Inauguration 2005: Updates to the Call to Action
Below are updates to the Anarchist Resistance Call to Action. Check back here frequently for new information about anarchist actions and events during Inauguration week.
Update #5 - 1/18/05
And so it is upon us, the week of the 55th presidential inauguration, and the final update from DC Anarchist Resistance. We will gather for the Anarchist March at 12:30 pm on Thursday at Logan Circle, on the east side of 13th St. between Rhode Island Ave. and P St. NW. Please note that the meeting location changed from the original location of Franklin Park.
Although no official march route has been planned due to the unpredictable nature of inauguration security, we have set a reconvergence point and time in case the Anarchist March is dispersed. If this happens, we plan to meet and regroup at 2:30 pm and/or 3:30 pm at the Chinatown Gates ("Friendship Arches") at H and 7th Sts. NW. This location is accessible by Metro on the Red, Yellow, and Green lines at Gallery Place/Chinatown.
The weather in DC has again shifted, we suggest you pay special attention to staying warm and comfortable. Weather forecasts for Thursday predict a 40% chance of snow showers, with high temperatures in the upper 30s. We encourage you to read the Mass Action Handbook to ensure your safety and preparedness for the coming events.
Additional information on health and safety is available on our Action Resources page, along with maps of the parade route, info on security/street closings, and other resources.
The legal support number has been released for those in trouble (on the street or in jail), or those who wish to call about a friend or family member who has been arrested. Legal hotline: (202) 544-8611. More information on the legal aspects of the coming protests are available from the J20 Legal Support Team.
Please remember to stay safe and healthy in the coming days. Making wise decisions, and standing with solidarity and respect for one another will always means victory, even in the face of crushing oppression. They may have the weaponry and numbers, but we have a vision that no repression can extinguish. The widely respected American writer and philosopher Henry David Thoreau once said that disobedience is "the true foundation of liberty," and that "the obedient must be slaves." So let's use our disobedience this Thursday as a declaration of our new world, and as a call to liberation from hierarchy and the chains of our oppression!
Yours,
DC Anarchist Resistance
(A collaboration of some DC area affinity groups and individuals organizing around Jan. 20th)
Update #4 - 1/13/05
As the final weekend before the inauguration is upon us, DC Anarchist Resistance wishes to remind and inform participants in the weeks coming activities of new developments and several pieces of important information.
Change in meeting point for Anarchist March
First off, the gathering point for the contingent has changed locations from Franklin Square Park to Logan Circle, we'll gather on the east side of 13th between Rhode Island and P St. NW. The location was changed after news was received that Franklin Sq. Park was to be used as a police staging area. The gathering time remains the same, 12:30 pm.
More information about state security planning, including road closings, security checkpoints, and law enforcement estimates can be found at the following websites:
inauguralmap.com
Inauguration Shutdown Of Downtown Extensive (Washington Post)
A High Level of Alert for the Inauguration (New York Times)
Presently, throngs of protestors have begun their descent upon Washington DC, as well as the thousands of police, federal agents, and military personnel. Because of this, there are many precautions that all careful anarchists should heed before, during, and after the week's activities.
Remembering to take careful consideration concerning ones wardrobe and appearance can help avoid headaches when it comes to probing police and pesky Federal Agents. Choosing to wear all black, or clothing with anarchist imagery in transit to one's destination may draw negative attention from authorities; instead, layer with different color clothing to keep warm and blend in with the crowds. Keep in mind too that all patches, designs, and logos are identifiable, so if anonymity is desired, keep with plain solids.Layers or another pair of clothing can also be rotated to protect from identification.
Masks (such as bandannas) are legal in the District of Columbia, but scarves will serve the same purpose as well as help to keep warm, and attract less attention. Further suggestions on protest preparedness are available at:
Direct Action Survival Guide (.pdf)
Mass Action Handbook
Update # 3 - 1/11/05
There will be an anarchist meeting on Tuesday, January 18, 7:00 pm at the Convergence Center at 39 NY Ave. NE. This meeting will be for information sharing purposes, and provide a space for people to connect with others on anarchist activities throughout the week. Send a "spoke" from your affinity group, cluster or collective to report on what you're up to, plug in to other happenings and connect with others. This meeting is NOT open to the media or law enforcement, it will NOT be a secure space, please keep those things in mind.
Several events have been confirmed for a Week of Anarchist Resistance, Jan. 15-20:
A Day of Outreach...
On Monday, January 17 people will be meeting at the Convergence Center at 11:00 am for a day of outreach. We will be distributing information on the protests, as well as information about what anarchists stand for, throughout Washington, DC. We will leave no later than 12 noon, to scatter our selves through out the city, on metros, busses, and streets to talk to people (and hear what they have to say) about the counter inaugural events and the larger picture. There will be some flyers available to give out, but bring your own flyers as well.
Punk Rock Benefit for J20 Legal...
On Wednesday, January 19 there will be a show to benefit Counter-Inaugural legal at 7PM at Cafe Mawonaj (624 T Street, NW - Shaw/Howard University Metro stop on the Green Line). With Defiance, Ohio, Ghost Mice, Kathy Cashel, Los Gatos Negros, and Spoonboy.
Anarchist March and Anti-Authoritarian Bloc...
We are still planning on gathering at 12:30 pm at Franklin Square (see update 4 for change in location) on Jan. 20 for a festive, rowdy and direct action oriented march with a large anti-authoritarian bloc. See the other updates and calls to action for specifics and stay tuned for logisitical info for the day-of.
Punk Rock Counter-Inaugural Ball...
On Thursday, Jan. 20 there will be a Not My President Punk Rock Counter-Inaugural ball with Anti-Flag, Q and Not U, 1905, and Del Cielo at 6PM at Sanctuary Theater in Casa del Pueblo of Calvary Methodist Church 1459 Columbia Rd. NW (between 14th and 15th St., NW — Columbia Heights Metro on the Green Line).
Really Really Free Market...
On Friday, January 21, starting at 6:00 pm there will be a Really Really Free Market at the Convergence Center. There will be free books, food, clothes, and more! Please bring your craft or skill to set up a booth to participate in this example of anarchy in action. We imagine dozens of tables with free books, food, clothes, art, music sharing, massages, and a world of other creative efforts for free distribution and display.
Convergence Space is secure...
The convergence space for Counter-Inaugural efforts has been secured and will be open from January 13 through January 22. It is located at 39 New York Avenue, NE (NY Ave. and 1st St., NE, across from the NY Ave Metro stop on the Red Line).
DC Anarchist Resistance has loosely signed on to this Proposed 10 Mutual Assurances and Solidarity in Practice Statement.
Also, DC Anarchist Resistance will have a presence at a Counter-Inaugural press conference happening at 1:00 pm on Jan. 12 in Washington, DC. It'll be at the National Press Club. MEDIA: this is your chance to hear from us, and ask questions. There may not be many other opportunities like this before the Inauguration, so if you are interested in a story on anarchist resistance to the Inauguration, consider attending this event.
Look for future updates with more day-of logistical info.
Yours,
DC Anarchist Resistance
(A collaboration of some DC area affinity groups and individuals organizing around Jan. 20th)
Update #2 - 1/4/05
The NYC Counter-Inaugural Cluster has put out a call for an Anti-Authoritarian Bloc on Jan. 20th.
DC Anarchist Resistance is working in concert with the New York Cluster, and has combined efforts for our previously announced march. As of now, we will gather at 12:30pm at Franklin Square (see update 4 for change in location) on Jan. 20th to confront the Inauguration in a large and vibrant anarchist contingent and anti-authoritarian bloc.
We envision a festive and rowdy march that is actively shaped by those who participate. Help spread the word and start thinking about what you'd like this march to look like. Talk amongst your affinity group or collective about ways we can ring in the inauguration with a smash... If you are working on public plans for a bloc or contingent, marching band or noise ensemble, send your plans and ideas to be incorporated into the next update.
Please circulate the Anarchist Resistance Call to Action and send us those endorsements so we can work to make this effort reflect the span of the anarchist movement.
We also want to encourage participation and express solidarity with the NYC Queer Fist Call for a Visible Presence at the Inauguration.
There will be a convergence space for the Counter-Inaugural efforts. The place is currently being secured and set up for the week of the 15th-20th. Meetings, Trainings, Art and all sorts of other preparations will be happening within this space. It will also serve as a drop-in center and welcome space for getting plugged in to Counter-Inaugural efforts.
Also, count on DC's Anarchist Infoshop: The Brian MacKenzie Infoshop as a place to drop in for info on the Inaugural protests and to meet up with like minds. More updates to follow...
Yours,
DC Anarchist Resistance
(A collaboration of some DC area affinity groups and individuals organizing around Jan. 20th)
Update #1 - 12/21/04
Organizing has begun to confront the inauguration with a a large and vibrant anarchist contingent on January 20th. We envision a festive and rowdy march that is actively shaped by those who participate. Help spread the word and start thinking about what you'd like this march to look like. Talk amongst your affinity group or collective about ways we can ring in the inauguration with a smash... If you are working on a bloc or contingent, marching band or noise ensemble, send your plans and ideas to be incorporated into the next update. Time, location, and other details will be announced in the coming weeks.
Local anarchists are also organizing in resistance to the "March for Life" in DC on January 22. We urge anyone coming for the inauguration protests to stay and protest in support of reproductive freedom. Look for details on our website as we receive them.
More updates to follow...
Yours,
DC Anarchist Resistance
(A collaboration of some DC area affinity groups and individuals organizing around Jan. 20th)
