Today's Topics:
1. ait russia: Lebanon rebels against austerity [machine
translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
2. anarkismo.net: The Struggle is Contagious in Latin America!
- repudiation of the Clarin newspaper note dated 10/21/2019 by
Anarchist Federation of Rosario - FAR (ca, it, pt) [machine
translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
3. France, Union Communiste Libertaire AL #298 - The strength
of women changes the world (fr, it, pt)[machine translation]
(a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
4. [Belarus] Grodno, Minsk, Brest: A Series of Anarchist
Actions Against Military Recruitment and the Deferral Law By ANA
[machine translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
5. Britain, anarchist communist group ACG: Ecuador - Mass
Mobilisations Against Austerity (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
6. Czech, AFED: Actions in support of Rojava continue - Support
the 2nd November international protest against the Turkish
invasion of Rojava [machine translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
7. Britain, anarchist communist group ACG: Lebanon - Mass
Resistance (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
8. Czech, AFED - France: "Nobody likes the police" - The 49th
Yellow Vest protest was marked by the interconnection of
struggles. (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Lebanon became another country where the working masses and the poor rebelled against the
arrogance of the rich and the incessant neoliberal attack on the living conditions of
ordinary people. This time, overflowing the chalice of patience, this time was the
decision of the government to introduce a mandatory daily fee for using voice calls in
instant messengers, in particular, WhatsApp. But the explosion was brewing for a long
time. ---- In an attempt to get away from economic problems, those in power habitually
decided to shift the burdens onto the shoulders of the working people and introduce a
number of new taxes. ---- Lebanon has one of the largest public debt in the world. The
government wanted to introduce new taxes to reduce the budget deficit in order to unlock $
11 billion of economic assistance promised by international donors. According to the
Ministry of Finance, Lebanon's national debt is about $ 86 billion, which is more than
150% of GDP. In September, Prime Minister Hariri introduced a "state of emergency in the
national economy" and announced the cabinet's intention to reduce the state budget deficit
by fiscal year 2020 by almost 7%. The Hariri government took unpopular measures to reduce
social payments and pension benefits to public sector employees and military personnel
with the expectation of receiving large financial assistance and avoiding default (
https://www.bbc.com/russian/news-50108679 )
From the 10th of October, riots began to erupt in the country, and the WhatsApp tax was
the last straw.
The population found out that there will be a fee for using any VoIP services in popular
instant messengers. According to the plan, for every day of using voice calls on WhatsApp
and Facebook Messenger, as well as for FaceTime calls, Lebanese residents will have to pay
20 cents (about 13 rubles). After the news spread through local communication channels,
the unrest and protests in the evening of October 17 began to develop into mass riots
(https://www.popmech.ru/technologies/news-515382-nalog-na-golos-v-whatsapp-vyzval-massovye-besporyadki/)
On October 17, thousands of Lebanese spontaneously took to the streets, demanding the
departure of predatory power. Protesters built barricades of burning tires and stopped
traffic. The performances were the largest in scale for many years. In clashes with police
using tear gas, dozens of people were injured. "The people are demanding the fall of the
regime," chanted protesters gathered in Riad al-Solkh's Beirut Square. "We are not here
because of WhatsApp," one of the participants of Abdullah explained to correspondents, "we
are here because of everything: fuel, food, bread, everything." Many also expressed
outrage at the authorities' inaction in the fight against forest fires - the largest in
the country in decades.
After a few hours, the authorities abolished the WhatsApp tax, but this did not satisfy
the protesters
(https://www.popmech.ru/technologies/news-515382-nalog-na-golos-v-whatsapp-vyzval-massovye-besporyadki/)
On October 18, police in the center of Beirut used water cannons and tear gas to disperse
the demonstrators. Hundreds of thousands of protesters blocked roads in the Lebanese
capital, burned tires and garbage in the streets. They accuse the authorities of
corruption and theft, saying they will not stop the protests until the government resigns.
Participant of the protest rally: "I need to undergo hemodialysis regularly. During the
gasoline crisis, I begged at the gas station to give me a little to get to the hospital,
but they refused. I am a sick woman. My son lives abroad. Treatment is expensive. The
bills for drugs gasoline ... I can barely make ends meet. "
As a result of clashes between protesters and law enforcement officers, at least 200
people were injured at the government building, including 60 police officers (
https://ru.euronews.com/2019/10/18/lebanon-friday-update )
On October 19, protesters again took to the streets. They began to build barricades in the
streets leading to the Martyrs Square in the center of the capital. At the same time, they
used garbage containers, concrete blocks and materials from construction sites. The night
before, when street battles became especially intense, and now attacks were taking place
on shops, offices and construction sites. Demonstrators chanted slogans and sang songs in
front of the residence of the Prime Minister. Having prepared for volleys of tear gas,
many protesters put on masks and goggles for swimming.
Thousands of young people gathered in Riad al-Solha Square. They sang and chanted.
Authorities closed universities until Saturday. Schools and banks also stopped working.
South of Martyrs Square, an unfinished building was set on fire, and protesters did not
allow firefighters to enter. Police were not allowed into areas under the control of the
protesters, but ambulances could travel freely. After a few hours, the fire went out by
itself.
With the onset of darkness, clashes began to boil again on Solkh Square. The protesters
bravely resisted the gas. However, this time the security forces managed to take control
of the city center by 23.00
(https://www.middleeasteye.net/gallery/pictures/Clashes-Lebanon-protesters-demand-leaders-quit).
On October 19, performances continued. In the middle of the day, people with state flags
began to gather outside the government building in Beirut. Protesters demanded a complete
review of Lebanon's political system. The center of Beirut was like a war zone. The
streets were littered with broken glass, overturned trash cans and the remains of burnt
tires. Banks and many restaurants and shops were closed. Protests that began spontaneously
swept all regions of the country. In northern Lebanon, in Tripoli, the country's second
largest city, protesters also gathered to launch fireworks and demand a change of power.
In Beirut, troops reopened blocked motorways after police used tear gas and water cannons
to disperse the Friday crowd of protesters. According to police, 70 people were arrested
and charged with theft and arson ( https://www.bbc.com/russian/news-50108679 )
On October 20, according to local media, one million seven hundred thousand people took
part in anti-government demonstrations in Beirut and six other cities. The frightened
prime minister announced a new anti-crisis plan, promising to increase taxes on incomes of
banks and insurance companies and to cancel all previous decisions to reduce social
payments and pensions to public sector employees. However, the demonstrators refused to
accept these concessions. They continued to demand the departure of all authorities and
called for a revolution ( https://ru.euronews.com/2019/10/21/lebanon-night-latest )
Here's what you could hear from the protesters:
"People can no longer tolerate this." There are no good schools left, no light, no water.
Even the basic needs of the Lebanese are not satisfied, everyone came here with such
requirements.
- Here you can feel powerful energy. I see that people from all regions take to the
streets - this in itself exudes energy. I see Sunnis, Shiites, Christians and Druze - and
it doesn't matter where someone came from, how or why - everyone joins forces
(https://ru.euronews.com/2019/10/20/lebanon-historic-protests-government-concessions)
On October 21, a general strike was declared in the country. On this day, 2 million people
participated in the demonstrations - a third of the country's population. The country was
paralyzed - banks, state institutions, universities, schools and large shops were closed.
Barricades began to be built right on the streets and mass clashes with the police took
place. The military used rubber bullets to disperse the demonstrators in the center of
Lebanon's capital Beirut. Police officers used tear gas and water cannons to disperse
activists. As of October 22, a tent city with protesters remained in the center of Beirut.
Activists also blocked the main motorways of the country
(https://www.obozrevatel.com/abroad/vyishla-tret-stranyi-livan-nakryili-mnogomillionnyie-protestyi-foto-i-video.htm)
On October 21, the Prime Minister urged the parties of the government to support his
"anti-crisis plan," making significant concessions to the protesters. The Lebanese
government approved on Monday an anti-crisis program and a draft state budget for fiscal
year 2020, refusing to introduce new taxes and cutting ministers by 50%. The authorities
refused to introduce new taxes in the draft budget and will provide financial assistance
to poor families. The Central Bank of Lebanon and commercial banks will allocate $ 3.5
billion to the government to implement urgent measures to stabilize the economy. The
salary of ministers and members of parliament will be reduced by 50% in response to a wave
of mass protests that swept the country. Revenues of banks and insurance companies will be
increased by 25%. (Truth, the prime minister immediately promised the privatization of the
telecommunications sector). In order to save state funds, the country's information
ministry and a number of separate departments are being abolished. The cabinet decided to
allocate $ 160 million to support housing loans for the population. The Lebanese prime
minister also announced the authorities' intention to cancel all previous decisions to
reduce social payments and pensions to public sector employees and military personnel,
which caused discontent among citizens.
Addressing the participants in the mass demonstrations in Beirut, the prime minister said:
"It's your protest actions that inspired the cabinet to make today's decisions." He said
that if protesters insist on holding early parliamentary elections, he will support this
demand. "We hear the voice of a people that requires a decent life," he emphasized
(https://www.finanz.ru/novosti/aktsii/kabmin-livana-prinyal-antikrizisny-plan-bez-novykh-nalogov-i-sokrativ-zarplaty-ministram-1028615550)
But this did not satisfy the protesters. The whole system causes their anger, but, first
of all, the banks and the political elite of the country. It was banks that benefited from
the economic policy of recent years. Moreover, many of these banks belong to politicians
and their relatives.
On October 22, a protest took place in front of the Central Bank in Beirut. "We don't want
to pay for the debts that you transferred to us," the demonstrators chanted.
The main causes of anger are austerity policies and corrupt elite dominance. No wonder the
French Internet magazine Mediapart links protests in Chile, Lebanon, Ecuador and other
countries with a common headline: "The stormy sunset of the neoliberal empire."
Observers draw attention to the general features of recent protests in Lebanon, Iraq and
Algeria. Their main driving force is youth. Unemployment among people under 25 reaches
37%, every year 30 thousand university graduates remain unemployed, the Lebanese newspaper
An-Nahar reported in August, warning of imminent social upheavals.
The fact that the authorities have now decided to place part of the burden on banks
demonstrates the pressure the government has faced. Among the promised reforms is the fact
that banks will have to pay off debts from which they make a profit. The concession to the
protesters was also the reduction of salaries to deputies and the dissolution of the
Ministry of Information. This also includes the reduction of state subsidies to sectors
affected by corruption, the adoption of a new law against the embezzlement of state money,
the rejection of new taxes, the acceleration of the construction of new power plants, and
a substantial increase in payments to old people and families. Privatization of
telecommunications, although this is a neoliberal measure, but it is designed to reassure
those who were outraged by the increase in fees for instant messengers ...
The effects of austerity policies in Lebanon are felt as never before. Firefighters lack
funds. Power supply is becoming more and more expensive. Due to power outages, many
families acquire their own generators, which are also expensive. The deplorable state of
social services has been talked about for many years. Lebanon has recently been hit by a
"garbage crisis" ...
The current protests are still distinguished by the fact that they crossed political and
religious borders. They occur not only in Beirut, but also in other cities. Protests
reject orientation to political parties. They are directed against the leaders of clans
and billionaires. The roots of discontent go much deeper. People are outraged by the
contempt for the general population on the part of the political elite, which draws its
benchmarks from the dogmas of the World Economic Forum. They would like to "throw away the
entire political elite." But they see, alas, no other way to do this, except by requiring
a temporary "non-partisan" government ...
(https://www.heise.de/tp/features/Libanon-Proteste-gegen-Banken-und-die-politische-Elite-4564703.html)
+++
"Overthrow everything!" - read the banner held by a small group of demonstrators in Beirut
against the night sky. Observers note the very creative nature of the protests that swept
Lebanon from Tire in the south to Tripoli in the north and set out to conquer the
ever-ruling country, which is enough for them. People not only demonstrate, they bring
into the movement the notes of carnival. In Tripoli, the DJ brought his installation to
the balcony and turned the demonstration into a disco party. In Beirut, wedding couples
crowded into the ranks of the demonstration. When one of the motorists, whose car was
stuck in the midst of the crowds, screamed that her child was scared, the crowd
spontaneously sang a popular children's song for him. Protesters mockingly abuse the
powers that be, remembering their mother and genitals ... They mock even the powerful
Hezbollah - this state in the state.
The country has not known protests of this magnitude since 2005, when it was shocked by
powerful demonstrations after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri.
But then the Sunnis, Druze and some Christians stood on one side, Shiites and other
Christians on the other. Now the situation is different. Dissatisfaction is widespread.
" Today, the Lebanese are united as rarely, furious at the arrogance, the eternal
falsehood of the rulers of all factions. The infrastructure was destroyed during the
years. Ambulances donated from Europe, rot at customs, because that - illegally - also
wants to bribes. In within a few weeks of forest burned and could not be extinguished,
because the donated fire helicopters never came. Despite repeated denials, the central
bank's holdings of foreign currency due to expire, after which the filling stations have
already went on strike for one on the day, because importers can no longer pay for the
gasoline. Bakery shops are close to closure because their importers have no dollars left
for flour, "the German magazine Spiegel describes the position of a country that once had
the best infrastructure in the entire Middle East.
"But now people are raising their voices. For the first time since 2015, when the collapse
of the garbage collection plunged the whole country into smoke and the smell of decay. But
there are much more people on the streets than then. And unlike 2015, when there are
dangerous thugs from the Shiite party." Amal's Parliament Speaker Nabi Berry burst in and
beat demonstrators, former militias lose their militants: hundreds of tough Amal guys
appeared on their scooters in central Beirut this weekend, but this time to protect the
protesters. They rattled and buzzed water guns and police on Distance and made it clear
who owned their sympathy: the street. "
"The protests continue. Schools and universities are closed, public life freezes. All
politicians these days express sympathy for those who wish them hell. Because nothing else
occurs to them, but also because they can still assume that in the end, nothing will
change. As in 2015: then they also demanded an end to corruption and demanded the
resignation of politicians
"(https://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/proteste-im-libanon-stuerzt-alles-analyse-a-1292791.html).
In other words: a change in the faces of those in power does not change anything. The
system itself is subject to change.
https://aitrus.info/node/5343
------------------------------
Message: 2
The Clarin newspaper once again stars in a media operation to criminalize popular struggle
and Anarchism. ---- Based on sources from the Ministry of National Security, our
organization is mentioned in the framework of the government's concern about the
possibility of "contagion" of the wave of popular struggles in the region. Thus, the FAR
would be monitored by the Ministry of Security conducted by Patricia Bullrich; the note
says verbatim: "But the movements of the Anarchist Federation of Rosario also follow
closely." ---- We do not want to extend much here in the macartist and even in violation
of the bourgeois legality itself implied by the measure taken by the Ministry of Security
in coordination with the Clarin newspaper. Something that also our organization has been
suffering through publications of reports full of extravagant accusations, along with
other organizations of the popular field, due to our active militancy in numerous unions,
neighborhood organizations and the student movement.
We want to take the opportunity to confirm the thesis of the Ministry and its operators of
the Clarín group: THE POPULAR FIGHTS IN LATIN AMERICA WILL BE CONTAGED THROUGHOUT THE
TERRITORY. We understand that this is not going to happen only because of the media
coverage, or because of the vexations that the neoliberal governments have provided to our
peoples, but also because, from our political organizations, we have been holding
coordination, articulations and meetings for a common strategy of Socialism for decades.
and Freedom for all Latin America.
We will continue to support the struggle of the Chilean people, who today live a fierce
repression with an increasing number of deaths and other atrocities, and we will continue
from our social insertion encouraging and encouraging the popular sectors to organize
ourselves based on our own class interests without waiting None of the above.
In our country there are hundreds of daily layoffs, a real attack on the living conditions
of those below and it would be naive to think that the upcoming elections can
significantly reverse this situation. We know that only with independence of class and
direct action is how a strong people is forged.
FOR THE TRIUMPH OF THE POPULAR FIGHT IN CHILE AND IN ALL LATIN AMERICA!
FOR SOCIALISM AND FREEDOM
ABOVE LXS THAT FIGHT!
Related Link: https://federacionararquistaderosario.blogspot.com/
https://www.anarkismo.net/article/31622
------------------------------
Message: 3
All over the world, revolutionary women are organizing and fighting more than ever to
defend their rights, denounce macho violence, fight patriarchy and capitalism. ---- On
March 8, 2018, Zapatista women organized a meeting that brought together 8,000 women from
around the world who are struggling. They then affirmed the need to end the patriarchal
capitalist system. Across Latin America, numerous events are organized to denounce
feminicides under the slogan " Ni una menos " (" not one less "). In Brazil, women took to
the streets against the election of the far-right candidate Bolsonaro, taking over " Ele
Nao " ( not him ). On March 8, 2018 and 2019, women managed to unite and gather in
millions in the main Spanish cities. ---- Kurdish women are building a strong anti-tribal
feminist movement and are preparing a World Women's Meeting for 2020.
Let us rely on these experiences, find the strength to get together and organize
ourselves. Without us, women, the world does not work !
Our libertarian feminism is at the crossroads of the struggles against all the
exploitations and all the oppressions. He is anti-capitalist, ecologist and anti-racist.
Libertarian feminists, we fight against all oppressions
Our democratic aspirations are anti-state. We do not believe that the strengthening of the
State is a solution, but rather that it is part of the problem, in particular because it
makes work more precarious, contributes to the destruction of public services, tramples
our social conquests (closing of maternity , family planning, and IVG centers ...). Women
are the first victims of these deadly policies. As for the police and justice, not only do
they not protect women, but leave them prey to their attackers and murderers. The number
of feminicides throughout the world and in France continues to increase. The blows to
women's bodies are daily. The laws are inadequate, and the means are derisory in the face
of this emergency.
If we struggle to improve our living conditions here and now, we are also fighting to
abolish patriarchy.
Patriarchy is a political, economic and social system based on the sexual division of
labor through domestic exploitation and the domination of our bodies, our lives and our
sexualities. It is based on the physical, psychic and economic submission of women. Any
deviation from these assignments is sanctioned to ensure the maintenance of social and
gender order. As such, we affirm that feminist and anti-LGBTIphobia struggles are closely
linked and must be carried side-by-side without erasing their specificities.
No place escapes violence, no place will escape our vigilance
That's why we are revolutionary, invested in our unions, our associations, our places of
work, of life, our collectives. Today it is fundamental to unite, to stand together and we
call all those who find themselves in these values to organize with us to carry out our
struggles.
The organization is a weapon ! We now call on women to organize themselves, to build
counter-powers everywhere, to develop solidarities and spaces for emancipation, to join us
in the libertarian communist union. Long live those who fight ! All united we will overcome !
https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?La-force-des-femmes-change-le-monde
------------------------------
Message: 4
Belarussian anarchists continue to campaign against the recently introduced "deferral"
law, which brings even younger people into slavery. In Minsk, Grodno and Brest leaflets
were distributed about the new law and methods to combat it. In one of the military
registration and enlistment offices in Brest hung the banner "Army Deputies, Students to
Study." ---- Self-organization in small groups and street campaigns to attract people -
this is how you can start a protest activity. If you let the authorities easily pass this
law, it will only get worse. A military recruitment in the Belarusian army is something
that can affect you or your loved one, child or friend. And the consequences of service
can not only damage the future of your life, but also end it completely, as was the case
with many who died in the military. Our lack of action only helps the bad guys with power.
Join the fight!
>> Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcvjLKCmk-U
Source:
https://revbel.org/en/2019/09/grodno-minsk-brest-ceriya-aktsij-anarhistov-protiv-prizyva-i-zakona-ob-otsrochkah/
Translation> Brulego
anarchist news agency-ana
------------------------------
Message: 5
A huge wave of unrest lasting 12 days hit Ecuador in October. The International Monetary
Fund had insisted that the government of Lenin Moreno stop fuel subsidies. This followed a
$4.2 billion loan agreed by the IMF, with the condition that the Moreno regime install
austerity measures. The end of fuel subsidies resulted in a big rise in fuel prices and
then in basic goods. This unleashed a tidal wave of popular anger. What was striking about
these mobilisations was that they involved a wide front of indigenous peasants, workers,
and students. Thousands of indigenous people poured into the capital of Quito. Moreno was
forced to flee with his government to the coastal town of Guayaquil and to announce a
return of the subsidies.
This was after horrendous attacks on demonstrators by the military and the police, who
used rubber bullets and tear gas, ran over protestors with motor cycles, and employed
savage beatings. At least five demonstrators have died during the days of unrest. An
indigenous leader, Tucumbi, was beaten to death by the police. Thousand gathered at the
funeral wake and captured ten cops, forcing four of them to carry the casket of the
murdered Tucumbi. In other areas military and police were overwhelmed by protestors and
captured.
Oil fields, power plants and government buildings were occupied. Transport workers came
out on a general strike and blockaded roads, including the main road to Quito
International Airport, causing cancellations of flights. Moreno declared a state of
emergency but the combination of indigenous people, workers and youth stopped him in his
tracks. Moreno had originally been elected as a Venezuela-style populist leftist and to
root out corruption among high officials but he quickly began implementing measures
dictated by the IMF. The retreat of the government from Quito to Guayaquil is
unprecedented in Ecuadorean history, and indicates the strength of the masses when they
are united.
https://www.anarchistcommunism.org/2019/10/23/ecuador-mass-mobilisations-against-austerity/
------------------------------
Message: 6
On our site, we have reported in recent days about several actions ( HERE , HERE , HERE ,
HERE and HERE ) to support the social revolution in Rojava, Northern Siberia, which the
Turkish army is de facto trying to suppress with the tacit support of the powers. ---- In
addition, there were many other public or symbolic protests. In Pilsen emerged stickers
"No war on northern Syria," and the front of the cafe was Druzhba opportunity to light a
candle under a portrait brutally executed Kurdish political Hevriny Khalaf with the words
"A long night came, and after no morning ..." In Brno, the 16th October held a
demonstration against Turkish aggression. About 300 demonstrators with banners and Kurdish
flags came to express solidarity with the people of northern Syria on Dominican Square.
The demonstration was followed by a screening of the film Rojava: The Hidden Syrian
Revolution in the Siberia Community Center. Today (October 23) was a happening in Brno
directed by the group Solidarity with Rojava Brno condemning, among other things, the
policy of powers reminiscent of "Munich". In OstravaOn October 16, a protest gathering was
organized by a local team of Food not Bombs, attended by 150 people who chanted to march
through the city to the New Town Hall building. A banner was still displayed in the city
against Erdogan. The banner "# Riseup4Rojava" was posted on the Hodonín Bridge . Pirates
held small public protests in Jihlava on 16 and 21 October. On Monday, October 21, several
hundred people arrived at the Pirates demonstration in Prague .
Not a Turkish invasion!
The Committee for the Defense of the Revolution in Rojava has launched its Facebook page,
which can be found here:
https://www.facebook.com/rojava.info
In its statement, the Committee praised the government's suspension of arms exports to
Turkey after lengthy steps, as well as the condemnation of the Turkish invasion by the
Chamber of Deputies as a violation of international law. Continues to demand fulfillment
and other requirements:
- immediate announcement of a no-fly zone over northern Syria UN Security Council
- in addition to the imposition of economic sanctions on Turkey exclusion of Turkey from
the European Customs Union
- suspended (or right end) Turkey's membership in NATO
- finding and deportation agents Turkish secret services of the EU
- Erdogan prosecuted as war crimes and its position before the international court.
In response to pressure on the Czech government, the Committee announced a photo campaign
"No Turkish invasion!". Anyone can join it. Just do the following:
- take the paper and the marker, write "#NTTurkeyInvazi" on it,
- take a picture with the hashtag paper (if you have a business trip to Turkey, consider
not covering your face, for example)
- send a photo of the Committee message to his Facebook page or email to
rojava-info@riseup.net).
There are no limits to creativity. The photographs will then be published on the FB
Committee with the names of the coalition party chairmen and the foreign minister.
International mobilization against the occupation of Rojava
As part of World Day of Resistance against the Turkish invasion of Rojava on 2 November,
the Committee for the Defense of the Rojava Revolution convened a demonstration in the
center of Prague. Invite all your friends, friends and relatives and get together as many
people as possible in the streets!
In a statement to the action, he writes: "In the shadow of the civil war, a revolutionary
and democratic social project has been successful in northern Syria for the past seven
years, which has been a thorn in the eyes of both regional powers and imperialist states
from the outset. Companies in northern Syria have managed to create their own
self-government and an oasis of peace, based on the equal coexistence of all groups of the
population, the liberation of women, the green economy and radical democracy. The
Democratic Federation of Northern Syria has become a living example of the peaceful and
democratic future of the Middle East, far from today's despotism and foreign supremacy.
Finally, the People's Defense Forces of Northeast Syria, the Syrian Democratic Forces,
have successfully crushed the last remnants of the Turkey-backed Islamic State Caliphate.
"We will report on the details of the demonstration.
As long as killing continues, resistance must also continue.
https://www.afed.cz/text/7055/pokracuji-akce-na-podporu-rojavy
------------------------------
Message: 7
Placard says "Government and ruling class - leave!" ---- Anger against austerity measures
and tax rises in Lebanon erupted recently with five days of unrest which united workers
across the various religious divides in a country where 18 different religious groupings
are recognised. Youth unemployment runs at 37%, whilst wages remain low and the cost of
living soars. Corruption is rampant whilst water and electricity supplies are skeletal.
More than 25% of the Lebanese population live below the poverty line. ---- This has
contributed to the number of Lebanese living outside of the country, 14 million as opposed
to 6 million who remain. Just 1% own 58% of the wealth. In scenes echoing the disturbances
in Chile and Ecuador, workers came out on the streets and demanded the resignation of the
government , a coalition led by the Prime Minister Saad Hariri.
Workers blockaded the capital of Beirut and the port town of Tripoli. In Chile it was the
metro fare rises that was the last straw, in Lebanon it was the government's proposal of
putting a levy on Whatsapp and similar internet-based telephone services, in a country
where telephone charges are some of the highest in the world.
As elsewhere in the world, the Hariri government called out the police who brutally
attacked the crowds with water cannon and tear gas. This resulted in many injuries among
protestors. The government was able to mobilise large numbers of police against the
protests, but days before were unable to control the forest fires that raged in 100 places.
On the second day of the protests, there were calls for the resignation of the entire
government. Slogans chanted included "Revolution, revolution" and "We are one people
united against the State". Four ministers resigned and Hariri was forced to back down on
tax rises. A general strike was then declared on 21st October and the government were
forced to put forward a budget halving politicians salaries and benefits and forcing both
the central state bank and private banks to contribute to the budgetary deficit.
The Hariri coalition is kept in power by the Hezbollah Shiite militia and its leader gave
support to Hariri during the unrest. However the Lebanese masses are registering their
rejection of this and are threatening the overthrow of the whole rotten elite running
Lebanon, be they Shiite, Christian or Druze.
https://www.anarchistcommunism.org/2019/10/23/lebanon-mass-resistance
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Message: 8
The 49th Yellow Vest protest took place under the slogan of solidarity with firefighters
who demonstrated on 15 October in Paris. The police intervened hard and seriously injured
one of them. The protests are gradually bringing together different professions, and this
time people of all ages from the regions have come to Paris. One of the slogans was the
commonly shared statement: "No one likes the police!" The cops were deployed in massive
numbers, using tear gas again and arresting them. So, in fact, the only change in almost a
year's ongoing protests is purely technical: because the police are confiscating the
yellow vest protesters, the protesters have decided not to use them in such numbers.
There were also protests in many other cities. This time in Toulouse, a march took place
demonstrating in places where firefighters reside and where there are many clinics and
hospitals (rescuers strike). The main motto was the unification of struggles: no one
should be subjected to such scandalous violence. What to imagine under state violence was
verified by the participants of the protest on the spot when there were clashes with the
guardians of order. The same happened in Lyon, where cops attacked people who wanted to
get to the city center. In Rouen, two cops and one demonstrator were injured in the
clashes. There were three times as many demonstrators in Valenciennes than the
heavy-armored and gendarmes, and there were also clashes. There was no incident on
Saturday's protest in Bordeaux or Lille.
"Nothing has changed in that year of protests, fuel is even more expensive, and the gap
between rich and poor is widening," one of the protestors said. Therefore, in addition to
demonstrations, roads were blocked where leaflets were handed out and chanted: "We are
here, though Macron does not like it."
https://www.afed.cz/text/7054/francie-nikdo-nema-rad-policii
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