Author Topic: True Left Breakthrough: Ahimsa  (Read 6880 times)

Zea_mays

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 563
    • View Profile
Re: True Left Breakthrough: Ahimsa
« Reply #45 on: May 25, 2021, 08:35:15 pm »
Perhaps not as full-on ahimsa as the rest of the posts, but still something to consider.


This article is from March, before the Chauvin trial. Articles like this raise some pretty important implications that the mainstream news is unwilling to explicitly address. Most importantly--local citizens and grassroots movements are continuing the methods of the Occupy Movement and feel that their communities are so besieged by the local government and police that they have taken back direct control of their communities.

In previous times, these areas would have been declared to be in open rebellion against the state and destroyed. But police have avoided doing that in these areas, because I think they know it will only ignite more resistance and lead to a chain reaction.

I think half-assed measures that don't really do anything to fix injustices will only cause more resistance in communities like these. The real questions are, when police inevitably move in to close down these zones, will people fight back? When the root cause of the injustices continue to remain unaddressed, will these communities turn from temporary occupation zones to functioning as full-fledged local governments? (These types of fully-functional local governments disregarding the "official" chain of power is something that happened prior to the US Revolutionary War). Lastly, as the situation across the country becomes more dire, will more communities feel like they have nothing to lose and fight back against tyranny and retake direct control of their communities?
Quote
Inside the Now ‘Cop-Free’ Zone Where George Floyd Was Killed

If you want to visit George Floyd Square in Minneapolis these days, you have to walk through barricaded streets and one of four makeshift checkpoints first. The activists sitting inside the tarped structures, which have plastic windows and propane heaters inside, need to make sure you’re not a cop.


The cross of four blocks in south Minneapolis where Floyd was killed has been turned into a cop-free “autonomous zone” where people can gather and reflect during the murder trial of Derek Chauvin
[...]
 The Black Lives Matter activists and their supporters, who have been there since last June, have set up barbecues and grills for community lunches, and people can take free books and clothes from various booths held together with rope and tape.

They’re trying to create a safe and inclusive community for the police reform movement in Minneapolis—and they’re in it for the long haul. They plan to stay until the city implements their demands, like a seat at the table to discuss major changes to the Minneapolis Police Department as well as permanently closing the intersection in front of the store where Floyd was killed.

“The police officers in Minneapolis do not play with anybody—they don’t care if you’re just holding a pencil, they’re still going to smash you on the ground, they’re still going to yell at you and tase you because they feel threatened,” said organizer Honey Jenkins, who considered Floyd part of her family. “That’s what they did to my uncle, and that’s what hurts me. That’s why we’re here minding our own business.”
[...]
Since the height of the anti-racism protests over the summer, autonomous zones have popped up across the country. In New York City, protestors occupied an area near City Hall for one month before police forced them out. They’d placed and blankets on the ground to sit on and provided refreshments for protestors. In Seattle’s autonomous zone—also known as CHOP, the Capitol Hill Organized Protest, or CHAZ, Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone—clashes between Black Lives Matter protesters and far-right groups broke out, and multiple people, including minors, were shot.

The autonomous zone in Minneapolis always has medics on duty, according to Jenkins. The group has even assigned bodyguards to help escort families into the square. But in the past few months, there have been isolated instances when people—who Jenkins said are from out of the area and unassociated with the square—come to the barriers and let out a hail of bullets.
[...]
“I’m here because I want to see this community stay peaceful and for everyone to keep a smile on their face, and since the barricades came up, that’s when everyone’s smiles went up,” Jenkins said.
[...]
“The memory of George Floyd is here and you will see the area alive again,” said Friedman. “Everything that is happening in Minneapolis is real—this isn’t a facade. This isn’t for photo ops. A man died, a family is devastated and a community is in mourning. It could be any one of us.”
https://www.vice.com/en/article/epdedn/inside-cop-free-autonomous-zone-minneapolis-george-floyd-photos