London Anarchist Bookfair 2023/24

[Pickman's model]

But still bullshit. Maybe stop repeating inaccurate reasons for something you seem not to know very much about?

If cesare's wrong maybe say 'this is what happened' rather than acting like a pompous twat. Just a thought.

 

[LDC]

Its not bullshit and it's been written about frequently. What makes you the expert?

I'm not, I said it wasn't as simple as that.

I said there's people on here that were actually members or closely involved. And Serge who was much closer to it all has just responded to you with this:

Nope.

 

[LDC]

Maybe say 'this is what happened' rather than acting like a pompous twat. Just a thought.

Pot. Kettle. Black.

 

[JimW]

Half suspect it's all a marketing ploy, can't beat a good controversy to get your event talked about.

 

[LDC]

Out of here on this debate, it's a load of poisonous sub-cultural shit involving a bunch of damaged and dysfunctional people.

 

[Serge Forward]

Jesus have had to read that statement a few times to make sense of it.

So, "We have, however, recently been made aware of new information which suggests there may still be dis-unity within ACG when it comes to trans solidarity which has excacerbated existing concerns within the bookfair collective ... We welcome the feedback and discussion and have made the decision to inform ACG we are now unwilling to give them a stall at this year's bookfair."

They're not giving them a stall due to some internal disagreements they've heard about within the ACG!? WTF.

I've not been involved with ACG for over a year so not up on the "latest" crap from the bookfair. But I was there at the time of the split from the AF and it had less to do with any GC stuff and more to do with a group of poisonous wankers shitting up the place and turning it into idpol central. I suspect those same wankers (one at least who's occasionally posted on here) are behind this.

That's all I'll say on this as just recollecting it triggers the fuck out of me.

 

[Serge Forward]

Its not bullshit and it's been written about frequently. What makes you the expert?

Written about repeatedly by the same wanker(s).

 

[Pickman's model]

Pot. Kettle. Black.

We both make choices to act like wankers. But I don't know why you chose to act like a wanker to cesare.

 

[cesare]

Written about repeatedly by the same wanker(s).

I don't think they're all the same tbh. Were you at the AF meeting when they had that intersectional person over from the US (if that's where you're coming from re the Idpol stuff)?

 

[Serge Forward]

If the US person (AF member based in either Glasgow or Edinburgh) is the one I'm thinking of, they were most definitely one of the poisoners. Anyway, I've no intention of reliving that shit.

Look cesare, I'm sure you're acting in good faith but you're basing what you're saying on misrepresented information. These are not good people.

 

[cesare]

If the US person (AF member based in either Glasgow or Edinburgh) is the one I'm thinking of, they were most definitely one of the poisoners. Anyway, I've no intention of reliving that shit.

Look cesare, I'm sure you're acting in good faith but you're basing what you're saying on misrepresented information. These are not good people.

No, a guest from the US. Not afaik, a member. Who are you talking about in terms of not being good people btw? Lots of people exited AF at the time of the split and many just kept away from the mess rather than joining a different group..

 

[Serge Forward]

I'm not naming names on here but I recall a couple of people in Merseyside, some in Glasgow and Edinburgh and others in Bristol. Yes, the AF was hemorrhaging members before I left, usually after being bullied by the above. Many of these dropped out of politics. A bunch of us instead went on to set up the ACG.

 

[cesare]

I'm not naming names on here but I recall a couple of people in Merseyside, some in Glasgow and Edinburgh and others in Bristol. Yes, the AF was hemorrhaging members before I left, usually after being bullied by the above. Many of these dropped out of politics. A bunch of us instead went on to set up the ACG.

Yeah, I didn't mean wanting the actual names. I wasn't a member so I doubt I'd have been on the receiving end of any bullying from other places. I used to go to the meetings at Freedom though including the one I just mentioned.

 

[Serge Forward]

Yeah, I didn't mean wanting the actual names. I wasn't a member so I doubt I'd have been on the receiving end of any bullying from other places. I used to go to the meetings at Freedom though including the one I just mentioned.

Ah okay. I don't particularly recall London AF being in the wrong 'un camp at the time. Some people there left and helped set up ACG while others stayed with the AF.

But in case you're in any doubt, I'm pro-trans and anti-GC but was the first national secretary of the ACG. In the AF I was labelled a TERF because I had known Helen Steel for decades, and at the time she was attacked at the infamous bookfair I said the way she was treated was wrong (even though I disagreed with HS), as was the burning of the bookfair banner. Doesn't matter, these fuckers will swear blind I'm TERF.

But it was like that back then. These fuckers often suggested or indirectly implied you were TERF, racist, misogynist, homophobic, etc if you expressed any reservations about some obscure idpol tract. It's no surprise they ended up turning on each other after we left... hence even more leaving the AF.

 

[Wilf]

I'll leave the substance of this to those in the know. However accepting an organisation and then cancelling them days before an event, on the grounds that 'we've heard you have splits', is crazy. That alone makes this feel subcultures rather than a movement looking to working class self organisation.

 

[LDC]

We both make choices to act like wankers. But I don't know why you chose to act like a wanker to cesare.

Apologies to cesare then, my annoyance was at them repeating what I think are simplistic accounts of what happened that feeds into this destructive and poisonous atmosphere.

 

[Serge Forward]

Apologies to cesare then, my annoyance was at them repeating what I think are simplistic accounts of what happened that feeds into this destructive and poisonous atmosphere.

Which is why the ACG chose to not respond to the shit stirring from certain dishonest AF prople and their allies. I don't honestly know whether this was the right move but the choice not to participate in the shenanigans of an ever decreasing cult but instead get on with building a class struggle anarchist movement seems the wiser choice.

 

[Pickman's model]

I'll leave the substance of this to those in the know. However accepting an organisation and then cancelling them days before an event, on the grounds that 'we've heard you have splits', is crazy. That alone makes this feel subcultures rather than a movement looking to working class self organisation.

There's something very simple I look for in the organisation of a bookfair, anarchist groups who apply to be given a stall. Vetting them is really poor. At the class war International conference the anarchist workers group had a stall, and makhno knows no one liked them

 

[steeplejack]

Shots fired.

All very sad really.

 

[hitmouse]

God knows that A-to-B lefty marches aren't the be-all and end-all of politics, but having just been on the big anti-tory march this weekend, "we" were totally fucking invisible. Saw some of my neighbours there, saw some of my workmates there, but in terms of anarchism, the most visible red-and-black I saw all day was some bloke from the CWO who had a bag from a bookfair. Ho hum.

 

[The39thStep]

God knows that A-to-B lefty marches aren't the be-all and end-all of politics, but having just been on the big anti-tory march this weekend, "we" were totally fucking invisible. Saw some of my neighbours there, saw some of my workmates there, but in terms of anarchism, the most visible red-and-black I saw all day was some bloke from the CWO who had a bag from a bookfair. Ho hum.

In Manchester?

 

[hitmouse]

Just spotted some prick making veiled threats against the Dorset bookfair as well.

 

[hitmouse]

In Manchester?

Yep, in Manchester.

 

[The39thStep]

Shots fired.

All very sad really.

The replies to the Anarchist Bookfair statement on Twitter makes this place look relatively sane

 

[LDC]

The replies to the Anarchist Bookfair statement on Twitter makes this place look relatively sane

Yeah I had a quick look at that and it just looked like mentally unwell kids playing out their issues online tbh.

 

[The39thStep]

Yep, in Manchester.

Some pals of mine went but they aren't into anarchists spotting , they did mention that the YCL had a reasonable turn out.

 

[The39thStep]

Yeah I had a quick look at that and it just looked like mentally unwell kids playing out their issues online tbh.

Safe space

 

[LDC]

If I can't have a safe space free from being a bit upset it's not my revolution.

 

[hitmouse]

Some pals of mine went but they aren't into anarchists spotting , they did mention that the YCL had a reasonable turn out.

Yeah, suspect that they did a national mobilisation for that bit of cosplay, doubt they actually have that many members in the northwest. There was a soundsystem van that had some quite good tunes that was behind the YCL/CPB bloc, which made a blessed change from the usual samba band, so cos of wanting to stay near the van me and my friends ended up literally tailing the stalinists. Sure there's a punchline to be had somewhere there.

 

[hitmouse]

Yeah I had a quick look at that and it just looked like mentally unwell kids playing out their issues online tbh.

Yeah, but now that the ACG are fully uninvited from the bookfair I'm sure that lot will definitely get around to putting together a proper serious anarchist response to the current cost of living crisis that will be really attractive and relevant to striking workers, any minute now.