We in Neither East Nor West-NYC (NENW-NYC) support the struggle of the anti-authoritarian Kurdish and allied forces in Rojava. We view this as a continuation of our work in the 1980s and '90s, when we networked for mutual solidarity between anti-nuclear and anti-militarist activists on the East and West sides of the Cold War divide. We also mobilized to support Nigerian anarchists, Cuban ecologists, and left-libertarian dissidents in China and Hong Kong.
We had chapters across the US, as well as in Canada and Mexico, and published the journal On Gogol Boulevard (named for Moscow's alternative youth district) to network like-minded struggles around the world.
Since the end of the Cold War, the group has mostly existed in name, but we have again come together to raise our voice in support of the revolutionary struggle in Rojava.
We reject dogmatism; we are made up of different currents, but we all share an anti-authoritarian, humanist spirit, and always have had a natural consensus on the issues that motivate us. The fight in Rojava has inspired us, and we are ready to assist in any way that we can from New York City.
To all the humanitarians, democracy-lovers, anarchists, those who fight for equality for women, gays, lesbians and minorities, those who seek a third path outside of capitalism and state communism, those who fight against fascism in all its forms without forced conscription… to your militia and collectives, we offer our heartfelt wishes for ALL THE LUCK AND PEACE AND FREEDOM!
NENW-NYC, August 2015
Bob McGlynn, Ann Marie Hendrickson, Alexander Rubchenko (an exile from the anti-nuclear Moscow Trust Group), Tom Maurer, Neil Farber (also from the New York/New Jersey chapter of the Workers Solidarity Alliance), Mike Harris (also of NY/NJ WSA), Bill Weinberg (also of World War 4 Report), Ivo Skoric (exiled from Croatia, also of BalkansPages), David Christian (Atlanta, Georgia, WSA), Lucy C. McAllister
Versions of this statement have appeared on LibCom.org and other websites.
See our recent feature on the history of NENW.
