“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” That’s what Gandhi said, and in this case it certainly rings true. The important lesson to draw from that quote is that you must stick to your principles and never bow down to intimidation. You’ve learned too much about solidarity by now to fall for fear tactics.
In a capitalists society, the wealth of the bourgeois is built off the backs of those who labour in factories and fields to produce the goods that the rich enjoy. It is stolen from the people whose homes and history lie atop those resources devoured by capitalism. The capitalist world view values economic growth as the ultimate measure of progress. Those whose lives do not contribute directly to the GDP are considerably more valuable if they are cut altogether, externalized costs to be trimmed from the budget, discarded like chattel. The working class, women, immigrants, and indigenous people are the ones who suffer most when profits are placed above people. This is why those who live on the margins of society must overcome their differences and present a united front against this kind of injustice, lest we fall, conquered by a system that seeks to create hierarchy amongst equals. The meaning of solidarity implies that we must stand together with oppressed peoples at all times, not only when it is convenient for us.
The solidarity collective may have its hands tied, but this in no way prohibits individual members from following their conscience wherever that may lead; and one need not look far amongst a collective of anti-capitalists to find people willing to answer this call to action. You soon find your people whose beliefs are in line with yours and form an affinity group to plan your action.
As is the case with consensus decision making, the members of an affinity group share a common understanding when it comes to fundamental principles and what kinds of tactics to use to achieve your goals. People who embrace different strategies when it comes to social change should form different groups so that the process of planning an action doesn’t get bogged down with moral and philosophical debates that may never be resolved. Your group, named Rebel Alliance, is a tight network of trust amongst friends and allies, where no member is further than one degree of separation from another. This means if there is anyone in the group you don’t personally know, there must be someone else in the group you trust who can vouch for them. This allows for a certain degree of privacy while planning your action, which is essential for civil disobedience. Even if it’s peaceful, it’s still against the law.
At your first meeting all this security culture seems a little unnecessary, if not completely paranoid, but it is helpful to remember that the powers you are conspiring against have tremendous resources. They have a lot to lose and so for them as well as you the stakes are high and the authorities have a strong interest in thwarting your plans.
You sink into your seat as this realization sets in and you begin to comprehend the seriousness of your decision to take a stand against some of the most powerful companies in the world. All of a sudden you feel the weight of this choice as a physical burden hanging over you like someone standing on your chest and it feels hard to breathe. You’ve participated in many actions over the years but this is the first time you’ve ever been involved in planning one. The task seems so intimidating that it’s difficult to imagine what you’re going to do and how you’re going to pull it off. But you draw courage from the brave land defenders standing on the front line to whose call you’ve answered. In contrast to their struggle your worries seem irrelevant. So, taking a deep breath, you clear your mind of anxieties and speak in a loud clear voice to the group assembled.
“Okay everyone. We all know why we’re here, so let’s get down to it.”
A silence falls over the room as people drop their muted conversations and direct their attention to you. Self-conscious not to kill the momentum, you let their focus sharpen your intent.
“Our indigenous comrades are being threatened by capitalist resource extraction and the corporate police who protect their right to profit.”
You let that sink in, pausing for a moment before continuing.
“They have called out to any and all who are willing to take a stand for justice to mobilize a defensive strategy to help protect the earth from exploitation. We are here because we hear their call and we choose to answer.”
There is an enthusiastic response from the membership of Rebel Alliance, who are full of righteous indignation and keen to stir things up for a good cause. Their faith in the movement gives you confidence and you recognize that you are not alone in organizing this but a part of a radical team who are all already doing their part to make this world a safer, more peaceful and just place for all. In an instant your worries evaporate and the pieces start falling into place.
“Let’s do some brainstorming,” you say. “Who’s got some ideas for what kind of action we can put together? Remember there are no bad ideas for now. We can decide on a plan later after we have considered all our options.”
People start raising their hands as you jot down notes on an old-school overhead projector. The first person to throw up their hand is your old friend Alex, a sour looking punk whose rough exterior only thinly conceals their inner nerd, which shines through in moments like the time they came up with the name for the affinity group.
“I say we hit them in the bank account. If their motivation is financial we could decrease the profitability of the project by retaliating against transportation infrastructure. If we shut down the rail lines we’d leave millions of dollars worth of resources stranded, unable to reach the market.”
The next to suggest an idea is Marley. With their long dreads and strange looking homemade clothes they make an easy target for lazy hippy jokes, which is funny because you’ve never met anyone who could work part time teaching at the community college, volunteer with the local drop-in centre while raising kids of their own, and still have time to show up for meetings.
“For the same reason I think we should look at shopping centers where the faithful go to pay penance to the gods of commerce. It is bloated consumerism that creates the demand for these mega resource extraction projects.”
You take notes in point form and look back up at the group for the next proposal, which comes from Casey. If there were anyone in the room who you’d think was a cop it would be Casey. With their conservative apparel and dorky glasses they don’t look the part of a radical. But the reality is that they’re much more concerned with what people think and do than they are with superficial appearances. Anybody who’s spent any time with them at all can see that’s the case.
“There are certainly many downstream economic targets that are vulnerable to direct action and civil disobedience, but I’m not sure if that sends the right message to the right people as the consequences are felt elsewhere. On the other hand, the regulatory authorities with the power to approve or reject these projects have their offices right here in this town. We could lock the very civil servants responsible for this project out of their work, and let them know that we have our eyes on them, and that people will be held accountable.”
People are being bold and creative, inspiring each other to go further. There is a synergistic effect from being in such a tight knit group where the sum is greater than its parts. Sparks fly, and magic happens.
After the initial brainstorming session, the group comes up with a list of criteria with which to evaluate each proposal. Can we pull it off, will it achieve our objectives, what are the potential consequences? Several scenarios are developed for each plan as people begin to flesh out the details. Eventually though, it becomes clear that a little more field work is necessary to gather intelligence on the potential targets before a final decision can be made. As you’re getting ready to adjourn the meeting, an older friend of yours, Quin, who’s been in the movement for some time and whose opinion you admire greatly, raises their hand with one more point.
“Some of the other affinity groups have called for a spokes council meeting to talk broad strategy and co-operation on the day of action. They’re recommending that each group send a delegate. I recommend that we select someone now to send as a representative for Rebel Alliance.”
“I nominate you,” says Alex pointing a finger straight at you.
“Ok, that’s one candidate,” you say, not bothering to write down your own name. “Is there anyone else who would like to go?”
“I would go if there’s no one else,” says Marley. “But I’d have to bring my kid, and I can’t promise I can stay for the whole meeting. Honestly I think it’s only natural to send you as our representative. It’s you who got this group together after all.”
“What about you Quin?” you ask. “You’re the one with the most experience here.”
“Experience? Hah, is what they call it when you’ve been sitting through meetings for years? It’s high time a new generation picks up the torch, that’s how you get to be experienced. You’ll just be there to listen to what other groups are doing and report back so we can make our plans accordingly. It’s not like you’ll be making any decision on our behalf. I think you’ll do just fine.”
In the end there is little debate, too little as far as your concerned, but the membership of rebel alliance have clearly chosen you as their representative for spoke council. Reluctantly, you take on the responsibility yet again.
To attend the Spokes council meeting . (click here)
Original photo by: Devin Balkind