Kristian Williams

I will be reading from Policing the Progressive City, and answering questions:

Friday, October 9th, at 7pm

I will be giving a virtual talk on September 16, noon-1pm (Pacific), about my latest book, Policing the Progressive City: Portland, Oregon, from Settlement to Uprising. It is part of California State University, San Bernardino’s series on race and policing.

Here’s the link, if you would like to participate: https://tinyurl.com/corp-webinar-26-27

In the new issue of Against the Current, I argue that to meet the challenges of our present moment the Left must match the radicalism of our opponents.  The essay advocates revolution from the perspective of necessity, which I think charts a middle course between optimism and despair.

This essay is adapted from a talk I gave for the Platypus Affiliated Society.

The new issue of Oregon Humanities includes an excerpt from my book Policing the Progressive City.  The section they ran covers the Long Nineties, beginning with the Skinhead Wars, on through two anti-war movements, the anti-globalization movement, police hysteria about anarchist bicyclists, and the militarization of political repression under Chief Mark Kroeker.  You know, the good old days.

I’m pleased to see that the online edition is illustrated with this photograph by Bette Lee, whose work has been invaluable in documenting popular movements in Portland for decades.  (She also provided photos for my earlier collection, Fire the Cops!)