The Guardian profiles the Deterritorial Support Group, a secretive guerrilla humour protest group whose goals include "full communism, with lulz as a transitional demand." They're an interesting blend of radical politics, po-faced irony, sectarian haters, and media pranksters — The Yes Men by way of the Weather Underground.
Another striking thing, given their leftist politics, is their refusal to reject the trappings of consumer capitalism. "You can't be a communist in a capitalist world," says Pablo. They shop at Tesco, they happily admit. "That's what DSG is about aesthetically as well, which is being based in your everyday life. Most people like shopping at Tesco." Same with Ikea, says Nick, pointing to a description of DSG's aesthetics as "Ikea anarchism". "I'm happy with 'Ikea anarchism', because they give reasonably good design, on the cheap, to a lot of people, and it's very popular. It's better than the alternative, which is handmade anarchism."
"Be the change you want to see in the world", goes the hippy motto. It chimes with Louise Mensch's and Theresa May's criticisms of Occupy St Paul's protesters: how can occupiers call for the end of capitalism, yet still buy coffee from Starbucks? Pablo grins. "What's really interesting about those glib rightwing reactions is, if that's really the best argument you've got, then there is no real defence.
"Four or five years ago their argument would have been: 'Capitalism has given you everything you ever needed.' Now it's: 'You're drinking coffee.' Capitalism is a relationship caused by wage labour, and you can eat as much organic food as you want, but you're not changing those fundamental relationships."
