Rebel Alliances The means and ends 01 contemporary British anarchisms Benjamin Franks AK Pressand Dark Star 2006 Rebel Alliances The means and ends of contemporary British anarchisms Rebel Alliances ISBN: 1904859402 ISBN13: 9781904859406 The means amiemls 01 contemllOranr British anarchisms First published 2006 by: Benjamin Franks AK Press AK Press PO Box 12766 674-A 23rd Street Edinburgh Oakland Scotland CA 94612-1163 EH8 9YE www.akuk.com www.akpress.org [email protected] [email protected] Catalogue records for this book are available from the British Library and from the Library of Congress Design and layout by Euan Sutherland Printed in Great Britain by Bell & Bain Ltd., Glasgow To my parents, Susan and David Franks, with much love. Contents 2. Lenini8t Model of Class 165 3. Gorz and the Non-Class 172 4. The Processed World 175 Acknowledgements 8 5. Extension of Class: The social factory 177 6. Ethnicity, Gender and.sexuality 182 Introduction 10 7. Antagonisms and Solidarity 192 Chapter One: Histories of British Anarchism Chapter Four: Organisation Foreword 25 Introduction 196 1. Problems in Writing Anarchist Histories 26 1. Anti-Organisation 200 2. Origins 29 2. Formal Structures: Leninist organisation 212 3. The Heroic Period: A history of British anarchism up to 1914 30 3. Contemporary Anarchist Structures 219 4. Anarchism During the First World War, 1914 - 1918 45 4. Workplace Organisation 234 5. The Decline of Anarchism and the Rise of the 5. Community Organisation 247 Leninist Model, 1918 1936 46 6. Summation 258 6. Decay of Working Class Organisations: The Spani8h Civil War to the Hungarian Revolution, 1936 - 1956 49 Chapter Five: Anarchist Tactics Spring and Fall of the New Left, 7. 1956 - 1976 54 Introduction 260 8. Punk and DiY Culture, 1976 - 1984 71 1. Revolution 262 Anarchism: 9. The Revival of Class 2. Industrial Activity 275 The Miners' Strike to anti-capitalism, - 1984 2004 76 3. Methods of Propaganda 296 4. Community Sabotage and Criminality 321 93 Chapter Two: The Anarchist Ethic 5. AtypicalAnarchist Tactics 338 The AnarchistEthical Framework Part I: 6. Summation 346 Introduction 94 1. Against Ethics 95 Conclusion 348 2. The Prefigurative Method. 97 3. Ends-based Approaches 101 Means-Centred Approaches 4. 106 Endnotes 354 Part II: Direct Action Introduction 115 Appendix One - Abbreviations and 415 5. Direct Action: Means and Ends 116 6. Constitutional Proceedings Versus Direct Action 122 Appendix Two - Groups by Organisational Structure 1985 - 2002 417 7. Symbolic Action and Direct Action 133 8. Direct Action and Violence 139 Bibliography 418 Chapter Three: Agents of Change Index 462 Introduction 153 1. The Anarchist Ideal: A concept of class agents 154 Contacts List 475 Acknowledgements My gratitude to the following is also quite beyond words: Rowan This manuscript was originally begun in September 1991. It has taken Wilson, Kathy Williams, Millie Wild, Bill Whitehead, Colin West, Mark over fourteen years from the start of the research to its publication. Tindley, Claire Taylor, Robert Smith, Simon Sadler, Helen Rodriguez­ Nonetheless, it is this, the last page to be consigned to paper, which Grunfeld, Sarah Merrick, David McLellan, Angie McClanahan, Brian has proven the most difficult to write. There are so many people to and Suzanne Leveson (Cumper), David Lamb, Richard King, Sarah whom I am deeply indebted, for their love, friendship and patience, Kerr, Rita Kay (z"l), Sean Johnston, Adenike Johnson, Benedict that it is difficult to know where to start. As a result, this brief section Jenkins, Natalie Ireland, Steven Gillespie, Rebecca Howard, Stephen already runs the risk of appearing like the Oscar night acceptance Harper, Stephen Hanshaw, Jim Hanshaw, Stuart Hanscomb, John speech of a particularly neurotic actor. There are also the concerns and Gina Garner, Tim Franks, Esme Choonara, Mike Craven, Larry of overlooking those who have made significant sacrifices - and of Chase, Russell Challenor, Carolyn Budow, David Borthwick, Ian namingthose who would prefer to remain anonymous. In listing people Bone, Julie Bernstein, Mark Ben-David (z"l) , Trevor Bark, Clare Bark there is the additional hazard of those at the top being considered of and thanks also to the domestics at Dudley Road Hospital (1991-2), greater importance than those in the middle or end, so except for participants at the Goldsmiths' College, extra-mural philosophy the first few names, everyone else is listed in reverse alphabetical classes (1992-4), WEA current affairs courses Derby (1997-2000) and order. I have to start, however, by thanking my partner Lesley for Nottingham (2000), University of Nottingham politics classes (1997- her love, good humour, patient proofreading and encouragement, 2000), fellow staff members at Blackwells University Bookshop, and my parents Susan and David Franks for their constant support, Nottingham University (1997-9), students and staff at the University love and hot food. It would be quite amiss not to acknowledge the of Glasgow, Crichton Campus (2001-), and my friends in numerous carefully considered, academic guidance provided by Jon Simons of anarchist and Leninist groups. the University of Nottingham, supported by the kindly words of Prof. Richard King. My thanks are also due to Paul M. of London Class War, Mike & Clare of the Anarchist Federation, Trevor B. of Movement Against the Monarchy, Millie W. of the Advisory Service for Squatters and Bill Godwin formerly of the Anarchist Trade Union Network for their comments. Their relevant and good-humoured advice was pertinent, if not always welcome. The advice and support offered by Malcolm of Dark Star and Michael Harris of AK Press was also invaluable. I would also like to thank Euan Sutherland and Alexis McKay of AK Press for their invaluable assistance. o Introduction struggle mobs, hurled abuse at the invaders of the trade area. It was a rare day, for seldom had stock-market dealers, Tom Wolffe's This book, like many other recent texts dealing with radical politics, 'masters of the universe', been so threatened. The extended account was going to start with a detailed account of one of the numerous anti­ covered the tactics at avoiding detection, the CCTV camera covered globalisation protests.1 There are attractions with starting with vivid up by plastic bags, the banners proclaiming poetic rebellion strung accounts of these demonstrations; dramatic narratives can capture up through the square mile, preventing the easy movement of the the colour and carnival of the fancy-dressed dandies, protesting mounted police. The account also covered the identities of those taking stilt walkers and semi-clad demonstrators, the chaotic rhythms of part in J18, which included many explicitly class struggle libertarians, electronic dance music, samba-bands and police sirens. Mixed into plus those with a distinct influence from this direction.3 Noticeably this vibrant concoction is exhilaration at assaults on the property absent on the day were participants from the once powerful Leninist of sweatshop profiteers, humbling politicians by restricting them organisations. Although some of the groups taking part in J18 were to house arrest inside their luxury hotels, and the mass collegiality not explicitly class struggle, the modes of organisation, the targets of shared dissent. Then there is the hi-tech shock and awe of the and the methods were consistent with contemporary anarchism. heavily armoured state forces, ending sometimes, as in the case of Carlo Giuliani, a 23-year-old Italian anarchist, in brutal tragedy.2 But the original description of J18 and the anti-capitalist events In comparison, few writing on politics, even the vivacious discourse has been curtailed Whilst the anti-globalisation and anti-capitalist of contemporary anarchisms, can match the emotional descriptions movements do contain a substantial element of anarchists and of exuberant mass action. It is unsurprising, therefore, that these anarchist inspired groupings, there has been too an emphasis eye-catching, high-profile gatherings have become a central theme in on the recent anti-globalisation movements that has risked both contemporary assessments of radical politics. ignoring the other manifestations of anarchist activity and also subsuming the other currents in the anti-capitalist movement that The first draft of this book began with an extended narrative that are antipathetic to anarchism into the libertarian fold. In the context described the 'Carnival Against Capitalism' of Ij'riday June 18th 1999 of the United Kingdom, these would include anti-Third World debt (otherwise known as J18). It covered the London-end of the global campaigners initiated by Christian churches, social democrats like protest against the G8, where leaders of the eight top industrialised the trade unions and Green Party, state-socialists like the Socialist countries met to discuss and agree further steps towards freer trade. Workers Party (SWP) and Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) and more There was an account of the assaults on the facades of billion dollar philosophically conservative political groupings. The anti-capitalist corporations, the occupation of Congress House, the head quarters movement has also undergone significant transformation, most of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), by those angry at the official notably since late 2001.4 It is also relatively new, and even since labour movement's involvement in supporting the dictates of the the late 1990s, when it developed as a significant phenomenon,