Revolutionary Action

The organization was first formed in Minsk at a meeting on 13 February 2005. The meeting discussed the situation in the Belarusian anarchist movement, an acute lack of organization, discipline and directional vector of actions in it. As a result of the discussion, it was decided to create an anarcho-communist organization in Minsk, as a branch of "Autonomous Action", which has existed in Russia since 2002. The Belarusian Autonomous Action (AA-Belarus) was an amalgamation of the Belarusian Anarchist Front (BAF) and several activists of the politicized hardcore punk scene. At that time, AA-Belarus barely had ten members.

On 5 March 2010, by an absolute majority of votes, the Belarusian chapter decided to leave Autonomous Action and form an independent organization. The reasons for this decision were:

• the drift of AA towards Left liberalism;
• inconvenience of the organizational principles of AA for the Belarusian organization and local realities;
• high membership fees in AA and the lack of transparency in their use.

On 11 April 2010 "Autonomous Action-Belarus" announced its withdrawal from AA, and changed its name to "Revolutionary Action".

Revolutionary Action's ideology is based on "social anarchism, anarcho-communism and illegalism". The latter, in the interpretation of the organization, implies that activists use those methods in their activities that are effective in a given situation, without regard to their legality. The organization sees among its goals: spreading the ideas of anarchism, creating an organized movement, combining agitation and direct action, preparing for a social revolution and expanding both on the territory of the Republic of Belarus and abroad. RA uses the website and social networks to disseminate its ideas.{{Cite news|title=Principles and goals of organization Revolutionary Action|url=http://revbel.org/en/organizatsionnye-printsipy-i-tseli-revolyutsionnogo-dejstviya/|work=Revolutionary Action|date=5 July 2016|accessdate=24 November 2020}} The participants in the Revolutionary Action do not advertise their organizational affiliation and their participation in any actions as an organization, due to the existence of Article 191 (Action on behalf of an unregistered organization) in the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus and the attention of the special services to the activities of the organization.

• Closeness of the membership;
• Distribution of duties;
• Equality in voting (one person – one vote);
• Planning;
• Conspiracy;
• Illegalism.

One of the vectors in the development of the Revolutionary Action ideology, in addition to focusing on social revolution and illegalism, is the development of a practical concept, which the organization itself calls "militant-anarchism" – a practice aimed at training organized and disciplined revolutionary anarchists capable of acting in different conditions using different methods to promote anarchist ideas.{{Cite web|url=https://nashaniva.by/?c=ar&i=187745&lang=ru|title="Прамень" против "Пошуга", "Черная роза" и "Черный крест" — чем отличаются группы белорусских анархистов|author=|website=Nasha Niva|date=29 March 2017|publisher=}} Militant anarchism includes platformism, that is, the unification of anarchists in an organization according to the principle of theoretical and tactical unity. According to the description of Revolutionary Action, militant-anarchism, as opposed to post-left anarchism, stands for political methods of struggle: agitation, recruiting new participants, theoretical preparation, infrastructure creation, direct action and preparation for social revolution. An important component of militant anarchism is also military training and the study of tactics of participation in armed conflicts.{{Cite news|title=Эволюция милитант-анархизма|url=http://revbel.org/2017/03/evolyutsiya-militant-anarhizma/|work=Revolutionary Action|date=21 March 2017|accessdate=17 November 2017|language=ru}} According to the organization, the reason for this was their analysis of Euromaidan, the Russo-Ukrainian War and the Syrian civil war.

File:SocMarch.jpg

Based on the analysis of the information presented on the organization's website and information in the media, it can be concluded that the RA members actively participated in many anarchist street actions as sanctioned (Chernobyl Way in 2006–2009,{{Cite web|url=https://charter97.org/ru/news/2015/4/26/149063/|title="Чернобыльский шлях" за 20 лет: лучшие фото|publisher=charter97.org|date=26 April 2015|accessdate=13 November 2017|language=ru}} Social March{{Cite web|url=https://charter97.org/ru/news/2007/11/4/1275/|title=Провокация спецслужб на Социальном марше (Видео)|publisher=charter97.org|date=4 November 2007|accessdate=13 November 2017|language=ru}}), and unauthorized (May Day procession in 2008,{{Cite news|title=Первомай в Минске: анархистское шествие|url=https://revbel.org/2008/05/pervomaj-v-minske-anarhistskoe-shestv/|work=Revolutionary Action|date=1 May 2008|accessdate=13 November 2017|language=ru}} action against the exercises in the West-2009{{Cite news|first=Dmitry|last=Vlasov|title=Минские анархисты провели акцию протеста против учений "Запад-2009"|url=https://news.tut.by/politics/147930.html|work=TUT.BY|date=19 September 2009|accessdate=13 November 2017|language=ru|archive-date=24 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924024857/https://news.tut.by/politics/147930.html|url-status=dead}}).

In addition, on their website, the participants of Revolutionary Action openly sympathize with the anarchist attacks on state and financial institutions that took place in Minsk in 2009–2010: ("Anarchists attacked a casino in the center of Minsk",{{Cite news|title=Анархисты забросали факелами и краской самое крутое казино Минска|url=https://news.tut.by/society/154494.html|work=TUT.BY|date=7 December 2009|accessdate=17 November 2017|language=ru|first=Andrey|last=Lomako|archive-date=1 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201035828/https://news.tut.by/society/154494.html|url-status=dead}} "Anarchists attacked the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus", "Anarchists attacked a branch of Belarusbank").

In the fall of 2010, after an attack on the Russian embassy in Minsk, the organization was exposed due to the betrayal of some of its members; some of its activists were arrested and sentenced to prison terms in Belarus. Human rights organizations recognized them as political prisoners.{{Cite web|url=https://euroradio.fm/ru/report/anarkhistov-dedka-olinevicha-frantskevicha-priznali-politzaklyuchennymi-62074|title=Анархистов Дедка, Олиневича, Францкевича признали политзаключенными|first=Svetlana|last=Odinets|publisher=Новости Беларуси {{!}} euroradio.fm|language=ru|date=5 October 2011|accessdate=14 November 2017}}

As a result of the repressions of 2010, the anarchist movement suffered serious damage. Between 2010 and 2013, the organization's website mainly published local and international news on social and economic issues, as well as information on anarchist prisoners. From the end of 2013 to the beginning of 2014, symbolic actions were held{{Cite news|title=Акция анархистов против диктатуры (видео)|url=http://revbel.org/2014/06/aktsiya-anarhistov-protiv-diktatury/|work=Revolutionary Action|date=11 June 2014|accessdate=17 November 2017|language=ru}} and propaganda materials distributed in Minsk and Gomel.{{Cite news|title=Плакаты и листовки в Минске и Гомеле|url=http://revbel.org/2014/12/plakaty-i-listovki-v-minske-i-gomele/|work=Revolutionary Action|date=29 December 2014|accessdate=17 November 2017|language=ru}}

In the spring of 2014, the anarchists launched a campaign against the holding of the Ice Hockey World Championships in the Republic of Belarus.{{Cite news|title=Агитрейд минских анархистов против ЧМХ|url=http://revbel.org/2014/05/agitrejd-minskih-anarhistov-protiv-chmh/|work=Revolutionary Action|date=16 May 2014|accessdate=17 November 2017|language=ru}} According to the anarchists, the holding of the championship was a waste on the part of the authorities, at a time when wages were not raised and detained for many workers.{{Cite web|url=https://www.belaruspartisan.org/politic/259684/|title=Минские анархисты провели акцию против ЧМ по хоккею|publisher=Belarus Partisan|language=en|accessdate=17 November 2017|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201032242/https://www.belaruspartisan.org/politic/259684/|date=3 April 2014|archivedate=1 December 2017|url-status=dead}}{{Cite news|title=В Гомеле анархисты красочно протестовали против Чемпионата|url=https://nashaniva.by/?c=ar&i=129001&lang=ru|work=Nasha Niva|date=26 May 2014|accessdate=17 November 2017|language=ru}} On the eve of the championship, many oppositionists and anarchists received administrative arrests on bogus charges. During this period, anarchists also paid attention to the pro-Russian influence in Belarus. In Brest, the building of the Russian Center for Science and Culture was filled with black paint.{{Cite news|title=Акция против российского империализма в Бресте (Видео)|url=http://revbel.org/2014/08/aktsiya-protiv-imperializma-v-breste-video/|work=Revolutionary Action|date=18 August 2014|accessdate=17 November 2017|language=ru}}

In December 2014, anarchists in Minsk held the first illegal picket since 2010. Its conduct was associated with the introduction of new taxes and the deterioration of the economic situation of the country's citizens, an alternative to which the anarchists saw the transfer of control over the budget to society.{{cite web|url=http://novychas.by/hramadstva/anarchisty_praviali_pikiet_u_m|title=Анархісты правялі пікет у Мінску супраць "антысацыяльных ініцыятываў уладаў"|publisher=Novy Chas|language=be|date=9 December 2014|accessdate=14 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200415040832/http://novychas.by/hramadstva/anarchisty_praviali_pikiet_u_m|archive-date=15 April 2020}}

In early 2015, the anarchist movement was subjected to massive repression by the Belarusian law enforcement agencies, caused by the picket at the end of 2014 and the activation of anarchists.{{cite web|url=http://spring96.org/ru/news/75188|title=Задержания и суды над активистами анархистского движения в Минске продолжаются (обновлено)|publisher=spring96.org|language=ru|date=22 January 2015|accessdate=14 November 2017}} At the same time, anarchists carried out an unauthorized blocking of a road in Minsk for the first time in five years.{{Cite web|url=http://www.belaruspartisan.org/politic/296960/|title=Анархисты перекрыли дорогу в Минске|publisher=Белорусский партизан|language=en|accessdate=14 November 2017|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201030351/http://www.belaruspartisan.org/politic/296960/|archivedate=1 December 2017|url-status=dead}} This action was held in solidarity with one of the political prisoners of the anarchists, Mikola Dziadok.

In 2015, a Ukrainian branch of Revolutionary Action was launched. Members of the RA-Belarus confirmed in an interview that they cooperate with the activists of the RA-Ukraine.{{Cite news|title=Колер пратэсту – чорны. Анархісты гатовыя даць сілавы адпор|first1=Igor|last1=Ilyash|first2=Ekaterina|last2=Andreeva|url=http://belsat.eu/news/koler-pratestu-chorny-anarhisty-gatovyya-dats-silavy-adpor/|work=Belsat.eu|date=17 March 2017|accessdate=14 November 2017|language=be}} In addition, Ukrainian anarchists have repeatedly held solidarity actions near the Belarusian embassy in Kyiv.{{Cite web|url=https://charter97.org/ru/news/2015/2/10/138951/|title=Анархисты в Киеве пикетировали белорусское посольство|publisher=charter97.org|date=10 February 2015|accessdate=14 November 2017}}{{Cite news|title=Анархисты в Киеве повесили на ограждение посольства Беларуси чучело Лукашенко|url=https://nashaniva.by/?c=ar&i=198008&lang=ru|work=Nasha Niva|date=25 September 2017 |accessdate=14 November 2017|language=ru}}

During the period 2015–2017, anarchists held several illegal processions and pickets in Brest, Minsk and Baranovichi.{{Cite web|url=https://euroradio.fm/ru/v-breste-proshel-marsh-anarhistov-protiv-gosudarstvennogo-grabezha|first=Mikhas|last=Ilyin|title=В Бресте прошел марш анархистов "против государственного грабежа"|publisher=Новости Беларуси {{!}} euroradio.fm|language=ru|date=5 March 2016|accessdate=14 November 2017}}{{Cite web|url=https://charter97.org/ru/news/2015/5/4/150130/|title=Первомайский пикет в Бресте: Не хотим платить ворам|publisher=charter97.org|date=4 May 2015|accessdate=14 November 2017}}{{Cite news|title=Анархистский первомай: Брест, Минск, Барановичи|url=http://revbel.org/2016/05/anarhistskij-pervomaj-brest-minsk-baranovichi/|work=Revolutionary Action|date=4 May 2016|accessdate=14 November 2017|language=ru}} Campaigning related to social and economic problems of the Belarusian society, such as tax increases,{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTzTBrnkQSE|title=Агитрейд в Бресте против налогов|publisher=Revolutionary Action|date=8 February 2017|accessdate=14 November 2017|language=ru}} army conscription,{{Cite web|url=https://charter97.org/ru/news/2016/4/29/202057/|title=Анархисты протестовали против призыва в армию|publisher=charter97.org|date=29 April 2016|accessdate=14 November 2017}} or the manifestation of police brutality,{{Cite web|url=https://euroradio.fm/ru/anarhisty-v-minske-povesili-omonovca|title=Анархисты в Минске "повесили омоновца"|publisher=Новости Беларуси {{!}} euroradio.fm|language=ru|date=29 April 2017|accessdate=14 November 2017}} was distributed on a regular basis. The most active at this time were groups of activists from Brest, Minsk and Grodno.{{Cite web|url=https://charter97.org/ru/news/2016/7/6/212145/|title=За чей счет пируют чиновники?|publisher=charter97.org|date=6 July 2016|accessdate=14 November 2017|language=ru}}

In the same period, actions were published on the RA website in which the buildings of the Ministry of Internal Affairs{{Cite news|title=Анархисты бросили дымовую шашку на территорию ГУБОП в Бресте|url=http://udf.by/news/politic/141858-anarhisty-brosili-dymovuyu-shashku-na-territoriyu-gubop-v-breste.html|work=UDF.BY {{!}} Новости Беларуси|accessdate=14 November 2017|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201043451/http://udf.by/news/politic/141858-anarhisty-brosili-dymovuyu-shashku-na-territoriyu-gubop-v-breste.html|archivedate=1 December 2017}} and the Investigative Committee{{Cite news|title=Акция против следственного комитета в Минске|url=http://revbel.org/2016/08/aktsiya-protiv-sledstvennogo-komiteta-v-minske/|work=Revolutionary Action|date=24 August 2016|accessdate=14 November 2017|language=ru}} were attacked with smoke bombs, and billboards with "state propaganda" were damaged with paint.{{Cite web|url=https://euroradio.fm/ru/anarhisty-v-minske-proveli-akciyu-protiv-miliceyskoy-propagandy|title=Анархисты в Минске провели акцию против милицейской пропаганды|publisher=Новости Беларуси {{!}} euroradio.fm|language=ru|date=15 May 2016|accessdate=14 November 2017}} One of the most resonant was the paint-throwing of the Belteleradiocompany building, which activists linked to "constant lies on the air" by the state media.{{Cite news|title=Анархисты опубликовали видео, как они "разукрашивают" парадный вход Белтелерадиокомпании|work=naviny.by|date=10 June 2016}}{{Cite news|title=Анархисты опубликовали видео, как забрасывали краской здание БТ|url=http://udf.by/news/politic/141048-anarhisty-opublikovali-video-kak-zabrasyvali-kraskoy-zdanie-bt.html|work=UDF.BY {{!}} Новости Беларуси|date=10 June 2016|accessdate=14 November 2017|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201043858/http://udf.by/news/politic/141048-anarhisty-opublikovali-video-kak-zabrasyvali-kraskoy-zdanie-bt.html|archivedate=1 December 2017}} In the summer of 2017, anarchists used Molotov cocktails to burn an advertisement for the bailiff service in the town of Ivatsevichi.{{Cite news|title=В Ивацевичах анархисты сожгли билборд МВД|url=https://belsat.eu/ru/news/v-ivatsevichah-anarhisty-sozhgli-bilbord-mvd/|date=2 August 2017|accessdate=14 November 2017|language=ru}} Later, a criminal case was opened on this fact and two suspects were detained.{{Cite news|title=В Ивацевичах задержали двух парней, которых подозревают в поджоге "молотовыми" билборда|url=https://news.tut.by/society/554672.html|work=TUT.BY|date=7 August 2017|accessdate=14 November 2017|language=ru|archive-date=1 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001141403/https://news.tut.by/society/554672.html|url-status=dead}}

Since the fall of 2016, the RA website has been blocked in Russia and Belarus. Later, the organization created three mirrors revbel.cc, revbel.info and revbel.net. All of them were also blocked from Belarusian IPs, as well as a public page and a group on the social network VKontakte and the BandaLuki project. In June 2017, the organization presented its own application for Android, which allows bypassing the blocking using Tor and VPN and gaining access to the organization's website and the BandaLuki project.{{cite web|first=Fedir|last=Bogetov|title=Приложение Революционное Действие|url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.news.revbel&hl=ru|date=9 June 2017|access-date=24 November 2020}} At that moment, the organization maintained a Facebook group, a Telegram channel and a Twitter account. For the period from 2015 to 2017, about ten units of the organization's campaign materials, including brochures and leaflets, were included in the Republic's list of extremist materials by a court decision.{{Cite web|url=http://www.mininform.gov.by/ru/extremism-ru/|title=Республиканский список экстремистских материалов {{!}} Министерство информации Республики Беларусь|publisher=www.mininform.gov.by|language=ru|accessdate=17 November 2017|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171121100032/http://mininform.gov.by/ru/extremism-ru/|archivedate=21 November 2017|url-status=dead}}

{{Main|2017 Belarusian protests}}

At the end of February 2017, the deadline for payment of the tax provided for by Decree No. 3 of the President of the Republic of Belarus, better known as the "Decree on Parasites", expired. Decree No. 3 "On the prevention of social dependency" established the obligation of citizens of Belarus who did not participate in the financing of public expenditures, or participated in less than 183 calendar days in the past year, to pay the state a fee in the amount of 20 basic units. This tax caused discontent among Belarusian citizens, as a result of which a series of protests took place in the country, some of which were attended by anarchists. At the end of February, they blocked the carriageway of one of the streets of Minsk, along which they passed with pyrotechnics and a banner "Official is the main parasite".{{Cite web|url=http://www.belaruspartisan.org/politic/372610/|title="Чиновник — главный тунеядец": анархисты перекрыли улицу в Минске|publisher=Belarus Partisan|language=en|date=10 November 2017|accessdate=14 November 2017|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171110210832/http://www.belaruspartisan.org/politic/372610|archivedate=10 November 2017|url-status=dead}} There is no information in the media about the arrests of participants in this action. The presence on the banner of the organization's logo and a link to its website suggests that the RA participants are probably related to this action. At the beginning of the year, anarchists have already begun to spread agitation under the slogan "The official is the main parasite" in different cities.{{Cite web|url=https://charter97.org/ru/news/2017/2/9/240385/|title=Брестские анархисты проводят акции под лозунгом "Чиновник — главный тунеядец!"|date=9 February 2017|publisher=charter97.org|accessdate=14 November 2017}} Thus, the activists focused on the fact that the burden on the country's budget is created not by people who have lost their jobs as a result of rising unemployment, but by an excessive administrative apparatus, the effectiveness of which was questioned.

On 5 March, in Brest, another protest action against decree No. 3 was held near the building of the city executive committee, which was unexpectedly led by a group of anarchists under black banners and with a banner "Official is the main parasite", which contained a link to the website of the Revolutionary Action. The anarchists made several speeches into a megaphone and provided an opportunity for any of the protesters to speak into it. Then a column of 1000–2000 protesters, led by a group of anarchists, chanting slogans, marched along Sovetskaya Street and blocked Masherov Avenue. The action ended after a short picket near the TsUM building.{{Cite news|title=СТРИМ. В Бресте прошел "Марш рассерженных нетунеядцев"|url=https://belsat.eu/ru/news/v-voskresene-v-breste-projdet-aktsiya-protiv-dekreta-o-tuneyadtsah-belsat-eu-budet-vesti-strim/|date=5 March 2017|accessdate=16 November 2017|language=ru}} On the same day, 5 people were detained in Brest in connection with these events.

On 13 March, the website of Revolutionary Action and the organization's community in social networks began to spread a call for protests in a number of Belarusian cities on 18–19 March. As a result, the actions were held in only five cities and a total of 200 to 500 people were gathered.{{Cite news|title=Нетунеядцы в Слониме и Барановичах|url=http://revbel.org/2017/03/netuneyadtsy-v-slonime-i-baranovichah/|work=Revolutionary Action|date=19 March 2017|accessdate=16 November 2017|language=ru}}{{Cite news|title=Итоги 18 марта|url=http://revbel.org/2017/03/itogi-18-marta/|work=Revolutionary Action|date=18 March 2017|accessdate=16 November 2017|language=ru}} The organization itself attributes such a low number of protesters to the refusal of a number of opposition media outlets to spread the anarchist call.

After the dispersal of the 25 March demonstration in Minsk and the arrest of many protesters and anarchists, Revolutionary Action launched the BandaLuki project,{{Cite news|title=Анархо-коммунисты запустили сайт "Банда Луки"|url=https://belsat.eu/ru/news/anarho-kommunisty-zapustili-sajt-banda-luki/|date=10 April 2017|accessdate=17 November 2017|language=ru}} in which it collects dossiers on employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, special services and state media workers who participated in repressions against the opposition and anarchists.

Activists of the Revolutionary Action took active part in the 2020–2021 Belarusian protests. In the summer of 2020, the movement published a video instruction on how to participate in the clutch of protesters on its channel. In 2021, some of its members face charges under the accusation of establishment or leadership of a criminal organisation. The Belarus Solidarity Foundation opened a collection for one-off assistance to the families of the activists of the initiative.{{Cite news|title="Дело Революционного Действия": анархистам вменяют более 10 статей уголовного кодекса|url=https://revbel.org/2021/11/delo-revolyutsionnogo-dejstviya-anarhistam-vmenyayut-bolee-10-statej-ugolovnogo-kodeksa/|date=27 November 2021|accessdate=|language=ru}}{{Cite news|title=Support for Revolutionary Action figures|url=https://bysol.org/en/private/revolutionaryaction/|date=|accessdate=|language=en}}

In November 2021, the Ministry of Internal Affairs declared Revolutionary Action's web resources an extremist group.{{cite web|title=МВД признало "экстремистскими формированиями" три анархистских интернет‑ресурса|url=https://mediazona.by/news/2021/11/02/mvd|work=MediaZona|date=2 November 2021|accessdate=18 January 2022|language=ru|archive-date=18 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118222755/https://mediazona.by/news/2021/11/02/mvd|url-status=dead}} Creation of an extremist group or participation in it is a criminal offence in Belarus.{{cite web|url=https://baj.by/en/content/baj-demands-stop-using-anti-extremist-legislation-restrict-freedom-speech|title=BAJ demands to stop using anti-extremist legislation to restrict freedom of speech|website=Belarusian Association of Journalists|date=17 November 2021|accessdate=22 December 2021|archive-date=22 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222210825/https://baj.by/en/content/baj-demands-stop-using-anti-extremist-legislation-restrict-freedom-speech|url-status=dead}}

{{Reflist}}

Category:2005 establishments in Belarus

Category:Anarchism in Belarus

Category:Anarchist militant groups

Category:Organizations established in 2005

Category:Platformist organizations