Today's Topics:
1. France, Union Communiste Libertaire UCL tract - Let's decide
for ourselves ! (fr, it, pt)[machine translation]
(a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
2. Britain: Neither Washington nor Tehran - Statement from the
Anarchist Communist Group ACG: (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
3. Kate Sharpley Library: 1920 - 100 years since Albert Meltzer
was born (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
4. Poland, OZZ Workers Initiative: [Kuyavian-Pomeranian
Voivodeship] You have to act - The fight for increases and better
working conditions at the University of Torun [machine
translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
5. Avtonom: During the funeral, General Soleimani took dozens
of people with him to the grave, like Stalin - by Michael
Shraibman [machine translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
6. ait russia: Yellow Vests: Act 60 [machine translation]
(a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
7. avtonom: Solidarity with Rozhava in Belarus [machine
translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
8. Slovania, priama akcia: Positive Impressions of the 27th
Congress of the International Workers' Association [machine
translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
The major offensive by employers and their government guns wants to knock us out. All workers are targeted, because the goal is to always
take more from those who create wealth through their work, to give to those who exploit it. It is the exploiters who push to gain more and
more in what is called the class struggle. ---- It is fundamentally for this reason that we are against the "reform" of pensions. This
system assigns us to always more precarious and badly paid work, in always worse conditions. ---- Work less ---- What we oppose to this
society where the greatest number works to enrich a small number is a society without social classes, a society of emancipation. Work as it
exists today alienates us. It prevents our individual and collective emancipation. Pointing, badging, doing foolish tasks in the chain,
meeting the baseless demands of chefs, that is our daily life at work today.
And it's good because these jobs alienate us and because our bosses exploit us, that one of the central battles of the workers' movement is
the battle to work as little as possible. Working fewer years to reach retirement, working fewer months to reach unemployment, reducing
weekly working hours, increasing the number of days of annual leave... It all comes down to the same thing: freeing ourselves from work as
much as possible work that this society imposes on us is not emancipatory ! It locks us in when we want to free ourselves ! We no longer
want to lose our life to earn it.
Demonstration in Paris on December 17, 2019.
cc Daniel Maunoury
Socialize wages
Retirement money, like health insurance money, is taken from our wages: social security contributions. This money does not go through
lucrative companies, but goes directly to finance our accidents in life and our pensions. It is the socialized salary, pooled in solidarity.
But much more could be socialized as well ! On the contrary, the government wants to reduce premiums so that employers pay lower wages. This
always implies more force-feeding of those who exploit us, and always less means for our lives.
On the contrary, the more we pool a large part of our salaries, the more we will keep for ourselves, directly, the fruit of our work. But
how do you decide what to do with this collective money, then ?
Download in pdf
Organize self-management
The reduction of working time as the socialization of wages will not happen by magic, because we will have asked politely to the employers !
It is in massive struggles that these legitimate rights will be wrested.
But obviously, even in our ideal society, we would have to continue to produce what to eat, what to house, what to dress. The questions to
ask are: who works, how long, under what conditions and to produce what ? The central question in reality is this: who decides ?
Take the management of socialized wages. Who decides on the amount of pensions, reimbursement of medicines, family allowances, conditions of
access to unemployment ? Who decides what is done with our money, which is the fruit of our labor ? Today, it is the leaders, who work for
the bosses ! Well let's refuse that ! Let's take control of our lives collectively. We work, we decide !
It is self-management. The big questions of society must be debated by all workers, so that we get out of the alienation of work and that we
emancipate !
Demonstration in Paris on December 17, 2019.
cc Daniel Maunoury
https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?Decidons-pour-nous-memes
------------------------------
Message: 2
The drone killing of Qassem Suleimani, leader of an Iranian militia currently operating in Iraq, and an important figure within the Iranian
regime, along with other notable figures of that regime, shows the lengths to which the Trump administration will go in protecting their
interests. The attack happened in Iraq, an ally of the United States and is clearly a warning, not just to Iran and its own imperialist
manoeuvres in the region, but to all those allies of Iran, like the Shiite militias in Iraq and Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Syrian regime
of Assad. Beyond that, it is a warning to Russia, Iran's and Syria's principal ally, and to Russian interests in the Middle East.
Trump has threatened further strikes on Iranian targets, which will almost certainly mean the death and mutilation of many Iranian and Iraqi
civilians. In addition, he has threatened to attack some of the most ancient cultural sites in the world, underlining the barbarism of the
US regime and its open resort to State terrorism. He unleashed the attack with no reference to the US Congress, showing his increasing
contempt for any semblance of bourgeois democracy. When Iraq responded to the attack by demanding the withdrawal of American and British
troops based there, Trump threatened sanctions and said that Iraq would have to pay billions of dollars for the construction of the US
airport at al-Asad! Al-Asad was built specifically to facilitate US intervention in the region, and so comes as a grievous insult to the
mass of the populations in the Middle East.
However, we will shed not one solitary tear for Suleimani, nor utter one mumbling word of regret for his death. He was the leader of the
Quds force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, and in addition controlled the pro-Iranian militias of al-Hashd al-Sha'bi (Popular
Mobilisation Forces) operating in Iraq. The wave of revolts that started on October 2nd against the Iraqi regime and its oppression of the
working class, the peasants and the poor, were brutally attacked by Suleimani's corps and by al-Hashd al-Sha'bi in collaboration with the
Iraqi government, resulting in 500 dead and 19,000 injured. Similarly, the popular protests that began in Iran on November 15th were
attacked by Suleimani's forces, with at least 1,500 deaths and massive numbers of arrests.
As the Alliance of Middle Eastern and North African Socialists noted: "In the face of all these developments, opposition to U.S.
imperialism's air strikes and war threats against Iran and Iraq can only be effective when rooted in solidarity with the progressive and
revolutionary forces in the Middle East and North African region and full opposition to all the authoritarian governments and imperialists
powers in the region." The Trump regime's attack was not motivated by solidarity with the uprisings in Iraq, Iran, and Lebanon. In fact,
they will strengthen the hands of the authoritarian regimes there, as they use the need to stand together against American imperialism to
derail these movements.
We have nothing in common with those leftists like Stop the War who condemn American state terrorism whilst condoning that of Iraq and Iran.
Our enemy's enemy is not our friend. We oppose all global and regional imperialisms and advance the following slogans:
No War but The Class War
Neither Washington nor Tehran
Solidarity with the Revolts in Iraq, Iran and the Lebanon
Opposition to All Global and Regional Imperialisms
https://www.facebook.com/anarchistcommunismgroup/posts/2226755814287751
https://www.anarchistcommunism.org/2020/01/07/neither-washington-nor-tehran/
------------------------------
Message: 3
A new article is up on our website -- View this email in your browser -- Albert Meltzer 1920-2020 ---- We have just posted an article by
Albert Meltzer, talking about how much easier it is to deal with hecklers than criticism in print. It's not a timeless classic, ready to be
stuck in an anthology. Anarchist publications also need pieces which, even if they're rushed or of the moment, are ready now. Barry
Pateman's piece on Mat Kavanagh and the history of anarchism (Mat Kavanagh and the History of Anarchism) explores that workaday writing a
bit. ---- This piece sheds a little light on how Albert's style of discussion was formed in a movement where dealing with hecklers was a
necessary skill, one where humour could be used for defence or attack.
"The stray expression used daily at work seems different in cold print. (Once having used the expression "Thank Christ", a letter asks
pointedly if the writer does, therefore, accept the divinity of Christ after all - as if the upper classes accepted the divinity of Jove
when they swear by him.)"
It's funnier if you know that the ‘Internationalist' who he damns with faint praise is Albert himself.
"I can only suggest they take heart at the undaunted example of "Internationalist", the brilliance of whose comments on foreign affairs
might well silence the most captious critic who had not seen him gazing across from the end of Southend Pier under the impression that he
was studying the coast of France."
Finally, it reminds us that nothing is ever simple: people don't always respond in the same paper!
You can read the article at https://www.katesharpleylibrary.net/m37rdn
Letters
It's 100 years since the birth of Albert Meltzer (British anarchist and major influence on the construction of the Kate Sharpley Library).
If any of you have letters/ postcards/ pictures from or about Albert we would love to hear from you.
Kate Sharpley Library collective
Kate Sharpley Library on Facebook
Kate Sharpley Library Website
Copyright © 2020 Kate Sharpley Library, All rights reserved.
We're sending you this because you asked to receive updates from the Kate Sharpley Library
Our mailing address is:
Kate Sharpley Library
BM Hurricane
London, WC1N 3XX
United Kingdom
------------------------------
Message: 4
Posters of the Employee Initiative on the working conditions of cleaners and porters employed at the Nicolaus Copernicus University ---- The
situation of female employees and service employees of the Nicolaus Copernicus University (Nicolaus Copernicus University) in Torun is
difficult. People with 20 years of service earn around PLN 1,700 net. Receptionists - for example - in addition to carrying out tasks within
their posts often receive instructions for cleaning, charging fees or guarding additional spaces, but without additional remuneration. In
carrying out their work, they are worried whether they will be dismissed or their working hours will be reduced. And all this is often
accompanied by dislike and disrespect from superiors. The Employee Initiative at the Nicolaus Copernicus University has already taken the
first steps in this matter. Below we publish the report on these activities prepared by the Plant Committee of the collective management
organization Employee Initiative at the Nicolaus Copernicus University.
In July 2019, a person employed at the reception in one of the dorms at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun came to our committee.
She came on behalf of her friends who, like her, felt cheated by the rector. In the letter regarding increases in the NCU sent on May 10,
2019, the rector wrote:
"Non-teachers, the lowest earners, i.e. those who receive remuneration at the minimum salary level - PLN 2,100, have received an increase of
salary by PLN 150 - from 01/01/2019 to PLN 2,250, which means an increase of 7.1%. Persons with at least 20 years of service will receive,
at the end of June 2019, offset from 01/01/2019, an increase in basic salary by an additional PLN 50, which means an increase of PLN 200. In
addition, from 1.07.2019, compensatory allowances to the lowest salary will be removed by increasing the basic salary accordingly. "
People at the reception areas felt cheated because they thought that increases by PLN 150 (those with 20 years of service by PLN 200) relate
to basic salary. In real terms, they would therefore be slightly more. As an Employee Initiative, we asked the rector in writing about the
possibility of larger increases for the lowest paid. However, the reply received showed that the university authorities believe that the
"forced" increase (connected with the increase in the minimum wage by the state) is quite sufficient. The fact that the salary of people
employed in the service is still embarrassingly low - it doesn't matter much.
"Most receptionists earn extra"
Until July 2019, many people employed in the service had compensatory allowances paid so that their level of remuneration kept the statutory
minimum. Artur Duda, our representative in the university social committee, notes that for service employees, allowances constitute a
significant part of life resources and they are usually a group of people whose income range per family member is between 1000 and 2500 PLN,
and there are quite often situations when it is even less - between 600 and 800 PLN. "- Allowances go from the social benefits fund of 13%
of all money. In total, it can be over two million zlotys every year. This means that the FSS is rightly part of the process of
redistributing money from the Nicolaus Copernicus University budget, on the one hand, and on the other hand, for a large proportion of
employees, allowances have become a regular addition to low earnings, intended for basic life purposes, and not rest, recreation or
participation in cultural life "- adds Duda. And he quotes: "In October this year. academics have submitted 2% of applications for support,
other employees - 46%, while pensioners - 52%. In September again, in the case of researchers - we have 2% of applications, in the case of
other employees - 37%, and pensioners submitted 61% of applications. " Reviewing these applications, we can also see that the majority of
the group "other employees" are the applications of service employees. In September again, in the case of researchers - we have 2% of
applications, in the case of other employees - 37%, and pensioners submitted 61% of applications. " Reviewing these applications, we can
also see that the majority of the group "other employees" are the applications of service employees. In September again, in the case of
researchers - we have 2% of applications, in the case of other employees - 37%, and pensioners submitted 61% of applications. " Reviewing
these applications, we can also see that the majority of the group "other employees" are the applications of service employees.
But the problem is not only the amount of these earnings, it also seems unfair to employ employees and part-time service workers. "I would
love to have a full-time job," says Edyta Lewandowska employed at ½. "- This last three-month billing period came last year or two years ago
- you can't have overtime. We can't have overtime. Sometimes it is hard to survive, because if it is the case that I have these 200 hours in
one month, and I work both day and night, that one day I get off my feet and the next day I go to the morning, then my body will not
regenerate, I'm still tired. And next month I can have 100 hours. But the body does not rest as in the schedule. It is very hard to work in
such a system. "
A salary of around PLN 1,700 for a full-time job often does not allow basic needs to be met, especially when the recipient - usually a woman
- raises and supports children on their own. One of the receptionists draws attention to this situation: "- To be honest, most receptionists
earn extra. Especially lonely people, I am just married, so we are somehow - somehow we support ourselves. But my friend, who was left alone
- and from the lowest domestic one must keep the apartment, herself and the child. So they earn some extra money and go to cleaning. Because
it is simply impossible to survive. Well, it can't be done, because everything goes up, and they did it to us so that we have the lowest
salary - and not like in many other professions - that although bonuses or internships are paid separately - no, we have everything in the
lowest ".
Work at reception
Problems with working in university service is not just a matter of low wages. Employees and service employees also raise the way they are
treated by their superiors - often without respect. When they claim working conditions, they are told again and again that they are easily
replaced, that if they do not like it, let them look for another job.
Edyta Stasiak, a receptionist with over 20 years of experience, draws attention to the lack of will to understand the situation of people
employed in positions such as hers: "- We would simply like to be treated as people so that we would be appreciated. And with the number of
duties we have - that there will also be some empathy towards our work, because we are not slaves. "
People working in service-related positions are also often burdened with an excessive number of duties or taking care of the space, which
one person in a shift is not always able to watch well - or in the case of people employed in cleaning positions - clean up. As Edyta
Stasiak emphasizes: "- Work is stressful, there are many more responsibilities than 19 years ago when I started working here. Working
conditions are getting worse and the salary is at the same level. And sitting at the reception is not just sitting at the reception - apart
from regular work (issuing and receiving keys, receiving correspondence, issuing equipment and monitoring), we support even a barrier. A few
people have remotes to the barrier, they enter and leave. We also need to open to people who enter the nursery. We have to keep an eye on it
because for not taking care of the barrier, when someone who has no authorization enters the area, they threaten us with taking bonuses. "
It is work with the feeling that you need to be constantly ready / ready for unforeseen situations, and instead of a good word about a
well-performed duties, employees often hear instructions.
"- You do several things at once, delete money or issue keys, receive calls, and often there is no way to go to the toilet," says Sylwia
Plitta, a receptionist employed at the Nicolaus Copernicus University since 2001. "- Of course, I also have to ID people who want to enter
the building. If more people gather at the same time, they appear at the same time and we delete them for washing or for dormitory
accommodation, it is difficult to take care of it. And the deletion itself - when there are so many people - is also tedious and stressful,
you can easily get it wrong and the consequences can be very bad. Adding an iron, mixer, vacuum cleaner - the dormitory is full of life,
these are young people, they come in and go out. Water the flowers in summer. And when it is very dirty in front of the reception - we also
clean it. This year we heard
Working at the reception in the dorm is not only associated with multitasking, often occupied with excessive stress. It is also a matter of
responsibility: "First of all, we have responsibility, not only financial, but we are also responsible for 300 people, this is very
stressful work" - says Plitta. "- There are 5 alarms here. Once I managed to chase a thief who broke into the student council room (in our
dorm the reception works for student council and UMK TV, there is also billiards, tennis and a party room). It was a very difficult
situation for me. And the authorities of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in no way appreciated that I had frustrated this burglary. "
In turn, Edyta Lewandowska, a receptionist employed at the Nicolaus Copernicus University for over 10 years, emphasizes the need for
constant vigilance and the ability to react quickly to difficult situations: "- Maintaining security - it is most important that there is no
fire, but also such ad hoc response when students get something will happen: a cut, a burn - because there are different situations,
sometimes even dangerous. " And he adds: "Well, for example, they brought a drunk boy, he went to the toilet, he was lying on the floor
locked in a cabin, you had to go upstairs, and he was already choking on his own vomit, so quickly the ambulance to save him. Situations are
different and we need to be able to assess them. "
We start working together
At the beginning of September, we discussed the situation of service staff at a meeting of the presidium of the Torun OZZ IP commission. We
decided to organize a meeting with them on October 9. Earlier, we distributed leaflets with invitations and information about this meeting
to most UMK porters. Over 30 people came. Discussion about working conditions at porters' lodges in dormitories and faculties, but cleaners
also shared their problems. At the end of the meeting, we agreed that we would try to improve this situation somehow. The first effect was a
letter with postulates sent to the rector. Posters and leaflets with our requests were also created. Posters were hung on November 29 in
most UMK concierges and reception.
In the letter, which could contain more information than on the poster, we wrote, among others:
"Service staff in whose name we act, in particular, demand:
1. Treatment by the authorities of the Nicolaus Copernicus University and direct superiors with respect as full members of the academic
community .
2. Real salary increases, in particular raising the basic salary to the level of the minimum wage in force in Poland and fair allowances for
work at night and on Sundays and holidays, and in the case of cleaning people fair rates for so-called nadmetraz.
3. Equal remuneration in individual positions in all organizational units of the Nicolaus Copernicus University so that all the NCU
auxiliary employees receive the same basic salary for the same work.
4. Employment on fair contracts, the dimension of which is adequate to the hours actually worked.
5. Precise definition of the scope of duties in individual positions, so as to avoid frequent assignments by the superiors at present, the
performance of which involves responsibility or type of work inadequate to the position held (e.g. cleaning or charging for dorms in the
case of people working in porters') .
Every fifth person works in the service
At the end of 2018, about 540 people worked at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun in positions defined as service employees (this
calculation does not include employees of Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz). The total number of employees employed in Torun units - as we can
read on the UMK1 website - is 2869 people. This means that in Torun almost 1/5 of employees are service employees (19%) 2. These are people
who earn the lowest rates, at which the university always saves by not treating their work with sufficient respect. And although many of
these employees speak with appreciation about their workplace (bearing in mind the authority and respect that the university enjoys as a
public institution for shaping both knowledge, skills and social competences), at the same time they feel disappointed. High academic
culture ends - when the weakest come to the fore, those deprived of real power, who have the courage to speak out loud about their difficult
situation.
Without people who clean, watch over, hire at reception or take care of the buildings - the university will not be able to educate students,
conduct scientific activities or transfer knowledge and technology to the economy (i.e. implement the tasks set by the statute).
What's next?
On October 30, 2019, the Nicolaus Copernicus University became one of the 10 Polish universities to become a "research university". As we
read on the University website:
"The aim of the Initiative of Excellence - Research University program is to select and support the best Polish universities that will be
able to successfully compete with foreign centers in the coming years. Research universities will receive a 10% higher subsidy in the years
2020-2026 for activities improving the quality of research and education. The program is one of the most important activities undertaken as
part of the reform of higher education and science in Poland "3.
What does this mean for employees and service employees? How will "measures to improve the quality of research and education" be understood?
Does this not mean for this group of employees simply a greater burden of obligations while maintaining the same pay?
The minimum salary increases announced to the government in September to the amount of PLN 2,600 gross and exclusion of the internship
allowance from the calculation of this amount as if "from the machine" will increase the amount of remuneration for employees employed.
However, there was a concern that the rector would want to change these employees' positions (reducing them from, for example, to ¾ or ½),
in order to "cope" with these new costs. At the university senate deliberations, which took place on October 29, 2019, however, it fell out
of his mouth to ensure that service staff will not be changed contracts, nor from a full-time job to 3/4, or in any other way. We are
waiting for the minutes of these discussions. We will definitely continue monitoring the situation.
We will also continue to take action to improve the working conditions of service staff. As Edyta Stasiak emphasizes: "- I very much hope
that this poster will bring results. Even if it does not bring all the expected results, I am very glad that such action is that we have
been noticed. That maybe someone will notice our problems. And what's next? We will also continue to strive to meet people who are in our
decision-making matters. I think that such a conversation at a higher level is needed so that after this poster action they can present us
their point of view, as well as we could present ours to them. I will say this: you definitely need to talk about it, because the matter is
urgent and important. And you have to act. "
Employee Initiative at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun
http://ozzip.pl/informacje/kujawsko-pomorskie/item/2581-trzeba-dzialac-walka-o-podwyzki-i-lepsze-warunki-pracy-w-obsludze-umk
------------------------------
Message: 5
Oh didn't your pipes sob ---- Four nights four days ---- From the fifth of March in the Hall of Columns ---- Over the dust that shredded me
in life ... ---- Olga Bergolts ---- The burial of General Soleimani in Iran was postponed after 40 killed and 213 wounded in a crush during
mourning ceremonies. In every place, a huge number of people filled the streets, chanting "Death to America." Iran's Supreme Leader Ali
Khamenei shed tears as he led the prayer in Tehran on Monday. Like Stalin, General Soleimani, he took many people with him to the grave
during the funeral. ---- About the dead reports the semi-official news agency Fars, citing a representative of emergency services. Iran's
ISNA news agency reported that Soleimani's funeral was postponed, but did not say how long the delay would last. Meanwhile, Masih Alinejad,
who calls herself an "Iranian journalist and activist" with 152,000 Twitter followers, tweeted that an Iranian woman is celebrating
Soleimani's death. Only the lower half of the woman's face is visible in a one-minute clip in which she says: " Congratulations,
congratulations to everyone who seeks and loves freedom in the Middle East, Iran, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Iraq. "Today we would like,
like the Iraqi people, to celebrate this event in the squares of our city, but, unfortunately, we turned out to be hostages of the Islamic R
republics of[Iran]and have not been able to express their happiness. "Iranians, viewers of the UK-based Manoto channel. report: "For many
years we had only bad news, but today my wife and I bought balls and for the first time we celebrate something." On thethe first video from
the plot, the girl shot how many cars arrived at a picnic in Persepolis - despite the declared three-day mourning. Persepolis is the ancient
capital of Iran, where people often come to relax.
There is little doubt that the sorrow of many Iranians according to General Soleimani is sincere - several million people took to the
streets in Tehran - it is unlikely that official mobilization of people at state enterprises could lead to such a result. It's just that any
demonstrations are forbidden in Iran except official ones, and it is difficult for those who consider Soleimani to be the enemy or celebrate
his death to take to the streets, as in March 1953, in the Soviet Union during the funeral of Stalin, whose body was in the Hall of Columns
Unions. As then, many died in a street crush. Tyrants sometimes continue to kill after death.
Unlike Stalin, General Kassem Soleimani, the head of the Quds Iranian corps, designed for covert operations abroad, was a brave warrior who
was directly present on the battlefield. He combined the qualities of a special forces soldier, a scout, a talented diplomat and the head of
major military operations. He personally attended the battlefield, negotiated with heads of state, appointed ambassadors, coordinated
military operations and managed to rally tens of thousands of fighters and commanders of Lebanese, Iraqi, Syrian, Iranian, Afghan and
Pakistani Shiite militias to help dictator Assad. He participated in the elimination of ISIS, which was banned all over the world, which
physically destroyed Shiite Muslims. In Shiite Iran, he was perceived by many as a defender of the country.
And at the same time, Soleimani served cruel dictators - the rulers of Iran. He demanded to break the uprising in Iraq (against the local
pro-Iranian regime) "just as we broke the protests in Iran." Iranians have massively participated in protests since the end of 1917, and
only during the suppression of the November uprising in 2019 did Iranian government forces kill up to 1,500 people. The uprisings in Iran,
which suppressed the regime's forces, became only part of the huge social uprising of the lower classes that swept Lebanon and Iraq - people
all over the region rose up against poverty and massive unemployment. Most of the participants in the social uprising are the poorest Shiite
Muslims. And everywhere, militias recruited mainly from Shiites loyal to Iran and Soleimani (yes, that's it!) Attacked the protesters, they
were beaten or killed - in Iraq about 500 people were killed in 3 months of protests in 2019 and thousands were injured. Soleimani
coordinated the actions of these police, participating in the suppression of the uprising, thereforeon the streets of Baghdad, many
celebrated his death .
General Soleimani put his talent and courage at the service of evil. He was an enemy of the Iranian, Lebanese and Iraqi poor, students,
workers, intellectuals - even if he sometimes protected them from other enemies. He was an ascetic fighter who served as super-rich corrupt
politicians who appropriated a significant part of the oil and other wealth of Iran, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq (countries where Iran's
political influence is huge). It was for their sake that he helped to suppress popular uprisings in the Middle East. Super-wealth in Iran or
Iraq is accessible primarily to political leadership and related representatives of public and private companiesand at the same time, in
Iran, Iraq and Lebanon, youth unemployment reaches 25-40 percent. Representatives of the ruling class live in luxury and send their children
to Europe at a time when people in the two-million-strong city of Sadr City near Baghdad and in many regions of Iran have problems getting
high-quality food, clean drinking water, and work.
Soleimani enjoyed the trust of a significant part of ordinary Iranians - after his death, the regime did not have equally popular figures.
With his death, the regime will become weaker.
PS Answering in advance a possible question: No, I do not support the actions of the US administration that killed Soleimani during his
visit to Iraq, the actions that threaten to unleash an imperialist war between the United States and Iran. But this does not change anything
in this case. My position is partly identical to the position of the protesters in Iraq: the US state and the Iranian state should not
arrange their squabbles where it threatens other people.
https://avtonom.org/author_columns/general-soleymani-vo-vremya-pohoron-unes-s-soboy-v-mogilu-desyatki-lyudey-podobno
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Message: 6
On January 4, the yellow vest movement in France held the first day of protest this year, which was already the 60th since the start of the
demonstrations at the end of 2018. Participants took to the streets along with striking workers who continued to fight against neoliberal
pension reform. ---- In Paris, where authorities again banned marches in the Champs Elysees, near the Presidential Palace, Notre Dame and
the prefecture of the police, yellow vests gathered around noon at Place de la Nation and went to Lyon Station. There, they connected with
protesting union members and together moved through Republic Square and Bastille to the East Station, where, chanting "We are here" and
"Macron resigned," they tried to seize the station building. Clashes broke out with the police in time: burning barricades became the answer
to tear gas ...
In Toulouse, the "yellow vests" came to the Matabiu station and tried to seize the station and railway tracks, but were soon forced out by
the police. Later, the participants connected with the second demonstration, which took place in the city center, including the Capitol
Square. When trying to throw off two Christmas trees, collisions occurred with the police using tear gas.
In Strasbourg, "yellow vests" were shown along with striking railway workers. Also, the participation of an unauthorized procession
interrupted the movement of trams in the city center.
Demonstrations of the "yellow vests" took place in Montpellier, Besançon ... In a number of places, according to the blog "Klub de
Mediapar",actions were held for free passage of cars on toll roads (Perpignan, Beziers, Nimes, Carcassonne, Annecy, Chambery, Saint -Arnu,
Epan, Espre and others.). In total, various promotions are organized in 116 cities of France!
Yellow vests also help strikers block oil refineries.
https://aitrus.info/node/5392
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Message: 7
Avtonom.org publishes a report by the nameless anarchist collective from Belarus on actions of solidarity with the libertarian communes of
Kurdistan. ---- We are a collective of anarchists, which formed as a response to the aggressive actions of the Turkish empire. We could not
stand by, staring blankly at the ongoing injustice. We were pushed to action by a bold action carried out by the anarchist group Hands ----
Off Kurdistan in Minsk near the Turkish Embassy on October 16. ---- We held a series of events in support of Rojava's autonomy, the purpose
of which was to draw attention to the Kurdish social phenomenon and Turkish aggression against it and to tell about the achievements of the
revolution in Kurdistan and its principles. Also, as part of the campaign, we were raising funds for civilians who were involuntarily drawn
into this conflict.
The first event of the campaign was a film screening of solidarity with Rozhava. The film "Kurds: Between Conflicts and Democracy" was
shown, which shows the journey and research of a team of reporters and considers the results of various aspects of the social and political
experiment that the Kurds started in Rojava and which they seek to develop further. This journey helped reporters visit places and meet
people they had seen before during the war. Despite the fact that at the last moment we had to change the venue of the event, about 40
people came to the screening, many of whom afterwards remained on the discussion, which turned out to be very lively.
The success of the show gave us the strength to continue our fundraising activities to transfer to the account of the Red Crescent of
Kurdistan , an
organization that provides assistance to victims of hostilities.
With a money box and a little distro, we attended events such as the screening of the documentary about the murdered anti-fascist " Ivan: in
memory of our friend ", as well as the festival "Rosnyaya Ro?nyya", where they tried to briefly talk about the achievements of the social
experiment in
Rozhava and the threat of destruction all of this by Turkey with the complete silence of the world community.
The final chord of our highly successful campaign was the Punks for Rojava concert. In addition to the performance of local artists
(Counterculture, Dessert, Homan, Hund), who are especially grateful, we also screened the film "Fear us women" and organized a mini photo
exhibition illustrating the life in Kurdistan and the life of the soldiers and militia of the Revolution.
In total, for the first three events, we were able to collect 297 € (of which 140 rubles 24 kopecks were thrown into a box at the show). At
the concert they raised 277 €. All the money, as promised, was transferred to the Red Crescent account.
In the end, I would like to talk a bit about solidarity. We often heard in our address - "why Kurdistan? After all, Belarus has a lot of
its problems." This is certainly true. To the extent of its organization and size, the anarchist movement participates in political life
Belarus, but we believe that solidarity cannot be limited by any framework: neither nationality, nor gender, nor other factors dividing
people. Anarchists and anarchists throughout their history have been at the forefront of the fight against any injustice, and have always
sided with the oppressed people. And we are no exception. In addition, the social structure of autonomy Rojava impresses us, because there
was a place for such principles as gender equality, a cooperative economy and grassroots democracy. There are many ways to express your
solidarity with Rojava, for example:
Organization of events (film screenings, round tables, lectures, exhibitions, concerts, etc.);
Visiting events organized by others;
Carrying out various actions (from pickets at the Turkish embassy, as the Minsk anarchists did, to actions of a more radical action, for
example, as arson of Turkish mobile phone towers by Ukrainian "Makhnovists");
Become a volunteer-internationalist of the revolution in Rojava, help on the battlefield;
Transfer money to the Red Crescent account;
Personal communication: among friends, acquaintances, colleagues and neighbors.
Some of the methods are more difficult, some are easier to implement in our realities, but everyone can find something for themselves.
In solidarity and mutual assistance our strength! Biji Kurdistan Biji Rojava!
List of resources to help you learn more about what is happening in Rojava:
news about Kurdistan in Russian .
Hevale, a Middle East media research project , has been active since 2015. He studies direct democracy, gender issues and the cooperative
economy in the region.
International Solidarity Campaign .
Anarchist report directly from the scene .
author's channel of social activist and military analyst Igal Levin . A lot of information on the topic and not only.
telegram channel of the aforementioned Hevale resource .
https://avtonom.org/news/solidarnost-s-rozhavoy-v-belarusi
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Message: 8
From 28 to 30 December 2019, the 27th MAP Congress was held in Melbourne, Australia. It was the first time in this region. This was an
important step to strengthen the international dimension of our struggle. Three new organizations from the Asia Pacific region joined the
MAP (as PPAS sections from Indonesia and BASF from Bangladesh and as MEM Friends from India). The ÖLS status of Sweden has changed from MAP
Friends to Section. Unfortunately, the Colombian ULET has also asked to change the status of the section after the deadline, so the Congress
could not decide. On the contrary, we regretted the fact that the section in Portugal has disappeared. However, MAP growth was not the only
agenda item.
Congress lasted up to three days (as opposed to the usual two), but since it contained many discussion points, it was not possible to cover
them all. Discussions will continue at the nearest plenary, which will be organized by our association in June 2021 for the first time ever
in Slovakia.
Several important points were agreed at the congress: coordinating international action against pay and exploitation, enhancing discussions
and processes between sections, deciding to strengthen publishing activities in the Balkans and expanding the number of languages into which
information on the MAP is translated. The topic of the climate crisis and how the MAP as a whole could deal with it were also discussed.
Planning for events related to the 100th anniversary of the MAP in 2022 has also begun. Another congress will be held in Spain in the same year.
Several sections published reports on their activities before and during the congress, mentioning various struggles in the workplace and
other activities. We had plans to talk about them more extensively, but it has not increased the time.
Almost all sections and Friends of the MAP, including those who could not attend, commented on individual items on the agenda of the 27th
Congress. The congress was also attended by observers from Australia and New Zealand. We received official greetings from MAP Friends,
anarcho-syndicalist and anarchist organizations from Australia, Chile, USA, Iraq, Kurdistan and Turkey.
Despite the large number of points on the agenda, some of which were quite complex, the congress ran smoothly and in a friendly atmosphere.
According to the participants, it is a great success that our international is taking concrete steps to extend to geographic areas where it
has not yet had any representation.
During the Congress, in addition to the official program, many informal discussions between delegates and delegates took place, which
strengthened relations and contributed to a better understanding of the current situation of individuals and unions in different countries.
After the 27th Congress, MAP organizations from 19 countries are part of the world: Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, France,
India, Indonesia, Colombia, Norway, Poland, Austria, Russia, Slovakia, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, USA and the United UK.
We look forward to long and fruitful relationships with our new friends and to the development of anarcho-syndicalism in other countries of
the world!
Based on the report of the MAP Secretariat and the PA Delegate at the Melbourne Congress
https://www.priamaakcia.sk/Pozitivne-dojmy-z-27-kongresu-Medzinarodnej-asociacie-pracujucich.html
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