Call to Action.
Disrupt the Democratic National Convention
Note: The most recent version of this document can be found here.
Join us in Denver, CO, August 24th to 28th as we engage in coordinated direct actions against the Democratic National Convention, its corporate sponsors, and the military/police occupation of public space. Respecting diverse tactics and the autonomy of affinity groups and individuals, Unconventional Action has created the following framework to maximize our impact as we disrupt the DNC.
Unconventional Action’s strategy at the Democratic National Convention will hold the Democratic Party accountable for promoting unjust policies: environmental degradation, the enforcement of arbitrary borders, attacks on the poor, complacency in war, and racist policing. We will expose to the nation that the Democrats and Republicans are two sides of the same coin, both parties funded by the same corporations and upholding the same unjust political system that fails to meet the needs of the vast majority of people. Anarchists and anti-authoritarians are urged to engage in a broad variety of tactics to disrupt fundraising events and prevent Democratic delegates from voting for no-choice candidates. Unconventional Action will honor and support autonomous actions while coordinating a highly publicized assault on the pageantry, violence, and abuses of the Democrats and the two-party capitalist system.
Unconventional Action will target a variety of the 1,500 proposed fundraisers, countless delegate hotels, and designated institutions perpetuating global injustice. Using space reclamation, street theater, direct confrontation, positive action, and a broad array of other tactics, we will force the national media to question the Democratic Party’s failures, hold Democratic candidates accountable for their abuses of power, and engage in direct actions that reflect our ultimate goals of joy and liberation through creativity and confrontation. Below we have outlined our anticipated schedule of direct action for the DNC. While rough, our outline can be used as a guide to schedule and develop actions. Our calendar is a flexible work in progress and will shift as needed. Unconventional Action Denver will provide updates on our Web site.
This is at best currently a rough outline, and will most likely change and solidify as the weeks progress. Take this as a guiding schedule for your actions, and expect to hear more from UA Denver about these events and actions. Denver organizers have designated certain themes for particular days. Consider coordinating the message of your actions based on each day’s theme. The calendar is as follows:
- SUNDAY AUG 24: Anti-War/Occupation Day
- AM: All are encouraged to participate
in an Anti-War/Anti-Occupation
March and related actions.
PM: Directly following the march, Unconventional Action Denver will plan for a low to medium risk reclamation of space somewhere in the city, as yet to be determined. This action will be widely publicized, although the location may be revealed only in the lead up week or two, and will be designed to show our strength and ability to create our own systems of organization. After our reclamation, we will party all night long! From this party, affinity groups will be encouraged to depart and engage in autonomous actions targeting those who profit from wars and our oversized military. - MONDAY AUG 25: Free Political Prisoners/Human Rights Day
- AM: Participate in a Free Leonard
Peltier/All Political Prisoners march
ending at the capitol across from Civic
Center Park. Because Peltier has a vital
hearing later in the week that could
free him from his long illegal imprisonment,
Unconventional Action Denver
encourages all to attend this march.
PM: SHUTDOWN THE FUNDRAISERS! The DNC/Democrats are hosting a giant party to raise as much money as they can. On this night, we will interrupt this flow of capital and disrupt the fund raisers. Our theme: No business as usual. The Democrats and their corporate backers will be unable to continue their celebrations of environmental, economic, and social destruction, political corruption, and failed policy. UA Denver will provide more information about events/locations. - TUESDAY AUG 26: Environmental Issues/No Global Warming Day
- AM: STOP THE VOTE! WE
VOTE NO! Tuesday is the day when
all the delegates put in their vote for
who will represent the Democrats in
the election, but they only have until
6PM to vote and it is a long, arduous
process. We encourage people to
focus on ways to stop the delegates
from getting to the Pepsi Center to
vote. Our targets: hotels, intersections,
and transportation systems. Special
attention will be given to keeping the
so-called “super-delegates” (what
funny comic book characters they
would be!) from being able to attend
the vote. All tactics welcome
and encouraged! Come prepared with
a plan and ready to make a stand with your affinity group and friends.
PM: At night we’ll target fundraisers of corporations profiting from and furthering global warming. We will also shut down actual sources of environmental degradation and greenhouse gas emissions. Get creative and use a diversity of tactics. - WEDNESDAY AUG 27: NO BORDERS DAY
- AM: A No Borders march will be
planned by other groups. Unconventional
Action hopes to see no actions
during the time of this march that
compromise the safety of march participants.
Our goal is to ensure that the
march is safe for all people, regardless
of documentation status.
PM: At the People’s Feast we will share food around Denver with as many people as we can, especially those negatively affected by the DNC’s presence in town. Focus on food liberation. Do the delegates really need that much food?
Also, concrete decentralized actions. Guerrilla gardening, free school/workshops, gentrification reclamation, informational bike rides, helping negatively impacted communities, impromptu dance parties, and anything else you creative people out there can think of. Thematically, we call for people to engage in actions targeting corporations and individuals profiting from the criminalization of immigration and contractors in Denver working on the border fence. - THURSDAY AUG 28: End Racism/Imperialism Day
- AM - PM: Today we will engage
in visually stunning, media-attracting
actions targeting the Democrats’
complicity in racism in Denver and nationally
through gentrification, police
brutality, criminal injustice, the prison
industrial complex, etc. We will target
institutions and corporations that bring
US imperialism and racism to the rest
of the world and inflict it upon us.
Late PM - Friday AM: Tonight we will party, sleep, and support our comrades before heading to Minneapolis to disrupt the RNC.
Strategy endorsed by: ACTIVATE (Grand Rapids, MI SDS), Animas SDS, Boston Anarchist Black Cross, Chicago Anarchist Black Cross, Iraq Veterans Against the War, UA Central North Carolina, UA Denver, UA Frederick, UA Midwest, UA Upstate New York. If your group would like to endorse the strategy as well e-mail unconventionaldenver |AT| riseup dot net.