Our Hearts Burn Brighter:
A Collective Statement on the Arson at Sedition Books

27th February 2007

One year ago this month, Sedition Books opened its doors to the community of Houston, TX. In that time, this collectively-run infoshop has provided a meeting space for various radical groups, functioned as a community resource offering a lending library and free clothing exchange and internet, and hosted numerous events.

On the morning of February 26th, between 3 and 4 AM, a fire was started on the outside back corner of the building. The two resident collective members and cat were asleep inside, and thankfully made it out with their lives. Despite the fire department’s quick response time, the smoke and water damage was extensive and the space is no longer habitable. We managed to save most of the library and clothing, but the majority of the merchandise was ruined.

Because the fire started on the outside of the building, HPD Arson Investigators determined that the fire was intentional; further, since the residents’ cars were parked in the driveway, clearly indicating their presence, we are viewing this not only as an attempt on the building, but also on their lives. In spite of this, some of the first questions that the police asked were regarding the political literature and posters on display. The residents were accused of being “anti-American”, were lectured on the virtues of capitalism, and were told that this is to be expected when one engages in “extreme” political activity. The officer in charge of the unit went so far as to say that these problems will follow us if we continue elsewhere.

Many community members have expressed outrage at the behavior of the police. While we share this anger, our collective wishes for no further involvement with the police. We believe that the attitudes of the individual officers were symptomatic of the reactionary role of law enforcement and the state in protecting privilege and suppressing dissent.

Although our building was destroyed, our collective is intact. We’ve received messages of support from the local community and even across the world. Solidarity knows no borders! We remain committed to our goals and vision. We are currently searching for a new location and will continue to distribute radical literature in the Houston area.

Any contributions of money or literature to help us get back on our feet would be greatly appreciated, and can be sent to:

Sedition Collective
c/o The Alarm
P O Box 66362
Houston, TX 77266-7614

Money can also be sent via paypal to seditioncollective@yahoo.com

The forces of reaction are forever ready to attack those who threaten the established order. Watch your backs, comrades – install smoke detectors and keep fighting!

Love in Struggle,
Sedition Collective
http://myspace.com/seditionbooks