Today's Topics:
1. FAU-NEWS - Fighting Back: Romanian Workers Organise in
Germany (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
2. anarkismo.net: Women under lockdown all around the world by
Various anarchist organizations (ca, de, fr, it)
(a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
3. afed.cz: For Julia and Viktor - Report on a demonstration in
support of Russian political prisoners [machine translation]
(a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
4. Britain, anarchist communist ACG: Kick over the statues...
Colston is going... going... gone (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
5. Greece, Freedom Initiative of Thessaloniki Anarchist
Federation: Solidarity with the members of Rubicon N. Mataraga
and G. Kalaitzidis [machine translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
6. France, Union Communiste Libertaire UCL un autre futur - BDS
demonstration prohibited (fr, it, pt)[machine translation]
(a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
7. Slovakia, priama akcia: Open meetings with the association
Direct action continues [machine translation]
(a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
8. US, MACC General Assembly Call: General Assembly Friday,
June 26th on Jitsi (Zoom Backup) (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
9. icl-cit: Dragon Sweater Factory (Bangladesh) must reinstate
workers and pay unpaid wages (ca) (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
10. Greece, liberta salonica: Intervention at Gennimatas
Hospital for the defense of public & free health care [machine
translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
In his second report from the new international wave of class struggle, Paul Inglis talks to trade unionists involved in a struggle by
Romanian agricultural workers in Germany. ---- In the period between my first interview and this one, the tempo of international class
conflict has picked up with astonishing vigour. Looking back at the first days of Summer 2020, it would be easy to assume that no lockdown
had actually taken place. Indeed it's as if the long string of popular explosions that concluded the 2010's has simply continued on like
nothing happened, the global wave of anti-police protests being but the latest phase of the new insurrections. And indeed, this is exactly
what the anti-police movement is. The Sudanese revolution, the riots in Catalunya and the Chilean general strike have now been joined by the
Minneapolis uprising.
But they have not only been joined by Minneapolis. Mere days after news of his murder broke, George Floyd's name was on the lips of street
militants in places as varied as Guadalajara, Istanbul, Athens and Bristol. In every protest, calls of justice for Floyd have been mixed
with calls of justice for local martyrs - like Giovanni Lopez, tortured and killed while in Mexican police custody, or Baris Çakan, a
Kurdish youth murdered by Turkish fascists for listening to Kurdish music.
It is clear that COVID-19 has done nothing to arrest the vast swell of working class fury that is breaking out all over the planet in
diverse combinations of strikes, riots and uprisings. If anything, the pandemic has only intensified this process, throwing millions into
unemployment and dragging forward a long overdue economic crisis. Direct action, the struggle against racism, the impact of the pandemic -
all these aspects of the world struggle are the shared themes of each new outbreak, and they combine alike in the subject of today's
interview: The wildcat strike at Bornheim, Germany.
About half an hour by bike from Bonn, Borrnheim is a town whose industry is based on agriculture, primarily the growing of asparagus. It was
at just such a farm on 15 May that around two hundred Romanian fruit and veg pickers walked off the job, refusing to return to work until
their demands were met. To find out why, and what happened next, I spoke to Robin, a comrade from the Bonn branch of the Freie ArbeiterInnen
Union (FAU), a grassroots anarcho-syndicalist union that came to play a significant part in the events at Bornheim.
They began with Erdbeer-und Spargelhof Ritter (ESR), a Bornheim-based company that hires Eastern European workers to harvest asparagus and
strawberries. Due to the COVID-19 lockdown however, this year's orders of asparagus from restaurants have collapsed, sending ESR into
insolvency. Faced with the imminent prospect of no pay for the season's work, the workers immediately opted to strike, demanding payment for
the work they had done. At this point a lawyers' office, Schulte-Beckhausen, which had taken charge of the company following insolvency,
threatened to fire the workers and evict them from company housing, despite a lack of any written termination of either the employment or
housing contracts. With this the strike took up a second demand: either continuing contracts of employment at Bornheim, new jobs at another
company, or money for workers to return home to Romania.
It was just after the strike began that the FAU got involved. On hearing news of it on the radio, members of the FAU's Bonn branch were
quick to journey to Bornheim and find out how they could support the striking workers. Having listened to plenty of discussions about how to
reach and organise migrant workers in my time on the left, I was particularly keen to ask Robin about the crucial tasks of communication and
building up bonds of trust between the union and the workers. Initially, bridging the language gap presented a complicated challenge. But,
through talking to the workers who spoke some English and German, and by mobilising interpreters from the FAU and from the wider left,
communication was established. Robin stressed that the most important part in making those first few links with the workers was listening to
their issues - the FAU did not just show up unannounced and impose their own ideas about how the strike should be organised, but rather
heard the strikers' demands and their ideas about how to proceed in the struggle and respected them. If the FAU members had disagreements,
they explained their point of view in a comradely manner, but regardless helped the workers in whatever actions they decided on.
I was quite curious to know how the FAU brought its own politics to these discussions. Readers with an interest in the history of anarchism
may know something of the original Freie Arbeiter Union Deutschlands (FAUD), or of the theorist Rudolf Rocker, who wrote the union's
platform. Robin told me how the modern FAU stands firmly in the anarcho-syndicalist tradition of the FAUD, and how it was these principles
that guided their actions at Bornheim. But this did not mean that the FAU went to the workers demanding they read this or that text or
expecting them to be immediately on board with anarcho-syndicalism. Instead of any abstract sloganeering, FAU members consistently explained
their principles as they related to the concrete issues of the strike. Direct democratic decision making, a stress on direct action, and a
lack of paid officials - it was principles like these that appealed strongly to the rank-and-file militants at Bornheim. But most of all,
the FAU showed what their ideas meant by sticking by the striking workers through the whole of their dispute. As ever, solidarity is the
principle that underpins all the others.
The success of this process of dialogue can quickly be gauged from a glance at the photos of the strike demonstrations, which show the red
and black flags held proudly aloft by Romanian workers. The extent of the trust built up between the union and the workers is further
demonstrated by the fact that the strike allowed the FAU to collectively represent it to management. This also enabled the FAU to gain
access to the workers' accommodation and inspect their living conditions. Here it should be pointed out that the housing provided by ESR can
barely be called housing, taking the form of a container warehouse wedged between a cemetery and a sewage plant. A video from FAU Bonn's
YouTube account shows the squalid conditions of these container-houses. Health and safety standards were non-existent on ESR premises, with
rotten food, no fire extinguishers, no cleaning services, and, in contravention of the German government's pandemic regulation, no personal
protective equipment provided to the workers. Robin told me of how the only masks the workers got came from a local bus driver who felt
sorry for his passengers and bought masks with his own money. In this we see the racism of companies like ESR, who think that they can get
away with subjecting migrant labourers to callous, criminal working and living conditions.
In addition to representation, FAU Bonn further supported the strike via a wide variety of actions, including: providing legal advice,
collecting donations, supplying food, organising demonstrations, hiring minibuses for transport, publicising the strikers' cause, guarding
the workers' housing to block evictions, contacting other companies to find new jobs for the workers, organising a delegation to the
Romanian consulate to ask for funds for workers to travel home, and, when the Romanian government inevitably did not commit to this, raising
the funds for this from supporters of the strike.
All of these actions attest not only to the sheer energy of the FAU but also to the comprehensive manner in which they approached their
organising work. This is the depth of commitment that is essential for the organisation of migrant workers - not just a token commitment to
the unity of the working class or a quick condemnation of the racist practices of employers, but a dedicated, full-scale operation. It's
clear that FAU Bonn threw everything they had into this strike, and it is only by doing this that they won the support and confidence of the
Bornheim workers.
After learning about the practice of the strike, I was eager to find out what was gained and if there were any defeats. Robin explained how
Bornheim presented a mix of results. On the one hand, only partial victories were won in regard to the payment of owed wages. Payments were
eventually conceded to some of the workers on two occasions after the strike began, but even then the amounts were variable, some getting
500 euros and others 50. To make matters worse, other workers received no payment at all. On top of all this, the FAU's lawyers note none of
the sums received by those who were eventually paid were actually above German minimum wage. The pay issue is not settled, however, as the
FAU's lawyers are currently suing ESR and Schulte-Beckhausen over the unpaid wages. The results of this legal battle will come through in
the next few months, so there is still a chance for a more substantial victory on pay.
A much more complete and immediate success emerged from the second demand of the strike. In the end, not a single person was made homeless
by Schulte-Beckhausen. The FAU were able to help every striking worker either find a new job or get back home to Romania. Robin was
particularly pleased to describe the confidence with which those Romanian workers who opted to find renewed employment in Germany now
approached jobhunting. On receiving an offer, the workers would send a delegation of representatives to inspect the workplace conditions,
and if they were not to the liking of the workers, they refused and considered another offer! This is a wonderful proof of the psychological
boost brought by having a fighting union at your back. Alone, workers are forced to beg for work and accept whatever they are given, but
together, with collective security and support, workers don't need to just accept the first gig that rolls by. They can demand better and
make it so.
Of course, the character of the dispute means that just when the FAU has established a presence among the workers of the ESR farm, the
workforce has been entirely dispersed. This is an unfortunate consequence of the nature of seasonal labour, and it poses a central challenge
to organisers in this industry. One unique characteristic of this particular case, though, is that the continuing legal battle over the
workers' wages is sure to keep FAU Bonn in contact with the Romanian workers for the foreseeable future. Regardless, it will be essential
that the union keeps up contact with their new Romanian comrades as they go on to new jobs. Indeed, the Romanian workers who have moved to
other farms in Germany have been put in contact with the relevant local FAU branches, and contact is being maintained with those workers who
have returned to Romania, workers who are likely to come back for the next harvest. The key task for the FAU now is strengthening the links
forged at Bornheim in preparation for next time.
------------------------------
Message: 2
We are not in the front line with capitalists, we are in the front line to change society! ---- International statement from various
anarchist organizations - some being members of the Anarkismo network - about the situation of women in this global health crisis of
capitalism. ---- "We, women, endure the social and economic global crisis which unfolded as the novel coronavirus emerged and evolved into a
pandemic, and yet we suffer from sexist violence too. This is not a novelty in the system of patriarchal domination we live under,
nevertheless, it has adopted particular new forms in our actual context. We have found the COVID-19 pandemic has relegated us more and more
to the "domestic sphere" and has subordinated us more and more to the masculine figure."
Sexist violence has increased with the world under lockdown. Away from our families and friends, us female victims of abusers, often our
significant others, have been trapped in an infernal situation. The initiatives imposed by multiple governments worldwide to stop domestic
violence have been ineffective, and the issue, far from lessening, has been increasing! Lockdown prevents female victims of domestic abuse
from abandoning their homes and obtaining help from outside, mainly because they cannot place calls while sharing the same space as their
abusers. The increase in femicides has been a reality both in Latin America and elsewhere. Street harassment, on the other hand, was not put
under lockdown! Although streets are empty, mandatory confinement did not limit or put a stop to sexist and sexual assaults in public and
open places, quite the contrary. With or without a protective mask on, shopping for groceries, visiting the doctor, or going to work, have
become ideal activities for sexual offenders to approach, harm, and harass women.
Unpaid domestic work performed by us women daily also increased during the mandatory lockdown. Besides making sure our children are well-fed
and do their homework, we have had to work from home, increasing the emotional work we ought to perform. In the countries where social
measures were adopted to allow people to remain in their houses, it is women who earn less than men working from home. Therefore, as men
become almost the only breadwinners, the distribution of household responsibilities has disappeared completely.
Some women are more affected than others due to the ongoing crisis. The current situation faced by female refugees (who are crammed into
their accommodations or refugee centers), WOC (women of color), and women from working-class districts, who are the most exposed to the
virus, is worrying. Having mostly informal jobs, they cannot stay confined and keep a stable income. Equally, they cannot have an income if
they assume all household responsibilities. Besides this, the militarization of everyday life has exposed both our children and us to police
brutality.
Patriarchy and capitalism take advantage of women's unpaid or underpaid work under the banner of national unity. We are particularly
vulnerable to this crisis because we hold more precarious jobs than men and work in the "essential" sector of the economy. Therefore many of
us workers, working in grocery stores, as nurses, or as teachers are in the front line, facing the epidemic directly. These economic
sectors, where we are the majority of workers, typically have underpaid jobs. However, women working in these sectors have historically
fought for higher wages, against discharges and precariousness.
It has been also us, women, who have put in practice solidarity and mutual aid through grassroots organizations. State institutions have not
responded to the crisis adequately, so grassroots organizations, mainly composed of women, have created different strategies to cope with
the crisis. Among these strategies, there is the creation of supply networks, the opening of soup kitchens and, the fabrication of
protective masks, among others.
To the State, to our bosses, to the police, to sexist violence, to racists, to homophobes we say: we won't give up and we will always fight
to make our words and our struggle, against all forms of oppression, visible. We are not in the front line with capitalists, we are in the
front line to change society!
? Federación Anarquista Uruguaya - FAU (Uruguay)
? Federación Anarquista de Rosario - FAR (Argentina)
? Grupo Libertario Vía Libre (Colombia)
? Union Communiste Libertaire (France)
? Organisation Socialiste Libertaire - OSL (Switzerland)
? Libertaere Aktion (Switzerland)
? Aotearoa Workers Solidarity Movement - AWSM (Aotearoa / New Zealand)
? Anarchist Unión of Afghanistan and Iran - AUAI
? Die Plattform - Anarchakommunistische Organisation (Germany)
? Organización Anarquista de Córdoba - OAC (Argentina)
? Alternativa Libertaria - AL/fdca (Italy)
? Melbourne Anarchist Communist Group - MACG (Australia)
? Workers Solidarity Movement - WSM (Ireland)
? Coordenação Anarquista Brasileira - CAB (Brazil)
http://anarkismo.net/article/31947
------------------------------
Message: 3
On Saturday, June 22, a hastily convened demonstration took place in Prague in the upper part of Wenceslas Square. Around 60 people came to
her in the early evening to support imprisoned Russian anti-fascists and anarchists, notably Yulia Boyarshinov and Viktor Filinkov, who had
been sentenced to 5.5 and 7 years in prison in St. Petersburg just a few hours earlier. They were tried in the "Network" case, fabricated by
Russia's FSB, and used torture and other cruel techniques to force several statements. ---- At the beginning of the demonstration, several
speakers in Russian, English and Czech spoke, focusing in particular on the growing wave of state repression in Russia, the need to support
the fight for the release of Julia and Viktor and the accountability of real FSB terrorists torturing our comrades. . After that, the
megaphone was made freely available, and several other people expressed their hearts from the current situation in Russia and the
possibilities of supporting the prisoners.
You can financially support Viktor, Julia and their families here: https://rupression.com/en/support/ .
Address for writing letters to Viktor: https://rupression.com/en/person/viktor-filinkov/ .
Address for writing letters to Julia: https://rupression.com/en/person/yuliy-boyarshinov/ .
You can also write to them online. On rosuznik.org, select "Komu" and then either "Viktor Zilinkov" or "Yulia Boarshinov".
Write in Russian or English (and translate it into Russian, for example with the help of google translate). Letters in English are much less
likely to get through prison censorship. If you don't want to write, feel free to send a picture or view.
We wrote about the Network case:
https://www.afed.cz/text/6784/policejni-stat-rusko
https://www.afed.cz/text/6787/airsoft-aneb-pripad-teroristu-z-penzy
https://www.afed.cz/text/6793/stop-muceni
https://www.afed.cz/text/6811/den-solidarity
https://www.afed.cz/text/6956/dokumentarni- film-sit
https://www.afed.cz/text/6958/podporte-obvinene-v-kauze-sit
https://www.afed.cz/text/7113/penza-rusko-vyneseny-rozsudky-v- kauze-sit
https://www.afed.cz/text/7127/rusko-fake-news-v-rezii-fsb
https://www.afed.cz/text/7129/solidarita-s-ruskymi-anarchisty
https: //www.afed.cz/text/7134/svobodu-politickym-veznum-v-kauze-sit
https://www.afed.cz/text/7139/moskva-vsichni-jsme-v-siti
https://www.afed.cz/text/7183/co-noveho-v-kauze-sit
https://www.afed.cz/text/7194/za-julija-a-viktora
------------------------------
Message: 4
Over the last few years in arguments over the commemoration, celebration and memorialisation of slaver-traders we have been told many times
that the so-called ‘traditions' of Bristol must be protected. That is code for not changing anything; names of buildings, schools and
statues, which are all part of the memorial landscape of Bristol created over the last couple of centuries largely by the merchant and
business elite. ---- Well, there is another great historical tradition in Bristol, that is Bristolians acting together to destroy statues of
their oppressors and institutions that oppress them. From the ‘mob' who put out the eyes of a prominent slave trader in 1090, the crowds who
pulled down the statue of George III in 1813 to those who added the cap of liberty to William III's statue as fires raged in the Mansion
House in Queen Square and the prisons in the 1831 uprising; Bristolians have a long history of sorting these things out, quickly, decisively
(and whilst partying at the same time).
An eye-witness from BRHG said:
‘We'd wondered/hoped if Colston might fall on today's BLM protest, and as our section of the crowd got close, clearly people were
interested! We stopped and joined the crowd circling the statue. It was covered in a black shroud, and a couple of white guys were trying to
pull it off, as others threw eggs at it. The shroud came off, and after a few failed attempts someone managed to climb to the top of the
statue, just as a few ropes were being thrown at it - not string, but proper climbing-type ropes. Someone was well prepared! A couple of
ropes were looped around Colston's neck, perhaps now he knew how it felt? The crowd was roaring, the climber jumped down. "Stand back"
people shouted! Surely it can't be this easy we thought? But with what seemed like just a couple of tugs, Colston came down with a crash.
People were jumping on the broken bastard. Utter pandemonium, and not a single cop in sight. Direct action does get the goods!
After the crowd made speeches from the empty plinth and had jumped up and down on the statue, the shout went out... "in the dock"... "in the
dock". After rolling it for a hundred yards across the centre, ropes were attached and it was dragged down to Pero's bridge an apt location
(the bridge is named after an enslaved African servant who lived in Bristol). To great cheers, Colston was dispatched to the bottom of the
river.
One by one the Colston dominoes are falling. Young Bristolians are leading the way in remodelling the memorial landscape of the city. This
is whilst politicians vacillate, apologists drag their feet and elite organisations like the Society of Merchant Venturers try to protect
their image and save themselves by letting a person of African-Caribbean descent join for the first time in nearly 500 years! If we had to
wait for this shower to do something we would be ‘kicking the can down the road' for another decade or more.
Many protestors echoed the feeling of one who said:
...she saw the statue of Edward Colston everyday going to work and it made her feel that she did not belong to the City... that she was not
part of the City. Now she said a weight was lifted off her back. She was proud of the Bristolians who were making history by their actions.
If pulling that statue down means young people can be proud and feel part of their city, then kick over the statues. We salute all those who
had the courage to do this. And we must defend them to the hilt if the police come calling on the orders of Priti Patel.
The ‘toxic brand' of Colston has been under assault for several years; the next question is when are the Colston schools going to change
their names. As one counter-Colston protestor said "How is celebrating a mass-murderer good education?" What next for the ‘toxic brand' of
the Merchant Venturers who run these schools? And what next for the organisation and its sordid history...time to call it a day and disband?
https://www.anarchistcommunism.org/2020/06/25/kick-over-the-statues-colston-is-going-going-gone/
------------------------------
Message: 5
Solidarity rally: Friday 26/6/2020, 09:30 in the courts of Evelpidon, Building 9. The state does not forget. He does not forget those who
stood in the way of his speech and actions in his choices, especially the darkest ones. For decades, Exarcheia has been a pole of resistance
in the metropolis, a hotbed of power struggles for a different social condition, a place of challenge, of creation, a backdoor to regime
normalcy. In addition to the immediate police crackdown, the second most important tool used by the Greek authorities to undermine this pole
of resistance was the drug trade and the mafias behind it. The anarchist movement "generation after generation" has actively resisted this
"from within" threat. From the 1970s to the present, dozens of battles have been fought against this "illegal" state and capital that
harmoniously cooperates with the rule of law.
But the state does not forget. On 6/26, two comrades, members of Rubicon, N. Mataragas and G. Kalaitzidis, were taken to the interrogator,
the first accused of physical assault and the second of immorality in the murder of a drug dealer in June 2016 in Exarcheion Square. For
those who don't remember, this was preceded by a period of fierce fighting against the then organized drug-trafficking mafia that began to
turn Exarcheia into a no-mans-land by imposing the jungle needed for any such business. to increase its profits. The movement, thousands of
comrades, including Rubicon and its two accused members, erected a wall of resistance. After persistent, fierce and dangerous battles won a
regular victory over organized crime. That is why the state, as soon as it realized that the game at that time was lost, "withdrew" the
whole circuit with immediate and mass arrests. Other circuits have replaced it, of course, but the state's resentment for both its defeat at
the moment and its "unexpected" resistance from below to its organized plans has remained. Four years later, a coarse-grained conspiracy to
imprison two militants is underway. Part of a dirty police game that, among other things, tried to persuade the imprisoned mobsters to hold
those specific fighters responsible for their arrest. The state plan does not end with a possible pre-trial detention but continues as
extermination in prison.
Of course, we should not ignore the current situation where the state chooses to make its move. After a "class and security" communication
campaign that attempted to demonize Exarchia and criminalize any anti-government action, New Democracy was confronted with its lies.
Exarcheia is policed, but remains alive. The anarchist movement is being beaten, but it remains at the forefront. Rubicon as a communication
tip of the repressive propaganda continues its struggle fearlessly. State plans failed again. That is why, in view of a huge economic crisis
that will finally take the world to the streets, they choose to use even stronger and dirtier weapons. The tactic of producing "ordinary
suspects" that mesmerized decades ago is returning.
But the tactics of "ordinary suspects" and premeditated drug lords were defeated and socially humiliated decades ago. The same will happen
now. However, the lives and liberties of our partners are our first concern. We will do whatever it takes to bring down the state
conspiracy. And if the state chooses to lead our comrades to prison or even worse, let them be prepared to give a battle that, once again,
has not correctly calculated what it will cost them.
Solidarity with persecuted comrades N. Mataraga and G. Kalaitzidis
Everyone at the solidarity rally called by Rubicon and the Athens region of the Anarchist Federation:
Friday 26/6/2020, 09:30 in the courts of Evelpidon, Building 9.
Anarchist Federation
Site: anarchist-federation.gr
email:anarchist-federation@riseup.net
Twitter: twitter.com/anarchistfedGr
Fb: facebook.com/anarxikiomospondia2015
Youtube: Anarchist Federation
https://libertasalonica.wordpress.com/2020/06/24
------------------------------
Message: 6
The Montpellier prefecture has prohibited the demonstration against the annexation of Palestinian territories by Israel which was to take
place on June 27 at 4.30 p.m. We were signatories of the call to demonstrate, we share with you the press release that was written in
response to this decision. ---- By prohibiting the demonstration of BDS France Montpellier, the Montpellier prefecture opposes the decision
of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in matters of freedom of expression. ---- The BDS France Montpellier Campaign has declared in
good and due form an event for June 27, 2020 at 4.30 p.m. from the Place de la Comédie. The object of the demonstration mentioned in the
declaration: "Stop the annexation of the Jordan Valley and respect for international law by Israel". The call for this event is co-signed
by: "AFPS 34 (Association France Palestine Solidarité), APLR (Association des Palestineiens LR), ATTAC Montpellier, BDS France Montpellier,
CCIPPP34 (International Civil Campaign for the Protection of the Palestinian People), CIMADE, CNT ESS34, Ensemble 34, FUIQP (United Front of
Popular Neighborhoods and Immigration), Libre Pensée Montpellier, MAN (Movement for a Non-violent Alternative), NPA (New Anticapitalist
Party), PG (Left Party) , UCL (Union Communiste Libertaire),
The BDS France Montpellier Campaign, an anti-racist, non-violent and popular movement, has been the subject of constant harassment since
2015 by the City of Montpellier and the prefecture. More than fifteen minutes, more than twenty hearings at the police station, reminders of
the law (for unfounded acts), defamation complaint (filed without result), two trials at the police court (two acquittals! ), destruction of
the BDS marquee (10/17/2015), confiscation of the marquee and 2 tables, not returned to date (March 7, 2020) - non-exhaustive list...
The exposure of Israeli apartheid, violations of international law and human rights and the call for a boycott of Israel are the causes of
this harassment.
The first ban on demonstrations on October 31, 2015 was already based on this main "recital": Extract:
2
It should be known that on June 11, 2020 the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) concluded that the conviction of 11 activists for their
campaign actions calling for the boycott of Israeli products violated their right to freedom of expression. It restored the right to call
for a boycott of Israel and condemned France for the violation of freedom of expression to pay more than € 7,000 per applicant.
One would have thought that the services of the Prefecture of Hérault would be attentive to this verdict. This is not the case since the ban
on the demonstration on Saturday June 27, 2020 mentions as a "recital" specific to BDS France Montpellier that it disseminates (...)
"information containing slogans hostile to the State of Israel generating disturbances to public order. "(...)
The conviction of activists who boycotted Israeli products in a store was punished for freedom of expression by the ECHR.
After banning the demonstration, will the Hérault prefecture prosecute the demonstrators whose slogan "hostile" is: "Stop the annexation of
the Jordan Valley and respect for international law by Israel"? Should we remind the prefecture that the annexation of the Jordan Valley is
unanimously condemned by the UN, the EU and France.
Last minute: The prefecture has just sent its police to notify the homes of the 3 signatories of the declaration of demonstration and to an
activist who is usually targeted (!) The ban on demonstrations, insisting on the penalties incurred (criminal) in case of transgression by
anyone present on the premises. Under these conditions not wanting to expose anyone to police and judicial repression, BDS France
Montpellier has decided to cancel the demonstration this Saturday, June 27 and will fix the date of a new demonstration very soon be assured.
http://unautrefutur.org/manifestation-de-bds-interdite/
------------------------------
Message: 7
The pandemic forced us to interrupt open meetings, but we are back with the news! See you on Monday, June 29, at 6:00 pm in Bystra,
Bratislava, exactly four months after the last meeting, where we presented a publication about our workplace disputes . It will be available
this time as well. And along with it, campaign stickerswhich is our response to the coronary crisis. We assume that this will be one of the
main topics at the meeting. As a matter of priority, however, we would like to talk about how we could help each other to solve problems in
the region and how to support activities that are already under way. If you have a point in the discussion, you can let us know in advance
and especially come in person. In the rest of the text you will find more information about the meeting.
Practical overlap of meetings
By practical overlap we mean activities that arise as a result of meeting. In recent months, it has been, for example,participation in a
climate strike or international solidarity .
However, we are also interested in more general debates. For example, we have previously dealt with three topics: psychological coercion in
the workplace, slander and damage to goodwill, in response from the employer . Thanks to the meetings, we found out how to better defend
ourselves against our superiors, and we then used the ideas in the disputes of our association. So we got better acquainted with the issue
and we published tips and tricks for the practice and struggles of workers on the website.
Meetings can also be used to solve specific problems in the workplace. The disputes we have had against companies in recent years ( see, for
example, the article on three disputes in gastronomy ) also began with meetings to discuss possible solutions and prepare an action plan.
Themes
We do not specify what topics will be discussed. They depend on you. They do not have to relate only to workplaces or problems that are
being solved by the Direct Action Association.
Can anyone come?
Direct action is an anarcho-syndicalist union and we do not cooperate with political parties or pro-parliamentary initiatives. When we say
that we do not specify topics and we are interested in a class approach, we mean constructive activities and policies that call into
question political parties, the principle of representation, capital and the state.
If you perceive it as we do, we will be happy to see you in Bystra on Monday, June 29. If you're interested in a different approach or
you're in charge of a political party, security forces or someone, you'd better stay home. If you let us know about yourself from a region
other than Bratislava, we may know other people in your region with whom you could connect.
What we expect We
would like the meetings to contribute to the development of class-oriented activities (for a better understanding, we recommend looking at
this link to a short text about the class - https://priamaakcia.sk/Kapitalizmus-trieda-a-triedny-boj-pre- non-complete-beginners-.html ).
If you have your own ideas of what would be worth discussion and activity, we welcome them. We are curious what problems you are interested
in, what you think could be improved in the region, what annoys you, or how we could organize more efficiently.
Current general hygiene rules in
Bystra * Maximum 5 people inside Bystra - try to keep a distance of 2 meters.
* Drapery mandatory when handling food and indoors.
* Eating will only be allowed outdoors and we recommend bringing your own containers.
* Wash your hands immediately after entering Bystra - with chemical or soap and water (we have running water, it's up to you).
* If you feel symptoms of the disease, please stay home. It's better for you and for us.
Actions will be done primarily outside. This means that if the weather is very bad, they will have to be postponed. Even outside in the
yard, we will try to be considerate of those who have greater hygiene requirements. For example, if someone does not feel well when others
around do not have a veil, we will ask everyone to have it outside. Therefore, please always have it with you.
We look forward to meeting you on Monday, June 29th!
Union Direct Action
Related articles:
Open meeting on election day - program of action
(Not) to vote is not enough! We organize every day and we will also meet on election day
Open meeting with the association Direct action in November
https://www.priamaakcia.sk/Otvorene-stretnutia-so-zvazom-Priama-akcia-pokracuju.html
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Message: 8
The Metropolitan Anarchist Coordinating Council (MACC) is hosting one of our monthly general assemblies on Friday, June 26th via Jitsi. The
included Zoom information is in case of connectivity or moderation issues on Jitsi, we will change platforms. This GA will be continue in a
more thematic vein, but with an eye towards transitioning to "post-covid" organizing. Organizing assembly notes can be found on Loomio. ----
We still encourage those who are new to MACC to call in, "attend" orientation at 6:30 (the call will be started by this time) and to
participate in discussion. MACC organizers will happily speak with you independently, connect you to Working Groups, and familiarize you
with projects.
GAs are a great opportunity to get plugged in with MACC's projects and working groups. MACC assemblies are open to all anarchists,
antifascists, anti-authoritarians and those interested in anarchist ideas and organizing so please invite your friends and share widely!
We encourage everyone to come with ideas about what they would like to see for future campaigns or actions and what direction they'd like
MACC to take to build a more powerful, militant anarchist movement. Especially in our current context of local organizing, police
abolitionism, and mutual aid network creation.
An orientation will precede the assembly starting at 6:30 PM for those interested in familiarizing themselves with MACC, general assemblies,
and anarchist ideas. It is the same meeting ID and you do not need to attend a separate conference call.
We expect the assembly agenda to include:
George Floyd uprisings
Expanding sites of struggle for abolitionist and anti-racist action.
MACC Mutual Aid Network
COVID-19 responses and organizing challenges
Working Group reportbacks
For more information visit macc.nyc/ or contact us at info@macc.nyc
MACC's safer spaces policy is available here: macc.nyc/safer-spaces
Support MACC Projects
Both the Organizing Assembly and General Assembly are great places to get involved with new and ongoing working groups. You can see a list
of groups on our wiki. Come to a meeting or email us to learn more.
Join a Working Group
Both the Organizing Assembly and General Assembly are great places to get involved with new and ongoing working groups. You can see a list
of groups on our wiki. Come to a meeting or email us to learn more.
Free David Campbell
Defend and Support Our Imprisoned Anti-fascist Comrade
https://mailchi.mp/macc/macc-general-assembly-friday-may-29th-630pm-orientation-on-zoom-946752?e=ac0b622782
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Message: 9
GWTUC (Garment Workers' Trade Union Centre) is a union that brings together workers in the massive garment industry in Bangladesh. As you
can see from their call below, 6,000 of their members have been fired from the Dragon Sweater Factory, with huge amounts still owed in
unpaid wages. The company regularly works for major brands like H&M, Zara, New Yorker, Lidl, Primark and Woolworth. ---- Once again, the
excuse of the Covid-19 pandemic is being used by unscrupulous company owners to trample on the livelihoods of thousands of workers. As we
are told, they plan to move the factory out of Dhaka to the countryside, were wags are still lower. How deep can the ditch of exploitation
go? How much more do these fashionable brands want to extract from workers in Bangladesh?
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[IWW]Solidarity with the uprising happening across the U.S.A.
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To compound things, the company owners have received generous stimulus packages from the government to alleviate the effects of the pandemic
on their business. They might as well use a fraction of that money to pay the workers' unpaid wages!
ICL stands in solidarity with the dismissed workers and demands that they are reinstated and that all wages are paid. Our comrades from the
local anarchist network Auraj (https://www.auraj.net) also support the struggle at Dragon Sweater Factory.
Please, if you're planning any solidarity action, let us know at asia@icl-cit.org, so we can inform GWTUC and the workers.
Call for Solidarity: GWTUC, Bangladesh
Dear Comrades,
I am writing to you as a call for solidarity action for the protesting workers of the Dragon Sweaters factory and Garments Workers' Trade
Union Center in Bangladesh (GWTUC). Thousands of workers of the Dragon Sweaters factory, located in Dhaka, Bangladesh, have been protesting
against their illegal termination by ownership since the beginning of the COVID 19 lockdown in March. I will give a brief overview of the
situation so far, and any likely future developments:
The current protests of the Dragon Sweaters factory workers are organized by the GWTUC. 90 percent of the factory workers are members of our
union.
We have had factory level committees at Dragon Sweaters for a number of years now. The factory owners are part of a large conglomerate
called the Dragon Group, headed by an influential businessman in the garments sector, Golam Quddus. They have a history of not paying
workers wages, union-busting and the majority of workers at the factory have years worth of unpaid arrears and unpaid payments from the
provident fund.
The current protests started at the beginning of March when the government imposed a nationwide lockdown due to the COVID 19 pandemic. At
that time, the owners of Dragon Sweaters decided they would terminate the majority of the factory's approximately 6,000 workers without
severance pay, owed arrears, owed provident fund amounts and owed bonus pay.
The factory owners attempted to fire the workers using the excuse of economic losses due to the pandemic. We believe this argument is
blatantly false not only because of the 8 billion dollar stimulus package offered by the government, a significant portion of which was used
to offer low interest loans and working capital to help garment owners; but also because the government specifically allocated money for the
garment owners to pay the workers their owed wages during this economic slowdown.
With that in mind, we believe the owners of Dragon Sweaters have no justification to fire the thousands of workers en masse without the
years in back pay and owed allowances. The action to fire workers without the pay and benefits owed to them is illegal under Bangladeshi
law. The owners are using the pandemic as a smokescreen to get rid of older and more experienced workers, some of whom have worked for the
factory for more than two decades. The majority of the 6,000 workers have been protesting against the actions of owners. But through police
intimidation and harassment the numbers of protestors have dwindled. They had last been paid partial wages for the month of April and are
struggling to sustain a living in Dhaka with little in the way of financial support or social welfare.
The workers at Dragon Sweaters demand to be compensated with their unpaid wages, owed provident fund amounts and bonus pay and that their
attempted illegal terminations be overturned. We have attempted to engage in negotiations with the owners, But they have been unresponsive
and adamant on every occasion, instead resorting to scare tactics. We are currently attempting to create pressure on the owners by appealing
to the government against their illegal actions. To this end, we have taken part in almost daily demonstrations, programmes, and most
recently laid siege to Labor Ministry offices to press home our demands.
The workers at Dragon Sweaters have produced clothes for brands such as Gap, Zara, Primark, H&M, Woolworths, Next, Lidl and New Yorker.
Thus, we believe that international solidarity actions from our comrades in countries which house these brands, such as demonstrations in
front corporate offices, mass call ins, and other measures would amplify the pressure on the owners of Dragon Sweaters to accept the demands
of the workers. The sooner such action is possible the better as the workers are in perilous economic straits and any pressure will further
the conditions for the acceptance of their demands.
Also available in: Español (Spanish)
Tags: AsiaBangladeshCORONAVIRUSCOVID19GWTUCsolidarity
Previous Post
Against the Terror of Anti-Terror
ICL CIT
The ICL brings together a number of anarcho-syndicalist and revolutionary unions from around the world. It is born out of their desire for
closer collaboration and to add an international dimension to their local work, which will allow them to coordinate with comrades around the
world and make their struggles visible to a global audience.
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Twitter
https://www.icl-cit.org/dragon-sweater-factory-bangladesh-must-reinstate-workers-and-pay-unpaid-wages/
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Message: 10
...and for the arbitrariness of the hospital commander, Giannis Koutras | Anarchist Federation (Thessaloniki Region) ---- Today (27/6/2020)
in the morning an intervention was carried out at the Gennimatas hospital by the Thessaloniki Region of the Anarchist Federation. The reason
for the intervention was the behavior of the hospital commander, George Koutras, towards a trade unionist and in general towards the medical
and nursing staff, but also the situation of the public health system at a time more critical than ever for this. During the intervention,
many texts of the Thessaloniki Region of the Anarchist Federation were distributed to passers-by, patients, visitors and hospital staff. The
intervention was accompanied by a banner from the Anarchist Federation to defend the health workers' demands.
The following is the text shared by the Thessaloniki Region of the Anarchist Federation:
On 5/17/2020, the employee of the Gennimatas hospital and president of ENITH D.K. she lost her job due to the death of her father. While she
was entitled to leave due to mourning and had taken care to find a replacement for her shift, the hospital's commander, George Koutras,
allegedly carried out an emergency check, terrorized with voices and insults the specialized doctors who were there and after a few minutes
left, .K. is missing from her post. The result is D.K. and the replacement of M.A. to be called to apology for "unjustified abstention from
the performance of their duties", something that obviously does not apply, threatening the D.K. with prosecution.
This control was not accidental at all, as well as D.K. and M.A. They are trade unionists and have often highlighted the inadequacies of the
hospital where they work. On the other hand, the commander of Gennimata Hospital is ostentatiously ignoring the problems in the operation of
any other wing other than the orthopedic one, even trampling on the directors and employees who dare to demonstrate them.
All this because G. Koutras, before becoming the commander of Gennimatas, was a bigoted physiotherapist, hence his ardent desire to upgrade
the Orthopedic Clinic and the physiotherapy clinic. For Mr. Koutras, no one will find any administrative experience in his CV, despite his
involvement in physiotherapy, while in his public action his candidacy is recorded in 2014 as a municipal councilor on the ballot of the
current parliamentary representative of ND Stavros Kalafatis.
Even in the midst of the pandemic of the corona, he did not deal at all with the shortcomings of the hospital, except with the upgrade of
the Second Orthopedic Clinic of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, which is his only occupation from the day he took office.
Specifically, according to the complaint of the Association of Hospital Doctors of Thessaloniki, it proceeded to complete a tender through
NSRF 2014-2020, orthopedic equipment worth 260,000 euros, in March amid a pandemic, without even evaluating the other needs of the Hospital
and the opening three extra Orthopedic beds. Especially for the latter, a huge problem is created with the relocations that will be needed,
as well as unnecessary expenses.
In order for Mr. Koutras' dreams to come true, a relocation of the Pathology Laboratory is planned, in order to become the offices of the
orthopedic doctors. The redesigns it is planning lead to shortages and the radiological wing, which while it has received new equipment,
remains unused because the empty space is expected to be allocated for the extensions of the orthopedics it seeks.
All this comes to add to his authoritarian and aggressive attitude towards the working doctors, especially to the trade unionists,
essentially dissolving the necessary functions of the hospital and creating a climate of terrorism for the working women.
In the employer's arbitrariness of this particular commander and everyone else, which for his profit and interest degrades public health and
endangers human lives, in every Kostra who thinks that hospitals are his scumbags and threatens and threatens trade unionists who demand the
obvious, we stand opposite and respond with organization. Because public health is a social good and not a source of profit for every
party-appointed bigoted tramp. We will not let anyone play with our lives and misuse public health money for their own benefit.
The government's miserable practices, which give millions to media propaganda instead of strengthening the public health system, which dulls
private clinics instead of even banning them through a pandemic, appoints bigoted people who, for their own benefit, degrade hospitals for
high-risk actions. public health, make it clear that for them profits are worth more than human lives. In the face of the harsh face of
capitalism, as long as the state and capital bargain with our lives, we respond in solidarity. We will stand by those who are being
persecuted because they are unionized and demand the obvious, next to those who in adverse conditions are fighting for public health.
THE LABORATORY AUTHORITY OF G. KOUTRA WILL NOT PASS
DOWNLOAD HANDS FROM PUBLIC HEALTH
HEALTH IS NOT A TRADE
Anarchist Federation (Thessaloniki Region)
https://libertasalonica.wordpress.com/2020/06/26
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