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I don't think I ever shared my ACAB story
lemme tell you about how I was at the very periphery of the Battle of Seattle in 1999
I don't think I ever shared my ACAB story
lemme tell you about how I was at the very periphery of the Battle of Seattle in 1999
So in mid-1999 I had moved to the Seattle area. I was feeling pretty fucked up about some failings in my personal life and moving across the country for a fresh start felt like a good idea.
(spoiler: it wasn't, but that's not the point of the story)
(spoiler: it wasn't, but that's not the point of the story)
So there comes a point at which I am almost broke and I'm unemployed and I'm not really doing anything, and I hear there's these protests about the WTO in the city.
I don't even know what the hell the WTO *is*, but fuck it, I'm not doing anything else. May as well go into town.
I don't even know what the hell the WTO *is*, but fuck it, I'm not doing anything else. May as well go into town.
So I get on the bus and I ride into Seattle and I basically wander around until I can find some protests. Maybe I'll learn something, I figured. Like what they're so angry about. Or at least what 'WTO' stands for.
Here's what I (hazily) remember about that day.
Here's what I (hazily) remember about that day.
So I kind of hung out near the periphery of one group of protesters, and then I noticed one guy passing out sandwiches to his fellow protesters, and I was both broke and hungry, so... I edged a little closer and started joining in the chants.
Free sandwich! Fuckin' score!
Free sandwich! Fuckin' score!
I am not proud. I left and joined like four different groups of protesters that day in order to cadge sandwiches and coffees and waters. Because I was unemployed and broke. I learned an important lesson about The Radical Left that day:
They don't give a fuck if you're a Protest Tourist (as I most assuredly was, and as I know they KNEW I was). They will still feed you. Because you're a human fuckin' being.
No one demanded a purity test or questioned my commitment to The Cause or demanded an entry fee
No one demanded a purity test or questioned my commitment to The Cause or demanded an entry fee
It was honestly sorta beautiful.
Anyways, so I'm standing there polishing off another sandwich between chants and I start hearing some yelling from, like, the distance.
And I look and there's this big cloud.
"Oh shit," I think. "What the hell just happened? Let me get closer."
Anyways, so I'm standing there polishing off another sandwich between chants and I start hearing some yelling from, like, the distance.
And I look and there's this big cloud.
"Oh shit," I think. "What the hell just happened? Let me get closer."
(this was a Dumb Idea)
As you can probably guess because... you know, 2020, but what 1999-me was in no way expecting, that cloud was tear gas.
I still don't know what started it. I sure as fuck didn't see any violence, but again, I was off at the edge cadging sandwiches.
As you can probably guess because... you know, 2020, but what 1999-me was in no way expecting, that cloud was tear gas.
I still don't know what started it. I sure as fuck didn't see any violence, but again, I was off at the edge cadging sandwiches.
All I know was, I got a bit too close and OOF.
Being tear gassed sucks, y'all, especially if you are, as I was, totally unprepared for it. I was no protest veteran, I was a tourist. I was not ready.
So that sucked.
Being tear gassed sucks, y'all, especially if you are, as I was, totally unprepared for it. I was no protest veteran, I was a tourist. I was not ready.
So that sucked.
I sort of stumbled out of there and found some water and was washing shit out of my eyes when I could see again I looked up and saw this line of cops in riot gear.
Pictures do not do justice to the experience of a line of cops in riot gear coming towards you
Pictures do not do justice to the experience of a line of cops in riot gear coming towards you
The riot gear is designed to intimidate. It's like a whole crowd of Darth Vaders. It is *terrifying*, especially if, like me, you are inexperienced and unprepared for this shit.
Anyways, they've got these batons, right?
Anyways, they've got these batons, right?
Line of cops gets closer and closer and I'm still recovering from the gas, and besides... they're cops. They're not going to do anything bad to ME. I'm not a criminal, right? I'm just standing there being helpless! And these are the good guys, I learned that in school!
So, yeah. I got a baton to the gut.
I wish I could say I was cool and tough and took it like a man, but I crumpled like a fuckin' marionette with its strings cut, y'all
And I swear to you, I thought to myself "Oh fuck. I am gonna die here. The sandwich wasn't even that good."
I wish I could say I was cool and tough and took it like a man, but I crumpled like a fuckin' marionette with its strings cut, y'all
And I swear to you, I thought to myself "Oh fuck. I am gonna die here. The sandwich wasn't even that good."
Someone, and I wish to God I knew who so I could thank them, grabbed my shoulder and, like, dragged me back up onto the sidewalk out of baton-swingin' range, and I scrambled off to find a place where I could catch my breath.
It took me like a half hour to pull myself together and get to the point where I could walk and only shake a *little*, and then I got up and found a bus stop and waited until a bus came and I went home.
I had to transfer like three times but I just wanted AWAY.
I had to transfer like three times but I just wanted AWAY.
Then I went back to the place I was living, where I learned that apparently I was an anarchist terrorist who'd damaged property, because those were the only people the cops had attacked, honest
I pissed blood for three days
I pissed blood for three days
I had been assaulted for the crime of, you know, being vaguely in the vicinity of something bad happening and being, I guess, in a cop's way
it's... been kinda hard to trust the police since then
it's been hard to trust the media, too, in all honesty
it's... been kinda hard to trust the police since then
it's been hard to trust the media, too, in all honesty
I probably got a bunch of details wrong because it's been two decades since then and I did a *lot* of damage to my brain between then and now but that's how I remember it.
I still remember the feeling of that comrade grabbing and pulling me back so I could be safe. Well, safer
I still remember the feeling of that comrade grabbing and pulling me back so I could be safe. Well, safer
I don't know if it's instructive, I don't know if anyone cares, but anyways, that's my ACAB story
I don't think I've ever told that story publicly before
I'm gonna go have the shakes for a couple of minutes now, thanks for reading
I don't think I've ever told that story publicly before
I'm gonna go have the shakes for a couple of minutes now, thanks for reading
