Yes, after a considerable hiatus, the Fantin Reading Group is back – about time! We will be meeting more often from now on, so watch this space for future sessions.
Join us on Sunday 9th September at 2pm as we kick things off again in a special session that is being hosted by the Direct Action Collective.The text we will be reading is an excellent essay by Robert Sparrow entitled “Anarchist Politics and Direct Action” which you can download here: rob-sparrow-anarchist-politics-direct-action
The Direct Action Collective is a joint initiative of MAC & the Anarcho-Syndicalist Federation of Melbourne. The DAC is an informal collective of Anarchists – that is, libertarian socialists/libertarian communists & anarcho-syndicalists. Together, we aim: to be engaged in working class struggles & socially progressive movements; to maintain an Anarchist presence at protests, strikes and other direct actions; to unite revolutionary Anarchists; and to promote the ideas of Anarchism to the public.Why march alone? JOIN US! If you want to get involved, send an email to melbourneanarchistclub@gmail.com
Light finger food and refreshments will be available, but feel free to bring something for yourself and others, especially now that we have a well equipped kitchen!
Don’t forget that the MAC Infoshop is now open every Sunday from midday to 5pm.In addition to hosting an Anarchist bookshop, we also have a library and social space. Did you know that MAC is also available for hire for film & documentary screenings and other causes?
A good paper by Mr. Sparrow. Was particularly impressed by the recognition of the State as a site of struggle that can result in beneficial results (I prefer to use this as an example of how the State and democratic governance are contested in the same institution, but the effect is the same). Also agreeable was the approach to the State’s police as a political institution, however also noting that as implementers of law, this can also be contested territory.
One further elaboration that can be made is derived from the initial paragraph in terms of political strategy; whilst different progressive forces may use a variety of means (direct action for anarchists, ballot box for reformists, lobbying for liberals, etc), these of course can be combined into an extremely powerful campaign when united on a particular issue or program – which is why alliance building is so important. Such united campaigns will also draw attention to tactical advantages and disadvantages of each in particular contexts.
My apologies for not being able to attend this Sunday’s session. Hope it goes well.