For the anarchist comrade Santiago Maldonado

20 Pages·2012·1.91 MB·English

a
valanche
Anarchist correspondence
November 2017 issue 12
english
VERSION
Uruguay Germany
Anarquía Attacke! (North)
periodicoanarquia.wordpress.com [email protected]
Fernweh (Munich)
Chile
fernweh.noblogs.org
Contra toda autoridad
Chronik
contratodaautoridad.wordpress.com
chronik.blackblogs.org
El Anárquico
periodicoanarquico.wordpress.com Switzerland
Sin Banderas Ni Fronteras Dissonanz (Zürich)
[email protected] [email protected]
Cimarrón
Austria
[email protected]
Revolte (Vienna)
Argentine revolte.blackblogs.org
Rebelion (Buenos Aires)
Sweden
[email protected]
Upprorsbladet (Stockholm)
Alta tension
[email protected]
boletinaltatension.blogspot.com
UK
Mexico
Rabble (London)
Negación
rabble.org.uk
[email protected]
Canada
Ital
Wreck (Vancouver)
Finimondo
wreckpublication.wordpress.com
finimondo.org
Montréal Contre-Information
Tairsìa (Salento)
mtlcounter-info.org
[email protected]
Stramonio (Milano) USA
[email protected]
Rififi (Bloomington)
Brecce (Lecce)
rififibloomington.wordpress.com
[email protected]
Trebitch Times (St Louis)
trebitchtimes.noblogs.org
Spain
PugetSoundAnarchists (Pacific Northwest)
Infierno
pugetsoundanarchists.org
revista_infi[email protected]
Wildfire
France wildfire.noblogs.org
Séditions (Besançon)
seditions.noblogs.org
Paris Sous Tension (Paris) +
parissoustension.noblogs.org
Contrainfo
Blasphegme (Paris)
contrainfo.espiv.net
blasphegme.noblogs.org
Tabula Rasa
La Pétroleuse (Clermont-Ferrand)
atabularasa.org
[email protected]
Act for freedom now
Du pain sur la planche (Marseille)
actforfree.nostate.net
dupainsurlaplanche.noblogs.org
Voz como arma
Subversions
vozcomoarma.noblogs.org
[email protected]
Publicacion Refractario
Belgium publicacionrefractario.wordpress.com
Por la tierra y contra el capital
L’imprévu (Bruxelles)
porlatierraycontraelcapital.wordpress.com
[email protected]
Brèves du désordre
Salto
cettesemaine.info/breves
salto.noblogs.org
Le Chat Noir Emeutier
Netherlands lechatnoiremeutier.noblogs.org
Roofdruk Aus dem Herzen der Festung
[email protected] ausdemherzenderfestung.noblogs.org
Editorial
November 2017
To develop our projects, to establish an international Maybe I put too much emphasis on persistence when
correspondence, we need – among other things – per- considering these questions. So it goes. Certainly an
sistence. A quality that is often not paid much attention. insurrectionary projectuality must also be capable of
Like a butterfl y, it is common for many to fl it about from recognizing when some paths ought to be abandoned,
being interested in one thing today, something else to- or when something is no longer worth the eff ort. It may
morrow, and already move on to something else again be because of toughening conditions, but lately I experi-
the day after tomorrow; what was interesting before is ence more and more erosion of principles: former com-
already forgotten. This attitude has nothing to do with rades who proudly tell me that they have been voting
what Marxists have always maligned as the revolution- and so forth. Suddenly one’s enmeshment in capitalism,
ary impatience of the anarchists, which is to insist that one’s contradictions, and the times when one can’t fulfi ll
attacks on the existing order are possible and neces- one’s own claims to coherence all becomes general ex-
sary, as bad as the “objective” conditions may be. cuses. Of course one must refl ect upon one’s contradic-
tions, but it must also be said that the subversion of the
However, the question remains; in so doing does one existing order isn’t an easy task that could be realized in
develop a projectuality, or does one become a mere vic- the time between today and tomorrow.
tim to the circumstances they fi nd themselves rebelling
against, running in all directions like a startled chicken. Therefore we continue to address all anarchists that
Let’s not make illusions. The rope around our throats have an interest in sharing their projectuality, analysis,
gets tighter and tighter – or, if we prefer this metaphor, refl ections, experiences, and proposals for struggle,
we fi nd ourselves increasingly pushed to the margins, which recognize themselves as engaged in a combative
along with lots of other people. Will we persist with anarchism that tries to contribute to an informal inter-
our ideas? And as a consequence, look for means and national without center or hegemony. Because we insist
ways to attack the digital restructuring of capitalism that an international correspondence is necessary to try
which is tirelessly pushed forward in universities, par- to overcome one’s limitations and potentize one’s quali-
liaments, labs… going forward, attacking, with the goal ties. Starting from local struggles aiming to create rup-
of destroying it. Or will we fi nd in ourselves a critical ture, from intervention proposals for an insurrectionary
but ultimately sympathetic disposition with regards to anarchist presence in a social upheaval or from an indi-
possibilities of “smart cities” and the internet of things? vidual path of scattered attacks, Avalanche is a collec-
A similar question can also be posed when considering tive attempt to sharpen our perspectives and practices,
the rise of the neofascists. Will we persist that fascism by counterposing each of them against the other.
is just one modality among others for how to govern a
state and administer capital, and consequently not only An enemy of the state, mostly somewhere in the territory
aim at fascism but also continue attacking democracy controlled by the Austrian state.
and indeed politics itself, with the intention of destroy-
ing them? Or will we be content with defending “the
best of all possible worlds” or “the lesser evil”, standing
together with churches, unions, and liberals?
|3|
Theme park and living
laboratory; the future of
(two) cities?
Causing tremors, destabilizing
territorial development
September 2017 - Portugal
Based on some scattered experiences and ongoing reflec- comed, perceived as more cooperative in establishing a
tions during the previous years, this text attempts to distil pacified living environment (and they also generate more
an understanding of the social context to better aim our money), and a part of the existing inhabitants can be dis-
initiatives. Lacking a proposal for a shared, distinct project persed. The state will invest in more repression, but also
of struggle; rather the intention is to create a framework or cultural events or places (to sugar coat the locals and pro-
starting point for future discussions and experiments. mote the image of a friendly place to a new public) and at
times housing buildings (to transfer poor inhabitants to or
On an international level, the question of territorial devel- to attract a young, imminent middle class that needs a –
opment is manifest. But more specifically references to the financial – push).
recent texts “At the beginning of the river” (from Berlin,
published in Avalanche issue 11) and “Smarter Prison?” Depending on city and region, the mix of ingredients that
(Radical Interference, published by Return Fire) are ap- drives the gentrification process can be quite different. In
propriate here to put this text in correspondence with other some places big capitalist investors might do most of the
critiques (in words and acts) of the digital economy and work, others involve more effort of state actors to repress
technology. and subsidize. Sometimes only the geographical location
of a neighbourhood matters, on other occasions a cultural
*** appropriation adds value. The goal of the gentrification of
a place doesn’t necessarily entail a new group of inhabit-
For some years now the issue of gentrification has been ants, but can also be about transforming a neighbourhood
at the core of different actions and struggles with the in- from a residential one with its local needs to a consump-
volvement of anarchists around Europe. These changes tion or production node in the grid of a metropolis. Also
in neighbourhoods driven by capitalist profit-seeking or the desired new public is different, from a regional middle
statist management are very visible since they are taking class that before preferred the quietness of the suburbs
place in central areas of cities. Regularly, these are areas (with its shopping malls and business parks), to tourists
where anarchists and their projects or the ones from an who bring in cash from more distant places, and a sector
alternative or radical movement had carved out a space of specialized professionals that flock to the new interna-
outside and/or against the dominant logic. This is easi- tional hubs.
ly understandable because these areas were deemed not
interesting enough or too difficult for the usual power bro- Much more can be said of this process that can be de-
kers (although not sheltered from capitalist or authoritari- fined more briefly as the restructuring of territories based
an logic) and thus through the cracks some weeds popped on profit seeking and population management purposes.
up. But these areas are resuscitating a renewed interest. Much more has already been said, a lot of it in an aca-
demic framework which doesn’t necessarily makes it more
From a capitalist eye these territories can generate a profit understandable[1]; to a point that one can argue to leave
if a new, wealthier, public can be attracted. Physically this the word “gentrification” and the discourses surrounding
can happen through destruction and rebuilding, or reno- it to self-referential academics and instead being more
vation and cultural rebranding. State institutions might be sensitive to local dynamics and connecting critiques of
interested in getting more grip on places where survival this to anti-authoritarian and anti-capitalist ideas (without
also entails illegal (or in the grey zone of) methods and the “intermediate step” of gentrification). The focus here
where people are more indifferent, critical or cynical to- will be on the recent territorial developments in two cit-
wards democratic ideology and its tales of inclusion and ies, Lisbon and Porto. Hopefully this text can be part of
welfare for all. So a new and wealthier population is wel- discussions in its local context, as well as beyond.
|4|
Collect as they pass Which brings us to the main gateway of the cash flow:
tourism. The tourism industry is not a new phenomenon,
Both cities have changed rapidly over the last years; for but used to be centred around sun and beaches or yachts
Lisbon this transformation started earlier than Porto. and greens (of the golf courses). Lisbon was gradually
This has to a certain extent given the first an advan- capable of diverting some of the tourist influx through its
tage in the (regional and global) competition to attract centre. From its display of colonial spoils (monumental
money flows. It is of course also the Portuguese capital buildings, squares, museums), attention shifted towards
and thus already concentrates a lot of the economy and the historical, popular neighbourhoods around and in
state institutions of the country. But Porto has had the between the main touristic sites. While Porto was able
possibility to learn from Lisbon and can take also ad- to put itself on the map of tourism with its own mod-
vantage of the position of the capital (to market itself ern airport welcoming every European low-cost airline.
as complementary or as alternative – more authentic, Actually it seems both cities have been caught in a per-
undiscovered, cheaper). In general the two cities are fect storm, the circumstances for a tourist boom being
going through a similar process. So lets take a look at readily available. The politics of austerity have kept the
the different players on the Monopoly board (warning: costs of labour very low while a European middle class
some stereotyping and generalizing will be unavoida- is always on the search for the next cheap destination.
ble). The respective historical centres have been relatively
left untouched by urban development over the last dec-
Cause and consequence might be difficult to separate ades, while the craze for city-tripping and authentic ex-
(to avoid delving into economic analysis), but it is clear periences have only been on the rise. Low-cost airlines
from the mass exodus after the financial crisis of 2007- have made short trips all year round possible and thus
’08 that the local middle class will not be the main fuel the possibility of a local economy totally dependant on
of the transformation of neighbourhoods. The educated tourists (while before businesses had to close outside
young and an impressive part of the working class pre- of tourist season or had to rely on a mixed clientele of
ferred to move abroad to get a job or earn a higher wage locals and tourists). Subsidies from the European Union
(the city with the most Portuguese inhabitants after have upgraded local infrastructure and street criminal-
Lisbon is Paris…). This is partly explained by the pre- ity is at a historic low point (this seems to be a phe-
vious emigrations (during the fascist dictatorship, but nomenon happening all over Europe, and thus cannot be
also in the decades after) and the links they have made explained by local politics and/or economics). The rich,
with other European cities. And it seems that most of who have been successfully reaping the benefits from
the money flowing back is invested outside of the urban austerity, are returning to their old love; real estate. Fi-
centres. That being said, those that are “left behind” nally, who can be against the influx of people who want
have to find their own ways of getting money while to spend money in a period of “economic crisis”? We are
also maybe wanting to participate in the urban lifestyle invited to perceive this as an opportunity and be flexible
– that tends to be very similar all around Europe. So and innovative, rather than a process of exclusion which
some might start their own business focusing on the will leave you – and not only – in a more dependant
local and artisan or rent out their apartments through position (abiding by the demands of the economy and
internet platforms. And some (if they have money to state institutions to be able to survive).
spend) are the regulars of the specifically created zones
of consumption (the area with bars and clubs, and the The transformations taking place inside the most affect-
shopping streets). While the “established”, older mid- ed neighbourhoods are very brutal. From the moment
dle classes (those that were able to more or less hang an area is declared safe for passer-bys, public space is
on to their socio-economic status during austerity) are rapidly becoming dominated by tourists and their needs.
holding out in the districts constructed in the 80s and Living spaces become holiday rentals. In Porto a lot of
90s, dispersed around the cities. buildings occupied now by tourism were abandoned
years before, since the flight of the middle class to sub-
Both cities are indeed part of a bigger metropolitan urbia – with its modern comfort and the displacement
area with the towns surrounding having their own pop- of poor inhabitants to social housing projects – has not
ulation amalgam. Closer to the ocean is mostly where been offset by an immigration movement (the number of
the rich reside and they are rather disinterested in the inhabitants in the city centre has been declining over the
centres (this is changing for a part with a younger gen- last three decades and still is). Inhabitants of “ilhas”[2]
eration, but stays limited and reactive), although they on the slope next to the river have been removed, mainly
are not insensitive to the rise in value of family property on the pretence of safety and followed by the destruction
in more central districts. On the other hand – if we are of all the buildings. But some still standing are now being
to dwell on the activities of the rich – there is some sold as “luxury estate” (oh the irony) and in other places
serious investment into newly constructed hotels and empty ilhas are being turned into tourist flats. While in
newly opened restaurants and bars in neighbourhoods Lisbon, with its position as the capital, the pressure on
that where previously spared this fate. Although it hard- the housing market has been constant, thus a new law
ly matters if these investors are Portuguese, Spanish or making contract terminations easier has been deemed
French. necessary (with some pressure from the troika – old
|5|
rent contracts from before 1990 were making it very dif- Go back 3 spaces
ficult for landlords to drive out renters). Landlords have
been gradually getting rid of old contracts and their As was said in the beginning of this text, these chang-
“old” renters and replacing them for Airbnb profits. es are very visible and taking place in neighbourhoods
where a lot of us are living. Thus we are bound to re-
Some grumbling is rising up from within the neighbour- act in one way or another. But we should be aware of
hoods. But the discontent has stayed rather polite if the the hurdles this topic contains if we are to engage with
drastic changes are to be taken into account. Without a it from an autonomous and anti-authoritarian position.
doubt the idea that Portugal should be happy with any Local state institutions and leftist activists seem very
money coming into the economy, from wherever, has a eager to mediate any sign of protest or even discom-
huge calming effect. Leftist groups are focusing on a fort. If a more consistent resistance develops, it will be
more even distribution of the profits of tourism, arguing directly measured to determine its representative legit-
for cohabitation of tourists and locals and more control imacy and accordingly assigned its place on the board
on the touristic sector. These positions are far from rad- of political Stratego. To refuse these attempts at recu-
ical and local politics are receptive to them. City coun- peration, while at the same time not being isolated in
cils have communicated “concern” about some averse the neighbourhood (where lots of people tend to have
effects of tourism. Some measures have been taken to ambiguous or contradictory opinions), will be very diffi-
appease locals, from limiting the access of Tuk Tuk’s cult. The process of touristification is seldom propelled
to neighbourhoods to donating renovation material to by anonymous outsiders such as big investors building
ilhas. In Porto, the social housing department has been 5star hotels. What about a local bar that attracts lots
renovating houses in the historical centre and moving of non-locals? And locals who pay their rent by host-
families back in from the social housing projects on the ing tourists? These things can spark very interesting
outskirts. This might be a limited, symbolic gesture or debates but tend to end in defeatist and cynical conclu-
a way to kick-start the renovation of some streets that sions (the most optimistic: have fun/take advantage as
are for the moment not on the radar of private investors long as it lasts). One can imagine to combat this lethar-
(by restoring some of its facades). It might also be an gy by developing autonomous structures. The example
attempt to keep some “authenticity” to the city, since of Es.Col.A (2011-’12) in the neighbourhood of Fontinha
every place overcrowded by tourism tends to lose its (Porto) comes to mind. To create a different type of re-
uniqueness and increasingly becomes less interesting lations not depending on capitalist or statist logic, can
for tourists. take the idea of what is possible away from questions of
immediacy and survival (the answer of the municipality,
This points to one of the pitfalls of an opposition to which was to repress and put money into their own so-
touristification. The struggle to keep a local life to a cial centre and renovation of some streets, shows they
neighbourhood risks contributing to the attractiveness perceived the self-organized space as a threat to their
of that neighbourhood for tourism. The opposition to legitimacy). But times have changed and these kind of
the selling of the cultural centre Coliseu (in 1995) and projects inside neighbourhoods already undergoing gen-
the privatizing of Teatro Rivoli (in 2006 – the privati- trification risk to lose their balance and contribute to,
zation was only undone later by the next mayor) gets a rather than fight, gentrification.
different meaning in hindsight, now that these cultural
spaces became an important factor in revitalizing the Are we capable of defending the autonomy of resist-
centre of Porto as a consumption hub (expressing the ance against attempts at recuperation? Will we be able
reconfiguration of the relation between culture and cap- to create an anti-authoritarian discourse that also goes
ital). It also risks to venture on the slippery slopes of against existing oppressive relations? If we want to be
the authentic, defending social relations and living con- visibly present, with whom do we want to organize? And
ditions inside neighbourhoods that are suffocating and against what? What does it mean to make a neighbour-
oppressive, because they are more “real”. This can turn hood unsafe for investors? Where do we draw lines and
into a senseless war of words with those who want to how do we sabotage developers “setting up shop”?
market the authentic and an implicit suspicion towards
every change and an uncritical preference for the old. Chance card
But reality paints a more ambiguous picture. Who in the
Rua do Capelão - Largo Severa - Rua da Guia represents Tourism isn’t all that is going on. Around the corner
authentic Mouraria (Lisbon)? The 5m² ginjinha bar with a different dynamic is taking shape, although also in-
its sympathetic owner sharing smiles, the fado cultural tricately linked with questions of urban restructuring.
centre celebrating the origins of the music genre, the City hall has understood that tourism is not eternal and,
clandestine Chinese restaurant hidden while known by while it is still perceived as the-place-to-be, is also bet-
everyone, the mitras[3] at the end of the street count- ting on an other sector, the digital economy.
ing on some trickle-down economics? Probably the While Porto got its prize in 2017 when selected as Eu-
combination of all, but all have no qualms with the cash ropean Best Destination, Lisbon was already some steps
the tourists bring and the renovation of the streets and ahead when it received the European Capital of Entre-
square the municipality invested in. preneurship medallion in 2015, topped with holding the
|6|
annual Web Summit from 2016 on. Politicians flaunting by city hall are being broken up. But this loss has been
the amount of start-up’s might seem nothing more than a fact for years (even for as long as they know for the
a good news show when keeping in mind that a lot of younger generations) for the great majority of city
the Portuguese economy already consists of small busi- dwellers because they live the reality of the suburbs.
nesses hardly generating an income for more than 2 to They rediscover the centre now precisely because it is
10 persons and that a lot of people reverted to survival repurposed as integral part of the metropolis. They nav-
economics during austerity by trying to sell whatever igate through the city by way of centrally managed flux-
(food, drinks, handmade things – mostly to tourists) es (metro lines, traffic routes to the nearest parking lot)
and setting up their own business to do so. It could be and by way of digital applications (where to find friends,
argued this is regression in economical terms, instead parties, events, the new place to be). Thus a conflict in
of progress. But there’s a new component, the digital a city that is centred around the opposition to the gen-
sector, that is also treated with more privileges. After trification of a neighbourhood might find itself margin-
the Golden Visa (for non-Europeans investing signifi- alized as a defensive stand from a very specific segment
cant sums), there is the Startup Visa (aimed at Indian of its inhabitants. A conflict that also develops a critique
Engineering and IT professionals), there’s the 0% tax against the digital economy (against quantifying life and
rate, the Empresa na hora (all the bureaucracy for a new making it transparent, submitting it to capitalist logic
company done in 48 hours). The central government and normative behaviour), might be able to touch more
might find it hard to compete with the funds that oth- people. And forces us to think again about communica-
er countries allocate to “innovation” but is as flexible tion (as an effort against isolation) and to experiment
and lenient as imaginable. In Lisbon, besides the events different forms.
and inevitable city promoting (Lisboa Startup City),
the co-working spaces, incubators and accelerators The deployment of internet infrastructure around the
are popping up, specific zones are developed to mimic world was hailed as the groundwork for the emancipa-
a Silicon Valley vibe (mainly next to the river, west of tion of marginalized groups, the enrichment of individual
Cais do Sodré but not limited to Lisbon itself, see Lisbon experience, the expression of difference without limits.
South Bay). In the meantime Porto is trying to catch up The reality for the vast majority of internet users seems
and is hatching plans to transform the neighbourhood to be the total opposite. The misery of social life medi-
around the Campanhã station into its own tech hub. And ated through internet companies should be articulated
some years ago it installed about 800 sensors around clearly; the constant pressure (or incentives) to pretend
the city and in public transport (from anemometers – (and the emotional tension because of its discrepancy
measuring the speed of wind – to microphones – noise with reality), the round-the-clock availability and social
sensors) and asked people to connect their own mobile undesirability to disconnect, the encounters that lack
device (collecting data about location, motion, etc.), any substance or dissonance, the popular jury of the
gathering all information into databases and transform- comments section, etc. All this exploited by companies
ing the city into a living laboratory (under the banner of who gather every personal detail that we leave behind
Future Cities[4]). This big data must be a big bait for to sell advertisement space to target us. Companies that
tech companies. aim to know everything, to achieve a monopoly on the
articulations of our lives. The transparency that is de-
Both city councils would like to see the tech industry manded of us (and rewarded by more apps), is leading
concentrated in a dilapidated or “marginal” part of town, us down a path of a society of total conformity (but don’t
to clean up and develop (meaning generating profits worry, there are enough “personal” lifestyles to choose
from) these specific neighbourhoods. But typically start- from) with direct repercussions for those who refuse
ups avoid investments in work environment, searching and tightening controls on who resists. The increasing
rather for closeness to like-minded people and investors reliance on digital applications (designed as consumer
who are at the moment in other neighbourhoods where products) is diminishing capabilities to craft our own
already “something is going on”. The big tech firms are tools and methods through experiences and reflection.
only showing moderate interest (globally so many cities A smartphone doesn’t enhance our autonomy, rather it
want to be the next capitalist hype city) and, as said be- turns out to do the contrary. As we move through life
fore, the state hasn’t got the budget. Thus the question with digital devices always within reach, our actions are
remains if enough private investors will show appetite also shaped by the world views and moralistic notions
to build infrastructure from almost scratch. The tourism of its designers. We end up quantifying every move we
industry seems quite entrenched, the tech industry is make, calculating our profit (not only for our bank – or
still testing the waters. Bitcoin or PayPal – accounts, but also for our health,
social, etc. status). Are we living life or managing it?
The central popular neighbourhoods are increasingly
transformed into places for consumption, into theme A critique of digital economy and technology should
parks for visitors (not only tourists – meaning foreign- develop a discourse starting from the real, lived expe-
ers – but also inhabitants from the metropolitan area). riences in the digital world (besides a critique on the
This is a real loss, because relationships not quantified territorial restructuring it entails). Such a critique stays
into profits and averse to rules and regulations imposed a very difficult project since technological and digital
|7|
applications are more and more normalized not only as [1] The academic gentrification discourse has several
a means to “facilitate” or “enjoy” life, but also to “live” problems. Firstly, without a critique of power relations
life. A radical critique of the digital can easily be per- everyone is just as complicit as the next one in the gen-
ceived as an attack on the lives of its users. At the same trification process. Also there is no space in its analysis
time a critical understanding of technology is shunned for ethics of individuals. So we’re reduced to cogs in the
because too sour or pessimist, or turned into a parody machine. It reflects a deterministic view on society, only
(gravitating towards a horizontal digital utopia or a dys- allowing reformist (tweaking the process a bit) and fa-
topia imagined by conspiracy theories). But the urgency talistic perspectives. Finally, it produces a generic tale
of a critique on the digital encroaching on human life of gentrification, allowing professionals of the critique
is growing and needs to find its expression in practical of gentrification to travel the world with lectures and
experiences (and not only intellectual endeavours). workshops and to impose their moralistic and leftist
conceptions of resistance on local dynamics.
Win to lose, lose to win
[2] These small alleyways with one-storey houses
The purpose of this text is not to make absolute claims, pressed against each other are remains of the industri-
not to assign more intrinsic value to one or the other. alization of the city. Typically a big house on the street
The choice to focus the social conflict in a city on the inhabited by the factory owner or an educated employ-
tourism or digital economy, to focus on visibility in a ee (engineer) would give access to the ilha behind; en-
particular neighbourhood or to broaden the scope, to hancing the ownership and control of the boss over the
focus on deepening relations of solidarity or on advanc- workers.
ing critiques of authority, all create their own potential
and have their own limits. This text wants to add an [3] Mitra are the youth (or young at heart) from the
other dimension into the myriad of intentions, motiva- popular and social neighbourhoods, recognizable by the
tions, thoughts, acts. In the best of situations, we would hip-hop inspired clothing style. Guna is the equivalent
have all of them (and then there would be anarchy!). To in Porto.
completely ignore (consciously or not) these different
aspects and push ahead only one would be the worst of [4] An other buzz word here is Smart City, which is
situations. such a broad concept it becomes practically difficult to
use. Simply put it refers to anything in the management
To forgo a defensive stance and to take on the offensive, and planning of a city that can be digitalized and con-
is probably the biggest and most crucial step to make in nected. Mainly Smart City projects are about govern-
a conflict. While there is no guarantee of winning (and ance (meaning mostly digitalizing bureaucracy to make
winning might entail losing a lot – even too much – or it more efficient) and traffic and energy enhancements
what might at first feel like a loss, turns out not to be). (there seems to be a preference for issues that are al-
But the direct outcome of a social conflict is seldom the ready thought of in terms of fluxes and nodes). The se-
most important part. Besides, when we’re aiming for the curity domain (integrating different forms and platforms
subversion of society and its exploitative and coercive of surveillance, as well as introducing new technologies
relations, we will only be satisfied in moments. How to like facial recognition and computerized analysis of be-
trigger these moments, expand and echo them remains haviour and situations) stays a bit behind for now, prob-
an open question because they are part of an erratic life ably not wanting to associate Smart Cities with dystopi-
and not a programmed one. Through multiplying expe- an Big Brother images (although The Netherlands and
riences, deepening understanding, we might be able to UK are testing the possibilities without too much reser-
orientate ourselves, setting out parameters, drawing vations). Of course when everything in a city (including
lines, pointing towards a direction. At least, for the mo- its citizens) will be constantly translated into data and
ment. connected, everything and everyone will be traceable
and visible (to companies and institutions).
September 2017
|8|
Against the TAP, let‘s
block everything
July 2017 - Italy
We will attempt to discuss energy and to what it is linked. that everything succumbs and can be turned into energy.
To do so, we will take as a starting point the building of a Places, life systems or survival, economy of territories, or-
gas pipeline of several thousands of kilometres long and ganised on a state level or on a tradition level. When you
which will cross also the place where we are living. The look to a place before and after the advancing of “energy
pipeline is called TAP and should transport methane from progress”, you will be struck by the transformation of its
Azerbaijan to Salento (Italy), crossing Georgia, Turkey, geography. In this direction goes also the use of language.
Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea. We will use con- Vast uncultivated lands are called deserts to fi ll up with
ditional clause as the pipeline isn’t fi nished yet, although infrastructures of all kinds which will bring welfare, devel-
building works have kicked off in several concerned coun- opment, work and so on.
tries. It is for us an occasion, for the umpteenth time, to un-
derstand why we want to fi ght against a specifi c nuisance Irreversible changes
and how to do it.
But how the need for energy is fundamental for the con-
We confronted the question of the centrality that energy tinuation of this system can also be understood from other
plays in a system like the one we are immersed in. There’s aspects. Constantly subjected to impulses and stimuli of
no surrounding that doesn’t need, for its own survival, all kinds we assist, often inert, to the changing of our lives,
production and energy resources in an ever exponential to the perception that we have of what surrounds us, to the
growth. We could say, without banalities, that everything levelling of the human being to a robotic model and the
turns around this point. living beings to commodities. The human being as the oth-
er living beings are guinea pigs in a series of experiments
The last years, we have seen a multiplication of energy which are preparing the future, or the immediate present.
producing sources. Proportionally to the multiplication It’s enough to look to the use that’s made of instruments
of commodities the sources to produce energy have also like smartphones which have totally revolutionised the ap-
known a sharp rise, which is also due to the end terms proach people have amongst each other from a relation-
on certain raw materials. Technology and research have al, communicational and emotional point of view. People
developed new systems which allow for increased energy communicate fast, so one always has to be on guard, al-
production. One example is the solar energy, very prob- ways ready to answer, always be present. Such changes
ably the next frontier, of a production of energy needing are irreparable. They make the human creatures used to
evermore sophisticated techniques and which can be used become a machine, to codify or de-codify signals, images,
everywhere: for civil and industrial scopes to supply hous- words; on a social level, they generate automatons which
es, schools and factories, for military scopes to supply seem united by a unique language, but speak actually all
structures and apparatuses which make the war machine diff erent languages because the unique language is not a
turn. Recently, news came out of an air plane capable of real language, but a fragmented bunch of data. Those who
fl ying without fuel thanks to solar panels. Or another ex- don’t master the language are cut out. If it is true that we
ample are the nanotechnologies and its applications for the speak a language of thoughts, whatever they might be, so a
building of machines (often for technological-computer language that modifi es, alters or worse, diminishes our ca-
use), capable of functioning with solar energy. pacity of words, this cannot but diminish also our capacity
of thinking. But although this an important aspect, it would
This diversifi cation of energy sources seems to be constant now bring us too far.
and an urgent and fundamental requirement for a system
which tries to reproduce itself and is always on the look for Intertwined complicities
new ways to exploit this planet and its resources until ex-
haustion. A dominant ideology rules the theories and mo- So, why is all this energy needed and what does it mean to
dalities adopted in the research, production and distribu- begin or continue to remove it in a perspective that tries to
tion of evermore energy. In order to do so, it is necessary block, interrupt the fl ux, destroy.
|9|
The pipeline the multinational consortium TAP wants to To interrupt can mean to undermine, at its foundations,
build and is partly already building, has giving us the ulte- the primary necessity of this world, a necessity that sup-
rior development of this thought. Everywhere we see the plies and supports authority, power, economy and there-
economic and state Power try to build plants of all kinds fore States and Capital. And from the other hand, this is
to extract resources. From wind to solar energy, form bi- what once in a while happens when we hear talk of burned
omass to nuclear power, from carbon to petrol. And when petrol wells, sabotaged pipelines, radical fights against the
we go deeper to understand who intervenes in the building extraction of carbon which is supplying the war industry,
of these plants and infrastructures, we see that the tech- as happens in the forest of Hambach in Germany or where
nical reproduction of this world is already part of the pro- people try to stop the building of oil pipelines like in North
jection of these huge works. With the financial exchanges Dokata in the USA, which will cancel the life and history
in the first place. With the intervention of companies and of those who live there.
multinationals that are specialised in the sectors of social
control, war, forging of our chains. Amongst those working The language of thoughts is often a simple language, to
for the TAP, one has to highlight the presence of the Italian destroy what harms is but its immediate reflection.
companies Bonatti Spa and Carlo Gavazzi Impianti, which
will fabricate and lay the tubes of the pipeline. These com- Project
panies were highlighted some decades ago for their partic-
ipation in the building of nuclear power plants in the ‘80 We ask questions, and from theory to practice, we ask our-
and for their presence in the hot spots around the world selves how to make an anarchist projectuality possible. We
where energy resources could be exploited, territories think that amongst the various possible roads, to have an
could by colonised and wars could be waged. The example own projectuality seems the most suitable road for us. We
of Bonatti is sufficiently significant of how the presence of reaffirm concepts that many consider simply evident, but
these companies in the world is functional to the conquest maybe they are not so evident for everyone. In any case, we
of resources by Western States and how wars have been think one can intervene in a specific struggle starting from
spread. what we are, individuals against authority and against pol-
itics, in whatever from they appear. We therefore believe it
Another example is of involved multinational corporations is important to not leave aside this starting point.
is the Indian company Himachal Futuristic Communication
which will lay out the fibre optics along the pipeline. This If on a theoretical level we take as a starting point what
multinational collaborates with the Indian military defence a specific nuisance, like the TAP pipeline, represents in-
and brags about its products for the so-called “Smart Cit- side this energetic and economical system, and what it can
ies”, from CCTV surveillance to all kinds of apparatuses mean to fight against it to block or interrupt a flow as to
that make the cities fast, permanently connected, tech- create a rupture, maybe significant in the current state of
nologised and controlled in all aspects. Or the company things, from a practical point of view we believe that the
Honeywell, present in various countries, which will build multiplication and spreading of acts of resistance and at-
a system to centralise data from the whole pipeline and tack are a doable and reproducible road.
brags about its intelligent robots and its hyper-technolog-
ical clothing for (specialized) work security. Or Siemens, By attack, we do not only mean destructive or incisive
whose name can be found on so many machines of com- acts, but also the fact to act by taking initiative, building
mon use, or the Saipem, part of the Italian Eni, who will for ourselves possibilities and perspectives, instead of act-
construct to submarine part of the pipeline. And finally, ing only in a defensive way, answering to plans others have
there are the big brands like Coin or OVS, linked in Alba- imagined. Spreading counter-information, act by surprise,
nia to the company Gener 2, which a part from construct- act with fantasy, identifying targets, causing damage,
ing bridges and streets, build in partnership with these two opening breaches. And, amongst other things, suggest
companies, big commercial surfaces. hostility towards the many collaborators of these works.
A method to try to intervene without delegation, without
Interrupt, block, remove compromise, with clarity. And to go where?
We have found many reasons to fight against a gas pipe- The particularity of a certain building project and the fight
line, but we would like to start again from the initial ques- against it can be a spark that might generalise the attack
tion. What is the use of all this energy, how can we inter- from two points of view. A method which spreads and a
rupt its flux. The European Union marked energy as one of practice that are being reproduced, a theory which prop-
its most sensitive points: energy sources are “critical in- agates and becomes international. Energy, technology,
frastructure” to be protected at all costs. That they are not control, war, borders, economy, authority. If those fields
used to light the lamps in the house is quite evident, and are often no so definable, certain and unambiguous, but
good night to those who want a de-growth in consumption ramified and present in all aspects of life, also resistance
to protect the environment and life on this planet. and attack can ramify and spread out.
There seems to be no doubt about the fact that the pro- In a world of persons with their heads hanging down, wait-
duction of evermore energy aims to reproduce the social ing for a beep that will wake up their senses, of overload of
and technical organisation of this system. With all its ma- all kinds of commodities and of all kinds of nuisances, to
chines, the military ones in the first place, the industrial remove, to take, to block, to destroy is what cannot be any
and technological ones in the second place, and the ones longer postponed.
destined to control and management in the third.
|10|