This reportback was originally posted anonymously to It’s Going Down, and gives an account and critique of the autonomous action that took place in Phoenix on the evening of June 14th, 2025.
Report back from Phoenix, AZ on recent autonomous demonstration against ICE.
There was a call for an autonomous action in downtown Phoenix this past Saturday. In contrast to the usual events sponsored by the PSL and other do nothing boring-ass orgs, this one appeared more promising. That evening, my friends and I headed to Roosevelt street to see what the night would be.
The large mass of folks gathered on a street corner mostly in black made it clear we were in the right place. There were maybe 50-60 people in total at its height. One of the first things we noticed was the presence of several individuals filming and/or live streaming everyone there. One person had what looked like an iPad set up on a tripod, filming everything within the view of the street crossing and the two corresponding street corners. Another person had what appeared to be a news style camera on his shoulder surveying the entire crowd from a distance. At least two others were openly filming with phones. No one seemed concerned with stopping or confronting these people from filming the events of the evening. One photographer there did ask people if they wanted to be photographed or not, to their credit.
For the first hour or two after we arrived, there was nothing going on but lots of folks standing around, peppered with the occasional chants: “Phoenix doesn’t Fuck with ICE!,” and “Chinga La Migra!” At some point, the suggestion of taking the street was passed around in whispers asking everyone what the vibe was. After what seemed like brief hesitation, folks walked into the street when the light said walk and planted themselves there with nearby traffic cones, sections of barriers, and other miscellaneous items available.
The small intersection that was “liberated” was not a busy or significant one. In the bougie gentrified arts district for a hot Saturday evening there was very little traffic. The taking of the intersection was not difficult, nor did there seem any significance to it being unusable by cars. Many of the nearby drivers were sympathetic when they encountered our barriers and thankfully no vehicles were used against us. At one point, a Phoenix PD suburban flashed its lights and drove on the outskirts of the occupation to our yells and curses and ultimately drove away. That was most likely as dangerous as it got the entire night.
Some events of note from the evening were two examples of conflict between our group and passerby. The first was when a worker was collecting electronic scooters in a pickup truck which were at the time being used to enforce the barrier, although they were far from essential for its function. As he began to remove the scooters from the barrier, folks tried to stop him, including taking scooters out of the bed of the truck while he was putting them in, and so forth. This looney toons like scenario played out for about thirty seconds until some other folks shouted to let him be and take the scooters. While it was clear this person was not interested in anything we were doing or had to say, it was also clear he had no intention to oppose us beyond collecting said scooters.
The second example was when a person driving a passenger bicycle rode through a gap in the barrier to park on the street we were occupying, to the explicit anger of folks behind it. There were fruitless attempts to stop this person in their tracks, and when they came through the barrier folks struck their vehicle and person. The driver responded by stepping off of their bicycle and getting in the faces of people in the crowd. Words and threats were exchanged and eventually the situation was deescalated before anyone was hurt.
The rest of the evening was spent standing in the occupied street, surveying our surroundings with a mix of joy and nervous anticipation of police response, which never came. The night’s events were certainly fun and exciting, but nothing of significance was targeted and therefore there was no reason for PPD to come and get us to disperse. A small intersection was blocked, property was appropriated to do so, some graffiti here and there, but nothing beyond. Oh, except for some good ol’ fireworks in the street, my bad. Perhaps the crowning achievement of the night was that all of this happened and no one ended up hurt or in jail. As the hours dragged on and on, it became clear there was nothing else we were there to do but walk around in an empty street. Eventually all the folks that were there had gone their separate ways. The joyful excitement had gradually become empty boredom.
Thoughts, suggestions. encouragement for the future:
1. Purpose, goals, plan of action. The action on Saturday night lacked direction and any practical goals. The occupation of the street was spontaneous at best, and the absence of a coherent plan made anything beyond it impossible. The lack of direction in the wake of the rush of barricading an intersection (as small as it was) was paralyzing. If actions are to go beyond briefly occupying a sleepy downtown block, we must have goals, a plan to attain those goals, and folks who coordinate logistics to do so. When direct action starts, the pressure is high, the risk is high. There will be far greater pressure and risk in the days to come. Logistics, planning, strategy; these will win the day.
It must be stated the the ICE HQ office was within walking distance of this action. It cannot be overlooked that there was an opportunity to march directly on such a target that was not taken. A real shame that this was not realized at the time.
On the lighter side, occupying a street for the purpose of simply having fun is also a plan with a measurable goal. Having a block party in the street would be a fucking blast. Food, music, dancing, games, inviting others to join the festivity in a space now appropriated for fun. Having fun and creating contagious joy is as worthy a goal as any.
2. Don’t needlessly pick fights with onlookers. This is not a call against self-defense or violence as a tactic. It is a call to ask ourselves who our enemies are, who our potential allies (accomplices) are, and who our audience is. Our anarchism, our joy, our rebellion is not just for those in the anarchist club, not just for those who wear black and smash shit, not just for those who call themselves anarchists. It is for anyone and everyone who would find common ground with us when they meet us in the field. This common ground will always partially depend on how we relate in real time to those outside of the anarcho-clique. We are not owed allegiance or obedience by anyone who encounters us. In the real world, doing the right thing does not always make one a hero to others.
When we bloc up and act directly, we are making ourselves targets. We should not be surprised or outraged when people are hostile to us. We should also not underestimate our ability to build bridges and inspire people outside of our niche to find common cause with us. A little empathy and compassion can win one friends instead of enemies. Some people will be hostile towards us, some will challenge us and talk shit and try to get under our skin. And why wouldn’t they? It’s what we do when we encounter our political enemies, it’s what descendants of Australopithecus do. To state it simply, unless people are actively attempting to undermine us and our endeavors, it is a waste of time to seek conflict with them. It’s interesting that people streaming and filming were allowed to do so, and open conflict was saved for some whose sin was briefly opposing us.
3. No streamers. This should go without saying. The possible danger of being filmed at such events cannot be overstated. In the future, perhaps comrades can invite those doing so to cease their recording, and confront them beyond if need be. Sympathetic folks will cooperate. The cameras of unsympathetic folks can be blocked or dealt with in other ways. A very clear precedent must be set: no cameras at anarchist actions, film at your own risk.
Are there exceptions to this? Should we as anarchists condone filming actions that we organize? Perhaps for our own protection it may benefit us to have our own perspective recorded and our own narratives pushed. But if and when what we do is truly relevant, it will stand on its own without the need for footage. One camera in the hands of a trusted comrade is one thing. Too many cameras is too much liability
4. Lessons learned, calibrate for the future. Make plans, do logistics, strive for tangible goals, have fun. Designate roles for comrades, camera blocker, scout, medic, etc. What would it look like if an event such as this was planned outside of publicly shared social media? What would go beyond the limits of this event? What would be more fun than this event? What would push the limits of direct organizing in Phoenix? What would push the limits in Phoenix given the current climate of fascism?
We thank and proclaim solidarity with all those who showed up with hearts of fire. From Phoenix with love, for freedom and anarchy <3