Linking arms without getting stepped on: an anarchists in coalitions primer

by Niels

The recent wave of mass protests against globalization has found anarchists working in or with coalitions on a level not seen for several decades. While the N30 Seattle and A16 Washington, DC protests owe much of their success to our willingness to work in coalition with other radicals and progressives, the sweet taste of victory has been undercut with a tang of bitterness. This article is based on coverage of the N30 Seattle protests in both the mainstream and alternative media and my own experience working with several coalitions in Minneapolis in the early '90s.

Why Work In Coalition?
Anarchists have a (not undeserved) reputation for preferring to go it alone when it comes to confronting capitalism and the state. This comes, not only from our serious theoretical and tactical differences with most groups on the left, but also from the almost universal experience of marginalization we've had when working in coalitions. However, there are many benefits to organizing within a coalition that may outweigh the inherent difficulties. First, coalitions provide numbers that anarchists organizing alone can rarely hope to duplicate. Although only a small percentage of them may be radical, there are millions of people with some connection to environmental, feminist, labor and peace groups. Second, working with organizations that are more established than (generally) young anarchist groups provides access to resources (propaganda, meeting spaces, mailing lists) that would be unavailable otherwise. Third, as we saw in Seattle, a mass of less radical individuals provides both legitimacy and protection for more radical elements. Specific situations may also provide other reasons for working with non-anarchist groups.

The Differences Between Coalitions
While some coalitions, such as the Direct Action Network and People for Fair Trade, which organized the resistance to the World Trade Organization, are massively broad, others are quite narrow. Anarchists who decide to work in coalition may find themselves in groups that include from 1 to 100 other organizations. In general, working in a narrower coalition with other small groups is easier than working in large coalitions that may include everyone from the Sierra Club to the local Catholic Archdiocese. The most notable difference between broad and narrow coalitions is the extent that anarchists will be allowed to influence the process and tone of meetings and actions. Broader coalitions, which are usually created by mainstream groups like Greenpeace or NOW, operate on the dull, authoritarian methods that the majority of their member groups employ. This means that meetings have preset agendas, little time devoted to discussion or debate, and a bias toward the opinions of the largest, most conservative member groups. Broad coalitions rarely operate by consensus or direct democracy, and frequently have elite steering committees, which are allowed to make most of the real decisions.

Conversely, it's often very easy for anarchists to influence the direction of smaller coalitions, even without numerical superiority. The innate fairness of the principles of consensus and small-group democracy that many anarchists prefer will often be apparent to other members of a small coalition, even if they do not share those preferences. Also, even if the group is not majority-anarchist, having a significant proportion of anarchists in the group carries the implied threat that if our opinions are not respected, we will simply leave and hold our own damn demo.

Anarchists In Broader Coalitions
Almost without exception, anarchists in broad coalitions will find the experience full of frustrations. If it's not the authoritarian meeting set-up, it's the insistence on following the wishes of the least radical groups so they won't get offended and leave. There are however, ways to minimize the amount and type of frustration. First, get in early. No matter if the coalition involves an ongoing campaign or is leading up to one large action, if you don't get in on the ground floor, there's very little chance to influence the process or the outcome. Second, insist on as much autonomy as possible for member groups. Any grouping of anarchists is basically just autonomous individuals anyway, who may or may not adhere to coalition guidelines for the action or actions. Third, make sure that the anarchists in the coalition, as well as any "fellow-travelers" who have mostly anarchist principles, maintain a united front in the face of the more conservative members of the coalition. Solidarity is always the key. The other groups will doubtless be meeting outside the main meetings to coordinate their plans and actions, and there's no reason we can't as well. Fourth, don't take responsibility for the actions of all anarchists who may show up to the protest or participate in the campaign. Be very clear about exactly whom you represent and what that representation means.

Anarchists In Smaller Coalitions
Without a doubt, it is easier to organize in coalitions when they contain only a few groups. However, there are still dangers. Just as the power of anarchists is vastly increased in a small coalition, so is the power of each participating organization. In my experience, the greatest threat to effectively organizing in small coalitions is authoritarian communist groups. When anarchists, radical feminists and communists joined forces in 1993 to fight a national Operation Rescue gathering, it was the authoritarian communists of the Revolutionary Workers' League who stymied every effort to build an effective, liberatory resistance. If you do find yourself in a coalition with communists, especially the type that produce a boring monthly paper and go by some cookie-cutter three-letter acronym -- WATCH THEM CLOSELY. When the RWL came to Minneapolis in '93, they admitted that their usual modus operandi was to join a coalition, sow dissension and division and after the coalition had been destroyed and then recruit new members from the disaffected remnants. Clearly, this is an extreme, but even the most principled communists will try to influence the coalition to mimic their party line. As distasteful as it sounds, anarchists must adopt a few of the communists' tactics to prevent being co-opted. Just as you would in a larger coalition, it helps to go in organized. Don't expect to come to the first couple of meetings and hash out all the details of the coalition actions right there. Talk with the other anarchists who are involved and agree on shared goals and principles. Lively debate is great in anarchist-only groups, but unprincipled types can exploit any division of purpose in a coalition setting. As mentioned above, a smaller coalition affords an opportunity to get the meetings run on anarchist principles. Read up on small-group democracy and consensus-based decision making before the first meeting and propose that the coalition be run according to these principles. Resist any attempts to form executive committees or allow broad decision making powers to be grabbed by a small number of individuals.

The Promise of Coalition Organizing
Although the work is hard, organizing within a coalition can be incredibly rewarding. The recent May Day demonstration in Minneapolis was a beautiful example of solidarity in action. Everyone from artists and native-rights groups to anarchists, socialists and progressive ministers was there. When the radical demonstration joined an already-large picket line in front of the Hilton Hotel, the feeling of power and the possibility for change was palpable. Both the Seattle and Washington, DC protests were marred by infighting, yet the message they sent was clear. Labor unions, students, environmentalists, anarchists and progressives CAN work together and accomplish a great deal. Working in a coalition gives anarchists the best possible opportunity to gain sympathizers and converts, not by selling papers or begging donations like the communists and progressives, but by showing that our methods and our principles work in real life, and work better than capitalist structures. Even a small amount of solidarity and support goes a long way towards destroying the lies the corporate media tells about anarchism. Stay strong and united as anarchists and you can improve both the coalition you're working in and the society you live in.

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