There’s Only One Solution; Intifada, Revolution, and the Streisand Effect
The “Streisand Effect”
The word of the day is the “Streisand Effect”. This term originated in 2003, tied to the property of the singer and actress Barbra Streisand. A photo released by a conservation group, captured the extent of the eroded cliffs at her mansion on the Malibu Coast. Rather than address the issue, she sued, sent cease-and-desist letters, and ordered the photo to be removed from the internet. This only made the story more viral, and soon the internet was flooded with photos of the erosion caused by her estate.
The last two weeks, FreePeoplePDX has worked to try to cover up the chaos of the callout of an accused sexual predator leading the weekly marches. At first, they released a statement in full support of Jad, threatening to sue me and the anonymous authors of the Cryptpad, for having exposed the allegations. They then updated their letter, not mentioning the man in question, but refusing to condemn him. This morning I awoke to a new post, in which they declared that he no longer had a part in their leadership. In many ways, their strange response triggered the “Streisand Effect’’ as more and more people wondered what they were hiding, or why they took so long to remove him from leadership. I watched the comments devolve into inquiries about the accusations and their part in covering up the documents.
December the 9th marks the 36th anniversary of the First Intifada. The Intifada refers to the series of protests and uprisings that ignited across Palestine, demanding an end to the apartheid state, and for the right to return to their stolen land.
In that light, it seemed especially important to join the protest as well as to witness the fallout from the collapse of FreePeoplePDX. Due to the man they did not know was accused of such crimes, they finally separated and forced him out of the group, after Jad locked the main organizers out of the account to avoid accountability. A new crew had organized in its wake, named Zaytuna, meaning olive branch. I wondered whether they would follow the same strategy with many of the same figureheads.
I awoke in the morning and met with my dear friend for falafel and hummus at Cedo’s. Palestinian-owned with the kindest owners, this has become a tradition of Palestinian food before protests for Palestine. Please give them your support as my favorite lunch spot for savory falafel in the Portland area and tip well.
You can imagine, after a full belly and a coffee, my trepidation about wandering downtown once again. I had been threatened with a lawsuit and wondered whether they would attempt to start a conflict over my controversial articles. Today I had chosen “greybloc”, a term used for when you wear inconspicuous clothing that conceals your identity. Greybloc is simple, and usually requires nondescript pants and shoes, a loose fitting hoodie, a neck gaiter or balaclava, and a baseball cap.
However, in my role, I felt responsible to report on the rally planned at the Pioneer Courthouse Square. I hopped on the MAX and held my breath. What we witnessed was disappointing.
My buddy biked downtown once we finished our lunch, to be one of the first to arrive at the meet-up spot. The first thing they noticed was one of the organizers, who had been called out for violent peace-policing with FreePeoplePDX. Casually, he walked around the courthouse square. He talked at length with the security guards at their posts, no doubt communicating the plan for the protest, with security of the Pioneer Courthouse Square.
It was a strange scene. A large truck was parked by the Christmas Tree, which raised a lot of concerns from the weeks prior. As more and more people meandered into the middle, near the truck, the organizers began the rally.
I arrived just as the majority of people made it, hopping off the Red Line. I stood at the steps at the Starbucks and tried to listen in. Instead, the series of speakers were impossible to hear, as Christmas music blasted over the loudspeakers, attached to the tree. This week brought out maybe 200 people at maximum. The lack of support was evident. Many were burnout from the weeks of action that did little to stop the genocide, or even effectively call for a ceasefire.
Judging that confrontation would occur, I went to where my friends stood at the back end of the group. There I stood silent and looked around. The Chipmunks Christmas song, comparable to CIA “enhanced interrogation”, crescendoed over the crowd.
Joining the event were healthcare workers, who came to support the call for a ceasefire. ZaytunaPDX brought bundles of white cloth, covered in red dye, to represent the babies being bombed and covered in blood. The healthcare workers came in scrubs and lab coats, their hands were dyed red like that of the doctors in Gaza. Most of them had “FREE GAZA” or “END THE OCCUPATION” scrawled across their hands. The message was powerful.
The organizers also brought olive branches to spread throughout the crowd. The olive tree is a powerful symbol in Palestine as it represents sustenance and peace. Next, watermelons were passed to several protesters, who carried the fruit above their heads. The watermelon has been used as a metaphor for the resilience of the Palestinian people. For some time, during the occupation, the Israeli occupiers forbade any public displays of the Palestinian flag. Instead artists would paint the sweet melon, with the colors of red, green, white, and black. Overall, the level of symbolism was touching and thought-out.
At the edges of the rally, I kept a close eye. I checked in with the security team and the corkers. All of us expressed concern at the dwindling numbers and the continuation of ineffective tactics.
The truck was the biggest issue that many of us had. Since the protests started, people had been suspicious. Not only does the truck, no doubt worth at least 100k, resemble that of the right-wingers that drove into downtown during the Uprisings and the Stop the Steal clashes; it also sports a pro-police American flag.
For weeks, multiple people approached the drivers to ask why they displayed a symbol supporting the police state. Each week the drivers feigned ignorance, asking them to explain what it meant once again. Many of us rightfully told them that the flag represents support of the cops, and the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) trains with the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) and that supporting police here meant supporting the brutal occupation of Palestine. Each week they promised they’d take off the stickers, or cover them up with the flag of Palestine.
Rather than truthfully respond to our request, this week the flags were taped over with blue masking tape. The fact that they used blue to cover blue stickers on a black truck was strange, when they could have covered them with black electrical tape or simply the Palestinian flag. Whether it is the organizers doing or the stubbornness of the owner is yet to be determined. When I brought it up, I was asked what the flag meant. I responded by noting that the fact that it was covered means they knew what it meant.
One cannot be against the Israeli Occupation Forces, without first recognizing the deep tie between the IOF and the American policing system. Portland and Seattle Police, for example, send officers to train with the IOF on crowd control tactics. Much of the extreme police brutality, including the neck-kneel that Derek Chauvin of Minneapolis used to murder George Floyd, were direct doctrine and teachings from the IOF. These struggles are intertwined.
ACAB includes Israeli Cops.
There Is Only One Solution. Intifada, Revolution!
Once the speakers finished their speeches, they began to lead those in attendance in a series of chants. The truck began to roll forward, as the corkers and cars took over the street. Slowly the supporters followed suit and the march began in earnest. All the while, the Arab organizers led us in chants “From the River to the Sea! Palestine Will Be Free!”.
At the front of the crowd, people in scrubs and lab-coats, held aloft a new large banner. It read, “HEALTH WORKERS DEMAND A CEASEFIRE NOW”, written in the colors of the flag.
On the back of one of the cars in the motorcade was covered in a large banner which read “NO MORE COLONIAL GENOCIDE”. With the car in the middle of the street, we blocked off the intersection of 5th Avenue and Morrison Street for a few minutes.
The stop made the operator of the MAX Red Line honk their horn for a whole minute. At first some of us figured the driver was in support. Instead he was an Zionist, upset that the show of resistance had delayed the train by a minute or two. My friend flipped them off for their reaction. This caused the operator to shut off the sound hastily, as the photographers gathered around to capture his concerted face.
The procession proceeded forward, heading north towards the Union Station. “Gaza, Gaza, Don’t You Cry! Palestine Will Never Die!” filled the streets. We repeated many of the same chants, with new additions from the group. They added things like “Gaza, We Will Liberate!” and “Not Another Nickel, Not Another Dollar! No More Money for Israel’s Slaughter”!
I thought of a future chant to target our local congressional representative Earl Blumenauer. While our Senator has called for a ceasefire, his counterpart in the House has remained silent. Despite his claims to be a humanitarian, having visited Gaza and seen the apartheid state, he refuses to sign the resolution for a ceasefire. He doesn’t seek reelection so he has literally nothing to lose, and instead he stands idly by as a genocide unfolds. So we could begin to scream “BLUMENAUER, YOU’RE A COWARD! KIDS ARE DYING BY THE HOUR!”
We repeated a similar route to the now two months of straight protesting. Eventually we arrived at the Starbucks. Our chants turned against the establishment that is enabling the apartheid. I screamed “FUCK STARBUCKS!” as everyone else shouted “BOYCOTT STARBUCKS!”.
Once we reached the entrance, a group of healthcare workers moved to the door. Above their heads, they held the effigies resembling the babies bombed by Israel. They successfully blocked the doors for a few minutes, reminding the chain that their coffee is killing children. It was beautiful, a powerful act of in-your-face symbolism. I was moved to tears.
Then, someone marching at our side, decided to cause a scene. “Come on!”, they screamed. “Come on! The children of Gaza can’t wait! The children of Gaza need us to do more than this fucking shit! We’re going in! Come on!”. They urged everyone to enter the Starbucks with them. One person followed behind as a few of us waited at the outskirts. They stormed past the healthcare workers and into the store. Inside, they proceeded to throw bags of beans on the ground, and knock over the holiday displays.
They stuck their heads outside. “Are you kidding me?” They chastised those os us watching the strange scene. “Are all of you cowards? The children of Gaza need more!”. This caused some chaos in the crowd. But to my suprise, and to our collective sigh of relief, this person was not attacked or even policed in their protest.
Multiple bystanders approached the person and urged them that this type of action was unwarranted. The protester couldn’t contain their emotions, and I figured they were on something, having a bad trip. They screamed, “there are 17,000 people dead! What are we doing?! There’s so many children dead….” their voice broke and they broke down in tears. Then they tore off their shirt in the cold, and sat down.
I understood their anger, as I muttered “I mean fuck, it’s fuckin better than marching in circles every fucking week!.” I was shouting at the end and decided to remove myself for a minute to catch my breath. Their anger was warranted, the action they took was not. It disrupted what was already a powerful act of protest, the healthcare workers with the bundles of white cloth to represent the children.
At that moment, as an anarchist, I had hoped at least one person would huck a watermelon at the windows of the Starbucks. They were small enough that they would have probably smashed on impact, especially with the thick windows of the Starbucks in the center of downtown. However, I was touched by the healthcare workers display. They were allowed to confront the coffee chain, and that was a good action for the day.
We wrapped around once again around Pioneer Courthouse Square. One thing I noticed was that it wasn’t until the end of the march that we repeated the chant, “There Is Only One Solution! Intifada! Revolution!”.
On the anniversary of the First Intifada, the lack of acknowledgement for the militant uprisings in Palestine, seemed off. The march came to an end back at the Christmas Tree.
There, the organizers thanked everyone for their part, and proceeded to pose for a photo with the health workers in support of a permanent ceasefire. It was a strong shot, with the olive branches and the watermelons that represented their resiliency.
At the end, the famous World On Fire Department (W.O.F.D.) parked outside the square. They gave out hot cocoa for the activists who showed up in solidarity, which was quite a sweet addition.
Ceasefire NOW!
WORLD ON FIRE DEPARTMENT (W.O.F.D.)
Overall, the action on December 9th marked a shift in tactics, even by a little. The organizers heard about the discontent at challenging Starbucks’ support of the genocide. Zaytuna thought of a peaceful action that could also protest their part in the occupation. The watermelons and the olive branches were a unique art action. It was a positive experience altogether, despite the lack of direct action.
Afterwards, I visited my friends and received a Christmas gift and tried to forget about the strange day. But that evening and the next day, people began to ask questions. With FreePeoplePDX’s post about the accused predator, I was blocked in the evening. They then changed their name to EntifadaPDX and proceeded to delete the post.
The other part that came up was from multiple activists who had been attending the marches for the months before. They questioned why the large black truck was leading the march. Not only were the Thin Blue Line stickers suspect, but so was the large decal of the Iraqi Army. Perhaps a veteran, the driver’s disregard to the valid requests was evident.
The tie between the Israeli Occupation Forces and the Portland Police is proven. It’s not like we’re peddling a conspiracy. Anyone that would stand in support of a Free Palestine will recognize the relationship between colonial powers and police brutality in the West.
The organizers listened however, and their group did well to disavow themselves from the fallout of FreePeoplePDX, now EntifadaPDX. I was blocked so cannot give you my opinion on the old group. I will say that whether or not we all agree on tactics, ZaytunaPDX seems to be coming at this with a desire to demand change.
The problem remains in the meaningless marches we do through the city blocks. Downtown Portland is a shell of its former self, and thus doesn’t attract attention. Even the Multnomah County Injustice Center remains barricaded, as I saw a group with the march stand on the steps to cover the wooden frame with a banner reading “FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA”.
This is my last report of 2023. The lessons of the year are thus; informed consent is important, as we must all be aware of who leadership is. Don’t follow tokenized leadership simply because they claim to represent an identity. People are not monoliths. People are also people.
Communicating with police and private security is unsafe for everyone involved. Police try to siphon information from protesters and some people are all too willing to discuss their plans for an action with cops at the scene. Supporting American police is supporting the Israeli Occupation Forces. The issue remains that a veteran supporting the police is constantly part and the pointman in the protests.
I have expressed all of these concerns with the new groups forming, and I hope to see the tactics change. One thing to consider is the strategy. What is it that we are aiming for?
Meaningful action has a target. For example, Portland City Hall has remained quiet and refused to call for a ceasefire. Tactics that pressure our local politicians into actions require us to do things that directly challenge the target audience. Jewish Voice for Peace has continued to hold vigil space for those slaughtered, outside the home of Representative Blumenauer for various nights of Hanukkah.
Events that lead us through an empty downtown to shout at buildings will not stop the bombs from dropping. Blocking bridges will at least start to capture media attention. For the two months of constant action, we have yet to make the news for a truly powerful protest.
Portland used to be the center of political unrest. In 2020, we raged against the Feds sent to invade our city. In 2017, we protested the election of the fascist Donald Trump. In the 80s and 90s, with the murder of Mulugeta Seraw, this city built a militant base of antifascist activists that directly challenged the Nazis attacking Portland’s punk spaces.
What I argue is that while the current organizers have the best intentions they fail to understand the community that has come to their side, one that is inherently anarchist or communist, or a combination of both. When people bring up legitimate concerns they should be addressed in full. The movement so far has offered little ways in which to express new ideas for direct action. As a result, the numbers have dwindled and the discontent has grown.
We saw in 2003 that mass peaceful marches failed to stop the American Invasion of Iraq. We read about the Vietnam War and the students that burned their campuses, which culminated in the troops coming home. We have a chance to organize against a genocide, and instead we’re lead in circles. We have the opportunity to stop the apartheid, and we are in chaos.
We recognize that 2024 will be a year of extremes from the fight against fascism, and to demand a Free Palestine. We should be studying the various strategies, tactics, and direct actions of successful protest movements and follow in their footsteps. I shall see you all as I read and prepare for the new year, we all should. The children of Gaza can’t wait as we call for a ceasefire. We must prepare for 2024.
Google the First and Second Intifadas. Google Project 2025. Then Google the Streisand Effect.
