{"article":{"id":99519,"heading":"CA Anarchist Gathering 2004 FEB 18-20, 2004","author":"Chantel g.","created":"2004-01-06 19:18:56","modified":"2013-11-11 00:28:18","last_modified":"Mon, 11 Nov 2013 07:28:18","article":"\n

OCCUPIED TERRITORY JUNE 2004 (Friday 18th - Saturday 20th):

CALIFORNIA ANARCHIST\/ANTI-AUTHORITARIAN GATHERING

\"The State is a condition, a certain relationship between human

beings,

a mode of human behavior; we destroy it by contracting other

relationships, by behaving differently.\" -Gustav Landauer

FROM THE BARRICADES TO THE BEDROOMS: MAKING LOVE WITH AUTONOMY

Never before has the anarchist and anti-authoritarian movement in

this

country been this strong, and this influential. Across the post-left,

left, and progressive spectrum, anarchist ways of organization,

theory,

and action are being put into place. No longer settling for hollow

and

boring ways of organizing in the liberal, and Marxist-Leninist

“top-down” models of organization, people are now settling for

nothing

less than complete abolition of hierarchy. Affinity groups, spokes

councils, and consensus process are replacing vanguards and

Democratic

Party candidates. Direct-Action, and the shutting down, stopping, and

destruction of capitalism’s institutions and structures are being

held

as the models of resistance by many. Community based activism like

Food

Not Bombs, Critical Mass, and community gardens, and militant

“groups”

like the ELF, ALF, Black Bloc, and Anti-Racist Action, are becoming

wide

spread, and taking anti-authoritarian modes of organization and

resistance far and wide. From above ground community activism, to

militant underground resistance, we are now encompassing some of the

most powerful work ever to be done by any movement.

CELEBRATING DIFFERENT TENDENCIES:

If we have never before been this strong, then we have never before

needed solidarity and unity with each other than ever before. As some

sisters and brothers are fighting the battle against vivisection,

others

are imprisoned for sabotage against eco-terrorists, while others

organize workers for a better tomorrow. As our movement expands and

grows, we come into more and more road blocks within our movement,

causing many of us to splinter out from each other. While it is good

to

think and understand our own personal ideologies, we must recognize

that

we are all in this together, and that there is something to learn

from

every person, and every struggle. From the ethics of veganism, the

(anti) politics of re-wilding, to the praxis of union organizing, we

all

have work to do, and we all have something to teach others. At

“Occupied

Territory 2004”, we will celebrate and learn from all

anarchist\/anti-authoritarian tendencies, while respecting our own

personal beliefs.

CREATING ANARCHY, UNBUILDING THE SPECTACLE AND EMPIRE:

There’s nothing quite like the moment when that paint bomb hits

it’s

target, or when 2,000 people are able to physically shut something

down

that half a million couldn‘t stop by marching, or even just

listening

and understanding someone as opposed to just ‘waiting for your turn

to

talk’; in essence, there’s nothing quite like anarchy. But unlike

other

political ideologies that dream of a far off time when things will be

better; with a better candidate, or a revolutionized class of people;

we

can have our dreams come alive when ever we want, we just have to

work

to expand this to a greater scale.

Every wheat pasted poster made those metal electoral boxes more

useful

than they ever were before, every defeated Nazi made that community

that

much closer, every sexist comment challenged made certain people more

empowered than they ever felt before. Anarchy comes to us in these

little bits, sometimes were so busy trying to sustain it that we

forget

to enjoy it. We forget to actually enjoy the fact that we are living

it!

Every homeless spokes council organized, every smashed window, every

pied politician, every pig stripped of their dignity; every

interaction

allows us to win, and yet we are so disconnected from each other we

seem

to always lose. Within a movement with no central authority, or

strict

direction, it’s important to understand that expanding that anarchy

with

others is the key to expanding our movement. We can do this expansion

simply through mutual aid and understanding, by continuing our own

activism and understanding it’s links with other strands of

resistance.

OCCUPIED TERRITORY 2004!:

In this spirit of resistance, we are launching “Occupied Territory

2004”, in Fresno CA. Centrally located in California, we are

calling on

all anarchist and anti-authoritarian anti-capitalist groups to

converge

and create the world that we so desperately need. Let us build the

structures that will replace ones that alienate and exploit. Let us

not

live in a world of spectacles, but in a world of truth and of choice,

free association and freedom. Let us make the decisions for our

selves,

and represent our various movements, movements that will hopefully

bring

us to sustain those precocious moments that we work so hard for: for

anarchy.

-------------------------------

At this point in time we are working on workshops ranging from

Anarchism

and Metal Health, 60-70’s militant resistance, Earth First! Issues,

and

anarchist organizing. We have six months to go, to include workshops,

lectures, talks, and adventures ranging from re-wilding, to forming

unions. Please email us at:

modanarcho@yahoo.com<\/a>

If you have a work shop on that relates to the anarchist movement,

that

revolves around anti-fascism, animal liberation, eco-defense, worker

liberation, anti-sexism, ect, then get in touch!

Speakers are also greatly needed, if you are someone who would like

to

speak, by yourself, or on a panel, then please email us as well.

If you have a work shop on that relates to the anarchist movement,

that

revolves around anti-fascism, animal liberation, eco-defense, worker

liberation, anti-sexism, ect, then get in touch!

Speakers are also greatly needed, if you are someone who would like

to

speak, by yourself, or on a panel, then please email us as well.

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