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+4 votes
It is admirable that some anarchists have participated whilst not attempting "an intervention" in Ferguson. Yet I wonder, does anyone know how much influence Maoist front groups have on organizing marches, rallies, and anti-black Friday actions?

I haven't yet been able to attend any of these events but I did find this video of a NY ‘Black Friday’ boycott. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8omImFjrsJU The speaker at the beginning of the march says he's with the answer coalition. Is this more of an exception than a rule?
by
edited
These are some Maoist orgs that are doing campaigns and stuff, that I know of

FRSO, the rape apologist are pretty active. In Utah, several of the big anti-police brutality march is organized by them(http://www.fightbacknews.org/2014/11/25/utah-stands-ferguson-protesters-demands-justice-mike-brown)
And from what I know, a lot of the SDS chapters act as front groups for FRSO

Red Guard Austin did a march or something and they managed to look like total pricks... like nothing says hijacking like a giant banner that has nothing to do with Ferguson or police brutality than a  giant banner with a sickle and hammer and some white dude leaping around front of the march. smh (https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/t31.0-8/10842091_727535697332587_8023540256840668862_o.jpg)
(https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/t31.0-8/10841901_727535693999254_883360345328130162_o.jpg)

1 Answer

+5 votes
It probably depends on where you live. Some places have more active (or any) RCP groups. I don't really know what the context in NYC is, but where I live the RCP (and Oct 22nd Coalition which is a front group for them - this apparently isn't the case everywhere, but I would use caution when engaging with them) are, while ineffective at actually doing anything, rather adept at co-opting events to their own ends. I think they officially organized one event, but they show up with signs and megaphones and try to direct the crowd, while also making sure they create photo ops promoting their stupid website.

The protests themselves have been organized by a more fluid group - lots more young people of color, and some hold-overs from Occupy who have gone the community organizing route (and are revelling at the chance to be organizers and mouthpieces for something), with numbers bolstered by a  lot of other folks I've never seen before and the usual anarchists and other rebels.

You asked about exception versus rule - I would say that if you live in a place where a Maoist cadre is active, the rule would be: Expect them to show up and try to manage and lead the rebellion into something more controlled, symbolic and authoritarian. They view themselves as the politically educated minority who have to help create conditions for revolution (using all us lumpen prole as pawns), and they should be confronted, or otherwise marginalized as a threat.
by (22.1k points)
This answer explicity addresses the Revolutionary Communist Party since they are the prevailing Maoist tendency where I live, but I think that when dealing with Kasama or various maoist-inspired identitarians the same holds true, though they are often a little bit sneakier and have some supposedly anti-state rhetoric they've stolen from various actual anti-state communists, or some newly polished anti-imperialism, as opposed to the totally stale rhetorical style of the RCP.
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