The Blck Tea Society was an ad hoc

Ad hoc

Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning "for this". It generally signifies a solution designed for a specific problem or task, non-generalizable, and not intended to be able to be adapted to other purposes. Compare A priori....

, nonviolent anti-authoritarian

Anti-authoritarian

Anti-authoritarianism is opposition to authoritarianism, which is defined as a "political doctrine advocating the principle of absolute rule: absolutism, autocracy, despotism, dictatorship, totalitarianism." Anti-authoritarians usually believe in full equality before the law and strong civil...

 coalition

Coalition

A coalition is a pact or treaty among individuals or groups, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest, joining forces together for a common cause. This alliance may be temporary or a matter of convenience. A coalition thus differs from a more formal covenant...

 whose purpose was to protest the 2004 Democratic National Convention

2004 Democratic National Convention

The 2004 Democratic National Convention convened from July 26 to July 29, 2004 at the FleetCenter in Boston, Massachusetts, and nominated John Kerry and John Edwards as the official candidates of the Democratic Party for President and Vice President of the United States, respectively, in the 2004...

 in Boston

Boston

Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

. The group believed that the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 was a two-party duopoly

Duopoly

A true duopoly is a specific type of oligopoly where only two producers exist in one market. In reality, this definition is generally used where only two firms have dominant control over a market...

 that offers no real choice between Republicans

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 and Democrats

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

.

The largest event organized by the Bl(A)ck Tea Society was the Really Really Democratic Bazaar on the Boston Common on July 27, 2004, the second day of the DNC. The idea for the bazaar came from the Really Really Free Bazaar

Really Really Free Market

The Really, Really Free Market movement is a non-hierarchical collective of individuals who form a temporary market based on an alternative gift economy. The RRFM movement aims to counteract capitalism in a non-reactionary way. It holds as a major goal to build a community based on sharing...

 during the protests in Miami against the FTAA. The bazaar was organized decentrally, almost anyone was invited to set up a booth or an activity. Booths were set up by radical groups from all over New England

New England

New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...

. There were also games and arts activities. Near the cluster of booths was a stage that featured a wide variety of musicians from all over, as well as an open mic. Andre 3000

André 3000

André Lauren Benjamin , better known by his stage name André 3000 is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and actor, best known for being part of American hip-hop duo OutKast alongside fellow rapper Big Boi...

 of Outkast

OutKast

Outkast is an American hip hop duo based in East Point, Georgia, consisting of Atlanta native André "André 3000" Benjamin and Savannah, Georgia-born Antwan "Big Boi" Patton. They were originally known as Two Shades Deep but later changed the group's name to OutKast...

 wandered across the Bazaar, and David Rovics

David Rovics

David Rovics is an American indie singer/songwriter. His music concerns topical subjects such as the 2003 Iraq war, anti-globalization and social justice issues. Rovics has been an outspoken critic of former President George W...

 directed his audience to lie on the ground spelling out the phrase "Fuck You" to the hovering police helicopter.

Following the DNC in Boston, the group disbanded as planned. However, a zine

Zine

A zine is most commonly a small circulation publication of original or appropriated texts and images. More broadly, the term encompasses any self-published work of minority interest usually reproduced via photocopier....

 covering the group's formation, operation and experience is forthcoming.

See also

• Anarchism in the United States
  Anarchism in the United States
  Anarchism in the United States spans a wide range of anarchist philosophy, from individualist anarchism to anarchist communism and other less known forms. America has two main traditions, native and immigrant, with the native tradition being strongly individualist and the immigrant tradition being...
  
  
• Don't Just Vote, Get Active
  Don't Just Vote, Get Active
  Don't Just Vote, Get Active, also known as Don't Just Vote was an open, decentralized national campaign in the United States of America initiated by the CrimethInc. Ex-Workers Collective and its allies...
  
  , an anarchist campaign focusing on the 2004 presidential elections.
• List of anarchist organizations

External links

• Boston Phoenix Article on the Bl(A)ck Tea Society