Anonymous submission to Unsalted Counter Info.
A noise demo was held on october 23rd at washtenaw county jail at 2201 HOGBACK rd in ann arbor to demand the release of two (of three) comrades who were arrested at a protest of an iof talking tour event put on by U of M’s ‘students supporting israel’ chapter that same evening.
A group of about 100 of us organically assembled at the jail’s main entrance, drumming and clanging as we do at noise demos. After a short period of making noise at the main entrance of the jail (on the washtenaw side), we decided to move around the perimeter of the jail, towards the Hogback side. This is where the two garages are that cops use to bring the people they’ve kidnapped into the jail. We rounded into the garage area and broke out into chants and clangs. At this point some of us decided to make noise using the garage door itself. That garage door sure did shake!
We pounded against these impermanent walls- kicking and throwing our bodies against it as the beat to which we shouted for the release of our comrades. Boy did it piss the pigs off…Sure enough cruisers rounded into the entrances off of hogback in what looked like a potential kettle. We slowly moved back from the garage so as to avoid this, continually chanting and shouting expletives at the approaching officers. After standing ground for about a half hour, people slowly decided to leave.
At this point, there were about 8 cruisers lined up at the two entrances on hogback, and a couple of officers began putting on gloves; about another 8 cruisers stationed and circling the main parking lot off of washtenaw; one drone sent whirring above our heads. We all made sure that everyone had a way of getting home before dispersing.
The thing that inspires me about this demo in particular is that we toed the line of material rupture. From the moment we took our bodies to the garage door, I felt as though our collective power would destroy the jail walls and free our comrades.
While many in our group thought it wise to stand down and disperse, many other people wanted to stay despite voices of so-called reason. My spirit is galvanized when people stay together and don’t back down when the cops engage in shows of force and crowd control tactics. I wonder what shit would go down if we showed up with the belief that we could actually beat the cops on their own turf and we prepared for such a match.
Our energy at this demo was the fed up, IDGAF kind. It stems from a love of life and a rage that compels us against our oppressors. May our energy match that of all oppressed peoples who are rising up everywhere right now!
If we want to take the jail, we can fucking take the jail. When we believe in each other and prepare ourselves- mentally and physically- we can do a lot more than what might seem possible, despite the current degree of repression and state violence.
My desire for the people around me is less talk, more action! Let’s encourage each other to take initiative to be the escalation and to act on our desires! Let’s not wait around for others to take up the mantle. There are more of us than there are pigs staffing the washtenaw county jail!
oink oink piggy piggy, we don’t want you in our city!