Tactical Briefing #25
Hey you redeemers, rebels and radicals out there,
Against the backdrop of a global uprising that is simmering in dozens of countries and thousands of cities and towns, the G8 and NATO will hold a rare simultaneous summit in Chicago this May. The world’s military and political elites, heads of state, 7,500 officials from 80 nations, and more than 2,500 journalists will be there.
And so will we.
On May 1, 50,000 people from all over the world will flock to Chicago, set up tents, kitchens, peaceful barricades and #OCCUPYCHICAGO for a month. With a bit of luck, we’ll pull off the biggest multinational occupation of a summit meeting the world has ever seen.
And this time around we’re not going to put up with the kind of police repression that happened during the Democratic National Convention protests in Chicago, 1968 … nor will we abide by any phony restrictions the City of Chicago may want to impose on our first amendment rights. We’ll go there with our heads held high and assemble for a month-long people’s summit … we’ll march and chant and sing and shout and exercise our right to tell our elected representatives what we want … the constitution will be our guide.
And when the G8 and NATO meet behind closed doors on May 19, we’ll be ready with our demands: a Robin Hood Tax … a ban on high frequency ‘flash’ trading … a binding climate change accord … a three strikes and you’re out law for corporate criminals … an all out initiative for a nuclear-free Middle East … whatever we decide in our general assemblies and in our global internet brainstorm – we the people will set the agenda for the next few years and demand our leaders carry it out.
And if they don’t listen … if they ignore us and put our demands on the back burner like they’ve done so many times before … then, with Gandhian ferocity, we’ll flashmob the streets, shut down stock exchanges, campuses, corporate headquarters and cities across the globe … we’ll make the price of doing business as usual too much to bear.
Jammers, pack your tents, muster up your courage and prepare for a big bang in Chicago this Spring. If we don’t stand up now and fight now for a different kind of future we may not have much of a future … so let’s live without dead time for a month in May and see what happens …
for the wild,
Culture Jammers HQ
CANG8.org / ChicagoMassAction.org / Occupy Chicago
Adbusters / Facebook / Twitter / Reddit
388 comments on the article “Tactical Briefing #25”
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Anonymous
OK, concerning the reason for the mindless repeating by the occupiers...please see the link. The reasons you give are hogwash. This is what an occupy movement looks like...mindless drones indeed. Couldnt even let a real hero like John Lewis speak. This is what is wrong with your movement. You have no substance, no leaders, and have forgotten what makes this country great. If you do not know who John Lewis is, please google him, then you will see how ridiculous it was to not let this man speak.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QZlp3eGMNI
Anonymous
Well put. The best way to protest is with the almighty dollar.
greg_2
Write "99%" on all your money. I use a red felt-tip pen.
Anonymous
I can't believe the amount of people I have to explain this to: You don't protest because you want to asshole, you protest because you HAVE to. The only thing I can attribute to people being so dumb on this simple point is that maybe, they've actually never protested anything in their life. They observe from a distance.
Anonymous
I could not agree more.
Anonymous
Aside from the obvious right wing trolls, there's a lot of valid criticism of Adbusters here.
Adbusters did not consult with Occupy Chicago, other Chicago activists, or other groups before presuming to speak for the entire Occupy movement.
Adbusters proposes expending a lot of resources on a media spectacle in which the elite have already decided to use any protest to make Occupy look bad.
Adbusters indulges simplistic nostalgia for the Chicago 68 riots without considering the full history and consequences of those riots.
Occupy has been trying to be a forward looking movement and Adbusters is dragging it into the past.
By directly linking Occupy to potential G8/NATO violence AND the 68 riots, Adbusters is inadvertently echoing the sort of narrative and symbolism FOX News uses against the movement.
Adbusters fails to realize many Occupy participants, and most of the 99% lack the time and means for an extended stay in another city. Occupy grew because people can take action where they live.
Adbusters essentially proposes an activist vacation which speaks more to the elite core of privileged or full time protesters.
Adbusters is treating Occupy like it was some sort of brand rather than an idea which has grown into a complex populist movement.
Adbusters does not speak for us. They speak for themselves and they need to be more thoughtful.
Anonymous
It would be best that the Occupy movement distance themselves from the anarchists if they want to keep whatever credibility they have built up to know.
greg_2
How? Ban them? How do you recognize an anarchist? Black clothes? A bandana over their face?
Not all anarchists are into violence, although there are those self-called "Black Blok" members who like to break windows. THIS must be prevented. But, again, I ask, How? An OM police force?
The OM has been clear in that they advocate non-violence. Perhaps they have not been clear enough?
Adbusters: You must refrain from the '68 riots imagery. You must refrain from the anything that strays from peacful demonstrations and sit-ins. You must advocate demonstrating within the law. You must call for civility.
Chicago Occupiers must embrace visiting Occupiers from other cities and states.
Five people demonstrating will acomplish nothing. Neither will 500.
If 500,000 demostrators will get the Government's attention, imagine what one million demonstrators will get?
Anonymous
Tha anarchists run the show as of about two months ago. The rest is window dressing. GA's that look good but have no effect on the action in the streets. The Adbusters are provoking riots and should be brought to task.
greg_2
You've got something there. See also: http://thategyguy.net/2012/01/29/adbusters/
But, come on, Adbusters is pretty much trying to get more people to show up in Chicago than #OChi can alone.
People from all over need to follow Stuff & Things like G8, Nato, Davos, etc. We need a million people from all over the country rather that just 500,000 "locals" at these International events.
Yes, the '68 riots connection is not right.
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