>What is the source of the "Up against the wall, motherfucker
About l966-7 a group of anarchists in the lower eastside of NYC was called
Up Against the Wall Motherfucker. Some of the group lived communally.
Newsreel made a film called Garbage about an action that the motherfuckers
and others were involved in. It was made during the NYC garbagemens strike.
The action included takeing garbage from the lower east side up town on the
subway to Lincoln Center the new arts/music center which was built after
destroying a community made up mainly Puerto Rican families. The group
members included Ben Morea (sp) , Tom Neiman aka Osha the stepson of Marcuse
, Yeshi , John Sundstrom (sp), Mama Carol, Charlie and others . Osha was
busted as he handed out a leaflet he wrote which included lines about Jackie
Kennedys dirty underware. Some of Newsreel worked at times with this group.
A group of folks opened a free coffee house/resturant on East 6 St. The mot
herfuckers argued that it was for everyone including the most down trodden
drunk on the street. The motherfuckers and Newsreel set up a police patrol
where we would walk on Friday & Saturday nights 10 feet behind the cops on
patrol on the lowereastside to make sure folks were not harrassed as they had
been in the past by the cops. Free Friday night dinners were served at St
Marks Church. The motherfuckers were part of the group that got Bill Graham
to donate use of the Filmore East on Thurs. nights to the community. Little
did the community know that the Union of pot dealers paid 2-300 bucks a night
to pay for janitor, security, lights, heats, etc. Soon grafitti saying Up
Against the Wall MF showed up in many places.
This may not be the histroy of Up Against the Wall MF but it is the history I
know.
Roz