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   Håkan Geijer (hakan_geijer@kolektiva.social)'s status on Monday, 30-Oct-2023 05:20:07 JST Håkan Geijer

   Someone transcribed a Fauda video[1] and posted it a few places online, and folks why are we all boosting this? It just sounds like the edgelord wing of Anonymous wants become Hamas. This is complete dogshit drivel we shouldn't be supporting.

   This group pops out of nowhere and starts asking for money and suddenly all of us who generally don't know fuck all about OTG things in that region blast it everywhere.

   This kinda shit happens every time there is some hot new uprising somewhere in the world. Some fucking weirdos capture the white/western audience's attention by being slightly more media savvy than everyone else, and then they start asking for money and declaring themselves the voice of that region.

   I'm possibly also talking out of my ass because I don't *know* that they're full of shit, but they are extremely fucking fishy, and I can't find *anyone* who can say that they know anything about them prior to their seeming sudden appearance in our collective knowledge just a few weeks ago.

   I don't really care if I'm wrong about their OTG activity, because their statements just sound like prescriptivist bullshit. But then again, BRRN is in to them and they love doing some platformist top-down anarchist shit too. Birds of a feather.

   Anyway, I wrote a too-fucking-long zine about this kind of behavior titled Affinity Fraud. Can we please try to be a little more discerning when encountering possible allies? If there is something to be gained, some people will lie and misrepresent themselves to seize those benefits.

   [1]: Here's the full statement I'm referencing. https://anarchistnews.org/content/statement-fauda-anarchist-group-palestine

   • Embed this notice
     Håkan Geijer (hakan_geijer@kolektiva.social)'s status on Monday, 30-Oct-2023 05:24:03 JST Håkan Geijer

     in reply to

     I am extremely cautious of leveling unsubstantiated accusations against people, but I have seen exactly one other person even suggest that something is whack about Fauda, so I felt like it was time to gamble a bunch of me credibility in hopes of diverting people's attention to some other sources.

     Maybe I'm wrong. Shit, I hope I am. I hope they're just extremely bad at communicating all the actually cool anarchist shit they're doing. It'd probably be good for my own loud mouth to knock me down a peg or three by being so boldly wrong. But for now, I don't think this is the case.

   • Embed this notice
     jimmygnarly (jimmygnarly@mastodon.online)'s status on Monday, 30-Oct-2023 05:26:18 JST jimmygnarly

     in reply to

     @hakan_geijer

     Shiiii..
     Ask anyone about abortion, EVs and
     . . Music.. you'll know em real fast :jeb: :ablobcatbongo: :ablobcatwave:

   • Embed this notice
     Håkan Geijer (hakan_geijer@kolektiva.social)'s status on Monday, 30-Oct-2023 05:29:22 JST Håkan Geijer

     in reply to

     For the record, this is the only person I've seen say anything negative about them. https://kolektiva.social/@susurros/111285890347664058

     Abolisyonista repeated this.
   • Embed this notice
     🏴 (liegeof@mastodon.social)'s status on Monday, 30-Oct-2023 05:40:05 JST 🏴

     in reply to

     @hakan_geijer

     fwiw, RadicalHaifa on Twitter also said (paraphrasing) "they're fishy, haven't heard anything about them and they just post other groups actions."

   • Embed this notice
     Håkan Geijer (hakan_geijer@kolektiva.social)'s status on Monday, 30-Oct-2023 05:46:58 JST Håkan Geijer

     in reply to

     Repeating something I just said in private to a comrade:

     Reading Fauda's BRRN interview was so bizarre because it read like if I'd been asked to write fanfic of what it was like to be a Palestinian anarchist. It was completely devoid of anything solid, and I feel like nearly every anarchist interview is overflowing with anecdotes of highly specific things that prove their points of paint a fuller picture of their local context.

   • Embed this notice
     Radical Haifa (radicalhaifa@kolektiva.social)'s status on Monday, 30-Oct-2023 07:18:02 JST Radical Haifa

     in reply to

     @hakan_geijer I must say that the video style itself, except from the parts that are obviously inspired by anonymous, is pretty standard for how many Palestinian militant factions are releasing content. Look at propaganda videos of Hamas and PFLP for reference. But the rest of it is fully bizarre of course

   • Embed this notice
     🏴 (liegeof@mastodon.social)'s status on Monday, 30-Oct-2023 15:55:30 JST 🏴

     @hakan_geijer

   • Embed this notice
     Earthworm (earthworm@kolektiva.social)'s status on Monday, 30-Oct-2023 16:31:59 JST Earthworm

     in reply to

     @hakan_geijer

     Hey, I did too 😅
     (Now I just can't find the toot, I swear...).

     I had the impression of Fauda's interview sounding like what a smart Hamad politburo officer would say to obtain support by naive western leftists.
     Vague stuff about 'resistance', 'unity' and freedom... no deeper analysis about power structures that shape the conflict anywhere.

     Here is an interesting text from 2013 about the relation of western anarchists with movements in colonized countries.
     https://anarchiststudies.org/palestinian-anarchists/

   • Embed this notice
     Earthworm (earthworm@kolektiva.social)'s status on Monday, 30-Oct-2023 16:35:44 JST Earthworm

     in reply to

     ⬆️

     @hakan_geijer :anarchoheart3:

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     no more strolls for empresses (renemeadowbloom@kolektiva.social)'s status on Monday, 30-Oct-2023 22:23:31 JST no more strolls for empresses

     in reply to

     • Scott Campbell

     @hakan_geijer They don't seem super experienced and/or having done a lot of work but maybe they're just really new 🤷♂️?
     ' haven't seen them asking for funds, but other than potentially that it doesn't seem they're doing any harm at the moment.
     Thanks for linking @susurros 's toot further down. ' would be interested to hear more from his former partner (and/or other anarchists there) on things on-the-ground.
     ' will keep eyes on Fauda without trashing them and may check out your zine 🙂🙏

   • Embed this notice
     Håkan Geijer (hakan_geijer@kolektiva.social)'s status on Saturday, 04-Nov-2023 18:33:56 JST Håkan Geijer

     in reply to

     From comrades in the region:
     ---

     In response to your questions about Fauda, I thought I would contribute what I know. Please keep this private or share it anonymously.

     Fauda's online presence started in 2021. We noticed their presence during the 2022 Woman Life Freedom uprising in Iran when they expressed their solidarity on Instagram and shared many posts there.

     We seem to be responsible for the current collective awareness of Fauda as well.

     Because of that, we asked the Arab contacts we have and one group with Morrocan and Tunisian anarchists has better understanding of Fauda. These comrades are trying to form an Arab anarchist solidarity network.
     https://anarab2022.noblogs.org

     You will notice the Logo of Fauda in their banner.

     The concern for them is not that the group does not exist, but the contradictions between aesthetic & praxis.

     We haven't contacted or collaborated with them because they are silent about Hamas, which has to do with what they said in their interview as "mediators." We find that extremely concerning.

     We didn't promote them or the fundraising for them because of this.

     I am not sure if fundraising at this moment is wise or effective. Sometimes, we ourselves do things with the fundraising aid that we can't disclose until months later.

   • Embed this notice
     uhuru de sud (uhuru@libretooth.gr)'s status on Tuesday, 07-Nov-2023 01:29:06 JST uhuru de sud

     in reply to

     • Scott Campbell
     • Radical Haifa

     @radicalhaifa @susurros
     @hakan_geijer
     people are still talking and reposting about "Fauda"
     eg.
     (IT) ilrovescio.info/2023/11/01/dichiarazione-del-movimento-anarchico-fauda-in-palestina-contro-occupanti-e-anp/

     (GR) athens.indymedia.org/post/1627475/

   • Embed this notice
     Håkan Geijer (hakan_geijer@kolektiva.social)'s status on Monday, 11-Dec-2023 06:59:59 JST Håkan Geijer

     in reply to

     The Fauda saga continues, and this is the first write-up (albeit, rather short) calling them out as Frauds. As to the last allegation in the article, I'm not sure I'd go that far (stranger things have happened), and my gut still says that they're just clout chasers. Who knows. https://avtonom.org/news/feyk-haos-organizaciya-palestinskih-anarhistov-fauda

   • Embed this notice
     Celestia Ⓐ (celestia@kolektiva.social)'s status on Monday, 11-Dec-2023 07:09:28 JST Celestia Ⓐ

     in reply to

     @hakan_geijer
     There has been contradicting information on this posted on instagram by someone who supposedly is in contact with them, and supposedly, they work with the ISM.

   • Embed this notice
     Celestia Ⓐ (celestia@kolektiva.social)'s status on Monday, 11-Dec-2023 08:20:12 JST Celestia Ⓐ

     @hakan_geijer
     Here you go https://www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGxpZ2h0OjE4MDA5NjI5NjI3MDg1NjQy?story_media_id=3240788780935356434_5738232802&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

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     Celestia Ⓐ (celestia@kolektiva.social)'s status on Monday, 11-Dec-2023 16:46:09 JST Celestia Ⓐ

     in reply to

     @hakan_geijer let me know if you need screencaps or something. I am very curious about this as well but i'm leaning on the side of them being real

   • Embed this notice
     Celestia Ⓐ (celestia@kolektiva.social)'s status on Monday, 11-Dec-2023 19:36:46 JST Celestia Ⓐ

     @hakan_geijer
     Part 1/2

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     Celestia Ⓐ (celestia@kolektiva.social)'s status on Tuesday, 12-Dec-2023 03:42:51 JST Celestia Ⓐ

     in reply to

     @hakan_geijer
     Part 2/2

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     Celestia Ⓐ (celestia@kolektiva.social)'s status on Tuesday, 12-Dec-2023 03:42:51 JST Celestia Ⓐ

     in reply to

     @hakan_geijer
     https://linktr.ee/abolishtheusa this person is the source, and they seem pretty reliable. To me, this says fauda are indeed real. Maybe they aren't a massive presence, but is that any surprise at all? It makes sense that they are small given the situation.

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     Celestia Ⓐ (celestia@kolektiva.social)'s status on Tuesday, 12-Dec-2023 06:42:24 JST Celestia Ⓐ

     @hakan_geijer
     Yeah thats fair. My impression is they are anarchists but not particularly developed theoretically. The Anonymous aesthetic reminds me of the Arab Spring. I would assume they are small and occasionally show up to protests in bloc but by no means are leading some massive movement. I would guess no way they are bigger than 15 people.

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     Celestia Ⓐ (celestia@kolektiva.social)'s status on Wednesday, 13-Dec-2023 09:53:51 JST Celestia Ⓐ

     @hakan_geijer
     Yeah, it's fair enough to feel that way. I hope they are real, but ultimately, I haven't no say in it

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     Celestia Ⓐ (celestia@kolektiva.social)'s status on Thursday, 21-Dec-2023 22:26:15 JST Celestia Ⓐ

     in reply to

     @hakan_geijer update:
     https://rant.li/alks/on-palestinian-anarchists-fauda