In defense of punching Bob Black and exiling snitchy bigots
So as we all know Bob Black was punched at the Long Haul by MLF. We feel this is justified and that anti-oppressive anarchist ethics should be upheld in so called anarchist spaces. That means no bigots or snitches should be invited to speak or be published by “Anarchists”. Here are some racist/snitch/sexist quotes from Bob Black that led to him being punched:
“That is why, in the early period of the Spanish Revolution, the anarchists burned hundreds of churches, and put the others to better uses. The APOCs’ know nothing of this, as they know nothing about anarchist history, and as they know nothing about anarchism, and as they are not anarchists. A pox on APOCs!” — Bob Black[1]
“It’s okay to be the enemies of anybody, even Persons of Color, if they are Negro Nazis. And it’s stupid not to be. I am literally, physically nauseated by the way the victims are covering up for their oppressors. I want to know names, and addresses, and phone numbers. I want to know where they work, in the unlikely event that they do, and where they go to school. Their employers (or their professors) should be identified and informed. It might be useful to obtain, and circulate, their criminal records. And I want to know (as I have heard conflicting versions) the race of these racists because they played the race card. Why not send a demand to the “black churches” on whose behalf this all supposedly happened to repudiate the action? If they don’t, they indeed deserve to be burned. You could send the demand to the white churches too. That’s racial equality. Burn, baby, burn!” — Bob Black[2]
Really? After all of these recent racist church burnings in the South do you wonder why Bob’s words might get him punched.
“This was apparently originally a punk anarchist type infoshop which, once it got going, was taken over by black militants, as recently as January. Its website states: “In January of 2014, the Holdout temporarily closed its doors to do some serious cleaning.” Yes: ethnic cleansing, It is not as if what happened at the Bookfair came out of nowhere. It came out of this vipers’ nest, at 2313 San Pablo Avenue. Who’s the landlord? Are these desirable tenants? It sounds like a soft target, much easier to trash than a table at a bookfair with hundreds of people around, even though those people were sheep. Two or three people with a car could do the trick. The Black Bloc could deal with these black blockheads. Out of town activists could do the job (I can think of some people who might be interested – one guy in particular), to whom blame could be assigned (“outside agitators”). I offer to my Bay Area friends, plausible deniability. And nobody will be extradited for the crime of trashing a Negro anarchist pesthole, although the police will regret the loss of their agent provocateurs. (Isn’t this an obvious possibility?) I wonder if Qilombo is also a weapons arsenal and a crackhouse.” — Bob Black[3]
“Right from the start I’ve acknowledged that I was a police snitch” — Bob Black[4]
“Besides, I stand by my decision; I’d do it again. I became, because of extreme provocation, a police snitch. So what? You got a problem with that? “ — Bob Black[5]
“Before I began my presentation, I did announce, that I wanted my assailant to be identified, and I asked for as much information as possible about him, his name, his address, his phone number, his mother, his probation officer, etc. All I ever heard was that he is named “******” and I didn’t get even that much from you. I want that information. If you and the anarchists cover up for this guy, I’ll hire a detective to find out. Why would I want to know these facts? Use your imagination. In the first place, to publicize them as widely as possible. I notice that nobody is even considering any retaliation. On behalf of your friends and yourself, you have dismissed the possibility.” — Bob Black[6]
“How come these women won’t get in bed with any man except the DA?”[7]
If You Can’t Stand the Heat, Stay In the Kitchen[8]
Clarifications: MLF is a well known and networked anarchist and anti-fascist trans woman. She uses she/they pronouns.
So here Bob Black tries to justify insulting MLF’s makeup and the transphobic backlash by saying he is a “transphile” and a trans rights advocate claiming “I am well-informed on the topic of TG, having attended 5 or 6 TG conferences, mostly here in Albany, but also one in Philadelphia.” He continues to misgender MLF and is rallying for her to be jumped by a bunch of cisgendered men or snitching to get her in a violently transphobic prison system.
“***** had made threats against me on Aragorn’s thread here — which he never told me about. Because I was unconscious for an unknown period, I didn’t hear the creep, while he was dragged out, screaming something about “transphobic.” As one of my friends who heard this said, “I never thought I’d see the day when Bob Black was called transphobic.” As is well known to many people, I am transphilic, and I have been, for many years. One of the people who knows this is ******.
Nonetheless, he reports the screamings of this lunatic as if they had something to do with the assault on me, which Aragorn anticipated — except he probably didn’t want it to go so far. ***** didn’t go there to punish my nonexistent transphobia, he went there to punish me as a “snitch.” (That’s the only word I recognized during the few seconds he gibbered in my face.) This is a problem with self-important people. They think they know the future and control the future.
I’ve been transphile for many, many years. I am well-informed on the topic of TG, having attended 5 or 6 TG conferences, mostly here in Albany, but also one in Philadelphia. Before ******* ******* was born, I was providing some free legal services to the Trangender Independence Club in Albany. In fact, I dated its President for a few months in the early 1990’s
Some years later, I was a member of the Board of Directors of the Capitol Region Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union. On my initiative, the first transsexual (an old friend of mine) was appointed to the Board.
*******/Aragorn knew that my visit to the Bay Area was not primarily to promote my book. He knew that the Bay Area was a rest stop for me, before I proceeded to a 17 day visit to the Philippines. He knew that my primary purpose was to meet someone there whom I hoped to marry. I did the Long Haul gig because he wanted me to.
In the Philippines, I made 3 public presentations, and met many people, and that was all great. But I was mainly there to meet the transwoman who is now my fiance: ***************
Go to her FB page and you will see photos of us together. I am now working on the complexities of bringing her here on a fiance visa (which is converted into a marriage visa upon marriage).
This is more important to me than dealing with the scumbag Aragorn. But, I’ve started on him, and there will be more from me about that, in due time. I ask that nobody buy my books — or any books — from his business, LBC Press/Distribution.”
We hope that once Bob Black sees the information we have compiled that he will humble himself and to be accountable for his oppressive behavior and leave the issue at getting punched. He has dug himself in a hole and most people will exile him just for his response. Anyone who defends him should be considered sketchy and a possible traitor to the cause. That being said Bob Black should call off any form of retaliation otherwise there will be consequences and an exiling from the Anarchist and anti-fascist community at large.
Bob Black’s snitch letter to the Seattle police 1996:
http://www.seesharppress.com/black.html
[1] https://socialinsurrection.wordpress.com/2014/04/30/no-more-water-the-fire-next-time-by-bob-black/
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] http://www.inspiracy.com/black/ducksanddrakes.html
[5] Ibid.
[6] https://www.facebook.com/bob.black.77736
[7] “Feminism As Fascism”
http://www.inspiracy.com/black/abolition/feminism.html