Today's Topics:
1. Poland, Workers Initiative, Teachers' strike in the USA
[machine translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
2. avtonom, Rojava today: anarchist on the situation in
autonomy from the scene [machine translation]
(a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
3. Greece, liberta salonica: Anti-fascist-anti-anti-solidarity
rally for immigrants: Sunday 3/11, 14:00, Tsimiski with Navarinou
[machine translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
4. France, Union Communiste Libertaire AL #299 - Against the
islamophobic offensive - Redo anti-racism a popular struggle (fr,
it, pt)[machine translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
5. af rhein-ruhr - Reading Group: Worshiping Power - An
Anarchist View on early State Formation (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
6. ait russia, 51st week of yellow vests protests [machine
translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
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Message: 1
We publish an extended version of the interview with Brandon Muckian, a teacher from West
Virginia, a member of the trade union WVEA (West Virginia Education Sector Association)
and IWW (Industrial Workers of the World), an active participant in the largest wave of
strikes in years, which spilled across many US states in 2018. West Virginia teachers
demanded higher earnings, opposed raising the insurance premium and the privatization of
public schools. The interview appeared in the 52 issue of the Employee Initiative. ----
How did teachers protest in West Virginia? ---- For several months, we tried to force
trade unions from the public education sector to organize a rally for us. At the same
time, we set up a Facebook group for teachers in our state so that they can communicate
with each other. Through FB we were able to discuss our problems. We managed to network
not only teachers, but also technical workers, bus drivers, cookers, etc. Then we began to
press the unions to threaten the government with a strike if they did not meet our
demands. We demanded higher wages and opposed increases in health insurance fees.
At first, the government did not want to meet your demands and you stopped work, what did
it look like?
1/3 teachers joined the first strike action. It was to last for several days. On our
Facebook group, teachers were in favor of continuing the protest. After 4 days, the unions
said they had an agreement with the governor and we were going back to work. We discussed
together over the internet how much we dislike the decision to end the strike. Other
counties announced that they did not end it even though the unions had signed the
agreement. It was the beginning of a wild strike. This differed from the plans of our
trade unions, but in the end we forced them to support us. They did it because they knew
they would lose members and contributions otherwise. Realizing this, they began to listen
to the voices of rank members and realize their vision.
Did the unions join the protest then? How else did you press on them?
We organized ourselves independently. Using FB, we created our own events related to
various activities, from pickets to large gatherings in the capital. We organized the
first actions. The group was attended by people who stopped working together and went out
for rallies before the official strike began. This was a clear signal for trade union
representatives that they had to get involved, otherwise the entire protest would be
organized by an informal group, not the unions left behind. The unions did not want to
lose control and control over the protests. Even if the unions announced a protest in the
capital, we discussed with each other what to do best, or, for example, not better press
on some local institutions. Technically, the relationship set up an action plan, but
because we built the tools before, which enabled us to be independent and gave us
strength, we were able to force a relationship that we should follow. It was a huge
challenge for the unions.
What did you win
We got a 5% increase as much as we wanted. That's approx. USD 2,000 a year. We were able
to freeze increases in health insurance premiums for 16 months. We were also promised to
find new methods of paying for our health insurance. West Virginia has a very extensive
industry related to the extraction of natural gas. After the recession, the authorities
significantly reduced taxes for related companies, which translated into lower budget
revenues. We demanded raising taxes for industry to increase the financial resources
allocated to the needs of the local community.
Ultimately, the tax for the industry was not increased, but the fee increase for us was
blocked, so our request was met.
Before the strike, the authorities wanted to force us to pay several thousand dollars a
year for insurance. They also wanted to force us to use software that controls what we do
during the day, whether we exercise, eat well, etc. We could not let this happen. That is
why health insurance issues were very important to us.
Diet and lifestyle control? Has something like this been introduced in other industries or
workplaces?
Of course, e.g. at Disney, employees have watches with an application that checks how many
steps a day or week they take, whether they move and how often. If you don't follow the
steps, they may increase the insurance fee by saying that you are not healthy enough.
Does it look like a big interference in someone's privacy?
We would also need to fill out an online questionnaire in which they even ask about such
private things as the amount of drinks they drink in the evening.
Let's go back to the strike. What was its social reception?
Today I talked to people distributing leaflets and everyone said that they are still
behind us and will support us. A year has passed since the strike, and people are still
friendly and ready to help.
West Virginia has a very long history of the workers' movement, trade union support and
employee protests. It was here that the largest uprising against the authorities took
place since the Civil War - then the miners took up arms. In the city where I live, there
are many factories along the river that have been closed. But people still remember the
strikes of iron workers. The locals know that if a professional group calls for large
protests, you have to stand behind them. This is what history taught them, their parents
told them. We also received a lot of support from the local community. Other trade unions
also helped us, e.g. the union of miners and the union of public sector employees.
What did the strike look like? What did you do during it?
Three things. First of all, pickets, mainly in the city center, in places where there is a
lot of traffic and people could see us. We organized rallies in front of schools, when
buses with children arrived and parents brought children to school. We all dressed in red,
we held boards and banners. When the bell rang to start the lesson, all the teachers came
back to school in a group to show that we stick together and are solid.
Secondly, we went to the capital. Once upon a time hundreds or even thousands of people
gathered in a small gallery and visitors could listen to us. It looked very good in photos
and movies - we all gathered in one place.
Thirdly, we worked as volunteers in homeless shelters, food outlets, and providing dinners
to students. We wanted to show our local community that we are also fighting for them, so
that schools would be better for students. We had to do something to make our commitment
visible.
Technical staff joined the protest?
Bus drivers belong to another association. The same for nurses or cooks employed at
school. But they also took part in the strike. When the management wondered whether to
close schools for the period of the strike, they realized that buses would not go anyway,
nor would anyone cook food for them. They were eventually closed.
We may soon be forced to come up with other informal forms of resistance. The government
intends to cut the budget of public schools and redirect it to private education. At the
same time, we hear about plans to introduce legal changes for teachers during the summer.
When we're not at work, we won't be able to strike. In this case, we think of civil
disobedience such as sitting in offices in the capital, hunger strike, or other visible
and strong methods that are not formally a strike.
Has your relationship with students changed after the strike?
After the first strike, we received many positive signals from our students. Young people
appeared at our rallies and spoke through tubes. I am a teacher of contemporary US
history, I teach about the most famous protests and labor strikes in the United States,
how trade unions were formed and what happened in the nineteenth century. Students quickly
combined what they learn from history and what is happening today . Now they understand
better why they all learned it, they know that they themselves have become part of the
history of the workers' movement.
What did you learn during the strike? Certainly you have acquired experiences that are
worth sharing with others?
Do you know what a "caucus" is[circle]? This is a separate group within the union. For
example, we have black teachers. A given circle helps pressure the relationship to deal
with their specific problems, e.g. if the working conditions of black teachers are worse
than that of white teachers, the given circle will press the relationship to deal with it.
We created such a circle from members of two unions from our state calling them United
West Virginia. We decided to close the ranks to fight for public education, not afraid to
use more radical methods than the union bureaucracy. Our circle consists only of regular
members, there are no full-time trade unionists among us. We gather not only teachers but
also technical staff. Putting such a circle turned out to be a great move.
There were elections in November, but the ruling team has not changed for years. The
Democratic grouping that supports us does not have good results in states where teachers
protested and in which informal exits were organized for rallies: in West Virginia, in
Oklahoma, Arizona, Kentucky. State elections are held every two years, after their
completion, the new authorities began to take revenge on the teachers for the strike,
coming up with new regulations. This had a very negative impact on teachers' morale.
Thanks to our circle, however, we were still in touch and still united. In February this
year we went out on strike again. It lasted two days. We protested against the
privatization of schools and their transformation into corporations. The wheels exerted
such strong pressure on the unions that they had to listen to us and do everything to
block this process.
Are you in constant contact with other schools?
United West Virginia includes volunteers whose task is to map schools and people who
support us. They check who is suitable to perform specific tasks, has specific skills or
willingness, but also who knows who, who has what contacts. We have a list of such people
and if necessary we can quickly communicate with each of our state.
It looks like your fight is endless? Are you not tired
We're all exhausted. Teachers have exhausting work, and when it ends we don't have time
off. We hang on the phone all the time, create agitation and information materials,
organize meetings and talk to the local community and parents, etc.
You said earlier that you may be forced to resume protests once again?
Yes, it's possible. We don't know what will happen and we are still discussing various
possible scenarios. In addition, since IWW has put more emphasis on the development of
international contacts, we have been trying to act so that the spark in the global labor
movement of the education sector does not go out. We show solidarity with teachers in
Poland. If there is something you need from us, if we can strengthen you somehow, develop
specific information about how we organized ourselves, let us know. We will support you
with great pleasure.
http://ozzip.pl/teksty/publicystyka/walki-pracownicze/item/2535-strajk-nauczycieli-w-usa
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Message: 2
Salvador Zana is an anarchist from Western Europe. He has been conducting revolutionary
work in Kurdistan for several years. He participated in the economic committee of the
Rozhavsky canton of Jazir, educational initiatives and a number of other autonomy
projects. At the moment, Salvador is in Rojava, in the thick of things. On several pages
of the text, he gave an informal overview of the current moment, which is not often found
in the current news storm. It is important that the text debunking speculation about the
"end of Rojava," which for some time has been running in the left segment of the Internet.
---- What happened ---- On the afternoon of October 9, exactly on the twentieth
anniversary of the expulsion of Abdullah Ocalan from Syria, the Turkish state launched the
third invasion of Syria since the start of the Syrian civil war. Like the previous attacks
in Shahba (2016-2017) and Afrin (2018), it relied on various jihadist groups, which Turkey
usually calls the "Syrian National Army." They were used as infantry and supported by
aerial bombardment and artillery units of the Turkish army. The attack began on Wednesday
afternoon throughout the entire Turkish-Syrian border from Kobani (Ain al-Arab) to Derik
(Al-Malikiya). However, the main blow fell on the cities of Tel Abyad and Serekaniye (Ras
al-Ain) and the territory between them. This direction was chosen for two reasons:
firstly, the occupation of this area would allow to divide the territory controlled by the
Forces of Democratic Syria (SDS) in two, cutting off Kobani, Manbij, Raqqa and Tabka from
the regions of Jazira and Deir ez-Zora. Secondly, this area is flat and sparsely populated
territories, where many residents still have sympathy for the Islamic state and are
hostile to the SDS and the autonomous administration of northeast Syria. In addition to
this, over the summer, the SDS destroyed part of their fortifications here in accordance
with the US proposed "security mechanism." where many residents still have sympathy for
the Islamic state and are hostile to the SDS and the autonomous administration of
northeast Syria. In addition to this, over the summer, the SDS destroyed part of their
fortifications here in accordance with the US proposed "security mechanism." where many
residents still have sympathy for the Islamic state and are hostile to the SDS and the
autonomous administration of northeast Syria. In addition to this, over the summer, the
SDS destroyed part of their fortifications here in accordance with the US proposed
"security mechanism."
This part of Ankara's plan was undeniably successful. On Saturday, three days after the
start of the invasion, Tel Abyad and Suluk fell into the hands of the invaders after the
troops stationed here, who until then were loyal to the SDS, crossed over to the enemy's
side and attacked the city's defenders in the back. In most other places, such as Mabruka,
Tel Halef and other small settlements, the attack of the invaders was successfully
repelled, and the SDS launched a counterattack. On Sunday, October 13th, with the
mediation of Russia, an agreement was reached between the SDS and the Syrian army on the
deployment of Syrian regime soldiers on the border and along the front line in Manbij and
Tel Temir, and in some other cities.
The most fierce battles unfolded in Sarekania and on the outskirts of the city. In the
region, the glory of the city could well be compared to Kobani, since it was here that the
Self-Defense Units (YPG) and the Women's Self-Defense Units (YPJ) won the first
significant victory: over Jabhat al-Nusra in 2013. The city was still continuing
resistance when the United States and Turkey announced a five-day ceasefire on October 17.
At this point, Sarekania was completely surrounded by the invaders, and about 150
fighters, as well as doctors and wounded remained inside the city. On the whole, hundreds
of fighters from both sides were killed, hundreds of civilians died due to Turkish
attacks, hundreds of thousands left their homes and fled the combat zone.
SDS were not represented at the ceasefire negotiations, but nevertheless accepted it and
respected the agreement, although Turkey continued to attack with ground forces,
artillery, combat drones and airplanes, killing dozens more civilians and medical
personnel. Except in cases of direct need for self-defense, the SDS did not counterattack
and retreated from Sarekania and other areas, in accordance with the terms of the ceasefire.
With the withdrawal of American soldiers from the war zone, Russia rushed to the vacated
place. On the last day of the ceasefire, October 22, Erdogan and Putin reached a new
agreement: Self-defense units throughout northern Syria will have to retreat 30 km from
the border with Turkey, and the sole authority over the region will again transfer to
Damascus. The ceasefire was extended for 6 days, and the Turkish military operation
officially ended.
What do the different sides of the conflict want?
USA
Washington and Moscow some time ago already agreed on how to divide the Middle East among
themselves and now more and more details of this agreement are becoming clear. The United
States is concentrating on supporting its presence in Iraq and on protecting economic
interests, in particular those related to oil. At the height of the war in northern Syria,
the Pentagon approved a proposal to send another 10,000 US Army soldiers to Saudi Arabia.
Trump said that Riyadh will pay for the introduction of an additional contingent, and also
demanded payment from European states for the deployment of US troops in northern Syria.
The White House, having received guarantees from Russia that Iran would withdraw from
Israeli borders and leave Syria, gave the political future of this country to Moscow.
Conspiracy with Turkey and the subsequent abandonment by the American forces of border
areas, however, there was no concession to Moscow - the main stimulus here was the desire
to defeat the revolutionary movement, of which Erdogan was able to convince Trump of the
need. The situation became clear after a statement issued by the White House two days
before the invasion. It is also confirmed by the fact that American soldiers remain in
areas of oil fields, but have completely retreated from the zone that Turkey threatened to
attack - from the very heart of Rojava.
The Trump administration has significantly changed the vector of US foreign policy, and
these changes are likely to consolidate for many years, as they reflect new geopolitical
realities and relations. The "war on terror" is now giving priority to the fight against
opponents like China and Iran, and purely economic pressure instruments are replacing
military forces. Diplomacy becomes a less effective tool in politics while the White House
makes impulsive decisions, often initiated by Trump himself without notifying other
branches of the administration, which ultimately creates instability and inconsistency of
politics within his own American government.
Russia
Based on Kremlin support, Assad practically won the war in Syria and became completely
dependent on Moscow. Putin, to a greater extent than Trump, is currently influencing the
alignment of forces in the Middle East, and the future of Syria is now more likely being
decided on the sidelines in Astana than at NATO and UN conferences. Moscow would like to
return the north of Syria to the control of Damascus and does not encourage any hopes for
autonomy, which could damage the center's imperious manners. Putin has already invested
too much in Syria and does not want to risk his acquisitions, leaving life to the visible
embodiment of what an alternative to Assad's despotism might look like. He is also
interested in meeting the interests of Ankara, since both powers have mutual interests in
the region (the crushing of Kurdish autonomy is only one of them).
Turkey
The invasion largely serves the purpose of stabilizing and strengthening the Erdogan
regime amid the economic crisis and growing protest sentiments within the country.
However, taking this into account, one should not forget about the main goal of aggression
- to crush the liberation movement and the society behind it. Some senior Turkish
officials have openly stated their desire to change the demographic map of the region, and
the recent bombing of Derik, Kamyshlo, Kobani and dozens of other settlements outside the
borders of Turkey, which forced hundreds of thousands of residents to flee, clearly
demonstrate the seriousness of their intentions. Afrin was just a training ground for the
current invasion.
What next?
First of all, it should be said that the situation is not as gloomy as some portray it.
Autonomous rule still exists, and until now, the agreement with Damascus was exclusively
military, and the deployment of regime soldiers in the territories was symbolic. Despite
hundreds of victims, genocide and ethnic cleansing were avoided, and the Turkish war
machine was stopped.
The adoption of a ceasefire was a manifestation of force, and was indeed considered as
such by many in the region. No one doubts the readiness of the Self-Defense Units and the
Women's Self-Defense Units to fight to the end. They managed to demonstrate this readiness
in practice countless times. Having ceased fire, the comrades not only won the vital time,
but also did not allow Turkey to find an excellent opportunity to launch an even
larger-scale massacre, after which for many years the border territory would remain
cleared of all those who sympathize with the revolutionary movement. The next two weeks
will show with a high degree of probability what the further long-term development of the
situation will look like.
The October 13 agreement on the Syrian army occupying key points in northern Syria did not
significantly affect the front. This agreement was a tactical decision by the SDS and was
intended to show the States that the areas from which their troops would retreat would
most likely go not to Ankara, but to Moscow and Damascus, and thus force the Americans to
stay. If the peoples of the region are caught between Assad and Erdogan, this will mean
the end of autonomy and the phenomenon of Rojava as a social revolution. There is an
option that the region will return under the control of the regime, but the revolutionary
movement will survive underground, fighting both Turkish and Syrian forces. Or Damascus
might want to use revolutionary forces as a tool in the fight against IS and other
jihadists fueled by Turkey, so that the status quo regarding autonomy can last until the
task is completed. Assad needs foot soldiers to regain control of Idlib, Afrin and Shahba,
in addition, he may want to use the popularity of the revolutionaries in order to improve
his image in domestic politics. However, to allow them to exist means at the same time to
leave open the possibility of rebellion and separatism, which makes a truly lasting
agreement between the two parties unlikely.
If Western states retain in one form or another their presence east of the Euphrates, the
picture will be somewhat different. Even without recognition at the political level, the
conflict between the West and Russia inside Syria increases the likelihood of reaching an
agreement between the revolutionaries and Damascus on acceptable conditions that are
directly manifested in the level of political and military autonomy. At least right now,
US forces are still present in Deir ez-Zor. The Arab League is also interested in
undermining Turkey's influence in the region, but is unlikely to send troops or take any
action beyond the announcement. The European Union remains a more likely candidate for
participation in the struggle. France and Great Britain have already sent special units to
the region, and France at some point already lobbied for the idea of recognizing the
autonomy of northern Syria, however, without any noticeable result. It is worth adding
that the German Minister of Defense this week announced plans to create a "security zone"
in northern Syria and requested support for these plans from the UK and France.
The most significant card not yet played on the table is the Islamic State. About 100
thousand members of the organization are held captive by the SDS, among them there are
men, women, children who are fanatically committed to the idea of restoring the Caliphate
at all costs. The Islamic state has a wide international network with support centers in
Libya, Afghanistan and Turkey, has large financial resources and enjoys wide support.
Unlike Trump, Europe still perceives the Islamic State as a deadly threat and is well
aware that the continuation of Turkish aggression and the weakening of the Self-Defense
Forces will only contribute to the strengthening of the Islamic State.
Conclusion
The strange interdependent relationship between the Islamic State and the apochists
(Kurdish revolutionaries) and the geo-political status quo resulting from it allowed the
autonomy of the north of Syria to exist to this day and, possibly, will continue to
continue this way, but already under the patronage of other forces in Syria. Other options
are vague and more vague. One of them is that Damascus will give and immediately break
half-hearted promises in order to establish full control over the north of Syria, and
Turkey at the same time will deploy full-scale terror, thinning out the ranks of
revolutionaries with the help of killer drones and other targeted killings in fear, the
population as a whole, while Damascus, Washington and Moscow will turn a blind eye to
this. All of the above options mean war.
Now the situation can still be influenced. The attention of the international community is
riveted to the events in the north of Syria. There are many political agents acting on
this field, whose interests contradict each other or are not yet fully defined, so that
their policies can change at any time. Hundreds of comrades gave their lives to gain time
and opportunity. The work of our comrades around the world is to use them wisely and
without hesitation. Each action is significant now, especially a vivid demonstration of
what is at stake and what will be lost if the Nazis manage to defeat. Rojava once gave so
rare hope to the world. Now the moment has come when the world needs to fight for it.
Salvador Zana,
10/23/2019
Original text in English received by Hevale editorial board from author.
Translation: Artyom Krasin specially for Hevale: revolution in Kurdistan
https://avtonom.org/freenews/rozhava-segodnya-anarhist-o-situacii-v-avtonomii-s-mesta-sobytiy
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Message: 3
Against the backdrop of intense, transnational competition, people are uprooted and
confronted with the increasingly militarized management of their lives by the
nation-states. Greece and Turkey are shielding themselves day by day, raising ever larger
"border walls" between them, making Europe a fortress inaccessible. At the same time, the
Greek government is stepping up its anti-immigration policy by launching a inhumane
mechanism to control and manage migratory flows. Borders are shielded making it almost
impossible to cross, migrant detention centers (reminiscent of apartheid images) are
increasing, making it more difficult for migrant detainees to access basic goods.
Aggressive foreign policy and countermeasures find legitimacy in the usual rhetoric of any
power to safeguard territorial integrity and promote the national financial interests of
the state outside borders with immigrants and immigrants being portrayed in the prevailing
sense to "authorized invaders". State policy is indifferent to any notion of human
dignity, and oppression and misery for these people is a daily occurrence. Persecution by
state authorities is intensified, any outbreak of migrant violence is suppressed,
evacuations of housing are evacuated, and consequently human existence is by law assumed
to be an offense. Those outside the realm of legitimacy are not treated as human beings
and become the power to promote the agenda of every government. People are reduced to mere
numbers and anything that does not go against their immediate national interests is
marginalized. The new immigration policy based on the doctrine of "law and order" wants to
exclude any kind of assistance to oppressed populations. It is more than obvious that the
exclusion of any possibility of integration of immigrants into society because of
inability to access work, health and education leads to misery and illegality. The new
immigration policy based on the doctrine of "law and order" wants to exclude any kind of
assistance to oppressed populations. It is more than obvious that the exclusion of any
possibility of integration of immigrants into society because of inability to access work,
health and education leads to misery and illegality. The new immigration policy based on
the doctrine of "law and order" wants to exclude any kind of assistance to oppressed
populations. It is more than obvious that the exclusion of any possibility of integration
of immigrants into society because of inability to access work, health and education leads
to misery and illegality.
In recent days we have seen the categorizations of "refugee" and "immigrant" once again
become plasticine in the hands of detainees to match, as always with violence, the reality
in the policy they want to implement. The tragedy is that the reason for this "renaming"
and hence the announcement of a "change of paradigm" for the management of the "refugee"
was another tragic incident in a Moria dam where a woman was killed and her child injured
in a fire caused by cables due to malfeasance and the uprising that was followed by the
population hearing the news. From SYRIZA's "charitable" businesses we go to the most mafia
"make them life voracious" of ND. Indicative examples of the new government's writing in
this direction are the merger of the Ministry of Migration Policy with that of Citizen
Protection, blocking the issuance of AMKA to newly arrived asylum seekers, which deprives
both access to basic health care and education - since children who are not vaccinated are
not accepted into schools- and work- since possession of AMKA is required for lawful
recruitment- evacuations-overproducts of EKAM immigrant seizures / p rogues etc. The
climax is the bill that was tabled by the urgent procedure on 31/10 and 1/11 - after a
seemingly non-existent "public consultation" - and which, not least, nor does it
substantially abolish the formal 'human rights' supposedly so far defined by international
treaties and national law (in practice, of course, all this has always been for those with
watermelon and knife in their hands, issues ... "interpretation"). In short, this bill
aims to further reduce the already degraded access of immigrants / refugees to health
care, to "speed up" and to tighten the reception and asylum procedures so that the
particular features of each case are not taken into account. (medical, psychological or
otherwise), but to fast-track procedures, greatly increasing the time allowed for
detention, while introducing the principle of "non-cooperation",
It is certain, however, that as before, so now, Greece - a member of both NATO and the EU,
and thus a participant and co-responsible, not to forget, of this policy - will continue
to redeem its geographical position (as one of the key points of entry for refugees /
immigrants to the West), receiving huge sums through European funding to continue to be
Europe's goalkeeper. To continue to be a storehouse of souls and a filter that will keep
the "useful" for the bosses and "fly" (see: expel) the rest. And it will of course
continue to do so with the well-known national pride that distinguishes it when devouring
European money.
At the same time, nationalist and fascist rhetoric is gaining more and more public
discourse, and it is virtually becoming the current state policy. Fascists aiming to
reinforce the - already generalized - confusion that has spread capital and the state
about the real causes of the economic crisis, and thus the increasingly severe
deterioration of social life, are launching racist attacks and a hatred rhetoric that
focuses on them / immigrants / strangers as responsible for the dire financial situation
presenting them as the supposed cause of each problem. Nation and religion are supreme
values and immigrants are presented in public discourse as the threat to the gates.
The nationalist / fascist discourse, always serving the interests of capital and the
state, sets inhumane boundaries for closing the border by wanting to leave at the mercy of
the people whose pain and misery are the product of intensifying militarism and war. of
the nation states themselves. This policy approach is based on the "developed" West, whose
states systematically pursue an imperialist policy that defends capitalist interests while
refusing to take into account any human impact and value of the modern civilization they
are supposed to serve. The word "refugee" and "immigrant" is associated with the eyes of
the world, in the light of state propaganda always, in the sense of the offending element,
the criminal and the abuser of national resources. People who have been victims of
government war and politics end up being held accountable for everything, which is butter
in the bread in the government's continuing effort to shift responsibility for the social
issues it has borne. Growth becomes the undisputed and absolute legal basis for any
oppressive measure at home and for any militaristic intervention abroad, causing pain and
death.
But for us workers of all nationalities, refugees and immigrants, victims of war and
poverty are not subject to the management of state mechanisms and economic elites. We do
not allow human life to depend on the decisions of transnational organizations such as the
EU and Frontex, national states and the needs of the economy. We cannot expect anything
from the executors of power, from the memorials of death. What we are proposing is the
massive struggle to overthrow them and overthrow the entire political and economic system
that gives birth to hierarchies, which exploits the state of exception and fascism as a
political practice in times of crisis.
Against every power, we, now and always, respond with class solidarity. The suffering, the
persecution of the wars and the persecutions of every power and state, the refugees and
the immigrants, are at the heart of our solidarity. They are our class brothers, the most
underrated, maligned and insecure part of our class, in the teeth of every little and big
boss. It is our duty to preserve the dignity and free movement of all workers by erasing
the boundaries drawn by the authorities for their nationals but not the goods of the
bosses and demanding the immediate legalization of all immigrants and immigrants.
Always on the side of the weak, the oppressed, the uprooted of this world, regardless of
color and religion, locals and "foreigners", immigrants of yesterday, immigrants of today
and tomorrow we join hands, raise our fists.
FREE MOVEMENT AND PURCHASE FOR EVERYONE
LEGISLATION OF ALL MIGRANTS (RI) ON
TO BREAK THE BORDERS, THE FENCES, AND THE CONCENTRATIONS
LET'S BUILD THE EUROPEAN FOREST
TO STOP OBSTACLES TO HUMAN ANTI-MIGRATION POLICY
TO STOP THE WAR AGAINST THE MIGRANTS (RI) ON
NO WARNING LAND AND PUBLIC SPEECH TO FACISTS
REFLECTIVE AND ANTI-REPUBLIC SOLIDARITY CONCENTRATION ON MIGRANTS:
SUNDAY 3/11, 2pm, NAVARIN TISSUE
Thessaloniki Freedom Initiative - member of the Anarchist Federation
lib_thess@hotmail.com
libertasalonica.wordpress.com
https://libertasalonica.wordpress.com/2019/11/01
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Message: 4
For more than a decade, racist themes have emerged in the media space. Liberal governments
on the far right, in France and in Europe, all more or less openly subscribe to the
conspiracy theories of creeping Islamization and the "great replacement". ---- While the
social climate remains tense, and the anti-social reforms announced are certainly not
going to calm the anger of the workers, Macron attempted, on September 16, to light a
counter-fire by removing the "joker" chestnuts policies: immigration. He told his party's
deputies that they had to "face this issue," not to be "a bourgeois party," because "the
bourgeois have no problem with that: they do not cross it. . The popular classes live with
it.". This demagogic rhetoric of contempt of the popular classes, necessarily racist, goes
hand in hand with a real hardening of the policy: increasingly repressive laws, refusal of
reception of migrants, institutional violence - especially in administrative detention
center - pushing to the multiplication of suicides, etc.
Demagogic rhetoric and class contempt
This change of identity of Macron coincided in the media time with the first "Convention
of the Right", organized by Marion Maréchal Le Pen. This new ideological tool, of
"alternative to progressivism", aiming at crossing the meager gap between "republican
right" and "national right", gathered, on September 28th, more than 1500 people. At the
rostrum, the most reactionary discourses, based on the theories dear to identity and other
neo-fascists, have been followed: "the great replacement" and the need to defend the
supremacy of the white man.
Zemmour, the "essayist" reactive and racist, has distinguished himself by haranguing the
crowd with hateful words barely half-word to the ratonnade. Unpublished by the virulence
of the speeches held, this convention was also by its media coverage, since broadcast live
by LCI (owned by Martin Bouygues) at a prime time. This is a new step in the acceptance of
the far right and its promotion by some of the dominant media, and behind them by their
owners. Despite the violence of his remarks, Zemmour will now be present daily on Cnews,
property of Bolloré.
Racist theories gain ground
The establishment of far-right governments is spreading everywhere, with xenophobia and
the whole gamut of racist rhetoric everywhere. The latest example is the creation by the
European Commission of a post dedicated to "migration and the protection of the European
way of life", which bears witness to the growing alliance between economic liberalism and
identity ideology. In our neighborhoods and in our lives, these racist discourses are
translated into action. In addition to the ongoing violence of the authorities against
minority groups and undocumented migrants, racists, be they local elected officials or
grassroots activists of the far right, are mounting attacks.
The shameless humiliation of a veiled woman on October 11 in the Regional Council of
Burgundy-Franche Comté, initiated by a member of the National Assembly, provoked a surge
of media hatred against Muslims and Muslim women, especially from from the government
(with the Minister of Education in the lead). This event once again serves as the
expression of discriminatory measures, namely the prohibition of veiled women leaving
school, rather than equality. In France, the attack on a mosque in Bayonne by a former FN
candidate on October 28 echoes the killing of Halle (Germany) on October 9. Each event of
this type reflects the increasingly alarming advance of the cultural hegemony of the
extreme right in the elites.
Faced with these discourses and acts, the anti-racist struggles remain dynamic. Throughout
the country, thousands of people are involved in concrete solidarity with refugees,
migrants and undocumented migrants. The struggles for regularization and expulsion have
also resumed their vigor, with the appearance of "black vests" and the outbreak of new
strikes. At the same time, the committees against police violence are reinforcing and,
since the yellow vests demonstrations, the report of violent domination of the police
forces towards the racialized youth of the working-class neighborhoods has finally been
recognized and gives rise to a new solidarity, especially around the "Committee for
Adama". For the first time, on 19 October, a demonstration against Islamophobia in Paris
brought together several thousand people.
Building the common front
Yet, if these struggles are more and more visible, they remain divided, and still too
often struggle to gather beyond the militant circles. It can not be denied that there are
brakes on the unification of struggles in an autonomous anti-racist movement. The right
and far-right deviation from the principle of secularism - historically defended by the
left and extreme left - paralyzing on these issues a whole section of the social movement
during the last decade, widening divisions and oppositions, It's not for nothing.
Today, as UCL has written in its Manifesto, Islamophobia must be recognized as the other
forms of racism, as it constitutes the pivot of identity rhetoric. Moreover, while
participation in anti-racist demonstrations is commonplace, much of the daily life of
these struggles takes place in the neighborhoods, neighborhoods too often neglected by
traditional militancy. It is urgent that the revolutionary organizations reinvest the
ground of the concrete struggles and position themselves in effective support to them.
Finally, beyond the defense against racist actions, it is high time to reaffirm strong
positions within the anti-racist camp and their coherent articulation around a radical
change in society: freedom of movement, freedom of installation,
Antifascist Committee of the UCL, 1 stNovember 2019
https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?30-Refaire-de-l-antiracisme-une-lutte-populaire
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Message: 5
"The question of how and why states were formed is the keystone of Western civilization's
creation mythology. Most readers will share my experience of having been brought up in a
society where history begins with the appearance of the State. Anything outside its domain
is a Dark Age, terra incognita, a savage and barbarian land. We are taught that
communities created the hierarchical structures of territorial governance that would
eventually solidify as states out of a need to organize more efficiently, to respond to
natural disasters or population growth, to administer large-scale infrastructure, to
defend against hostile outsiders, to protect individual rights through a social contract,
or to regulate economic production and surplus value. All of these hypotheses are
demonstrably false, yet we are continually indoctrinated to accept them, to keep us from
grasping the predatory, parasitic, elitist, and completely unnecessary nature of the
State. Official versions of the story of state formation can be triumphant, portraying the
State as an escape from barbarism, or they can be cynical, acknowledging the State to be a
continuation of human savagery, but at all costs we must believe that state formation was
necessary to human progress and that states are an indispensable part of global society
today." - Peter Gelderloos
The State is the least questioned institution of our society. School and university teach
us of its necessity for keeping the social peace, while millions were and are slaughtered
by states. Worshiping Power - An Anarchist View of Early State Formation by Peter
Gelderloos is a brilliant anthropological study of the states formation and the resistance
against it. Based on newest research the book tries to debunk the myths about states and
give an comprehensive analysis on how they developed. In the reading group, our attempt is
to explore why the state never was a tool for emancipation, its formations throughout
history, and the ways states might have been fought off or destroyed.
We will meet twice monthly on every 1st and 3rd Sunday at 2.00 p.m. in the Kostnixladen
(Freeshop) - Dorstenerstr. 37, Bochum. For our first session on November 17th, 2019, we'd
like to use the book's introduction as basis for discussion, so we'd kindly ask you to
read that in advance. You can either buy the book or find a printable online version on
anarchist library: theanarchistlibrary.org/library/peter-g... . The meetings will be held
completely in English.
schwarzerub.blackblogs.org
http://afrheinruhr.blogsport.de/2019/11/03/reading-group-worshiping-power-an-anarchist-view-on-early-state-formation/
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Message: 6
On November 2, "yellow vests" in France went to the "51st act" of protest in various
cities of the country. At the same time, on the evening of November 1, the 4th General
Assembly of the movement opened in Montpellier. which will work until Sunday. ---- In
Paris, protesters marched from Piazzale Italy to the North Station. They chanted slogans
against President Macron and his policies and expressed solidarity with participants in
social protests around the world: in Chile, Lebanon, Algeria, etc. The march went without
incident, despite the abundance of accompanying police. ---- In Bordeaux, demonstrators in
the autumn rain carried a banner demanding the right to a referendum and chanted: "We are
here" and "Bordeaux, get up!" No clashes or arrests were reported.
In Rennes, "yellow vests" passed through the city center. Several dozen protesters also
tried to break into the shopping center and blocked its work for 45 minutes
(https://www.europe1.fr/societe/acte-51-des-gilets-jaunes-nouvelle-mobilisation-dans-plusieurs-villes-de-france-3928928).
Protesters were attacked by police and brutally beaten.
In Toulouse, the march of "yellow vests" was held under the motto "The peoples of the
world are waking up, continue!". The Facebook movement page stated: "The country is like a
boiling pot with a lid on, we are still here for social, tax, environmental justice and
genuine democracy" (
https://actu.fr/occitanie/toulouse_31555/toulouse-gilets-jaunes-derouleront-lacte-51-ce-samedi-dans-rues-centre-ville_29103948.html).
The march was mostly calm, but there were several clashes with the police who used the gas
(https://www.ladepeche.fr/2019/11/02/gilets-jaunes-assemblee-nationale-a-montpellier-et-manifestation-a-toulouse-ce-samedi,8518910.php)
In Verdun, the "yellow vests" held their first regional demonstration since the start of
the movement a year ago. Demonstrators gathered from all over the East of the country for
3 hours walked from the periphery of the city to the monument to the fallen in the center.
At the end of the action, traffic at a roundabout in Walsheim was symbolically blocked for
several minutes. The next regional demonstration in a week should be held in Strasbourg
(https://www.estrepublicain.fr/edition-de-verdun/2019/11/03/gilets-jaunes-mobilisation-sous-la-pluie)
On November 1, the 4th "assembly assembly" of the movement opened with about 600 delegates
in Montpellier. Among the topics discussed: strengthening communication with the
population; specific ways of cooperation with other social movements; organization in the
face of repression; definition of friends and enemies; possible participation in municipal
elections (unfortunately, aitrus.info comment)
(https://www.la-croix.com/France/Politique/A-Montpellier-gilets-jaunes-planchent-nouvelles-formes-dengagements-2019-11-02-1201058020)
https://aitrus.info/node/5350
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