What is ACAB - A brief description

The history of “ACAB”

The anarchist phrase “All Cops Are Bastards” commonly abbreviated to ACAB is and has been used to challenge the authority and the sometimes callous tactics of both the government and especially it’s law enforcing employees – the police. Although the exact origins of the word remain unknown it is generally believed that the phrase was created by English anarchist workers on strike during the 1940's, the phrase gained its present-day definition when it was used in a headline on the British national daily tabloid, “Daily Mirror”. The named story read that the police had picked up a teenager who had embroidered the phrase on his jacket after copying it from a biker he saw on the street. The teen claimed he thought ACAB stood for “All Canadians are Bums” and received a small fine, but the report made the acronym a motto for the younger generation who were growing tired of being subjected to the abuse of power from police officers. The small rebellion of a few teenagers had the involuntary effect of launching ACAB into the colloquial of the rapidly growing punk movement. The current anarchist and anti-authoritarian beliefs attached to the term ACAB are directly attacking the flawed system in which numerous cops are sanctioned to commit unjust acts with no repercussions, often against marginalised communities. The current ACAB movement is a charge for the flawed system, which has cost countless people their lives, to be reformed for the good and safety of the people, it is a demand to abolish the police as we know it including the white supremacy firmly correlated with the creation of the police.

What does ACAB mean today?

The acronym ACAB has become colloquial among those who demand fair and just law enforcement. “All cops are bastards” refers to the bastardisation of the justice system from police officers, as an officer swears to enforce laws from a racially biased and discriminatory system, this promise alone causes an entire justice system to lose it’s value, the job of a police officer bastardises the already corrupt system. It is obvious that not every police officer holds racist ideals nor are they complicit in the corruption of the system, but the problem is not that of "a few bad apples" it is a rotting tree slowly spreading it's poison to the point where "good cops" have no choice but to conform to the unjust system. Despite many police officers not upholding white supremest ideologies the act of willingly upholding and benefiting from a system which is and has held and acted upon racist views is inherently prejudice. As for police officers who are racial minorities, they have made the decision to prioritise their financial well-being and possible need for authority and power than the reformation of the injustices which are currently working in their demise. From the creation of the police to the current infliction of white supremacy, the lack of reformation and efforts for equality in this system has resulted in systematic oppression at the hands of every cop employed. Willingly benefitting from a system that relies on oppression and the marginalisation of minorities for it to function the way it currently does devalues the oath police officers take to protect all civilians.

The corruption and systemic flaws can be traced back to the creation of the police. Check out our other posts to find out more!