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Title: Anarchism in the Libyan Revolution
Author: Anonymous
Date: May 13, 2011
Language: en
Topics: Libya, Arab Spring, anarchist movement
Source: Retrieved on 6th March 2021 from https://ngann1.wordpress.com/2011/05/13/anarchism-in-the-libyan-revolution/

Anonymous

Anarchism in the Libyan Revolution

One of the principle holdings of anarchism is that all forms of

government rely on violence and the threat of violence to establish an

arbitrary authority, and are therefore both invalid and unnecessary.

(Goldman 1) This principle can be clearly evidenced by the current

conflict in Libya. A brutal dictator, Mu’ammar Gaddafi has for decades

held onto power by isolating his people from the rest of the world

through media censorship and banning the teaching of foreign

languages.An elderly resident of Tobruk said of Gaddafi’s censorship,

“none of us can speak English or French… He kept us ignorant and

blindfolded.”[1] In addition, at the early outset of peaceful protests

in February 2011, Gaddafi reportedly threatened activists, journalists,

and media personalities, saying they would be held responsible for

inciting any chaos or violence.[2] As a ruler, Gaddafi demanded complete

surrender from his people, complete and total submission to his

authority. This reflects the anarchist argument that “the keynote of

government is injustice… for the corruptive, tyrannical, and oppressive

methods it employs to serve its purposes.” (Goldman 4) This belief is

clearly exemplified by a speech on March 17 in which Gaddafi himself

said of his opposition, “We will show no mercy and no pity to them.”[3]

In the face of such a brutally oppressive and disastrously corrupted

government, the people of Libya have risen up and launched a violent

revolution against Gaddafi’s tyranny. What began in February with the

repression of peaceful protests has grown into a full-scale

revolutionary war between the corrupt power of the state and the

anarchistic rebellion of a long oppressed people, propelled forward by

hopes of true freedom. It is true that the rebels are fighting to

establish a parliamentary democracy[4], not an anarchist state, so we

cannot truly call them anarchists, but though the rebels may not be

fighting for anarchy, they are fighting with anarchy.

In a discussion on the anarchist’s view of a decentralized society, Zach

Babineau argued that, “some anarchists believe that people would

organize themselves into small, self-sustainable communities, and be

able to network with other surrounding communities.”[5] In many ways,

this organizational structure has been adopted by the Libyan rebellion.

While it is true that they are in the process of establishing a

temporary leadership of defected military officials and political

figures in Benghazi, they refer to it as an “executive council, one of

several governing structures that the rebels refuse to call a

government”[6]; in reality the rebellion’s central leadership is still

in its infancy, and is plagued with infighting and division.[7] At this

point, the true leadership of the rebellion exists on the local level,

in many cities like Benghazi, Tobruk, Misurata, and Ajdabia. The real

day-to-day operations of the rebellion are coordinated by local councils

in each city[8], each facing a different situation. They follow the

anarchist societal structure of “decentralization, voluntary

association, mutual aid, the network model.” (Graeber 1) While they are

all united in their opposition to the Gaddafi regime and in their desire

for a free, democratic Libya, the rebel forces are separated and

isolated, and therefore each outpost is forced to regulate its own

existence, while coordinating with the other groups to form the greater

revolution.

The most significant anarchist idea employed by the Libyan rebellion is

the notion of pre-figurative politics; the practice of not just thinking

about a better future, but living in a way that produces that better

future. (Graeber 2) With the collapse of the Gaddafi regime in the

rebel-controlled cities, the rebels have been forced to take

responsibility for maintaining their individual societies. Many basic

services that were previously provided by the government have been taken

over by the people, in sometimes surprising ways. Youth groups have

picked up much of the slack, forming cleanup crews to keep their city

clean[9], and even taking the role of traffic officers, directing

traffic through the city’s busy intersections.[10] Volunteers have taken

on a number of roles, including soliciting blood donations, setting up

food banks, collecting clothing, weapons and ammunition, and guarding

checkpoints around towns and protecting the ports.[11] Most impressive,

and significantly anarchistic, is that most of these efforts have been

for little or no pay[12], yet the people are freely working together,

supporting each other through this tumultuous time. This represents a

key principle of anarchism, this idea of equitable cooperation. (Hahnel

3) Seeing the shared need and the mutual benefits to society, many in

Libya have forgotten the old capitalist system and the past that it

represents; an oppressed existence under the weight of a tyrannical

regime. Instead, they’ve taken it upon themselves to do what was

necessary for society to continue with no incentive other than that

itself. The Libyan people see a better future ahead of them, and rather

than just thinking about it, wishing it would come, they are living it,

and fighting and dieing to keep it.

Even though the Libyan Rebellion is waging an anarchist revolution

against the oppressive Gaddafi regime, they are no anarchists. They are

fighting to overthrow a dictatorship and replace it with representative

democracy. Even so, it is hard to argue against the fact that they

currently exist in a state of anarchy; a functional, coordinated

anarchy, but anarchy nonetheless. As such, I would like to coin a new

term for this type of anarchism. I believe an appropriate term would be

‘transitional anarchism’; the use of anarchy to destabilize and

overthrow the current regime, in this case an oppressive dictatorship,

with the goal of instituting a new system of government, in this case an

open, free democracy. Arguably, this is the only true form of anarchy,

after which some system of governance eventually takes hold: even true

anarchism eventually evolves into a sort of free communism. (Goldman 3)

As CrimethInc., the worldwide anarchist collective, put it, “Freedom

only exists in the moment of revolution… The question is simply whether

you take responsibility for your part in the ongoing transformation of

the cosmos, acting deliberately and with a sense of your own power—or

frame your actions as reactions, participating in unfolding events

accidentally, randomly, involuntarily, as if you were purely a victim of

circumstance.”[13] It is quite clear that the Libyan Rebellion has

chosen the former.

Works Cited:

Goldman, Emma. “Anarchism: What it Really Stands For” Anarchism and

other Essays. 1910. Print.

Graeber, David and Andrej Grubacic. “Anarchism, or the Revolutionary

Movement of the 21^(st) Century.” Znet. 2004. Print.

Hahnel, Robin. “Fighting for Reforms Without Becoming Reformist”

National Conference on Organized Resistance. 2005. Print.

[1] “The Liberated East: Building a New Libya.” The Economist. 24 Feb.

2011. Web. <

www.economist.com

[2] Mahmoud, Khaled. “Gaddafi Ready for Libya’s “Day of Rage”.” Big Blue

Marble. 9 Feb. 2011. Web. <

ecofrenglobal.blog.com

[3] Heneghan, Tom. “Gaddafi Tells Rebel City, Benghazi, ‘We Will Show No

Mercy’.” The Huffingtonpost. 17 Mar. 2011. Web. <

www.huffingtonpost.com

[4] Hubbard, Ben. “Official: Libyan Rebels Seek Democracy.” Washington

Times. 3 Apr. 2011. Web. <

www.washingtontimes.com

[5] Babineau, Zack. “Why Does Something So Awesome Suck So Bad?” Comment

to blog post by Nick Gann. 19 Apr. 2011. Web. <

ideasandideologies1.wordpress.com

[6] Fahim, Kareem. “Infighting Hinders Libya Rebel Leadership.”

Boston.com. 04 Apr. 2011. Web. <

articles.boston.com

[7] Ibid.

[8] “Introducing the Council.” The Interim Transitional National

Council. Web. <

ntclibya.org

[9] “Young volunteers keep Benghazi Clean.” Reuters.co.uk. 7 Apr. 2011.

Web video. <

uk.reuters.com

[10] “11 year old boy assisting traffic officers (Benghazi, Libya –

2011).” YouTube.com. 4 Mar. 2011. Web video. <

www.youtube.com

[11] “The Liberated East: Building a New Libya.” The Economist. 24 Feb.

2011. Web. <

www.economist.com

[12] Goma, Emma. “Libya’s rebel council says gets $177 million from

Kuwait.” Reuters. 24 Apr. 2011. Web. <

www.reuters.com

[13] “Indulge…& Undermine.” CrimethInc. Selected Primary Texts. <

www.crimethinc.com