do not coerce people through violence. That in itself is attempting to impose authority. Authority of the molotov rather than the baton, but authority non-the-less.

These actions hurt the movement for various reasons:

1) Undue media attention is given to violence, taking attention from individuals who are BUILDING alternatives.

2) Scaring Joe-public away from demonstrations and events as the police get heavy handed and retaliate indescriminately.

3) Taken to its (il)logical extreme, this kind of action leads to all-out-war. A war we cannot win because the authorities have a monopoly on violence. They have all kinds of lovely military equipment for dealing with a few molotov lobbers.

The only thing that changes the world is the consistent actions of a large number of people. These people need to be CONSTRUCTIVE, not DESTRUCTIVE, otherwise they are no better than the forces they seek to depose.

Live sustainable lifestyles, promote / provide anti-consumer alternatives, raise awareness of war-profiteering corporations etc...

Expending too much energy on violently attacking groups you do not agree with is a waste of time. Much better to use "political Tai Chi" style action - get your own house in order, withdraw support from groups you don't agree with and work away diligently on creating an alternative. Don't attack head-on. Side-step and watch your opponent tumble.

Large numbers of people engaging in this kind of political action makes for a formidable opponent to the powers that be. They have nothing to hang on to, no direct confrontation to allow them to send in the police. Its not illegal for me not to use petrol, but if enough people in the world stop using petrol then the oil-industrial-military complex will be beaten.

In short: Work on perfecting your own life, don't waste energy violently attacking others.

Nice piccy tho...

;o)

 http://samizdat.zapto.org

True anarchists dont preach to others what true anarchists are!!

With Respect..

Always worth dealing with the comment made rather than pulling out the same old reponse from the hat... What was _your_ disagreement?

Thats what 'they' do...

I did think that while I was writing it - my giving of my opinion is an attempt at coercion therefore I should just keep quiet and get on with it...

BUT you have to stay engaged with the world in a positive way - even if you think you have it all sorted (which I don't by the way - hence I am here discussing my views).

I respect people's right to be violent. I just don't agree that that is the way forward for humanity as a whole, or me personally. If you think violence is sometimes justified, then please tell me when and why? What brings you to this position?

I personally believe in the value defensive "violence" - cultivating the ability to repel an attack but not make one. I would say that taking molotov cocktails to a demonstration is a little "pre-emptive", but hey, that seems to be in fashion these days.

Dannyboy
"This, by the way, is what democracy looks like."
;o)

I respect your opinion totally, DANNYBOY, and wasn't having a dig. The reason I put the picture there was because I was trying to point out that there are many kinds of traditions in the anarchist movement, all of which have, as I see it, a place. All of which are struggling for the same ends.

My first thought when going to a demonstration is not always to incite trouble. I don't need to..the Police do a very good job of that all by themselves. However, the way I see this subject is that OUR world IS very violent. Most of us don't live in large houses with big fences and security for our protection, pretending the world outside doesn't exist.We live in the cold reality, not just of muggers, rapists, drug dealers etc but also the reality of dying in the winter because we can't afford to pay a gas bill. That IS violence. And that's only in Britain...what the working class have to deal with in most of the rest of the world, is sheer terrorism, as you know.

I can't turn off my anger at these issues. It has to go somewhere or I would end up in a lunatic asylum. If a full on mass riot is the only reason our struggles get in the press(for good or bad), well so be it. I personally am not interested in pandering to the middle-classes squeemishness and sense of 'fairplay'. You know as well as I do that they are on another planet half the time. The only time reality hits home is the unlikely event of getting burgaled, which makes them cry out.."Why me!".

What strengthens my resolve as a revolutionary(if I may be so self-indulgent to call myself one) is logging on to Indymedia each day and seeing precisely what is happening around the world. I believe things are getting hotter and will get worse as our movements grow, which they most certainly are doing.

Hopefully one day, when my children are having kids, they will live in a society that violence is a thing of the past..that's what I long for. But I believe we are going to have to be the one's fighting, by any means necessary, to achieve this goal.

Much respect and solidarity

Has anyone got a couple of rizzlas ? I have run out....