Unoffical Position Paper on RevolutionMarch Regarding The Republican National Convention.
By Oyate, 4/24/2008
A lot of us in the R3VOlUTION have been talking about the RNC as we have
regarding rallies in DC. Two of the main reasons discussed for these actions
is media attention and keeping us energized as a movement.
We can see from many previous actions (as pointed out be Devvy Kidd) that it's
never impossible for the media to ignore us and it's always possible for the
media to misrepresent us. Perhaps if we are able to rally in the hundreds of
thousands we'll get a minute or two on that old "film at eleven" but this
remains to be seen. However, the RNC is different, it's going to be different
than any rally or march this movement has been involved with to date.
Basically, law enforcement was fairly embarrased by the anti-globalist
demonstrations in Seattle in 1999. When it came time to do the same thing in
Miami in 2003, law enforcement developed counter measures that became known
and studied as "The Miami Model". The technique was refined in NYC during the
last RNC.
Basically, these are very heavy handed tactics that not only involve the range
of "nonlethal" weapons such as pepperspray, rubber bullets, tasers, batons,
officers in those new black body armor suits they all seem to have now &
etc., but the partitioning, cordoning off and mass arrest of large groups of
people. They really went for it in NYC, at times they cordoned off whole
neighborhoods and refused to let anyone in or out for hours at a time. And
the mass arrests? Hundreds of people pretty much indiscriminately rounded up
and held in a vehicle maintenance facility for days with no due process. Just
search for these terms "Miami Model" and "New York Model" on Google or YouTube and you'll start to come up with tons of video to illustrate the point.
Now these examples mostly have to do with left-wing activity and we've never
been hostile or confrontational (and we've never mobilized anything like the
numbers of the leftist antiwar movement), but at the RNC we'll be at the right place at the right time to become mixed up in it. In general, as a movement, we just don't have experience (or have no interest) in that level of hostility.
And again, the MSM will waste no opportunity to mischaractarize us.
But heck, rather than focus on the negatives, let's consider the options.
The GOP has all rally and park locations in downtown Minneapolis reserved for
the duration of the convention. The Parks Police is giving the GOP first
pick, then accepting the GOP's recommendations for what's left and what's
left after that will be opened at some point to the general public. Bottom
line, as "just another political organization", we'd probably never get
within a mile of the convention center just by applying for a permit.
Our best bet as RPR might be to work with GOP to secure one of these locations
or encourage the Paul campaign to do so. After all, he is a candidate and
he's got delegates in the convention. We're kind of busy with the DC March at
the time of this writing, but if anyone gets that ball rolling we'll be happy
to help any way we can.
Doing a street march is still a theoretical possibility but this is where we
run the greatest risk of running into a trap. A media trap, a hostility with
law enforcement trap, a combination of these instigated by outside elements,
counter-protesters, whatever. In stratagic terms, we stand more to loose than
we do to gain in this scenario.
Doing an unsanctioned or unpermitted mass gathering at the RNC is asking for
trouble in my view. Again, these folks have no intention of letting things
get out of control. If NYC was any example, law enforcement will be capable
of surprisingly rapid response. I can't plan any sort of unpermitted mass
gathering and still post it to RevolutionMarch.com, but if I was going to do
something like that, I'd think about getting in and out fast with a single
objective in mind like getting signs in front of TV cameras. I'd want to
think about keeping the message positive.
However, there are those who will say that any attention is better than no
attention. And besides, there's other ways for you to participate in the
festivities.
Be an official participant.
There are several ways to "get into" the convention:
- Become a national delegate
- Become an alternate delegate
- Be a guest of a delegate or alternate
- Be an official volunteer for the convention: Email volunteer@msp2008.com
- Obain a press pass. Press Credentials for convention: Http://www.gopconvention.com/news/credentials.aspx
- Be a vendor at the convention:
Hospitality industry vendors should email the Host Committee at
hospitality@msp2008.com. Merchandise and retain vendors should email the Host
Committee at vendor@msp2008.com. Other service vendors should email the Host
Committee at services@msp2008.com.
A note here, I've heard some whispers about "infiltrating the GOP" which
sounds fun, just remember there's like every security agency in the nation
inside there and those people have absolutely no sense of humor when it comes
to this stuff. Messing with guys who put holes in people for a living? Consult your doctor first. I'm pretty sure he or she will recommend against it.
There are other ways we can act independently or in creative ways for this
event.
One example offered was to rent a commercial space close to the convention
center to serve as an unofficial Paul welcome center prescence. Sounds
expensive but very intriguing.
Another idea is independant action. Marches, rallies, permits, the whole works
is about collective action. You can still show up at the RNC (or the greater
downtown area in which it's being held) as an individual, as a tourist or
just a curious onlooker. As a movement, we do some of our best work as lone
actors or small groups anyways.
Another idea is to just think of ways we can support the people we have inside
and extend their reach. Try to win people over in the GOP. That one idea in
itself is worthy of discussion. How do we do that? I'm open to ideas.
GOP RNC website:
http://www.gopconvention.com/
"Insider" page: http://www.gopconvention.com/faq/
