First Published: Berkeley Barb, August 4-10, 1967.
Transcription, Editing and Markup: Paul Saba
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Born from the nationwide insurrections, Berkeley has a new and more radical civil rights organization – the Student Organizing Committee “for want of a name,” spokesman Robert Avakian told BARB.
This is the group that says “white radicals must run guns to the Black revolutionaries,” not the Berkeley Emergency Action Committee, as reported in the Gazette.
The group not only says it, it does it. Avakian told BARB that although he will be a leading spokesman for the group, “there will be other people implementing what we advocate.”
“We’re providing technical assistance.” he continued, and pointed out that this was what Lee Felsensten advocated in BARB earlier in June. “We didn’t originate this idea. We’re responding to requests we’ve had from Black groups and Black leaders.”
Avakian emphasized another activity of the organization which, he said, “will be ultimately much more significant.” That is “organizing among poor whites so that they can control their communities.”
He pointed to the significance of the integrated looting and sniping in Detroit, which shows the issue is not just racial but political.
“At this time white radicals do not have a base,” he said. “Eventually it’s going to be necessary to engage in parallel activities. These rebellions are going to occur and intensify and the power structure is going to respond to them with tanks and machine guns.”
Avakian pointed out that this may not be the optimum time to start fighting in the streets, but that it is happening.
“The people are taking to the streets,” he echoed for BARB, “before the black revolutionaries have organized.”