In accordance with the decision of the Organizational Assembly of the Balkan Anarchist Bookfair 2023, a series of dedicated info-events in the wider region was initiated. The first info-event took place on 4th February 2023 in Livorno in the premises of Federazione anarchica Livornese. Immediately upon arrival to the town we noticed a strong activity on the streets in solidarity with an anarchist prisoner Alfredo Cospito and against the brutal bis41 regime.
The info-event focused on the history of Balkan Anarchist Bookfair project and to its political purpose. Some basic historical and political context of the Balkans was briefly outlined in the beginning as well.
Despite the late hour a discussion followed and developed around several themes:
- There were questions about the relations with the anarchist movement in Hungary, Albania and Turkey and whether they are present in the Balkan anarchist networks. We shared what we know and expressed the understanding that BAB2023 will be another opportunity to directly engage also with comrades from those geographies.
- Comrades from Livorno were interested in the situation with the publishing of libertarian literature in the Balkan region.
- We also discussed the strong role of the Italian state in the various economic and militaristic processes in the Balkans.
- Comrades also presented the local reality of the region of Livorno, where there are many big and important military installations, such as Camp Darby of the army of the USA, which is considered one of the biggest weapons depots in the whole of Europe. Right now the comrades are again engaged in a struggle against the establishment of a new military base in the area that is currently designated as a Regional Natural park.
We thank the comrades of Livorno for the hospitality and invite you to follow the developments in the struggle against the militarization of the area on the webpage of the Movement against Military Base in Coltrano and Everywhere:
While in Livorno we also visited occupied self-managed garden with many well cultivated plots where apparently quite a lot of vegetables are grown. It also has a visible antifascist and communal character:
Finally, we want to commemorate the memory of comrade Lorenzo Orsetti who was killed in Rojava in 2019. On the way to Livorno we made a stop in Florence, where we visited his tomb in Cimitero Porte Sante. In Livorno as well we visited the Monument to the Partisans. Contemplating the enormous and cruel price that so often the struggle for freedom brings, we remembered Orso’s final words to fighters everywhere: “Every storm starts with a single drop. Try to be this drop”.
Next info-events will take place on the 15th and 16th of February in Monfalcone and Trieste, other events will be announced soon. You can check the list of info-events here.
If you want to organize info-event for BAB 2023 in your local social or autonomous space where we can present history and perspectives of the event and promote this year’s gathering in Ljubljana (it can be organized also with our online presence), please contact us via email: bab2023(at)riseup(dot)net