NYC Direct Action Groups Bring Tactic to RNC /RNC Not Welcome.org/

[bigtree]

Putting NYC On the Map, Direct Action Groups Bring Tactic to RNC
by Matthew Leising
Email: [e-mail]

Direct Action groups, building on the experiences of the WTO protests in Seattle in 1999 and last year's anti-war actions in the San Francisco Bay Area, are gearing up to let Republicans know they are not welcome to celebrate their agenda in NYC this summer. So, the upcoming Republican National Convention is not about the Republicans, say Mayor Bloomberg and Ed Koch, whom Bloomberg picked recently to be the public face of the convention. It’s about celebrating New York, they insist.

Try telling that to the hundreds of direct action protesters – not to mention the hundreds of thousands of more conventional activists – who plan to flood the city starting Aug. 30.

“That’s a bunch of bullshit,” says Jamie Moran, a member of the New York City-based direct action group rncnotwelcome.org. Moran and other direct action protesters have been working for over a year to make it abundantly clear, actually, that the convention is about the Republicans and their agenda.

“If you really want to make a difference, you have to be out in the street, being vocal, putting your body on the line,” says Eric Laursen, a member of the New York City-based M27 Coalition, a direct action group.

http://www.infoshop.org/inews/stories.php?story=04/05/03/8236222
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The Republican National Committee has, for the first time in their 150 year history, selected New York for their Convention from August 29-September 4, 2004. In a shallow attempt at exploiting the lives lost at the World Trade Center, the RNC has pushed the Convention date to September. We have witnessed two unjust wars, at least one American life lost each day overseas, a depressed economy, the collapse of the dollar, $87 billion to boost war profiteering, the closing of our firehouses, a health-care crisis, millions of children being left behind, and now this. We say, Enough!

When the vote does not place in power those who represent the will of the people, democracy must be taken to the streets. This administration's choice of New York City, historically known for its diverse population, its welcoming of immigrants from far off lands, and its radical politics will prove to be their biggest mistake yet.

http://www.rncnotwelcome.org is a collective and the opinions on this site are ours and not the voice of all activists, organizations or people opposed to the RNC coming to NYC. If you are a reporter and have questions about our site, feel free to contact us at [e-mail]. If you have questions about the noRNC clearinghouse meetings, contact [e-mail]. There are many organizations organizing against the RNC. You can view a large list of them in our directory of local organizations.

Where are the RNC delegates staying while they are in NYC anyway? Find out here. http://www.rncnotwelcome.org/delegates.html

Direct Action Handbook:
A wide range of tactical, medical, and legal resources to make your actions more effective and safe.
http://www.rncnotwelcome.org/daction.html

Street Resources

What We Know: A collection of snippets of media sources to provide a comprehensive look at what the RNC will look like. Always a work in progress. http://www.rncnotwelcome.org/whatweknow.html

Hotels: Where the Delegates are staying during the RNC.
http://www.rncnotwelcome.org/hotel.html

NYC Guide to War Profiteers- Map of corporations in Manhattan profiting off the Iraqi war & occupation.
http://www.m27coalition.org/directaction_locations.html

Surveillance in NYC: There are a great deal of cameras in our public spaces. Here are maps, guides to identifying different cameras, and a picture (so to speak) of how the NYPD operate.
http://www.rncnotwelcome.org/surveillance.html

resources:
http://www.rncnotwelcome.org/resources.html

[tridim]

1. Gawd I hope this thing doesn't get violent

Please be nice NYPD, we still have the right to free speech.

[Tansy_Gold]

2. Cuts in federal aid to NYC housing authority may result in

many poor people being evicted from their apartments in the next few months.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/04/nyregion/04HOUS.html?hp

<snip>

New York City is facing a shortfall of at least $55.5 million in federal housing subsidies this year because of a recent regulatory change affecting the government's primary housing program for poor Americans.

The change, retroactive to January, stems from an effort by the Bush administration to control spiraling housing costs.

. . .

That shortfall, in turn, may force housing agencies to freeze the number of vouchers, demand more money from tenants or do something that has never happened in Section 8's three-decade history: evict tenants from federally subsidized housing because of insufficient funding.
<end snips>

That may just make the RNC even more unwelcome, with more unwelcomers to greet the RNC when they show up. . .. .. . .

[loudsue]

3. What does the RNC expect? They're milking 9/11

and george bush and his republican administration are the ones that LET IT HAPPEN....ON PURPOSE! Now he's supposed to act like he's some sort of national hero? Not! He's a national ZERO.

They ASKED for this! And they ASKED for policies that destroy the American people in every fashion. American's votes were ignored in 2000. Now their VOICES won't be ignored.

O8)I pray for the safety of the protesters, and the good cops that are only there to keep order.O8)

The repukes and the bad cops <if there ARE any bad cops>? Well, the devil can have 'em.

This is proof positive. The repukes are STOOOOOOOPID.

:kick:

[makhno]

4. Excellent links

Thanks! How much is this crap going to cost the city? The RNC should pay the millions of dollars in city employee overtime, security and clean-up efforts after the inevitable mass protests.