“When politicians and governments are held accountable for defaulting on their promises to support democracy and to practice it, the streets become a place where unofficial, yet highly visible plebiscites can take place.”
Category: emergency
David Palumbo-Liu: “Rise Up in Anger and Hope: How Eruptive Protests Can Propel Urgent Issues to the Center of Political Debate”
“The fact that the protests erupted in cities, suburbs, rural areas, and in every state of the Union inspiring protesters old and young, and of many races, should not be overlooked; nor should the fact that the demonstrations spread beyond our borders, even in the midst of a global pandemic that made public gatherings dangerous.”
John Tarleton: “The Rise of Occupy Wall Street: The Movement Moment That Revived The U.S. Left”
“Ten years ago this fall a protest movement took root in Lower Manhattan that transformed how we think about inequality and reinvigorated the Left.”
CrimethInc.: “Why we Need Real Anarchy: Don’t Let Trump’s Minions Gentrify Revolt”
“The problem with the invasion of the Capitol was not that it was unlawful, undemocratic, or extremist, per se, but that it was an effort to concentrate oppressive power in the hands of an autocrat—which is precisely the opposite of anarchy. Direct action, militant tactics, and a critique of electoral politics will remain essential to…
“Neither an Insurrection nor Revolt: An Anarchist Response to the Permitted Fascist Temper Tantrum”
“As anarchists, abolitionists, and revolutionary movements continue ahead with a struggle more sincere than trending concerns performed by aloof citizens and pretentious celebrities, we must double down on solidarity in order to not remain isolated, as the violence intended by grassroots right-wing groups coincide with a brutal police crackdown under the smiling and deceptive face…
Luam Kidane: “Provocations to rupture and the power to act”
“Movements made up of cultural producers and trade unionists, farmers and feminists are calling us to action through the work that they do. Mutual aid initiatives, land occupations and people’s assemblies are setting an example of how movement building practices can help us to break out of the marginalizing and oppressive confines imposed by the…
“One year on, Iraq’s revolutionary spirit is still alive”
“On the anniversary of the 2019 October Revolution, Iraqi protesters show a renewed determination to create their own history and shape their own future.”
Amanda C. Waterhouse: ‘“La Esperanza de América Latina”: The Ongoing Student Revolution in Colombia’
“Continued student organizing shows that student protest is not an add-on to normal political life in Colombia, but a pillar so fundamental that it persists even when the most basic rights erode. Students have long agitated amidst extreme adversity and violence. They have … defended their participation in co-governance within educational institutions, especially universities, and…
CrimethInc.: “Chile: Looking Back on a Year of Uprising”
“Participation in this wave of revolt is producing the understanding that there is no model of governance in practice anywhere in the world that could offer a solution to the structural violence and alienation we face. At first, many people took to the streets out of rage against police violence or out of feelings of…
Frances Fox Piven & Deepak Bhargava: “What If Trump Won’t Leave?”
“If Trump steals the election, a broad united front will have to make the country ungovernable and the reigning regime illegitimate, despite the risks involved. … If an illegitimate election gives rise to civil disorder that cannot be easily suppressed, corporate and political elites will move to dump Trump to protect their interests.”