from Storming Heaven, Issue #1
For a second year in a row, May Day in Seattle has erupted into an open confrontation and made national headlines, bringing anarchists once again into the spotlight. Though this year’s anti-capitalist march resembled something different than last year’s, it proved to be just as rebellious and surprised many by its unpredictability. But despite the insistence that the state response was a victory, this year’s May Day was an unmistakable achievement for those who participated considering the ongoing grand jury investigation from last year and the heavy use of scare tactics in the days leading up by the combined efforts of the FBI and mainstream media. The police were at their strongest and most prepared but did not deter the marchers from celebrating May Day as they flooded downtown and fought back as the police made their arrests. Trash cans, newspaper boxes and debris were thrown into the street to slow the police advance as the march was pushed up to Capitol Hill. By the end of the day, seventeen arrests were made with eight officers injured and a total of three businesses had their windows broken. Though this year’s march proceeded differently than last year, it still maintained the insurrectionary elements that made last year’s march successful. When looking at the progression of events over the past few years and the culmination of this year’s May Day, one can see how the principles of insurrectionary anarchism have played a role in their development.
One of the most telling differences between last year’s march and this year’s was the use of propaganda. Last year we saw numerous posters and copious amounts of graffiti, all promoting May 1st months in advance. This year there was perhaps one main poster for the event and almost no encouraging graffiti, however the march didn’t fail in drawing a considerable crowd. Another difference that shouldn’t be overlooked was the lack of any assemblies or meetings this year to prepare for the march. May Day last year appeared to be Occupy Seattle’s last stand, with numerous assemblies and meetings of various subgroups coming together to make preparations. This year there were no general assemblies and only a few autonomous subgroups emerged. All it took this year were a few posts online and a handful of comrades who felt it necessary to have an anti-capitalist march again, regardless of one constant year of pressure from the state. The lack of organizing, of propaganda and pre-events leading up, reveals not only the context of our current struggle but possibly what’s in store for future marches.
The circulation of insurgent desires is indispensable for any proliferation of revolt to occur, though how was it then that with such a small amount of promotion did the events occur the way they did this year? One possible answer is that there was a continuance from the aftermath of last year, resulting from not only the excessive media hype, but also by not limiting participation to only anarchist circle’s in last year’s planning. This continuance of struggle is often determined by the direct experience from participating in events that contain in them a rich arsenal of ideas. If disseminated and expanded on, these ideas can help new combatants learn from past mistakes as well as achievements. It’s this experience, this collective memory of revolt, that played such an important role in how last year’s May Day transpired and then in turn, influencing this year’s march. The continuity of any struggle depends on this vital experience. The rise of the anti-police protests in the winter of 2010 contributed to the confrontational style of Occupy Seattle, which in turn shaped our May Days in Seattle. This also shows us that a limited struggle, such as anti-police protests, can have unexpected consequences if past experiences and skills are circulated enough.
Another observation into why things developed like they have was the horizontal organizing that occurred within Occupy Seattle, contributing to a decentralized distribution of power, with no tasks passed down from any party or syndicate. Our only task was to act, to participate. It’s autonomous planning and non-hierarchical nature allowed for various informal groups with different aims to pass proposals granting them the freedom to act outside the larger group. Possibly one of the most significant proposals passed was that of a diversity of tactics. This allowed groups and individuals to respond to situations autonomously while not getting slowed down by any formal processes. This in turn prevented any reactionary forces from consolidating power while simultaneously contributing to long-term momentum. It was this momentum that sequentially left downtown devastated last year.
One of the underlining principles of insurrectionary anarchism is that through acting one learns to act. This often takes the form of attacking institutions of power by damaging their property, such as smashing out windows. Though propaganda plays an important role in clarifying how and why to act, its arguable that the action itself opens up the path of insurrection. Last year’s events became so viral due to the extent of vandalism that occurred and the sheer break with normality that day, as the black bloc wreaked havoc on businesses downtown. Though there was no call for a black bloc this year, the march still contained the spontaneity that last year’s black bloc possessed. Perhaps it was a strategic move not to have a black bloc this year, in turn no collective damage done. Attempting the same strategy as last year’s given the heavy police presence might have led to more arrests. Despite the lack of a black bloc presence this year, May Day shouldn’t just be judged by its level of destruction as this limits any discourse, which the media is already skilled at.
Another tenant of insurrectionary anarchism is that the force of insurrection is social, not military, meaning that the measure for evaluating the importance of a generalized revolt is not the clash itself, but rather the extent of paralyzing the economy and disrupting normality. If you take this into account when looking at May Day, one can gain better perspective of our struggle within these terms. The way decisions were made and skills shared, the bonds that developed between comrades; these were much more important than the black bloc smashing the windows of Niketown and American Apparel of last year or the few acts of vandalism this year. In a few regards, May Day of this year was just as volatile and combative as last year’s. The linked affinity developed during the last few years from concrete experiences and self-organization made the march uncontrollable and its disruption spread rapidly while the police attempted to seize control. We witnessed attempts to stop police vans from leaving with arrested comrades and on a few occasions even pulling officers off of others as they attempted to make more arrests. There was a moment at Pike and Broadway when the sound system leading the crowd attempted to head north instead of taking a route downtown. The majority of the march didn’t pay them any attention as they headed towards the police ambush awaiting them at Westlake, the crowd wanted a confrontation despite the odds. Seeking out recurring clashes, such as marching on May Day, allows us to develop our skills, test our methods and find other comrades.
Though this is a brief look into the nature of Seattle’s recent anarchist activity, you can see the development of a combative tradition that won’t be stamped out so easily by the state. This development has its limits though if confrontations cannot be sustained. This is why it is so important to support our comrades in prison and those arrested at demonstrations like May Day. If we don’t possess the ability to support each other through arrests and repression, through court dates and fines, then the foundation of any insurrectionary momentum will struggle to obtain any footing. Our collective memory of experiences of past battles, their ensuing scars and the lessons we’ve uncovered is a priceless tool in insurrectionary practice. And like all tools, they must be polished and sharpened, and if neglected will rust with time and their purpose will be forgotten.