Action Over Words: The Unyielding Fight Against the Technological System and Its Collaborators

Action Over Words: The Unyielding Fight Against the Technological System and Its Collaborators

Spring 2025 – Field Report

Despite the INSULTS and THREATS, we proudly wore our colors at the protest of the most well-known eco-reformist leftist movement in France (Les Soulèvements de la Terre - The Uprisings of the Earth). Here is what happened.

"It is important to recognize that a successful revolutionary movement may start out as a tiny and despised group of “crackpots” who are taken seriously by no one but themselves. The movement may remain insignificant and powerless for many years before it finds its opportunity and achieves success. [...]

It follows that the revolutionaries should never retreat from their extreme positions for the sake of popularity or to avoid offending the moral or other sensibilities of the general public. If the revolutionary organization were to dilute its message or prevaricate in order to avoid offending people it would discourage its own members and lose their respect, weakening their commitment to the organization; it would lose the respect of the best kind of potential recruits while attracting many who were incapable of total commitment to the organization; and it would lose the respect of the general public. A revolutionary organization should seek not to be liked, but to be respected."

‍Anti-Tech Revolution: Why and How, Theodore John Kaczynski

From March 28 to 30, the Stop Micro collective—a grassroots group based in Grenoble, France, focused on combating the environmental and social impacts of the microelectronics industry—organized the protest "Water, Not Microchips!" in Grenoble. The demonstration aimed to challenge the tech industry's resource exploitation and the rise of the "connected life."

Stop Micro is the most anti-tech local group in France. During this event, technology and technocrats are booed and the "green transition" is scorned — a perfect ground for spreading our revolutionary strategy.

This year, the Uprisings of the Earth co-organized the event against the "technological system". Anti Tech Resistance was, of course, there.

From Friday to Sunday, we attended conferences addressing extractivism and the myth of relocalization. For 48 hours, speakers exposed the structural horrors of the industrial system. Its colonial logic devastates communities worldwide: from cobalt exploitation in Congo, lithium mining in the Americas and the Andes, to rare earth mining in Quebec (activists from across the globe shared their battles against the mining industry). The so-called ecological transition is nothing more than greenwashing, dressing up the ongoing disaster in a misleading green facade.

We are participating in workshops to reconstruct the entire supply chain of microchips—the components of electronic devices—tracing their mines, storage sites, transformation, and assembly locations, among others. Just like with our workshop on AI (the AI fresk), it's clear that relocalization is nothing more than an illusion.

Yet, a sense of discomfort lingers. Intellectuals and organizers approach us privately. They claim that the Uprisings of the Earth have pressured them. Pressured to invite foreign collectives (to better recruit them), pressured to self-censor, pressured to carefully select publishers, pressured to exclude certain authors, pressured to abandon their radical stance, and pressured to vote to expel us.

Should we trust their claims? We know all too well the effects of rumors.

We believe only in actions. Yet, the word "revolution" is never spoken. And yet, we discuss the exploitation of children, the rape of women, the displacement of Indigenous peoples, and the urgent need to dismantle factories.

One entire conference led by a so-called "technocritical collective" is dedicated to the company Fairphone. The company claims to produce smartphones with "responsible" mining practices. It attempts to trace raw materials and pressures climate criminals to create a "clean industry." This stands in stark contrast to the other discussions. We recognize the hallmark of the Uprisings. Honest with the audience, the speakers admit their failure: changing the system from within has never succeeded. Paying child slaves better will not alter their fate.

The major multinational corporations no longer need to greenwash—so-called technocritique has taken over that role! At first, it seems like a joke. But these people are serious.

At the Uprisings of the Earth conference, the message is clear: we are here "against the factory expansion in Grésivaudan." The expansion. Not the factory. Not the technology. The argument is that the "workers" would lose their "salaries."

We believe only in actions. And the next day, there’s a protest. Surprise—the Uprisings of the Earth organized another vote, close as ever: we are not allowed to participate in the demonstration. After their idealistic campaign against a French billionaire, the Uprisings seem determined to take control of a new struggle. The strategy is evident: to silence anti-tech voices, they occupy our space, hijack our message, and take control of every platform to filter out and marginalize any insurgent discourse. Since we've published an article in three parts critiquing their lack of strategy, leftism and dishonesty, this has been their priority. But is it really the Earth’s priority? "We democratically voted—you’re banned from handing out leaflets." No flyers? Fine, let's make a banner!

The protest begins, and we unfurl our banner: "AGAINST ALL INDUSTRIES; ANTI-TECH RESISTANCE." We are not here to divide the struggle, but to stand against the industry. There is no horizontal hostility in the face of a common enemy.

At the same time, just a few meters away, anarchists, disgusted by their actions, along with long-time comrades from Stop Micro, unfurl their own banner: "STOP THE APPROPRIATION OF STRUGGLES BY THE UPRISINGS OF THE EARTH."
The tone is set. The divide is created.

We only believe in actions. And the only real difference compared to last year, thanks to this leftist collective, is an additional 1,000 protesters and a strategy of attrition through sabotage. Is this really all that the 'collaboration' with the European Green Party (Europe Ecology – The Greens) has resulted in?

Less than 10 seconds after our first statement, we hear shouting. They're coming. Our procession is quickly surrounded. Our arms are grabbed. They were prepared. Marxist hordes follow us closely, drowning out our speeches with slander. Trucks and organizers' vehicles, along with identifiable floats, speed up to prevent the public from getting closer. They almost run us over. A loudspeaker follows us, blasting music at full volume, hoping to drown out our messages. Organizers approach and indirectly threaten us: "If you don't put away your banner, we won't be able to ensure your safety..." We stood our ground.

Dozens booed us. We were six.

So, what should we do? Surrender and let these collaborators reduce the fight to just another watered-down, intersectional issue? Should the fight against industry become a fight to reappropriate industry? A struggle for self-managed lithium mines?

No. ATR is the only truly revolutionary anti-tech movement. If we back down now, we’ll be pushed out of every future struggle. If we let go, who will speak for a sick planet? So, above their shouts, we sang. Above their insults, we sang louder. Our determination is stronger than their collaboration.

We are six, but we are countless. Stronger.

Our voices eventually silence their hatred, and we move forward with even greater determination.

We talked with curious protesters, some of them shocked. We received support from collectives praising our courage. While they hide, we dare.

Not a single comrade gave up. We all held strong, together, even laughing at the absurdity of the situation, resolute in our commitment to keep fighting. Against all industries.

We were here last year. We are here this year. We will be here next year. Soon, we’ll be everywhere, making the anti-tech revolution heard.
To dismantle the technological system—a task impossible without unwavering discipline.
We don’t believe in speeches. We believe in action.