NYC Anarchist Bookfair: April 17–18, 2010
By Charlotte Obernauer
When anarchists picture New York City, they often think of the Young Lords mobilizing thousands to anti-gentrification rallies in Spanish Harlem, or trans folks and drag queens hurling beer bottles and shoes at cops during the Stonewall Rebellion. Some remember when, 15 years ago, Mayor Giuliani sent tanks rolling through the East Village to evict squatters; or when, in 2006, the city mourned the loss of New York-based radical journalist Brad Will, murdered by fascists in Oaxaca. Like most U.S. cities populated by immigrants, people of color, poor folks and queers, New York City has been a hotspot of resistance for the past 150 years.
The NYC Anarchist Film Festival preceded the 2009 Anarchist Bookfair and fliers hung on dirty steel poles in the Lower East Side that read, “From Gaza to Greece: The Burning Continues.” It’s been over a year since the murder of a 15 year old in Greece and since Israel’s ruthless bombing of the Palestinian people, and state repression continues – but so does the resistance.
On April 17 and 18, New York City’s (A) Collective will host the 4th Annual NYC Anarchist Bookfair at the Judson Memorial Church in Manhattan, bringing together thousands of anarchists for two days of panels, presentations, workshops and skillshares. In addition to academics presenting their work, organizers will strategize to establish an anarchist presence at various convergences and rallies, and homelessness activists will distribute information about how to squat in New York. The week of the Bookfair has been deemed “Anarchyfest,” a celebration that encourages anarchists across the city to occupy spaces, hold actions and do what we do best: fuck shit up.
The Bookfair isn’t just a call to converge; it’s a call to get organized; it’s a prelude to a summer of anarchy in the city.
NYC Anarchist Bookfair
April 17–18, 2010
Judson Memorial Church
55 Washington Square South
Manhattan
(A) events happening in NYC. E-mail submissions to: nycanarchist AT gmail dot com.