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On 2017-01-22 21:34, Louis Proyect via Marxism wrote:
Black bloc tactics now have very high risks for the perpetually low payoff.
I think Louis' remark introducing an article about mass arrests was unfair (in that context) and wasn't very well thought-out. Although some property damage took place in Washington, I doubt that the police actually have evidence of such actions by most of the 230 they arrested, or that anywhere near that number were directly responsible whether the police had evidence on them or not. When the police arrest demonstrators under any pretences, the last thing we want to do is lend credence to the validity of police charges without a clear picture of what happened and why. I'm sure Louis recognizes that principle and wasn't thinking when he paired the above remark with an article about mass arrests.
I do think Trump's inclination to use greater police repression is a great threat. But of course cases of police using repressive tactics and false arrests occur frequently enough regardless of the president. After all, this is usually the local police acting under orders of their local department, and prosecutors who do not answer to the national president. Trump will certainly shift things in the wrong direction, but there will still be greater differences between localities. For instance, I don't think there were arrests in San Francisco even though there was property destruction.
There are lots of points that can be made about black block tactics and the organization of united actions. But don't casually equate police violence and mass arrests with the presence of the "black block" or other identifiable groups, especially in public statements. Arrestees deserve the presumption of innocence as is technically professed by the law. In most cases police violence and arrests are political rather than responses to any "criminal" behaviour, and we shouldn't suggest otherwise. Tactics and organization of a demonstration (thus including questions regarding the black block) should be dealt with during the planning of the action, not after the police have issued explanations for their repression. When that explanation includes property damage, it could well be that only a handful were involved, or even that those actions were by a single agent-provocateur which we couldn't possibly prevent.
I guess one reason I reacted in this case is because I was also once charged with "riot" (though not as a felony) for simply sitting in a sound truck at the front of a demo (one that no one could describe as a "riot"). And anyway, I think it's great that the demonstrations against Trump have started out militant and loud, and with the women's march drawing more to Washington than Trump's victory rally (unless you believe his figures ;-)
- Jeff
http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2017/01/21/many-inauguration-day-protesters-will-face-felony-rioting-charges-prosecutors-say/
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