Öskra! – the movement of revolutionary students has sent out this communicué:

Sometimes, hard and direct questions have to be asked and aswers demanded. Somtimes, demands have to be made about changes. Somtimes, supervision has to be granted. But sometimes, meaningless and shallow rubbish has to be shut down and silenced.

It is an outrageous disrespect when the word “human right” and its meaning, when it is connected in any ways to the name of a bastard and a human rights abusers like Ragna Árnadóttir. It happened recently, first when the word “human rights” was for completely incoprehensible reasons use to beautify the name of her workplace, the Ministry of Justice. And then again today when Ragna was supposed to address a conference in the University of Iceland, to mark the 50 years anniversary of the European Court of Human Rights.

It was in an honest respect to the victims of human rights abuses all around the world – incl. all the reffugees that the government of Ragna and all of her forerunners have in the last decades treated like all other garbage – that we, Öskra!, the movement of revolutionary students and other good guests, refused Ragna Árnadóttir to say even a single word on the forenamed conference. It was in a forceful solidarity with all the victims of human rights abouses, that we kicked Ragna out of this coctailparty of the bourgeois.

The policy of Icelandic authorities concerning refugess is one huge human rights abuse, covered in blood. Under the pretence of laws and regulations, the government has systematically refused to take up asylum seekers’ cases, denied them asylum and sent them back to the Schengen countries, which they originally came to from their home countries. “Because we can…” is the government’s main argument – even though sometimes it is not even allowed to do so according to the very same regulations they qoute. This policy will only be described with one word: Racism!

From the beginning of her session in government, Ragna has done great with her impersonator job – one can hardly notive the difference between her and her forerunner, Björn Bjarnason from the right wing conservative party. Her stay and service with him seems to have been precious to here, since all of her work mirror his work and the same can be said about her responses to criticism. It will also only be describe with one word: Racism!

The government of Iceland, incl. its left wing paramour that now pretends to govern the country under the premises of equality, and all other institutions that have to do with the issues of refugees here in Iceland, are as far away from being able to deck them selves with the stamp of human rights, as they can possibly get. And since it does not look like there will be any changes there, we are forced to continue shutting down and silencing their agents.

1-0 for us!

Öskra!

—

See a video from the action by clicking here.

On the 22nd of June 2009the bio-medical company ORF got permission for experimental planting of GMO medicinal barley in Gunnarsholt, Rángárvallarsýslu. These experiment´s would have paved the way for general planting of genetically modified plants in Iceland. All voices of criticism, both institutions and individuals are made suspect and the little media coverage has been homogeneous and in favour of ORF. Today this permission was revoked. The reasons are amongst others:

• Lack of Democratic discussion on the issue

• Corruption in research and authorization

• The danger these experiments bring to the environment and animals

Our supervisors laid waste to ORF´s fields in Gunnarsholt. From now on genetic modifications will not take place in Iceland without our interference.

Live Iceland!

Regards,
Illgresi (Weeds)

Aftaka applauds this but we rather say “Live all life on the planet!”

Today, the free-shop on Vatnsstígur 4. was opened again. The shop, which operates in the way that people can both bring and take things completely without money, was opened for the first time, Saturday April 11th but was closed four days later when the police destroyed the upper part of the building and carried people out in a memorable way (read about that by clicking here). Today, the shop was filled with things immediately, since there is plenty enough of surplus that come from the disgusting society of over-consumption that we live in. By-walkers as well as squatters and squatting supporters checked out the free-shop and used this unknown way of ,,shopping”.

The main reason for the re-opening of the free-shop is that today, May 6th, is an international solidarity day with the polish squat Rozbrat. The authorities in Poznan, where the squat is situated, have repeatedly threatened those the Rozbrat collective to evict the house. Now, the danger of eviction seems to be real. This Saturday, a big demonstration will take place in Poznan and it is beleived that people all around Poland will show up to show the Rozbrat collective their support, even people from outside Poland.

The house – which e.g. includes an anarchist library, collective kitchen and place for meetings, lectures and concerts – is and has for long time been a necessary part of the anarchist resistance in Poland. But just like anywhere else in the world, this kind of activities are seen as a threat to the capital’s and authorities’ plans for their own constant enlargement and complete domination. Rozbrat is supposed to be torn down for new capitalistic temples. Sounds familiar?

Today, it did not take the police long time to show up and close the shop. It is not like people did not expect it to happen this time like before, but the police will not be able to stop the resistance – it always finds new chances and new ways. And it is contantly enlarging.

What is maybe the most nesessary is that the public discussion about squatting now continues in the society. The re-opening of the free-shop caught the attention of all the biggest media in Iceland, which all talked about the squat in their evening news, the reasons for it and especially about the solidarity with Rozbrat. At the same time as the political parties talk non-sense about “saving the homes”, people take their own initative and sound like a new voice in the public discussion. Anarchist ideas have never been as widely heard in Iceland as now.

The resistance was minimum this time, but the authorities can just wait and not look forward to upcoming squatting actions. Squatting is here to stay!

Here is an announcement from the squatter:

6th of May is an international solidarity day with Rozbrat, an old and steady squat in Poznan, Poland. Rozbrat has for quite a while been in threat of evection but and now the threat seems to be real.

The re-opening of our free-shop is a statement. Our solidarity is with our comrades in Poland, who want to protect their home and social center from destruction on behalf of the authorities.

It is also a statement about steadfastness and resistance. We are not going to lose! The city is for the people! Not the capitalism’s elite: the rich, the bankers, investors and contractors.

—

A  free-shop is a place where one can give and take things; a place where everyone is welcome to participate, but there is no money included.

The free-shop originally opened Saturday April 11th. The house was evicted by the police with full force only five days later. Now we reclaim the house and open our free-shop again.

LONG LIVE ROZBRAT – RECLAIM THE CITY!

LONG LIVE THE FREE-SHOP – THE CITY IS OURS!

ÁFRAM ROZBRAT – ENDURHEIMTUM BORGINA!
ÁFRAM FRÍBÚÐIN – BORGIN mun verða okkar!

Full and honest support with the Rozbrat collective! Also, full and honest solidarity with the international anti-capitalism and anti-authoritarian resistance.

Lib… lib… libertad – Anarchia Total!

Click here to see a Video from the free-shop today, in one of the biggest Icelandic media.

One voter decided to use his rights to vote. Showed up at the voting station and literally took a dump on the political party system, the power abuse and the general democracy distortion, wiped his ass on the ballot, neatly folded it and slipped into the ballot box.
HEHEHE

The video is here

After a whole day of the threat of an eviction, solidarity demonstration and support, the police finally showed up at the recently opened squat in the center of Reykjavík. At 08:00 in the morning between 40 and 50 policemen, including many members of the special force, came towards the house, attacked and arrested three people who were standing outside, sweeping the ground around the house. The squatters inside were told to leave the building and if not, they would get arrested. Of course, they refused to leave.

The police authorities might have believed that by coming early in the morning, the eviction would not get any attention and support. But they were wrong. Very soon, the neighborhood was crowded with people who came to follow what was happening and to show solidarity with the squatters. Many of the neighbors had already announced their support with the squat and denounced the plans to build shopping and office spaces on the spot.

The police closed the nearby streets and started attacking the house but the squatters had built proper barricades on all floors. When the police tried to enter the house from the back, they were met with expired dairy products that were thrown at them. After a bit of a struggle they finally got on to the first floor were nobody was. The squatters had barricaded the second floor extensively, so well that it took the special force two hours to get through, by using chain saws. All of the police’s attempts to get through were met with resistance; more things and liquids were thrown at them and sticks were used to push them down the stairs of the building.

During the police’s entry attempt the squatters held speeches through the windows. Statements against capitalists and authority were read out and the public was encouraged to take direct action against these violent forces of corruption.

“In this society, the most easy thing is to be silent; to stay behind the yellow police line and stand still; to stay at home and obey to authorities’ orders. That behavior leads to personal comfort. And isolated and personal comfort seems to be the main goals of many people’s lives.

The financial crisis are not the problem. The period of prosperity is the problem! It spoiled and silenced the public; it killed every sign of resistance.

We squatted this house as an act of resistance. Do the same – again and again and again. That’s how we change this society.”

The police’s struggle became harder and harder, since the resistance was to heavy for them. Every time the chainsaw became visible to the squatters, it was immediately attacked; every time it looked more like the police was getting on to the second floor, the heavier did the barricade become.

After almost three hours of struggling the police finally managed to enter the second floor. The squatters resisted but were attacked with peeper spray and violent behavior by the police. They were all handcuffed and put on the floor, while the police broke every second window of the house without any noticeable reason. The squatters were carried out and thrown into police vans, which were supposed to drive them to the police station. But supporters from the outside sat down and blockaded the street, with the purpose to stop the cars from getting their way, but were removed quickly.

A photographer was pulled out of the crowd by the police, dragged on the ground and half undressed. When he asked the police for the reason of his arrest he was told that it was because he had spat on a policeman in a protest by the parliament in January. Witnesses say it was obvious that the photographer was arrested because of how closely he photographed the police actions and how loudly he protested against it.

The squatters were driven to the police station were they were interviewed and kept there for up to 5 hours. Many of the arrested had breathing problems because of the pepper spray and one of them had been brutally attacked by a policemen. When being carried out of the squat, one of the policemen who was holding the squatter by her throat, kicked her head heavily to the door. In the police station the squatter was refused medical treatment if she would not give out her security number. Well, this is not a surprise; in the capitalistic democracy one does not deserve medical treatment except fitting to the regulations of this system of surveillance.

At the same time people had gathered by the police station to protest against the arrests and to show solidarity with the squatters. A black flag was pulled up on a flag pole in front of the police station and music played from a ghetto blaster. After several hours the arrested started to appear out of the station and were welcomed by the crowd, interviewed by the the media and fed by its supporters.

One of the squatters had a photo camera inside during the eviction, which was taken from her when she was arrested. She was refused to get it back when she was released but finally got it the day after. Then, the police had deleted all the photos from the camera. But the policemen are more stupid then they look like… and the photos are back. Many of them decorate this article.

The squat and all the public attention around it has brought up the necessary discussion about the conflict between property rights and the right to use. In the current atmosphere in Iceland, after the collapse of the economy, this discussion is way more positive than one could have believed. The banks own most of the empty houses and the banks are for sure not the most popular right now. The squat got heavy support from all directions, likely and unlikely, and showed that this is the time to start a squatting movement. The squatters of Vatnsstígur are far away from retiring.

A statement from the squatters will be published soon.

Last Thursday, 9th of April, an empty house in the center of Reykjavík was squatted by Icelandic anarchists. The house has been empty for over a year and is only one of many houses that are owned by a construction company that plans to tear down all it’s old houses and replace with big shopping and office center.

When inside the house, the squatters cleaned a part of the house and opened it up for an opening party. Food was served, music played and talks given on the ideas behind squatting. The party was well attended and met with positive reactions by the guests, including the neighbours.

During the next days the squatters finished cleaning the house and started organizing it as a social center. A free-shop was set up as well as a little infoshop with radical litterature, a D.I.Y. (Do It Yourself!) publisher/label and a communal kitchen. On Saturday there was an open day where the local Food Not Bombs collective served food and guests were welcomed to take a look at the space and share their ideas about how the social center can be used.

This letter was sent out by the squatters:

 A social center has been sqautted at Vatnsstígur 4.

Empty houses stand everywhere; houses that were supposed to be torn down for the building of shopping malls, houses that were supposed to be rented out on sky-high prices, houses that were supposed to make the rich even richer and the society culturally poorer.

We did not ask for permission to use this house. We do not need permission from those who think they can boss around with lives and land in the name of finance. We do not take part in that system.

We take what rightly is ours and in this house we will create a social space where people can meet and use it in the way they think matters, e.g. organizing info-nights and lectures, cooking food, start reading circles, attending political activities and do all kinds of arts.

The space will be open to all those who want to work towards radical changes on the money-driven society we live in.

The capitalistic democracy like we know it, is in fact only one more power structure, designed to boss around with people and make money by it. People are taught that it is the only just system that the human being has ever created around itself, but that is not true. Inside the democracy the majority represses the minority and only very few people end up on the top of the power pyramid, at the expense of the majority. For every prime minister there are millions who are not. Consensus decision making is a method that anarchists and other radicals use to get decisions inside groups, small and big, instead of the democracy’s majority elections. We use the opportunity to create alternatives, instead of only choosing between them.

Capitalism gives people or companies the change to own houses but let them stand empty, even though many people need homes and other places to stay. The banks own most of the empty houses and the public is supposed to pay for the games of lies that was accepted “before the collapse”. We will not pay for them!

This squat is headed towards authority, capitalism and all kinds of power playing. Our house will be free from the current Icelandic authorities and free from any kind of power structures on our behalf.

We, the people, toppled the former government and we are far away from having finished the deconstruction of the system of inequality and greed, as well as the parallel construction of the society we want to live in. We encourage others to refuse to pay for the banks’ debts, refuse to leave their own houses and start squatting!

Threat of eviction
Yesterday, Tuesday April 14th, the paper-owners of the house came along with civil-dressed policemen and announced that the house would have to be empty at 16:00. With very short notice the squatters barricaded the house and asked for a solidarity demonstration to take place in front of the house. Around 15:00 people starting coming, a fire was lit, drums played and slogans shouted in favor of the squatters. Couple of hundreds of people attended the demonstration and the free shop was opened.

A speech was held by one of the squatters:

 This is what we call solidarity!

It is amazing to see you all here today. This is what we call solidarity! We who have squatted this house are going to change the society we live in. A part of it is to protect this house; a house that was supposed to enter the gob of the capital since a shopping mall was planned to be built on this spot.

Now this house belongs to us – the people here inside and those who stand outside – and will be used for our revolution. To destroy this society’s power structures we need a revolution – not elections! Today, we who are inside and you who stand outside in this disgusting weather, stopped the corporate scum from getting their way with the violence that only them have the right to use.

But since the police is not going to be sent towards us now, the government will send it tonight, tomorrow, later in the week or after elections. No matter if we will be thrown out or if we will be aloud to stay, we will get stronger. This house is ours! The struggle is ours; a struggle against authority and capitalism.

The revolution is – and has to be – international. With this squat we announce our support and solidarity with the oppressed people living in Palestine and their siblings on the other side of the wall, Anarchists Against the Wall; the Zapatista resistance movement in Mexico; the Polish squatters in the Rozbrat-squat in Poznan; Mumia Abu Jamal, Rod Coronado and all other political prisoners in the U.S.; the Dongria Kondh tribe in Orissa, India, who fight against bauxite mining… and all other people and/or movements that fight against power abuse, corruption, capitalism, exploitation, oppression and violence – all around the world.

Squatting is one part of the revolution and therefor we encourage everybody to squat houses; take over empty houses or refuse to leave their own house.

Long live the revolution!

The squatters at Vatnsstígur 4.

In the end the police did not show up. The reason is unknown but the threat of eviction still remains. The squat has received very good coverage by the mainstream media and of course by the alternative ones. It has lead to big support and the squatters hope that the solidarity continues as the threat gets even bigger.

Until later.

— — —

A video from the demonstration can be seen by clicking here.

“The 60 years birthday of the war organization NATO is celebrated in various ways during this weekend.

Today a memorial statue here in Reykjavík, built in the memory of the founding of NATO, was covered in blood. The blood throwing took place in the memory of all the people that NATO has ever murdered. Also in solidarity with those who protest against the existence of NATO and interrupt the birthday party in Strassbourg.”

Of course we celebrate this action and agree with its message. But at the same time we wonder why such a disgusting statue has been allowed to stand untouched for such a time. It is kind of sad that a big party, celebrating sixty years of blood splashing and power abuse, is needed to call out for this minimum response.

But now finally has the memorial received the part that the “artist” looked away from. Those who did so must be thanked for their contribution.

Not long ago, the word anarchism was almost meaningless in Icelandic. It hardly existed. But now it seems that it has received a seat in the language and better yet—it is getting more and wider understanding. The reason must be the growing movement of anarchists and their visibility during protests and actions concerning the economic collapse.

Many people’s first reactions to new words and ideas are ignorance and denial, especially when the ideas challenge and defy the society’s standards and traditions—when the “truth” is doubted. Anarchists state and argue that something is wrong with the current social structure. This causes disturbance that constantly expands when people realise that the anarchists are right… it is inconvenient having to change the “truth”. One way to ignore this disturbance, not updating one’s mind and adapting to new and changed ideas, is to pretend that these ideas don’t exist. Another way is to run them down, remove all ideals and ideologies.

The February issue of Grapevine included an interview with police officers who took part in the police actions during the January revolt. Talking about the more radical part of the protesters, a police officer titled ‘Senior Policeman’ says: “It all starts with a group that connects itself with anarchism, although I don’t believe there is much behind that.” He continues and says that by looking at the group of anarchists he can’t imagine that they are badly situated financially and adds that he would have liked to see more people in his age at the protests, indebted people who have families to support.

Wait a moment; there is something wrong here: (1.) How can he, by looking over a crowd, see if people have financial problems or not? (2.) How does he know that anarchists don’t have families to support? (3.) Not being indebted is a sign of rationalism and lack of participation in the consumerism that characterised a majority of the Icelandic nation during last years and which sucked out critical thinking and people’s desire of autonomy. (4.) Not being indebted doesn’t take away one’s freedom to resists against a corrupt and incompetent government (not meaning people’s constitutional “right” to protest but every living being’s unwritten right to defend itself). (5.) Not nearly everybody is protesting against the crisis and asking for new period of prosperity. No! Some people always saw (and still see) through the so-called prosperity and still see the class divisions, injustice and corruption that the prosperity period created and sustained. These people protest and fight against capitalism, not the crisis!

The police officer’s words mark the narrow mindsets and lack of ideals that last years’ social situation lead to. The sentence here above –  “although I don’t believe there is much behind that” – is a schoolbook example of denial and ignorance.

But these words are not only the police officers’. Anarchism is constantly dismissed like this—ignored before properly considered. That’s a childish behaviour that shows the lack of will to learn and get to know things’ from a variety of perspectives; a lack of will to always have an open mind, challenge the “truth” and consider nothing as holy; a lack of will to improve the society. It shows the success of authorities’ silencing campaigns; how well they have managed to create a society of ideological stagnation, with the help of corporations, PR managers and advertisement offices.

We could turn this around and state that in the society there is “a group that connects itself with capitalism, but there is not much behind that!” But this statement is wrong. Capitalism builds on the idea that an individual’s freedom is to do business, buy and sell without authorities’ interventions. It is based on greed, acceptance of class divisions, injustice, individuals’ different values inside the society and the unequal distribution of resources. It builds on oppression, exploitation, deprivation of freedom (yes, people’s freedom is constantly deprived in the name of other’s business freedom) violence and imprisonment.

Therefore it is impossible to deal with capitalism in this manner, as well as anarchism. No ideology, philosophy and form of organisation can be dealt with in this manner. But since anarchist ideas are new for many people and these ideas challenge the society’s fundamental values, people repeatedly try to ignore them, hoping they will get lost and forgotten forever.

In the end, it wouldn’t matter at all if ‘Senior Policeman’ would study anarchism and agree with some of its ideas. His statement would stay unchanged because it’s a part of his job to state this to protect authorities and break down everything that threatens their position. A police officer would never accept the legitimacy of anarchist ideas. However, that does not change the fact that his words and the way he dismisses challenging ideas is exactly how authorities want the whole society to behave. That is something that we anarchists fight against!

A political street party took place on Lækjartorg square in Reykjavík last Saturday. Over a hundred people came together, lit a fire, put on music and had fun… until the police arrived and put out the fire. Then another fire was lit and people had fun… until the police came again, put out the fire, confiscated the stereo system and arrested people. But the people stood united and the event was a good start for further resistance.

Lighting fires, hitting pots and pans, putting on loud music and dancing is a continuation of the January uprising. Until the banks collapsed last October Icelandic protests were pitiful. The authorities orders for peaceful protests were so thoroughly ingrained into the Icelandic people that nothing was allowed. The protests signs were polite as were the speeches, but these two things – signs and speeches – were the only weapons the resistance was allowed to use, if you can even call it resistance. The so called radicals got satisfaction from discussing the NATO fight in 1949 but did not dream of anything like that happening again.

This is why the enslaved nation foamed at the mouth in 2005 when the people from Saving Iceland (a direct action environmental campaign) took to the mountains, locked themselves to machinery, climbed up into cranes and stormed offices of companies that were connected to the building of the big, ugly and terribly destructive Kárahnjúkar dam. People had never witnessed behavior like this and did not even know it existed; the history of international resistance and practices were a closed book. This was why it was considered news worthy when there was a possibility that some of those that showed physical resistance at Kárahnjúkar had also been at the annual G8 protests.

But now Icelanders are learning, they have gotten to know fire, noise, disobedience and real opposition.

In July 2007 Saving Iceland organized a street party called Rave Against the Machine – Street Party Against Heavy Industry. The group walked from Perlan (a fancy tourist center) and down a heavy traffic street called Snorrabraut, dancing to the music of the resistance. Emma Goldman´s famous words “If I can’t dance, it’s not my revolution” were a guiding light. In there crazed dance against complete heavy industrialization of Iceland the group towards Laugavegur (Reykjavík’s main shopping street) when the police took up positions in front of the group and held the group there for two hours, not having the slightest idea what they were supposed to do. Finally they decided to arrest a few people, a decision that led to physical conflict between police and protesters – the first political physical struggle in Iceland for a very long time.

Actions like these are very similar to the older international tradition which goes by the name Reclaim the Streets, which focuses on taking over public spaces for parties, protests or better: both. Notice the word public spaces. That is what they are called, open spaces within the city but they are not more public than so, that you need permission from the authorities to use them. Reclaiming the streets (or in our case claiming them as they have never been ours) is part of battle for a society organized by the people, themselves, a society free from a pyramid shaped division of authority. Taking over the streets is part of the freeing of each and every person from the yoke of the authorities.

Last Saturday history repeated itself. Word spread online that there was to be a street party at Lækjartorg square on Saturday evening and the reason given was
the police attempts to silence the protesters at the central bank during the previous week. As is well known in Iceland the police has ben handing out fliers with
laws regarding the amplification of sound, playing instruments and noise in public areas. An air pressure powered horn was taken into custody and put on probation. With this the police was attempting to finally silence the newly born resistance.

At 10 pm people gathered at Lækjartorg, lit a fire, listened to music and had some fun. Shortly later the police and the fire department arrived to put out the fire of the revolution. They succeeded and an unlucky city worker had to collect the remains of the fire. When the city worker was just about to drive off some people ran to the truck and dragged off a pallet to set alight again. The 2 police men who were still there went to the people who decided to protect the pallet by standing on it. It was painfully funny to see the 2 policemen try to drag the pallet from underneath 20 people who stood on it and refused to move.

The music was put on full blast and shortly later there was another even better fire. The two policemen tried desperately to get to the fire, drag the pallets away and put it out… without success. The party goers were very determined not to let the police ruin the fun and the resistance, people defended the fire with passion. Slowly more police men joined the ones already there and startet tearing at peoples hair, beating people with batons but at the same time more people had also arrived. The peoples unity was fantastic (at least better than ever before in Iceland) and it is certain that several arrests were prevented by physical battle with the police.

Finally, aided by a wall of dozens of police officers – the fire department managed to put out the fire but the people enthusiastically responded.

“Who owns the streets? We own the streets! Who owns the party? We own the party! Who owns the city? We own the city! Who owns the resistance? We own the resistance!”

The song carried around central Reykjavik and continued:

“Who’s streets? Our streets! Who’s resistance? Our resistance! Who can scream? We can scream! Who can fight? We can fight!”

The noise continued and got greater when the police grabbed peoples sound system in a failed attempt to stop the music. People gathered around the police car and prevented it from driving away with the sound system. The driver then decided to drive into those that where standing in front of it. At that point the army of police had re-appeared with there batons and an ambulance was waiting across the street.

After some conflict, beatings and threats of arresting everyone wearing masks the police officers legged it but with two persons in tow. One had stood in front of the police car and the other committed no other offense  than being at the party. They were released after 12 hours at the police station.

The nights message was that the revolution is not over, it is just beginning. The authorities will not be able to silence the people’s resistance with force and abuse of power. People will continue their opposition with more focused actions, by taking over the streets and turning them to self controlled areas, free from the authorities interference and oppression. Actions are here to stay.

Demand the streets! – Take the streets!

I am an anarchist and I know that the individuals who have placed themselves in power are dangerous to my community and me; therefore I consider them my enemies and I feel it is my duty to push them away and use violence if needed, because love does not imply pacifism. The nature of power tells that it will not be given back voluntarily, that’s why it needs to be removed. This is not necessarily a call for bloodshed. There are other ways (like drumming government out of its wits).

I am an anarchist because I recognise my own fallibility and the fact that I make mistakes. Because of my human frailty I should never have power over others. I should never make decisions for others; only participate in consensus-based decision-making.

The anarchist is not a utopian. There is no perfect society, no one truth and no utopia but we know that social engineering based on oppression is unacceptable, even though the system that oppresses is called democracy. The majority vote can be just as wrong as anything else. Ask the slaves, the women, the gays, the immigrants. There is always power struggle in all communities. That is natural. We now have built-in hierarchies that allow power greedy individuals to place themselves above others.

All human systems collapse at some point. Systems that are based on the responsibility of a few individuals collapse faster. The bigger the units are, the more people depend upon them and the more disastrous the consequences. The smaller units we organise and the more flat we keep our systems, the lesser risk there is of disaster; this applies both to politics and economy. The longer people are stuck with being only voters and consumers,  more stand to die helpless when there is scarcity. The more individuals in a community that think like anarchists – that our community is safer when organised without authority – the less chance manipulators can have their way with us. That’s what the words “an-“ and “archy“ mean in the old Greek: “Without authority.“

Originally anarchism rebelled against capitalism. It appeared around the same time as capitalism and as capitalism’s war on community grew, so did anarchism. The philosophy it is based on is much older, but as a political movement it is a product of the changes communities went through with the appearance of capitalism and the nation-state.

The power of governments and other hierarchies is based on the agreement of the ruled. Fear of authority is not the only reason but the fact that the ruled have the same values as the rulers. Both take for granted the principle that some few should rule and others should obey. The oppressive power of the modern state is not only based on political and economic power. The real horror is its ability to establish a certain understanding of the world.

The anarchist critique is about finding power structures and hierarchies in all parts of life and work against them, because they are unjust and should be dismantled (there are examples of justifiable use of force). This applies to politics, property and managing, the sexes, children and the future (defending the ecosystems). This includes participating in and encouraging direct action against what oppresses as well as benefiting and supporting social factors that already exist and are anarchist in nature. This is not everything, but it’s a start.

The author is an activist, an anarchist, a musician and a nurse.