Kristian Williams

The dangers of "progressive policing" as told through a study of Portland, Oregon.This is a story of Portland, Oregon, from an outpost of the Hudson's Bay Company, through its founding as a city and the long and lively twentieth century shaped by organized crime, labor unrest, and waves of migration. But more so, this is a story of how over the course of nearly 200 years, the city has pursued "law and order" under the influence of business interests, political climbers, and social campaigners. By maintaining the Portland Police Bureau, a body that has time and again proved a law unto itself, the powers-that-be belie the city's reputation for liberal values and civic mindedness.An expert chronicler of police abuse of power, Kristian Williams now turns his focus to law enforcement in his own backyard. It is the city's progressive veneer, this book argues, that allows the repressive core of its policing machinery to function so effectively, weathering scandals, co-opting critics, and periodically renewing police legitimacy with well-timed and carefully limited reforms.Williams's meticulous research and expert storytelling lay bare the Portland Police Bureau's legacy of bigotry, corruption, and violence. The most well-intended efforts to address the community's needs have resorted to the criminal justice system, incarcerating and killing those they purport to help. Portland was among the first in the US to hire a female officer and the first large city with a female police chief, as well as an early and enthusiastic proponent of community policing. Yet the city's public record comprehensively shows racially discriminatory (and disproportionately violent) encounters with law enforcement, a department that commits racist and sexist abuse both inside and outside its ranks, and persistent criminal and retributive actions on the part of its officers. The PPB is an institution impervious to reform, let alone common decency.Amid the 2020 protests that swept the nation, and after decades of grassroots organizing against police killings in the city, Portland saw almost 200 days of mass uprising against police brutality and far right extremism--exposing the depth of anger aimed at the outrageous actions of the PPB. Policing the Progressive City adds to our understanding of how the US police system perpetuates racism, violence, and exploitation, even in one of America's most loudly liberal environments.

Demystifying forces of the state, gangs, and revolutionary violence.In Gang Politics, Kristian Williams examines our society's understanding of social and political violence, what gets romanticized, misunderstood, or muddled. He explores the complex intersections between "gangs" of all sorts--cops and criminals, Proud Boys and Antifa, Panthers and skinheads--arguing that government and criminality are intimately related, often sharing critical features. As society becomes more polarized and conflict more common, Williams's analysis is a crucial corrective to our usual ideas about the role violence might or should play in our social struggles.

Oscar Wilde is remembered as a wit and a dandy, as a gay martyr, and as a brilliant writer, but his philosophical depth and political radicalism are often forgotten. Resist Everything Except Temptation locates Wilde in the tradition of left-wing anarchism, and argues that only when we take his politics seriously can we begin to understand the man, his life, and his work. Drawing from literary, historical, and biographical evidence, including archival research, the book outlines the philosophical influences and political implications of Wilde's ideas on art, sex, morality, violence, and above all, individualism. Williams raises questions about the relationships between culture and politics, between utopian aspirations and practical programs, and between individualism, group identity, and class struggle. The resulting volume represents, not merely a historical curiosity, but a contribution to current debates within political theory and a salvo in the broader culture wars.

This book is comprised of two related pieces covering recent cases of informants and agent provocateurs in the US. Part one "Witness to Betrayal" is a long form interview with scott crow conducted by author Kristian Williams. In the interview crow bares all in his most comprehensive conversation about FBI informant Brandon Darby, their complicated relationship and the fallout from Brandon's actions personally and politically in wider movements. Part two is an essay by Kristian Williams "Profiles of Provocateurs" which analyzes recent case studies of the use of agents provocateurs in political prosecutions, offers some warning signs of agents in these cases and practical advice on taking care of ourselves in the face of repression.

A collection of articles and interviews on the history, psychology, and current state of torture in democratic societies, "Hurt" is a short but hard-hitting look in the mirror for first-world countries. This expose on the act of torture explores this dark world with essays from authors, anarchists, and many more. While striving to provide the general public with a greater understanding of torture, this resource forces readers to think critically about its current uses and the far-reaching implications of letting it continue unchecked.