Anarcho-Punk Movie night a "smashing" success. One of the most vital events in the city, the second free "punk movie night" was a great example of anarchist counter-culture and politics strengthening each other. Starting off was a great big meal of vegetable curry for a measly $3. It was really great seeing the mix of people from young punk-rockers to older politicos hanging out and enjoying themselves in the atmosphere of comradely rebellion. Soon, it was movie time and the night started off with "Train on the brain" a documentary about train-hopping across the USA followed up by a cool super- eight train-hopping short done by local adventurer Cam. Next was "Global Dissent: Anarchist music and Action" which followed Scottish anarcho-punk band Oi Polloi on one of their European tours. Highlights were a stop at a squatted Glasgow community centre that was barricaded to keep the cops out, a show in Eastern Europe that was attacked by fascists, and a highway blockade. Far and away the best film of the night was the recently released "Breaking the spell" which documents the anti-WTO demonstrations in Seattle in 1999. A lot of the demo footage can be seen on the "RIP WTO" video that was released in '99 but there's also a good look into both the anarchist community of Eugene Oregon and the intense media scrutiny they were under in the aftermath of the WTO demo. What I really like about the film was the section that talked about and showed the non-activist youth of Seattle fighting the police in their neighborhood of capitol hill. Much derided by so-called "activists" as "gang members who had nothing to do with the demonstrations" this video shows the youth of Seattle representing for their neighborhood under police attack or looting stores out of economic necessity. It was a well-executed film that drew the connection between the activist demonstrations in the day and the popular revolt of working-class youth at night. The punk movie night is already so popular that it was hard to get a seat, and if they keep up this dynamic mix of counter-cultural and political films it will soon be standing room only. A truly outstanding event!
