In the Age of Resignation and the Politics of Death, Self-organization emerges from below
Source: Infolibre
The 17th Balkan Anarchist Book Fair was held in Thessaloniki between 15 and 18 May, with great success, both for the numerous participations of groups from all Balkan and European regions and throughout Greece, as well as for the discussions, contacts established and to carry out common actions and positions.
More than 300 shares came from outside Greece out of a total of 500 registered, showing the willingness to meet and know each other by overcoming differences. And in an age of death politics, resignation and pessimism, demonstrating that self-organization is possible.
The event began at the Free Social Space School after the march ended in solidarity with the Palestinian people, contrary to the genocide being committed by Israel in Gaza and on the occasion of the 77th anniversary of the Nakba.
The state-capitalist crimes in Tempi, Novi Sad and Kotsani were at the center of the first event of the Book Fair, commenting on the cracks that cause the systemic narratives of domination, as well as the actions and processes of the social movements that followed them and that still continue today.
The second day began early with the panel on "Anarquism and dictatorship" in Belarus in 2025, by ABC Belarus, which offered us a clear picture of the situation of Belarusian society, the modernized repressive policies of the state and the violent silence suffered by social movements in the country. The Land Food Collective then presented the Autonomous Kitchen Council as a new self-organized model of sharing and producing food outside the logic of the capitalist food industry. Parallel to the events, self-defense arts and first aid workshops were held by the anarchist first aid team.
After a vegan lunch, the afternoon events included debates on "Anarchism and decolonialism," by Ashique M., of Tirana, on the oppression suffered by the LGBTQ community in Hungary, by Feminsta Akció, while on gender-based violence in our spaces and the conditions of social reintegration, by the occupied social centre La Cinetika; there was also talk of Budapest and the repression of anti-fascists. Finally, Eutopia magazine and the Iranian Corridors project were presented.
From 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., two debates on the climate crisis and gender oppression were held with great participation. The first was given by representatives of the assembly of Megali Panagia, the assembly for the defense of the mountains of Athens, and the Urban Zadruga of Slovenia. The key themes of the debate were the ecological development that is spreading in the Balkans and the exchange of experiences and the need to link environmental struggles with self-organized food production.
The debate over gender oppression began with a presentation by the feminist group Calvaluna. Later, the feminist group "Tsupressa" criticized the feminist movement in general and moved its focus to the phenomenon of femicide. Then, an anarcho-queer group from Croatia presented the marches they are carrying out against anti-pride rallies and the government's digital repression. Finally, the WISH collective presented the situation in the refugee camps on Lesbos.
The day ended with the experimental musical "Filmsy Weapons," by Cosminas M. and a concert by Niki Dimitriadis and Richard Hronsky.
Anti-capitalist and anti-war slogans colored the massive evening march called by the BAB in the center of Thessaloniki on May 18 and the events that framed it. No border divides us, no nation unites us. It was one of the slogans, just as others opposed the genocide in Gaza. The march departed from the ECSC School, crossed the center of the city and ended at the Yfanet Factory, where the events continued.
The culmination of the day was the debate on "State, capitalism and wars." Particular emphasis was placed on the need to build an anti-capitalist and anti-war solidarity movement. Above the walls of nationalism and war, solidarity with deserters was one of the most central positions. The statements emphasized the continued killing of the Palestinian people by the Israeli State and the need for a struggle to prevent genocide.
One of the most interesting morning events that took place at Yfanet headquarters was dedicated to self-organized media and self-managed digital platforms of the movement. This event featured self-managed digital and media platforms for information and culture from several Balkan countries and Greece, such as 1431 AM, Athens Indymedia, Cybrigade, Crna Luknja, Electric Requiem, Info Libre, KPaX Radio and Kinimatorama.
The presentations created fertile ground for debate around dominant social networks, censorship policies, the unreliable and scandalous management of personal data by corporations such as Facebook, spy capitalism and the need to build self-organized digital companies and communities: from digital forums dominated by horizontality between users, to self-organized radio stations and free music and art-sharing platforms.