Main Page
Welcome to AnarchyinAction.org!
A work-in-progress, AnarchyinAction.org will be a resource for anyone to research and write about how and when anarchy can work. Anarchy, coming from the Greek words an (without) and archos (ruler) refers to a situation without domination, without coercive hierarchy. We have collected hundreds of examples of anarchy in practice, many of them from the following works:
An Anarchist FAQ (excerpt)
Anarchy in Action by Colin Ward
Anarchy Works by Peter Gelderloos
Cartography of Revolutionary Anarchism by Michael Schmidt
Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution by Peter Kropotkin
People Without Government: An Anthropology of Anarchy by Harold Barclay
The Politics of Social Ecology: Libertarian Municipalism by Janet Biehl with Murray Bookchin (excerpt)
We sort the examples by their scale and focus. The list of societies encompasses confederations of residential communities. The movements and rebellions category includes large-scale uprisings. The list of communities includes communes, towns and neighborhoods small enough for people to make face-to-face decisions. The organizations category is self-explanatory. Everyday anarchy lists anarchistic projects and phenomena that exist all around us even in capitalist societies. Playfully but still seriously, we add two further categories. In a nod to the naturalist Peter Kropotkin who saw cooperative activity as a factor of evolution, we add nonhuman anarchy to explore power relations in nonhuman animal and ecological communities. Lastly, we add the category of fictional anarchy, which would include the planet Anarres from Ursula K. LeGuin's novel The Dispossessed.
We also sort these examples into four main organizational categories. Anarchism refers to a political theory and practice that arose in the 19th century, aimed at abolishing coercive hierarchy and establishing a libertarian socialist society in its place. Anti-authoritarianism refers to a broader category of politics including groups such as the Wobblies and Zapatistas that oppose coercive hierarchy but do not call themselves anarchists. Third, a participatory category includes examples such as ancient Athens where anarchy is extended to many but not to all or even necessarily to most of society. Participatory politics encompasses anti-authoritarianism, which encompasses anarchism. Finally, the autonomous category refers to self-governed communities that shift power relations in an anti-authoritarian direction, such as the Paris Commune, which fell short of participatory governance. By looking for anarchy beyond self-identified anarchist projects, we aim to respond to Maria Ramnath's call in Decolonizing Anarchism to locate anarchism "as one contextually specific manifestation among a larger-indeed global-tradition of antiauthoritarian, egalitarian thought/praxis".[1]
In our articles, we try to explore how horizontal societies and communities deal with culture, decisions, economy, environment, crime, revolution, and neighboring societies. We do not claim or attempt to present evidence that anarchy is possible in all situations. Nor do we deny humans' innate potential for hierarchy and indeed for extreme cruelty. We present this resource for curious and open-minded people to collaboratively explore the question of whether a horizontally-run world is possible and what this world might look like.
AnarchyinAction.org is a project of Capitalism vs. the Climate and of our friends at Get Libre, the Wesleyan University Infoshop, and elsewhere. If you would like to get involved, please email dfischer@riseup.net.
For resources on writing and editing this wiki, please see our Editing Guide.
Societies
Anarchist
Revolutionary Spain, 1936-9, 3.2 million people
Revolutionary Ukraine, 1918-1921, 7 million people
Shinmin Prefecture, 1929-1931, 2 million people
Anti-Authoritarian
El Alto, 1 million people
Kurdish democratic confederalists
Zapatista-run Chiapas, 1994-present, 120,000-300,000 people
Participatory
Athenian polis, 594-431, 404-403 BCE, 40,000 male citizens
Kibbutzim, 1919-present, 120,000 members
Autonomous
Unsorted
Santals
South American Indians
Land Dayaks
La Paz Zapotec, nearly 2,000 people
Maori
New Guinea indigenous peoples
Northwest coast indigenous peoples
Nubian people
Nuer
Imazighen
Inuit
Haudennosaunne
Ifugao
Igbo
Dinka people
Movements and Rebellions
Anarchist
Building the Syndicalist Unions
Anarchists in the Russian Revolution
Anarchists in the Italian Factory Occupations
Anarchism in the Cuban Revolution
Anti-Authoritarian
Grassroots Hurricane Katrina relief
The May-June Revolt in France, 1968
Participatory
Autonomous
2007 Lakota declaration of independence
Unsorted
Anarchy in the American Revolution
1960 student revolts
Parisian urban gardeners
Cuban agriculture decentralization
Seattle 1919
Mohawk road blockade, 1990
Bolivia water protests
Work democracy
Communities
Anarchist
Guangzhou commune, 1921-1923
Anti-Autoritarian
Christiania, 1971-present, 900 people
Faslane Peace Camp, 1982-present
Free Republic of Wendland, 1980, 5,000 people
Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp, 1981-200
Life and Labor Commune, 1921-1930, nearly 1,000 people
Village Alternatif, Anticapitalist et AntiGuerres, 2003, thousands of people
ZAD, 2012-present, thousands of people
Participatory
Autonomous
Kuzbass Autonomous Industrial Commune, 1922-1926
Paris Commune, 1871, 2 million people
Unsorted
Alcatraz occupation
Taita Hills
Ghana shantytown
Minnehaha Free State
Mexican colonial proletarias
Peruvian 'barriadas
Tunisian gourbivilles
Indian bus tees
Turkish gecekondu
Venezuelan ranchos
Organizations and Institutions
Anarchist
Teahouse Labour Union, 11,000 members in 1918
National Confederation of Labor (CNT), 2 million members in 1936
Iberian Anarchist Federation (FAI)
Spanish Regional Federation (FRE), 60,000 members in 1873
Chilean Labourers Federation (FTCh), 60,000 members in 1921
Revolutionary Insurgent Army of the Ukraine (RPAU), 110,000 members
All-Russian Confederation of Anarcho-Syndicalists (ARKAS), 88,000 members
Bleikhman's Petrograd Anarchist Communist Federation (PACF)
Union of Anarcho-Syndicalist Propaganda (MFAG)
Moscow Federation of Anarchist Groups
Black Guards, 1,000 members
Italian Anarchist Union (UAI), 20,000 members
Modern schools
Federation of Anarchist-Communists of Bulgaria (FAKB)
Autonomous Action (AD)
Confederation of Anarcho-Syndicalists (KAS)
Confederation of Revolutionary Anarcho-Syndicalists (KRAS)
Revolutionary Confederation of Anarcho-Syndicalists, Nestor Makhno (RKAS-NM), 2,000 members
Indigenous Popular Council of Oaxaca--Ricardo Flores Magnón (CIPO-RFM)
Magónista-Zapatista Alliance (AMZ)
Anarchist Workers' and Students' Group (ASWG)
Awareness League (AL)
Anarchist Resistance Movement (ARM)
Durban Anarchist Federation (DAF)
Zabala Anarchist Communist Front (ZACF)
North-Eastern Federation of Anarcho-Communists (NEFAC)
Common Struggle Libertarian Communist Federation
Common Cause
Libertarian Communist Union
General Confederation of Labor (CGT) (Spain), 60,000 members in 2010s
Siberian Confederation of Labor (SKT)
National Confederation of Labor--France (CNT-F), 5,000 members
Swedish Central Workers' Organisation (SAC), 10,000 members in 1990s
Anarkismo.net
Workers' Solidarity Movement (WSM)
Libertarian Socialist Movement (LSM)
Libertarian Alternative (AL)
International Brotherhood
International Alliance of Socialist Democracy
Anarchist organizations within the International Working Person's Association
Anti-Authoritarian International
Argentine Regional Workers' Federation of the 5th Congress (FORA-V), 200,000 members in 1919
House of the World Worker (COM), 50,000 members in 1910s
Anarchist Federation of the Altai (AFA)
Anarchist Federation of Poland (AFP)
Revolutionary Anarchist Socialist Party (PSAR)
German Anarchist Federation (AFD)
East Asian Anarchist Federation (EAAF)
Anarchist International Relations Commission (CRIA)
Continental Commission of Anarchist Relations (CCRA)
Korean Anarchist Federation's Chinese Exile Section (KAF-C)
Korean Anarchist Federation (KAF)
Korean Anarchist Communist Federation (KACF)
Korean Anarchist Federation in Manchuria (KAF-M)
Durruti Column
Friends of Durruti (AD)
Kronstadt Accords (ZK)
Francophile Anarchist Federation (FAF)
Italian Anarchist Communists (FdCAI)
Anarchist Federation of Britain (AFB)
Japanese Anarchist Federation (JAF)
Anti-Authoritarian
International Workers' Association (IWA), 1.5-2 million members
Industrial Workers of the World- Chile (IWW-Chile), 25,000 members in 1920
Cuban National Labour Confederation (CNOC), 200,000 members
Libertarian Socialist Institute
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
IWW-Sierra Leonne, 3,240 members
Solidarity Union Democracy (SUD)
European Federation of Alternative Syndicalism (FESAL-E)
General Confederation of Labour (CGT), 230,000 members in 1906
Industrial Union of North and South America (UIANS) (Mexico)
Liberation Army of the South (ELS) (Mexico), 70,000 members
Industrial Syndicalist Education League (ISEL), 150,000 members in 1910s
Irish Transport & General Workers' Union (ITGWU), 12,000 members in 1917
Situationist International
Siberian Industrial Workers of the World (IWW-Siberia), 16,000 members
General Workers' Federation (GFP), 40,000 members
Union of Trade Unions (ZZZ, member of IWA)
Polish Syndicalist Union (ZSP), estimated 4,000 members
Italian Syndicalist Union (USI, member of IWA), 80,000 members
Free Association of German Trade Unions (FvDG), 100,000 members
German Workers' Union of Germany (AAUD), 30,000 members
General Labour Union--Unity Organisation (AAU-E), 75,000 members
American Continental Workingmen's Association (ACAT)
General League of Koreans (HCH)
Libertarian Youth Federation of Iberia (FIJL)
Libertarian Youth (JJLL)
International Revolutionary Syndicalist Federation (FISR)
Syndicalist Workers' Federation (SWF)
Participatory
Autonomous
Unsorted
Albany Free School
Quechua Farmers School
Universidad Transhumante
Free Stores
Freecycle Network
Critical Resistance
Take Back the Night
Philly's Pissed
Philly Stands Up
No Border Network
Spanish Regional Labour Federation (FTRE)
Spanish Regional Anarchist Organisation (OARE)
Pact of Union & Solidarity (PUS)
Spanish Regional Workers' Federation (FORE)
Cantonalist Revolt of 1873-1874
Proletarian Circle (CP)
Grand Circle of Mexican Workers (GCO)
Regional Federation of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay (FRROU)
Worker's Federation (FO)
Artisan's Central Council (JCA)
Labourer's Circle (CT)
Cuban Labour Confederation (CTC)
Central Labor Union (CLU)
Northern Worker's Union (NWU)
Federation of Labour Exchanges (FBT)
Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)
1903 Macedonian Revolt
1907 International Anarchist Congress
1913 Syndicalist Conference in London
Insurgent Committee of Revolutionary Partisans
National Labour Secretariat (NAS), 18,700 members in 1895
Federation of Freedom-loving Communists (FVC)
Anarchist Communist Alliance
Anarchist Federation
Co-ordination of Anarchist Groups
Libertarian Communist Organization
Libertarian Alternative
Committee for the Defence of Revolutionary Syndicalism (CDSR, member of IWA), 100,000 members
1905-1907 Russian Revolt
Trans-Siberian Railway
Industrial Workers of the World-US (IWW-US)
Confederation of Labour Associations (GLH)
Hunan Workers' Association
Black Societies
Wonsan General Trade Union
Free Trade Union
Argentine Regional Workers' Federation (FORA)
Argentine Regional Workers' Confederation (CORA)
Argentine Regional Workers' Federation of the 9th Congress (FORA-IX)
Argentine Libertarian Alliance (ALA)
Anarcho-Communist Port-workers' Group (ACAOP)
Resistance Society of the Port-workers of the Capital (SROPC)
Uruguay Regional Workers' Organisation (FORU)
Brazilian Labour Confederation (COB)
Paraguayan Regional Workers' Organisation (FORPa)
Paraguayan Regional Workers' Centre (CORP)
National Revolutionary Alliance (ANR)
Workers' Trade Union Reorganisation Council (CORS)
Havana Labour Federation (FOH)
Cuban Workers' Confederation (CTC)
Mexican Regional Workers' Organization (FORM), 150,000 members in 1921
General Confederation of Labour (CGT)
Peruvian Regional Workers' Federation (FORPe)
Local Workers' Federation of Lima (FOL)
Columbian Workers' Federation (FOC)
Local Workers' Federation (FOL)
Feminine Workers' Federation
Bolivian Regional Workers' Confederation
Guayas Workers' Regional Federation (FORG)
Ecuadoran Regional Federation of Labor (FTRE)
National Workers' Union (UON)
General Confederation of Labour (CGT)(Spain), 90,000 members in 1919
National Workers' Union (UON)
General Confederation of Labour (CGT, member of IWA) (Portugal)
Mexican Revolution of 1910
Mexican Industrial Workers of the World (IWW-Mexico)
Mexican Liberal Party (PLM)
Industrial Union of North and South America (UIANS)
Liberation Army of the South (ELS)
National Agrarian Party (PNA)
Vlassovden Confederation
Anarcho-Syndicalist National Confederation of Labour (ASNKR)
Italian Workers' Party (POI)
Union of Communist Anarchists (UCAI)
Free Workers' Union of Germany (FAUD), 120,000 members
Federation of Communist Anarchists of German (FKAD)
Federation of Anarchist-communist Groups of Poland and Lithuania (FAGPL)
North African Libertarian Movement (MLNA)
Korean Youth Federation in South China (KYFSC)
Federation of Free Society Builders (FFSB)
Korean Revolutionary Federation (KRF)
National Confederation of Labour (CNT)
General Italian Workers' Federation (CGIL)
Federation of Free Labour Unions (FFLU)
Conference of Labour Unions (CLU)
Japanese Anarchist Club (JAC)
Anarchist Federation
Federation of Libertarian Socialists (FFS)
Independent League of Trade Unions (OVB)
General Delegation of the CNT (CNT-DG)
Venezuelan Regional Workers' Federation (FORV)
Federation of Anarchist Groups of Cuba (FGAC)
Cuban Libertarian Alliance (ALC)
General Confederation of Labor (CGT) (Cuba)
Anarchist Black Cross (ABC)
International of Anarchist Federations (IAF)
Iberian Anarchist Federation (FAI)
North African Libertarian Movement (MLNA)
Libertarian Communist International (ICL)
Libertarian Communist Organisation (OCL)
Libertarian Alternative (AL)
Second Escambray Front
Student Revolutionary Directorate (DRE)
Cuban Confederation (CTC)
Anarchists within the 26th of July Movement
Cuban Libertarina Movement in Exile)
Swedish Workers' Central Organisation (SAC)
IWW Marine Transport Workers' Industrial Union (MTWIU)
Chilean IWW
General Confederation of Labour (CGT) (Chile)
National Workers' Unity Movement (MUNT)
Chilean Workers' Central (CUT)
anarchist faction in Movement of hte Revolutionary Left (MIR)
Anarcho-Communist Unification (CUAC) / Libertarian Communist Organisation (OLC)
Ship-building Workers' Federation (FTB)
1951 syndicalist resistance
Yunan guerilla campaigns
Federation of the Provincial Proletariat (Shengwulian)
Anarchist Federation
Bolivian Regional Workers' Confederation (CORB)
Feminine Workers' Federation (FOB)
Industrial and Commercial Union of Sourthen Rhodesia (ICU yase Rhodesia)
Uruguayan Anarchist Federation (FAU)
Revolutionary Popular Organisation 33 (OPR-33)
Worker-Student Resistance (ROE)
National Convention of Workers (CNT)
Autonomous Workers' League (AWL)
Autonomous Village Movement (AVM)
Direct Action (AD)
Libertarian Communist Federation (FCL)
Thought-Battle Organisation (OPB)
Union of Libertarian Communist Workers (UTCL)
Alternative Libertaire
Anarchist Revolutionary Organisation (ORA)
Proletarian Action Anarchists Groups (GAAP)
Italian Anarchist Federation (FAI)
Federation of Communist Anarchists (FdCA)
1968 revolt
Polish Anarchist Federation (FA)
Movement 2 June (M2J)
Libertarian Resistance (RL)
Workers' Liberation Group (Shagila)
The Scream of the People (CHK)
Angry Brigade (AB)
Direct Action (AD)
Interior Defense (DI)
First of May Group (GPM)
Iberian Liberation Movement (MIL-GAC)
Groups of International Revolutionary Action (GARI)
Anti-capitalist Autonomous Commandos (KAA)
Neutralist Tribune
Left Opposition (LO)
Movement of Revolutionary Communards (MRC)
Free General Workers' Union (SMOT)
Communist League of Anarchists
Anarcho-Syndicalist Federation
Anarchist Federation (AF) / Czech and Slovak Anarchist Federation (CSAF)
Federation of South African Trade Unions (FOSATU)
Aid Group for the Libertarians and Independent Syndicalists in Cuba (GALSIC)
Wiyathi Collective within the Anti-Capitalist Convergence
Everyday Anarchy
Anarchist
Anti-Authoritarian
Participatory
Autonomous
Unsorted
Stonehenge Free Festival, 1972-1985 (one month a year), 30,000 people
Woodstock Festival, 1969, 40,000 people
Vienna Psychoanalytic Society's child guidance service
Horizontal organization in British architecture
Mexican colonial proletarias
Peruvian 'barriadas
Tunisian gourbivilles
Indian bus tees
Turkish gecekondu
Venezuelan ranchos
Prestolee School
Institueion Libre de Enseiianza
Residential College for Students
1960 student revolts
Freetown playground
Skrammellegeplad playgrounds
Robinson Crusoe playgrounds
Brixham fishing cooperative
Brora mining cooperative
Standard tractor factory
Durham worker-managed mines
Gheel mental health care
Synanon
Claimant's Union
Eyes on the street
Nonhuman Anarchy
Fictional Anarchy
Anarchist
Anarres (The Dispossessed)
San Fransisco (The Fifth Sacred Thing)
Anti-Authoritarian
Participatory
Umuofia (Things Fall Apart)
Autonomous
Unsorted
Examples by Source
- ↑ Maria Ramnath, Decolonizing Anarchism: An Antiauthoritarian History of India's Liberation Struggle (AK Press, 2011), 6.
