ACTION PLAN Seattle Antiwar Activists Get Down to Business (Cowards make plans)

The Stranger ^ | 04/09/03 | Amy Jenniges

[zingzang]

Almost 100 activists answered the April 6 "Call to Action" advertised on little black-and-white fliers littered around the city: "Escalate the level of opposition to the war in new and creative ways," the posters announced. "Coordinate decentralized small and large actions." No doubt psyched after months of uninspiring protests, activists flocked to Polestar Music Gallery in the Central District on Sunday afternoon for a crash course in affinity groups, and a brainstorming session on attention-grabbing protests against the war.

The activists--representing most of Seattle's antiwar organizations, plus anarchists, students, peace protest veterans, and one dog--crammed themselves into rows of folding chairs in Polestar's bright white narrow room (which does multiple duties as a music venue, art gallery, and community meeting space). After an icebreaking few minutes of introductions, one blond guy stood up and asked any undercover cops to leave. "It's illegal to spy on activist organizing," he declared before taking his seat. Then student activist Brady McGarry and Not In Our Name representative Margo Polley dove into the agenda, which was scribbled on a large pad of paper propped on an easel.

For over two hours, the activists learned about affinity groups and started to form a "spokescouncil" to keep everyone on the same page. Here's how it works: Small groups of people will form their own affinity groups, which come up with and do their own actions. Then those groups send representatives to spokescouncil meetings, where they coordinate on dates, or hook up with other groups for bigger protests. It's an activist model that's been used all over for antiwar protests, like the dramatic ones in San Francisco: The loose-knit organization lets activists work together if they need to, but the autonomous actions maintain an element of surprise for the cops.

After working through the organizational minutiae, activists launched into ideas for "creative chaos" in Seattle. With a permanent marker, McGarry and Polley took notes: civil disobedience at local military bases, gas station actions, even protests focused on Seattle-based Stevedoring Services of America--a company that's been pegged by antiwar activists as a war profiteer for securing a port contract in postwar Iraq.

At the end of the meeting, folks decided to let affinity groups work out the details later--privately, so they can keep a lid on the exact time and place.

amy@thestranger.com

[zingzang]

WOW! Almost 100 activists answered the call to action!! That means that about 10 of these leftist cowards will show up for any event, then go home for fear of an ass kicking by right thinking people. Plus, they'll probably need to water their pot plants.

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[goodnesswins]

LOL...the 570th Cavalry will be there, wherever they decide to show their pitiful faces.

[anniegetyourgun]

Interesting to see this written up in the paper of record for homosexuals.

[zingzang]

Yeah, not surprising they have another article about that Marine reservist from the area who went AWOL after he had the revelation that war is destructive and mean. He's also claiming that he's gay as well as being a concientious objector. So, not only did he lie on his application, but he is guilty of breach of contract. Good move.

[mondonico]

"direct action" = criminal conduct. Prosecute them.

[scouse]

Maregaret Burke needs a few more bodies for tomorrow's protest at the Masters' Golf Tournament. Will these idiots be able to make it to Georgia in time.

[syriacus]

Activists don't seem very "active," do they?

If they were "active," they'd be organizing to send some sort of aid to Iraq to help in rebuilding.

[Wright is right!]

By the time these wimp-heads actually get anything planned and organized, the war will be O*V*E*R. For instance, A>N>S>W>E>R's got a Stop-The-War rally planned for this weekend in DC. The mop-up phase will likely be in full swing by then. GREAT TIMING.

Michael

[sakka]

This makes me so mad... how can these people ignore the dancing Iraqis on tv? They simply do not care about anyone else except themselves.

[zingzang]

If they were "active," they'd be organizing to send some sort of aid to Iraq to help in rebuilding.

True, but that would interfere with their usual day of sleeping until noon, hanging out in the coffee shop all day and bashing Bush/capitalism/freedom, etc.

[zingzang]

... how can these people ignore the dancing Iraqis on tv?

They do it easily because they don't exist in reality.

[jriemer]

(Cowards) Make Your Time...

Zig for Great Justice

[LRS]

...one blond guy stood up and asked any undercover cops to leave. "It's illegal to spy on activist organizing...

Give me a break! These whiney pukes are too much! They don't give a rat's backside about the law, until it benefits them!

[bigjoesaddle]

Antiwar Call to ACTION!!!

Crawl in a hole and die, you useless idiots.

[stars & stripes forever]

These whiney pukes are too much!

whiney pukes = whiney wankers

[UCFRoadWarrior]

Maybe they still dream of being Sodomized by Saddam

The anti-war left are sickos. They are so selfish. People in Seattle need to put a stop to this

[Illbay]

No doubt psyched after months of uninspiring protests, activists flocked to Polestar Music Gallery in the Central District on Sunday afternoon for a crash course in affinity groups, and a brainstorming session on attention-grabbing protests against the war.

A psychotic is one who, realizing that everything he has tried thus far has failed, promptly redoubles his efforts.

[RetiredArmy]

The leftist liberal slime of Sodom on the Sound raises their unwashed heads from their drug induced slumber and speak from their barf filled mouths to damn the very country that allows them to fester in our presence. To hell with the whole slimy, scummy, bunch of them. And their leader, BagDad Jim.

[reformedliberal]

WOW! Almost 100 activists answered the call to action!! That means that about 10 of these leftist cowards will show up for any event, then go home for fear of an ass kicking by right thinking people. Plus, they'll probably need to water their pot plants.

---

These are cadre for one geographic area. Each of them will be able to mobilize 100+ people at the minimum. Those will be the real radicals, the black bloc types and they mean to take this to America as a real guerilla war.

They are dangerous.