Wildfire is a beautiful metaphor for ecological resistance. Though it may freak some people out, it is central to ecosystem health and regeneration. And this one happens to be in New York. Source
Suggestions on how to chip away at the empire in the Empire State this September
by Panagioti / Earth First! NewswireAs the days of action surrounding the UN climate talks in NYC get closer, the internal sparks are already starting to fly with debates over who is annoyingly liberal, who is fronting with empty militant rhetoric, who is affiliated with Zionism and who is pro-Palestinian, which unions might be down and which are most likely to sell out the planet for promise of a few jobs, etc…
This is a call to resist the temptation of spending long nights trolling the internet on the above topics in the following month. Rather than scroll through endless posts, tweets and comments, wracking your brain to aim your limited characters with precision*, why not occupy your thoughts with questions such as these:
Where can I sign up to resist the Rockaway gas pipeline under construction right now in NYC?
How can I get to Albany to join growing opposition to increasing oil train traffic through communities there?
Who do I talk to about planning an action against a proposed gas plant in Orange County?
When’s a good time to take action in solidarity with small farmers against the monster power lines proposed across the Hudson Valley?
Is there a community garden in Manhattan that I can help defend, and maybe pitch a tent in?
What about organizing in response to tar sands barges on the Hudson River?
And, why the f**k haven’t they shut down the Indian Point Nuke plant yet?
With a month to go, now is the time to start figuring out meaningful participation that can build momentum beyond of a march-and-go-home scenario.The march and the week of action surrounding it is shaping up to be a pretty damn monumental coming-together of social and ecological forces in this country that aren’t seen taking the streets together too often these days. Let’s take a quick recap.
Riders with Times Up take Time Square in 2004
Just over 10 years ago, NYC was the site of one of the last notable mass mobilizations of the broad-based global justice movement, coinciding with the RNC of 2004. And while the generalized anti-capitalism of its earlier years had largely given way to a narrower anti-war focus, there was still plenty of signs that the ecological component of the movement was not to be ignored: including thousands of cyclists taking Times Square in a Critical Mass that ended in mass arrests as well as the coinciding of community garden work days throughout the city’s squatted urban wilds.
Once again, fire as a metaphor in the famous flaming green dragon of the 2004 RNC march
In the five years which preceded that RNC, the joined forces of burly teamsters, people in cardboard turtles costumes and cop-fighting black blockers had become a common site at mass actions.
But in the years that followed, the phenomenon became a rarity. In its place we saw: a Green Scare witch hunt with dozens of indictments and arrests; the rise of a depressingly authoritarian eco-militancy via DGR; and the Occupy movement which, despite its beauty and power, put ecology on a back burner.
Simultaneous to much of this, we saw the entrance of 350.org. While this group succeeded in mobilizing wide spread international support around climate change, its narrow focus on the number of climate particles in the atmosphere and its vague pleadings for political action on climate policy leaves much to be desired.
And yet, they seem to be succeeding at getting an unprecedented number of groups to endorse the march coming to New York next month, where thousands of people who may have never engaged in street level protest or environmental action will meet for the first time.It would be a real shame to let these folks walk away feeling disempowered by their participation, when they could have the chance to connect with direct action groups and regional campaigns that would put their passion onto the front lines of ecological resistance.So, check out the groups in the links above, figure out how your affinity group or underground cell—however you may choose to roll—can maximize your impact in the Empire State this September.And remember, there are cops everywhere, so don’t to take it personal if you see an old friend in their best business casual walk by offering no more than a wink and a nod.Hope to see you on the streets, at the beach, in the garden, on the river, at the power plant… You get the picture.Panagioti is an organizer with Everglades EF! and a former editor of the EF! Journal. This article was written with input from members of Hudson Valley EF! and Rising Tide North America.———————————————————————–To support the Earth First! Newswire, subscribe or donate here
* Just in case you can’t hold back, remember, keep it to 100 for Tweets, 40 on Facebook for maximum views.
