preliminary reports from mpls
minneapolis, mn, amerika, mayday 2000......
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critical mass bike ride in the morning to reclaim the streets for bikes and people not cars....no arrests....supposedly went fairly well.....
about 11 am about 1000 of us gathered--punks, hippies, anarchists, radikal cheerleaders, a black bloc, peace activists, granola environmentalists, food not bombers, puppet masters, crazy dancers, union workers, labor activists, and about 100 other flavors...we joined with a labor protest for awhile in front of a Hilton where the restuarant and hotel employees union was demanding a fair contract...we were all excited to be together....after awhile me moved out....whose streets? OUR streets!....Black Bloc courageously taking up the front with shields....moving forward....food not bombers and others dragging couches for our street party....not enough communications people...what's going on?....cops beginning to get organized...we wait too long to act...we finally take over an intersection...tripod going up, link arms around it hold the line against the cops....no coordinated action...not enough communication....not enough organization....cops take the tripod...a few people beaten...a few brave warriors dragged off into the paddy wagon....beat it on down the line...glitter being thrown in the streets...singing dancing chanting shouting...OUR space....reclaim it...take it....celebrate....a truck pulls up...what's that?....two turntables and a microphone....yay!!!.....street party.....uh-oh....cops don't like the idea of a street party....they say its their street?....well lets hold the line...surround the truck....surround the generator.....alas cops moving in too quickly...cracking skulls...courageous beautiful souls putting their bodies on the line to keep what is rightfully ours...need more people in the fray...we have the power, if only we choose to recognize it....the cops are emptying the generator...more people beaten...some more arrests....bananas flying through the air and bouncing off riot cops....banana flavored batons being weilded in the name of corporate greed....we lose our truck with the sound system....we march on....we are winning, even when it seems we aren't.....we have the power....anarchy is ours for the taking, a new life is ours for the making....off the sidewalks and into the streets sisters and brothers.....
happy mayday and a glorious beltaine!
more later......
*eric*