Today's Topics:
1. wsm.ie: N. Ireland has it's First Female First Minister - 5
Reasons Why This Won't Advance Feminism by Fionnghuala Nic
Roibeaird (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
2. AFed.cz: new issue of Anarchist reviue Existence
(a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
3. New Zealand, awsm - War is a racket: Profiteering in New
Zealand during World War One (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
4. France, Alternative Libertaire AL #256 (Dec) - Britain:
Weekend against the police weapons (fr, it, pt) [machine
translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
5. wsm.ie: CoP 21 Outcome - leaders signed a deal guaranteeing
climatic destruction by Sean Prior (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
6. France, Coordination of Anarchist Groups - Aperitif against
state of emergency - Social struggles Montpellier (fr, it, pt)
[machine translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
7. US, ideas and action: The (End) Work Zone: Tales of
Spontaneous Rebellion in the Workplace – Part III
(a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
8. anarchist group amsterdam: laat-ze-niet-lopen/ --- Let Them
Not Running! (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
December saw the promotion of Fermanagh & South Tyrone MLA, Arlene Foster to the position
of DUP leader and the North of Ireland’s First Minister. ---- Foster is a woman who was
once described to have “learned a lot from the likes of Thatcher when it comes to dealing
with men in politics." ---- It is not coming as much of a surprise that some middle-class,
career-focused feminists have made claims of this being some sort of an advance of
feminism. Many are claiming that this represents a great change in northern Irish society,
as a move away from the male dominated arena that we understands politics here to be (the
same could be said throughout the World of course). ---- Those hailing Foster’s promotion
as a feminist advancement will generally take the approach that having more women in
politics is always a positive thing – regardless of their politics. Those who hold these
opinions are usually those who can afford to hold them, or who are so privileged in every
other avenue of their life that they don’t need to consider anything but the gender of
those who implement policies.
Others believe that the politics of the women elected does in fact matter, that their
politics must be more progressive. Those of a socialist persuasion are generally feminist
(on paper at least) and many feminists are socialists (again, on paper at least). This
group of people broadly believe that through the electoral route, through electing
feminists and socialists, through the use of the governing institutions that we can affect
positive change and a new society.
Anarchist feminists look at it a bit differently. We don’t believe that the tools of our
oppression can be used for our liberation. We believe that the means determine the ends.
Women in politics means nothing if we’re still poor, or can’t make a decision over our own
body or if we continue to face oppression in many other ways.
With this in mind, here's 5 reasons why Foster's promotion is not good for feminism, and
why it is excellent for the status quo.
(1) Foster is still fostering homophobic tendencies.
It's no secret that the DUP are rampant homophobes. Last year they proposed a bill that
would have effectively excluded Queer and LGBT+ people from everyday life through a
so-called Conscience Clause.
Foster voted in favour of the bill. By voting in favour of the bill she revealed that she
believes that businesses should be able to refuse service on the basis of the customer's
sexuality. The idea behind this was if someone’s sexuality falls into the criteria of
“religious persecution” then the religious should be allowed to persecute the queers.
Foster even opposes marriage equality, a very liberal measure in terms of queer acceptance
in a straight society. She was part of the minority of MLAs who voted against the latest
bill to introduce marriage equality into the north, legislation that was blocked by her
party of homophobes of course.
(2) Foster does not believe that women and other pregnant people should have a right to
choice in regards to their own bodies.
When the Marie Stopes clinic opened in Belfast in 2012 Diane Dodds (the DUP's only MEP)
released a statement claiming that "As a party we make no apology for wishing to see as
few abortions as possible take place in Northern Ireland and we do not support any change
to current laws." and that she "cannot consider abortion simply to be just another medical
procedure.”
When Foster’s opinion was requested a DUP spokesperson repsonded claiming that "Diane
Dodds’ statement on the Marie Stopes clinic was representative of all female members,
including Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster".
(3) Foster loves Capitalism.
Foster has acted as both Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister as well as Finance
Minister.
She is a huge advocate of lowering the Corporation Tax in the North down to 12.5%. This
will leave corporations paying less tax and increasing their profits.
A lower Corporation Tax - so that businesses get a break while the rest of us toil - as
well as money being pumped into the pockets of rich voters is her priority.
What is not her priority, is an increase in wages, better working conditions, flexible
work hours, not to mention childcare for working mothers and fathers.
She doesn’t care about the effect of the Public Sector cuts on workers. She showed no
support or sympathy with those who went out on strike last March in an effort to reverse
the devastating cuts.
It doesn’t concern her that women comprise two-thirds of Public Sector workers and will
therefore be disproportionately affected by the cuts – cuts that she is very comfortable
implementing.
She wants more investment, more money in the hands of the 1% and for us to be grateful for
whatever crumbs are thrown our way.
(4) Unionism is in very safe hands.
As a member of the Democratic Unionist Party it's a given that Foster is an ardent
unionist. She believes that a government nearly 500 miles away is where decisions should
be made over our local areas and over our lives.
Sectarianism is not an issue of concern to her - why would it be when Stormont and the
whole system are built on it?
(5) Foster is no Feminist - Not that Women's Liberation can be achieved through Stormont
anyway
I'm going to beginning proving this point by recapping what we have read so far.
Foster doesn't believe that a woman should have the right to choose what happens to her
own body and therefore agrees with forced pregnancy.
She is a homophobe - homophobia is incompatible with feminism. The feminist theory of
intersectionality puts forward the idea that all of our struggles and oppressions are
connected and intersect with one and other to reinforce them.
She loves capitalism, an economic system that globally leaves women disproportionately
poorer than men - it also doesn't help if you have to travel to England for an abortion
because your Female First Minister doesn't believe you should be able to avail of one here.
She is a Unionist, a system that opposes autonomy. This is at odds with the basic feminist
idea of female autonomy, an idea which many feminists extend to ideologies of governance
or autonomous organising of society.
As First Minister she will continue to uphold and pursue these views and policies.
Swapping Robinson for Foster is merely the swapping of one master for another. It gives
the facade of change while reinforcing the same system.
Even if Foster were a feminist Stormont has not been built for the purpose of women's
liberation. It has not been built for any kind of liberation.
Female participation in our old, tired and patriarchal systems will not eradicate them of
sexism; it will only ensure further continuance and participation in our old, tired and
patriarchal systems.
The State is built on the foundations of the idea of privilege. The idea that some in
society are entitled to more than others by their very nature. This idea of privilege and
domination of one group over another comes from the idea that the male sex was meant to
biologically dominate over the female sex; this is what paved the way for systems of
privilege, such as sexism, the class system, racism, etc.
Stormont has been used as a tool to oppress and to enslave; it cannot be used for our
liberation.
The solution is not to take Stormont and fill it to the brim with women - no matter how
feminist. The solution lies in the destruction of our current patriarchal oppressive
structure while simultaneously building a brand new society, free from systemic
oppression, based on co-operation, not competition.
A society in which people get to make decisions over their own lives - not some
politicians who they have never met; politicians who have no intention of meeting them and
working in their best interests.
A society in which all are free from domination.
This type of society doesn’t come from a ballot box.
Words: Fionnghuala Nic Roibeaird
http://www.wsm.ie/c/north-ireland-first-female-first-minister-feminism
------------------------------
Message: 2
Hi comrades, we would like to inform you about new issue of anarchist revue Existence,
which has released. Existence is quarterly magazine of Anarchisticka federace. Main topic
of this issue is a response to the situation associated with the massive arrival to Europe
of refugees fleeing war and poverty. ---- Below you can find synopsis in English and also
link where you can download the issue (in Czech only). ---- Thanks for sharing. ---- Bara
(Anarchisticka federace - afed.cz) ---- http://www.afed.cz/text/6322/existence-1-2016 ----
Main topic of this issue of revue Existence is a response to the situation associated with
the massive arrival to Europe of refugees fleeing war and poverty. ---- European states
have failed in an obligation to help these people and try to make their situation as
unpleasant as possible. One of those states is also Czech Republic, whose policy is to
bullying refugees who occasionally pass through its territory.
Here, they are then robbed of resources and unreasonably detained in prisons.
Simultaneously with the support of the media and many politicians a wave of xenophobia and
fascist tendencies is engulfing the country. But there are also people, including
anarchists who defy such a development. One interesting phenomenon became active
assistance to refugees at home and especially abroad. This assistance has clear elements
of organization from below, so we decided to look at it from an anarchist perspective.
We show the activity of the autonomous center Klinika, which became the inspiration for
the provision of assistance to refugees and Hlavák Initiative, which operates at the
Prague main railway station. A survey among volunteers, who worked abroad, brings their
view of the organization from the bottom and criticism of institutionalized humanitarian
organizations. We also looked for examples of help from below abroad, as depicted in an
article about Occupy Sandy.
In other texts, we inform about the rise of nationalism and racism in Israel, return home
to the persecution of the anarchist movement, and acquaint readers with the working
conditions on tea estates in India. We went to Poland in search of the history of the
anarchist movement.
Anarchist Federation (AF) in this issue presents the text on the prospects for anarchist
organizing and things that need to be addressed in the future. Publishing house of
Anarchist Federation offers two new publications – first on Ukraine and second on the
protest movements of recent years.
As always there are texts of the latest three issues A3 wall newspapers and extensive
overview of the activities of domestic anti-authoritarian movement, dominated by events to
support of refugees and against the anti-anarchist repression.
------------------------------
Message: 3
War is a racket: Profiteering in New Zealand during World War One ---- During World War 1,
New Zealand was not immune to the profiteers. While thousands of ordinary workers were
losing their lives, others did very well out of the war. Prices rose steeply and wages
failed to keep pace. ---- Despite maintaining production, the large land and business
owners continually raised prices during the war. ---- Trade union paper The Maoriland
Worker calculated that by 1916, profits had increased by over £3 million on seven food
items (meat, butter, cheese, wool, wheat, flour and oats) for the local market, and by
over a stunning £8 million on the same exported items. ---- Where did the profits come
from? At a well-attended meeting in Wellington in 1917, held to protest the cost of
living, it was pointed out that the government’s own figures showed the cost of living had
risen 34 percent, with food having risen 28 percent, since 1914.
In effect, the population of New Zealand had to reduce their living standard by a combined
amount of over £3 million to fatten the wallets of New Zealand’s capitalists.
The right-wing prime minister of the day, William Massey, refused to admit there was a
problem and asked anyone to give him the name of a profiteer.
Again, the Maoriland Worker was happy to supply the figures, and pointed out that the meat
profiteers were now getting 50 percent more for beef per pound as against the pre-war
price; as were the cheese profiteers and the butter profiteers.
The wool profiteers had increased prices by 55 percent, and the flax profiteers had seen
an increase of 100 percent.
It was not just the New Zealand workers who were being profited from. As mentioned, New
Zealand’s farm and business owners were also making a lot of money from sales abroad.
In a speech in Wellington, the future Labour party leader Harry Holland highlighted how
the price of sheepskins had leapt enormously after it was found they were needed to make
vests for soldiers who were literally freezing to death in the trenches.
The farmers and government of New Zealand increased the profits on this item between 1916
and 1917 by £1,250,000, despite a decrease in the number actually sold.
In another example, prior to the war scheelite produced from New Zealand mines was nearly
all sold to German companies at a price of £105 per ton. After the war started, Britain
began importing it for weapons manufacture and the price rose to over £160 per ton.
After the war was over the profiteers continued profiteering, with land now another way
the rich could continue to benefit from the war.
At a Labour Party rally in 1919, it was described how a conscripted farmer in Frankton had
sold his land for £25 per acre when he had left to go to war. On his return he looked into
buying his land back and found the price being asked was now £40 per acre.
During the war, whenever those at home demanded a pay increase and threatened strike
action, they were condemned as being unpatriotic.
But as a Methodist minister from Cambridge, Reverend G. Cooke pointed out, if it was
unpatriotic for the workers to look for increased wages then it should have been
considered just as unpatriotic for there to be the making of war profits.
Indeed it seems that during World War 1 that, while most of New Zealand was willing to
give up their sons and husbands to the war effort, a certain section of society were
unwilling to give up their greed for money.
http://www.awsm.nz/2016/01/16/war-is-a-racket-profiteering-in-new-zealand-during-world-war-one/
------------------------------
Message: 4
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2016 18:36:06 +0200
From: a-infos-en@ainfos.ca
To: en <a-infos-en@ainfos.ca>
Subject: (en) France, Alternative Libertaire AL #256 (Dec) - Britain:
Weekend against the police weapons (fr, it, pt) [machine translation]
Message-ID: <mailman.179.1453394154.4033.a-infos-en@ainfos.ca>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1252"; Format="flowed"
On the heights of Pont-de-Buis, overlooking the valley of the small town of Finistère, the
barnums moved from 23 to 25 October to host a weekend of action against the arms of the
police. This is the Collective October 25, bringing together many of the Great West
organizations, which appealed to block NobelSport weapons factory, which manufactures
including tear gas and rubber bullets. ---- Obviously, this weekend actions stood in
tribute to Rémi Fraisse, a year after his death, but he was also at the crossroads of past
sad days, including ten years after the death of Zyed and Bouna in 2005. -delà the single
issue of police weaponry, this weekend is an opportunity to discuss new ways of struggle
against repression plaguing the neighborhoods and address the social movements in France
and elsewhere. The opportunity also to learn more about the French military-industrial
complex, which is a NobelSport claims representatives.
Expertise colonial militarization
Two dynamic characterize the evolution of policing, repression and control populations.
The first is an import from the repressive arsenal against insurgent-colonies. This use of
colonial-how to subdue crowds has registered for a long time in the DNA of French
policies. From the North African Brigade (BAN) in 1925, the companies of CRS and gendarmes
and the BAC and exceptional brigades today (departmental intervention Company, Platoon
surveillance and response Gendarmerie), colony repression tools are transmitted. This is
also in poor neighborhoods that are tested in the mid-1990s, the Flash-Ball balls and
other defense launchers (LBD), murdering and maiming dozens of people, mostly from immigrant.
The second dynamic is inspired by this know-how to the French in the "democratic
management of crowds", offering passing a lucrative market for defense industries, by
militarizing the police and its arsenal. Since the late 1960s, the State does not send the
army to quell the strikes and revolts, but he militarized civilian agents of law
enforcement and deploys a fierce repressive mechanism, up to kill protesters Vital
Michelon Rémi Fraisse, through Malik Oussekine. To perfect this desire to control and
repression while keeping a democratic veneer, the gun dealers have set up so-called
weapons to "lethal".
Non-lethal weapons that kill
Tear gas, consisting of CS gas, belong to the best-known arsenal of law enforcement. This
technique ultimately little used in other European countries, allows to hold off the
protesters, including using Cougar launchers. Besides these gases, manufactured by
NobelSport particular, are all ballistic devices, known even grenades, TNT with an
attenuated load and variable depending on the situation. These devices, available in
different elements (désencerclement, blast) are extremely mutilating weapons and
responsible for the death of Rémi Fraisse and Vital Michalon. Finally, launchers non
piercing bullets have established themselves in the arsenal under the leadership of Claude
Guéant, general manager of the National Police in 1995, to come now equip most of the BAC
and police. The Flash-Ball Super Pro, invention of the company Verney-Carron, will first
be used in counterterrorism and then very quickly in the popular neighborhoods. It is
since 2007 replaced a large scale by the LBD 40mm, manufactured by the Swiss bruger &
Thomet, and rubber bullets are manufactured in Pont-de-Buis, by NobelSport...
The military industrial complex is based on the very official research center, expertise
and logistical support for the development and testing of these new weapons. The
repressive logic described above undergoing a profound change since the 2000s, since the
colonial logic and use new weapons to reduced lethality, becomes the French security
doctrine, not only in poor neighborhoods but also address the social movements. To quell
the mob, the state resets the forces of order and allows the use of means of terror to
discourage challenges. They shoot people and individualizes mutilating repression of
protestors... murder.
Sponsor dictatorships
Lay siege to NobelSport was also essential to draw attention to the fact that French
companies make money by manufacturing weapons for police worldwide. NobelSport is a good
example of what capitalism death and dismemberment, exporting 90% of its production
abroad. We find his signature on ammunition from Bahrain, Lebanon and in many countries of
the world. Official sponsor of dictatorships, NobelSport sells weapons prohibited by the
Geneva Convention in Burkina Faso. This action was intended to overcome the fears, but
also to learn to block factories that operate round the clock during the great social
movements. Many workshops and discussions were held throughout the weekend, punctuated
with offensive actions against the plant where access was blocked by a large police. This
weekend was the opportunity to meet many militants and activists of the Great West and
elsewhere to develop solutions against the militarization of policing. Helmets and
goggles, through a militant ambulance for first aid, are part of the defense put forward
solutions.
The three-day camp has given hope to those who struggle not to suffer repression and
infamous practices of blue helmets. This hope and solidarity we will very quickly,
especially against a state that resets the BAC, which gives the right to open fire
unmolested and who intends to attack the protest areas in France. As a nagging idea for
these three days of October, at the foot of the mountains of Arrée: we will go together,
we get back together.
Julien and Djo present at Pont-de-Buis
http://www.alternativelibertaire.org/?Bretagne-Week-end-contre-l
------------------------------
Message: 5
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 2016 10:01:29 +0200
From: a-infos-en@ainfos.ca
To: en <a-infos-en@ainfos.ca>
Subject: (en) wsm.ie: CoP 21 Outcome - leaders signed a deal
guaranteeing climatic destruction by Sean Prior
Message-ID: <mailman.38.1453449678.26821.a-infos-en@ainfos.ca>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1252"; Format="flowed"
Reading through the mainstream media coverage of the climate negotiations in Paris
(CoP21), one could hardly understand the event as anything other than ‘a real turning
point in human history’ (Irish Times). The heroic work of the French delegates had
achieved ‘the world’s greatest diplomatic success’ (the Guardian), indeed the deal was not
short of ‘a major leap for mankind’ (quote from summit leaders). Yet in reality our
leaders have signed a deal guaranteeing climatic destruction! ---- The negotiations are
presented almost uniformly as an overwhelming success of international compromise – a
strong response to an important problem. Criticism, qualifications or broader discussion
make it only into the last few lines if at all.
Regrettably this framing of the CoP21 outcome is wildly inappropriate. While true that the
world’s governments have officially agreed to limit warming to 1.5°C, a justifiable
target, the plans to back up what would be a dramatic emissions reductions are brazenly
absent. The published plans instead add up to a total warming of almost twice the
professed aim – an estimated warming of between 2.2°C and 3.4°C, well beyond the level of
warming necessary to trigger cataclysmic climate change.
To anyone with even a vague interest in climate change, one would think this point would
occupy primacy – our leaders have signed a deal guaranteeing climatic destruction, have
lied about it and are now expecting us to celebrate it. Alas the sophistry of modern media
is used to quell and pacify, for fear a truly informed public may be agitated by the
prospect of a coordinated death sentence for our species and planet, in service to energy
corporations and short term profit.
Other critiques which have proven unable to rise above the tide of euphoria dominating the
headlines are the fact that the agreement is legally unbinding, (commitment to
decarbonisation is contingent on some form of international peer pressure), that the IPCC
report guiding negotiations relies on yet uninvented carbon sequestration technology which
according to Professors Ian Angus and Phil Gasper “is pure fantasy”. That the Cap and
Trade schemes of trading excess pollution, treating pollution as a market commodity
provide masses of free credits (free pollution) for the largest, most profitable and
dirtiest of the worlds corporations.
It may not be an easy pill to swallow, but we are reaching the limits of concessions from
our corporate seniors, as exemplified by the disingenuous reaction in the corporate media.
They do not appear prepared to take the necessary action to prevent runaway climate
change, which at this point means dramatic restructuring of our modes of production and
our societies. Environmental and social justice movements across the world are growing in
momentum, making stronger demands, deriding as they should the obscene destruction and
inequality being generated by the current system. Reclaiming and democratising power in
our societies, together through global mass movements is the only way to give decent lives
to our children and grand-children.
http://www.wsm.ie/c/cop-21-guaranteeing-climatic-destruction
------------------------------
Message: 6
Saturday, january 23 at 18h in the bad reputation (20 Terral street, neighborhood Ste
Anne, Montpellier) No to a state of emergency and security measures! ---- Do not let an
authoritarian regime to settle! ---- Another group of Anarchist Groups Future Coordination
calls to mobilize against the state of emergency, its inclusion in the Constitution, and
the new anti-terrorism law to be presented in early February by the Cabinet. ---- We call
for strengthening the initiatives that oppose these draconian measures, and to make the
national day of January 30, 2016 to allow a successful challenge to expand and create
enough power struggle to roll back the state. ---- To authoritarian rule: the démocrature
1 ---- Following the November bombings, the government's responses are recorded in the
security field. The reinforced Vigipirate trivializes the massive presence of soldiers and
police in the street; border controls are reintroduced; state of emergency allows
including any arrest, search, banning public demonstrations and meetings 2 on ministerial
or prefectural decision without review by a judge.
The inclusion in the Constitution of the state of emergency aims to strengthen its legal
system and prevent any recourse to the Constitutional Council. As for the new
anti-terrorism law, its purpose is to significantly expand the powers given to the police
and prosecution outside emergency 3. Thus perpetuating measures that fall under the
exception, the removal of rights commonly accepted in representative democracies is
inscribed in law: separation of police powers, judicial and legislative, right to assemble
and demonstrate. For several years, with blows of security laws and measures, the
democratic veneer cracks, but this sequence appears to be a fatal blow to what remains of
our collective freedoms; the State is our essence in the service of the dominant, but we
are witnessing a kind of regime change, the transition towards an authoritarian government
and police.
Tools to stifle social protest
Under cover of emergency, the protest against the COP 21 of November 29 was banned and
repressed by force. Hundreds of arrests and 317 guards to view took place that day, and
house arrests 'preventive' of activists took place ahead of the event. Prohibitions on
demonstrations on public roads have multiplied, while at the same time were allowed sports
events and trade events such as Christmas markets. Easy to understand that these measures
have nothing to do with terrorism but allow the state to stifle social protest. While the
deterioration of our living conditions and working empire, the government is preparing to
dismantle what remains of the Labour Code, these security measures provide the legal base
to the State to suppress any hint of resistance. All Seuse-s-worker should feel concerned
by these attacks on our freedoms.
The government appealed to the responsibility of trade unions to assist in the building of
"national unity" against internal and external enemies to fight, the better to silence the
social inequalities and possible challenges.
State racism and xenophobic climate
Under the state of emergency, there has been several closures of neighborhoods, hundreds
of house arrest and thousands of searches in people of Muslim faith. In early January,
thus had 3021 searches, which led to the final four on anti-terrorist administrative
procedures. These measures have affected many people who have nothing to do with
terrorism. They reinforce the amalgam to all Muslim-es, more generally-are racialized
people and neighborhoods.
The proposal to extend the deprivation of nationality and to include it in the
Constitution falls within the state racism and just feed the myth that the internal
enemies of the "nation" are immigrants or of immigrant. It formalizes indeed a
sub-category of citizen-not-s, all persons with dual nationality, which incur a double
penalty in addition to their conviction, that of losing the French nationality and all the
rights that go with it. On inequalities, we move on to legal inequalities; a hole is
opened, and a simple change in the law will come and change the reasons for the
deprivation of nationality. Already, the party Republicans and FN play upmanship to extend
the list of these conditions.
This racist measure must be fought with force, but it should not take his opponent es
forget to report all of the state of emergency.
This state racism fuels xenophobia that is spreading and becoming commonplace, evidenced
by ever higher scores of the National Front, particularly in the last regional elections.
But also the recurring violence of fascist groups against migrants camps like in Calais,
or lately, the ransacking of the mosque in Corsica and xenophobic demonstrations that
followed, carriers of all amalgams between aggressors, terrorists and people immigrant.
These racist acts benefited from net governmental complacency.
We lose our libe rte s, but we will not have security
The increase in security measures can prevent indiscriminate terrorist attacks,
perpetrated by people ready to die. As the latest attacks, the arsenal of security laws
does not guarantee security, but just restrict our freedoms, often insidiously but
sustainably.
Worse, the current climate talks and feeds identity, national and religious folds. The
designation of enemies (indoor and outdoor) creates scapegoats, distracting the population
of social violence, violence of capitalism and the state.
The amplification of the imperialist war policy of the French state was a response to the
November attacks. Western states bear a responsibility to the growth and the emergence of
religious fascists movements in the Middle East; the path followed by the French state and
its allies are not a solution but rather feeds the problem.
Resist!
We have to fight in the coming weeks against the state of emergency and the new
anti-terrorism law, real damage to our liberties.
But beyond that we must oppose the imperialist war policy of the French State, to the rise
of racism, corollaries of this state of emergency, and to all safe and draconian laws. We
must assert our international solidarity through the reception of migrants and support for
progressive forces in the Middle East, particularly the revolutionary process in Rojava.
Our struggle against all isolationism has to go through an ideological offensive, in order
to deconstruct all racist discourse, fascist, religious, nationalist, and by the struggles
against social inequalities.
Faced with fascist violence, capitalist, nationalist, and say we have to build class
solidarity.
1 démocrature = formed the words "democracy" and "dictatorship"
2 See the document "What is the emergency? What does the new draft anti-terrorism
legislation? "
3 See the document "What is the emergency? What does the new draft anti-terrorism
legislation? "
What is the emergency?
The state of emergency is an exceptional form of state that restricts freedoms. He
relinquished the justice of some of its prerogatives, and gives the Ministry of Interior
and the prefects exceptional police powers, such as:
- Assigning people to residence;
- Authorizing house searches day and night;
- Impose a curfew: driving ban in the exact places;
- Temporarily close meeting places;
- Prohibit public meetings or demonstrations;
- Block websites;
- Dissolve associations by decree ...
The articles of the law on state of emergency are particularly vague and leave room for
almost unlimited interpretation. Specifically, it allows the police to act without the
control of the judicial authority. The already observable deviations of these measures
have been identified on the blog From the inside by a Le Monde journalist who has set up
an "observatory of the state of emergency" and the association La Quadrature du Net 1. In
early January, thus had 3021 searches, which led to the final four on counterterrorism
administrative procedures.
What does the new bill "anti-terrorist"?
This bill will be presented to the Cabinet in early February. It aims to significantly
increase the powers of the prosecutor and the police. Among the proposed measures are:
- The possibility of seizure by police of any object or document during an administrative
search, without control of the prosecutor;
- Night of the searches;
- The creation of an offense of obstruction of administrative search;
- The global interconnection of all files, including those of social security, comprehensive;
- Expanding opportunities CCTV in public places;
- Relaxation of self-defense system for the police;
- Systematic installation of the GPS on cars;
- The injunction to telephone operators to retain Fadette for two years against a day;
- The use of IMSI-Catchers (relay antenna in a given perimeter siphoning all phone data)
without judicial authorization;
- The opportunity to put microphones in homes as part of the preliminary investigation;
- The alignment of powers granted in spot investigation (made by the police) to those in
force during the preliminary investigation (under the control of the prosecutor).
1 http://delinquance.blog.lemonde.fr and "Census of the joys (or not) of the state of
emergency in France," www.laquadrature.net
http://www.c-g-a.org/content/apero-contre-letat-durgence
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Message: 7
The normal course of a person’s working life typically produces a plethora of stories
where the boss got one over on the employees and faced no retribution; countless unfair
firings, anomalies with the paycheck, bullying, mistreatment and abuse. Hidden within, and
on the periphery of these tales, is evidence of a small scale class-struggle springing
into and out of existence in every imaginable kind of workplace.1 ---- While many of these
instances of rebellion do not result in long-term organization and often include a small
number of workers, these events still play an important role in the class struggle. They
become major contributions to a person’s constellation of experience in the workplace that
reveals the counterpoised interests of the boss, as well as the potential for resistance.
For some. these moments become an important part of their overall development into
class-struggle militants, and as such, are of more of novel interest to those seeking to
build mass movements. It is with this in mind that Ideas and Action presents a series of
short stories reflecting those moments of spontaneous mutiny, impromptu sabotage and most
importantly, solidarity. We welcome contributions from our readers; please see our
‘Contact’ page for more information.
In this third installment of the (End) Work Zone, we turn to a member of the Workers
Solidarity Alliance and his tale from the ‘trenches’ of temporary employment.
I was working as a temp and had spent the last week hand digging ditches for a plumbing
outfit. A backhoe wouldn’t fit in the work area so they called in a couple of meat
machines to do the digging. It was a Friday and the light rain was not really bad enough
for the boss to call off the job, but it was bad enough to make us both miserable. We
showed up at the house whose backyard we were excavating at the designated time and
started working. After a week, the boss had pretty much left us alone, checking in at the
end of the day to give us grief. About a half hour into another day behind the shovel my
mate and I started discussing the weekend. We had decided to get up in the mountains to
relax, bad weather or no. A couple of clods of dirt later, it struck us both like
lighting: we needed to get the fuck out of that ditch for good.
We discussed some strategies and opted for that most time honored of traditions; sabotage.
I went and hooked up the garden hose and marched over to the ditch, tossed it in and
cranked it up. After filling the ditch a 1/4 way up my mate called the boss to say the
weather had fucked up all the things and we couldn’t hack it anymore. With some guff, he
agreed to come out and assess the situation. Upon his arrival he was dumbstruck at the
amount of water in the ditch. He looked up at the lightly drizzling sky, trying its best
to understand what had happened and how it was our fault. He failed in this endeavor,
shrugged and sent us home.
Victory.
See Informal Workgroups by M. Jones and Holding the Line: Informal Pace Setting in the
Workplace by Juan Conatz for further discussion of small scale, informal and spontaneous
resistance.
http://ideasandaction.info/2016/01/end-work-zone-tales-spontaneous-rebellion-workplace-part-iii/
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Message: 8
On Saturday 6 February wants the extreme right Pegida on Dam Square in Amsterdam come
together in order to spread their racist ideology. "Let Them Not Running ', calls you to
oppose this extreme right gathering. Come to the dam and let you hear against the racists
of Pegida! ---- Let Them Not Running! ---- Pegida is originally a German far-right
movement that likes to pretend as neat and concerned citizens. But appearances are
deceptive, Pegida on previous demonstrations in Utrecht and Rotterdam Pegida supporters
brought the Hitler salute and attacked her anti-racism activists and bystanders. The
demonstration largely appeared to consist of right-wing extremists and neo-Nazis from
Germany, Flanders and Poland. The Dutch group Pegida protesters consisted almost entirely
of known neo-Nazis. Pegida says violent to be but it creates the space for violent racists
and neo-Nazis to come together and attack people. At the last Pegida demonstration in
Leipzig they received more than 1,500 neo-fascists and far-right hooligans on the leg and
passed over 250 armed neo-Nazis a trail of destruction and violence by local students and
immigrant neighborhood.
LaatZeNietLopen.nl, an initiative against racism, calls to make room for the far-right
Pegida on Saturday 6 February prominent as small as possible and itself take action
against the arrival of right-wing activists. Flute them out, voice over, lock, showing
that they are not welcome! Ignoring is not an option, Pegida will also receive the
attention and try to spread their racist ideology.
Freedom of expression
by the right to freedom of expression and demonstration exploit, create right-wing
extremists a safe haven for the glorification of racism and Islamophobia. That freedom is
merely a façade to intimidate the residents of the city where they congregate in.
Protest!
At previous meetings of Pegida hundreds took to the streets to express their anger over
the racist parade through their streets. Sometimes extreme right as marginal aside. The
extreme right remains only marginally to drown them, to give a reply and leave a massively
to hear sound. Ignoring is not an option.
Or Pegida actually gets permission to manifest on the Dam or she is offered a different
place at the time not yet clear. It is therefore wise to www.laatzenietlopen.nl to keep an
eye on. You can also "Let Them Not Running 'on Twitter and Facebook. In the run up to and
on the day of the protest against we provide the latest information, maps of the area and
information structure.
Come February 6 in action against Pegida and stop the advance of the far right! Let Them
Not Running!
LZNL website: http://laatzenietlopen.nl/
LZNL on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/laatzenietlopen.nl
Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1541769309483986/
LZNL twitter: https: //twitter.com/laatzenietlopen
http://www.agamsterdam.org/laat-ze-niet-lopen/
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