|
Next Left Notes Is A News Magazine Devoted To Direct Action
By Matt McLaughlin
This past Saturday was the first time I had attended one of the "mass mobilizations,"
in several years, aside from the local ones in Hartford and New Haven, CT. Even during
the RNC I neglected to march in the main parade, even though I was in the same city
at the same time. I had more important things to do, like defending the right to ride
a bike, with the comrades in Times-Up! I wasn't even going to come to this one, having
been railing against it for the past six months. But SDS's conference the week before,
and their presence in the march (along with NYMAA and the IWW), and a cheap ticket for
the bus my school organized for a very convenient cultural trip, was enough to convince
me to go.
It was definitely one of the more boisterous contingents I've been a part of. One of my
favorite chants was, "What goes around, comes around. Burn the White House to the ground!"
Here's another one I made up but didn't get a chance to try, in case folks want one for
next time: "SDS, Harass the brass, kick the ruling class’s ass!" Anyways, most of our
incendiary rhetoric was well received, though one liberal did have an issue with one
that implicated the CIA and FBI. I explained, perhaps a little too forcefully, that there
was a global consensus that the CIA is indeed a terrorist organization, and that things
didn't change the day the Berlin Wall fell. I didn't get around to the FBI and their current
attack on the environmental and animal liberation movements before he stormed off. And
allegedly, somebody who took my flyer, which explained that parades and pep rallies wouldn't
stop the war, and only direct action could, said it was 'sketchy'” Considering I had never
heard of a flyer described as such, I decided it was a good thing, and that I was doing
something right.
But aside from them, most were very happy to see SDS back again. For many, 'happy' is
putting it lightly. Many adults were former-SDSers themselves, while others simply remembered
them and their antics with a smile. But the shock of having approval from members of the
mainstream antiwar movement got me to thinking. As a genuine re-incarnation of the notorious
SDS, a group that epitomized some of the best parts of the sixties, we actually stand a
chance of persuading the movement to allow youth into their rightful position of leadership
in this and other movements, and rallying people to the strategies and tactics that many of
us in SDS share. We have a built-in constituency. In this sense, we are already very dangerous,
to the neo-cons as well as to the peace bureaucrats. It is unfortunate we have to evoke an
image from their generation to do this, but now that we have, we are benefiting greatly.
Aside from that, it was a great day. The grassroots action festival was a welcome change
from the usual rally. It should become the norm, if we're going to continue with the whole
parade tactic at all. And it seemed to allow us to sign up a lot of new SDS members as well.
Unfortunately we didn't have a more prominent table, but I honestly couldn't speak much about
all of that. Much thanks to the NYC friends and comrades that are pushing the envelope and
raising hell. We'll do it again sometime soon.
View Photos From A29
Home
Next Left Notes
(c) 2004,2006 Thomas Good
Verbatim copying and distribution of entire articles is permitted
without royalty in any medium provided this notice is preserved.
|