Communique From Some Texas State “Vandals”

An anonymous transmission

To our fellow San Martians,

We typically prefer that actions speak for themselves, but perhaps a few words are due. In the face of renewed genocide and mass deportations, all that is left is what must be done. Taking up the task of disruption, sabotage, and attack is not something we do lightly. The people of Gaza have repeatedly called for mass student escalation. We’ve witnessed targeted deportations of politicized students, workers, and teachers with legal status; a wave of student protests repressed and occupations torn down, and paltry concessions rescinded by university admin.

We ask: what did a protest of over 500 students last spring at the Stallions accomplish? We stood and chanted as fellow students at UT were teargassed. Last week, the Party for Socialism and Liberation hosted a small protest of barely a few dozen. Then everyone went home. Held on the square, this event made front cover of the University Star alongside an opinion piece by the Star’s editorial board advocating “proper avenues” of “political expression.” They even dared to invoke the expelled San Marcos 10 in an effort to downplay a little graffiti. Why? The university can better control every aspect of the narrative if we allow them to dictate proper political expression.

Our detractors have labeled us vandals, criminals, outside agitators, domestic terrorists, radicals/extremists. Though these titles are certainly an honor, we remain your humble neighbors, colleagues, & classmates. Living in the heart of US imperialism necessitates actions that disrupt business as usual. We do not fear political repression, but instead a return to normalcy.

Some students have bemoaned the defacing of their “beautiful” campus. Fuck you lol. This university is complicit in funding Israeli genocide and actively collaborating with ICE against the will of its student population. It was already an extension of an active warzone; our political act simply reminded people of that. It is students who make this campus beautiful, because it is our campus.

Others pointed out the inconvenienced sanitation workers forced to take such art down. For the first time, students recognized the existence and working conditions of underpaid, primarily immigrant workers who lack union representation on this campus. But rather than lay those concerns at the feet of a, frankly overpaid, administration whose campus is expanding unsustainably, these students prefer to weaponize said workers against a political movement. How often has the student body taken it upon themselves to guarantee the survival of these workers or their families?

UPD has claimed all its efforts are being concentrated on unveiling us while sexual harassment, assault, hazing, and homophobic and racist violence are still mainstays at this University. Perhaps it would be best if they concentrated on those, if they weren’t so often guilty of excesses of violence themselves.

Another point of interest was the overwhelming discussions held in the wake of our graffiti. Through Reddit, Instagram, and classrooms debates were held, photographs taken, interviews conducted, and statements released. The University Star would have you believe otherwise, that “many students have already ceased conversations surrounding it.” A boldface lie in an attempt to downplay an event the paper references in 3 different articles this week.

Our beloved University President, Kelly Damphouse, even took to the battlements of his own Instagram post responding to the flurry of negative comments he received from Texas State students, and liking messages such as “we stand with you Kelly.” Seems his public outreach coordinator needs to run some trainings with him, feeling the need to respond to each and every negative comment with hundreds of likes.

Funny thing that few people recall about Kelly: his doctorate is in counter-terrorism, counter-intelligence, and studying resistance movements. What that means, dear reader, is that the president of our university has a degree in stifling unrest. His position befits the degree as he has spoken wearily of anti-war student activists of the 60’s and compared them to today’s protests around Palestine. A fed for a president who needs to lay off the ‘gram lest he make a fool of himself. We are happy to report that the vast majority of student body responses on social media that we witnessed were positive

Finally, we come to the particular questions and answered that spurred this communique. Why did we do it? Should you do it? How? Was it easy?

We did it because it was a step, a small one, towards escalation. Graffiti carries a certain transgressive and sensationalist appeal that gets people talking. However, this was by no means a performative action designed only to create commotion. IT is part of a sustained national attempt to attack institutions responsible and hold them accountable. In the spirit of the Merrimack 4, we think it important to bring the war home. As parades, marches, protests, and community events have their place in revolutionary change, so too does direct action, disruption, and clandestine activity.

With minimal planning, some spray paint, and committed friends we reveal ways to strike back. It was easy. “stay tuned” and “you can do it too” were not just slogans but calls to action. Be bold. Be creative. Have fun, because it is fun to revolt. It’s the University’s responsibility to divest from genocide and keep ICE out. We can bleed their pockets. Material damages is money they cannot spend elsewhere. We take risks because we can, and once you realize it’s possible so can you.

Source: Austin Autonomedia

https://abolitionmedia.noblogs.org/?p=18021

Message de Standing-together (Israël) diffusé sur #bluesky le (2025-03-30)

- https://bsky.app/profile/standing-together.bsky.social/post/3lllpnrbzwc2o

# 1/6

Eid al-Fitr has arrived, but in Gaza, there is nothing to mark its coming.

# 2/6

In Gaza, there are no sweets baking in the ovens, no children running through the streets in new clothes.

There are no family visits, no embraces, no laughter at the door.

There is only the dust of collapsed homes, the empty chair at the table, and silence interrupted by explosions .

# 3/6

Eid is supposed to mark the end of hardship.

But in Gaza, hardship has no end.

The war has stretched across the holy month, and now into the holiday meant to follow it.

In Gaza,there is no end to the fast,only hunger.

No end to the war,only more war.

No break in the fear,no break in the grief.

# 4/6

No one should have to live like this.

Not during Eid.

Not any day.

We must not get used to this.

We must not look away. And we must not let this be their fate.

# 5/6

We hope, and we demand, that this will be the last holiday on this land marked by military rule, by the domination of one people over another, by a future stolen from millions.

# 6/6

Let us build a place that belongs to all who call it home.

A place where no one is bombed in their sleep, where no one’s freedom depends on someone else’s suffering.

A home where we can all live, not under siege, not under fear, but in equality, in partnership, and in peace.

###################

# En français

# 1/6

L'Aïd al-Fitr est arrivé, mais à Gaza, rien ne marque sa venue.

# 2/6

À Gaza, il n'y a pas de gâteaux qui cuisent dans les fours, pas d'enfants qui courent dans les rues avec de nouveaux vêtements.

Il n'y a pas de visites familiales, pas d'embrassades, pas de rires à la porte.

Il n'y a que la poussière des maisons effondrées, la chaise vide à la table et le silence interrompu par les explosions.

# 3/6

L'Aïd est censé marquer la fin des difficultés.

Mais à Gaza, les difficultés n'ont pas de fin.

La guerre s'est étendue sur le mois sacré, et maintenant sur la fête qui est censée la suivre.

À Gaza, il n'y a pas de fin au jeûne, seulement la faim.

Pas de fin à la guerre, seulement plus de guerre.

Pas de répit dans la peur, pas de répit dans le chagrin.

# 4/6

Personne ne devrait avoir à vivre ainsi.

Pas pendant l'Aïd.

Pas un seul jour.

Nous ne devons pas nous habituer à cela.

Nous ne devons pas détourner le regard. Et nous ne devons pas laisser cela être leur destin.

# 5/6

Nous espérons, et nous exigeons, que ce soient les dernières fêtes sur cette terre marquée par la loi militaire, par la domination d'un peuple sur un autre, par un avenir volé à des millions de personnes.

# 6/6

Construisons un lieu qui appartienne à tous ceux qui l'habitent.

Un lieu où personne n'est bombardé dans son sommeil, où la liberté de personne ne dépend de la souffrance d'autrui.

Un foyer où nous pouvons tous vivre, non pas sous le siège, non pas dans la peur, mais dans l'égalité, dans le partenariat et dans la paix.

#StandingTogether #Israel #Palestine #L'AïdAlFitre #Aid

Message de Standing-together (Israël) diffusé sur #bluesky le (2025-03-31)

https://bsky.app/profile/standing-together.bsky.social/post/3llofvxebgk2k

‪
# 1/4

Jon, like so many other family members of hostages, isn’t asking for slogans or empty gestures. He is asking for truth and for accountability. For leaders who will actually take responsibility and act in order to save the lives of family members.

# 2/4

This government has not just failed to act. It has sabotaged a ceasefire deal that could have ended the war and saved lives. It escalated violence just as negotiations reached a critical point, and continues to abandon the hostages to carry out their extremist, expansionist fantasies.

# 3/4

A majority of people in Israel support a ceasefire deal that will end the war and bring back the hostages, and this has been true for many months. This government is ignoring the will of the majority and acting according to dreams of mass destruction, ethnic cleansing, and settling Gaza.

# 4/4

They are willing to bring all of us down with them. We must not let them. We call on everyone, everywhere to refuse this endless war. Refuse this status quo. This must come to an end – for the sake of Palestinians in Gaza, for the sake of the Israeli hostages, for the sake of all of us.

######################

# En français

# 1/4

Jon, comme tant d'autres membres de familles d'otages, ne demande pas de slogans ou de gestes vides.

Il demande la vérité et la responsabilisation.

Il demande des dirigeants qui prendront réellement leurs responsabilités et agiront afin de sauver la vie des membres de leurs familles.

# 2/4

Ce gouvernement n'a pas seulement manqué à son devoir d'agir.

Il a saboté un accord de cessez-le-feu qui aurait pu mettre fin à la guerre et sauver des vies.

Il a intensifié la violence au moment même où les négociations atteignaient un point critique, et continue d'abandonner les otages pour réaliser ses fantasmes extrémistes et expansionnistes.

# 3/4

Une majorité de personnes en Israël soutiennent un accord de cessez-le-feu qui mettra fin à la guerre et ramènera les otages, et c'est le cas depuis de nombreux mois.

Ce gouvernement ignore la volonté de la majorité et agit selon des rêves de destruction massive, de nettoyage ethnique et de colonisation de Gaza.

# 4/4

Ils sont prêts à nous entraîner tous dans leur chute.

Nous ne devons pas les laisser faire.

Nous appelons chacun, partout, à refuser cette guerre sans fin.

Refuser ce statu quo.

Cela doit cesser – pour le bien des Palestiniens à Gaza, pour le bien des otages israéliens, pour le bien de nous tous.