FAST SLIDESHOW
Taking a Stand in September: Report from Pittsburgh's month long FAST and camp-out against war
Continual 26-day fast and camp-out in front of Pittsburgh's main military recruitment center marked by police harassment, lawsuits and community support.
At 6pm on September 4, approximately 40 members and supporters of the Pittsburgh Organizing Group (POG) kicked off a month-long fast against war and military recruitment. At the rally, speakers discussed and reflected on why September was important for the anti-war movement, why people were embarking on a fast and continuous camp-out and the many obstacles created by the city, military recruiters and corporate interests.
Fasts and long-term encampments have historically been used as personal and political statements of protest and have been successfully utilized by groups seeking to raise the moral and political pressure in society necessary for specific changes in policy. To choose not to eat, to starve oneself at the doorstep of purveyors of injustice, is a tactic which requires much personal reflection and contemplation.
It is certainly a product of privilege to have the choice of whether or not to eat, and long-term fasts carry with them potentially significant risks to personal and mental health. They are not undertaken lightly nor are long-term continual camp-outs sustainable without a committed group of people willing to show up daily.
The fast was structured so people were free to join whenever, but they were asked to go until Sept. 30. This meant more people joined as the month progressed, avoiding the typical fast/ hunger strike scenario of declining numbers and morale.
Prior to the start of the actions, it became clear that corporate businesses in the area, including the military recruitment center, were opposed to POG's plans and some were pressuring the city to refuse the permit application and keep protesters away. After initially delaying and stalling as long as possible, the head of the city permit office stated that the permit had been approved and would be in the mail the following day. This permit never came. Approval turned into denial just days before the actions were set to begin; the city changed its tune, claiming that dissent costs too much to watch over, and that protesters would be obstructing pedestrians despite a commitment to leave an open path on the sidewalk, as POG has done for dozens of past events.
The truthful part of the city's denial was their statement that people can't protest because they'll have an impact on and obstruct nearby businesses (such as the military recruitment center and corporate chains). This "obstruction" of the local recruitment business would be due to the negative attention brought to the daily business of recruiting others to kill and be killed, highlighting the key role that recruitment plays in continuing this war. That "obstruction" is a result of education and media attention around public speech. The innate rights to free speech, to speak out and agitate around causes of great social importance, is a fundamental bedrock of freedom. It cannot be legislated to us or taken away, nor dismissed by dubious claims that the speech might actually work, and therefore obstruct, the war machine.
In an attempt to force POG's hand, the city granted a one-day permit that required participants to stay inside a fenced enclosure, "protesters" were not allowed to stand on the sidewalk outside the enclosure, nor were they allowed to have chairs, tents or banners inside the fence during the long night. Expressing personal disgust at the city's strategy, people decided to make their own signs such as, "You Can't Cage Our Rage" and "MY Free Speech Zone" next to a picture of the globe.
During the press conference and throughout the month, the police engaged in a dizzying array of harassment tactics: arresting people for sitting/lying down; ordering people to walk back and forth continuously, threatening arrest to anyone "standing still;" positioning police surveillance teams with high- tech equipment on rooftops across the street; showing up in large numbers at 3am; and having visible plainclothes cops milling around (sometimes they were even wearing dark sunglasses at night!). Throughout the harassment activists kept their cool, avoided provocations, asserted their rights and sought to keep the focus on the war and military recruitment.
On September 11, POG organized a vigil to mark the 2001 attacks. Rather than focusing on one particular set of victims, the event was intended to remember all those who suffered, and continue to suffer, from state and group terrorism. In six years we've seen the state use "the war on terror" to justify large-scale deportations of immigrants, indefinite detention and abuse of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, escalated police repression of political dissent and, of course, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq (and the threat of war with Iran). Militarism has become more blatant, leading to, among other consequences, tens of thousands of deaths, casualties and wrecked lives on both sides of the war in Iraq.
Sixty people gathered to vigil and hear speakers from groups such as POG, CodePink, and Conscience talk about the significance of the day to so many around the world. Jack Arrow addressed the crowd, relaying the personal significance of the day for him and his determination not to allow the state to use the tragedy as a justification for oppressing others. He was in New York City on September 11 - two blocks away when the attacks occurred - and has suffered bronchitis and other health problems as a result. At the end of his speech, he announced he was joining the fast. The crowd then marched through Oakland with candles and signs, where many participants stayed late into the night talking with one another about how to effectively work against the messaging of both "sides" that continue to wage the wars of terror.
On September 15, more than 150 people showed up for POG's lively march and rally to illustrate their opposition to the war. Among the marchers were veteran peace activists, a much-appreciated marching band, many anarchists and even a newlywed couple moments after they'd spoken their vows. The mile and a half route took marchers around Oakland, eventually ending at the recruiting center where many participants stuck around to support the camp and connect with fellow activists.
At 5am on September 17 the police moved against the camp-out, again claiming protesters were "obstructing pedestrian passageways" despite the lack of pedestrians and the ease with which any pedestrians could have walked by. Days later the police again targeted the fast and camp-out. At 5am fasters Mike Butler and Jack Arrow, along with De'anna Caligiuri and Patrick Young, were issued citations for obstructing pedestrian passageways despite both the lack of pedestrians and the lack of any obstruction to the sidewalk. After being cited and harassed, the protesters resumed the demonstration.
On Sept. 18, POG filed a lawsuit (with the help of local lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Lawyers Guild) against the city of Pittsburgh for free speech violations, seeking a temporary injunction in federal court to stop city police from citing or threatening to arrest protesters. The next day, a deal was worked out to basically grant POG the permit the group applied for in August. "We see [the agreement] as an absolute victory on all counts," said Patrick Young. "Our right to protest, to get our message out, has been affirmed. We will be free from harassment, free from police intimidation and free from arrest."
The End War FAST continued with a community speak-out on Sept. 23. Two-dozen people spoke about their personal resistance to the war. It was a touching moment of reflection and inspiration. The honesty was moving; a veteran who apologized to young people for the fact his generation was unable to finish the job of bringing about fundamental change in the underlying structures of society, a young queer person connecting the homophobic threats and violence experienced by fast participants to the system of militarism we live under and the need for self-defense, and many people who are not usually heard from despite being the backbone on our movements.
On Sunday, Sept. 30 the fast closed with a gathering of resistance in Schenley Park. It was a chance for the dozens of people who participated in, or otherwise helped with, the fast and camp-out to gather for a communal meal. Many relationships and friendships were formed over the month and it is our hope these will be the seeds of a future resistance in Pittsburgh.
Overall it was a grueling month. Participants and organizers pushed themselves far beyond the usual point of burnout and exhaustion. As with any large undertaking, many things fell through the cracks and at times, it took a toll on our spirits: standing in the pouring rain for hours, feeling lonely, dealing with drunk kids yelling racial slurs and attempting to start fights, hearing angry enlistees threaten us with violence... Still, at the end of the day, it has all been worth it. Trying new approaches, with their own inherent potentials and limitations, is so necessary for our movements to grow. This is a learning experience for us and for the community.
With any event it is useful to articulate what has been accomplished. In this case, the fast was most successful at direct education, garnering media coverage, building intergenerational relationships between activists, creating an inclusive and participatory political space, normalizing anti-war activity and defending free speech rights. We see it as "a win."
Throughout the month literally thousands of flyers were distributed and hundreds of personal interactions and conversations with passersby occurred. The event was able to create possibilities for education, dialogue and change that challenge the increasingly compartmentalized and disconnected encounters of the e-mail, web site, television-centered world as local Veterans for Peace members handed out cards to recruiters, as people approached potential recruits as they showed up for meetings with recruiters, as face-to-face interactions occurred.
The End War FAST received extensive coverage on the radio, television and in print. This ensured that voices of dissent and opposition to the war were in the public eye at the same time the administration and military escalated their propaganda to continue the occupation.
A continual event, open to all, allowed an easy way for people to take political action regardless of prior experience. Some passersby simply grabbed one of the available signs and joined in, sometimes for a few minutes, sometimes for hours. The camp-out turned a public space next to a symbol of war into a free space area where people could participate in something political.
As the month wore on, more and more drivers would honk in support, even if no one was holding a sign because they knew what was going on. One of the ways elites and their institutions maintain control is through a constricted debate where only very narrow differences are treated as legitimate views. Should we end "the surge" by July or a couple months earlier? Should we give the administration all or just most of what they want? There is little to no discussion of systemic causes or solutions, or of militarism in general. One of the goals of anti-war activists, and something continual actions are good at, must be "normalizing" and in many respects "legitimizing" anti-war activity while tying it to specific war institutions.
October will be a new month with its own actions and potentials, one we look forward to. Without the support, participation and general assistance of so many members of the local peace and justice community (including many TMC members!) we would surely not have made it as long as we did. It's a testament to the broader community that these events succeeded as well as they did, and many share the credit.
In Solidarity,
Pittsburgh Organizing Group
www.organizepittsburgh.org
pog@mutualaid.org
If you would like to write a check, please email us at POG [at] mutualaid.org.