The Really, Really Free Market (RRFM) movement is a horizontally-organized collective of individuals who form a temporary market based on an alternative gift economy.[1] The RRFM movement aims to counteract capitalism in a proactive way. It holds as a major goal to build a community based on sharing resources, caring for one another and improving the collective lives of all. Markets often vary in character, but they generally offer both goods and services. Participants bring unneeded items, food, skills and talents such as entertainment or haircuts. A RRFM usually takes place in an open community space such as a public park or community commons.
Participants from the SouthEast Anarchist Network (SeaNET)[2] held demonstrations using the first known Really, Really Free Market to protest the G8 summit. The first known Really, Really Free Market took place simultaneously in Miami, Florida, and Raleigh, North Carolina during the anti-globalization protests against the FTAA in 2004.[3] The idea quickly spread across the United States.
The movement has emerged in diverse places such as North Carolina; New York City; Reno, Nevada; Cottage Grove, Oregon; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Austin, Texas; San Diego, California; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Belfast, New York; Tallahassee, Florida; and Yellow Springs, Ohio as well as Capital Park in Detroit on the third Sunday of January, April, July and October. RRFMs occur in the San Francisco Bay Area as well. North Carolina has an especially vibrant RRFM movement, with markets appearing in cities such as Wilmington, Raleigh, Greensboro and Greenville.[4]
In addition, New York City;[5] Greenville, North Carolina; Charlotte, North Carolina; Wilmington, North Carolina; Carrboro, North Carolina; Washington, DC; San Francisco, California; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Richmond, Virginia; Cincinnati, Ohio; Dayton, Ohio; Athens, Georgia;.[6] Toronto, Ontario; Shepherdstown, West Virginia;[7] and Indianapolis, Indiana are home to monthly Really Really Free Markets.
RRFM has also spread outside of USA and Canada. Activists in countries like Australia, England, New Zealand, Russia, Taiwan and other claim to have organized RRFM.[8]