A-Infos (en) Belge, FA: The anarchists - "We only ever see them when..." Written by here and now (ca, de, fr, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

We had already written it another time. Anars, apparently, seem to be 
fashionable in the cultural and associative world. We don't spit on it, 
don't believe it. On the contrary, moreover: we are delighted! Don't 
expect us to play killjoys or, even worse, guardians of the temple and 
orthodoxy. Anarchism belongs to everyone. Finally, let us understand: 
the Cercle Proudhon, we would have said to him "Hands off!"» In fact, we 
would have even told him something else. "Shit," for example.
We will therefore not say "Shit" to these cultural and associative 
allies. We can speak kindly about them, without fear of being told that 
they are being brushed aside since we don't know them personally, only 
by name. Peuple & Culture and Barricade (associations based in Liège, 
subsidized to carry out continuing education activities in the field), 
for example, are stirring up the vein wholeheartedly: so much the 
better, let's say it again. Two dates planned: Thursday February 8, 2024 
from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., these two non-profit organizations are 
offering an introductory conference evening on anarchism followed by an 
exchange to sharpen critical views on anarchist ideas. (We're just 
almost copying and pasting, so as not to get in trouble!) One week 
later: on Thursday February 15, 2024 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., the same 
associative pair invites you to an evening to discover the tool " The 
Revenge of the Anars" with several game tables. The creator of the game 
will be present, Stéphane Jonlet, from the stable of organized 
secularism and researcher at the Interdisciplinary Center for the Study 
of Religions and Secularism at the Free University of Brussels.

In Philippeville, moreover, the Maison de la Laïcité is organizing an 
aperitif meeting on February 20, during which "we will discuss together 
concrete experiences that could be qualified as anarchist by mobilizing 
the anthropology of David Graeber, theorist of North American 
libertarian thought.» (Caramba! Another copy and paste!)

What beautiful events (hi Marc Z. and thank you for coming!) are happily 
flourishing, one might say, in which the words "anarchists" and 
"anarchism" are even written in full. Did we say it? We are not offended 
by it, in the least, on the contrary. The proof is that we cordially 
advertise these very pleasant moments of meeting. Moreover, we would be 
wrong to spit in the soup, given that the same Maison de la Laïcité de 
Philippeville has given us the honor and kindness of inviting us in 
November 2023 to host a talk and even sell our books. And we have 
collaborated with Barricade on several occasions. It is rather our own 
mea culpa that we will make below.

When we run out of inspiration to evoke anarchism, we have this verse on 
hand, which we bring out ourselves, unfortunately, a little 
indiscriminately: "There is not one in a hundred and yet they exist!» 
Yeah... Times have changed. The anars are still not more numerous, guess 
a little. And yet, here we are talking about anarchism, in broad 
daylight and at prime time. This is obviously because we now know: 
anarchists are not just the Bonnot gang. Yeah, but still, all the same: 
Germaine Berton shot a guy (a scoundrel), Alexandre Berkman shot a guy 
(another scoundrel)...

What we mean, in short, is this. We ourselves, anarchists who are 
members of a recognized organization (the Anarchist Federation), by dint 
of playing the respectability card, coming out of the shadows to gain 
visibility, participating in talks in partnership with well-established 
associations, have we not contributed to watering down the revolutionary 
scope of our message? Yes, we politely go to cultured circles to talk 
about the comparative merits of Emma Goldman and Élisée Reclus, or the 
labor scholarship of Pelloutier. But what? Anarchism is also, first and 
foremost, a revolutionary movement. For real. The idea remains to sweep 
away the old world. To break with centuries of obedience, wage labor, 
exploitation, by all means. Including violence. Ferré's song is good. 
But you have to listen to it until the end: "We only ever see them when 
we're afraid of them!"»

For now, it's just a question, not a condemnation. A question to ask 
yourself. Perhaps there is no answer, anyway. By favoring the cultural, 
associative path, to disseminate our message of insubordination, 
freedom, self-management, refusal of all authority, do we... don't we 
anarchists also have a little stopped being scary?

Alphonse d'Enletat, Ici & Now group (Belgium) of the Anarchist Federation

http://ici-et-maintenant.group/index.php?article95/les-anarchistes-on-ne-les-voit-jamais-que-lorsque
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