Mayday Greetings from the First of May Anarchist Alliance

“We are living in times when we can make a difference”

Mayday is not only a time to remember the sacrifices of so many before us who fought against all authority – capitalism and the state, patriarchy and white supremacy, empire and ecocide – but also a time to reflect on and celebrate the achievements of our movements today. In recent months the world has again been changed by the actions of masses of ordinary people.

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Mayday Greetings from the First of May Anarchist Alliance

Sisters,
Brothers,
Friends and
Comrades,

This weekend we will mark International Workers Day – and the ancient celebration of the coming of Spring. Like many of you, we hope to be in the streets, standing against the attacks on workers and the poor, and in defense of our immigrant sisters and brothers. We also look forward to time spent hanging out, talking, and enjoying our lives with friends, co-workers, and loved ones.

Mayday is not only a time to remember the sacrifices of so many before us who fought against all authority – capitalism and the state, patriarchy and white supremacy, empire and ecocide – but also a time to reflect on and celebrate the achievements of our movements today. In recent months the world has again been changed by the actions of masses of ordinary people.

Across North Africa and the Middle East popular demonstrations and resistance have challenged and ousted dictators. This has opened up space for further independent organizing and opposition even as the old elites, state structures and imperialist military aim to reconsolidate their rule.

Here in North America the sharp attacks against workers and the poor has finally provoked a response. Across the U.S. and especially in Wisconsin working people began to fight back. Radical concepts (but perfectly practical) like the General Strike gained a mass hearing and widespread support but could not yet undo the destructive habit of reliance on union officials and the Democratic Party.

Still it is clear that we are living in times when we can make a difference.

This Spring, as our organization finally sprouts to life, we hope to share in more detail our thinking from the past period about what is needed to bring anarchist revolution and a free society closer into being. We have two documents “Our Anarchism” that sketches our politics, and “Our Organization” that lays out how we will organize ourselves. These are modest papers, but we think they will raise some good and needed dialogue, debate and even controversy within the anarchist movement, other radicals, and our organizing circles. We look forward to the discussion.

This Mayday we also launch a website that will serve as media and a public face for our group, at least on the internet:
www.m1aa.org

Mediums such as written documents and websites were a small part of our activity over the last year. We have been primarily active with Solidarity & Defense and many Industrial Workers of the World (I.W.W.) projects and campaigns, as well as the mainstream unions at our jobs; we participated in the July 31st Day of Action Against Fascism & Racism; we put out a controversial statement in solidarity with the antiwar/FRSO Federal Grand Jury defendants; we participated in Class Struggle Anarchists Conference meetings in Detroit and Seattle and proposed a Labor-oriented publication to CSAC’s Labor commission. We issued a broadsheet “Revolution” around the Arab revolts, and did a bunch of work in Wisconsin building for a General Strike. We continue to dialogue and collaborate with a number of different groups and individuals and participate in a number of ongoing projects. We are committed to developing a personal-political base where we work and live.

With our small numbers we have “punched above our weight”. We now look forward to taking our organization to the next stage as part of our contribution toward anarchist revolution and the free society.

For Freedom and Solidarity!

First of May Anarchist Alliance

m1aa@riseup.net
P.O. Box 15455 Detroit MI 48215