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News :: Protest Activity |
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RADICALS SEIZE COLUMBUS STREETS, PROMISE DIRECT OPPOSITION IF WAR BEGINS |
Current rating: 0 |
by The BOLD PRINT Editorial Collective
Email: boldprintnews (nospam) ziplip.com (verified) |
12 Nov 2002
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An article on the Revolutionary Anti-Imperialist Bloc at the anti-war march in Columbus, OH. |
"We don't your war, and we don't want your peace. If you drop those bombs, we'll take your fucking streets!" With police sirens blaring and horns honking, this was the chant heard as the Revolutionary Anti-Imperialist Bloc (RAIB)
swarmed the intersection of Broad and High Streets, storming the Statehouse lawn and joining in solidarity with, and adding much excitement to, the main anti-war demonstration already taking place there.
On November 9th, 75 radicals took to the streets to protest the imminent escalation of the War on Iraq. Responding to a call put out by Columbus Anti-Racist Action (ARA), activists from all over Ohio, as well as others from Michigan and Pennsylvania, gathered at Columbus State Community College for the Revolutionary Anti-Imperialist Bloc that was to act as a feeder march for the larger anti-war demonstration taking place at the Ohio Statehouse.
According to the call put out by Columbus ARA, it was initially issued because organizers felt that "...as revolutionaries, we have a different perspective on war, capitalism, and the State." It went on to say that in relation to the main march organizers, revolutionaries choose to use different tactics to confront war-mongering institutions and politicians. In addition, members
of the radical community were purposefully excluded from the planning. One specific example was Bob Fitrakis, an activist who has been on the streets of Columbus for the past 16 years.
Fitrakis, Executive Director and Editor of the Columbus Free Press, was called out as an agent provocateur and excluded by the liberal leadership. At the rally itself, when he was finally allowed to speak five minutes before the
permit expired, he was shoved and then called "a pig." Fitrakis was also told that everyone in the Columbus activist community knows these things are true. The reality is that he is an invaluable part of the local activist community. He regularly attends demonstrations and lends his help to various organizations. He tirelessly worked to keep public access television alive in Columbus, and works hard to make sure the Free Press continues printing.
Commenting on the rally itself and on the games some organizers played, Fitrakis said, "Publicly the rally was a success, I think - especially on such short notice. I think everyone should be pleased with the turnout. The question remains if in the long-term the coalition can hold together and whether or not all the partners can reach accommodations. I hope that this is the case and that there will be respect for those that believe democracy is in the streets and who favor direction action ... We have to raise the political cost. I hope everyone feels comfortable - from those who believe in writing letters or emailing their Congressmen to those who believe in civil disobedience and direct action should the war start."
Attempts were also made by the liberal leadership of the rally to sabotage the RAIB. The day before the demonstration, they moved the time of their march back a full hour. RAIB organizers had originally planned their march to coincide with the main march, and planned on meeting up with them on High Street as a show of solidarity. Unfortunately, because of the time change,
this was not possible and the RAIB dealt with much more police surveillance and interference then would have been possible if the police had to keep tabs on both marches at the same time.
"One wonders if the purpose of this mainstream antiwar coalition is to encourage or to control dissent" Albert Melzer, a member of the Black Bloc, was quoted as saying.
Despite the setbacks, the Revolutionary Anti-Imperialist Bloc was still a great success. The Bloc began meeting at noon, and by the time the march stepped off, it was over 70 people strong. A decision was made to remain on the sidewalk until the march got to High Street, to lull the police into a false sense of security. The tactic worked well, as the police presence remained relatively light with only a handful of pigs. Chants included "1, 2, 3, 4 - We Don't Want Your Racist War! 5, 6, 7, 8 - Organize and Smash
the State" and "Who Let the Bombs Out? BUSH, BUSH!" The crowd was also graced with the presence of the Greater Toledo Area Radical Cheerleading Collective.
As the march approached High, and then took to the streets, the police presence grew exponentially.
"The police presence was totally unneeded. There were too many cops. People were coming very close to getting run over by the cop cars. At the back of the march, the cops were right behind us, blaring their sirens. There weren't any cars behind us, we weren't blocking traffic,"said Joseph Z. Hotte, an OSU student and member of the Young Communist League.
In spite of the police presence and attempts to herd the march back onto the sidewalk, RAIB participants kept retaking the streets for the 5 blocks until its dramatic final charge through the intersection of Broad and High
and into the Statehouse plaza.
"It felt good to take the streets, which are rightfully ours, in defiance of fascist and antagonistic police dogma, saying that we'd be thrown in jail for 'one step off the sidewalk,'" Dave Riggle, an Ohio State student, said.
People poured out of the plaza and came towards the street to see what the commotion was all about. When they realized, people began to cheer and chant with the Bloc. Members of the RAIB brought the "No Blood for Oil" banner
right in front of the speaker's stage, forcing the speaker to acknowledge the Bloc's arrival.
After arriving, the Bloc mainly hung around on the street side, being energetic and continuing to chant. A little while later, four counter-protestors walked through the crowd holding pro-war and pro-Bush signs. Bloc members continually confronted and harassed the fascist supporters. Two RAIB participants took their 18 foot long banner and stood in the street in front of them. The
cops immediately pushed them back, and said that the next person who steps in the street will be arrested. A sergeant also pointed one person out and told him "I want a piece of you," to which another member of the Bloc responded
that he would have to have "a piece of all us."
"I was also glad to see that the appearance of a few antagonistic Hitler Youth disguised as young republicans with their telltale sharply parted hair and war-monger dogma were appropriately met like harmful foreign objects
by the antibodies of truth," Riggle said.
Shortly after this, one demonstrator was accused of stepping into the street and was put in the back of a squad car. The police claimed that a ticket was being issued, and that the person was in "a 15-minute time out." The
Bloc came over, and with other demonstrators, began chanting "Let Him Go" and "The Whole World is Watching" as well as "Fuck the Pigs" and "Class War! You Want It? You Got It!"
During the chants, four mounted officers arrived as a show of force. No one seemed very impressed, as the officers were greeted with chants of "Get those Pigs Off Those Horses" and "Free the Horses." Immediately after this,
the demonstrator was let out of the police car, and it appeared that he only received a lecture, and not a summons, from the police.
A State Trooper unnecessarily harassed two Bloc members as they tried to hang the "No Blood for Oil" banner across the McKinley statue. It became evident that the cop had no grounds for demanding it be removed when questioned
on the specific law. All he could say was "I'll walk you over to the Sergeant and have him explain it to you." His invitation was politely declined.
After much stalling, Fitrakis was finally allowed to speak. When he finished, he handed the microphone to one Bloc member who spoke about the need for militant direction action to end the war and invited all interested radicals
to the formation meeting for a radical anti-war coalition. After the completion of his speech, the Bloc, joined by other demonstrators, erupted into a chant of "No War, but the Class War."
The meeting of 35 people was held at Columbus State Community College. After much discussion, the coalition named itself Radical Anti-Imperialist Network (RAIN) and endorsed the November 16th feeder march called by the Burning River Revolutionary Anarchist Collective which will precede the main Cleveland anti-war march RAIN's Statement of Formation should be forthcoming in the next week or so. RAIN will be meeting again following the anti-war rally next Saturday. |
