0:00:06.920,0:00:13.140 On June 16, 2015, Donald Trump descended an[br]escalator into the gilded lobby of Trump Tower 0:00:13.140,0:00:15.871 in downtown Manhattan, to officially announce 0:00:15.871,0:00:19.360 his candidacy for President of the United States. 0:00:19.360,0:00:23.260 That is some group of people. Thousands! 0:00:23.260,0:00:26.657 The idea that Trump[br]could actually win the US Presidential election 0:00:26.657,0:00:28.960 didn’t occur to many people at the time. 0:00:28.965,0:00:32.529 Certainly not to American liberals,[br]who viewed his campaign 0:00:32.529,0:00:36.730 as an irrelevant publicity stunt, and a way[br]to score some easy laughs. 0:00:36.730,0:00:39.670 Donald Trump just last week, he confirmed[br]to the National Review 0:00:39.670,0:00:42.660 that he is again considering a run in 2016 0:00:42.660,0:00:43.830 Do it! 0:00:43.830,0:00:44.830 (Laughter) 0:00:44.830,0:00:48.510 Do it! Look at me. Do it! 0:00:48.510,0:00:52.901 As the months dragged on, this laughter became[br]tinged by a growing sense of unease, 0:00:52.901,0:00:56.010 as Trump steadily rose to[br]the head of the Republican pack. 0:00:56.010,0:01:01.735 Donald Trump is America’s back mole. It[br]may have seemed harmless a year ago. 0:01:01.735,0:01:06.430 But now that it’s gotten frighteningly bigger,[br]it is no longer wise to ignore it. 0:01:06.430,0:01:10.463 Yet even as he ascended the stage[br]of the Republican National Convention 0:01:10.463,0:01:14.670 to accept his party’s nomination in July of 2016, 0:01:14.670,0:01:16.386 many people still refused to believe 0:01:16.386,0:01:18.670 what was happening right before their eyes. 0:01:18.670,0:01:23.247 We’re back with David Hundo P Plouffe,[br]the man who says Hillary Clinton 0:01:23.247,0:01:24.799 has a 100 percent chance of winning 0:01:24.799,0:01:26.790 I continue to believe Mr. Trump will not be president 0:01:27.200,0:01:30.280 So you think this presidential race is just[br]about over? 0:01:30.280,0:01:32.846 Virtually over, the only thing that could[br]save Donald Trump now is frankly, 0:01:32.846,0:01:34.610 some type of external intervention 0:01:34.610,0:01:39.408 This came to an abrupt end on election night,[br]as stunned pundits soberly announced 0:01:39.408,0:01:44.850 that Donald J Trump would be sworn in as the 45th[br]President of the United States. 0:01:44.850,0:01:46.100 (sighs) 0:01:47.060,0:01:50.942 You’re awake by the way… You are not[br]having a terrible, terrible dream, 0:01:50.942,0:01:53.417 also you’re not dead and you haven’t gone to hell… 0:01:53.417,0:01:55.320 This is your life now, this is our election now 0:01:55.320,0:01:58.280 this is us, this is our country, It's real 0:01:58.280,0:02:01.280 USA!! USA!! 0:02:01.380,0:02:03.389 Thank you! 0:02:03.389,0:02:07.130 The Democratic Party,[br]and its various corporate media appendages, 0:02:07.130,0:02:10.664 had grossly underestimated the anti-establishment backlash, 0:02:10.664,0:02:14.260 that decades of neoliberal[br]pcapitalist policies had fostered 0:02:14.260,0:02:17.256 among broad swathes of the American population. 0:02:17.256,0:02:19.870 Trump’s campaign had effectively tapped 0:02:19.870,0:02:22.140 this deep reservoir of seething anger, 0:02:22.140,0:02:24.890 and poured gasoline on the flames by appealing 0:02:24.890,0:02:28.780 to the patriarchal and nationalist impulses[br]of white America. 0:02:28.780,0:02:36.660 Get the fuck out of here! Our country motherfucker![br]Our country! A proud fuckin American! 0:02:36.660,0:02:41.110 Made in USA bitch! Trump! Donald Trump! Fuck you! 0:02:42.110,0:02:45.931 On election night, as 4Chan trolls and alt-right[br]figures celebrated, 0:02:45.931,0:02:49.682 and liberals sank into paralysis and fatalistic despair... 0:02:49.682,0:02:53.370 anarchists, anti-authoritarians and crowds of angry youth 0:02:53.370,0:02:55.190 took to the streets. 0:02:55.190,0:02:59.169 In cities across the country, large, spontaneous[br]demonstrations broke out 0:02:59.169,0:03:02.084 before the votes were even finished being tallied. 0:03:02.084,0:03:04.327 Many of these protests were militant, 0:03:04.327,0:03:07.817 with participants burning effigies, clashing with police 0:03:07.817,0:03:09.970 and shutting down major highways. 0:03:09.970,0:03:12.998 In Oakland, two police cars were smashed up and burned, 0:03:12.998,0:03:16.390 and several cops were sent to the hospital with injuries. 0:03:16.390,0:03:20.102 Within this charged political atmosphere,[br]a multi-city network 0:03:20.102,0:03:23.800 of anarchists stepped up[br]to begin planning a massive demonstration 0:03:23.800,0:03:27.908 aimed to coincide with Trump’s inauguration[br]on January 20th. 0:03:27.908,0:03:33.590 Within days, a website was[br]calling on people to hashtag Disrupt J20. 0:03:33.590,0:03:37.052 Over the next thirty minutes, we will take[br]a look at the historic protests 0:03:37.052,0:03:39.313 that rocked the streets of DC that day, 0:03:39.313,0:03:43.362 as well as the unprecedented wave of mass repression that followed. 0:03:43.362,0:03:48.010 Along the way, we will speak with[br]a number of defendants and their supporters 0:03:48.010,0:03:51.513 as they share their experiences[br]of running riot in Washington, 0:03:51.513,0:03:54.200 taking on the Department of Justice in court... 0:03:54.200,0:03:56.940 and ultimately... staying[br]OUT of Trouble. 0:04:15.550,0:04:23.160 We need somebody, that literally will take[br]this country and make it great again. 0:04:23.160,0:04:26.510 News: Donald Trump wins the presidency! 0:04:26.510,0:04:30.010 The next day, we’re just like, now what? 0:04:30.010,0:04:34.500 Days later, we had a website up, put together[br]a video, a facebook event, and all this. 0:04:34.500,0:04:41.110 Folks got a spokescouncil together. It was[br]probably one of the best mobilizations 0:04:41.110,0:04:43.230 of coalitions that I’ve ever been a part of. 0:04:43.230,0:04:50.164 The spokescouncils were according to the principles[br]of consensus and according to also 0:04:50.164,0:04:52.822 the Saint-Paul Principles of organizing. 0:04:52.822,0:04:57.350 It’s a great way to organize[br]a massive number of people according 0:04:57.350,0:05:00.490 to basic anarchist principles. 0:05:02.448,0:05:07.490 Our solidarity will be based on respect for[br]a diversity of tactics and the plans of other groups. 0:05:07.490,0:05:13.020 The actions and tactics used will be organized[br]to maintain a separation of time or space. 0:05:13.020,0:05:17.060 Any debates or criticisms[br]will stay internal to the movement, 0:05:17.960,0:05:21.860 avoiding any public or media[br]denunciations of fellow activists and events. 0:05:21.860,0:05:28.030 We oppose any state repression of dissent, including[br]surveillance,infiltration, disruption and violence. 0:05:28.030,0:05:32.330 We agree not to assist law enforcement[br]actions against activists and others. 0:05:32.820,0:05:37.400 Different assemblies organized different aspects[br]and there was about nine different blockades 0:05:37.400,0:05:41.400 that were organized in those assemblies as[br]well as, like, a permitted march, 0:05:41.400,0:05:45.090 J19 which was kind of like, a protest against Deploraball, 0:05:45.090,0:05:47.930 as well as the anti-capitalist and anti-fascist march 0:05:50.300,0:05:55.043 So we were able to convene broader mass meetings[br]that drew four to six hundred people 0:05:55.043,0:06:01.310 in some cases. Break down into smaller working groups[br]around the specific direct-action blockades, 0:06:01.310,0:06:07.600 the unpermitted march, the permitted festival[br]of resistance, art, housing, medics, legal 0:06:07.600,0:06:09.590 like, we had a whole array of things. 0:06:09.590,0:06:14.930 No one wanted to just show up and just show[br]out. Like there was a definite message about 0:06:14.930,0:06:17.030 disrupting the inauguration. 0:06:18.030,0:06:20.716 News 1: Burning cars and smashed windows! 0:06:20.716,0:06:23.340 The protesters dressed in black 0:06:23.340,0:06:25.637 their faces covered, armed with hammers and bricks. 0:06:25.637,0:06:29.630 News 2: Bricks and rocks being thrown right here at the police! 0:06:29.630,0:06:31.230 News 3: Six officers reportedly injured. 0:06:49.040,0:06:50.280 This thing’s crazy. 0:06:50.930,0:06:52.370 Black Lives! Matter! 0:06:52.370,0:06:53.170 Make nazis afraid again! 0:06:55.170,0:06:58.929 So that day our goal was to shut down a checkpoint. 0:06:58.929,0:07:01.980 We started with a rally in front of the MPD offices 0:07:01.980,0:07:06.770 Obviously one of the things we continue[br]to fight is the police brutality and murder 0:07:06.770,0:07:07.526 here in DC. 0:07:07.526,0:07:13.300 The first thing we did was lock[br]up in chains to what would have been the checkpoint 0:07:13.300,0:07:17.132 entrances to the actual parade route.[br]We got there before it opened. 0:07:17.132,0:07:20.180 Nobody ever got through that checkpoint for the entire day. 0:07:20.180,0:07:22.430 We certainly attended with an obvious attempt 0:07:22.430,0:07:26.570 to disrupt the inauguration specifically because[br]of the rising fascism of Trump. 0:07:26.570,0:07:30.556 There was a little speech,[br]and then we just started marching. 0:07:30.556,0:07:32.038 In the beginning it was just like any normal march. 0:07:32.038,0:07:34.370 People chanting, y’know, down the street. 0:07:34.370,0:07:40.710 And then slowly I noticed people pulling trash cans[br]and newspaper bins into the street. 0:07:40.710,0:07:42.960 And then there was fireworks. 0:07:42.960,0:07:50.510 And then finally like, i started seeing windows[br]broken. I remember seeing the Bank of America. 0:07:50.510,0:07:53.230 All of their windows were completely gone. 0:07:56.230,0:07:59.185 So this is what happens in the rest of the world 0:07:59.185,0:08:01.880 when people fight against a fascist government. 0:08:01.880,0:08:05.199 Levels of seriousness that are[br]not like our protests here 0:08:05.199,0:08:07.472 where we yell and scream and then go home. 0:08:07.472,0:08:10.950 That people start[br]realizing like, this is a little more serious 0:08:10.950,0:08:14.740 than just “I’m mad today” or “our[br]president is going to be terrible” 0:08:14.740,0:08:21.290 Yeah pand looking back as a participant that day[br]cemented what solidarity looks like. 0:08:25.290,0:08:27.920 But then all of a sudden, everyone just started running. 0:08:27.920,0:08:30.330 The cops would come and corner us one way 0:08:30.330,0:08:33.169 making us go another way. And then[br]they’d corner us this way. 0:08:33.169,0:08:37.500 So while we’re running away eventually we notice[br]there’s a whole bunch of cops in front of us. 0:08:42.289,0:08:46.036 We were eventually kettled on a corner of[br]12th and L Street in downtown DC. 0:08:46.036,0:08:53.060 The bravery and the spirit that people maintained during[br]a very long period of being held outside 0:08:53.060,0:08:57.217 on the corner and so we were held from about[br]10am until well after nightfall. 0:08:57.217,0:09:02.420 And people were very good about sharing food and sharing[br]water and medical supplies and cigarettes 0:09:02.420,0:09:05.155 or whatever else people needed to kind of[br]keep their state of normal. 0:09:05.155,0:09:10.880 And so the actual arrest was a very interesting time where people[br]were sharing tactical advice and strategic advice. 0:09:12.050,0:09:14.800 And then eventually we were just arrested one by one 0:09:14.800,0:09:18.890 and spent the night in jail and were[br]released the next evening. 0:09:28.171,0:09:33.540 For years now, cops in DC have had a reputation[br]for being relatively restrained when it comes 0:09:33.540,0:09:38.130 to dealing with public protests. But while[br]it’s therefore understandable that the indiscriminate 0:09:38.130,0:09:43.410 use of flash bangs, pepper spray and mass[br]arrest that occurred at the J20 protests caught 0:09:43.410,0:09:48.400 many participants by surprise... these actions[br]weren’t without historical precedent. 0:09:48.400,0:09:54.281 Hey hey! Ho ho! The IMF has got to go![br]Hey hey! Ho ho! 0:09:54.550,0:09:59.160 Back in the heyday of the anti-globalization[br]movement, Washington was ground zero for two 0:09:59.160,0:10:04.560 major protests against the World Bank and[br]IMF, where similarly heavy-handed crowd control 0:10:04.560,0:10:10.940 tactics were employed by DC’s Metropolitan[br]Police Department, or MPD, as part an official 0:10:10.940,0:10:16.110 policy of preemptive mass arrest,[br]dubbed ‘trap and detain’. 0:10:16.110,0:10:21.081 At the so-called A16 anti-capitalist demonstrations of April, 2000, 0:10:21.081,0:10:23.530 the MPD arrested over 1300 people 0:10:23.530,0:10:29.350 including a sweeping round-up of[br]648 protesters on the eve of the weekend’s 0:10:29.350,0:10:30.830 major demonstration. 0:10:30.830,0:10:38.270 Two years later, at a similar protest in September[br]of 2002, the MPD and federal US Parks Police 0:10:38.270,0:10:42.396 encircled and mass-arrested around 400 people[br]in Pershing Park, 0:10:42.396,0:10:44.699 one block away from the White House. 0:10:44.699,0:10:49.890 Detainees were hog tied and left[br]in stress positions for more than 24 hours 0:10:49.890,0:10:52.110 before ultimately being released. 0:10:52.110,0:10:56.780 Civil rights lawyers, led by the Partnership[br]for Civil Justice, responded to these two 0:10:56.780,0:11:02.500 mass arrests by suing the MPD and the federal[br]government. The resulting lawsuits cost DC 0:11:02.500,0:11:07.440 taxpayers over $20 million dollars in damages,[br]embarrassed city politicians and the police 0:11:07.440,0:11:13.480 top brass, and ultimately led to legislation[br]that placed new controls on police activity, 0:11:13.480,0:11:18.550 including guidelines explicitly outlawing[br]the use of arbitrary mass detention. 0:11:18.550,0:11:22.990 But it’s a well-known fact that police don’t[br]exactly appreciate checks on their authority... 0:11:22.990,0:11:25.517 and the cops in DC are no exception. 0:11:25.517,0:11:30.020 On the day of the Disrupt J20 protests,[br]Interim Police Chief, Peter Newsham, 0:11:30.020,0:11:33.760 who 16 years earlier[br]had personally ordered the mass arrest of 0:11:33.760,0:11:38.181 protesters in Pershing Park, had been on the[br]job for just over four months. 0:11:38.181,0:11:41.342 And no doubt emboldened[br]by Trump’s campaign promises 0:11:41.342,0:11:43.770 to give cops free reign to brutalize people 0:11:43.770,0:11:49.604 however they saw fit, he decided that the[br]era of playing nice was over. 0:11:58.110,0:12:02.240 On January 21st over 230 people had spent[br]the night in lock-up, 0:12:02.240,0:12:04.430 but we didn't know what the charges were going to be. 0:12:05.390,0:12:09.875 When we were first arrested I assumed that[br]it would just be a $50 fine. 0:12:09.870,0:12:14.588 The day of our court date I realized that[br]we were all actually being charged with 0:12:14.588,0:12:18.967 a felony, and I was like 'woah, this is big.' 0:12:20.110,0:12:22.804 There was a solid amount of people that were[br]just, frankly, scared. 0:12:22.804,0:12:24.264 And for, like, good reason. 0:12:24.264,0:12:25.550 Fuck your dreams. 0:12:25.550,0:12:27.184 Fuck your aspirations. 0:12:27.184,0:12:28.170 Y'know... you're gonna be in jail. 0:12:28.170,0:12:32.147 That's another world you have to process and[br]readjust yourself to. 0:12:32.147,0:12:34.820 And we were not about to go there. 0:12:34.820,0:12:38.720 So we were initially each charged with one[br]count of felony riot. 0:12:38.720,0:12:42.610 Three months later, while I was at an anarchist[br]gathering in Mexico, I received an email from 0:12:42.610,0:12:46.100 a comrade, which informed me that the superceding[br]indictment had been issued. 0:12:46.100,0:12:50.920 And in that superceding indictment we were[br]given numerous additional charges. 0:12:50.920,0:12:53.100 This includes felony riot, 0:12:53.100,0:12:54.620 conspiracy to riot, 0:12:54.620,0:12:56.410 several counts of destruction of property, 0:12:56.410,0:12:57.570 inciting a riot, 0:12:57.570,0:13:01.593 several counts of assault and several counts[br]of assault on an officer with a deadly weapon. 0:13:01.593,0:13:06.480 It was insane... y'know, facing 80 years in[br]prison was very nerve-wracking. 0:13:06.480,0:13:11.360 The idea is to charge people with far more[br]crimes than you could possibly convict on. 0:13:11.360,0:13:16.920 And though you realize that this is probably[br]just a scare tactic to get people to accept 0:13:16.920,0:13:19.970 pleas... you're still facing 80 years in prison. 0:13:19.970,0:13:25.000 In Washington DC, prosecutors have filed a[br]slew of additional felony and misdemeanor 0:13:25.000,0:13:29.520 charges against more than 200 people who were[br]arrested at protests during President Trump's 0:13:29.520,0:13:31.873 inauguration January 20th. 0:13:31.873,0:13:39.100 The new charges mean protesters are now facing[br]up to 75 years in prison. 0:13:39.100,0:13:42.380 After the mobilization, Washington DC was[br]fairly spent. 0:13:42.380,0:13:48.050 So as we were kind of developing the legal[br]collective and legal framework, particularly 0:13:48.050,0:13:54.360 MACC, the Metropolitan Anarchist Coordinating[br]Council and Richmond folks kind of, like, 0:13:54.360,0:13:56.080 stepped up. 0:13:57.620,0:14:03.010 I became more involved in providing legal[br]support on January 21st, sort of directly 0:14:03.010,0:14:04.010 in the aftermath. 0:14:04.010,0:14:07.520 There were multiple different sort of hubs[br]of people providing different kinds of support, 0:14:07.520,0:14:11.670 and the place that I was most active was in[br]the DC Legal Posse - the collective that sort 0:14:11.670,0:14:13.970 of sprung up specifically to provide support. 0:14:13.970,0:14:19.200 MACC helped bottom-line the initial assemblies[br]of the defendants that allowed for folks to 0:14:19.200,0:14:23.230 draw together four different points of unity[br]to sign onto. 0:14:23.230,0:14:26.440 People would break off, come up with ideas[br]and then we would discuss them. 0:14:26.440,0:14:32.120 Like 'I don't like this point, but I do like[br]this point... let's expand a bit on this point.' 0:14:33.950,0:14:39.310 Everything was hinging on having to make this[br]shit work. 0:14:39.310,0:14:41.980 This was very much a multi-city, decentralized[br]effort. 0:14:41.980,0:14:46.045 Multi-city for us meant Movement for Black[br]Lives more locally, 0:14:46.045,0:14:49.794 but in contacting the Movement for Black Lives nationally 0:14:49.794,0:14:54.010 which is made up of about 75 different national organizations. 0:14:54.010,0:14:57.750 And really coordinating with them to talk[br]about what this meant. 0:14:57.750,0:15:02.380 And to make sure that when we talked about[br]it, that we always incorporated places like 0:15:02.380,0:15:08.136 Ferguson, where there are political prisoners[br]from the Ferguson uprising. 0:15:08.136,0:15:12.250 So the coordination were essentially weekly[br]meetings and different calls where people 0:15:12.250,0:15:14.890 did legal research and kind of, like, formed[br]working groups. 0:15:14.890,0:15:17.540 And those working-groups did various tasks. 0:15:17.540,0:15:19.950 I was able to help with a lot of the media[br]work. 0:15:19.950,0:15:23.050 Y'know, the defendants wanted to do their[br]own media. 0:15:23.050,0:15:26.660 And, like... that's the best kind of media[br]there is anyway. 0:15:26.660,0:15:28.060 I gave a bunch of interviews. 0:15:28.060,0:15:32.300 We did a lot of off-the-record background[br]for reporters to explain how this case fits 0:15:32.300,0:15:33.770 into a larger context. 0:15:33.770,0:15:35.310 There was a very robust campaign. 0:15:35.310,0:15:37.570 We had yard signs, it was very grassroots. 0:15:37.570,0:15:38.860 It was very professional. 0:15:38.860,0:15:42.250 So I was really proud of[br]the work that everyone did. 0:15:42.250,0:15:44.680 We used a lot of decentralized tactics to[br]approach it. 0:15:44.680,0:15:48.920 One of the things which is really quite amazing,[br]with the large and diverse group of people 0:15:48.920,0:15:53.560 who faced federal prosecution, was the ability[br]of people to act collectively and to resist 0:15:53.560,0:15:58.687 this kind of knee-jerk reaction to take some[br]sort of plea bargain. 0:16:04.930,0:16:08.940 Before J20, there had been folks charged with[br]rioting at Standing Rock. 0:16:08.940,0:16:11.533 I think that there was a charge in Minneapolis. 0:16:11.533,0:16:14.200 There was a charge brought the same day in[br]New Orleans. 0:16:14.200,0:16:17.560 I think that there were similar charges brought[br]against activists in Sacramento. 0:16:17.560,0:16:21.120 And so people were worried that this was going[br]to be part of a wave. 0:16:21.120,0:16:26.170 I would say that the charges are designed[br]to criminalize certain forms of dissent. 0:16:26.170,0:16:30.270 They're designed certainly to criminalize[br]tactics and strategies. 0:16:30.270,0:16:34.920 Specifically the use of public mass assemblies[br]and specifically the use of black bloc tactics. 0:16:34.920,0:16:40.450 The US Justice Department actually tried to[br]say that participating in a black bloc was 0:16:40.450,0:16:42.190 a conspiracy to riot. 0:16:42.190,0:16:47.550 Very early on it became clear that the state[br]had taken the 230 people and broken them up 0:16:47.550,0:16:49.120 into categories. 0:16:49.120,0:16:54.230 And it seemed to be that the categories were[br]meant to show a continuum of culpability. 0:16:54.230,0:16:57.270 There was 'movers', which were like... allowed[br]for reabsorbtion. 0:16:57.270,0:17:02.730 There was alleged 'breakers', which were people[br]who did an alleged act, such as break a window 0:17:02.730,0:17:06.810 or throw a newspaper box into the street. 0:17:06.810,0:17:11.700 The third category, which I was accused of,[br]was an alleged 'organizer'. 0:17:11.700,0:17:16.240 People who allegedly made the black bloc on[br]J20 happen. 0:17:16.240,0:17:20.819 The fact that there had been these changes[br]to police procedure... these limitations to 0:17:20.819,0:17:26.050 police tactics that had been won after some[br]pretty brutal clashes in the early 2000s, 0:17:26.050,0:17:27.880 had sort of established the tone in DC. 0:17:27.880,0:17:32.030 And I think that a lot of people in DC had[br]gotten used to the police handling people 0:17:32.030,0:17:33.030 with kid gloves. 0:17:33.030,0:17:36.868 And I think the police had gotten used to[br]a lot of permitted marches. 0:17:36.868,0:17:39.370 I've grown up here.[br]I've lived here my whole life. 0:17:39.370,0:17:43.900 We thought that there wouldn't be mass arrests[br]on J20 because there hadn't been mass arrests 0:17:43.900,0:17:46.600 in something like the decade prior. 0:17:46.600,0:17:49.940 One of the reasons that it caught everyone[br]off guard in DC is that the law that was used 0:17:49.940,0:17:54.330 to prosecute people hadn't actually been used[br]to prosecute anyone since the early 70s. 0:17:54.330,0:17:58.360 And it was passed by congress in the wake[br]of the uprisings in Newark and Detroit, basically 0:17:58.360,0:18:02.610 because they were afraid about the prospect[br]of Black people rising up in DC. 0:18:02.610,0:18:08.108 There was a definite need[br]to say why we support J20. 0:18:08.108,0:18:12.730 Y'know, lotta times folks were like 'that's[br]just them skinny white folks with masks on... 0:18:12.730,0:18:15.031 and we don't have anything to do with that.' 0:18:15.031,0:18:19.340 When the truth is...[br]they are us, and we are them. 0:18:19.340,0:18:24.332 And so it could have been us on J20, but it's[br]always us as Black liberation fighters. 0:18:24.332,0:18:29.569 The potential threat for becoming political[br]prisoners or political casualties 0:18:29.569,0:18:32.757 is high in this game, and we know that. 0:18:39.670,0:18:43.171 Federal prosecutors in the United States have[br]become quite fond 0:18:43.171,0:18:47.522 of grossly overcharging defendants[br]in hopes of scaring them into taking plea deals. 0:18:47.522,0:18:53.120 It’s a big reason why more than 90% of criminal[br]offences in the US never make it to trial. 0:18:53.120,0:18:58.290 This was the same tried and tested strategy,[br]that US Assistant Prosecutor and Deputy Chief 0:18:58.290,0:19:04.440 of DC’s Felony Major Crimes Division, Jennifer[br]Kerkhoff, tried to use on the J20 co-defendants, 0:19:04.440,0:19:09.340 by slapping a staggering list of felonies[br]on nearly 200 individuals connected only by 0:19:09.340,0:19:14.240 the dubious assertion that everyone arrested[br]on the streets of DC that day was part of 0:19:14.240,0:19:16.300 a conspiracy to riot. 0:19:16.300,0:19:21.000 Kerkhoff no doubt expected those on the receiving[br]end of these charges to freak out and start 0:19:21.000,0:19:25.270 flipping on one another... thereby setting[br]the stage for a series of easy convictions 0:19:25.270,0:19:27.150 for lesser charges. 0:19:27.150,0:19:31.400 Unfortunately for her, the J20 defendants[br]refused to roll over. 0:19:31.400,0:19:36.410 Early on in their legal process, many of them[br]signed onto a shared statement of principles, 0:19:36.410,0:19:40.030 in which they made it clear that they would[br]refuse to cooperate with the state’s efforts 0:19:40.030,0:19:45.610 to prosecute them, and pledged to coordinate[br]legal defence and support efforts. 0:19:45.610,0:19:50.100 Faced with this firm resolve and collective[br]solidarity, the US Department of Justice had 0:19:50.100,0:19:53.520 no choice but to try and make their outlandish[br]case stick. 0:19:53.520,0:19:58.160 In a desperate attempt to do just this, they[br]subpoenaed California-based hosting provider, 0:19:58.160,0:20:01.810 Dreamhost, to try and force them to turn over the IP addresses 0:20:01.810,0:20:06.226 of everyone who visited the website DisruptJ20.org 0:20:06.226,0:20:10.970 They also sought access to suspected organizers’[br]personal facebook accounts, in an attempt 0:20:10.970,0:20:15.470 to dig up dirt that might help prove the existence[br]of a conspiracy. 0:20:15.470,0:20:20.210 These efforts largely failed, and they were[br]forced to rely heavily on evidence provided 0:20:20.210,0:20:22.710 by discredited far-right news outlets. 0:20:22.710,0:20:27.121 The ensuing trials were[br]a massive humiliation for Kerkhoff 0:20:27.121,0:20:30.041 and the entire American justice system. 0:20:40.120,0:20:44.610 Conspiracies are essentially a thought crime,[br]A conspiracy to riot is essentially 0:20:44.610,0:20:48.191 three people getting together and saying 0:20:48.191,0:20:50.430 "there should be a riot." 0:20:50.430,0:20:55.320 What conspiracy law basically says is, that[br]anyone who's convicted of or can be 0:20:55.320,0:21:00.440 found liable for any particular crime, in[br]this case the criminal conspiracy is 0:21:00.440,0:21:04.480 thus responsible for all the crimes that stem[br]from that. 0:21:04.480,0:21:08.760 Essentially saying if you were out on the[br]streets on, you know, inauguration day and 0:21:08.760,0:21:10.650 you were dressed a certain way 0:21:10.650,0:21:12.625 Chanting the same chants 0:21:12.625,0:21:16.280 AK47, put the cops in piggie heaven! 0:21:16.280,0:21:18.840 Espousing certain messages 0:21:20.670,0:21:22.270 Like bringing a medic 0:21:22.270,0:21:28.599 You are presumptively part of a plot hundreds[br]of people deep to riot in the streets 0:21:28.599,0:21:34.140 The state asserted in a rather untraditional[br]way that the conspiracy itself can be spontaneous. 0:21:34.140,0:21:38.480 In other words if two people are walking by[br]a store and they say “hey that store looks 0:21:38.480,0:21:42.840 unlocked let's go rob it” that a conspiracy[br]is actually derived in that moment. 0:21:42.840,0:21:50.120 So the state argued that during the the J20[br]actions that people conspired in the streets. 0:21:50.120,0:21:54.880 It means that they have a much lower bar to[br]clear in terms of what they need to prove, 0:21:54.880,0:22:01.870 that gives prosecutors an incredible amount[br]of leeway in terms of who they can charge. 0:22:01.870,0:22:05.650 The state would consistently assert that defendant[br]“A” did not assault 0:22:05.650,0:22:10.120 anyone nor did they break any windows, but[br]by being present at an assembly they 0:22:10.120,0:22:15.460 have thus conspired to facilitate others to[br]break windows and to carry out assault. 0:22:15.460,0:22:19.670 Hey there everyone this is James O'Keefe[br]with project Veritas after we released these 0:22:19.670,0:22:24.730 few videos exposing Disrupt J20 we have a[br]couple updates for you. 0:22:24.730,0:22:31.800 Project Veritas is an organization that has[br]made their mark sending these individuals 0:22:31.800,0:22:35.750 into organizations and[br]planning meetings who are 0:22:35.750,0:22:42.530 pretending to just be another left-wing participant[br]just another lefty but actually they're wired 0:22:42.530,0:22:49.340 up with secret cameras and try to find things[br]that they think they can use as dirt against 0:22:49.340,0:22:55.270 the organization to try these organizations[br]in the court of public opinion and either 0:22:55.270,0:22:58.840 bring down their funding or bring down their[br]support and give them a bad name 0:22:58.840,0:23:05.820 our attorney met with the Terrorism Task[br]Force detective this morning the representative 0:23:05.820,0:23:10.630 from the US Attorney's Office was also going[br]to be attending and our attorney reports to 0:23:10.630,0:23:16.000 us that they are looking at the full footage[br]they are investigating they're analyzing the 0:23:16.000,0:23:20.560 tapes and the batches of emails we sent them[br]so they contacted us last night looks like 0:23:20.560,0:23:22.338 there's been some legal developments 0:23:22.338,0:23:29.640 the prosecution was convinced that this one[br]video that they had of an open public meeting 0:23:29.640,0:23:33.631 where the the anti-capitalist anti-fascist march was discussed 0:23:33.631,0:23:36.700 was like a really important part of their case 0:23:36.700,0:23:42.442 I made an offhanded comment that became kind[br]of like a center for why I got indicted 0:23:42.442,0:23:46.946 Just remember when we go to the festival[br]of resistance, that’s like a space that’s 0:23:46.946,0:23:51.720 supposed to be family friendly, so, don’t[br]break a window at, the festival of resistance 0:23:51.720,0:23:55.110 You know in hindsight I made a dumb comment. 0:23:55.110,0:23:59.440 Project Veritas was not actually the only[br]sort of ultra right-wing organization, that 0:23:59.440,0:24:02.660 the US Attorney's Office and the Metropolitan[br]Police Department collaborated with and used 0:24:02.660,0:24:05.140 footage from in this prosecution 0:24:05.140,0:24:12.490 I think Alex Jones and various other far right-wing[br]outlets actually infiltrated the mass meetings 0:24:12.490,0:24:18.340 They also got independent footage and reports[br]from the Oathkeepers which is a right-wing 0:24:18.340,0:24:21.883 militia from rebel media,[br]and which is an alt right 0:24:21.883,0:24:25.693 white nationalist media outlet from Canada 0:24:27.153,0:24:28.790 Hammers holy crap! 0:24:28.790,0:24:32.200 This is not peaceful protest this is anarchy! 0:24:32.200,0:24:38.630 At the end of the last of those video files,[br]the Project Veritas operative is chatting 0:24:38.630,0:24:44.190 with a few people and they you see at the[br]end of the video, the initial one that we 0:24:44.190,0:24:49.410 got the operative and this guy he was talking to[br]walk out of the doors 0:24:49.410,0:24:51.390 in the building they're in and the video just stops. 0:24:51.390,0:24:53.320 Go back out there… 0:24:53.320,0:25:01.940 A year plus later after some litigation about,[br]you know very generally speaking, the completeness 0:25:01.940,0:25:07.410 of the Project Veritas cache that the defense[br]had been given, the government made a second 0:25:07.410,0:25:13.330 disclosure of the four video files we got,[br]plus some additional video files we had never 0:25:13.330,0:25:15.326 been given access to. 0:25:15.326,0:25:17.433 The fourth video file of that initial four 0:25:17.433,0:25:20.456 that was disclosed,[br]when we get to the end scene 0:25:20.456,0:25:22.708 when the Veritas operative and the other 0:25:22.708,0:25:25.250 gentlemen are walking out it doesn't abruptly end. 0:25:25.250,0:25:28.270 The US Attorney's Office protested that the[br]reason they cut that off is because there 0:25:28.270,0:25:32.890 was nothing on-screen, and so people think[br]that maybe like the person who was wearing 0:25:32.890,0:25:37.000 the button cam put on a jacket, so they were[br]still audio but there was no video. 0:25:37.000,0:25:40.840 And in that audio the person who was recording[br]the video called Veritas and said: 0:25:40.840,0:25:47.890 Yeah I was talking with one of the organizers[br]from the IWW, I don't think they know anything 0:25:47.890,0:25:50.700 about like the upper echelon stuff 0:25:50.700,0:25:55.610 That led obviously do a whole bunch of uproar[br]and more litigation 0:25:55.610,0:25:58.940 They withheld like 69 videos, but they also withheld 0:25:58.940,0:26:01.925 the identity of the person who filmed the videos 0:26:01.925,0:26:06.002 a week before trial[br]my lawyer was actually able to interview them 0:26:06.002,0:26:08.754 and all of a sudden they also[br]became a star witness in my case. 0:26:08.754,0:26:13.370 They actually undermined the narrative that[br]Kerkhoff was putting out there by saying like 0:26:13.370,0:26:16.020 I didn't believe anyone was planning violence[br]that day 0:26:16.020,0:26:20.190 And that ultimately led to the chief judge[br]finding a Brady violation 0:26:20.190,0:26:24.760 Brady V Maryland was a Supreme Court case[br]from the 1960s that basically said that prosecutors 0:26:24.760,0:26:30.760 have the obligation and the duty to turn over[br]any evidence that could that even has the 0:26:30.760,0:26:35.540 possibility of being exculpatory basically[br]helping to demonstrate the innocence of the 0:26:35.540,0:26:38.784 defendant to the defense[br]and as a part of discovery 0:26:38.784,0:26:43.960 And as a result of all of that he dismissed[br]certain charges with prejudice against certain 0:26:43.960,0:26:50.880 defendants barred the introduction of any[br]Project Veritas videos and any evidence of 0:26:50.880,0:26:55.843 a conspiracy effectively wiped out[br]the government's conspiracy case 0:26:55.843,0:26:57.540 And from that moment forward the dominoes 0:26:57.540,0:27:01.120 just started falling[br]and there were no more prosecutions after that 0:27:02.183,0:27:06.530 In a blow to the Trump administration's[br]efforts to silence dissent the first trial 0:27:06.530,0:27:12.130 of people arrested at inauguration day[br]Disrupt J20 protests ended Thursday 0:27:12.130,0:27:16.580 In December, six of those people were acquitted,[br]and the government dropped charges against 0:27:16.580,0:27:18.350 149 others. 0:27:18.350,0:27:22.890 However fifty-nine protesters are still facing[br]multiple felony charges 0:27:22.890,0:27:28.840 The government in a statement said that it[br]would now focus its efforts on a smaller core 0:27:28.840,0:27:32.400 group that we believe is most responsible[br]for the destucion 0:27:32.400,0:27:36.850 Prosecutors have dropped felony charges against[br]several people, who faced possible decades 0:27:36.850,0:27:38.570 long prison terms, 0:27:38.570,0:27:43.780 Dozens of protesters arrested at president[br]Trump's inauguration are now off the hook 0:27:43.780,0:27:46.310 and some of them could get paid. 0:27:46.310,0:27:47.103 What? 0:27:50.640,0:27:57.390 On July 6th, 2018, the state quietly dropped[br]its charges against the final 39 J20 defendants, 0:27:57.390,0:28:00.520 bringing the drawn out legal saga to a stunning[br]conclusion. 0:28:00.520,0:28:07.000 In the final tally, out of the 226 individuals[br]eventually prosecuted for their participation 0:28:07.000,0:28:13.900 in J20 protests, 205 cases were dismissed,[br]with 21 individuals taking plea deals – most 0:28:13.900,0:28:17.260 under youth statues that saw the bulk of their[br]charges dropped. 0:28:17.260,0:28:20.640 The state wasn’t able to secure a single[br]jury conviction. 0:28:20.640,0:28:25.770 Throughout the course of these proceedings,[br]J20 defendants received an outpouring of solidarity, 0:28:25.770,0:28:31.200 with comrades around the world taking part[br]in coordinated days of actions, dropping banners, 0:28:31.200,0:28:35.410 throwing up graffiti and dedicating militant[br]direct actions to their cause. 0:28:35.410,0:28:39.320 These comrades knew that the stakes of this[br]case were high... which only made the victory 0:28:39.320,0:28:41.198 so much sweeter. 0:28:41.198,0:28:45.910 And to top things off, class action lawsuits[br]have been filed against the Metro PD, which 0:28:45.910,0:28:50.520 will almost certainly translate into a nice[br]little payday for co-defendants, thanks to 0:28:50.520,0:28:53.670 the cops’ inability to follow their own rules. 0:28:53.670,0:28:57.760 Additional proceedings have also begun against[br]Kerkhoff herself, stemming from her botched 0:28:57.760,0:29:04.513 attempts to secure decades-long prison sentences[br]through a desperate campaign of lies and misinformation. 0:29:11.600,0:29:17.760 I think one of the most important things we[br]can do is to create a culture, a normative 0:29:17.760,0:29:22.640 culture in which we do not cooperate with[br]police, we do not answer questions, we do 0:29:22.640,0:29:27.690 not appear in federal grand juries, we do[br]not accept to plea bargains that incriminate 0:29:27.690,0:29:31.280 others, we do not consent to searches. 0:29:31.280,0:29:36.754 And creating these as practices which are[br]just the norm, allows us to act collectively 0:29:36.754,0:29:38.730 in a way that protects the most vulnerable. 0:29:38.730,0:29:45.140 It would have been good for the unpermitted[br]march to have broadened the core of people 0:29:45.140,0:29:47.230 who were part of the organic planning of it. 0:29:47.230,0:29:52.170 So there could have been a more disciplined[br]approach to how to respond as the police aggression 0:29:52.170,0:29:53.240 intensified. 0:29:53.240,0:29:57.760 There was a core of people who had been involved[br]and tons more people who hadn't been involved 0:29:57.760,0:30:02.990 who just heard show up with a mask and there[br]wasn't a process of like engaging folks around 0:30:02.990,0:30:06.900 like how to approach that[br]all as strategically as possible. 0:30:06.900,0:30:12.400 we may have missed a little bit of an opportunity[br]to understand the bigger context of like, 0:30:12.400,0:30:15.520 what we were going into and what these things[br]look like. 0:30:15.520,0:30:22.280 Like when else in history did a dictator start[br]doing certain things with the news media? 0:30:22.280,0:30:28.760 What other times in history and how did the[br]criminalization of dissent look like? 0:30:28.760,0:30:34.450 Like what is it, first of all, do we all understand[br]what repression is, what it's used for and 0:30:34.450,0:30:37.490 how it's used and who uses it[br]and who benefits from it? 0:30:37.490,0:30:41.550 It's incredibly important for us to do political[br]education, I think we've gotta understand 0:30:41.550,0:30:46.290 the things that we're saying and understand[br]the things that we're seeing in a way that 0:30:46.290,0:30:51.030 we can talk about, we can talk about like[br]in everyday language 0:30:51.030,0:30:55.290 I think that it's important for folks to understand[br]more and for folks to read more about how 0:30:55.290,0:30:58.560 the state uses conspiracy laws. 0:30:58.560,0:31:02.090 And hopefully in the coming months people[br]who are involved in this case and other conspiracy 0:31:02.090,0:31:08.830 cases over the past couple years will keep[br]writing about this and will keep helping us 0:31:08.830,0:31:10.913 collectively to understand as a movement 0:31:10.913,0:31:14.570 against capitalism against white supremacy[br]against nationalism 0:31:23.986,0:31:27.823 So a couple months after we were all arrested,[br]I was at home 0:31:27.823,0:31:31.201 and I get a frantic call from my co-worker. 0:31:31.201,0:31:35.581 So I go on Facebook and I see that my personal[br]facebook has been attacked, 0:31:35.581,0:31:38.834 my address has been given out,[br]they obviously know where I work… 0:31:38.834,0:31:42.546 And it was clear that I was doxxed[br]by the far right. 0:31:42.546,0:31:50.380 A list of everyone arrested during the J20[br]was released and I believe and what most people 0:31:50.380,0:31:53.980 believe is that the cops actually provided[br]this list to the far right. 0:31:53.980,0:31:59.400 We fought the Feds subpoenaing our facebook,[br]then they wound up actually getting access 0:31:59.400,0:32:03.820 to all of our data with names redacted except[br]for our own names. 0:32:03.820,0:32:07.340 That, so far has not gone anywhere… 0:32:07.340,0:32:11.033 And that's why you practice[br]good security culture! 0:32:11.033,0:32:14.850 During the J20 prosecution, there was a lot[br]of discussion about you know points of unity 0:32:14.850,0:32:21.800 and people agreeing to certain points of unity[br]and in a sense I'd like us as a movement to 0:32:21.800,0:32:27.320 move beyond that where when people are arrested,[br]when people are in custody, they presume that 0:32:27.320,0:32:30.380 already there's going to be mass defense,[br]there's going to be collective defense there's 0:32:30.380,0:32:34.580 going to be non cooperation with with plea[br]agreements there's going to be non-cooperation 0:32:34.580,0:32:36.870 with federal grand juries 0:32:36.870,0:32:43.780 If you have deep rooted trust you can navigate[br]political and tactical and strategic disagreements 0:32:43.780,0:32:49.630 without like never speaking to people again[br]who you used to work with really closely. 0:32:49.630,0:32:55.070 The major victory apart from you know, two[br]hundred plus people having their lives back, 0:32:55.070,0:33:00.460 is hopefully that there was a little bit of[br]a road block put in place to what I saw as 0:33:00.460,0:33:07.340 a really massive erosion to the ability to[br]go out and be an opposing voice 0:33:07.340,0:33:11.970 In terms of social precedent in terms of you[br]know the ways that people treat this case 0:33:11.970,0:33:17.670 in and might react to similar things in the[br]future, having this as one of the examples 0:33:17.670,0:33:24.210 to sort of draw on I think that was really[br]important and a big win for the left and for 0:33:24.210,0:33:26.520 for the grassroots. 0:33:26.520,0:33:30.840 I think this is a true test case and I think[br]it's it's very clear that we rose above that 0:33:30.840,0:33:35.080 and that people were able to act collectively[br]in a time when the state was doing all it 0:33:35.080,0:33:40.190 could to split us apart and pit you know,[br]so called "good protester" against "bad protester" 0:33:40.190,0:33:45.750 against those of us who are quote "just there"[br]to those of us who are quote "breaking things". 0:33:45.750,0:33:50.440 And so I think that that really is an example[br]of solidarity and action and a real true strength 0:33:50.440,0:33:52.468 of our collective abilities 0:33:55.971,0:34:00.060 J20 may have been the first mass prosecution[br]of political dissidents in the Trump era, 0:34:00.060,0:34:05.280 but it hasn’t been the last... and you can[br]bet that there’s more to come. 0:34:05.280,0:34:09.969 Since taking office, Trump has presided over[br]a sharp escalation in state repression, a 0:34:09.969,0:34:16.409 trend that has coincided with a surge in paramilitary[br]white nationalist and fascist violence. 0:34:16.409,0:34:21.690 So far, migrants, refugees and muslims have[br]borne the worst of this reactionary wave.. 0:34:21.690,0:34:24.219 but they are not the only groups in the crosshairs. 0:34:24.219,0:34:28.510 As women and trans folks brace themselves[br]for expected roll-backs of gender identity 0:34:28.510,0:34:34.280 and reproductive rights emanating from the[br]Supreme Court, new federal and state legislation 0:34:34.280,0:34:39.420 has already been introduced to criminalize[br]numerous different forms of political protest, 0:34:39.420,0:34:45.020 with laws specifically targeting land defenders[br]and anti-fascist protesters for enhanced sentencing. 0:34:45.020,0:34:51.159 Meanwhile, the FBI has adapted its COINTELPRO[br]playbook for crushing Black Liberation struggles, 0:34:51.159,0:34:55.820 this time under the guise of fighting so-called[br]“Black Identity Extremists.” 0:34:55.820,0:35:00.780 These continue to be dangerous times, and[br]while we can and should celebrate the J20 0:35:00.780,0:35:06.290 victory, it’s also important to not allow[br]it to lull us into a false sense of security. 0:35:06.290,0:35:10.330 So at this point, we’d like to remind you[br]that Trouble is intended to be watched in 0:35:10.330,0:35:15.050 groups, and to be used as a resource to promote[br]discussion and collective organizing. 0:35:15.050,0:35:19.530 Are you interested in starting a local legal[br]support collective, or just seeking to increase 0:35:19.530,0:35:23.290 your crew’s knowledge of how to navigate[br]the court system? 0:35:23.290,0:35:27.800 Consider getting together with some comrades,[br]organizing a screening of this film, and discussing 0:35:27.800,0:35:29.930 where to get started. 0:35:29.930,0:35:33.690 Interested in running regular screenings of[br]Trouble at your campus, infoshop, community 0:35:33.690,0:35:36.560 center, or even just at home with friends? 0:35:36.560,0:35:38.510 Become a Trouble-Maker! 0:35:38.510,0:35:40.172 For 10 bucks a month, we’ll hook you up 0:35:40.172,0:35:42.260 with an advanced copy of the show, and a screening kit 0:35:42.260,0:35:44.834 kit featuring additional resources and some 0:35:44.834,0:35:47.580 questions you can use to get a discussion going. 0:35:47.580,0:35:50.340 If you can’t afford to support us financially,[br]no worries! 0:35:50.340,0:35:56.520 You can stream and/or download all our content[br]for free off our website: sub.media/trouble. 0:35:56.520,0:36:01.550 If you’ve got any suggestions for show topics,[br]or just want to get in touch, drop us a line 0:36:01.550,0:36:04.660 at trouble@sub.media. 0:36:04.660,0:36:08.730 Just a heads up that we’ve decided to hold[br]off on our fundraiser drive until the new 0:36:08.730,0:36:13.030 year, but we’re going to be stocking up[br]on swag, so be sure and check out sub.media/gear 0:36:13.030,0:36:17.360 for all the subMedia fans[br]on your christmas list. 0:36:17.360,0:36:21.130 This episode would not have been possible[br]without the generous support of Robbt, and 0:36:21.130,0:36:24.569 the excellent footage shot by Wes, Brandon,[br]Ross Domoney 0:36:24.569,0:36:27.350 and the good folks at Unicorn Riot. 0:36:27.350,0:36:31.850 Stay tuned next month for Trouble # 17, as[br]we take a look at our society’s current 0:36:31.850,0:36:37.350 mental health crisis, from an anti-capitalist,[br]anti-colonial and anti-state perspective. 0:36:37.350,0:36:43.450 Never try to simplify or put etiquettes[br]on people, put labels on people: “This person 0:36:43.450,0:36:50.896 is traumatized” or “This person, she’s[br]gonna be ok, she’s resilient” right? 0:36:50.896,0:36:53.110 We simply situations that are very complex. 0:36:53.110,0:36:55.776 Now get out there…. and make some trouble!