Sascha's guide to anarchist action
Anarchy isn't always about chucking a molotov at your local post office. In fact, it shouldn't be about that at all. Because sure, you can do that, but more likely than not you'll get caught, locked up and poof, there goes your anarchist career. So what are we supposed to do then? Here are a few ideas that have small, but measurable effects and will (most likely) not end up with you unable to continue anarchist action because you're in jail.
1. Mutual aid
According to wikipedia: "Mutual aid is an organisational model where voluntary, collaborative exchanges of resources and services for common benefit take place amongst community members to overcome social, economic, and political barriers to meeting common needs. This can include resources like food, clothing, to medicine and services like breakfast programmes to education. These groups are often built for the daily needs of their communities, but mutual aid groups are also found throughout relief efforts"
Now the fuck does that mean to you? It means do what you can and don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it. Volunteer, donate, share your lunch with that one friend who always struggles with money, if you're in school, check if you have a private tuition thing you can join to help weaker students, that kind of thing. You don't have to do a lot, but every small bit helps. You won't fix the world on your own but if we all do a little bit the world will improve. And someone's got to start so why not us?
2. Demonstrate
Demonstrations, demonstrations, demonstrations. Get yourself a sign and take to the streets. Especially against the right. Try to keep it peaceful but defend yourself if you need to. it's okay to punch nazis but only if you know you'll win the fight without landing in hospital. Here in germany there have just been a lot of demonstrations against the alt right party AFD, there's one example of how that works. People will be annoyed, things might escalate and it might not feel like you're doing a lot but demonstrations are important because someone's got to. Besides it's the closest thing to a riot you can get while staying relatively safe and not actually starting a riot. Like I said, we're trying to be anarchists without landing in jail.
Ideally you'll go there with some friends or at least a group of people you know, if you don't have that, go alone, you might find people to tag along with in the future. Within that group everyone should bring some food, whatever meds needed and drink and maybe a sign and there should be at least one person with a bag containing a small first aid kit and some ffp2 or higher ranked masks just in case. If you can (legally and without risking your health), obscure your face in some way. A mask, a scarf, large sunglasses, whatever. Depending on where you are facial recognition will be used on security and police body cams and you don't want that in case some government ever decides that fucking over protestors is a good idea. If shit goes south tell the cops nothing and the paramedics everything, only one of them can lock you up, the other isn't even allowed to snitch.
3. First aid and emergency situations
This goes along with point two but for the love of all hells take a first aid course. If you had to take one for your drivers license make sure you still know what was in it and if you don't renew it. Plenty of organisations offer them for free or very cheaply. Also, go online and learn a little on what to do what to do if someone overdosed on some drug (anarchist circles are close to various scenes with a lot of drugs being taken, don't judge). Also please if you have someone in your life who happens to be disabled or honestly, just in general, learn at least a little about disability accessibility and activism, I'm an ambulatory wheelchair user and the ammount of people that pushed me out of their way during a protest or just while I was out and about make me want to scream.
4. Learn basic skills
Yes this counts. Learn how to sew and learn how to mend clothes to minimise the ammount of clothes you're throwing away, you can make the stuff you love last longer and recycle the shit you don't, I swear it's easier than you might think. Learn how to cook, it's cheaper than buying ready made food and it's just a good skill to have, learn about how to do washing and how to clean your place and all of that shit, parents and grandparents are great to ask but if they won't teach you the internet is your friend.
5. Share knowledge
This technically falls under mutual aid but I feel like it needs to be said seperately as well. Now that you have those basic skills and ideally a little more, share that knowledge if someone you know needs it. Don't be agressive or a dick about it but offer your help. You learned about anarchist theory? Teach people, raise awareness. A friend of mine spent almost half a year anonymously slipping fliers about disability awareness under teacher's doors because they kept being dicks to disabled students. Knowledge is powerful, it's a resource like any other so for the love of all hells share it.
6. Find other anarchists
Collective action can't happen without, well, a collective. There are probably anarchists in your area. Hang around the scenes (and by that I mean especially punk and antifa, but your local goth scene might also be a good place to look,) and around queer establishments to try to find people, those are your best chances. If you're in a really rural area or absolutely sure there is nobody in your area go online. Maybe you'll find someone near you online, or maybe not, either way it's good to find fellow people with similar ideologies and exchange idears.
7. Don't give up
I know this shit is hard. I know this shit is really fucking hard and it can get lonely and people will think you're weird and people will be dicks to you and all that but please don't give up. And giving up means both ditching anarchy completely and retreating into theory without praxis. I know praxis is ugly and messy and takes energy but it needs to be done and who will if not us? It sucks that we sometimes have to do it alone or in really small groups but if we don't start now, if we don't fucking go and make a start shit won't change.
8. Don't fuck yourself over
Last but not least here's something: You don't need to do everything. A few small things can go a long way. If you don't have the money or time to donate or volunteer try to go to one demonstration a year. Can't go to protests for health reasons? Join an online community of likeminded people and educate/share your thoughts, different opinions are important. Stuck housebound? Buddy I feel you, maybe write a really long thing about anarchism on your website to maybe inspire others. Don't deny yourself a decent life in the name of helping others, don't feel guilty about supporting capitalism by buying something that makes you happy every once in a while. Don't do it if you don't have the money, don't have the time, if it'll cause a decline in health or whatever. Our goal is to be as effective as possible for as long as possible. Being miserable, homeless, not able to feed yourself, having a massive flareup or anything like that reduces your effectivity. Take care of yourself.
I hope you are well and I hope that inspired you to do something, anything at all. Love, Sascha <3.