Saturday May 19th 3pm at Lucas Arms, Gray’s Inn Road, London , Nearest tube King’s Cross.

Anti-authoritarianism Today and Yesterday: On the 140th Anniversary of the Founding of the Anti-Authoritarian International in St Imier Switzerland
This year marks the 140th anniversary of the founding of the Anti-Authoritarian International . Following moves by Marx and his followers to expell two leading anarchists , Mikhail Bakunin and James Guillaume, from the First International, the first genuine intertational working class organisation, the Jura section in Switzerland, supported by the Italian and Spanish sections, revolted against these bureaucratic moves and convened a conference. They were soon joined by other sections equally dismayed by these moves and Marx’s high handed decision to move the General Council of the First International away from Europe to New York. These developments have left a permanent mark on the socialist and workers movements.
Thousands of anarchists will be attending a massive celebration of the founding of the Anti-Authoritarian International in St Imier itself, with round tables, public meetings, music concerts, film shows, plays etc.

The following issues will be discussed:
• The background to St Imier and what was involved in the split
• How the struggle against authoritarianism continued in key revolutions such as Russia and Spain
• The debate about human ‘nature’ and why humans do not need authority to flourish
• The role of authoritarian tendencies in struggles today eg the cuts movement, the strikes in the public sector, the student movement and within the anarchist movement itself
• Examples of organising without authority

This meeting will give an account of the original events and give details of the coming celebrations. All welcome.
speakers so far;
speaker from Anarchist Federation
Brian Morris, author of books on Bakunin, Kropotkin, and Ecology and Anarchism
Speaker from Haringey Solidarity Group
other invited speakers from rank and file electricians Sparks, the Occupy movement (tbc)
Free.