Statement from Anarkismo on the AK Press accusations against Michael Schmidt

international | anarchist movement | feature

Wednesday September 30, 2015 03:09

by Anarkismo Network

The Anarkismo Network

The international Anarkismo Network, which brings together class struggle anarchist organisations from more than a dozen countries in both the global South and North, and has relations with far more from across the globe, has noted with great surprise and concern the recent accusations by AK Press that Michael Schmidt is a fascist working undercover to infiltrate the anarchist movement.

Before we can make any pronouncements on the matter, however, we need to carefully examine both the AK Press evidence, the article by Alexander Reid Ross, as well as Michael Schmidt’s response to the evidence and article. As a network Anarkismo has not taken sides, and will not accuse the accuser or the accused before there is more information and all the evidence has been presented.

[Italiano]

Statement from Anarkismo on the AK Press accusations against Michael Schmidt

The international Anarkismo Network, which brings together class struggle anarchist organisations from more than a dozen countries in both the global South and North, and has relations with far more from across the globe, has noted with great surprise and concern the recent accusations by AK Press that Michael Schmidt is a fascist working undercover to infiltrate the anarchist movement [1].

Michael Schmidt has been a regular and long-standing contributor to Anarkismo.net and, in the past, has sat on its editorial and delegates groups. If these accusations are proven to be true Anarkismo will take immediate and appropriate action to ban him from posting on the website, as well as to guard against any possible future infiltration.

However, we must be clear that we feel the way in which AK Press has dealt with the matter is irresponsible and prejudicial, judging and condemning Michael Schmidt without presenting any evidence, and without allowing him the right to defend himself, or to respond to the article before making the public announcement of 25 September 2015.

Both sides must be given a fair chance to have their say.

The Anarkismo Network therefore demands that the alleged “incontrovertible evidence” be released by AK Press with immediate effect, and not to refer us to the journalist: since AK Press itself has endorsed the position, it must take responsibility for the proof.

We furthermore demand that AK Press unconditionally and explicitly state, also with immediate effect, that its allegations refer to Michael Schmidt alone, and not to any publishers, co-authors, editors, left organisations or currents with which Michael Schmidt may have been associated.

We urge AK Press to publish Michael Schmidt’s official responses on its newswires and sites, as we believe that he has the right to defend himself [2].

The Anarkismo Network

1. http://www.anarchistnews.org/content/michael-schmidt-author-black-flame-white-nationalist-trying-infiltrate-anarchist-movement-ak

2. https://www.facebook.com/AKPress/posts/10156169461510249

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Comments (16 of 16)

by Mikey Dredd - West Yorkshire Anarchists (FB page admin)

Wed Sep 30, 2015 17:29

mikeydredd at blueyonder dot co dot uk

1 Wellstone Rise

01132191950

I totally agree with the anarkismo statement and would call on AK Press to now publish / provide the evidence. Michael Scmidt has also responded so the onus is now on his accusers to prove their case or withdraw the accusation asap. The quicker the better, this is extremely damaging to both the movement and Michael himself.
In solidarity
MD

Not in Anarkismo but....

by Syndicalist - Personal capacity only

Thu Oct 01, 2015 06:47

Although I may not share in the politics or traditions of the Anarkismo network, I'd like to reiterate my viewpoint here. Whatever the ultimate outcome might be, as an anarchist, my own allegiance is to openness, fairness, libertarian integrity and principle.

In this spirit, I agree with this portion of your statement:

Before we can make any pronouncements on the matter, however, we need to carefully examine both the AK Press evidence, the article by Alexander Reid Ross, as well as Michael Schmidt’s response to the evidence and article. As a network Anarkismo has not taken sides, and will not accuse the accuser or the accused before there is more information and all the evidence has been presented. Both sides will have to explain themselves thoroughly first and be available for answering any serious questions about the information

The full story with all details

by A

Sat Oct 17, 2015 21:36

Read the full Schmidt story with all details here:

https://medium.com/@rossstephens/

Both sides ...

by Anarkismo supporter

Sun Oct 18, 2015 08:18

I see from link above 3 of 4 statements by the authors who make the claims is now online. But also, let us wait and see what Michael Schmidt does say in response. Then comrades can make an informed view. For now we only have ONE side. But that does not settle the issue.

No article 4 yet

by Again with the delays

Tue Oct 20, 2015 19:41

So, this saga keeps dragging out. Nothing since Friday night, although the others came out every 2 days...

Anarkismo published Schmiddt's racist articles

by Platformismo

Wed Oct 21, 2015 09:40

So Schmidt was able to post white supremacist leaning articles here on anarkismo:

https://medium.com/@rossstephens/about-schmidt-how-a-white-nationalist-seduced-anarchists-around-the-world-chapter-3-7d288d84b170#.fumxic11a

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by selim nashin

Thu Oct 22, 2015 18:37

sydny, austrelia

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Will there be a reply to the allegations?

by Syndicalist (per cap only)

Thu Nov 05, 2015 01:02

I gather the authors of the critical report of MS is now complete. I am wondering if and when replies by ZACF, Anarkismo and MS might appear?

from the statement

by Reader

Fri Nov 06, 2015 20:34

The statement says "Before we can make any pronouncements on the matter, however, we need to carefully examine both the AK Press evidence, the article by Alexander Reid Ross, as well as Michael Schmidt’s response to the evidence and article"

Schmidt has not yet responded but has indicated he is working on a response. It would be quite unreasonable of organisations to put forward positions after only hearing one side of the story. There has been more than enough of that already.

"Reader"

Sat Nov 07, 2015 05:24

Yes, just saw this morning that MS said he would issue a reply. Fair enough. I think there are many of us who want everything on the table so we can come to a determination of our own. And so we can all move on from this unsightly situation.

Anarchist Affinity statement

by Kieran - Anarchist Affinity

Mon Nov 09, 2015 14:42

kieran at anarchistaffinity dot org

The following motion was adopted at Anarchist Affinity’s general meeting of 31 October 2015:

As a group we’ve read the recent series of articles by Alexander Ross and Joshua Stephens with substantial shock and concern.

Michael Schmidt is an author we have read, hosted in public events, and published in our magazine. The documents and information published by Ross and Stephens demonstrate that Schmidt has argued for and advanced deeply racist and white supremacist politics since at least 2006.

The explanations offered by Schmidt have been seriously unconvincing. The argument advanced by Schmidt that his racism on Stormfront and elsewhere was part of an undercover investigation (undertaken for eight years without result) stretches credulity. Even were this explanation accepted, the internal correspondence by Schmidt, that Ross and Stephens have published, demonstrates deeply unacceptable racism.

Whilst there have been reasonable objections to the manner in which the Schmidt material was announced and published; these are significantly less important than dealing with the problem that a prominent anarchist author, someone many in our tradition (including Anarchist Affinity) have drawn on, has concealed deeply racist views and practice for a number of years.

As a group, Anarchist Affinity has decided to cut ties with Michael Schmidt, and to remove works by Schmidt from our website.

I look forward to reading any statement that Lucien Van der Walt or the comrades of the ZACF might put out.

Anarkismo is silent about Schmidt's racism?

by hm

Sun Nov 15, 2015 12:07

OK, it's November 15, and there's still nothing here at all from Anarkismo, even though all the evidence has been out for a while. Surely you can find it within yourselves to take a stand about this?

Waiting

Mon Nov 16, 2015 03:36

I suspect they are waiting for Schmidt's reply which seems reasonable. All the evidence in a court case would be prosecution and defence, not just prosecution. How long did it take from the AK accusation being published until the last of those dramatic essays? A minimum waiting time would be the same I suppose? And then time to hear from ZACF and other 'witnesses'.

The mess is down to the very poor way AK and the writers of the essays handled this. If done properly none of this would have been public until all the evidence was available. The accusation first, evidence later approach was bound to lead to a drawn out process.

not buying it

Mon Nov 16, 2015 06:51

Dear Reader, your second paragraph doesn't follow from your first.

Also, the mess is the consequence of Schmidt's behavior, not anything that AK Press or the authors of the exposé are responsible for. The format of the text they wrote is more self-important than necessary, but we should not be complaining about that--we should be critical of the fact that no one else spoke up about this issue before they did, out of all the people who could have said something. If there is any possible defense of Schmidt's behavior, it is certainly not silence, which is what the people around him opted for across the course of several years.

I agree with the Anarchist Affinity statement, and I will be surprised if Schmidt's next statement, or anything we hear from Anarkismo after their long silence, can be anything but more damning of them both.

Anarchism is critical to the survival of humanity at this historical juncture, and deserves better exponents than we are seeing here.

Michael Schmidt's refutation

by Interlocutor

Sat Nov 28, 2015 02:55

Michael Schmidt's refutation: http://drinkingwithghosts.blogspot.co.za/

Will we now hear from others?

by Syndicalist - Personal capacity

Thu Dec 03, 2015 08:13

Now that MS has issued his reply, can we anticipate hearing from LvdW, as well as the ZACF?

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