Solidarity with BLM and Bristol

north america / mexico | migration / racism | press release Tuesday June 23, 2020 21:56 by Some people active in Haringey Solidarity Group

Direct action is the means of creating a new consciousness, a means of self-liberation from the chains placed around our minds, emotions and spirits by hierarchy and oppression.

We need to fight to abolish capitalism and the state, and have a fundamental systematic change to be in collective control of our own lives
 
After many nights of demonstrations and revolts in the America due to the killing of George Floyd, president Trump, from a bunker in the White House, announced that he would designate “Antifa” as a terrorist organization. Trump seeks to frame a spontaneous and manifold movement as an organization, not only assigning it an ideology but also a functionality that is hierarchical and in consonance with state logic.
 
Once again, terrorism is used as an alibi for the criminalization of wide sectors of our collective struggle, which at the same time completely exceed “anti-fascism”. But beyond denouncing and fighting against the repressive advance that this signifies, it’s necessary to reject the polarization that is sought to be introduced at the heart of the struggle.
 
Also here in the UK people have been standing and kneeling in solidarity with demonstrators in America. 

There have been Black Lives Matter anti-racism protests all over the UK (and globally), not just massive ones in the centre of many major cities but many hundreds of very localised protests involving hundreds of thousands of people. In Haringey alone in the last few weeks black and white residents and campaigners have held over 25 protests ranging from 'take the knee' gatherings in local streets, to a number of larger BLM events in parks often attracting hundreds of people, to a 2,000-strong kids walk against racism organised by parents. This massive grassroots upsurge of anger and solidarity is exposing and demanding an end to widespread institutional racism and forcing the authorities onto the defensive everywhere.

But in the UK the working classes and BAME communities have been suffering for years under austerity, the brutality of police, discrimination, inequality, homelessness, cuts and suspensions of benefits, and more. All these widen the gap between rich and poor. Poorer people shouldn’t tolerate anymore. We need some serious changes – and we need more than just demonstrations, which the state can easily deal with. Likewise petitions, lobbying and MP’s debating racism in parliament have changed nothing.  Because of this people have no choice but to take matters into their own hands and bring about change through things like, amongst others, direct action. We in HSG support and offer our solidarity to people in UK who use direct action and direct democracy as ways to resolve all our problems rather than relying on political parties and the failed bureaucratic parliamentary system.
 
While reformists advocate the ballot box and the liberals have their lobbying and their letter writing, bureaucrats claim to work through “the proper channels” and leftists have their vanguard parties –we as anarchists, libertarians, radical socialist, have always supported direct action as a way to bring about change.
 
Direct action, for example, like pulling down the hated statue in Bristol. There was a campaign which for years tried peaceful and “establishment” ways to remove the statue – all to no effect. By using direct action, the images went viral around the world and now removal of racist “hero’s” is happening all over. If the State really listened to us and cared what was being said these statues would have been removed years ago. They didn’t, so people decided to take things into their own hands.
 
This shows that we don’t need to beg the state for our rights but organising together, without relying on the state, we can address and solve our problems here and now.
 
Direct action is the means of creating a new consciousness, a means of self-liberation from the chains placed around our minds, emotions and spirits by hierarchy and oppression.
 
From some people active in Haringey Solidarity Group