Though we have held ourselves and our crews to this, too much harm has been done in the past months to continue to treat the Denver Communists (hereafter DC) as an annoyance to avoid. Instead, their support for abusers and sex predators, their racism and antiindigeneity, and their opposition to security culture, alongside their inability to grapple with criticism about these subjects, has made things clear: they are a threat.
As anarchists and autonomous militants, we recognize not everyone will be an anarchist. Remnants of the ISO, which collapsed after sexual violence and hierarchical control became too much to bear for rank-and-file Trotskyists, the DC were an oddity against a backdrop of Black Liberation organizing, Indigenous Sovereignty fights, Trans, Queer, and feminist campaigns, and proletarian movements. DC actions were lowkey affairs, for the most part. After their execution of a number of “BLM-Antifa” demonstrations, which themselves resulted in some streetfighting and the death of fascist biker and failed hatmaker Lee Keltner, their profile rose. Campaigns for the recognition of Antonio Blackbear, an Indigenous man murdered by police in Denver, as well as sponsorship of a number of other antifascist events granted DC planning power and something like local clout.
What did they do with this? Having a habit for calling for events when autonomous ones do not arise, a number of DC actions saw members of DC directly cause racist harm, especially in their handling of their campaign for Antonio Blackbear, as well as directly protect abusers and sexual predators. Simple community defense norms, like “we protect us” were violated by clout-chasing Trots who valued social peace at events they controlled. This has pushed numerous loved ones and close friends (as well as many others we may never meet) from militancy and has stressed vital social relationships who must care for the harmed. Their lax security standards, typified by the lack of desire for their leaders to participate in a bloc and by their clear leadership roles, has put many in unwanted contact with the police or worse.
Denver, as well as all cities in a patriarchal, queer- and transphobic, violent world, has an abuser problem. We do not have to, though we may have been taught, protect people who cause great harm from accountability. We do not have to, either, protect groups who do the same. The DC have done too much to harm members of our community for this same community continue to support the DC. Had they apologized, this may not have to be the case. Instead, members of DC and their official accounts say racist shit and defend violent sex predators. At this point, we consider support of and participation in events put on by the DC to be coequal sorts of damage to the movement against settlerism, antiblackness, hierarchy, and exploitation because DC would not hold these events without the chance of participants attending.
Consider this a warning. We see the streams and we recognize you, even in your best bloc. We won’t call for an intermediary or the cops. Go to a Denver Communist-sponsored event, and we will have a chat.
Remember, you have the power to act autonomously. You don’t have to wait for the Denver Communists or anyone else. No one will save us but ourselves. We protect us.
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