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Anarchist Black Cross

February 23, 2024

The Anarchist Black Cross (ABC), formerly the Anarchist Red Cross, is an anarchist support organization. The group is notable for its efforts at providing prisoners with political literature, but it also organizes material and legal support for class struggle prisoners worldwide. It commonly contrasts itself with Amnesty International, which is concerned mainly with prisoners of conscience and refuses to defend those accused of encouraging violence.[1] The ABC openly supports those who have committed illegal activity in furtherance of revolutionary aims that anarchists accept as legitimate.[2]

The traditional symbol of the Anarchist Black Cross

History edit

The Anarchist Black Cross offers aid to political prisoners.[3]

In the early 20th century Russian Empire, dissidents including anarchists and socialists were jailed, exiled, or killed for their resistance to monarchy. Different political groups and organizations got together under Political Red Cross umbrella to provide material support for those repressed. Political Red Cross split when Social Democrats began filtering the group's support towards people with ideological alignment,[4] thus creating the Anarchist Red Cross to help all social revolutionaries without regard to their political affiliation.[5] By 1907, the Red Cross had expanded to Russia, Europe, and the United States, particularly as Russians fled persecution but from exile, continued to support imprisoned political dissidents. The Russian empire fell in 1917 and by releasing its political prisoners, obviated any need for the Red Cross, but as the Bolshevik communists rose and adopted the tsar's tactics, anarchists once again returned to prisoner aid. The group later changed its name from Red to Black Cross to not invoke the international humanitarian Red Cross.[6]

 
Anarchist cross movement, 1921

Black Cross chapters in the early 20th century focused on helping anarchist dissidents during the Spanish Civil War, World War II, and in Francoist Spain. In the 1970s, the Black Cross turned away from international aid issues and towards local political issues. American chapters responded to increased government crackdown on radicals following the 1960s counterculture, in which activists were imprisoned during the Federal Bureau of Investigation's COINTELPRO program. The American Anarchist Black Cross supported around 100 jailed dissidents by the early 2010s.[6]

In 1967, a British iteration of the Anarchist Black Cross sprouted upon Stuart Christie's return from Spanish prison.[3] The group combined with Black Flag, which itself consisted of members of the Anarcho-Syndicalist Committee active in the 1950s and 60s.[7] The Anarchist Black Cross is associated with publications including Black Flag (which has been produced since around 1970), Bulletin of the Anarchist Black Cross, Mutual Aid, and Taking Liberties.[8] Black Flag, in particular, is known for its advocacy for "class war anarchism". In conjunction, the Anarchist Black Cross considers itself less attached to liberalism than groups like the Freedom Press. The Anarchist Black Cross continued its activity through at least the late 1990s.[3]

The Black Cross's aid efforts include fundraising, acts of solidarity, support of prisoners and their families. Fundraising includes events that educate and involve community collaboration, and the funds raised buy prisoners stamps, writing implements, among other basic needs. Solidarity efforts include campaigns, letter-writing nights, sharing literature, and advocacy for hunger strikes and clemency. These acts aim to reduce prisoner isolation and improve their living conditions.[6]

Revolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine edit

In 1918, Nestor Makhno organized new chapters of the Anarchist Black Cross as an adjunct to his anarchist Revolutionary Insurrectionary Army of Ukraine in the territories of Ukraine which they controlled.[9]

In September 1919, a grenade attack at a meeting of the Moscow Committee of the Bolshevik Party was used as a pretext for mass arrests of anarchists all over Russia by Bolshevik Red Army forces and the Cheka. Anarchist militants were arrested; even the Insurgent Army and its general, Nestor Makhno, was hunted down at the orders of Leon Trotsky, determined to cleanse Russia of all anarchists with "an iron broom".[10][11] It soon became clear that some kind of anarchist prisoner aid organization would have to be created once again to help anarchists in Bolshevik prisons. In Moscow, Kharkiv, Odesa, and many smaller cities new Anarchist Black Cross and similar organizations were formed such as the Society to Help Anarchist Prisoners, devoted mainly to supplying food to anarchists and other dissidents on the left. The work proved difficult, even where food was easy to obtain, as it would often be confiscated by Bolshevik Red guards encountered on the way.[12]

Later years edit

 
The Anarchist Black Cross Federation was created in 1995.

During the 1960s, the Anarchist Black Cross was reformed in Britain by Stuart Christie and Albert Meltzer with a focus on providing aid for anarchist prisoners in Francisco Franco's Spain. The reason for this was Christie's experience of the Spanish State's jail and the importance of receiving food parcels. At that time there were no international groups acting for Spanish anarchist and Resistance prisoners. The first action of the re-activated group was to bring Miguel García García, whom Christie met in prison, out of Spain on his release. He went on to act as the group's International secretary, working for the release of others.[13] The group's bulletin became a newspaper—Black Flag—strongly allied with the anarchist tradition of revolutionary class conflict.[14][15]

Several small American chapters merged in 1995 to form the Anarchist Black Cross Federation and unify their tactics for supporting political prisoners. A parallel organization, the Anarchist Black Cross Network, was formed in 2001 to pursue prison issues more generally, with looser conditions for membership.[16] Anarchists contributed to the campaign to free Mumia Abu-Jamal, the jailed journalist and former Black Panther.[17]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ . amnesty.co.uk. 2006-05-18. Archived from the original on 2013-03-06.
  2. ^ . Archived from the original on October 17, 2008. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  3. ^ a b c Barberis, McHugh & Tyldesley 2000, p. 140.
  4. ^ Hackett 2015, p. 69.
  5. ^ Hackett 2015, pp. 69–70.
  6. ^ a b c Hackett 2015, p. 70.
  7. ^ Barberis, McHugh & Tyldesley 2000, pp. 140–141.
  8. ^ https://libcom.org/library/taking-liberties-newsletter-london-anarchist-black-cross Taking Liberties archive at Libcom.
  9. ^ "Makhno's Black Cross". Nestormakhno.info. 1968-07-19. Retrieved 2015-05-16.
  10. ^ Avrich, Paul, Anarchist Portraits, Princeton University Press (1990), ISBN 0-691-00609-1, ISBN 978-0-691-00609-3, p. 116
  11. ^ Goldman, Emma, Trotsky Protests Too Much: An Essay, The Anarchist Communist Federation, Glasgow, Scotland (1938) Essay: Trotsky's campaign against 'dissident elements', sanctioned by Lenin, killed or imprisoned thousands of anarchists. Most of those imprisoned were later sent to concentration camps in Siberia; few were ever heard of again.
  12. ^ . Abcf.net. Archived from the original (TXT) on 2015-07-04. Retrieved 2015-05-16.
  13. ^ Meltzer, Albert (1996). "XIII". I Couldn't Paint Golden Angels. Edinburgh: AK Press. pp. 200–201. ISBN 1-873176-93-7.
  14. ^ Smith, Evan; Worley, Matthew (2014). Against the Grain: The British Far Left from 1956. Oxford University Press. p. 135. ISBN 978-0-7190-9590-0.
  15. ^ Meltzer, Albert (1996). "The Start of 'Black Flag'". I Couldn't Paint Golden Angels: Sixty Years of Commonplace Life and Anarchist Agitation. San Francisco: AK Press. ISBN 978-1-873176-93-1. OCLC 33948800.
  16. ^ Amster, Randall (2012). Anarchism Today. ABC-CLIO. p. 108. ISBN 978-0-313-39872-8.
  17. ^ Cornell, Andrew (2016). Unruly Equality: U.S. Anarchism in the Twentieth Century. Univ of California Press. p. 297. ISBN 978-0-520-28673-3.

Bibliography edit

  • Barberis, Peter; McHugh, John; Tyldesley, Mike (2000). "Anarchist Black Cross". Encyclopedia of British and Irish Political Organizations: Parties, Groups and Movements of the 20th Century. A&C Black. pp. 140–141. ISBN 978-0-8264-5814-8.
  • Hackett, Colleen (March 2015). "Justice through defiance: political prisoner support work and infrastructures of resistance". Contemporary Justice Review. 18 (1): 68–75. doi:10.1080/10282580.2015.1005506. ISSN 1028-2580. S2CID 145373054.

External links edit

  • Anarchist Black Cross Federation website

February 23, 2024
anarchist, black, cross, formerly, anarchist, cross, anarchist, support, organization, group, notable, efforts, providing, prisoners, with, political, literature, also, organizes, material, legal, support, class, struggle, prisoners, worldwide, commonly, contr. The Anarchist Black Cross ABC formerly the Anarchist Red Cross is an anarchist support organization The group is notable for its efforts at providing prisoners with political literature but it also organizes material and legal support for class struggle prisoners worldwide It commonly contrasts itself with Amnesty International which is concerned mainly with prisoners of conscience and refuses to defend those accused of encouraging violence 1 The ABC openly supports those who have committed illegal activity in furtherance of revolutionary aims that anarchists accept as legitimate 2 The traditional symbol of the Anarchist Black Cross Contents 1 History 2 Revolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine 3 Later years 4 See also 5 References 6 Bibliography 7 External linksHistory editThe Anarchist Black Cross offers aid to political prisoners 3 In the early 20th century Russian Empire dissidents including anarchists and socialists were jailed exiled or killed for their resistance to monarchy Different political groups and organizations got together under Political Red Cross umbrella to provide material support for those repressed Political Red Cross split when Social Democrats began filtering the group s support towards people with ideological alignment 4 thus creating the Anarchist Red Cross to help all social revolutionaries without regard to their political affiliation 5 By 1907 the Red Cross had expanded to Russia Europe and the United States particularly as Russians fled persecution but from exile continued to support imprisoned political dissidents The Russian empire fell in 1917 and by releasing its political prisoners obviated any need for the Red Cross but as the Bolshevik communists rose and adopted the tsar s tactics anarchists once again returned to prisoner aid The group later changed its name from Red to Black Cross to not invoke the international humanitarian Red Cross 6 nbsp Anarchist cross movement 1921Black Cross chapters in the early 20th century focused on helping anarchist dissidents during the Spanish Civil War World War II and in Francoist Spain In the 1970s the Black Cross turned away from international aid issues and towards local political issues American chapters responded to increased government crackdown on radicals following the 1960s counterculture in which activists were imprisoned during the Federal Bureau of Investigation s COINTELPRO program The American Anarchist Black Cross supported around 100 jailed dissidents by the early 2010s 6 In 1967 a British iteration of the Anarchist Black Cross sprouted upon Stuart Christie s return from Spanish prison 3 The group combined with Black Flag which itself consisted of members of the Anarcho Syndicalist Committee active in the 1950s and 60s 7 The Anarchist Black Cross is associated with publications including Black Flag which has been produced since around 1970 Bulletin of the Anarchist Black Cross Mutual Aid and Taking Liberties 8 Black Flag in particular is known for its advocacy for class war anarchism In conjunction the Anarchist Black Cross considers itself less attached to liberalism than groups like the Freedom Press The Anarchist Black Cross continued its activity through at least the late 1990s 3 The Black Cross s aid efforts include fundraising acts of solidarity support of prisoners and their families Fundraising includes events that educate and involve community collaboration and the funds raised buy prisoners stamps writing implements among other basic needs Solidarity efforts include campaigns letter writing nights sharing literature and advocacy for hunger strikes and clemency These acts aim to reduce prisoner isolation and improve their living conditions 6 Revolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine editIn 1918 Nestor Makhno organized new chapters of the Anarchist Black Cross as an adjunct to his anarchist Revolutionary Insurrectionary Army of Ukraine in the territories of Ukraine which they controlled 9 In September 1919 a grenade attack at a meeting of the Moscow Committee of the Bolshevik Party was used as a pretext for mass arrests of anarchists all over Russia by Bolshevik Red Army forces and the Cheka Anarchist militants were arrested even the Insurgent Army and its general Nestor Makhno was hunted down at the orders of Leon Trotsky determined to cleanse Russia of all anarchists with an iron broom 10 11 It soon became clear that some kind of anarchist prisoner aid organization would have to be created once again to help anarchists in Bolshevik prisons In Moscow Kharkiv Odesa and many smaller cities new Anarchist Black Cross and similar organizations were formed such as the Society to Help Anarchist Prisoners devoted mainly to supplying food to anarchists and other dissidents on the left The work proved difficult even where food was easy to obtain as it would often be confiscated by Bolshevik Red guards encountered on the way 12 Later years edit nbsp The Anarchist Black Cross Federation was created in 1995 During the 1960s the Anarchist Black Cross was reformed in Britain by Stuart Christie and Albert Meltzer with a focus on providing aid for anarchist prisoners in Francisco Franco s Spain The reason for this was Christie s experience of the Spanish State s jail and the importance of receiving food parcels At that time there were no international groups acting for Spanish anarchist and Resistance prisoners The first action of the re activated group was to bring Miguel Garcia Garcia whom Christie met in prison out of Spain on his release He went on to act as the group s International secretary working for the release of others 13 The group s bulletin became a newspaper Black Flag strongly allied with the anarchist tradition of revolutionary class conflict 14 15 Several small American chapters merged in 1995 to form the Anarchist Black Cross Federation and unify their tactics for supporting political prisoners A parallel organization the Anarchist Black Cross Network was formed in 2001 to pursue prison issues more generally with looser conditions for membership 16 Anarchists contributed to the campaign to free Mumia Abu Jamal the jailed journalist and former Black Panther 17 See also editAnarchist symbolism Louise Berger National Lawyers Guild November Coalition Olha Taratuta Prison abolition movement Political Red CrossReferences edit Prisoner of conscience PoC Glossary of terms amnesty co uk 2006 05 18 Archived from the original on 2013 03 06 What is the Anarchist Black Cross Archived from the original on October 17 2008 Retrieved February 4 2016 a b c Barberis McHugh amp Tyldesley 2000 p 140 Hackett 2015 p 69 Hackett 2015 pp 69 70 a b c Hackett 2015 p 70 Barberis McHugh amp Tyldesley 2000 pp 140 141 https libcom org library taking liberties newsletter london anarchist black cross Taking Liberties archive at Libcom Makhno s Black Cross Nestormakhno info 1968 07 19 Retrieved 2015 05 16 Avrich Paul Anarchist Portraits Princeton University Press 1990 ISBN 0 691 00609 1 ISBN 978 0 691 00609 3 p 116 Goldman Emma Trotsky Protests Too Much An Essay The Anarchist Communist Federation Glasgow Scotland 1938 Essay Trotsky s campaign against dissident elements sanctioned by Lenin killed or imprisoned thousands of anarchists Most of those imprisoned were later sent to concentration camps in Siberia few were ever heard of again Anarchist Black Cross Federation ABCF site on political prisoners and prisoners of war in the United States and beyond Abcf net Archived from the original TXT on 2015 07 04 Retrieved 2015 05 16 Meltzer Albert 1996 XIII I Couldn t Paint Golden Angels Edinburgh AK Press pp 200 201 ISBN 1 873176 93 7 Smith Evan Worley Matthew 2014 Against the Grain The British Far Left from 1956 Oxford University Press p 135 ISBN 978 0 7190 9590 0 Meltzer Albert 1996 The Start of Black Flag I Couldn t Paint Golden Angels Sixty Years of Commonplace Life and Anarchist Agitation San Francisco AK Press ISBN 978 1 873176 93 1 OCLC 33948800 Amster Randall 2012 Anarchism Today ABC CLIO p 108 ISBN 978 0 313 39872 8 Cornell Andrew 2016 Unruly Equality U S Anarchism in the Twentieth Century Univ of California Press p 297 ISBN 978 0 520 28673 3 Bibliography editBarberis Peter McHugh John Tyldesley Mike 2000 Anarchist Black Cross Encyclopedia of British and Irish Political Organizations Parties Groups and Movements of the 20th Century A amp C Black pp 140 141 ISBN 978 0 8264 5814 8 Hackett Colleen March 2015 Justice through defiance political prisoner support work and infrastructures of resistance Contemporary Justice Review 18 1 68 75 doi 10 1080 10282580 2015 1005506 ISSN 1028 2580 S2CID 145373054 External links editAnarchist Black Cross Federation website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Anarchist Black Cross amp oldid 1190571884, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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