Today's 9 Topics:
1. France, Alternative Libertaire AL #258 (Feb) - History,
Read: Born under the blows (fr, it, pt) [machine translation]
(a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
2. France, Alternative Libertaire AL - Brussels: libertarian
communists against the state of war (fr, it, pt) [machine
translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
3. Birth of the anarchist magazine "Ruptures" by Proudhon FA
group (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
4. Zabalaza News: Creating a better world is limited by our
ability to imagine one by Warren Mc Gregor (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
5. Zabalaza News: Tokologo African Anarchist Collective #5/6 -
"How Imperialism and Postcolonial Elites have Plundered Africa:
And the Class Struggle, Anarchist-Communist Solution, " by Lucien
van der Walt (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
6. Libertarian Thessaloniki Initiative - Antifascist
Concentration (gf) [machine translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
7. US, First of May Anarchist Alliance: The 4th Precinct: A
Black Anarchist’s Perspective on Struggle in Minneapolis’
Northside Streets by Ikemba Kuti (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
8. US, WSA - Announcing the Anarcho-syndicalist Initiative
(a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
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9. France, Alternative Libertaire AL #258 (Feb) - Test, Read: The Disruption of the world (fr, it, pt) [machine translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
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Message: 1
Suburb of Newcastle, northeast England, in 1984. In a land - their land - where erect
steel monsters, and crackling fireplaces are industrial gloomy piles of workers pavilions
striking miners organize themselves, prepare, encourage each. ---- Galvanized, waiting
feverishly confrontation with the security forces that protect the cars of "yellow" came
to the rescue of the profits of big business. ---- Margaret Thatcher, head of the
government for five years, has decided to move up a gear in its conservative and liberal
offensive against workers. And what better symbol to attack the flagship of the working
class in its bastion most combative? ---- And the National Coal Board has approved the
closure of several mines yet profitable. Despite their mobilization and wonderful and
moving show of solidarity around the minors, that renders brilliantly the author, the
government does not yield. The movement weakens, is broken at the hands of brutal police
repression, supported by the complacency of the media that overwhelm the strikers. The
doors of the mines finally close, leaving the bottom of the hole thousands of workers and
their families.
It is on this break, this historical sequence that Waytes Martin based his novel, also
black, bitter and rough that a piece of raw coal. For a narrative pendulum between this
sadly founding period and the early 2000s, the author gives us to see the social, human,
and even urban, that have driven the liberal Thatcherite hurricane and successive
electoral betrayals.
Relegation and degradation of entire neighborhoods, explosion of health and social
problems, unemployment, alcoholism, drug addiction, fertile ground for the development of
drug trafficking and violence. And in this dark slide, this painful fall without
possibility of taking each his own responsibility fantasy, takes its share of misery and
seeks an escape. But the path is a dead end, the impossible redemption.
In a punchy and vivid style, no frills, born under the blows stands vividly the face of a
whole city, a whole class in distress, scarred by the ravages of capitalism. No one
emerges unscathed. Not even the player. But more motivated than ever to oppose a deadly
system.
Julien (AL Strasbourg)
Martyn Waites, born under the blows , Shores, 2015, 477 pages, 22 euros.
http://www.alternativelibertaire.org/?Lire-Ne-sous-les-coups
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Message: 2
Despite yesterday's events, the determination of Alternative Libertaire Brussels remains
the same. We do not succumb to fear, neither hypocrisy nor any national unity. ---- "The
government uses fear of terrorism to the population accept the worst security measures and
thus trim the freedoms of all. A state of emergency allows the government to restore
political consistency when it is challenged for months for its anti-social policies. Do
not let them muzzle the social mobilizations!" ---- Extract from the Belgian platform
"Stop the state of war", in which Alternative Libertaire Brussels participated since
January 2016. ---- STOP THE STATE OF WAR IN BELGIUM AS ABROAD! ---- Following the outrage
at the horror of the attacks in Paris on 13 November 2015, we must take position against
the security and warlike escalation in which the Belgian government is committed
tirelessly applying the logic that Western states since guide September 11, 2001 and that
led us to the current situation.
First, the wars in the Middle East and Africa, causing thousands of deaths in the name of
"democracy" and "fight against terror". The current international chaos is the only
tangible result.
On the other hand, our freedoms and our rights suffer severe restrictions, security
discourse and support racist. In the name of defending the "home front" a bit every day it
eats more "democracy".
A foreign war
The wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Mali and more recently in Syria, where our
governments take us did not end the "terrorism", quite the contrary. Clearly they serve
other purposes as the Iraqi example has shown.
The lucrative arms trade, among others, illustrates that the discourse on democracy and
the fight against terrorism hiding other interests. Beyond the direct benefit, the support
of our governments to schemes that provide financial and logistical support to terrorism
shows how the geopolitical and commercial interests are central to the logic of death that
our arms sales and our ongoing thirst oil and / or minerals cheaply constantly feed.
The solution will not come from imperialism but of peoples in the region fight against
Daech and against all forms of totalitarianism. If our governments refuse to support this
resistance we affirm our support for our part to their claims.
An internal war
The fight against terrorism is now used as pretext to attack day after day public freedoms
they claim to defend. Security measures endanger public freedoms without guaranteeing
human security.
In the name of security, the "anti-terrorist" measures allow the invasion of privacy of
the entire population: wiretapping, security cameras, tracking displacement, etc.
In the name of protection of the citizen, the state gives more powers and weapons, so that
democratic rights are more limited: police custody for 72 hours, automatic rifles,
soldiers in the streets, etc.
The prohibition of gatherings and conferences to ban demonstrations for the climate
through the desire to limit the right to strike: security policy is used to stifle
dissent. Hundreds of million less for education and health go directly to war and security
policy. This policy of destruction of collective solidarity and the right of democratic
expression fueling insecurity, exclusion and dynamics of division in society, ie the root
causes of what is called the "radicalism" and "terrorism ".
Racism State
Racism, racial profiling and police violence are a daily reality in the neighborhoods,
especially for racisé.es Belgians and migrant.es To justify this continuing violence, the
increasingly Islamophobic and racist speech, media and political, build for years the
image of the "enemy within" that would be the musulman.es and migrants. At each stage, so
they are deepening divisions and trivialization of hate.
The fight against terrorism serves as a pretext to intensify the presence and police
repression in the neighborhoods. Searches, identity checks, arbitrary arrests, etc. The
strengthening of the alert status has allowed the state to intensify Islamophobia
vis-à-vis musulman.es and excluding migrant.es
attacks the political consequences are already clearly felt
Security measures have cost an additional EUR 400 million to strengthen the "civilian"
security and another 18 million more for the military. Bill that increases when we add 14
million per month that cost the 6 Belgian warplanes in Iraq.
While the budget for the security and the war is constantly increasing, yet the government
continues to claim that there is more money for social policies (unemployment insurance,
health, employment, public services, etc.) . The safe state is heavily financed while
successive governments détricotent the social state. While social insecurity is the
primary source of insecurity for the majority of citoyen.ne.s of this country, the
government does not intend to fight against precariousness, poverty and exclusion
It does not bring peace bomber blows from the sea or the sky. You do not defend freedom
with laws that destroy. You do not fight the insecurity and exclusion with racist speech.
It is not vital to democracy by replacing schools and health care, by .s policier.e
weapons in the streets.
The government is using fear of terrorism to the population accept the worst security
measures and thus trim the freedoms of all. A state of emergency allows the government to
restore political consistency when it is challenged for months for its anti-social
policies. Do not let them muzzle the social mobilizations!
claims:
To racist speech, collective punishment and all those who try to divide us: solidarity
with the poor neighborhoods, the Belgian racisé.es the migrant.es and undocumented.
Faced with draconian decisions: Stop the security policies and anti-terrorism laws. Stop
the criminalization of social movements.
To our right to all everywhere to live in peace, stop imperialist wars our government that
feed the spiral of violence.
We fight for that wealth to serve the welfare of the population, not repression and war.
http://www.alternativelibertaire.org/?Bruxelles-communistes-libertaires
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Message: 3
Hi all and all, ---- We are very pleased to announce the release of Ruptures, born review
of the collective work led by the anarchist group-Salvador Segui and the anarchist group
Black Regard. ---- "The Breaks magazine is the brainchild of anarchist comrades who have
had enough to undergo the state of their environment. Our collaboration was born from
meetings and discussions that led us to realize that we had more in common than we would
have been expected. This work will necessarily torn between two shades of anarchism,
comrades favoring union struggles and other autonomous struggles in their struggle for
anarchist communism. " (Excerpt of the charter) ---- This entire number 0 is available on
the website of the journal http://ruptures.info/ ---- Feel free to send us your comments,
criticisms and proposals of contributions at: contact@ruptures.info
The paper version (12 pages), sold for 50 cents, is available at the Bookstore Publico
(and soon to the library The Autodidact); you can also order it at the bookstore or by
sending an email to contact@ruptures.info (free shipping from 5 copies, discounts from 10
to 50 copies).
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ruptures.info
On Twitter: @rupturesinfo https://twitter.com/rupturesinfo
If you wish to financially support the project, a prize pool has been set up:
http://www.leetchi.com/c/ruptures
See you in the struggles,
The anarchist group-Salvador Segui
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Message: 4
A constant fixation on the machinations of elite power maneuvering, and persistent,
recurring calls for either new leadership, or new political parties, are evidence of a
very conservative and authoritarian political culture. These stories, like that linked
here, may well be important. Indeed, this is the nature of current socio-economic
organisation (capitalism and the state). These human-created forms of control always
operate to centralise power up the hierarchy, thus investing tremendous power in the hands
of very few. This few - race, gender, rhetoric regardless - the ruling class, are those
who control means of production, administration and coercion. Our pre-occupations are
drawn to such elite individuals and groups as many of us have chosen to hand over our
political power and future to these. Now this political culture usually results in the
general and often vain belief and hope that through hierarchical, fundamentally
undemocratic organisation, leaders invested with this incredible power are somehow to
create the foundations for a more equal society and world. Also important to consider is
that all political parties, no matter the colour of its beret, whether in control of the
state or seeking to attain this control, centralise power of decision-making upwards, and
are thus fundamentally authoritarian and anti-democratic.
What seems less important to me are these internecine squabbles of the elite, each section
and sub-section vying for greater access to centralised authority, and the awful political
culture of patronage and violence that these create here and elsewhere. Also what seems
worthless are elections to such authority - choosing a particular section of the elite (or
an aspiring elite) and their parties - if one seeks substantial transformation and freedom.
More vital are the practical, everyday developments of directly democratic working class
power demanding of and in opposition to the state and capital. Class counterpower - unions
and community structures, based on the empowerment of the working class and poor through
direct action and critical education - as the only elixir to the destitution wrought by
capitalism and its accompanying political manifestation, the state. Rather than waiting
for the new Moses, his political party, whose writs are developed up some mountain away
from the eyes of those he seeks to order, and another few decades of desert-wandering, it
is time for the working class and poor to reassert its own politics upon nations demanding
deliverance.
Representatives of the working class have entered the halls of elite power on countless
occasions - via elections or revolutions - only to leave their constituency behind as new
members of the ruling elite. A new politics is needed - outside these halls and in spaces
occupied and dominated by our class; a politics that aims at federated self-management,
re-developing a working class consciousness that aims at developing a sense of human
dignity and self-respect, for so long suffocated by the religion of hierarchical dogmatism.
Creating a better world is limited by our ability to imagine one.
-wm
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Message: 5
Roughly 50 years ago we saw the dismantling of most of the European colonial empires in
Africa. High hopes greeted the "new nations" that merged - and certainly,a move from
colonial rule, with its racism and external control and extractive economies, was
progressive. ---- DISAPPOINTMENTS OF INDEPENDENCE ---- However, many of the hopes were
soon dashed. Politically, most independent African states moved in the direction of
dictatorships and one-party systems, normally headed by the nationalist party that took
office at independence - and, over time, the military became a major player too. Many of
these states were highly corrupt, even predatory, and the gap between the rising local
(indigenous) ruling class, and the masses, grew ever vaster. ---- These gaps did not start
in the colonial period, as many African societies were already very divided, but they
continued and grew over time. The new ruling elites largely emerged from educated middle
class groups, along with traditional aristocracies; from independence on, the masses never
ran the "new nations."
These were followed by neo- liberal restructuring from the 1980s. Poverty and inequality
is widespread, joblessness exists on a massive scale, with more people in absolutely
poverty and in warzones here than in any other region worldwide. Postcolonial plans to
industrialise the economies by building up local manufacturing through closed, protected
economies largely failed. Today, the entire GDP of sub-Saharan Africa, including its
economic powerhouse, South Africa, is less than half of that of a single European country,
Germany.
REJECTING RACIST EXPLANATIONS
Leaving aside South Africa, with its peculiar history, how can this economic situation be
explained? We can immediately dispense with views that Africans are more corrupt or less
capable.
Besides being based on racist ideas, the fact is that massive economic failures,
inequality, repression and low levels of industrial development can be found everywhere -
including in parts of Europe, notably its eastern and southern regions.
THE ROLE OF COLONIALISM
A more common explanation, widespread on the left, lays the blame almost completely at the
feet of colonialism.
This argument correctly points out that the insertion of much of Africa into the
capitalist world economy as a producer of raw materials (from farming or mining) put it at
a disadvantage. A country where the core of the economy rests on exporting goods like
cocoa or mielies is very vulnerable. If sales or prices fall, serious problems arise.
Since these same 'agro-mineral' economies have to import expensive but essential
manufactured goods, they are doubly vulnerable.
Many postcolonial industrialization plans were funded by revenue from raw material exports
- taxes and where state ownership was extensive, profits - but these dried up in the 1970s
with a global capitalist crisis. To try rescue the situation, many states borrowed
heavily, but got into ever-worse debt. Some countries, like Zambia, had a window of around
9 years from independence (1964) to global crisis (1973) to try and change decade-old
patterns; their prospects were never great.
African economies, heavily oriented to the export of raw materials produced by cheap
labour, entered major crises from the 1970s.
BUT MORE THAN COLONIALISM
The problem, though, with this explanation, is that it tells us very little about why
countries that export very valuable raw materials - like Nigeria, with its large oil
industry - are also in dire economic straits. Indeed, Nigeria consistently has both power
and petrol shortages, despite being the world's 12th biggest oil producer. Related to
this, not every country with a colonial history remains trapped as a raw material producer
or economic loser.
Besides obvious examples like the USA, a former British colony, we could compare Ghana and
South Korea, British and Japanese colonies respectively, independent within a few years of
each other, with similar economic problems and population sizes and periods of colonial
rule. Ghana has endured decades of economic crisis and has lost Western investments and
business for years. South Korea has become, despite civil war in the 1950s, a major
industrial power, with a larger economy than many Western countries.
A colonial history also does not explain, by itself, why - despite the problems - the
ruling class in these countries remains incredibly wealthy: there is an issue here with
how resources are controlled that is lost in explanations that look only at colonialism. A
focus on external problems leads to a blindness on internal class dynamics.
ACCUMULATION-BY-CORRUPTION
It is when we look more closely at internal class structures that the answer emerge. In
much of sub- Saharan Africa, the new ruling elites that took over from the colonial powers
used the state for accumulating wealth. This took the form, in many cases, of direct
corruption, which in turn led to declining economies as infrastructures like power and
roads started to collapse. Rather than serve imperial interests, this situation led to
falling exports of raw materials and political instability.
Since the rise of corrupt rulers is key here, the corruption must itself be explained. At
independence, unlike many other regions, there was not much in the way of a local
capitalist class. There were few local industrialists, as compared to say India, which
meant little local pressure on the state to deliver.
This also meant there was little space for the elites that took power at independence to
accumulate wealth - other than by using the state. With the state as the main site of
accumulation, vicious ruling class factional battles erupted, leading to a cycle of
repression, military coups, one-party states and instability. Often tribal, racial and
religious divisions were fanned in these fights, leading to violence.
THE BALANCE OF CLASS FORCES
Working class movements were also not very strong (unions were quite small)and the left
often very weak. This made it difficult to start putting brakes on the corrupt elites. As
dictatorships spread, unions and dissidents were repressed or co-opted. In the
countryside, the system of rule by chiefs and kings, used by the colonial powers, was
kept. The small farmers, many of them peasants, are always hard to organize - and rule
through chiefs made this even worse.
So, while colonial history is part of the problem, it should not be used to excuse local
ruling classes, who plundered their homelands and crushed the popular classes.
THE FREE MARKET MESS
The neo-liberal measures adopted in the 1980s had mixed results. Since they blamed all the
problems on state intervention, ignoring the world economy, many of their plans were
completely wrong - even in capitalist terms. Generally poverty, job losses and prices
increased dramatically, although this would probably have happened anyway.
The result was massive revolts, which led to a wave of governments falling. But since
these "second liberation" movements generally had very little in the way of a political
agenda, besides some democratic reforms, most ended up in the wilderness. Political rights
were expanded but the corrupt state remains, as does the agro-mineral economic structure.
Recent growth is driven mainly by more demand for raw materials by Asia, but the basic
problems of poverty and instability remain.
THE NEED FOR A RADICAL BREAK
Only radical change - a new Africa, based on libertarian and socialist development - can
end this vicious cycle. This includes a struggle against the African elites, as well as
against imperialism. And this requires, in turn, a break with "third worldist" ideas that
ignore class issues inside Africa, and nationalism, which calls for a unity of all
Africans - which can only mean a pointless unity between local oppressors and their victims.
And without a progressive left and anarchist agenda, the frustrations and misery of the
masses will simply be filled with empty ideas ("democracy") or reactionary movements (like
Boko Haram) and sentiments (like racism and hatred of immigrants).
https://www.facebook.com/zabalazanews/posts/1719675271610501:0
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Message: 6
After the famous fiesta of Anthimos "We remain Christians. We stay Greeks "all the dregs
This city found their opportunity to gather once again in the concentration called
Thursday with the slogan" No to Islamization, and Transforming our Fatherland in Hot Spot!
". The call of the road (which connects the low birth rates, abortion, suicide,
unemployment and the emigration of young people abroad, expansive Turkish policy and the
increased migration to demonstrate the tremendous threat posed to the thousand year
culture our " "the" Islamization "of the country" our ") will find the known recipients:
fasistaria every kind and color, racists and Islamophobes, ellinopsychous, fundamentalist
Christians. ---- All these therefore WILL FIND OUR LIABILITY TO THEM. ---- Today, more
strongly than ever, anti-fascism is act on the road.
No one else would do the work of the labor movement instead.
Why nobody else wants, nor can.
The oppressed of this world we must be always at the forefront of the fight against racism
and fascism, against the hatred for life.
This is why we are fascists and antifascist, employees / s, unemployed / s, immigrants /
behavior shows, lgbtqi + people who will stand against them Thursday.
NO TOLERANCE TO YMNITES DEATH
NO fascist parade, NOR NOR ANYWHERE IN THESSALONIKI
FASCISTS AND BOSSES STOU wells Pato
LONG LIVE THE WORLD proletariat
CONCENTRATION
THURSDAY 24 MARCH, 17.00,
Saint Dimitrios and Papazolis
Libertarian Thessaloniki Initiative
lib_thess@hotmail.com
Antifascist BLOCKING 24/3 17.00
antifascist BLOCKING
Priesthood, church, fascists and neo-Nazis, veterans clubs "special forces" and other
vothrolymmata city think they can shed the anti-immigrant, racist and fascist poison the
city, whatever time they want.
NOT miscalculated
Anarchists and anti-fascists we set up road block in the fascist Greek Orthodox parade
showing the teeth of the oppressed of the world. The "Islamization" dressed the mantle of
new risk, manufactures the "other", the enemy within the game. The front sets the known
megaloalitaras, junta pimp Anthimos, the cover of Nazism will dissolve here and now.
Clusters in BLOCKING against fascism against
modern totalitarianism.
Agios Dimitrios and Papazolis THURSDAY 24 MARCH 17.00
BLACK & RED, collectivity on Social Anarchism
member Anarchist Political Organisation
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Message: 7
“As an anarchist, of African descent, I argue that we need revolutionary struggle
controlled by the grassroots and not by top-down leaders. It was the domination of
top-down leadership from BLM-Minneapolis, and their seemingly unconscious commitment to
the system, that effectively steered Northside community militants away from 1) the
encampment, 2) becoming further politicized, and 3) in playing any role in the organizing
of their own communities self-determination. Their voices were effectively hushed; just as
the system we function under has done for centuries to oppressed people of color.” ----
Jamar Clark ---- On November 15th, 2015, police executed Jamar Clark in North Minneapolis,
MN. Several witnesses claim that Mr. Clark was handcuffed and on the ground when he was
shot in the head. Following the execution, an occupation of the 4th precinct police
station took place on Plymouth Avenue.
The call for the encampment and occupation came from Black Lives Matter – Minneapolis.
BLM-MPLS, is a part of the nation-wide organization of chapters that is backed by the
Democratic Party of the same system that ensures black and brown communities are
hyper-policed. BLM-St. Paul is not a part of the nation-wide organization, and has even
been condemned for making Black Lives Matter as a whole “look bad” for simply chanting
“Pigs in a blanket, fry ‘em like bacon…” while they are not a chartered chapter.
BLM-MPLS’ call for the encampment resulted in BLM organizers heading the movement with
little to no democratic process until later in the struggle. The encampment also generated
tensions arising from different agendas, ideologies, levels of anger, and an array of
different tactics that different organizations and members of the community aimed to use.
The nationally connected Black Lives Matter-Minneapolis did, and does, great work at
getting people to come out. Unfortunately, they also do great work channeling that
revolutionary energy into their dogmatic nonviolent reformism due to an undeniable
affiliation with the Democratic Party (the system), which must be noted by those
interested in liberation of the people, and which is quickly revealed through research on
those who are heading #CampaignZero (Black Lives Matter flow chart to attain a world with
limited police terror).
Take note of campaign zero’s four person “planning team” these are important facts: “In
2014, Brittany helped bring community voice to the Ferguson Commission and President
Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing as an appointee to each. She’s been named one
of TIME Magazine’s 12 New Faces of Black
Leadership”(http://www.joincampaignzero.org/about/). This individual works directly for
the president.
The remaining three are also heavily connected to non-profits such as Teach for America
(TFA), which is also historically connected to maintaining the system. For example: TFA
was recently given a grant to continue to project their brand through the media.
Furthermore, another member of this four-person team was the other recipient; she is the
director of St Louis TFA. TFA is, effectively, the leading edge of the neoliberal attempts
to gut city schools and further hinder education equity, which in turn systemically
hinders black and brown kids educational achievement under the guise of helping those kids.
As an anarchist, of African descent, I argue that we need revolutionary struggle
controlled by the grassroots and not by top-down leaders. It was the domination of
top-down leadership from BLM-Minneapolis, and their seemingly unconscious commitment to
the system, that effectively steered Northside community militants away from 1) the
encampment, 2) becoming further politicized, and 3) in playing any role in the organizing
of their own communities self-determination. Their voices were effectively hushed; just as
the system we function under has done for centuries to oppressed people of color.
Non-Profits and Their Agenda
Building off of the last section, it is easy to see how chartered Black Lives Matter
organizers (not the people who come out to support and demonstrate), along with other
reformist non-profits, can build movements through agitation. However, movements are more
than just people in the streets. Non profit-ism is, more often than not, directly
connected to government co-optation of a could-be movement; many times non-profits hijack
a movement into electoral politics for Sanders, Clinton, or whoever claims that they are
creating change for you while they are lining their pockets. You create change for you –
we create change for we – from the grassroots.
These problems arose for many reasons. While it was great that people were in the streets,
it is unacceptable to suppress the voices of the people who are terrorized by the police
daily. We must come to terms with the fact that Democratic Party-aligned non-profits,
while they look helpful, are in fact a hindrance to the movement. Many times, and
historically, they co-opt movements. Non-Profits are one of the system’s many witty
tactics that aids in halting militant actions and restrains the revolutionary spirit
created by a rage that comes out of shared or comparable traumatizing experiences.
Minnesota calls itself the Land of 10,000 Lakes, but it’s also full of Non-Profits. The
tendency of non-profits to co-opt, channel, and restrain revolutionary movements is not
new to radical organizers in the Land of 10,000 Non-Profits. Many of these organizers have
been pushed out of non-profits when their ideologies differed with those of the non-profit
leadership in ways that resemble how community members were expelled, alienated, or made
to feel unwelcome from the 4th Precinct encampment. This happened many times, once on the
first night of struggle when family, as well as community members wanted to see something
other than the singing of “slave songs”, as one Northside resident put it. At another
moment during the occupation, police came outside and asked BLM-MPLS organizers if they
could have protestors move a fire because the smoke from the fire was blocking vision of a
police camera. Disgruntled working class community members attempted to dissent the
BLM-MPLS protest police, as well as the real police who BLM-MPLS organizers were
conforming to while at an action that was to oppose police.
Non-profits are constrained by their grants, money “for the community”, and paid
organizing jobs that go on along with the continued oppression of those they are
“fighting” to relieve. Paid organizer positions are unethical; a paid organizer continues
to get paid at the expense of those they are fighting for. An anti-police paid organizer’s
job continues, or BLM-the-brand, only exists because of the existence of police brutality,
and the police in general. Non-Profits are extremely limited in their politics and actions
because of their ties to the ruling class and the system that is killing the people.
Towards the end of the occupation, I had a conversation with family members of Jamar
Clark. They voiced, with the support of people from that community, that they wanted to
continue occupying the precinct. However, they were told by Black Lives Matter-Minneapolis
organizers that when they would be told to leave by police, that BLM, which also means a
large portion of the resources, were going to be obedient to the police, and desert the
community who they called to action. Once again, ignoring and hushing the community that
police violence is most prevalent in. Since the occupation, many but not all BLM-MPLS
organizers have virtually gone A-wall in the midst of struggle when leadership is needed
most and while the planning for future actions to obtain justice for Jamar Clark, which
continues to this day and will continue against police terrorism even if the police in
this case are prosecuted.
Who Came Out
There seemed to be three main groups that made up the 4th precinct occupation, which
always had a multiracial character, and was always composed of both young and old people.
Many protestors were not from the neighborhood. The three groups most represented at the
precinct seemed to be (1) Black Lives Matter-Minneapolis and their following, which is
multiracial, but predominantly made up of college students; (2) Northside community
members; and (3) the revolutionary militant left. Already by the end of the first night of
the occupation, one could see the polarization between working class black folks and
“middle class” black folks, which seemed to occur because several people, including family
members of Jamar Clark, were displeased with the celebratory tone of the night’s
demonstrations.
High Points in Militancy – Wednesday
Wednesday, November 18th was different from the majority of the occupation – things were a
bit more heated on this night. The escalation began when police complained about not being
able to go home, and asked Black Lives Matter organizers if demonstrators could move away
from the gates that allowed cars in and out of the precinct. They asked this in order for
the police to leave and go home to their families, while Jamar Clark and the thousands of
others slain by police will never be allowed to return home to their families.
Demonstrators began to ensure that police were unable to go home that night. Protestors
blocked exits by standing in front of them and linking arms.
As we know, even when we are peaceful, police use violence – because violence is all that
they know. Police used mace on peaceful masses, and shot green marker rounds and rubber
bullets at protestors. Only after police used their one and only tactic, violence, even
when protestors were peaceful, did rocks begin to be thrown at police. Struggle began at
the West side of the precinct. It shifted towards the East side of the complex after the
police used enough force to regain the West side and demanded that they be allowed to go home.
After the police made these demands, and the struggle shifted from the West side of the
building to the East the level of militancy rose. It was raised by the autonomous actions
of a united front of Northside gangs as well as your “average Jamar” Northside community
members who have lived with the feeling of being hunted by police since their innocent
youth. Siege warfare tactics were used against the police station.
Two groups acted throughout the night, but not necessarily in accord with each other:
BLM-MPLS organizers on the one hand, and a handful of radicals and community militants, on
the other. Some BLM-MPLS organizers did use their bodies to prevent police from going
home; they also pointed people out to be targets of police violence, because these people
were not adhering to BLM-MPLS’ dogmatic non-violence.
No more that 20-30 feet from the BLM group, community militants threw stones and erected
barricades. BLM-MPLS’ claims about these community militants became so absurd that at one
point an organizer yelled at community members to “stop ruining our/your community,” when
they tore down a mobile police camera. The brothers from that block promptly hushed him
and the large camera was quickly used as a barricade to keep the police from coming out of
their pigpen.
Later in the night, militancy rose to even higher levels. Molotovs were made and thrown,
and shots fired at the police station. The siege lasted for 3 hours. During those 3 hours
militant action of community members and the United Front of Northside gangs would match
the police’s use of heightened militant repression on demonstrators. Elevated militant
pushback by demonstrators took place in waves, because it matched the waves of police
repression: when the police used violence as a terror tactic to scare protestors away,
those committed to struggle used community self defense against the police, so that
demonstrators could go peacefully back out, and not allow the police force occupying their
neighborhood to go home.
After the shots were fired the crowd started to dissipate. Police found nothing that they
could use as evidence, and no one was arrested on this night. However, the cops
demonstrated their force by occupying all of the streets on the South end of the precinct
in military fashion, with locked and loaded assault rifles. $40,000 of damage, carried out
strictly and solely against police property, was done on that Wednesday, after Jamar Clark
was handcuffed and executed.
Inner Movement Pushback
Organizers from Black Lives Matter-Minneapolis – along with the Chief of Police and the
Mayor – condemned militant actions as a part of protest. They have claimed, for instance,
that property damage, and the throwing of bricks and bottles, was due to the presence of
“outside agitators.” These reformist organizers and city officials specifically referred
to “white anarchists.” The lies also included accusations of non-BLM aligned demonstrators
actually being police officers – as one vouched for the other; each was accused of being a
police officer.
There are several problems with the line that was and is being pushed. First, Black Lives
Matter-MPLS and city officials ignore the autonomous militant action of the North
Minneapolis community. The community doesn’t need “white anarchists” or any other
“agitators” to tell them to be angry, or how to take action. The purpose of these
accusations was to maintain the system’s current agenda of BLM nationwide, and in this
case BLM-MPLS’ monopolization of the anti-police brutality movement. This has become a
part of BLM-MPLS’ program in the fight against police terrorism. As with other
non-profits, BLM-MPLS and police officials actively tried to push revolutionaries and
militants out of this movement, with no care for the repercussions these faulty
accusations could cause the victims of their snitch-jacketing.
Fascist Pushback
Monday, November 23rd, 2016 neo-Nazis violently took their organizing to the streets and
shot 5 demonstrators outside of the 4th precinct. The night of the attack neo-Nazis got
into an altercation with demonstrators after being asked to leave. The altercation
successfully lured several demonstrators Northeast of the precinct and Plymouth Avenue
onto Morgan Avenue. It was significantly darker on the north side of Plymouth Ave and easy
to flee northbound away from the precinct. That is when the 5, African-American,
demonstrators were shot. Police and paramedics came to the scene after a lengthy wait,
especially since this took place in front of the precinct. The police rejected to give
medical aid to the wounded protesters when they were asked by other protestors to use
their medic training, and instead established a cordon to prevent protesters from pursuing
the attackers, who escaped (they were arrested later, after one of them negotiated his
surrender via a high school friend who is now a police officer).
Lance Scarsella, a 23-year-old white male from Lakeville, Minnesota is the man who pulled
the trigger, but not the only organizer. Events leading to the Nazi attack are
interesting. First and foremost the shooter, Scarsella, is a white nationalist with white
supremacist ideology and now action. There are also pictures that surfaced of the group
who led the fascist attack at the 4th precinct toting guns with the confederate flag in
the background. Much of the organizing for this attack took place on 4chan, which is
described online as ‘a simple image-based bulletin board where anyone can post comments
and share images anonymously.’ Those who accompanied Allen Lawrence “Lance” Scarsella III,
23, were Nathan Gustavsson, 21, of Hermantown, Daniel Macey, 26, of Pine City, Joseph
Backman, 27, of Eagan, and Julio Suarez, a 32 year old Hispanic (and believed to be
ex-marine) was also briefly held in custody.
The Friday before the attack, November 20th, the shooters infiltrated the encampment. This
is known for two reasons: 1) the attackers posted on 4chan using code names that have
surfaced throughout the investigation (‘Black Powder Ranger’ being the one of the shooter)
stating that they were heading to the 4th precinct to “knock this shit out” while holding
a gun in the video. They urged for people to keep watching the stream as they logged off
by saying: “stay white”. 2) People of the community that was created by the encampment
caught on to the infiltrators during, what was ultimately their recon mission, which
allowed them to execute their attack with precision. When they were identified, they were
asked to leave. After the infiltration there were messages sent out on 4chan that read
descriptions of specific individuals that were “high profile” targets. Those who were
participants in the attack were told to “Remember to wear camo /k/lansmen, we will open
fire on anyone who isn’t wearing camo.” (http://www.unicornriot.ninja/?p=4833).
Fascism in the United States is a reality. The fact that Donald is polling so well after
some of the most outlandish fascist remarks he has made, and after neo-Nazis carried out a
successful violent terrorist attack on black protestors at the 4th precinct in
Minneapolis, MN, there is simply no denying it. Throughout the 4th precinct shutdown
individuals were forced to adapt and learn quickly. We were forced to understand violence
and push back from police, white activists, and black activists. While most radicals are
aware of neo-Nazism and it’s reality, I think those who are unaware of their activity both
politically and on the street level were shocked that the white supremacists followed up
their threat and took it to that level.
White supremacists and neo-Nazis terrorized the encampment for the next 4 days, at least.
The day following the attacks, four shots were fired in an alley just South of the
precinct. United fronts of gang members and others teamed up again to create a united
front for armed security in the name of Community Self Defense. Many demonstrators had
pointed out that the shooters had had tactical police equipment with them, and shared the
sentiment that the police were connected to the shooting. This feeling was widely shared,
firstly because community members saw police’s limited and near total neglect of the
shooting victims while they were suffering and secondly, because of the common knowledge
that the president of the police union, Bob Kroll, was a member of a white supremacist
biker gang.
While Scarsella executed the attack, we must maintain an understanding that Nazis are
building a nationwide movement similar to BLM or that of the revolutionary left. This is
not an isolated occurrence or attack. Fascism, or more simply put – hate – is organizing
to take similar action nationwide and globally.
Neighborhood Networks – Community Self Defense
After fascists came and the police refused to protect and serve the Northside community,
an acquired taste for self-defense emerged. Members of the community came out and began
organizing legitimate security to protect the encampment. This protection was not simply
for protection from white supremacists, but also from some individuals from the
neighborhood who were coming to the encampment for the wrong reasons; for example, amongst
those wrong reasons were that of cat calling (harassment of women) as well as thievery
while demonstrators were asleep. I recall one individual, who was affiliated with the Vice
Lords stating that he had stopped people from stealing and even reclaimed phones as he
proudly stated afterwards “I aint ‘bout that, I’m here to do a job… I’m an honest security
guard.” It seemed as though an understanding swept across a large portion of the
encampment and people realized that policing is violence and police are a reactionary
force. Therefore, if they won’t protect us, we should.
November 15th, police executed a man in North Minneapolis, MN during an altercation where
several of witnesses stated that Jamar Clark, the man whose life was stolen by Minneapolis
police, was handcuffed and on the ground. Who is to protect us when those who are meant to
protect and serve the people, the police, have a monopoly on the “legitimate” use of
violence and therefore use that as an excuse to partake in year round human hunting? The
occupation of the Fourth Precinct in Minneapolis pushed many to understand that liberalism
and non-profit reforms are not ridding our societies of systemic killings of black and
brown people. It forced people to recognize fascism, and that white supremacists are a
real threat to our existence; through the Nazi attacks, and the dissent towards those who
police “protect and serve”, which police showed when not one officer protected community
members from the attack and not one officer rushed to medical aid after the attack,
illustrates that community self defense is a key step to self determination.
Is the time now for community self defense? Through studying historical social change
movements it is evident that movements have phases. With police rapidly militarizing
themselves, militant neo-Nazis such as the ones who shot five black protestors in
Minneapolis, and demagogue fascist leaders like Donald gaining massive amounts of support,
we have no need to ask whether the time is now. We can see that the time is now; phase one
of a mass social change movement is nearing its end. It’s time – as anarchists – to take
matters in our own hands; we must acknowledge that the time is now and start creating
opportunities for community self defense outside of non-profits and other mainstream
reformist “liberation” campaigns.
http://m1aa.org/?p=1169
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Message: 8
The increasingly precarious conditions facing the North American working class, along with
a rising tide of distrust and disgust with both our political and economic systems,
demands that revolutionary organizations such as Workers Solidarity Alliance take
immediate action to address these issues. ---- To this end, WSA has committed to launching
the Anarcho-Syndicalist Initiative to Create a Revolutionary Union Movement (ASI for
short), a project which seeks to unite North American anarcho-syndicalists and focus our
strength and resources toward building a working class movement capable of defeating the
capitalists and establishing libertarian socialism in North America. ---- We seek to
organize groups of anarcho-syndicalists who are, or will become, active in community and
workplace struggles. Organizing activity will include building and/or participating in
solidarity networks, grassroots workers centers, rank and file groups within business
unions, industrial networks, independent unions and workplace committees capable of
forming the basis for union-type organizations.
The essential unit of the ASI project will be the Local Group, which will then be
organized into Regional Federations, and finally united in an overall Federation of North
American Anarcho-Syndicalists.
Local groups will engage in activity both in the community and in the workplace,
addressing issues of housing, anti-racism and the environmental disasters created by
rapacious neo-liberalism.
The Anarcho-Syndicalist Initiative is an effort that is long overdue. Building a
revolutionary union movement will take time and commitment, but we cannot delay our
efforts. We must move forward with energy and resolve. Each day that we delay can be
measured in environmental destruction and the destroyed lives of working people.
The first step in this process will be building the local and regional groups. If you feel
you are ready to commit to this historic effort, email your name and information (where
you live, what you do, etc) to:
wsa.corresponding.secetary@gmail.com
Dues are $28 a year and agreement with the basic principles of Workers Solidarity Alliance
is required for membership. The Anarcho-Syndicalist Initiative is a project of Workers
Solidarity Alliance. WSA information at: http://workersolidarity.org/
Our time is NOW.
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Message: 9 This test of a Franco-Lebanese author himself as caught between two cultures invites us to
open our eyes beyond our borders imposed by landscape, in a vision that spares no
responsibility for any part of the globe. ---- After tracing quickly (and partly of
course, as a simple test) but with accessibility in mind the history of the Arab world
since the end of the First World War, focusing in particular on the failure of
pan-Arabism, its symbolic importance and pains left to the esteem of society, through the
obvious damage of colonialism, he recalls what he calls "deceptive victories" of the end
of the cold war, the dangerous rise of reflexes national inward at the expense of
ideological struggle hitherto prevailing, ground on which is built the organization
including Islamic state.
Failing to depict a binary array that would amount to an impossible coexistence between
civilizations religious grounds, but lifting the intricacies, benefits, harms and
responsibilities, he speaks of "lost legitimacy" from all sides and which are certainly
not exempt Western societies.
Faced with the challenges imposed by globalization that gives an unprecedented impact in
any event occurring on the other side of the planet, awkwardly bumping sensitivities, it
calls for priority promotion of culture. Being asked to rub us from across the globe, it
is vital to get to know and respect each other. Put priority on culture as a means of
fulfillment and parade to the overconsumption carrier voltages, as understanding of others
means that migrants become immigrants are the hyphen.
Calling for accountability of all mankind, without being conclusive nor dangerously
disillusioned, Amin Maalouf door hoping to end a "too long prehistory" to be replaced by
an urgent coexistence globalized taking care of dignity and the life of all.
Julie (AL Moselle)
Amin Maalouf, The Disruption of the world , The Pocket Book, 2009, 320 pages, 6.90 euros.
http://www.alternativelibertaire.org/?Lire-Le-Dereglement-du-monde
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