Dan Thompson from Worthing achieved national fame through his #riotcleanup initiative.
(see, among others:
http://prigg.thisislondon.co.uk/2011/08/twitter-cleanup-organiser-stunned-by-the -capitals-response.html )
In an article on his website, Dan argues that the broom-wielding citizens who joined the grass-roots campaign were in fact putting anarchy into action.
He writes: “Anarchy, says Wikipedia, may be 'a complete lack of authority or political organization,' but it can also mean 'a social state characterized by a lack of a state, ruler, or libertarianism'. So while the lawlessness of people smashing shop windows to steal trainers or burn furniture shops down was anarchic, so equally was the mob who, without any leaders or instructions, gathered brooms and dustpans and brushes and took to the streets to clean up on Tuesday.
“They hadn't signed up to a manifesto or an agreed set of rules or beliefs. Nobody was in charge of them, or told them what to do. They were hundreds of individuals who, without leadership or state intervention, took to the streets and worked out a new way of doing things. ”
Full piece at http://www.artistsandmakers.com/article.php/20110812051756469
Dan will be speaking about his initiative, the riots and the implications at the next Worthing Alliance meeting on Thursday August 25 (Beechwood Hall Hotel, Wykeham Road, Worthing, 8pm), where there will, of course, be a chance to ask questions and discuss his viewpoint.
Worthing's local anarchist newsletter, The Porkbolter, took a rather different angle on the riots in its recent statement
http://www.eco-action.org/porkbolter/riots.html
Should be an interesting debate.
(see, among others:
http://prigg.thisislondon.co.uk/2011/08/twitter-cleanup-organiser-stunned-by-the -capitals-response.html ) In an article on his website, Dan argues that the broom-wielding citizens who joined the grass-roots campaign were in fact putting anarchy into action.
He writes: “Anarchy, says Wikipedia, may be 'a complete lack of authority or political organization,' but it can also mean 'a social state characterized by a lack of a state, ruler, or libertarianism'. So while the lawlessness of people smashing shop windows to steal trainers or burn furniture shops down was anarchic, so equally was the mob who, without any leaders or instructions, gathered brooms and dustpans and brushes and took to the streets to clean up on Tuesday.
“They hadn't signed up to a manifesto or an agreed set of rules or beliefs. Nobody was in charge of them, or told them what to do. They were hundreds of individuals who, without leadership or state intervention, took to the streets and worked out a new way of doing things. ”
Full piece at
http://www.artistsandmakers.com/article.php/20110812051756469 Dan will be speaking about his initiative, the riots and the implications at the next Worthing Alliance meeting on Thursday August 25 (Beechwood Hall Hotel, Wykeham Road, Worthing, 8pm), where there will, of course, be a chance to ask questions and discuss his viewpoint.
Worthing's local anarchist newsletter, The Porkbolter, took a rather different angle on the riots in its recent statement
http://www.eco-action.org/porkbolter/riots.html Should be an interesting debate.
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Great article on that
15.08.2011 18:58
@
stupidest thing i've ever heard
16.08.2011 12:07
anarchist
Another media loving self serving ass....
16.08.2011 12:24
Aunty Christ
@anarchist
16.08.2011 12:43
HiRize
mixed bag
16.08.2011 14:49
It may have built a sense of 'community', among certain sections of society, but perhaps at the expense of class conciousness.
In the broader sense, it's also helped the media to demonise and isolate the rioters.
Still, as an initiative, it would be simplistic to portray it as either completely negative or completely positive.
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Big Society
16.08.2011 15:15
Riots are great but things do need to be cleaned up afterwards (for regular people - fuck the big corporations).
It does sound a big like the Tory idea of "Big Society" though - getting the plebs to do things for free so the govt can cut spending and give more money to the rich. I doubt you got many millionaires out with their brooms - they didn't get where they were by helping other people for free.
I wonder if this was a so-called "anarcho-capitalist" initiative?
anon
perhaps it means something else?
17.08.2011 21:02
Krop