Statement from Anarkismo on the AK Press accusations against Michael Schmidt by Anarkismo Network

(en) Anarkismo.net: Statement from Anarkismo on the AK Press
accusations against Michael Schmidt by Anarkismo Network

The international Anarkismo Network, which brings together class struggle anarchist 
organisations from more than a dozen countries in both the global South and North, and has 
relations with far more from across the globe, has noted with great surprise and concern 
the recent accusations by AK Press that Michael Schmidt is a fascist working undercover to 
infiltrate the anarchist movement[1]. ---- Michael Schmidt has been a regular and 
long-standing contributor to Anarkismo.net and, in the past, has sat on its editorial and 
delegates groups. If these accusations are proven to be true Anarkismo will take immediate 
and appropriate action to ban him from posting on the website, as well as to guard against
any possible future infiltration.

Before we can make any pronouncements on the matter, however, we need to carefully examine 
both the AK Press evidence, the article by Alexander Reid Ross, as well as Michael 
Schmidt’s response to the evidence and article. As a network Anarkismo has not taken 
sides, and will not accuse the accuser or the accused before there is more information and 
all the evidence has been presented. Both sides will have to explain themselves thoroughly 
first and be available for answering any serious questions about the information.

However, we must be clear that we feel the way in which AK Press has dealt with the matter 
is irresponsible and prejudicial, judging and condemning Michael Schmidt without 
presenting any evidence, and without allowing him the right to defend himself, or to 
respond to the article before making the public announcement of 25 September 2015.

Both sides must be given a fair chance to have their say.

The Anarkismo Network therefore demands that the alleged “incontrovertible evidence” be
released by AK Press with immediate effect, and not to refer us to the journalist: since 
AK Press itself has endorsed the position, it must take responsibility for the proof.

We furthermore demand that AK Press unconditionally and explicitly state, also with 
immediate effect, that its allegations refer to Michael Schmidt alone, and not to any 
publishers, co-authors, editors, left organisations or currents with which Michael Schmidt 
may have been associated.

We urge AK Press to publish Michael Schmidt’s official responses on its newswires and 
sites, as we believe that he has the right to defend himself [2].

The Anarkismo Network

1. 
http://www.anarchistnews.org/content/michael-schmidt-author-black-flame-white-nationalist-trying-infiltrate-anarchist-movement-ak
2. https://www.facebook.com/AKPress/posts/10156169461510249

http://www.anarkismo.net/article/28576