Subject: Love&Rage_6/93-1

From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 14 Jun 93 14:51:02 EDT

Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit

                          LOVE AND RAGE
                Revolutionary Anarachist Newspaper
                        Electronic Edition

                        Volume 4, Number 3
                         June/July, 1993

                           Part 1 of 3

This Issue's Highlights:

TOP STORIES:

RAF Strikes: German Prison Bombed
Inside the Ohio Prison Revolt
Anarchists Join Queer March on Washing
Western Shoshone Resist
A History of Squatting in Kenya
UPS: Taking Down Big Brown

Interview with The Goats
Tap Into Electronic Media
Wage Slave Rage
Killing the Planet

SCENE REPORTS
NOTES OF REVOLT

ABC PAGE
Spanish Political Prisoners Tortured; other political prisoner news

INTERNATIONAL:
Fire Thieves: New Anarchist Magazine in Turkey
East Timor: The Resistance Continues
Update: Awareness League in Nigeria
Anarchy in Japan
A Good Year for the Kurdish Resistance

SPECIAL SECTION:
Strategy: Moving Towards Revolution

The Love and Rage Annual Conference, San Diego, July 7-11
Calendar: Upcoming Events
..................................................................

                      Love and Rage Network 

Love and Rage is created by the Love and Rage Network, a group of
people from across North America who find themselves in general
political agreement. Love and Rage is one of the many projects of
the Network to which supporters contribute time, money and energy.

Major decisions and overall policies are set by the Network.
Individuals and supporting groups who participate in the Network
gather in an annual conference, at which most major decisions are
made. The Network Council, comprised of up to two delegates from
each supporting group, meet at least once between conferences to
make interim decisions. A popularly elected Coordinating Group
makes urgent decisions. Ongoing debates take place in our
Discussion Bulletin (Disco Bull), out every six to eight weeks.
More timely information goes out bi-weekly in the Network
Bulletin. Day to day editorial decisions about the paper are made
by the volunteer Production Group (PG). A group of elected
Coordinators shares responsibility for the general work of the
Network. Two of these Coordinators, the Co-Facilitators, work with
the PG on production of the paper and help coordinate the projects
of the Network. In an effort to further democratize and strengthen
the Network, temporary Regional Organizing Contacts volunteer to
be a contact for their local areas. 

The Love and Rage Network is not a closed circle of friends.  You
can become part of the Network and participate fully in the
decisionmaking process. Ask the person who sold or gave you this
paper, or write to one of the many Love and Rage contacts listed
in this paper.  

Coordinating Group: 

Erric, Atlanta, GA
Liz, Boston, MA 
Paul, Berkeley, CA 
Ana, Mexico City 
Terry, New York, NY 
Crystal, Chicago, IL 
Jodi, Columbus, OH 
Jean-Marc, Minneapolis, MN 
Fur, Atlanta GA 
Gene, Newark, NJ 
Ojore Lutalo, Trenton, NJ  

Coordinators List

Regions Coordinator: Britt, 702 S. Illinois Ave. Apt. 115
  Carbondale, IL 62901   
Network Coordinator: Shannon, c/o Love and Rage  
Interorganizational Coordinator:
  Phillip, 27 School Street, Sommerville, MA 02143   
International Coordinator: Todd, c/o Love and Rage  
Finance Coordinator: Matt, c/o Love and Rage  
Fundraising Coordinator: Rick, c/o Love and Rage  
Info-Share Coordinator: Jodi, c/o AA, PO Box 10007 Columbus OH 43201 
Discussion Bulletin Coordinators:
  Jean-Marc and Nikolas, PO Box 581354, Minneapolis, MN 55458-1354
Co-Facilitators: Dema Crassy and Ms. Tommy Lawless, c/o Love and Rage

We need more PG volunteers and translators. If you plan to be in
New York  and would like to work on the paper, of if you d like
to translate material  from the comfort of your home, please
call.

Production Group: Gene, Bob*, Matt L, Rick, Sara, Matt B*,
Shannon*, Auntie Todd, Tommy, Dema, Greg, Beth, Bruce
[PG Members who didn t work on this issue are marked with an *]

Translators: Eugenio, Ti'a Todd, Ana*, Gustavo*, Pablo 

Love and Rage is printed on recycled paper, using soy-based
inks. Love  and Rage is printed by a union printer. ISSN #
1065-2000.  When we don t  have the money to produce our regular
twenty page full-size edition, we  produce an eight page
"Broadsheet" edition. If you re having trouble getting  the
paper, please call. 

[The electronic version is not printed on recylced ink using union
printers.  sorry.  It is printed on 100% recycled electrons,
however.]

Boring Disclaimer 

Hey gnarly people. All the groovy and not so groovy stuff printed
in Love and Rage does not necessarily represent the opinions or
views of the Love and Rage Network or of any person involved
therein. We print a dazzling array of articles for a plethora of
reasons. Sometimes we print articles we don t agree with, because
we believe that they are interesting or provocative. Just in case
you were wondering.

Editorial Policy 

We encourage you to submit material for publication. Shorter
articles are more likely to be printed; 1750 words, a full
newspaper page, is a long article. Submissions may be edited.
Please include a phone number and address so the PG can consult
you on edits. Articles not printed may be sent to our internal
bulletins. All letters will be considered for publication unless
requested otherwise. Letters will not be edited.  Submission
deadline for the next issue: July 15. 

Love And Rage 
PO Box 3 
Prince Street Station
New York, NY 10012 (212) 460-8390 
E-mail: [email-masked]

YO:  New Phone Number (that works): 212 460 8390
     Fax, data, too if you call voice first.

..................................................................

                       About Our Politics 

Love and Rage is a bi-monthly anarchist newspaper intended to
foster revolutionary anti-authoritarian activism in North America
and build a more effective anarchist movement. We will provide
coverage of social struggles, world events, anarchist actions and
cultures of resistance. We will support the struggles of oppressed
peoples around the world for control over their own lives. Anarchy
offers the broadest possible critique of domination, making
possible a framework for unity in all struggles for liberation. We
seek to understand the systems we live under for ourselves and
reject any prepackaged ideology. Anarchism is a living body of
theory and practice connected directly to the lived experiences of
oppressed people fighting for their own liberation. We anticipate
the radical and ongoing revision of our ideas as a necessary part
of any revolutionary process.

A hefty set of working papers, encompassing the current debate
about our Political Statement, is available for $5 from the Info-
Share project. [See Coordinators List on this page.] For more
information about these and other internal debates, subscribe to
our Discussion Bulletin and Network Bulletin.

Need Help?  If you'd like someone from the Network to come speak
or help organize in your area, just let us know and we ll try to
send someone!  There are plenty of experienced people in Love and
Rage who want to help out. If you are one of those people who d
like to travel and speak and organize, please call us right away.

Groups Near You 

The Love and Rage Network is made up of autonomous groups and
individuals from around North America.  Supporting Groups make a
commitment as a group to support the network financially, and by
writing for and distributing Love and Rage in their area. If you
would like to join, please write us. 

ARM THE SPIRIT 
PO BOX 57584  JACKSON STATION 
HAMILTON, ONT  L8P 4X3 

AUTONOMOUS GREEN ACTION 
PO BOX 4721  STATION E
OTTAWA, ONT  K1S 5H9 

TEMPORARY AUTONOMOUS ZONE 
PO BOX 122, 1895 COMMERCIAL DRIVE
VANCOUVER, BC V5N 4A6 

VALID/EARTH LIBERATION FRONT 
A-5 1720 DOUGLAS STREET
VICTORIA, BC V8W 2G7 

ANARCHIST ACTION NETWORK 
SUITE 147, 3325 LORNA RD #2
PO BOX 360999 BIRMINGHAM, AL 35236 

THE GERMINAL 
UCSD STUDENT CO- OP CENTER B-0323-Z
LA JOLLA, CA 92093 

SAN DIEGO ANARCHIST FEDERATION 
PO BOX 0907
SAN DIEGO, CA 92112-0907 

UNITED ANARCHIST FRONT 
PO BOX 1115 WHITTIER,CA 90609 

ERISIAN LIBERATION FRONT 
C/O PO BOX 263
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO 80901 

LOVE AND RAGE SUPPORTERS 
PO BOX 5236
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REVOLUTIONARY GROUP X
PO BOX 6022
CHICAGO, IL 60680

EARTH CORE 
PO BOX 18956
BALTIMORE, MD 21206 
AWOL
PO BOX 7293
MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55407 

LOVE AND RAGE SUPPORTERS 
PO BOX 581354
MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55458-1354 

PROFANE EXISTENCE 
PO BOX 8722
MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55408  

PATERSON ANARCHIST COLLECTIVE 
PO BOX 8532
HALEDON, NJ 07508-8532 

AUTONOMOUS ANARCHIST ACTION 
PO BOX 3 PRINCE ST STATION
NEW YORK, NY 10012 

ANARCHIST YOUTH FEDERATION/NYC 
PO BOX 365
NEW YORK, NY 10013-0365  

BLACK STAR COLLECTIVE 
PO BOX 3 PRINCE ST STATION
NEW YORK, NY 10012 

AUTONOMOUS @ COLLECTIVE 
PO BOX 10007
COLUMBUS, OH 43201  

LIBERATE THE OBSESSED 
PO BOX 1916 
RAPID CITY, SD 57709-1916 

AMOR Y RABIA
APDO 11-351, CP 06101 
MEXICO, DF  

EDICIONES ANTORCHA 
APDO 12-818, CP 03020 
MEXICO, DF 

INTERNATIONAL AFFILIATES  

GRUPO IMPULSO AUTOGESTIONARIO 
C.SOLERO CC 984, 2000 ROSARIO, ARGENTINA  

GRUPO ACCION LIBERTARIA
C/O EDUARDO TORRESLOS SAUCES 426, LOMAS  COLORADAS
CONCEPCION,CHILE  

RED @ DE ESTUDIANTES C/O JOSE EGO, PIRAMIDE 337 SAN
JOAQUIN, SANTIAGO, CHILE

More Contacts:

All of the addresses on this page are contacts for the Love and
Rage Network. Here are some more. Let us know if you want to be a
contact.

New England: Liz 520 Beacon #1B Boston, MA 02215 
South: John c/o Justice Alliance PO Box 281 Chattanooga, TN 37401
Midwest: Crystal c/o WCF PO Box 81961 Chicago, IL 60681
West Coast: Paul D. 2339 Durrant Ave Berkeley, CA 94704
Pacific Northwest: Rosebud Commons, 1951 W. Burnside
                   PO Box 1928 Portland, OR 9720

                               -30-

                           Where s AYF?

If you've read Love and Rage before, you might notice that this
issue has no Anarchist Youth Federation page.  AYF is currently
trying to develop a more-collective way to produce the page. As
soon as they come up with a process they re happy with, we ll
start running the page again. For more info write to:AYF
Discussion Bulletin, PO Box 365, New York, NY 10013

                           Corrections 

In Vol 4, No 1, we ran a story on Gerrado C. Ferre, "Jailed for
Burning a Flag." Ferre is no longer in jail, and apparently had
been out for some time before we ran the story.

In Vol 4, No 2: The group Neither East Nor West was credited for
organizing a pro- choice picket. The credit should have gone to
the Network of East- West Women. The San Diego @ Community Center
s address was listed with the wrong zip. The correct address is
915 E Street, San Diego, CA 92101. 

              @ Zines, Distros & Community Centers 

This is a short list of some other anarchist resources.  There are
so many fabulous resources to cover, we rotate the list each
issue. Please send us new contacts.

                              zines

ALPHABET THREAT, 3018 J Street #140, Sacramento, CA 95816.  a
(roughly) bi-monthly, wimmin-centered newspaper, articles on youth
lib, sexuality, vegan lifestyle, revolt, and other fun stuff
(free-$1/issue) 

ANTI COPYRIGHT ANARCHY ART, PO Box 666, Oxford, OH 45056. This
photocopied kickin collection is available for only $1.50 

BLACK FIST, 15110 Bellaire, Box 317, Houston, TX 77083. This
bi-monthly @ zine serves up a hefty helping of material by and
about people of color; interviews, opinion pieces, info, poetry,
hot photos and illustrations; pro-feminist ($6/year) 

FREE SOCIETY, PO Box 7293, Minneapolis, MN 55407.  A quarterly
eco-anarchist newsprint zine filled with thoughful analysis and
lots of letters, put out by a crew of former Youth Greens
($2/issue)

H.A.G., c/o 1720 Douglas St., Victoria, BC V8W 2G7.  A powerful,
fun anarcha-feminist zine about revolt and healing, with polemics,
personal accounts, recipies, poetry, comics, eco-vegan-animal lib
focus ($2/issue)

MEDIA BLITZ, PO Box 20420, New York, NY 10011.  An anti-pop
culture @ magazine, "class war for the information age" ($2/issue)

PLAIN WORDS, PO Box 8532, Haledon, NJ 07508.  New Jersy focused
anarchist news with class war flavor, also covers youth revolt,
COPWATCH, ABC, Black liberation, and global news, published
irregularly.  (50 cents and a stamp/issue)

RED BALLOON, c/o 2653 Cropsy Ave #7H, Brooklyn, NY 11214.  A more
or less yearly zine featuring broad analyses of world situations,
strategy for the left, personal accounts, and poetry, with a
zen-marxist slant ($4/issue)

                             distros

COLLECTIVE CHAOS, PO Box 81961, Chicago, IL 60681.
RIGHT TO EXISTANCE, 285 Preakness Ave, Paterson, NJ 07502.

                        community centers

THE EPICENTER ZONE, 475 Valencia, San Francisco, CA 94103.
(415) 431-2725

SAN DIEGO s, 915 E StreetSan Diego, CA 92101. (619) 239-8722

THE TOOLS COLLECTIVE, 107 Brighton Ave, Boston, MA 02134.

DETROIT s, 404 Willis Detroit, MI 48201.

THE EMMA COMMUNITY CENTER, 3451 Bloomington Ave S, Minneapolis, MN
55407. (612) 729-5498

ABC NO RIO, 156 Rivington St., New York, NY (212) 254-3697.

ROSEBUD COMMONS RESOURCE COLLECTIVE, 1951 W Burnside, Box 1928,
Portland,OR 97209. (503) 796-8100

THE @ SPACE, 4722  Baltimore Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19143.
(215) 724-1469

CATAL HUYUK, 2524 McKinney, Houston, TX 77003.

                            hotlines 

CHICAGO: (312) 455-0707
MINNEAPOLIS: (612) 729-5498

..................................................................

             BE A PART OF THE LOVE AND RAGE NETWORK 

                Don t Miss The Groovy Vibes of ...

               The Love and Rage Annual Conference
                      San Diego, California 
                 July 7 - July 11 (Wed.  - Sun.)

Possible Workshops On: Anarchism in Peru and Mexico,
Anti-Racist/Anti-Fascist Organizing, ABC Prisoner Support Network,
Computers and Electronic Media, Squatting, Anarcha-Feminism,
Regional and Community Organizing, Queer Issues, Black Nationalism
and Black Liberation, Non-monogamy, Free Trade Agreement & MORE! 

Host a workshop yourself. Take part in discussions and decisions
that will shape the future of The Love and Rage Network. Partake
of Live Bands, (possibly) An Action, Fun and Strategy in the Sun!
Register Ahead of Time! 

Name/Group________________________________________________     
Address_________________________________    
City ____________________________
State/Prov_____________________ 
Zip/PostCd________ Phone________________________
How many will attend___________We need housing for_______ 
We will arrive on________________depart on_________ 
We need childcare for Ages_____________ 
Special needs__________________________________________     
We will host workshops on______________________________________

Please send $5 per person with your registration to:San Diego @
Federation, c/o 915 E Street, San Diego, CA 92101 To get involved,
call Darren or John at (619) 239-8722

            Subscribe to and Distribute Love and Rage

Name _____________________________
Address___________________________
City______________________________
State/Province____________________
Zip/Postal Code___________________
Phone (  )_______________

One Year Subscription (6 issues): $13 Fast Mail & International
Mail; $9 Slow Mail

Free to GIs, PWAs, and Prisoners

One Year Subscription to Love and Rage Network Internal
Publications (bimonthly Discussion Bulletin and biweekly Network
Bulletin): $20 - $50 (sliding scale) 

I would like to distribute ________ copies of each issue of Love
and Rage. Please send a sample bundle.

I would like to make a donation of $________

I would like to support the Love and Rage Network with a monthly
pledge of $________.

I would like information on how to become a Supporting Group of
the Love and Rage Network. Name of group:

Send check or money order to: Love and Rage, PO Box 3, Prince St
Station New York, NY 10012 

                     Write for Love and Rage 

We want you ... to send us your insiders views, news blurbs,
articles, photos and illustrations for us to print. We want your
top secret cultural information - book, film, music reviews and
more - as well as more reports on positive community projects.
Wimmin, people of color, young people and people in regions we don
t hear from much are especially wanted to contribute. We are
gathering reports and information for an issue focusing on
anarcha-feminism: actions, wimmin s health issues, eco-feminism,
critiques of feminist theory, personal accounts, and more. Next
deadline is July 15.

Volunteers for the production group are also needed. Give us a
call at (212) 460-8390.

         Subscribe to and Distribute Amor y Rabia/Mexico

$18 Subscription _____
Send a sample bundle of__________(donation  enclosed)

Name ___________________________________ 
Address_________________________________
City____________________________________
State/Province _________________________
Zip/Postal Code__________ Phone (  )____________

Send check or money order to:
Amor y Rabia/Mexico
Apdo 11-351, CP 06101
Mexico DF, Mexico

                         Disco! Discuss!

If you want to to shake your booty to the daring debates of the
Love and Rage Network and burn down the house with the hottest
news, have we got two publications for you: the bimonthly Disco
Bull and the bi-weekly Network Bull.  People who pledge monthly
automatically receive both Bulls and the paper. People who don t
pledge, but want to receive the bulls, are asked to pay a yearly
fee of $20$50. Simply check the desired box on the subscription
form.

Send disco debates and burning news of your own to: 

Disco Bull, PO Box 581354, Minneapolis, MN 55458-1354
Network Bull, PO Box 3, New York, NY 10012

               Share the Wealth... of information! 

Send pamphlets, articles, and  resource lists you d 
like to pass on to the Info-Share Project. 

Anarchafeminist reading material is especially wanted. Send your
distribution/mailorder catalogs as well.

A hefty set of working papers encompassing the current debate
about our Political Statement is available for $5. Ask us about
the literature and study materials we now have available.

Write to:Info-Share, c/o PO Box 10007, Columbus, OH 43201
..................................................................

Top Stories:

                GERMAN PRISON BOMBED, RAF STRIKES
                   By Sara Bell and Todd Prane

WEITERSTADT, GERMANY -- On Sat, March 27, at approximately 5am,
the Commando Katharina Hammerschmidt of the Red Army Fraction
(RAF) destroyed the high-tech prison in Weiterstadt, Germany with
200 kg of explosives. The bombing caused an estimated 100 million
DM in damage (over $60 million) and is expected to set the prison
opening, originally scheduled for early May, back by four years.
The prison was to employ the latest technology and was called "an
example of modern and humane imprisonment in Germany" by the
Minister of Justice, Christine Hohmann-Dennhardt. 

The explosion destroyed the administration building and four
"residential" buildings. The action was carefully planned and
executed. The commando took great pains to insure that the prison
personnel were not injured. At approximately 1:30am the commando
captured the 11 guards and left them, bound and gagged, in a van
in a nearby field. Before setting off the explosives, they
searched the buildings and put up warning signs on the outside
walls of the prison (a fact not mentioned by the BAW, the Federal
Prosecutor's Office), which usually likes to parade out every
piece of evidence they have). 

This prison was to be a model for new high-tech prisons. In
these prisons, a few of which are already in existence, the
prisoners are organized into so-called "living groups" of 10 to
20 prisoners. They live in solitary cells and share a common
room and a small kitchen. These "living groups" are put together
by social workers and psychotherapists according to the
prisoners' relative levels of adaptation or resistance to the
values of their captors. The groups are designed to build
competition between the prisoners and undermine solidarity. 

Through "work therapy" (ie forced labor) and other psychological
measures, the prisoners are forced to adapt to the social values
that are set by the personnel. Their behavior continually
determines their status within the prison hierarchy -- from most
conforming to non-adapting. 

The prisoners' activities are constantly monitored. The
cells and common rooms contain video monitors and in the common
rooms there are two-way mirrors. Even when they are allowed to
briefly leave these areas they are carefully watched  --  they
are transported through third floor passages which also contain
cameras. 

The capacity of the prison was to be 500 prisoners. Included in
this were to be a high security wing for women prisoners and a
deportation prison. 

The Commando Katharina Hammerschmidt was named for a RAF
supporter and close friend of Ulrike Meinhof. Hammerschmidt had
served three years and died in prison in 1973. She had a breast
tumor and died due to medical neglect. 

This action came as a surprise to many because the RAF had
announced that they were going to halt the escalation of the war
with the state from their side. In April of 1992 a RAF
communique was released which discussed the need to rethink
their goals and strategies and to concentrate on negotiating the
release of their imprisoned comrades (see Love and Rage Vol 3 No
6). At that time, the then Minister of Justice, Kinkel, had
indicated a willingness to release some of the more seriously
ill prisoners. But since that time, only a few have been
released, and others have faced further harassment.

The RAF had come to see that they were disconnected from the
people who they were supposed to be fighting for. In response to
this and the very different political situation in which the RAF
found themselves, they called for a broad discussion between
various parts of the left about strategy and for the building of
a counter-power from below--a mass movement out of which a
revolution could arise. They questioned the role of armed
struggle in the left and whether it accomplished anything when
it did not come out of a broad base of support. "Either our side
will develop a base-movement from below, which is directed by
solidarity and justice, and by the struggle against this cold
society and against poverty and a lack of perspective or the
explosive contradictions will remain destructive and the
violence will escalate, each person against the other."

In the April 1992 communique and a discussion paper released in
a Aug 1992, the RAF indicated that the cessation of attacks was
conditional. If the state did not allow room for necessary
discussion and release the RAF prisoners, the RAF would
retaliate. With this action they have followed through with this
threat and have shown that they will not allow the state to take
advantage of their new position.

In the latest communique, the RAF write very clearly that this
action does not represent a new strategy (or a resumption of an
old one), but rather an interim measure. The communique begins:
"Nothing has changed since the step we took in our history, a
step which we needed and wanted to take. We are busy with a new
process in which a social counter-power from below can develop,
and from which can come new proposals for revolutionary process
and change [...] Only out of this process can the questions
regarding what forms of struggle and concrete organizing are
necessary be answered. For us, this process, now as before, has
the highest priority."

Further on in the communique, the RAF explain the context of the
action in relation to the stated desire, in earlier communiques,
to engage in broader participation, as well as the escalation
against political prisoners: "We have often been criticized
because in our communique last April we linked our decision to
halt our actions to the situation of the prisoners, particularly
to the state's destructive stance. We have always maintained
that the step in our history which we took was grounded in the
necessity of developing new foundations, and we stated that this
necessity was independent of the state's conduct. But from the
beginning it was unclear how the state would react to the
decrease in pressure from our side, and that's why we left the
option open of intervening, if necessary, in order to place
limits on the state's conduct. In Aug '92 we wrote: 'We will
then decide on armed intervention as a moment of pushing back
and not as a further strategy. We won't simply be made to revert
to our old ways. This escalation is not in our interest. But the
state has to realize that when it leaves no other option, we
have the means, the experience, and the determination to make
them take responsibility.'"

The RAF go on to write, "After we removed the pressure from our
side, the state once again decided on an escalation against the
prisoners -- the prosecution against Christian Klar and the new
wave of trials will put people away for their entire lives; the
decision not to release Bernd Roesser early; and the refusal of
prisoners based on the offer of release after submission to
psychiatric tests, whereby they would be forced to claim that
their struggle, their initiatives, their entire opposition, was
simple 'insanity'." The construction of the prison in
Weiterstadt was to add to the capacity of the German penal
system, allowing a larger portion of the population to be
imprisoned. The new prison was also used as an excuse to
indefinitely delay the repair or closing of prisons such as
Frankfurt-Preungsheim, which have been the subject of human
rights demands by prisoners on an ongoing basis.

The RAF state that the Weiterstadt prison was targeted because
they wanted to counter the offensive actions the state had taken
against RAF prisoners.  It was not meant as a renewal of their
old tactics and methods.

There are several questions raised by this action. Although the
RAF state that this action is separate from the ongoing process
of integration into broader political movements, this action did
not take place in a vacuum, and it needs to be put into context.
What is the effect of this action on the RAF's search for new
direction and process? 

The RAF's decision to bomb a prison can be seen in several ways.
In some ways it appears to be a change in tactics both because
it is a different kind of action from the kidnappings and
assassinations that the RAF are famous for, and because bombing
a building is more acceptable to a larger portion of the left
than assassinations. 

The RAF claim that this action stands separate from their search
for a new strategy, but it occurs within the context of their
history and of a larger movement that they are trying to relate
to. This action is similar to past actions in that it doesn't
seem to arise out of a broader discussion.  It is also an action
which is focused on political prisoners, many of the most famous
of whom are members of the RAF. The RAF admit that this action
does not directly affect the movements that they claim affinity
with. As the first major RAF action in a long time, however,
this draws attention to their discussions and highlights how
their actions measure up to the standards they have set for
themselves. 

In spite of the problems that these questions raise, it is
certainly true that one less prison is always a step in the
right direction.

For the full text of the communique, the April '92 communique or
the Aug '92 discussion paper write to us at Love and Rage or
write to:Arm the Spiritc/o Wild Seed PressPO Box 57584, Jackson
StationHamilton, ONT  L8P 4X3 CANADA

The ananlysis in this article is the authors' perspective and
should not be attributed to ATS.

                               -30-

                  INSIDE THE OHIO PRISON REVOLT
                       By A Comrade Inside

Following is a first-hand account of the Lucasville Uprising, sent
to Love and Rage as a letter for print.

Lucasville, Ohio --

Revolutionary Greetings. On behalf of the 1855 prisoners, I am
directing this letter to Love and Rage concerning the Lucasville
Uprising on Easter Sunday at the Southern Ohio Correctional
Facility (SOCF). 

In regards to the overthrow of SOCF on April 11  -- SOCF warden
Arthur Tate planned to lock the prison down from April 12
through April 15 to administer, by force, shots to determine
whether the 160 plus prisoners who refused such, have
tuberculosis (TB). We refused the TB "skin test" based on
various reasons, such as the nurses were not accompanied by
physicians nor did they wear gloves; the TB skin test was
another operation to reduce the prison population; and because
reasonable minds dictate that if the guy you are celling with
for four years took the test and came up negative, then it's
only logical that you wouldn't have TB since he doesn't have it.

Yet, before SOCF could implement this plan [lockdown], a riot
broke out on Easter Sunday, resulting in hostages being taken.
(One guard locked himself in a passageway of which prisoners
tore the wall down to get him.) One guard was hung by his
ankles, tortured, then hung by his neck until dead. At least
nine prisoners died. The eight cellblocks in the L-Wing of SOCF,
which was under full prisoner control, were destroyed. Toilets,
sinks, doors, windows, electrical wiring and control consoles
were smashed, ripped apart and gutted.

Prisoncrat files on prisoners were burned while their offices
were destroyed. Prisoners in segregation firebombed their cell
blocks, destroyed cell light fixtures, while others assaulted
guards when they entered the ranges to put the fires out. Five
hundred Ohio National Guard, SWAT teams, state and local police
were on the scene  -- desperately wanting to rush the prisoners,
but didn't know what to expect once inside. A state police
helicopter crashed during the forth day of the riot.

Eventually, 21 demands were sent to the prisoncrat negotiators
who granted 15 of them, which resulted in prisoners surrendering
on April 23.

Only one population wing, K-Side, is functional. L-Side is to be
rebuilt and consist of total lockdown like K-Side presently is.
SOCF is to be an entire lockdown prison, with the exception of
one cellblock of prisoners who will prepare food, etc, for 1855
prisoners.

The Lucasville Uprising was a success, but to continue to keep
the ball in our court we need pressure put on SOCF. It's time
that the prison revolution strikes quickly and with triumph,
because we inside the walls know that America is experimenting
on prisons in order to subject you in society to the same
conditions.

On behalf of all Lucasville prisoners, I urgently ask you to
demand federal investigations to be conducted by Senator John
Glenn. We need immediate action and hope that the people at Love
and Rage will be forthcoming in support and get this important
message out to other anarchists in society.

I hope that fellow anarchists will write to Senator John Glenn,
United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510-3501, and demand that
he seek to have the Civil Rights Division of the United States
Department of Justice conduct a federal investigation concerning
racism, guard-on-prisoner brutality, death of prisoners at the
hands of guards, and inadequate medical treatment. 

Also, anarchists in California could help expose the barbaric
treatment of prisoners at SOCF if they would contact the Oprah
and/or Geraldo talk shows and inform them that prisoners at SOCF
are asking for them. (Both of these shows have called SOCF
attempting to have guards appear on their shows  --  no guard as
of yet has responded yet. I'm sure I can adequately explain 20
plus years of inhumane treatment.)  In Solidarity.

[Some of the prisoner demands are known. These include: the
ousting of Warden Tate; more Black guards; better duties for
Black inmates; better food and medical care; the right to refuse
TB testing by injection; increased pay compensation; the freedom
to practice Islam; more recreational time; the right to receive
outside guests and make phone calls; and no retaliation against
the prisoners who rebelled. To our knowledge, the exact list of
demands had not been released to the media as of our press date.
We do not know which demands the prison officials agreed to meet.

A white prisoner, identified as "George," spoke on the radio
during the rebellion. He emphasized that Black and white
prisoners were united and "prepared to die" together.
Outrageously racist guard behavior is commonplace at SOCF, where
almost 60 percent of the prisoners are Black and over 90 percent
of the guards are caucasian. For months a sign was posted that
read, "Run, nigger, run. If you can't read, run anyway." On one
occasion, a guard ran through a cell block wearing a white
sheet. Four Black inmates were stabbed, in 1990, by members of
the Aryan Brotherhood. Another spokesprisoner, Abdul Samad
Mulin, appeared on television during the revolt. He said the
prison had a reputation of "killing innocent people, hang[ing]
them in J-Block, saying that they committed suicide." The prison
is located in a racist stronghold in the rural southern part of
the state. 

A recent update to this report claims that 40 prisoners are now
"missing," unaccounted for.]

                               -30-

                   ANARCHISTS JOIN QUEER MARCH

                        By Liz Highleyman

WASHINGTON, DC -- Anarchists made a loud and visible showing at
the March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and
Liberation on April 25. The anarchist contingent -- which had
been publicized beforehand in Love and Rage, several other
anarchist papers, and by electronic mail -- drew over 150 people.

At a meeting two days before the march, representatives from
several radical queer groups decided they wanted to break into
the march behind the military and veterans contingent. Our aim
was to demonstrate our opposition to militarism and the march's
emphasis on the issue of gay inclusion in the military.
Anarchists gathered Sunday morning at Lafayette Park and, wisely
as it turned out, decided to wait there to enter the march,
rather than attempt to join the mob at the official kick-off
point on the Ellipse.

With banners such as "Queer Without Fear," the anarchists lined
the roadside across from the White House as the beginning of the
march came by. When the military contingent appeared, there were
chants of "Make love, not war! Be all you can be! Mutiny!
Mutiny!" There onlookers and marchers were quite supportive,
with even some of the military marchers giving us the thumbs-up.

Soon the coalition of radical Queers appeared, including such
groups as Lesbians and Gays Against Intervention (LAGAI) -- with
their "We Prefer Our Queers Out of Uniform" banner, Queers in
Support of Political Prisoners (QUISP), and Revolting Lesbians.
The waiting anarchists joined the march along with this
unauthorized contingent. A small group of men with radical
faerie camouflage skirts and a "Veterans for Peace" banner
dropped back from the military contingent to march with us.

The black-clad anarchists presented a striking contrast to the
rainbow-clad crowd. At several points along the route, the
anarchist group pogo'd in the street, demanding Queer
liberation, and ran full speed ahead, much to the surprise and
delight of the spectators. (Finally something different!) Chants
included, "We're fucking anarchists, we'll fuck whoever we
want!," and "We're here, we're Queer, and we hate the
government!" The FBI, filming from their windows, and small
clutches of fundamentalists along the route received the finger
and were treated to same-sex displays of affection. One
participant ripped pages from a bible as he marched along. A
particularly popular contingent was the Red & Anarchist
Skinheads with their banner reading, "Anti-Racist Skinheads and
Punx Against Homophobia," and their chant of "Oi! Oi! Oi! We
fuck boys!"

The contingent arrived at the Mall early in the day, with plenty
of time to stake out a good spot in the shade. Unfortunately,
but quite expectedly, the rally was boring and mainstream,
featuring mostly assimilationist speakers. A welcome surprise
was Romanofsky and Phillips, a well-known Gay singing duo, who
did an anti-militarist takeoff on the army recruiting song. The
rest of the march seemed to continue on endlessly, with much
confusion about the route. The final contingents were still
straggling in as the rally drew to a close at about 6:00pm.

The anarchist contingent went very well, a tribute to flexible
planning. We had originally talked of marching with the street
activists contingent (number 59 in the lineup), which might not
have marched after all ... none of the people who looked for
them were able to locate them. Marching behind the military
contingent gave us a focus for our alternative
anti-authoritarian message. We would probably have been
swallowed up had we marched with the huge and highly
disorganized ACT UP contingent. (No one we asked knew where they
were gathering or marching, even on the morning of the march
itself.)

It was great to see such a sizeable anarchist/
anti-authoritarian presence at the march, and our contingent was
probably the most mixed in terms of variety of sexual
orientations. Gay, Lesbian, Bi, hetero or undefined, all the
anarchists were queer in their own way. It felt good to
emphasize oppositional politics as well as sexuality. While
there were several people clad in black-bloc attire and masks,
there was no havoc or destruction along the route. Our mere
presence as anarchists was enough to shock the mainstream Gay
and Lesbian viewers. Hopefully we made some people think! 

                               -30-

                     WESTERN SHOSHONE RESIST

                  Compiled By Ms. Tommy Lawless

Western Shoshone Nation--The Western Shoshone are actively
patrolling a valley region in north central Nevada, the location
of the Dann Ranch, to protect their territory from ongoing raids
by the US Bureau of Land Management. Elder Clifford Dann is held
captive for his resistance. The Western Shoshone Defense Project
is seeking activists to join a non-violent defense force, to do
supply runs, to hold fund-raisers, and to engage in a media
blitz. The Spring Gathering at the Dann ranch, March 19-22, drew
over 150 people. Many stayed on to defend the ranch.

Last Nov 19, federal agents blocked roads around Crescent
Valley, Nevada and sent in armed agents to round up horses
belonging to the Western Shoshone nation. Members of American
Peace Test, who were driving to the Dann ranch, had a helicopter
land on the road in front of their car. With their weapons
ready, armed agents exited the helicopter and ordered everyone
out of the car.

The media was prevented from approaching the round-up site.
Armed agents blocked the roads and flew over the range in
helicopters. There were not enough people on the range
supporting the Western Shoshone and the Danns to perform any
kind of non-violent resistance. 

According to Bureau of Land Management (BLM) officials, the raid
captured 269 horses, including 229 wild animals and 40 horses
that had been nationalized by the Western Shoshone National
Council. In court, BLM agent Joe Morris admitted that the round
up violated BLM's own regulations governing the Wild Horse and
Burro program. 

Elder Clifford Dann was injured and arrested when he attempted
to stop BLM agents from removing the captured horses. Blocking
the road with his truck, Dann stood in the bed, doused himself
with gasoline, and announced that he would set himself on fire
if BLM agents did not release the horses. Dann declared, "By
taking away our livelihood and our lands you are taking away our
lives." Officers assaulted him with fire extinguishers and
wrestled him to the ground. A sheriff was recorded on tape
saying during the struggle, "Break his fucking arm if you have
to!" 

On March 3, the jury convicted Dann on one count of assaulting a
federal officer. Throughout his trial Clifford Dann held his
ground, insisting that the US Federal Court has no jurisdiction
over him or any other Indigenous person or nation. He faces a
35-month minimum sentence on the charge. Dann will be held at
the Washoe County Detention Facility until his scheduled
sentencing on May 17. Appeals are expected to be filed
immediately.

No raids have occurred since November, due to successful defense
organizing. The Defense Project stresses the need for ongoing
support and patrols.The BLM alleges that the Dann family has
failed to obtain grazing permits and that the Dann-owned cattle
and horses have overgrazed the range. The Western Shoshone
maintain that they do not need permits since the 1863 Treaty of
Ruby Valley gives them jurisdiction over their land. 

Starting in 1973, US agencies began to confront sisters Mary and
Carrie Dann, who graze cattle and horses on unused lands that
the US Government considers "public." 

After over six years of court battles, of gains and losses, a
federal court ruled that the Western Shoshone did have title to
the land until 1979. In that year, the US Bureau of Indian
Affairs accepted a financial reward from the US Indian Claims
Commission on behalf of the Western Shoshone. This was against
the wishes of the Western Shoshone, and they refused the money.
The judge ruled that the compensation award had erased the
native title to the land. In effect, the US government paid
itself for land that had not been sold, stealing the homeland of
the Western Shoshone.

The Danns appealed the case to the Supreme Court which upheld,
in 1985, the lower court rulings against the Western Shoshone.
The Danns continue their struggle to prove that their land was
never sold or given to the US.

Among the Shoshone, Clifford Dann's conviction is viewed as an
ironic victory, in that it will force the US courts to deal with
indigenous sovereignty issues during the appeals process.
According to Chief Raymond Yowell, Chief of the Western Shoshone
National Council, "Western Shoshone law is the first law for us;
international law is second in our view; US Law is third and
least significant to us. For a solution to the Western Shoshone
land rights issue to occur, the above must be followed. We do
not accept US law, and they [the US] do not accept Shoshone law.
The forum for a solution to the problems has to be done in an
international setting." The Western Shoshone National Council is
the traditional leadership of the Western Shoshone Nation. 

Presently, of the more than 120 military conflicts in the world,
three-fourths involve native nations seeking to hold off or free
themselves from larger, occupying nation-states. Some 3000
native nations are presently contained within the borders of
fewer than 200 states, which assert control over them. The
United States lays claim to some 200 native nations alone. The
Western Shoshone are one such nation under attack. The Dann
ranch has been fending off raids for almost twenty years. In
addition, the Western Shoshone people have survived over 800
nuclear detonations on their homeland, with more scheduled for
this year.

The Western Shoshone Defense Project (WSDF) invites you to join
the defense force now or to add your name to the stand-by list.
They stress that the defense is non-violent, and they are
requesting committed activists willing to respect their wishes.
Supply runs and donations of non-perishable food, field
supplies, office supplies and money are needed. WSDF encourages
groups to hold benefits and fundraisers on their behalf.
Petitions and media blitz information is available. To find out
more, contact:

WESTERN SHOSHONE DEFENSE PROJECT
General Delivery, Crescent Valley, Nevada 89821
Tel (702) 468-0230, Fax (702) 468-0237

Large portions of this article were taken from Coyote Gulch
Productions.

                               -30-

               SQUATTERS AND THE ROOTS OF MAU MAU:
                 A History of Squatting in Kenya

                   Edited By Richard Van Savage

In the context of Kenya and the Mau Mau movement, particularly
amongst the Kikuyu people, squatting played a pivotal role. The
term Mau Mau was used primarily by Europeans to describe what
many Africans referred to as "the movement." The label has since
stuck. Focusing on land and freedom brought out the hypocrisy
and true contradictions within British colonial society. The
racism, economic exploitation and the use of laws to further
such crimes came to be more and more apparent as the squatters
fought for their rights. The parallels to Europeans settling in
America, not as respectful neighbors to the native peoples of
the land, but as greedy, selfish, bigoted thieves, is truly
illuminating.

The term "squatter" originated in South Africa. It referred to
an African permitted to live on a European farmers land, usually
on condition that they worked for the farmer for a specific
period of time. In return for labour, the African was allowed to
grow food and to graze animals. It's crucial to look at the
origins of squatting to understand it properly today. The
African that cultivated the land and raised livestock was
transformed overnight with the arrival of Europeans from a
landowner to a squatter. The European simply staked out land
creating plantations, regardless of who was using it beforehand.
Then under threat of force, he gave the African the choice of
being evicted from their land, squatting it with a form of
indentured servitude bordering on slavery, or face the wrath of
the British military.

Tax Resistance

One example of how the legal system was used to economically
undermine and enslave a people is the Hut and Poll Taxes of 1901
and 1910. By placing a tax on every home and head of the family,
the colonialists caused many previously self sufficient African
families fell into debt. They would then start squatting. The
father would often work for the European in order to pay off the
taxes, while the mother would tend to the farming and the
children would tend to the livestock. Further laws were enacted
to change the status of squatters from that of tenants to that
of a labour contract. The squatters continued to resist each new
law, often in very creative ways. One way used to subvert the
law was to invite friends and relatives to come for a "visit" to
lend a hand. The relatives stayed on and in time there would be
more and more squatters taking back the land.

In the 1920's settlers began to diversify from simply farming to
also raising stock and dairy cows. They were now in direct
competition with the squatters. Furthermore, raising livestock
was less labour intensive, and they no longer needed the
squatters to help to run their farms. With this new competition
came a new ruthlessness on the part of the settlers. They began
to confiscate and kill squatter stock. The squatters called this
kifagio, a swahili word literally meaning "the broom," referring
to the sweeping away of squatter stock and their primary
livelihood.

The colonial judicial system was hopelessly biased, so the
squatters continued to use the traditional ciama, or elders
councils to arbitrate disputes amongst squatters. Each farm
would have its own kiama (single council). For larger disputes
the individual kiama would combine to form a special kiama to
deal with problems extending beyond a single farm. In 1924 the
government outlawed the ciama and, in 1931 instituted a native
tribal court, often selected by Europeans.

While Africans were being taxed, only European, Asian and Arab
children received an education from government schools. The
squatters set up their own self-help network of free schools to
educate and to counter the culturally destructive mission
schools that would try to indoctrinate African children.

The Loyalty Oath

In 1940 the Kikuyu Central Association (KSA) was banned by the
government. The KSA was the main vehicle through which displaced
Africans lobbied to get back their land. The government
purchased Olenguruone district to provide land for displaced
squatters. This reservation, or reserve as they were called in
Kenya, was unsuitable for economically supporting the number of
people concentrated in this reserve. Olenguruone became a
dumping ground for those committing sabotage, organizing or acts
otherwise deemed undesirable by the settlers. Not surprisingly
it became the center and beginning of the organized resistance.
By 1944 the underground KSA and squatters in Olenguruone were
using a "loyalty oath." At first they used the bible and the
soil as their symbols. This was quickly changed to the soil and
goat meat. Considering the kifagio, which was killing their
stock, and the continuous displacement from the land, it seemed
an apt symbol of their aspirations. By 1950 younger members were
becoming disillusioned with the slow pace being taken by the
older leaders of the movement. The aim of the first oath was
"secretly to unite, discipline and foster political
consciousness" among the Kikuyu with the ultimate aim of
obtaining land and freedom. In fact most intellectuals or those
a little better off, such as farm foreman, were often distrusted
and were often the last to take the oath. If repercussions
followed, these people were often murdered. If they remained
loyal, they were then expected to use their position to
influence others or to supply information about the Europeans,
as the Europeans often trusted them more.  In 1952 there was a
massive mobilization to recruit people to take the oath. This
resulted in a wave of violence as the state imprisoned several
hundred people. And a backlash erupted as informers were killed,
often causing others to inform as they objected to the violence.
The state attempted to brand the Mau Mau as "criminals." On Oct
20, 1952, following the assassination of Chief Waruhiu, a high
ranking puppet, a state of emergency was declared. This resulted
in a wave of settlers killing squatters, confiscating stock and
crops. 

Struggling With Sexism

At this point many squatters fled to the forest areas where they
began training as guerrillas. In February of 1951 Kenyatta, a
future leader of the country, publicly denounced the movement.
One of the key soldiers in the resistance was a womyn by the
name of Wanjiru Nyamarutu. At first the Mau Mau movement was
terribly sexist, as wimmin were thought of as not being able to
keep secrets. As wimmin began to not only take the oath but to
kill and fight along side their husbands, these prejudices began
to be dispelled. Nyamarutu became a General in charge of food.
This became a crucial position because it also meant being in
charge of intelligence gathering. Food had to be gathered from
the farms by squatters, collected, transported to the forest,
and then distributed among the many guerrilla cells. Nyamarutu
was soon running a whole spy network, often of wimmin and
children who could go to areas without raising as much
suspicion. Children would often appear to be playing when in
fact they were gathering information on troop movements,
possible informers, etc.

Before a womyn could be elected as a leader and co-opted into
the Inner Secret Council, she had to have taken the third oath,
at which point it was held that she could not possibly turn
against the movement. As far as positions of leadership went,
people had to prove themselves through acts of bravery, secrecy
and trustworthiness. At this point gender was irrelevant; merit
was more important. Nyamarutu later became a Mau Mau judge.

Another womyn that rendered sexist myths meaningless was Wambui
X. She was known as "the killer." After her husband, also a
freedom fighter, was killed in the forest, she refused to
remarry and dedicated herself to Mau Mau work. She could not
revert back to domestic subjection because "she could not be
ruled, she knew everything, her hands had become light, she
could easily kill a useless husband."

By 1956 the Mau Mau movement had been militarily defeated. The
hardcore Mau Mau created the Kenya Land Freedom Army (KFLA)
oath. They fought on to protect squatter rights as the British
began to decolonize. The British did a number of things to
maintain some form of economic control over Kenya. They
cultivated an elite African leadership, often the same ones not
trusted by the poorer, undereducated squatters. They created
loan schemes "out of fairness to the settlers" in which
squatters were allowed to borrow money to purchase land. This
was often done with the goal of concentrating land ownership in
the hands of a few Africans, "the new African middle class," who
would then hire squatters and prevent a massive redistribution
of free land. During this time the KFLA continued its
resistance. They were better organized, commanded stronger
allegiance, and had greater clarity of purpose than Mau Mau.
They clearly expected to use violence when necessary.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the parallels to Britain in Africa and the U.S.
in the Americas in regard to "reservations", "reconstruction"
after the civil war, and the creation of puppet regimes, are
instructive in understanding the roots of many contemporary
problems. We as a squatter community have not yet fully realized
not only the revolutionary potential of a strong squatting
movement, but also that this movement cannot be separate from
fighting against racism, sexism and economic exploitation.
Whether it be rural farm squatting as Thoreau advocated, or
urban apartment squatting, we can look to the Mau Mau movement
as an inspiration in overthrowing the current property laws that
are based on racism and exploitation. Likewise we can study the
work of Frank Kitson, a British intelligence officer who
pioneered many counter insurgency techniques in Kenya that are
still used by the FBI in their COINTELPRO activities against
dissidents in the U.S.

Information was taken from the book, Squatters and the Roots of
Mau Mau by Tabitha Kanogo, Ohio University Press, Athens Ohio,
45701.

                               -30-

                      TAKING DOWN BIG BROWN

                          By K. Frazier

You load 16 tons and whaddya get? Another day older and deeper
in debt. ---Tennessee Ernie Ford

United Parcel Service Inc (UPS), the package delivery company
famous for its brown delivery vans and uniforms, has begun
contract negotiations with the International Brotherhood [sic]
of Teamsters, which represents the more than 160,000 workers at
UPS. 

In the past these negotiations have been something of a cake
walk for UPS. It's multi-million dollar propaganda blitzes aimed
at selling its proposals to the workforce were countered with
absolutely nothing by the pro-Republican, mafia-influenced
leadership of the Teamsters. Contract after contract like this
has cost workers dearly, 10 years ago starting wages for
part-timers were slashed from $11 an hour to $8 and $9 an hour,
creating a two-tier wage track between full-timers and
part-timers. (The $8/hour rate has remained unchanged since the
early eighties, which, when considering inflation, amounts to a
wage cut every year.) The company's ability to win the upper
hand on the work floor -- where near-brutal productivity
standards are enforced -- has been just as significant as UPS
victories at the bargaining table.

LIFE AT BIG BROWN

"Management by stress." That's the name workers have given to
the methods used by United Parcel Service management. But even
that doesn't adequately describe the rigors of life at "Big
Brown." Package unloaders are expected to pound out 1300
packages an hour, many as heavy as 70 lbs each. Package sorters
are expected to keep that pace with 99 percent accuracy.
Delivery drivers are expected to make a delivery every four
minutes, regardless of traffic or weather. UPS warehouse-workers
(mainly loaders, unloaders, and sorters) are subject to a very
high manager to worker ratio, which means almost constant
harassment. Drivers who don't make time face threats of
"ride-a-longs" from supervisors. Minor injuries are a daily
occurrence among warehouse-workers, and nearly everyone
complains of back problems. New employees very quickly find that
this "prestigious" working-class job isn't all it's cracked up
to be. A union survey found that 77 percent of UPSers believe
that "unjust pressure was applied in the company's quest for
productivity." Seventy percent said that the company wanted more
than "a fair day's work for the wages paid." Even a survey of
workers conducted by UPS management on work premises found that
40 percent felt they were not treated with respect by their
overseer.

TEAMSTER CHANGES

Since the last UPS contract the Teamsters have undergone some
major changes. In the Dec '91 Teamster elections, Ron Carey , a
union reformer, swept the old guard from the top positions in
the US's largest union. Carey has been a long-time president of
the large UPS local in Queens, New York. Banking on his
reputation as an honest militant, Carey has promised to bring
democracy and a fighting spirit to the Teamsters. The UPS
contract is seen as his big test. Besides politics, Carey has
another reason for fighting for a better contract: The outgoing
leaders left the union in financial dire straits. If an increase
in UPS workers' wages is won, Carey might be able to ease a dues
increase out of this largest single group of Teamsters, bailing
out the bureaucracy. 

STIMULATING THE RANK AND FILE

The election of Carey and his slate of reformers was more than
just a changing of the guard. It was an insurgency of pissed-off
workers against corruption and sell-outs. Leading the charge was
the 10,000 member-strong Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU).
TDU had been organizing for change for the past 20 years, often
under threats of violence from the old guard. Their
widely-circulated newspaper, CONVOY-DISPATCH, helped to build an
impressive organization of local groups across North America.
Ten to 15 vice-presidents on Carey's slate (but not Carey
himself) are TDU. Since the election, TDU has remained active.
At their convention last October, TDU reiterated its friendly,
but still independent, relationship with the new International
leadership. TDU is distributing UPS Contract Bulletins aimed at
educating and stimulating the rank and file to actively
participate in the contract fight. In Baltimore and other
places, TDU has organized rallies at UPS employee parking lots.

TASKS FOR TROUBLEMAKERS

For those of us who long for more than just "a decent contract"
(like maybe international capital in flames), the UPS contract
fight still provides an excellent opportunity for struggle, a
chance to gain some experience, and maybe, just maybe ...

Revolutionary anarchist UPS workers should work hard to bring as
many workers into this struggle as possible, not just in support
of the union heavies (or TDU, or anarchists). We should strive
to forge an autonomous force --a force capable of backing the
union when appropriate, or of asserting our own demands on the
company (independent of and possibly against the union when that
makes sense) -- a force with the savvy to know the difference.

No contract can guarantee who will have power on the shop floor:
who will call the shots, who will be afraid. Right now, Big
Brown has power. By a long shot. When he says, "jump!," we jump.
I just found out that a manager beat up an unloader for being
too slow. But this contract fight can be a real step toward
building worker solidarity and worker power -- a step toward a
time when we can (among other tactics) slow the belt to a human
speed, take "unauthorized" breaks, and punish supervisors who
violate workers.

For now TDU seems like the most realistic vehicle for activism
at UPS. TDU is an impressive organization that includes many
older militants we can learn much from. We should seek to build
TDU, especially among women workers, workers of color and young
workers, who do not have large memberships in TDU. It is these
workers who will probably be most interested in pushing things
further.

Ultimately though, TDU is too tied to the union-concept of
organizing. They want to make the Teamsters a "good union."
Unions, in my estimation, have ceased to be anything approaching
fighting organizations. In the best cases, like the Teamsters
under Carey, unions are lobbying organizations for workers who
try to win decent contacts (read: better rates of exploitation).
In the worst cases, like the United Food and Commercial Workers,
unions seek to stomp out working-class militancy with a passion
unmatched by the capitalists.

Workers at UPS and everywhere need new forms of organization
based on the floor not on hierarchy, organization with the
ability to see past the company gates politically. We need
organization not tied to legalism as its sole strategy,
organization willing and able to inflict costs on the company
and to win strike "by any means necessary." We need organization
that makes a priority of fighting for the most dispossessed
workers, not for the most privileged. We need an organization
that demands full equality for women, African Amerikans and
other oppressed nationalities, Queers and youth. We will advance
as a class or not at all.

If you work at UPS, are interested in working at UPS, are a
Teamster, or are just interested in workplace organizing, contact:
KF, c/o PO Box 581354, Minneapolis, MN 55458-1354

                               -30-

continued in Part 2...

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