>
> Here is the statement of "AnarchoResistance", 3 days before the
> protests. I will try to translate also a brief article about what
> happened.
>
>
> ======================================================================
> About the upcoming protest
>
>
>
> This communique is a response to the rumors and statements circulating
> in the media and on the internet regarding the upcoming protest on
> January 14. We, the people gathered in the informal collective
> „AnarchoResistance“, decided to clearly express our attitude towards the
> upcoming protest even though writing declarations and using big words in
> not our prefered method of action. We do not pretend to represent anyone
> else but ourselves, and we are not purporting to speak on behalf of the
> entire anarchist movement in Bulgaria.
>
> First and foremost we want to clarify for those around us and for the
> media that we are NOT CO-ORGANIZERS or ORGANIZERS, and will not be
> supporting or attending this protest officially as a group. We do not
> want to get into a more serious debate with the organizers and
> co-organizers not because we don't have serious arguments and opinions
> SPECIFICALLY about this protest, but because we consider this to be
> inappropriate since we don't have a direct connection to the current
> organizers.
>
> We find it uncanny and detrimental that soccer fan groups and factions
> have suddenly become involved in the protests especially at a moment
> when the student movement was getting stronger and was clearly operating
> outside of the influence and manipulations of the state, the political
> parties and their leaders. We don't see the logic behind letting people
> with openly racist positions and neo-nazi affiliation to participate and
> frame the boundaries and tone of protests which have concrete goals and
> demands... unless of course certain political and economic circles are
> simply aiming to discredit the raising dissent. All of this is happening
> in an athmosphere of threats of „the ugliest scenes in Bulgaria“ and
> open attempts to instigate clashes between warrying soccer hooligan
> groups which threatens to sully the student protests and to give a
> formal excuse to the state and the medias for attacking and dismissing
> the goals of this protest. This is a way to channel the social tensions
> once again while discrediting the malcontent students, evironmentalists
> and ordinary citizens through the actions of a handful of soccer
> hooligans. As a result of these manipulations the demands of the
> students have already been completely obscured while the medias are
> awash with empty worlds and generalizations.
>
> This text is also a response to widely published lies and sick fantasies
> about some imaginary „support“ by Greek soccer hooligans, who
> purportedly were going to „return the favor to Bulgarians who supported
> last month's protests in Greece.“ This is a complete fabrication by the
> medias seeking cheap sensations and an attempt to discredit both the
> righteous rebellion in Greece and the participation of Bulgarian
> anarchists (not of soccer vandals) in it.
>
> We cannot stand behind a protest, which began as a youth and citizen
> movement, but is being represented consistently as „national“, wrapped
> in nationalist rethoric and symbols. The „national“ status of the
> protest implies a solidarity with all kinds of Bulgarian mafioso,
> ultra-right, and neoliberal groups and interests simply because it
> assigns belonging to a common, monolithic, undivided whole (unity) to
> each and every one of us. The „nation“ is a fiction that serves to
> frame, manage and manipulate various social groups and issues. It is
> populism and demagoguery. We recognize clearly in it the essence of that
> which we are fighting against.
>
> Various materials and video clips are circulating on the internet
> inviting people to participate in this protest. These materials are
> charged with clear political insinuations and are already damaging not
> only the outcome of this particular protest but the future of a movement
> of dissent in the long term. We are concerned that these protests will
> become nothing more that sanctioned parades. They are not challenging
> the state better, they not becoming more creative or more effective for
> that matter, they are turning into a shapeless crowd of people holding
> sings. People are already sick and tired of this kind of protest, and we
> all must seek more effective and more moving ways to express oursevles
> and achieve that which we are striving for. „The insertion“ of very
> different and real demands by various protesting groups into the common
> populist protest frame, of which we are all so tired, will turn this
> protest into a grotesque.
>
> In addition, the lack of coordination among all those concerned and
> expected to participate is creating a space for „leaders“ and an
> „avant-garde“ to step-up who are visibly enjoying the media attention
> and the courtship of various political parties without having a
> legitimate or moral right to represent all protesters. A protest framed
> in these terms serves directly and indirectly political parties such as
> GERB and ATAKA – right-wing populist formations which interestingly
> enough are not being recognized as part of the ruling gang.
>
> We support political demands and believe that we should not avoid
> „politicizing“ the protests when they have clear goals and transparent
> organizational methods. Those in power should be brought to their knees
> but that necessitates a political culture and clear consensus among
> protesters.
>
> We stand behind the environmental groups and the students in their anger
> against the continuing commercialization of the natural environment and
> of education. We support them in their outrage at the violence that is
> part of these anti-social processes of privatization. But we do not
> support protests with openly nationalist tendencies. We do not support a
> protest that will only serve the authorities and the state, a protest
> that will serve to channel the student dissent around a specific event
> and with concrete demands but will stop directly and indirectly future
> student protests, it will prevent the creation of an independent student
> activist network, it will stop the building of real, automonous citizen
> structures that could apply a constant pressure against the authorities
> and could seek change not only of the status quo but of the entire
> current system – the lies called „representative democracy“, „free
> market“, „market economy“ and „capitalism“.
>
> January 11, 2009
> automonous anti-authoriatiran group „Anarcho-Resistance“
> http://www.aresistance.net
This year’s Pride Parade in Budapest was calm and rather boring, as fewer people showed up compared to the previous year. Indeed, Pride Parade 2008 was rather violent with neo-nazis and average observers, apparently homophobes, throwing eggs, tomatoes and bottles into the participants of Pride Parade 2008.
