On this years anarchist gathering in St. Imier we organized a talk with our comrades from Eastern Europe. We were speaking about the challenges they have faced in their solidarity work.
We touched on the issues of colonialist attitudes that deny the subjectivity of Eastern comrades, the need to prove your reality and experiences of war, and the implicit inequality within the anarchist movement.
Speakers were from ABC Kyiv, Solidarity Collectives, ABC Belarus, Solidarity Zone (Russia), Group of Belarusian Anarchists in Warsaw and we were moderating the event.
Our comrade from Final Straw Radio recorded the event. Thank you!
You can also listen to the event on archive.org.
The discussion, much like previous discussions by anarchists supporting anti-authoritarians joining the armed defense against the Russian invasion, was interrupted a number of times by pacifists or others who didn’t want a discussion of the complexities of joining the territorial defense forces to have space. Those interruptions were mostly not recorded as they happened off-mic, but you’ll hear the reactions to them.
I am proud of our comrades who spoke at this meeting, who are putting our ideals of anti-imperialism, solidarity and mutual aid into practice at great personal cost. I have a bottomless well of respect for our comrades who travelled to speak at this meeting and place human rights first.These people are the saving lives of the oppressed and they deserve nothing less our admiration, respect and solidarity. After hearing this, I more convinced than ever that we need to clear the dogmatic zealot fucks out of our spaces. They are not our comrades. Those that spit upon the graves of our dead are the enemy. Those that withhold solidarity based upon their own personal interpretation of theory, shouting down the lived experiences of comrades who are suffering on the ground are not Anarchists. These so-called “anti-militarists” are a stain upon our movement and traitors to our dead comrades. Fuck them all. They work for the enemy, not for the class. I am ashamed that we have tolerated them for as long as we have and firmly believe that they should be driven out, so that they do not further disrupt the aid or continue to harm our comrades who are sacrificing and risking everything for justice. The fact that they do this in our names is the most disgusting part of all. The class deserves better than these zealots. Let the Nazbol Brownists have them, because that’s what they are and that’s where they belong. No matter how hard the struggle is, no matter how many of us fall defending the oppressed, more will take our place and carry on the fight for as long as it takes to end this systematic, premeditated, genocide of the Ukrainian people and we will not be deterred by the zealots. No to appeasement. No to the excuses and the whataboutisms. No to The smearing and strawmanning of our bravest comrades. We need to do more and listen more for those on the ground, who are doing the vital work that the zealots try to undermine. Thank you so much for all the work you have done so far and I know that you will succeed, despite the zealots. We are the future adn they are the past.