Anti-Oppression Statement

This statement applies to the Anarchist Bookfair in London and all associated spaces whether physical or online.

Many organisations use 'safer spaces' policies; however, we prefer an anti-oppression statement. Our anti-oppression statement is a call for all of us to consider and transform our behaviours, both on the front lines of our struggles and in our everyday lives. 

We have all grown up in a patriarchal, racist and capitalist world and many of us carry trauma from our experiences. 'Unlearning our shit' is part of creating the better world we know is possible – we all need to take responsibility for it and support each other in freeing ourselves from the conditioning that has been imposed on us. 

Challenging Oppressive Behaviour

We define the following as abusive behaviours which are not tolerated in this space:

Physical abuse:

• Violence and threat of violence.

• Use of force and threat of force.

• Rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment.

Verbal abuse:

• Personal insult.

• Oppressive language.

• Verbal and written harassment, sexual or otherwise.

Acting against oppression is a collective process and we encourage everyone to challenge oppressive behaviour if you witness it, but please speak to an organiser or volunteer if you need assistance. We would like to ask that people challenge behaviour in the spirit of comradeship, as policing each other can be alienating and is often counter-productive. Everybody makes mistakes, and we are all still learning, so please bear this in mind.   

However, if people deliberately continue with abusive behaviour, oppressive language, distribute oppressive material or are deemed to be a risk to others they will be asked to leave the bookfair.  If prior to bookfair you have any concerns or suggestions, please feel free to contact us. 

We want to make the bookfair a welcome, diverse, inclusive space that actively opposes oppression in all its forms.   

A word on pronouns

Someone's chosen 'pronoun' is how they want to be referred to, e.g. they/them, he/him or she/her. Please respect this and don’t assume someone’s pronoun or gender identity depending on how they look. We recognise that mistakes will happen, but deliberate misgendering is not acceptable.

If you have any questions or would like to suggest any further accessibility measures, please e-mail us at anarchistbookfairlondon(at)riseup.net