Soccer teams go on a revolutionary kick

Soccer teams go on a revolutionary kick
Communists play anarchists in Berkeley

Tanya Schevitz, Chronicle Staff Writer Monday, September 15, 2003

In some ways, the soccer game played in North Berkeley Sunday afternoon was a typical matchup with cheerleaders, hearty competition, a rousing band and proud parents on the sidelines.

But the anarchists vs. the communists soccer match veered off pretty quickly from there.

The Brass Liberation Orchestra, a patchwork band of musicians, played everything from saxophones to drums and a tuba, getting the crowd going with a lively rendition of "Internationale," an anthem of communists and socialists, while players jumped up and down and raised their fists in the air.

The cheerleaders chanting "Give me an A, A, A for Anarchy," wore black motorcycle boots and fashioned their pom-poms from strips of a black garbage bag. One shimmied into a makeshift black skirt -- and because of the cold, donned a friend's black pullover, which she said reeked of the puke-like smell of aged spilled beer.

Instead of advertising, the sign on the sidelines of Gabe's East field was painted half black for the anarchists and half red for the communists, reading "For a World Without Borders. For a World Without Bombs."

And there was gloating at the game -- over the collapse of the World Trade Organization talks.

But the idea behind the game was a noble one, players said: to bring people together from across the political spectrum to build a community around the values they share -- and to have fun, of course.

The two teams were born from the protests against the war in Iraq earlier this year. Many of the soccer players had protested in the streets together during the days before and after the start of the war and they wanted to make sure they stayed together.

"There is a history of political tension between the anarchists and the communists, but we are united on our opposition to U.S. wars abroad and at home on poor people, working people, people of color," said Chris Crass, 29, of San Francisco, a member of the anarchist team and an organizer of anti- racist and political workshops.

And so, the activists -- men, women and even a 6-year-old boy -- settled on the creation of two teams.

The anarchist team, Kronstadt FC, was named for the 1921 revolt of workers of the Kronstadt army base against the Communist government in Russia. The players wore black T-shirts with the insignia of an A with a circle around it, a black star and a soccer ball.

The communist team, Left Wing, sported shiny jerseys in Communist red, of course, with a fist holding a flag with a red star.

There were players from various organizations across the Bay Area, from the San Francisco Women Against Rape to SOUL, a youth organizing group, and the Campaign for Renters Rights.

Sunday's game was actually the second match.

The first game, held Aug. 17 in Piedmont, tied 2-2 after it was shut down by local officials because the teams were playing on the field without permission.

Almost all the players work as political organizers in some way, and the result on the field was that the teams were very disciplined and organized. They have practiced for up to six hours a week and have uniforms and even a medic.

The game took engineer Daniel Murphy, 48, of Lafayette by surprise. Seeing a game forming, he had plunked his folding chair down on the sidelines while he waited for his son to finish skateboarding at the adjacent skate park.

"It sounds like a typical Berkeley soccer game," he said. "I'll have to think about who I'll root for. It is a grand thing."

True to the communist ideals, everyone got an equal chance to play, with the game split into quarters instead of halves to allow for more players.

"People here have different ideological ways they see the world achieving peace, but we think everybody who is against the war should work together," said Maria Poblet, 27, of Oakland, a tenant organizer on the communist team. "It is also just for fun. Millions of people across the world love soccer. We are no exception just because we are activists."

In the end, it was a victory for the anarchists, with Kronstadt FC winning 4-2.

The communists will have one more chance during the third and final game, to be played sometime in October.

"People are serious about having fun, but the community building is more important than who wins," Crass said.

And what were the teams going to do after the game?

"Celebrate the hopeful demise of the U.S. government," he said.