Living and Fighting: Communes, Contestation, and Camaraderie from France to Brazil

A review of anarchist tactics and practice from Canada (Kingston, Ontario), France (Paris, the ZAD, Nantes) and Brazil (São Paulo).

El Errante (who has traveled and written recently about their trip to Rojava) and Erwin will discuss their most recent travels through North America, the Northern European continent and South America. Topics will include reviews of pre insurrectionary organizational forms known as collectives, cooperatives, occupations or the more generic, communes.

Of interest in the discussion of these organizations includes the dialectic of structure versus structurelessness, decision-making processes, participant responsibilities, induction and orientation of new communards, and characteristics specific to each social and environmental milieux from which they arise.

The various types of contestation that were observed will be described; street actions, props, weapons, personal gear, resource acquisition and allocation, manipulation of space for security, tactical considerations, and recruitment and training of fighters and militia. Particular attention will be paid to the tactical innovations of the French milieu known alternately as the appellistes, the Invisible Committee or the Tiqqunists. While their theoretical material is a tangle, much of their practical work has proven extremely effective and should be studied and perhaps utilized by North American anarchists.

Finally, principles and mechanisms of camaraderie, engagement and discourse were observed and the impact of these less belligerent activities have also shown to be effective in communicating basic ideas of anarchism to unaffiliated radicals, and folks looking for political ideas that make sense to the individual, a philosophy that that fits. No small task in an age where most democratic political forms produce in intelligent individuals only disgust and loathing.

Please bring a donation to help the OMNI Commons pay their rent. Will feature slides and music and will be followed by a Q and A.