If you see lurking on a book-case anything by Peter Kropotkin, or someone you meet has a soft spot for Emma Goldman especially her views around revolution and dancing and they also have a penchant for the anarchist symbol then you should report them to the cops!! Toot sweet ‘an all!
This was the surprising injunction from the Metropolitan Police issued to businesses and members of the public in Westminster last week. There was no warning about other political groups, but next to an image of the anarchist emblem, the City of Westminster police’s “counter terrorist focus desk” called for anti-anarchist whistleblowers stating: “Anarchism is a political philosophy which considers the state undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, and instead promotes a stateless society, or anarchy. Any information relating to anarchists should be reported to your local police.”
The move angered some anarchists who complained that being an anarchist should not imply criminal behaviour. They said they feel unfairly criminalised for holding a set of political beliefs.
It was issued from Belgravia Police Station as part of Project Griffin which aims to “advise and familiarise managers, security officers and employees of large public and private sector organisations across the capital on security, counter-terrorism and crime prevention issues”.
On a separate but linked issue Belgravia Police station may be quick off the mark releasing this load of McCarthyite hokum but when it comes to taking crimes against women seriously they are very slow, appalling and useless.
But I digress….
This is further evidence that the state is criminalising dissent, differing political thought and ideas with the emphasis on anarchism. Also it creates a climate of fear regarding people being grassed up for having so-called anti-establishment and unsavory political views. With the advent of politicised sentencing, political views are being criminalised. Isn’t it being able to speak out, have different political views, a healthy part of democracy? Is someone who describes themselves an anarchist now a ‘terrorist’ and/or an ‘extremist’? This really is scarily authoritarian.
Just finally, with a fascist causing atrocities and carnage in Oslo and with the far-right growing, seems very odd no mention of fascism. Am I scared by anarchists? Not in the least. But I am damn well scared of the rise of the far-right! The state, as ever, underestimates fascism.
Apparently…The Metropolitan police have initiated an embarrassing climbdown
