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The WOMBLES (White Overalls Movement Building Libertarian Effective Struggles) were a loosely aligned anarchist and anti-capitalist group based in London. They gained prominence in the early 2000s for wearing white overalls with padding and helmets at May Day protests, mimicking the Italian group Tute Bianche.
The WOMBLES formed as a group in the early 2000s in London. The name stood for White Overalls Movement Building Libertarian Effective Struggles. [1] Activists who had witnessed first hand the tactics of the Tute Bianche in Italy decided to use similar methods of protest in London. Tute Bianche ('White Overalls') had formed in 1994 and were known for storming barricades whilst dressed in comical padded outfits and helmets to protect themselves from police violence, as for example at the 27th G8 summit in Genoa. [2]
The preferred tactic of the London anarchist group was to steal an estate agents 'For Sale' sign, fold it up and wear it under the trademark white overalls. [3] The WOMBLES were involved in protests during several May Day events in the early 2000s, [4] [5] [6] including the protests in 2004 in Dublin. [7]
The WOMBLES were also inspired by self-managed social centres in Italy and therefore began a series of social centres in London. Firstly, they squatted the Radical Dairy on Kynaston Road in Stoke Newington. This lasted from 2001 until 2003. [1] The aim was to build long-term relationships with local people and to avoid capitalist property relations. From this centre, participants were then involved with other projects such as the Ex-Grand Banks, RampART, the Institute for Autonomy and The Square. [1] The Button Factory squat in southeast London was evicted by police and partially demolished by the owner before the 2001 May Day demonstrations. [8] The Ex-Grand Banks at 156-158 Fortess Road, in Tufnell Park, north London was opened on 4 March 2004. It became an activist hub before being evicted in August. [9]
As well as organising in physical spaces, the WOMBLES used the internet to reach a wider audience, enabling solidarity networks. [10]
The third European Social Forum (ESF) was held in London in 2004. The WOMBLES organised a countersummit held at Middlesex University called 'Beyond ESF' which provided a space for European radical social movements to meet and engage, focusing primarily on the issue of precarity. [11]
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 Interview with a member of the WOMBLES |
The WOMBLES quickly became a personification of the anti-capitalist and anti-globalisation movements for the mainstream media of the United Kingdom. The Evening Standard decided to 'infiltrate' the WOMBLES before the 2001, [12] 2002 [3] and 2003 [13] Mayday protests in London. Individuals were identified as leaders and followed around by police and journalists at demonstrations. [14]
Even after the WOMBLES had ceased to organise large scale demonstrations, the media continued to use their name as shorthand for a notorious group of anarchists. The WOMBLES were said to be organising against the G20 in 2009 according to the Mirror . [15]
The song Time for Heroes by the band Libertines reference the WOMBLES:
Did you see the stylish kids in the riot?
Shovelled up like muck Set the night on fire Wombles bleed truncheons and shields
You know I cherish you my love
Between 1999 and 2010, the WOMBLES were infiltrated by at least three British police officers, namely Mark Kennedy, Rod Richardson and Jaqueline Anderson. [16] Kennedy later apologised for his actions, saying "I hate myself so much. I betrayed so many people. I owe it to a lot of good people to do something right for a change... I'm really sorry. If I can help in any way then I'd like to." [17] Anderson was involved with the Radical Dairy and was known then as 'Massage Jacky' since she offered massage sessions. She told other activists she lived in a flat with Carlo Neri, who was also later exposed as a police spy. [18]
Squatting is the action of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land or a building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use. The United Nations estimated in 2003 that there were one billion slum residents and squatters globally. Squatting occurs worldwide and tends to occur when people find empty buildings or land to occupy for housing. It has a long history, broken down by country below.
A black bloc is a tactic used by protesters who wear black clothing, ski masks, scarves, sunglasses, motorcycle helmets with padding or other face-concealing and face-protecting items. The clothing is used to conceal wearers' identities from both the police and politically different organizations by making it difficult to distinguish between participants. It is also used to protect their faces and eyes from pepper spray, which is used by police during protests or civil unrest. The tactic also allows the group to appear as one large unified mass. Black bloc participants are often associated with anarchism, anarcho-communism, communism, libertarian socialism and the anti-globalization movement. A variant of this type of protest is the Padded bloc, where following the Tute Bianche movement protesters wear padded clothing to protect against the police.
Tute Bianche, Italian for "White Overalls", was a militant Italian social movement, active from 1994 to 2001. Activists were notable for covering. their bodies with white padding so as to resist the blows of police, pushing through police lines, and marching together in large blocks for mutual protection during demonstrations.
The London Action Resource Centre (LARC) is an anarchist infoshop and self-managed social centre situated in Whitechapel, in the East End of London. Previously a school and a synagogue, it was purchased in 1999. It hosts meetings and events from various groups and is part of the UK Social Centre Network.
A free party is a party "free" from the restrictions of the legal club scene, similar to the free festival movement. It typically involves a sound system playing electronic dance music from late at night until the time when the organisers decide to go home. A free party can be composed of just one system or of many and if the party becomes a festival, it becomes a teknival. This typically means that drugs are readily available. The word free in this context is used both to describe the entry fee and the lack of restrictions and law enforcement.
The European Social Forum (ESF) was a recurring conference held by members of the alter-globalization movement. In the first few years after it started in 2002 the conference was held every year, but later it became biannual due to difficulties with finding host countries. The conference was last held in 2010. It aims to allow social movements, trade unions, NGOs, refugees, peace and anti-imperial groups, anti-racist movements, environmental movements, networks of the excluded and community campaigns from Europe and the world to come together and discuss themes linked to major European and global issues, in order to coordinate campaigns, share ideas and refine organizing strategies. It emerged from the World Social Forum and follows its Charter of Principles.
Infoshops are places in which people can access anarchist or autonomist ideas. They are often stand-alone projects, or can form part of a larger radical bookshop, archive, self-managed social centre or community centre. Typically, infoshops offer flyers, posters, zines, pamphlets and books for sale or donation. Other items such as badges, locally produced artworks and T-shirts are also often available. Infoshops can also provide printing and copying facilities for people to produce their own literature or have a meeting space.
rampART was a squatted social centre in the Whitechapel area of east London. It was established in a derelict building in Rampart Street which was previously used as an Islamic school for girls. The centre operated as a private members club providing a space for a wide range of groups to carry out their activities. It was managed by volunteers without any funding and with a strong emphasis on consensus decision making and DIY culture.
The NYC Ya Basta Collective was a group of anti-globalization activists, based primarily in NYC, active from roughly October, 2000 through October, 2001, inspired by the Ya Basta Association.
Autonomism, also known as Autonomist Marxism, is an anti-capitalist social movement and Marxist-based theoretical current that first emerged in Italy in the 1960s from workerism. Later, post-Marxist and anarchist tendencies became significant after influence from the Situationists, the failure of Italian far-left movements in the 1970s, and the emergence of a number of important theorists including Antonio Negri, who had contributed to the 1969 founding of Potere Operaio as well as Mario Tronti, Paolo Virno and Franco "Bifo" Berardi.
The Carnival Against Capital took place on Friday 18 June 1999. It was an international day of protest timed to coincide with the 25th G8 summit in Cologne, Germany. The carnival was inspired by the 1980s Stop the City protests, Peoples' Global Action and the Global Street Party, which happened at the same time as the 1998 24th G8 Summit in Birmingham. The rallying slogan was Our Resistance is as Transnational as Capital.
Self-managed social centres in the United Kingdom can be found in squatted, rented, mortgaged and fully owned buildings. These self-managed social centres differ from community centres in that they are self-organised under anti-authoritarian principles and volunteer-run, without any assistance from the state. The largest number have occurred in London from the 1980s onwards, although projects exist in most cities across the UK, linked in a network. Squatted social centres tend to be quickly evicted and therefore some projects deliberately choose a short-term existence, such as A-Spire in Leeds or the Okasional Café in Manchester. Longer term social centres include the 1 in 12 Club in Bradford, the Cowley Club in Brighton and the Sumac Centre in Nottingham, which are co-operatively owned.
Anarchism in Ireland has its roots in the stateless organisation of the tuatha in Gaelic Ireland. It first began to emerge from the libertarian socialist tendencies within the Irish republican movement, with anarchist individuals and organisations sprouting out of the resurgent socialist movement during the 1880s, particularly gaining prominence during the time of the Dublin Socialist League.
Exarcheia is a community in central Athens, Greece close to the historical building of the National Technical University of Athens. Exarcheia took its name from a 19th-century businessman named Exarchos who opened a large general store there. Exarcheia is bordered on the east by Kolonaki and is framed by Patission Street, Panepistimiou Street and Alexandras Avenue. Exarcheia is known for being Athens' historical core of radical political and intellectual activism. Exarcheia is often considered the anarchist quarter of Athens, known for its radical democracy.
Self-managed social centres in Italy exist in many cities. They are part of different left-wing political networks including anarchist, communist, socialist, and autonomist. The centres tend to be squatted and provide self-organised, self-financing spaces for alternative and noncommercial activities such as concerts, exhibitions, farmers' markets, infoshops, and migrant initiatives. Over time, some but not all projects have opted to legalize their status.
In England and Wales, squatting – taking possession of land or an empty house the squatter does not own – is a criminal or civil offence, depending on circumstances. People squat for a variety of reasons which include needing a home, protest, poverty, and recreation. Many squats are residential; some are also opened as social centres. Land may be occupied by New Age travellers or treesitters.
121 Centre was a squatted self-managed social centre on Railton Road in Brixton, south London from 1981 until 1999. As an anarchist social centre, the venue hosted a bookshop, cafe, infoshop, library, meeting space, office space, printing facility, and rehearsal space. Organisations using the space included Food Not Bombs, Anarchist Black Cross prisoner aid chapters, an anarcho-feminist magazine, a squatters aid organisation, and an anarchist queer group. Regular events at 121 Centre included punk concerts, a women's cafe night, and a monthly queer night. The centre kept a low profile and was one of the longest-lasting squats in London.
Squatting became a political phenomenon in the Czech Republic after the Velvet Revolution in 1989. Squats in Prague included Sochora, Stary Střešovice and Ladronka. Milada was occupied in 1998 and following its final eviction in 2009, there was a lull in squatting actions. In the 2010s a new social movement squatted houses to highlight the number of derelict properties in Prague and the social centre Klinika was founded in 2014.
On 1 May 2004 there was a physical confrontation in the Dublin suburb of Ashtown between riot police and alter-globalisation activists. On that day there was a summit of EU leaders taking place at Farmleigh House in the Phoenix Park. Protestors affiliated with the Dublin Grassroots Network and other left-wing groups attempted to march to Farmleigh but were blocked by Gardaí at the Ashtown roundabout. A small number of protestors broke off from the main group and clashed with Gardaí at the roundabout. The Gardaí used water cannons against the protestors, eventually dispersing them. This was the first time that police had used water cannons in the Republic of Ireland.
House of Brag was a queer collective which organised four self-managed social centres in London between 2012 and 2014.
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