Monday, May 04, 2009

Did you know this was happening?, Posted by GottaLaff

[Thanks to Fernando for this link.] One of my former students, Matt, keeps me up on the various events of the ongoing, underreported anarchist movement. He's, erm, very familiar with them, and has sent me some updates on their activities:
PMR Actions Happening. Anti-War Activists Arrested Resisting Afghanistan War Shipments
Activists staged a series of successful direct actions in several locations on the night of May 2, blocking striker vehicles bound for the Port of Tacoma from Fort Lewis. Blockades halted strikers at several points along Interstate 5, and 11 activists were arrested. Demonstrators have pledged to continue resisting the use of the port for war shipments. [...] “The police may see our actions as criminal, but the real crime is the illegal invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq and their continued occupation,” adds Ellis, a demonstrator. [...]

Resistance is ongoing. Demonstrators are available to speak with the press.

More information can be found at www.OlyPMR.org.
Here's one more:
An anti-war group says 11 of its members were arrested trying to block Stryker military vehicles from Fort Lewis from being shipped to Afghanistan.

The Port Militarization Resistance has been conducting demonstrations at ports in Olympia and Tacoma since 2006.

The Seattle Times reports Saturday's action targeted vehicles as they pulled out of the Fort Lewis gate and at an Interstate 5 exit in Tacoma. The paper says the 11 were cited for disorderly conduct or reckless endangerment. Some were jailed and posted bail Sunday.

The Port Militarization Resistance says it is trying to raise public opposition to the war in Afghanistan where the Fort Lewis 5th Stryker brigade is headed.

And one written especially for TPC, from my pal:
Tacoma Washington.
Once again Port Militarization Resistance groups from Olympia and Tacoma have physically blocked military equipment from leaving for the war in Afghanistan. Based out of Coffee Strong, an Iraq Vets Against The War coffee house located just blocks from the main gate of Ft. Lewis, the groups have been organizing on the fly actions since May 1st when the deployment began.
Most recently a group calling itself the Port Liberation Front blockaded the freeway on ramp used to move military equipment, including Stryker vehicles, using Hug-Bots, protesters dressed as robots who cemented their arms together.
Actions, protests and disruptions will continue as long as the military equipment runs through public ports in the northwest.
Did you see this on the corporate newscasts? No, you didn't. It is ongoing, it's an extensive effort, very organized, very targeted, and we never hear a word. Maybe some of you do locally, but certainly not on the national Tee Vee Machine.

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