posted 02/09/12 07:21 AM | updated 02/09/12 08:46 AM
Views: 2627 | Comments : 19 | Crime

Minor vandalism, naked woman as anarchists again put East Precinct on watch -- UPDATE

By jseattle
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A view of the barricades from @msea1

An Occupy Seattle rally at Seattle Central degraded into an anarchist "Black Bloc" parade of minor havoc across Capitol Hill Wednesday night. Reports of tagging and worries of similar actions to Monday night's bank window damage had East Precinct on edge an on patrol at the area's financial institutions.

We have not confirmed any arrests, yet, from Wednesday night's activities and damage appears limited to more paint on the Broadway American Apparel and a few other minor acts of vandalism. UPDATE: SPD says no arrests. More information from SPD, below.

The blocks around East Precinct's headquarters at 12th and Pine were again blocked off by barricades as they were during this torch-filled march in January.

There was one moment of excitement near the barricades just before 8p when a naked woman was seen walking on E Pine after reportedly attempting to goad officers into arresting her. Police could not find the woman -- described as heavyset and brunette -- who was last spotted near the Rancho Bravo parking lot.

SPD has made no arrests related to Monday's vandalism. A writer who signed the statement "Anarchists" posted a claim of responsibility to Pugetsoundanarchists.org stating that those actions were also in solidarity with Occupy Oakland: 

On Monday, February 6 around 7 P.M. The windows of three banks on capital hill [sic] had their windows busted out. Flyers were strewn explaining to passerby's why they were targeted. The banks Chase, Key bank and an U.S. Bank were hit. We did this in response to the police actions against occupy oakland on January 28th in their attempt to occupy an empty building for use by the occupy movement. We choose banks because they are concrete symbols of the exploitative capitalist system we all live under and the poverty of everyday life within it.

Its easy to attack!

Occupy Oakland's actions have come under increased pressure as community groups and city officials have pushed to crack down on the East Bay contingent of the movement.

UPDATE: SPD says that nobody was arrested and the documented vandalism was minor in nature. Police did spend time dealing with garbage dumpster and lit road flares thrown into the road along Broadway. New graffiti was also documented on the Broadway Chase banks and police confirmed they recovered a bag of rocks ditched on the street.

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getting old
"Minor vandalism," over time, accumulates, and casts a pall over the neighborhood.

When will arrests be made of these immature losers?
Comment by calhoun
3 months ago
RE: getting old
At about the same time as we start arresting the gang taggers that hit my apartment building's dumpster every week.
Comment by Roberta
3 months ago
RE: getting old
typical gentrifier comments. I sincerely hope there comes a time very near when the police beat the living crap out of you for no reason other than being young and poor, when you can't find a job for over a year and the one you finally do find pays minimum wage... then you can have an opinion. until then, get some life experience you clueless hack
Comment by johncalvert
3 months ago
RE: getting old
Johncalvert says: " the police beat the living crap out of you for no reason other than being young and poor."

Oh, come on....this doesn't happen...maybe if that person had just committed a crime, and is resisting arrest...but certainly not for just "being young and poor." Gross exaggeration is not a great way to make a point...it just causes people to dismiss whatever you are saying.
Comment by calhoun
3 months ago
Black Bloc != Occupy
Anarchists claim to act in solidarity with Occupy but they're really trying to hijack the movement.

One of the elements of Occupy's early success was its commitment to non-violence. The photo of the UC Davis cop pepper spraying the peaceful protesters became the Mother of All Memes. Seattle contributed its own iconic image with the P-I photo of pepper sprayed Dorli Rainey, the peaceful 84-year-old Occupy Seattle protester. But rather than antagonize police, Occupy demonstrators urged them to recognize what they have in common with the protesters -- namely, that the police are part of the 99%, too.

The Black Bloc posers are glomming onto Occupy because they want to insinuate that their own juvenile antics possess Occupy's broad support. Good luck with that.
Comment by etaoin shrdlu
3 months ago
RE: Black Bloc != Occupy
THIS. If there was anyone actually involved in Occupy at this march, they left within 15 minutes of the anarchists starting up their little games.
Comment by Roberta
3 months ago
RE: Black Bloc != Occupy
Oh funny, Occupy is still a thing now? that is so 2011.
Comment by upd
3 months ago
upd is so 2011
Don't go away mad, upd. Just go away.
Comment by etaoin shrdlu
3 months ago
RE: Black Bloc != Occupy
It's a done deal in Seattle. Occupy has been co-opted by the Autonomia criminals and refuses to see it.
Comment by open your eyes
3 months ago
Hijacking?
It's amazing to me how anarchists could possible be hijacking a movemet they started....
Comment by Justine
3 months ago
RE: Hijacking?
Well said, Justine. Hedges' hysteria is being latched onto by neoliberal reactionaries who know little to nothing about the history of this (or most any other) movement or the very people they purport to be speaking for. What they don't get is that "black bloc" is just a tool, just a tactic sometimes used by all kinds of people to protect from surveillance and police repression. Many of these liberal snitch wolves in sheep clothing would be very surprised to see that people they are now organizing with are occasionally masked up. The people behind the masks are actually human beings just like you and the vast majority of them are actively organizing in all kinds of struggles. This demonizing has to stop.

Everything that has made Occupy popular: general assemblies, direct democracy, principles like mutual support, anti-authoritarianism and direct action - all ANARCHIST ideas and tools. You're welcome.

I'm so tired of the finger pointing and sensationalist scapegoating of anarchists and radicals from people who contribute and risk so little. No one is preaching violence or forcing you to do anything. Your broken record of nonviolence dogma and pleas to "work within the system" is a product of your extreme and apparently unexamined PRIVILEGE.

People of color, indigenous, queer, homeless, poor and working class people are constantly reminded of their place under the boot of capitalism. This comes in the form of harassment and brutality from police, discrimination at work and school, lack of access to housing and education, etc etc etc. Middle class Northwest fleece wearing Ghandi-... read more
Comment by colette
3 months ago
RE: Hijacking?
You and colette are so right. Anarchists aren't hijacking anything--we have been up to this for far longer than Occupy has existed. Fuck, an anarchist even made up the "99%" meme. Adbusters regularly talks about and is sympathetic to anarchism. And in Oakland, anarchists were on the ground from the very beginning; this is probably a large reason why OO is still so dynamic and interesting. (Check out bayofrage.com) Much of it obviously also has to do with Oakland's radical history and the more recent history of anti-police protests and riots... which anarchists also participated in, furthered, and influenced.

Many people have read Hedges' piece with a completely uncritical eye. Luckily, many others have taken it upon themselves to write a number of very good responses to his hatchet-job. Here are three:
Activists and Anarchists Speak for Themselves at Occupy Oakland: http://www.truth-out.org/occupy-oakland/1328726021
To Be Fair, He is a Journalist: http://anarchistnews.org/node/21648
Hedging Our Bets on the Black Bloc: http://thetrialbyfire.org/2012/02/07/hedging-our-bets-on-the
Comment by se@
3 months ago
RE: Hijacking?
What a load of crap. Who's demonizing whom? I'm a "reactionary" when I point out that anarchists are hijacking Occupy. Riiight.

Adbusters are Black Bloc anarchists?? Hardly. "We are a global network of culture jammers and creatives working to change the way information flows, the way corporations wield power, and the way meaning is produced in our society." And they started Occupy.

Colette, you and your pals are the 700 Club of the Left, sharing the same crazed self-righteousness and wildly oversimplified world view. Fundamentalist dogma is no more appealing in politics than it is in religion. Spittle flecked shouting of worn out cliches is just as tiresome coming from "anarchists" as it is coming from the nuts hounding women entering abortion clinics.

It's rich to read Colette's assertion that defense of non-violence is born of "privilege," when it's been my experience that ultra-leftist groups like the Black Bloc are disproportionately filled with trust fund kiddies.

Have fun with your masturbatory psychodrama, Colette et al, but leave Occupy out of it, please. Bravely defend people of color, indigenous, queer, homeless, poor and working class people crushed under the Red Wing Chukka Boot of American Apparel while waving your own cockeyed banner. Thanks.
Comment by etaoin shrdlu
3 months ago
This isn't accomplishing anything except making part of the hill look like a ghetto
Mobs roaming the streets dressed in black with their faces covered often carrying sticks, rocks, and now torches is apparently meant to intimidate the police but it doesn't and it's counterproductive. To that end OWS should distance themselves from these fringe groups.
Comment by kyle
3 months ago
RE: This isn't accomplishing anything except making part of the hill look like a ghetto
Colette seriously needs to go back to Bellevue.
Comment by unmask, cowards
3 months ago
RE: This isn't accomplishing anything except making part of the hill look like a ghetto
really? these people don't bother you. they don't rob you. they don't smash your shit up. so why do you care? most of these people live in your neighborhood anyways, so don't tell me its because your sticking up for cap hill or the CD. Coppers are bastards and banks steal from people. It sounds like a simplification but its historically and presently accurate. I one hundred support the black bloc anarchists and anyone else willing to take on the most powerful and abusive (to poor people) organizations in this city.

the obvious retort is to make some jab at how politically immature street action is... but the rest of the world disagrees with you.. street action seems to be the productive and rather mature response to encroaching austerity as imposed by politicians around the world.. maybe seattle should get a piece before its too late.
Comment by poorestofthepoor
3 months ago
RE: This isn't accomplishing anything except making part of the hill look like a ghetto
"I one hundred support"?

But mass action should be about rallying the masses to join in, not alienating them by trashing their neighborhood. The popular perception of the anarchists are of a fat lot of kids who pull on masks and run around breaking windows in the name of some undefined grudge against somebody or other. These "actions" don't change that perception. The meathead element has taken over, the way they eventually overrun any scene.
Comment by --MC
3 months ago
Those crazy kids!
That is all.
Comment by Sean
3 months ago
occupy seattle is still around?
I don't see much occupying anymore. Surprised they are still around.
Comment by neighbor
3 months ago