Founded by David Van Deusen, Xavier Massot, Johnny Midnight, and Natasha Voline, this first generation of the collective came together shortly after the 1999 Seattle WTO protests and was greatly influenced by the Situationist International, Vermont's militant anti-colonial history, and libertarian-socialism. It is unclear how many people were associated with the group, but one report by Van Deusen describes a small cadre occupying a single home, and supporting themselves by a combination black marketeering, "occasional manual labor" and a student loan. At its inception, GMAC strove to further a popular resistance to capitalism through the building of a more organized and more effective militant apparatus within the political left: for the Green Mountain Anarchist Collective this meant organizing, expanding, and making tactical adjustments to the Black Bloc. The collective took part in a number of Black Bloc actions including those in opposition to the proposed FTAA treaty, and against fascist organizing attempts in New England. Individual members of GMAC, prior to the collective taking form, marched in numerous other Black Blocs. From these experiences GMAC observed that the lack of internal organization within the Bloc prevented it from reaching its potential as a vehicle for popular combat. Seeking to address these perceived short comings GMAC penned the pamphlet , which was widely distributed and debated within the anarchist community. The pamphlet, among other things, advocated for the temporary election of tactical officers within the Bloc. These officers would be democratically empowered to make swift decisions on behalf of the whole when engaged in conflict with the state. While GMAC argued that this adaptation was necessary in order to increase mobility, other aspects of the anarchist community criticized these prescriptions as authoritarian in nature and therefore contradictory to the principles of anarchism. GMAC countered that their proposals were in line with those witnessed during the Spanish Civil War via the CNT and FAI. Of those groups that supported the basic tenets of GMAC's views were the Barricada Collective, and Columbus Anti-Racist Action. Aspects of GMAC's proposed tactical reforms were field tested with some success at the Festival De La Pueblo 5 May action in Boston in 2002, and the siege of the Lewiston Armory, Maine, 2003. While the collective was influential in better defining basic best practices concerning the Black Bloc tactic, and ultimately reached a receptive intercontinental audience of fellow travelers, a number of its recommendations continue to be met with some controversy in aspects of the anarchist community. GMAC published a book on the Black Bloc in 2002; . The Green Mountain Anarchist Collective did not limit its scope of activity to the Black Bloc. While GMAC sought to tear down capitalism, it also sought to grow the movement towards libertarian-socialism. Here its focus was aimed within the confines of the Green Mountain region of northern New England. Often working with the Vermont Workers' Center, organized labor, and mass organizations, GMAC prioritized projects that built up directly democratic expression though the creation of grassroots counter-institutions. The major projects it was involved in include the Peoples Round Table Organizing Committee, the Dairy Farmers of Vermont, and the Montpelier Downtown Workers Union-UE Local 221. As a kind of revolutionary road map charting the way to the Vermont it worked to realize, the collective produced the pamphlet in 2004. In addition to organizing, GMAC attempted to gain a wider audience among Vermont's working class and small farmers by producing a seasonal newspaper called Catamount Tavern News. The paper, which was worker-owned and affiliated with the Teamsters Local 1L, was formed in 2002 and was printed regularly into 2009. It had a statewide distribution of 1500, with 50 distribution points across Vermont. The paper's bread and butter consisted of articles relating to working class Vermonters, small farmers, as well as providing analysis of local Native American struggles and other major social/political events unfolding in Vermont. Although not a primary focus, the paper also covered regional news, national news, and international news, through original content. In order to broaden the paper's appeal, Catamount Tavern News also reported on the Vermont Golden Gloves competition, had regular columns on hunting, wild plant gathering, handy hints, a crossword puzzle, occasional art & poetry, Vermont history and an obituary page. CT New's last article, published in 2009, was an obituary, written by Xavier Massot, for the newspaper itself.
Books and pamphlets
, by David Van Deusen, forward by Jeff Jones of the Weather Underground, Algora Publishing, 2017,.
, by Xavier Massot & David Van Deusen of the Green Mountain Anarchist Collective, Breaking Glass Press, 2010,. First edition published by Insubordinate Editions, 2002; Third edition published by LBC, 2014.
, by David Van Deusen, Catamount Tavern Press, 2018.
, by The Green Mountain Anarchist Collective & Columbus Anti-Racist Action, Black Clover Press, 2001.
, By David Van Deusen of the Green Mountain Anarchist Collective, Black Clover Press, 2001.
, by David Van Deusen, Sean West, and the Green Mountain Anarchist Collective, Catamount Tavern Press, 2004.
