Anarchist terrorism

Anarchist terrorism is the use of terrorism to further anarchist causes. Modern terrorism as well as terrorist tactics were pioneered by anarchists. The use of bomb in committing attrocities against civilian populations was justified by anarchists as a form of propaganda of the deed Anarchists have often been portrayed as dangerous and violent, due partly to a number of high-profile violent acts including riots, assassinations, and insurrections attributed to anarchists, mainly in the late 19th century and the early 20th century. The numbers of heads of state killed by anarchists is historically notable. Notable revolutionaries of the late 19th century such as Bakunin and Krotopkin encouraged acts of political violence, such as bombings and the assassinations of heads of state. Such actions are usually called 'propaganda by the deed'. There are still many anarchists who support violent acts such as the Black Bloc faction within the anti-globalization movement.[1]

Individual anarchists assassinated numerous heads of state between 1894 and 1901. For example, US President McKinley's assassin Leon Czolgosz claimed to have been influenced by anarchist and feminist Emma Goldman. This was in spite of Goldman's disavowal of any association with him, his registered membership in the Republican, and never having belonged to an anarchist organization. Bombings were associated in the media with anarchists because international terrorism arose during this time period with the widespread distribution of dynamite. This image remains to this day. Private media are typically hostile to anarchism. As a result, depictions in the press and popular fiction helped create a lasting public impression that anarchists are violent terrorists. This perception was enhanced by events such as the Haymarket Riot, where anarchists were blamed for throwing a bomb at police who came to break up a public meeting in Chicago, Illinois.

The use of terrorism and assassination, however, is condemned by most anarchists. Even anarchists who see acts of violence as justified in a context of insurrection and class war would often view individual acts of terrorism as ineffective, counter-productive, and even immoral.