The Anarchist Days are slowly coming to an end, everyone in the organisation is tired, exhausted, but quite happy.
First and foremost, we want to thank everyone who was there and participated, thanks go to the Offene Anarchistische Vernetzung for organising the Parkfest, to the organisers of the Take Back The Night demo, to the Freie Arbeiter*innenunion for their tireless trade union work and for organising the best Leipzig 1st of May demonstration in recent years, as well as to the support group, to the person who managed the sleeping place exchange, and of course to all acts, bands, previous days, locations. Thank you, it was fun <3!
Nevertheless, we ourselves have some criticism of the content of the A-Days that were realised; there was a lack of (thematic) discussion in many areas. Now, after a short break, we want to take some time to reflect on this year’s A-Days and A-Days in general. So this year you will definitely hear from the Orga Crew 2024 again.
Travelling together from Leipzig: Information will follow
Late but not forgotten: This year, too, we are traveling together to the Chemnitz Women’s Prison to set an example against patriarchy, capitalism, fascism, nation states and their prisons. We want the prisoners to feel that they are not alone.
Sunday, 05.05.24
4-6 p.m. Chemnitz Prison
From childhood we learn what a prison is and what it is needed for, but hardly anyone knows what prison really means. Because only a few people have ever seen a prison for themselves, know people who have had to experience it from the inside or have heard testimonials from prisoners. We learn that only the “bad people” go to prison, those who pose a danger to society. But prison is mainly for those who make the faults of our society visible: poor and discriminated people – especially if they are affected by racism -, people who cannot or do not want to adapt and people who rebel against social conditions. They are to be disciplined behind closed doors. As soon as they pass through the prison gates, they lose their humanity. From this point on, they are just prisoners with a number. An undefined group who are denied individuality and emotions and who can be forced into prison labor. They disappear from society and are isolated. Nobody is interested in the people behind the walls anymore, nobody listens to them. They are prisoners. We grow up with this spectre of horror as the ultimate punishment. The state and its justice system need prisons to maintain order and secure their own power. They need them to control disagreeable people. What and when they eat, what clothes they wear, where and how they move, who has contact with them, when they sleep, what pain is treated and how, how they love and desire, what sex they are, when they wash, how much fresh air they have, how much sky they can see out of their window, how much paper they write on and with which pens, how they arrange their room, what they watch or listen to, whether they have to be alone or together, etc. All this under constant surveillance. All this under constant surveillance. At the same time, the state needs its prisons to control people on the outside. As a deterrent to ensure that they obey its rules. We refuse to support this system. We want to try to break through the isolation in prison. We want to show that these walls cannot take away humanity. FLINTA* in particular are usually forgotten in the discussion about prisons, when one thinks of prison, one thinks above all of men’s prisons. Just like outside the walls, FLINTA* and their work are forgotten. The demonstrations in front of the women’s prison in Chemnitz on March 8th in recent years were intended to combine general criticism of prisons with a feminist perspective. The creation of prisons is closely linked to the historical and systematic oppression of FLINTA*. The first prisons were women’s prisons, in which mainly prostitutes/sex workers, beggars and service workers who did not (properly) fulfill their work were imprisoned. The explicit aim of these prisons was deterrence, both externally and internally. Anyone who did not conform to the social norm was sent to prison. This also reinforced the binary and patriarchal system inside and outside the prison. Assignments were and still are made according to a strict binary order, depending on what is written on the prison record. This was and is particularly dangerous for TINA* people. Even today, the reasons why FLINTA* end up in prison are often linked to the patriarchal system. The isolating function of prisons hits FLINTA* even harder, because when FLINTA* are in prison, there is usually hardly any support from cis male relatives. Whereas the emotional work and support of cis men who are in prison is mainly done by partners. This gives us even more reason to want to break through this isolation. The annual trip to the women’s prison in Chemnitz is therefore an important concern for us. Our solidarity should at least sporadically and symbolically overcome these walls. So come with us to Chemnitz on 05.05.24 at 4 p.m. and say hello. For all the people they have put in prisons and driven underground and the emptiness and fear that their absence leaves behind, we want to scream our anger against the walls of Chemnitz Prison. P.S.: We are organizing the rally primarily for the prisoners. Please leave flags of organizations, parties or nations at home and bring banners instead. Do you have words of greeting in or from prison? Send us an email to: noprisons@systemli.org (PGP key on request).
Mark the time from April 29th until May 12th black and red in your calenders, because the 3rd Anarchist Days in Leipzig are right around the corner!
The last year for many of us has been filled with pressure from growing repression, escalating discrimination, losses and frustration.The condition of the society can make us feel lonely, hopeless and powerless. All the more important it is to get together again. As anarchists, we do not see isolation and societal withdrawal as the path to a liberated society and a beautiful life for all.
Therefore, at the Anarchist Days, we want to learn with each other, support one another, create and develop communal spaces, and actively work towards an alternative reality of life. For two weeks, there will be anarchist events in Leipzig: park festivals, skill shares, workshops, lectures, concerts, and more. You will soon find the exact program on our blog.
Running parallel to the A-Days program are the B-Days, as this year we also want to do some practical work together.Leipzig’s house projects, trailer parks, fields, and urban living rooms need our active support for their (construction) projects. Together, we can support those who create autonomous spaces and persist despite Leipzig’s ongoing gentrification. So come to the Anarchist Days in Leipzig in May!
There is a sleeping place exchange for visitors. If you need a place to sleep or can offer one, please write an email, the address can be found on our blog. Solidarity is for everyone, so please come tested if possible and/or wear masks. Additionally, we strive to make the events as accessible as possible – you can find information on this on our blog. Most events will be in German, so if you can, please offer yourself for a whisper translation!We certainly don’t have everything covered, so please let us know what you need to participate.
Urgently looking for more sleeping places, the demand seems to be very high! So if you have rooms or beds or spaces available, and are interested in meeting new people from other cities, hit us up
Here is the message with all the information and to spread:
+++please forward, also publicly+++
Hello everyone, sleeping places are being sought again for the anarchist days in Leipzig from 29.04.24 – 12.05.24. https://anarchistischetagele.blackblogs.org/ Please get back to us as soon as possible if you can provide places.
Please include information for which period, how many places, whether people should bring sleeping mats and sleeping bags, what else is important to you… and preferably with a specific contact person. Thank you & solidarity greetings.”
We won’t smile for your approval. We won’t conform to your idea of gender. We won’t talk a certain way to be taken seriously. We are on the streets and they belong to us, all day and all night. Save the date and join us.
sassy. rude. and fucking pissed.
We need to live, breathe, love, desire, have fun, riot, enjoy, be happy. Radical (queer) feminist spaces offer an opportunity to draw strength, to continue our struggles and to dream. They pave the way to a utopia in which we no longer have to fight for our safety.
But despite these spaces, we perceive the (queer) feminist scene in Leipzig as fragmented. We often feel left alone by and within it. Especially when we want more than just to consume.
Where are the moments when we feel strong together? Moments of community and solidarity. When we experience or witness patriarchal violence, we often lack the energy and support to fight against it. Isolation robs us of the strength we need. Let’s fight for our strength and against this exhausting lonelieness.
We want to kiss the quiet night goodbye, together with it’s illusion of rest, calmness and safety. We don’t experience rest, calmness and safety. We have to walk the other way, stay where street lamps will hopefully protect us and be lucky to arrive safely. Some have bodies that are being catcalled, others have bodies that are considered dangerous. When some of us kiss in public, people find us disgusting. Some of us are accused of seducing children or forcing sexuality upon them. Some of our bodies are criminalized. We are not allowed to freely dispose of our bodies – neither to earn necessary money nor to seek medical care. There should be no non-binary bodies. Some of our bodies should not be considered beautiful. It is frowned upon to have a large body. Some of our bodies can’t be out at night or during the day – because they don’t have money for cabs, because they can’t walk long distances or because there isn’t a traffic light system that works for them. We’re not allowed to be feminine, not allowed to be flamboyant, not allowed to be loud, not allowed to go home in peace. We are not allowed to feel safe! It becomes clear that we all have different experiences. We all have our own story. Nevertheless, we have something in common. We are fed up with all this violence. Patriarchy sucks and so do all other forms of oppression that are linked to it.
This night should allow us to regain our strength and show that we stand together and are strong. Our grief unites us, our anger gives us the strength to fight back and to make this crappiness go up in smoke. The noise of our voices will break the silent night and accompany us beyond the evening. For all the battles we’ll have to fight. When they say we are disgusting, we are disgusting. When they say we are dangerous, we are dangerous. The night shall be ours. Take Back the Night – Take Back the Streets!
The rally and demonstration are open to people of all genders. We all experience patriarchal oppression in various forms, but the cause is the same. In order to achieve our utopia, we call on people to join forces. Affected people are not always recognizable from the outside. We want to prevent people from being categorized and excluded based on an external perspective.
More information on barriers as well as the demo route will follow soon. We will set up a way to send us feedback.
About the rally
We want to start with a rally at 18:30. It will take place at the Jahrtausendfeld on Karl-Heine-Straße. We’ll hear speeches, some music and, if possible, there will be something to eat. The speeches will be printed out in German and English. We want to gather here, listen to each other and be visible. An awareness team will also be on hand and available if needed.
About the demonstration
From 20:00 we want to get ready to walk into the sunset together as a demonstration. The demonstration is registered. There will be no speaker van as we want to let our voices be all anyone hears. We want to be loud and angry and take the night and the streets. We want to walk briskly and dynamically. There will be a photographer. We will also be accompanied by paramedics. Nothing and nobody should intimidate us on this evening. The route can be walked in about 1 hour. However, we may need longer. Please make sure that bicycles are not part of the demonstration.
To the people living along the route: we’re looking forward to moments of solidarity and empowering messages.
We are all affected by patriarchal violence in different ways. At the same time, we have all learned to practice it and are constantly reproducing it. If people have been confronted with accusations and refuse to participate in a process of Community Accountability, or if they are told by those affected that this is not their space, we expect them to stay at home.
Please do not bring any flags from parties, groups or national states.
The Anarchist Days will take place around the first of May again this year! We left the Anarchist Congress in St. Imier with great motivation and want to bring the same spirit to the streets of Leipzig. In a different constellation and with a slightly larger group, we are already gathering an incredible number of great new ideas and plans.
Our plan so far is as follows:
29-30 April: preparation days
In preparation of 1 May, we want to paint banners together, make flags, decorate neighbourhoods and organise demo training sessions, for example.
01 May:
Anarchist demonstration on the day of struggle of workers and wage earners
02-05 May:
The days after 1 May, including the weekend, are the core days of the project. Events will take place during the day and in the evenings: Park festivals, lectures, workshops, skillshares, concerts, book and zine swaps, discussion groups, gettogether, having fun, good food.
06-12 May:
The wind-down phase to equalise the programme. During this week there will be lectures/workshops/etc., especially in the evenings.
In order to fill the time as well as possible, we need each other!So if you would like to get involved as a group, individual or band and organise workshops, film screenings, talks, skillshares and concerts, please get in touch! There shall be no limits to your creativity.
Your offered event should not be based on professionalism and perfection, but on what you can and want to share. To pass on knowledge and skills, you don’t need training, a degree or years of experience. We will coordinate rooms and a schedule in consultation with you. To ensure that all interested parties can take part in consecutive events at the same time, we would like to make sure that events take place close to each other on the same day. If you as a location can make your space available, please get in touch with us! If you would like to support the A-Days in other ways, e.g. by putting up posters in advance, organising a Küfa, offering whisper translation, helping with childcare or shifts, please join the support group! You can simply send us an e-mail.
If you say A, you may also say B!
At the A-Tage ’24 we want to introduce the concept of “building days”. The idea is to help individuals to move out of a comsumptive role and into a participative role. This form of mutual help should give people the simple opportunity to give something back to left-wing and self-managed spaces in Leipzig. It also offers great opportunities for people who are perhaps not yet well connected in Leipzig or come from outside to get to know people and spaces. If you are a project interested in the building days, get in touch! The B-Days simply run parallel to the A-Days for the entire period.
For feedback of any kind, just send us an email to anarchistische_tage_leipzig@riseup.net , you can find the PGP key and instructions on what this is all about on our website https://anarchistischetagele.blackblogs.org/kontakt/ 🙂 We are incredibly looking forward to the A-Days, we are looking forward to interesting and resistant days, and we are looking forward to seeing you! Ⓐ
Like last year, the Anarchist Days took place in Leipzig. Anarchists and interested people came together, networked, educated themselves and had a good time. And they did so for a whole week: it kicked off with the park festival in Rabet, Monday and Tuesday there were various inputs and talks, Wednesday, among other things, the next very nice park festival in Leutzsch. Thursday ended with a great evening in the Scherbelburg with several wonderful concerts. Friday, Saturday and Sunday saw lectures, Küfas, Skillshares, Mobi actions, workshops, readings, and a demonstration against gentrification in the west of Leipzig, for the 6 hour day of the Open Anarchist Network Leipzig, and finally the powerful anarchist block of the May 1st demo. You can read about all this on our blog https://anarchistischetagele.blackblogs.org/programm/
We would love it if the A-Days tradition could be continued in Leipzig. Unfortunately, the organizing crew of the A-Days 2023 is almost completely involved in other projects, which is why we are calling on you to help plan the next Anarchist Days. What the A-Days will look like is still completely open. Whether it will be a whole week again, or a weekend with a park festival and demo, or something completely different, depends on the participation and ideas of the anarchists in Leipzig. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve been involved before or whether you’ve just got the urge to get involved in anarchist activities. The important thing is that you have the desire and a bit of time. There will be a knowledge transfer, for which we would like to invite you on Saturday, 16.12.2023 at 11 a.m. in the south of Leipzig, address on request. Even if you don’t have time for the meeting, but are otherwise up for it, please contact us at anarchistische_tage_leipzig[ät]riseup.net , the PGP key is on our blog.
