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Philadelphia 7/00 Action Basic

This is the 'action basic' we are giving twice or three times a day here - it addresses some of the concerns raised at the ruckus camps trainings intended for people of color activists around oppression/liberation issues.)
-- Andrew Rose, Trainers for Change

We are doing a separate legal/ jail solidarity training with all the arrest-jail process role plays and a separate 'advanced nonviolent direct action' with NV DA success stories, history, role plays, communication skills. Also separate blockade training and medical training.

Action Basics - 4 hours

(Handouts: PDAG Action Guidelines, Affinity Groups, White Protesters - Black Cops)

1. welcome participants briefly then say "this is a roleplay. the police are here and you have 5 minutes to leave, what are you going to do." get up and leave the circle. Listen to participants. After 5 stop it and ask for feelings - expect 'anxious, confused, angry, empowered' ask for plan - should hear 'check for warrants, call legal, call media, gather up sensitive documents, decide if the space if worth fighting for' - debrief mention those feelings are normal, people may be forced to make quick decisions with people they don't know, affirm any consensus decision making seen especially picking facilitator and picking police liason, calling media was helpful to reopen puppet space, also picking battles, etc.
   
   
2. introduce facilitators briefly then ask for go-around, saying 'who you are' and 'how you came to phila', 'issues of concern to you' - record major themes, expect prison industry, war on drugs, military spending, mumia, peltier, women's rights, govt corruption, democratic control, etc.

   recap, emphasize solidarity across the range of issues - that we are 'connecting the dots'

   ask participants to go into their heads and try to explain how disrupting republican convention will further those issues - expect some silence, expect something like 'media attention' - ask about why that's important, look for changing people's opinions, increasing awareness, - ask 'who are the people we are reaching' - expect repubs, public, us, - explain that Direct Action is for moving public opinion (the 'middle' to 'us', 'them' to the 'middle')

   ask folks to reflect on the media coverage in Seattle and DC, reach for the 'violent protester' angle and explore how 'demonstrator behavior' effects coverage. mention we will explore more about property damage later. (maybe get into who controls the corporate media, do they support the status quo)
   
   

3. go over Action Guidelines
   
   

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   PDAG Consensus:

   Participants are asked to agree to these Action Guidelines. Having this basic agreement allows people from many backgrounds, movements, and beliefs to work together. They are not philosophical or political requirements or judgements about the validity of some tactics over others. These guidelines are basic agreements that create a basis for trust so that we can work together for this action and know what we can expect from each other.

   The reality is that people of color, queer, and the poor are at greater risk of violent arrest and more serious charges when engaging in direct action. We believe that property destruction will increase this risk.

   1. We will not initiate violence towards any living being.
   2. We will carry no weapons.
   3. We will not bring or use any alcohol or illegal drugs.
   4. If arrested, we will encourage solidarity with all activists participating in R2K actions and bystanders swept up in our actions.

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   Ask for reactions, thoughts - expect that 'my hands are weapons' and the whole property destruction thing to come up - mention that we will deal with that issue in a moment or let it come up in all it's glory. #4 was about people not wanting to be in solidarity with black bloc after some rushed the cops with the chain link fence in DC. encourage don't require solidarity
   
   
4. agenda review, mention Goals of this workshop : Prepare for action, clarify thinking, deepen solidarity
   
   
5. Spectrum exercise. one side of the room in "very OK" other side is "very NOT OK" ask folks to get up and clump in the middle - ask:
   
   
   • OK/Not OK to go peaceably when arrested
     
     
   • OK/Not OK to eat meat
     
     
   • OK/Not OK to hurt an officer while defending yourself from getting hurt
     
     
   • OK/Not OK to destroy property as long as people are not injured
     
     
   • OK/Not OK to resist arrest by locking down
     
     
   • OK/Not OK to reach out with goodwill with officer.
     
     
   • after each question either interview extremes or fold the group so extremes talk to each other or ask people to clump and share or split the group in the middle and slide so moderates talk to extremes - whatever gets the group juicy - expect splitting hairs 'intentionally hurting or accidentally hurting' - or 'I wouldn't eat meat but it's OK for others if they want' and especially 'spray painting slogans is different from arson'
   
   
6. affinity groups - back in one big group ask if people have been in affinity groups, chances are they have - ask them to brainstorm what they're good for, how they got into one, etc.
   
   
7. new sheet, brainstorm 'what can split solidarity in an affinity group' then '... in society' dig till you get racism, sexism, homophobia, etc.
   
   
8. define oppression "... is the intitutionalized, systematic, pervasive, day-in, day-out mistreatment of a person based solely on: the color of their skin, their sexual orientation, their gender, their age, or other difference."
   
   
9. see below
   
   
10. power shuffle - line 'em up in the middle facing a wall shoulder to shoulder. say "step forward if your euro-american", "if you graduated college" ," if it was ivy or liberal -private", "step back if your a women, if you are perceived to be gay or are gay, if you are jewish" mix it up -

    debrief this with feelings first - expect "guilt" get reactions to the usefulness of guilt and affirm folks for being who they are and using their priveledge to all of our advantage - this exercise can send people spinning so affirm affirm affirm...
    
    

11. hand out "White protester, Black Cop". discuss briefly, refer people to White People Working Against Racism or People of Color Caucus if you're doing it (do it).

    (I like it here but it's 9.) in circle or groups of 5 - 8 go round "one way I have stood up for people who've been targetted." this can be very powerful - acknowledge heroes - people lose friends and family relations for opposing the norm, which is oppression.
    
    

12. BREAK - hopefully Seeds of Peace brought some yummy tempe - rice - black bean chile, else go over to the 7-11 and get a beef bbq (ha ha ha ha ha)
    
    
13. direct action role play , the usual blockade cops - demonstrators, press, delegate roles - make sure you debrief around 'have something to say to the press' - mention media training - get people familiar with 'staying ON MESSAGE.'
    
    
14. tactics brain storm - let people tell stories of creative actions they've been in
    
    
15. medical - legal - jail solidarity rap - let people who've been in jail and want to talk about solidarity do so - it's been VERY powerful and motivating - people are heroes after going through jail in seattle or DC - it was rough.
    
    
16. circle close - one word expressing an attitude or state of mind I'd like to bring to the action.

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