Now entering it’s third year, the Buffalo festival is, without a doubt, the largest in the International infringement circuit (so far). While the Montreal infringement improved audiences and developed the local infringement community this year by pulling itself back and focusing on less shows centered around the Plateau neighborhood, Buffalo’s event keeps getting bigger and better.

With over 140 acts this year (up from last year and almost quadruple the number of acts in the original 2005 Buffalo event), the growth in the festival’s size is matched by it’s growth in intimate community feeling and original, spontaneous ideas.

That’s not to say that the festival doesn’t have it’s critics, or should I say critic. Among all the praise and in-depth coverage found in Buffalo’s media, there was one editorial (um, “survival guide”) in the Artvoice urging the festival to drop it’s claim to support and represent underground artists with something to say by giving them a place to say it.

I’m not sure if anyone took that advice to heart, but it sure didn’t look like it on the streets of Allentown (the festival’s epicenter) during the festival’s opening weekend and the subsequent few days we were in town.

As people were busy completing their “self-infringement” assignments, pulled out of a box at Rust Belt Books, four separate public performances turned Allen Street into a spontaneous artistic celebration. On Monday night alone, three of them co-existed simultaneously.

The surreal experience started when Subversive Theatre’s fantastic street-theatre version of Berthold Brecht’s The Exception and the Rule (which I had the chance to catch a day earlier) made it’s way down Allen parade-style past MC Vendetta’s Open-Lot (a musical open-mike in a parking lot) to Day’s Park.

We started preparing for Car Stories, while taking in some of what was happening around us. Just before our first showtime of the evening (with a new show every 30 minutes, Car Stories has several), The Exception and the Rule made it’s way back to Allen Street and took over the parking lot next to Nietzsche’s, briefly trapping one of our actors behind the scene. It moved on to the parking lot where Open-Lot was taking place, just as they went on break.

When I sat down to write this article, I had a series of brilliant punchlines that I knew were only interesting to myself. But this article really isn’t about punchlines. It’s about how we construct and deconstruct ideas surrounding activism and art and all the intersectionalities that convergence entails.

The evening kicks off with La toune a Landriault playing in the background.

In the midst of an exhibition of political works of art entitled Non à la paix, ça ferait trop de chômeurs, the debate begins.

If art can be loosely defined as creative production and activism can be loosely understood as intentional actions that are meant to raise awareness or bring about social or political change, what happens when you combine the two? The convergence of art and activism raises a number of questions in terms of how we think about art and activism on their own.

The debate hinges on four themes, including legality/illegality, public/private spheres, sponsorship and communications. But of course, it goes on to include much more.

Some would argue that art has always had a subversive component at its heart, and though the expression artist-activism may seem redundant in this optic, it also reminds us of the radical spaces where art comes from. Indeed, there are so many definitions of art and activism surrounding the pseudo-conferences table pieced together from café tables at Le Maître Chanteur, that is becomes almost overwhelming and yet somehow exciting to navigate the different ways that activists envision the practices they share so seamlessly.

Several important questions are raised about the future of these subversive practices and about the ethics involved in building this movement. There is a looming danger of emulating the very structures that we aim to disrupt in our organized efforts to dismantle them. Power differentials remain. The inability to reach the mainstream population through traditional channels seems both challenging and yet almost undesirable. As one panelist explained, “When we don’t participate in the fight, we maintain.”

There is a necessity within activist circles, to recognize that there are fundamentally conflicting visions of the world at odds here. When working on the front of cultural resistance, we must ask ourselves, as another panelist expressed so pointedly, if our goal is create a parallel (alternative) culture, or to deconstruct what is already in place.

As most artists know, empowerment begins from within. We all have the power to change things and reappropriating this power will come from the use of many different methods and practices on a local scale and then sharing our stories and experiences on a larger scale. It’s something that we all carry and share with those around us; it can’t be forced or indoctrinated – and it’s up to us to take it back!

At the same time, the Sunshine Bakery makes delicious breads and treats (the Danes loves to eat sweet breads at breakfast).

At the moment, I am in an area (Christianshavn) that has been cordonned off by the POLITI (police) – apparently due to a bomb threat.

I was going to get some milk for the coffee, and had to pass under a police tape. On my return, the POLITI said I was not allowed back to where I am staying.

Luckily, I managed to convince them, otherwise I’d be standing on a cold street corner with a carton of milk while my associates wondered what happened to me.

Apparently the Danish citizens are concerned that they are “next” on the terrorist hit-list, not unfeasible given the Danish participation in the Iraq war, and the ongoing Bush bootlicking carried out by the right-wing government.

Nowadays, I am told, there is an atmosphere of danger and any unattended bag is suspect. Anyways, I am personally hoping that this bomb threat has no substance, otherwise, I could be in serious shit if the thing goes off.

There are actually trucks outside that send TV-robots into sewers, so maybe the threat is under ground.

Well, it seems the bomb threat was a false alarm.

Apparently as white car was viewed as suspcious for some reason, and was eventually towed away by POLITI.

On the 5 o’clock news the anchor was asking the reporter if the threat was tied to Christiania. She said “no”, rolling her eyes at such speculation.

Tonight I am going to movie night at the operaren…

- Donovan King (in Christiania)

The police patrol until midnight I am told, and I witnessed two cops harassing a young woman. I moved in a bit closer to see what was going on, and saw a cop intimidating here, saying something in Danish with the word HASH at the end of the sentence.

Translated, I imagine it would have sounded something like “Hey, what were you smoking? Where is your HASH?????”.

Christiania TV is now loaning out video cameras to document police harassment and brutality. There are also 2 weekly papers (in Danish only) that discuss these issues and show photos. Tomorrow night is the Christiania TV screening night, so that should be interesting.

I have also spent a bit of time wandering around Copenhagen. Apparently some rich dude, Maersk, forked over tons of money for an opera house, but only if he could build it right next to a historic castle.

Sure enough, there it is spoiling a beautiful historic view by being situated right at the end of an important historic street. It is a monstrosity of architecture.

- Donovan King (in Christiania)

I just came back from the Blues Jam at the Operaren, and met a fellow named David from New Orleans. He was playing the trumpet with passion and pizazz amidst the improvised jazz ensemble (which plays 4 – 9 pm every Sunday, free of charge).

I have met a few Americans here, many dating back from decades ago. Many of them are similar to the current War Resisters in Canada – they came to escape oppressive US policies.

Discussing Katrina with David was enlightening – as a black person he had a lot to say against the US government and Bush.

I also met an older woman, a single mother whose daughters are now grown into adults, who told me of a horrifying encounter with the police where they beat the shit out of her. Apparently this is a common practice with Chistianites, and reportedly Amnesty International mentions it every time they report on the Danish government’s conduct.

A lot of the people here are extremely pissed with their right-wing government, and the lasy I mentioned described it as “the most racist government in the world today”.

Apparently they are tightening up and already extremely tight immigration policy, with new “tests”.

The police also paid a visit to Christiania today with a massive bulldozer. Surely an intimidation sign, they demanded to bulldoze a snowfort which they claimed was a “security risk”. And bulldoze they did.

Not a single snowman made by kids hands or wall within the playful fort remained following this sad spectacle.

A lot of it was actually made by Greenlanders, or the equivalent of First Nations in Canada.

There is a real atmosphere of fear and intimidation in Christiania.

On an entirely different note, I had dinner with a new media artist internet-named “FRIGG” who has a beautiful girl named Penny (1 1/2 years old). She told me that she is planning an electronic defense of Christiania.

- Donovan King (in Christiania)

Donovan King, a Canadian performance activist is presently visiting the Free City of Christiania in Denmark in hopes of establishing an infringement Festival there to help residents artistically challenge recent police harassment.

Christiania, a green car-free city in the middle of Copenhagen has come under threat from the right-wing Danish government which plans to demolish over 50 homes with no plans for the people currently living in them.

Donovan brings us this, the first of many reports…

Today I managed to get to Chistiania during daylight hours and purchased a guidebook (for 5 kroners – it is available for free online). While trying to orient myself with a cold Tuborg on the terrace at the Cafe Woodstock, I witnessed my first “police patrol” through the Freetown. About 8 officers, armed to the gills, paraded military-style up Pusher Street, glaring at everyone, myself included, as though we were potential criminals. There is a series of signals used by the locals to ensure when the police arrive they are clean (eg – not smoking or posessing any hash) and therefore not subject to harssment.

In the past I am told the police have resorted to the following draconian measures: strip-search, arresting people with a roach by their foot, banning people from establishments for 1-2 years if caught smoking, ticketing (300 kroners I believe), mass arrests (recently, on Sept 7 2005, an entire circus was arrested, including children!), police brutality, intimidation, extensive use of under-cover officers, and the demolition or removal of not only housing, but also stages, tents, and other facilities used by the citizens.

I soon went to the Nyt Forum (infoshop) and was soon hooked up with one of the leaders of the Rebel Clown Army, who was very keen to hear about how we deal with these issues in Canada. I shall call him JH out of respect for privacy. I mentioned the infringement festial and JH said he was very interested to learn more. I told him to check it out online and tell his associates.
He filled me in on a lot of the other critical artists in Christiania, and will now set up meetings with folks such as Christiania TV, filmmakers Britta and Nils Vest, various visual artists, activists, etc. This is a freecity in need of a strategy for the shitstorm ahead, probably due in the spring or summer.

Recently, on Jan 1, every resident was given a paper telling them whether or not they have “users rights” to Christiania, an obvious effort to divide the people. Those with “rights” will be allowed to stay living here after the mass evictions, but for how long, nobody knows. Those with no rights will have their homes demolished and they will be forcibly expelled from the community. No, this isn’t Gaza or Zimbabwe – it is central Europe!

In any case, I am trying to hook up the people here with other activists around the world. If Christiania is to be saved, it will need a global effort this time around.

I will keep you all posted as things develop on this side of the pond.

- Donovan King
in Christiania