SH

Kevin aka MadShroom MC (28)
Recording artist, Black Magic Noize

What brings you here?

We’re performing.

What else brings you here? Do you oppose the construction of a new youth jail?

Yes, they definitely need to stop putting people, especially children, in incarceration in locked up facilities. We know what it does. We know what it breeds. It hasn’t worked. So why build another one. The resources and money they want to dump in that? It’s totally obnoxious.

How do you see the relation between this movement and May Day?

From my understanding, May Day has been going on in America since the 1800s. It’s perfect because we need to stop locking up people. There are a lot of people in there for nonviolent crimes, drug charges. The whole drug war and everything is obnoxious right now. And it’s against the police too. Why is there a whole military out here right now? There’s like the US Army right behind us, and no one here is strapped in any sort of riot gear or wearing armor. Why do they feel like this is needed for people who are protesting? We’re out here barbequing, having music, having a good time. Building another jail, that’s just keeping a totalitarian mindset on you.

How would you describe the mood out here?

Man, it’s alive. It’s people coming together, all different ethnicities coming together, putting their hands up, rocking to the beat to somebody’s hip hop. They don’t need to build a new jail out here, whether kids or adults.

SH

"V" (27)

Hi, I'm from The Stranger.

Well, first of all, fuck you.

Why are you here?

I think it’s ridiculous that overall youth incarceration is going down, but they want to build a new youth jail. That’s just telling me we want to force kids in these areas. It’s screwed up, the system. I don’t think it’s a just bill, and it was worded wrongly. It calls itself a family center and it’s over $210 million, which is twice as much as Block the Bunker. I’m not down for an extravagant youth jail.

How does the “No New Youth Jail” movement relate to May Day?

The whole system is just bad. We’re just trying to support each other.

How would you describe the mood here?

Great! I think people are just tired because it’s been a long day. People are having fun. Are you having a good day?

I’m having a great day.

SH

Mike M. (30)
Street medic

Why are you here?

I’m here for two reasons. One: I do street medic work here in the city, so being out here in case anyone gets hurt in whatever capacity, I’m here to provide support for that. As well as the fact that stopping the school-to-prison pipeline and bringing attention to the construction of the new youth jail, I think, is tremendously important. King County and Seattle have visions of having zero youth detention. And they’ve answered that by supporting the construction of this youth jail. That’s diametrically opposed to their vision.

How does the “No New Youth Jail” movement relate to May Day?

May Day, being a day for international day for Workers’ Rights, being a day for immigrants’ rights, being a day to bring up the issues we have as oppressed people, the most marginalized and victimized youth are the ones being put inside here. When we come together to build a better world, we’re trying to say we want a world free from exploitation. One of the greatest forms of exploitation is criminalizing the activities these youth are forced into. As part of May Day, to say we want to build a better world that has support and humanity and compassion from everyone, not least of all for our children, some of the most vulnerable people in society that need protecting.

How would you describe the mood here?

Fantastic. I’m tremendously happy to see a group as eclectic and diverse as this come together for something that is more than what the media and what people have come to expect from May Day, which is that anarchists come to smash stuff. Anarchists are also about having fun, about enjoying our time, about building a better world. So much of the way the events of the past years have played out, all of that focus goes to, we’re simply smashing things. While I’m not going to necessarily advocate for vandalism or destruction, I think that what that’s for is building a new society, showing the cracks in the system, showing that these power structures are not invulnerable. This is simply an extension of that, to say this is also a form of protest. This is also a form of resistance.