Anarchic update news all over the world - 29 December 2016

Today's Topics:

   
1.  France, Alternative Libertaire AL Decembre - Brazil: 2016: a
      circus of horrors (fr, it, pt) [machine translation]
      (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
   
2.  Greece, provo: "Proto Thema", another level of information:
      directly from the state security (gr) [machine translation]
      (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
   
3.  Britain, class war: 7 January, Protest at Harrods: stop
      stealing your waiter's tips! (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
   
4.  Britain, freedomnews: Anarchism and the Italian referendum
      (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
   
5.  wsm.ie: Apple owes 13 billion to the Irish state -
      solidarity means abolishing the tax avoidance 'republic'
      (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)


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Message: 1



The past year has seen Brazil experiencing a major political crisis, with a sudden 
Parliamentary State against President Dilma Rousseff. ---- The young Brazilian democracy 
took a blow in the face this year. Brazil, a country just out of a historical moment of 
re-democratization that began in 1985 - the military dictatorship lasted from 1964 to 1985 
- has suffered another coup. This time, it was not military, but parliamentary, and taking 
as a pretext the impeachment of President-elect Dilma Rousseff - itself activist and 
tortured during the military dictatorship. The judiciary and the largest Brazilian 
television channel Globo - which supported the military dictatorship - were behind the 
circus of horrors that has formed. ---- To quickly explain the case of impeachment, Dilma 
Rousseff was accused of having made up the accounts during his last campaign at the end of 
2014, but despite the fact that this is true and that his party, the PT (workers Party) 
was corrupt, the former President was not charged with a crime of responsibility (that is 
to say, undermine the Constitution) and, for this reason, she could not legally undergo 
impeachment.

This impeachment is the result of the operation of a particular political group, which 
revolves especially around the speaker of the House of Deputies, Eduardo Cunha and Vice 
President Michel Temer (now President). Together they planned and orchestrated the release 
of Dilma Rousseff and the seizure of power, with a hand of the judiciary and of public 
opinion, manipulated by the mass media - including Globo and the magazine Veja. It is 
important to stress that these policies have been involved in cases of corruption morally 
worse than that Rousseff was accused. Including Eduardo Cunha, who was removed from his 
mandate immediately after the impeachment and after being arrested by federal police for 
corruption.

The reasons for the coup are multiple: the current illegitimate President Michel Temer is 
a representative of the great Brazilian and international business, and is there to 
practice what he called "a bridge to the future" - which began the same day of the 
impeachment and that is being cut all investments in social (especially education and 
health) and its objective is to get to privatize everything and put the country completely 
in the hands of the initiative private.

Several leftist movements challenging situation, with protests and occupations, despite 
strong repression by the military police to them. This qu'amène the government Temer is 
also a tacit support for racist, chauvinist, homophobic and at the idea that minorities 
and the poor should not have access to the "big house" (referring to the name of the house 
inhabited by the lords of slaves and owners of large plantations in the Brazilian colonial 
era, and also the name of a classic social science: Casa-Grande & Senzala [1]). This is an 
ideological legacy of this same economic elite, who never left the country democratize 
completely with his class rule.

class hatred

It is important to say also that there is a strong class hatred in Brazil, much of the 
middle class and small bourgeoisie never really accepted the fact that former President 
Lula da Silva is a former steelworker and union, though, to come to power, Lula and the PT 
have made political agreements with anyone, and that his government did not represent a 
danger to the interests of big business. In fact, there is much to criticize in the two 
terms of Lula and Dilma, but with this one Parliamentary State another level has been 
reached. There is talk of a hard right that took power, and moreover is also supported by 
the "evangelical bancada" - part of the Congress and Senate, held by evangelists 
politicians (current neopentecostal) very reactionary and retrograde.

The feeling now is that the country has made a comeback in time. Despite all the 
criticisms that can be done at PT - its neoliberal policies, the fact that it behaved more 
left party because it has neglected the social movements after the takeover - now there 
are even more social oppression and towards minorities.

Within weeks, the illegitimate government of Temer cut many social projects, such as the 
secretariat of the rights of women and blacks, one against illiteracy, and most 
controversial and shocking of all: the CEP 241 (now PEC 55) a proposal for a 
constitutional amendment that limits spending Brazilian government - including education 
and health - and which will soon come into force. Announced by the government and the 
mainstream media as the great "crisis" economic. Not to mention the privatization of the 
pre-salt extraction right (a type of oil that is in the sea and worth a fortune) and the 
elimination of salary for days of strikes by public officials, a right that has yet was 
guaranteed by the constitution.

The step back were countless in so little time ... Every day, more and more acquired 
rights are removed and the repression is increasingly strong against public demonstrations 
and student occupations that took place throughout the country.

Temer has rewarded its "collaborators" in the impeachment: the wages of justice were 
increased by 41.4% - which had received a veto of the former President Dilma Rousseff last 
year - and advertising sales media who have supported were up 900%.

It remains to see what the next presidential election will be held in 2018. But for Brazil 
this kind of dark political and economic situation, there are still obstacles to overcome 
and lessons learned. On one side, the left needs to rebuild and find a new dialogue with 
the people, and to learn that we must remain faithful to his remarks before making dubious 
political alliances. An analysis must be made for the PT and the Brazilian left. On the 
other, the Brazilian company must ask questions, part of it is also conservative and 
liberal than the current government and even supports his actions. But this part of the 
population will just pay the bill for the crisis. Only remains to hope that it could 
withdraw a lesson from all this and one day be able to create more class consciousness.

Karla (AL Paris Sud)

[1]Casa-Grande & Senzala of Gilberto Freyre, 1933. Senzala : where slaves lived.

http://www.alternativelibertaire.org/?Bresil-2016-un-cirque-d-horreurs

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Message: 2



As seen in plan "paranomopoiisis the struggles for free movement" (my imaginary own title, 
which describes both meetings cops-OECD and publications in the regime), designed by the 
state security and in execution of the mainstream media is in progress . ---- This time 
the famous nazistofylada "Proto Thema" in her post confuses Trolley  "taking 
responsibility for the arson of trolleys exclusively anarchypress» with real political 
text that takes responsibility for the disaster bars electronic ticket slowly placed all 
ISAP stations. ---- In the same publication posted a text below the other, suggesting ... 
clearly a connection of two unrelated events , excessive style and formalities necessary 
for use of ... trolley and the fact arson three trolleys in Patission, in an effort 
redirection of "indignant popular sentiment" against publicly perceived irrational act 
burning trolleys, to the political act against the ongoing  anti-passenger policy OASA OSY:

The title directly formulated into a floor of police headquarters by an undercover with 
"press" trends ...

The fight against the introduction of "passenger flow control measures" either in the form 
of electronic bars either as cops will not stop, those articles though state security 
written in objective media .

http://www.provo.gr/prwto-thema-apeutheias-apo-thn-asfaleia/

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Message: 3



from United Voices of the World, Come and demand that Harrods stops stealing their 
waiter's tips! Saturday, January 7, 2017 at 2 PM - 6 PM @ Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, 
SW1X 7XL London. ---- Harrods steals up to 75% of the 12.5% service charge it adds to the 
bills of diners in its luxury restaurants, in which a steak can cost up to £300. ---- That 
75% means that every year the Qatari royal family, which owns Harrods, is taking up to 
£5,000 worth of tips from every chef, waiter and porter. Taking any percentage of the 
service charge, which customers think is going to the waiters, is unacceptable. Taking up 
to 75% is an utter disgrace. ---- Furthermore, Harrods refuses to disclose what their 
exact percentage is. ---- Since UVW, which represents the chefs and waiters at Harrods, 
threatened to engage in a robust campaign of direct and industrial action until 100% of 
the service charge goes to the staff, Harrods has promised to increase the share going to 
staff.

Whilst a pay rise for nearly 500 workers is always welcome, especially at Christmas time, 
the chefs and waiters deserve 100% of the service charge and we must fight until that they 
ar given a 100%!

There are also other problems that plague the workers at Harrods' esteemed culinary 
department. For example, the waiters are on the minimum, poverty wage or a few pennies 
more, plus they're understaffed and overworked.

About United Voices of the World the union
UVW is a grassroots trade union comprised almost entirely of low-paid migrant workers.
Call: 07775 697 605

Search this site about the UVW Union http://www.classwarparty.org.uk/?s=UVW

http://www.classwarparty.org.uk/7-january-protest-harrods-stop-stealing-waiters-tips/

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Message: 4



The statement below by the Sicilian Anarchist Federation (original Italian version here 
http://www.umanitanova.org/2016/11/19/per-lazione-diretta-la-mobilitazione-dal-basso-la-conflittualita-permanente/) 
addresses the referendum on changes to the national constitution which took place on 
December 4th. Among other measures, the changes proposed by the liberal Renzi government 
aimed to break what has been widely characterised as a "gridlock" in the Italian Senate, 
including slimming the senate from 315 members to 100 and centralising many functions 
which had hitherto been distributed among numerous regions and departments. More broadly, 
the referendum was pitched by many media commentators as a test of strength for Renzi and 
the commitment of the Italian people to Europe. The No campaign won, leading to Renzi's 
resignation.

For direct action, grassroots mobilisation, permanent conflict.

First we would like to clear up a common misconception. The referendum of December 4th 
over changing the Italian constitution does not relate to that document's more "idealist" 
statements - all those articles that have made it, for some, "the best constitution in the 
world."

These are high-minded passages which have, by and large, been disregarded by each 
successive coalition government, maintained only as window dressing and hardly ever 
defended by the courts. They mainly serve as an ideological cover for a 
bourgeois-democratic and clerical system to advance its anti-popular, pro-capitalist, 
authoritarian projects.

The referendum does propose some changes to parliamentary structure, such as the abolition 
of a directly-elected Senate and its replacement with an unelected "Senate of the regions 
and municipalities." It suggests the abolition of the National Council of the Economy and 
Labour (CNEL), etc. {Ed's note: CNEL serves in a consultative capacity to the government, 
parliament and the regions. It also has the right to legal initiative within its 
competencies}. But as far as changes to the electoral system are concerned, they have 
nothing to do with this consultation.

Attack on bourgeois freedom and representative democracy

We anarchists do not support parliament and, though we understand there are obvious 
ongoing attempts to centralise the command posts, we do not believe that defending the 
Chamber of Deputies/Senate or the number of deputies can represent a defence of the 
freedoms which are increasingly threatened in this country. Just as we did not consider it 
such when Italy switched from a proportional to majority system.

Military agreements within NATO, the arms trade, international economic policies, with 
austerity, the role of banks, assaults on the work of the populist conquests, the 
interference of the Catholic church, all this is a daily attack on (bourgeois) freedoms 
and populist conquests; but this is a dynamic which is independent from the policies of 
the coalition government and the functioning of the parliamentary mechanism, which, if 
anything, they were and are the instrument of.

We do not believe in representative democracy, that is, the consensus built through 
numbers that can be and are manipulated to give a minority the right to govern "in the 
name of the people." A "sovereign" people which - strangely - exercises its sovereignty 
only through voting, then soon after ceases to exercise it, and only suffers the choices 
and harassments of government. We are not alone in this choice, we have good company - 
millions and millions of people who are fleeing the electoral ritual by removing, 
objectively, their consent to the party system.

A strange alliance in defence of compromise

The varied and contradictory front of the No (changes) campaign is emphasising the issue 
of an "attack on the constitution" by the proponents of the Yes campaign. But is it 
possible to miss the reality that the right is deployed en masse on the No side? Both 
moderate and neo-fascist is today an "ally" to the left of various shades, regarding this 
referendum as a sort of "last resort to save the fatherland" - a left that is just jealous 
of what the Renzi government is "boldly" carrying on and that it would have wanted and if 
it could have, would have already enacted?

The Constitution was born as a compromise between Catholic, liberal and Marxist forces, in 
order to safeguard the new bourgeois system that arose after 20 years of fascist 
dictatorship, but absolutely in continuity with it. This compromise was a significant loss 
for the left overall. It accepted some serious shit, such as the inclusion of the fascist 
accord with the Vatican, and it contented itself with a series of abstract principles that 
were dismissed soon after (not today, 70 years later!): from work for all, to the removal 
of all obstacles that prevent the full development of the human person, from article 11 
(Italy formally rejects war, but the territory is full of NATO and foreign military 
structures whose sole purpose is making war, starting with US military communications hub 
MUOS) to the recognition of fundamental human rights - the list could go on for a long 
time. These are statements that, in fact, no government has ever dreamed of getting rid 
of, because its symbolism and instrumentality is known to all.

A conflict within the bourgeoisie

This referendum stems from a conflict between two bourgeois parliamentary factions, 
authoritarians and liberals competing for power; factions united by a willing 
participation in previous serious attacks on (bourgeois) freedom which have been in place 
for some time, starting with the efforts of capital to take back the wins of movements 
from 1968 onwards. Attacks that do not spare any aspects of social life, part of the vast 
international neoliberal project that globalises poverty and centralises wealth in a few 
hands.

Little changes if some of these factions prefer to wear the populist and nationalist mask, 
relying on racism: State, capital, corruption, militarism are common elements to the 
"rival" factions. The gravity of the situation not only stems from parliamentary 
authoritarian aspects, but by a thousand authoritarian acts that occur in everyday life - 
wars and militarisation, great infrastructural projects, corruption, economic and 
political arrogance, unemployment, migration, labour laws; racism, clericalism, 
homophobia, sexism, land insecurity, repression of dissenters etc.

This referendum-skirmish between bourgeois parties to settle their differences should be 
read in context of the attacks mentioned above. It diverts energy and attention from 
serious battles which cannot walk the parliamentary and institutional path and it turns 
out to be quicksand for such movements. To focus on continuous referendum campaigns to 
address important social problems is to devote oneself to sterility and failure, damaging 
grassroots struggles and meaningful participation of the people in their own emancipation.

The alternative: abstention for social change

Unfortunately often, especially in these contexts, we forget the fundamental principles of 
the struggle for human emancipation,  falling into the trap of a "united front of national 
salvation" alongside political actors who themselves trample these principles easily and 
consistently. We want to do more than make a simple - but still viable - statement of 
principle: undertake a wider battle for the defence of freedoms that are under attack.

Our society is peppered by large mobilisations and smaller ones, in which the protagonists 
are social realities, grassroots movements, self-organised groups of workers, precarious 
workers, the unemployed, the homeless, who are part of sometimes long-running actions and 
conflicts. The vast majority of these anarchists are actively trying to keep alive the 
principles of direct action, of assemblyism, self-organisation.  Change, real change, 
egalitarian, anti-capitalist, libertarian, conquering more and more spaces for freedom, 
derives from this path and not from institutional traps, invented and designed to harness 
such movements, their struggles, their desire for change.

Elections and referendums are distracting and divisive weapons. It is only in direct 
struggles that you can reconstruct a genuinely class struggle united front that is 
anti-capitalist, anti-liberal, revolutionary. Pensioners and immigrants, unemployed and 
employed, the precarious and exploited people of every sector and grade, will divide 
themselves between those who will vote and those who will not; but their condition will 
remain unchanged, because it does not arise from the manner in which parliamentary 
consensus is reached, that is, by one electoral law or another, by the CNEL or not, from 
the type of parliamentary system, or the number of deputies. It derives from social 
balance and from class oppression of capital and the State, from the use of passivity and 
delegation and many other factors.

We use the word "revolutionary," a term that for many has fallen into disuse, but which 
for us gives a perspective to everything that moves today, and represents a distancing 
from rotting state-capitalism, from politicking, from authoritarianism in all its forms.

And it is in this vein that we offer our consistent abstention. Our refusal to be part of 
this system is the result of a choice, to place ourselves outside and against bourgeois 
institutions, but with the victims and those who fight for a society where they have 
abolished the exploitation of man by man.

https://freedomnews.org.uk/anarchism-and-the-italian-referendum

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Message: 5



A big of great news as the year closes - Apple have been told they owe 13 billion to the 
Irish state. Great news now in terms of housing, healthcare and eduction where that money 
is badly needed. But also great news in the long term for workers everywhere as its a blow 
against corporate tax avoidance. ---- The European Commission has found that the Irish 
state failed to provide any justification for the selective treatment given to Apple. We 
could wish for a stronger ruling, one which found against setting up national tax 
avoidance schemes for corporations altogether but this will do. In effect Apple has also 
got away with paying the Irish state pennies in return for it running a tax avoidance 
scheme that robed everyone across Europe of funds. ---- Our gombeen government are saying 
they will appeal the ruling. They want to continue the disgraceful setup where in return 
for crumbs we allow everyone across the EU to be robbed. It's like our version of a super 
trawler plundering everyone.

Most sickeningly its hardly that Apple needs the money, its a super profitable company 
that because of this sort of avoidance scheme is (as of last January) sitting on a 200 
billion (yes thats billion) cash pile that it can't bring into the US without paying tax 
on it. We are endurng the worst housing crisis in the history of the state so that Apple 
shareholders at some point in the future can have an even bigger payday.

Can't until now that is, there is a lot of speculation that once he is president Trump 
will do a deal with Apple and similar companies allowing them to bring the cash in without 
penalties. In other words there is a very good chance that the Irish state's 'pennies for 
billions' tax avoidance scam is about to be brought crashing down.

http://www.wsm.ie/c/apple-irish-state-solidarity-abolishing-tax-avoidance

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