116
This strategy has even come to influence the most recent anarchist graffiti. On one
occasion I encountered four young boys spray-painting anarchist slogans in English and
French on walls in downtown Athens. When I asked why these messages were not
translated into Greek I was told:
Xpησιμoπoιoυμε 6λες τις γλωσσες επειδf∣ επικoιvωvoυμε με 6λo τov κ6σμo.
Kαταλαβαivεις oτt τa vτoπιa πpoβλημaτa εtvaι στηv πpaγμaτικoτητa πaγκoσμιa
πpoβλημaτa; Eiμaστε 6λoι δεμεvoι μaζi - κλωστες εvωvoυv τov Bush122 με τηv
Aθηva, Aθηva με τηv Kiva, Kfva με τη Bpaζιλia ... εiμaστε oλoι στov aγωva.
Γpaφoυμε στa Γaλλικa κaι Aγγλικa γιaτi о κoσμoς εivaι μικpoς κaι η avapχia
δεv avaγvωpiζεt συvopa.
[We use every language because we communicate with the entire world. Do you
understand that local problems are in actuality global problems? We are tied
together - threads connect Bush123 with Athens, Athens with China, China with
Brazil... we are all in the same game. We write in French and English because
the world is small and anarchy does not recognize borders.]
Occasionally, my anarchist consultant also uses the internet to advertise specific public
action. These calls reach a large number of young people but don’t always guarantee a
significant turnout. In addition to this strategy, my contact also utilizes a more directly
controllable public (see Warner 2002:50): distribution messages over mobile text, which
he uses to contact key individuals in the community (usually student organizers) who in
turn mobilize their paréas as described above. This contact method is especially useful
when anarchists wish to quickly disseminate information or coordinate action. Of note,
contrary to the ethnographic cases provided by other studies on broadcast text messaging
and crowds (see for example Raphael 2003), the anarchists I spoke with did not feel they
could “control” crowds or groups of people directly, but rather relied on key people
within the crowds to manage and mobilize the crowds.
122 This is a reference to George W. Bush. This interview was recorded in the aftermath of a 2007 protest
against American foreign policy near the American embassy in Athens.
123 See previous footnote.