Subject: Re:  Negri on montage
From: alastair.dickson-AT-almac.co.uk (ALASTAIR DICKSON)
Date: Sun, 15 Jan 95 10:26:00 +0100



Malgosia wrote:
MA>Another is the kind of mass event organized by the Orange Alternative
MA>in the 80s in Poland, such as an enthusiastic march to thank the police
MA>on the official Day of the Police and Security Service: policemen were
MA>massively embraced, kissed, showered with flowers (causing the embracers
MA>to be arrested, of course).  

Or demonstrating in Wroclaw during the lead-up to a State-orchestrated
referendum calling for a 200% turnout: "Vote Yes, Twice".  Or
demonstrating as Santa Claus in the lead-up to xmas, leading to confused
arrests. (Similar early 70s actions in western Europe used Santa -
sustaining an undercurrent of genuine festival?)

To my knowledge, the most detailed article/interview on Orange Alternative
is "Oranges and Lemons" in Here & Now no.7/8.  I should get this scanned
and onto the net.  As well as describing the actions, it sketches out how
such actions became controlled as mere local colour once the State moved
to a less heavy-handed approach (as has also happened elsewhere when such
tactics are tried more than once).  

Some friends were publishing an english-language history of Orange
Alternative, but the changing circumstances in Poland (changing personal
survival conditions; disillusionment as the Polish Socialist Party/DR with
which OA people were associated disintegrated into insignificance) meant
that the people who were supposed to be doing it only wrote-up one chapter
before losing interest.   
__________________________________________________________________
-- Alastair Dickson             I  <alastair.dickson-AT-almac.co.uk>
-- Stirling, Scotland           I
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 * Orator V1.14 #31 * 

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