Ireland, Derryan Archists Class, Capitalism Crime & Punishment

(en) Ireland, Derryan Archists, Class, Capitalism, Crime &
Punishment

Recent punishment beatings and shootings in both Derry and Belfast have highlighted the 
horrific nature of such attacks carried out by both Loyalist and Republican armed groups 
across the North. Right on cue, the politicians have lined up to condemn those involved 
whilst reiterating their support for the our 'new' police force who are supposedly dealing 
with crime in working class areas, but you wouldn't expect any different from any of them, 
after all it's getting ever closer to election time. ---- In one of the more recent 
punishment attacks, Loyalists in Coleraine subjected a man in his 20's to "life-changing 
injuries" following a punishment shooting, wounding him several times in the arms and legs 
outside his house. In a separate attack in Derry, Republicans forced their way in to the 
home of another man beating him in a sustained attack with bats, leaving him for dead and 
his neighbours traumatised in its aftermath.

In a separate attack, a grandmother in Rathcoole estate was shot several times in both 
legs as she attempted to escape from her home upon their arrival. Such brutality has been 
equated to 'the law of the jungle' or the type of justice meted out by authoritarian 
regimes as the Taliban or ISIS who are renowned for their rough justice. Either way, it 
does make you question just what type of society organisations who participate in such 
actions have in mind for our class when they talk about our emancipation, freedom and 
liberation.

Throughout the past 40 years of war in the North, armed groups from both sides of the 
divide have killed, injured and maimed hundreds of ordinary in working class people in a 
vain attempt to not only control or assert their authority, but also in an attempt to deal 
with crime and criminality in a vacuum where there is an absence of "law and order" or a 
"credible police force", which many would say, "any other normal society would have".?

Unfortunately, as we know only too well, that even after two decades on from the 
introduction of the 'Good Friday Agreement' we still do not live in a "normal society". 
Its true many things have changed here in the North but it's not merely enough. British 
troop numbers may have dwindled, the Police may have changed their name and uniforms but 
militarization and security is still big business here. One of the largest security 
investments since the GFA has been the relocation of a new multi-million pound MI5 
headquarters now based on the outskirts of Belfast at Palace Barracks, Hollywood. Now 
fully operational, they have engaged in intelligence gathering in conjunction with the 
PSNI on many levels, none more so than with the recruitment and targeting of young people. 
Many picked up following acts of petty crime and then 'encouraged' to spy and inform on 
their own neighbours. In the past number of years many have come forward and admitted 
this abuse of power, several have been described as being vulnerable young adults.

Likewise the state's judicial system has questions to answer with regards their own 
criminal justice system. Viewed by some for being too lenient towards criminality, 
working class communities here do turn to Loyalist and Republican armed groups 
pressurising them also to face-down criminal elements engaged in anti-social behaviour 
such as 'joy-riding', burglaries or drug dealing. Instant 'rough justice' to criminality 
as witness in the past number of weeks is often the result of this. One person 'walking 
crime sprees' who have countless convictions can be a great source of concern within 
working class communities, especially when police seem to turn a blind eye to their 
activities. But this is not justice, such barbarity has been proven even after decades of 
it being practiced by armed groups that such actions cannot and will not deal with 
anti-working class criminality any more than the state's system can.

Throughout the past four decades anarchists have rejected the actions of armed groups on 
both sides in relation to punishment shootings and beatings, and we will continue to do so 
in favour of a non-aligned community lead response to crime or anti-social behaviour, far 
from the clutches of armed groups including the police. The legacy of war here has also 
had an enormous impact on mental health as can be seen with recent findings lead by local 
mental health workers on the ground. The violence inflicted by armed groups such as 
punishment shootings and beatings can only but add to this legacy.

As anarchists we demand that these brutal and traumatic tactics end in favour of other 
community lead initiatives. There are many examples of how communities can use different 
methods other than extreme violence to tackle anti-working class elements within our 
areas, none more so than the Zapatistas Movement in the Chiapas area of Mexico and more 
recently in areas of Kurdistan. Both areas in transition, engaging and discovering 
differing forms of revolutionary methods to deal with issues affecting their own 
communities, beyond the clutches of the state. What is for sure is that the trauma of 
decades of war here followed by decades of financial hardship as capitalism falls from 
crisis to crisis, has driven many in working class communities further into an increasing 
spiral using of prescription medication, alcohol or other forms of drug use. If we are to 
ever have a future at all, then we must effectively create new ways in dealing with issues 
directly affecting our class, be that crime and the causes of it, and that's capitalism!

Further information on Anarchists & Crime:

The Anarchist Response to Crime

Crime and Punishment by Errico Malatesta

Crime, prison and punishment, An anarchist view

An Anarchist Theory of Criminal Justice

Crime, Criminals, Punishment, an anarchist view
Posted by Derry Anarchists at Friday, April 03, 2015

http://derryanarchists.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/class-capitalism-crime-punishment.html