Remember, it doesn’t all need to be figured out this second, if that helps. Meet with trusted people and orgs you’re a part of. Start (or continue) planning. Bounce things off each other. Build a coalition

https://twitter.com/ShieldPDX/status/1295478915864002561?s=20

Yay, Shield zine is done!

If you're in SOS and BLM chats, you should know there are no leaders here. There might be people you trust or look up to, but don't wait for them. Start making plans. Start building coalitions. Start building mutual aid networks. Start reaching out to friends and groups and organizations. Don't wait for anyone else to do it for you.

O’odham land defenders using construction materials to block road by the wall. RIght now a stand off with Border Patrol and security continues.

#QuitobaquitoSprings #HiacedOodham #DefendOodhamJewed #NoWallOnOodhamLand #FuckTheWall

https://www.instagram.com/p/CFxOlyUBgMM

If there is a basic plan in place for scouting/communications, this will help avoid a situation where our route takes us straight into a wall of cops. having possible dispersal points along possible route(s) allows people to get away safely (like subway stations for example) when the action ends, rather than letting the crowd break up and have small groups of ppl be vulnerable on the street. if there are defined targets (even if not announced in advance) the action is more likely to feel purposeful and be effective. well-organized autonomous actions don't just say 'show up here at this time' but have some plans and possible contingency plans, which of course are not public, but can be communicated during the action based on what's happening otg by people that agree to take on certain well-defined responsibilities. leaderlessness doesn't mean that there's no organization.

Deceiving the Sky: Collective Experiments in Strategic Thinking. Great anthology from comrades in the Pacific Northwest that collects important texts on elements of strategy through a radical lens, plus collective annotations from their reading group. A must-read!

Ok. New Chicago chat is here. https://t.me/joinchat/QcyqAkdyu3j_M8i4C0PQMA

Prototype shield cart.

Everyone should take 5 minutes to watch this: https://vimeo.com/422664003

Some rough guidelines for speaking to one another in an organizing space with no hierarchy:
• Always ask. Instead of saying “do this,” or “I need this,” ask “can you do this?” or “does anyone have this?”
• Welcome newcomers openly, and treat them as equals immediately. It’s helpful for a group to have a protocol (that is subject to change) for getting new folks caught up on the basics
o This can be hard when trusted bonds have formed. Work to shut down your own in-group/out-group dynamic within the group. Work to shut down any and all egoism within yourself. Lean on people who are honest with you
o At the same time, the new person shouldn’t join your affinity group necessarily. Trust there is sacred. But welcome them into the larger collective with open arms, and help catch them up.
• Assume the best. If someone is admitted into a trusted space, assume the folks admitting them (who you trust) are making a reasonable decision. The state wants us scared and not trustful. Trusting our friends and comrades, while still taking necessary precautions, is vital to victory.
• Have a transformative justice procedure if trust is violated, or even if disrespect crops up too much. Don’t look to punish, but instead to help one another grow. We’re all we got in this struggle.

Portland shields evolving