What is an anarchist assembly?
An assembly is simply a set place and time for anarchists to come together and discuss issues and ideas with other anarchists. The purpose is not to just form a larger organization, or any sort of decision-making body, but to provide an open forum to announce events, present projects, and find other people to organize with outside of the assembly space. It’s also an opportunity to stay informed and connect with other anarchists.

Why the neighborhood?
Neighborhoods have been sites of resistance throughout history. Neighborhoods are where the real work of political organizing begins. Neighborhoods are the places we know best, where we can make direct connections with people who face the same immediate issues. Constant displacement in a rapidly gentrifying city like Seattle can be alienating, and it’s not always possible to organize with people who live nearby, so our neighborhoods might be where we work, or go to school, or wherever we have built a relationship with the land and the other people living, working, and learning there. The intention is not to organize around a traditional model of the neighborhood when it doesn’t make sense, but to provide an opportunity for people to organize in the communities they are most connected with.

Why anarchist?
We are calling for anarchist assemblies because we need our own spaces where we can be intentional about some of our baseline political and ethical commitments. Calling for specifically anarchist assemblies does not negate the value of organizing outside of our political milieu, but authoritarian leftists, electoral leftists, and liberals are firmly entrenched in many aspects of organizing in this city, and they have a long history of exploiting and abusing anarchists. We don’t need them, and we don’t need to share space with them.

Why now?
Assemblies have always been a valuable form of organizing, but the growing threats of climate disasters, ICE raids and mass deportations, state sanctioned far-right violence, police violence, and the constantly escalating war on homeless people are just a few of the urgent issues facing us and our neighbors right now. The situation is undeniably extreme, and it may seem overwhelming and hopeless, but that’s all the more reason to connect with and support each other in spaces where we have more control, and can be most effective. We have seen many valiant efforts to respond to every sweep and far-right threat, no matter how far away, but this can be a huge drain on resources, and there can be misunderstandings about what those other neighborhoods really need. What if there was a basis for communication and mobilization with the people we see every day? Would it be more efficient and effective to explore the ecology of mutual aid projects, organizations, and crews that are closest to us?

The Call:

Plan the space:
Find a space that works for the number of people you expect to attend. Smaller assemblies have more flexibility about where they can meet, but larger groups should make the effort to find adequate space. Get creative, but don’t forget about the basics like seating, and bathroom access. Accessibility is essential. This includes choosing an accessible location, masking, mobility requirements, transit access, and language translation, as well as general safety and security.*

Do the promotion:
Be intentional about promoting the assembly. Whether its a flyer, a zine, or a website, remember that your medium limits who can see it, so multiple formats can be more inclusive. Put a poster up in the cafe, but also bring handbills to your local mutual aid distro, and share the graphic on a signal chat.

Agree on some ground rules:
It’s good to discuss people’s expectations at the first assembly. What are your goals? What can you do? What won’t you do? Although assemblies are not a decision-making body as such, they are a container for decisions made outside of that space. There might be many different topics to be discussed, so some basic procedural agreements can help keep the conversation focused, respect people’s time, and give everyone an opportunity to participate. Consider setting an agenda, and roles like facilitator, or note-taker.

Be clear about who is welcome… and who is not:
Anarchists are not afraid of a little confrontation. Of course it’s essential to confront and remove anyone with non-negotiable values, i.e. fascists, racists, abusers, cops, etc. but all too often, anarchists have set aside core principles in an effort to include everyone who could possibly be included on the broadly defined left. This stifles the conversation, and allows political opportunists to take advantage of the group. It’s ok to ask that those coming have a vested interest in what happens in the neighborhood, and aren’t showing up because they think it’s a new venue for selling papers and winning votes. It’s also ok to exclude people based on their interest in hierarchical, electoral, statist, and authoritarian political structures. They have nothing to offer us anyway.

Report Back:
People want to hear about your assemblies! What has been working, and what hasn’t? Are there other people working on projects of interest in your neighborhood? Write down what you can and share it widely. We learn collectively from each other’s successes and failures.

What’s next?
Plan the next assembly. How often do you need to meet? Once a month? Every two weeks? It will be different for each assembly, and it can change in the future. It’s also ok if people can’t make it every time. Assemblies don’t make ongoing decisions, so a quorum is not required.