arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)

Saturday the 15th of December was the only day I could join the protests in Brussels (my 7-year old daughter had the flu, so I missed Thursday and Friday).
There were two meetings and marches: one was organized by a group called D14, which had distributed most of the information leading up to the protests. The other was advertised as an "anarchist" gathering. A friend and I decided to go to the D14 meeting because they seemed to be the "official" organizers of the protests, and also because we were a bit unsure if the term "anarchist" meant the "black-hooded," violence-provoking "anarchists" at other anti-globalization protests.
The D14 meeting was supposed to begin at 10AM in the auditorium of the University. There are two universities in Brussels, with adjoining campuses: one French speaking, the other Dutch speaking. It turned into a typically Belgian situation: there were no signs explaining where to go, and all the people we asked were also looking for the meeting place. We finally learned that the meeting was at an auditorium at another campus 2 kilometers from the main campus.
By the time we got there, things were winding up, so we thought that we'd stick around and join the march. I should mention that D14 is connected with Indy Media Belgium, another reason why we had decided to join them. As we walked around we saw that pretty much all the information, banners, etc. were communist, and the only political party present was the PVDA, which is the Belgian communist party. Now, I'm not "anti" communist, but I wasn't exactly enthusiastic about marching behind posters of Karl Marx and Che Guevera. I may admire both, but I'm no groupie of theirs, nor did I want to be associated with loyal communist party types.
After checking out the communist scene we decided to see what the anarchists were up to. When asked to describe my political/social philosophy, I usually describe myself as an "anarchist," although I'm really more of a fellow-traveller, and more willing to make compromises (like working with the New York Greens) than a "real" anarchist.
Naturally, the anarchist meeting was on the opposite side of Brussels from the communist meeting, and the tram connecting the two sides of town wasn't running because of the protests (other trams seemed to be running though…). The anarchist meeting was scheduled for 2PM, and since we stopped at a friend's house on the way, it was 3PM by the time we got there. En route we ran into some funky-looking people who asked us which way to the anarchist meeting, so we walked together. They were students from the university and, like us, were turned off by the doctrinaire communist attitude of D14 (a woman from Portugal told me that she had been there the day before, and that the communists wouldn't dance to the music like the anarchists). One of them was working on a video about the protests, and video taped us as we talked about the violence issue. I told them that I'm working on a video about 9/11 – about the "evidence", non-response on the day of the attack, the conflicts of interest with the pipeline, Osama's resume with the CIA, etc. – and we all traded contact info.
We caught up with the anarchists at the gare du midi, and it was great: a real street party. The theme was to claim a "free space" in Brussels. There were only about 2000 people, but as we marched through the city our numbers grew – although in the narrow streets there was no way for me to determine by how many. All of a sudden the "black block" anarchists showed up, but all they did was spray paint graffiti. This was not at all cool though, because we were in a working class neighbourhood – mostly Moroccan – and this was not the way to appeal to them. It was the one fucked up thing I witnessed.
After some time the police showed up – a helicopter had been following us the whole time – and in force. There were maybe 3000 of them in full riot gear, with military vehicles and water canons. They sealed off all the streets around us and for a while it looked like they were preparing to attack. After an hour they let us continue, although from then on they hemmed us in as we marched. As I understood we were supposed to meet up with D14 and form a bigger group, but the police didn't let that happen. We were forced to return to the gare du midi, at which point the momentum was lost and the march ended.
Later, while waiting on the train platform, we saw some other people who had been at the protest, and learned that while we had been drinking coffee at our friend's place there had been some real violence, in the form of the black-hooded folks smashing bank windows, vandalizing every Mercedes Benz they could get their hands on, and throwing molotov cocktails. Apparently they were trying to get to Laken, which is the neighborhood where the EU talks were taking place. 11 were arrested. Not that bad, really…

"PVDA, which is the Belgian communist party" isn't correct. It is one of the communist organizations (mao-stalinist). The official comnunist party isn't PVDA-PTB, its name is "Party Communist of belgium" but it wasn't really active in those protests.

I think it's very difficult to say that there is an "official" CP. But when you evaluate on activism, strength and quantity, i think the PVDA is thé communist party of Belgium.

Really a very strong argument "communists don't dance to the music like anarchists"...
Almost as good as carrying a "poster of Che and Marx" makes you a "groupie" form the "doctrinaire communist attitude"...

Beyond any doubt is wearing al large A on your brest far more musically...
Just like trying to invent more adjectives for the communist party, like 'mao-stalinist', or 'non-official communist party'...

and you, do you like to dance ?

The official CP was well presented at the demo's. All 14 members were participating actively in the demo's. We decided to not form a

The official CP was well presented at the demo's. All 14 members except one who was ill, participated actively in the demo's. We decided to not form an official block because we are all very active in other organisations like attac and because we didn't had time to make banners.

That's right comrade Zumbi!
But there's also the Flemish Communist Party KP. Largely smaller and older, but we were actif in these movements as well as we could. And so were a group of youth associated with the PC who are called 'Les piment rouges' (the red peppers). And many remaining CP and PC-members are actif in the trade unions, Attac or the local third world movments. Not for building the party, but for building the movement and changing something.
There are of course also several trotskyist parties and groups, among which the main are the SAP/POS and the LSP.
However, the PVDA, originally a maoist party, is defintely the biggest communist party in Belgium, though they get less than 1% of the votes. No party of the radical left in Belgium can say they have a genuine mass influence or working class base.

But anyway, it doesn't matter who is the 'official' one. That might historically be the PC and the KP which used to form a singe Belgian CP, created in 1921. But what I think that matters today is which communists or marxists become a bit less 'official' or 'orthodox' in the worst sense of the word (including stalin-admiration, uncritical belief, personality cultus, authoritarianism, sectarianism, manipulation etc.), which communists will thoroughly realise the mistakes of the past and learn the practical lessons, learn from the changes in the world situation, among the workers and youth, learn from the limitations of what was once thought to be an infallible theory. Who will take that dance?

For sure PTB-PVDA is the biggest comi organization in Belgium, but the meeting was organized by D14, which is about 80 orgs (see http://www.d14.be). For example, the anarcho-syndicalists (CNT, CAT,...) were also at the D14-peace demo of the Saturday 15th. The thing about the dance is really funny! I think the different comi groups had their sound systems and danced...
The (A) demo was actually not trying to go to Laken, but to join the street-party at the South Station. the street party was organised by the arty-libertarian collective BruXXel, joined by the anarchists and D14...
I like this article because it shows out how difficult it is to understand all those demos and coalition when you're not involved in the left activists scene!
.

kitty,

i dunno exactly where the anarchodemo went to, but definately not to the south station...

we started at the Hallepoort and went in direction of the south station. soon already we passed it and went straight on.
about 20/30 minutes of marching, we were blocked at a square not far from the brouckere. i dunno if it was the purpose to march trough the city centre (if so, they'd better gone into the lemonier just after passing the south station, so this probably wasn't the target) or to Laeken, but after the first police blockades , people went into the direction of laeken, but that road was also blocked, so the only way to move was heading for the south station

Sorry, maar aan Engels schrijven waag ik me niet, Nederlands is al moeilijk genoeg.

Waarom spreken we van Stalinisten, Maoïsten, Troskisten of zelfs Leninisten?
Waarom zijn we (de communisten/socialisten) gewoon niet allemaal Marxisten? Waarom maken we onderscheid? Laten we het communisme nu zo goed mogelijk 'toepassen' rekeninghoudend met de tijd en de geest.
De kleine linkse partijen zouden zich beter allemaal verenigen. KP (CP) mag misschien de oudste zijn, ze zijn nu zo goed als verdwenen, net als de SAP (POS). Ik weet dat verenigen niet gemakkelijk zal zijn, maar het moet gewoon kunnen (vb. Wielewaal en Natuurreservaten worden Natuurpunt, was op voorhand ook ondenkbaar). Dat de PVDA-PTB het best er zal uitkomen is zeer goed mogelijk, maar is dat niet normaal? Ze zijn nu eenmaal de grootste en best werkende. Misschien wil de PVDA niet, omdat ze misschien weten dat de andere wel vanzelf zullen verdwijnen… Als de kleintjes dat ook weten, kunnen ze zich dan niet gewoon bij de PVDA aansluiten? Het komt er eigenlijk op neer, dat we niet mogen denken aan macht, maar aan de mensen. Samen zijn we sterker om tegen het kapitalisme en fascisme te vechten, niet? We mogen ook niet sentimenteel ons aan de naam blijven hechten.
Nu nog linkse partijen oprichten, daar heb ik ernstige vragen bij, waarom en door wie…? Verdeel en heers kennen we, de Spaanse burgeroorlog is een groot voorbeeld. Waarom in God's naam, waarom? Om een tegenblok te vormen voor de PVDA-PTB, werden ze te 'groot'? Mensen, een oproep, als jullie perse een partij willen oprichten, richt dan een extreem rechtse op! Dan wordt rechts verdeeld en niet links.

I want you all to know that we read about you here on the net, and wow! you go guys!!! you are all so fucking intelligent. & well educated politically. thank you. the symbolism of your demonstrations is awe inspiring, as is the europeans dedication to principle and bravery. hey, what character!!! I salute all of you. I can't wait to check out what's happening in Europe every day. thank you for the hope you inspire in us all. fuck neoliberal capitalism. fuck the empire. I say its time to redistribute all the wealth, andale!!

Come and help us organize in the states. really. it's a mess here. no one has a clearly formulated communist rallying message, we don't have experience. no unions, you know. our time is critical. links, please.

Mexico is close, are there like minds there? tucson has an indynews website. that's about it. please!!! iwant to hear from you guys. about your different groups and philosiphies!!! You inspire us all!!!! yes!!!!let's hook up.

"KP (CP) mag misschien de oudste zijn, ze zijn nu zo goed als verdwenen, net als de SAP (POS). "

Bon, het gaat toch nog altijd om enkele honderden mensen in elk van die organisaties hoor, en vaak activisten die al decennia of jaren ervaring hebben, veel mensen kennen in vakbonden, andere sociale bewegingen, en op veel respect kunnen genieten van hun omgeving voor het werk dat ze doen. Het is niet omdat je ze niet zoveel ziet met vlaggen zwaaien dat ze er niet zijn he. KP en SAP zijn al lang niet meer uit op het zich kost wat kost willen profileren.

Een vereniging tussen communisten is toch iets anders dan een tussen natuurreservaten hoor.

"Dat de PVDA-PTB het best er zal uitkomen is zeer goed mogelijk, maar is dat niet normaal? Ze zijn nu eenmaal de grootste en best werkende."

De grootste OK (zo'n 2000 leden), de 'best werkende': daar zou ik in termen van efficientie en rendement van investeringen van mensen en middelen tegenover politieke reusltaten, toch zeer sterk aan twijfelen. Hoe komt het dat ze ondanks een goed geoliede werking nog steeds zo weinig stemmen halen (begin niet over Zelzate en Herstal, want dat zijn de uitzonderingen, in grote steden als Gent, Antwerpen, Brussel daalt het stemmenaantal van de PvdA elke verkiezingen, maar dat zul je nooit in de Solidairt lezen). Hoe komt het dan dat zoveel andere radicaal-linkse en linkse mensen een afschuw hebben van de methodes en de slogans van de PvdA (of had je dat nog niet gemerkt)? Waarom is de PvdA niet welkom in de meeste linkse vakbondsdelegaties in ons land? Waarom zijn de meeste activisten in allerlei sociale bewegingen na een paar jaar de PvdA kotsbeu? Lees wat deze Amerikaan zegt die de PvdA niet kent en sympathie heeft voor Marx en Che: na een half uur ermee geconfronteerd te worden, krijgt hij al de kriebels en gaat vlug naar de anarchisten.

"Misschien wil de PVDA niet, omdat ze misschien weten dat de andere wel vanzelf zullen verdwijnen… "

En wie zegt dat dat ze zullen verdwijnen? De KP is al zoveel keer doodverklaard. In alle andere Europese landen zijn het juist de hardline stalinisten die verdwenen zijn. Belgie is jammer genoeg een uitzondering (misschien samen met Grienkenland). Rifondazione Comunista in Italie bv.: dat is iets helemaal anders de de PvdA... Dat is ons model. Die Italiaanse communisten met wie ik sprak vinden het ongelooflijk dat een soort communsime als dat van de PvdA nog bestaat! De SAP heeft een mooie meeting georganiseerd met gezonde radicaal-linkse partijen uit Europa.

"Verdeel en heers kennen we, de Spaanse burgeroorlog is een groot voorbeeld. "
Dat jij als PvdA-sympathisant of -lid met dit voorbeeld afkomt vind ik wel bijzonder pijnlijk. Wie heeft daar de boel verdeeld? De stalinisten hebben daar een enorm grote verantwoordelijkheid in het mislukken van de revolutie. Het was de PvdA van toen die de repressie tegen anarchisten en POUM is begonnen.

Kijk eens, als de PvdA zou afstand doen van het stalinisme, van de dogmatische en simplistische manier van denken (dat heeft dus niets met 'marxisme' te maken!), van het steunen van krankzinnige landen als Noord-Korea of dictators als Milosevic, van het ontkennen van de misdaden die in naam van het communisme zijn gepleegd... Als dat zo zou zijn, kocht ik direct een lidkaart en zat iedereen van SAP en KP al lang bij de PvdA. Sommigen vinden nu dat de PvdA 'opener' wordt door deze beweging. Ik zou het graag geloven, maar merk er weinig van. Hun hele opvatting van politiek is totaal tegenovergesteld aan de slogan van deze beweging 'eenheid in verscheidenheid'. Hun opvattingen over de centralistische eenheidspartij zijn compleet voorbijgestreefd en komen er gewoon niet. Door een organisatorische sterkte kunnen ze misschien wel dominant overkomen. Dat merk je ook op Indymedia waar ze systematisch zeer veel eigen propaganda op posten, tot grote ergernis van steeds meer mensen.

The Zapatists are a group of indians who claim autonomy in their region Ciapas in Mexico. They fight against the neo-liberal policy and against the repression of the mexican government. They want to organize themselves in a way,close to anarchy. Their speechman is sub-comandanto Marcos, he has no authority over the group, like a comandant, but only speaks in name of the group ,after the group decided. They want selforganisation. You find alot information on the web, just go to google or something and type the name.

as long as I don't have to dance, I don't care that much :-)

Besides, belgium is extremely separated, there are a lot of marxist inspired groups and a lot of different anarchist groups ...
I think it will stay like that for a long time ...

Zeg commie als de pvda dan toch zo onefficiënt en verwerpelijk is kun jij dan even verklaren waarom die partij al dertig jaar gratis geneeskunde kan garanderen.
En oh ja is D' Orazio geen linkse vakbondsmilitant meer.
Hij heeft hen alleszins nooit veroordeelt. FACE IT er is geen enkele partij in België die zich er op kan beroepen zich harder in te zetten voor de revolutionaire arbeidersstrijd dan de pvda.

hij ka

A very well written description from the perspective of a protester who seems more representative of most of us questioning, non-doctrinaire types. I think he should be sent as a perment reporter to give the rest of us a real ground-level perspective of these type of protests.

The author responds:

This article wasn't meant to be an in-depth analysis of the various communist factions in Belgium, or a meditation on the differences between Marxism and anarchism. The main point is that in my opinion marching behind pictures of Che and handing our material full of quotations from Marx is hopelessly outdated, as well as counter-productive. Che Guevara (sorry, I misspelled his name in the article) was a great human being, one of many who struggled and gave his life to make the world a better place. He has also become an icon for youthful rebellion, and his image is exploited by various corporations – including, ironically, the right wing, anti-Cuban Bacarrdi Rum – that use his face to sell their products. It reminds me of how Malcom X became an icon in the late 80s/early 90s in America. His face was also on a million t-shirts, album covers, etc. At the end of Spike Lee's film about him, black school children take turns standing up and shout "I am Malcom X!" No, you are NOT! You are YOURSELF, and should be proud to be who you are! I said that I'm something of an anarchist, but what I really am is a collective-individualist. Don't march behind someone else's image, and don't cling to symbols! We must find common cause between Marxists/communists, anarchists, greens (in case you don't know, the greens in America are AGAINST the war in Afghanistan), and all others who understand that the "free market" must be stopped. I have a real problem with people who still worship Mao or the Bolsheviks (because I have a problem with mass murderers), but I am also willing to talk with them – or even dance with them – if we can work together to fight the powers that are killing the world.

Honderd is nu wel niet echt veel. Is dat alleen Vlaanderen of is dat volledig België?
Als politieke partij moet je er nu eenmaal voor zorgen dat de mensen u kennen, dat is het grote probleem van de linkse partijen, de mensen kennen ze niet (door o.a. een mediaboycot).
Akkoord, buiten die uitzonderingen, zijn de verkiezingsresultaten van de PVDA-PTB niet zo goed. Maar wat zijn de verkiezingsresultaten van de andere kleinere linkse partijen? Breng mij op de hoogte, ik ken ze niet?
Zou het niet beter zijn dat alle linkse partijen de krachten bundelen? Er mag en kan binnen 1 partij discussie zijn (o.a. discussieartikels in het eengemaakt blad). Maar die discussie over het verleden mag het niet beletten om voor de mensen (milieu…) nu goed te doen. Waarom mogen sommige mensen geen kritische kijk hebben op het verleden (over Stalin…)?
Als jij spreekt bestaan er vele verschillende communisten, dat is verkeerd. Zo blijven we eeuwig klein en onbenullig. Dat is juist wat "ze" willen, ons verdelen en klein houden. De PVDA voor de Spaanse burgeroorlog de schuld geven… Ik heb ook al beschuldigingen gehoord aan adres van de KP, SAP… maar dat lost de problemen niet op, dat vergroot ze, dat verdeelt ons nog meer.
Moesten de SAP'ers en KP'ers bij de PVDA komen, dan zouden zij ook het beleid mee bepalen. Alhoewel dat fusioneren moet kunnen en niet opslorpen of infiltreren. Fusioneren dat alle partijen een goed gevoel nadien hebben, het moet kunnen. Als we allemaal fusioneren (de krachten bundelen), dan zullen de andere eventjes moeten slikken, nu lachen ze gewoon met ons, ze hebben ons onder controle.
Over Indymedia, de PVDA zijn nu immers met een paar duizend, de andere met een paar honderd, het zou logisch zijn dat er dan meer sympathisanten van de partij er iets opzetten, alhoewel de andere ook mooi vertegenwoordigd zijn.