Starting an anarchist black cross group

23 Pages·2017·7.72 MB·English

Starting an
anarchist black
cross group: A guide
summer
2018
welcome
This zine is a resource for anyone abolition is not a simple answer nor an
wanting to start an Anarchist Black Cross easy solution. It is a long way to go. That
group. It was a collective effort of people is why exactly we are talking about the
from various ABC groups across Europe. Anarchist Black Cross and not liberal,
We hope you find it inspiring and useful. statist or reformist ways of organising.
The past several decades we have Our tactics are based upon sharing
witnessed various forms of crisis and solidarity, not charity. More than
emerging all over the globe and while ever, it is critically important to share
resisting and fighting back, we as the knowledge and organisational tips
anarchists are paying close attention with people that want to take action.
to the changing patterns and tactics of That is why we wrote this zine: shared
state repression. To save the status quo knowledge is an important tool in
and powers-that be they divide and fighting against repression.
rule. They co-opt struggles and pacify
subversive movements. Meanwhile, we The best defense against repression
are striving to break free. is preparation. We hope this zine can
support you to organise where you are
We need to destroy all the prisons, and and build more resilience to repression
free all the prisoners. Our position is an in your movements and struggles for
abolitionist stance against the state and liberation. If you would like support or
it’s prisons. Of course, the only easy have questions about this zine please
solutions to such a complex problem email: [email protected]
like prisons are the false solutions. But
what is the anarchist
The Anarchist Black Cross exists to
strengthen struggles for freedom and
black cross and why liberation by providing mental, emotional,
material, and physical support to
individual, groups, communities and
does it exist?
movements. Ultimately, we want to help
ensure the strength of our movements
from the inside out. We want to support
The Anarchist Black Cross is an solidarity as our weapons. In all of what struggles to be a threat to state, capitalist,
international network of anarchist groups we do, we try to create links in and out white supremacist, patriarchal power and
and individuals engaged in practical of prisons. other forms of domination.
solidarity with prisoners and broader
anti-repression struggles. Anti-Repression and Movement
The History of the Anarchist Black Cross
Defence Work
Prisoner Support
The Anarchist Black Cross Federation
The state and those that wish to destroy
in the United States have written an
We support revolutionaries, anarchists movements for liberation attack us on
overview of the history of ABC which we his arrest in July or August of 1906. Once
and others trapped in the prison system. many levels. The Anarchist Black Cross
have shared below: released, Weinstein and others provided
We support and publicise prisoners’ network aims to build the infrastructure
clothing to anarchists sentenced to exile
efforts to organise and resist the system to be resilient to repression so that
Since the beginning of the Twentieth in Siberia. This was the early stages of the
from the inside. We try to work through we can continue fighting for liberation
Century, the Anarchist Black Cross (ABC), ARC. He continued his efforts in Russia
letters, visits, material aid, as well and support comrades harmed by this
has been on the frontline in supporting until his arrival in New York in May of 1907.
as demonstrations, campaigns and state violence. Many groups organise
those imprisoned for struggling for Once he arrived, he helped to create the
spreading information about prisoners, ongoing long-term solidarity campaigns
freedom and liberty. Until recently, the New York Anarchist Red Cross.
the reality of prisons and the class with those affected by various waves
history of the ABC movement has been
system which created them. Fundraising of repression across the world. Indeed,
lost to the pages of time. The present Other accounts place the year origin in
and material support is a key part of our many ABC groups start in response to a
generation of ABC collectives were left 1907. During June and August of 1907,
work. repressive operation in their region.
rootless with little known information Anarchists and Socialist Revolutionaries
about this organisation. Now, specific gather together in London for two
Many of us also support prisoners Movement and community defence
questions regarding our origin can now conferences. It is believed that Vera
and those affected by repression can involve many things. The Anarchist
be put to rest. We have now begun to Figner, a Socialist Revolutionary, met
emotionally, with friendship and Black Cross has been engaged in
rediscover our roots. with Anarchists to discuss the plight of
diverse forms over decades – from legal
the political prisoners in Russia. After
defence campaigns and committees, to
The year of origin has been a nagging this meeting, the Anarchist Red Cross
maintaining physical solidarity against
question regarding the history of the organized in London and in New York. In
the police during factory and school
Anarchist Black Cross, also known as the addition to this information, we do know
occupations, performing roles of security
Anarchist Red Cross (ARC). According that members of the organisation were
and physical defence against white
to Rudolph Rocker, once the treasurer on trial in 1906-1907 in Russia. Therefore,
supremacist and neo-fascist attacks,
for the Anarchist Red Cross in London, We feel the most accurate date of origin
as well as engaging in armed defence
the organisation was founded during for the Anarchist Red Cross would be late
of social movements. ABC groups also
the “hectic period between 1900 and 1906- early 1907 for the Russia section;
often organise workshops, zines and
1905.” Despite his involvement in the June or August 1907 for the creation of
other material to support people to learn
early stages, we do not feel these dates the International section.
about repression, security culture and
are very accurate. According to Harry
solidarity.
Weinstein, one of the two men who However, the reason for the creation of
began the organisation, it began after the Anarchist Red Cross is not in dispute.
creating chapters in London,
New York, Chicago and other
cities in Europe and North
America.
The 1917 Revolution caused
a celebration throughout
the Socialist, Anarchist, and
Communists communities.
The ARC liquidated and
members began to make
plans to return to Russia in
hopes of participating in the
new society. Sadly, their return
It was formed after breaking away from was met by Bolsheviks repression,
the Political Red Cross (PRC). The PRC similar to that of the Tsarist era. After
was controlled by the Social Democrats a few years of hibernation, the group
and refused to provide support to was forced to resurface to assist the
Anarchist and Social Revolutionary Political Prisoners in the new Bolshevik
During the next 7 decades the group In the 80’s, the ABC began to grow and
Political Prisoners, despite continued society. Once again the organisation was
would continue under various different new ABC groups began to emerge in
donations from other Anarchists and made illegal and membership meant
names but has always considered North America. In the United States,
Social Revolutionaries. As one former imprisonment and/or death.
itself part of the Anarchist Red Cross/ the ABC name had been kept alive by
Political Prisoner and member of the
Anarchist Black Cross formation. ABC’s a number of completely autonomous
Anarchist Red Cross stated,“In some During the Russian Civil War, the ARC’s
support for Political Prisoners spread groups scattered throughout the country
prisons there was little distinction made name changed to the Anarchist Black
to the four corners of the globe. What and had grown to support a wide variety
between Anarchists and other Political Cross to avoid confusion with the
was once a typically Russian-Jewish of prison issues.
Prisoners, but in others Anarchists were International Red Cross, also organising
organisation, now had many faces and
refused any help.” relief in the country. It was also during
ethnicities. The 1990’s and 2000’s brought several
this period that the organisation
ABC formations in North America
The newly formed ARC considered organized self-defence units against
During the 1960s, the Anarchist Black (ABCC, ABCN, ABCF). The relationship
these actions criminal and vowed that political raids by the Cossack and Red
Cross was reformed in Britain by Stuart between these formations has always
any prison where Anarchists were in armies.
Christie and Albert Meltzer with a focus been considered strenuous. The Break
the majority, the ARC would provide
on providing aid for anarchist prisoners the Chains conference in August 2003,
support to all Anarchist and Social
in Francisco Franco’s Spain. The reason along with side bar discussions between
Revolutionaries Political Prisoners.
for this was Christie’s experience of the collectives, brought about a better
Spanish State’s jail and the importance working relationship between the ABCF
Because of their support for Political
of receiving food parcels. At that time and ABCN formations. (The ABCC was
Prisoners, members of the group
there were no international groups a short lived formations, dying off in the
were arrested, tortured and killed by
acting for Spanish anarchist and early 1990s.)
the Tsarist regime. The organisation
Resistance prisoners. The first action
was deemed illegal and membership
of the re-activated group was to bring Various ABC groups have also been
was reason enough for arrest and
Miguel García García, whom Christie existing in Europe in different forms for
imprisonment in Artvisky Prison, one of
met in prison, out of Spain on his decades.
the worst hard labor jails in Siberia. ARC
release. He went on to act as the group’s • • •
members and prisoners who managed
International secretary, working for the
to escape from prison fled from Russia
release of others.
how do abc groups inside. Consider this question seriously
and how you are going to confront this in
case it appears.
organise?
Also, it is quite easy to figure out who
are the activists of the group and bring
There are a lot of different ABC groups open membership and ending up with the group down by direct repression as
around the world. Each of them have clandestine groups that are known only membership is transparent.
autonomy to decide on how the group to the people facing repressions. All
functions and what are the principles types have their pluses and minuses that Semi-Open/Closed group
that are in the core of the group. should be taken in consideration when
Autonomy and decentralization are you start your own group. This is a type of group that only allows
helping us to make sure that no group trusted or well-known activists inside of
or individual is capable of forcing Open Group the group. These groups might be built
other groups to do things against the from individuals but also members of
to find new people to join the group
principles of those groups. This type of organising is not often used local anarchist organisations that are
instead of those who have decided to
and is common to liberal democracies, aware of upcoming or existing problems.
change their activity focus.
To make sure that decisions within the where solidarity work might be not a
groups are made with consideration threat to activists. In this form, the group It might also be decided that
It is harder for people to get in touch
of all the members of the group, we is open to new members and have membership of the group shouldn’t
with the collective in case of repression
encourage everybody to use consensus. processes established to let new willing be exposed to the third people if it is
or some questions connected with
Some groups who do not want to people join decision making processes. not required. This might help you avoid
upcoming repressions. This can be
practice consensus are choosing to use possible repressions in future, even if
addressed by building up additional
simple majority or super majority voting. With an open process, we can bring risks are minimal at the current stage of
ways of contacting the group. For
Eventually, it is completely up to you to new passionate people to the work state repressions.
example, mail that is checked every
decide what kind of decision making of solidarity without complicated
day, or even one or two people from
fits your group. However, it is important procedures of building up your The benefit of this group structure is
the group that are known inside of the
to talk it through before hand at the reputation and earning trust from the the atmosphere of trust that might
anarchist circles as activists of ABC.
beginning of group formation to avoid movement. With more energy inside of push group activity further in different
misunderstandings with other members the group, more can be achieved. directions. It is harder for the state or
Organise locally
of the group. It is also quite easy to collect money, as capital to disrupt activity of the group.
real faces presenting the group can earn On top of that, many such groups are
Eventually, ABC work is done locally and
Types of organising more trust among people than masked developing into affinity groups that is
is heavily connected with the specifics
anonymous activists. hard to do with open groups.
of the region. That’s why, for example, it
Depending on the current political
is quite hard for people from Russia to
situation in different countries, groups As for the negative sides, you can see an Apart from that, in case of repressions
support activists from Finland and vice
can select different types of organising easy possibility for police to infiltrate the targeting the whole group it will be
versa. We discourage local groups from
itself, starting from open groups with group and disrupt processes going on hard for the state to attack all the
forming one big group that is covering
members, meaning that semi-open or
a big region. We are decentralising our
closed groups have a bigger level of
structures and making it hard for the
survivability against direct repression.
state to hit everyone at once.
One of the main negatives of semi-
However local organisation doesn’t
open/closed groups is the bigger
mean isolation. At the same time we are
dependence on individual members.
organising together with different groups
Due to the complicated procedures of
and learning from each other. Solidarity
building trust, it might be complicated
and support from neighbouring regions already! If not – don’t get desperate, for the the political repressed people looks like
or even from distant parts of the world there are some groups that prefer and how it could look like. We are doing good.
are extremely important for ABC work. working on their own, but it doesn’t Feeling like this small group of people are very
We strong decentralised but the real mean that everybody is sticking to the dedicated to this work and we are building
power comes in cooperation. same plan. Keep asking and searching good relations in the group step by step.
and you might find the groups that you
Decentralisation is also giving us the will be working with together for years to We are trying as much as it’s possible to skip
possibility to go different ways. There are come. the way of ‘bureaucracy’ and trying to take an
situations where groups were deciding individual decision about individual cases. We
not to support some activists/cases Don’t get surprised that some groups are also interested in communicating about
due to political principles, while others are more open than the others. Different the values and political beliefs that this group
were eager to help. This eventually political situations are building different works on.
gives autonomy of decision that doesn’t political profiles, where activists might
paralyse other activity in contradictory be suspicious of new groups/people I believe this work really needs to be done
cases. before they figure you out. This is a - that’s my biggest reason for starting in this
process that most of us have to go group and keeping it together in the hard times.
It might be worth asking close to your through one way or another to build up I think that we need to build not just network,
group if there are bigger cooperative networks of trust. infrastructure, critiques, resistance but we need
projects happening between groups to take care of each other at the same time.
in your region. Most probably, there is
I think the biggest challenges for me were:
• How to deal with keeping this group open
What do abc groups do?
and accessible and working well the same
time. How to communicate that you can join it,
support it and how to leave a space for different
To make this section more interesting, to all people in prison, en route to
ideas and expressions and not lose the feeling
we published interviews with ABC destroying the prison system altogether.
that you know exactly with whom you work with
organisers from around the world. They
and who should be involved in the decision
share what their different groups have The group itself keeps me going,
making process.
been doing, as well as the highlights and because whilst the crew is super on it,
• How to create new way of working in this
challenges they have experienced. they are also super kind and thoughtful. I
group in the sense of who you support and how
“ only hope I can do the same for them!
to overcome mechanisms that people already
I got involved in ABC a few
get used to.
months after a close friend My advice would be take care of the
I think that the first huge benefit on the
was murdered in prison other people in your crew, and yourself.
new years eve that we made was worth
in Texas. I wanted to do You have an incredible potential to
remembering - this was my favourite moment.
something productive with the anger I change so much, so take care of each
felt after his death. other. “
• • •
“ .. A close friend was
Our group do all kinds of stuff, from I joined a new group that formed in
fundraisers (we have started doing Warsaw at the very beginning of 2014 or murdered in prison in
monthly burger nights as one of us is an 15. I already knew about ABC and how Texas. I wanted to do
amazing chef) to letter writing, to demos. it works in Poland but the situation in something productive
It’s important because of how non- Warsaw started to be complicated for with the anger I felt
judgemental the approach is – we aren’t some activists and there was a need to
looking for “worthy” people to support, have a supporting group here. Plus I was after his death...”
but want to show love and solidarity sceptical and critical about how support
“
I got involved in ABC because I Somewhere around 2009-2010 it
have an inspiring friend who made became clear to many of us in the
me aware of the importance of anarchist movement in our country
supporting people on the inside that we will get repressed by the state
and I saw how few people give time to it. Our sooner or later. We started ABC to get
group spend a lot of time fundraising (gigs/ organised before the state strikes. After
meals/raffles) and then a small amount of time almost a year of existence, we did get in
quickly giving that money away to groups all trouble with the state with massive wave
over the world that are in need because of of arrests and detentions of anarchists
state repression. We organise letter writing and and antifascists.
demos and act as occasional rent-a-mob for
other prison groups that we may or may not The main focus of the group is
be a part of. It’s important because prisons are supporting prisoners and people on trial.
incredibly isolating and so staying in contact This is also the main part of spendings.
are calling themselves ABC members.
with people on the inside can make a massive Apart from that, we publish our own
But those who need to know, know it
difference to peoples lives. brochures on security culture, how not
anyway.
to talk to police and so on. We also run
ABC means solidarity to me, the threat of prison our website where we try to track all
Another challenge is always the
is a relentless form of state intimidation and the repressions against anarchists and
collection of money. It might be one of
repression for many people and so our solidarity antifascists around the country. We are
the most boring jobs ever. At the same
must also be relentless! also one of the groups trying to push
time, if you do it properly it might turn
the international week of solidarity with
into fun. But it is anyway a real challenge
The challenges have been trying to make anarchist prisoners.
not to end up broke after another wave
people write letters – its unglamourous work
of repressions that the state starts
and often doesn’t get as much support as it For me, ABC is somehow this wall you
against the movement.
should. My favourite abc moment was hearing build in front of the repressive regimes
first hand from an ex-prisoner how the letters of that allows activists to do their stuff
I think the most inspiring moment was
a friend of mine and ex-abc-mum changed his without worrying about the necessity
when we organised an infotable with
life. to gather money or bother about
letter writting at one of the big events. A
organising your own solidarity campaign
really young girl came with her mother
The sense of support in the group has been in case of repression.
to write letters to prisoners. Her mother
memorable, and it keeps me going with the
was crying, while the daughter was
work that we do. I have also been blown away Apart from that, the value of ABC is also
writing something on the postcard. I
at the international solidarity that gets spread in it’s political core of solidarity, where
think moments like that boost my faith
around through the ABC network. This is a rare support is not just humanitarian aid, but
in humankind even if sometimes it
thing and should be fucking cherished! Prisoner a political statement that unites us in
crumbles.
support also keeps me going with wider prison struggle.
struggles – whilst our long term aims are to
What keeps me going? I think there is
bring down the prison system helping people Our challenges have been surviving! For
“The value of ABC is also this egoistic approach that if something
on the inside in various ways can bring little all the years the group has existed, it’s
in it’s political core of happens to me, I would love people to
victories which are important! been underground with invitation only
solidarity, where support membership. With that in mind it is worth help me out. This is one of the reasons,
and the other thing is that through the
is not just humanitarian One piece of advice is don’t get sad if you don’t mentioning that we try to act in most
years of work in ABC it is becoming
aid, but a political get a reply to your letter, and don’t let that be of the cases without bringing the ABC
clearer what solidarity means and how
a sign that the other person doesn’t want more brand to the table as it might potentially
statement that unites us important it is. Not just the words, but
letters! cause some troubles for those who
in struggle.” actions that move the walls around the
• • •
people and make repressions a little bit strength in prison. Knowing that one- “What keeps me going is
less successful. day I could get out and meet these knowing that these systems of
kind people who supported me really
oppression and exploitation still
My advice to new people - Ask other meant the world. It kept me going and it
exist and that the necessity to
groups if you are hesitant about how gave power to my heart knowing these
to start. Some support from collectives people existed! fight remains.”
now far from you might help you
shouting back, and banging on the
understand how the things are working I think our main challenge has been
doors – and it’s like the whole prison
way faster and you can start spreading finding enough people willing to
came alive with noises of defiance. It was
your solidarity very soon! And try it! It organise in a dedicated way. It is very
amazing! We later heard from a woman
is a lot of fun although from the very easy to find people to help with certain
in this prison at the time who said it
beginning it might look overwhelming. events, like doing cooking, but it has
really ‘kicked off’ in the prison that night
“ been harder at times to have enough
and everyone their felt amazed that
Just start doing and trying people who will do this more boring or
people would come on NYE to support
to support people and it will talking about a certain situation. We also invisible work like checking emails or
them.
give you this burst of doing try to keep our website updated with updating the prisoner list. There have
something that makes news from around the world. We have also been some challenges with the
What keeps me going? It sounds really
difference. Starting from the produced a number of publications and gendered division of labour but this is
cheesy to say things like “Until All Are
small letters and ending up also write articles. Fortunately, there is improving!
Free” or “Until Every Cage is Empty” but
supporting people during another group in our area that focuses
I really feel this way. That, we simply
the trial. Every drop in the on supporting defendants before prison, Sometimes, the emotional work involved
cannot stop until all the cages and
ocean of struggle counts. so our main focus can be supporting in ABC can be challenging too. Like
prisons in this world are destroyed. What
people in prison. We also get involved when you hear from comrades who
keeps me going is knowing that these
• • • in national campaigns against prison have been tortured or beaten in prison,
systems of oppression and exploitation
“ expansion and more. We also organise or are just struggling with imprisonment.
still exist and that the necessity to fight
I actually first received actions as part of international days of Organising can help you to feel less
remains. Emotionally, what keeps me
support from an ABC action. powerless, but you still feel like you
going is friendships that I have gained
when I was in prison. This just want to go there and destroy the
through the ABC network. There are
solidarity and support from I feel that ABC is beautiful and necessary walls and get these people out! I think
some incredibly inspiring people active
the group made a huge impression on for many reasons. I feel it is really this feeling of ‘not doing enough’ is
in this struggle and it is an honour to
me, and when I was released and then important that the anarchist movement something that many people feel
know them.
finally free of these state conditions, I builds up the infrastructure that enables who are engaged in struggles, its not
joined the group. us to be resilient to repression. It’s clear exclusive to ABC.
My advice for new groups is to ask for
from history that effective struggles will
support when you need it – contact one
Our ABC group has engaged in many always be met by state and capitalist My favourite moment is I think definitely
of the longer running groups and simply
activities over the years. At some points, forces. visiting one prison on the New Year’s
ask for help. We have all made so many
we have friends and comrades we know Eve solidarity demos and making “
mistakes and learned so
personally who are in prison, and our We need to learn from history and be noise outside. Inside the women were
much over the years that
work may be more directly supporting prepared. It’s useful to have ABC groups
people are happy to help
them – like prison visits, writing letters, in existence so that when the shit hits
others to get started. Also,
fundraising etc. Other times, our work is the fan, we are ready and can respond.
make sure you take care
more focused on international solidarity. It’s also meaningful to be organising
of yourself and each other!
We try to organise at least one monthly international solidarity and constantly
And fuck macho bullshit :)
event; this could be anything from a be developing and strengthening these
vegan burger night to raise money, to relationships. For myself, on a very
hosting a speaker who is touring and personal level, ABC gave me hope and
“
For some years, I was were not how many people imagine I’m doing anti-repression-stuff for nearly
aware about the existence activism or how actually activism looks 18 years and, as an anarchist, I was
of such a group in our city. like – something boring and taking a lot always interested in organising as an ABC
I rather felt it is something of time. Because it is not activism. Our group and doing anti-prison-projects.
super-secret and to me case is a bunch of friends, cooking food There was an ABC group somewhere
it was a kind of 7th level of anarchism together and having a good time, and else in the country in the late 90s/
or something. Now it sounds really meanwhile actually doing things. But beginning of 2000, when I just started by
ridiculous, but I guess it was so because also I got to say that there are things myself doing things in the radical left and
it was vital to not talk about who is doing which start to be hard after some time, I had some loose contact.
what and who is who, you know. like publishing things on the website –
especially if you have dozens of other Later, I was organised in an anti-
My involvement started with wave of things to do. repression-group that did some kind of
repression which also hit me and my legal support service for demonstrations
comrades, and anti-repression work It is good to share these responsibilities and so on. I left this group because of
got much wider scale than before and and not to create these hierarchies, I some big differences concerning the
involved more people. After some time, I mean, for example, really try to avoid a political goals we are fighting for and my My advice to people starting - do your
realised that actually we are doing things situation when there is only one or two personal affections to radical theory and work and fight. It’s not a hobby or some
which ABC is doing for a long time, and people who know how to put things on practice. Then some people in my home kind of project that you can quit when
the only difference is that I don‘t meet a website or has an access to e-mail, town started an ABC group in 2008. It you are interested in something new or
other people from the group, who don’t because these things are very routine took some years because of different more fascinating.
necessarily do public things and don’t or they start to be routine very soon. So personal and political issues but then I
want many people to know about their share it, and when you feel that this time joined them. For me, it makes no sense to start an
involvement. it was hard for you, share it with people in ABC group and then stop with it some
group and make yourself a small reward. One of my favourite moments was when years later because nobody is interested
So after some time I got closer and took I thing it’s a tip for how to make things a we organised the Anti-Prison-Days some in the things you are doing or the fights
some responsibilities that I wanted to bit more inspiring. years ago and an anarchist long-term- you are going through. Of course not.
take care of. It was simple because we • • • prisoner joined the meeting. He was 16 Anti-Repression is never some fun-stuff.
are just bunch of friends and see each years behind bars and was released 10 It’s hard work. And it’s hard to continue.
other very often, and it is actually hard days before he traveled to the meeting. But don’t give up. Some small breaks,
to name the day when I got involved as It was really impressive to meet him and ok, but don’t give up. It’s “
our ABC group doesn‘t have ritual for listen to his words during the discussions. also a story of trust and
accepting new people, like oaths around He was so open-minded and talked dependability for other
the campfire when it’s a full moon – about his experiences in prison. For me, people in the same or
which is really nice ritual I think..! it was the affirmation of why I’m fighting similar fights.
against the prison industry and that we
My favourite moment - I think I really are right. • • •
liked how we were inventing nicknames
for all these police and state assholes What keeps me going? It’s fucking “We are not just doing anti-
who were trying to send us to prison. important. Yes, it’s hard work and nothing
repression work, we are enemies
Making jokes about all of them while fun about that, but it has to be pushed
of the state and capitalism and
writing an article and sometimes trying to forward. We are not just doing anti-
write it in the most funny way we could – repression work, we are enemies of the ABC is just one part of a lot. I can
I think I could count so many hours that state and capitalism and ABC is just one not stop. There will be always
we spent laughing about the police. part of a lot. I can not stop. There will be repression as long there is the
always repression as long there is the
state, so we will continue.”
And I think all these organising moments state, so we will continue.
“
This work started for me We made and printed flyers and zines different groups can also connect more are connected in a loose international
almost 20 years ago, when about prison related topics, made talks easily. There is a lot of material to use network.
I started to get involved about current cases and prisoners and from other ABC groups and the ABC also
with a quite active punk always collected money to support has a long history we can look back and The challenges have been to keep going
scene. At this time, there prisoners and other groups. We took try to learn but also take inspiration from. and not to burn out. In this line of work so
was an active ABC group part in international gatherings and also to speak there is not so many moments
in the south of this country organised Anti-Prison-Days. Most people who are somehow involved of success, where you see immediately
and one of the people was also doing with an anti-authoritarian movement or a result. We started with a group which
a DIY Punk Zine and I ordered it. And We participated in solidarity actions just the punk scene know what ABC is. was more than twice the size than we
with and within the zine was also ABC and since 6 years now, we organise a There are punk-festivals all over Europe are now. Many people lost interest in
Material. I immediately had the feeling solidarity-festival once a year. Since 4 in solidarity with ABC groups who want the group, the ideas, the struggle… But I
that this is important and got drawn to years, we publish a monthly printed to support this cause even if they are not guess otherwise the usual stuff like life in
this topic. And so a friend and I made an newsletter. We have a regular updated part of groups themselves. a capitalist society in general.
ABC Solidarity Benefit Compilation on website with current events and an
Tape. We spread and printed flyers and incomplete list of prisoners. On the other side, I think it is important The best moment is often its just a letter
pamphlets about ABC and prisoners. to get organised and have anarchist you get from inside prison. The last two
Over the next years, the topic was And we have an always growing book structures to support prisoners, which years we also got invited to talk at a
still important for me and I did some and zine distro. Sometimes, we manage keep on going and not form new from festival about our work and they wrote
solidarity stuff for ABC groups but it to travel around and give talks about case to case. And also not to completely some really nice words about our group
would take almost 10 more years to start ABC related topics and/or the history rely on the German Rote Hilfe, for and our work and why they do a benefit
our own group in my city in 2008. of Anarchist Black Cross in general. We example, who managed to print in the especially for us. It felt really nice to get
are always happy to get asked for doing last two years at least two articles in appreciated for the work you do. It’s not
Prison or Anti-prison perspectives were talks. the Rote Hilfe-Newspaper celebrating why we do it, but to be honest it felt just
not a topic in the anti-authoritarian authoritarian communism (who killed really good.
movement at all and the anti-repression We consider ourselves more an anti- and incarcerated anarchists/anti-
groups did not have an anti-prison/anti- prison group than an anti-repression authoritarians). Of course many of the What keeps us going? It is just really
authoritarian perspective. We wanted to group, but also do anti-repression work. “sub-groups” who are part of Rote Hilfe important and it’s just part of our struggle
change this. Since about one year, we do a monthly are not like this, but I think this over- as anarchists. It sometimes does not feel
letter writing workshop. reliance in Germany on this structure is like much what you can do, but then you
In the first years, our main focus was to dangerous. And it also shows somehow get letters from prisoners and they still
spread the ideas of an anarchist view I think ABC is important because think that we are everywhere! ;) And that we have so much fight in them and they let
against prisons and make prisons/ it’s an important part of an anarchist you feel how important your support is
repression and solidarity a bigger topic struggle. We have to support (our) to them. And most of the time you never
within the anti-authoritarian movement. prisoners and also have to keep the met them but you read their words and
After a while, the banners on solidarity struggle against this prison society going. you feel this strong bond and affinity. I
demonstrations changed from “freedom ABC can be a useful label under which personally get a lot of power and energy
for all political prisoners” to “freedom back from these letters.
for all prisoners” ;) haha. But we did a lot “It sometimes does not feel like
of talks about why we as anarchists are much what you can do, but then Also meeting people over the years who
against prisons and that there can’t be a are involved since the 80s and even
you get letters from prisoners
free society with prisons. A lot of people 70s in anti-prison-struggles is always
within the movement seemed to have and they still have so much fight very inspiring for me. Or people who do
a hard time with these ideas at least at in them and they let you feel this work living in far more repressive
first. We also did an Infotour through the how important your support is to countries. And their experiences and how
country about this topic. them.” they manage. And there is still prisons
and capitalism and no liberated society,