insurrectionists, nihilists, and queer anarchists are constantly railing against the identity politics endemic to liberalism, which has wormed its way into anarchism by way of the would-be-revolutionaries who view anarchy simply as an intensification of liberal goals. but, most of the time, arguments against idpol focus on the nonsensicality and indirectly oppressive nature of identity itself…and with few concrete examples ever offered of the material harm idpol can do, it’s easy to get the impression that we complain about it simply because of the abstract ways in which an identitarian mindset and praxis can lead to reinforcement of oppressive structures.
while it’s true that idpol is nonsensical, abstract, and indirectly oppressive, and it would be plenty of reason to oppose identitarian tendencies on that basis alone, they also create bigger problems that result in much more tangible and imminent threats, like the failure of American anarchists to sabotage the construction of a concentration camp in the Florida Everglades, out of a fear of alienating local indigenous groups.
when Trump took office the U.S. government and their allies immediately began building concentration camps in various places around the world, including one notorious site within the U.S; Alligator Alcatraz.
when construction began, activists of various backgrounds and political leanings began protesting, and petitions were circulated by the ACLU, Amnesty International, and lots of other groups, begging fascist politicians to be less fascist. some individuals—disillusioned with democracy and “legitimate forms of protest”, but too far away to get directly involved—suggested local Floridians take inspiration from the E.L.F., the A.L.F., and more recent opposition to Cop City in Atlanta.
the response from Florida-based “anarchists” like, Skunk Ape Liberation Union, was a resounding “No.”, but (at least ostensibly) not out of a fear of potential risks like getting shot or arrested. the so-called anarchists simply felt it was not their place to take control of the movement, opting to let local indigenous organizers lead, simply because of their race. those indigenous activists wanted to use nonviolence, so the “anarchists” urged everyone to stay docile.
this essay is comes to mind.
we, at anomie press and the NVEP, would never insist that anyone must sacrifice themself—their safety or freedom—for “the greater good” or anything like that, but it’s one thing to simply choose not to take a risky action because of the risks involved, and it’s another thing entirely to vocalize opposition to the prospect of anyone taking direct destructive actions in opposition to fascism, because of how those subversive actions may upset the more liberal-minded “POC” “activist” “allies”. which is exactly what multiple “anarchists” in Florida did.
and, to the surprise of the liberals (including the ones calling themselves anarchists) and no one else, the nonviolent tactics accomplished nothing. the detention facility was built, opened, and used. and it’s still being used today (December, 2025). fascists built a(nother) concentration camp in the United States, and a number of “anarchists” decided it was more important to appease the liberals than to oppose the fascists.
this is, of course, a microcosm of a long-running trend of liberals trying to control anarchists by insinuating that 1.) anyone using direct action is a straight white cis male, and 2.) straight white cis men experience no oppression, and are morally obligated to follow the leadership of Oppressed Peoples™ who all are inherently more educated and capable of understanding the consequences of different tactics, and developing safe and effective strategies. we counter by stepping back to let the ineffectiveness of the liberals’ strategies speak for itself.
idpol has been used to defend oppressors countless times before, like when feminists got mad at rioters for breaking cop car windows during protests against police violence in Seattle in 2011, and tried to turn the rest of the protesters against what they called the “manarchists” in their midst (because violence and destruction are inherently male actions, of course, so any rioter must be a man), and when Black Lives Matter organizers physically got between angry rioters and scared cops to protect the police from the crowds during the 2020 riots in NYC, presenting themselves as representatives of The Black Community™, acting like they had a right to determine how everyone protests, and since some of the black people present were apprehensive about violent tactics, that somehow translated into a moral imperative that everyone must be nonviolent…but Florida 2025 might be the most clear example of idpol directly and explicitly defending our oppressors’ efforts to consolidate and exercise power, directly leading to more oppression.
- fascists began building a concentration camp
- direct sabotage was proposed
- the use of effective tactics was rejected due to identity politics
- liberal tactics (protests, petitions, social media posts) did nothing to prevent the facility being completed and opened (big surprise there)
- people are now incarcerated in a concentration camp
it’s true that idpol is always cringe, nonsensical, and fucking annoying, giving off “i majored in liberal arts with a minor in humanities at Berkeley” vibes, and that is more than enough reason to punch anyone who promotes it, but it goes so much deeper than that. identitarianism only benefits our enemies and kills any insurrectional, revolutionary, and subversive potential. and that costs real people their freedom, and sometimes their lives. idpol puts people in material mortal danger, when it dissuades activists from dismantling the apparatuses fascists are using to oppress us.
all liberal tendencies need to be fully excised from the anarchist milieu immediately. anyone continuing to promote idpol at this point is not an anarchist, or an “ally” – they’re on the fascists’ side. whether they know it or not.
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