Pittsburgh New Years Jail Solidarity Demo Smashes Courthouse

On December 31st at midnight, 30 bodies gathered at the Allegheny County Jail in response to an international call for jail solidarity noise demonstrations. On this day, simultaneously in many cites across the world, people gathered outside of prisons to connect and communicate with prisoners held inside. The general formula is to hold banners, chant, bang drums, and shoot fireworks. The message is clear; the demonstrators stand in solidarity with those who transgress the constraints of society. They stand on the same side of the line as the imprisoned in the war of social order.

In Pittsburgh on this day some actor(s) broke out of the symbolic representation of resistance against prisons. Person(s) unknown materially attacked the Pittsburgh Municipal Courthouse, which is attached to the jail, causing 5 ground to ceiling windows to be shattered. As the municipal court operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, this attack occurred during the operation of the court amidst a full shift of court clerks and judges.
[McHot strikes again!]

The police arrived in force with handguns and battle rifles drawn and detained every member of the demonstration. Apparently the attack was reported to the police as gun shots fired into the courthouse. It is believed by most demonstrators that this was an inaccuracy, but it has been difficult to confirm or deny because of the media blackout of this event. The demonstrators were detained for two hours, frisked, ID’ed, photographed, questioned, and harassed. Nonetheless, it was impossible for the police to ascertain who was responsible for the attack and no one has been indicted at the time of press.

We refuse to blame the one(s) responsible for this attack against the court for the actions of the police. We are disgusted by the police daily, to hold us at the end of a gun and threaten us with prison is their unexceptional practice. It is always the police who are our enemies and they are the ones we hold culpable.

As those who are committed to the destruction of all prisons, to escaping from all the external constraints of society that prohibit us from actualizing our desires, we sing the highest praise for the shadowy figure(s) who attack the institutions of control.

For a thousand more attacks, the destruction of police, the court-factory that turns people into inmates, and every institution and relation that inhibits us from actualizing our total potential.

http://www.anarchistnews.org/node/21294