The goal of anarchistnews.org is to provide a non-sectarian source for news about and of concern to anarchists.

Radio interview with Kerry Cunneen

Wed, 01/23/2013 - 22:57 -- Anonymous (not verified)

Grand Jury resister Kerry Cunneen gave an interview to Finn’s Revolution radio show. Here is a rough transcript of the interview:

Question: What is anarchism and how did anarchists find themselves at May Day in Seattle?

Kerry: Anarchism is a political philosophy centered on the idea that a society without domination is better suited to foster the wellbeing of its members. Anarchists are necessarily anti-capitalists because capitalism hinges on exploitation and economic division in society. We also oppose the concentration of power that we refer to as the state. These various bodies of law, force, and control seek to contain the possibilities for society and compel us all to perpetuate capitalism. There are many other forms of social domination that anarchists will fight to abolish, such as racism and patriarchy, that are also deeply entwined with capitalism.

As for May Day, it is, among other things, an anarchist holiday. It is a day that commemorates the militant labor struggle for the eight hour work day and the anarchists who were killed or imprisoned by the state for participating in this struggle. In Chicago, where the labor struggle was particularly militant, the police opened fire on a picket, killing and wounding picketers. The next day a demonstration was called and a bomb was thrown at the police line, killing an officer and wounding others. The state tried eight anarchists for the murder, and regardless of whether they were at the demonstration or not, all eight were sentenced to death or life in prison. We take May Day as a chance to remember these militant struggles and to inspire us to keep fighting against the state that wants us submissive or dead. Every year there are demonstrations and other events in cities all over. In the Pacific Northwest, Seattle was calling out to anarchists to come together and have a really massive anti-capitalist march. Many anarchists answered the call and showed up in Seattle that day.

Question: What was May 1, Seattle all about? Were there progressive groups involved? What was your involvement? Were you arrested or investigated? If so, how were you treated?

Kerry: There were a lot of events and marches scheduled for May Day in Seattle
this past year. A lot of them were related to occupy. I can’t say much about
the organizing of Seattle’s May Day because I don’t live there and was not
part of the organizing. I can say that May Day demonstrations have in many
places become somewhat placid, not resembling the spirit of resistance to
state control. They often get city permits, and designate peace police to
make sure the march is whatever the organizers want it to be. The anti-
capitalist march in Seattle was organized to be different. This march was
meant to be a disruption of capital. It was unpermitted and there was no
leadership in the march or expectation of abiding laws.

I was in Seattle at the anti-capitalist march on May Day. It was a glorious
day for anarchists, in my opinion. We effectively disrupted the goings on of
downtown Seattle. I was not arrested or anything, but clearly I have
become involved in the investigation somehow. But, with secret
investigations it is difficult to glean much information.

Question: Some people are appalled when property damage and injury occur in these kinds of events. What can you say regarding that?

Kerry: I would say that property destruction is an important tactic in the fight
against capitalism. I think property destruction does a number of things that further the struggle against domination. For one, it solidifies for us and reminds us that the powers we fight are not abstract and insurrmountable. They are
vulnerable to attack. I think also that when an institution which forcibly
maintains power over us is targeted by property destruction, this will often
resonate with others who experience the violence of that institution. It
makes us feel less alone and less like victims. I think that property destruction has a good effect on those who carry it out as well. I think most people need to unlearn submission and show themselves that they have the capacity to act for
their own liberation. I think that when people burn cop cars, break bank
windows, or blockade a road (thwarting the transfer of goods and or law
enforcement) they are also demonstrating to themself some of the
magnitude of their ability to resist. I think too that in some cases the
economic damage of property destruction can be effective against the state
and capital. It is not as though breaking windows is an end goal, but it is a
tactic that people shouldn’t thoughtlessly cast aside as if it were the
introduction of violence into the fight against the state, instead of the
response to endless state sponsored violence.

There are many flawed arguments against property destruction, but
without a specific one to debunk, I would only extrapolate on this point that
in general people are accustomed to experiencing and absorbing state
violence as normal. There is a desensitization and sometimes a blame
shifting that goes on to justify state violence against people. But, when
people fight back against these concentrated powers it is sensationalized
and often viewed as unprovoked or illegitimate. In the case of a
demonstration in the streets, it is really awful to hear someone criticize the
breaking of windows as they gloss over the acute violence at the hands of
the state. Demonstrations are often brutally repressed, people are beaten,
pepper sprayed, arrested and imprisoned and this is expected and often
accepted by witnesses and people in general. How can a rational person
deny efforts of resistance the use of violence against those who hold it in a
monopoly? We want to win, we really mean to destroy capital, and for that
we will need to be open to the idea of property destruction. We have to
strip capital of its power over society. This is not an easy or voluntary
occurrence but one that is achieved by force. Property after all, is a farce.

Question: Kerry, you, Maddy, Matt & Kteeo are currently refusing to cooperate with a Grand Jury in Seattle which is investigating events which occurred during May Day protests last year. First, why do you think the government has subpoenaed you and has decided to pressure you to testify? And why are all of you refusing to appear?

Kerry: I don’t know why I was subpoenaed to the grand jury. I am an Anarchist, I am known to have been in Seattle on May Day and the Feds are grasping at
straws trying to make a case against Anarchists in whatever way they can.
I doubt they have any idea who broke the courthouse windows nor do they
care. I think they are using the attack on the courthouse as a pretext to
bring down a heavy hand and try to scare Anarchists away from militant
resistance. It isn’t working and I am glad to think that this is frustrating to
the state.

I refuse to appear because I despise the state. They are working to undo
everything that Anarchists stand for. I refuse to help them on the principle
that prisons should be abolished. I refuse them because I am in complete
support of the crimes they are investigating. I refuse them with a visceral
hatred for the law and all of the lives they ruin. I am glad for the little bit of
resistance I can provide in denying them information. I respect and admire
Matt, Kteeo and Maddy for making the sacrifice that is involved in sitting for
and undetermined jail sentence. I just am not personally willing to take a
step in the direction of my own jail cell.

Question: Clearly the government is attempting to intimidate you and anarchists and activists in general. First by calling you to testify in a Grand Jury setting thereby trying to force you give up your right to remain silent which exists in standard judicial courts, and then by jailing some of you to wear you down. Can they legally keep any of you in jail indefinitely until you testify, and just how long do all of you think this can last? Can you talk about what legal actions are being taken on your behalf?

Kerry: The state has the power to do lots of things, legal or not. Legally though,
people can be held in civil contempt for not testifying for a period up to 18
months or whenever the grand jury ends, whichever comes first. The grand
jury is slated to end by March of 2014 so there could be a lot of people in
jail for a long time over this. There are currently no legal actions being
taken on my behalf that I know of. I am not in need of any legal help unless
I am arrested. There doesn’t seem to be much that lawyers can do to help
people who are subpoenaed. All of the attempts to get the subpoenas
thrown out have been laughed out of the courts. They are going to do all
they can to turn people against their principles. I don’t see it working with
most Anarchists though.

Question: Kerry, where can listeners find out more about all this, and what can they do to get involved and help?

Kerry: So, the support group for the subpoenaed folks has a website. It is
nopoliticalrepression.wordpress.com. That is where you can go for news
and updates about the grand jury in the Pacific Northwest. It is also where you can donate some much needed money which will help us fill the commissary of
the folks in jail so they can continue to write letters, eat and such things.
We also need money for lawyers fees and in case of indictments coming
from the grand jury. There is a support site for the 5 people recently
indicted for alleged crimes during the various marches of May Day in
Seattle. The site is seattleantirepression.wordpress.com. There is also a
site, saynothing.info which is cataloging the numerous actions of property
destruction which are being carried out in solidarity with those resisting the
grand jury and its targets.

I would say that people can help by holding fundraisers and other events to
raise money and awareness about what is happening. You can contact
either support groups to figure out how to set something up in your area.
Probably the most important thing though, is that people continue to
struggle in the spirit of the anti-capitalist march on May Day. People need
to attack, in whatever way they feel they can, the institutions that hold us
down. We are all inspired by resistance and it helps those of us facing
repression to know that we don’t struggle alone.

http://nopoliticalrepression.wordpress.com/2013/01/24/radio-interview-wi...

Category: 

Comments

Submitted by emma (not verified) on

Fuckin A

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on

This is good.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on

Stop the repression of socialists and peace activists!!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on

Black activist and movement elder Ishmael Reed gave a damning indictment of the "black bloc" tactic that I think all social justice activists should pay special attention to. It's good to finally see people of color challenge these racist provocateurs, or as Reed accurately describes them:“alienated, spoiled middle-class white kids from the suburbs.” Why do white anarchists continue to ignore the voices and concerns of people of color especially community leaders such as Reed? Why do we continue to allow otherwise good young white activists, to be manipulated by agent provocateurs into committing cowardly acts of violence and thuggery (under the guise of progressivism) by the black bloc?

With that being said I think that the peace activists, like Kerry and the others standing up for their rights, ought to be given a fair trial and leniency by the court. We shouldn't let a few bad apples stop us from speaking truth to power

http://vnnforum.com/showthread.php?t=145030

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/the_idol_smasher_20121230/

Submitted by so tired of this (not verified) on

This comment is so awful I am tempted to think it is the work of a patient troll, but alas I fear you are serious. I will give you a serious answer. The points you bring have been pwned by anarchists again and again. It probably wouldn't be too hard to find thoughtful responses to your questions.
Anyone who claims to know the essential identity of black bloc participants is talking directly out of their ass. Black bloc is a tactic of disguise. No one can look at a black bloc and know the race, class background, and geo-location of everyone involved. Not even your precious movement leader. He is using this tired criticism as a way to disparage black bloc without actually having to give a genuine argument against it as a tactic.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on

Typical racist manarchist response. Instead of taking the criticisms of people of color seriously (like I do) you resort to petty name calling by referring to me as a 'troll' (a personal attack which reeks of sizeism). But I guess I shouldn't have expected mature dialog from someone who promotes black bloc juvenilism. If you want to be a proper white ally to poc it's time to take off the mask, lose the attitude, and listen to the poc leaders in your community.

This sort of violent hate speech gives the grand jury resisters like Kerry and Leah a bad name.

Namaste

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on

this is totally true. i am forwarding this important commentary to the black bloc participants in egypt RIGHT NOW. I predict a mass exodus from street fighting. I know typical white rich Egyptian manarchist youths in the city will try to hit us back with some bullshit about privileged black americans but we're ready for it.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on

I used to think that street violence was justifiable behaviour back when I was younger, during the anti-globalization day. But as I got older and listen to the wisdom of poc and got more educated on social justice issues I changed my perspective. I realized that my desire to engage in street violence stemmed from male power fantasies and white racial anxiety, and not from a true yearning for justice. The problem with you black bloc kiddies is you refusal to educate yourselves and to check your privilege. You all are just young and foolish, when you finally grow up and move out of your parents house you will see how your perspective is oppressive.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on

So true brother. Wait till you realize the truth about all the ego activists like malcolm x and black panthers. Childish obsession with enacting male fantasy roleplay make whitey black block look like intellectual giants of pacifism.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on

i'm black and i approve of black bloc. equating poc struggles with non-violence and pacifism is some silly-ass whitewash and flattening of experience, do better...
also equating street violence against authority with maleness is also busted and dismisses all the violent struggles of not-men who go hard to get free on their own terms.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on

you do realize the above commenters are being sarcastic, right?

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on

IGTT 10/10

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on

are you a pig or just a reactionary?
either way you should probably kill yourself.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on

L...O....L. It's a positive development that this kind of good protester/bad protester garbage holds so little weight these days. Can't stop the chaos - get out your marshmellows!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on

Disclaimer: Don't actually eat the marshmellows. Burning tires, paints and plastics are incredibly poisonous! The more you know!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on

Kerry's answers are really well articulated and thought out. This is one of the better defenses/explanations of the black bloc and pd that I have seen. Thank you Kerry.

Add new comment

Filtered HTML

  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Allowed HTML tags: <a> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote> <code> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
6
U
n
Q
6
F
9
Enter the code without spaces.
Subscribe to Comments for "Radio interview with Kerry Cunneen"