Jeff Shantz

This was an essay from several years back, which was laid out in a short zine format by Zabalaza Books, in South Africa. Below, find an 'ebook preview' of a longer version with full bibliographical references, as published in Critical Sociology, Vol.30, Issue 3, 2004.

[NB. This PDF is an earlier draft version of Chapter 2 in Jeff's book "Active Anarchy", which, although recently published, was actually written several years ago ~ 2003. We are re-posting it here now given the recent firestorm of debate over the bloc tactic.

The text is laid out in book format in the PDF attachment here. You can find the in-text citations in the Active Anarchy bibliography as well as end notes here. ]

Chapter 2
Black Blocs in Theory and Action

While sociologists have paid little attention to such unruly movements, criminologists have recently shown some interest in taking anarchism seriously as politics.

A solid, insightful collection of essays about the G20 battle in Toronto has just been released from Between the Lines Press: Whose Streets? The Toronto G20 and the Challenges of Summit Protest, editors: Tom Malleson and David Wachsmuth [Table of Contents]

Jeff wrote chapter 6: Unions, Direct Action and the G20 Protests: Obstacles and Opportunities. Look for a Kwantlen Launch party/fundraiser for defendants early in the new year.

With the Conservative government in Canada pushing its omnibus crime bill which targets street crimes of the working classes for harsher punishment it is critical to address the more serious suite crimes carried out by economic and political elites which are not only routinely overlooked but actually supported by the same governments that prattle on about “public safety.” Perpetrators of corporate deviance, who profit from unsafe working conditions for their employees, the release of dangerous toxins into the air and water, the sale of faulty products and fraudulent business practices among other acts, present ongoing economic, social and physical threats. Yet those responsible for such activities rarely appear in the media or court records. They receive far less attention than deviant youth whose actions may be much less harmful.

New issue of the journal Theory in Action available today, includes this article by Dana M. Williams and Jeff Shantz...

ABSTRACT: There is no established intellectual tradition of an “anarchist- sociology”—yet. A vibrant synthesis of anarchism and sociology has yet to be generated, whether that synthesis would be mere subject matter or a subfield within Sociology, or if it were an established ideology or theoretical tradition. Here, we compare these two distinct traditions, with an eye towards potential overlap. A definition for anarchist-sociology rooted in praxis—a critique of society and a transformative vision of societies—is created. As anarchism has a strong—yet unfocused—sociological theme already, we focus on anarchizing the discipline of Sociology in-line with core anarchist values, namely freedom, anti-authoritarianism, direct action, mutual aid, and decentralization.

THIS WEDNESDAY, Oct 12, in preparation for the Surrey Economic Summit on OCTOBER 20th, the Critical Criminology Working Group invites you to:

BREAK THEIR WALLS OF IMPUNITY!
REFUSE & RESIST the Mayor's tea party with George Bush and Bill Clinton

12 October · 7 PM [Invite others: facebook event]
Conference Room A, Kwantlen Polytechnic University
12666 72 Avenue | Surrey

Featuring....
Gail Davidson,
Lawyers Against the War
Arguing that Canada must deny Bush entry OR immediately arrest him and ensure prosecution for torture

and

Jeff Shantz,
Faculty, Dept. of Criminology, Kwantlen
on Bill Clinton's crimes against humanity,
and the social movements of resistance

Some reflections (from a few years back, relevant to building in the NOW) on bridging an insurrectionary moment with the future... Here is the PDF version.

This article was published back then, in Socialism & Democracy and again today on Infoshop.org:

"We need to be prepared not just intellectually but organizationally for radical struggles and transformation. Infrastructures of resistance serve as means by which people can sustain radical social change before, during and after insurrectionary periods."

Online archived here:
http://sdonline.org/50/re-building-infrastructures-of-resistance/

Click here for this event's facebook page.

-==== on his 'bLiNg IS dEaD' tour ===-

The criminalization of dissent, and possible threats to civil liberties posed by this criminalization, have become central issues of debate within liberal democracies, particularly in relation to discussions of political violence and the role of law in protests. Law against Liberty provides significant commentary on the criminalization of political movements and dissent within (neo)liberal democracies in the contemporary context.