Food Not Bombs (FNB) Newcastle distributes free vegan meals at Awaba Park, outside Hamilton station, every Monday and Wednesday.
FNB volunteers prepare meals from donated ingredients that would otherwise go to waste. Bronte, a FNB Newcastle organiser, told 91自拍论坛 about the FNB movement.
Beginning the 1980s, in Boston, Massachusetts, 鈥淚t was started by a handful of activists who wanted to protest war and poverty by sharing free vegetarian meals in a public space,鈥 they said.
Since then have opened up around the world, 鈥渁ll acting autonomously but sharing the same values鈥.
Bronte said FNB is based on an anarchist tradition of mutual aid. 鈥淣on-hierarchical structures 鈥 consensus decision making 鈥 making time for each other, saying everyone鈥檚 valuable and equal, and making time for people鈥檚 voice to be heard.鈥
FNB has brought together a community of people, looking after each other, Bronte said. 鈥淏ecause they care for me, I care for myself,鈥 they said. 鈥淚f we鈥檙e going to fight this capitalist system, we need community and we need to build community.
鈥淢utual aid is what I see as the future, going forward 鈥 it鈥檚 one of the most effective ways to do direct action.鈥
Many FNB volunteers have lived on the street or in their cars, without a fixed address. They understand the value of a free, warm meal, Bronte said.
鈥淲e believe that everyone has an equal right to food and deserves food, there is enough food on the planet to feed everyone.鈥
FNB has faced resistance, including a police raid of the , the adjacent building to where FNB prepares and cooks its meals, in November last year. Many of the centre鈥檚 assets were seized by police after a coal-related protest.
鈥淚've been raided by the police twice, and it鈥檚 a pretty traumatic experience,鈥 Bronte said.
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