Anarchistic update news all over the world - 27 April 2016
Today's 4 Topics:
1. Austraia, MACG Leaflet Anzac Day 2016 (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
2. wsm.ie: Community Resistance & Grassroots Activism - video
from DABF 2016 (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
3. Slovenia, Ljubljana, From the CRIFA meeting of the
International of Anarchist Federations (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
4. Czech, afed.cz: Prague is not afraid! -- Report of the
hastily convened a demonstration against hatred and xenophobic
attacks. [machine translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Dear Comrades, Today, the Melbourne Anarchist Communist Group distributed the following
leaflet at the 8 Hour Monument near the Victorian Trades Hall Council building in
Melbourne: https://melbacg.wordpress.com/2016/04/25/for-peace/ --- FOR PEACE ---- The
Western Front --- On 25 April 1915, Australian, New Zealand and other troops of the
British Empire landed at a Turkish beach at Gallipoli. It was a fiasco, a disastrous
side-venture in World War I. Bloodied and beaten, they withdrew in January the next year.
The British High Command weren’t done with them, though, and sent the Anzacs to the
Western Front, where some of the main business of WWI was being conducted. There, even
more Anzac blood was shed for the cause of one grasping imperialist alliance in its
struggle against another that was no better. The blood continued to flow until November 1918.
End of the War
The War ended in 1918, not because of the military victories of the Entente on the Western
Front, but because revolution had broken out in Germany and the Kaiser had abdicated.
Revolution had also swept Russia the year before and it dawned on the ruling classes of
Europe that they were also in danger if the War was not brought to a halt. And so it was,
with the Armistice being signed only two days after the abdication. The Austro-Hungarian
empire had disintegrated, with declarations of independence in Prague, Budapest and
Zagreb. And even the collapse of the Ottoman Empire owed as much to the rebellions in its
Arab provinces (encouraged by one Colonel T. E. Lawrence) as to the exploits of British
and Australian troops in Palestine. The War ended because many of the people involved
refused to fight it.
Militarism
These days, Anzac Day is an occasion for the most appalling propaganda for nationalism and
militarism. The Anzacs are subject, metaphorically, to a secular canonisation and their
hagiographies are the theme of endless documentaries and coffee table books. The purpose
of this has nothing to do with their sacrifice and everything to do with drumming up
support for today’s imperialist wars and making criticism of Australia’s imperialist
military taboo. Governments only spend hundreds of millions on the dead if they think it
will help them turn a profit on the living.
Revolution
If we want peace, we must follow the example of the workers and worker-soldiers who ended
WWI. We must build a working class movement which spans across frontiers and cuts the
ground out from under the capitalist governments that have no solution for international
problems but war. We must make a workers’ revolution and overthrow capitalism. And only
then will we be able to build a world of liberty, equality and solidarity – a world at peace.
END WAR AND MILITARISM
Melbourne Anarchist Communist Group
http://www.melbacg.wordpress.com
macg1984@yahoo.com.au
PO Box 5108 Brunswick North 3056
25 April 2016
https://melbacg.wordpress.com/2016/04/25/for-peace/
In Solidarity,
Ablokeimet
for MACG.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 2
Recent years in Ireland have seen growing community based resistance to the imposition of
austerity programs: the introduction of regressive taxes such as the property tax and
water charges, and the homelessness crisis as a direct consequence. ---- The ongoing
attempt to establish Irish Water, a state backed water utility company, designed to pave
the way for privatisation of our water and infrastructure, has been met with unprecedented
broad based resistance from communities across the country. ---- Similarly the obscene
growth in homelessness across the country is being met with growing grassroots resistance
through groups such as the Dublin Tenants Association and Irish Housing Network. ----
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnmCucHTSlM
While few, if any, foresaw the rapid rise in direct action and community organisation that
we see at the moment, it has quickly become the norm for people involved in political
organising. Occupations of state buildings, blockades of contractors, direct confrontation
with police and struggles around housing have come to characterise politics in Ireland
recently. While some political forces seek to use this surge in working class political
activity for electoral gain, anarchists seek to use this opportunity to encourage direct
action and democratic forms of organising in order to strengthen the organisational and
political capacity of our communities.
Panel participants are
- Brian Fagan, an anarchist organiser and active member of the WSM for six years. He has
also participated in community organising, centring on resistance to property taxes and
Irish Water for the past three years.
- Mick O’Broin, an activist with the Dublin Tennant’s Association and Provisional
University. Mick will talk about the politics of self-organising in the context of the
crisis in the private rented sector and its usefulness in creating networks and empowerment.
- Aisling Hedderman is part of the North Dublin Bay Housing Crisis Community, a grassroots
community of parents and individuals directly affected by the housing crisis. The focus of
the group is in offering support, spreading awareness and taking direct action against
this systemic failure.
This video is from the 2016 Dublin anarchist bookfair
http://www.wsm.ie/c/community-resistance-grassroots-activism-video
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 3
The CRIFA in Ljubljana reaffirms solidarity with refugees and migrants. Many of our
federations (especially in Europe, including the Mediterranean and the Balkans regions)
are involved in concrete solidarity with refugees by hosting people, helping them with
medicine, legal processes, developing self-organisation and organising demonstrations.
---- We fight against far-right activists who are taking advantage of the situation to
develop their xenophobic agendas. We oppose nation states which are encouraging
nationalism, building walls and closing borders, the same states which support global
capitalism and free movement of money or trade agreements which exploit people inside
national borders. ---- In sight of this situation we also see good examples of solidarity
and we support these initiatives. Moreover, we continue to fight against the idea of
borders and to support freedom of movement in general. People must be able to move and
live wherever they want to.
At this moment, the media is focussed on war refugees (Syria) but we know that migration
will continue for many reasons. People have always moved to change their lives, whether it
is to escape bad situations or to try and improve their living conditions. We strive to
live together and share the world’s resources in the face of states, ideologies and
religions that create division and confrontation.
Participants of the Relations Commission of the International of Anarchist Federations /
Commission de relations de l'Internationale des Fédérations anarchistes (CRIFA) meeting in
Ljubljana, Slovenia, 23/24 April 2016.
http://i-f-a.org
https://www.facebook.com/InternationalOfAnarchistFederations/photos/a.165805426963124.1073741830.163779383832395/491708764372787/?type=3&fref=nf
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 4
In response to attacks on náckovské HateFree zone in Prague on Square George of Podebrady
on Monday, April 25 attended by about 1,500 people to condemn such activities and have
indicated their willingness to build a similar svinstvům. ---- The Nazis poke recently
snout of "white power" concerts and sectarian demonstrations in public space is obvious.
The situation has gone so far as to cease to be afraid of and use fear and fascist
tendencies in society to legitimize their activities. Where such a development leads, we
all know - since 1989 Czech neo-Nazis have been responsible for over twenty lives. ----
Now snout poked over the weekend, although only one bunch of "defenders of the white
race," but it showed. After they had stoned posprejovali color and neo-Nazi slogans and
symbols of the six companies shifting to so-called. HateFree zones - ie to places where no
place for intolerance and oppression. Except Mamacoffee cafes and Café in the woods and
the restaurant La Bibich their target and become a tattoo studio Inkdividual, agency
Diakonie Evangelical Church and - that it added a bit of absurdity - shop with lingerie
bra correct.
The hastily convened a demonstration hosted by George of Podebrady Square, which for the
sixth hour was filled with about 1,500 demonstrators. It was a diverse mix of people -
came Liberals claiming the legacy of Vaclav Havel, protibetští activists scouts in
costumes, leftists, and of course we anarchists. The atmosphere was friendly from the
outset and appropriately 'HateFree ". People talked, listened to music and a pleasant
weather in waiting for several speeches that concluded the event.
Pardubice stepped director of parent centers Punch, which recently also became the target
of attacks náckovských, Adam Podolka for a government project HateFree Culture Initiatives
and deputy Hlavák. Our positions was the closest speaker platform left against xenophobia
(ZPX), who pointed out that the fight against neo-Nazism is not only demonstrations but
especially through daily confrontation oppressive tendencies, building solidarity networks
from below and attempt to change the social situation as such.
In conclusion, one of the organizers invited the demonstrators on May Day demonstration
ZPX and urged them to organize themselves in anti-racism initiatives. Subsequently, people
gradually began to disperse. The whole manifestation took place in a calm and present
police (uniformed and well-known "secret") to behave decently.
On Monday, April 25 showed mainly that just as the Nazis are just the tip of the iceberg
fascist tendencies in society, active anti-fascists are only a fraction of people who
disagree with intolerance and hate speech neo-Nazis. It can only note that it is necessary
to organize and continue to confront every manifestation of oppressive ideologies they
encounter. I therefore invite you all to the demonstration held on May Day - whether
traditional piety on an island or the main demonstration ZPX "Co-working on the future."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
