Of Freedom and Molotovs. by The Resistance

Wednesday Sep 14th, 2011 6:23 PM

our reflections on the current moment and the necessity of resistance to the police specifically.

We are at a very important point in history. Everything we have known is going through dramatic changes and these changes will only get bigger. The American empire and Capitalism are collapsing and something new is being born. What that something is is unknown, but we see it going one of two ways: either the rich and powerful stay in control and create a new world where they have more power and control, or the rest of us can join together and put the power into our own hands and build a new world which benefits all rather than just a few. Resistance is growing and revolutions are popping up all over the world and Fresno is no exception.



Over the last year there has been a significant increase in actions against the FPD. The August 17th molotov attack at the SW substation is an escalation from more symbolic acts (bricks through windows, paint on memorials) to acts which damage and weaken the infrastructure of the gang in blue. The police are not the main enemy of the people, those in power are. The police are mercenaries who work for those in power and are the first line of defense against those who fight for liberation. Cops are traitors who have sold themselves to those in power and then terrorize, harass and kill their own brothers and sisters to protect their master's interests. Once people get organized and start really taking control over their own lives and communities, the police will be the first one's sent in to regain control for the rich who have bought them. We must prepare for when this happens and begin fighting back now. Destroying their tools and equipment is a good place to start.



The August 17th action was done in solidarity with anti-police terrorism protests going on in the bay area. Solidarity actions serve 3 main purposes: 1. To bring attention to struggles going on in other places. 2. To show those involved in these struggles that they are not alone. 3. To bring to light similar local issues and to show that the problem is not isolated but systemic. Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) police executed an unarmed and handcuffed Oscar Grant in 2009 and more recently executed an inebriated homeless man Charles Hill within the first minute of contact while he presented no threat to anyone. In the protests afterwards we have seen how far those in power are willing to go to squash dissent as they have brought in military crowd control weapons like the LRAD (Long-Range Acoustic Device) which was tested in Afghanistan and can cause people to become permanently deaf. Recently, BART also shut down all cell phone service in areas where there were potential protesters. So while the US is criticizing Syria for using these tactics, they are using them on their own people. There are many more "non-lethal" weapons and crowd-control techniques that the police have been training with, they know that times of rebellion and revolution are very near and they are getting ready to put them down. We also must prepare ourselves through education and training otherwise we don't stand a chance.



Due to the economic crisis, there is less funding for FPD. Even while getting over half of the city budget they are still seeing cuts. We must take this as an opportunity and attack. Everyone who is willing should decide what they are comfortable with doing and what risks they are willing to accept. There is a need for a variety of tactics and actions. One thing which brings life to revolution and struggles has always been political graffiti. Fresno has some of this but needs more. There are plenty of people out there writing late at night, use your gifts to spread the message.



As far as other illegal actions, be creative and be smart. By accepting the risks and possible consequences of an action you must try to minimize the chances of getting caught. Have a plan but be flexible. Wear gloves whenever handling anything that will be left behind. Know where the cameras are and avoid them, this includes while en route to a target and while leaving. Wear a mask in case of witnesses but don't put it on too soon otherwise you could draw unwanted attention. Cell phones record your every movement through GPS, leave them at home. The most important rule to follow is don't talk about the action to ANYONE other than those involved. Everything must be kept on a needs-to-know basis. If someone isn't involved, they don't need to know. Most people get busted by bragging and talking too much.



In order for these actions to spread people have to know about them and understand them. The mainstream media may report on them but will misrepresent them. For this reason we suggest leaving communiques on indybay.org. They don't record IP addresses but it's still best to use a proxy such as Tor to cover your tracks. Remember that everything you do on the internet is tracked and recorded, there is never total security.



There is something we wanted to say about the Sept. 4th firebombing of a PD officers house. We support this action but feel that it indiscriminately targeted the other woman and children inside the house. Indiscriminate targeting of innocent civilians is terrorism. This is what the police and military do and we must be better than them. Many children of cops grow up to hate cops because of the corruption they grew up seeing. Our group does not feel that things have come to the point where actions which put individuals in harms way are suitable. At the same time, we cannot condemn someone who does feel this way since many feel that we have committed actions which are not suitable. The real question is whether this action was political or not. If this was someone who has answered the call to war then we commend you, but was it? There are too many things that smell funny about this. The news reported that 6 months prior to this the same officer had her car burned up. Maybe an upset ex who came back? Also the house is for sale in a dried up market, fire insurance pays pretty well. Beyond anything it seems that this was the perfect opportunity for Dyer to gain support against those of us who fight back. FPD has been firebombed, now the public has no problem believing it happened again. From the beginning Dyer has focused on there being another woman and 3 children in the house. He is a pro at PR and knows how to get sympathy from the public, particularly harping on the officer being female. We all know Jerry is a sexist pig so I don't think there's any sincerity there, in fact this officer could be one of the officers suing Dyer; Dyer could have thrown the molotovs himself!



Then when the home caught on fire again, Dyer was quick to say that it was intentional while the fire marshall says most likely it was from wiring damaged in the previous fire but it's under investigation. Seriously, KMPH was set up across the street when the second fire started around 9:30pm, it's not a good idea to pull off clandestine actions that early in a residential area at what's already the scene of a crime with news vans across the street!

We're not sure what actually happened but Dyer is making the most of it and will use this to justify any further atrocities from him and his gang of thugs. Everyone needs to be careful out there no matter what level you are at. Watch your backs.

Once again, if this was a political or revolutionary act then we commend whoever did this for their action. But it seems much more complicated than that and people should keep an open mind.



Either way this is only going to fuel more action from more people. The system has failed us and people are thinking of revolution more and more every day. This war has been going on for as long as there have been rich and poor people. Too often the poor don't fight back, that has changed and people are rising up all over the world. We have to come together and fight back now before it's too late