sean bell, in retrospect

I'm a little late to party: I'm just learning to use video. This unthrilling footage was taken on May 7, 2008 when there were coordinated acts of civil disobedience throughout NYC in response to a "not guilty" verdict for the cops who murdered Sean Bell. This symbolic blockade took the street and blocked the Queens-Midtown tunnel for about half hour during rush hour traffic. The idea was to shut the city down, but that didn't quite happen.
- Pictures from One Police Plaza
- Pictures from Harlem
- Report from the Brooklyn Bridge
- Report from the Triborough Bridge

It didn't happen because when black people are routinely murdered by the NYPD, the only people who become enraged enough in any numbers are black people. At the one big march that happened right after Sean Bell died, there were very, very few faces that were not black. People like to believe the dirt throwing stories that are drummed up: that the victim had been arrested once on drug charges, that he'd been rumored by another drug user to have an illegal weapon. But neither of things, if true, justify what happened.

killed by NYPD, originally uploaded by abovegroundpool.

The fact is that Sean Bell wasn't high when he was killed, and had no weapon. Undercover officers followed he and his friends out of a bar, drew guns on them without identifying themselves as police offers, and shot three unarmed men fifty times.

There's no doubt that the amount of force endorsed by the NYPD is outrageous, and that an enormous number of people are murdered by them every year; for being black, for being mentally ill, for being homeless or sex workers.
I've blogged some of these images before, but feel today, like it's worth posting them again. When Amadou Diallo was killed, and a group of mostly white queers kicked off the demonstrations, Al Sharpton was moved to say "I am a Fed Up Queer." Though honored by that statement, I think it means there aren't enough allies for the black community. We're way more comfortable assuming victims are some kind of troublemaker, that there must have been good reason.

mockumentary

A new documentary film called Terrorist - SHAC 7 has just released their trailer. It's unspeakably sad to have to watch a movie preview to see the faces of friends for the first time in two years, since they're imprisoned in federal prisons spanning the country.

I've closely watched this and other green scare cases unfold, but there's so many details that I'm excited to learn more, to see this film. Hopefully the movie will expose how obscene these indictments have been, how dangerous it is to fling around the word "terrorist", and make clear why everyone should support those prosecuted under the Animal Enterprise Protection Act (and to resist the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act).

There are many places to learn all about the SHAC 7 case, the new wave of government-induced fear, and other imprisoned eco-activists. I won't even try and explain what's happening in a quickie way. It's dramatic, and detailed, and deserves more attention. It's ruining lives. Hopefully those resisting the attack on dissent will save many more.

activism on wheels

Erin Davies had a rainbow sticker on her car, which "inspired" someone to vandalize it with spraypaint, writing "fag" and "u r gay." Instead of having it cleaned, she took a road trip in the fagbug to talk about hate crimes, meeting with the lovers and families of murdered queers, talking to high school groups, talking to anyone who was interested or angered.

She had some interesting experiences on the road, with both letters of support and hate mail left under her wipers, her windows being smashed, multiple people trying to clean off the writing themselves, and constant parking issues, since nobody wanted to deal with the slurs.

She's now made a documentary of her trip, and is working on a book. If you're interested, check out more of her story, her photos, and her press coverage on fagbug.com.

pride in neckties

I made it to the soggy but spirited nyc dyke march this year, but not the drag march. Because it's still raining and because I missed those crazy faeries, I'm spending my afternoon making neckties (while humming the Church Ladies for Choice tune God is a Lesbian). If you watch the video, I hope the "Liberation" banner at the end warms your heart as much as mine.

appo

There's a new film about the popular rebellion in Oaxaca, Mexico in 2006, and the filmmaker is hoping to have the film screened for groups of activists. They are not looking for money, but to share the the information widely. See trailers of Desde el Filo de la Navaja.

small world

I work in publishing and went to a big book conference last week. I had two highlights: One was meeting Billie Jean King, and getting to tell her all about trans artist Tara Mateik's Battle of the Sexes performance at the Guggenheim. BJK was super nice and very interested in the artwork. She acted surprised that people were still thinking about this 1973 event.

The other people I got to meet are the great minds behind the Homegrown Evolution blog, and I got my hands on a copy of their new book. Good stuff. It felt like seeing old friends (because of that internet intimacy thing, where I feel like I know them well even though we'd never met). Creep factor aside, check out their fine work! (They're not animal activists, YET.... Don't let that deter you from the other good info in the book.)