May Day Anarchy

Sounds like the May Day protest has gotten a bit rowdy in downtown Seattle...

Quite a few smashed storefront windows....

Just about every other car parked on 5th and 6th had its windows smashed with big burn marks on the side.

Several cars blocked by crowds and beat on in the street with sticks and other weapons.

Not exactly the WTO protests but I'm glad I only had business in Belltown and didn't have to go downtown this morning.

Anything happening in your neck of the woods?

I too find that the best way to protest systemic unfairness is to smash the personal property of people who are probably defaulting on their loans

Loads of cars had 2+ tires slashed, so they can't even use their spares to leave. Awesome work anarchists: if they can't leave, surely they'll realize that their cars are just vapid symbols of capitalism and join the protest.

Yeah, it's pretty sad, I obviously think that there should be protests for what has been done to this country by the elite but this is only making the middle and lower class youth look more like a bunch of dumb sheep manimals. Occupy protests really seem to have back fired all around and protests in general are just getting an increasingly worse reputation. It's a mad world y'all

riot parade

  On 5/1/2012 at 11:08 PM, The Face Culler said:

Loads of cars had 2+ tires slashed, so they can't even use their spares to leave. Awesome work anarchists: if they can't leave, surely they'll realize that their cars are just vapid symbols of capitalism and join the protest.

how do you know this is the work of anarchists and not some asshole teens using a date as an excuse to act more assholish than usual?

the fuck is may day?

  On 5/2/2012 at 12:46 AM, Smettingham Rutherford IV said:

  On 5/1/2012 at 11:08 PM, The Face Culler said:

Loads of cars had 2+ tires slashed, so they can't even use their spares to leave. Awesome work anarchists: if they can't leave, surely they'll realize that their cars are just vapid symbols of capitalism and join the protest.

 

how do you know this is the work of anarchists and not some asshole teens using a date as an excuse to act more assholish than usual?

What's the difference?

I think 'anarchist' is generally used as a catch all word the news uses for 'disenfranchised youths'...

The 'anarchist symbol' was spray painted on walls and cars. They seemed to be loosely organized using black bloc tactics. Seattle PD claims they discovered various plots via 'anarchist websites'.

That's the only reason I used that word...

  On 5/2/2012 at 12:57 AM, The Face Culler said:

  On 5/2/2012 at 12:46 AM, Smettingham Rutherford IV said:

  On 5/1/2012 at 11:08 PM, The Face Culler said:

Loads of cars had 2+ tires slashed, so they can't even use their spares to leave. Awesome work anarchists: if they can't leave, surely they'll realize that their cars are just vapid symbols of capitalism and join the protest.

 

how do you know this is the work of anarchists and not some asshole teens using a date as an excuse to act more assholish than usual?

 

What's the difference?

 

 

I think 'anarchist' is generally used as a catch all word the news uses for 'disenfranchised youths'...

 

The 'anarchist symbol' was spray painted on walls and cars. They seemed to be loosely organized using black bloc tactics. Seattle PD claims they discovered various plots via 'anarchist websites'.

 

That's the only reason I used that word...

difference underlined and bolded

  On 5/2/2012 at 12:52 AM, chassis said:

the fuck is may day?

It's an old pagan holiday co-opted(mainly in the US) to celebrate and remember the victories of the labor movement(5 day week, children out of the coal mines, etc)

  Quote

Ireland

 

May Day has been celebrated in Ireland since pagan times as the feast of Bealtaine and in latter times as Mary's day. Traditionally, bonfires were lit to mark the coming of summer and to banish the long nights of winter. Officially Irish May Day holiday is the first Monday in May. Old traditions such as bonfires are no longer widely observed, though the practice still persists in some communities, such as Arklow, County Wicklow ^[9].

lol

while its probably true that theres bonfires in arklow on may day, I should probably point out theres bonfires the rest of the time too.

Usually with cars.

any excuse to destroy other peoples shit

This sort've sums up the whole thing...

  On 5/2/2012 at 12:57 AM, The Face Culler said:

  On 5/2/2012 at 12:46 AM, Smettingham Rutherford IV said:

  On 5/1/2012 at 11:08 PM, The Face Culler said:

Loads of cars had 2+ tires slashed, so they can't even use their spares to leave. Awesome work anarchists: if they can't leave, surely they'll realize that their cars are just vapid symbols of capitalism and join the protest.

 

how do you know this is the work of anarchists and not some asshole teens using a date as an excuse to act more assholish than usual?

 

What's the difference?

 

 

I think 'anarchist' is generally used as a catch all word the news uses for 'disenfranchised youths'...

 

The 'anarchist symbol' was spray painted on walls and cars. They seemed to be loosely organized using black bloc tactics. Seattle PD claims they discovered various plots via 'anarchist websites'.

 

That's the only reason I used that word...

Been listening to some local radio today and they make it sound like there is a little bit of "police brutality fishing" among the so called anarchists. The Seattle PD isn't that shitty when compared to some other big cities but when set against the backdrop of Seattle's generally liberal activist idealist mindset then they look like a dogshit comic book villain and maybe if they stopped blatantly fucking up and fucking around so often then there would be a little less angst and provocation on days like this.

i sat inside, did drugs and made music all day.

yeah, well when protesters dress in all black and walk around smashing shit, i couldn't care less if the police use baiting tactics against them. everyone knows what a peaceful protest looks like, and these knobs aren't accomplishing anything except for making their own cause lose credibility.

i guarantee none of them knows anything about globalization or economics anyway.

seriously, anarchists and their libertarian friends on the right get under my skin more than anything else.

fuck society, man!!!

NY had a pretty peaceful day! Das Racist and meditation in Union Square, and a flashmob singing "I am because we are" in Madison Sq Garden. I'm really happy that I get to experience this stuff. I know everything is not right with the protests (and I haven't gotten involved in Occupy because of my differences) but the energy of the space they create is wonderful. They are really raising the right questions.

edit: and yes, I think real AND fake (but especially fake) anarchists ruin it for everyone.