Received: from access1.speedway.net (NS.SPEEDWAY.NET) by sun.Panix.Com with SMTP id AA21816 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for ); Mon, 14 Jun 1993 18:06:05 -0400 Received: by access1.speedway.net with UUCP (Smail3.1.28.1 #4) id m0o5MfG-000T9FC; Mon, 14 Jun 93 15:06 PDT Received: by blythe.org (1.65/waf) via UUCP; Mon, 14 Jun 93 14:51:02 EDT for nyxfer@panix.com From: nyt@blythe.org Date: Mon, 14 Jun 93 14:51:02 EDT Message-Id: Subject: Love&Rage_6/93-1 To: nyxfer@Panix.Com Status: RO Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit LOVE AND RAGE Revolutionary Anarachist Newspaper Electronic Edition Volume 4, Number 3 June/July, 1993 Part 1 of 3 This Issue's Highlights: TOP STORIES: RAF Strikes: German Prison Bombed Inside the Ohio Prison Revolt Anarchists Join Queer March on Washing Western Shoshone Resist A History of Squatting in Kenya UPS: Taking Down Big Brown Interview with The Goats Tap Into Electronic Media Wage Slave Rage Killing the Planet SCENE REPORTS NOTES OF REVOLT ABC PAGE Spanish Political Prisoners Tortured; other political prisoner news INTERNATIONAL: Fire Thieves: New Anarchist Magazine in Turkey East Timor: The Resistance Continues Update: Awareness League in Nigeria Anarchy in Japan A Good Year for the Kurdish Resistance SPECIAL SECTION: Strategy: Moving Towards Revolution The Love and Rage Annual Conference, San Diego, July 7-11 Calendar: Upcoming Events .................................................................. Love and Rage Network Love and Rage is created by the Love and Rage Network, a group of people from across North America who find themselves in general political agreement. Love and Rage is one of the many projects of the Network to which supporters contribute time, money and energy. Major decisions and overall policies are set by the Network. Individuals and supporting groups who participate in the Network gather in an annual conference, at which most major decisions are made. The Network Council, comprised of up to two delegates from each supporting group, meet at least once between conferences to make interim decisions. A popularly elected Coordinating Group makes urgent decisions. Ongoing debates take place in our Discussion Bulletin (Disco Bull), out every six to eight weeks. More timely information goes out bi-weekly in the Network Bulletin. Day to day editorial decisions about the paper are made by the volunteer Production Group (PG). A group of elected Coordinators shares responsibility for the general work of the Network. Two of these Coordinators, the Co-Facilitators, work with the PG on production of the paper and help coordinate the projects of the Network. In an effort to further democratize and strengthen the Network, temporary Regional Organizing Contacts volunteer to be a contact for their local areas. The Love and Rage Network is not a closed circle of friends. You can become part of the Network and participate fully in the decisionmaking process. Ask the person who sold or gave you this paper, or write to one of the many Love and Rage contacts listed in this paper. Coordinating Group: Erric, Atlanta, GA Liz, Boston, MA Paul, Berkeley, CA Ana, Mexico City Terry, New York, NY Crystal, Chicago, IL Jodi, Columbus, OH Jean-Marc, Minneapolis, MN Fur, Atlanta GA Gene, Newark, NJ Ojore Lutalo, Trenton, NJ Coordinators List Regions Coordinator: Britt, 702 S. Illinois Ave. Apt. 115 Carbondale, IL 62901 Network Coordinator: Shannon, c/o Love and Rage Interorganizational Coordinator: Phillip, 27 School Street, Sommerville, MA 02143 International Coordinator: Todd, c/o Love and Rage Finance Coordinator: Matt, c/o Love and Rage Fundraising Coordinator: Rick, c/o Love and Rage Info-Share Coordinator: Jodi, c/o AA, PO Box 10007 Columbus OH 43201 Discussion Bulletin Coordinators: Jean-Marc and Nikolas, PO Box 581354, Minneapolis, MN 55458-1354 Co-Facilitators: Dema Crassy and Ms. Tommy Lawless, c/o Love and Rage We need more PG volunteers and translators. If you plan to be in New York and would like to work on the paper, of if you d like to translate material from the comfort of your home, please call. Production Group: Gene, Bob*, Matt L, Rick, Sara, Matt B*, Shannon*, Auntie Todd, Tommy, Dema, Greg, Beth, Bruce [PG Members who didn t work on this issue are marked with an *] Translators: Eugenio, Ti'a Todd, Ana*, Gustavo*, Pablo Love and Rage is printed on recycled paper, using soy-based inks. Love and Rage is printed by a union printer. ISSN # 1065-2000. When we don t have the money to produce our regular twenty page full-size edition, we produce an eight page "Broadsheet" edition. If you re having trouble getting the paper, please call. [The electronic version is not printed on recylced ink using union printers. sorry. It is printed on 100% recycled electrons, however.] Boring Disclaimer Hey gnarly people. All the groovy and not so groovy stuff printed in Love and Rage does not necessarily represent the opinions or views of the Love and Rage Network or of any person involved therein. We print a dazzling array of articles for a plethora of reasons. Sometimes we print articles we don t agree with, because we believe that they are interesting or provocative. Just in case you were wondering. Editorial Policy We encourage you to submit material for publication. Shorter articles are more likely to be printed; 1750 words, a full newspaper page, is a long article. Submissions may be edited. Please include a phone number and address so the PG can consult you on edits. Articles not printed may be sent to our internal bulletins. All letters will be considered for publication unless requested otherwise. Letters will not be edited. Submission deadline for the next issue: July 15. Love And Rage PO Box 3 Prince Street Station New York, NY 10012 (212) 460-8390 E-mail: loveandrage@igc.org YO: New Phone Number (that works): 212 460 8390 Fax, data, too if you call voice first. .................................................................. About Our Politics Love and Rage is a bi-monthly anarchist newspaper intended to foster revolutionary anti-authoritarian activism in North America and build a more effective anarchist movement. We will provide coverage of social struggles, world events, anarchist actions and cultures of resistance. We will support the struggles of oppressed peoples around the world for control over their own lives. Anarchy offers the broadest possible critique of domination, making possible a framework for unity in all struggles for liberation. We seek to understand the systems we live under for ourselves and reject any prepackaged ideology. Anarchism is a living body of theory and practice connected directly to the lived experiences of oppressed people fighting for their own liberation. We anticipate the radical and ongoing revision of our ideas as a necessary part of any revolutionary process. A hefty set of working papers, encompassing the current debate about our Political Statement, is available for $5 from the Info- Share project. [See Coordinators List on this page.] For more information about these and other internal debates, subscribe to our Discussion Bulletin and Network Bulletin. Need Help? If you'd like someone from the Network to come speak or help organize in your area, just let us know and we ll try to send someone! There are plenty of experienced people in Love and Rage who want to help out. If you are one of those people who d like to travel and speak and organize, please call us right away. Groups Near You The Love and Rage Network is made up of autonomous groups and individuals from around North America. Supporting Groups make a commitment as a group to support the network financially, and by writing for and distributing Love and Rage in their area. If you would like to join, please write us. ARM THE SPIRIT PO BOX 57584 JACKSON STATION HAMILTON, ONT L8P 4X3 AUTONOMOUS GREEN ACTION PO BOX 4721 STATION E OTTAWA, ONT K1S 5H9 TEMPORARY AUTONOMOUS ZONE PO BOX 122, 1895 COMMERCIAL DRIVE VANCOUVER, BC V5N 4A6 VALID/EARTH LIBERATION FRONT A-5 1720 DOUGLAS STREET VICTORIA, BC V8W 2G7 ANARCHIST ACTION NETWORK SUITE 147, 3325 LORNA RD #2 PO BOX 360999 BIRMINGHAM, AL 35236 THE GERMINAL UCSD STUDENT CO- OP CENTER B-0323-Z LA JOLLA, CA 92093 SAN DIEGO ANARCHIST FEDERATION PO BOX 0907 SAN DIEGO, CA 92112-0907 UNITED ANARCHIST FRONT PO BOX 1115 WHITTIER,CA 90609 ERISIAN LIBERATION FRONT C/O PO BOX 263 COLORADO SPRINGS, CO 80901 LOVE AND RAGE SUPPORTERS PO BOX 5236 ATLANTA,GA 30307-9998 REVOLUTIONARY GROUP X PO BOX 6022 CHICAGO, IL 60680 EARTH CORE PO BOX 18956 BALTIMORE, MD 21206 AWOL PO BOX 7293 MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55407 LOVE AND RAGE SUPPORTERS PO BOX 581354 MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55458-1354 PROFANE EXISTENCE PO BOX 8722 MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55408 PATERSON ANARCHIST COLLECTIVE PO BOX 8532 HALEDON, NJ 07508-8532 AUTONOMOUS ANARCHIST ACTION PO BOX 3 PRINCE ST STATION NEW YORK, NY 10012 ANARCHIST YOUTH FEDERATION/NYC PO BOX 365 NEW YORK, NY 10013-0365 BLACK STAR COLLECTIVE PO BOX 3 PRINCE ST STATION NEW YORK, NY 10012 AUTONOMOUS @ COLLECTIVE PO BOX 10007 COLUMBUS, OH 43201 LIBERATE THE OBSESSED PO BOX 1916 RAPID CITY, SD 57709-1916 AMOR Y RABIA APDO 11-351, CP 06101 MEXICO, DF EDICIONES ANTORCHA APDO 12-818, CP 03020 MEXICO, DF INTERNATIONAL AFFILIATES GRUPO IMPULSO AUTOGESTIONARIO C.SOLERO CC 984, 2000 ROSARIO, ARGENTINA GRUPO ACCION LIBERTARIA C/O EDUARDO TORRESLOS SAUCES 426, LOMAS COLORADAS CONCEPCION,CHILE RED @ DE ESTUDIANTES C/O JOSE EGO, PIRAMIDE 337 SAN JOAQUIN, SANTIAGO, CHILE More Contacts: All of the addresses on this page are contacts for the Love and Rage Network. Here are some more. Let us know if you want to be a contact. New England: Liz 520 Beacon #1B Boston, MA 02215 South: John c/o Justice Alliance PO Box 281 Chattanooga, TN 37401 Midwest: Crystal c/o WCF PO Box 81961 Chicago, IL 60681 West Coast: Paul D. 2339 Durrant Ave Berkeley, CA 94704 Pacific Northwest: Rosebud Commons, 1951 W. Burnside PO Box 1928 Portland, OR 9720 -30- Where s AYF? If you've read Love and Rage before, you might notice that this issue has no Anarchist Youth Federation page. AYF is currently trying to develop a more-collective way to produce the page. As soon as they come up with a process they re happy with, we ll start running the page again. For more info write to:AYF Discussion Bulletin, PO Box 365, New York, NY 10013 Corrections In Vol 4, No 1, we ran a story on Gerrado C. Ferre, "Jailed for Burning a Flag." Ferre is no longer in jail, and apparently had been out for some time before we ran the story. In Vol 4, No 2: The group Neither East Nor West was credited for organizing a pro- choice picket. The credit should have gone to the Network of East- West Women. The San Diego @ Community Center s address was listed with the wrong zip. The correct address is 915 E Street, San Diego, CA 92101. @ Zines, Distros & Community Centers This is a short list of some other anarchist resources. There are so many fabulous resources to cover, we rotate the list each issue. Please send us new contacts. zines ALPHABET THREAT, 3018 J Street #140, Sacramento, CA 95816. a (roughly) bi-monthly, wimmin-centered newspaper, articles on youth lib, sexuality, vegan lifestyle, revolt, and other fun stuff (free-$1/issue) ANTI COPYRIGHT ANARCHY ART, PO Box 666, Oxford, OH 45056. This photocopied kickin collection is available for only $1.50 BLACK FIST, 15110 Bellaire, Box 317, Houston, TX 77083. This bi-monthly @ zine serves up a hefty helping of material by and about people of color; interviews, opinion pieces, info, poetry, hot photos and illustrations; pro-feminist ($6/year) FREE SOCIETY, PO Box 7293, Minneapolis, MN 55407. A quarterly eco-anarchist newsprint zine filled with thoughful analysis and lots of letters, put out by a crew of former Youth Greens ($2/issue) H.A.G., c/o 1720 Douglas St., Victoria, BC V8W 2G7. A powerful, fun anarcha-feminist zine about revolt and healing, with polemics, personal accounts, recipies, poetry, comics, eco-vegan-animal lib focus ($2/issue) MEDIA BLITZ, PO Box 20420, New York, NY 10011. An anti-pop culture @ magazine, "class war for the information age" ($2/issue) PLAIN WORDS, PO Box 8532, Haledon, NJ 07508. New Jersy focused anarchist news with class war flavor, also covers youth revolt, COPWATCH, ABC, Black liberation, and global news, published irregularly. (50 cents and a stamp/issue) RED BALLOON, c/o 2653 Cropsy Ave #7H, Brooklyn, NY 11214. A more or less yearly zine featuring broad analyses of world situations, strategy for the left, personal accounts, and poetry, with a zen-marxist slant ($4/issue) distros COLLECTIVE CHAOS, PO Box 81961, Chicago, IL 60681. RIGHT TO EXISTANCE, 285 Preakness Ave, Paterson, NJ 07502. community centers THE EPICENTER ZONE, 475 Valencia, San Francisco, CA 94103. (415) 431-2725 SAN DIEGO s, 915 E StreetSan Diego, CA 92101. (619) 239-8722 THE TOOLS COLLECTIVE, 107 Brighton Ave, Boston, MA 02134. DETROIT s, 404 Willis Detroit, MI 48201. THE EMMA COMMUNITY CENTER, 3451 Bloomington Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55407. (612) 729-5498 ABC NO RIO, 156 Rivington St., New York, NY (212) 254-3697. ROSEBUD COMMONS RESOURCE COLLECTIVE, 1951 W Burnside, Box 1928, Portland,OR 97209. (503) 796-8100 THE @ SPACE, 4722 Baltimore Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19143. (215) 724-1469 CATAL HUYUK, 2524 McKinney, Houston, TX 77003. hotlines CHICAGO: (312) 455-0707 MINNEAPOLIS: (612) 729-5498 .................................................................. BE A PART OF THE LOVE AND RAGE NETWORK Don t Miss The Groovy Vibes of ... The Love and Rage Annual Conference San Diego, California July 7 - July 11 (Wed. - Sun.) Possible Workshops On: Anarchism in Peru and Mexico, Anti-Racist/Anti-Fascist Organizing, ABC Prisoner Support Network, Computers and Electronic Media, Squatting, Anarcha-Feminism, Regional and Community Organizing, Queer Issues, Black Nationalism and Black Liberation, Non-monogamy, Free Trade Agreement & MORE! Host a workshop yourself. Take part in discussions and decisions that will shape the future of The Love and Rage Network. Partake of Live Bands, (possibly) An Action, Fun and Strategy in the Sun! Register Ahead of Time! Name/Group________________________________________________ Address_________________________________ City ____________________________ State/Prov_____________________ Zip/PostCd________ Phone________________________ How many will attend___________We need housing for_______ We will arrive on________________depart on_________ We need childcare for Ages_____________ Special needs__________________________________________ We will host workshops on______________________________________ Please send $5 per person with your registration to:San Diego @ Federation, c/o 915 E Street, San Diego, CA 92101 To get involved, call Darren or John at (619) 239-8722 Subscribe to and Distribute Love and Rage Name _____________________________ Address___________________________ City______________________________ State/Province____________________ Zip/Postal Code___________________ Phone ( )_______________ One Year Subscription (6 issues): $13 Fast Mail & International Mail; $9 Slow Mail Free to GIs, PWAs, and Prisoners One Year Subscription to Love and Rage Network Internal Publications (bimonthly Discussion Bulletin and biweekly Network Bulletin): $20 - $50 (sliding scale) I would like to distribute ________ copies of each issue of Love and Rage. Please send a sample bundle. I would like to make a donation of $________ I would like to support the Love and Rage Network with a monthly pledge of $________. I would like information on how to become a Supporting Group of the Love and Rage Network. Name of group: Send check or money order to: Love and Rage, PO Box 3, Prince St Station New York, NY 10012 Write for Love and Rage We want you ... to send us your insiders views, news blurbs, articles, photos and illustrations for us to print. We want your top secret cultural information - book, film, music reviews and more - as well as more reports on positive community projects. Wimmin, people of color, young people and people in regions we don t hear from much are especially wanted to contribute. We are gathering reports and information for an issue focusing on anarcha-feminism: actions, wimmin s health issues, eco-feminism, critiques of feminist theory, personal accounts, and more. Next deadline is July 15. Volunteers for the production group are also needed. Give us a call at (212) 460-8390. Subscribe to and Distribute Amor y Rabia/Mexico $18 Subscription _____ Send a sample bundle of__________(donation enclosed) Name ___________________________________ Address_________________________________ City____________________________________ State/Province _________________________ Zip/Postal Code__________ Phone ( )____________ Send check or money order to: Amor y Rabia/Mexico Apdo 11-351, CP 06101 Mexico DF, Mexico Disco! Discuss! If you want to to shake your booty to the daring debates of the Love and Rage Network and burn down the house with the hottest news, have we got two publications for you: the bimonthly Disco Bull and the bi-weekly Network Bull. People who pledge monthly automatically receive both Bulls and the paper. People who don t pledge, but want to receive the bulls, are asked to pay a yearly fee of $20$50. Simply check the desired box on the subscription form. Send disco debates and burning news of your own to: Disco Bull, PO Box 581354, Minneapolis, MN 55458-1354 Network Bull, PO Box 3, New York, NY 10012 Share the Wealth... of information! Send pamphlets, articles, and resource lists you d like to pass on to the Info-Share Project. Anarchafeminist reading material is especially wanted. Send your distribution/mailorder catalogs as well. A hefty set of working papers encompassing the current debate about our Political Statement is available for $5. Ask us about the literature and study materials we now have available. Write to:Info-Share, c/o PO Box 10007, Columbus, OH 43201 .................................................................. Top Stories: GERMAN PRISON BOMBED, RAF STRIKES By Sara Bell and Todd Prane WEITERSTADT, GERMANY -- On Sat, March 27, at approximately 5am, the Commando Katharina Hammerschmidt of the Red Army Fraction (RAF) destroyed the high-tech prison in Weiterstadt, Germany with 200 kg of explosives. The bombing caused an estimated 100 million DM in damage (over $60 million) and is expected to set the prison opening, originally scheduled for early May, back by four years. The prison was to employ the latest technology and was called "an example of modern and humane imprisonment in Germany" by the Minister of Justice, Christine Hohmann-Dennhardt. The explosion destroyed the administration building and four "residential" buildings. The action was carefully planned and executed. The commando took great pains to insure that the prison personnel were not injured. At approximately 1:30am the commando captured the 11 guards and left them, bound and gagged, in a van in a nearby field. Before setting off the explosives, they searched the buildings and put up warning signs on the outside walls of the prison (a fact not mentioned by the BAW, the Federal Prosecutor's Office), which usually likes to parade out every piece of evidence they have). This prison was to be a model for new high-tech prisons. In these prisons, a few of which are already in existence, the prisoners are organized into so-called "living groups" of 10 to 20 prisoners. They live in solitary cells and share a common room and a small kitchen. These "living groups" are put together by social workers and psychotherapists according to the prisoners' relative levels of adaptation or resistance to the values of their captors. The groups are designed to build competition between the prisoners and undermine solidarity. Through "work therapy" (ie forced labor) and other psychological measures, the prisoners are forced to adapt to the social values that are set by the personnel. Their behavior continually determines their status within the prison hierarchy -- from most conforming to non-adapting. The prisoners' activities are constantly monitored. The cells and common rooms contain video monitors and in the common rooms there are two-way mirrors. Even when they are allowed to briefly leave these areas they are carefully watched -- they are transported through third floor passages which also contain cameras. The capacity of the prison was to be 500 prisoners. Included in this were to be a high security wing for women prisoners and a deportation prison. The Commando Katharina Hammerschmidt was named for a RAF supporter and close friend of Ulrike Meinhof. Hammerschmidt had served three years and died in prison in 1973. She had a breast tumor and died due to medical neglect. This action came as a surprise to many because the RAF had announced that they were going to halt the escalation of the war with the state from their side. In April of 1992 a RAF communique was released which discussed the need to rethink their goals and strategies and to concentrate on negotiating the release of their imprisoned comrades (see Love and Rage Vol 3 No 6). At that time, the then Minister of Justice, Kinkel, had indicated a willingness to release some of the more seriously ill prisoners. But since that time, only a few have been released, and others have faced further harassment. The RAF had come to see that they were disconnected from the people who they were supposed to be fighting for. In response to this and the very different political situation in which the RAF found themselves, they called for a broad discussion between various parts of the left about strategy and for the building of a counter-power from below--a mass movement out of which a revolution could arise. They questioned the role of armed struggle in the left and whether it accomplished anything when it did not come out of a broad base of support. "Either our side will develop a base-movement from below, which is directed by solidarity and justice, and by the struggle against this cold society and against poverty and a lack of perspective or the explosive contradictions will remain destructive and the violence will escalate, each person against the other." In the April 1992 communique and a discussion paper released in a Aug 1992, the RAF indicated that the cessation of attacks was conditional. If the state did not allow room for necessary discussion and release the RAF prisoners, the RAF would retaliate. With this action they have followed through with this threat and have shown that they will not allow the state to take advantage of their new position. In the latest communique, the RAF write very clearly that this action does not represent a new strategy (or a resumption of an old one), but rather an interim measure. The communique begins: "Nothing has changed since the step we took in our history, a step which we needed and wanted to take. We are busy with a new process in which a social counter-power from below can develop, and from which can come new proposals for revolutionary process and change [...] Only out of this process can the questions regarding what forms of struggle and concrete organizing are necessary be answered. For us, this process, now as before, has the highest priority." Further on in the communique, the RAF explain the context of the action in relation to the stated desire, in earlier communiques, to engage in broader participation, as well as the escalation against political prisoners: "We have often been criticized because in our communique last April we linked our decision to halt our actions to the situation of the prisoners, particularly to the state's destructive stance. We have always maintained that the step in our history which we took was grounded in the necessity of developing new foundations, and we stated that this necessity was independent of the state's conduct. But from the beginning it was unclear how the state would react to the decrease in pressure from our side, and that's why we left the option open of intervening, if necessary, in order to place limits on the state's conduct. In Aug '92 we wrote: 'We will then decide on armed intervention as a moment of pushing back and not as a further strategy. We won't simply be made to revert to our old ways. This escalation is not in our interest. But the state has to realize that when it leaves no other option, we have the means, the experience, and the determination to make them take responsibility.'" The RAF go on to write, "After we removed the pressure from our side, the state once again decided on an escalation against the prisoners -- the prosecution against Christian Klar and the new wave of trials will put people away for their entire lives; the decision not to release Bernd Roesser early; and the refusal of prisoners based on the offer of release after submission to psychiatric tests, whereby they would be forced to claim that their struggle, their initiatives, their entire opposition, was simple 'insanity'." The construction of the prison in Weiterstadt was to add to the capacity of the German penal system, allowing a larger portion of the population to be imprisoned. The new prison was also used as an excuse to indefinitely delay the repair or closing of prisons such as Frankfurt-Preungsheim, which have been the subject of human rights demands by prisoners on an ongoing basis. The RAF state that the Weiterstadt prison was targeted because they wanted to counter the offensive actions the state had taken against RAF prisoners. It was not meant as a renewal of their old tactics and methods. There are several questions raised by this action. Although the RAF state that this action is separate from the ongoing process of integration into broader political movements, this action did not take place in a vacuum, and it needs to be put into context. What is the effect of this action on the RAF's search for new direction and process? The RAF's decision to bomb a prison can be seen in several ways. In some ways it appears to be a change in tactics both because it is a different kind of action from the kidnappings and assassinations that the RAF are famous for, and because bombing a building is more acceptable to a larger portion of the left than assassinations. The RAF claim that this action stands separate from their search for a new strategy, but it occurs within the context of their history and of a larger movement that they are trying to relate to. This action is similar to past actions in that it doesn't seem to arise out of a broader discussion. It is also an action which is focused on political prisoners, many of the most famous of whom are members of the RAF. The RAF admit that this action does not directly affect the movements that they claim affinity with. As the first major RAF action in a long time, however, this draws attention to their discussions and highlights how their actions measure up to the standards they have set for themselves. In spite of the problems that these questions raise, it is certainly true that one less prison is always a step in the right direction. For the full text of the communique, the April '92 communique or the Aug '92 discussion paper write to us at Love and Rage or write to:Arm the Spiritc/o Wild Seed PressPO Box 57584, Jackson StationHamilton, ONT L8P 4X3 CANADA The ananlysis in this article is the authors' perspective and should not be attributed to ATS. -30- INSIDE THE OHIO PRISON REVOLT By A Comrade Inside Following is a first-hand account of the Lucasville Uprising, sent to Love and Rage as a letter for print. Lucasville, Ohio -- Revolutionary Greetings. On behalf of the 1855 prisoners, I am directing this letter to Love and Rage concerning the Lucasville Uprising on Easter Sunday at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility (SOCF). In regards to the overthrow of SOCF on April 11 -- SOCF warden Arthur Tate planned to lock the prison down from April 12 through April 15 to administer, by force, shots to determine whether the 160 plus prisoners who refused such, have tuberculosis (TB). We refused the TB "skin test" based on various reasons, such as the nurses were not accompanied by physicians nor did they wear gloves; the TB skin test was another operation to reduce the prison population; and because reasonable minds dictate that if the guy you are celling with for four years took the test and came up negative, then it's only logical that you wouldn't have TB since he doesn't have it. Yet, before SOCF could implement this plan [lockdown], a riot broke out on Easter Sunday, resulting in hostages being taken. (One guard locked himself in a passageway of which prisoners tore the wall down to get him.) One guard was hung by his ankles, tortured, then hung by his neck until dead. At least nine prisoners died. The eight cellblocks in the L-Wing of SOCF, which was under full prisoner control, were destroyed. Toilets, sinks, doors, windows, electrical wiring and control consoles were smashed, ripped apart and gutted. Prisoncrat files on prisoners were burned while their offices were destroyed. Prisoners in segregation firebombed their cell blocks, destroyed cell light fixtures, while others assaulted guards when they entered the ranges to put the fires out. Five hundred Ohio National Guard, SWAT teams, state and local police were on the scene -- desperately wanting to rush the prisoners, but didn't know what to expect once inside. A state police helicopter crashed during the forth day of the riot. Eventually, 21 demands were sent to the prisoncrat negotiators who granted 15 of them, which resulted in prisoners surrendering on April 23. Only one population wing, K-Side, is functional. L-Side is to be rebuilt and consist of total lockdown like K-Side presently is. SOCF is to be an entire lockdown prison, with the exception of one cellblock of prisoners who will prepare food, etc, for 1855 prisoners. The Lucasville Uprising was a success, but to continue to keep the ball in our court we need pressure put on SOCF. It's time that the prison revolution strikes quickly and with triumph, because we inside the walls know that America is experimenting on prisons in order to subject you in society to the same conditions. On behalf of all Lucasville prisoners, I urgently ask you to demand federal investigations to be conducted by Senator John Glenn. We need immediate action and hope that the people at Love and Rage will be forthcoming in support and get this important message out to other anarchists in society. I hope that fellow anarchists will write to Senator John Glenn, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510-3501, and demand that he seek to have the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice conduct a federal investigation concerning racism, guard-on-prisoner brutality, death of prisoners at the hands of guards, and inadequate medical treatment. Also, anarchists in California could help expose the barbaric treatment of prisoners at SOCF if they would contact the Oprah and/or Geraldo talk shows and inform them that prisoners at SOCF are asking for them. (Both of these shows have called SOCF attempting to have guards appear on their shows -- no guard as of yet has responded yet. I'm sure I can adequately explain 20 plus years of inhumane treatment.) In Solidarity. [Some of the prisoner demands are known. These include: the ousting of Warden Tate; more Black guards; better duties for Black inmates; better food and medical care; the right to refuse TB testing by injection; increased pay compensation; the freedom to practice Islam; more recreational time; the right to receive outside guests and make phone calls; and no retaliation against the prisoners who rebelled. To our knowledge, the exact list of demands had not been released to the media as of our press date. We do not know which demands the prison officials agreed to meet. A white prisoner, identified as "George," spoke on the radio during the rebellion. He emphasized that Black and white prisoners were united and "prepared to die" together. Outrageously racist guard behavior is commonplace at SOCF, where almost 60 percent of the prisoners are Black and over 90 percent of the guards are caucasian. For months a sign was posted that read, "Run, nigger, run. If you can't read, run anyway." On one occasion, a guard ran through a cell block wearing a white sheet. Four Black inmates were stabbed, in 1990, by members of the Aryan Brotherhood. Another spokesprisoner, Abdul Samad Mulin, appeared on television during the revolt. He said the prison had a reputation of "killing innocent people, hang[ing] them in J-Block, saying that they committed suicide." The prison is located in a racist stronghold in the rural southern part of the state. A recent update to this report claims that 40 prisoners are now "missing," unaccounted for.] -30- ANARCHISTS JOIN QUEER MARCH By Liz Highleyman WASHINGTON, DC -- Anarchists made a loud and visible showing at the March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation on April 25. The anarchist contingent -- which had been publicized beforehand in Love and Rage, several other anarchist papers, and by electronic mail -- drew over 150 people. At a meeting two days before the march, representatives from several radical queer groups decided they wanted to break into the march behind the military and veterans contingent. Our aim was to demonstrate our opposition to militarism and the march's emphasis on the issue of gay inclusion in the military. Anarchists gathered Sunday morning at Lafayette Park and, wisely as it turned out, decided to wait there to enter the march, rather than attempt to join the mob at the official kick-off point on the Ellipse. With banners such as "Queer Without Fear," the anarchists lined the roadside across from the White House as the beginning of the march came by. When the military contingent appeared, there were chants of "Make love, not war! Be all you can be! Mutiny! Mutiny!" There onlookers and marchers were quite supportive, with even some of the military marchers giving us the thumbs-up. Soon the coalition of radical Queers appeared, including such groups as Lesbians and Gays Against Intervention (LAGAI) -- with their "We Prefer Our Queers Out of Uniform" banner, Queers in Support of Political Prisoners (QUISP), and Revolting Lesbians. The waiting anarchists joined the march along with this unauthorized contingent. A small group of men with radical faerie camouflage skirts and a "Veterans for Peace" banner dropped back from the military contingent to march with us. The black-clad anarchists presented a striking contrast to the rainbow-clad crowd. At several points along the route, the anarchist group pogo'd in the street, demanding Queer liberation, and ran full speed ahead, much to the surprise and delight of the spectators. (Finally something different!) Chants included, "We're fucking anarchists, we'll fuck whoever we want!," and "We're here, we're Queer, and we hate the government!" The FBI, filming from their windows, and small clutches of fundamentalists along the route received the finger and were treated to same-sex displays of affection. One participant ripped pages from a bible as he marched along. A particularly popular contingent was the Red & Anarchist Skinheads with their banner reading, "Anti-Racist Skinheads and Punx Against Homophobia," and their chant of "Oi! Oi! Oi! We fuck boys!" The contingent arrived at the Mall early in the day, with plenty of time to stake out a good spot in the shade. Unfortunately, but quite expectedly, the rally was boring and mainstream, featuring mostly assimilationist speakers. A welcome surprise was Romanofsky and Phillips, a well-known Gay singing duo, who did an anti-militarist takeoff on the army recruiting song. The rest of the march seemed to continue on endlessly, with much confusion about the route. The final contingents were still straggling in as the rally drew to a close at about 6:00pm. The anarchist contingent went very well, a tribute to flexible planning. We had originally talked of marching with the street activists contingent (number 59 in the lineup), which might not have marched after all ... none of the people who looked for them were able to locate them. Marching behind the military contingent gave us a focus for our alternative anti-authoritarian message. We would probably have been swallowed up had we marched with the huge and highly disorganized ACT UP contingent. (No one we asked knew where they were gathering or marching, even on the morning of the march itself.) It was great to see such a sizeable anarchist/ anti-authoritarian presence at the march, and our contingent was probably the most mixed in terms of variety of sexual orientations. Gay, Lesbian, Bi, hetero or undefined, all the anarchists were queer in their own way. It felt good to emphasize oppositional politics as well as sexuality. While there were several people clad in black-bloc attire and masks, there was no havoc or destruction along the route. Our mere presence as anarchists was enough to shock the mainstream Gay and Lesbian viewers. Hopefully we made some people think! -30- WESTERN SHOSHONE RESIST Compiled By Ms. Tommy Lawless Western Shoshone Nation--The Western Shoshone are actively patrolling a valley region in north central Nevada, the location of the Dann Ranch, to protect their territory from ongoing raids by the US Bureau of Land Management. Elder Clifford Dann is held captive for his resistance. The Western Shoshone Defense Project is seeking activists to join a non-violent defense force, to do supply runs, to hold fund-raisers, and to engage in a media blitz. The Spring Gathering at the Dann ranch, March 19-22, drew over 150 people. Many stayed on to defend the ranch. Last Nov 19, federal agents blocked roads around Crescent Valley, Nevada and sent in armed agents to round up horses belonging to the Western Shoshone nation. Members of American Peace Test, who were driving to the Dann ranch, had a helicopter land on the road in front of their car. With their weapons ready, armed agents exited the helicopter and ordered everyone out of the car. The media was prevented from approaching the round-up site. Armed agents blocked the roads and flew over the range in helicopters. There were not enough people on the range supporting the Western Shoshone and the Danns to perform any kind of non-violent resistance. According to Bureau of Land Management (BLM) officials, the raid captured 269 horses, including 229 wild animals and 40 horses that had been nationalized by the Western Shoshone National Council. In court, BLM agent Joe Morris admitted that the round up violated BLM's own regulations governing the Wild Horse and Burro program. Elder Clifford Dann was injured and arrested when he attempted to stop BLM agents from removing the captured horses. Blocking the road with his truck, Dann stood in the bed, doused himself with gasoline, and announced that he would set himself on fire if BLM agents did not release the horses. Dann declared, "By taking away our livelihood and our lands you are taking away our lives." Officers assaulted him with fire extinguishers and wrestled him to the ground. A sheriff was recorded on tape saying during the struggle, "Break his fucking arm if you have to!" On March 3, the jury convicted Dann on one count of assaulting a federal officer. Throughout his trial Clifford Dann held his ground, insisting that the US Federal Court has no jurisdiction over him or any other Indigenous person or nation. He faces a 35-month minimum sentence on the charge. Dann will be held at the Washoe County Detention Facility until his scheduled sentencing on May 17. Appeals are expected to be filed immediately. No raids have occurred since November, due to successful defense organizing. The Defense Project stresses the need for ongoing support and patrols.The BLM alleges that the Dann family has failed to obtain grazing permits and that the Dann-owned cattle and horses have overgrazed the range. The Western Shoshone maintain that they do not need permits since the 1863 Treaty of Ruby Valley gives them jurisdiction over their land. Starting in 1973, US agencies began to confront sisters Mary and Carrie Dann, who graze cattle and horses on unused lands that the US Government considers "public." After over six years of court battles, of gains and losses, a federal court ruled that the Western Shoshone did have title to the land until 1979. In that year, the US Bureau of Indian Affairs accepted a financial reward from the US Indian Claims Commission on behalf of the Western Shoshone. This was against the wishes of the Western Shoshone, and they refused the money. The judge ruled that the compensation award had erased the native title to the land. In effect, the US government paid itself for land that had not been sold, stealing the homeland of the Western Shoshone. The Danns appealed the case to the Supreme Court which upheld, in 1985, the lower court rulings against the Western Shoshone. The Danns continue their struggle to prove that their land was never sold or given to the US. Among the Shoshone, Clifford Dann's conviction is viewed as an ironic victory, in that it will force the US courts to deal with indigenous sovereignty issues during the appeals process. According to Chief Raymond Yowell, Chief of the Western Shoshone National Council, "Western Shoshone law is the first law for us; international law is second in our view; US Law is third and least significant to us. For a solution to the Western Shoshone land rights issue to occur, the above must be followed. We do not accept US law, and they [the US] do not accept Shoshone law. The forum for a solution to the problems has to be done in an international setting." The Western Shoshone National Council is the traditional leadership of the Western Shoshone Nation. Presently, of the more than 120 military conflicts in the world, three-fourths involve native nations seeking to hold off or free themselves from larger, occupying nation-states. Some 3000 native nations are presently contained within the borders of fewer than 200 states, which assert control over them. The United States lays claim to some 200 native nations alone. The Western Shoshone are one such nation under attack. The Dann ranch has been fending off raids for almost twenty years. In addition, the Western Shoshone people have survived over 800 nuclear detonations on their homeland, with more scheduled for this year. The Western Shoshone Defense Project (WSDF) invites you to join the defense force now or to add your name to the stand-by list. They stress that the defense is non-violent, and they are requesting committed activists willing to respect their wishes. Supply runs and donations of non-perishable food, field supplies, office supplies and money are needed. WSDF encourages groups to hold benefits and fundraisers on their behalf. Petitions and media blitz information is available. To find out more, contact: WESTERN SHOSHONE DEFENSE PROJECT General Delivery, Crescent Valley, Nevada 89821 Tel (702) 468-0230, Fax (702) 468-0237 Large portions of this article were taken from Coyote Gulch Productions. -30- SQUATTERS AND THE ROOTS OF MAU MAU: A History of Squatting in Kenya Edited By Richard Van Savage In the context of Kenya and the Mau Mau movement, particularly amongst the Kikuyu people, squatting played a pivotal role. The term Mau Mau was used primarily by Europeans to describe what many Africans referred to as "the movement." The label has since stuck. Focusing on land and freedom brought out the hypocrisy and true contradictions within British colonial society. The racism, economic exploitation and the use of laws to further such crimes came to be more and more apparent as the squatters fought for their rights. The parallels to Europeans settling in America, not as respectful neighbors to the native peoples of the land, but as greedy, selfish, bigoted thieves, is truly illuminating. The term "squatter" originated in South Africa. It referred to an African permitted to live on a European farmers land, usually on condition that they worked for the farmer for a specific period of time. In return for labour, the African was allowed to grow food and to graze animals. It's crucial to look at the origins of squatting to understand it properly today. The African that cultivated the land and raised livestock was transformed overnight with the arrival of Europeans from a landowner to a squatter. The European simply staked out land creating plantations, regardless of who was using it beforehand. Then under threat of force, he gave the African the choice of being evicted from their land, squatting it with a form of indentured servitude bordering on slavery, or face the wrath of the British military. Tax Resistance One example of how the legal system was used to economically undermine and enslave a people is the Hut and Poll Taxes of 1901 and 1910. By placing a tax on every home and head of the family, the colonialists caused many previously self sufficient African families fell into debt. They would then start squatting. The father would often work for the European in order to pay off the taxes, while the mother would tend to the farming and the children would tend to the livestock. Further laws were enacted to change the status of squatters from that of tenants to that of a labour contract. The squatters continued to resist each new law, often in very creative ways. One way used to subvert the law was to invite friends and relatives to come for a "visit" to lend a hand. The relatives stayed on and in time there would be more and more squatters taking back the land. In the 1920's settlers began to diversify from simply farming to also raising stock and dairy cows. They were now in direct competition with the squatters. Furthermore, raising livestock was less labour intensive, and they no longer needed the squatters to help to run their farms. With this new competition came a new ruthlessness on the part of the settlers. They began to confiscate and kill squatter stock. The squatters called this kifagio, a swahili word literally meaning "the broom," referring to the sweeping away of squatter stock and their primary livelihood. The colonial judicial system was hopelessly biased, so the squatters continued to use the traditional ciama, or elders councils to arbitrate disputes amongst squatters. Each farm would have its own kiama (single council). For larger disputes the individual kiama would combine to form a special kiama to deal with problems extending beyond a single farm. In 1924 the government outlawed the ciama and, in 1931 instituted a native tribal court, often selected by Europeans. While Africans were being taxed, only European, Asian and Arab children received an education from government schools. The squatters set up their own self-help network of free schools to educate and to counter the culturally destructive mission schools that would try to indoctrinate African children. The Loyalty Oath In 1940 the Kikuyu Central Association (KSA) was banned by the government. The KSA was the main vehicle through which displaced Africans lobbied to get back their land. The government purchased Olenguruone district to provide land for displaced squatters. This reservation, or reserve as they were called in Kenya, was unsuitable for economically supporting the number of people concentrated in this reserve. Olenguruone became a dumping ground for those committing sabotage, organizing or acts otherwise deemed undesirable by the settlers. Not surprisingly it became the center and beginning of the organized resistance. By 1944 the underground KSA and squatters in Olenguruone were using a "loyalty oath." At first they used the bible and the soil as their symbols. This was quickly changed to the soil and goat meat. Considering the kifagio, which was killing their stock, and the continuous displacement from the land, it seemed an apt symbol of their aspirations. By 1950 younger members were becoming disillusioned with the slow pace being taken by the older leaders of the movement. The aim of the first oath was "secretly to unite, discipline and foster political consciousness" among the Kikuyu with the ultimate aim of obtaining land and freedom. In fact most intellectuals or those a little better off, such as farm foreman, were often distrusted and were often the last to take the oath. If repercussions followed, these people were often murdered. If they remained loyal, they were then expected to use their position to influence others or to supply information about the Europeans, as the Europeans often trusted them more. In 1952 there was a massive mobilization to recruit people to take the oath. This resulted in a wave of violence as the state imprisoned several hundred people. And a backlash erupted as informers were killed, often causing others to inform as they objected to the violence. The state attempted to brand the Mau Mau as "criminals." On Oct 20, 1952, following the assassination of Chief Waruhiu, a high ranking puppet, a state of emergency was declared. This resulted in a wave of settlers killing squatters, confiscating stock and crops. Struggling With Sexism At this point many squatters fled to the forest areas where they began training as guerrillas. In February of 1951 Kenyatta, a future leader of the country, publicly denounced the movement. One of the key soldiers in the resistance was a womyn by the name of Wanjiru Nyamarutu. At first the Mau Mau movement was terribly sexist, as wimmin were thought of as not being able to keep secrets. As wimmin began to not only take the oath but to kill and fight along side their husbands, these prejudices began to be dispelled. Nyamarutu became a General in charge of food. This became a crucial position because it also meant being in charge of intelligence gathering. Food had to be gathered from the farms by squatters, collected, transported to the forest, and then distributed among the many guerrilla cells. Nyamarutu was soon running a whole spy network, often of wimmin and children who could go to areas without raising as much suspicion. Children would often appear to be playing when in fact they were gathering information on troop movements, possible informers, etc. Before a womyn could be elected as a leader and co-opted into the Inner Secret Council, she had to have taken the third oath, at which point it was held that she could not possibly turn against the movement. As far as positions of leadership went, people had to prove themselves through acts of bravery, secrecy and trustworthiness. At this point gender was irrelevant; merit was more important. Nyamarutu later became a Mau Mau judge. Another womyn that rendered sexist myths meaningless was Wambui X. She was known as "the killer." After her husband, also a freedom fighter, was killed in the forest, she refused to remarry and dedicated herself to Mau Mau work. She could not revert back to domestic subjection because "she could not be ruled, she knew everything, her hands had become light, she could easily kill a useless husband." By 1956 the Mau Mau movement had been militarily defeated. The hardcore Mau Mau created the Kenya Land Freedom Army (KFLA) oath. They fought on to protect squatter rights as the British began to decolonize. The British did a number of things to maintain some form of economic control over Kenya. They cultivated an elite African leadership, often the same ones not trusted by the poorer, undereducated squatters. They created loan schemes "out of fairness to the settlers" in which squatters were allowed to borrow money to purchase land. This was often done with the goal of concentrating land ownership in the hands of a few Africans, "the new African middle class," who would then hire squatters and prevent a massive redistribution of free land. During this time the KFLA continued its resistance. They were better organized, commanded stronger allegiance, and had greater clarity of purpose than Mau Mau. They clearly expected to use violence when necessary. Conclusion In conclusion, the parallels to Britain in Africa and the U.S. in the Americas in regard to "reservations", "reconstruction" after the civil war, and the creation of puppet regimes, are instructive in understanding the roots of many contemporary problems. We as a squatter community have not yet fully realized not only the revolutionary potential of a strong squatting movement, but also that this movement cannot be separate from fighting against racism, sexism and economic exploitation. Whether it be rural farm squatting as Thoreau advocated, or urban apartment squatting, we can look to the Mau Mau movement as an inspiration in overthrowing the current property laws that are based on racism and exploitation. Likewise we can study the work of Frank Kitson, a British intelligence officer who pioneered many counter insurgency techniques in Kenya that are still used by the FBI in their COINTELPRO activities against dissidents in the U.S. Information was taken from the book, Squatters and the Roots of Mau Mau by Tabitha Kanogo, Ohio University Press, Athens Ohio, 45701. -30- TAKING DOWN BIG BROWN By K. Frazier You load 16 tons and whaddya get? Another day older and deeper in debt. ---Tennessee Ernie Ford United Parcel Service Inc (UPS), the package delivery company famous for its brown delivery vans and uniforms, has begun contract negotiations with the International Brotherhood [sic] of Teamsters, which represents the more than 160,000 workers at UPS. In the past these negotiations have been something of a cake walk for UPS. It's multi-million dollar propaganda blitzes aimed at selling its proposals to the workforce were countered with absolutely nothing by the pro-Republican, mafia-influenced leadership of the Teamsters. Contract after contract like this has cost workers dearly, 10 years ago starting wages for part-timers were slashed from $11 an hour to $8 and $9 an hour, creating a two-tier wage track between full-timers and part-timers. (The $8/hour rate has remained unchanged since the early eighties, which, when considering inflation, amounts to a wage cut every year.) The company's ability to win the upper hand on the work floor -- where near-brutal productivity standards are enforced -- has been just as significant as UPS victories at the bargaining table. LIFE AT BIG BROWN "Management by stress." That's the name workers have given to the methods used by United Parcel Service management. But even that doesn't adequately describe the rigors of life at "Big Brown." Package unloaders are expected to pound out 1300 packages an hour, many as heavy as 70 lbs each. Package sorters are expected to keep that pace with 99 percent accuracy. Delivery drivers are expected to make a delivery every four minutes, regardless of traffic or weather. UPS warehouse-workers (mainly loaders, unloaders, and sorters) are subject to a very high manager to worker ratio, which means almost constant harassment. Drivers who don't make time face threats of "ride-a-longs" from supervisors. Minor injuries are a daily occurrence among warehouse-workers, and nearly everyone complains of back problems. New employees very quickly find that this "prestigious" working-class job isn't all it's cracked up to be. A union survey found that 77 percent of UPSers believe that "unjust pressure was applied in the company's quest for productivity." Seventy percent said that the company wanted more than "a fair day's work for the wages paid." Even a survey of workers conducted by UPS management on work premises found that 40 percent felt they were not treated with respect by their overseer. TEAMSTER CHANGES Since the last UPS contract the Teamsters have undergone some major changes. In the Dec '91 Teamster elections, Ron Carey , a union reformer, swept the old guard from the top positions in the US's largest union. Carey has been a long-time president of the large UPS local in Queens, New York. Banking on his reputation as an honest militant, Carey has promised to bring democracy and a fighting spirit to the Teamsters. The UPS contract is seen as his big test. Besides politics, Carey has another reason for fighting for a better contract: The outgoing leaders left the union in financial dire straits. If an increase in UPS workers' wages is won, Carey might be able to ease a dues increase out of this largest single group of Teamsters, bailing out the bureaucracy. STIMULATING THE RANK AND FILE The election of Carey and his slate of reformers was more than just a changing of the guard. It was an insurgency of pissed-off workers against corruption and sell-outs. Leading the charge was the 10,000 member-strong Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU). TDU had been organizing for change for the past 20 years, often under threats of violence from the old guard. Their widely-circulated newspaper, CONVOY-DISPATCH, helped to build an impressive organization of local groups across North America. Ten to 15 vice-presidents on Carey's slate (but not Carey himself) are TDU. Since the election, TDU has remained active. At their convention last October, TDU reiterated its friendly, but still independent, relationship with the new International leadership. TDU is distributing UPS Contract Bulletins aimed at educating and stimulating the rank and file to actively participate in the contract fight. In Baltimore and other places, TDU has organized rallies at UPS employee parking lots. TASKS FOR TROUBLEMAKERS For those of us who long for more than just "a decent contract" (like maybe international capital in flames), the UPS contract fight still provides an excellent opportunity for struggle, a chance to gain some experience, and maybe, just maybe ... Revolutionary anarchist UPS workers should work hard to bring as many workers into this struggle as possible, not just in support of the union heavies (or TDU, or anarchists). We should strive to forge an autonomous force --a force capable of backing the union when appropriate, or of asserting our own demands on the company (independent of and possibly against the union when that makes sense) -- a force with the savvy to know the difference. No contract can guarantee who will have power on the shop floor: who will call the shots, who will be afraid. Right now, Big Brown has power. By a long shot. When he says, "jump!," we jump. I just found out that a manager beat up an unloader for being too slow. But this contract fight can be a real step toward building worker solidarity and worker power -- a step toward a time when we can (among other tactics) slow the belt to a human speed, take "unauthorized" breaks, and punish supervisors who violate workers. For now TDU seems like the most realistic vehicle for activism at UPS. TDU is an impressive organization that includes many older militants we can learn much from. We should seek to build TDU, especially among women workers, workers of color and young workers, who do not have large memberships in TDU. It is these workers who will probably be most interested in pushing things further. Ultimately though, TDU is too tied to the union-concept of organizing. They want to make the Teamsters a "good union." Unions, in my estimation, have ceased to be anything approaching fighting organizations. In the best cases, like the Teamsters under Carey, unions are lobbying organizations for workers who try to win decent contacts (read: better rates of exploitation). In the worst cases, like the United Food and Commercial Workers, unions seek to stomp out working-class militancy with a passion unmatched by the capitalists. Workers at UPS and everywhere need new forms of organization based on the floor not on hierarchy, organization with the ability to see past the company gates politically. We need organization not tied to legalism as its sole strategy, organization willing and able to inflict costs on the company and to win strike "by any means necessary." We need organization that makes a priority of fighting for the most dispossessed workers, not for the most privileged. We need an organization that demands full equality for women, African Amerikans and other oppressed nationalities, Queers and youth. We will advance as a class or not at all. If you work at UPS, are interested in working at UPS, are a Teamster, or are just interested in workplace organizing, contact: KF, c/o PO Box 581354, Minneapolis, MN 55458-1354 -30- continued in Part 2... + Join Us! Support The NY Transfer News Collective + + We deliver uncensored information to your mailbox! + + Modem:718-448-2358 FAX:718-448-3423 e-mail:nyt@blythe.org+