The Swedish Anarcho-syndicalist Youth Federation is celebrating its 20 years of its
existance, and you are invited! ---- In the early 90's, the political, social and economic
map of the world was destined to be changed forever, and there was no guarantee if
reaction or progress would fill the power vacuum. The Soviet bloc was on the brink of
collapse. In Sweden, a new generation of white supremacists, extreme rightists and nazis
took to the streets to do the bidding of the masters of the new world order. As a
consequence of the increasingly unregulated internationalized flows of capital, ever-more
severe regional and global economic crisis started pounding the dispossessed of this
world. It was obvious that even that which had seemed like a "perfect" Scandinavian
middle-way started to give way; the hegemony of the Social democrat leadership which had
been more or or less constantly in power in Sweden post-WWII was crumbling.
The formation of many local clubs of anarcho-syndicalist youths in different cities in
Sweden became the spontaneous response to these new economic and political realities. An
increasingly violent reactionary racist movement begun to gain traction as unemployment,
privatization and industrial displacement came to the fore, and a new kind of Class War
was gearing up again in the societes of the "perfect welfare states" in Scandinavia. Thus,
it was obvious that things would never be the same, and for young people in Sweden, the
old ideals fo anarcho-syndicalist direct action seemed more relevant than ever before.
This is why, in 1993, the SUF, the Swedish Anarcho--syndicalist Youth Federation, was
reconstituted in its modern form formed when youths from Joe Hill's old hometown of G?vle,
the non-marxist radical youth in the university city of Uppsala and libertarian youngsters
from the island of Gotland met up in Uppsala and decided to join forces.
In just a few years, it had become obvious for politicians, union fat-cats and the average
joe on the street that this new SUF was a poltiical force be reckoned with, as it soon
became one of the fastest growing extra-parliamentary youth movements in Sweden, with a
magazine of it's own called - Direkt Aktion, still published today. It set the tone for
tactics and outlook on the neo-liberal policies of the IMF/WTO and other institutions
during the surge of the globalization movement of the 90's (with 20-25 000 people
partcipating in the protests against the EU summit in Gothenburg 2001). From these first
three local groups a federation was formed which came to spread all over Sweden,
encompassing 55 local groups at it's height, nowadays having a presence in about 30
cities, spread all over Sweden. As with many other libertarian youth groups, SUF became
the "plant school" for thousands of activists who have since gone on to other progressive
projects, strikingly often involved in the regeneration of the syndicalist union SAC, but
also in campaigns like the No one is illegal-movement and radical union locals of all sorts.
WIth campaigns such as planka.nu, inspired by autonomist ideas of the social factory and
the social strike, the founding of Piratbyr?n and the The Pirate Bay, and cooperating in
networks with many other social movements, the SUF is still a strong force in Swedish
politics, providing working class youth with an indedent, self-organized and confident
alternative to the stagnant ideas of statism and reformism espoused by the many different
strands of stalinist, socialist and social democratic parties who still try to divide us
young students, workers, and unemployed at the stage in history when precarity, increasing
commercialization of our educational systems and all-to-simple racist explanations are
threatening all the gains we've made over the last 100 years.
Quote:
This means that we belive it to be possible - and nessesary - to confront capitalism
not only in the workplaces, but that this also must be done in schools, universities,
local communities etc. This can be done in many ways and we respect and value a diversity
of tactics.
From the SUF statement of principles in English -https://suf.cc/english.php
Thus, now young (as well as once young) syndicalists from over all over the world are now
invited to Uppsala for the 20th anniversary of the founding of the modern SUF the 12th of
October 2013 - the very same date as the "day of civil courage" which is celebrated each
year in remembrance of the syndicalist warehouse worker Bj?rn S?derberg, assassinated by
nazis in 1999 for having revealed their plans to try to take over the social democrat
union local at his workplace.
There will be exhibitions, talks, old stories told, a gala dinner, live acts (amongst
others the popular Swedish-Finnish hiphop/grime artists Max Peezay- winner of the P3 Gold
Hiphop/Soul category in 2007), DJ:s, soccer tournament, and of course a manifestation in
memory of Bj?rn S?derberg and all victims of fascism world-wide.
If you happen to be in Sweden, feel welcome to attend today - send a mail to sog at suf.cc
for information on how to RVSP - 150 kr at the door, 100 kr early bird). Please note that
this is an alcohol and drug-free event.
Revolution i v?r livstid!
Valet ?r en illusion - v?rat svar direkt aktion!
Link to FB event: http://on.fb.me/1bPUPbc
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