from Twitter
Former Philadelphia Mayor Frank Rizzo statue vandalized again
from Mainstream Media
The statue of former Philadelphia Mayor Frank L. Rizzo across from City Hall has been vandalized again.
Police are investigating after the word fascist was found painted overnight on the suit jacket of the 2,000-pound, 10-foot-tall bronze statue outside the Municipal Services Building. A sticker with the logo of Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz’s AO1 foundation also was placed in the hand of the statue’s upraised arm.
Workers removed the paint and the sticker Monday morning.
After learning of the incident, the faith-based AO1 Foundation issued a statement saying it did not “condone any acts of vandalism.”
The statue of the controversial former mayor and police commissioner was vandalized in 2017 when black activist Wali Rahman spray painted “Black Power” on the statue. Charges against Rahman were later dropped after he agreed to perform 50 hours of community service.
The statue has been a flash point in the city’s racial politics for many years. Opponents say it represents an era in which a tough-talking, law-and-order mayor discriminated against minorities and gays. Supporters have argued that Rizzo was tough on law-and-order issues, but not a racist.
Mayor Jim Kenney announced in 2017 that the statue would be moved to a new location. That move is set for 2021. No location has been chosen.
What happened after word spread that the Proud Boys did karaoke in a West Philly bar
from Mainstream Media
So a group of people armed with Proud Boys swag walk into a West Philly bar.
Among the string of events that happened next: a boycott, a meltdown in online review sections, an interview on conservative talk radio, a projectile through a window, a complaint about Antifa, and a karaoke master who says he’ll never return.
It’s been a long couple of weeks for the Millcreek Tavern.
The West Philadelphia dive bar has been under fire and called a haven for hate by both longtime patrons and people who have never set foot in the place since Nov. 15. That’s when a group maybe affiliated with the Proud Boys, a far-right organization designated as a hate group, showed up for the weekly karaoke night and left their branded materials — including a mouse pad and fliers — lying around.
It wasn’t the first time the Millcreek Tavern and its owner, Jack Gillespie, have made headlines. In 2017, the bar was in the news for apparently booking a metal band known for its anti-Semitic lyrics. Once folks caught wind of the concert, they flooded the bar with phone calls and the show was canceled — Gillespie says it was a big misunderstanding.
He took a similar tack this time around, posting on Millcreek’s Facebook page three days after the incident that he had no idea who the Proud Boys were when there were concerns they were inside his bar. Then he wrote that the group wasn’t actually the Proud Boys at all, but from Turning Point USA, a conservative student organization.
Philadelphia Proud Boys’ only response to The Inquirer was to say “Lol boycotting?” via email and point out that someone threw something through the Millcreek window. TPUSA’s local chapter didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Gillespie, for his part, said he acted in good faith and doesn’t know what he’d do if the Proud Boys came back. He said that he might ask them to drink somewhere else, but also that he’s “not going to discriminate” and believes in their First Amendment rights.
The Proud Boys are self-identified “Western chauvinists” and designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a “general hate” group. Its male-only members have espoused anti-Muslim and misogynistic rhetoric.
Some of the group’s members have been aligned with extremists and appeared at the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., that promoted white supremacy and neo-Nazism and resulted in the death of Heather Heyer. Two of the group’s members were convicted earlier this year of attempted gang assault for taking part in a violent brawl in New York, while others reportedly made a threatening late-night visit to the Philadelphia home of a critic.
Gillespie said the bar got a phone call on Nov. 15 from someone claiming they wanted to bring in a group of Republicans to partake in karaoke. No problem, Gillespie said. He was in the bar starting at about 9:30 p.m. and saw two groups, each of about 10 people, that he didn’t recognize. They were “well-behaved,” he said, and drank, ate, and did karaoke. He noticed there was “a Proud Boy file” and “a Proud Boy logo” on one of his tables, but said he hadn’t heard of the group and thought nothing of it.
Gillespie said he went to bed around 1 a.m. and the night was without incident.
Others at the Millcreek that night remember it differently, including Vashti Bandy, a writer and liberal activist who lives in South Philly. She’s faithfully sung karaoke at Millcreek every Friday for at least six years. In 2017, Bandy gave Gillespie the benefit of the doubt and publicly defended Millcreek during the anti-Semitic-metal-band debacle.
Her loyalty was for the same reasons that made this whole incident sort of unexpected: The bar attracts a crowd that’s diverse in every way imaginable. It’s a stone’s throw from the yoga studios and vegan snack shops on Baltimore Avenue. And this is West Philly we’re talking about — Gillespie, on a radio show, called it a “bastion of liberalism,” and few would argue.
Bandy was in the bar with a group of friends and regulars when they spotted the literature. Among the materials on one table: a folder with fliers and a mouse pad that said “Philadelphia Proud Boys.” On an adjacent table were signs and stickers with TPUSA literature, including stickers and buttons with slogans like “Socialism Sucks” and “Yay for 2a,” a reference to the Second Amendment.
Then Bandy saw a group of about 10 white men clad in golf shirts and khaki pants. They stuck out like sore thumbs. The normal Friday-night crowd is “a mixed group,” Bandy said, “but they’re not generally the khaki-pants-golf type.”
Bandy, 40, said she then got on stage and, into the microphone while Gillespie was nearby, dedicated Lily Allen’s “F— You” to “the Proud Boys” and said something to the effect of: “We know who you are. Get out of the bar.” The group went upstairs.
Meanwhile, regular patrons alerted bar employees that there was a possible hate group in the house, and conferred with Stanley Gravitt, a karaoke administrator who’s been running the Friday-night show at Millcreek for six or seven years. Gravitt, who said he was fearful partly because he is black, said he felt unsafe and uncomfortable all night long.
And that night was only the beginning.
Gravitt, 39, said he won’t be returning. Ditto for some of the Friday-night regulars. Bandy said she can’t support a business “that at best cannot be bothered to have basic respect for regular clientele to do a minimum level of vetting to make sure you’re not bringing in hate groups.”
Online mobs on both sides flooded Millcreek’s Facebook and Yelp pages with reviews, leading to arguments in the comments. Yelp temporarily disabled posts to Millcreek’s page due to “unusual activity.”
And a few days after the incident, Gillespie woke to find someone had thrown something heavy and metal through the front window of the bar. Police confirmed a report of vandalism was filed on Nov. 20.
Without proof, Gillespie has blamed Antifa, a loosely defined, leftist, antifascist organization that’s a frequent presence at protests in Philadelphia. Antifa has before engaged in physical confrontations with people it believes are fascists or Nazis. (SPLC says it doesn’t consider Antifa a hate group because it doesn’t “promote hatred based on race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity.”)
Anathema Volume 5 Issue 7
from Anathema
Volume 5 Issue 7 (PDF for reading 8.5×11)
Volume 5 Issue 7 (PDF for printing 11×17)
In this issue:
- Global Insurrection
- Pink Wave
- What Went Down
- Ring And The New Policing
- Lasers!!!
- During The Quiet
- Sean Bonney Poem (Confessions 2)
- Interview: 10 Years After The UC Occupations
- Response to “Property Destruction Is Not Enough”
- Pinkerton
- Bomb Scares
- End The Abatement?
Benefit Show!
from Facebook
Trendgender
Kahlil Ali
Cranes are Flying
Gait
Yoshi sun
Doors at 7:30
$5-$10 suggested donation benefitting Occupy PHA and Philly Anarchist Black Cross
[December 13 7:30-11PM at Gilbert’s Shoes 1652 Ridge Ave]
fare strike update/plan/announcment
Submission
SEPTA, along with all of this country’s sorely lacking public transit, is paid for with the tax dollars of the American people. then, after taking our money, they have the balls to charge us for the “privilege” of getting to work, visiting out friends and whatever the hell else people want to do that isn’t in walking distance.
The goal of this action, along with being a strike against the injustice faced in daily life under capitalism and showing support for similar actions taking place across the world, is to demonstrate what we are capable of when acting collectively. A life free from coercion is possible. The first step is acting like we’re already there, even if only for a day. Public transit should be free, so we’re taking it upon ourselves to make that true.
hop, swipe your homies, hold the emergency door, do whatever whenever where ever as long as no one pays
City hall, 3 PM 12/24/19
Graffitti Dissing Comcast Van
Submission
Spotted this comcast van with its logo crossed out and a big circle A on the side (not pictured) lol
Fare strike
Submission
We’re not the best with words but this is a call to action. Tuesday, 12/24, Christmas Eve SEPTA fare strike. Nobody pays, crew up, hop with yr friends, hit the bus driver with the “hey man I lost my card can ya help me out?” We’ve got copies of fliers coming we’re gonna throw up, feel free to make your own, relevant points of information are on the attachment but here’s again. FARE STRIKE 12/24 NOBODY PAYS
FUCK SEPTA
WAR ON CHRISTMAS 2019
R.I.P BRYANT HENRY JR.
COPS ARE THE ABSOLUTE ENEMY
Solidarity with Chile, New York City, and the fucking Puget Sound.
With all the love we got,
Some anarchists
Prison Rebel Birthdays for December
from It’s Going Down
[This post only contains information relevant to Philadelphia and the surrounding area, to read the entire article follow the above link.]
Inspired by the spirit of the Political Prisoners Birthday crew, here’s a short listing of some rebel prisoners who have upcoming birthdays in September. For an an introduction on how to write to prisoners and some things to do and not to do, go here. If you have the time, please also check IWOC’s listing of prisoners facing retaliation for prison strike-related organizing.
Fred “Muhammad” Burton
Fred Burton is one of the Philly 5, a group of men accused of an alleged attack on a police station that left one officer killed. He was sentenced to a life term for murder. Burton has maintained his innocence since his arrest.
Birthday: December 15
Address:
Smart Communications/PA DOC
Fred Burton
AF3896
SCI Somerset
Post Office Box 33028
St Petersburg, Florida
33733
USA
Alejandro Rodriguez-Ortiz
A former Vaughn 17 defendant. While the state has now dropped its attempts to criminalize Alejandro in relation to the uprising, he is facing continued retaliation, as he has been moved out of state to Pennsylvania, where many Vaughn defendants are being held on lockdown indefinitely (via placement on PA’s Restricted Release List) on vague and questionable grounds. More than two years later, these prisoners are still being abused for staying in solidarity with one another against the state.
Birthday: December 17
Address:
Smart Communications / PA DOC
Alejandro Rodriguez-Ortiz – NW2883
SCI Camp Hill
P.O. Box 33028
St. Petersburg, FL 33733
Jonathan Rodriguez
A former Vaughn 17 defendant. While the state has now dropped its attempts to criminalize Jonathan in relation to the uprising, he is facing continued retaliation, as he has been moved to Pennsylvania, where he is being held on lockdown indefinitely (via placement on PA’s Restricted R. More than two years later, these prisoners are still being abused for staying in solidarity with one another against the state.
Birthday: December 31
Address:
Smart Communications / PA DOC
Jonathan Rodriguez – NU0434
SCI Houtzdale
PO Box 33028
St. Petersburg, FL, 33733
Norman “Chris” Henk, Proud Boys Recruit in Pennsylvania
from It’s Going Down
[This post only contains information relevant to Philadelphia and the surrounding area, to read the entire article follow the above link.]
Twitter troll @SylvioHunt was exposed this week as Norman “Chris” Henk, a Proud Boys recruit.
Online, Henk posts Anders Breivik memes and various Proud Boys propaganda, and engages in the harassment of leftist activists.
Currently, Henk works as a Conductor for New Jersey Transit. You can tweet to them @NJTRANSIT.
Anarchy Afternoons: Breaking the Spell (1999 Seattle WTO doc)
from Facebook
It’s been 20 years so, this week, we are going to look back at the Battle of Seattle aka the 1999 Seattle WTO protests. We will be watching the classic documentary Breaking the Spell and a few shorter videos.
For many anarchists in North America, the events in Seattle signaled a new phase of street action. The actions in Seattle informed and inspired anarchist engagement with the anti-globalization movement and other demonstrations in North America for years after. Not to mention that the tactics developed in this period still shape anarchist activity 20 years later.
We will watch this documentary and discuss the events in 1999 to consider what is still relevant now. What can we get from taking another look at this stage of anarchist organizing? Is there any remaining untapped potential or lessons still to be learned?
Anarchy Afternoons begins at Friday 3:00pm
Documentary 3:30
Shorter film clips 5-6pm
[December 6 at A-Space 4722 Baltimore Ave]
Healing & Justice – Honoring Dr. Mutulu Shakur – Philadelphia
from Facebook
Book an appointment for acupuncture, massage or an herbal consultation for yourself or as a gift for someone who deserves it. Through his revolutionary work with Lincoln Detox, Black Acupuncture Advisory Association of North America and the Harlem Institute of Acupuncture, Dr. Shakur utilized acupuncture to not only heal but also empower. In honor of this legacy, licensed acupuncturists, massage therapists and herbalists will come together at Six Fishes Neighborhood Acupuncture to provide care for sliding scale donations of $25- $50.
Donations are tax-deductible & support Dr. Shakur’s legal defense, commissary essentials, and projects promoting justice for the Black community. In solidarity with long-term political prisoner from Philadelphia who is battling cancer, Russell Maroon Shoatz, a portion of proceeds from the event will go to his support fund. Cash is accepted or for a tax deduction, bring check or money order made out to CAD.
Since space is limited, use the form below to schedule an appointment: http://mutulushakur.com/site/2019/11/healing-justice-philadelphia-2019/
[December 7 from 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM at Six Fishes Acupuncture, Chinese Herbs & Massage 2308 Grays Ferry Ave]
Black Friday
Submission
In solidarity with striking amazon workers in Europe this Black Friday, a small crew of anarchists popped around 20 indiego bike tires, sabatoged 10 ATMs, tagged a macy’s and several other stores, the Rizzo mural, and sabatoged an Excavator being used in a development project.
Tagging spree
Submission
We went on a hella tagging spree tonight in preparation for Black Friday. Started at broad and walnut and got all the way up to broad and diamond with 2 cans of paint and a white paint marker. Hit the armed forces recruiting center, a Bank of America, some construction equipment, properties currently being developed, 24 indiego bike tires slashed, and a lot learned and there was much joy taken in simple acts of rebellion. Fuck this colonial holiday, super fuck Black Friday, fuck those who would have us feel shame around mental illness and lack of perceived productivity under this coercive capitalist structure, when the real people who deserve to feel shame are those bulldozing and developing land that used to be wild and beautiful, banks that collaborate with ICE, and fucking army recruiters!
Signed, with all the love in our hearts-
Prison abolitionist queers who will never stop disrupting. Stay sexy, Stay violent, Stay unpredictable
