ROAD Kingston

An Analysis of the Strategic Opportunities and Challenges Presented by the 2008 Democratic and Republican National Conventions

Prepared as a contribution to In the Middle of a Whirlwind: 2008 Convention Protests, Movement and Movements, a project coordinated by Team Colors and published by The Journal of Aesthetics and Protest

The Short Answer

If you plan to attend the demonstrations at the Democratic or Republican National Conventions, you should already know what you intend to accomplish there and how you will go about it. If, for example, you intend to blockade a street, you should already be in a committed affinity group, have picked out a location, and be hammering out the details. Things never go as planned, but preparation helps get things off on the right foot. If you haven’t done any of this yet, there’s still time, but get a move on—one thing that has been proven not to work at mass mobilizations is for everyone to show up hoping everyone else has done the work.

Doubtless, there will be some—perhaps ten, perhaps ten thousand—for whom the conventions are a life-changing experience, and others for whom they will be non-events. We get out of life what we put in. But one has to prioritize—so how important are these conventions, anyway?

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Urban Capture the Flag
April 10, 2008
8pm - Meet at the Sleepless Goat (91 Princess St)

As the snow melts we play on!
Everything explained on-site. All you need is a desire to have fun and explore the streets.

Feel free to invite others.
For questions or comments contact kingston.crimethink (at) gmail.com

Kingston’s only anarchist infoshop moved its materials into the OPIRG Kingston office this weekend. You can now purchase any of our materials during office hours, available on the OPIRG Kingston website. We will continue to have a presence at concerts and events, and hope to move into the bottom floor of a new local social centre this fall. For a list of materials, see Miasma’s webpage.

Rolling Thunder #5 is now available from Miasma Infoshop for $7. Contact kingston.crimethink (at) gmail.com for more info. Below is the description from the CrimethInc. website.

This issue focuses on different ways of conceptualizing strategy, exploring the ways anarchist efforts can be repressed, assimilated, and neutralized only to reappear in new forms. It opens with a study by David Graeber of the successes and stumbling blocks of direct action movements over the past thirty years, followed by a special report distilling lessons from the recent wave of federal repression known as the Green Scare. Two features give the inside story on anarchist mobilizations overseas via interviews, personal narratives, and 16 pages of full color photos: an examination of the riots following the eviction of Denmark’s beloved social center Ungdomshuset, and a full review of last summer’s G8 protests in Germany. The issue is rounded out by a subject’s analysis of the medical study industry as a case study in modern day precarious labor, a spotlight on anarchist organizing in Modesto, California, and reviews of controversial works by anti-art duo Brener and Schurz. As always, 100% ad-free. Download Table of Contents PDF [510 k].

Urban Capture the Flag this Friday, March 7th @ 7pm.
Meet at the Sleepless Goat (91 Princess St.) …
We’ll bring the flags, you bring the fun.

For more info, contact kingston.crimethink (at) gmail.com