Why peaceful protest does not work; an introduction to direct action and mutual aid; how to resist oppression without turning oppressive; the weakness of formal organization and the power of affinity groups

Sources:

Books and zines: (I suggest accessing all the books I cite on this channel through https://libgen.is/ or https://www.pdfdrive.com/)

The Failure of Nonviolence: From the Arab Spring to Occupy by Peter Gelderloos

Why We Fight: Essays on Fascism, Resistance and Surviving the Apocalypse by Shane Burley

In Defense of Looting: a Riotous History of Uncivil Action by Vicky Osterweil

Anarchic Agreements: a Field Guide to Collective Organizing by Kinna et al.

Why We Don’t Make Demands by Crimethinc: https://crimethinc.com/2015/05/05/feature-why-we-dont-make-demands

Demonstrating Resistance by Crimethinc: https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/crimethinc-demonstrating-resistance

The Weakness of a Politics of Protest by James Herod: https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/james-herod-the-weakness-of-a-politics-of-protest

After We Have Burnt Everything: https://www.sproutdistro.com/catalog/zines/organizing/after-we-have-burnt-everything/

Against Organizationalism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3wzpFJtEmE

Red flags to know before joining an organization: https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/unsalted-red-flags-before-you-join-that-org

Affinity groups:

How to Form an Affinity Group: https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/crimethinc-how-to-form-an-affinity-group

Affinity Groups: https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/shawn-ewald-affinity-groups

Affinity Identity Tactics: https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/bonfire-collective-affinity-identity-tactics

Affinity Groups: Essential Building Blocks for Anarchist Organisation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upfiMNHADCo

Affinity: Beyond Friendship: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIvLJgYDp-8

The Future of Insurrection: https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/lupus-dragonowl-the-future-of-insurrection

Coordination and tactics: https://abolitionmedia.noblogs.org/post/2024/08/02/from-a-matter-of-principle-to-a-matter-of-tactics/

How affinity groups stopped the WTO in Seattle in 1999: https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/crimethinc-n30-the-seattle-wto-protests

Security culture:

What Is Security Culture? https://crimethinc.com/2004/11/01/what-is-security-culture

A Practical Security Handbook for Activists and Campaigns: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pWW3KJxG-A

Further reading:

How to get started by Vicky Osterweil: https://all-cats-are-beautiful.ghost.io/how-to-get-started/

Basic Community Organizing Guide: https://neighborhoodanarchists.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Community-Organizing-Guide-Imposed-v2.2.pdf

Black Blocs and Contemporary “Propaganda of the Deed” by Jeff Shantz: https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/jeff-shantz-black-blocs-and-contemporary-propaganda-of-the-deed

Direct action by environmentalists and animal liberationists and how the FBI has tried to crush it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zfki76bUza4

Movement for No Society: https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/movement-for-no-society-movement-for-no-society

My playlist on spontaneous order: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOV4fQRc2u4&list=PL3waFZldV-Y2NZuI-sQAtT_Y1CzXfwJHT

A transcript of this video is available at https://theruleoffreedom.wordpress.com/2024/08/10/toothless-protest-pointless-demands-and-effective-resistance/