Protest RNC-Open Letter to NY activist community from DC Anti-War Network

I am writing on behalf of the Conventions Working Group of the DC Anti-War Network.

I am looking for responses from people inside the New York City activist community to develop a partner relationship between your group and our local Washington, DC, anti-war group.

The DC Anti-War Network (DAWN) is putting together a coaltion of activists to converge on New York for the Republican National Convention. However, to do this effectively, we need help from local New York activists. We, in turn, would like to help you out now and in the future.

We need help finding affordable housing for DC-area people coming to New York and ideally would also like a central location where we can set up a temporary office for DC-area people to check in. We also would like to work with local New York groups on whatever actions they are planning for the convention.

We also want to help New York groups coming to Washington, DC for convergences here. For instance, if you get in touch with me soon, we can offer our help in giving housing to your members coming to Washington for the April 23-25 convergences dealing with the World Bank and the National Abortion Rights march. However, even if that's too short of notice, we want a working relationship for the future so that you can have a home base in Washington, DC.

If you are interested in helping us out or have contact information for potential interested groups, please send me an email to jsmacdonald@hotmail.com. Or, you can post here.

Jim Macdonald
DC Anti-War Network
http://www.dawndc.net
info@dawndc.net

P.S. I also hope that members of Democratic Underground in New York will want to join us in this coalition-building effort. Also, if you are in Washington, DC, and want to join us for our local effort, we plan on having a meeting either on April 12 or April 15 to plan for the mobilization. We really dearly want anyone who wants to give Bush and the Republicans a piece of their mind to help us as equal partners in the planning process. I will likely post a call to DU at large separately.

Your thread title makes it look like the RNC wrote this letter ...

Perhaps "RNC Convention - Open letter .... " would be a better wording ??? ...

I hope this is more clear.

Jim

We need help finding affordable housing for DC-area people coming to New York and ideally would also like a central location where we can set up a temporary office for DC-area people to check in. We also would like to work with local New York groups on whatever actions they are planning for the convention.

I read that and the first thing I thought is it's an FBI or RNC trojan horse operation. I've been ruined for life by this admin!
But seriously...could it be? Don't let 'em rent up all the affordable housing and fill it with repugs, or tell them what you have planned unless you're 100% sure they're genuine.

If you feel more comfortable sending an email to DAWN, the email is info@dawndc.net. Our website tells you who we are. And, you can go to places like indymedia where they will tell you that DAWN is a legitimate grassroots organization. You can ask UFPJ. We are often on their conference calls. Check out our website at http://www.dawndc.net

Now, as for me, and whether I'm legit, you could join our listserves or do any number of things. I also have a peace website at http://www.yellowstonemagic.com/peace . Read those essays, and if you still have doubts, then c'est la vie.

The question could be had in reverse for us. That's why I hope to make a personal trip to New York for any arrangements. We have very poor members, so we are interested in hostiles, in people who have space in their homes, etc.

Jim

It's just a general paranoia I (and perhaps others) suffer from, and a general warning I had hoped to imply. I've just now finished looking at your site. I don't doubt that you are what you say you are.
Peace! :hi:

If you knew how much of the general paranoia exists within my own group, you'd know how familiar what you wrote sounds. The DC police themselves have said they sit in groups like ours unannounced just to observe. A report by the city council had a scathing critique and expose of police practices in regards to local activist groups.

So, we face the same issue here dealing with New Yorkers. Are they who they say they are? Can we trust them?

A rule we've learned in activism, though, is to press on and not worry too much about moles. The reason is that the general paranoia ends up costing you far more allies than it attracts enemies. In fact, it proves divisive. Even more, there is some sentiment among activists for the opinion that the person who starts accusing others of being moles are often the most likely themselves of being the mole.

Some day, the police and FBI will take a group like ours, peaceful though we are, more seriously. When that happens, it will actually be a cause for celebration of sorts. It will mean that we are being taken seriously enough to be considered a threat to the way they do business.

Anyhow, if you know of anybody I can get in touch with in regards to New York activism (not groups so much...I have that info...but key individuals in these groups), please send me an email.

Thanks,
Jim

been there, done that, back in the COINTELPRO days. Civil rights groups had a really tough time of it back then, and the revolutionaries had good reason to be paranoid.

Unless particularly nasty or illegal activities are being planned, there's not much they can do any more if everyone's straight up on the planning. If they're gonna try to disrupt things or jail everyone for speaking out, they'll do that anyway without infiltration.

I have a sneaking suspicion that the current crew isn't nearly as good with lists as J. EdgarInaDress was-- they may have bigger ones, but they seem a bit more bureaucratic about it now. Hoover knew how to use his lists.

I wanted to update you.

In DC, we've begun our coalition building and hope to have a meeting of DC-area activist groups either on April 12 or April 15. So far, Mobilization for Global Justice and School of Americas Watch are confirmed members of our coalition.

On the New York front, we still are searching. As a result of my efforts, someone from New York Magazine is going to interview me this weekend. But, while that's nice, it hasn't helped us make good connections with New York groups. So, if you are connected, please get in touch with me.

We're now listed in the counterconvention.org web page, etc. What I need are people to step up, not basic info on groups. Also, anyone in the DC or Baltimore area who wants to be involved, let me know. We are going to start moving fast once we get our coalition together. If you are just an individual, don't worry. We'll find ways to get you involved. Upcoming, we have a verbal commitment from William Rivers Pitt to do a fundraising event for us in support of our conventions planning. So, that's something else you can help out with.

Get involved now. It will come before you know it, and we need to be ready for the 1,000 arrests a day that the NYPD promises.

Jim

I figure I'll keep making these updates to continue to encourage people who want to step forward to do so.

We have been very successful in some of our connections and may have help with housing from an unlikely source. A progressive publisher in Chicago has offered to help us in DC find housing for the RNC. However, while a Chicago connection is delightful and unexpected, we would still like more from New York groups. Counter Convention has invited us to come to New York for the planning meetings, and they are happy about our organizing.

I've also been in touch with a woman helping to organize a march from the DNC to the RNC. She sounds enthusiastic about working with DC-area people in coming up to the conventions and helping with the march she is organizing.

Some local groups are now on board, although local attention is obviously now on the Womens' march on April 25 and the World Bank protests on April 24. Even so, we are drawing a lot of interest inside our own group. Our working group meeting was so large on Saturday that we almost had a quorum for a full meeting of DAWN.

We really want to reach out to people. Since we all have reason to be pissed off with Bush and with the assault on civil liberties that accompanies any of our mass gatherings, I want to invite people who don't necessarily think of themselves as activists to get involved. The biggest need I see is for logistics...sending emails to people, making phone calls...when we start selling tickets...to help keep contact between my group and the outlets. Getting the word out in DC that there is something big being planned and in New York that there is a group in DC wanting to reach out and help.

Our progress has been great; wouldn't it be better if we all put our focus on an event like this? What if 2 million are in Manhattan during the RNC? That would be something, and it can happen if we have the logistical support to make it happen.

If you can help out, please do. Send me an email.

Jim Macdonald