#Worldwide #Information #Blogger #LucSchrijvers: #Update: #anarchist #news and #information from all over the world - 25.12.2019

Today's Topics:

   
1.  bangladeshasf AnarchoSyndicalist Federation - BASF: Anarcho
      - Syndicalism or Class Struggle 7 By Nacho Gonzalez
      (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
   
2.  Turkey, yeryuzu postasi: IWW Istanbul calls for solidarity
      with striking Doga College teachers (tr) [machine translation]
      (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
   
3.  anarkismo.net: Beyond Pension Reforms: Interview on the
      General Strike in France by Black Rose Anarchist Federation -
      BRRN (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
   
4.  [São Paulo-SP] Kropotkin International Conference 2021:
      call for articles By ANA (pt) [machine translation]
      (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
   
5.  ait russia: 58th act of "yellow vests" [machine translation]
      (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
   
6.  France, Union Communiste Libertaire - UCL press release,
      Repression of the social movement: police and class justice on
      the maneuver (fr, it, pt)[machine translation] 
      (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
   
7.  London Anarchist Federation: 2019 - A year in review
      (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)


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Message: 1





This is an executive summary of a forthcoming article. ---- Purpose ---- The influence of Anarchism and Syndicalism has a long history in
the American Left. Anarchism as a doctrine has been in existence since the early 1800's. As capitalism evolved into imperialism in the late
1800's a new anarchist trend developed: Anarcho-Syndicalism, a fusion of anarchism and trade unionism, which relegated the working class to
the economic arena and denied a role for political struggle. ---- Today syndicalism is once again very strong in the revolutionary movement,
witness identity politics and single-issue organizing for example. This doctrine obscures the class struggle and confuses it. Thus hindering
the working class from utilizing its best weapon against the system of capitalism - the class struggle.

Specific form in U.S.
In the 1960's a new form of Anarcho-Syndicalism arose. Previously Anarcho-Syndicalism was trade unionism. Now Anarcho-Syndicalism would be
applied to the social struggles of the African Americans, Chicanos, Women's Movement and other oppressed peoples. By the late 1960's many of
the more thoughtful members of these movement had begun to gravitate towards Marxism and organize study groups. Subsequently they organized
different revolutionary -minded organizations, however they brought the Anarcho-Syndicalist outlook of the movement with them.

What was this outlook? "... Men oppressing women, whites oppressing blacks, bosses' oppressing workers, and it is from these observations
that the entire political program of syndicalism was constructed." Which is: "Women will overthrow men, blacks will overthrow whites,
workers will overthrow bosses, and students will overthrow the administrations and so forth." (1) Thus the class struggle is misinterpreted
as varying social struggles and as such is categorized as belonging in the arena of the fight for bourgeois reforms instead of revolution.

The specific form of Anarcho-Syndicalism that developed in the United States was influenced by two factors, the philosophy of pragmatism and
a belief that the spontaneous movement or class struggle is initiated from the outside, rather than being the objective product of the
contradictions between the capitalists and the workers.

Pragmatism relies on individual experience rather than social experience, alleging each experience to be particular and unique instead of
general and similar. It attacks the laws of nature, society and motion. In the end it blames the individual and not the economic system. (2)
Anarcho-Syndicalism has been the main form of pragmatism within the revolutionary movement in the U.S.

United with the pragmatic approach is the belief that the working class has to be excited into action from the outside. Anarcho-Syndicalists
don't see that the class struggle is part of the objective process. They believe that agitators create movements rather than movements are
the result of deep economic and social changes in the economic system, which then allows organizing and agitation to be effective.

In contrast scientific socialism enables revolutionaries to analyze society and map out a strategy for the working class to take state power
in order to abolish private property and organize a new equalitarian society free of want and hunger. The role of revolutionaries is to
point out that the enemy is the capitalist system and the capitalist class and not merely individual employers, policemen, border patrol
agents, or politicians. It does so by participating in the daily struggle for survival in all its social and political dimensions.

Without the revolutionaries educating the workers in the process of the struggle, they (the workers) cannot elevate and merge the various
fights into one mighty coherent class struggle with a strategy for victory.

Since the beginning of the revolutionary movement in the US, Anarcho-Syndicalism has been a recurring deviation. Its principal expressions
have been the struggle of the early Anarchists versus the Marxists, its emphasis of trade unionism and today the social struggles in
opposition to the class struggle, its belief in practice being primary and separated from theory, that outside contradictions are primary
over inner contradictions and lastly emphasis of action over socialist education.

https://bangladeshasf.org/syndicalism-or-class-struggle-2/

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Message: 2






World Industrial Workers (IWW) Istanbul has issued a statement on the striking Doga College Teachers . The statement published in iwwist.org
website, in Turkish and English, explained the process and called for solidarity with the teachers in the strike. Bildir We declare that we
will stand by our class brothers with all the means available until the end of their struggle. As part of the solidarity, we see it as a
duty to inform our class brothers and sisters around the world. "Was used. ---- The whole paper is like this: ---- with more than 134
campuses throughout Turkey and 72 thousand teachers working in the Nature College student studying they are over three months do not get
their wages. On 16 December, the education workers began a strike on all campuses of Doga College to pay their wages and other rights that
were usurped.
Paid in advance by the parents of students and expressed that the money is made of 2 billion pounds is not known and is not disclosed by the
administrators of the Nature College. For this reason, teachers, students and parents say that they are facing a fraud case involving many
people. Therefore, education workers are fighting not only against the Doga College employer, but also against the Ministry of National
Education and thus political power, which has a significant silence on the issue.

As World Industrial Workers Istanbul, we support educational workers in the strike. We declare that we will stand by our class brothers with
all the means available until the end of their struggle. As part of the solidarity, we see it as a duty to inform our class brothers and
sisters around the world.

Doga College Workers Are Not Alone

Combined Workers are Never Defeated

___________________

Teachers who work for Doga Schools are not paid their wages more than three months. Doga schools, including kindergarten, primary school,
secondary and high school, has 134 campuses all around Turkey and more than 72 thousand students have received education. Education workers
have gone on strike in every Doga Schools' campus on December 16th, in order to receive their unpaid wages and other captured rights.

It is not known what happened to the money. Doga Schools' executives are not eager to explain what had happened to this amount of money, as
well. This is why they have been a part of. So, the education workers are struggling against not only the Doga Schools.

As IWW Istanbul, we support the education workers on strike. We declare that we will stand by our fellow workers till the end of their
struggle. As part of the solidarity, we see it as a duty to inform our fellow workers around the world.

Doga Schools Workers are not alone

The Workers United Will Never Be Defeated

http://www.yeryuzupostasi.org/2019/12/18/iww-istanbuldan-grevdeki-doga-koleji-ogretmeleri-ile-dayanisma-cagrisi/

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Message: 3






Interview with a member of the Libertarian Communist Union (UCL) in France ---- As French workers launched a general strike shutting down
major cities with massive demonstrations we present this interview on the current situation with a member of the Unión Comuniste Libertaire
(UCL) or Libertarian Communist Union in France. The group was founded in mid-2019 through the merger of platformist groups Alternative
Libertaire and Coordination des Groupes Anarchistes. This interview has been edited for clarity. ---- BRRN: When did this general strike
begin and what caused it? ---- UCL: In mid-September, the metro workers in Paris launched a powerful 24 hour strike. It gave courage to a
big part of the working class and as they decided to start an unlimited strike from the 5th of December with other sectors, such as rail
workers, started to call for a strike on that date. In the end, all the unions except the reformist central union of CFDT, who is in favor
of the government, were calling for a strike on the 5th of December and it was already explicit that some sectors wouldn't come back to work
after that.

The main issue the unions are opposing is the pension reform. From the end of WWII, the pension system is based on trans-generational
solidarity and specific systems from some sectors. This solidarity system is not perfect but it is the consequence of major worker struggles
and sacrifices during and after the war. Similar proposals have already been attacked harshly by diverse governments, like in 2003 or 2010.
And there was big struggles during these times too. But now French President Emmanuel Macron and the bosses behind him are willing to
implement a complete system change. The aim is to erase all the gains won by diverse sectors of the working class and to lower pensions
across the board. But of course the distrust goes beyond the pension reform: it is now clear that Macron is ruling for the bosses and the
rich, particularly after one year of the Yellow Vests uprising and some other reforms implemented such as the unemployment reform.

BRRN: How are these proposed changes to the pension system related to other reforms which have been initiated or proposed by Macron's
government?

UCL: Macron is a newbie in politics. Although he was formed the same way as other politicians - in "Grandes Ecoles" such as E.N.A
(Administration "Normal" College) - he claims not to bother with old recipes. By that, he does not mean he is some kind of new-way
socialist. What he means by this is actually that no matter what is the status quo, or what are the historical compromises that were reached
between workers/bosses and workers/the State, he will implement his vision of an idealistic neoliberalism where start-up entrepreneurs are
the new leaders and solidarity is only an empty word.

In that way, he found strategic allies in the union of bosses and in the upper management class. In general, he has given back tips to the
rich since the very moment he entered into power, by suppressing taxes on wealth, by liberalizing key sectors (he liberalized the human
transportation system as he was Ministry of Economics), by suppressing rights for the exiled and the unemployed and so on. But a coin has
two sides and this cannot work without the increase of repression for the poor when they stand up. In one year of the Yellow Vests, there
has been about 11 000 people in custody due to their participation in this social movement, thousands were injured and/or condemned. A
journalist who has a clear focus on police work during the last year says that the police made as many wounded (one-eye blind and maimed
people) as it did in the last 20 years of social movements - including huge social movements and unrests such as the banlieues uprising in
2005[uprising of largely North African youth in the suburbs of Paris around unemployment and racism]and the CPE reform in 2006[attempt to
introduce a youth employment bill that would create lower wages and less protections].

But one must be clear that Macron is not the problem itself. He is the new face that allows free-marketeers to speed up the implementation
of their politics and this is only one step further in the same direction of previous governments, from both right and left wings.

BRRN: What sectors are most engaged in the strike activity?

UCL: Clearly, the metro workers in Paris and the rail workers are the most engaged in the strike. The rail sector has been a very strong
bastion of the working class in France for decades now and it is directly concerned by the reform as they have a specific pension regime to
defend.

The electricity sector is quite active as well for the same reasons by cutting power to the police stations and official institutions.

But there are also other sectors that were engaged in the struggle before. The health sector has been struggling for the last six months,
especially in the emergency services in State hospitals. Fire fighter as well had a big national strike in November and they were repressed
in Paris by riot police as they were demonstrating, which was a big scandal because they are very popular and cannot be accused of being
looters and thugs. The workers of state radio group started a strike in the end of November for local employment and management issues. It
was very strong on the first days, then decreased, and now it has been reinforced from the 5th of December.

There are also significant strikes in the urban transportation of different cities and in the education sector.

BRRN: Have social movements, such as gilets jaunes[yellow vest movement], been engaged in supporting strike actions?

UCL: There was a lot of different blocks and collectives in the demos of the 5th of December. We've seen antiracist and migrant blocks (with
or without union affiliation), feminist blocks, climate blocks, a block in support of an "international uprising" in Paris with comrades
from all over the world. I think we can say that on the 5th of December, everyone who is involved in a social movement was in the streets.

The Yellow Vests movement in itself is not strong as it was last year. One year of repression, political clarification and interpersonal
conflicts happened since then. But those who remain active certainly are very engaged in the struggle, by blocking the roads, the depots of
urban transportation and the entrance of big factories, by animating yellow blocks in the demos and so on. The situation is very different
from one city to another but in general people know each other better so a relative dialogue can occur between traditional structures of the
working class and the Yellow Vests movement, although criticisms against the apathy of the unions is still an important theme in the Yellow
Vests discourses.

BRRN: In what ways have UCL militants been engaged in strike activity?

UCL: An important part of UCL militants are workers and union activists in the top sectors of the struggle, such as the rail and the
education sector. So the first action we have is to inform our colleagues, to animate the strike and to ensure as much as possible the
self-organization of the strike by the workers. We argue that the only way we can win the struggle is with self-organization as it allows
creativity and appropriation of their own strike by the workers. And that we must not go back to work before they withdraw.

Some of us are also active in Yellow Vests' collectives and assemblies and try to create bridges with other parts of the working class. We
also try to appear as libertarian socialists in demonstrations, distributing leaflets and stickers, selling our newspaper and sharing and
defending our revolutionary analysis.We also take parts in different actions to expand the strike and to make it more efficient, such as
with blockades, support parties and so on.

BRRN: Please describe the local situation in your region and what you have witnessed.

UCL: My city is middle-size for the French context - i.e. about 200 000 people - and with quite a popular and working-class environment.
However, it is generally not one of the most famous towns for demos and political activity and some leftists can even joke about how my city
is boring.

On Thursday, 5th of December though, we had a historical number of people in the demo. The unions announced about 18,000 people. At one
point, I was waiting for the Solidaires block[an alternative union, in which many UCL militants are involved]as I thought it was the end of
the demo. It happened to be only the middle of it. And they were not like a dozen as usual but several hundred!

First things first, we woke up very early to go with another comrade to support a Yellow Vests action in front of the depot of the urban
transportation company. Then we moved with about 60 people to block the entrance of the Renault factory (one of the main factory of the
city) with pallets, wood and trash containers. The CGT[the dominant and largest union in France]of the site joined us there. On the way, we
met with a group of workers who were on strike for local issues and we initiated the contact with the union as they depend on the same
sector. They were feeding the fire of their picket line with Renault bumpers they had in their company's storage!

Then I had to walk to the general assembly of the education sector. They were having a small gathering before so they arrived with about 300
people as a demo, it was very powerful. We took the sports hall as it was the only place near the starting point of the demo that could
gather so many people. Over 110 primary schools are completely closed for the day, which was never seen before as far as I know. We
discussed quite seriously the possibility of renewing the strike and many people we did not know from before actually engaged in the
struggle for the days after at that moment. In my city, unlike others, the majority of the education sector did not choose to renew the
strike the day after but people stay in the movement. Again Tuesday, we were 250 strong in general assembly and this time we were more
people willing to engage in a renewable[ongoing]strike.

In the rail sector, the strike was and is still very strong and they did not even question going on strike for the days after. They voted as
one.

Then I went to a local meeting point we proposed as local CGT militants for the first time in the industrial zone where I work. I remember
we were afraid that no-one would come but in the end, we were three times more than what we expected at first when we left and we arrived
even more as people were joining us on the way.

The days after, we had demos on both Friday and Saturday, what usually never happen in my city. They were small demos, mostly activists,
yellow vests and workers of the rail (and the education) sector(s) but still it was a good sign. At that time, they arrested And we had
another big strike day that wasn't prepared on Tuesday. No-one knew what we should expect as we had prepared the 5th of December for a month
and a half and Tuesday was not in minds so we were not sure that a lot of people would show up. At the end, we had about 8,000 people which
is very good and still unusual for the size of my city. Next demo is tomorrow and the biggest one is planned on the 17th so we could have
time to prepare it. The stake now for us is to bring the education sector to a real renewable strike that could last until Christmas'
holidays, which could be a very good sign for the rest of the society. In the meanwhile, rail workers are holding on although December is
the worst month to go on strike with festivities and all. But a significant part of the population is willing to fight.

Macron's Prime Minister Edouard Phillipe had a speech today[December 11]and he managed to get on the wrong side of the only pseudo-union
that was supporting the reform and they will probably call for a strike as well in the coming days. We do not trust them at all but they
represent the liberal-friendly upper working-class and it can polarize even more the whole society against the reform and the government.

BRRN: Do you have any message for militants inside of the U.S. who are watching what is happening in France?

UCL: Even though we don't have much time to focus on international work these days, I can easily guess that Trump is happy about his rival
Macron being given a prod. But let's be clear: we would do way worse with him in power because he is even more arrogant than Macron - and
that's some feat!

More seriously, France has many economic interests in the US. It represented $32.6 billion Euros[about $40 billion US dollars]that France
exported in 2016 to the US.

The best piece of advice I could give you is to win your own struggles first, reinforce your organizations and counter-powers so one day we
can overthrow this capitalist system and the State. I know the situation these days isn't the best to be optimistic in the US but as a great
ancestor of us said one day in your part of the globe: Don't mourn! Organize!

Related Link: https://blackrosefed.org/interview-general-strikes-france-ucl/

https://www.anarkismo.net/article/31689

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Message: 4






Peter Kropotkin 1921-2021 - International Conference / International Conference, University of Sao Paulo (USP), Brazil, 19-23 / 7/2021 ----
Kropotkin's ideas about mutual aid continue to challenge current capitalist and neoliberal notions of competition and may serve to challenge
Malthusianism in the social and developmental sciences, especially in what is today called the "Global South." Kropotkin's notion of science
as synonymous with ethical thinking, creative experimentation, and limitless questioning still affront current manifestations of religious
fanaticism and obscurantism around the world, including the return of creationism. Kropotkin's ideas about federalism and decentralization
still foster debates about the interrelationship between economy and politics, society, culture and territory, and environmental issues at
different levels. His internationalism, even if controversial, It has lessons for all those who fight against the walls and borders that are
being (re) built more and more in the world, and for the cultivation of internationalized solidarity among all the oppressed. Kropotkin's
anticolonialism is among the first attempts to include spaces and identities in all struggles for social justice, now spurring ideas about
the "space spin" in social movements in Latin America and others. Kropotkin's efforts to develop new concepts and thinking structures around
his concept of ethics to support the anarchist organization have produced a rich theoretical tool for criticism that has never ceased to
inspire global notions of solidarity and affinity. In collaboration with Elisée Reclus and circles of nineteenth century anarchist geographers,

First Article Call

Pëtr Alekseevich Kropotkin (1842-1921) was undoubtedly one of the most important figures in the global history of anarchism and the
principles of socialism. Kropotkin's writings and activities contributed to the formation of international theories and anarcho-communist
practices, exerting a definite influence on anarchist and critical thinking that remains relevant to this day.

As an exceptional thinker and writer, Kropotkin is also an exemplary subject for the transnational histories of cosmopolitan and
multilingual activism and for the analysis of European and international socialism. He established some of the most influential anarchist
articles of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, in correspondence with a large network of socialist activists, and was constantly
engaged in political activity, especially in Russia, France, and the United Kingdom. Kropotkin was a persistent vocal critic of Tsarism and
an equally vehement critic of Marxism.

Kropotkin's centenary is an occasion to rediscover an exceptional figure who can interest and inspire geographers, historians, philosophers,
anthropologists, sociologists, economists, social scientists and other scholars, as well as activists and various audiences. Kropotkin can
help us rethink the disciplinary boundaries of the social and natural sciences and the humanities and the transformative social role of
critical analysis. We welcome interventions in Kropotkin's life and work and reception, as well as contributions that are inspired by
Kropotkin's anarchism. Recognizing that the history of anarchism, like the history of any intellectual discipline, is not limited to the
study of the "great men" (or "great women") of history, we welcome interventions that explore broader networks, circulation of ideas and
spaces and contexts of which Kropotkin was part. We especially invite contributions on (but not limited to):

* The history and theory of anarchism, with particular reference to themes addressed by Kropotkin (mutual aid, decentralization, social
justice and manual labor, French Revolution, ethics, pedagogy, prisons...);

* Scholars and activists familiar with Kropotkin or involved in maintaining his legacy;

* Global history and transnationalism, with particular reference to experiences of radical activism;

* Philosophy and history of geography (and science in general), with particular reference to early critical trends;

* Decoloniality, feminism, gender and critical race studies, with particular reference to their relations with the anarchist tradition;

* Mutual help, evolutionism. Malthusianism and its critiques;

* Philosophy of nature, environmental determinism and its critiques;

* Science, religion and its criticisms;

* Reception of Kropotkin's anarcho-communism in Latin America and more broadly in the "Global South";

* Current anarchist and radical research in all academic disciplines (humanities, social sciences, natural sciences...)

* Anarchism and radical social alternatives today.

Format

We want to avoid the format of classic conferences, with "big names" giving key speeches, early or mid-career academics organizing sessions,
and students presenting articles and posters. At this conference, all sessions will be in plenary form, (without parallel sessions,
therefore), so that the presenter can address the audience and all the people can hear.

Languages

The languages used will be Portuguese, English, Spanish and French. We invite all who come to provide a slideshow in a second language. We
will organize volunteers to provide solidarity translation in groups during the presentations.

Abstract Submission

Please submit your proposal (250-500 words) by May 31, 2020 to kropotkin19212021@gmail.com. Upon acceptance, you will receive registration
information, accommodation possibilities, etc.

Some travel grants are available to participants who do not have other funds to fund their travel: as they are limited in number, we cannot
guarantee that all applicants will receive them; so, if you want to apply for travel finance please specify it when submitting your summary
and provide details of why you need this help.

kropotkin2021.com

Source:
https://monstrodosmares.com.br/informes/conferencia-kropotkin-2021-articles-call/?fbclid=IwAR0HmMSea3TROEM2hOep7ApO6RfNGleZYMWSjc5jcFDpMX1T_BbdZnTiUXY

anarchist news agency-ana

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Message: 5






In the midst of strikes against pension reform in France, the "yellow vests" held their next "58th act" of protest on December 21. The
demonstrations were held in a number of cities in France and at the crossroads of highways. ---- The performances of the "yellow vests",
which began last November with protests against rising fuel prices, have grown into a protest movement against the entire socio-economic
policy of neoliberal capitalism. According to TRT, during the repression 11 people were killed, more than 1250 were injured, 12,360 were
arrested and 3,163 were thrown into jail
(https://www.trt.net.tr/francais/europe/2019/12/22/gilets-jaunes-acte-58-les-manifestants-de-nouveau-dans-les-rues-1327445).
The movement of the "yellow vests" requires:
- the abolition of the pension reform of President Macron;
- increase and indexation of pensions;
- increase the minimum wage, salary rates and social minimum;
- a general decrease in workers' contributions to social funds;
- repeal of unemployment insurance reform;
- limitation of tax credit for employment by small and medium enterprises;
- the presence of people and receptions at all railway stations and the development of the railway network;
- support for small local shops and crafts;
- the opening of closed social services (post offices, treasury departments, police stations, social security departments, etc.);

- Preservation or opening of round-the-clock local hospitals;

- preservation or opening of maternity hospitals;

- reduction, and then cancellation of tolls;

- restoration of the increased tax on wealth, the abolition of disproportionate tax rates, the destruction of tax "oases";

- termination of the privatization of national property;

- zero VAT on basic necessities, increased VAT on luxury goods;

- a ban on the use of military weapons when dispersing demonstrations;

- the implementation of referendum practices at the initiative of citizens
(http://www.communcommune.com/2019/12/acte-58-samedi-21-decembre-2019-a-paris-manifestation-des-gilets-jaunes.html)

The 58th act was also timed to coincide with the birthday of President Macron, whose "yellow vests" are seeking. In Paris, demonstrators
began to gather in Place de la Bastille from 11.00, and at 13.00 marched on the capital. The authorities again banned the holding of
demonstrations in several areas of the city center, including the Champs Elysees. The route of the demonstration along the Grand Boulevards
to the Clichy Gate was more than 7 kilometers
(http://canempechepasnicolas.over-blog.com/2019/12/les-gilets-jaunes-celebrent-a-leur-maniere-l-anniversaire-d-emmanuel-macron-pour-leur-acte-58.html)
Protesters chanted anti-presidential and anti-capitalist slogans. On the way, the procession was stopped several times by the police; There
were a number of tense moments, but this time there were no collisions. A stop was made in front of Clichy Avenue in front of the Tribunal
to protest the reprisals against participants in the movement. The march ended at 16.45
(https://blogs.mediapart.fr/ceinna-coll/blog/221219/gj-acte-58-lviii-paris-21122019)

At 16.00 a group of "yellow vests" gathered at the Montparnasse train station for the action on Macron's birthday. Having put on Macron's
cardboard masks, the activists settled down at the Louvre and began to sing songs that appeared during the existence of the movement. After
20 minutes, the security officers of the Louvre and the gendarmes came to the venue. The protesters were cordoned off. There were no clashes
(https://www.obozrevatel.com/abroad/v-parizhe-na-protest-vyishli-tyisyachi-makronov-novosti-mira.htm). A protest rally was held in Versailles.

In Lyon, protesters gathered in the city center, despite the ban. In Montpellier, the "yellow vests" for some time captured the symbol of
capitalist consumerism - the Polygon shopping center
(https://www.gj-magazine.com/gj/acte-58-les-medias-nen-parlent-plus-mais-les-gilets-jaunes-sont-toujours-la/)

In Toulouse, where authorities again barred demonstrators from accessing the central square of the Capitol, a large demonstration of "yellow
vests", as usual, started at 2 p.m. from the Jean Jaures metro
(https://actu.fr/occitanie/toulouse_31555/acte-58-gilets-jaunes-toulouse-ce-vous-attend-le-dernier-samedi-avant-noel_30360296.html). The
demonstration was mostly calm. Only when protesters tried to break into the city center did the police start gas.

In various parts of the country, the "yellow vests" again organized free admission of cars to toll roads.

+++

Unions are still not inferior in the fight against pension reform. The striking railway workers at the end of last Christmas week again
partially paralyzed the movement of trains in the country. Half of the long-distance trains were canceled. The movement of regional
transport was severely disrupted. In Paris, local transport is on strike. Macron called on the strikers for a "truce" for Christmas, but
union officials rejected the call.

The economic effects of strikes began to be felt, especially in Paris. Tourism suffered: hotel reservations decreased by 40-50%, prices fell
(https://www.jungewelt.de/artikel/369259.frankreich-arbeitskampf-geht-weiter.html)
+++

On December 23, rallies continued at the Lyons train station in Paris. In front of the building, the police twice dispersed the strikers.
Inside the station, the strikers managed to break through the police cordons at the exits from the subway. They managed to block the 1st
line, which still worked, despite the strike, as it is automated.

https://aitrus.info/node/5388

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Message: 6






Since the Hollande government, the repression of the social movement has accelerated. While we are in the midst of a fight against the
Philippe government's plan on pensions, the past two weeks have seen several serious facts concerning activists from trade union
organizations. ---- Last week Yann Lemerrer, activist of SUD PTT passed before the Council of State to request the examination of his
appeal, the public rapporteur issued an unfavorable opinion. Wednesday Gaël Quirante, another activist of SUD PTT, was sentenced to three
months suspended prison sentence and 5 years probation for a so-called cell theft, the judge having preferred to listen to the executives of
the Post office rather than the strikers who have been on strike for over a year. That same week, Samuel Tillet, secretary general of Lille
Métropole Mines-Energie of the CGT, was taken into police custody following EDF cut-off actions, an activist from Solidaires RATP and a
teacher were taken into police custody following the blocking of 'a bus depot.

These few examples only from this week are only part of the cases that have been listed for several months. In all cases, it is a question
of silencing by all means those who carry a clear message: we do not want this society.

For the UCL, we denounce and call to fight political repression against all activists who fight daily against capitalism and its harmful
effects.

Violence, whether judicial or police, is the weapon the state uses to silence us and silence our struggles. Faced with this we must
establish the necessary balance of power. The current movement against pensions must be the moment when we can prevent this institutional
violence.

Libertarian Communist Union, December 21, 2019

https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?Repression-du-mouvement-social-Police-et-justice-de-classe-a-la-manoeuvre

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Message: 7






In many people's minds 2019 will go down as the year we learned what ‘proroguing' meant or perhaps maybe it'll just be viewed as the
beginning of the end. The calm before the Boris. Already it looks like the right to strike is under attack, voter ID will disenfranchise
thousands and Zac Goldsmith remains the turd you can't flush away, no matter how many times you vote him out. In all this uncertainty, we
thought we'd review some of the good things we did during the year. ---- Gigs and $$$: starting with a rocking Killdren + Inner Terrestrials
gig at DIY space in January (which the police attempted to shut down) we've raised around £1,600 at socials throughout the year which went
to comrades in Greece, Russia, Manchester and projects closer to home in London.

Reading group: we've now been going for 18 months and hit a peak with our sessions on anarcho-feminism and queer struggles which had ~30
people at each. In 2020 we're going to be running a series on Marx in what we're sure will be a laugh a minute.

Demos: we've attended so many demos this year it's hard to keep track. In many we managed to change the nature of them with a concerted
effort by a small group. See a load of black flags on Westminster bridge at the proroguing demo? That was started by three of our members
who'd commandeered a PA. If at any of the recent demos you heard teenagers chanting Fuck The Police directly in the face of the coppers,
there's a good chance we had something to do with that. On a more sombre note, the sheer number of demos we've felt we had to attend speaks
to the times.

Antifascism: we weren't involved, guv, honest. Despite having its ups and downs, the London Antifascist Assembly is a force for good which
we continue to support after being involved in its founding.

Green Anticapitalist Front: not happy with just pointing out XRs flaws, we set up a broad coalition of groups with the aim of both
radicalising the environmental movement and robbing polluters and their financial backers of the social license to operate. We've given
talks on anticapitalism and eco-fascism at XR events and tried to take both the stock exchange and the metal exchange which we reckon are
better targets than a roundabout.

Gender and Sexuality: in advance of the expected backlash as LGBTQ education is rolled out across the country, we've been bringing together
groups and individuals keen to push back against the reactionaries. These have been typified by Katie Hopkins putting aside her rampant
Islamophobia to work with Muslim groups against LGBTQ rights. Watch this space for more action to be announced at the start of 2020

Solidarity network: in 2020 we'll be forming a solidarity network to fight back against bosses, landlords and anyone else who pisses us off.
I imagine it's going to be a busy year.

Bookfairs and festivals: One good sign is the number of anarchist/radical festivals that have been springing up. We've toured the country
and put on events at A-fest and the antiuni. In 2020 the London Anarchist Bookfair returns with a new crew including some of our members.
Who will hand out the most controversial leaflet? Only time will tell, but we're mocking up one of David Cameron and Boris double-teaming a
pig as we speak.

https://aflondon.wordpress.com/2019/12/21/2019-a-year-in-review/

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