10am
Learning from Capitalism’s Past and Confronting Future Challenges
Speaker: Old Moles Collective // Room: 2 (26 Leake Street)
A presentation and discussion on capitalism’s history and the threats to our future through environmental crises and war.
A journey to TOTAL LIBERATION and VEGANARCHY
Speaker: Autonomous Animal Action // Room: 3 (26 Leake Street)
Solidarity with our fellow animals is not too much to ask. Join us for a discussion on how we can create a multi-species world.How can we create a radical anti-speciesist pathway? What skills and tools do we need?
11.30am
Anarchism and Anti-War Resistance in Russia
Speaker: Antti Rautiainen // Room: Stage (26 Leake Street)
Thousands of Russians have been opposing the invasion of Ukraine. During the first month of protests against the war, 15 000 people were detained. Small street actions are still taking place, although they are heavily persecuted. More than 300 people have been imprisoned for anti-war activities, including six anarchists and antifascists. How can we support the movement?
The Mimeo Revolution
Speaker: Aloes books // Room: 2 (26 Leake Street)
Talking about the history, mechanics and technology of the stencil and spirit duplicator, with hands-on demonstrations to include using typewriters, scribes and both stencil and spirit duplicating machines.
Global Ecology not Global Economy: What can we learn from the history of the 1990s eco-anarchist direct action movement?
Speaker: Mayday Rooms // Room: 3 (26 Leake Street)
In the 1990s, signing on the dole while living in a tree on the route of a planned bypass was where it was at. Everyone spent all their time pouring sugar in the petrol tanks of JCB diggers and then dancing all night dropping Es at illegal free parties.
Well, OK, that wasn’t everyone and not every day was like that, but… the British ecological direct action movement of the 1990s pioneered tree houses and tunnels as tactics of resistance to the construction of capitalist infrastructure and carried out a wide array of militant action and sabotage against road building, quarrying, mining, genetic engineering, airports and housing developments.
What can we learn from the impressive ecological struggles and eco-anarchist politics of the 1990s and early 2000s? Come and delve into the Mayday Rooms’ eco-anarchist collection, get hands-on with some archive materials and hear ecological anarchists of various generations reflect on what we can take for the future from the histories of our movements.
Decrim! What? Why? How?
Speaker: Decrim Now // Location: Waterloo Action Centre
This presentation explores the fight for decriminalisation of sex work, the movement’s history, and its current manifestation in the UK and beyond. Offering a historical perspective as well as practical steps for change, the workshop seeks to empower attendees with knowledge and next steps, whether they are sex workers, allies, or allies-in-development. The workshop asks us to practice radical imagination, centre the voices of the most marginalised, and work through discomfort to focus on the material realities of sex workers and how decriminalisation can improve them. Suitable for people with no knowledge of the movement, as well as those looking to get engaged and do more to offer support.
1pm
The Apocalypse All Over Again
Speaker: Peter Gelderloos // Room: Stage (26 Leake Street)
The Apocalypse All Over Again: facing an unprecedented ecological crisis in a movement that keeps making the same mistakes over and over again
Exploring the deep roots of the ecological crisis in colonial capitalism and the State, we see how ecocide, mass delusion and denial, and self-defeating revolutionary movements actually have shared origins and an interconnected present. For the hope of a better future, we need to look at how collective memory, mutual aid, ecosystems of revolt, and rooted networks can transform how we understand revolution and how we approach the urgent question of survival. The author will discuss examples from the UK, Catalunya, North and South America
From rage to insurrection – ecological direct action, green anarchism and ways forward
Speaker: Earth First! // Room: 3 (26 Leake Street)
What can we learn from successful radical ecological direct action in the past? What worked, what didn’t, and how can we encourage more of the good stuff, and get over appealing to governments and corporations to do the right thing? And when is the moment to stop discussing and fight back, navigating questions of grand strategy versus insurrectionary joy?
Solidarity Economy as Strategy
Speaker: Solidarity Economy // Location: Waterloo Action Centre
How we can build collective power to survive and overcome capitalism? The solidarity economy – a pluralist framework which can include cooperatives, unions, mutual aid and much more – offers a framework for surviving together while also building systems and infrastructure for a better world, based on values of cooperation, solidarity and mutual support.
Practical Squatters
Room: 2 (26 Leake Street)
The cost of living crisis is ridiculous so come and learn about squatting instead! Feel welcome to ask questions and we will share some basic info of intro to squatting and share the latest SLAP squatters news
2.15pm
Social Revolution
Speaker: Andrewism // Room: Stage (26 Leake Street)
The social revolution that anarchists seek requires people transforming society and transforming themselves in the process. It is an ongoing process, not a singular event. It is heterogeneous and dynamic, not religiously uniform. It may be punctuated by ruptures and advances, but it requires a range of tactics informed by a variety of strategies built on short-term and long-term goals. It starts here and now, developing people’s nascent anarchic tendencies. A social revolution takes years of social struggle breaking down all forms of oppression and creating new ways of living. In a phrase, a social revolution requires revolutionaries that both oppose and propose.
Building solidarity against state repression: protest, direct action, and prisoner support.
A workshop exploring how we can and must continue protesting, taking direct action, and building radical solidarity in the face of increasingly authoritarian state repression. With Netpol, Cage, and the Filton24 prisoners campaign.
Speakers: filtham 24, Cage, NETPOL // Room: 3 (26 Leake Street)
Punx of Colour, solidarity and collective organising: The story of Decolonise Fest
Speaker: Decolonise Fest // Room: 3 (26 Leake Street)
Decolonise Fest is an annual London-based, volunteer-run, non-profit DIY punk festival built collectively by and for punx of colour. Born in 2017 from a need to carve out space in a predominantly white punk scene, our collective of activists, artists and DIY organisers and crew, is driven by resistance and DIY spirit. In this talk and Q&A session, we will share who we are and why we exist, some of the history of the festival, and how we organise collectively. We’ll also reflect on the challenges we face and what it means to decolonise punk through solidarity, creativity, and self-organisation.
Radical Singing
Speaker: Red and Black Song Club and Song Bloc
Singing and discussion session. // Location: Waterloo Action Centre
Join in and learn about the history behind the songs. No experience necessary and children welcome! The Red and Black Song Club is based in Glasgow and celebrates songs of working class struggle, anti-fascism and resistance. Song Bloc brings together various singers from Fire Choir, Trans Chorus, Stop Shopping Choir and F*Choir.
3.30pm
Kae Tempest
Room: Satellite stage
Tempest, fresh off his latest album Self Titled, will be performing a range of his works.
Solidarity work in Palestine with the International solidarity movement
Speaker: ISM // Room: 2 (26 Leake Street)
Hear from activists who’ve been doing solidarity work in Palestine and find out how you can get involved. The ISM was founded during the second intifada and has since then brought internationals to Palestine to stand in support of communities struggling against the Zionist regime.
How to start a union in your place
Speaker: Draughts Workers Union // Room: 3 (26 Leake Street)
Come hear from the Draughts Workers Union on what steps they took to build a fighting union in their workplace, and how you can do the same in your job. How to map your workplace, have 1v1 conversation, find key leaders, and get ready to strike.
Solidarity not Charity?
Speaker: Bad Apple Magazine // Location: Waterloo Action Centre
Based on interviews with former guests and volunteers of an anarchist shelter for migrants and refugees with no recourse to public funds, the workshop will look in depth at some of the complex power dynamics in practical solidarity across borders.
Book readings and comedy
Speakers:
Shiri Eisner – author of Bi: Notes for a Bisexual Revolution
Artist taxi Driver – Performance art Artist activist citizen journalist
Jen Nolan – Cockney Comedian
Location: Stage 26 Leake Street
4.45pm
Black Anarchist and Black Anti-Fascism
Speaker: Lorenzo Kom’boa Ervin // Room: Stage (26 Leake Street)
The US anarchist and former Black Panther will speak on the continuing necessity of black anarchism, and about building a new anti-fascist movement, recognising the importance of black anti-fascist movements of the 1960s and 1970s that created the National Committees to Combat Fascism. He will discuss how understanding European colonialism, and its maltreatment of African peoples, is important to any discussion of Fascism. The talk will be followed by a Q and A session.
Resisting Genocide Panel (Palestine and Sudan)
Room: 2 (26 Leake Street)
Discussing two of the most lethal situations in world politics today. Panel details being finalised,
Anti raids and migrant solidarity: resisting changing types of violence
Speaker: Anti-Raids London // Room: 3 (26 Leake Street)
Violence from the state and the street against migrants is rising and converging. As the landscape of violence changes we have to grow and be flexible to meet it. We’re bringing together a coalition of London anti raids groups to share knowledge and skills, and think together with attendees about strengthening networks to keep all our neighbours safe.
Fighting for our right to the city
Speakers: Festival For Urban Liberation: Aylesbury Campaign, Lesnes Occupation, Housing Action Southwark and Lambeth, London Renters Union // Location: Waterloo Action Centre
Grassroots organising for housing access to everyone. We are fighting against flying rents, attacks on council houses, ethnic cleansing in the estates and housing in London turning from a common to a commodity. The city’s sterilised urban space, ghost like empty buildings, deserted areas rotting as tokens of the stock market, are reclaimed for our right to live a life worth living.