Anarchism as a Scapegoat of the 21st century:

violence, anarchism and anti-globalisation protests

CONTENTS

no to the wto

anarchism as a scapegoat

anti-terrorism bill delayed

bad badder baddest

review of globilisation: origins history analysis resistance booklet

the personal and the
political

a new e-group: anti-war anti-capitalist

local anarchist news

Since hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated in July in Genoa, Italy outside the summit meeting of the so-called G-8 (the seven most powerful capitalist states in the world plus Russia), an unholy alliance of capitalist media, politicians, relief agencies, debt campaigners and even rock "stars" are blaming anarchists for "violence" at anti-globalisation protests. Indeed, anarchism has been called the "hooliganism of the 21st century". The September 11 attacks against the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon in the USA have put a new

spin on this,with the New York Times claiming that smashing windows on anti-globalisation protests is "terrorism" as well. Hang on, smashing a few windows? This not the same as murdering over 6,000 innocent people! America's "war on terrorism" will probably lead to a major new global McCarthyite witch-hunt against internal dissent, with anarchism lined up as a likely contender for the scapegoat of the 21st century (after Islamic fundamentalism, that is).

In Aotearoa, our own capitalist media has also stuck the boot in. Since Genoa articles, editorials and opinion pieces have appeared in the NZ Herald, The Christchurch Press, The Listener, Sunday Star Times and on the Scoop news website talking of "violent anarchists" who seemingly roam the streets in disorganised mobs, all dressed in black, masked, throwing molotov cocktails at police, burning cars and smashing windows indiscriminately. A new stereotype of anarchists has been created, away from the black-caped bomb thrower of last century to the masked up window smasher of this century. This article shall briefly look at anarchism and violence, the real role of anarchists and anarchism in the anti-globalisation movement, as well as the real perpetrators of violence in our society. It is intended to be an introductory piece that will try to dismiss a few myths about anarchism and outline the radical potential of the anti-globalisation movement.

statements from the black bloc

It is true that some anarchists have participated in "violence" against capitalist property in anti-globalisation protests in places like London, Seattle, and now Genoa, by smashing windows of big capitalist corporations. This violence was not some teenage temper tantrum, as the media claims, but was a systematic and planned act. "We contend that property destruction is not a violent activity unless it destroys lives or causes pain in the process. By this definition, private property - especially corporate private property - is itself infinitely more violent than any action taken against it." Because the ownership of private property by a select few (the boss class) is the violent basis of capitalism, forcing us to work for the profit of bosses, then "when we smash a window, we aim to destroy the veneer of legitimacy that surrounds private property rights. At the same time, we exorcise that set of violent and destructive social relationships which has been imbued in almost everything around us." - ACME (anarchist) collective, Seattle, 1999. This collective targeted corporations such as GAP, Nike, Levis, McDonald's, Starbucks, Warner Bros, and Planet Hollywood, as well as banks.

In Genoa, the media demonised the Black Bloc, who were blamed for all of the violence. "Yesterday the police acted brutally against protesters. Protesters were beaten up, were attacked by tear gas and rubber bullets, they were imprisoned and tortured. The police brutality culminated in the murder of one protester [Carlo Guiliani]...Day by day, the capitalist world order produces a diversity of violence. Poverty, hunger, expulsion, exclusion, the death of millions of people and the destruction of living spaces is part of their policy. This is exactly what we reject. Smashed windows of banks and multinationals are symbolic actions. Nevertheless, we do not agree with the destruction and looting of small shops and cars. This is not our policy...If windows rattle then you cry, but you are silent when people die." - statement of part of the Black Bloc, Genoa, 2001.

abolishing capitalism by smashing windows?

The good thing about this pretty harmless "violence" against capitalist property is that it is a direct form of resistance to capitalism. It is direct because it is unmediated by any representative. It is people taking action themselves in the here and now, rather than relying upon someone else to do something for them in the future. Smashing windows of capitalist businesses, to some extent, smashes the veneer of the spectacle of capitalism. However, as we all know, capitalism will not be abolished by smashing a few windows on spectacular global days of action against capitalism. Capitalists will simply replace the windows and go on as

before. To abolish capitalism, we need to create a grassroots working class movement that will abolish all classes, a movement that is grounded in the everyday experience of people's lives. The anti-globalisation movement has some potential in creating this, as shall be noted later.

A distinction needs to be made between violence against the private property of capitalist exploiters and against human beings. Violence against property is understandable, but violence against humans is nearly always unjustifiable, except in legitimate cases of self-defence. Anarchists do not support or practise terrorism, which aims to maim or kill innocent working class people as in the World Trade Centre attack in the USA. About a hundred years ago a few anarchists supported and practised terrorism (directed against the rich), but almost no anarchists do today, including us at Thrall magazine. You cannot produce a free, non-authoritarian society by terrorising, brutalising, killing and maiming.

It is a mistake to claim that anarchism equals the Black Bloc. The Black Bloc does not represent all anarchists. Many people in the Black Bloc are not anarchists. It's important to remember that it is a widely known fact that much of the violence in Genoa was committed by police provocateurs as well as fascist groups who infiltrated the Black Bloc. Even then, the majority of anarchists in Genoa did not participate in the Black Bloc, but in other marches and groups.

Much of the behind the scenes, down to earth organising at such events has been carried out by anarchist groups. For example, in protests against the World Economic Forum in Melbourne in 2000 most anarchists did not participate in the Black Bloc but instead helped organise the protest through the AWOL (Autonomous Web Of Liberation) collective, as well providing free food, medical supplies and participating in the blockade.

is anarchism violent?

The scapegoating of anarchism for violence on protests simply plays on all the false stereotypes of anarchists. So it's necessary once again to restate the "ABCs of anarchism": anarchism is not about violence, disorder or destruction; anarchists desire a society free from violence, coercion, privilege and disorder. Violence, coercion and disorder are a product of capitalism, which needs a violent police force to protect capitalist property and privilege.

The real purpose of this media driven campaign to scapegoat anarchism is to repress the anti-globalisation movement. They want to put people off the movement by claiming it is all about mindless "violence", rather than resisting capitalist power and exploitation. Capitalists fear that the anti-globalisation movement will get bigger and more radical unless it is diverted or crushed. They also want to prepare public opinion for the state's violent repression of the militant wing of the movement, the "bad protesters" like anarchists (not the nice fluffy liberals) who seek more radical aims than just a nicer version of capitalism.

how non-violent is the capitalist state?

The capitalist establishment is trying to derail the growing anti-globalisation movement, but not because some demonstrators are allegedly violent. Violence is not the issue. The guardians of this political and economic system do not abhor violence. On the contrary, they are the greatest purveyors of violence on the planet. For example, in the last 50 years, the USA, self-proclaimed leader of the capitalist world, has been responsible for the deaths of millions of people in wars of aggression. Korea, Vietnam, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Laos, Cambodia, Grenada, Lebanon, Libya, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama, Iraq,

Angola, Somalia,Colombia,Congo and Yugoslavia have all been invaded, bombed or ravaged by US-proxy wars, with Afghanistan next on the list. Wars and invasions are dramatic expressions of the violence committed by the capitalist establishment. The US has killed well over 500,000 Iraqi children from economic sanctions, and publicly said it was "worth the price". When it comes to violence, it is hard to match the deliberate killing of 500,000 children. The US state is the biggest terrorist outfit in the world.

The capitalist state's routine use of violence is not restricted to foreign wars and interventions, either. Every worker who has gone on strike or been locked out knows that if you try to stop the bosses from using scabs and strikebreakers, you will be met with police violence, as with the pickets against Carter Holt Harvey by wharfies in the South Island.

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