SEK-ESK Confederal Militias

The Synespondikos Polifylaka are armed groups created within the SEK-ESK as a response to violent political repression by the Kaisan state, reactionaries, Etnofroura, and bosses. Within the federation, they are organized by Defense Committees formed by unions and local federations. The militias currently serve a defensive role, but with the outbreak of the Daffodil Revolution, they are hurriedly being reformed into a revolutionary fighting force.

History

Following the Kaisan Revolution of 1333, the White Terror was a period of intense political repression levied against Kaisan radicals. The SEK-ESK was particularly targeted, as one of the organizations involved in the revolution. Hundreds of libertarians, communists, and union organizers were threatened, imprisoned, or killed. One way that the libertarians and federalists of the SEK responded was the creation of Defense Committees within the federation. At first, these cadres were extremely informal, essentially a loose affinity group that trained together and could respond in the event of an expected attack. In the 1340s, in preparation for intensified struggle, these committees became the nucleus for the formation of confederal militias capable of scaling up into a revolutionary fighting force.

Organization

Many within the SEK-ESK felt the necessity of serious preparation for armed revolution. The Defense Committees were reorganized by union and local council, with each major union and council forming such a committee. Under each Defense Committee, revolutionary cadres capable of planning, organizing, and carrying out armed struggle were formed. Members were assigned with roles by election, with each cadre including a secretary for organizational overhead and inter-committee communication, intelligence researchers, strategy and logistics researchers, and training officers. The intent of these units was to serve as the nuclei for revolutionary militias that can be called from the ranks of the union. At the center of the new structure is the Strategic Committee of the SEK-ESK, that contains a similar structure to each Defense Committee and provides a wider strategic framework. These new organizational structures have proved to be extremely effective in quickly mobilizing armed columns that have been capable of fighting off attacks by the Etnofroura, echelarist street fighters, and union-busting thugs.   As the militias are formed, the fighters are organized into units.

• Squadrons are made of about twenty-five people
• Sections are made of four patrols, with about a hundred people
• Groups are made of five sections, with about five-hundred people
• Columns are made of between ten to twenty groups, anywhere from five-thousand to ten-thousand people.

  The Confederal Militias have attempted to maintain a dedication to decentralized, autonomous, and nonhierarchical organization throughout this process. Cadres report to the committees, whose members are restricted to trusted and dedicated militants. When militias are raised, delegate-officers are elected and instantly-recallable, and they have no special privileges or authority outside of combat. Even within the broader strategic framework, units retain a high degree of autonomy. They are broadly expected to operate within the strategic framework of the Defense Committees, but they are permitted to act as they see fit, understanding that they may have to answer to their actions later. While this organizational structure has succeeded in the low-intensity clandestine warfare of the White Terror, it is yet to be seen if the SEK militias will be able to turn this into success in real combat.

Uniforms and Equipment

The militias do not have a full uniform. Most wear whatever sturdy workwear they possess, particularly denim coveralls or factory jumpsuits. Plenty of the militia members are former soldiers and wear military shirts, jackets stripped of insignia, or boots. Many wear surplus military webbing. Red neckerchiefs and red flatcaps are common signifiers of membership.   The Defense Committees have been preparing for armed struggle since 1344, and a healthy stockpile of arms, ammunition, and other military equipment has been built up. Much of it was stolen in pieces from unionized factories. Even still, the necessary influx of members to fight a revolutionary war will far outstrip the stockpiles, and the Defense Committees must quickly find a way to supply their forces. Even before the opening shots are fired, factories are being collectivized by members of the SEK for this purpose.

Mechanized Units

A small number of trucks and buses have been repurposed by the militias into fighting vehicles or troop transports. Many have even had boilerplates welded on as improvised armor.