Not Ideological Solidarity but Critical Revolutionary Solidarity: A Personal Reflection of Yogyakarta/Indonesia Anarchist Black Cross (Palang Hitam)*

Knowledge chooses its project,
each project is new and chooses its moments,
each moment is new, but simultaneously emerges from
the memory of all the moments that existed before

• The Interior of the Absolute

*It is fair to say that the Black Cross were initiated after the May Day event in Yogyakarta 2018, a demonstration/blockades that ended up in a riot between the so-called “local people” and the demonstrators (many, even the so-called Student Organization involved in the organizing blamed the Black Clad anarchists for igniting the riot and provoked property destruction, and to their surprised the graffiti that call to “Kill the Sultan”, until now there have been no one claimed this). Therefore, even Palang Hitam now are progressing their activities to other places and helping other revolutionaries who are facing the same legal consequences or just being in the grassroots conflict to provide medical aid, its “over-lapping” solidarity still meant that Palang Hitam were originated, initiated, and activated by the comrades who are “on the list” (of the powers that be) and those who are completely not on the list but decided to actively participated. So, in order to specified the location of these comrades, mainly central java, it is fair to say that Palang Hitam is Palang Hitam Yogyakarta or Central Java.

What being said in this short critical reflection are based on specific geographical and historical understanding of the anarchist movement or the revolutionary movement of individuals against state and capitalism in Indonesia. There’s no need to say about the contrast between our geographical location and our comrades in the west and those who are also in the global south, especially considering prison solidarity in its historic sense. Indonesia, have plenty of oral history about prison rebellion and rebellious individuals, but these were almost never written, these were almost like mythopoesis among criminals for generation and some even become so legendary that it always inspired rebellion each time there’s a prisoner get beaten very severely or until they die. It is obvious there’s almost no official history of them because, who want to write about these violent, lawless, and cool individuals? Even the so-called radical academics tend to avoid this subject.

While in Spain we know histories such as Grappo and their resistance and individuals such as Xose Tarrio Gonzales, we surely have the latter but the former, such as a coordinated organization inside prison and outside, was never really a history here. Or in Greece, where the CCF and other organization such as ex of 17N and Revolutionary Struggle have been doing their part in making escapes, rebellion, and even a plot to destroy the prison completely to free their comrades.

In Indonesia (although it is better just to focus it in Java, because there are different dynamics such as in West Papua or other parts of archipelagos regarding solidarity action), what the populist-leftist movement inherited to us after the fall of New Order regime, were just bitter pills of every revolutionary students each time they got arrested and most of these leftist organization abandoned these individuals. Though it is not better for the anarchist movement either regarding this situation, such as in 2011 where two anarchists were arrested and the “movement” silenced themselves, deciding that the action that was carried out (arson against atm bank) were counter-productive to their public organizing. What legacy did this populist leftist or the anarchist movement give to the younger ones regarding prisoner solidarity? An endless stupidity of not knowing how the legal system work, how advocacy work, and why you should not be afraid of being arrested (there were cases where self-labeled anarchists went into hiding even though the charges or the case were very specific that it is impossible for them to be arrested) or why you should go underground, and why you the imprisoned comrades should not afraid of making open letter to the comrades in national and international. These are the homework for Palang Hitam and all another revolutionary movement that seek to destroy capitalism and state using whatever strategy they see fit, that is to understand how the legal system works and how to get around it to ease or makes our imprisoned comrades more confident in their convictions. It also includes the choice that they wanted to make, because it is their choice, not the people/organization/movement have the rights to dictates it to them. Thus, the “unconsciousness” of the wanna-be insurgent wherever they understand the legal consequences of their action. And note this: no movement who are seeking to overthrow the capitalist system seriously are safe from the state backlash. The state is not neutral, police and investigators are not going to save you from their web of law, because they are a mere server or the attack dogs of the rulers and capitalists.

Don’t expect something less, expect and anticipate more repression when you already attack them. Remember, you’re not fighting bullies, you’re fighting a thousand years of an advanced civilization that managed and developed the techniques to control and pacify you each time they consider yourself or your movement a threat.

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