also we might want to check in with web design and see if they have their website with the AIF introduction and discord link, so we can a nice QR code to slap on to the flyers
Squirter it on wall spread with brush or roller, apply poster,
1:51 PM
I like 2 put another layer over the poster so it stays longer but this can make some Laserjet inks run. Add salt to keep glue from freezing when doing g it in winter.
For Massachusetts I'm thinking I'll make us a state AIF email address to help with recruiting. Any thoughts on whether putting that on flyers would be a good idea or if it's likely to backfire?
9:48 PM
I feel like folks land in the reddit and just stagnate b/c they don't really get any info on how to act on their impulse to join
OkraMonk
For Massachusetts I'm thinking I'll make us a state AIF email address to help with recruiting. Any thoughts on whether putting that on flyers would be a good idea or if it's likely to backfire?
Yeah I figured as much. I might put it on some. I think I'm willing to wade through anonymous death threats to stick it to the fash but I guess we'll find out
OkraMonk
Yeah I figured as much. I might put it on some. I think I'm willing to wade through anonymous death threats to stick it to the fash but I guess we'll find out
There’s a few good ones. I do think we should try to avoid generalizing the right; while there are a lot of idiots, we don’t want to imply EVERY Republican or MAGA supporter is a fascist/racist. I think more targeted posters against specific fascist groups may have a better reception. Obviously it depends on the area; if it’s deep blue, you do you. In more mixed areas, we should try to avoid isolating people that would otherwise support the anti-fascist messsge.
OkraMonk
Agreed. Generally I don't like the ones that have visible hate symbols unless the symbol is very VERY clearly destroyed
Also I think we might want to tone down the "patriotic" colors and symbolism a bit on some of those. We regularly get confused with patriot front and it's a big problem
10:05 PM
The statue of liberty and handshake ones are examples of ones that don't have that issue though
LessthanLoneWolf
There’s a few good ones. I do think we should try to avoid generalizing the right; while there are a lot of idiots, we don’t want to imply EVERY Republican or MAGA supporter is a fascist/racist. I think more targeted posters against specific fascist groups may have a better reception. Obviously it depends on the area; if it’s deep blue, you do you. In more mixed areas, we should try to avoid isolating people that would otherwise support the anti-fascist messsge.
I don't have a problem with that, to use religious terms. The republicans and MAGA who aren't fascists need a moral shock to wake them from their complacency
10:06 PM
and Biden already called them semi fascists so who cares what we say
The visible hate symbols are good to link to certain groups. Including patriot front, the kkk, the nazis, local neo-nazi groups, patriot front etc all together may help people associate these groups as similar
@joe hill’s revenge that’s fair. A moral shock definitely could work. Or it could isolate people further. We don’t want to make the “moderate” right (couldn’t think of a better term) feel attacked and push them closer to the far right. We want to drive a wedge between the two
See that's an example of one that I think would get confused for Patriot front if the person wasn't aware of our group already
LessthanLoneWolf
@joe hill’s revenge that’s fair. A moral shock definitely could work. Or it could isolate people further. We don’t want to make the “moderate” right (couldn’t think of a better term) feel attacked and push them closer to the far right. We want to drive a wedge between the two
And honestly I don't think our target audience is Republicans. I think it's Democrats or undecided who are complacent and need a kick in the pants to start fighting fascism
@OkraMonk though the patriotic colors could get us mistaken for patriot front, I think keeping the motif would be better for attracting people. A focus on patriotism could make people more willing to associate with us
Yeah the 29th seems generally good, it might be a bit tough for me due to travel/family obligations though. What are your thoughts on some of us doing it a day earlier?(edited)
Skullmaggot
We need to find more graphic designers (or anyone else willing to make alterations) because we only have possumtrot right now.
What about making a post in the reddit and twitter asking for graphic designers?
OkraMonk
Yeah the 29th seems generally good, it might be a bit tough for me due to travel/family obligations though. What are your thoughts on some of us doing it a day earlier? (edited)
I’ve been posting on the reddit, specifically asking for graphic designers. 2.4k views, 50 likes, 25 new people, 0 new graphic designers. I’m making another post tomorrow. But, I haven’t thought of the Twitter yet. That’d be a good new pool of people. I’ll ask Krat.
ok i mixed up someone elses flyer. made it greyscale to save on toner or printing cost. threw in the QR. and doublechecked my spelling. PLEASE PROOF BEFORE REPOSTING.(edited)
DisappointingTrash
ok i mixed up someone elses flyer. made it greyscale to save on toner or printing cost. threw in the QR. and doublechecked my spelling. PLEASE PROOF BEFORE REPOSTING. (edited)
Yeah definitely important to be careful in public places though. We had someone putting up flyers in Mass get pulled over by the police b/c ppl thought they were distributing fascist materials. Police took their stickers away and everything
4:12 PM
I'd be wary of putting up anything that looks even remotely nationalist in a public place given how (rightly) vigilant people are. Also if a Nazi or fash were to see you they might be able to doxx you
seagull
This might be the best one I've seen yet. It's definitely the most visually appealing.
So it looks like everything is lined up, date set and the flyers will be printed. I guess between now and then; the biggest thing is to get more people involved
I live in Birmingham, AL and I don't have anyone to help me besides maybe one friend. I'm pretty sure there's only like a 10 block area that I could put up flyers in without getting assaulted. It would just be around a college campus. Do you guys think that would be a good area to put up flyers?
@seagull around a college would be good. Stay safe though. You could use the more patriotic flyers to disguise what you’re posting from a distance, or pick spots that are a quick park, post and go. I’ve got several grocery stores picked out for mine, and will be posting them at the entrances/exits from the parking lots. Easy to get to and put up, no should care/stop you, and everyone driving by will see it
12:48 AM
@seagull if found google street view is a good tool for doing recon of where you want to post
seagull
I live in Birmingham, AL and I don't have anyone to help me besides maybe one friend. I'm pretty sure there's only like a 10 block area that I could put up flyers in without getting assaulted. It would just be around a college campus. Do you guys think that would be a good area to put up flyers?
you might wanna do that at night, but if's it's a safety hazard and you don't wanna risk it, maybe don't
seagull
I live in Birmingham, AL and I don't have anyone to help me besides maybe one friend. I'm pretty sure there's only like a 10 block area that I could put up flyers in without getting assaulted. It would just be around a college campus. Do you guys think that would be a good area to put up flyers?
I will be going solo also. I don't know any one that can help. Flyers brush and paste in a cloth grocery bag hung from the bicycle handlebars. Remember your pepperspray and keep your shoes tied tight.
2
seagull
I live in Birmingham, AL and I don't have anyone to help me besides maybe one friend. I'm pretty sure there's only like a 10 block area that I could put up flyers in without getting assaulted. It would just be around a college campus. Do you guys think that would be a good area to put up flyers?
I can't really help you, but if your concerned we could set up a system where you check in with someone while your flyering so that if you get into trouble we can at least know where you are an document it. Thats what civil rights activists did
12:10 PM
when they were operating in Klan areas
joe hill’s revenge
I can't really help you, but if your concerned we could set up a system where you check in with someone while your flyering so that if you get into trouble we can at least know where you are an document it. Thats what civil rights activists did
I've talked to one of my friends and she's going to go with me. She's bringing mace for both of us and her parents are going to check in with us. I go to the college where I'm going to be putting up flyers and I've already gotten permission from the maintenance people so at least they won't take them down.
You should see if there are local groups working on unmasking them. Here in Mass we have groups that flyer the Nazis' towns with flyers outing them as Nazis. If there's a group who does that you could link up at some point or if not maybe it's a long-term goal to work up to
12:26 PM
But obvs that comes with lots of safety risks and you need a bigger group + very strong OPSEC to do it safely
OkraMonk
But obvs that comes with lots of safety risks and you need a bigger group + very strong OPSEC to do it safely
Project management tool is up on Github--the ultimate todo list. If you make a Github account with an anonymous email (e.g. Protonmail), I can add you to the project. You can add your own todos and find people to help you, and/or you can help with another task.
theres a reason they're separate, though all designs should be posted to both
1:18 PM
Printed out my first few flyers!
3
4
1:18 PM
I'll be putting them up throughout this week
Skullmaggot
Project management tool is up on Github--the ultimate todo list. If you make a Github account with an anonymous email (e.g. Protonmail), I can add you to the project. You can add your own todos and find people to help you, and/or you can help with another task.
After you make a Github account, send me (or I suppose Casey, they’ve been helping me) your account name and we can add you to the IF organization on Github. There’s a big todo list there, but you can (hopefully) start a new project within the organization to make todo lists with their project management tool.
Life. Liberty. Victory. Americans will fully recognize themselves as a people, not merely citizens or residents of a country, but a people bearing a unique national interest rooted in our heritage on this continent. Patriot Front
Another AIF member made a rough stencil design that can be cut out on cardboard and spray painted onto a wall. I used the link at the end for the font, and just saved the lettering as an image to put down on word(edited)
@Envy I figured staples might be good; and I need to replace mine anyway (broke it building a quail hutch).
I’ve got a lot of places where flyers would be seen and stay around in the rural areas, but don’t want a single rainstorm destroying all of them
@Tsunamix that would be better for very local coordination, but we should all try to keep info like that off the discord. We probably have a few infiltrators waiting to cause trouble
LessthanLoneWolf
@Tsunamix that would be better for very local coordination, but we should all try to keep info like that off the discord. We probably have a few infiltrators waiting to cause trouble
Agree. I highly recommend only giving out personal information like phone# or address to those folks you've met in person and gotten to know well. Discord is pretty much a public forum for anyone who's willing to put in the work to infiltrate.
@Flyer Drive meeting agenda:
Intros and role call
Who can print
Who has put up flyers before
What do you plan to do, do you have friends
How can the org support individuals doing it alone
Goals: Spread across all social media, create local chapters
Pick date for next month.
I can print, and have not really put up flyers before. I’m pretty sure I’m the only AIF member operating in Central Mass. I plan to put flyers up near college campuses for recruitment, and supermarkets for awareness.
Bought sticker paper and printed on it with a laser printer, then cut out the stickers by hand with an x-acto knife. Labor-intensive, but overall very cheap
8.5" x 11" Printable Sticker Paper Labels - Weatherproof Polyester Laser - Shop blank 8.5" x 11" full sheet labels (also known as sticker paper). These adhesive paper sheets have no back slit on the liner and can be used in a variety of applications. Compatible with the most popular electronic cutting machines including Silhouette® and Cricut®.
1
1:13 AM
$23 for 25 sheets, so a little less than $0.25 per sticker if I make four stickers per sheet.
Easy peeling. Can be used in Ink Jet and Laser Jet Printer. When you use matte paper with Inkjet Printer, it is advisable to give a little time for ink to dry. In very cold areas, we would suggest that you print with Laser jet printer. This paper is not for high quality picture printing.
@joe hill’s revenge@curcale Here's most of the flyers, now with some QR codes (quickly) slapped on! One missing is the True Patriots flyer, which doesn't have a good place to put the QR code anywhere without messing up the design.
The printer stacks em as soon as they r printed and they don't stick then so.. I guess it's engineered that way.(edited)
8:39 PM
I do know that the toner in my cheap $50 printer LOVES to run and streak even when dry. So i print a day or 2 early and brush the 2nd coat on lightly and sparingly.(edited)
8:40 PM
WojtektheBear
@Kraite can you collect these and put them in the Google drive?
Soo a quick thing about the 'We'll beat em again' poster: that version with the Patriot front flag was actually made by Red american, that guy who we had to kick out of the group. The other version is the one that was made afterwards, more to the specifications of the person who actually came up with the idea.
Since we just kicked him out again, we might not want to use his version of the poster . He isn't the one that came up with the idea for the poster, but he still might raise a stink about us using his version(edited)
Soo a quick thing about the 'We'll beat em again' poster: that version with the Patriot front flag was actually made by Red american, that guy who we had to kick out of the group. The other version is the one that was made afterwards, more to the specifications of the person who actually came up with the idea.
Since we just kicked him out again, we might not want to use his version of the poster . He isn't the one that came up with the idea for the poster, but he still might raise a stink about us using his version (edited)
Be aware that I just slapped QR codes on very quickly without a grid since I couldn't open them completely in Adobe Illustrator without the accompanying fonts. You'd probably want to take the time to do it right when you have the time. These were just made quickly to be functional.
@joe hill’s revenge but they’re too cowardly to put their finger painting in public areas. Underpasses on dirt roads? Drainage tunnels? Fascists and cowards
Any idea how watery wheatpaste is supposed to be? 3 tbls flour into 1 cup cold water, slow mix into a quart of boiling water and cooled. It sprays out of a bottle fine, but doesn’t seem like it’ll keep things sticking to anything. I’m guessing it’ll be better once dry?
If WLM is doing a flyer drive on Nov 14 we should do the 15 and 16th. We won't have them postering over ours. And we get a chance to poster over theirs.
Another thing I've been very much drooling about is business cards--you can print them en masse, hand them out everywhere (or slip them into mailboxes or whatever), and there's no taking any flyers down.
Tomorrow nights flyers are printed and ready to go. Probably going to be using mostly sticker ones; faster to put up, and there may/may not be both a state trooper AND regular PD stations on my trail
LessthanLoneWolf
Tomorrow nights flyers are printed and ready to go. Probably going to be using mostly sticker ones; faster to put up, and there may/may not be both a state trooper AND regular PD stations on my trail
Yep this definitely seems to be focusing on the Strasser strain of fascism. Still just as antisemitic and evil, just with a veneer of "worker's rights" over top of it.
From my perspective it worked pretty well. Other than it raining, and me being on my bike. Not much to be done than that, where I live isn't super walkable lol.
joe hill’s revenge
Also, for those who participated last month what worked and what didn’t. What are our next step
it’s been a while since I used it, what’s the best way to carry it/dispense it? last time I just used a package tape gun but was worried the QR would work thru it
@egaleagle I used a spray bottle, and it worked great! No mess and fast. Spray the surface, put the poster, then spray again and use a brush to smooth it out. Some of mine are up from early November
I got out to the dollar store and bought a few rolls of all white wrapping paper. I want to use my projector at home to draw a large design then paste them up as large banners.
I have a question. What is the best time to go about putting up flyers and stickers? I imagine one would want to go out at night, to lower the chance of being spotted.
AvoidOblivion
I have a question. What is the best time to go about putting up flyers and stickers? I imagine one would want to go out at night, to lower the chance of being spotted.
It is. I have some dark sweatpants, a blue sweatshirt, and some black no-slips I could wear as it is cold. I am thinking the blue would slightly reduce how suspicious I look.
11:10 PM
And seeing as it is cold out, I am sure I could get away with using gloves.
LessthanLoneWolf
That depends on where you’re operating. I’ve done both weekends and weekdays. Sunday nights might not be as busy, depending on your area
Where I currently am, I imagine that Sunday nights would be best. Decent amount of working-age people who would be getting ready for the week, younger students who need sleep, and a few people roaming about.
I am thinking I could place some around my school, as there are two large intersections in front of it. There is also a large mall near it that I could head to, post some around there. I am limited to just 20 stickers currently. I may print out some flyers and create some wheat paste to use as well.
Your school probably has cameras and could do enough information gathering to risk ID’ing you
AvoidOblivion
I am thinking I could place some around my school, as there are two large intersections in front of it. There is also a large mall near it that I could head to, post some around there. I am limited to just 20 stickers currently. I may print out some flyers and create some wheat paste to use as well.
Also, if you have a friend you trust that you've been thinking about recruiting and you are sure they'd be cool with it, you could ask them to join you and be a spotter. Basically look out for police/observers/cameras while you place the flyers.
Fair enough! Eventually the plan it's that we'd have enough members that someone from the server would be nearby and y'all could go as a team. Something to work on for the future : )
Yep : ) I will say there's a lot of NC folks on mastodon, and it's a fairly safe space for anti-fascist groups. Might be worth looking into creating a NC Iron Front account there for recruiting. If that's something you or someone else in NC is willing to take on.
I love the 1/4 size flyers. It's easier to find spots for them. Also locktite brand has a waterproof spray glue but it's $12 a can here. Wheatpaste doesn't work too well at the low Temps we have been getting here.(edited)
Sorry y'all I'm terrible at grabbing pics but I did sticker this weekend.
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12:57 PM
Got a lot of good visible locations around Harvard square in Cambridge MA
12:58 PM
Gonna make some more stickers and go out again next weekend probably
12:59 PM
These are stickers you can customize and print out on letter size sticker sheets and then cut up to get four stickers per sheet. All you need is a black and white laser printer and some water resistant sticker sheets. Happy to share the template if anyone else wants to give it a try. I've had a few of these stay up for several months in the New England winter so they're decently durable.
Be sure to also message C.J. or me to put it in announcements (I'll do it right now) when you announce the flyer drive each month, and I'll also do a post on the subreddit to see if we can encourage people on there to help out.
Through these up around some of the more walkable places that around here. Surprisingly some stickers that I through up around this time last year are still up(edited)
562 Posts, 272 Following, 349 Followers · American Iron Front in Massachusetts:
standing against Nazis, the alt-right, and fascists of all stripes in Massachusetts and the greater New England area.
https://linktr.ee/ironfrontMA
Thanks for the tips. Yeah I was gonna just tape up some for now. Printed out a few originally to tape over fash propaganda that I've seen (I've seen some but don't remember where tbh) but then I saw flyer drive announcement so yeah!
OkraMonk
Also telephone boxes, electrical boxes, etc in urban environments. Look at where other people are putting flyers and that'll give you some ideas
@joe hill’s revenge WojtektheBear would like to see if we can promote using the Juneteenth flyers we have for events happening this week. I guess I can also post on the subreddit to suggest people putting them out.
Skullmaggot
@joe hill’s revenge WojtektheBear would like to see if we can promote using the Juneteenth flyers we have for events happening this week. I guess I can also post on the subreddit to suggest people putting them out.
@Flyer Drive please identify if there are any local Juneteenth events in your area, a local community college os having a block party tonight and I plan on rolling up
Gotcha. Is this something you want shared with the subreddit as well? I'll probably advise people to sign out of their Google accounts so that their identities don't show up.
Skullmaggot
Gotcha. Is this something you want shared with the subreddit as well? I'll probably advise people to sign out of their Google accounts so that their identities don't show up.