What did you do ?

What did you organise ?

What was your event that challenged the state ?

hardly anarchist to ask why other people are not doing something.

take responsibility pal and go do it your self instead of being a bystander

I was in Dublin

I contributed to the anarchist bloc

what did you do?

Fair comment from people to say it's DIY, don't just criticise but contribute/organise. However, saying "it's DIY, man", same as "I marched masked up in black", can become a bit limited, or mantra-like. And it's good to discuss, to be able to challenge the taboos.
I agree there needs to be confrontation, though where and how you go about that does not necessarily mean big street mobilisations - rednblackngreenyoungnmasked does not a revolution make.
Meaningful visibility of anarchist politics is more likely in your locality with people you know not through politics, than mediated by the mass media. When actions and solidarity are real and people can relate to them, and know they are done by anarchists, that's when people can lose their prejudices against us mollie-throwing black hoody-fetishists.
Why big street actions aren't happening so much is not just a question of whether one or two people who post to IMC organise or not - there's many reasons which lots of people could come up with and disagree about, so I won't start here - instead talk about it with people you know, face-to-face, and come up with your reasons, whether it's a bad thing, and where to go from now. Don't rely on organisations - all the 'old' anarcho organisations to generalise tend to talk and workplace etc action, rather than the street/direct action of the 'new' anarchist movement (as ecological direct action's been referred to a few years back, remembering the Mayday gathering in Bradford in '98, etc).
And yes, take action on the issues you see fit, wherever you spy a weakness in the system we throw ourselves against.

Ok I didn't do much myself but i'm not that bothered about Mayday, i don't see why we should regiment ourselves to set pieces every year. If we're gonna have street action surely it should be for a purpose where there is a clear target, like Dublin, DSEi, etc. Mayday can be celebrated in many different ways, people putting on parties, occupying buildings, street theatre, football and even cricket if yer an old fashioned English Gent. A set piece with the cops is hardly my idea of fun.
The most empowering street events i've ever been to have usually been local spontaneous actions where the police are taken by surprise and we can re-claim the streets rather than been allowed limited freedoms where if we step out of line the police are ready to crack some skulls!

But wheras Mayday in Dublin was highly relevant - it was for a target.

I have to admit that I was a little surprised that more groups from the UK weren't there to support Dublin.

If you go by the newspapers you'd think that the Wombles was the only group to turn up, which of course was not the case. There were others from the UK including a good contingent from Cardiff Anarchist Network.

But it would have been nice if there was more of a show from other UK groups. I'll probably get shouted down for this, but sometimes I think there could be a bit more solidarity in what is loosely termed 'the movement'. There seems to be a tendency to focus so much on our own 'autonomous actions' that we forget the strength we can have when we work together.

And besides which, it's a shame that more weren't there to share an experience which was genuinely inspirational. The folk in Dublin made mistakes and fucked things up (of course - which of us wouldn't?) but their commitment and determination and in many cases sheer courage won my respect.

v

You sound like you have a hard-on from your very first confrontation. Where were you in Cork at the time?

So what do you do the rest of the year dim wit?

Don't preach mate, makes you look like a plank.

Masking up does not a revolution make :-0

I was in dublin and aside from all the protest stuff I met a cool person who talked at length about a project she did for Buy Nothing Day - she planned a street party in her small terrace street. Put posters up and circulated leaflets, subverted a new shooping centre flyer and spoke to people.

Instead of just criticising corporate greed consumer culture they got people in the streets to produce a list of what people could offer and what people needed.

An architect joined with several people who needed their houses re-roofing - they worked together to source a decent firm and negotiated a much lower cost for getting them all done at the same time. People met each other and got to know each other. They distributed an alternative currency for the street for people to spend on the day trading skills andsharinf resources - fantastic! I'll write it up better and post it properlt to indy.

Be aware that most of the people involved in mobilisations are working on one hundred other projects, many of them constructive real grass roots projects with various anarchist flavours. But the masked block or demo is where the press and much of our outreach effort goes. We need more articulation of alternatives. And on that note indymedia should look at its classifictaion system and see if there's some way the more positive alternatives can be promoted.

... start communicating properly... not a fucking imc newswire but on anrchist message boards set up for this kinda of discussion....

 http://www.enrager.net/forums/

Typical bollocks replies from people. Why are u being so defensive when I ask a question? It's hardly a response saying "what did you do".

Plus the assumption that the only people wearing a mask and in black are there just for the thrill. No, they were there because they felt there actions neccesary. Because they know what being anarchist is and its not labelling it onto yourself and continuing being a boring fuckwit, indifferentiable from other activists.

I still stick with it, without confrontation there is no anarchist movement. Without people ready or supporting such actions then there is no hope. you tell me different.

riots and mayhem throughout the UK? That is giving anarchism a bad name. People think anarchists just want to kill everything etc... That was how i was brought up to think. The fact that it is changing shows that the movement is not just there to constantly cause trouble but to try to change their image.

Does Anarchism mean rioting to you?

Are the Irish capitalist class somehow any different from the British capitalist class?

Most of us so-called 'anarchists' work fucking hard everyday of the year and don't necessarily have to come out on Mayday.

Besides many of us didn't have the cash to travel as most of our meager income is spent on our local groups.

I think you'll find the links between most anarchist groups across Europe and Russia are getting stronger all the time so tuck your neck in, why don't you!

so what if only a few people turn up to stuff? its whats happening that matters. people put a lot of work into the manc picnic and we had a lovely, chilled time. plus we gave "ordinary" people food in piccadilly which is a relatively radical act in a world where you pay for everything. its good for people to eat things freely given. and people also got to know more about the way the council is selling the city from under our feet. so not a bad days work all together. and (ahem) about 30 people actually turned up.... but i still don't see why the numbers game matters.

"without confrontation there is no anarchist movement. "

yes dear, but hopefully that confrontaton can be with the state and capital, not with each other. Maybe people are being defensive cos you attacked the things they'd invested time and energy into? Perhaps they couldn't get the time off work, had family to take care of or afford to go to dublin? Perhaps they lack your certainity about 'what being an anarchist is'- ie they don't know being an anarchist is all about playing more hardcore than thou games. But I'm sure you expample of not being "indifferentiable from other activists" by dressing in black like everyone else and and standing in a bloc will learn um, won't it darling?

If people went to dublin good on them, I know pleanty of people that went and had a good time. They didn't however feel the need to then laud it over everyone that they the most hardcore fuckers ever.

Ok, so we need confrontation, don't think many people will disagree with you there. The question is where's that confrontation going to take place? At a summit or in our own everyday lives? confrontation at summits, as valuable as it may be, is a sign of the limitation of our movement, not its strenght.

"Masking up does not a revolution make"

I didn't say it did, I said that without confrontation then the anarchist movement is nothing. Confrontation isn't just about wearing black and fighting with police, if anarchist politics isn't about confronting this social system on whatever level and by making conflicts visible then why are we anarchists?

"You sound like you have a hard-on from your very first confrontation. Where were you in Cork at the time?"

Very mature reply.

"So what do you do the rest of the year dim wit?"

I have been involved in anarchists politics for 7 years
[waits for replies of "why are you boasting...etc"]

"Don't preach mate, makes you look like a plank."

Don't act the wideboy, dick!

"People think anarchists just want to kill everything etc."

Thats strange, if people really thought that then why, after all the stories surrounding dublin mayday we weren't kicked out of all the pubs in dublin?

"Does Anarchism mean rioting to you?"

No it doesn't but I see that as a neccessary expression of anarchist politics, as apply a confrontational attitude means that when it is neccessary blocs should be formed to attack the police.

"Besides many of us didn't have the cash to travel as most of our meager income is spent on our local groups."

Are you implying that only the rich, middle-class, student dropouts can afford to go to dublin? The cost to go to dublin is the same cost of a night out to the pub and a take-away.

"If people went to dublin good on them, I know pleanty of people that went and had a good time. They didn't however feel the need to then laud it over everyone that they the most hardcore fuckers ever."

I didn't say that, your assuming things.

"Ok, so we need confrontation, don't think many people will disagree with you there. The question is where's that confrontation going to take place? At a summit or in our own everyday lives? confrontation at summits, as valuable as it may be, is a sign of the limitation of our movement, not its strenght. "

Well in the UK we can't even organise a decent riot [not that that is solely the aims of mobilising to summits]. We can't organise anything decent. The anarchist/direct action movement can't even come together or see the importance of working as a movement. All we get is groups being one-dimensional, not seeing that we can both struggle in our workplaces and communities as well as come together for mayday. When people do something different then other traditional anarchist groups feel like they are being threatened and immediately criticise things like mayday - won't surprise me that atleast two person above with reactionary defencive views is a member of a national federation.

i knew i was going wrong somewhere. and i tried so hard.
ah well, i've got the price of a pint and some chips on me and i'm sure theres something black in the wardrobe..
time to go and "organise" riots

It's only just occured to me but how about a mass sit-in at Glastonbury lasting all summer...? A public show of determination that could snowball into something far bigger with the help of some influential bands and artists.

What's Bob Geldof up to these days ?

"Well in the UK we can't even organise a decent riot [not that that is solely the aims of mobilising to summits]. We can't organise anything decent. The anarchist/direct action movement can't even come together or see the importance of working as a movement. All we get is groups being one-dimensional, not seeing that we can both struggle in our workplaces and communities as well as come together for mayday. When people do something different then other traditional anarchist groups feel like they are being threatened and immediately criticise things like mayday - won't surprise me that atleast two person above with reactionary defencive views is a member of a national federation."

In 20 years of anarcho-politics I have never been involved in an 'organised' riot. It simply doesn't work that way. Riots are a spontaneous situation resulting from a great many factors.

No one is dissing Mayday. Just individuals and groups decided to do other things this year. Keep up!

What a fucking stupid argument!

Why do people feel the need to knock other anarchists all the time?

Unite & fight... :D

"The most empowering street events i've ever been to have usually been local spontaneous actions where the police are taken by surprise and we can re-claim the streets"

So true, and isn't this what it's all about "us" as a community, as a whole ?

I'm fluffy, like 99% of those who hate the state its repressions its stamping on freedoms, and the options offered for protest are pretty slim; have you ever tried reclaiming the streets with just two people ?

While supporting those who want to go into DIY actions, everyone to themselves, what about the great majority stuck between hardline masked militancy and sticking their thumbs up their arses and suffering in silence. Yea, maybe I should be a better "Anarchist", maybe I should make a stand, but the 'failure of London Mayday' is pretty much a reflection that the majority has been disenfranchised from acting. After DSEi, it was hard not to think, what the fuck am I doing here; this is achieving nothing.

It is not necessary that we have leaders and become sheep, but it is necessary that we have some focus, something to hook into. From small acorns oaks grow and all that crap.

It's time to get back to mass action, that is attention grabbing. And if something fluffy like "Reclaim the streets" is what it takes then I'm in favour. Maybe it's not so overt as burning down the establishment, but that has become an extremism which has been demonstrated not to attract a huge following, and while DIY and small scale action is seen by the state to be just a handful of wankers who can be ignored or stomped on it's going to be ineffective.

We should be getting back to focusing on causes which attract support from a wide area, they may not be 'hardcore' but they are certainly important and fundamental to all of us in the UK. "Whose Streets ? Our Streets" is non-violent direct action, which has the potential to have wide appeal.

Look back at J18, which seems like years ago now, and look at what we've had over the last few years on May Day. Something's got to change. Like it or lump it.