About "Anti-Judicial Anarchism", Max Stirner, Luigi Galleani, CCF & More (Mexico)

Here is an English translation of an article from the journal Conspiracion Acrata from Mexico referring to the idea of “Antiguiridismo Anarchico”. We hope you like it.

“Antigiuridismo Anarchico” which translates to “Anti-Judicial Anarchism” is a concept which has been used throughout anarchist history to define the attitude of a radical and total rejection of the concept and practice of the “justice” of the State, or as otherwise said – the judicial methods of the State including defence through a lawyer. This attitude or concept is or should be something normal within the anarchist movement but there are few companer@s who have put it into practice for diverse reasons or strategies.

Antigiuridismo Anarchico is the rejection of declaring a position to the State in front of the court or contributing to the circus of the State. Often the declarations of those who position themselves in this attitude are only directed as a dialogue or explanation to the compañer@s of their movement. This attitude is the rejection of any legal resources through which one could obtain “freedom”.

For some, Antigiuridismo Anarchico’s basis can be found in the texts of Max Stirner such as “The Ego and its Own” as individualists have used this concept or method in the past, usually those who have used explosives or have been involved in diverse sabotages against the system, in other words those who have “nothing to lose”.

Historically, in Italy the “anti-organizzatori” (anti-organisationalists) close to the anarchist Luigi Galleani used the Antigiuridismo Anarchico method, although it’s worth noting that not all of the “antiorganizzatori” were individualists, however they did maintain themselves in a total contrast to the anarcho-syndicalists. We also know of anarchist individuals who have positioned themselves under this method without defining it as such, examples include Severino di Giovanni and Paulino Scarfo in Argentina, the anarchists known as the Galeanists in the USA, French Anarchists such as Ravachol or Emile Henry, or Italian-Americans like Gabrielle Segata Antolili.

At the moment this is the case with the compañer@s of the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire from Greece who have used Antigiuridismo Anarchico as an attitude of rupture with the judicial system as well as with the society of the masses, refusing to declare and as such collaborate with the police investigations. The Conspiracy of Cells of Fire has put out communiqués referring to their situation, but as a form of communication with the compañer@s in solidarity, rather than as an explanation or justification before the State.

We can see that Antigiuridismo Anarchico is a decision taken individually (or collectively as is the case of the CCF) that works as part of two sides. For one part there’s the individual conviction to refuse to take part in any dialogues or compromise with the State/Capital or the line of politics, ensuring that each individual, group or cell maintains itself in contrast to the current reality. The other part can be owed to a consistent movement and a strong capacity to stand with prisoners and not leave them alone and one that is capable of physically interrupting the development of repression, for example we could cite the first trail against those of the Brigate Rosse in Italy, in which the same organisation brought judges, lawyers, prosecutors etc, to justice.

Furthermore, without putting forward any judgement whatsoever, there are other compañer@s who, as a contrast to this position of complete rupture, decide to analyse their possibilities and take advantage of legal avenues as a “strategy” to get out of prison and continue the war on the outside, always questioning power and its laws and taking these same laws or resources as weapons that can be used to avoid prison based on what’s possible within the judicial system, taking into account that this only works as a strategy and not as a dialogue with power. Many compañer@s who have taken use of legal resources as a strategy have demonstrated that once back on the street, they continue the war and maintain themselves in conflict. Unfortunately, there are some “compañer@s” who justify the State medium of ‘social rehabilitation’, to attempt to contradict our compañer@s in war, affirming such things as “you haven’t learnt anything from your time in prison”.

Whichever way you look at it, the two attitudes are equally valuable, however during this article we have attempted to lay out the concept defining the particular standpoint of Antigiuridismo Anarchico. There are a few philosophical law studies about Antigiuridismo Anarchico by Max Stirner, but generally they are academic texts which refer to a more nihilist and existentialist Stirner.

Luigi Galleani was an Italian anarchist who lived in the USA and edited the publication Cronaca Sovversiva which was edited for the first time on the 6th of June, 1903. One of Cronaca Sovversiva’s characteristics was the listing of addresses and locations of businessmen, “capitalist spies”, strike-breakers and all those considered enemies of the people. Luigi Galleani also edited a bomb-making manual called “Health is in you”, which was later translated into various different languages by various people supposedly including Emma Goldman. The Anarchist circle that revolved around the Cronaca Sovversiva were called “The Galeanists” and in their time carried out numerous bomb attacks against institutions of the State and Capital, such as the first car-bomb in history carried out by Mario Buda. They also sent a great number of packet bombs to personalities of the Church, State and Capital and expropriated the businesses of capitalists. Luigi also published various articles, the most well known called “Faccia a faccia col nemico” in 1914, which Severino Di Giovanni later would use in his publication “Culmine”, as well as in his way of life.

The newspaper Cronaca was published throughout 15 years until it was banned under the Sedition law. It’s worth nothing that the anarchists Sacco and Vazetti were close to the publication’s circle.



Gabriella Segata Antonilli was an Italian anarchist who was arrested on the 17th of January 1918 at the age of 19 for transporting dynamite in a purse. When she was interrogated she gave a false name and refused to cooperate with the authorities or give them any information. She was sent to prison for 14 months. During her time in prison she got to know the notorious anarchist Emma Goldman with whom she formed a friendship. Gabrielle was from the Galeanist group from the Cronaca Sovversiva.

The Conspiracy of Cells of Fire is an anarchist nihilist urban guerilla group from Greece who have carried out direct actions ranging from arson attacks to powerful explosive attacks such as that carried out against the Athens Courthouse in solidarity with their imprisoned members. The CCF also sent a number of packet bombs to different ambassadors and world capitalist leaders including Silvio Berlusconi. Currently there are members of the CCF under trial.

The Brigate Rosse (Red Brigades) were a Marxist guerilla group from the 1970s who carried out various armed actions against those in power. Those years were called “the years of Lead” in Italy, a time in which many anarchists also carried out direct action, and some formed the anarchist action group Azione Rivoluzionaria.

Max Stirner was an anarco-individualist theorist who was born in 1806 and died in 1856, his most popular work was “The Ego and its Own” which caused innumerable discussions within the anarchist movement, including the anarchists of action.

Tags: Argentina, Azione Rivoluzionaria, Brigate Rosse, Conspiracion Acrata, Conspiracy of Cells of Fire, Emma Goldman, Gabriella Segata Antonilli, Greece, Italy, Luigi Galleani, Mario Buda, Max Stirner, Mexico, Sacco and Vanzetti, Severino Di Giovanni, USA

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 22nd, 2011 at 6:53 pm and is filed under Library.