Biker Violence as Primitive Warfare

• In Event: Biker Violence

Abstract

Bikers are violence males carrying out rituals of hyper-masculinity. These rituals are not new and have taken place as long as males have confronted other males in exercises of honor and dominance. Violence is a performance of risk avoidance and posturing involving observation and probing followed by serious violence when the odds are in one sides favour. Behind this performance are schemes of honour and territoriality the provide justifications for violence, and vendetta that guarantee continued violence. The war mentality (Quinn & Forsythe 2011) of outlaw motorcycle gangs follows the same patterns of behavior as primitive warfare. It is supported by personal descriptions of justifications for violence by gang members (Campbell 2010). This paper will demonstrate this performance in a modern setting by analyzing the ‘war’ between the Hells Angels and Comancheros resulting in a public affray in Sydney Airport in 2009.

Author

• Mark Lauchs, Queensland University of Technology