RNC anarchist explains her actions, ideology

By David Lurvey

Editor’s note: Along with this essay and Q & A with an anarchist, it was ThreeSixty’s intention to do similar interviews with a St. Paul Police officer who was on duty during the Republican National Convention. The St. Paul Police Department declined that opportunity. The protester has asked to be referred to as “Jenny” because she and her group avoided arrest at the convention and fears arrest if her real name is used.

“The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions, that I wish it to be always kept alive. It will often be exercised when wrong, but better so than not to be exercised at all. I like a little rebellion now and then.” -Thomas Jefferson

I have always been intrigued by anarchists. The idea that someone can perform such acts of rebellion with such passion is something worth commending, no matter what your views are.

With the Republican National Convention in St. Paul in September, I had the opportunity to talk to a few anarchist protesters as they blocked the Seventh Street exit ramp off of eastbound I-94. This group of twenty-somethings from out East was willing to put themselves in physical and legal danger for a cause.

I witnessed many acts of protest during the first day of the RNC, but none caught my attention more than these young people blocking the highway exit ramp. I had the opportunity to contact one of the protesters after the RNC and was surprised to hear that the group had managed to avoid arrest.

After exchanging emails with “Jenny,” a 21-year old farmer/student/revolutionary living in New York who was one of those participating in the human blockade, I learned a little about what it means to be an anarchist and what drives these dissenters.

“Jenny” and her group came to the RNC with the goal of shutting down the convention, something that they planned for four months.

They knew that this was an unrealistic goal but each person had individual reasons for wanting to act. “Jenny” said that she had many reasons for wanting to resist including simply demonstrating resistance as well as wanting to “gain a sense of our movement’s scope…and disturb business as usual.”

“I think there are a lot of social problems in the United States that are very deeply rooted in ideological issues … People – mostly in the middle and upper socio-economic class – are too comfortable with their lifestyle (food and water, transportation, pensions, television, and cell phones all make life easy – if you can afford it) to wake up to the realities of our world systems (being) unsustainable in many, many ways. Protest is one way of disrupting these comfort zones in an attempt to wake people up,” she said in an e-mail.

And “Jenny” believes that people need to wake up immediately. “I see our government becoming more like a Fascist state every day. As things get more out of hand as the economy crumbles and we run out of oil, the government will try to enforce stricter laws so they can stay in power and stay comfortable, and then there will be a violent revolution,” she said. “There is very little you can do to prevent this, unless you are really powerful or rich, and those who are rich don’t care anyways because they are too comfortable. Like I said before, the only thing you can do is to be prepared to survive on your own and be ready to fight for what you believe in.”

As an anarchist, “Jenny” said she believes that “any change in our government, other than dissolving it entirely, would prove insufficient for revolution and self-empowerment of communities and individuals.”

This was “Jenny’s” first national protest but she has been involved in underground forms of resistance including “subversive flyering and…resistance in everyday life.”

I asked how she felt about the property damage that occurred during the RNC and she described how, although she is not willing to damage property as a form of resistance herself, she supports those who did. “Even though we are all anarchists, we recognize the autonomy of each other and everyone’s ability to discern what is the right course of action for themselves,” “Jenny” said.

Her ideal community would be based “on respect, understanding and mutual aid” — a place where people would help one another to perform the necessary tasks that the government does now. As an example she spoke of communities in Chiapas and Oaxaca, Mexico that live “off the grid.”

“The best way to accomplish change in my opinion is to participate in direct action and by not relying on the system — for example, growing your own food, getting medicine from the plants around you, foraging for food, etc.”

“Jenny” did not feel it was necessary to make a statement by getting arrested at the RNC. “I chose to leave rather than to be arrested because we had accomplished our goal — the cops did not have the resources to cut us out of our lockboxes, so they blocked the off-ramp for us with road signs and trucks. Our group had potential to help other protesters. We added to mass at intersections that needed reinforcements. Overall the convention was slowed down, and indeed, disrupted.”

As far as the recent election goes, “Jenny” said: “Obama’s election is fine with me — I don’t think it will change anything, really. If anything, it gives the neo-cons a chance to slink back to their dungeons and continue to privatize the military as they have been the last eight years.”

“Jenny’s” passion for her beliefs is evident and this demands respect and attention just as much as any Presidential debate or election.

Read David Lurvey’s full Q & A with “Jenny” here.