Anarchistická federace

Activities of the Czechoslovak Anarchist Federation in 2012

Czechoslovak Anarchist Federation (CSAF) was founded in summer 1995 and it is the longest functional anarchist group in Czech Republic. Although in its tittle there’s a link to Slovakia, in Slovakia there’s not actually any autonomous local group. Our federation forms a part of the International of Anarchist Federations.

CSAF associates local groups and individuals, for whom it’s a platform, by which they can coordinate their activities, deal with common projects, efficiently communicate or exchange experiences. A position of all its members is equal, there’s no form of hierarchy at all, and all the decisions are made from below with an effort to mutual consensus. Each local group decides about its activity autonomously and informs about it the rest of the federation on federation congresses. These are generally held two times a year, in 2012, it was on April 7th and October 13th under the organizational protection of the group CSAF-Východ (CSAF-East).

The point that connects us together is the vision of classless, free and self-governing organized society, to which we want to get by organizing of liberty-minded forces, spreading of knowledge of anarchist theory and practice and realization of self-governed projects.

CSAF hasn’t focused itself, during last years, on organizing actions under its title, as it was e.g. during earlier years. The most of anarchists associated by the federation generally deal either with activities in a frame of their local groups, or are involved in projects of wider anti-authoritarian movement. We think that the point is not, mainly, who is subscribed under a particular activity, but in its content, goals and results.

We are the part of a movement which is not a big one. In comparison with “to deal only our own interests”, we see on the contrary the sense in the mutual cooperation, support of diversity and participating in activities throughout the whole movement. First, there are our ideas and visions and only then there is the organization, which is in a way only a tool for mutual coordination and cooperation.

We are an activist organization which besides associating people with similar view of society and position of human beings also emphasizes active participation. That may have, for sure, various forms and intensities, following possibilities of each member.

And now, let’s move to activities that CSAF developed as a whole or that its members joined somehow:

May Day Action Days

In previous years, the May Day was in token of MAY DAY festivals organized by Antifascist Action. In 2012, the wider platform was created in a frame of anti-authoritarian movement which decided to conceive the Labor Day a bit different way – to organize so called Action Days. From Friday March 27th to Thursday May 1st, a number of interesting lectures, video exhibitions and gigs were performed in Prague. An anarchist fair and football tournament were organized and everything was finished by a demonstration, under the motto “Let’s Aim Right Targets!”

CSAF dealt with one of lecture blocks. Its topics concerned student’s so called Week of Unrest, “Seeking of an Anarchist Policy” and, in the last part, the introduction to recuperated enterprises in Argentina supplemented by personal experience with its functioning.

CSAF dealt with the traditional Anarchist May Day Meeting on Střelecký Island (Střelecký ostrov) in Prague. The call for meeting, conceived rather more decent, was answered by more than one hundred anarchists, who turned the following move to final demonstration of Action Days into a noisy march.

Demonstration of Discontent

We continued in supporting union demonstrations, which are aimed against asocial reforms enforced by the current right-wing government.

A demonstration called “Stop the Government”, which was organized in Prague on Saturday 21st April by eponymous coalition of several trade unions and citizens’ initiatives, was attended by at least 100 000 people. Undoubtedly,it was the biggest public expression of discontent in the last 20 years (in our region). Shortly before that some of us participated, together with the ProAlt initiative and the unions, in some informative actions within the frame of protest days, and we published on our website a call for the participation in anti-capitalist spirit.

At the demonstration, several tens of anarchists gathered, and joined either informal anarchist block, or marched with their colleagues within the frame of blocks of each trade union. Already before the march, a thousand copies of new issue of the newsletter Zdola (From Below) were distributed.

On 17th September, the platform Stop the Government organized an antigovernment demonstration on Wenceslas Square in Prague. The demonstration was called “Democracy Looks Different” and several thousands of people participated in it. Although a call for participation in this action hadn’t appeared on any anarchist websites, several tens of anarchists came and a few black and red flags were flying over the heads of the crowd.

Members of CSAF distributed the last issue of the newsletter Zdola. During the demonstration, anarchists presented themselves, among other things, by chanting slogans as “general strike!” or “capitalism – dirt and mud”. When the demonstration finished at Národní třída (National Avenue), a part of anarchist group went to the Prague Castle to express what they think about the president Klaus.

Pre-Election Antennas

Before elections to the Senate and Regional assemblies, anarchists traditionally focused on modifying and destroying the political parties' pre-election propaganda. Most often, antennas have been drawn on heads of politicians, by which, except the significance that they’re not any authorities for us, we expressed our support to Roman Smetana, who was arrested in 2012 for several months for drawing on a few of pre-election flyers. Next groups also joined similar actions, for example in Plzeňsko region or in Olomouc. On Monday, 23rd September, an anti-voting flyer happening of the local CSAF group was performed.

Against Neo-Nazism and DSSS

Members of CSAF participated in demonstrations and protests aimed against marches of Neo-Nazis and meetings of Workers Party of Social Justice (Dělnická strana sociální spravedlnosti, DSSS) connected to Neo-Nazis. On February 18th 2012, for example, a march of Workers’ Youth to support Serbian State happened, on which the initiative Jihlava Blocks reacted by counteraction, where 200 to 300 opponents of Neo-Nazism participated. Similarly, locals reacted on “St. Wenceslaus Manifestation”, which Neo-Nazis planned on September 28th to Kralupy nad Vltavou. At least 300 people stood against them in Kralupy under the organizational bulwark of initiative Kralupy against Neo-Nazism.

People from many sites of Czech Republic expressed themselves against the pre-election meetings of DSSS. Members of CSAF participated in protest actions for example in the beginning of June in Vysoké Mýto, 6/30 in Poděbrady and 9/22 our sympathizers made nervous participators of meeting in Česká Třebová.

Against ACTA and Militarism

In the beginning of 2012, the very actual topic was that of the international agreement ACTA. The agreement alleged to be an intellectual property defense. On one hand, in fact, it is just a next step how to enrich those, who already have more than enough. On the other hand, it is how to tighten the screws, make the system of control and surveillance over common people more intensive and how to prevent them from equal access to information. The agreement ACTA caused a strong resistance also in Czech Republic, where on October 2nd protest demonstrations happened in several towns and cities. CSAF supported them actively, for example in Olomouc, Plzeň or in Prague. The group CSAF-Middle later organized a smaller protest action in Kutná Hora.

Within the frame of antimilitarist standpoint, which is inherent in anarchism, members of CSAF from Ostrava participated in a call of Volná komunita VAP (Free Community VAP) for a protest action against NATO Days, which happened on September 22nd on the airport Leoše Janáčka in Ostrava. The action was based on the distribution of flyers and discussions with visitors.

For Free Universities

An unprecedented wave of students’ resistance against planned reform of minister Dobeš underwhelmed neither members of CSAF. Many of them are students and they actively participated in “Week of Unrest”, which happened on the edge of February and March in a shape of series of lectures, discussions, information stalls and demonstrations in the most of university cities. The university management, often supported by students’ senators, on many sites turned finally against more radically disposed students and a breakage of democratically arose structures happened as well as a censorship of some slogans on banners and an interference to originally planned occupations etc. Anarchists joined student actions mainly in Prague, Hradec Králové, Olomouc, Ostrava, Opava and Plzeň. CSAF published on that occasion the Occupation Cookbook, which aims were to bring an inspiration from student protests in Croatia. Later interested members of CSAF presented in several discussions their critical insights and experiences both from “Week of Unrest” and the next development.

Celebrations in Streets

CSAF actively participated also in several happenings and street protest celebrations. The first of such actions was the “Kontraples” (the Counter-Ball) in front of the Prague State Opera, where on February the 2nd ball of the elite happened. CSAF published a statement to that action, which was read also in front of the Opera and distributed in a form of flyers. There were even DIY banquet, music, recitation, entertainment and mainly chanting slogans to incoming ascendancy.

On May 12th a street party called “Antisystema” took place in Plzeň. It was the second party organized in west-Czech city under such a title and was visited, roughly said, by 200 people. They had a possibility to refresh themselves in a takeaway of Food Not Bombs and acquire some publications in CSAF distribution desk. After concerts, reproduced music and speeches, a march through the city took place.

A traditional “Protestfest” in Brno was organized in May as well. A festival program was separated into several days and culminated in a big street party in streets of city. CSAF, AFA (Antifascist Action) and Cultural Collective joined forces together and except an obligate distribution of anarchist and antifascist prints and supplements they also realized a street-art workshop for a creation of stencils, allegorical shooting range called “Target Right Goals / Hit Your Own” and other non-traditional games or exhibition of current issues of street newspapers A3.

A successful novelty was a lecture tent, where, except other things, a presentation of CSAF activities or a lecture about student Week of Unrest took place.

On August 18th, anarchists went to support rights of sexual minorities and their desire for respect. Some of them participated in a rainbow march which concluded in a whole week sequence of events of the sexual minorities’ festival Prague Pride, similarly as during the last year in form of so called black-pink block.

On September 29th, a next annual DIY carnival happened, this time with the main motto of “We All Are Gypsies”. Members of CSAF offered to incoming participators of the carnival recently issued publications – Existence and Zdola. At a street party, there were, in a rough estimation, from two to three thousands participators and about 30 cars with music accompanying them.

Some of us joined a so called Moneyless Zone, which was initiated by the Association Alerta under the motto “Bring or create something! Carry away or consume anything!” From May several Moneyless Zones took place, particularly in Prague, Most and Plzeň.

Memorial Ceremonies

Since the murder of antifascist skinhead Jan Kučera in 2008, we remind his memory every year. It wasn’t different this year. Memorial actions with participation of CSAF members happened e.g. in Poděbrady, Kutná Hora, Čáslav, Plzeň, Praha or Liberec.

A day before May 5th, in the valley of Tichá Orlice river there gathered anarchists from surroundings to commemorate victims of the World War II. In times of occupation the settlement Luh was, because of the courage of the local gamekeeper and his family, the center of antifascist resistance in eastern Bohemia.

On September 25th Jakub Polák, a longtime redactor of anarchist magazine A-Kontra, died. We said good bye to him during the action called “Antipohřeb” (Anti-Funeral). Almost 200 of his friends gathered there, a gypsy band played, short commemorating speeches were spoken and also a demonstrative march went through Prague then.

On December 15th a memorial action happened in Žilina, related to the murder of young Greek anarchist Alexis Grigoropoulos, which was at the same time the expression of solidarity to Greek anarchists and antifascists. A statement of CSAF has been said on the meeting.

Solidarity

CSAF also joined some sympathy campaigns. We published, following a call of Priama akcia, the call for support for one activist from the Union of Polish Syndicalists, who was fired without any reason by a Roche Poland company, and we joined this call by sending protest letters and e-mails. We supported Hungarian info-shop Gondolkodó and published a statement to support striking teachers in Slovakia.

We continued to support Zapatista insurgents from southern Mexico – Chiapas - by a distribution of coffee, which they grow and through a German self-managed co-operative Café Libertad distribute into Europe.

Some members of CSAF are actively involved in local collectives Food not Bombs, which in their towns and cities prepare and distribute food to homeless people, or help them to look for clothes, and prepare refreshments on various beneficial actions.

Activities in publishing

The main informative channels of the federation are daily actualized websites csaf.cz. Theoretical texts, reports from actions, information about published publications and about forthcoming events appear there. Information about new articles is available then on the facebook profile of the federation.

A new website of CSAF Publisher was launched at the end of year. Its aim is to provide summary about published publications and about distribution places as well (both about stores and internet distributions), where these are available. The CSAF Publisher serves mainly for publication needs of federation. But at the same time, it is opened to cooperation with all constituent parts of wider anti-authoritarian movement. A work on publishing publications is limited by our skills and possibilities. We do it in our free-time and from our own financial resources. Pay-off from sold publications covers charges to its print, eventually goes for publishing of other things.

Every month, we published one issue of the wall newspaper A3 and during the year two issues of anarchist bulletin Zdola on the topic “Let’s Target Right Targets” and “Nation”. A3 can be downloaded from our website, concerned persons can print it and put it up on walls in their surroundings. In summer, an exhibition of current issues was installed in Hradec Králové. Zdola is being distributed or sold for a voluntary contribution on big public actions.

Periodically every quarter, a new issue of anarchist revue Existence was published. This year’s volume dealt gradually with topics “Occupy”, “Workplace under Self-Management”, “Solidarity in Practice” and “Occupy and Live!”

A magazine Klíčení started to be published recently, and children participate in its creation. The magazine is full-colored, during a year four issues were published and a beneficial gig in Hradec Králové supported it.

In a frame of CSAF Publisher three new brochures were published: Okupační kuchařka (Occupation Cookbook) describing student protests in Croatia, Hranice aktivismu (Boundaries of Activism) explaining discussion, which started more than ten years ago on the text called “Forget the Activism”, and Comunismo libertario describing anarchist self-management during times around Spanish Civil War with addition of theoretical text by I. Puente. By the end of year was published a Czech translation of Zapatista detective novel the Uncomfortable Dead (Nepohodlní mrtví; Co schází, to schází), which was written together by subcomandante Marcos and Paco Ignacio Taibo II. In a frame of edition Poetry, we published a collection of Miroslav Sosoi Cruor Bestia.

Publisher published, as well as in the last year, a wall calendar with reproduction of flyers from Spanish Civil War and created a new shape for two main flyers of federation (“Minimum Program” and “Cooperation, Activity, Solidarity”). A series of t-shirts with portraits of M. Bakunin, E. Goldman and B. Durruti was created.

In addition, next publications were published by local groups. Particularly it was a bulletin Kontrast made by a group from central Bohemia and three issues of informative list Po přečtení zrecyklujte... (Recycle After Reading...), on which participates CSAF-Olomouc.

Publications of CSAF Publisher are being spread both by a growing network of distribution places and by own forces by distribution desks mainly during video exhibitions, lectures, concerts and festivals. Traditionally a big interest was on a hard core festival Fluff in Rokycany. Except the distribution of our own materials, we offered e.g. books mapping anarchism of 20th century published by Václav Tomek, which were sold out fast.

Movie Clubs

During the year, some local groups participated in co-organizing of video-exhibition events, in some towns and cities there are even film clubs. In Česká Třebová there are video exhibitions of Libertarian Film Club, held once a month during the last three years. Similar projects are also in Čáslav and Ostrava and newly in Vysoké Mýto.

Anarchist Black Cross

The Anarchist Black Cross (ABC) focusing on a help to prosecuted and jailed activists had been during several last years an associated project of CSAF. But in 2012, a wider collective was created in the frame of anarchist movement, which will deal henceforward with this project. Its first step was mainly to strengthen the ABC’s informative website anarchistblackcross.cz and a bulletin called Solidarita (Solidarity) started to be published. ABC prepared as well promotional t-shirts.

We joined a call of the International of Anarchist Federations to sympathize with anarchists from Belarus prison. ABC organized from October 18th to 23rd an informative beneficial “Solidarity Tour”, where bands Drown in Concrete and Ania from Germany and Daleko from Czech Republic played. Concerts took place in Liberec, Hradec Králové, Vysoké Mýto, Ostrava, Jihlava and Prague. In Hradec Králové was hanged out a solidarity banner.

We followed closely also the case of already mentioned Roman Smetana and expressed him several times our support. A number of CSAF activists from Olomouc organized on March 27th in the center of Olomouc a small flyer campaign.

We actively participated on November 17th in the Prague’s action in front of stockade called “Tykadlový randál na pankráci” (Antennae Noise on Pankrác). A next supporting action happened in front of jailhouse in Rapotice on November 25th, about which we informed on-line on our websites.

International Activities

The most important international event that we participated in was the International Anarchist Meeting in Swiss town Saint Imier, where from August 9th to 12th gathered roughly 3.000 anarchists from the whole world. A part of the rich program was as well the anarchist bookfair, where we presented ourselves with our stall. At the same time, a congress of the International of Anarchist Federations took place there, and CSAF is a member of it. One of congress statements called “To Oppressed People from the Whole World” we translated and published.

In 2012 we organized one of periodic meetings of foreign secretaries of anarchist international.
Czech report: http://www.afed.cz/index.php?clanok=1387

Activities of the Czechoslovak Anarchist Federation in 2011
Activities of the Czechoslovak Anarchist Federation in 2010
Activities of the Czechoslovak Anarchist Federation in 2009
Activities of the Czechoslovak Anarchist Federation in 2008
Verze pro tisk 10.4.2013 CSAF

V nejbližších dnech:

IFA/IAF - Internacionála anarchistických federací
Web Nakladatelstvi Anarchistické federace

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