A turbulent year in politics

Editorial A front page article in Freedom a few months back stated that we are living through a unique set of social conditions. Add to that strange and turbulent times and it gives a fair indication of the last six months as editors of Freedom newspaper. Both of us were literally thrown into the role, unexpectedly and certainly unprepared, and given neither of us have a journalistic background, and limited writings skills, it has been a steep learning curve, and one that’s still on an upward trajectory.

What we do have is over 30 years experience between us as active participants in the anarchist movement, and it’s this that we draw on in writing, editing and developing Freedom as a paper.

The accusation by one of our more senior and charismatic anarchist comrades that Freedom was “an irrelevancy” is a little unfair and perhaps a little true as well. For years the paper has been simply treading water.  What Rob Ray, the last proper editor, brought was a desire to move beyond inward looking personal viewpoints and brought a certain journalistic standard, one that we hope to maintain, and one I am personally grateful for. The paper will not become an insular private club or a mouthpiece for airing our personal grievances and petty disagreements; if it does we know we would have failed.

As part of the Freedom Collective we are looking at this as a bigger long term proposition. The need for the anarchist movement to be more visible, more accessible, more involved and more relevant is at the forefront of our thinking. As such we hope the paper, the bookshop and publishing become a necessary and vital part of the movement’s infrastructure and as a means by which we can usefully express and communicate anarchist ideas to a greater number of people.

Freedom Bookshop
Previously the bookshop was hidden in a small damp and dusty room on the first floor of the building. When Andy began managing the shop some two years ago it was with the intention to create both a self-sustaining commercial enterprise and a proper environment for anarchists to feel at home in. (Essentially drag the place into the 21st Century). To this end the shop has exceeded all expectations. Already it has become an active social space and hub for London anarchists to meet, where the federations hold their meetings and all manner of groups and campaigns put on events. Along with LARC across the road it forms a pivotal role in creating a visible anarchist presence in London. The shop itself is now bright, airy and accessible – we serve coffee and there are chairs and a table for people to sit and read. Come the summer we will be having chairs and tables outside and we are in the process of extending the building to include a downstairs kitchen and toilet (and possibly shower!).

The role of the shop has become 1. a welcoming place for people curious about anarchism to come and find out more, and hopefully get involved 2. a radical social and political centre 3. the first port of call for anarchists outside the capital, and from across Europe and the world to find out what’s happening here.

Freedom newspaper
The ultimate ambition for the paper is for it to become an anarchist movement paper. Given the anarchist mindset and the troubles besetting Black Flag this may well be beyond our reach. It does however give us a clear aim and a desire to build a genuine anarchist movement that Freedom can be a part of, represent and promote. The politics of the paper I think reflects our political and social backgrounds. From a personal perspective I want a paper that ordinary working class people – my family, the people I grew up with, the people I work with, to feel comfortable reading, and for anarchists to feel it goes some way to promote a credible anarchist identity. The sentiment “grown up politics for pissed off people” is something to aspire to. The paper also now has a functioning internet presence where limited news articles will be posted up, but we remain committed to producing the hard copy every two weeks.

Freedom Publishing
We continue to print anarchist classics that would otherwise get lost amongst the fuzz and distortion of the internet age. We are in the process of re-printing the classic Tintin comic book Breaking Free. A worthy addition to next years Christmas list!