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LAST SATURDAY, the 2nd of March at 9-40 a.m., Salvador Puig Antich was executed in the yard of Barcelona Prison. The method UBed? The ’’Crarrote vil”, a mediaeval killing technique that better than anything else on earth epitomises the true essence of fascism - SLOW STRANGULATION OF EVERYTHING THAT IS HUMAN.
The "crime” of Salvador Puig individual efforts should be Antich? Having been an anarch permanently focussed on the ist who took up arms against Iberian Peninsula, where, since fascism in Spain. So, once 1926 in Portugal and 1936 in more, one of our comrades was Spain, Iberian anarchists have sordidly "tried” and barbari- been in the forefront of the cally liquidated by Franco, by anti-fascist struggle. his regime and by all those who directly or indirectly flirt Salvador Puig Antich is the a daily, diplomatically or econo latest victim of this struggle, mically, with the most abhoarent, but others are already prepar the most brutal, the most inhu ing themselves to carry on the man regime in Western Europe. indomitable fight for freedom. These comrades need our materi Salvador Puig Antich paid the al and ideological support. price that social revolution That is why we are appealing to aries had to pay in the past you to donate generously (as for opposing and fighting fas much money as you can spare) cism in Spain. The internati towards our SPANISH RESISTANCE onal campaign in defence of FUND and also to BLACK CROSS Salvador Puig failed to move POLITICAL PRISONERS FUND. We the fascists in power in Mad invite you also to attend Cen darity of workers, students and rid. Instead, the iron fist of tro Iberico activities (film intellectuals all over the Franco's regime swept aside the shows, discussions, conferen world. We hope that FREEDOM'S defensive barrier of internati ces, Anarchist Cabaret, etc. — subscribers and readers will m onal public opinion demanding see Contact Column) proceeds not fail to ensure that in that the life of our comrade be of which are also donated to Britain this solidarity never spared, if only on humanitarian the above funds. will run short of libertarian grounds, and delivered a deadly spirit. Let us make sure that We remind you that four more stroke at life itself - the Salvador Puig Antich has not members of the now disbanded life of a 26-year old libertar died in vain. M.I.L. are awaiting sentence in ian, aspiring towards freedom, Spain by the Tribunal del Orden justice and equality for the Claude. Publico. The sentences on oppressed peoples of Spain and Jose Luis Pons Llobet, Santiago Portugal. Oriol Soler, Emilio Pardinas We have lost another comrade, and F. Xavier Garriga could al- Spanish Resistance Fund c/o T .P . but the struggle against fas be the death penalty. We all and p Tt . at FREEDOM, 84B White cism is not over. Now it is know that the smashing of fas chapel High Street, London, E.l. our turn to garrot fascism to cism in Spain and Portugal will Black Cross Prisoners Fund death! All our collective and only be possible with the soli 83A Haverstock Hill, London NW3 with the two main parties. How ever it would be dangerous to claim that this meant a move in an anarchist direction. It is open to argument whether the high turn-out at the polls means that people are becoming politi ment which can gain support in FOR ANARCHISTS the result of the cally conscious or whether a low the House of Commons. Monday’s General Election is a good one. turn-out in 1970 indicated apathy decision by the Liberals not to It is good because Mr. Heath and as a first step towards anarchism. co-operate with the Tories forced the Tories vent to the country Obviously an argument can be made seeking a mandate on the basis of Mr. Heath to resign. % \ on both counts, but not voting "Firm Action for a Fair Britain” % out of sheer apathy hardly impLies and that has been rejected by the It is ironic that the electoral majority of voters. However like system of majority rule should Continued on P, 2 ...... all politicians, the most impor throw up the present situation. tant thing for them is power. Un The minority parties now hold like other general elections considerable sway in parliament Correction: Our issue last since the war the politicians but these successes for the nat week (2 March) was wrongly have been wheeling and dealing ionalist parties and the Liberals numbered "Vol. 35 No, 8". It to find support "to form a govern show people’s growing discontent was of course No. 9. Apolggies. CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE
a social consciousness, whereas Unfortunately this optimistic the weighing of the pros and cons view has not been fulfilled. of the issues at least moans that People are not conscious that people are thinking about things their interests lie in the over that are going to affect them. throw of all forms of government Having said that, anarchists since basically they are all repeat that the election of a dictatorial. Electing a govern "I'M LIBERAL DARLINGS AND I new government will not alter ment gives that government virtu perform for whichever gentleman the power, social and economic ally dictatorial powers, because pays me." relationships that form the if they command a majority or can capitalist system. obtain one by a coalition, they can legislate away what freedoms has been a waste of time. Big Kropotkin in The Wage System we still have. business, like the trade union wrote: "It is moreover plain leadership, want to return to full that, as the peoples become con Clearly people have rejected working. They would rather settle scious of their interests, and as Mr. Heath's call for firm govern with the miners over and above the variety of those interests ment. His gamble didn't come of*'1. Stage 3 than face an industrial increases, the system becomes un It was doubtful whether the standstill for lack of power. In workable. And this is why the miners would negotiate with Mr. fact the miners have won the democrats of all countries are Heath. Mr. Len Clarke, president election because, as everyone nov seeking for different palliatives of the Nottinghamshire miners, admits, whoever forms a govern or correctives and cannot find has said that as far as he is ment, the first thing they will them. They are trying the Refer concerned there would be no have to do is to settle on the endum, and discovering that it settlement of the strike "if I miners' terms. Their position is have got to negotiate with Mr. is worthless; they prate of pro that much stronger now because Heath and Mr. Vhitelaw". It is portional representation, of the the "grocer" has lost his bid for also doubtful whether the miners representation of minorities, "firm" government. will accept the relativities re and other parliamentary utopias. port as its main recommendation Industrial action has done just In a word, they are striving to is that extra pay increases be what Mr. H-?ath was accusing the discover the undiscoverable; largely confined to underground that is to say, a method of del miners of. However, all it has workers. This "robbing Peter to egation which shall represent achieved is a change of masters, pay Paul" is just not on as the the myriad varied interests of but this same industrial strength miners want an across-the-board the nation; but they are being could be used to bring about the increase. forced to recognise that they complete overthrow of the present are upon a false track, and con As far as the Tories are con system of wage slavery. Such action could overthrow the State fidence in government by delega cerned their election gamble and abolish government. Instead tion is passing away." hasn't worked. The whole charade of daily exploitation at work, Thermo Galvan, the Spanish soci workers could take, control of Spanish Resistancealist leader, has described the their indistries and run them for execution of Salvador Puig Antich the benefit of the whole commun ity. If enough workers desire LATEST ~^ E VS as "political error" and from a humanist point of view "a such a society they will organise IN BARCELONA, 3,000 mourners at monstrosity". and work for it. It is our task the funeral of Salvador Puig as anarchists to put it to them. Last Monday morning bombs explo Antich were barred from the P.T. cemetery and were dispersed by ded outside an army barracks in armed police. Only Salvador's Barcelona, a bank and an electri four sisters, near relatives and city supply pylon. In the Italian SUBSCRIBE to FREEDOM a few family friends were allowed port of Genoa, a bomb exploded in Inland and Surface Mail Abroad near the graveside of the young the offices of a Spanish shipping company. Catalan anarchist. One year £3.25 $ 8.10 ANOTHER TEN alleged Communists £1.62i Franco's decision not to iecom- Six months $4.05 $ 2.10 mend clemency for Salvador Puig have been arrested over the last Three months 85p sparked off demonstrations last weekend by the Spanish political Saturday in Paris, Brussels, police, this time in Granada. Airmail This brings the total of known Milan and Rome. There were also Europe 1 year £4.00 political arrests under the new two demonstrations in Barcelona, N.Africa & M.E. 1 year £4.25 government of Arias Navarro to home town of Salvador Puig, but The Americas 1 year $13.00 nearly 200. these broke up before the Spanish India, Africa & c . 1 year £4.75 police could intervene. Claude. Australasia, Japan & c . 1 year £5.75 SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE SHOT BEAD 2 copies £5.85 ($14.00) per year 117 PEOPLE AND WOUNDED 352 LAST YEAR. THE FOLICE MINISTER SAID BULK: 10 copies 40p THAT AMONG THOSE KILLED VERE 96 AFRICAN ADULTS AND TWO AFRICAN JUVENILES. A Venetian Court acquitted The U.S. National Academy of Sci Michael Collin, the self-styled ences forecast that the harmful Pope Clement XV on charges of effects of chemical herbicides contempt against another pope (used in the Vietnam war by the (Paul VT). The court ruled that U.S.) on the Vietnam ecology will he (Collin) was incapable of un last for at least a century. It derstanding his actions and. ord also indicated that evidence she ered him to be placed in a mental shoved that the chemicals resul institution for two years— if he ted in the deaths of Vietnamese returns to Italy. He has also children. been excommunicated! PAGE 2 **# FREEDOM PRESS 84b WHITECHAPEL HIGH STREET ACTIONS — NOT WORDS LONDON Ei Phone 01-247 9249 FOR AN ANARCHIST, heckling at a liest political university of Aldgate East Underground station political rally can be a frust all) we dress as clowns to illus Vhitechapel Art Gallery exit and rating experience. I suppose trate our leaflet that calls the turn right - Angel Alley next to it's like attending a cup final election a circus. Vhat an ef ¥impy Bar. and instead of screaming for one fect, people were actually laugh particular team you are trying to ing and cheering us. Etch speak A B C of Anarchism. Alexander convince the crowd that it's all er gave a short burst of nonsense Berkman 25p post 4p ridiculous. But still we try. and our leading c I c-v d , a past US 75c post free master of street theatre, strate About Anarchism. Vhat Anarchists With only three weeks notice gically interrupted his speech Believe, How Anarchists Differ... we hadn’t much time but we man with peals of laughter. It must Nicolas Valter 12^p post 3p aged to print a ream of DON'T have been effective for six US 40c post free VOTE leaflets. Labour Party heavies came and sat Anarchism and Anarcho-Syndicalism Our first meeting was in our beside us. So up ve jumped and Rudolf Rocker 20p post 4p village hall and three of us walked around the upper gallery, US 65c post free comprised a third of the total gesticulating and heckling. In Lessons of the Spanish Revolution audience; hardly an arena of some way ve got our message ac V. Richards cloth £1.5 0 social change. There we put ross; all this is a circus, those post 15p honest, straightforward questions people on the rcstrum are clowns, paperback temporarily out of to our M.P. "Why did 60,000 pen at best they speak empty cliches, stock - at the binders. sioners die of hypothermia under at worst they lie. List of other titles, including Labour's rule?" "Vhy were pro But overall one gets a depres annual vols. Selections from perty speculators allowed to sing sense of failure. "Freedom" 1954-64; back issues throw up massive buildings and ANARCHY 1961-70 &c. on request. take in huge profits during the An anti-vote leaflet thrust same time?" But these people into the hands of a young mother spend their lives wrapped up in comirg out of Voolworth's, an SESgEHaElDESSSESEEEEEEIal words. He seemed to say some elderly man with war ribbons thing that was convincing yet, searching the shop windows for when you thought about it, was cheap fruit, the six heavies from meaningless. Our leaflets ran the building site - it's all so down our reputation in the vil meaningless to them. The printed lage a little further - it may and spoken word, have become a take us five years to build it lie! up again. Whether it's Heath, Wilson or BOOKSHOP open Tues-Fri. 2-6 p.m. Then into our local town to Robin Day they all seem to speak (Thursday to 8.00 p.m.) meet the Tories. In a solid lab a strange cold language. A form Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. our seat he was merely fodder, of double-speak that's irrelevant the son of a lord being given his to everyday life. However, this Any book not in stock but in first taste of politics. It was feeling isn't new to me. For print can be supplied. Please add perhaps unfortunate that he bore years I spent hours in back rooms postage as in brackets a close resemblance to Jerry ^ ——— ■ ■ 1 1 —— ————— of pubs talking about liberation; Lewis, making it even harder for I've spent hours shivering in the ♦Quotations from the Anarchists, us to meet him on a serious level. wind peddling the words of revo ed. Paul Berman £3.00 (l9p) One is supposed to ask questions lution, weeks sitting up until ♦Native American Anarchism. here through the chairman, but the early hours formulating the Eunice M. Schuster £6.00 (l9p) ignoring him we ask again direct, correct line. And that too became ♦Anarchism : Seven Exponents of honest questions: "When in liv a lie. the Anarchist Philosophy - Paul ing history has any government Eltzfcacher on Godwin, Proudhon, ever said, 'O.K., we have enough So, a year ago, we as a com Stirner, Bakunin, Tucker, money anl resources to let every munity came together to live out Kropotkin A Tolstoy £3.50 (I9p) one have a fair share.’ It’s our own alternative society. ♦The Trial of the Chicago Anar never happened, has it? Surely We've established a successful chists, Dyer D. Lum £4.00 (19p) history has proved that anything agricultural co-operative and are Bitllozrafia dell1Anarchismo. anyone ever squeezed out of an working hard investigating other To 1. 1 Part I, Anarchist Perio employer had to be fought for. forms of industry. dicals publ. in Italy 1872-1971 Bearing this in mind, what advice Leonardo Bettini £4.00 (22p) When you actually stand up and can you offer we agricultural wor say to yourself, Yes, I am going ♦V*r and the Intellectuals, coll, kers, who even if we had an in to take responsibility for run eisays 1915-1919, Randolph S. crease under stage three, would ning my own life, then the busi Boarne £0.92 ( 9p) still receive an income one half ness of living takes on a new di ♦Anarchism. Jo Labadie £0.15 (5p) of that below the national mension. Open your eyes. Look average?" around you at the things you take BAR;AIN BASEMENT for granted every day. The tooth M?a«age of a Vise Kabouter, R0e 1 At this and similar questions paste, the soap, the bread, the Tan Duyn on Peter Kropotkin the audience, all but five solid paper, the ink, the fuel — all £0.15 (5p) Tories, began to grow hostile. can be made by you and shared (publ. at 75p. Ve can give trade Later giving out leaflets one is with your neighbours. A start on terns on this title.) amazed to see well-dressed, middle the small things makes the bigger aged spinsters turn into tigers, ones less daunting. Poster; Joe Hill. Large(33" x 24") filled with hate and venom - wel There's nothing at all stopping Lino cut. Black 4 White. £1 inc. come recruits to any barricade! port k packing. you, man woman or pensioner, from But still we feel frustrated, installing a plumbing system or Postcards: Sacco Sc Vanzetti and our message isn’t getting across, building a house extension — one '±l h Hill. Each in packets 1 doz. people see us as some kind of once you break the myth of crafts aisorted colours, 30p per pkt. fools. So at the big forum of and apprenticeships. 'denotes title published in USA all candidates at the Aberystwyth We have a son of two years of Students Union (surely the dead- whom the state says he must at- Heaie send SAE 9" x 4" for full ^*t of titles carried PAGE 3 Continued on page 6 other SR groups. Meanwhile, a friend of mine from Novozibkov wrote to the SR’s in Minsk, where there was a flourishing movement, and told then I H LAST MAHIMAIIST about me. They soon sent an emissary, a young girl named Rosa Shabat, to invite me to join them, AN INTERVIEW WITH KLARA KLEBANOVA I returned with Rosa to Minsk, and she brought se ^ mm*mmmmmmmmm to the home of the SR leaders, Katya Izmailovich, recorded by PAUL AVRICH whose father was a Lieutenant General in the Par I was born in 1888 of a middle-class Jewish fam*- East, taking part in the war against Japan. Her ily in the town of Novozibkov in Chernigov prov sister Alexandra was then in a St. Petersburg ince. My father was a prosperous timber merchant. prison, beginning a life sentence for an unsuccess I was the youngest of four daughters and a son, ful attempt to assassinate the Minsk governor, and we all went to gimnazia. The town was relat Kurlov. ively progressive. It had no ghetto. It was an Katya was a marvellous person - so dignified, so active educational as well as commercial centre, so sophisticated, while I was so young and inexpe with several good schools. And it was there that rienced. In her mid-twenties, she was tall and I got my first lessons in revolution. slender, with smoothly combed brown hair, but not The main force that drove me to the revolution pretty, and always wore the same simple calico ary movement was my compassion for the oppressed dress. She seemed to have some hidden source of peasantry. It was a feeling derived not so much energy within her, as well as a very strong will. from personal observation as from my reading of All of the comrades, even the veteran revolution Turgenev, Tolstoy, Uspensky, Nekrasov and other ists, showed her great respect. I idolized her. I writers who so vividly described the unbearable lived with her for two weeks and she taught me conditions under which the peasants were living. many things. There developed within me a strong sympathy for these downtrodden and abused people. I came to NERVOUS FIRST MEETING idealize the Russian peasant, whom I knew primarily At last the day came when Katya asked me to through my reading. Everything about him seemed speak before a group of workers, my first test as lofty and enchanting, and his suffering became my a revolutionary agitator. Rosa Shabat brought me own. to a small smoke-filled room with ten or twelve My last year in gimnazia coincided with the bakers and I spoke to them about the revolution. 1904 Revolution. The whole city came out to There was a book, a kind of revolutionary ABC, fight against the Tsar and the authorities. It that I had read over and over so I would know what was a wonderful sight! Social Democrats and So to say. But I was only seventeen, and extremely cialist Revolutionaries came to the students and nervous. I began to talk about revolutionary spoke to us and tried to draw us into their move ideas and programmes when suddenly I couldn't re ments. I became a member of a self-education member the book, which I had learned practically circle in which we studied social, economic, and by heart. I became confused, upset, and finally political questions. But before long an ideolog began to cry. I will never in my entire life for ical divergence emerged among us. Some of us get my mortification. It meant everything to me leaned towards the Social Democrats, others to to succeed as a propagandist, and if I failed, I wards the SR’s. I belonged to the latter group. thought, my whole life was a failure. But the I devoured the literature distributed by the SR bakers started to cheer me up. "That's nothing, agitators. My older sister, Dora Lazurkina, had barvshnia. You'll remember. Don't worry." They studied in St. Petersburg and was already a dedi understood my situation and sympathized with me, cated Marxist, and she tried without success to and through their encouragement I regained my com convince me that only the working class was cap posure and was able to finish. able of liberating Russia from capitalist exploi On the way back to Karya's house I was afraid to tation, and that the peasant, with his disposition look at Rosa, afraid to ask her what she thought, towards private ownership and his petty bourgeois afraid she would say that it wasn't any good. Yet psychology, would only be an impediment to the two days later, to my immense delight, Katya told revolution. My sister, by the way, remained a me that they were assigning the bakers to me as my lifelong Bolshevik, one of seven young women whom group. It was a great moment for me— the beginning Lenin prepared in Switzerland for important roles of my revolutionary career! in the party. She is still alive in the Soviet Union, and a few years ago she appeared at a party THE "YOUNG ONES" congress and told of having seen a vision of Lenin who spoke to her and said, "I don't want Stalin I remained in Minsk for several months, carrying next to me in my tomb," after which he was removed. out agitational work. During that time I learned from Katya that a split had occurred in the ranks of the SR's, that an opposition group had emerged DISLIKE FOR MARXISTS in Bialystok, a group of young revolutionaries led by Lipa Katz and Meishka Zakgeim called ihe Molodve. To me, however, Marxist theory seemed too rigid the "Young Ones", who were later to take the name and entirely unjust to the peasantry. I couldn't of Maximalists. The Young Ones rejected the parli bear the thought that the peasants were unable to amentary struggle and partial reforms, and they become true socialists without first being conver waged a campaign of terrorism against the police ted into factory hands and undergoing proletarian and government officials. They called for a soc ization. I argued that we would have to educate ial rather than a political revolution, a mass up the peasant to understand his own plight and that rising that would usher in a dictatorship of the this understanding would confirm his own instinct proletariat. They distrusted intellectuals in the ive feeling of communal ownership— of socialism. revolutionary movement and said that the workers Ve also differed on other important questions, and peasants must make the revolution themselves such as the role of the individual in history and by seizing the factories and the land. of terrorism in the revolutionary struggle. My sister rejected terrorism. That made me extremely The Young Ones resembled the Anarchists in their disappointed in her, and I even began to dislike revolutionary spirit and their belief in terrorism, her, as I did all the other Marxists. but disagreed with them on the question of organi zation. They didn't believe, as the Young Ones By the time I finished gimnazia in 1905 I had did, in a dictatorship of the proletariat. They joined a small student cell of Socialist Revolu refused to accept any dictatorship, and called in tionaries. I wanted more than anything else to stead for a federation of autonomous communes. The play an active role in the revolutionary movement. Young Ones, on the other hand, felt that some deg I did not want to go on to the university. My un ree of organization, of centralization, was neces iversity was the revolution! Instead, I went to sary. They were not much concerned with ideology the town of Borisov in Minsk province to teach in but they were influenced less by Bakunin than by an elementary school and to seek contacts with Lavrov and especially Mikhailovsky, who, in spite of his moderate views, was their main theorist. these "ex's" was carried out in Kiev under Morti Like Mikhailovsky, they emphasized the role of the mer's leadership. He was an intelligent but ner individual, of the human personality, in shaping vous man who moved about as if mounted on springs. history. They were also strongly influenced by He was short and unprepossessing but wilt bright, the revolutionary syndicalists in France, above burning eyes and enormous personal magnetism wbic' all by their notion of direct action and the attracted young radicals to his side. At the same general strike. time he was extremely polite and gentle, almost effeminate. In Kiev he organized the holdup of a The programme of the Young Ones struck a res government courier, but trying to assist a wounded ponsive chord in me. I talked to Katya about them, comrade, he was himself captured and taken to pri and she got word to the Eialystok group the.t one son. Azef had long wanted to plant an agent in of her comrades was eager to work with them. Soon our organization, and he now' hit upon Ryss as his afterwards, an emissary came from Bialystok — instrument. Mortimer pretended to go along, and "Michel”, we called him— and told me all about the the police allowed him to escape from prison. But "opposition” and its activities. Many of its mem instead of going to St. Petersburg, as agreed, he bers, he said, had already been arrested, and they went south and organized a small group in Yuzovka. needed new speakers and organizers. I decided to It was soon rounded up, however, and Mortimer was go and immediately packed my things. hanged. KATYA KILLED THE BEAR Katya too was planning to leave Minsk, for ano The principal leader of the Maximalist movement ther destination, and she arranged a little fare was known as 'Medved'. The Bear, a nickname he had well party. Handing me a glass of wine, she said: acquired during the Moscow uprising of December "This will be our swan song." That was the last 1905, in which he played a very prominent part. In time I saw her. The next day she left for Sevast contrast to Ryss, he was a handsome young man, tall, opol to assassinate Admiral Chukhnin of the Elack blond, and blue-eyed, with a face that radiated Sea Fleet. Dressed as the widow of a sailor, she vitality. His real name was Sokolov, and he was vent to Chukhnin to ask for relief. She drew her the illegitimate son of a nobleman and a servant pistol and fired, but succeeded only in wounding girl. When the split occurred in the SR ranks, he him in the leg. In a fury he ordered his orderly immediately joined the opposition and became its to kill her, and he cut her to pieces with his most dynamic leader, organizing a Fighting Brigade sword. Her sister, as I told you, was already in (boevoi otriad) modelled after that of the parent prison for an attempt on General Kurlov, and when party. In March 1906, jointly with the SR's and their father heard the news about Katya he commit the Bolsheviks, he engineered our first big "ex" ted suicide. in Moscow, which netted nearly a million rubles. I was in Bialystok when I heard of Katya's The Bear was constantly preoccupied with devising death. It was heartbreaking news, but I continued new adventures. He was the epitome of the revolu *y agitational work, lecturing to groups of work tionary militant— dynamic, forceful, energetic, an ers and students. The Young Ones, as I said, were idealist and activist combined. The most famous intensely anti-intellectual and anti-bourgeois, act of his Fighting Brigade was the attempt on and at first some of them called me "the goy" be Stolypin in August 1906. Our comrades were dressed cause I cculdn't speak Yiddish, and the "intelli- in uniforms obtained by Natasha Klimova, the beau genJka" or "beloruehka” because they detested tiful daughter of a member of the State Council, white-handed idlers with intellectual pretensions. who had joined the Maximalists while a student at But it was not long before I won their confidence Moscow University. For her the struggle was im and affection, and we became great friends. portant in itself, quite apart from the ends which it was to achieve. In revolutionary action she sa In an effort to expand the oppositionist move- saw the highest beauty, a source of vibrant exper sent, Lipa Katz, one of the leaders of the Bialy ience, almost a form of art. The young men threw stok group and my future husband, went to Ekater— bombs into Stolypin's dacha in St. Petersburg, and inoslav to organize a group among the factory wor several of them were killed, along with more than kers there. Lipa soon sent for me to help him, twenty people in the house, though Stolypin him-* and we often spoke to the workers at the factory self escaped unharmed. gates, arranged mass meetings on the outskirts of town, and succeeded in forming a small but active cell with about twenty members, nearly all of The last of the "ex's took place in Petersburg thes of Russian nationality. In Bialystok, which in October of 1906. It was carried out on the had the first and largest Maximalist group, the Fonarny Pereulok in broad daylight by a group of eeabersbip was mostly Jewish, with a sprinkling Maximalists from Petersburg, Bialystok, and Ekat- of Russian and Polish workingmen and a small fol erinoslav, some of the finest comrades in our movement. They attacked a messenger with govern lowing among the peasants of the surrounding coun ment funds guarded by mounted police. One of them tryside. In addition, there were groups in St. threw a bomb while the rest opened fire on the Petersburg, Moscow, Kiev, and other large cities, police. The raid netted 460,000 rubles, but at as veil as one in Yuzovka organized by "Mortimer" the cost of eight comrades•killed or captured. Ryss. In order to a&intsin and expand our revolution ary activities, "expropriation" became an import TO BE CONCLUDED NEXT ISSUE ant part of our tactics. One of the first of
seats he won and the majority ice in this country, especially gained". in this town called Birmingham." How about one for Jeremy Thorpe *** instead? Or for the miners? Or The Times (4.3.74) has a 4-col. A U.S. Senator told a mapping 11-in. advert, for General Elec a putt> one for you-know-who? ■*** conference that a speck on a sat tion medallions: Bronze £1.65* ellite photograph of Mount Ararat Silver £12 and Geld £385. The in Turkey may be Noah's Ark. The advertisement runs (in pert) A Jamaican starting a six-year sentence for his part in a rob object, he said, "was about the "The General Election 1974 could bery at the Birmingham mint right size and she,pe". veil prove to be, with the pas *** hanged himself in Vinson Green sing cf time, the most signific prison. He left a letter to 300 fingerprint officers from ant election ever to be held in his fiancee, who was pregnant, Scotland Yard, under the banner Great Britain”. The medallion saying, "I was given no justice, 'fighting Crime Does not Pay', will have "on the reverse the which I was not expecting any marched in London last week in details of the elected party and way, as no black people have support of a pay claim. the name of the elected Prime ever got or will ever get just Minister stating the number of Sancho Panza. these ’’ex’s” was carried out in Kiev under Morti of his moderate views, was their main theorist. mer's leadership. He was an intelligent but ner Like Mikhailovsky, they emphasized the role of the vous man who moved cboui as if mounted on springs. individual, of the human personality, in shaping He was short and unprepossessing but will bright, listory. They were also strongly influenced by burning eyes and enormous personal magnetism vlic' the revolutionary syndicalists in France, above attracted young radicals to his side. At the same all by their notion of direct action arid the time he was extremely polite and gentle, almost general strike. effeminate. In Kiev he organized the holdup of a The programme of the Young Ones struck a res government courier, but trying to assist a wounded ponsive chord in me. I talked to Katya about them, comrade, he was himself captured and taken to pri and she got word to the fiialystok group that one son. Azef had long wanted to plant an agent in of her comrades was eager to work with them. Soon our organization, and he now hit upon Ryss as his afterwards, an emissary came from Bialystok — instrument. Mortimer pretended to go along, and "Michel", we called him— and told me all about the the police allowed him to escape from prison. But "opposition" and its activities. Many of its mem instead of going to St. Petersburg, as agreed, he bers, he said, had already been arrested, and they went south and organized a small group in Yuzovka. needed new speakers and organizers. I decided to It was soon rounded up, however, and Mortimer was go and immediately packed my things. hanged.
KATYA KILLED THE BEAR Katya too was planning to leave Minsk, for ano The principal leader of the Maximalist movement ther destination, and she arranged a little fare was known as Medved'. The Bear, a nickname he had well party. Handing me a glass of wine, she said: acquired during the Moscow uprising of December "This will be our swan song." That was the last 1905, in which he played a very prominent part. In time I saw her. The next day she left for Sevast contrast to Ryss, he was a handsome young man, tall, opol to assassinate Admiral Chukhnin of the Black blond, and blue-eyed, with a face that radiated Sea Fleet. Dressed as the widow of a sailor, she vitality. His real name was Sokolov, and he was vent to Chukhnin to ask for relief. She drew her the illegitimate son of a nobleman and a servant pistol and fired, but succeeded only in wounding girl. When the split occurred in the SR ranks, he him in the leg. In a fury he ordered his orderly immediately joined the opposition and became its to kill her, and he cut her to pieces with his most dynamic leader, organizing a Fighting Brigade sword. Her sister, as I told you, was already in (boevoi otriad) modelled after that of the parent prison for an attempt on General Kurlov, and when party. In March 1906, jointly with the SR’s and their father heard the news about Katya he commit the Bolsheviks, he engineered our first big "ex" ted suicide. in Moscow, which netted nearly a million rubles. I was in Bialystok when I heard of Katya’s The Bear was constantly preoccupied with devisir^g death. It was heartbreaking news, but I continued new adventures. He was the epitome of the revolu ■y agitational work, lecturing to groups of work tionary militant— dynamic, forceful, energetic, an ers and students. The Young Ones, as I said, were idealist and activist combined. The most famous intensely anti-intellectual and anti-bourgeois, act of his Fighting Brigade was the attempt on and at first some of them called me "the goy” be Stolypin in August 1906. Our comrades were dressed cause I cculdn't speak Yiddish, and the "intelli- in uniforms obtained by Natasha Klimova, the beau jgentka'’ or nbe 1 oruchka" because they detested tiful daughter of a member of the State Council, white-handed idlers with intellectual pretensions. who had joined the Maximalists while a student at But it was not long before I won their confidence Moscow University. For her the struggle was im and affection, and ve became great friends. portant in itself, quite apart from the ends which it was to achieve. In revolutionary action she sa In an effort to expand the oppositionist move- saw the highest beauty, a source of vibrant exper tent, Lipa Katz, one of the leaders of the Bialy ience, almost a form of art. The young men threw stok group and my future husband, went to Ekater- bombs into Stolypin's dacha in St. Petersburg, and moslav to organize a group among the factory wor several of them were killed, along with more than kers there. Lipa soon sent for me to help him, twenty people in the house, though Stolypin him—t and ve often spoke to the workers at the factory self escaped unharmed. gates, arranged mass meetings on the outskirts of town, and succeeded in forming a small but active cell with about twenty members, nearly all of The last of the "ex's took place in Petersburg them of Russian nationality. In Bialystok, which in October of 1906. It was carried out on the bh-i the first and largest Maximalist group, the Fonarny Pereulok in broad daylight by a group of membership was mostly Jewish, with a sprinkling Maximalists from Petersburg, Bialystok, and Eka.t- of Russian and Polish workingmen and a small fol erinoslav, some of the finest comrades in our movement. They attacked a messenger with govern lowing among the peasants of the surrounding coun * ment funds guarded by mounted police. One of them trvside. In addition, there were groups in St. threw a bomb while the rest opened fire on the Petersburg, Moscow, Kiev, and other large cities, police. The raid netted 460,000 rubles, but at as veil as one in Yuzovka organized by "Mortimer" the cost of eight comrades•killed or captured. Ryss. In older to *j»fc.intiin and expand our revolution ary activities, "expropriation" became an import TO BE CONCLUDED NEXT ISSUE ant part of our tactics. One of the first of
seats he wen and the majority ice in this country, especially gained". in this town called Birmingham." How about one for Jeremy Thorpe *** instead? Or for the miners? Or The T1 -. e 3 (4.3.74) has a 4-col. a putty one for you-know-who? A U.S. Senator told a mapping ll-in. advert, for General Elec **# conference that a speck on a sat tion medallions: bronze £1.65, ellite photograph of Mount Ararat Silver £12 and Geld £385. The A Jamaican starting a six-year in Turkey may be Noah's Ark. The advertisement runs (in part) object, he said, "was about the General Election 1974 could sentence for his part in a rob bery at the Birmingham mint right size and shape". *«11 prove to be, with thf* pas *** sing cf time, the irost signific— hanged himself in Vinson Green prison. He left a letter to 300 fingerprint officers from election ever to be held in Scotland Yard, inder the banner Great Britain". The medallion his fiancee, who was pregnant, saying, "I was given no justice, 'fighting Crime Does not Pay', •ill have "or the reverse the which I was not expecting any marched in London last week in “^taila o* the elected party and support of a pay claim. the name of the elected Prime way, as no black people have ever got or will ever get just Emitter stating the number of Sancho Panza. one vote' when it came to voting outsid# th# r#*ch of U m Late in 1972, a number of per There are 2 0 , 0 0 0 Port ug;# sons felt it was time for the pie in London and after League to have Statutes, a Mana in existence we only her* ging Board, a President etc. 1 nominal meabera, and in opposed this move (as did memb only about 200 members i& ^ ers of the current Board) as I real sense of the word; ,, Maoism - Portuguese Style felt it would restrict the pos A sad situation indeed. C]t ,4. sibility of people participating article does nothing to iu jT. 9 Dear Comrades, in the decision-making. However, it either. So my wish is tfc4*f the proposal was accepted at a we stop ' calling each other
w~- V BUCK FLAG? Thursday froru 2 p.* at Freedom Press.
THE BLACK FLAG is the symbol of the mysterious surroundings of Sunday 10 March. 7.30 p.m. CHILE Anarchy. It evokes reactions germination, of fertility, the audio-visual slides show made by ranging from horror to delight breeding hround of new life "Chile Luche" about events that among those who recognise it. which always evolves, renews, led to fascist coup Sept. 1973, Find out what it means and pre refreshes, and reproduces it show followed by discussion. Re pare to see it at more and more self in darkness. The seed freshments at modest prices. ALL public gatherings. . . hidden in the e&rth, the strange WELCOME at Centro Iberico. 83A ANARCHISTS are against all gov journey of the spern, the sec Haverstock Hill, NV3 (side ent ret growth of the embryo in the ernment because they believe rance in Steele's Rd) tube Chalk that the free and informed will womb - all these the blackness Farn/Brlsi surrounds and protects. of the individual is the ultim ABERYSTWYTH anarchists meet each ate strength of groups and of So black is negation, is ang Thursday evening in Dovnie's society itself. Anarchists be er, is outrage, is mourning, is Vaults, Aberystwyth at 7.30. lieve in individual responsibi beauty, is hope, is the foster lity and initiative and in the ing and sheltering of new forms BRITISH ANARCHISM 1880-1914 any whole-hearted cooperation of of human life and relationship material - correspondence, pam groups composed of free indivi on and with this earth. The phlets, minutes, etc. wanted by duals. black flag means all these Ph.D. researcher. Haia Shpayev, things. We are proud tc carry tel. 01-624 3843. GOVERNMENT is the opposite of it, sorry we have to, and look this ideal, relying as it does forward to the day when such a DISABLED male (impotent) needs on brute force and deliberate symbol will no longer be neces suitable books/magazines. Cannot fraud to expediate control of sary. pay. Can someone please help the many by the few. Whether genuine case. Box no. 105.______this cruel and fraudulent pro cess is validated by such myth SHEILA ROWBOTHAM (books rev. FREE ical concepts as the divine DOM 16.2.74) lectures at Central right of kings, democratic el London WEA on currents in radical ections, or a people's revolu PRESS ideas & movements. For syllabus tionary government makes little send SAE to Sidney Billson, difference to anarchists. We 33 Compton Rd., N.l (also for pro reject the whole concept of gov Contributions 21 - 28 February gramme of 6-week course starting 22 April on 'Agricultural & ernment itself and postulate a ST. ALBANS: R.B. 65p; HULL: G.W. Labour History 19th Century)_____ radical reliance on the problem £1.38; LONDON N.l: S.B. £1; solving capacity of free human NEW YORK: R.J.P. £1.92; WOLVER Saturday 23 March: "Race, IQ and beings. HAMPTON: J.L. 40p; J.K.W. lOp; the Class Society" at Polytechnic Why is our flag black? Black RADLETT: R.O. 15p; LIVERPOOL: of Central London. Enquiries to is a shade of negation. The H.H.J. £1.75; COLCHESTER: T.O. Br. Soc. for Social Responsibili- black flag is the negation of £1.75; CHEAM: O.R.L. 37p; tv in Science. 9 Poland St. W.l. PITTSBURG: T.S. £1.10; BELFAST: all flags. It is a negation of Alternate Sundays Hyde Park Anar P.C. 15p; BRIGHTON: J.P.B. 21p; nationhood which pits the human chist Forum meets at Speakers' NEW YORK: N.M. £3.25; EXMOUTH: race against itself and denies Corner 1 p.m. Speakers, listeners, A.B.H. 18p; LONDON SW19: P.W.C. the unity of all humankind. hecklers welcome.______Black is a mood of anger and £1.39. outrage at all the hideous crim TOTAL: £20.50 NEW YORK: LIBERTARIAN BOOK CLUB crimes against humanity perpet Prev. acknowledged: £393.23 1974 LECTURES Alternate Thursdays rated in the name of allegiance 7.30 p.m. at Workmen's Circle to one state or another. It is TOTAL TO DATE: £413.73 Center, 369 8th Avenue (SW corner anger and outrage at the insult 29 St.) Admission free. March 14: to human intelligence implied in Nuncio Pernicone "Errico Malatesta the pretences, hypocracies and HIS BAFFLING ELECTION? The Formative Years". cheap chicaneries of governments. March 28: Sharon Presley "Anarch- Black is also the colour of ism and Feminism".______mourning: the black flag which POLICE were yesterday cancels out the nation also seeking two men alleged to TUCSON, Arizona: April 18, 19 & have tried to push a Liberal mourns its victims - the count candidate down a 35ft hole. 20th. Conference on the Life, Mr David Bettell-Higgins, who less millions murdered in w^rs, is fighting Merthyr Tydfil, Literature and Cinema of B.Traven external and internal, to the was reluctant to talk about Corres. to Leo L. Barrow, Dept, the incident, which took place greater glory and stability of in Aberfan. The pair tried to of Romance Langs. Univ. of Ari some bloody state. It mourns push him into the hole as he zona, Tucson, Ariz. 85721 (tel. was fencing it off. They for those whose labour is accused him of vote catching. (602)884-3123 : home 793-0789) robbed (taxed) to pay for the LONDON SCHOOL OF xNONVIOLENCE at slaughter and oppression of Crypt of St. Martin in the other human beings. It mourns The Guardian (28.2.74) not only the death of the body Fields, Every Monday & Wednesday but the crippling of the spirit 6.30 - 9 n.m.______under authoritarian and hierar BRISTOL FRAME-UP DEFENCE FUND MENTAL PATIENTS UNION every Sat. chic systems; it mourns the contribs. to Arthur, 19 Brig- 2 p.m. at Robin Farquarson Hse., millions of brain cells blacked stock Road, Bristol 2 37 Mayola Rd.,E.5 tel 986 5251. out with never a chance to light Open to all mental patients & STOKE NEWINGTON FIVE SOLIDARITY up the world. It is a colour of ex-pts. & rotg. foil, by coffee inconsolable grief. COMMITTEE, 54 Harcombe Rd. N.15 & work group. MPU News lOn + 4t> But black is also beautiful. GIOVANNI MARINI DEFENCE COMMIT It is a colour of determination, TEE: Paolo Braschi, C.P. 4263, of resolve, of strength, a col 20100 MILANO, Italy. h Published by Freedom Press, our by which all others are This comrade 21 months in prison London, E. 1. Printed by clarified and defined. Black is awaiting trial.______Vineyard Press, Colchester.