Plans are under way for the 1989 continental anarchist gathering tentatively scheduled for July 30-August 7 in San Francisco. Since the 1986 Haymarket centenary commemoration, there have been yearly anarchist assemblies with a 1987 meeting in Minneapolis and Toronto this year. About 1,000 people attended the 1988 gathering (FE Summer 1988); planners are expecting upwards of 3,000 participants for a variety of political and cultural events. The FE will have a full schedule as soon as it is available.
The gatherings have resulted in shaping ideas and energies, creating festivities, meeting like-minded folk and having spirited demonstrations. They have acted as a positive force to consolidate and extend the international anarchist community without recourse to programmatic or organizational structures.
The 1989 gathering is entitled Without Borders: Anarchist Conference & Festival ’89 and already has an active group in the host city working on its preparation. Those planning the event desire as large a range of ideas for activities as possible, and to that end there are two questionnaires in circulation which they hope will allow for an expression of interests and concerns. Also, there will be a winter planning meeting in Philadelphia the weekend of January 7 – 8 at which the conference/festival will be discussed.
To obtain a questionnaire which is available from the host group, write: W/O Borders, 1369 Haight St., San Francisco, CA 94117; (415) 431-8355. (Response to this will give an idea of how many people will be attending and what they prefer to see happen.) Also, Mike Gunderloy of Fact Sheet 5, 6 Arizona Ave., Rensselaer, N.Y. 12144 has a survey available. If you would like to attend the Philadelphia planning meeting contact: Wooden Shoe Books, 112 S. 20th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103, (215) 569-2477, for details.
A strikingly-designed t-shirt celebrating the gathering is available from the San Francisco people; the cost is $10.