WORLD WORLDWIDE SPAIN News Journal Update - (en) Spain, CNT, #435: Self defense as a way of life - Luis Royuela (ca, de, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

 It's not you, it's the system. The capitalist system with which the majority of

the population is forced to live is aggressive against the working class, women,
gays, transsexuals, immigrants or any other minority that deserves to be
exploited. However, it needs all those collectives to stay afloat. In this
need-hate relationship we will explore some ways to combat the system from
within. Sorry for the inconvenience, it's not free opposition, it's just
self-defense. ---- The capitalist system is based on three fundamental pillars.
Consumption, work and private property.
* Consumption:
This system requires that the products that are placed on the market be consumed
quickly and eagerly so that they are replaced by new products that, in turn, will
be consumed and the wheel continues to turn. Faced with this as consumers we can
do several things. One of them is the BOYCOTT. The boycott means to stop
consuming a certain product or service. The reasons can be diverse: labor
exploitation of female workers, use of micro plastics in packaging, destruction
of ecosystems in the extraction of raw materials... If you are thinking of
starting a boycott campaign, remember that the campaigns themselves are not
illegal. . However, the data you use in your campaign must be truthful.

* The job:
This system needs happy workers who consume the products of the previous section.
Faced with labor exploitation, obviously, the best thing you can do is organize
yourself in your nearest CNT union. Other means at your disposal are:

The strike: consists of not going to your job. This causes losses to the company
and is often used to improve our working conditions. It must be communicated to
the company and for it to be legal it must meet certain requirements that you can
be informed of, as we have said before, in your CNT union.
The heat strike: it consists of the workers not moving a finger in their
workplace if each and every one of the requirements in risk prevention and
occupational health are not met. It is considered illegal in the Spanish state,
but it is difficult to prove. Political strikes and solidarity strikes are also
considered illegal.
Japanese strike: in theory it is typical of the country of the rising sun and
consists of working more than usual. This causes an overproduction that makes the
company lose money since it cannot dispose of the stock of products.
Unfortunately, we don't know if this is true as there is no data that it has ever
been done. It's a hoax
Direct action: we will include in this section all those acts carried out
directly by the interested parties or by their related groups against the causes
of our misfortunes. There are forms of direct action that do not fit within this
definition. There are even forms of direct action that have not yet occurred to
us. It can be a graffiti or a banner hanging from a bridge. It is normal that,
for example, in CNT we carry out protest pickets in front of the companies with
which we have a conflict. These actions seek to demonstrate that the workers are
not alone in their demands, but are supported by a group that is present in many
cities. I take advantage of these lines to send a message of support and
solidarity to the 6 of Switzerland wishing a happy ending to their fight. (If you
don't know what I'm talking about, go to the CNT website)
It is proven that by saying that you do not reinforce your self-esteem. So start
practicing it. Say no if you don't agree with any situation. To your teachers and
professors, to your manager, to your boss, to your co-workers, to your friends,
to your partner, to your parents, to your offspring, obviously to the police, to
your neighbors... And get involved in resolving your browns.

* Private property:
Since the Middle Ages or even earlier, holders of vast wealth have exploited
their poorer fellow men. In the old regime the nobility and the clergy owned the
land. Today, his heirs own homes that they rent or sell at exorbitant prices. The
working class is forced to take out mortgages or leases that end up with more
than one, literally, with a noose around their necks. Faced with the cost of
housing, squatting. Squatting consists of establishing a property that is not
yours as a home or social center. Normally, it does not entail serious legal
consequences, since they usually accuse us of the crime of usurpation (art. 245.2
CP) and usually results in a fine. As each case is different, sometimes the
consequences can be more serious.   We want to send our support to the Fraguas
compañeras, who tried to repopulate rural areas and are suffering state
repression in one of the cruelest ways I can remember in recent years.

If you don't know the case, put in any Internet search engine Frrueles that I
remember in recent years.

   If you don't know the case, put Fraguas Libertad on any Internet search
engine, find out and support them.
When we exercise our self-defense, we are likely to face repression from the
state that will come in the form of complaints, fines, or legal proceedings. On
many occasions we will be forced to resort to professional lawyers, but we are
going to review certain procedures that we can go to without representation and
continue using self-defense:

In the civil order: oral trial for an amount of less than 2000 euros.
In the criminal order: procedure for minor offenses (art. 33.4 CP). Threats,
coercion, property damage, etc.
In the labor order: you can represent yourself in any labor lawsuit. You only
need a lawyer if, after the ruling, you want to file a plea appeal.
Faced with administrative sanctions: you can answer the sanction proposals
yourself and propose the means of proof until the resolution of the file. If you
want to appeal the same, you will need to be represented.
We cannot ignore the importance of the principle of legality. This principle
requires that all the actions of state entities must be included in the laws. So,
in theory, everything you can think of that is not included in the rules can be
done. Imagination to the power. However, law is not an exact science. In fact, I
don't think it's even a science. Which is why it is likely that if you exercise
self-defense you will end up having problems with the law.

It is necessary to be organized. Knowing the resources that we have at our
disposal is the best form of defense. And the best school is the one offered by
the CNT unions. Get used to spending one afternoon a week at the local. If you
come when the shit is up to your neck, it will be difficult to get out.

That is why it is important to be organized. Kropotkin said it: the species that
have the best chances of surviving are those that know how to find in solidarity
the best weapon to ensure their future. We cannot be isolated. In Edward Abbey's
novel 'Fire on the Mountain' (Errata Naturae 2018), old Vogelin resists the
expropriation of his ranch by the US government, which wants to use it as a
shooting range. With the only help of his ten-year-old grandson, it is
foreseeable that it ends with a sad ending, but we don't want to spoil it. In
another novel by the same author, 'La banda de la tenaza', a group of social
misfits of diverse origins come together to stand up to the big companies that,
with their economic interests, threaten the beauty of the desert. Its reading is
highly recommended for all those who are starting out in the concept of sabotage.

It is necessary to be organized. Knowing the resources that we have at our
disposal is the best form of defense. And the best school is the one offered by
the CNT unions. Get used to spending one afternoon a week at the local. If you
come when the shit is up to your neck, it will be difficult to get out.

We cannot finish this article without making a special mention of the personal
satisfaction that you will feel if you practice self-defense assiduously. It
seems that it is proven that by saying that you do not reinforce your
self-esteem. So start practicing it. Say no if you don't agree with any
situation. To your teachers and professors, to your manager, to your boss, to
your co-workers, to your friends, to your partner, to your parents, to your
offspring, obviously to the police, to your neighbors... And get involved in
resolving your browns. If you support and rely on your peers it will be easier.
When you are the one who solves your own problems, you exercise your dignity,
which will improve your quality of life.

https://www.cnt.es/noticias/la-autodefensa-como-forma-de-vida/
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