Today's Topics:
1. Ruptura Colectiva (RC): Police murder four villagers in
Arantepacua, Michoacán; "they entered the homes and killed them"
(a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
2. verba-volant: Greece, Berea, March 23, 2017: Concentration
of the Libertarian Trade Union outside the Mikel coffee shop (ca,
pt) [machine translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
3. Poland, Nationalism does not go - report from the
demonstration rozbrat.org [machine translation]
(a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
4. anarkismo.net: Lucien van der Walt - 2017 Statement on
Michael Schmidt Affair (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
5. wsm.ie: Thousands march to oppose water charges on April 8th
in Dublin - with video & photos (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
6. Turkey, DAF Statement "On Referandum" - Regarding Referendum
II. (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
On Wednesday afternoon, four villagers from the indigenous community of Arantepacua,
Nahuatzen municipality, were shot and killed in a police operation conducted by the
Ministry of Public Security. The police also raided homes and threatened residents,
including women and children, seeking the release of vehicles - mainly cargo trailers -
that the population retained as an act of protest in order to pressure authorities to
release 38 indigenous people from the community who have been detained. ---- The 38
residents were arrested on Tuesday in Morelia in a police operation in the commercial area
of La Huerta (on the highway of the same name) for the "alleged theft of a bus." The 38
people detained have been held incommunicado; two of them have serious diabetes problems
that require urgent medication. In a press conference Tuesday morning, members of the
Representation of Communal Property of Arantepacua (Representación de Bienes Comunales de
Arantepacua) denounced additional acts of repression and demanded a dialogue with the
authorities to resolve a territorial conflict and usage of land that was agreed together
with the Capácuaro locality, in the municipality of Uruapan, but "due to the inaction of
Capácuaro authorities has not been able to continue."
Regarding Wednesday's murders, state media and declarations of the government of
Michoacán, said that "the people shot at the police, killing two," however the teachers
union, normalista students, residents and various social organizations claim the opposite
occurred, resulting in four dead, including a normalista student - an account which
strongly disputes the statement given to La Voz Michoacán by an "anonymous police source"
"(...) we were unarmed, the only items we had were tear gas, shields, clubs, only riot
gear, but people barricaded between the houses shot at us. The intention was just to
recover the vehicles that the community had retained."
http://rupturacolectiva.com/police-murder-four-villagers-in-arantepacua-michoacan-they-entered-the-homes-and-killed-them/
------------------------------
Message: 2
A brief briefing by the Liberian Trade Union of Emacia (northern Greece) follows a
briefing a few days ago outside the Mikel cafe in Berea, as well as the text of the
brochure distributed during the rally. ---- On Thursday , March 23, 2017, we conducted an
intervention outside the Mikel cafeteria in the center of Berea, on the occasion of the
death of the 22nd employee of the company. The death occurred about two weeks ago while
the worker was working. Flyers were thrown, hundreds of leaflets were distributed to
customers and bystanders, and of course to the workers who were at the cafeteria at the
time. ---- The text that was distributed follows: ---- Against the terrorism of the
bosses. Making trade unionism dangerous again for employers ---- Once again the miserable
working conditions prevailing in all workplaces, particularly in the delivery sector, led
to the death of the 22-year-old dealer working in the Mikel chain store in the
Neighborhood of Colono, Athens. The dealer was seriously injured while working on Thursday
, March 2 , and after being hospitalized for many days he died on March 10.
Unfortunately, this incident comes in addition to a series of accidents at work, and seems
to reflect the hard daily lives of those who work in the morning and at night, who risk
their lives to collect crumbs, and those who struggle For living with dignity. Three
months ago, on December 1, 2016 , a 42-year-old woman lost her life while working at the
Everest fast food store in Vicenza, Athens, while five others were injured and driven to
hospital. A month ago, another dealer, father of two children, who was working at Speedex
in Athens, died in a traffic accident. If we resort to older incidents, we will see that
the list of accidents is long and totally concordant with the profit of the employers,
Social security, overtime paid, protection against weather, proper maintenance of
vehicles, increases provided by legislation: These are working conditions that are never
met. The reality of those who work on the street, in the rain, on the motorcycle, of those
who have not charged, of those who are exhausted and alienated, is very different:
overtime not paid, flexible hours, hyper-intensified work, work Without breaks, daily
threats directed at those who claim the obvious.
To the intensification of the work and to the exploitation of our lives we answer
collectively. We organize directly and in a democratic way in the places of our work, we
act where we work and we live.
We are not accustomed to the death and terrorism of the employers. We make trade unionism
dangerous for employers.
Libertarian Trade Union of Emacia
http://verba-volant.info/es/berea-23-de-marzo-de-2017-concentracion-de-la-union-sindical-libertaria-fuera-de-la-cafeteria-mikel/
------------------------------
Message: 3
On Saturday, April 8 demonstration was held "Nationalism does not pass." It was organized
a protest against the increasing wave of violence in months racist and homophobic. The
demonstration took itself the goal of showing that wave as a result of exploitation, which
carries economic system. The demonstration was supported by different environment from
foreigners living in Poznan after the feminist organizations, LGBTQIA +, academics and
people of culture. In total, it participated in the approx. 800 people. ---- The
demonstration began at the Old Brewery shopping center, one of the places racist attack on
a Polish citizen of Syrian origin. After reading the statement " Nationalism does not pass
" and the statement " Students, academics, students and employees of AMU opposite forms of
racism and nationalism , and" demonstration was attacked by some nationalists.
Very quickly they responded to the attack, participants demonstration. The result was a
knockout of one of the aggressors, left by his companions. One of the attackers was
Remigiusz Stalewski, the owner of "patriotic" store "National" is located at pl. Ratajski
in Poznan. He is known for his work with organizations such as the National Youth All-
Dawn (personally associated with a known fascist confident Maciej Witzbergiem). The police
showed a total lack of preparation and first committed to attack nationalists, then de
facto facilitated their escape. She tried to stop the anti-fascists, who want to repel the
attack.
Not giving a chance to a further distortion of the demonstration, Anna Karolina Klys - a
perennial libertarian activist and feminist movement - his speech warmed protesters to
actively oppose neofaszystom.
The demonstration headed toward the city center accompanied by the legendary song "Young
Fascists" Apathy Poznan team. During the protest erected password anti-fascist and
anti-racist "Poznan free from hatred," "class struggle, not national," "fascists, the
police, one of the coalition", "Poznan for migrants, not nationalists," "Equal rights,
common cause" "Liberty, equality, mutual aid", "no man, it is not illegal."
The next place where he stopped the protest was a monument to Old Marych. Here, among
others, he spoke Stonewall representative groups, party together, and lecturer in Arabic
Studies from. In all the speeches clearly underlined the threat posed by nationalism and
national chauvinism, to inculcate the ideology of hatred to everything that is different
and foreign, feeding people fear. Also recalled the recent deportation Ameera
Alkhawlany'ego, a doctoral student at the Jagiellonian University. Ameer was first
detained by officers of the Internal Security Agency, and then after his release from
custody by a court decision was in violation of all legal procedures deported to Iraq.
More about his case could learn this profile .
Just before reaching the demonstration under the Law and Justice office there was a police
provocation. The officers attacked the demonstrators and several demonstrantek located in
front of the main group of protesters. Police used batons (which together with the
partially shield was lost), gas, ready wielding a weapon smoothbore. Once again, their
action can only receive as an attempt to break the legal protest. Prevention officers -
apparently deprived of the support of their commanders, or at least as often present at
demonstrations the police "Team Antykonfliktowego" (which ran out this time) - it clearly
sought an escalation of violence. Blocking route lawful protest, holding the protest
itself, tram and car traffic on streets nearby and still trying to stop the people
involved in the demonstration. A total of seven people were arrested. Szesciorgu of them
erected known complaint alleging infringement of the inviolability of the officer. Last,
released late Sunday afternoon a person is suspected of being involved in a brawl.
We would like to ensure that all detainees will strive to provide legal assistance,
witnesses and at the same time please the intervention of the police and persons with
footage of the contact ( fa-poznan@rozbrat.org or ack@rozbrat.org possibly by our FB
profile). Despite provocation by the determination of the protesters continued a protest
at the office of Justice. He spoke representative section of Poznan Anarchist Federation -
Jaroslaw Urbanski. Clearly he pointed out that the authorities of the Law and Justice
leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski are responsible for the rise in xenophobic and related wave of
violence. Referring to figures like Roman Dmowski - who revealed his fascination with
Italian fascism, and have repeatedly called for the forced assimilation of the Jews - is
flirting with the ruling right-wing nationalist and neo-fascist environment. Full text of
soon will be on our side. The next speaker was actor 8 Day Theater, Tadeusz Janiszewski.
In a daring way, as befits an actor, mocked interpellation or rather denunciation Member
(horror of horrors) Roberta Winnickiego (National Movement), who demanded an explanation
on the support of authorization from academia anti-fascist demonstration.
The demonstration ended with the Anarchist lo / bookseller Revenge, which was already not
once targeted by nationalists. Here's voice took representatives of the academic circles
of the Institute of Philosophy prof. Roman Kubicki, the Institute of Sociology Prof. UAM.
Krzysztof Podemski, and the Institute of Romance Philology UAM dr. Ita Wachowska. The
voice representatives and representatives of the academic community was especially
important due to pressure authorities UAM, we have witnessed in the past week .
Of course there were also the same vote of the representative of Vengeance - reminiscent
of attacks racists and nationalists on the premises, as well as emphasizing that these
actions absolutely not lead to cessation of activities libertarian, movement of support
Staff, lokatorskiemu or animalistycznemu. In Revenge will continue to organize lectures
and meetings, and most support after the attack he not only got the collective
representatives of their environment, but also from the neighbors, which at this point hot
thanked. The end of the protest was the performance of the team Siksa song composed
specially for the demonstrations. After the demonstration, it was quiet, the participants
departed without hindrance to their homes.
http://www.rozbrat.org/informacje/poznan/4526-nacjonalizm-nie-przejdzie-relacja-z-demonstracji
------------------------------
Message: 4
On 11 February 2016, I issued an initial personal statement on the Michael Schmidt
affair.[1]I completely rejected the irredeemable racist and right-wing statements
attributed to Schmidt, which were mainly posted under false names online. They represent
positions I have consistently opposed, for decades, to the best of my abilities. I noted
problems with his explanation, centred on the claim that his posts and false personas were
solely means for infiltrating the radical right for undercover research. I raised serious
ethical problems with his actions, including his admitted role in repeatedly frustrating
earlier investigations into his actions by myself and others. I also laid out my emotional
turmoil over the affair, the gulf between the Schmidt I knew and trusted, a man active in
left and black working class circles, and another Schmidt, increasingly exposed.
In early 2017, Schmidt sent a confession and apology to the Institute for Anarchist Theory
and History (IATH) / Instituto de Teoria e História Anarquista (ITHA), a Global
South-based research project. IATH / ITHA has made the letter available on request, and a
copy can be found here.[2]The IATH / ITHA has also urged Schmidt to publish the letter.
In this letter, Schmidt admits for the first time that he drifted towards the radical
right. He claims this took place in a period of deep personal crisis, and states that he
has a history of mental illness and severe emotional and personal problems. He says he
became secretly influenced by the right and its racist arguments, while maintaining
sincere public positions on the left. He denies any project of infiltrating the
anarchists, insisting that his views and actions became increasingly incoherent. He again
affirms that he deliberately concealed this situation from a wide range of people and
organisations. Lastly, he apologises for his actions, and the harm he caused, claiming to
have repudiated the right, citing his ongoing current work in anti-racist and human rights
causes.
In describing the letter, I certainly do not endorse it or promote it. There are important
gaps in the confession, issues and problems elided. The apology is inadequate, coming
after 18 months of denying any guilt. It also comes after years of deception and
reprehensible behaviour. I do not accept or condone what Schmidt has done. His desire to
make amends is noted, but must be weighed against what has happened.
I reiterate my position: I reject racist and right-wing positions as abhorrent and
unacceptable, and as contradicting the anti-colonial, anti-fascist, anti-imperialist and
anti-racist politics and history of anarchism and syndicalism. My political commitment
remains to the complete national liberation of the black working class in South Africa, to
an anti-racist, internationalist, egalitarian, bottom-up left politics, to a radical
change in society based on a massive redistribution of wealth and power,
These are the reasons I have severed ties with Schmidt.
I add that, as a Council member of the IATH / ITHA, I am signatory to the IATH/ ITHA
statement of 23 March 2017.[3]This announced and explained our decision, made well before
Schmidt's letter, to escalate Schmidt's suspension from IATH/ ITHA to complete removal. It
outlines our repudiation of Schmidt's actions, reservations about his letter, and our
decision to reject his request to be allowed to resign of his own accord.
Schmidt's actions have, I know, cast a shadow over the book "Black Flame: The
Revolutionary Class Politics of Anarchism and Syndicalism." "Black Flame" was written over
ten years ago; it went to the publishers at the start of 2006. Schmidt played a very
limited role in the book, a point that he has repeatedly admitted. I was primary author,
and poured into it my heart and soul, many years of work and debate. It is not a perfect
work, of course. What is? Many people have asked me to keep the book in print, but for
some, the Schmidt affair unfairly taints the reputation of the book. That is a sad
reality. The fact is that what Schmidt acted in ways fundamentally at odds with the
emancipatory positions, history and tradition championed in "Black Flame."
Finally, while I have made up my own mind, I still support the Anarkismo network's call
for a commission into the Schmidt affair. It is important to examine what happened, to
reflect on what it reveals, to seek resolution, and to use the situation to help develop
libertarian ethics and justice.[4]
In solidarity,
Lucien van der Walt, Makana, South Africa,
[1]https://ithanarquista.wordpress.com/2016/06/01/archive-personal-statement-on-the-michael-schmidt-affair-lucien-van-der-walt-11-february-2016/
[2]https://pastebin.com/dXbMUWMF
[3]https://ithanarquista.wordpress.com/2017/03/23/2017-statement-on-michael-schmidt-case-declaracao-sobre-o-caso-michael-schmidt/
[4]http://anarkismo.net/article/29047
Related Link:
https://ithanarquista.wordpress.com/2017/04/11/lucien-van-der-walt-2017-statement-on-michael-schmidt-affair-10-april-2017/
http://www.anarkismo.net/article/30160
------------------------------
Message: 5
Thousands of protesters converged on Connolly and Heuston stations in Dublin yesterday as
part of the 9th national demonstration against the water charges. The demonstration was
called by Right2Water, the umbrella group of left wing political parties and trade unions,
as part of an effort to pressurise the government to abandon their attempts to implement
water charges. ---- Local anti-water charge groups, trade unions and political parties
were in attendance, with speakers from other campaigns present also. Vera Twomey spoke on
her ongoing campaign to access treatment for her seriously ill daughter, who desperately
requires regular access to the currently restricted cannabis based CBD oil to treat her
epilepsy. ---- National Bus and Railworkers Union representative Mike Fitzgerald spoke on
the continuing industrial action taking place in the transport network and how workers
have no choice but to strike in the face of massive proposed cutbacks.
This deliberate under-investment in a vital public service is a tried and tested method of
softening it up for privatisation. Notably, the very presence of a public transport
utility is due to the historic failure of the preceding private sector companies to
provide the necessary services to the public.
While the State continues to pursue a neo-liberal privatisation strategy for transferring
public wealth to the billionaire class, working class organisers must be as persistent in
opposing that strategy, while building our own capacities to move towards a society that
is geared towards providing for need, not for greed.
[Photos in our Facebook album]
Footage from behind the main stage of some of the thousands of people out protesting water
charges
It now looks likely that the attempt to introduce a water charge, leading to water
privatisation has been knocked back.
This was a mass campaign, 70% of the population were involved in the boycott at peak and
protests took place on the streets and in communities all over the country. Hundreds were
criminalised through being arrested at the protests. It's essential that charges are
dropped and an amnesty declared for all those who took part in this mass campaign that
involved most people in the country at peak.
Footage of the anarchist bloc on the anti-water charges march
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO7t74Tioa4
On Saturday 8th April we took to the streets of Dublin once more in what may well be the
final march against the water charges. Although it looks like victory on abolishing the
charge is near it's important not to lose sight of the need for an ongoing campaign
demanding amnesty for all those facing prosecution for their role in the struggle.
The WSM handed out hundreds of these leaflets yesterday during the anti-water charges demo
and they seemed to be fairly popular! If you would like to help distribute leaflets and/or
meet up with us on May 1st as part of the May Day march this year, why not register as a
WSM Contact
Subject: Water charge
Topics: Community
Geography: Dublin
Multimedia: Images, Video
Source: News alert
Type: News
Author: Brian Ancom, Andrew N Flood
http://www.wsm.ie/c/thousands-oppose-water-charges-april-8th-dublin
------------------------------
Message: 6
On winning or losing; ---- For the last three elections, nearly one sixth of the voters do
not participate in elections. This shows us that 10,000,000 of the nearly 60,000,000
voters will not participate in the referendum. 25,000,001 of the 50,000,000 voters will
give yes vote or no vote. 24,999,999 voters will have lost with the difference of a single
vote. It's that easy to win or lose in this system. ---- Research companies say that the
difference between yes and no is less than 1%, or even less than 0.5%. Who will win by a
half point margin on April 16, and who will lose? ---- Whoever wins, whoever loses; ----
Yes side doesn't consider the possibility of losing. Yes side enjoys the convenience of
being in power. They are relying on their dominance in street and square propaganda;
because they are creating this dominance themselves. Preventing the no campaign with
partisans locally, and generally with its police, i.e. the law enforcement . While there
is yes propaganda in mainstream media from children's programs to magazine programs, from
TV series to feature films, from news reports to discussion-commentary programs;
opposition media has a shy criticism of yes along with timid praise for no. Beyond this
convenience created by the "unjust" practice they established during the campaign, yes
side also knows other "emergency" practices at the election day will "protect" the votes,
the boxes and the election results.
Even in the case of the most negative result for yes side, they also have the convenience
of being able to call a new referendum by launching a new internal or external war or
aggravating an existing one. AKP has experienced this repetition technique when it made
the November 1 elections to replace June 7 elections and took what it wanted.
If yes side loses;
If the yes side still lost despite the odds of all this "no losing no matter what" they
will lose their motivation. This loss is also a loss of legitimacy among its mass and this
is the end of yes side.
If the no wins, the opposition will make various maneuvers to prevent the power from
playing the moves "to not lose even if lost", which we wrote about. They will bring the
early elections agenda and want to have similar gains in the elections process. Having won
the upper hand of motivation, the opposition will try not to lose advantage by taking it
to the streets, square and the parliament.
No side is considering the possibility of losing, because they are used to it. This habit
also carries an intolerance for loss. The injustice during the campaign which was built in
a state of emergency and the injustice during election day will increase this intolerance.
Such intolerance will result either in a social uprising or a social cringe. We are
telling -that the yes side has anticipated these results- from {related or unrelated
individuals' statements such as "So we do this, we do that, we put to the sword ...
allowed, not allowed on sharia". In fact, they do not expect uprising in the society
cowered by State of Emergency though, but uprising is one of the possibilities. In case of
losing, particularly because the referendum that will be voted by this society, which has
been cowered by State of Emergency, was reduced to an existential question by the
opposition, the cower effect that is desired by power, will increase. This cowering will
be tried to be broken down by some fight back related to identity; State of Emergency
experience of Kurdish and Alevi peoples revolutionaries over many years and their
resistance reflexes despite the state of emergency, may decrease the effect of this
cowering that was increased. But whether this resistance will be enough in this process,
is controversial.
Not To Lose, To Win;
For opposition in the parliament, winning or losing has only one meaning. That is to win
or lose the elections. This is the aim of the parliamentary opposition. The understanding
of the referendum as being separate from general or local elections, is a fallacy. Because
in every referendum, as in the case of this referendum, the sides are the sides of the
other elections. It is usual for parliamentary opposition to present every election to
society and to its own voters in society as an existential false dilemma. What is not
usual is for revolutionary opposition to present this "to exist-not to exist" false
dilemma to society. For the ones whose claim is revolution, revolutionary organizations
and individuals, using such a dilemma as a campaigning tool, calls the discussion of means
becoming the ends. In the discussion of means becoming the ends, to understand what is
right and what is wrong, one needs to see if the socialism propaganda was more than the
electoral agenda during the elections. Socialist organization that do not make propaganda
for socialism are accused of trying to "grab seats" in the parliament . In history, this
discussion in socialist organizing is surpassed by using the adjectives democrat and
revolutionary, as well as other polite-impolite adjectives.
As for anarchism such discussions did not take place. Anarchists, as a principle, do not
establish relations of power. Fighting back an authoritarian behavior of someone else, of
society, of administration, will start with not acting authoritarian to someone else.
Create relationships of freedom while destroying authoritarian relationships is another
anarchist principle. Resisting the manager-managed adjectives in governing relations of
society, objecting the submission of individual's will to another individual or to the
community, are ends for every anarchist. And the political counterpart of this objection
is non-participation in the for elections. Therefore, it is an objection by principle, not
participating in elections. Anarchists can not use elections as a means like socialists
do. Using such means amounts to using authority, which one has to destroy in order to
create relationships of freedom, as a means. For anarchists, principle is an idea that is
not based on indisputable dogma, but on experience that can be discussed.
Parliamentary opposition and socialist opposition are similar with respect to winning the
power. Anarchists do not want to win the power; but to destroy the power to create a world
without power. Among tides of win and lose, "April 16th Referendum" is now presented an
existential slogan by both sides. For nearly 15 years, the organization of society for
justice and freedom is being formed by anti-AKP-ism. The days of Taksim Revolt were the
most positive days of social opposition which rose again in every election period and then
declined. Every banned May 1, March 8, Newroz, ecologic resistance, resistances in docks
and factories, actions in high schools and universities organized one by one, each were
important on their own before these days. The Kobanê process which had strategic
importance for Rojava, were at least as important as Taksim. In all these processes, in
revolutionary solidarity with organizations; in the platforms that we were part of; we
discussed and argued that the declarations, actions, resistance, revolts should not be
narrowed down to opposing AKP. Our argument was that through AKP opposition, the
oppressor/oppressed contradiction, which was the source of inequity and captivity lived by
our society, was being ignored. This was a popularity centric opposition structure which
overrated quantity, and therefore dismissed quality. This democrat revolutionary
opposition structure, together with the parliamentary opposition, is doing again, as it
does in every election, AKP opposition. In the referendum process, we are again in the
false dilemma of "to exist or not to exist" created by this structure. This opposition may
win in this referendum. But this win, will not be a win for the oppressed peoples,
workers, women, LGBTI, youth, rivers, trees, animals in the oppressor/oppressed
contradiction. For the oppressed, winning is never a win in elections.
Now the votes cast by 25,000,001 voters, will win in the referendum for constitutional
amendment. And the votes cast by 24,999,999 voters will lose.
Now we must ask ourselves a numeric question; Does, over 50% always win? What if
35,000,000 voters of the 60,000,000, had not participated in the referendum, instead of
the 10,000,000, and all of the 25,000,000 which participated in the referendum had given
yes votes, "yes" would have won by 100%. Considering the rate of participation in this
referendum, would the "yes" win be legitimate?
Not to lose justice and freedom, to win revolution ; Not to be 1 number of the election,
but be an individual of revolution; Long Live Revolution, Long Live Anarchism.
Revolutionary Anarchist Action
2017-04-12
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