Mum, what did you do as an anarcho-punk?

bristol | protests | opinion/analysis Thursday April 12, 2007 00:37 by @punk at Bristle editors at bristle dot org dot uk

‘The day the country died – a history of anarcho-punk’ (The dvd)

Once upon a time…before the anti-globalisation & anti-capitalist movements of the late-90’s and ‘summit trashing’, before Reclaim the Streets, before the emergent social centre network, before the summer of love & rave & free parties, before the direct action & anti-roads movements of the late-80’s onwards, before the miners strike, before New Labour was a dream, before Class War, but after the original wave of punk rock in 1976/7…there was Anarcho-Punk.

Film cover image

Do you remember it? Was your mum or dad involved? Or an elder sibling?

Much of the above list was influenced in some way by the anarcho-punk ‘movement’, and many of today’s activists are in some way descended from it, even if they weren’t even born then! The late 1970’s and early 1980’s was a time of great social conflict as many sections of society rebelled against the Thatcher government and the changes they sort to impose – workers taking industrial action, the unemployed, Greenham Common womens peace camp & CND, anti-apartheid, fighting the NF & BNP, inner-city riots. And overtly political DIY 24/7 punk and all that entailed, a nationwide happening, from the big cities like Bristol, London & Leeds, to sleepy rural villages and dormitory towns. A time that gave the dormant & liberal anarchist movement of the time a right kick up the backside.

The bristle collective are showing this film not just to celebrate publication of issue 24 of our mag, but because it represents an important period in the history of the ‘movement’ of which we are a part. A couple of us were anarcho-punks back then, some of us were were still in nappies. We can all learn from reflecting on our past. And it’s a cracking good film too that kicks off with The Subhumans…

Café & Film night at Kebele social centre (see http://www.kebelecoop.org for directions) from 6pm. Vegan meal from 6.30pm, film at 7.30pm.

Enjoy.