Dear organizers and participants of ABC-Fest Vienna 2023,
This year, we would have actually held the lecture with subsequent discussion “Zerstören wir den Leviathan – Über die Unvereinbarkeit von Anarchie und Zivilisation”, but we have been forced to cancel it at short notice and will not participate in the ABC festival this year. We were shocked to read in the event program that “activists” of the network “Solidarity Collectives” are offered a platform at an explicitly anarchist event. Shocking because despite the presentation of this network as “anti-authoritarian”, one thing is clear to us: Anarchism can never have anything to do with directly or indirectly supporting nation-states, nationalism and the military.
Nothing less, however, is the self-understanding of the invited “activists” and their supporters, which is explained and supported in numerous statements, lectures and actions by members of the “Solidarity Collectives”. To organize support for (allegedly “anarchist”) parts of the Ukrainian military, which blatantly (and in view of the fact that anarchists realistically do not have the necessary means and connections, even ridiculously boastful) claims to supply and deliver to the Front (“provide the anti-authoritarian activists who joined military units with everything they needed.” Quote from the website of the Solidarity Collectives) is incompatible with those of us with anarchist ideas! That the same network openly allows war propaganda to be carried out in an anarchist milieus (“People discuss the “Ukrainian question” all over the world. Explaining why all anti-authoritarian forces, despite everything, should support the Ukrainian resistance movement is our primary task today. Therefore, we are always ready to take part in conferences, debates or share our vision with journalists.”) is just the tip of the iceberg. We are disgusted by the fact that on the part of those “activists” of the “Solidarity Collectives”, who should be offered a platform here at the ABC-Fest, in interviews, at events and above all in the vastness of the Internet, mood has been repeatedly made against deserters became, nationalist positions,
We believe that anarchist interventions against war can take many forms. It can range from the support of deserters to (armed) sabotage against the infrastructures of war to armed fights against all state powers, to name just a few examples. However, it is always indispensable for us that alliances – even if they are only temporary – with all states are rigorously rejected, that we as anarchists stand by the side of all oppressed populations and are not swayed by nationalist propaganda against the populations of other countries let – and certainly not run them ourselves – and aim our activities at mere humanist/humanitarian aid services just as much as in times of peace, which benefit the state and the government rather than destroying it. Seek, however, to enter the ranks of the military, not to incite mutinies there, to revive the practice of fragging, or simply to obtain arms, in order to desert with them and henceforth direct them against all states, but to defend a territory to participate in favor of the prevailing state occupying power, in our view this cannot yet be brought into line with anarchist ideas and on top of that the history of all wars confirms (as well as actually already “common sense”) that this “strategy” has no prospects of success.
In the past year, we have unfortunately observed far too often how anarchists nevertheless participated in this pro-nationalist support of Ukraine in the war against Russia. We have had numerous discussions with the advocates of these “anarchist” warmongers and found that according to the stated intention of the “Solidarity Collectives” it is not at all in the interest of these “anarchist” warmongers to discuss their point of view, but they exclusively The goal is to bring anti-authoritarian forces to support them and thereby support the war (“Explaining why all anti-authoritarian forces, despite everything, should support the Ukrainian resistance movement is our primary task today.” – Website of the “Solidarity Collectives” ). In the knowledge of this strategy and with the experience of previous discussions, we are convinced that these people, who want to applaud the anarchists’ authoritarian ideas (war mongering), should not be offered a platform by the anarchists. Who, with manipulative means (e.g. an affected-non-affected rhetoric, selective and twisted information, images of the misery of the war, which are then used to justify the war itself, as well as a more than paradoxical “privilege” accusation against all, who do not share their opinion) works to stifle debates and at the same time strives to mobilize anarchists into war, in our opinion, had no place at an anarchist event. that these people, who want to cheer anarchist authoritarian ideas (war mongering), should not be offered a platform by anarchists. Who, with manipulative means (e.g. an affected-non-affected rhetoric, selective and twisted information, images of the misery of the war, which are then used to justify the war itself, as well as a more than paradoxical “privilege” accusation against all, who do not share their opinion) works to stifle debates and at the same time strives to mobilize anarchists into war, in our opinion, had no place at an anarchist event. that these people, who want to cheer anarchist authoritarian ideas (war mongering), should not be offered a platform by anarchists. Who, with manipulative means (e.g. an affected-non-affected rhetoric, selective and twisted information, images of the misery of the war, which are then used to justify the war itself, as well as a more than paradoxical “privilege” accusation against all, who do not share their opinion) works to stifle debates and at the same time strives to mobilize anarchists into war, in our opinion, had no place at an anarchist event.
For this reason, we have decided to cancel our own participation in this year’s ABC-Fest, because we do not want to contribute to this dynamic (even if it may take place at the same time in more and more supposedly anarchist spaces).
We stand by the side of all those affected by the war, regardless of which state occupies the territory, whether Ukraine or Russia, as well as everywhere in the world, and declare our solidarity with all those who fight with libertarian intentions against the slaughter in the interests of various capitalist ruling factions , whether anarchists or not!
No solidarity with those who want to fight for their country, their “people” or the supposedly lesser democratic evil, regardless of whether they call themselves “anarchists” or not!
Originally posted:
https://barrikade.info/article/5900