A-Infos (en) I.F.A. - Interview with Klasna Solidarnost* at the Congress of the International of Anarchist Federations (ca, de, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

Ouzo (FA): Hello everyone, I'm reporting live from the IFA Congress in 
Athens, alongside Serbian comrades. We're going to have a discussion 
about their organisation - Klasna Solidarnost - a sister organisation 
invited to the IFA Congress which has expressed its intention to join 
the International of Anarchist Federations. First of all, could you 
introduce your organisation? --- KS: Thank you for this opportunity. A 
few quick notes about the history of our organisation, Class Solidarity, 
based in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It was founded 10 years ago. 
It is the first and, to this day, the only anarchist political 
organisation based in Serbia. Our aim is to expend and create a 
federation with other groups in other towns in Serbia. We are involved 
in numerous struggles. Serbia is one of the post-socialist countries 
undergoing a rampant transition to capitalism, with privatisations that 
have left the working class devastated. Hundreds of thousands of people 
have lost their jobs, their health - many of them lost their lives.

We are on firm anti-imperialist and anti-capitalist positions. Our 
opposition to NATO is a key element of our activities. Our society has 
experienced NATO's imperialist bombings. I was seven years old when they 
bombed Belgrade. We have memories that now most people in Europe only 
see in reels of the wars in the Middle East: you're playing outside in 
the park and you just hear  sirens for bombing alarm, and you run to the 
shelters to hide. To mark the anniversary of the NATO bombing, we hung a 
diy banner on a bridge of the highway, visible to thousands of cars. 
Some of our members are founders and active participants in the movement 
for Palestine in Serbia, as well as in the Antifascists of Belgrade , 
established six years ago with the goals of countering the rise of 
fascism, but also to spread the ideas of antifascism and make them more 
appealing to younger generations!

Anti-NATO protest on 24 March 2026 to mark the anniversary of the 1999 
bombing of Belgrade

KS: KS is active to disconstructing the world we live in, to destroy it, 
but also to build a new one. Lot of our comrades were founders of 
horizontal student unions involved in the movement against forced 
evictions several years ago. There have been dozens of successful 
defenses of families threatened with eviction. There is also the 
solidarity canteen initiative (three times a week, self-managed and 
self-funded). Many people who are not politicized, ordinary people,are 
in fact doing very anarchist things, that is to say, participating in 
horizontal organisations based on mutual aid and which do not cooperate 
with institutions, the state, political parties or NGOs.
About the student initiatives. Many anarchists took part in the 
movements of 2006, 2009, 2011 and 2014. In Serbia there is a Student 
Parliament which is supposed to organise student life, but in reality it 
is an institution that serves no purpose other than to recruit future 
politicians. On the last two decades at the University of Philosophy in 
Belgrade, in particular, there have been occupations and student 
assemblies. They are anarchist in their practices; everyone has the 
right to speak and to vote. It is forbidden to talk about your political 
organisation. Occupation is also direct action. This is something that 
has influenced the structure of the student movement that emerged in 2024.

Ouzo (FA): Thank you comrades. I remind your Instagram 
@klasnasolidarnost. Could the student companions who have been holding 
the streets during the uprisings since 2023 share their experiences of 
this struggle with us, their self-organisation practices, but also the 
structures of capitalist society that are resisting them? (The FA had 
issued a statement of solidarity in November, translated by the IFA.)

KS: Those blockades and occupations of university, which happened for 
almost a year, was one of the biggest movement in Serbia. But why? I 
think the answer is in its methods of organising and making decisions. 
These were direct democratic assemblies from the begining of the 
movement. We were inspired by the experience of the Cookbook student 
occupation in Zagreb in 2009. Books and leaflets were distributed.

In 2023, people were revolting against the state murder after the deaths 
of 16 people in the collapse of Novi Sad railway station. Usually, when 
state crimes occur, NGOs and opposition parties co-opt the struggle and 
people are not motivated to participate. But this time it was really 
massive. As anarchists, our role is not to lead the movement but to 
discuss what strategies are the bests with people. We believe that 
people will free themselves. Praxis will change their minds.
But unfortunately, the anarchists were not organised enough to be 
present at all the universities, and the dominant ideology dominated. 
Opposition politicians and opportunistic NGOs co-opted the students' 
demands towards a call for parliamentary elections. There are, however, 
contradictions that need to be highlighted: these assemblies are calling 
for elections and demanding the rule of law, whilst self-organising 
themselves in an anarchist way.

The positive parts and the progressive parts of the movement still 
exists. For example, after students called for non-students to organise 
themselves in the same way through neighbourhood assemblies, zborovi. 
They remain even now. They carry the most progressive actions. For 
example, clashes with the police. People have always hated the police 
but used to say we had to be peaceful. But after the police violence, 
these people realised that the police are not our friends and that the 
only way is to clash with the police. The assemblies also organised 
anti-gentrification protests against the government's huge development 
projects (such as the plan to build an aquarium in place of a park). 
There was also a joint antifa demonstration with the students.

"Join the assemblies, total self-organisation"

KS: I've been witnessing student movements since ten years. Ten years 
ago, it was just the Philosophy Department; now it's all university. 
Back then, we were protesting against the privatisation of the 
university; the demands were social and anti-capitalist, and focused on 
making education affordable for the working class. Now these occupations 
are motivated by the political situation of the country and supported by 
all the citizens. Of course course the demands are liberal. But what can 
we expect in a world where neoliberal thinking is so dominant? It's 
normal for people to believe they'll improve their lives using the tools 
of the system they know. But I think the praxis of the occupations is 
changing minds. It's a process; we can't win today, but it's a process 
that will lead us in the right direction.

Ouzo (FA): Thank you for this information, companions. Your website to 
follow your struggles and analyses its klasol.org. Finally, regarding 
your presence at the IFA congress: how do you feel here? What are your 
anarchist perspectives on joining the IFA?

KS: First, a quick history that resulted in where we are today. This 
came as a result of our cooperation with APO (???????? ???????? 
????????, ?u???????? ??????????????, Anarchist Political Organisation, 
Fededration of collectives, greek federation in the IFA), which is the 
host of the congress. We already cooperated with them on numerous 
occasion, out of which we would single out two importants in person 
events that our comrades were invited as guest. First last summer here 
in Athens for the festival of APO. And in october to Thessaloniki to the 
libertarian festival also organised by APO. During these times we 
participated on a session where we were talking about the role of 
anarchists in class struggle. In the context of state murders in Greece 
and Serbia, which we found a common link in those two tragedies.

As for the congress, I speak on my name as for personal impressions, but 
I am almost sure my comrades share. We are more thant honoured for the 
opportunity to be invited as guests/observers participants. In our 
opening address, we stated our firm wish to join IFA. This is because 
our core principle is internationalist anarchist cooperation. I myself 
feel fullfilled in such place, where there are people from all over the 
world, with different cultures, different histories, different 
ethnicities, different genders and different languages, and yet we all 
have a common goal of building a new and better world, free from 
capitalist exploitation.

KS: I'm also always happy to meet people with who I share my beliefs. I 
think its really important. Firstly, because that is what the 
capitalists and those in power do: they work together against us. We 
have to do the same. We can't change the world if we don't connect 
internationally. I feel very emotional actually. Because, as an 
anarchist, I sometimes feel like an utopian, fighting for something 
impossible, but when I meet people from all over the world that are on 
same positions, that are working and doing anarchist things it makes me 
more motivated and makes me braver to continue. Now that the world is 
facing wars and genocides, it is absolutely essential to be 
internationalists. The mechanisms are the same; we must share our 
strategies and our different experiences of struggle.

Ouzo: Hvala, companions. I speak for myself, but I know this feeling is 
shared by the Fédération Anarchiste. It's an honour to share and forge a 
connection with you and your organisation. You are very welcome in 
France. Would you like to say a few final words?

KS: Merci, comrades, the pleasure is mutual. As for the slogan, I 
believe you use it in France too: Ko seje bedu, zanje bes - Who spreads 
misery harvest the revolt.

by Ouzo, Fédération Anarchiste Marseille - groupe Oaï

* Klasol is the newest associated group of the International of 
Anarchist Federations. An interview by the FA (Fédération Anarchiste) 
can be downloaded here in English or to read below.

https://i-f-a.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Interview-klasol-IFA-congress-en_compressed.pdf

https://i-f-a.org/2026/06/01/interview-with-klasol-at-the-ifa-congress/
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