REPRESS

‘THIS!

WAYS TO BE YOUR OWN
ANTI-REPRESSION

COMMITTEE
‘WHO WE ARE

Originally formed to support Occupy Oakland actions,
the Bay Arca Anti-Repression Committee (ARC) stands
against political repression and in solidarity with all
those who challenge the state, capitalism, and other
forms of systemic oppression and domination. We
provide support for actions that are anti-patriarchal,
anti-racist, anti-imperialist and anti-capitalist.
Our support work comes primarily in the forms of
education, information and referrals. We also manage
an anti-repression bail fund for those who do not
have the resources to bail out or bond themselves.
We are a first resort for education and information
on solidarity, and a last resort for financial support.

If you would like to know more about who we are, what

we do, and our bail policy, visit oaklandantirepression.
wordpress.com.

Contact us at antirepressionbayarea@riseup.net.

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14

20
22

25
26

30
32

38

CONTENTS

RESPECT YOURSELE ANTI-REP YOURSELF!

IF YOU THINK YOUR PLAN IS PERFECT...
THINK AGAIN: Keeping repression in mind when
organizing and participating in an action

PLANNING YOUR OWN LEGAL SUPPORT

GETTING ARRESTED AND GOING TO JAIL

GET OUT OF JAIL, PROBABLY NOT FOR
FREE

NOT ARRESTED? NOT OFF THE HOOK!

NEVER EVER, EVER TALK TO THE POLICE.
EVER.

‘THE STATE IS HELLA RAC

AIN'T GONNA HOLD US DOWN! Supporting
comrades through long-term incarceration

SOME BASIC DEFINITIONS

PROTECTING OURSELVES BEFORE
WRECKING OURSELVES

ANTI-REPRESSION COMMITTEE
STATEMENTS
RESPECT YOURSELE,
ANTI-REP YOURSELF!

The Bay Arca Anti-Repression Committee (ARC) is proud to present
this litle zine to guide you through the nuts and bolis of defending
yourself and your comrades from the repressive arm of the state. We
strongly believe that communities in struggle for dignity, liberation,
sovercignty, anarchy, communism, or even basic survival, must give
carcful consideration to the tactics that the state uses against us.

This zine is meant to give you and your loved ones practical insights
and suggestions for basic actions and precautions. As a committce, we
want to demysify the work we do so that all of you can feel more
empowered to engage in solidarity work. Many of us have noticed
through our paricipation in Occupy Oakland and other social struggles
that the work of supporting arrestees and organizing against reprcssion
ofien flls on a small scgment of the movement. Although many of us
within this scgment are more than happy to do the political work we
do, we hope that we can engender a decper and more diffuse practice
of solidarity spread far beyond ourselves and immediate comrades. It is
important that the bulk of the anti-repression activity and organizing
does not fall solely on “support people” such as the ARC, Occupy Legal,
Oakland 100 Support Committee, and the great number of people and
we've come to rely. We should all strive to take on
some of the less sexy anti-tepression and legal work that is so crucial to
our movements. Everyonc's well-being should be everyone’s priority.

collect

Solidarity is the bedrock of any healthy and strong political movement
or community. It should be of special concern to everyone at all levels
of organizing. The state has an endless array of tools and tactics to use
against us. We can and should continue to find ways to creatively push
our projects and actions forward in spite of this; but perhaps more
important, we must foster the strongest culture of solidarity we can
muster. Solidarity is a responsibility we have to one another when we

4
struggle together. It can take many forms— actions (ike demos at the
jail), or material and emotional support— but what matters most is
that people feel like their comrades really have their backs

The content of this zne is

mostly based on the experiences and
observations of members of ARC. We also borrowed some preexisting
texts, links to which can be found on the back of this zine. Consider
everything in these pages to be suggestions that may o may not be
relevant for you, depending on a number of factors. We hope you find
it t0 be a helpful tool as we all make solidarity a more central aspect of

our organizing,

IF YOU THINK YOUR PLAN
IS PERFECT... THINK AGAIN

KEEPING REPRESSION IN MIND WHEN
'ORGANIZING AND PARTICIPATING IN AN ACTION

Here are some questions and thoughs to consider as you plan your next
action. Considering the following pieces of information may decrease the
likelibood that you'll end up in the clutches of the US judicial system.

Paid informants have sec up dozens of Muslims,
environmentalists, animal rights acivists, members of Black
liberation movements, and anti-imperialists in the United
States. Some of these government targets have received sente
of several decades in prison. More recently, anarchists have also
come under attack, as federal paid informants have joined their
scenes and groups, and deliberately convineed and
cases cocrced their new “friends” o take illegal actions. This
is called entrapment, and although it is technically illegal, it has sill
resulted in prison time for the unfortunate folks who made friends
with informants,

INFORMANTS

some.

« If you are planning an illegal action, make sure you know and trust
everyone in your group. Is your action plan something you all decided
on together, or is someone in your group pressuring the rest of you to
do something you have apprehensions about? Trust yourself and your
instinets. Do you know the history and/or family of everyone in your
group? Keep in mind that someone who is not currently an informant
or snitch could become one in the furure.

« Aside from the setups of illegal actions, informants and undercover
government cops and agents can be threats to political groups in a
number of ways. They can deli encss by spreading

ratcly create

lics, rumors, and generally breeding mistrust. With this in mind,

i’s important to remember that more ofien than not, we do not
have the ability to determine who is and is not a cop or informer.
A false accusation against a comrade can sometimes be more
destructive to political communities than having a cop among us. As far

6

as illegal direct actions go, they should only be organized with people
you trust deeply. But for other groups that are not engaging in these

s, when people “act like cops,” it frequendy matters

¢ a cop, and more that their behavior is problematic and
See “Confronting the Many Faces of Repression”

needs to be addresse

found on page 40.

+ Alo scer sopfbiner, freedomiogive.com, supporteric
org, supportdaniclorg, pbs.org/povibetterthisworld, and
clevelanddsolidarity.org,

+ How have police responded in the past to actions similar to the
one you are planning? Were arrests made? Wha did the media
say about the action and police response? What does chis tell

you about their potential response this time? How does your
knowledge of police tactics in your region affect decisions you
make?

+ By posing these questions, we hope folks will take time to

POLICE TACTICS

consider the advantages that the police have over us and how we
might make our actions more strategic. For cxample, if you know the
Oakland Police Department hasshifted it tacties to include more snatch
and grabs*, what kind of
contingency plans could
your affinity group make
0 evade these snatches?
We shouldnt et the
state’s tactics scare us

out of organizing, but
we should be mindful to
not ignore their tactics
cither.

‘A police tactic where
officers run into crowds or
grab people from the edge
of crowds or marches and
place them under arrest,
Seemingly at random.

Ofien undercover officers and (media) camerasare recording
allofour protests. Even some people who identify themselves
as part of the movement are streaming video to Web sites in
real time. These facts should always be kept in mind when
planning your action. Key things to consider are: How well
is your idenity concealed? When and where do you mask
up and de-mask? Will a mask make you stand out more
or less to police and cameras? And how, when, and where
should you (and your comrades) exit the demonstration?
There have been several instances when protesters have been
picked up by police hours afier an illegal act takes place,
usually when
protesters are
leaving the arca or crowd,
because an informant or

THE POLICE STATE IS
FAR BIGGER THAN THE
POLICE IN UNIFORM

undercover kept an eye
on them throughout the
demonstration and pointed
them out to uniformed
police. There have also
been many instances where
no one was arrested on
the day of a protest, but
pictures taken of them
led to the district atorney
(DA) issuing warrants that
came 1o the protesters
houses in the weeks
and months following
Extreme caution should be
used in posting pictures or
video of a demonstration.

PLANNING YOUR OWN
LEGAL SUPPORT

Repression can be unpredictable, and people can be arrested even when
its not expected. One of the most powerfil ways to fight the state and
its repressive tactics is to plan for repression. When we foster an ethic of
anti-repression and create a network of support, we turn some of the most
frightening and disempowering experiences into empowering ones that
strengthen us,

INDIVIDUALS AND

AFFINITY GROUPS

As we've already discussed, it s difficult to anticipate
repression, but one way to case the stress
take care of some details before you participate in an action.
“This can be as simple as arranging with a close friend or famil
‘member who will not be at the action that you will call them
i you are arrested. Have this number memorized or write it
on your body with a permanent marker. All your possessions
will be confiscated before you are allowed to make a phone
all. Any medication you need regularly should be on you
and in its original package with the prescription paperwork.

it can cause is to

Itis important to note that you can be held for up to three court days
without being charged, which docs not count the day of your arrest or
holidays or weckends. Be ready to communicate to your boss andfor
teachers about your absence.

ORGANIZERS

Have conversations about repression in your organ
These discussions should take into consideration everything
from promoting the demo or action (the police have Facebook
t00!) to preparing for the possibility that participants might get
arrested, and some of them might need long-term legal support
and solidarity.

We recommend the previous section “Keeping Repression in

Mind” from pages 6-8 as a starting place for your group discussion,
as well as the “Plan Legal Suppore” subscetion on the following page.

9
PLAN LEGAL SUPPORT
+ Set up and staff a legal hotline (sce below).
+ Organize jail and court support (sce pages 20-21)

+ Have people on the streets prepared to document names of arcstees
and police misconduct. For more instructions on legal observing, sce
the Midnight Special Law Collective at midnightspecial.ne

+ Consider fund raising options before or soon aftcr the action if there
is a need for bail money or legal fecs.

« If you think you'll need help from existing infrastructure like the
National Lawyers’ Guild (NLG) or the ARC, contact them beforchand
w0 ask for help.

SETTING UP A LEGAL HOTLINE

The legal hotline s an information lifeline in the afiermath of repression.
Ahotline is a number that people on the streets and in eustody can call
for information, and to communicate any issues that may come up. In
the Bay Arca many people use the NLG demonstration holine. If you
wish to have them set up a hotline for your action you can ill out its
legal support request form here: wwwnlgsforg/form/legal-support-
request

The NLG hotline is sometimes unavailable or already stretched to the
limit. Your group should consider offering support to the hotline by
taking a hotline training in order to help staff it or set up your own
hotline.

Setting up your own hotline:
1. The hotline should be set up in a sceure place where confidential
information can be stored and should be on a landline (preferably one
with multiple lines) that can accept collect calls.

2. Collect calls are monopolized by a company called Global Tel Link
in most facilitics. You will have to set up an account with it before the
demonstration so that folks can call when they are arecsted. For more
on setting up an account with Global Tel Link, sce page 28.

10
3. Make sure folks at the demonstration have the hotline number
memorized or written in permanent marker on their body:

4. To keep track of information, you will need to take notes on the
calls that come in and keep track of arrestees (first and last name), and
will need to look out for folks in custody who may be on probation or

parole, or have warrants. Some transgender and gender queer people
may have concerns about their safety in where they're housed. Also,
many demonstrators are not US citizens and might need specialized

immigration legal support. If any of these issues come up, you will
need to reach out for support. Ideally your support group would have
already accounted for some of these possibilitics.

5. Information about folks in custody can be found in different ways
depending on the county. For example, in San Francisco, you have to
call the jail (415-553-1430) and ask for information, and in Alameda
County you can look up the information online using the inmate

locator: wwwacgov.org/sheriff_app.

GETTING ARRESTED AND
GOING TO JAIL

Here is a lst o some things yo might experience while in state custody s0
you can be prepared. Please keep in mind that although these things (and
‘more) happen on a regular basis throughout the prison system, they are not
necessarily legal. It is ofien a surprise to first-time arrestees that the police
ofien do not uphold prisoners rights.

« Expect anything that you say can and will be used againse
you, so remember to stay silent. Remaining silent protects you,
your comrades, and your community. Do not talk about what
happened or what you saw to anyone. Assume the cops have
been listening to everything you have said during the rally. They
will certainly listen t0 and record everything you say from the
moment you are arrested until you are released from custody
and away from the jail. That includes inside their vehicles as
well as inside the jails (whether or not you're in a cell).

‘WHAT TO EXPECT

« Expect hours of waiting in police vans or buses, handeuffed,
and without access to a bathroom, food, or water.

+ Expect even more hours of waiting in small, crowded cells, sometimes
without room to sit or lic down. Hundreds of people arrested on
January 28, 2012 in Oakland were held for five days. Some of them
had tear gas on their clothes and were not given clean clothing to wear
for that entire period.

+ Expect intimidation and harassment by the police. The police are not
your friends, and will not treat you with dignity or respect. The cops
may continue to harass you until you are released from custody. Th
includes scparating you from others during booking, calling you names
and making fun of you. They can and often do act in racist, sexist,
homophobic and/or transphobic manners. Don't let them break you.

+ Police lie. They will lic to you to scare you, to have fun at your
expense, and especially to extract information that they can later use to
prosecute you and your comrades.

12
* You may be forced to take a TB test.

+ If you are female assigned, you may be forced to take a pee pregnancy
st

* Your mouth may be swabbed for DNA,

+ The police may withhold food for long periods of time. They may not
accommodate your dictary restrictions,

« If you are supposed to take medication, make sure you write it down
for your support group before an action. Can you arrange with your
primary doctor to intervene if you are arrested? Tell the jail nurse exactly
what you need. People are often denied their medications, even if you
had it with you in a clearly marked prescription botde at the time of
arrest. People have been denied mood stabilizers, insulin, inhalers, and
HIV medication.

+ You may be strip scarched when you are brought to jail. This includes
spreading, squatting, and coughing. Be aware that Santa Rita Jail strip
scaches all inmates brought in.

+ Tiy to get the full legal name and birch date of the person
arrested, as well as the arresting officer’s name, badge number,
and helmet number. If possible, try to ask the arrestee if they
have any immediate needs or people they need you to contact
urgendly (such as a boss or family member)

+ Police can arrest someone they believe is “interfering” with
their actions. Maintain a reasonable distance, and if cops
theaten to arrest you, explain that you don'tintend to interfere
but have the right to abscrve their actions.

a5
2
5
2%
e
&

13
GET OUT OF JAIL,
PROBABLY NOT FOR FREE

1. BAIL

WAYSYOU CAN 2. BOND

BE RELEASED
3. RELEASED ON YOUR
FROM CUSTODY G5\ RECOGNIZANCE (OR)

4, CHARGES NOT FILED
OR DROPPED

SOME NOTES ON WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR
BAILING AND BONDING OUT

Ifa person is on probation of parole when they arc artested,
they will have a hold placed on them, and you will not be
able to bail or bond them out. See the section on probation
under Longterm Incarceration on page 30.

People who have an Immigration Customs Enforcement
(ICE) hold are also not able to be bailed o bonded. In
2012, ICE deported 409,849 people— more than any year
before. California has had over 82,531 deportations as a
result of the Department of Homeland Security's program
Secure Communities (S-Comm)—more than any other
state.

14
BAILING

'VERSUS

BONDING

Example: a person is arrested and has their bail set at $10,000.

To post someone’s BAIL means
you would go dircctly to the
Jail and post the bail amount in
full. In chis example, it would
be $10,000. You do not need a
bondsperson to post bai

The full bail amount will be
rewurned when the
resolved, which can take months
or even years. So just remember,
you might not sce that money
for a long time. If the arrcstce
does not show up for their court
dates, you may forfeit the entire
amount.

case i

If the case has still not been
resolved a year afier arrest, the
court requites the defendant to
put up bail again.

Jail 5 jxt & hind of waretiose
B o e

To post someone’s BOND means
you would locate a bondsman
and pay them a percentage of the
bail amount, usually 10 percent.

In this example, 10 percent
of $10,000 equals $1,000. So
you would pay the bondsman a
51,000 bond. If the person has a
private attorney, the bondsperson
may offer you a lower rate, usually
8 percent. In this example, 8
percent of $10,000 equals $800.

non-refundable.
g bail, you will not
reccive that money back, even if
the case is resolved.

Bonds are

You need to havea cosigner for the
bond. That means the cosigner
will be responsible for the full
bail amount if the defendane
does not show up for their court
dates. The cosigner must have
an ID, and usually a check stub
w0 show proof of employment

The bondsperson will take
the cosigner’s fingerprints and
picture. Defendants are ofien

responsible for checking in with
the bondsperson after each court
appearance. - Bondspeople will
track down cosigners for money
if the defendant does not appear
for their court dates. 15
16

RELEASED ON YOUR OWN RECOGNIZANCE

+ If you are released on your own recognizance (OR), you don't
have to pay bail or bond to be released from custody.

+ ‘The attorney can argue for the defendant to be released on
OR i they can establish that you live locally, have ties to the
community, and/or give a reason why you need to be out of
custody (if you have a job, go to school, have children, are the
primary caretaker for somebody, etc.). Regardless, you can still
be denicd OR, especially if you are charged with felonies.

+ Sometimes people are given a “stay-away” order as a condition
of being released on OR. (Peaple, however, have been given stay-
away orders at other stages of their case aftcr having been released
for sometime and not as a condition of OR.) This is essentially
4 resraining order, usually from the place where the arrest or
alleged incident occurred.

+ In order to determine whether you may be released on OR,
4 court employee (Pre-trial Services) will interview you, your
family members, your employers, and people from your support
group to cstablish whether you are a flight risk, have ties o the
community, and will show up to your court dates.

+ In preparing for a possible arrest, have a local address
memorized, and a plan for what you will tell Pre-trial Services.
You will be asked questions like: Where do you live? What's the
address? How long have you lived there? Where do you work?
How long have you worked there? Be ready to not only answer
these questions, but also have your support people provide the
same answers when they are questioned. This interview usually
takes place at your arraignment.
'WHY YOU SHOULD WAIT UNTIL
AFTER ARRAIGNMENT TO BAIL/BOND

+ Bail amounts are usually lowered significandy afier the
arraignment because the DA may only file some of the charges. It
has been a common police tactic to hold people on high charges
with high bails, despite the face that they know the original
charges won'estick.

+ Sometimes at the arraignment, the DA decides not to file
charges and people are relcased afier being held for a few days. If
you have already been bonded out, you will never get that money
back, even if some charges were dropped or never fled.

+ If dhere s a chance that a person can be released on OR,
they should wait undil the arraignment so they can make that
argument. You can always bail/bond afterward if OR s not
granted.

+ Generally speaking, when an arrest first occurs everything scems
more dire than it actually is. Police are known to overcharge
people to keep them in on higher bails. Charges are often lowered
or dropped afier arraignment. Its worth it to stay strong in there
afew days until after arraignment, because it could save you and/
or your loved ones and comrades thousands of dollars.

17
IFYOU ARE RELEASED WITH NO CHARGES FILED

+ The Alameda County DA will frequently release people with no
charges filed, but still have the option to file charges at a later date.
In that event an arrest warrant will be issucd for you to be taken into
custody.

+ The charges may have changed

ce you were arrested,

+ The DA has up 1o a year to refile misdemeanor charges, and 3-plus
years for felony charges, depending on what the charges are. To check
if the DA has refled charges against you after you were released, you or
a friend can call the DA’ office to check for you.

« “This is 4 tactic that has been used in Oakland to discourage and
te people into ceasing their protest activity. The DA’ office will
warn arrestecs that if they are arrested again, then the office will refile
charges on the previous arrest. This is a trickier and more subtle form
of repression. In recent history, however, the DA has not refiled many
charges stemming from old arrests

18
SOLIDARITY WiTH oUR
IMPRISONED COMRADES

|r1l¢

NOT ARRESTED?
NOT OFF THE HOOK!

Being arrested and juiled s uncomfortable, inconvenient, and for
many, a traumatic and terrifying experience, no matter how well
someone is prepared. Ofien jailed comrades have litle t0 no contact
with the outside while they are incarcerated. Let them know they
have not been forgotten. Support people by making sure they have
money in their commisary fund, writing to them regularly and
arranging for phone calls when possible. Plan solidarity actions such
s noise demos at the juils or welcome home events when people are
released. Solidarity i the best anti-repression activity

« If you know of people being released, start organizing
tides to bring them home from jail. Waiting for someone
10 be released can take many hours. Jail staff are usually
unfriendly and unhelpful. Santa Rita has been known
t0 give a release time, but hold people for several hours
beyond that or even overnight.

« Be aware of anything you may have on your person o
acar. Anyone on jail property, even just sitting in a car, can
be searched without reason.

JAIL SOLIDARITY

+ Bring warm clothes, drinks, food, and cigarettes.

+ The food in jail can be so bad that people often skip meals. In
places like Santa Rita, the water is so bad that many prisoners
add sugar in order to drink it.

+ Be prepared to give cmorional support to released comrades
and each other. Incarceration effects more than the person
behind bars

20
A eally casy way to potentially help a friend and/or comrades
case— and definitely give them a morale boost— is to show up
0 cour dates and sit in the courtraoms when they are called
before the judge. Not only will your friend notice all the support,
bue the judge and distriet attorney will too. This s how we
communicate to the judicial system that their attacks on our
movements do not go unnoticed, and that we support cach other
through thick and thin.

COURT SUPPORT

Most court dates in Alameda Sometimes they are here:
County will be here: Rene C. Davidson Superior Court
Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse 125 Fallon Strce

661 Washingron Strcet Oakland, CA 94612

Oakland, CA 94607

In San Francisco they are here:
850 Bryant Street
San Francisco, CA 94103

You can find your friends courtzaom by looking up their name on the
docket on the main floor of the courthouse or, if they're in custody in
Alameda County use the inmate locator online (acgov.org/sheriff_app).

« You will be going through a metal detector to get into the
building. Do not bring knives, tools, or illegal drugs (or
illegal anything). Do not come if you have a warrant out for
your areest, especially if its in the county of the courthouse
you are visiting.

« The bailiff is an officer of the court and, like police officcrs,
will likely act tyrannical. They can and often will arrest people
who antagonize them ot the judge. Minor offenses, such as texting or
reading a newspaper, can get you kicked out of the courtroom.

THINGS TO
REMEMBER

21
22

NEVER EVER

EVER TALK
TO THE POLICE.

EVER

Not only is it your right to remain silent, it is your obligation 1o
remain silent for the safety of yourself, your comrades, and the
rest of the political movement you are a part of

« Ask, “AM I FREE TO GO?" If not you are being

detained. Ifyes, walk away.
« You are only required to give your name and address.

« When they question you, remember to use the magic
words “T'm going to remain silent. I want to see a
Luwyer.” They may persist, but continue to repeat these
words

IF THE COPS
STOP YOU

« Some may act friendly and try to strike up conversation with
you that scems harmless. Law enforcement officers are experts
in gathering information. Do not talk to them, ever.
DON’T LET THE POLICE
TRICK YOU INTO SNITCHING!

The police use many tactics 10 get people to snitch on each other or
incriminate themselves. The person snitching may not even be aware of
what they are doing. Don' et them trick you!

« Agents can and will legally e to get information from you

« The police may offer leniency, carly release, or special
consideration if you cooperate with them. They might frame their
interrogations as an “opportunity” for you to el your side of the
story. Don't fall for it

POLICE LIE

« They might even threaten harsh penaltics for not talking. Dont
be intimidated. They dont actually have the authority to do this
Remain silent; you are doing the right thing.

+ Cops rarely read you your Miranda rights. They don't have to, so
donit be fooled into thinking that whatever you say will be thrown out
of court because these rights weren't read to you

« If you are arrested with others, the police may isolate and interrogate
you separately. If any of you talk to the police, they will use that against
You or others. Say nothing!

+ Officers may lic to turn you against cach other. They may use
information they already have to make you think a comrade has
snitched on you. Don't be baited!

* All complaints filed with the Citizen's Police Review Board
(CPRB) are forwarded to Internal Affairs (see next subsection).

« The police will gain access to CPRB testimony, and there’s
nothing to stop them from using that in an investigation.

« The CPRB doesn't have the power to grant immunity.

DON'T TALK
TO THE CPRB

« The board does not have the ability to impose any
consequences on the police.

23
+ Internal Affairs will say they arc investigating police
misconduct, but remember, it s part of the police.

contacted

+ Incernal Affairs may contact you even if you hav
them. Tt m.
house. Don't be intimidatcd! You are not legally obligated to
talk to Internal Affairs. You should “Ido not wish

t0 speak with you,” and end the contact as soon as possible.

all you numerous times of even come to your

mply

+ Anything you say to Incernal Affairs can be used against you
or others in court

DON'T TALK TO
INTERNAL AFFAIRS

« It can and will share the information it gathers with the same police
investigating you

« Internal Affars officcrs were among the same officers who raided the
Oceupy Oakland encampment on October 25, 2011. They were also
in charge of investigating police misconduct that day. This is a clear

conflict of interest!

g The police have wsed what acivises call “Sncch Leteers” 10
& wick people into cooperating with them. People have reccived
S chese lewers months and even up <o a year afir attending

an action. The letters state that “you have been identified

as a possible witness to an incident” and to “come in for an
interview with an investigator.” There is nothing legally requiring people
the wording migh be.

t0 cooperate with these letters, however
Do not respond. You can have your lawyer check the situation if you

think it is necessary.

e

RIDING WITH US

THE STATE IS HELLA RACIST

For those of us who have done prisoner support in the aftermath of
protests and riots in Oakland (or just paid attention to the injustice of
the judicial system), it is undeniable that the prison system— from the
police to the judges and district attorneys, to the parole and correctional
officers— i incredibly racist. Overwhelmingly it s black, Latino, and/
or homeless people who serve the longest jail terms, and suffer from
repeat arrests. The probation and parole system in particular traps
many of our comrades in a perpetual cycle of going back to jail and
doing automatic sentences even when their charges are dropped. Our
suppore and solidarity must especially stay consistent and strong for
these individuals.

Giving solidarity to those who the state criminalizes the most is a basic
and practical assault on white suptemacy; both within our movements
and in society in general. In particular, we would like to encourage
those who have organized and/or taken part in a political action where
others suffered higher penaltics or longer jail terms than themselves
and their friends to be strongly in solidarity with these people.

The United States holds 2.5 million people captive. Five million more
people are on probation or parole. Suicide is the number one cause
of death in US prisons and sccond in jails. There were at least 32
reported inmate suicides in California in 2012, averaging one suicide
cvery eleven days. To top off these stark statistics, over 70 percent
of the prison population is made up of people of color. This mass
incarceration and death of the people around us is why a lot of us find
ourselves in struggles together against the state, capitalism, and white
supremacy. The fascist prison system is obviously not for the safety of
any of us. The stark racial demographic of US prisons, and the savagery
of poverty and policing condemning whole populations to jail cells
all reveal to us a larger trend in repression against communities that
has nothing to do with their supposed threat to the public. Rather
that the state fears these communities have revolutionary potential
to change society. We sce our anti-repression activity as a part of a
larger struggle that includes anti-police (brutality) protests, cop watch,
prisoncr strikes, support of political prisoners who have actively foughe
against capitalism, imperialism, and for the natural world, and most
important, the project of abolishing all prisons.

AIN'T GONNA
HOLD US DOWN!

SUPPORTING COMRADES THROUGH
LONG-TERM INCARCERATION

People arvested during Occupy protests who were on probation, parole o
otherwise “criminalized” by the system have had the harshest treatment
by judges and DA, These are the people who serve the longest sentences,
and often, are the ones with the most severe charges with high bails or are
denied bail altogether. Here ae a few basic ways to support people
behind bars:

A commissary fund is an account that each prisoner has so they
can buy items from the jail or prison store. Jails and prisons do
not offer adequate or nutritious food. They do not care if people
have food allergies or other dietary needs. You can help people
s more food as well as hygienic and personal items by putting
money in their commissary fund.

ac

COMMISSARY

Supporters on the outside must put money in the jailed comrade’s
commissary; the jail does not provide anything in the store for
fice. The sore sclls things like toothpast, soap, fip-flops, snacks, ctc
Putting money on someonc’s commissary fund is also sometimes called
putting money on someone’s “books.”

How do you put money on someonc’s books in Alameda County?

+ Go to the jail where your friend is being housed (Glenn Dyer Jail
aka North County by the Wiley E. Manuel courthouse or Santa Rita
Jail in Dublin, CA) and give them cash at the window. The jail does
not give change. You must have a valid ID and the full name of the
inmate. If the person is imprisoned a Santa Rita Jail, you can give
money at Glenn Dyer, but you have to use an ATM-looking machine.
The machine is bluc and on the opposite side of the room from the info
window. You must have your jailed friends Personal Filing Number
(PEN) and exact change. The jail will charge you a fee depending on
your payment method.

+ You can also buy things for them directly from the store online using
a debit card. Go to www.mycarepack.com. You must know the full
name and PEN number of the jailed friend.

+ If you do not know the PEN of the person you're giving money to
use the inmate locator at acgov.org/sheriff_app or go to the Alameda
County Sheriffs Department web site, alamedacountysheriff.org, look
underthequick site links” tab, and click “inmate locator.” This will
also tell you the person’s charges, their next court date, and where
they're being housed. Keep in mind people’ privacy while doing
support work, and do not circulate personal information without the
consent of the incarcerated person or their direct support group.

* Your letter can (and probably will) be read by correctional
officers. Use discretion when including any information about
your own or your friend’ political activitics, immigration status,
history of incarceration, or mentioning anything that might
incriminate you or your communities. Be aware that your letter
may be censored as well.

« Many jails and prisons won't give the envelope to the person
you'e witing. If you want them to write you back, make sure
Your first and last name and mailing address are written legibly
on the letter as well as the envelope. Be sure o date and number
the pages of every letter to the same person so they are aware if a letter
is “lost.”

LETTER WRITING

+ Be sure to use their full government name and PEN on the envelope.
Most prisons and jails won't deliver mail that isn't to the prisoncr’s
legal name. When writing to someone you don't know for the first
time, you may want to use their legal name in the letter as well, and
ask them what name and pronouns they would like to use for future
correspondence,

+ Mail restrictions vary from prison to prison. Many facilities worit
allow stickers, paint, glitter, or any other mail art. It probably best to
stick to white lined paper, black or bluc ink, and a plain envelope for
your first letter, If you continue corresponding with someone who is
incarcerated, you can ask them about the particular restrictions at their
prison or jail, or check the insicution’s web sit. 27
+ You cannot directly send books, stamps, food, or anything that is
not a letter. Most of these things can be bought from the persons
commissary fund. Books must come brand new, and dicetly from a
publisher o amazon.com, but there are many restrictions that vary
from facilit to facility, so it's best to check first.

Addresses for some local jails are:

Inmate’s Name and PEN# Inmate’s Name and PEN#
Sanca Rica Jail Glenn E. Dyer Detention Facility
5325 Broder Blvd. 550 Gth Street

Dublin, CA94568 Oakland, CA 94607

There are several addresses for San Francisco County inmates. To
determine which unit your friend or comrade is housed in, call (415)
553-1430. All addresses can be found at sfsheriff.com/jail_info.html

Al calls from inmates in California are processed through a
company called Global Tel-Link. You cannot give the person
in jail a phone card, and they cannot buy one from the jail
store. You have to use this company to add money on the
phone that is receiving the call from jal.

The process involves setting up an account with a particular
phone number (which is the only number that can accept
calls) and then registering for particular counties - you can only
accep calls from inmates in counties that you'e registered for.
‘The inmate will need to know the name on the phone account,
the cell phone company you use, and the number. Set up an
account online at www.offenderconnect.com or through an
automated phone system at 1-866-607-6006.

HOW TO RECEIVE PHONE
CALLS FROM FOLKS IN JAIL

The final part is purchasing time for the account (even if you
have an account, you cant accept calls unless there is money on it at
the time of the call). To determine rates go to hupi//bify.me/twgfah
There is also a minimum purchase amount of at least $25 when you try
t0 add money to the account.

Ifyou want to put money on someone else’s phone, the person recciving

28
the calls must be the one to call initially to sct up the account before
you add money to the account. The person who will be recciving the
calls needs to tell you their full name, phone number, and a passcode
that the operator will give them. If possible, use a local phone number.
The cost for minutes on an out- of-area-code phone are huge.

Go sce people stuck in jail or prison! Most likely they wan
to know what's been going on in their community and feel
connected to whar's going on outside the jail walls.

To make a visiting appointment, you will also need the inmate’s
name, PEN, and dae of birth

In Alameda County, visits are made by appointment only, and
you will most likely have to make the appointments a few days
in advance. In San Francisco, some visitaion slots arc first
come, first scrve, while others must be made by appointment
You can register for a visit at most jails onlin or over the phone
(but be prepared to call several times before getting through).

Go to alamedacountysheriff.org/de. ag.php to register
online to visit someone in Santa Rita. Or call the visiting line
(925) 551-6578 (8:00 am to 12:00 noon, and 1:00 to 5:00
pm).

VISITING THOSE WHO HAVE
BEEN CAPTURED BY THE STATE

Go o alamedacountysheriff.org/de_gdj_vi
on visits in North County aka Glenn Dyer.

Go to sfsheriff.com/jail_vi
San Francisco jails

ing.php for information

fo.heml for visi

g information in

SOME BASIC DEFINITIONS

Probation and Parole, Stay Aways and Gang Injunctions are ways
that the “legal” system keeps a leash on you outside of jail or prison.

"WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
PROBATION AND PAROLE ?

The judge may give you probation instead of jail time if you cop
a plea, or if you are convicted of minor offenses. This usually
means months and sometimes years of having certain restrictions,
including no “contact” with police (remember they can search
and scize anyone on parole or probation without probable cause),
making restitution payments, or restriction on who you can see
or where you can go. These last restrictions, which do not have
t0 be tied to probation, parole, or even arest, are called stay-aways if
used against individuals, or gang injunctions, if against groups (most
ofien used against black and brown people). Being caughe breaking
restrictions may mean being sent to jail, and always means additional
hassle and money. As always people of color tend to receive the
harshest treatment by the courts. Misdemeanor probation is frequently
unsupervised (AKA informal coure probation). Felony probation
is ofen supervised, meaning the defendane will have to report to a
probation officer who works for the court probation department. 1f
you get arrested while on probation, you have the right to a lawyer, to
tesify, and to have a lawyer present evidence and confront witnesses

You do not have the right to a jury (the judge i the fact finder), and the
standard to revoke probation is preponderance of evidence (like 50.1
percent), rather than proof beyond a reasonable doub. In practice, this
means it is very casy to be found in violation of probation.

[ON

PROBATI

After you have finished a prison sentence, you are usually given
months or years of parole. A parole board may decide to end the
defendan’s prison sentence early and release them from custody
subject to a period of parole for “good behavior” Parole has
similar restrictions o probation, often with added restrictions.
Instead of a probation officer, you will have to report to a parole agent
Parole agents work for the Division of Adult Parole Operations, which

PAROLE
is a branch of the Department of Corrections (CDCR). In other
words, you are still under the control of the prison system while you
are on parole. Breaking parole for any reason usually means immediate
reincarceration for at least a few wecks, and possibly being sent back to
prison. If you are arrested you have the right to a lawyer, although your
hearing will be at a prison in front of the parole board, not a judge in
a courtroom. As a practical matter, the board s almost always going to
side with law enforcement. If parole is revoked, you can be sent back
0 prison. Once you have done prison time, the state assumes you are
a habitual criminal o troublemaker, and is prepared to bring you back
t0 prison on the least excuse.

"WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JAILS
AND PRISONS?

Jails are operated by counties, and until recenely were only to hold

you until you went to court, or for sentences of less than one year,
=, usually for misdemeanors or nonviolent crimes. While in jail, you

have no work, really crappy food, and often no exercise. Note that
many poor people, many of whom are people of color, are held for
many months in jail because they cannot afford bail or bond before
ial. People who do not have the option of bail or bond are more likely
0 take bad plea deals or plead guilty just so they can be moved out of
the jail facility into prison.

Prisons are operated by states or the federal government, unless
they are private prisons, contracted by states or the United
Prisons are typically where you are sent afier conviction if the
sentence is more than one year, usually for felonics. In prison,
you generally have some access to work, slightly less crappy food,
and exercise. “Realignment” has changed thar. Because the State
of California is under federal mandate to lower inmate numbers, you
may now be held in county jails for more than a year. (This is a less
expensive option for the State of California and is also being used as an
excuse for counties to build more jails.)

ates.

PRISONS

31
PROTECTING OURSELVES
BEFORE WRECKING OURSELVES

Even when political energy is low and. actions aren't happening we are sill
vulnerable to represion. Repression offen takes quite mundane and perry
forms like personal attacks or the spreading of rumors. The result of these
behaviors is the targeting, exclusion, or silencing of individuals, and the
creation of divisions and distrust within the community. It is important to
addyes these concerns without being pulled into patterns of behavior meant
to divide and harm s

STRUGGLING TOWARD SOLIDARITY ACROSS
RACE, CLASS, AND GENDER

For countless generations, the structures of white supremacy, patriarchy,
colonialism, and classed society have worked to keep us divided for the
purpose of those in power to stay in power. The workings of these
complex and terrible systems take obvious forms like police violence,
environmental racism, and poverty, but also produce cultural artitudes
that normalize marginalization and violence against groups of people
(people of color, indigenous people, women, trans people, poor
people, etc). Often we reinforce these structures through cashing in
on privileges we may gain through these systems and even repressing
others who might threaten our privileges. This is to say that these
oppressive systems arc perpecuated by institutions we generally agree
are bad, but also by oursclves. When we don't work to address these
power dynamics as well s racist, sexist, and other attitudes within our
political movements, groups and relationships, we severely weaken our
fight against these institutions.

Beyond this, the state (and its corporate media) has learned well
how to hone in on these divisions and uneven power dynamics, and
exploit them to further weaken our projects. Thercfore, it is not only
our responsibility to struggle to destroy these structures as wells as
consistently address and work to unlearn all the ways we maintain

32
white supremacy and patriarchy along with other ingrained oppressive
ideologies, bur also not to play into the state’s manipulaive tactics to
divide us along race, gender, sexuality, or class lines.

Sometimes, however, we
that a division

i politcally useful.
If a politcal group or

movement has proved to be
unwilling o engage in anti-
racist, feminist, or queer
organizing, andfor make
room for such organizing
w0 flourish, some people
might — and rightfully so
— decide to leave that group
or movement (perhaps o
start another) so they can
better devote their energies
raher than be consumed
by internal struggles.
Conflicts within ~political
formations are always hard,
but sometimes are necessary
in order for political projects
to mature and become more

revolutionary. It is important

© note the difference ON DRY LA_ND

between a split generated
from a group or individual’s

self-determination, and

one promoted by state and institutional powers because they fear the
political potential generated from groups that have solidarity with one
another across race, gender, and class distinctions.

33
34

Stop publicizing interpersonal conflicts, and de-
escalate and/or resolve the conflicts within your
circles. The state can snoop into our personal lives
through the interner and our phones. Rumors,
personal drama, and gossip have always been an
exploitable tool of the state. Contradictions and
tensions are obviously an important part of our shared
political and social spaces, but lets not pick fights and
draw out unnccessary divisions. Lets find ways to continue
w0 explore our political differences, while acknowledging our
common commitment to liberatory struggles against the
state, capital, patriarchy, and white supremacy.

DE-ESCALATE
CONFLICTS

O Months and somerimes years afer actions, people
5 have been subpocnacd by a grand jury. The grand
& jury subpoena is a powerful tool used by the state

O™ 1o gather physical evidence and testimony to attack

our comrades and movements. We must protect
ourselves and cach other by refusing to testify and supporting
others who resist. To learn more about resisting grand jurics
and support grand jury resisters check out the Grand Jury

Resistance Project at grandjuryresistance.org.

@ Recent leaks in the media have shown that probably all emais,
£ texts, and cell locations are being recorded and stockpiled by US
O sceurity agencies. Nonetheless, it is still worth taking any security
E precautions possible when using your phone.

« Lock your phone so it only opens to a code. Do not leave it
open if there is any chance you will be arrested. If it has full or partial
encryption, use it. Note that the state can probably get access from
your provider, without a warrant, to any cmails or texts you have sent
If your contact list is held by your provider for backup, that lst is also
available to the state, as is the GPS log on your phone. Delete your text
messages regularly. Be carcful in both the content and pattern of your
phone calls, especially during or after actions, raids, and the like. Apps
like TextSeeure (for texting) and RedPhone (for VolP— or “Voice over
Internet Protocol” aka making calls over the Internct) may be useful
end-to-end encryprion tools for cellular communication. If you have
an android phone, tum the USB debugging off.

« It may be worthwhile to turn off G
when not needed. The state might s
10 access the location of the closest cell tower if
your phone is turned on, and possibly can track
it as long as the battery is in.

+ Never unlock your phone because a police
officer or other government officer tells you to.
Even if they can decode your phone eventually,
if you open it for them you are giving them
consent to search

s contents.

« Whileitis not common, itis possible for cellular
phones to be used to listen to conversations even

when not being used. But don't let the absence of phones lull you into
a false feeling of sccurity. Houses, offices, and cars can also be bugged
Itis meaningless to put away ones phone and still have a conversation
indoors.

+ Regardless of any encryption or anonymity, always assume that
your phone’s sceurity can and will be compromised at some point
Accordingly, keep important information elsewhere and have sensitive
conversations in person.
Limit your internet/electronic social networking interaction.
Facebook, web sites, Twitter, blogs, emails, and so forth are
becoming favored sources of evidence for the state when it
secks to destroy our networks. Do not air personal divisions
online. See the RNC 8, Asheville 11, Latin Kings, & SHAC?7.

SOCIAL
NETWORKING

Another word to the wise: don't post pictures of actions on
social media, even if you've blacked out or otherwise alered
the photo to hide people’s identities. Don't talk about arrests online,
and definitely don't post names/charges of folks in custody online
unless cleared by the individual/dheir lawyer/their legal suppor group.
If your action or event is listed on Facebook, do your best to monitor
exchanges on the wall and hide the list of attendees if possible.

« Don't assume the absolute safety of encryption. There
shouldn't be any direcdy incriminating information on your
computer, encryped or no.

« If you chat online, use encrypted instant messaging. For
Windows and Linux, use Pidgin with the Off The Record
(OTR) plugin. For Mac, use Adium.

COMPUTER
ENCRYPTION

+ Use encrypted email. Install Thunderbird and the Enigmail plugin
Or set up PGP encryption, using GnuPGP for Mac OSX and GnuPG
for Windows.

« If you can, full-disk encrypt your computer. It will help reduce the
amount of uscful evidence it gives in the case of it being seized by the
police. Know, however, that if your computer is on when seized, the
encryption is compromised. For Windows, TrueCrypt provides an casy
wility for full-disk encryption. With Linux, LUKS is a built-in utilicy
that encrypts the most sensitive information on your computer. Use
Trucerypt to enerypt all or part of your hard drive (OSX or Windows)
and overwrite the disc’s free space at regular intervals (CCleaner for
Windows and Disk Uility for OSX)

For a mor thorough guide on computer security scc
pressfrecdomfoundation.orglencryption-works.

37
COMMITTEE STATEMENTS

38

ANTI-REPRESSION

Thissection is devoted o a few statements that we wrote as
a committee 0 help promote solidarity at various moments
during the Occupy movement in Oakland. This includes,
our “Principle of Solidarity Against Police Repression,”
“Confronting the Many Faces of Repression,” and our
Jjoine statement with the Stop the Injunctions Coalition,
“Against Stay Away Orders and Gang Injunctions.”
Although they were all written in response to specific forms
of repression our movement was fucing at that time, we
Jfeel the statements' insights and principles will be useful
for movements to come. We have edited *Confronting the
Many Faces of Repression” for length and clarisy

T read the original statement, visit:
buspilloccupyoakland.org/2012/10ffucesofrepression
PRINCIPLE OF SOLIDARITY AGAINST
POLICE REPRESSION

This proposal was pased at the Occupy Oakland general assembly on
February 26, 2012.

Given the current climate of police repression against Occupy
Oakdand, and given that a key tactic of this repression is to foment
and cxploit divisions among us, we hercby collectively agree to
stand in solidarity with one another, across all porential divisions.

‘We enac thisprinciple of solidarity with one another by recognizing
our individual and collective responsibilty not to incriminate our
fellow Occupicrs, and hereby agree that:

1) We will not talk to the police about our comrades (This includes
all levels of local, state, and federal law enforcement, jail staff,
Immigration & Customs Enforcement, Internal Affairs, and the
Ciizens Police Review Board).

2) We will not post potentially incriminating information about
our comrades

on the internet and social media (This includes any forms of
information posted on Facebook, Tovitter, blogs, cmil, ctc.).

3) We will not post potenially incriminating video footage or
photos of our comrades (this includes being attentive to the fact
that cven minor and unintended incidences can be used as the
basis for criminal prosccuion).

We also enact this principle of solidarity through the suppore
and care we provide for one another in the face of repression. We
hercby agree to express this solidarity by showing up for coure
support, doing jail runs and jail visits, witing leters, contributing
to bail and/or commissary funds, and generally offering whatever
support we are able to.

INTHE FACE OF POLICE REPRESSION— THE PRINCIPLE.
OF SOLIDARITY.

39
CONFRONTING THE MANY FACES OF
REPRESSION
written October 2012

RETHINKING REPRESSION

Over the past year, we have experienced many forms of overt police
repression, from the camp eviction and night of tear gas on October 25th,
o raids on the vigl, to snatch-and-grab squads on May Day. We have come
to expect the riot-clad police, with their batons and chemical weapons,
although repression comes in ather forms as well. As a community; we have
not been sufficiently attuned to these other faces of repression. As ARC, we
00 have focused primarily on the over police violence on the strcet along,
with its counterpart in the jails and courts. We have spent countless hours
in communication with people in jal, working with NLG folks to sccurc
lawyers when possible, doing and mobilizing court support, and providing
commissary and other forms of support for our comrades who remain
locked up. We have also held workshops to talk about some of the other
forms that repression can take— and ways that we as a community can kecp.
one another safe— but we have not done cnough as a committce to address
these other faces of repression. We feel that as 2 community, we need to
shift our thinking about repression to recognize the subler more insidious
forms char it takes and the ways that it targets our sources of strength as
well as plays on existing conflcts and divisions in an attempt to weaken,
distract, and consume us. This docs not mean that we should become mired
in trying to identify stare infltrators and agents. We may never know who
the infiltators are, and ultimately, whether individuals arc dircedly working
for the state when they engage in disruptive and divisive behaviors is not
the point. We nced to instead focus on behaviors. If behaviors support and
consolidate state campaigns of repression then they do the statc’s work of

repression.

PETTY FORMS OF REPRESSION: PERSONAL ATTACKS,
RUMORS, GOSSIP...

Repression often takes quite mundane and petty forms like personal attacks
or the spreading of rumors. The result of these behaviors is the targeting,
exclusion, or silencing of individuals, and the creation of divisions and
distrust within the community. These petty forms of repressive behavior
slowly tear away at the bonds of community that serve as the backbone of
our movement. They drain us of our cnergy and scnse of solidarity. We are
not suggesting that aggressive, violent or harmful behaviors by individuals

should ever be tolerared or excused. Rather, we hope that we can find ways
o collectively address thesc concerns without being pulled into patterns
of behavior meant to divide and harm us. We refuse to allow the (real)
wounds and disputes in our community to become a playground for the
statc’s campaign of repression.

'VIOLENCE AND INTIMIDATION

One of the ssues that has been divisive within our community is the
question of property destruction and how violence should be defined. While
many of us in ARC would dispute a definition of violence chat includes
property destruction (and instead restrict our defnition of violence to those
acts that cause harm to living things), we also recognize that many within
our community sec property destruction as an act of violence. We do not
all need to agree on this point, but our disagreements on this question necd
0 be expresscd in a way that is not harmful to others in our community.
For a while, the Bridge Caucus provided a model and forum for dialoguc
among people with differing defnitions of violence and views of property
destruction. Such discussion and debate on this issuc, and questions of
tactics and sracgy more generally, should be welcome.

‘What we as a community cannot accept is threats, intimidation, and acts
of violence dirccted against one another. In recent wecks, a number of
individuals have been subject to different forms of threats and intimidation

Some have reccived thicatening personal messages. Some have been harasscd
and made to feel unsafe on the strccts. That such behavior coming from
people who identify as pare of Occupy Oakland is entircly unacceptable
should go without saying. But we draw attention to these recent threats
because we need to recognize the way that they further the starcs goal of
repression, regardless of who s behind them, by making us more insular
(turning inward to the safety of a small group of loved oncs and trusted
comrades) and cautious (afraid to reach out and take the risks necessary to
make the changes we desirc).

Since November 2011, the anarchists among us have been especially targeted
with threats and vigilante violence. We saw this on the ant-capitalist march
during the November 2nd general strike when those cngaged (or perccived
0 be engaged) in propery destruction were tackled, had sticks and chairs
brandished at them, or their masks removed and photos taken— all in
the name of nonviolence. And we arc sceing it now. Flyers have surfaced
alling for people to arm themselves with bats and weapons to “beat the
shit out of anarchists/vandals” and thus “defend” Oakland against “their
divisive & violent message.” Again, we must underscore the worrying irony
of calling for violence against a group of people— ostensibly identifiable
by race and dress— in the name of nonviolence and stress that any such
threats, whether coming dircetly from agents of the state or not, do the
statc’s work, and play into a long history of the state using the scapegoating

41
of anarchists to divide movements in the United States.

PROFILE JACKETING

We are decply concerned by the increasing demonization of “anarchists”
the “black bloc,” and “outsiders” now being conflatcd under the term
the “Oakland Communc”. This is occurring in fyers, social media
communications, and manifestos. We scc this demonization s being
a clear expression of the state’ current strategy of presenting a profile of
Occupiers as a dangerous, outsider, white anarchist “criminal strcet gang”
bent on irrational destruction. I doesnt matter whether these attacks arc
being made by individuals who are directly ticd to the state as agents or
provocatcurs. The important thing is that this narrative dircctly mimics the
State’s campaign of repression— one currently being used to jail and charge
us with conspiracy. By perpetuating this narrative, one is perpetuating the
State’s repressive scrit.

“The states script involves claims of violence and threats to public safety, and
manufactures an organization out of loose politial afinity (people together
in the strects for an unpermitted march or unsanctioned action) in order to
criminalize both the alleged behavior and association itsel. In a recent press
eleasc, the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) transfigures a tactic
(black bloc) into a criminal organization, making refercnce to “members
of the criminal street gang, Black Blok [sic|"( https://docs.google.com/file/
d/0B4pdvMvLh]fdbm9XX0dZYm]pX1E/ediczpli=1 ).

Similarly,the picce *Fuck the Oakland Commune, Hella Occupy Oakland”
takes what was an affectionate name that some used to refer o the camp and
community created at Oscr Grant Plaza— the Oskland Commune— and
makes it into a discrete thing, a shadowy organization, comprised of a “group
of idcological extremists” who seck to “foment chaos and destruction,” and
who have cost Oaklanders their “sense of safety”

Labeling something a threat to public safety s a key way that the state
justifies its repression. We see it in the SFPD press release noted above,
and we have scen it repeatedly uscd against Occupy Oakland. The camp.
was evicted because it was deemed a threat to public safety. Occupicrs were
given stay-away orders in the name of public safety, to constrain “those
intent on using violence against the community” (hetp://wwwwsfgatc.com/
opinion/article/Occupy-Oakland-tamed-with-stay-away-orders-3341492.

php).

But what we also sec in these cxamples s the way that the state claims

42
that it really only a small group of troublemakers that it’s coming down
on, the bad-protester-tumed-criminal; that repression is reserved for the
criminal and not the lawful, good protester. This logic structures DA
Nancy O'Malley’s justification of stay-aways: she declared that thosc with
stay-aways “were not rallying on behalf of Occupy Wall Strcet, or cven the

greater Occupy Oakland movement. Rather, they advertise themsclves as
“militant, anti-government, anti-police, and anarchists, with a mission to
destroy the community fabric of Oakland through the use of violence.”
“This same line, this same artempt to solatc and root out a small group of
violent troublemakers thrcatening the community, i echocd in the recent
attacks on the Oakland Commune as a “vanguard clique” “operating in
the shadows of Occupy Oakland” (herps//hellaoccupyoakland.orgfoccupy-
oakland-media-collective-statement-on.the-oakland-communc/ )

“This type of profilejacketing does not come without severe and devastating
consequences. We sce this in the recent FBI raids and grand jury
investigations of those deemed as anarchises in the Norchwest, the arrest
of those decmed as part of a black bloc during the anti-Columbus Day
march in San Francisco, and in the ways that this narmative continues to
draw divisive lines within our movements that distract from real work and
criminalize those who fit the profle. This profie of the outside agitator and
anarchist has been used over and over by the state, dating back to the carly
twenticth century when anarchists were decmed terrorists. Let us nor do the
work of the state by criminalizing our comrades and buying into the statc’s
narrative and profle of the so-called “bad protester.”

“The state has to generate some level of consent for the violence it sceks to
unleash on us. This profle i onc of the means of doing so. When we help
the state consolidate that profile, we assist it in doing its violence to us, all
of us

STRUGGLING TOWARD SOLIDARITY ACROSS RACE, CLASS,
AND GENDER

For countless generations, the structures of white supremacy; parriarchy;
colonialism, and classed society have worked to keep us divided for the
purpose of those in power to stay in power. The workings of these complex
and terrible systems play out in obvious forms like police violence,
environmental racism, and poverty; but also creates cultures that normalize
violence against and marginalization of groups of people (people of color,
indigenous people, women, trans people, poor people, ctc.), and has taught
us all to reinforce these structures through cashing in on privileges we may
gain through these systems and even repressing others who mighe threaten
our privileges. This i to say that these oppressive systems are perpetuated
by institutions we generally agree are bad, but also by ourselves. When we
dontt strugele to address these power dynamics along with racise, sexist, and
other aritudes within our political movements, groups, and relationships,
e severely weaken our figh against these institutions.

Beyond this, the state (and its corporate media) has learned well how to
hone in on these divisions and uncven power dynamics, and exploit them
o further weaken our projects. Therefore, it is not only our responsibility
o struggle to destroy these structures as wells as consistently address and
work to unlearn all the ways we maintain white supremacy and patriarchy
and other ingrained oppressive idcologics, but also not play into the statc’s
manipulative tactics to divide us along race, gender, sexuality, or classlines

Sometimes, however, we decide that a division is politically uscful. If a
political group or movement has proved to be unwilling to engage in anti-
racist, feminist, or queer organizing, and/or make room for such organizing
to flourish, some people might, and rightfully so, decide to leave that
group or movement (perhaps to start another) so they can better devote
their cnergies rather than be consumed by internal struggles. Conflicts
within political formations are always hard, but sometimes are necessary in
order for political projects to mature and become more revolutionary. It is
important to note the difference between a split generated from a group or
individual’ self-determination, and one promoted by state and instiutional
powers because they fear the political potential gencrared from groups that
have solidarity with on another across race, gender, and class distinctions.

ANTI-REPRESSION IS SOLIDARITY

We have focused on these different faces of repression so that we can more
effcctively withstand and csist them, by drawing on our best tool of ani-
repression: solidarity.

One year ago, hundseds of cops i riot gear launching their chemical and
“less than lechal” weapons didnt keep us from the plaza. That kind of
courageous standing up to repression s part of what made Occupy Oakland
capture the national imagination. If that kind of overe violent repression
didnt stop us, what docs it say abou the power of these more insidious
forms of repression that they appear to have such an immobilizing impact
on our community? Let us continue our legacy by standing up to repression
inall it faces

‘We will not be broken, we will not be baitcd.
In solidarity,

ARC
JOINT STATEMENT BY ARC AND STOP THE
GANG INJUNCTIONS COALITION

written February 2012

“The City of Oakland and Alameda County are actively trying to circumyent
constitutional due process protections in the established criminal “justice”
system to target actvists and communities of color. They are using the courts
0 impose gang injunctions against those they call “gang members,” and
more recently against “occupy protesters” via stay-away orders. Both types
of court orders are police state practices, which misuse the court system

for political purposes to criminalize individuals and communitics, without
actually proving any criminal violations,

Gang injunctions and stay-away orders are being uscd against a person
o group suspected of being involved in a gang, protest, or other state-
identificd “nuisance”. While the gang injunctions and stay-away orders
are different in many aspects, they both scrve to punish our community
members and violate our rights to assemble without actually convicting
anyone of any violation of the law: Gang injunctions use the civil courts and

stay-away orders use criminal courts; both expand on what is considered
criminal, thus giving a corrupt police force furcher discretion, and more
power to arrest and harass people who have been enjoined or ordered to
not b in certain arcas or with certain people at certain hours. Because of
the civil nature of gang injunctions, there is no attorney (such as the public
defender) appointed on the defendant’s behalf, and thus legalfees are placed
on the defendant. Ifa civil gang injunction defendant lacks resources to hire
an attorney,they risk a “default” and the injunction willtake effect without
allowing the defendant to legally defend themselves

In the casc of occupy protesters, Mayor Jean Quan's stay-away orders arc
issued withour factual findings and before many people have an attorncy.
“The stay-away orders are being given to restrct where people can be— in
this case prohibiting them from being within 100 or 300 yards of Oakland
City Hall In the case of the North Okland and Fruitvale gang injunctions,
those named cannot be in large “safety zones” at certain times, nor can
they be with other individuals named in the injunctions, among other
sestrictions. Both gang injunctions and stay-away orders unconstitutionally
deprive our community members of liberty to cngage in basic lfe actvitics,
like associating with friends and family. Gang injunction curfews restrict
defendants” ablity to work, and stay-away orders restrict defendants from
airing grievances at city hall, taking BART from the 12th Street station, or
participating i civic lie in the central public plaza

45
In response to the Oakland gang injunctions, a large coalition developed to
oppose the injunctions proposed by the city attorney. Du to the massive
campaign launched agains the injunctions, only two of the cleven proposed
have been able to be put into cffect. The campaign also caused the city
attorney to reduce the number of people named by the injunctions, and
make the injunctions somewhat less restrictive, though we sce any gang
injunction as a gross abuse of sate power and sanctioning of police abusc.
“The coalition made it clear that these injunctions are based cnircly on the
word of police/parole/ probation officer intelligence, which is tinted by
racist assumptions of black and brown “gang” culture and also specifically
targets men who have won lawsuits against the OPD for harassment. Also,
numerous men targeted by gang injunctions have been incarcerated in the
past, and this fact is used against them in court to prove that they need to
be enjoined. Thus, the gang injunctions cmploy a type of double jeopardy,
wsing past crimes as justiication for limiting civil ibertics when many of
the targeted men are tying to get work and live healthy and sustainable
lives i their respective communitics.

Mayor Quan's stay-away orders are another gang injunction-like tool uscd
0 repress and punish those exprssing dissen. The stay-away orders have
specifically targeted more than twelve people who have been arrested at
Occupy Oakland protests and are based purely on the word of the OPD and.
the DA. These individuals have not been convicted of any erime, yct a judge
has imposed orders thar take away their Firse, Fourth, and Fifth Amendment
sights. These orders represent the ongoing political persceution of people who.
are protesting against extreme cconomic inequality corporate control of the
government, and police state practices uscd to uphold this oligarchy. The
Stay-away orders and other political atacks on our communitics show that
instead of working to provide real soluions to cconomic disparity, racism,
and police brutality, the city uses fear tactics and repression to climinate
political dissent. ity offcials continue to talk out of both sides of their
mouths, saying they sympathize with the Occupy Wall Strect movement’s
goals of challenging corruption and cconomic incquality, while sticking
riot cops and crucl weaponry on local Occupy Wall Strect protesters. City
officials often speak in favor of alternatives to incarceration and repression
such as “restorative justice,” while concurrently using the coure and prison
system to instil fear among protesters. It is clear, however, where their cards
lic. We must learn from the fight against gang injunctions tha the only
way to stop stay-away orders in their tracks i to pack the courts and target
those officials who are pushing for them with public shame. We cannor et
the police, city, and DA impose any more gang injunctions or stay-away
orders, and we must fight to climinate ALL the cxisting gang injunctions
and stay-away orders,

46

REPRESS THIS!
'VERSION 2: MARCH 2014

antirepressionbayarea@riseup.net
oaklandantirepressioncommittee.wordpress.com

facebook.com/AntiRepOO

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
[ALL HIGHLY RECOMMENDED]

ALL OF US OR NONE
wwwaallofusornone.org

COMMITTEE AGAINST

POLITICAL REPRESSION

his is the go-to st for up-to-date info

about the grand jury resisers in the

Pacific Northwest,
nopoliticalrepression. wordpress.com

DENVER ANARCHIST
BLACK CROSS

o denverabe wordpress.com

EAST BAY PRISONER
SUPPORT

eastbayprisonersupport.
o

GRAND JURY
RESISTANCE PROJECT

wwwgrandjuryresistance.org.

GREEN IS THE NEW RED
This websise focuses on how animal rights
and environmental aduwcates are being
branded “eco- terrorsts” in what many
are calling the Green Scare.

www greenisthenewred.com

IF AN AGENT KNOCKS

An exhaustive know your rights guide

Soeusing on FBI harassment " and

represion tactics,
cerjustice.org/ifanagentknacks

MIDNIGHT SPECIAL LAW
COLLECTIVE
This website has a number of resources
Sfiom “Know your Rights” documents
10 howw 10 set up your own legal action
group.
heepe/fmi

special.ne

PINK AND BLACK
This s a good resource on writing folks
in jail by a queer and tans* prisoner
support and network group

5

www blackandpink.
“ldelines for pen-

PRISON ACTIVIST
RESOURCE CENTER

wwwprisonactivist.org,

PRISONER HUNGER
STRIKE SOLIDARITY

risonerhungersrikesolidari
" & ordpresscom

STAY CALM

A pamphler with more advice on
simple things you can do 1o prepare for
represson.

i bayofiage comfromthe bay/
- mmzr..w.im.k«p.,,g.
imes-of-state-represion]

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