Anarchic update news all over the world - 29.01.2018

Today's Topics:

   

1.  [Patras] ANTI-PATIENT-OPTIMUM PATHIA SOLIDARITY IN
      LIBERATION By APO (gr) [machine translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
  

 2.  cgt catalunya: Manifest of the CGT for the general strike of
      March 8, 2018. Without women the world does not work (ca)
      [machine translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
  

 3.  Aragon cnt.es: [CNT-Huesca] January 25-State conference
      against waiting lists, CNT-Huesca (ca) [machine translation]
      (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
  

 4.  Turkey, sosyal savas: Rising Militarism and Nationalism in
      Visual Culture in Turkey (tr) [machine translation]
      (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
   

5.  London Anarchist Communists: The new London Plan: more of
      the same- profits for the rich, crumbs for the rest of us
      (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
   

6.  Poland, rozbrat: Protest letter in the Rodrigo Lanzy case
      sent to the Embassy of the Kingdom of Spain on behalf of the SIS
      "Street" [machine translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
   

7.  london a-c group: The Elephant in the Council Chamber
      (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
  

8.  Defend Afrin: Afrin is Everywhere - Resistance is
      Everywhere! (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
   

9.  Britain, freedom news: Class War Scotland member on trial
      for displaying a poster on his window (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
  

10.  London Anarchist Communists: In Days of Old + Abolish
      Universal Credit! (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)


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Message: 1





AGAINST STATE, CAPITAL AND PHASES .... DAILY SOLIDARITY - SOCIAL SELF- ORGANIZATION - 
INTERNATIONAL ---- On Sunday, 21/1/18, a nationalist rally for Macedonia was called to 
Thessaloniki. Fascist groups, operating as the long hand of state repression, found the 
opportunity and carried out attacks on the free "School" social space, from where they 
were successfully repulsed, as well as the occupation of Libertatia, which they completely 
destroyed after the fire they put inside . ---- In the face of fascism and war, the only 
response that the state-capitalist system has to offer, we, the underprivileged people, 
the workers, the unemployed, the youth, the locals and the immigrants, organize the social 
and class struggle . Breaking personalization, disappointment, fear. Developing and 
linking struggles that break out on the fronts of the attack of the sovereigns in the 
direction of the global overthrow of their world and the building of a society of 
equality, justice, mutual assistance and freedom.

NO STEP back!

SOLIDARITY IN LIBERTATIA LOSTING IN THESSALONIKI

SOLIDARITY IN THE 22/1 COLLECTORS

UNDER THE HANDS OF THE WORLD OF THE GAME

PHASE THREATS WILL NOT BE REMEDIALS

STEP: THURSDAY 25/1, 18:00, APPENDIX

anarchist group "dwarf horse" and comrades, comrades

http://apo.squathost.com/

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Message: 2





This March 8, the CGT, in coordination with the Feminist Movement, convenes a GENERAL 
VOICE OF 24 HOURS, WORK, CONSUMPTION, CURRICULUM , adding to the student. We call on the 
whole society to take the second part and participate in how many mobilizations and 
actions are carried out. ---- MARCH 8, 2018. INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE WORKING WOMAN ---- 
WITHOUT OUR THE WORLD WAS NOT FUNCTIONING ---- We denounce the mercantilization that 
exploits us and enslaves us in the precariousness of our lives, being especially cruel in 
lives and discrimination against women. ---- We denounce that women's access to employment 
is doubly difficult for us, we do not want more precarious employment, temporary, 
part-time work and hours that are incompatible with the care work that is imposed on us. 
We demand that the wage gap, inequality in pensions, sexual harassment and gender in work 
centers be completed.

They can not continue the sexist and market violations that treat us as objects, 
possessions of the market, men who violate us, harass, mistreat and kill us, who make 
women sick and disabled to live. But also of the institutions and their laws that 
reproduce sexist attitudes and behaviors. We denounce the laws not guaranteeing the right 
to all lives sustained without discriminating against any. We demand social respect and 
that the Church does not continue immiscuing.

We want an educational system that recognizes all our diversity, such as lesbian, 
bisexual, transsexual, intersexual, genderless, queers +; We want sexual and reproductive 
rights for all.

You need to be educated in the co-responsibility of care for both men and society. We do 
not want or support any more to remain the only people responsible for invisible care of 
dependent people.

We want to have a public health and quality that does not treat diseases like the life of 
women, menstruation, their pregnancies, their menopause. Let the medicine of men recognize 
and respect our bodies and our lives.

Women declare ourselves insubmised of the borders that support racism, the ICD, and the 
deportations of lives.

We want the value and value of all work sustained in our lives to be called and equated: 
domestic and caring work, in particular, what women made by enslaved in the special regime 
of home employees; and reproductive work, life and social response to precariousness.

Migrant women, prey, several functional, of all the productive and reproductive sectors, 
together in the social groups of class we call:

Without us there is neither production nor reproduction. We want to stop to stop the world.

As Louise Michel said in the Paris Commune: "Women were not wondering if something was 
possible, but if it was useful, and then managed to carry it out."

Wander to live, strike to take care of us.

Join the fight that we are many.

General Work Confederation (CGT)

http://cgt.org.es/8-de-marzo-de-2018-sin-nosotras-el-mundo-no-funciona-huelga-general

http://www.cgtcatalunya.cat/spip.php?article12732#.WmwuuB99LCI

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Message: 3






JANUARY 25, 2018 HUESCA JOINS THE DAY OF STATE FIGHT AGAINST THE LISTS OF WAITING. 
CONCENTRATION IN ZARAGOZA PLAZA AT 20H. ---- - INFRAUTILIZED HOSPITALS, PATIENTS WAITING 
---- - WAITING LISTS HAVE SOLUTION ---- Because it affects us all equally The 
privatization, the cuts, the bad management of what remains ... They sell us! ---- 
Remember: THE WAITING LISTS KILL!! ---- On January 25, collectives from various parts of 
the state, we mobilize against the brutal deterioration of the health system, which has 
its most bloody exponent in the increase, to levels never seen before, the surgical and 
diagnostic waiting lists. ---- Spread and participate from your location!!!! ---- 
Informative videos: Coordinator Antiprivatization of Health, CASMadrid:
http://aragon.cnt.es/cnt-huesca25-enero-jornada-estatal-las-listas-espera/

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Message: 4





Militarist TV Series ---- Video 1 and 2: Nameless Squad (2017) (Turkish: Isimsizler) ---- 
Fatih who is a young and promising Turkish diplomat waits to start his new overseas duty. 
When militants kill the district governor of Virankaya in Turkey, Fatih changes his mind 
and takes the governors position. ---- Video 3 and 4: The Oath (2017) (Turkish: Söz) ---- 
Yavuz Karasu, a well-trained Turkish soldier, is in Istanbul with his fiancée, while an 
operation takes place there. Dr. Bahar, who is not a surgeon, tries to save Yavuz fiancée. 
After this incident, Yavuz goes back to Karabayir. Bahar follows him all the way to give 
him something that belongs to him. Another incident happens, Yavuz is chosen to be the 
commander of a team, whose mission is to protect Karabayir and their country Turkey.

Video 5 and 6: The Warrior (2017) (Turkish: Savasçi)

Story of a team from Special Forces of Turkish military.

Video 7: Resurrection Ertugrul (2014-) (Turkish: Dirilis-Ertugrul)

Story of Ertugrul Gazi, the grounding father of Osmans, who founded the Osmanian State.

Video 8: Mehmetçik, Kut'ül Amare (2017)

A movie from the times of First World War (1914-1918).

AKP Propaganda Videos

Video 1: Nation Chooses It's Bundespräsident (2014)

Video 2: Nation Doesn't Surrender (2014)

Video 3: 100. Years Anniversary of Çanakkale War (2015)

Video 4: Turkey Is Bigger Than Turkey (2016)

Video 5: 15 July 2016 Coup Attempt Propaganda Video (2017)

Militarist Movies

Video 1: Mountain 2 (2016) (Turkish: Dag 2)

A Turkish elite military squad commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Veysel Gökmusa (Murat 
Serezli) is assigned to rescue the Turkish journalist Ceyda Balaban (Ahu Türkpençe) that 
was kidnapped in Iraq.

Video 2: Valley of the Volves - Homeland (2016) (Turkish: Kurtlar Vadisi Vatan)

Video 3: Börü (2017)

Video 4: Troop (2017) (Turkish: Bölük)

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk Cult

The founding father of the Republic of Turkey Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, died on 10th of 
November, 1938, at 09:05.

Every year on the 10th of November at exactly 9:05am, traffic stops throughout Turkey, 
people stand still for a moment, and sirens blare. The occasion is the anniversary of the 
death of the Republic's founder.

Video 1: 1 Minute in Istanbul 10th of November 9:05am. (2017)

Prepared by a independent media channel called ‘140journos'.

Video 2: There are some depts that you can't pay back. (2016)

Prepared by one of the most important company in Turkey called ‘Koç‘. Koc is also holding 
Turkey's largest private capital defence industry company, Otokar.

Video 3: I Saw Ataturk (2017)

Also made by Koç. Same subject (10th of November) , just a year after.

Extra Videos

When a country divides into in at least 3 social groups (conservatives, seculars and 
kurdish) you need a lot of propaganda to unite these parts. Generally using rhetoric like 
‘our culture is so beautiful and diverse but still we are together'.

Video 1: Advert of ‘Sabanci' Company - Anniversary of founding the Republic of Turkey, 
29th of October (2017)

Some sentences from the end of video:

Being united called republic for the last 94 years - Bir olmaya 94 yildir cumhuriyet denir

Unity leads to republic - Birlikten cumhuriyet dogar

Video 2: Advert of ‘Ziraat' Bank - ‘You Can't Give Up!' (2017)

In this Ziraat Bank advert, again used same rhetoric but this time message is: ‘our 
culture and country is so so beautiful, so you can't (or you don't want to) escape from 
this country'

Etiketler:anti-militarizm, conscientious objection, Militarizm, movies, tv series, vicdani ret

http://sosyalsavas.org/2018/01/rising-militarism-and-nationalism-in-visual-culture-in-turkey/#more-31721

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Message: 5





The draft London Plan was released at the end of November 2017 and is open to 
‘consultation' until the beginning of March. Given how little the Mayor and his officers 
listened to those consulted whilst formulating the draft, it is unlikely that any major 
changes will be made. ---- It is easy enough to understand the reality behind the new 
draft London Plan once we ignore the meaningless phrases such as ‘good growth', 
‘affordable', ‘resilience' and ‘inclusive'. Firstly, the Plan is only a framework and the 
word ‘should' is the most used word. This means that even if the aims are desirable, they 
can be ignored if they turn out to be economically unrealistic. In addition, most of the 
planning powers lie with local boroughs. The London Plan is only a series of guidelines 
which again can be ignored by local councils if deemed ‘necessary'. So even if some 
aspects of the Plan seem positive, it is effectively meaningless if they are only 
guidelines. Local boroughs are prone, as we have seen again and again, to do what is 
‘economically necessary'.

The main reason that the Plan lacks any real substance is that the key assumption 
underlying this Plan, as all other previous ones, is that the future of London is to be 
dominated by the needs of private corporations. Instead of remaining in public hands or 
being transferred to community co-operatives, land is being handed on a plate to private 
corporate interests. This is because it is assumed that this is the only way to get the 
needed finance. This immediately limits the ability of the Plan to deliver any of its 
objectives. The goal of private capital is to make profit not to create the kind of city 
that Londoners want to (and can afford to!) live in.

This can be shown by considering the implications for housing and the environment. In 
order to increase the number of houses councils encourage private property developers to 
either take over estate regeneration or else provide land on which to build residential 
properties. Or else, the developers can buy the land themselves from another private 
owner. However, they get hold of the land, the next step is to get planning permission to 
build homes. The new London Plan
wants ‘densification' and ‘intensification' of land use. This is the same as what has 
already been happening. It simply means that in order to make the most profit out of a 
piece of land, as many properties as possible need to be squeezed into a piece of land. 
This will include a combination of tall building, more dwellings squashed together and/or 
less floor space per property. Tall buildings have the added advantage of being able to 
offer ‘views' which can be marketed to the very wealthy. (How many of the world's rich 
have a penthouse suite in London? To offer this to all the wealthy of the world means a 
hell of a lot of tall buildings!)

The new privately-built developments are the main way of getting new homes. It is already 
admitted that the vast majority of new homes built in the past few years are not 
affordable for the vast majority of Londoners. The new Plan attempts to address this 
issue. However, despite having new definitions of ‘affordable' (below the current 80% of 
market rents), the rents will still be above council or social rents. This means that they 
will still be higher than what the majority of Londoners can afford. And, this will be 
only 50%, at the very most, of the new properties being built. If we look at the figures 
in another way, we can say that between 50 and 100% of new properties built in London will 
be unaffordable for the vast majority of Londoners. So just like now, the new Plan means 
we will be getting higher and higher buildings, less green and open spaces, smaller flats, 
and no family homes with gardens. This is all so that we can provide more and more 
properties for the well-off and the buy-to-let or the buy-to-leave investor

In terms of land use, this focus on enabling property developers to make as much profit as 
they can on London land makes it difficult to fulfil other aims such as for more green and 
open spaces and reducing pollution. At most, developers will tick the ‘green box' by 
planting some trees or putting in a few green patches, squeezed in between the high 
buildings. Despite developments supposedly being ‘car-free', those who can afford the high 
prices will find some way of having their car in London, creating even more 
traffic-congested streets.

This plan, like plans before it, is a gold-mine for the property developer and landlord 
and a disaster for the majority of Londoners. However, it is not by more lobbying of the 
GLA that we will get any change. We must continue and intensify our grass roots campaigns 
and direct action, including protests against property developers, squatting and 
occupations. We must not only campaign for public housing but also for more green and open 
spaces and less pollutions, in general for the kind of London we want to live in.

https://londonacg.blogspot.co.il/

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Message: 6





We've already reported on the Rodri case several times. In order to publicize his 
situation, we used the formal tools of the Association of Social Initiatives 'Street' by 
sending the following letter to the Embassy of the Kingdom of Spain ---- On behalf of 
members, members and supporters of the Association of Social Initiatives 'Street', we turn 
to the representative office of the Kingdom of Spain in Poland in connection with the case 
of our friend Rodre Lazy. ---- According to our information, he was detained as a 
participant on the night from 7 to 8 December 2017 in the center of Zaragoza in the 
Tocadiscos bar. The event was a brawl, which resulted in the death of a 55-year-old man - 
Victor Lainez. ---- Despite the unclear circumstances of the death of Lainez (one of the 
versions says that Rodrego Lanza had to defend against Laineza, who attacked him with a 
knife) representatives of many Spanish media manipulate facts and amplify only the version 
of events given by friends of the deceased, which clearly determine the wine Lanza , 
condemning him and his family to social ostracism. Our information also shows that Rodrego 
Lanza is currently in custody in a cell of close isolation. The accused is hindered by 
contact with relatives and attorneys.

The Association expresses its outrage and concern over the situation in which the accused 
is not guaranteed a fair trial, the inalienable element of which is the admission of 
defense, including the legal assistance of a lawyer. Our concern is also caused by the 
situation in which the accused can not count on compliance with the principle praesumptio 
boni viri. Under the principle of the presumption of innocence, each person is innocent of 
the charges against him until he has been proven guilty.

The Kingdom of Spain, both as a body that ratifies numerous international conventions that 
respect human rights and is a member of the European Union, must show particular concern 
for observing such elementary rights as the right to a fair and just trial. In view of the 
above, we turn to the representatives of the authorities of the Kingdom of Spain in Poland 
to convey our concern and outrage the current course of the case of Rodré Lazy. We hope 
that the right attention will be given to ensuring that the accused has his basic rights.

http://www.rozbrat.org/dokumenty/miedzynarodowe/4593-list-protestacyjny-w-sprawie-rodrigo-lanzy-wysany-do-ambasady-krolestwa-hiszpanii-w-imieniu-sis-qulicaq

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Message: 7





London Anarchist Communists supported the demonstration on 16th January against the 
Elephant and Castle development(see previous blog posts.  The demo marched from the 
occupied London College of Communications to the Southwark Council building, and was 
lively and vocal. A large part of the demonstration then gained access to the building. 
---- The bid by the developer Delancey was rejected at the council planning committee with 
3 votes in favour, 4 against and 1 abstention. This means a delay for the bid, but as 
usually happens a revised bid will probably be put forward. Nevertheless a small victory! 
---- Delancey cynically ofered only 3% social rented  housing as part of the development 
bid compared to the 35% affordable housing, of which 50% must be at social rents, which 
they need to build to remain compliant with Southwark council's minimum standards.

We have to remain vigilant and mobilise for Delancey's next move!

https://londonacg.blogspot.co.il/2018/01/the-elephant-in-council-chamber.html

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Message: 8





The cops expected between 200 and 300 people at yesterdays demonstration against the 
Turkish military aggression in Afrin (Rojava), but 1000 people joined the demonstration in 
Wuppertal, Germany. Among the 4 arrested people on a solidarity with Afrin demo in 
Hannover, Germany today were 2 minors. On Saturday there will be similar demo in Cologne. 
According to German mainstream media reports, organizers expect 20.000 people. Anarchists 
are calling for an anti-authoritarian block on Saturdays demonstration in Cologne. 
Anarchists in Afrin, Rojava need financial support for food. They started a fundraiser 
(link in the aricle). ---- Activists chanted "Erdogan terrorist!" during yesterdays 
demonstration in Wuppertal. Again and again cops filmed protesters with YPG and YPJ flags 
but did not arrest people  who were waving the flags which are banned in Germany. The 
reason the cops filmed people with the banned flags during the demo could be to gather 
evidence to arrest people later. The cops were very nervous because they didn't expect the 
high number of protesters and this was probably the reason the cops didn't dare to arrest 
people with YPG and YPJ flags during the demo.

In Hannover things were different today. Riot cops detained 4 people during a 
demonstration in the German city. The demonstration was organized in solidarity with Afrin 
and here the cops detained 2 minors, at least one of them (13 years old) was detained 
because he had a Kurdish flag (Video in Tweet below).

In Hannover there was also a demo of Turkish nationalists and fascists to "celebrate" the 
Turkish military aggression in Rojava. Erdogan's propaganda machine is claiming that the 
Turkish army is fighting ISIS (Daesh) in Syria but in reality Turkey is reanimating the 
terrorist militia. The Turkish military aggression came after ISIS lost most of the 
territories in Irak and Syria which were under their control. The YPG and YPJ were two of 
the main militias that fought against ISIS. During the ongoing Turkish attacks, Turkey is 
collaborating with jihadists again (Link in tweet below).

The Turkish army is using German tanks for their military aggression against people in 
Afrin (Rojava) and the German government is discussing a new major arms deal with the 
Turkish government at the moment. Merkel's government also expressed that although the 
government is "worried", they "understand" the Turkish military operation. Merkel's 
government is once again spreading Erdogan's propaganda. A spokesperson of the German 
foreign ministery told reporters today that Tukey has a legitimate "security interest" and 
claims that Turkey was attacked again and again from ISIS militias who operate in northern 
Syria. A cheap and blunt lie, there are no ISIS militias in Afrin. The Turkish army is 
fighting the YPG and YPJ militias that defeated ISIS in Rojava and other regions in Syria 
and these facts are also known by the German government.

It's not really surprising. German is cooperating with Turkish state security services for 
years now. Many Kurdish and Turkish activists are imprisoned in Germany. Many Kurdish 
flags are banned and German cops raided many offices of Kurdish and Turkish opposition 
groups in the past years. In Munich cops even raided an apartment last year, because 
somebody allegedly posted a Kurdish symbol on Facebook. The Turkish army doesn't only kill 
YPG and YPJ fighters but also many civilians were massacred by Erdogan's lackeys in 
uniform in the past week and the German government continues to support Erdogan's 
murderous policies. Capitalism kills!

On Saturday there will be a huge demo in solidarity with Afrin in Cologne, Germany. 
Activists are mobilizing across Germany and according to mainstream media the organizers 
expect 20.000 people. City authorities in Cologne have forbidden organizers to hand out 
free food and drinks to the protesters on Saturday. The organizers are now going to court 
to fight this absurd ban.

Anarchists are calling (Warning Facebook Link) for an anti-authoritarian block at the 
demonstration in Cologne. They call all anarchists, libertarian communists, feminists and 
antifascists to join the block.

The starting gathering for the demo in solidarity with Afrin will start at January 27, 
10:00am on Ebertplatz in Cologne, Germany.

On Wednesday January 31, 2018 there will be a Rojava info event in the autonomous center 
in Wuppertal, Germany. Activists of the Kurdish movement that live in Wuppertal will speak 
about the situation in Rojava. The info event will start at 08:00pm in the autonomous 
center (AZ) in the Markomannenstraße 3 in Wuppertal. You will find more information 
(German); here (Warning Facebook Link).

https://www.facebook.com/events/155784201874525/

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Message: 9





Last year during the national elections campaign, Class War Scotland member David McHarg 
was arrested twice because of a poster that was displayed on his window. The poster read: 
"Fuck off you Tory cunts". ---- The first time the police had visited David McHarg in May 
2017. Upon David's absence, the cops demanded that his wife remove the offending poster. 
She refused, explaining that the poster is her husband's property and it is not for her to 
decide what to do with it. The polce conducted two more visits at David's, during which he 
refused to remove the sign, or to give any personal details. Eventually David was arrested 
for  'threatening or abusive behaviour' under Section 38, The Criminal Justice and 
Licencing (Scotland) Act 2012 and for ‘failure to give details as a witness' under the 
Court Section 13-14, The Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995. However, initially David 
wasn't even charged: instead, he was taken to the police station, where he was made to 
wait for 9 hours, and was subjected to anal cavity search.

David is a member of Class War Scotland. He says that ‘It was done to humiliate me, 
because they were obviously aware of my political standing which is anarchist'.

David's trial  took place mid- January at Glasgow Sheriff Court and the case has been 
adjourned till June. If David is found guilty, he plans to seek the help of Amnesty 
International and to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights.

David McHarg is invoking his Article 10 right to ‘freedom of expression' under the Human 
Rights Act 1998. Article 10 protects the right to hold ones own opinions and to express 
them freely ‘without government interference' This includes the right to express your 
views in public (for example through public protest and demonstrations) or through 
published articles, books, leaflets,  television or radio broadcasting works of art, and 
the internet and social media.

It isn't the first time the cops interfere with Article 10. Another similar case occurred 
in 2010 during the Parliamentary Elections, when officers invaded David Hoffman's home in 
East London and insisted on the removal of a poster displayed on his front window showing 
the face of David Cameron with the word "WANKER" printed underneath. The civil case took 
place in the High Court. David Hoffman claimed that this treatment amounted to an unlawful 
interference with his Article 10 right to ‘freedom of expression' under the Human Rights 
Act 1998. The Metropolitan Police accepted Hoffman's claim and provided him a letter of 
apology.

According to NETPOL (The Network for Police Monitoring), "Powers given to the police to 
deal with anti-social behaviour are increasingly being used to gather information on 
participants in political protest." In the same article it is also stated that over the 
years the police have misconstrued a wide variety of protest activity, including 
demonstrations, handing out leaflets and sit-down protests, as ‘anti-social behaviour'. 
This operation is constantly used to obtain the names and addresses of those taking part, 
and David McHarg is yet another victim of such policy.

https://freedomnews.org.uk/class-war-scotland-member-on-trial-for-displaying-a-poster-on-his-window/

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Message: 10






https://londonacg.blogspot.co.il/2018/01/abolish-universal-credit.html ---- ( A leaflet 
from October 1896 for a meeting of London Anarchist Communists to 'bid farewell to Louise 
Michel and Pietro Gori on their departure to America on a lecturing tour'. The meeting at 
the Club & Institute Union Hall in Holborn also featured the prominent anarchists Errico 
Malatesta and Sebastian Faure, as well as Tom Mann  one of the leaders of the 1889 dock 
strike in London.) ---- Abolish Universal Credit! ---- The May government is bringing in 
Universal Credit (UC) by stages. It replaces Job Seekers Allowance, Income Support, ESA, 
Housing Benefit, Tax Credits and Working Tax Credits. At the moment there are 590,000 
people on Universal Credit in England and Wales, with around 50,000 new claims each month. 
---- The Tories have been planning this since the 2010 Election and have been slowly 
introducing Universal Credit since 2013

Lies
·        The Tories say it will encourage more people back to work
·        It will be more efficient than previous benefits
·        It will improve people's lives and raise their incomes

Facts
·        More people back to work?- in minimum wage, zero hour contract or other 
unreliable jobs!
·        More efficient? You can only apply for Universal Credit online, and only get 
messages about UC online. But many don't have the internet at home, and with the closing 
of many public libraries with free internet access, many a will be forced to pay to use a 
cybercafé.  Already, people have to wait six weeks or longer to receive their first UC 
payment. This causes hardship to many who have no savings to rely on.

Billions taken from the unemployed, the disabled, the needy

·        When fully implemented millions will be worse off. What this is really about is 
cutting the Social security
·        Housing subsidy will be cut creating more homeless
·        Disability elements cut or abolished completely
·        Some rates lower than current benefit rates
·        Support for child care massively cut
·        Easier sanctioning forcing people off UC to live on nothing
·        UC will be time-limited

Facts
·        Many have already turned to Citizens Advice already- one in ten of those already 
claiming UC
·        The six weeks already means referrals to food banks, many getting in arrears with 
their rent, and evictions. One foodbank has said that its referrals have doubled. Two 
south London boroughs have said that half of the claimants there have gone into further 
debt as a result.
·        "While the Universal Credit will in many cases increase the financial incentive 
for one person in couple households to move into some form of employment, incentives for 
many second earners will be weakened in comparison to the current situation...This will 
particularly affect women as they are more likely to be the second earners in households 
and they usually earn less than men and do more informal caring work. Worryingly, the 
Government finds ‘that any such risk of decreased work incentives for women in couples is 
justified.' ... this could mark the start of a return to a ‘male breadwinner model' in 
which men do paid work and women stay at home to look after children and other 
dependants." (Women's Budget Group)

The Way Forward

Universal Credit could be the equivalent of the Poll Tax for the May regime. The Thatcher 
government's very unpopular Poll Tax resulted in mass non-payment, riots and the eventual 
resignation of Thatcher.

This government is weak and fragile and mass resistance could topple it. But we have to 
turn the despair at worsening conditions into a positive anger and a determination to 
resist. But don't rely on the Labour Party to help. All they can offer is not abolition of 
UC but a tinkering with it.

Already the Tories have been forced to climb down over the 55p a minute Universal Credit 
helpline charge. As well as that, twelve back bench Tory MPs are worried about a Poll Tax 
style scenario and about their seats and asked the Work and Pensions Secretary David Gauke 
to pause the roll out back in September 2017.

The message has to be NO! We won't pay for your crisis!

London Anarchist Communists

Text of leaflet for Universal Credit this Saturday Jan 27th at 1pm, Trafalgar Square

https://londonacg.blogspot.co.il/2018/01/abolish-universal-credit.html

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