2009-09-06
With last week's announcement of the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh, PA, this coming September, the Pittsburgh Organizing Group (POG) is issuing this statement in support of the formation of the anti-authoritarian working group helping coordinate resistance to the meeting of the leaders of our planet's 19 largest economies, along with the European Union.
Though we will participate as individuals in the working group in varying capacities, POG is offering to take the following actions in support of the working group's planning and to further general resistance to the summit.
Network: Release a call to action for September to articulate our opposition to the G-20 and to invite people to come resist the G-20 in support of, and alongside, the larger tactical framework crafted by the working group
Train and Educate: Between now and the summit, conduct a series of Tactical Training Initiatives relevant to the mobilization (schedule to be announced)
Hype-Up: Utilize our annual Anarchist Picnic (Saturday, August 1) as an occasion to help build awareness and momentum for the G20 protests, and possibly co-host a planning consulta that weekend
Confront: Take on the organizing for a protest to take place outside the city's planned media stunt briefing on August 5; an event at which they intend to lay out plans for the repression of social movements before and during the G20. If the working group has the desire and capacity to conduct the event themselves, we will gladly cede primary organizing to that body and assist as needed.
Call Out: Continue with our longstanding policy of responding directly, in conjunction with our community allies, with home demonstrations and other lawful means to those individuals who engage in, or facilitate, egregious acts of repression. Long after the G20 leaves, we will remain: the actions of individual police and politicians toward social movements will determine our movements' relationship with them for years to come.
Additionally, POG is putting forth this list of what we hope to see come out of the working group.
The working group operating as both an information clearinghouse and as the facilitator and creator of an action framework
The working group taking a proactive stance in cultivating an attitude of respect for our community, and working and poor people in our community
Creating a set of Pittsburgh Principles, regarding mutual respect for a diversity of tactics
A utilization of our group's resources (TTI, connections within the Northeast Anarchist Network, the Anarchist Picnic, et cetera) to support resistance to the G-20
A rejection of participating in any state-organized protest activities, “free speech” zones, or protest pits, and possibly choosing to not advertise such events
Adopting anti-oppression organizing principles and opposing systems of oppression generated by privilege and hierarchy, the state and capitalism; and actively addressing manifestations of those systems of oppression in our organizational structures, confronting sexism, heterosexism, racism, classism, et cetera.
The primary day of action be Thursday the 24th, and that there be a Festival of Resistance on Friday the 25th.
Once again, the preceding list is only suggestive, and our support for the working group is not at all contingent on the adoption of any or all of these suggestions. We look forward to the working group hammering out points of unity and a framework this weekend, and look even more forward to getting down to business this September. Keep an eye out for ways to plug in, as we get details figured out.
Pittsburgh Organizing Group
http://www.organizepittsburgh.org