Plain Words – Page 4 – Anarchist Counter-Information in Bloomington, Indiana

By now it is a platitude to speak of the isolation and silence that prisons strive to impose. Every week another one of our imprisoned friends tells us that their mail is getting fucked with, the phones on their unit are “broken,” or that our publications are being rejected with no recourse.

For us, one of the most exciting elements of June 11, 2016 was the proliferation of words and ideas shared between and from anarchist prisoners. Along with spreading material solidarity internationally and keeping the names of our comrades on our lips, our contribution to facilitating that communication is one of our most important tasks. While the starting point of our project was support for Marius Mason and Eric McDavid (the first of whom remains imprisoned in an extremely restrictive unit, while the latter has been freed!), it has been through a spreading web of communications that we have expanded the scope of our project to solidarity with long-term anarchist prisoners around the world. This year, we are seeking to emphasize this communication.

Continue reading “June 11, 2017: Communication is a Weapon”

2017/04/17

How to: Mask Up

How to mask up

People conceal their identities from police and media during demonstrations for many different reasons: school, employment, immigration status, Child Protective Services, right-wing vigilantes. Even if you do not engage in confrontational actions, masking up can protect the autonomy of those who do. The more masked people there are, the safer are those who are most likely to be targeted by the police. Together, we have tremendous power. Continue reading “How to: Mask Up”

2017/04/14

Professor’s Office sabotaged during Murray talk

Reposted from It’s Going Down

While private security and cops from three different agencies were locking down and surrounding Franklin Hall on Tuesday night in defense of “scientist” and writer Charles Murray (who spews all manner of racist, misogynist, and oppressive ideas and “research”) and hundreds of Indiana University students, faculty, and others were gathered for a protest, we went to IU professor Aurelian Craiutu’s office to glue the locks and paint an anti-racist message.

Aurelian is the head of the Tocqueville Program – part of the Political Science Department – that invited Murray to speak at IU in order to explore, he said, the “Trump phenomenon.” Whatever the reason for the invitation, we abhor it. While we have no faith in the university, we do think that public figures like Charles Murray and the institutions and people who support him should be confronted. But those confrontations do not always have to take place on terrain that is presented to us. We don’t have to wait until a profiteering racist shows up on campus…or remain within the police barricades. While public opposition can be important, there is much that can be done when one is not surrounded on all sides by rows of police and cell phone cameras. Nor must we remain within the ideological terrain of the institutions regarding civility and the sanctity of property. Outrage at small acts of vandalism is laughable alongside the experience of so many students and others who are just now losing trust in the university that they expected to protect them. But now the interests and character of IU are made clear.

Shout out to all those who stood up against Murray, his supporters, and the massive police force assembled to protect him. Our anger didn’t subside when Murray was escorted off campus. One can move rather freely through many parts of campus. Glue is cheap. Let’s be creative.

2017/04/05

New publication: Animal & Earth Liberation in Indiana, 2000-2003

Animal & Earth Liberation in Indiana, 2000-2003

[For reading] [For printing]

The following is a collection of communiqués from the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) and Animal Liberation Front (ALF) in Indiana.

We publish this simply to show that, even in pacified places like Bloomington, it is possible to carry out audacious attacks on the forces that destroy the life around us and reduce our own lives to meaningless activity in the service of the state and economy.

We also wish to keep the spirit of these actions alive, to not forget those who risked everything to defend the earth and animals, make their desires real, and create moments of freedom in this open-air prison called civilization.

We dedicate this to Marius Mason, currently serving a 22-year sentence for acts of sabotage against ecocide and animal exploitation, and for anarchy. As part of his sentencing, Marius admitted to committing some of the actions listed in this publication. Our love and solidarity with Marius is unflinching and will continue until he is free.

2017/03/26

New Attack Poster: Sabotage in memory of Lambros Foundas

Sabotage in Memory of Lambros Foundas (PDF)

2017/03/20

March 27: Cage Flight – Letter writing for MOVE prisoners

From Bloomington Anarchist Black Cross

MARCH 27
7pm
Boxcar Books
408 E. 6th St

This month we’ll be writing to members of the MOVE Organization, a group formed in Philadelphia in the 70s fighting for black liberation, experimenting with communal living, and publicly demonstrating against racism, police brutality, and many other issues. In 1985 the city of Philadelphia bombed the MOVE house, killing 11 people including 5 children and destroying over 65 homes. 9 MOVE members were sentenced to 30-100 in prison following a previous attack on MOVE by the city. Four of them – Charles, Delbert, Janet, and Janine – have birthdays coming up in April. We will be learning more about the MOVE Organization, state repression against them, and writing letters to its still-imprisoned members.

More info on MOVE here.

2017/03/14

Sabotage in memory of Lambros Foundas

Reposted from It’s Going Down

A few nights ago we sabotaged about 50 parking meters by gluing their locks, coin slots, and card readers. This was a simple act which took no specialized skill. Get some superglue, cover your face, keep your eyes peeled for cops or loyal citizens, and act.

These parking meters were targeted because they fund the Bloomington Police Department and because they force people to pay to be downtown. We hate the police and we hate gentrification and class society, so we chose to attack them.

We act as a gesture of combative memory for Lambros Foundas, anarchist of Revolutionary Struggle killed by the forces of the Greek state on March 10, 2010. Our memory is not one of passive mourning or martyrdom, but of active struggle against the state, capital, and domination in all of its forms. The flame of Lambros’ life kept us warm as we walked through the winter night, and we will carry that flame with us in all parts of our lives, which are lived at war with this society of masters and slaves.

We send strength to all anarchist combatants held captive in the dungeons of the Greek state.

We send solidarity to all those facing the state’s latest attacks against squatters, anarchists, and refugees: we are inspired by your refusal to be paralyzed.

For Lambros

Long live anarchy

2017/03/142017/03/20

Floodgates: The Urge to Obey, A Flight from Initiative, and Identity Politics

We receive and transmit:

Traditional systems of authority are dead or dying. It matters increasingly less whether one identifies with their job, loves their country, kneels before God, or worries about tarnishing the family name. In the past, anarchists have fought to the death against these institutions, believing that if people rose up and destroyed them, humanity would be free. While these relics are decaying, it is due to many different forces, rebellion not being primary. As a result, daily life is still bound to alienation, livelihood tied to the whims of the precarious market, and obedience maintained by the threat of the justice system or the normality of habit, or both. Humanity is still submissive, but our rulers are faceless abstractions: invisible flows of capital, imagination-killing technologies, the justice system, etc. These systems have their agents in our midst: police, prison guards, CEOs, judges; but they no longer solicit respect, they just do their jobs to keep the system running, and they are interchangeable in our minds. So we are followers without leaders, waiting to be led. Continue reading “Floodgates: The Urge to Obey, A Flight from Initiative, and Identity Politics”

2017/03/11

New poster series: ATTACK

ATTACK poster series is an attempt to keep acts of revolt alive. In a time of technological alienation and lobotomization by media, rebellious acts become just another entry in the police blotter or subject of social media temper tantrums. With this poster series, we seek to bring these acts into dialogue with our daily lives, allowing them to resonate beyond their initial moment.

Posters can be emailed to:
plainwordsbloomington [at] riseup [dot] net

The secret is to really begin…