Storming the Palace - Guardian letter accusing anarchist of racism etc
Stuart | 19.10.2004 02:03 | European Social Forum
It seems there is a letter in the Guardian of the 19th of October, accusing anarchists of beating up black people to stop a meeting on anti racism and fascism. I summerise - I wasn't there, but other people may want to reply to the letter.
It seems there is a letter in the Guardian of the 19th of October accusing anarchists of beating up black people to stop a meeting on anti racism and fascism. I summerise - I wasn't there, but other people may want to reply to the letter. I've read a lot of the posts, on Indymedia, on this issue - I'm not going to comment.
I was at last years ESF - I wasn't impressed, I ended up spending most of my time in Paris Cafe's away from the event! Maybe I'm getting old , I went wanting to be impressed, but nothing at the official or Libertarian (anarchist) fringe impressed me. Although I ended up carrying one end of the CNT's banner for half of the Sunday demo!
It was my first forum - I didn't bother this year. The letter is headlined "Unwelcolme anarchy at the European Social Forum" , on the Guardian Unlimited Website.
If anything interesting did happen at the ESF that may change the world - please post your positive reports on Indymedia - I would like to know!
I was at last years ESF - I wasn't impressed, I ended up spending most of my time in Paris Cafe's away from the event! Maybe I'm getting old , I went wanting to be impressed, but nothing at the official or Libertarian (anarchist) fringe impressed me. Although I ended up carrying one end of the CNT's banner for half of the Sunday demo!
It was my first forum - I didn't bother this year. The letter is headlined "Unwelcolme anarchy at the European Social Forum" , on the Guardian Unlimited Website.
If anything interesting did happen at the ESF that may change the world - please post your positive reports on Indymedia - I would like to know!
Stuart
e-mail:
stuart_morgan1@yahoo.co.uk
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Anti-authoritarianism
19.10.2004 10:37
The practice of anarchism is evolving. The storming of the stage was necessary and correct. Non-violent in the absence of violence. Forceful and defensive in the presence of violence.
Why?
Because the ESF, the WSF and other SFs grew out of the anti-empire movement that began in Chiapas on New Year's day 1994 and which inspired global protest actions such as in 1998 at the G7 in Brimingham and whose energy and dynamism grew at London J18, Seattle, Washington, Genoa, Prague, Mexico City, Cancun, Davos, Buenas Aires.... A list which is inspiringly growing. These protests were popular uprisings against the system and its empire. Popular because they included people from every sphere. Popular because they had no authoritarian structure. They were anti-authority. That's what brought people into the streets.
Now the ESF in London is the model of authority. Sponsorship by government. Paid entrance. Majority based dictatorship.... Yes there are activists involved. Many claiming to be revolutionaries. Yes, many rebelling young people and workers attend. And yes it is a front. It may have an air of a united front. But it has become reformed and authoritarian as the "representative" of the anti-capitalist movement.
The invasion of the ESF was important by its method. To challange authority with direct democracy authority. It did not destroy the ESF. That was not the aim. The aim was to demonstrate an idea. To communicate disgust. To appeal to the engine of the movement to continue the battle.
I remember during the demonstrations beofre and at the start of invasion of Iraq, being in a group of 60-70 anti-authoritarians in Thessaloniki. We marched with banners through every neighbourhood of the city handing out leaflets and shouting political slogans. 60-70 people only. Then when the European summit came to Thessaloniki last summer. We marched again around the same neighbourhoods in the city in an anti-authoritarian block of 6000 people. The same grandmothers who passed down baskets to receive our anti-war leaflets the months earlier saw us again. The same black, black and red banners and flags. And, we chanted at the media "we are the 10 masked activists"! Because they always seem to think that anarchism involves only 10 masked activists.
Continue the fight against authority. In your own individual lives, working lives, mothering lives, loving lives and social lives. And, political lives. We are winning.
The faces of the authorities are being systematically unmasked - empire, state, law, patriarchy, political parties....
Love and freedom
Anti-authoritarian Initiative Madrid