Starting an Anarchist Black Cross Group: a Guide
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Starting an anarchist black cross group: A guide summer 2018 welcome This zine is a resource for anyone abolition is not a simple answer nor an wanting to start an Anarchist Black Cross easy solution. It is a long way to go. That group. It was a collective effort of people is why exactly we are talking about the from various ABC groups across Europe. Anarchist Black Cross and not liberal, We hope you find it inspiring and useful. statist or reformist ways of organising. The past several decades we have Our tactics are based upon sharing witnessed various forms of crisis and solidarity, not charity. More than emerging all over the globe and while ever, it is critically important to share resisting and fighting back, we as the knowledge and organisational tips anarchists are paying close attention with people that want to take action. to the changing patterns and tactics of That is why we wrote this zine: shared state repression. To save the status quo knowledge is an important tool in and powers-that be they divide and fighting against repression. rule. They co-opt struggles and pacify subversive movements. Meanwhile, we The best defense against repression are striving to break free. is preparation. We hope this zine can support you to organise where you are We need to destroy all the prisons, and and build more resilience to repression free all the prisoners. Our position is an in your movements and struggles for abolitionist stance against the state and liberation. If you would like support or it’s prisons. Of course, the only easy have questions about this zine please solutions to such a complex problem email: [email protected] like prisons are the false solutions. But The Anarchist Black Cross exists to what is the anarchist strengthen struggles for freedom and liberation by providing mental, emotional, black cross and why material, and physical support to individual, groups, communities and does it exist? movements. Ultimately, we want to help ensure the strength of our movements from the inside out. We want to support The Anarchist Black Cross is an solidarity as our weapons. In all of what struggles to be a threat to state, capitalist, international network of anarchist groups we do, we try to create links in and out white supremacist, patriarchal power and and individuals engaged in practical of prisons. other forms of domination. solidarity with prisoners and broader anti-repression struggles. Anti-Repression and Movement The History of the Anarchist Black Cross Defence Work Prisoner Support The Anarchist Black Cross Federation The state and those that wish to destroy in the United States have written an We support revolutionaries, anarchists movements for liberation attack us on overview of the history of ABC which we his arrest in July or August of 1906. Once and others trapped in the prison system. many levels. The Anarchist Black Cross have shared below: released, Weinstein and others provided We support and publicise prisoners’ network aims to build the infrastructure clothing to anarchists sentenced to exile efforts to organise and resist the system to be resilient to repression so that Since the beginning of the Twentieth in Siberia. This was the early stages of the from the inside. We try to work through we can continue fighting for liberation Century, the Anarchist Black Cross (ABC), ARC. He continued his efforts in Russia letters, visits, material aid, as well and support comrades harmed by this has been on the frontline in supporting until his arrival in New York in May of 1907. as demonstrations, campaigns and state violence. Many groups organise those imprisoned for struggling for Once he arrived, he helped to create the spreading information about prisoners, ongoing long-term solidarity campaigns freedom and liberty. Until recently, the New York Anarchist Red Cross. the reality of prisons and the class with those affected by various waves history of the ABC movement has been system which created them. Fundraising of repression across the world. Indeed, lost to the pages of time. The present Other accounts place the year origin in and material support is a key part of our many ABC groups start in response to a generation of ABC collectives were left 1907. During June and August of 1907, work. repressive operation in their region. rootless with little known information Anarchists and Socialist Revolutionaries about this organisation. Now, specific gather together in London for two Many of us also support prisoners Movement and community defence questions regarding our origin can now conferences. It is believed that Vera and those affected by repression can involve many things. The Anarchist be put to rest. We have now begun to Figner, a Socialist Revolutionary, met emotionally, with friendship and Black Cross has been engaged in rediscover our roots. with Anarchists to discuss the plight of diverse forms over decades – from legal the political prisoners in Russia. After defence campaigns and committees, to The year of origin has been a nagging this meeting, the Anarchist Red Cross maintaining physical solidarity against question regarding the history of the organized in London and in New York. In the police during factory and school Anarchist Black Cross, also known as the addition to this information, we do know occupations, performing roles of security Anarchist Red Cross (ARC). According that members of the organisation were and physical defence against white to Rudolph Rocker, once the treasurer on trial in 1906-1907 in Russia. Therefore, supremacist and neo-fascist attacks, for the Anarchist Red Cross in London, We feel the most accurate date of origin as well as engaging in armed defence the organisation was founded during for the Anarchist Red Cross would be late of social movements. ABC groups also the “hectic period between 1900 and 1906- early 1907 for the Russia section; often organise workshops, zines and 1905.” Despite his involvement in the June or August 1907 for the creation of other material to support people to learn early stages, we do not feel these dates the International section. about repression, security culture and are very accurate. According to Harry solidarity. Weinstein, one of the two men who However, the reason for the creation of began the organisation, it began after the Anarchist Red Cross is not in dispute. creating chapters in London, New York, Chicago and other cities in Europe and North America. The 1917 Revolution caused a celebration throughout the Socialist, Anarchist, and Communists communities. The ARC liquidated and members began to make plans to return to Russia in hopes of participating in the new society. Sadly, their return It was formed after breaking away from was met by Bolsheviks repression, the Political Red Cross (PRC). The PRC similar to that of the Tsarist era. After was controlled by the Social Democrats a few years of hibernation, the group and refused to provide support to was forced to resurface to assist the Anarchist and Social Revolutionary Political Prisoners in the new Bolshevik During the next 7 decades the group In the 80’s, the ABC began to grow and Political Prisoners, despite continued society. Once again the organisation was would continue under various different new ABC groups began to emerge in donations from other Anarchists and made illegal and membership meant names but has always considered North America. In the United States, Social Revolutionaries. As one former imprisonment and/or death. itself part of the Anarchist Red Cross/ the ABC name had been kept alive by Political Prisoner and member of the Anarchist Black Cross formation. ABC’s a number of completely autonomous Anarchist Red Cross stated,“In some During the Russian Civil War, the ARC’s support for Political Prisoners spread groups scattered throughout the country prisons there was little distinction made name changed to the Anarchist Black to the four corners of the globe. What and had grown to support a wide variety between Anarchists and other Political Cross to avoid confusion with the was once a typically Russian-Jewish of prison issues. Prisoners, but in others Anarchists were International Red Cross, also organising organisation, now had many faces and refused any help.” relief in the country. It was also during ethnicities. The 1990’s and 2000’s brought several this period that the organisation ABC formations in North America The newly formed ARC considered organized self-defence units against During the 1960s, the Anarchist Black (ABCC, ABCN, ABCF). The relationship these actions criminal and vowed that political raids by the Cossack and Red Cross was reformed in Britain by Stuart between these formations has always any prison where Anarchists were in armies. Christie and Albert Meltzer with a focus been considered strenuous. The Break the majority, the ARC would provide on providing aid for anarchist prisoners the Chains conference in August 2003, support to all Anarchist and Social in Francisco Franco’s Spain. The reason along with side bar discussions between Revolutionaries Political Prisoners. for this was Christie’s experience of the collectives, brought about a better Spanish State’s jail and the importance working relationship between the ABCF Because of their support for Political of receiving food parcels. At that time and ABCN formations. (The ABCC was Prisoners, members of the group there were no international groups a short lived formations, dying off in the were arrested, tortured and killed by acting for Spanish anarchist and early 1990s.) the Tsarist regime. The organisation Resistance prisoners. The first action was deemed illegal and membership of the re-activated group was to bring Various ABC groups have also been was reason enough for arrest and Miguel García García, whom Christie existing in Europe in different forms for imprisonment in Artvisky Prison, one of met in prison, out of Spain on his decades.