M.V.
Drugs [en]

I like drugs. How couldn’t I? Why should I give up something that makes me feel good, that can alter my state of consciousness at various levels as I abandon myself to a sense of psychological and physical well-being. After all, it is easy to feel weak and helpless once we realize that we are not living in the best of worlds but in an environment where we are continually absorbing the conditioning of our tastes, feelings, opinions and impulses and are even called upon to contribute to their constant redefining in one way or another.

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Putting Ideas on Trial: The Greek State’s Laboratory of Repression An Interview with Nikos Romanos, Imprisoned Anarchist [en]

After several failed attempts across Europe to frame anarchists and other anti-authoritarians with conspiracy and terrorism charges, the Greek state is at the forefront of developing new legal strategies to attack social movements. Article 187A of the Greek legal penal code has existed since 2004, but last year, Greek officials used it in a new way against Nikos Romanos and several other anarchist prisoners, convicting and sentencing them to many years in prison based on a new interpretation of the article. Regardless of whether these verdicts are overturned in higher courts, the trials indicate a major strategic shift in the policing of social movements in Greece. They offer an important warning sign about the new forms that repression may assume around the world as social conflict intensifies.

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A few thoughts on the spectacle [en]

One of the main characteristics of anarchism is a disrespect for, and the will to confront, any form of authority and in that vein anarchists have been carrying out actions and developed theories and strategies with various results during different periods. Over the last 20 years the political/economical/social situation has been radically changed by the way society/civilisation has been progressing, and capitalism, which has developed to a phase where it is too hard to follow its authoritarian and destructive nature and performances. One thing is clear, the phase that civilization has now reached (to a great extent helped by the development of capital, but we must not forget that capitalism is not the only form of authority that must undoubtedly be confronted) is so destructive and aggressive that every day more and more people are becoming aware of this fact. Parallel to this, many ideas and movements have been born or reborn, or just become more visible or present: the eco movement, antimilitarist movements, vegetarianism/veganism, the animal rights movement, the animal liberation movement, syndicalism, anarcho-syndicalism, communism, neomarxism..., and in the end the movement of the movements, the antiglobalization movement. All of them with their own critique, claims and goals. One would have thought that the more enemies capitalism has the easier would be its destruction, but unfortunately the present situation is saying absolutely the contrary.

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Library.Anarhija.Net — (not so) new anarchist project [en]

ABOUT THIS LIBRARY

lib.anarhija.net

We live in the age of the inflation of the word. Its presence is so ubiquitous, its quantity is so overwhelming that its value tends to be zero, carrying no meaning. Technology has made publishing easy and inflated. The idea this library is built upon is not to collect everything coming out from the internet, but instead to save from this deluge meaningful, purposeful, useful texts, texts with live ideas, texts which could be printed and which wouldn’t feel off on the tables of an anarchist distribution. The outcome of this endeavour is still unclear.

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[USA] Of Indiscriminate Attacks and Wild Reactions An Anti-Civ Anarchist Engages with ITS and Atassa, their Defenders and Their false Critics [en]

The following is the introduction to a short book critiquing so-called “eco-extremism” in Mexico, and those in support of it in the United States. To read two essays on the subject already published on IGD, go here.

Read and Download HERE

Author’s Note to IGD readers: This essay was written a year ago, in haste. It was prompted by the escalation in 2017 of conflict between insurrectionary anarchists and proponents of a new school of purportedly anti-civilization ideology known as “Eco-Extremism”, both in Mexico and the US. This conflict was signaled in part by the appearance of a US journal called Atassa: readings in Eco-Extremism, which presented ideas and writings associated with the armed struggle group known as Individualidades tendiendo a lo Salvaje, abbreviated ITS but most often translated from the Spanish as Individualists Tending toward the Wild (a group with a history stretching back to around 2011).

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Horror Vacui [en]

There are anarchists who run after uprisings on other continents wherever the spotlights of the media fall. There are anarchists who talk about “fortress Europe” and they don’t even know which States are part of the EU. There are anarchists who struggle against the borders and they don’t even know where the Schengen frontier runs. There are anarchists who, like “good white men”, see in the “dark-skinned” non-EU people potential comrades, and they don’t even notice that there are European non-EU people. There are anarchists who talk about internationalism and they don’t even know (or don’t give a fuck) what happens on their own continent. There are anarchists who express solidarity with all prisoners (or all political prisoners), as if the prison is really a correctional facility that automatically turns a human being into a better person (or a comrade/anarchist). There are anarchists who think of antifa as their comrades, as if the left-wing/extreme-left movements/parties are the lesser evil in an illusory revolutionary front. There are anarchists who get into the role of victims, just because they are a woman, gay, trans etc.., as if it is not enough to be “simply” a human being to be oppressed by the Power (as if this notion is
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Italy: Sripta Manent trial (started on 16/11/2017) — Statement to the court by anarchist Alfredo Cospito [en]

(translated by act for freedom now!)


On 16/11/2017 the SCRIPTA MANENT trial began inside the bunker courtroom of ‘Le Vallette’ prison in Turin. Imprisoned anarchist comrade Alfredo Cospito read a long declaration. Alfredo was not present in court as he was subjected to video conferencing from inside the AS2 unit in the prison of Ferrara.

Declaration to the Court:


Benevento 14th August 1878- Turin 16th 2017

Malefactors on trial

The Union of Egoists is your instrument, it is the sword with which you increase your natural strength; the Union exists thanks to you. Society, on the other hand, demands much from you and it exists without you; in short, society is sacred, Union is yours; society uses you, the Union–you use it – Stirner

O, gentlemen, the time of life is short! .. An if we live, we live to tread on kings — Shakespeare, Henry IV

I regret every crime in my life that I haven’t committed, every desire that I have not satisfied – Senna Hoy

...

Alfredo Cospito
Ready or Not... [en]

In these three years I was faced with choices which led me by the hand through a path fraught with crossroads and bifurcations.

Like on a minefield, I had to decide carefully where to step, with my pride and my self-respect at stake. The first choice I had to face with was whether I should continue to contribute, or let the prison overflow me, patiently waiting to get out. As limited as my situation is, I chose to continue to contribute through the written word. Once I made this decision I faced another crossroad: whether to confine myself — ecumenically — from this “high point” of my “status” (sic.) of a “revolutionary” prisoner — to bestowing blessings in each directions, applauding to every anarchist practice, paying attention not to make any enemies; or to use the weapon of critique, ever more harshly, trying to outline some analysis, to open some discourses. I chose the easier way (at least for me): openly push my critique to the extremes, at the cost of isolation (less letters, less information, less generic solidarity).

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Italy: Text by anarchist comrade Afredo Cospito from Ferrara prison (2016) [en]

With 30 years of charges on my back, it may seem absurd to feel the need to communicate projects and considerations. With the insistent censorship that distorts everything I write and say, it may seem stupid and mad to continue to resolutely communicate and write considerations lending themselves to censorship. I need such stupidity and madness to feel still alive and participating.
I have only one choice, back to the wall: continuing struggling, continuing with every means at my disposal.

I got inspiration to write this text from the prosecutor Sparagna [in charge for Scripta Manent]; in his solitary “interlocutory — monologue” he claimed with ill-concealed embarrassment that he got us by process of elimination, by the “scorched earth” that the anarchist movement in Italy made around us. Is it possible that the anarchist movement here in Italy sank so low as to not feel empathy with comrades caught in a grip of repression, to think of us as a foreign body?
The truth can not be found in the “specious” and stupid logic of a prosecutor from Turin. The truth is hidden in the folds, in different expressions of solidarity that have been addressed to us, in the opportunity that even a wave of repression such this one could give us. This is apparent from many actions expressing solidarity across the globe to us, this is apparent from a few but significant solidarity statements that we received. At first glance these statements may seem like the usual solidarity for appearances’ sake, but at my eyes they become fully meaningful.
Maybe because of their origins, comrades with different projects, despite everything, were profoundly, directly, touched. Maybe because all these comrades are in some way part of this anarchism of praxis that keeps anarchy alive and kicking, and well reacting across the globe. For this and for many other reasons, those words of solidarity are no small things and can become an opportunity, especially if they can go beyond the repressive matter.

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Italy: Open Letter To The Anarchist & Anti-Authoritarian Movement (2003) [en]

Released by the FAI (Informal) in 2003 after a series of letter-bomb attacks against State targets across the EU.



As the consolidation of the EU is going on quickly and assuming all the wickedness of the political, economic, military-repressive choices of the various States, and as a European constitution that re-establishes and legitimates EU dominion is about to be ratified, the first Informal Anarchist Federation struggle campaign has started. We could not deny ourselves the pleasure of actively criticising the six-month’s Italian presidency of the EU, which is coming to an end. We are aware that, behind any official rhetoric, the decisions that have been taken during the last months will bring about new practises of exploitation and dominion. In Fortress Europe, where not only the borders between exploiters and exploited are defended with the arms, we oppose trade agreements and the militarization of the territory with free agreements between those who struggle against dominion, as we want to demonstrate that not only is the struggle possible, but it is also an absolute necessity.

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Italy: Anarchist newspaper “Vetriolo” issue 1 is out, autumn 2017 [en]

We published issue 1 of anarchist paper Vetriolo at last. At the same time we also printed issue 0 for those who have recently asked for copies, as it had been out of stock for a while. After several months of censorship the contribution anarchist comrade Alfredo Cospito wrote last winter for the previous issue has arrived. His letter had been blocked and seized on order of inquisitor judge Sparagna, the “scripta manent” operation’s instigator.
In this new issue there’s space for analysis on questions that were raised in the previous one, in particular the questions of cities, political alliances and internationalism, the history of the exploited’ movement and the continuation of an attempt at the analysis and elaboration of an anarchist theory of the State. Moreover we also treated other questions: a critical reflection of the concept of consistency; another one on survival in urban spaces and the changes that the latter undergo; an article of analysis on technology, in particular robotics, from an ecological point of view and in terms of its social and antisocial consequences. We dedicate an important part to the issue of “war”. With our often bitter tone and polemic articles we
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UK: Online version of Return Fire vol.4 [en]

Here’s the PDFs for the most recent version of Return Fire, vol.4, of autumn 2016 – additionally with the supplement that accompanies it. Once again, 100 pages of passion, commentary, proposals and interview material. The supplement, Caught in the Net, is a survey of critical perspectives on what information age technology is doing to our cognitive abilities, our health more generally, and our capacity to rebel. It comes as a separate document, of another 28 pages. Both colour and greyscale cover options are available, for further reproduction and distribution.

Return Fire #4 — cover colour
Return Fire #4 — cover B&W
Return Fire #4 — contents
Caught in the Net — Return Fire #4 supplement

To give you an idea, a few of the featured pieces are the Institute for the Study of Insurgent Warfare’s essay Panopticons Then & Now, arguing for a more sophisticated understanding of the surveillance State; On the Catastrophe of the Salmon Farms and Martime Devastation in the Patagonian Sea as recounted by members of Colectivo Critica y Accion following the events of 2016; words on avoiding needlessly repetitious deeds and indeed aiming to ‘hit where it hurts’ as highlighted in Dissonanz #34 by Taking Apart Authority; and Sold Out to the Industry tells of U.K. unionism cosying up to the fracking prospectors, from The Acorn.
Other articles we have condensed or synthesised are those such as the ‘Antagonistic Margins’ of seduction, contagion and queering the ‘terrortory’, by The Experimentation Committee; the presentation of “Another Figure of the Migrant” as theorised by Thomas Nail in conversation with the Hostis journal; or Ed Lord’s discussion of modernity and questions of psychological ‘disorders’, ‘A Profound Dis-ease’.
Plenty of direct attacks on structures of our enemies found their way into
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UK: Three new publications on the anarchist armed struggle against power by Untorelli Press (04/2017) [en]

Untorelli Press presents three new publications on the anarchist armed struggle against power.

- A Few Words of “Freedom”: An Interview with Alfredo Cospito by Conspiracy of Cells of Fire – Imprisoned Members Cell

Beyond Right & Wrong by Conspiracy of Cells of Fire

Let’s Become Dangerous: For the Diffusion of the Black International by Conspiracy of Cells of Fire

These publications are a continuation of our Anarchist Guerrilla Series, dedicated to Darko Mathers, nihilist-anarchist of Dark Matter Publications, who passed away in 2014. For more texts against civil anarchism and for combative anarchy, visit darkmatter.noblogs.org

UK: “Tool 4 Crowd-Control – Class War-Horse” – Anarcho-nihilist zine from Dark Matter Publ. (04/2017) [en]

PDF: Tool 4 Crowd-Control – Class War-Horse‘

A short anarcho-nihilist zine from Bristol about personal approaches to class warfare, living on the margins and kicking it till it breaks. You know the score.

This zine asks the question – If you are one of the ‘comrades’ who are always going on about the class-struggle, why don’t you get off your ass and do something instead of standing there criticizing at the squat/gig/bar etc?

Dark Matter Publications

Italy: “For a Dangerous June” (05/05/2017) [en]

A text that sums up the ideas expressed during the meetings ‘With our heads held high’

State repression is the most important part of the system of dominion and one of its most disgraceful expressions; it doesn’t surprise us that those who are struck most are historically those who don’t let themselves be recuperated by the system of power, i.e. anarchist, revolutionary and rebel individualities.
The latter respond to the physical, psychological, moral, social and economic repression unleashed by all the components of democratic power and to the brutal indiscriminate violence of its armed hands and the judiciary. This they do with direct action aimed at those responsible for repression, with the creative and liberating destruction of the places of dominion and the sabotage of its infrastructures, so as to put an end, or at least hamper, the causes of exploitation and oppression by human beings on other human beings, the earth and animals.
In the view of total liberation, to passively watch the reproduction of dominion means to be accomplices, so there are those who continue to hold their heads high and rebel.
As a consequence power puts all its strategies into action, and the trials and proceedings against comrades for actions, episodes of conflictuality and writings still continue. Next month there will be the cassation trial concerning so-called operation Shadow, where a number of comrades are accused, among other things, of instigation to commit a crime following the publication of the paper KNO3.
These judicial proceedings are an expression of the war that the authorities are waging on the bond between thought and action, which is the foundation of anarchism’s dangerousness. Beyond individual and specific struggles, this police operation aims at striking the cardinal concepts of antiauthoritarian ideas and methods such as direct action, refusal of delegating and solidarity.
Starting from these reflexions, during the meetings that developed after the arrests of operation Scripta Manent, rather than dwell on the strategies of repression, we felt it necessary to not reduce solidarity to the technical support of those who are in prison, but to widen the spectrum of our analysis.
In this respect, we discussed how solidarity is
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Italy: The latest paper issue of the a-periodical “Croce Nera Anarchica” no.3 [en]

To anyone who wants copies for themselves, archives or distribution, the latest paper issue of the a-periodical “Croce Nera Anarchica” no.3 is still available.
For info and copies write to: croceneranarchica (at) autistici.org
(You can download the PDF in the download section or directly from this link )
The post address has changed as follows:
OMAR NIOI
C.P. 104
CAP 80133 NAPOLI — ITALIA

—————————————————————-

We want to point out that the anarchist prisoners’ fund needs money. The fund is for all anarchist prisoners, so the money raised is used in this way:
- Sent to the comrades in prison every 15 days
- Used for legal expenses and experts’ reports
- If visiting relatives or comrades need it, their journeys are paid for, given that visits are essential.
- The money is also used for info material (news, updates, destructive actions, communiques, etc.), which is sent to the prisoners every 15 days so that they can keep up to date on what is happening outside.
- It is also used also for telegrams in case of urgent communication such as transfers, reports, disciplinary sanctions, etc.
Anyone who wants to know details about the destination of the money sent to the fund can write to us and specify it.
CROCE NERA ANARCHICA SOLIDARITY FUND:
Account name OMAR NIOI
Postepay card number 4023600919342891

Croce Nera Anarchica

(translated by act for freedom now!)

Italy: Anarchist Black Cross — Document read out during the meeting in Turin (21/01/2017) [en]

As happens any time that power tries to block the path of the revolt that creeps like weeds, opening up cracks and disconnecting the straight secure roads of exploitation and oppression, it is necessary for those who still care about the life pulsating in those weeds to look each other in the eye.
Following the operation denominated ‘Scripta Manent’ we, some anarchists, decided to do a number of meetings. Those held in Pisa and Rome have produced various problematics. But obviously, happening in a context of ‘emergency’, i.e. in response to the arrest of eight anarchist comrades, it was difficult to find the space to go into them. Not for that should we lose the opportunity to find this space and create moments for deeper analysis.
The last phrase of the text calling for this series of meetings that started from Pisa read: ‘We believe that those who see the responsibility to claim the anarchist idea, its tensions and practices as their own need to meet up and discuss.’ Let’s ask ourselves a question: why do we consider this responsibility ours at the present time?
Our answer is clear. These past years in particular have been strongly characterised by a progressive shallowness that in time has led to victimization, dissociation, silence in regard to the latter, specific divisions between good boys and bad anarchists, etc. etc.
So, today more than ever, we think it is fundamental to firmly take our responsibilities as individuals who do not submit to resignation, expressing our will to re-establish what the anarchist struggle is.
Among the many things, remaining shoulder to shoulder with our comrades also means collectively taking on everything that they are charged with as part of our own struggle/life.
That’s why we are convinced that occasions such as this encounter and the previous ones, where, as anarchists, we talk to prepare an event but also look beyond the cycle of repressive operations, should be supported and promoted.
The trajectory that the State wants to put on trial by holding Marco, Danilo, Anna, Valentina, Sandro, Alfredo, Daniele and Nicola hostages is our own. We therefore call for a proud presence at the trial, always knowing that the struggle, the real one, the living one, is carried out at other levels.
We think that solidarity is a word that has been abused and now even causes confusion; what we have at heart is to continue to do what we’ve done in the past and create the occasion to carry on in the future. Free from any sense of devotion, let’s get rid of the logic of having to do solidarity; we don’t think that there is anything particular about staying close to comrades who are temporarily held in a phase that one consciously risks by living anarchy, and we are sure that any well-delivered blow creates a crack in the walls that dominion erects to keep us down inside and outside its cages.

Croce Nera Anarchica

(translated by Act For Freedom Now!

Paroxysm of Chaos #2 [en]

New issue of anarcho-nihilist magazine “Paroxysm of Chaos” (first issue).
Download: Paroxysm of Chaos #2

Contents:
-Prologue
– Desecration of universality and the theatrical significance of civilisation’s performances (pages 2–5)
-Chaotic iconoclasm and incineration of idols (Anticivilisation paroxysm part 1) (pages 6–9)
-The coronation of moralism upon the throne of the ghost of Nature (Anticivilisation paroxysm part 2) (pages 9–19)
-Breaking the windows that sell the products of civilisation (Anticivilisation paroxysm part 3) (pages 20–21)
-My misanthropism (Anticivilisation paroxysm part 4) (pages 21–23)
-Wildness in the city (pages 24–28)
-A Life (pages 28–31)
-Insurrection or revolution? (pages 32–35)
-The unique one meets the overhuman II (pages 36–37)
-Moments of war (pages 38–45)
-Poetry of the void (pages 46–49)
-Introduction to the project Antisocial Evolution (pages 50–53)
-On being lyrical (pages 54–55)

e-mail: paroxysmofexistence(at)espiv.net