Tactical Considerations

It is a common trope that minority/ people of color can't be expected to risk arrest. Eric Mann disagrees: "We have to go back to what we understood—direct action organizing including the right of self-defense is what is needed. We in the civil rights, Black, Latinx, Indigenous, human rights, women’s environmental, and climate justice movement have to put our bodies on the line and directly confront the white fascists through the most strategic and carefully constructed tactical plans. And yes, we need very tight tactical leadership to prevent provocateurs and self-appointed anti-fascists (many of whose groups are heavily infiltrated) from having any tactical role in our actions. And yes, it can be done. I have seen with CORE, SNCC, SCLC, and today with some excellent leadership from Black Lives Matter L.A. that a demonstration can and must have disciplined leadership and marshals to enforce the laws of engagement. We can get to the complex “how and when” question of tactics at a later point. But here is my conclusion." He also agrees with me that the organizing needs to be tight, disciplined, and well trained. Mann is a veteran of many civil rights struggles that achieved results using a "radical flank" approach, not to be confused with today's "diversity of tactics". This diversity is just rhetorical cover for fetishizing individual freedom over collective interest. While I have been critical of BLM for not employing disciplined cadres, I need to look into BLM LA and see what they have developed.