” Interactivist Info Exchange.
https://cbmilstein.wordpress.Com/2011/10/ http://interactivist.autonomedia.org/node/36785
22/occupation-in-philly-day-16-october-21/