The Libertarian Federation against Networks

In the sociological literature on the revival of protest since the 1990s, it is generally taken for granted that network organization is associated with anarchistic practices. While this is partially true, our findings on the French anarchistic and trade union movementsadvocating direct action show that it needs to be qualified. We have found that many anarchistic militants are closer to the tradition of libertarian federalism than to that of the network. This article fits into the framework of the Sociology of Disputes, as it presents and puts into perspective a militant debate on the notion of networks. The author shows that, contrary to widespread belief, not all the actors of the protest revival equate the network to horizontality and transparency.