It is the 100th day of the occupation of the Che Cafe and we are going stronger than ever. We want to give our deepest gratitude to everyone who has been involved in this struggle, whether you’ve been or are an occupier or supporter, we have a deep love for everyone who has joined with us in solidarity.
The fight is far from over and we still need you, the community, to keep up with the wonderful show of support and solidarity that you have done so far. So here are some easy ways to help us in our fight to keep the Cafe so it’s by and for the community.
· Join the Occupation and Sit-in. The more people we have here, the better.
· If you’re in the media and supportive of the fight for autonomous spaces, please reach out and interview us
· Become a supporter and help us out with the things we need. We always need donations, whether that’s vegan food(rice, beans, lentils, pasta without eggs in it, fresh spices, tofu, cereal, vegetables, fruits, bread) kitchen supplies, books, toilet paper, paper towels, tables, lamps, or anything else you can think of that we could use.
· We always need more volunteers, whether that’s to help out at shows or to help up keep the space maintained and clean.
· Join the collective and get involved. Our meetings are Mondays at 7 PM.
· Call Chancellor Khosla and UCSD Administration and tell them to stop not just the campaign to evict the Che Cafe, but the administration’s continual attack on autonomous and student spaces on campus. [ (858) 534-3135 for the Chancellor and here’s the link for the rest of his administration]
· If there is a show, workshop, or community event you want to put on at the Cafe, please come to a meeting with your proposal because this space is ultimately for you, for students and the community as a whole.
· Tell all your friends that the Che Cafe is still alive and still fighting and we need all their support
This fight isn’t just about the Cafe though, it’s part of the broader fight for autonomous spaces. Here are some things the community, whether you are in San Diego or not, can do to support the fight for autonomy and liberation in general
· Open up new DIY Spaces. We need more housing, social spaces, music venues, restaurants, grocery spaces, maker spaces, libraries, farms, and green spaces that aren’t managed by Power but by and for the community.
· When a DIY space, in San Diego or elsewhere, is under attack, give them your constant support and solidarity. We can’t let them steal the only spaces we have to be free.
· Join the local struggles against Power in your communities. Power wants to destroy us all so we have to each other’s back in solidarity and mutual aid.
· Support each other as comrades. Make our spaces safer for each other. Hold ourselves accountable when we cause harm to our comrades that have less power than us. Solidarity is a continual act of love and we shouldn’t hurt the people we’re in solidarity with.
· Get involved with DIY spaces in your area and the collectives that run them. These spaces are about the community and the more we’re involved with them, the better.
· Book shows and workshops and events at these spaces. Host open mics and movie nights with your friends. Hold awesome music shows. Have a workshop and share your skills with your friends.
· Start a band with your friends!
· And never, ever stop being critical of power and resisting it wherever it is.
One hundred days of direct struggle and resistance against the attempts of the UC Administration to destroy one of the longest lasting DIY spaces in the entirety of the United States. They want to wipe away our history, this important site that has been a center of struggle and resistance against the policies of Power since its very beginning, from the anti-apartheid movement to the labor movement to queer and trans liberation and so much more.
This fight for the Cafe is not just about our longtime venue and home. Autonomous spaces all over the world have been under attack and this is part of a broader fight to determine whether the spaces we live our lives in are dominated by corporations and states, or whether they’re autonomous from bosses, bureaucrats and politicians, and by and for the community where we’re free from the hierarchy of Power.
The Che Cafe is still alive and we’re still going, stronger than ever. We will keep pushing for autonomy and liberation, both here in San Diego and elsewhere, and we highly encourage you to join us and other autonomous spaces in solidarity and fight for a free world where we’re all free and liberated.
