[Nettime-bold] Re: <nettime> Pierre Khalfa (ATTAC-France) on violence & the movement after Genoa

["jeroen olyslaegers" <jerryo@pandora.be>]

dear nik:

your attitude amazes me.
such fear of recuperation...
but hey: i don't blame you
it must be traumatic yet weirdly fulfilling to take part in events where you
can hear bones break.
it makes you feel you belong, i guess
but aren't we forgetting the main issue here?
i thought people were protesting to actually make things better, to get
things moving again.
what you call compromise could mean a significant change for a lot of
people.
it would be foolish to outright denounce violence or the black block.
they made (and still make) their point.
but there is another side of the coin,and other strategies to use.
so let's skip the heroics and the tedious rhetoric about who belongs to
which club.
and move FORWARD.
let's ALL keep pushing, not just warriors & veterans like yourself.

respect
jeroen

-----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
Van: n ik <fragments@va.com.au>
Aan: nettime-l@bbs.thing.net <nettime-l@bbs.thing.net>
Datum: donderdag 6 september 2001 21:06
Onderwerp: Re: <nettime> Pierre Khalfa (ATTAC-France) on violence & the
movement after Genoa


>>After Genoa, a few thoughts on violence and the current state of the
>>movement .
>>Pierre Khalfa .
>
>its interesting how many ppl there are in the 'movement' now (it
>reminds me of a statistic i once heard - apparently there are now 2
>million americans who went to woodstock now - far more than were
>actually there).
>
>firstly, its not a movement. there are many networks and movements
>that have converged on international financial institutions, & global
>bodies that regulate (or have a hand in regulating) international
>trade and finance. most of these networks and movements are radical,
>anti-authoritarian and anti-capitalist. a few are more reformist in
>nature.
>
>its these reformist networks, movements, and organisations whose
>'friends' are now coming to the party. Greenpeace have put out a
>'globalisation' kit in Australia. Friends of the Earth Europe has
>called for a expulsion of the 'violent' protesters from the
>'movement'. Bono and Geldof are putting on their shades and taking
>care of business. More and more moderate reformists (who all happen
>to have quite a bit at stake in the current order(s)) are calling for
>'control', for us to 'police ourselves', and for certain ppl to 'take
>charge' of the movements(s).
>
>who are these ppl to take charge? i don't remember seeing any
>messages from them when we did the first global day of action in may
>1998. Or see them standing next too me in the streets on J18. Or hear
>their bones being broken on the streets around the world since.
>
>The majority of the networks and movements that have created this
>current series of actions and confrontations are just as much
>anti-authoritarian as they are anti-capitalist. any call for self
>policing or control or taking charge cannot have come from within the
>majority of the networks and movements that make up what the
>journalists laughingly call the 'anti-globalisation movement'.
>
>Any attempt to exert control on these networks and movements will
>either fail dismally (the positive outcome) and the reformists will
>be cast to one side, or it will collapse under the divide and conquer
>tactics of NGO's, 'professional advocates', and reformists who are
>acceptable to the media and have a minimal amount of support (the
>negative 'incorporation' outcome).
>
>Pierre Khalfa talks as thought the second possibility were
>inevitable. The irony is that if it weren't for the intervention of
>people like him, that possibility would be impossible. It is
>compromise that will kill this series of networks and movements - not
>'extremism'.
>
>The Black Bloc(s) and other militant direct action blocs have played
>the most vital of roles in this latest series of actions - polite
>advocacy to the powerful few has played no role at all.
>
>As for the differences between Quebec and Genoa ? - in Quebec there
>wasn't a group  of 400 fascists and police running around dressed in
>black to form a convenient excuse for the police to attack, and a
>convenient excuse for the reformists to call for 'control' (under
>their wise and gentle guiding hand of course).
>
>Yes these networks and movements are in the midst of a debate on
>tactics and strategies at the moment. And it is interesting how high
>an opinion most ppl have of the black bloc, and of other militant
>direct action tactics and strategies. I think that they will all
>remain a part of these networks and movements for quite some time
>yet. I'm not so sure about the reformist elements of the movement who
>would be quite happy with a seat at the table though. I fear they
>will not be with us for long,
>
>nik
>
>
>
>>Given this situation, we must at the same time fulfil 4 aims. Firstly we
>>must maintain and strengthen the link with public opinion. Secondly we
>>must avoid the movement breaking up. Thirdly we must be capable of
>>assuming its increasingly radical nature. Finally we must continue to
>>organise massive demonstrations to show its strength .
> <...>
>
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