Posted on April 30th, 2015 in Events
Join James Tracy, author of Dispatches Against Displacement: Field Notes from San Francisco’s Housing Wars, at a Save CCSF Coalition General Assembly on Wednesday, May 6th, 5:30 – 7:30 pm on the City College of San Francisco campus, in MUB 150
Join in a roundtable discussion of the rotten underbelly of the City College accreditation crisis: A prominent official in Sacramento told Tom Ammiano that Mayor Lee’s office has been pressing that CCSF’s elected Board of Trustees not be reinstated yet—Tom gathered that important real estate deals require more time to get wrapped up. We will share what we know about the land grabs of public property at 33 Gough and the Reservoir.
We will analyze the “January surprise” in which the current administration pushed out some 3100 already-enrolled students in a single week—in the middle of a major enrollment crisis! On January 7, 2015, some 1400 students with small overdue payments were robo-dropped about five weeks before their financial aid arrived, throwing their work schedules and childcare arrangements into chaos. Many never re-enrolled. Since the overdue payments averaged around $200, but each full-time for-credit student brings in a state appropriation of up to $4676, this unnecessarily aggressive payment policy costs the college far more than it could possibly recover.
On January 9th, the administration announced the abrupt closure of the Civic Center Tenderloin campus on one afternoon’s notice, on the grounds of seismic concerns. When some 2000 new immigrant students showed up for their ESL classes on the first day, the doors were locked and the administration provided directions to alternate sites—written in English! Only 300 students ever made it to an alternate site. 1700 more students gone—the same “disposable” non-credit students de-prioritized by the Student Success Act and the administration. Fiasco?–or downsizing policy, as in a vice chancellor’s statement to the SF Chronicle—“…we are in a serious transition to right-size the college” (10/25/13). Self-induced enrollment drops then provide the rationale for class cancellations and teacher layoffs, setting up a vicious cycle.
We will have a round table to share analysis and information (invited speakers):
- James Tracy will discuss the Civic Center closure and community resistance;
- MECHA and Asian Student Union organizers will discuss the payment policy;
- AFT 2121;
- Update on the PAEC and the Tues May 5th SF Planning meeting about the Reservoir, 7 pm, 140 MU
- The Shock Doctrine and Disaster Capitalism—short videos on lessons from Chicago, where public school closures have been concentrated in gentrifying Black and Latino neighborhoods close to valuable downtown real estate;
- A short slideshow on the Reservoir Wars in the 80s and 90s, in which the real estate industry unsuccessfully tried three times to pass a ballot measure for luxury housing development at the Reservoir. Grassroots organizing won the day! The real estate industry also tried to tear down Balboa High School to build condos—grassroots organizing won the day!
Posted on April 21st, 2015 in AK Book Excerpts
Militant Anti-Fascism is back from the printer! This is book is an important one, a veritable weapon against the far-right. It’s 25% off for the time being, so get yours now. In the meantime, here’s a look at the Introduction…
INTRODUCTION
This history of militant anti-fascism has, in part, been excavated from the orthodox histories of fascism in order to produce a coherent anti-fascist narrative. We celebrate the activities and achievements of militants in Europe from the late-nineteenth century to the present day, and we make no apologies for advocating the use of physical force as part of a political strategy. Anti-fascism can be proactive as well as defensive, and we have, with considerable help from militants past and present, identified three of the successful elements in the century of struggle against fascism: physical resistance, political organization and propaganda. The use of physical activity to confront or pre-empt fascist activity, along with organization within the workplace, local communities, and links with other working-class organizations, can present a successful opposition. The maintenance of an anti-fascist media presence, particularly in the digital realm, to put forward the arguments for militancy, to publicise activities and successes, to expose fascists, and to encourage others to join the struggle, be it in print media, music, or social networking sites on the net, all are important. We do not advocate one form of action above another; people must use whatever tactics they see as appropriate. Militant anti-fascism also argues for a non-partisan approach wherever possible whilst recognising that popular fronts have met with mixed success and that liberal anti-fascists cannot be relied on most of the time. Neither can the law.
Anti-Fascism
There are several identifiable kinds of ‘anti-fascism’: militant, state legislative, and liberal. Militants cannot rely on state legislation against fascism, as it will inevitably be used against anti-fascists; urging the state to ban far-right groups and activities merely supplies a pretext for banning radical left ones. The state, in its bid for self-preservation, legislates against extremism of any kind. Anti-fascists need to organise themselves to defend against fascist incursions into their communities, not ring the cops.
Liberal anti-fascism is useful at times, for political connections, denigration of fascist activity in the mainstream press and mobilising numbers. Liberal anti-fascism is ‘respectable’ and has the backing of MPs, and political, religious, and community groups, as well as the ear of the mainstream media. The liberal hope of trying to ‘understand fascists’ or ‘convince them that they are wrong’ is appeasement that has had a less than successful history—as Neville Chamberlain found out. Fraser quotes the ironic slogan of German liberals before the Nazis took over: ‘We are so liberal that we even grant the freedom to destroy liberty’, and Goebbels made his intentions perfectly clear: ‘We have come to the Reichstag in order to destroy it. If democracy is stupid enough to reward us for doing this, this is the problem of democracy.’[1] Unfortunately, many anti-fascists can testify to occasions when liberals have identified militants to the police, which have resulted in time-consuming court cases. In times of difficulty, liberal anti-fascists tend to gravitate towards police protection, which militants cannot do.
It is possible for different kinds of anti-fascists to work together successfully, be they community groups, liberals, or militants, and anyway, the far right views opposition as all the same and does not differentiate between the array of political opponents. The massed and mainly peaceful blocking of fascist march routes by anti-fascists proved to be a very successful tactic against the English Defence League in Brighton, Bristol, and Walthamstow in 2012. This frustrates the fascists, hinders the progress of their marches, and sends a clear signal that they are not welcome in our communities—which seriously demoralises them. Birchall writes, in Beating The Fascists, that ‘I had no problem with the use of political violence, it was the fighting I didn’t like’. [2]
Fascism is imbued with violence and secures itself politically through the use or threat of it, so it is inevitable that anti-fascists have to countenance some involvement in violence themselves during the struggle. This is not to say that anti-fascists should like violence or seek it out in the manner of political hooligans. Far from it, but it is true to say that for many militant anti-fascists violence is an unpleasant method to achieve a greater political goal. It is not fetishized the way that fascism fetishizes violence, and it would be much more preferable to rely on passive resistance, but we cannot guarantee that what Trotsky referred to as ‘flabby pacifism’ will effectively inhibit fascist encroachment. Fascism views passivity as weakness, not as a political strategy; it will crush peaceful protests and the will to resist, and their violence must be met head on. In Italy, socialists, communists, and anarchists organized against the increasing violence of Mussolini’s squadristi and met force with force in order to protect their institutions. In Germany, fascism was met with equal violence by communist militants who at first responded defensively to intimidation but eventually used violence as a preventative strategy in a bid for self-preservation. In Spain, the militias of anarchists and socialists who fought back against Franco’s coup attempt would view non-violence with immense skepticism. What else could they do? Resort to sarcasm?
This is not to say that violence is the only option for anti-fascists. Physical resistance is not simply hitting someone with a plank. Physical resistance means blocking routes, picketing meetings, and turning up to oppose fascism on the streets. It means being there. This is only one element of anti-fascist strategy. Anti-fascists need to respond politically to the socio-economic conditions that birth fascism, and maintain a strong presence on the streets in demonstrations, in counter-demonstrations, and wherever else fascist groups attempt to organise.
The physical force tactics that Anti-Fascist Action used so well in the 1980s and ’90s are difficult to employ against the Euro-fascist entryism of the BNP and other ‘respectable’ fascist outfits. However, with the recent rise and fall of the English Defence Leagues and their splinter groupuscules, a physical counter-presence has played an effective part in demoralising them. The large amount of police from many different forces, the CCTV, the DNA samples, the FIT squads, and the harsh legislation mean that violent opposition remains mostly opportunistic, but a mass physical presence preventing fascist marches can be just as effective.
Fascism [3]
This book is for and about militant anti-fascists, so we are not overtly concerned with an analysis of the various ideological and practical differences between the European fascist, national socialist, and ultra-nationalist organizations. There have been a wide variety of ‘fascisms’ over the years that have embraced all, or most of, the following ideas.
The Fuhrer Principle is an absolute subservience to, and belief in, a leader, like Hitler and Mussolini, whose mediocrity was shrouded in mystique as the figurehead of a nation. Fascism excludes minority groups, whether Jews, Muslims, or Roma, whilst claiming that these ‘others’ receive preferential treatment regarding access to money, housing, or work.
Members of political, ethnic, or religious groups are blamed for the greater problems of capitalism and are removed from positions of power or influence—for example, doctors or teachers. Other points of view apart from the leader’s are excised.
This kind of exclusionism is used to further belief in the purity of race and genetic superiority whilst traditional gender roles are enforced: women are seen as mothers of workers rather than workers themselves (although this is not exclusive); non-reproductive sex is seen as decadent; and the family unit is sacred. Fear of the sexual prowess of the other is propagated along with unsubstantiated myths like ‘they’re taking our women’ and the indigenous culture being ‘outbred.’ Heterosexuality is normalised and the preservation of the gene pool is a priority.
This kind of nationalism desires a new ‘Golden Era’ and the destruction of diversity, degeneracy, and decadence. Cultural work is state-sanctioned, and although there were often fascist intellectuals (Gentile, Marinetti, Speer), anti-intellectualism is stressed: the material over the abstract, action over ideas, and belief over knowledge. Mass media are controlled and the state determines cultural discourse: cabarets are closed, newspapers are silenced, music is state sanctioned, jokes and certain writers are banned. Fascism emphasizes the glorification of violence as a method of achievement and empowerment, and this idea is represented in both militarism and para-militarism. National security is prioritised with a build-up of armed forces to protect territories, take over new ones (the Nazi Lebensraum), or encroach on ‘lost’ ones (Mussolini’s Abyssinia). The military is used to secure power whilst the paramilitaries maintain their threatening presence on the streets through ‘extra-legal’ endeavours, or gangsterism. A hard line on crime and punishment is pursued but only for select criminals. Industry is focussed on building military strength, the corporate state benefits big business, and the state adopts capitalism when it is suitable. Working-class organizations are suppressed, unions are banned or controlled by the state, and workers are forced to collaborate. Whether they call themselves fascists, national socialists, nationalists, or patriots, fascist organizations embrace some or all of these principles, and anti-fascists must recognise and respond to them.
This book is divided into two parts and examines how anti-fascists have organised against fascist aggression in the hope of drawing lessons for the future.
Pre-Fascist Parties and Fascism in Europe
The first section of this book looks at the growth of ultra-nationalism and fascism across Europe from the late-nineteenth century to the 1940s. Italy, Austria, Germany, and Spain became fascist states whilst Hungary, Romania, Poland and France experienced an upsurge of fascist violence, and militants were forced to organise and counter this, with varying success. In all these countries, anti-fascists fought and died to protect their communities and institutions. The situation for anti-fascists in 1930s England was less drastic, and certainly less murderous, but still saw anti-fascists meeting violence with violence. It is surprising how few fatalities there have been in the battles pre-1939 and post-1945 in the UK.
Post-War British Anti-Fascism
The second part of the book specifically looks at anti-fascism in Britain and Ireland following 1945 when, despite the defeat of the fascist bloc (excluding Spain, of course), fascists still maintained a presence on the streets. Several waves of post-war fascism in Britain have been successfully countered by one of the strongest and most successful anti-fascist movements in Europe. The confrontations with Mosley, the NF, the BNP’s street campaign and the EDL are all testimony to a tradition of anti-fascism that is too little acknowledged, let alone documented, by political historians. But, as ever, even though the fascists may be defeated, they never really go away, and as we have seen so many times they merely reinvent themselves whilst their poisonous ideology remains relatively unchanged.
1 Nicholas Fraser, The Voice Of Modern Hatred: Encounters with Europe’s New Right (London: Picador, 2000), 75.
2 Birchall, Beating the Fascists, 314.
3 Many thanks to Rachael Horwitz who wrote most of the section on fascism.
.
Posted on April 3rd, 2015 in AK News
It’s been almost two weeks since the fire at our warehouse and we know some of you have been waiting for an update and wondering how you can plug into the relief efforts. Very briefly, here is where things stand: our building is still red-tagged by the City of Oakland. We are hopeful that, after more inspections and some repairs are completed, we’ll be able to stay. In the meantime we have been able to get some access to our stock and so we have been able to send out orders for titles that weren’t damaged. We are still waiting for insurance inspectors to come and review the damage in our unit, and until that happens, we can’t make any more progress with clearing out destroyed stock. So at this point there is just a lot of waiting, which we can’t do much about, and it means it’s going to be a while still before our work can return to any semblance of “normal.”
We can’t thank you enough for all of the support we’ve gotten in the last two weeks. Your generous donations to our crowdfunding campaign add up to almost $45,000 so far, and that money will be shared with 1984 Printing and our neighbors in the building who have been displaced by the fire. We plan to give out the first round of checks this week. We’re not quite to one-third of our goal, so if you can still donate, please do! Recovering from the fire is going to be a long and difficult process, and your support will help us all get back on our feet sooner.
Besides donating, here are a few things folks can do to help (since some of you have been asking!):
- Spread the word about our fundraiser, even if you can’t give yourself.
- Organize a benefit. Maybe you’re in a band; maybe you can organize a film screening or a house party. Make it a benefit for our fire relief fund and let us know about it, and we’ll happily share it on our events calendar. Please understand that we are stretched pretty thin labor-wise at the moment so we probably can’t send a collective member to your event, but we’ll be ever-so-grateful for your help!
- Bookstores and other retailers: this might be obvious, but if you owe us money, now would be a great time to pay up! We’ve also heard from stores that want to have benefit events or donate a percentage of a day’s sales to our fund, which is amazing and we certainly appreciate the mutual aid!
- And finally, yes, you can still place orders with us! Just understand that there will be slight delays shipping things out, so we appreciate your patience. If you’re into this sort of thing, we suggest ordering e-books (which require almost no work to process and you can download instantly). And if you’re able to support us more consistently, we would love it if more folks signed up as Friends of AK Press.
Thanks again, so much, for your support.
-The AK Press Collective
Posted on March 20th, 2015 in AK Authors!, AK News, Happenings
We’re excited to announce the first leg of the tour celebrating the release of Octavia’s Brood: Science Fiction Stories from Social Justice Movements, edited by Walidah Imarisha & adrienne maree brown. The editors and contributors have lots of tour stops lined up already and will be adding to the schedule as more events are confirmed. So, stay tuned here for forthcoming details and new additions. And of course it should go without saying that if one of these events is happening near you, you should really go—and bring your friends!
March 28: INCITE! Color of Violence Conference, Chicago
10am: Workshop with co-editors Walidah Imarisha & adrienne maree brown
11:30am: Book signing at the AK Press tables in the vendor area
March 30: 57th Street Books, Chicago
6pm: Co-editor Walidah Imarisha speaks about Octavia’s Brood
April 7: Red Emma’s Bookstore Coffeehouse, Baltimore
7:30pm: Co-editor adrienne maree brown speaks about Octavia’s Brood
April 8: Wooden Shoe Books, Philadelphia
7pm: Co-editor adrienne maree brown speaks about Octavia’s Brood.
April 13: Albright College, Reading, PA
7pm: Co-editor adrienne maree brown speaks about Octavia’s Brood.
April 18: Detroit book release @ Garden Theater
4:30pm: Reading with Co-editors Walidah Imarisha & adrienne maree brown along with Octavia’s Brood contributors
8pm: Party like it’s the future!!
April 22: Bay Area book release @ African American Museum & Library, Oakland
6pm: Co-editor adrienne maree brown speaks about Octavia’s Brood.
With an after-party at Solespace, Oakland!
April 25: Bay Area Anarchist Bookfair, Oakland
Time TBA: Co-editor adrienne maree brown speaks about Octavia’s Brood.
April 26: Moishe House, Oakland
5pm: Co-editor adrienne maree brown hosts a Collective Science Fiction Writing Workshop.
May 6-7: DePaul University, Chicago
May 6 @ 6pm: Reception / 6:30pm: Co-editor Walidah Imarisha speaks on sci-fi and social change, part of Women’s Center Conversation Series
May 7 @ 1pm: Co-editor Walidah Imarisha speaks on Octavia’s Brood, part of the Emergent Speakers Series
May 14: Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
Details TBA: Co-editor Walidah Imarisha hosts panel discussion and direct action training.
May 20: Portland, OR (location TBA)
5pm: Co-editor Walidah Imarisha facilitates a workshop around collective visioning/writing on social justice issues, part of the Radical Imagination Gymnasium workshop series.
May 28: Clatsop Community College, Astoria, OR
7pm: Co-editor Walidah Imarisha speaks on visionary sci-fi and Octavia’s Brood
May 29-30: New Orleans
Details TBA. Co-editors Walidah Imarisha & adrienne maree brown will join the Wildseeds: New Orleans Octavia Butler Emergent Strategy Collective for two days of events.
June 6: EMP, Seattle
Details TBA. Seattle book release featuring co-editor Walidah Imarisha & contributors
June 18-21: Allied Media Conference, Detroit
Details TBA. Workshops, book signing, and more featuring Co-editors Walidah Imarisha & adrienne maree brown as well as Octavia’s Brood contributors!
Don’t see your city on the list? Want to help bring the editors of Octavia’s Brood for an event near you? You can get in touch with them at info@octaviasbrood.com to invite them!
Posted on March 18th, 2015 in Events
Yes, we’ve had a fire, but we’re also turning twenty-five, which calls for a party. So please help us to celebrate surviving a past quarter-century and to launch AK Press into the fire-proof future.
We’ll be gathering in the Ballroom of the Oakland Omni Commons on the day after Bay Area Anarchist Bookfair! Food, beverages, music, and free beer coozies(!)—as well as friends and comrades old and new. And don’t worry: no maudlin speeches
We have received so much support and kind words throughout our recent (ongoing) crisis, that we’d like this event to benefit others in our community. Donations will be accepted for the Oakland Anti-Repression Committee and local political prisoner support.
Facebook event here: http://www.facebook.com/events/1179482792077264/
Posted on March 18th, 2015 in Events
The Bay Area Anarchist Book Fair is an annual event for people interested and engaged in radical work to connect and learn through book and information tables, workshops, panel discussions, skillshares, films and more! The Bookfair creates an inclusive space to introduce new folks to anarchism, foster productive dialogue between various political traditions and anarchists from different milieus, and create an opportunity to dissect our movements’ strengths, weaknesses, strategies, and tactics.
For more information on speakers, location, etc., please visit: http://bayareaanarchistbookfair.com/
You can also RSVP and invite people on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/events/602970506479330/
Posted on March 18th, 2015 in Events
AK Press will be sharing a booth with Addicted to War at the 20th annual LA Times Festival of Books! Come find us at booth #910.
You can find more details (including schedule, maps and directions) at: http://events.latimes.com/festivalofbooks/
Posted on March 18th, 2015 in Events
The AK Press collective has been publishing and distributing essential radical books for a quarter of a century now, and we want to invite you all to celebrate with us. We’ll be having a few events in different cities this spring (stay tuned!)—the first will be in NYC.
Please join us at Bluestockings, right after we wrap things up at the NYC Anarchist Bookfair! Hear a few words from people who have been involved in the project (we’ll keep it very brief!), browse some of AK’s best books, hang out and chat about the joys and trials and tribulations of anarchist publishing and join us in a toast to a great 25 years and many more to come.
If you’re on Facebook, you can RSVP and invite people here: http://www.facebook.com/events/414730318688288/
And don’t forget to stop by the NYC Anarchist Bookfair earlier in the day (from 11am–6pm).
Posted on March 18th, 2015 in Events
The NYC Anarchist Book Fair will be returning to Judson Memorial Church on Sat., April 18, 2015—the same location where the annual event was first held nine years ago. The book fair will bring publishers, designers, writers, artists, musicians, and activists from all over North America to this historic location in Greenwich Village—the neighborhood that is one of the birthplaces of the anarchist movement in the US.
The NYC Anarchist Book Fair is free to the public. It provides a safe space for activists to meet and organize and where the anarcho-curious can get informed about a movement against capitalism and the State that is central to many of the most important political and cultural currents of our time. Besides exhibits by anarchist publishers, artisans, and organizers, the book fair will feature panels and workshops on a wide range of topics, from anarchist history, theory, and politics to economics, culture, social movements, and art.
More information at: http://anarchistbookfair.net/
Come visit the AK Press tables to browse our books and say hi.
And afterwards, come to Bluestockings to help us celebrate 25 Revolting Years of AK Press!
Posted on March 6th, 2015 in Events
Hear talks by AK Press authors Harsha Walia and Andrew Cornell—alongside other participants including Ruth Kinna, Todd May, J. Kēhaulani Kauanui, Dilar Dirik, and Chris Dixon.
AK Press publications will be available at the symposium courtesy of Wooden Shoe Books.
More information and a schedule of talks can be found here: http://www.haverford.edu/HCAH/center/events/anarchism.php
Anarchism has inspired global social movements for more than two decades, yet remains peripheral to academic debate. Scholars have developed sophisticated conceptions of radical democracy, but these have been slow to inform on-the-ground organizing. Both frameworks critique the imperial foundations and racial exclusions of liberal theory and institutions, as do a growing contingent of scholars and activists who demand a thoroughgoing decolonization of our social, political, and intellectual lives. This symposium explores what common ground and what tensions exist between these critical perspectives by providing a unique forum for conversation amongst an international ensemble of respected organizers and scholars.
