Iran is Burning

On the election riots in Iran...

From Jewbonics: hundreds of thousands–perhaps millions–of Iranian Mousavi supporters are out in the street, agitating for reform. They are politicized. They think their votes weren’t counted. They know that they are banned from demonstrating. And they know that the Islamic Republic has authorized the use of live ammunition (there have already been civilian deaths, which may lead to further strengthening of the movement).

An energized populace in Iran, willing to defy illegitimate state edicts, can only lead to good, fraud or no fraud.

Iran isn't the only country rioting

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People who treat other people as less than human must not be surprised when the bread they have cast on the waters comes floating back to them, poisoned.
James Baldwin

Water Riots

Water riots occurred in Hargeisa, Somaliland for the fourth time this week because ordinary citizens feel helpless and hopeless as a result of finding no means to achieve their legitimate demands.

With the authorities showing lack of perspective planning and failure to deal with the incessant water problems letting parts of Hargeisa, the capital city, reel under severe water crisis, residents have resorted to staging agitations as the only ultimate weapon to get a solution.

The Fashionable Rioter

Please allow me a moment to give props to the riotous fashionistas. Good fashion is a privilege, and perhaps a shallow pursuit being that global capitalism is strangling millions to death. But, one of this blogs' aims is to promote the riot aesthetic. So today we celebrate those who, despite their desperate situations, took a moment to look good--damn good.


Soweto, South Africa (update)


Paris 68'

Weatherman/Days of Rage


Mexican Revolution


Lawyers in Pakistan


G20


Paris?

* Pardon the over representation of men here, I had a hard time scavenging the diversity of riot pics that I know exists somewhere...

Blog post on Fashion and the Black Block and the place I harvested a few of these images, The Boulevardier (thanks)

Our Riot History: Streetcar War of San Francisco

In 1907, shortly after the disastrous S.F. earthquake, streetcar workers went on strike against United Railroad (URR) demanding a eight hour workday and a salary hike. URR immediately brought in strikebreakers along with armed guards rather than negotiate with the strikers.

When URR attempted to run the streetcars staffed by strikebreakers, strikers and sympathisers threw stones and blocked the road. In response, armed strikebreakers began shooting into the crowd. Pitched battles where fought throughout the city with riotous masses pelting the cars with stones and bricks and the strikebreakers shooting back. At one point strikers took over an abandoned streetcar and sent it crashing into the barracks where the strikebreakers slept. By the end of the first day three where dead and over a dozen where wounded, mostly strikers and their sympathisers.

The battles and sabotage continued for nearly four months with many more casualties. In the end URR broke the strike, but the savage tactics of the company left the city bitter. In 1912 a popular movement for a publicly-owned streetcar line pushed URR out of S.F.

Read more, and with graphics

Tea Farmers Attack Police Station

Hundreds of tea farmers attacked a police station in Yingde, China on Saturday after rumours spread that one man had been killed in custody for fighting for farmers' rights.

They attacked the station with stones, bricks and hoes, and set police vehicles on fire.

The riot was brought under control four and a half hours later. It's only one of a string of recent incidents where citizens have attacked police stations.

"The case should teach grassroots governments a lesson," said Xu Binbin, a lecturer of public administration with South China Normal University.

"This kind of violence is happening more and more at the grassroots level and grassroots governments should play a more effective role in dealing with complaints," he said.

Intimidated by Queer Riots

S.F. mayor Gavin Newsom has asked the California supreme court to delay announcing its decision on proposition 8, legalizing gay marriage. Newsom is concerned that the ruling would fall on the anniversary of the White Night Riots (May 21st 1979), and could possibly demand a repeat performance if queer folks rights are trampled on once again. Newsom understands that queer anger, and anger by long oppressed folk needs to be respected. He knows San Francisco can not afford to have another 15 + police cruisers torched...but perhaps the gay community cannot afford not to torch them...it's not for me say.

I'm hoping the court does the right thing, the police cruisers will eventually have to burn regardless.