Posts Tagged ‘pitt college republicans’

Statement from the Antifa Behind @PittRacists

Thursday, January 25th, 2018

 Statement received on 1/25/18
Stay tuned for updates & replies to right-wing statements.
Trigger warning for racism, xenophobia, anti-semitism, r*pe jokes, csa, and more.

IMG_0464

It should come as no surprise that racism, xenophobia, anti-semitism, and other hateful ideologies have been festering at this colonist institution since its inception. However, in the past year, coinciding with the election of Donald Trump, these ideologies have been on greater display in our campus community. We’ve seen fascist postings all over, cops protecting anti-immigrant speakers hosted by racist student groups rather than undocumented students, arrests of nonviolent protesters, swastikas drawn on car windows in the snow, and countless more instances of fascist organizing on this campus. Many of these instances are anonymous or function with the backing of armed agents of the State (paid with our tuition dollars) to do their dirty work. It hasn’t been until now that we can put names and faces to some of the sources of hate at the University of Pittsburgh. In the past few weeks our collective of anti-racist, anti-fascist friends and organizers have been compiling various screen shots and other evidence that ties members of the Pitt College Republicans and alt-right publication Polis Media to disturbing memes, jokes, and genocide apologia as well as r*pe joke including ones targeting some of the most vulnerable members of society – children and incarcerated persons.

Update: An editor at Polis Media has taken down the website and all related accounts in an attempt to keep his name clean. We see you Sam Bleifer, AKA Bleifbart from The Unsafe Place.

Update 1/26 – Second Statement Received from @PittRacists

A lot has happened in the past 48 hours since the page went up. Our proudest accomplishment was that Polis Media (formerly The Unsafe Place) has wiped itself entirely from the internet. Their Facebook, Twitter, and website all seem to have disappeared. Apparently the founder & former editor in chief Sam Bleifer, covering his own ass, took it into his own hands to erase his racist right wing publication from existence. Good riddance!

Before they could delete their posts we did get some screen shots of their bullshit statements. They accused us of being “radicals” & “extremists” for making public their own posts. Interestingly, editor in chief Arnaud Armstrong also said that he expects more screenshots to come forward so presumably he knows of more instances of his friends (and those he platformed at Polis) sharing neo-nazi propaganda.

We also got a response from the Pitt College Republicans. They claim that they were made aware of this screenshots “earlier this year.” The e-board of CR saw these screenshots last September and at least one of their officers (Devon Valinsky) was a member of the original groupme where the racist images were shared.

They also referred to the people called out on our account as “former members” when their last post on Facebook showed a picture of a meeting within the past week that featured both Kirk Briner and Devon Valinsky. They claim they were “reprimanded immediately” and have been “formally removed” from membership. However, they’ve know about these screenshots for months and have still been allowed at meetings and events. So the College Republicans must be referring to removing them immediately after they were publicly caught sharing racist propaganda, not after actually doing it.

They go on to whine about “violent leftists” and other antifascists. They reference anarchists threatening “local conservatives” with AK-47s. We agree that was nice to see some honesty out of the College Republicans for once as they are admitting that they consider Identity Evropa, a literal neo-nazi white supremacist organization founded by violent racist Nathan Damigo, a part of their category of “local conservatives” that advance “conservative values” like they do.

[PCR and Polis Statements can be read below]

https://twitter.com/pittracists/status/956237878274732034

https://twitter.com/mttmoret/status/957005518920404992

 

Click HERE to read the entire thread on the @PittRacists twitter account.

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Communiqués and Report-Backs | Comments Closed

PITT: Radical Valentine’s Day Contest, with Prizes!

Wednesday, February 15th, 2017

Some Filler for the autonomous kids.

Hey, Democrats, we need to talk… hmu later?

BGipozPCMAAJ5eO.jpg

In the aftermath of Hillary Clinton’s embarrassing loss to Donald Trump — someone who had widely been regarded as the most un-electable candidate in the history of presidential politics — millions of liberals have stepped out of their yoga classes and re-emerged in our social movement spaces. And they brought their bad politics with them.

– Return of the Liberals : The Tactic Police Strike Back

The Pitt College Democrats are holding a “solidarity rally” on campus this Saturday at 2pm. The event, which will provide a platform for multiple politicians, was ostensibly organized in order to “show support and solidarity with marginalized groups in a peaceful rally.”

Frankly, we call bullshit.1
It’s Valentines Day, and the Pitt College Dems are still a little heartbroken after finding out that love doesn’t actually trump hate. In hopes of soliciting even the slightest interest in their failed neoliberal party, the PC Dems are now flirting with those Bernie-bros that they alienated mere months ago, probably dropping some shit pick-up line about the political realism of their “strategies” “against” Trump.

Struggling to maintain their relevance in the wake of the largest mobilization of our young lives, the PC Dems are now co-opting the (already opportunist) political aesthetic we typically associate with the alphabet soup of socialist and communist parties that hang around Pitt’s campus. Armed with some new slogans (occasionally substituting “resist” for “I’m with her”), a vague injunction to a moralistic do-somethingism (so long as there is no action plan that goes beyond talking to your politician of choice or asking politely for a march permit), and some sleek new fliers, the PC Dems are preparing an ambitious new campaign: BORE THE RESISTANCE TO DEATH.

At the end of the day, the Democrats still uphold the system we oppose, a system that is built on the violence of white supremacy, heteronormative patriarchy, imperialism, capitalism, and the myriad other hierarchies that dominate life here in the heart of the Empire.

But these are all things that anarchists have been saying for years. This bit of Filler is a call to inject some tension back into the political discourse on campus. Is it time for Reform, or Revolution?

In that spirit, Filler is excited to announce our very first public contest, a breakup story decades in the making, your new favorite Valentine’s Day rom-commie special… 

Breaking Up with the Democrats!

Crew-up, or go it alone! The individual, affinity group, or organization that pulls off the most creative, intersectional, funny, or disruptive intervention at the PC Dems’ rally this Saturday will receive their very own bag of goodies and a personalized Valentine’s Day card. All participants will get a love note, but only one direct action will get the goodies! If your crew wins the grand prize, so far you’re looking at some rare zines, free stick-and-poke tattoos, antifa stickers, gift cards, free meals, and more TBA!

Contest Guidelines:

1) Avoid taking actions that put bystanders at risk of police violence.
Obviously, there is no guarantee that any direct action won’t piss off the pigs, but keep in mind that this contest’s goal is to generalize conflictuality and subvert the Democrats’ attempts to pacify the movement – not to kick off the insurrection in a crowd full of liberal snitches and hostile media, let alone families with children or people who already experience a greater risk of violence in this system of (hetero-normative patriarchy, white supremacy, imperialism, capitalism, or any of the myriad other hierarchies that dominate life here in the heart of the Empire).

2) Seek accomplices, not allies.
Be conscious of the way liberals weaponize identity politics in order to pacify and exploit marginalized communities. Don’t let some “respectable,” self-appointed community leader silence you or speak on your behalf just because they share part of your identity and the oppression that comes with it – I sure as hell didn’t vote for Milo to be LGBTQ Nation’s person of the year. Likewise, don’t let liberals get away with snitching on you or delegitimizing your action just because you’ve decided to use your privilege to take the kinds of risks that some of your comrades might not be able to take.

We know that fronting as an “ally” to an entire group of people is absurdly problematic, as it assumes that everyone within that community shares the same beliefs, interests, capabilities, needs. We know that when Democrats call for “privileged allies” to follow the instructions of “community leaders,” they are really trying to tell you to obey their tokenized mouthpieces. Instead, we urge you to listen to (and deepen your relationships with) your trusted friends and comrades who are fighting this system all the harder just because of who they are.

3) Pics or it didn’t happen!
Don’t forget to claim your action in some way! You could take (non-incriminating) photos or video footage, or you could send us a communiqué to show off some of that sexy prose and radical perspective you’ve been working on, or maybe even just hand out and/or throw fliers in the air that explain your action – whatever works, just make sure to do it!

We recommend using Tor and guerrilla mail together if you want to submit your contest entry anonymously. Send your submissions to FillerCollective@riseup.net! 

Endnotes

1) Don’t get us wrong, it’s great that more students want to get organized and stand in solidarity with one another. What’s bullshit is that the Democrats are suddenly acting like they’ve been anything but a leech on liberation movements in this country, and students hoping for change are getting sucked right back into the system.

Democrats are responsible for breaking a new record in migrant deportations under the Obama administration. Democrats deployed the National Guard to suppress liberation movements such as the Movement for Black Lives. Democrats passed legislation expanding the power of the surveillance state and the executive branch, creating the authoritarian structures now wielded by an egotistical proto-fascist. Democrats bomb civilians and children just like Republicans do. Democrats gentrify our cities and unironically praise the socially-conscious business ethics of Starbucks and Whole Foods. On campus, the PC Dems also have a strange habit of publicly defending the Pitt College Republicans and denouncing direct action.

Their complicity with the Obama administration should speak for itself, but over the last few months the Pitt College Democrats have been fronting as if they represent some sort of relevant opposition to the system. Some really cool folks are getting involved, but their good intentions are continually sabotaged by the reality of our situation: the Democrats are part of the problem.

Tags:, , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Local Calls for Submissions | Comments Closed

Milo Goes to Pitt

Saturday, March 5th, 2016

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miYWMe80mtA&w=560&h=315]

(cut to 10 minutes for the first disruption)

Some brave women took the lead in standing up to MRA Milo Yiannopoulos at Pitt.

TW: This jagoff literally got Trump bro’s to applaud in order to intentionally trigger survivors of assault, said campus rape culture doesn’t exist, spewed a ton of racist bullshit, and everything else you can imagine. 

Several students left the assembly room in tears.

“2468 STOP THE VIOLENCE STOP THE RAPE”

“WE’RE HERE, WE’RE QUEER, WE’RE FEMINISTS AND WE’LL FUCK YOU UP”

Pittsburgh Student Solidarity Coalition statement:

We do not believe that Milo should be censored, or that the administration has any right to prevent a student group from hosting controversial speakers.

That being said, the reality of campus rape culture is not an opinion, it is daily violence experienced by 1 in 5 of our female classmates. When Milo told a crowd of Trump-bros that rape culture isn’t real, they cheered. When he told them that applause would trigger survivors of assault, they clapped, pointed and laughed at women that were crying in the audience.

We are not trying to change their minds, we know they will never admit to their roles in oppression. There is no “debate” to be had over and over again in some imaginary vacuum, racism and sexism must be confronted.

If we do not confront bigots, we have no hope of stopping their violence. You cannot ignore hate-mongers because the violence they inspire will only spread. You cannot ignore large gatherings of racists and sexists because they will only continue to normalize their discourse and build their capacity to act. Trump’s new right-wing is part of a national movement that is growing in popularity regardless of the attention we give them.

The varying types of disruptions taken on by autonomous students, Pitt Against Debt members, USASers and PSSC were not intended to silence an “opinion” but rather to let the bros in the audience know that the culture of violence they perpetuate will no longer be tolerated.

Milo doesn’t just piss us off or upset us, he is threatening people. We went there to show the racists, transphobes, rapists and sexists in attendance that they are not welcome on this campus. We will fight back, because some of our lives depend on it.

PSSC post-Milo solidarity event statement:

This past week the Pitt College Republicans Hosted speaker Milo Yiannopoulos at the University of Pittsburgh. As many of us know, Milo’s presentation was blatant hate speech that incited acts of violence against marginalized students and created general fear and anxiety amongst many members of the Pitt Student body.
Following this event, many Pitt students are wondering what to do next. How do we as students move forward after an evening of such hate and trauma?

Some students want to reform the school or the SGB to bar speakers like Milo from our University. This idea is a great way to stop inciting hate speech from reaching our campus. However, censorship is a slippery slope, and this plan of action fails to address the broader reasons for Milo’s presence at Pitt. We cannot myopically view Milo’s appearance as a result of SGB or administration oversight. Rather, we must understand Milo’s hate speech within its national, political context.

Milo’s speech is part of a nationwide movement of hatred, of threatening and murdering our brothers and sisters from marginalized and oppressed communities. It is no coincedence that students were chanting “TRUMP TRUMP TRUMP” as feminist protesters disrupted Milo’s event. Monday night highlighted a movement of hatred on our campus and in our nation that is bigger than one speaker or one student club. This is a national movement that condones misogyny, homophobia, racism, transmisogyny and xenophobia. This is a national movement that has called for it’s followers to carry out acts of violence against people from marginalized or otherwise oppositional communities. Thus, we must address Milo’s presence and form strategies of resistance based on the national context in which this event and its aftermath is occurring.

As we move forward as a student body, we need to take into account the contingency of students on our campus who are currently willing to terrorize students from marginalized and oppressed identities. What do we do as students when we see men harassing our sisters at a South O party this weekend? What do we do tomorrow when we see the police threatening our friends of color?

The administration and our SGB has given us wishy-washy answers promising that they are making changes but enusring us that change is slow to come. Unfortuantley, promises of change from our systems of governance are often more about PR and attracting prospective students than fundamentally addressing the issues that we as students have. Has anyone noticed a decrease in sexual assault since the It’s on Us campaign began? Has any trans student felt safer now that we have gender neuteral housing? The changes that the administration and SGB can offer us are important but they do not address the root reason for the hatred that is unleashed against marginalized students on this campus. The promises of “change will happen” does more to pacify us and to stop us from fighting for our needs than it does to fully address the problems we have.

With reform only going so far to address our concerns, we need to think of new ways to ensure that students on our campus are safe and able to express their identies. We must fundamentally change the way that we as students support one another. Our struggles are united in an effort to oppose the movement of hatred that Milo represents. In that regard, it is important that we stand with one another to support eachother, to provide for one another. We need to change the culture of our campus from one of apathetic disregard towards issues from marginalized students to active participation in ensuring that students from marginalized groups are respected and safe.

With this in mind, join us tomorrow night to discuss our needs and to discuss how we as students can provide for one another and empower eachother to stand in solidarity against hatred. Join us as we choose to stand in solidarity for love and care.


One of the flyers that was thrown in the air:

MiloGoesToPitt (2)

Communiqué distributed during the first autonomous disruption:

Ok, we get it. You disagree. Why didn’t you just ask some tough questions? Isn’t that a better use of your right to free speech?

The discourse of free speech in democracy presumes that no significant imbalances of power exist, and that the primary mechanism of change is rational discussion.

There can be no truly free speech except among equals—among parties who are not just equal before the law, but who have comparable access to resources and equal say in the world they share.

Just last month in Pittsburgh, Janese Talton Jackson was shot to death for telling a man “no.” Is a woman really as free to express herself as a man, when even a simple “no” can get her killed?

Ideas alone have no intrinsic force. Our capacity to act on our beliefs, not just to express them, determines how much power we have. In this sense, the “free speech in crisis” slogan is strikingly apt: in America, you need capital (and often times some good ol’ white cis-male privilege) to participate, and the more capital you have, the greater your ability to enact the ideas you buy into.

In a country where nearly every textbook, every classroom, and every TV-screened political debate affirm the logic of hetero-normative patriarchy, capitalism and the State, the “free and equal exchange of ideas” is a hollow gesture. Given this larger context, most dialogue around “the issues” is just a superficial repetition of foregone conclusions, based on the unexamined larger frameworks for understanding that we’ve already been given. This is what passes for “debate” in this society. It should be no surprise that its function is to keep things as they are.

What’s more, what is the point of debate if there is no sanctioned action to achieve the results of that debate? If every misogynist was suddenly convinced of the reality of sexism, would the Patriarchy suddenly crumble? We would still find ourselves in a place where our only choices lie between the endless deliberations of useless politicians, on the one hand, and the direct action of our own social forces, on the other.

So this all raises the question: What happens when the debate is over? Do we act then? But what if our acting stifles further debate? Is that bad? When do we act?

This action is in solidarity with the brave queer folx and women at Rutgers. You are an inspiration, and we send our love, rage and solidarity.

Shout out to the UNControllables at the University of North Carolina, we totally ripped off The Divorce of Thought from Deed for this communiqué.

Some Street Justice:

The Student Government Board held a forum for students to voice their concerns about the event, a blatant attempt to recuperate student anger within the conventional channels. Some reformist groups took the bait and are now attempting to force the administration and SGB to remove their neutrality clause and restrict the ability for student groups to book controversial speakers. Should they succeed, the admin will clearly use their new power to censor anarchist and other revolutionary speakers, not just hate-mongers. And it’s hard enough to secure any funding for the events that radicals book in the first place. However, the forum did at least embarrass the school and catalyze a wave of solidarity efforts.

At the forum, several Pitt Republicans mocked and photographed survivors of sexual assault as they courageously relived their trauma in front of a large crowd. In retaliation, an unknown number of hackers created fake facebook accounts for these assholes, editing their real photos as negatives and flipping them upside down, and posted their personal information online, including their home addresses and their parents’ phone numbers. The next day, flyers with the fascist assholes’ names, faces, and parents’ phone numbers were spotted around campus.

Screen Shot 2016-03-04 at 10.56.25 PM

Screen Shot 2016-03-04 at 10.56.52 PM

While we think this autonomous action is pretty badass, we’re not going to get that personal and repost the information.

You can read the reformist demands HERE

Photo cred goes to Cayley Dittmer!

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Communiqués and Report-Backs | Comments Closed

« Older Entries