How could people in an anarchist society be protected from violence, aggression, and abuse?

Question

Clearly the police and other government agencies perform functions that are directly linked to the maintenance of the political status quo.  On this basis, they must be challenged.  However, the majority of us would feel compelled to call the police should we be under attack.  How may an anarchist society reconcile this need for protection, with the need for liberty and freedom from authority?

edited to add crime tag

Comments

in case you're interested, this is how this question has come up before.

http://anarchy101.org/425/what-are-anarchist-ways-of-reacting-to-problematic-behavior

http://anarchy101.org/179/what-are-anarchist-alternatives-to-the-police

and here is a question that i think relates - if a little less directly:
http://anarchy101.org/281/describe-direct-action-definition-relate-anarchist-practice

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Calling the police does not not always bring about "protection". Protection vs liberty and freedom from authority, may be more closely linked then we are otherwise lead to believe. It could be that perhaps these "need" no reconciliation whatsoever.

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Thanks for this...

Answer 1

many people do not call the police now when they are threatened - not just anarchists. the protection the police (claim to) offer is pretty specific and extremely limited.
the fact that some people still don't think they have any other recourse has as much to do with the fact that police are seen to be the only legitimate users-of-force in this society, as it does with actually protecting ourselves. police, for a variety of reasons (not all of them even in their control), also tend to escalate conflicts rather than actually resolve anything.
one of the basics of anarchist thought is direct action, which means that we handle things ourselves. handling things can mean a wide variety of things, from violence to mediation (or all of the above), and could include various numbers of people (ie - who "us" is could be contextual).

also: what skitter said. ;)