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Surrounding the Spanish Parliament: Occupy Congress & The M15 Movements

2011-Present, Authority, Blockade/Barricade, Defining the Enemy, Disruptive Spaces, Institutions, Occupation, Subjectives of Refusal, Tactics of Disruption, The Workplace, Uncategorized, Urban Spaces, Workers

The Occupy movements in Spain escalated quickly due to the deep economic crisis the country faced. protestors physically surrounded the national parliament, confronting the government about the widening gap between the general population of Spanish citizens and the elected officials in Congress. This occupation was incredibly disruptive as it halted the normal flow of political life and forced politicians to acknowledge and visibly see the public withdrawing their trust and faith. Over 1,400 police officers quickly became involved, and the scene escalated with dozens of arrests, rubber bullets, and baton charges, intensifying the situation drastically. Protestors in this occupation were charged with treason and crimes against the nation, even though they were surrounding rather than occupying the government offices. Protesters were organized by M15, which was incredibly efficient and effective at organizing creative protests and demonstrations within banks and parliament. In this video, Maria Carrion reports live from Madrid on the increased anger of Spaniards as they’re driven to hunger and poverty due to the bank repossessing their homes, while the tenants still have to pay the debt, while homeless. These protestors disrupted the political order of the nation and exposed the crisis and tension between the public and the austerity-driven state.

Darkness Before Dawn: Occupy Movements of Bahrain

1990-2010, Authority, Defining the Enemy, Disruptive Spaces, Occupation, Subjectives of Refusal, Tactics of Disruption, Uncategorized, Urban Spaces, Workers

“Every minute of the day, I think about what I need to be doing next to sustain the battle to gain freedom, not just for my husband but for myself and for others. None of us are free. We have been living off the whim of an autocrat who decided our fate with a stroke of the pen.”

– Dr. Ala’a Shehabi

The uprisings in Bahrain were demonstrations that challenged the internal power of the nation as well as its external relations. People gathered in masses at the Pearl Roundabout, with many series of anti-government protests led mainly by the Shia and some Sunni Bahraini opposition. The Pearl Roundabout was initially a symbol of modernization as well as the formation of the GCC, Gulf Cooperation Council; however became more commonly associated with the 2011 democracy protests and was demolished soon after as an attempt to quell the movement as well as its significance. Similar to global Occupy movements, thousands of people occupied this space, showcasing collective resistance and disrupting daily life. The movement threatened the GCC’s commitment to preserving Bahrain’s rule by ordering Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to deploy troops over the border. In the end, this uprising not only disrupted the authoritarian rule of Bahrain but also the idea that the Arab Spring would not impact nations with substantial oil wealth in the Gulf.

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Flaming Fury: Tunisian Occupy Movements

1990-2010, Alternative Spaces, Authority, Date, Defining the Enemy, Disruptive Spaces, Subjectives of Refusal, The Workplace, Uncategorized, Urban Spaces, Workers

“Within days of Bouazizi setting himself on fire, Tunisians began filling the streets of their cities with largely peaceful protests… this display of mass nonviolent action to effect rapid change would have been stunning anywhere, but was especially remarkable in a region that had grown notorious for its seeming inability to change peacefully, if at all.”

Jeffrey D. Sachs

Mohammad Bouazizi, setting himself on fire in Tunisia during the series of Occupy movements, was immensely disruptive. This act emphasized the need for drastic change, as this man was willing to sacrifice his life and body to disrupt the cycle that many had become complacent with. This action symbolized how deeply disenfranchised people were under Tunisia’s authoritarian rule, and that the people would no longer stand for this. His igniting exposed the brutality of the economic and political system that had become incredibly exclusive, often leaving behind the lower classes. The youth were angry- they were consistently repressed under their government, and desperately wanted new rules, yet their internet connections and communication with others about their widespread dissatisfaction yielded few results. Following Bouazizi’s decision to set himself on fire, protests ignited around police abuse, corruption, and high unemployment rates across the nation. Ultimately, this resulted in President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fleeing the country less than a month later, opening space for new political leaders and freedoms and the establishment of a more open civil society through a newly constructed constitution. This act also sparked the Arab Spring- uprisings in Syria, Bahrain, Libya, Egypt, and Yemen, demonstrating that this single act of disruption-when other methods are unheard, can transform political and economic landscapes, opening the conversation globally.

From Cairo to Wall Street :TunisiaDownload

Occupy Egypt: From Cairo to Wall Street

2011-Present, Authority, Defining the Enemy, Disruptive Spaces, Institutions, Occupation, Subjectives of Refusal, Tactics of Disruption, The Workplace, Uncategorized, Urban Spaces, Workers

“The balance tipped. Going down to protest became acceptable Before then, people like members of my family would have said, ‘No way, how could you protest? It is not something people like us do.’ Then it became normal to protest. It became something we could do.”

Jawad Nabulsi

Jawad Nabulsi tells his personal experience of the Occupy movements in Egypt, taking place in Tahrir Square. Nabulsi’s narrative is particularly impactful as he was from a fairly wealthy family, and he recounts times where he was privileged enough to not follow certain procedures, like taking his driver’s license test, because his family had connections everywhere. He frames himself as well as his brother as people who did not need to partake in the movement, but were capable of doing so to benefit others. The tactics of “occupation” challenged the normal flow of everyday life and infrastructure, through taking over public space like Tahrir Square, a major public square in the heart of downtown Cairo, Egypt. The occupation undermined the regimes claim to order and complacency, especially when large numbers of people camped in central Cairo. The tactics of occupation allowed a wide cross-section of society from students, workers, unemployed graduates, young women—to participate, not just in short demonstrations but in extended presence. This broadened social disruption. The disruption can also be seen through Nabilsis personal story as he took part in the occupations regardless of the fact that his family was very well off, showcasing a reframing of whos involved, demonstrating the strong desire for change, even from those benefitting from this system. The tactics of occupation in Cairo were highly disruptive: they rewrote the rules of protest, challenged the state’s control of space, mobilised and organized large groups of society, and created a model for global protest movements.

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Resistance Through No Sex: The 4B Movement in South Korea

2011-Present, Defining the Enemy, Patriarchy, Subjectives of Refusal, Uncategorized, Women

Women in South Korea have continuously been treated as inferior under a deeply ingrained patriarchal system. In 2016, after a young woman was murdered in a misogynistic hate crime, the country reacted with outrage over the poor handling of her case. Misogynistic crimes like this, combined with systemic gender inequality and intense societal pressures, helped spark a collective rejection of men and patriarchal norms. Although often described as a “sex strike,” that is not the sole purpose of the 4B movement. Women in South Korea also place greater emphasis on engaging with and supporting one another rather than conforming to traditional relationships with men.

”The 4B thing is a very Korean, feministic lifestyle, and it is irreversible. We cannot be taken back again!”

Life Without Men: The 4B Movement

2011-Present, Defining the Enemy, Patriarchy, Subjectives of Refusal, Uncategorized, Women

After a history of oppression, rigid gender roles, pervasive misogyny, and gendered violence, many South Korean women have collectively decided to reject traditional patriarchal structures. These women follow the principles of the “4Bs”: bihon (no marriage), bichulsan (no childbirth), biyeonae (no dating men), and bisekseu (no sex with men). Through these rejections, they are not only resisting gender discrimination but also destabilizing societal expectations—with no clear desire to return to traditional roles, even in the aftermath of mass protests. This social disruption has begun to expand westward, reaching beyond Korea’s borders.

SCUM MANIFESTO (1967)

1946-1989, Defining the Enemy, Disruptive Spaces, Patriarchy, Self Institution, Subjectives of Refusal, Tactics of Disruption, The Workplace, Uncategorized, Women

“SCUM is against the entire system, the very idea of law and government. SCUM is out to destroy the system, not attain certain rights within it.”

Valerie Solanas

Valerie Solanas, an American radical feminist, published The SCUM Manifesto in 1967, advocating for the dismantling of patriarchal structures established by men and the creation of a female-led society. Solanas critiques male dominance and systemic gender inequality, arguing that these societal flaws stem from male control. The manifesto calls upon “thrill-seeking females to overthrow the government, eliminate the money system, institute complete automation, and destroy the male sex,” framing men as the root of societal instability and inefficiency, justifying the radical restructuring of society in favor of women, by women.

SCUM-MANIFESTODownload

Accomplices Not Allies: Abolishing the Ally Industrial Complex – Indigenous Action Media (2014)

2011-Present, Date, Uncategorized

This zine offers a sharp critique of the political label “ally” and the network of activists who have created what it calls an “ally industrial complex,” driven by their own reputations as anti-oppression advocates. Grounded in the context of Indigenous resistance, it examines various problematic forms of allyship—including savior figures, opportunists, academics, and self-declared allies—who often center themselves rather than the communities they claim to support. Instead of promoting the concept of “ally,” the zine calls for the emergence of “accomplices”: individuals who attack colonial structures and ideals through solidarity rooted in trust, consent, and shared struggle.

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Action Planning: A Guide to Planning Effective Direct Action – Seeds for Change (n.d.)

Uncategorized

This source is a guide by Seeds for Change that discusses how to organize effective direct action. Tactics such as occupying a building, jamming a company’s phone line with calls, breaking machinery, disrupting an event, blocking vehicles, among other direct actions are described. The guide also emphasizes the importance of identifying targets, understanding different types of pressure, and various other planning and logistical steps.

actionplanningDownload

Setting Up a Workers’ Co-Op – Seeds for Change (n.d.)

Uncategorized

This document serves as a concise guide for individuals aiming to establish a workers’ cooperative, a democratically run business owned and operated by its employees. It outlines the essential stages involved, from forming an initial group and developing a business plan to navigating legal structures, securing finances, and officially launching the cooperative. Ultimately, setting up and running a workers’ co-op is presented as a form of direct action where people collectively take control of their work lives to create a more just and ecologically conscious way of working.

setting_up_a_workers_coopDownload

Anarchic Agreements – Seeds for Change (n.d.)

Uncategorized

“Anarchic Agreements” is a guide for social and environmental justice groups seeking to establish internal rules and processes in an empowering way. It was co-written by Seeds for Change and researchers from the Anarchy Rules research project. The text explores crucial areas for “constitutionalising” a group, including defining its purpose, decision-making methods, task management, necessary policies, and strategies for maximizing empowerment. 

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What is Direct Action? – Seeds for Change (n.d.)

Uncategorized

This document, a guide from Seeds for Change, explores direct action as a means to achieve political goals, contrasting it with indirect methods. It showcases successful examples in Britain, demonstrating how diverse and disruptive tactics like blockades, occupations, and property damage are employed to exert pressure. It highlights key points for effective direct action, including sustained campaigns, clear aims, targeted pressure, identifying leverage, and the importance of organized communities and diverse roles. 

directactionDownload

An Interview with M.E. O’Brien (n.d.)

Disruptive Spaces, The Home, Uncategorized

This is an interview conducted with M.E. O’Brien, a leading voice of revolutionary queer politics, gender, and communist theory. The interview explores her concept of family abolition through a Marxist-feminist and queer lens, tracing its historical trajectory within capitalism and socialist movements. O’Brien discusses her influences, the arguments presented in her influential essay “To Abolish the Family,” and the potential of collectivizing care beyond traditional family structures. She examines the historical complexities of family politics in different contexts, including the Soviet Union, as well as the impact of immigration policies on marginalized communities in the U.S., among other key topics.

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The Written Resistance #4 – National Students for Justice in Palestine (2024)

2011-Present, Authority, Blockade/Barricade, Date, Defining the Enemy, Disruptive Spaces, Imperialism, Institutions, Occupation, Students, Subjectives of Refusal, Tactics of Disruption, Uncategorized

This is the fourth edition of the newsletter written by a compilation of individual authors and published by the National Students for Justice in Palestine. The edition features a range of articles documenting student activism across several universities, including Columbia, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Waterloo, Birzeit University, the American University of Beirut, and the University of Texas at Dallas. These articles explore student strategies, challenges with university administrations, and their connections to the military-industrial complex. The publication emphasizes the reclamation of political space and the forging of decolonized solidarity in a unified struggle against oppression.

TWR_Issue-4-1Download

On the Principles of Non-Collaboration – Movimiento de Liberacion Nacional (n.d.)

Defining the Enemy, Imperialism, Uncategorized

The Movimiento de Liberacion Nacional (MLN) was founded in 1977 as a coalition of anti-imperialist Puerto Rican and Chicano-Mexicano activists in the United States. This document by the MLN outlines the group’s stance against U.S. imperialism and its support for Puerto Rican independence and the socialist reunification of Mexico. It details the MLN’s historical context, including resistance to U.S. expansion and colonization. The document emphasizes the principle of non-collaboration with the U.S. government, particularly in the face of grand jury investigations targeting independence movements. Furthermore, the text promotes solidarity with armed clandestine movements and calls for the dismantling of U.S. imperial power.

38.MLN_.OnPrinciplesNonCollaborationDownload

Defy The Draft – 1967

1946-1989, Authority, Defining the Enemy, Strike, Students, Subjectives of Refusal, Tactics of Disruption, Uncategorized

Students join protesters in New York to show off their right to have freedom of speech by defying the Vietnam draft with the burning of draft cards

“One hundred American youths burned their draft cards in Central Park today in a protest against the war in Vietnam”
Sunday-Bulletin-1967.04.16-100-burn-draft-cardsDownload

Homestead Strike (1892)

1840-1945, Date, Defining the Enemy, Disruptive Spaces, Occupation, Privatization, Sabotage/Ecotage, Strike, Subjectives of Refusal, Tactics of Disruption, The Bourgeoisie, The Workplace, Uncategorized, Workers

The Homestead Strike of 1892, centered at Carnegie’s steel plant in Pennsylvania, marked a pivotal moment in American labor history. It erupted over wage cuts and benefit reductions, leading to a violent clash between striking workers and Pinkerton detectives hired by the company. After Carnegie and his staff pushed workers out of the plant to replace them with non – union workers, they pushed back and barricaded within it. There was violent conflict between them and the Pinkerton detectives. Despite the workers’ efforts, the strike was ultimately suppressed. Nonetheless, the strike remains a significant event in the struggle for workers’ rights and fair labor practices. It became a rallying point for other labor activists.

service-ndnp-nn-batch_nn_goethe_ver01-data-sn83030193-00206535386-1892070603-0384Download

Tecumseh Calls for Pan-Indian Resistance (1810)

1700-1830s, Date, Defining the Enemy, Disruptive Spaces, Indigenous, Self Institution, Subjectives of Refusal, Subjects Redefined, Tactics of Disruption, The 'Natural World', Uncategorized, White Supremacy

In this document, Tecumseh, a Shawnee chief and warrior, details a message of both resistance and spirituality. He writes to a community larger than just the Shawnee, calling on all the “red men” to unite and to reclaim the land that has been stolen from them by the “white people.”

Tecumseh-Calls-for-Pan-Indian-Resistance-1810Download

“The way, and the only way, to check and to stop this evil, is for all the red men to unite in claiming a common and equal right in the land, as it was at first, and should be yet; for it never was divided, but belongs to all for the use of each.”

Breaking the Illusion of Scarcity: A Squatter’s Primer (2003)

1990-2010, Date, Defining the Enemy, Disruptive Spaces, Occupation, Privatization, Tactics of Disruption, The Home, Uncategorized, We're Not Paying That

This piece is a detailed guide on how to squat an unoccupied property. Information on how to find a place, claim squatters’ rights, gain adverse possession, and fix utilities within the space are described and illustrated in the document. Additional squatting resources are provided at the end of the piece as well.

Breaking-the-Illusion-of-Scarcity-A-Squatters-PrimerDownload

 “If we are to avoid urban sprawl, we must see through the illusion of scarcity and utilize what already exists. So dig a pry bar under the boards covering the window, crack it open and squat it.”

A Civilian’s Guide to Direct Action – CrimethInc. (2017)

2011-Present, Date, Disruptive Spaces, Uncategorized

This piece is a step-by-step guide published by CrimethInc. on organizing direct action. Common objectives of direct action, how to navigate the initial planning stages, what to do during and after the action, as well as other information is described and illustrated in the document.

Crimethinc-Direct-Action-GuideDownload

President of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians Letter to the Chairman of the Town of Lac du Flambeau – John Johnson Sr. (2023)

2011-Present, Date, Disruptive Spaces, Indigenous, Subjectives of Refusal, The 'Natural World', Uncategorized

This letter, written in December of 2023 by the President of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, John Johnson Sr., to the Chairman of the Town of Lac du Flambeau, Matt Gaulke, communicated that the tribe would be enacting a Road Access Permitting Ordinance applying to all roads that cross tribal land. This would allow legal access to the roads in exchange for a fee, and came after months of contentious dispute over road access on the reservation. In January of 2023, the northern Wisconsin tribe barricaded four reservation roadways they argued were being illegally used. In this letter, the tribe president demanded nearly $10 million to resolve past trespass violations, and required payment of these damages before issuance of any road permits under this new ordinance.

Lac-du-Flambeau-LetterDownload

The Construction of Lay Expertise (1995)

1946-1989, 1990-2010, Consciousness Raising, Date, Disruptive Spaces, History, History/Theory, Institutions, Occupation, Tactics of Disruption, The Workplace, Theory, Uncategorized

In the 1980s, the AIDs epidemic began to wreak havoc across the country, specifically amongst gay men. These affected communities felt that the government and other facets of society were not addressing the epidemic properly and so, they were dying in massive proportions. A group of committed activists formed an organization called ACTUP and used disruptive tactics to create more awareness about their issue. One of the most provocative techniques they used was to gather in large amounts and play dead with signs that suggested who was responsible for their death, like the CDC. This paper by Steven Epstein details other such tactics that disrupted people’s every-day movements and oftentimes, forced them to reckon with the AIDs epidemic and its victims. 

epstein-1995-the-construction-of-lay-expertise-aids-activism-and-the-forging-of-credibility-in-the-reform-of-clinicalDownload

Treesitter’s Journal Entry (2000)

1990-2010, Date, Defining the Enemy, Disruptive Spaces, Occupation, Patriarchy, Tactics of Disruption, The 'Natural World', Uncategorized

A journal entry written by an anonymous treesitter discusses issues of privilege and oppression, and how these issues relate to direct action campaigns to protect the forests.

“I see clearly that the forest will never be truly protected until this entire system of oppression is brought to a grinding halt.”

“Ultimately we will never save the forest until the bigger picture of oppression is addressed. As long as the rape and oppression of women continues so will the rape and oppression of the earth. It is one and the same.”

Treesitters-Journal-Entry-4Download

Introduction to Anarchy Comics by Jay Kinney (2012)

1990-2010, Consciousness Raising, Date, Tactics of Disruption, Uncategorized

Anarchy Comics is a series of underground comic books that were anarchist and satirical, criticising mainstream society. The first three issues were edited by Jay Kinney and the fourth by Paul Mavrides, and the contributers included anarchist artists of the times, such as Spain Rodriguez and Gilbert Shelton. The first issue of Anarchy Comics can be found here.

Anarchy-Comics-IntroductionDownload

Anarchy Comics: Issue 1 by Jay Kinney (1978)

1946-1989, Consciousness Raising, Date, Tactics of Disruption, Uncategorized

Anarchy Comics is a series of underground comic books that were anarchist and satirical, criticising mainstream society. The first three issues were edited by Jay Kinney and the fourth by Paul Mavrides, and the contributers included anarchist artists of the times, such as Spain Rodriguez and Gilbert Shelton. An introduction to Anarchy Comics, written by Jay Kinney, can be found here.

Anarchy_Comics_The_Complete_Collection_-_Anarchy_Comics_1Download

Temporary Autonomous Zone – Hakim Bey (1985)

1946-1989, Alternative Spaces, Authority, Date, Defining the Enemy, Disruptive Spaces, Evasion, History/Theory, Occupation, Patriarchy, Sabotage/Ecotage, Self Institution, Tactics of Disruption, Theory, Uncategorized, Urban Spaces

Classic anarchist text by Hakim Bey about creating temporary spaces that elude formal structures of control. From Pirate Utopias to Nomadic Bands, Poetic Terrorism to Ontological Anarchy, Hakim Bey draws on history and philosophy to think through spatial and mental liberation. 

"The TAZ springs from the historical development I call “the closure of the map.” 
The last bit of Earth unclaimed by any nation-state was eaten up in 1899. 
Ours is the first century without terra incognita, without a frontier."
Hakim-Bey-The-Temporary-Autonomous-ZoneDownload

Indiana University Students for a Democratic Society: Collection of Newsletters (1965)

1946-1989, Date, Disruptive Spaces, Institutions, Students, Subjectives of Refusal, Uncategorized

During the 1960s, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) as a national organization had chapters at over 300 universities. The organization lasted unitl 1969, until it ultimately split due to disagreements within regarding revolutionary actions. Here is a collection of newsletters distributed by the Indiana University chapter of SDS in 1965.

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OVERVIEWDownload

The Kinetics of Our Discontent – Mehmet Dosemeci (2020)

History, History/Theory, Theory, Time Interrupted, Uncategorized

Mehmet Dosemeci questions why we have come to understand the history of social struggle through the category of movement and discusses the complicity of movements with the social order they are struggling against. Offers an alternate history of social struggle as the arrest or interruption of the existing order.

Why do we think of social struggles as movements? What is in motion and where is it going? Has struggle been thought and practiced otherwise? Not as movement but as disruption, arrest, stasis? If so, what are struggles trying to stop? Asking these questions pushes us to think about struggle kinetically: to analyze social struggle through the register of motion and its interruption.
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