Millbank Fire: Lessons from Millbank: Leaflet for printing and giving out
Millbank Fire | 20.11.2010 18:44 | Public sector cuts | Repression | Social Struggles
Leaflet to be printed and circulated should you like the taste of it. Breaks down into three parts: Cuts are not an issue...(an article about resisting capitalism and not getting stuck on resisting the cuts) / Keeping It Real (advice for those new to doing stuff) and Some Lessons
From Millbank (4 practical lessons to be learned and put into effect everywhere).
Please circulate through your networks, should you wish.
From Millbank (4 practical lessons to be learned and put into effect everywhere).
Please circulate through your networks, should you wish.
Cuts are not an issue...
Although the impact of the cuts have yet to hit us hard, in recent months loads of local anti-cuts campaigns have sprung up to try and work together to resist the austerity the State wants to impose upon us. But it seemed like the fairly spontaneous attack on the Tory HQ at Millbank on the 10th November Demo-lition seemed to really light a fire under people’s anger about the cuts. Everyone was talking about Millbank. It seemed like this moment had ruptured the political silence that had been accompanying the collapse of the economic bubble in 2007.
But when people talk about fighting ‘the cuts’, it sometimes seems like it’s just a new political ‘issue’. But it isn’t. It’s much more essential than that. Issues are things like opposing nuclear power or being against animal testing. But the cuts are not the same thing. They cannot be resisted in the same way. The reason the cuts are being made all across health, housing, education and so on is to maintain the profits that can no longer be made from a busted economic housing bubble and the bonkers levels of individual debt (credit cards, loans mortgages etc). Now the profits to be made are going to come from squeezing the living standards of a large section of the population. The cuts are not being made because the economic system hasn’t worked, they are being made because that’s exactly how the economic system does work. It never stops trying to screw us for more and more of what we have had to fight to maintain over the centuries. The cuts are about how politics works at a systemic level, about our everyday lives and how we live and not just party politics or campaign issues. The Tories make the cuts with relish but if Labour had been elected to power they would be making just the same level of cuts to maintain the same level of profits for the same rich people.
We’re all pretty fucked...
It’s not just cuts in education and upping the fees that’s the problem. The problem is that the cuts in general mean we’re all pretty fucked. Whether you’re a student in a F.E college or University, whether you’re a working single-mum, whether you’re self-employed, whether you’re unemployed, whether you’re working a precarious temp job, whether you working a good job in the public sector. The depth of the cuts means most people are going to become worse-off.
There are differing trains of thought that link the cuts to ‘The Crisis’ or ‘The Deficit’ or ‘The Tories’ but for many there is a much more simple truth – it’s just called ‘Life as normal’. The rich have been getting successively richer in this country and the poor have been getting poorer. If the cuts are setting out to re-float a busted economy of over-inflated debt and speculation by taking more and more from the poorer section of the population, well, it’s just more of the same for most people. Poverty, crap jobs, insecurity, health problems – well, that’s just how we’ve been living anyway. But do you feel like politicians will sort it out for you? Do you feel like if you keep your head down and work hard, you’ll be okay? Do you feel scared? Had enough of that shit yet?
No Escape, Time to Break it
Mass unemployment is coming and the accompanying disciplining of those unwilling to work for shit wages or for free. The promise of a good job and good life after University is an illusion. The system’s guaranteed to be there but the jobs aren’t. Most college leavers and graduates will join the 600 Euro generation alongside their counterparts in France, Italy or Greece. It’s no wonder that those countries have seen huge levels of militancy and great new tactics of resistance as they have already been suffering the harsh realities of the imposition of austerity. It seemed like a little bit of that European fire was finally burning at Millbank last week when the ante was finally upped. That resistance has to remain at that level – always collective and open, always going beyond the polite and useless limits set up by political parties and unions, always ready to occupy, block, to strike, to walk out, to be adventurous and to be excessive! Anything is else is just more of the same shit. Who needs it?
Block The Economy!
Here follows an Excerpt from a statement read out at the General Assembly of students at the University of Rennes, France, 25 October 2010
“Nowadays, audacious experiments of the 2006 movement exist as the basic modes of militant actions in the struggle against the current government. In Rennes, the department stores are targeted in every demonstration. The Marseilles strikers paralyse the harbour and add to their city the beat of the movement. The train drivers are also on the front line, and the lorry drivers have joined the movement. We know that in order to win, we must be able to counteract the government strategies of waiting for the deterioration of the fightback and techniques of intimidation. This can particularly be seen in the increase in the police violence.
What is needed now is the spreading of the tactic – the economic blockade - to intensify the fightback with a means that is accessible to all and to disrupt them in a far more certain manner than the peaceful demonstrations and rallys which have absolutely no effect. Being ready to move quickly, of being able to gather as quickly as possible in one point to constitute a mass that can not be flushed out, as well as spreading to block the city at ten different places at the same time, this will be our tactic. The question of which are the priority targets for the blockade seems already solved: roads, train stations, department stores, distribution centres. Of interest are any blockades which contribute to the spreading of the situation. Let’s think about tourism which constitutes one of the main profitable economic sectors of the City fancy hotels and restaurants, big cultural shows, luxury stores – the list is endless.”
Millbank has now helpfully polarised the debates but there is something worth remembering from the day – it was a fairly easy victory! The next few years will not see our victories so easily come by but this should not make us forget the joy, collectivity and solidarity of that day. Those who think they can now step in and try to control our anger via negotiation or undermine us through party politicking – we will push them aside because this movement belongs to us all.
STRIKE> OCCUPY>BLOCK THE ECONOMY>TAKE BACK OUR LIVES!!
No Ifs, No Buts, Capitalism Sucks!!
-------------------------------------
KEEPING IT REAL
Keep safe. Maintain open communication with people you trust. Know your surroundings and your friends. Act together!
Try to rely on argument and intelligence. Slogans are a staple for all sorts of political factions and usually very boring. They alienate many more people than they win over. Be smart, be funny, be approachable. Have a laugh.
Don’t get isolated. You’re surrounded by people who are angry and sad about what’s going on, but they keep quiet most of the time. So talk to people, find out how they feel about the situation – and what they might like to do. There are a thousand reasons for fighting back (and reasons not to, as well.)
Have confidence in your judgement. Don’t be afraid to back out of a situation which you no longer agree with. Things move quickly, can get out of control. Maintaining a critical stance is never a bad thing. A good group is a collection of individuals working together.
Consider the possibility that political activity could be a condition of happiness. Be wary of ways of acting that only feel like a burden – and ways of discussing which feel like placing a burden on others. They don’t often go anywhere pleasant. Although, you fight, it’s important to enjoy yourselves because real life is what we are fighting for...
----------------------------
Some Lessons From Millbank
MASK UP!
The lessons of Millbank (and the past) should be obvious - if you’re gonna go for it then mask up or FACE PRISON! It’s that simple!! By masking up, we mean covering your whole face and not just your chin! And stay masked up too because cops and journalists never stop taking photos!! Even if you’re not gonna for it, the more who mask up the better for everyone. We have to encourage people via Internet, leaflets and by word of mouth on demos to MASK UP. How many photos of people going nutso without any face covering have you seen? Spreading a culture of masking up means that we are taking our actions seriously - support one and another!!
PHOTOGRAPHERS
A serious lesson is that we have to stop news photographers taking pics or videos of people doing stuff. They are basically putting people’s liberty at risk! They must be told to fuck off, be blocked and moved away from the any actions. If, after being told to move, they refuse they should be physically confronted (in whatever way seems fit). The pics they take could put you in jail! But, it’s just as bad all the people who take also photos and post them on Facebook, blogs etc. doing the cops jobs for them. The cops trawl these sites to try and identify people. Be conscious of your actions! Don’t photograph people doing stuff!
KEEP MOVING!
Don’t fixate on a confrontation with the cops if you’re outnumbered. Move onto the next thing! Find your own actions, targets, streets to occupy. The cops have to wait for orders to act. They move slow. We should keep it lively and keep it mobile! If the cops block us one way, then let’s find another way! In this way, we avoid pointless set-pieces and we avoid getting rounded up in police kettles.
SOUND SYSTEM and MUSIC
12 Volt battery Sound System on bikes or pushcarts are amazing ways to move large blocks of people fast! They also make a demo or riot more like a party! They inspire us to come together around the sounds and to keep moving! We need more sound systems on demos!! And we need more drum bands and freestyle MC’s on the megaphones because a riot is like a festival!!
----------------------------------
Keep safe on the 24th!
Although the impact of the cuts have yet to hit us hard, in recent months loads of local anti-cuts campaigns have sprung up to try and work together to resist the austerity the State wants to impose upon us. But it seemed like the fairly spontaneous attack on the Tory HQ at Millbank on the 10th November Demo-lition seemed to really light a fire under people’s anger about the cuts. Everyone was talking about Millbank. It seemed like this moment had ruptured the political silence that had been accompanying the collapse of the economic bubble in 2007.
But when people talk about fighting ‘the cuts’, it sometimes seems like it’s just a new political ‘issue’. But it isn’t. It’s much more essential than that. Issues are things like opposing nuclear power or being against animal testing. But the cuts are not the same thing. They cannot be resisted in the same way. The reason the cuts are being made all across health, housing, education and so on is to maintain the profits that can no longer be made from a busted economic housing bubble and the bonkers levels of individual debt (credit cards, loans mortgages etc). Now the profits to be made are going to come from squeezing the living standards of a large section of the population. The cuts are not being made because the economic system hasn’t worked, they are being made because that’s exactly how the economic system does work. It never stops trying to screw us for more and more of what we have had to fight to maintain over the centuries. The cuts are about how politics works at a systemic level, about our everyday lives and how we live and not just party politics or campaign issues. The Tories make the cuts with relish but if Labour had been elected to power they would be making just the same level of cuts to maintain the same level of profits for the same rich people.
We’re all pretty fucked...
It’s not just cuts in education and upping the fees that’s the problem. The problem is that the cuts in general mean we’re all pretty fucked. Whether you’re a student in a F.E college or University, whether you’re a working single-mum, whether you’re self-employed, whether you’re unemployed, whether you’re working a precarious temp job, whether you working a good job in the public sector. The depth of the cuts means most people are going to become worse-off.
There are differing trains of thought that link the cuts to ‘The Crisis’ or ‘The Deficit’ or ‘The Tories’ but for many there is a much more simple truth – it’s just called ‘Life as normal’. The rich have been getting successively richer in this country and the poor have been getting poorer. If the cuts are setting out to re-float a busted economy of over-inflated debt and speculation by taking more and more from the poorer section of the population, well, it’s just more of the same for most people. Poverty, crap jobs, insecurity, health problems – well, that’s just how we’ve been living anyway. But do you feel like politicians will sort it out for you? Do you feel like if you keep your head down and work hard, you’ll be okay? Do you feel scared? Had enough of that shit yet?
No Escape, Time to Break it
Mass unemployment is coming and the accompanying disciplining of those unwilling to work for shit wages or for free. The promise of a good job and good life after University is an illusion. The system’s guaranteed to be there but the jobs aren’t. Most college leavers and graduates will join the 600 Euro generation alongside their counterparts in France, Italy or Greece. It’s no wonder that those countries have seen huge levels of militancy and great new tactics of resistance as they have already been suffering the harsh realities of the imposition of austerity. It seemed like a little bit of that European fire was finally burning at Millbank last week when the ante was finally upped. That resistance has to remain at that level – always collective and open, always going beyond the polite and useless limits set up by political parties and unions, always ready to occupy, block, to strike, to walk out, to be adventurous and to be excessive! Anything is else is just more of the same shit. Who needs it?
Block The Economy!
Here follows an Excerpt from a statement read out at the General Assembly of students at the University of Rennes, France, 25 October 2010
“Nowadays, audacious experiments of the 2006 movement exist as the basic modes of militant actions in the struggle against the current government. In Rennes, the department stores are targeted in every demonstration. The Marseilles strikers paralyse the harbour and add to their city the beat of the movement. The train drivers are also on the front line, and the lorry drivers have joined the movement. We know that in order to win, we must be able to counteract the government strategies of waiting for the deterioration of the fightback and techniques of intimidation. This can particularly be seen in the increase in the police violence.
What is needed now is the spreading of the tactic – the economic blockade - to intensify the fightback with a means that is accessible to all and to disrupt them in a far more certain manner than the peaceful demonstrations and rallys which have absolutely no effect. Being ready to move quickly, of being able to gather as quickly as possible in one point to constitute a mass that can not be flushed out, as well as spreading to block the city at ten different places at the same time, this will be our tactic. The question of which are the priority targets for the blockade seems already solved: roads, train stations, department stores, distribution centres. Of interest are any blockades which contribute to the spreading of the situation. Let’s think about tourism which constitutes one of the main profitable economic sectors of the City fancy hotels and restaurants, big cultural shows, luxury stores – the list is endless.”
Millbank has now helpfully polarised the debates but there is something worth remembering from the day – it was a fairly easy victory! The next few years will not see our victories so easily come by but this should not make us forget the joy, collectivity and solidarity of that day. Those who think they can now step in and try to control our anger via negotiation or undermine us through party politicking – we will push them aside because this movement belongs to us all.
STRIKE> OCCUPY>BLOCK THE ECONOMY>TAKE BACK OUR LIVES!!
No Ifs, No Buts, Capitalism Sucks!!
-------------------------------------
KEEPING IT REAL
Keep safe. Maintain open communication with people you trust. Know your surroundings and your friends. Act together!
Try to rely on argument and intelligence. Slogans are a staple for all sorts of political factions and usually very boring. They alienate many more people than they win over. Be smart, be funny, be approachable. Have a laugh.
Don’t get isolated. You’re surrounded by people who are angry and sad about what’s going on, but they keep quiet most of the time. So talk to people, find out how they feel about the situation – and what they might like to do. There are a thousand reasons for fighting back (and reasons not to, as well.)
Have confidence in your judgement. Don’t be afraid to back out of a situation which you no longer agree with. Things move quickly, can get out of control. Maintaining a critical stance is never a bad thing. A good group is a collection of individuals working together.
Consider the possibility that political activity could be a condition of happiness. Be wary of ways of acting that only feel like a burden – and ways of discussing which feel like placing a burden on others. They don’t often go anywhere pleasant. Although, you fight, it’s important to enjoy yourselves because real life is what we are fighting for...
----------------------------
Some Lessons From Millbank
MASK UP!
The lessons of Millbank (and the past) should be obvious - if you’re gonna go for it then mask up or FACE PRISON! It’s that simple!! By masking up, we mean covering your whole face and not just your chin! And stay masked up too because cops and journalists never stop taking photos!! Even if you’re not gonna for it, the more who mask up the better for everyone. We have to encourage people via Internet, leaflets and by word of mouth on demos to MASK UP. How many photos of people going nutso without any face covering have you seen? Spreading a culture of masking up means that we are taking our actions seriously - support one and another!!
PHOTOGRAPHERS
A serious lesson is that we have to stop news photographers taking pics or videos of people doing stuff. They are basically putting people’s liberty at risk! They must be told to fuck off, be blocked and moved away from the any actions. If, after being told to move, they refuse they should be physically confronted (in whatever way seems fit). The pics they take could put you in jail! But, it’s just as bad all the people who take also photos and post them on Facebook, blogs etc. doing the cops jobs for them. The cops trawl these sites to try and identify people. Be conscious of your actions! Don’t photograph people doing stuff!
KEEP MOVING!
Don’t fixate on a confrontation with the cops if you’re outnumbered. Move onto the next thing! Find your own actions, targets, streets to occupy. The cops have to wait for orders to act. They move slow. We should keep it lively and keep it mobile! If the cops block us one way, then let’s find another way! In this way, we avoid pointless set-pieces and we avoid getting rounded up in police kettles.
SOUND SYSTEM and MUSIC
12 Volt battery Sound System on bikes or pushcarts are amazing ways to move large blocks of people fast! They also make a demo or riot more like a party! They inspire us to come together around the sounds and to keep moving! We need more sound systems on demos!! And we need more drum bands and freestyle MC’s on the megaphones because a riot is like a festival!!
----------------------------------
Keep safe on the 24th!
Millbank Fire
Comments
Hide the following 14 comments
The leaflet looks like this, except A4.
20.11.2010 18:54
Page One
Page Two
MF
worried photographer
20.11.2010 23:43
as a committed and long-standing contributor to indymedia, with no affiliation to mainstream press organisations, i don't really need some pimply student whacking me while i'm doing my best not to get whacked by the cops.
i have enough experience and knowledge to be careful about what i photograph, and what i do with any images after i have taken them.
my film and photos have been used by lawyers in the past to STOP people being fitted up by the police and going to jail. my work has NEVER led to anyone's arrest or conviction and has on several occasions led to very serious criminal charges being dropped or failing in court.
so, the advice to interfere with and physically block photographers may well have the opposite effect of the one desired. all you'll have is the well-edited police video of an altercation without potentially helpful evidence from people like me.
the poster shows a complete lack of experience and understanding, and i hope that people won't take this idiotic advice on board or indeed into their own hands.
having said that, there is indeed some need to make photographers aware of the potential for harm that their images might have, and some of what was written is absolutely valid, but please let's not have an ill-thought out vendetta against photographers. some of us really are your very best friends!
rikkir
e-mail:
rikkiindymedia{AT}gmail d0t com
Photography again
21.11.2010 00:27
What does it matter if another 1000 images of rioting enter the world in relation to the freedom of those who choose to act in this way? The action is what is important and not the representation of it.
If you're taking pictures of crowd scenes, police activity and so on, nobody is going to bother you.
PhotoLove
Friends...
21.11.2010 00:32
On the one hand the writer is said to have 'a complete lack of experience and understanding' and on the other hand to have written something that in parts is 'absolutely valid'.
I don't read it as a plea to attack photographers as it clearly says tell them to 'fuck off' and block them. Only if they then persist physically confront them. That seems like a reasonable warning.
@
case study
21.11.2010 11:09
at the bush demo, i took film of people both being attacked by and attacking the cops at the front of the demo. one person faced a charge of violent disorder and police film had been thoroughly edited and collaborative witness statements by police were orchestrated to completely stitch this person up.
my film showed that the police were lying and as a result, a jury acquitted him completely. otherwise he faced several years in prison.
i can give you other similar examples.
two more words for you - "iain" and "tomlinson".
we are not all your enemies, and our footage can be your best friend. your advice on this leaflet is dangerous, self-defeating, and encourages the sort of threatening and ill-considered remarks as made by "student" above.
rikki
e-mail:
rikkiindymedia{AT}gmail d0t com
I will take photographs
22.11.2010 00:39
Noone will stop me taking photographs. Period. If people check out my posts on Indymedia they will see that I obscure people's faces in most photographs where they are visible, and mostly take pictures of neutral crowd scenes, or from the back of the action. As to the police getting hold of photographs, the useful thing about digital cameras is that you can extract the picture card at any time and it is small enough to hide successfully just about anywhere.
pinkolady
curious
22.11.2010 14:51
snap
my 2 cents
22.11.2010 18:06
snapper2
Futile and misplaced
23.11.2010 10:03
The obvious solution is if you want to smash stuff up then come prepared, and if you aren't able to mask up, presume you are running a high risk of being busted or simply abstain from 'criminal acts'. Doesn't take a genius to figure it out.
It wasn't photographers and social networking's fault that people got busted, any more than it was the fault of people who made the shoes of the people that were busted.
I think the people who took direct action are heroes and deserve accolade and not punishment. But going after photographers is nonsense and unrealistic. Sure, people should think about not publishing, people should think about gaussing (Guassian blur) out faces, stripping thumbnails and destroying the original images (or storing them offsite) if they DO publish (what I would personally favour).
But most people won't have read this leaflet and most of those who did won't care. So, again MASK UP! MASK UP! MASK UP! And also, don't turn up pissed as it rarely leads to good judgement.
And once again if anyone starts getting heavy with me or any other photographer they'll be eating my camera.
Snappy Happy
miserable world miserable people
23.11.2010 14:30
You cant show me your solidarity in a way that I consider dangerous to me. we can only decide Together how to help one another....
So I hope you all grow out of your self interested infatuation with the post action products, your photographs.... and maybe just do something for the sake of doing it not showing it to others...
and I for one promise that if my request to stop being filmed or photographed is ignored I will smash everyone of your fucking teeth out...
(Don't hate the CCTV, be the CCTV)?
worried
CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER
23.11.2010 15:18
SNAP
two simple points
23.11.2010 16:02
2 my film of battles between police and activists have kept innocent people OUT of prison and have never put anyone IN prison
there is so much stereotyping and generalisation in much of the above commenting.
i think the last poster had an interesting point. if snapper isn't FIT, he might as well be for the benefit his advice will give the police. without my footage, shots and witness reports, the police WILL arrest people on the front line of any scuffles, and they WILL make up shit. if you want to scare independent reporters away with threats of violence, which is what this is about, then activists WILL be the ones to suffer.
as someone else mentioned before, we've had to deal with Section 44, which was designed to allow police control over cameras. if we weren't a threat to them, they'd never have lobbied for that law.
independent journalism is your friend, and either you are FIT recognising that and trying to cause problems, or you just haven't thought it through.
rikki
Dealing With Photographers
23.11.2010 16:49
I am not a macho militant guy looking for reasons for aggro. In fact, I am a skinny runt but I take the actions in the spur of the moment as I did not want those taking action to be photographed for obvious reasons (as explained in the leaflet above). Personally I am not going to whack a photographer he s/he doesn't go away but I have been on actions where that has happened.
In addition, I am also sick to death of action shots of people breaking windows and so on. The action is in the moment and is part of the struggle. It does what it does and does not need to then be media-tised as if direct action was some sort of campaign move or publicity seeking to influence opinions.
@
UnFIT
24.11.2010 01:03
If you don't want to be photographed and you don't want to be masked up and you don't have an ounce of common sense to follow the FITwatch advice, it makes you and idiot, not me a cop.
And you can wish it all away as much as you like, but people are going to be taking pictures whether you like it or not, so you should plan for that inevitability.
And my advice to mask up is a gift to FIT? I think you obviously never read the FITwatch post that pissed the Met off so much.
Here would be my pro-FIT advice:
Don't mask up. Smash shit up, and ask people nicely to not take pics and if they don't comply attack them, and then there will be no evidence against you and nothing to be cautious about.
I'll leave you ladies to get back to your typing and I'll get back to planning actions.
Snappy Happy