Today's Topics:
1. Poland, rozbrat: THE 26TH YEAR OF KOLEKTYW ROZBRAT'S
ACTIVITY HAS PASSED! [machine translation]
ACTIVITY HAS PASSED! [machine translation]
(a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
2. Greece, APO: [TIF 2020] Call for Demonstration, Saturday 12
September, 18.00, Kamara --- RESISTANCE - SOLIDARITY -
COUNTERATTACK [machine translation]
September, 18.00, Kamara --- RESISTANCE - SOLIDARITY -
COUNTERATTACK [machine translation]
(a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
3. avtonom: Igor Olinevich about the Belarusian revolution
[machine translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
[machine translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
4. Holand, vrije bond: Solidarity with the refugees of camp
Moria (nl) (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
Moria (nl) (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
5. Holand, vrije bond: [Amsterdam] Demonstration
Evacuate Moria
(nl) (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
(nl) (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
6. Czech, AFED: Interbrigade Tekosîna Anarsîst (II.) -
Completion of an analytical interview with international
volunteers of anarchists fighting in Rojava. [machine
translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Throughout all these years, we have been operating continuously and without sponsors in the social, political and cultural space of Poznan
and the country. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic also put us to a serious test and the need for an adequate response. Since March, we have
temporarily suspended many initiatives at Rozbracie, including free school activities, concerts, training room classes, and activities
related to the organization of demonstrations and conferences. Over time, we changed the operating system in order to maintain continuity
and security. From the very beginning, however, we realized that it is interpersonal solidarity and mutual aid that is a more important
guarantor of our health and safety than that of the government. That is why we undertook the campaign of sewing and distributing masks. We
distributed disinfectants and supported Kolektyw's actionsFood Instead of Bomb the group cooked and handed out free meals to those who
needed it most
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Department: Rozbrat stays!
Keywords Rozbrat stays Rozbrat stays squatting re-privatization Anarchist Movement
At the same time, we observed the inefficiency of the government, whose representatives were not even able to properly inform the public
about the epidemiological threat. Recommendations for mask wearing obligations to minimize the risk of infection have changed like a
kaleidoscope, with no debate about the causes of the healthcare crisis. It was not possible to provide an adequate amount of medical and
protective equipment (including respirators) for health care or care facilities, efficiently escaping from criticism of the state's actions.
However, where the authorities failed, the self-organization of society often won. Numerous self-help groups were established - helping to
organize shopping, helping to take care of pets, sewing masks as well as organizing collections of equipment and funds for hospitals.
With the "stay home" messages coming from all sides, the need for paid work and the economic exploitation associated with it did not cease,
on the contrary, it gained a new pace adapted to the pandemic conditions. The richest once again benefited from the crisis at the expense of
the rest of society. Therefore, as a community associated with Rozbrat, we continued to actively participate in the activities of OZZ
Inicjatywa Pracownicza. We supported Amazon warehouse employees working at full speed despite the enormous risk of contamination. Today we
know that it is the owner of Amazon - Jeff Bezos - who has once again strengthened himself in the ranking of the richest people in the
world, despite, or maybe thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. We also publicized the proposal of OZZ IP in VW Poznan plants, which consisted in
shifting production to the production of the necessary medical equipment - respirators - such that, unlike those ordered by the government
for exorbitant sums, would work, meet the necessary standards and go to hospitals.
We got involved in the activities of the newly established environmental group, Green Wave . Just before the lockdown was announced, the
group undertook a blockade of an excavator in the Tomislawice opencast mine, which stopped its operation and led to a debate about the
impact of the exploitation of natural resources and the climate crisis on our lives. We also conducted local campaigns, incl. blocking
felling of trees together with the inhabitants, in Suchy Las near Poznan.
In the face of a crisis that has made many people unemployed or reduced their income, action is needed to prevent situations such as the
loss of shelter by those most affected by the crisis from worsening. Therefore, in consultation with the Wielkopolska Association of
Tenants, we demanded the suspension of all bailiffs' actions and evictions against tenants in the face of a pandemic, as well as a freeze in
paying rents. We also supported WSL in organizing medical support for people with experience of migration and homelessness, opening new
fields of activity.
We were also involved in street protests when the government announced a tightening of regulations on access to abortion which is so
restrictive. We protested after the murder of George Floyd in the United States, which, also in Poland, met with reactions in the form of
pickets and solidarity marches. Thus, we recalled the importance of the problem of racism and police violence that also took its toll in our
country - its victims were, among others, Igor Stachowiak . Any such protest during the period in which the authorities impeded and forbade
citizens from assembling, using imprecise laws on preventing the spread of COVID-19, was also a form of struggle for basic civil rights,
freedom of speech and the right to protest for us.
We reminded about the threat related to the plans for the actual development of green wedges in Poznan. This threat overlaps with the
attempts of developers, as well as the Darex company claiming the right to part of the plots on which Rozbrat is located. The company
itself, as we have informed many times, came into possession of the land as a result of an unclear re-privatization process, and swindled an
unpaid loan for the ownership. Today, the company aims to regain "its" property, which poses a threat not only to Rozbrat, but also to the
nearby allotment gardens of ROD "Bogdanka". We do not agree to concrete wedges of greenery, just as we do not agree to the liquidation of
allotment gardens or the takeover of the Rozbrat area by re-privatization fraudsters!
Recently, we have opposed the repression and the campaign, which was particularly intensified during the presidential campaign, and was
directed against the LGBT + community. We took part in solidarity actions with the activist of the Stop Bzdurom group - Margot . We also
demonstrated in connection with the subsequent rigged elections in Belarus and the repression of the Lukashenka regime. We acted for
solidarity with the local opposition, among whom there is no shortage of anarchists, anti-fascists and leftists who are fed up with the
dictatorship of power.
Our commitment is often subject to repression by state and police representatives, who have always sympathized more with capital and
neo-fascists than with social movements, with the administration of injustice on their side. This is what happened recently, following a
direct action against the fascist presidential candidate, Krzysztof Bosak . In this case, the case is still at the preparatory stage, we
provide full support to the accused. The proceedings related to the protest in defense of women's rights during the "Black Protest" are
still pending. We informed about the verdicts that were passed in the court of first instance here and here. The first appeal hearing will
be held on Friday, September 11, 2020 at 12:00. Importantly, the appeal was lodged not only by the defendant's defense lawyer, demanding
full acquittal, but also by the prosecutor's office seeking higher sentences. As you can see, the authorities want to severely punish those
who oppose its oppression!
Regardless of the COVID-19 pandemic, regardless of subsequent authoritarian actions of politicians, regardless of exploitation at work and
social divisions - Rozbrat has been going on for 26 years and will continue to be a place generating movements against injustice!
https://www.rozbrat.org/informacje/rozbrat-zostaje/4728-mija-juz-26-rok-dzialalnosci-kolektywu-rozbrat
------------------------------
Message: 2
The wreckage of the state-capitalist regime is covering an ever-increasing area, degrading the lives of millions of people around the globe.
The social body that is already suffering the catastrophic consequences of the permanent imposition of sovereignty and exploitation is
receiving another severe blow due to the management of the Covid-19 pandemic. The criminal state policies proved - after the last wave of
upheaval - that they do not care, as they hypocritically claimed, for the lives of the people of the social base, the workers, the weak.
After all, they had already proved this by managing the pandemic in the places that had the greatest need for protection, such as prisons,
refugee and immigrant detention centers, etc.
Today they prove that the financial profits of tourism bosses come in higher than anything else. In addition, the state, government and
bosses are trying to take advantage of the state of emergency as a whole to their advantage. Amid quarantine and a curfew, two major
reactionary bills were passed on the environment and education in the direction of neoliberal restructuring. During the summer, repressive
strikes against squatters took place, while they are already promoting the implementation of the new, junta-inspired law on demonstrations.
The bosses and the civilian staff are preparing feverishly, preparing a precautionary counter-insurgency plan. They want to completely
subjugate the social body and bury the fires of resistance, before great unrest breaks out in view of the depth of the capitalist crisis
that throws even more people on the margins of unemployment, poverty, misery. The first goal of the repression plan is the anarchist
movement and the occupied structures of resistance and social solidarity. The blow to the squatters is not only or mainly for the
exploitation of the buildings that host them, but for the attack on the militants who operate and inspire them. The recent attacks and
evacuations in Libertatia and Terra Incognita in Thessaloniki and Rosa Nera in Chania also have this meaning.
It is very important for the plebeians, the working majority, the unemployed, the students and the pupils to stand tall. Completely reject
the nationalist rhetoric used to integrate the social base into the states' belligerent plans to control, through multinational
corporations, the Eastern Mediterranean submarine resources. No one should fall into the trap of intra-capitalist antagonisms and become
meat for the bosses' shells, which they equip by squandering public funds on military spending. At the same time, the oppressed must
completely reject the irrational conspiracy theories, narratives that come entirely from the far right and seek to exploit the concern of a
section of society for economic developments in order to embed it in their fascist aspirations. These movements, like all those from the far
right, appear to be separated from the state orders, while they are their best ally. In this case, they de facto support the given
indifference of the state to provide better public health coverage for the care and treatment of all people without exception. while they
are their best ally. In this case, they de facto support the given indifference of the state to provide better public health coverage for
the care and treatment of all people without exception. while they are their best ally. In this case, they de facto support the given
indifference of the state to provide better public health coverage for the care and treatment of all people without exception.
The fear of the authorities for the time of the Plebian uprising is growing. Let's make it a reality. The solution is in the way of the
struggle. Where the laws and the power of the uniformed guards of our lives can be shattered. Organization with decentralized and unmediated
terms on all social fronts. Unity at the base, coordination in action. Solidarity and resistance to the end. To organize the Social and
Class Counterattack. In the crack of modern totalitarianism, the vision of another world is already growing. From Santiago and Portland to
Ankara, Chania and Thessaloniki, the people who stand against the monster of fascism, statehood, totalitarianism, racism and the ecological
destruction of the planet are the first drops of our just wrath.
For the World Social Revolution. The fight continues and will continue...
ANTI-GOVERNMENT-ANTI-CAPITALIST DEMONSTRATION AT THE OPENING OF THE THESSALONIKI HELEXPO FORUM: SATURDAY 12 SEPTEMBER | ARCH 18:00
CONCENTRATION: OCCUPATION MUNDO NUEVO, 17:30
PS: The APO Freedom Festival that was scheduled for September 12, 13 is postponed due to the TIF demonstration and will take place on
September 26, 27.
Anarchist Political Organization - Federation of Collectivities
apo.squathost.com | anpolorg@gmail.com
FB: anpolorg | Twitter: anpolorg
http://apo.squathost.com/deth-2020-kalesma-sti-diadilosi-savvato-12-septemvri-18-00-kamara/
------------------------------
Message: 3
Anarchist and former political prisoner Igor Olinevich spoke about his vision of the situation in Belarus in a new video. We also provide a
text version from Igor's telegram channel . ---- Hello. My name is Igor Olinevich, I am a former political prisoner of the Lukashenka regime
, the author of the book " I am going to Magadan ", where I described the torture and abuse of prisoners in the KGB prison. ---- When I saw
the first photographs of the tormented guys from Akrestsin Street, looked through those terrible footage from the ROVD, in which people were
dragged out like cattle and put on their knees with their hands tied behind their backs, I learned methods that were painfully familiar from
my own experience. Once upon a time, the chastisers beat me with truncheons in a crowd, beat my head on the concrete floor, tortured me with
rigid stretch marks, took me along the corridors with broken arms, and humiliated me in every possible way. Even worse, they used
sophisticated mental torture and forced to listen to others being tortured. Many years have passed, but the feeling that everything was like
yesterday.
Now the network is full of speculations that the surge in violence from punishers was allegedly spontaneous and was even caused by revenge
in response to violence from the demonstrators. This is not true. For several years, while in prison, I studied the methodology of
repression, and I argue that the bacchanalia of terror and atrocities that the punishers unleashed on the streets of our cities is a planned
punitive action to pacify the entire society. Let me emphasize that it is the entire society. That is why there were so many obviously
random people among those tortured in dungeons. Chance is the method of punitive action, because fear is only then all-embracing and
paralyzes the will when the selection criteria are not obvious, when there is no safe line of behavior. This topic is discussed in more
detail in another article, with little-known historical precedents as evidence.
Here, I will only emphasize the conclusion: the punitive action was planned, an order was given to carry it out, the goal was to sow fear
and paralyze the will of the people with a decisive cruel blow.
The fascists miscalculated. Instead of kneeling down, the Belarusian people found strength and cheered up. Of course, Lukashenka has a huge
experience of holding on to power, after all, for 26 years. And despite the ongoing mass protests, strikes and strikes, the tyrant is still
in power. However, his song is sung. A solely bayonet-based mode is neither strong nor durable. Power is already giving in! We have all seen
the fear of the tyrant at the MZKT, we have all seen his clowning with an automatic device.
Citizens, despite the fact that his own environment will merge him - don't get fooled! No negotiations, no compromises, no cabinet changes!
Only the immediate departure of Lukashenka and the entire top nomenclature of power, absolute and unconditional. Tribunal over the August
torturers for war crimes.
If the old elites consolidate their power again, there will be no investigation into the August crimes. For the sake of appearance, they
will condemn several of the most odious punishers from above and among the performers. The rest will swear allegiance to the new government
and will continue to "serve the people."
I am talking about this because a whole queue has already lined up for negotiations, they already want to establish political parties. Is
this serious? What legal methods can we talk about, what procedure for recalling deputies and the functioning of parties? The regime openly
tortures and kills people in order to maintain its power. This power is fascist, occupational, state laws have lost even formal legitimacy.
They don't talk to the fascists, they are fought with by appropriate methods.
The real strength of the Belarusian revolution lies in decentralization and self-organization. Create horizontal networks across the
workplace, school and home. Establish meetings in every yard, in every workshop, in every office, in every educational institution, in every
hospital. Promote your trusted delegates to a more global level - city, inter-district, regional; from the shop to the enterprise, from the
enterprises to the entire industry as a whole. Let the delegates be under the control of your meetings, and any committees and strike
committees under the control of your delegates. Not from top to bottom, as it used to be, but from bottom to top!
When the whole country is covered with a system of popular assemblies, workers' syndicates, volunteer associations, only then the Belarusian
people will become a real political entity that can determine the common future.
Without this foundation, the ruling nomenklatura will become bolder and will again rush to power. The experience of the post-communist
countries shows that yesterday's stranglers of the people's will and executioners briskly changed their colors and reassigned posts and
property to themselves, naturally, under new banners and slogans.
The better and more firmly we are now self-organizing on the principles of direct democracy, the sooner and more consistently we will build
a true democracy and a country for life.
Citizens!
The future is in our hands!
We are the people! Fascism will not work!
We are stronger and we will win!
Long live Belarus!
Igor Olinevich
youtube.com/watch?v=gBU-E8Ro8N8
Anarchist opinion
Alternatives to the System , Lawlessness of Power , Videos , Protests , Direct Action , Prisons
Belarus
Igor Olinevich
Alexander Lukashenko
https://avtonom.org/news/igor-olinevich-o-belorusskoy-revolyucii
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Message: 4
Candlelight vigil in solidarity with the refugees of camp Moria on Lesbos suffering violence, neglect, dehumanisation, and who have now lost
the little that they had in a devastating fire. This protest is also in solidarity with refugees everywhere, also in our country, who are
forces to live in inhumane conditions because of xenophobic politics.
Tonight, from 20.00 to 22.00 on the Grote Markt, Nijmegen.
Bring banners, signs, mouth masks, friends and candles, and keep a safe distance
Vrije Bond Secretariaat
https://www.vrijebond.org/tonight-nijmegen-solidarity-with-the-refugees-of-camp-moria/
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Message: 5
This is a citizens' initiative in collaboration with Volt Europe and 500Kinderen. The protest is supported by SOSMoria, Vluchtelingen Werk
Nederland, Stichting Vluchteling, Defence for Children and Comité Vluchtelingkinderen Haarlem . Anyone who wants to contribute or help
organize the protest can reach the organization by email evacuatemoria@gmail.com. ---- Moria is burning. On the night of 9 September,
multiple fires destroyed large areas of the refugee camp on Lesbos, displacing 13,000 residents. This is the result of years of failing EU
policy. There have been frequent warnings, but in vain. ---- The inhabitants of the overcrowded camp on Lesbos have fled their homeland and
left behind everything in the hope of a better life. Instead of humanitarian relief, they encountered an extremely intolerant Europe that
was closing its borders. Families, the elderly and unaccompanied minors are trapped in appalling conditions. Doctors Without Borders,
international NGOs and UNHCR have been warning for years that the situation on the island is untenable and inhumane. There has been no
response from the European Union and specifically the Netherlands.
The fire was the last straw. We can't wait any longer and that is why we argue for a more humane asylum policy, starting by immediately
hosting 500 children in the Netherlands and the proportional hosting in Europe of the other refugees who are stuck in Greece. The
Netherlands also has a share in this. While the cabinet is doing too little, we will make our voices heard.
Where?
Museumplein
Amsterdam
When?
Saturday, 12 September 2020
16:00 - 17:00. Be on time!
How?
Bring banners or signs, keep 1.5 meters away and wear face masks. Stay at home if you or your roommates have any symptoms.
Vrije Bond Secretariaat
https://www.vrijebond.org/demonstration-evacuate-moria/
------------------------------
Message: 6
Start the conversation HERE ---- How do you analyze the process of building democratic confederalism? What is your role in this process?
---- The building of democratic confederalism is currently most visible in Rojava, but it cannot be excluded from other parts of Kurdistan.
In recent years, the ideas of this political direction in Rojava have been put into practice on a huge scale, but we must not forget other
places such as the Mexmur camp or the relatively fresh Sinjar Autonomous Zone in Basur (Iraqi Kurdistan). Political developments are also
taking place in Rojhilat (Iranian Kurdistan), but the movement is strong especially in Bakur, the territory of the Turkish state. It is
important to consider the four parts into which Kurdistan is divided today in order to understand why the Kurdish movement has resorted to a
stateless solution.
If we want to analyze developments here, we must look at the work of Abdullah Öcalan and his "Manifesto for a Democratic Society". Unlike
other policy proposals, democratic confederalism is not limited to describing a utopian society free from oppression, but opens up a number
of questions and a dialogue on how to change society and realize this utopia. How do we want to live? How do we want to communicate? How do
we want to fight? These are important questions for building a revolutionary society. The answers outlined by Öcalan cannot simply be
summarized in a few paragraphs, but it is important to understand some of the ideas with which he identifies. This democratic modernism, as
we have already mentioned, is based on the liberation of women, ecology and stateless democracy.
This ideological development is similar to other revolutionary processes, such as Zapatism, an insurgent movement in the mountains of
southern Mexico. Both movements began as Maoist, but later reoriented toward libertine socialism, both movements grew and took refuge in the
mountains, referring to the legacy of their ancient ancestors, have a strong autonomous women's movement, and both movements are the
inspiration for anti-capitalist movements around the world. Democratic confederalism is not new, it is a way of understanding society and
civilization that inspires us to develop as a revolutionary movement, to commit ourselves to our ideas and to move resolutely towards a
fairer society.
The implementation of these ideas in Rojava was largely influenced by the war. On the other hand, it was the war that enabled the revolution
and the radical social transformation needed to lay the foundations for such political development. In 2012, the YPG / YPJ, then poorly
armed people's militia, expelled Syrian soldiers and bureaucrats almost without a shot. This was followed by bitter fighting against groups
like Al-Nusra and later Daesh. Following the breakthrough of the siege of Kobanî Daesh in 2015, the YPG / YPJ expanded to become a leading
force in the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) coalition. Later, in 2017, Rakka was liberated and the SDF became a military force that must be
reckoned with, trained and armed at a semi-professional level.
This military development was accompanied by a process of social transformation based on the ideas of democratic confederalism, which
included the formation of communes, cooperatives, women's centers, judicial committees, cultural centers, vocational schools, Kurdish
teaching, etc. The Movement for Democratic Society (Tevgera Civaka Demokratîk; TEV-DEM), together with the Democratic Party of Unity (PartY
Yekineyen Democratic; PYD) and other political parties, have united into the so-called Autonomous Administration, originally operating in
three cantons, in Africa, Kobanî and Cizre. We see a clear goal here to manage the territory through a local organization, based on a
municipal model, without seeking the centralization typical of a state system.
No revolution is an easy process, and despite criticism of certain decisions, the development Rojava has been going through over the past
eight years is admirable. Once again, it is difficult to summarize everything in a few paragraphs, but the most important steps we want to
mention include progress in the field of women's equality and the role played exclusively by YPJ women's militias in the revolutionary
process. Women in Syria, like women around the world, suffer from violence and oppression of the patriarchal system, but since 2014 they
have been particularly threatened by the theocratic despotism of the Islamic State. Daesh is undoubtedly a much more brutal and bloody
example of patriarchy, leaving behind thousands of abducted women sold into sexual slavery. The words of YPJ Anara from Kobanî, "our
philosophical views have made us realize that as women we can only live in resistance" explains why so many women have raised their arms, to
free themselves from these threats, why they chose self-defense and direct action against what threatens their lives. After the military
victories against Daeshi, the enormous courage and sacrifice that women contributed to the revolution was undoubtedly demonstrated. The
Kurdish movement says that no society can be free unless women are free, and in Rojava this slogan is the heart of the revolutionary process.
Our participation in this process is relatively modest, as we have been working in Rojava for only three years. In the beginning, the most
important thing was to understand the local reality, the Kurdish language and culture, the political project, the functioning of
organizations and structures. The new methods of organization meant certain ideological contradictions for us. Despite ideological
similarities and Öcalan's references to various anarchist thinkers such as Bakunin, Kropotkin, or Foucault, for example, anarchism remains
largely unknown to the Kurdish movement. In the third edition of the "Manifesto for Democratic Civilization", Öcalan writes about the
importance of anarchism as a key ally in achieving the development of democratic modernity and shares the criticism and prospects of the
anarchist movement. At the ideological level, our work focuses on the reflection of these ideas and contradictions, we translate them and
try to make them accessible to a wider audience. We have also spent some time debating within our group, as we are an international group of
anarchists from different countries, often with different perspectives and coming from different backgrounds. These debates have helped us
to better understand the libertarian movements in different parts of the world and how to put them into context with the revolutionary
process we are going through.
On a practical level, our work focuses on defending the revolution. After participating in several war campaigns against the Islamic State,
we sought to improve in the field of military medicine, as timely assistance is key to survival. The Tekosîna Anarsîst Inter-Brigade has
already operated as a combat medical battalion in the Battle of Bakhúz, the last stronghold of the Islamic State, and we have had this task
in any battle in Rojava ever since. Being a combat medical battalion also means being able to train new people in this field, so we have put
a lot of effort into working on what we have learned so that we can share knowledge with the new comrades who have come to support the
revolution.
How do you analyze the current situation in Syria and what are the prospects?
Now, in July 2020, the war in Syria continues. We recently celebrated the eighth anniversary of the revolution. Autonomy was announced on
July 19, 2012 in Kobanî. The Islamic State was defeated in Baghuz in 2019, but there are still actionable cells and groups that continue to
attack. Many of its former members have also joined the Turkish-backed Islamist groups that have been occupying Africa since early 2018. It
is not a year since Turkey and its Islamist mercenaries occupied towns and villages along the border between Tel Abyad and Serêkaniyê.
The population fled the area to refugee camps. People from Africa fled to the Sehba camp from Turkish bombs, and people from Serêkaniyê fled
to Wasokanî. Managing Al-Hol Camp is also not easy. Women and children of the caliphate are being held here. Some of them still follow
Islamic fundamentalist ideas, often provoking unrest and making statements in support of Daesh, attacking camp security, attacking other
women with knives and acid, and setting their tents on fire. Prisons for Daesh fighters pose further problems for the Autonomous
Administration in stabilizing the region. They need an international court to find a fair solution. But the international community does not
seem interested in such a trial, and only a few countries have repatriated Islamic State fighters. There are also riots and escape attempts
in these prisons.
Refugee camps are also the focus of epidemics. An epidemic of salmonella and black fever broke out in the Sehba camp. Fortunately, the
covidu-19 pandemic has not yet broken out in Rojava, yet the municipality is working to prevent future risks. Our medical work has also
allowed us to gain some knowledge and support in the field of epidemiology, better understand the situation, work together to organize
courses and prepare preventive measures in case the virus starts to spread. The only hospital in Serêkaniyê that is now occupied by Turkey
and its allies has been equipped with PCR testing technology, and it is known that Turkey sends a huge number of people infected with covid.
In Africa, the epidemic is already spreading due to the presence of the occupying forces of the Turkish army and Islamist militias. It is
possible that the Erdogan administration is trying to contribute to the spread of the virus in Rojava.
The military situation is also not easy. On the one hand, Erdogan continues to occupy and threatens the whole region. The Tal Rifaat and
Sehba camps are in danger, as are the towns of Manbíj and Kobanî. As we have seen in the recent past, the question is not whether Turkey
will attack again, but when. Recently, Erdogan launched a new operation in Basur, Iraqi Kurdistan, which began with the dropping of 80 bombs
by the Turkish air force. The Mexmur camp, the hospital in Sinjar, civilian villages and PKK bases in the mountains on the border with
Turkey and Iran were hit. At the end of June, drones bombed a village near Kobanî, where a meeting of the Kongreya Star (Rojava women's
movement) was taking place. Four women were killed, including the Kobanî area president. Turkey also maintains a front in Idlib, supporting
the Lantant Liberation Organization (HTS; Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, formerly Syrian Al Qaeda),
The Turkish state has moved in a very authoritarian direction over the last decades, which has not been possible without purges in high
military circles, especially after the coup in 2016, as well as very high arms spending. Erdogan recently received a second shipment of
Russia's S-400 air defense system and signed an agreement with the United States to supply Patriot missile systems. We see that it is arming
itself to the teeth, trying to maintain its position in NATO, at the same time dating Russia and reorganizing the geopolitical situation in
the Middle East with nostalgia for the imperial Ottoman past. Similar dreams of expansion, which fascist regimes usually suffer, always
require an internal enemy. In 1915, the world witnessed the Armenian genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire, during which not only
Armenians and other Christians were forcibly displaced and massacred, a strong precedent was also set, which was later referred to by
Holocaust screenwriters. "After all, who is dealing with the extermination of the Armenians today?" Hitler said after the occupation of
Poland. Today, it is the Kurdish population that is suffering from an extermination policy, and there is no doubt that Turkey is on the fly.
The economic situation in Rojava is also quite complicated. The Syrian pound has fallen to an all-time low. In recent months, its value on
domestic markets has fallen by 300%. To this must be added the new sanctions imposed on Syria by the trump administration, which is a form
of economic war aimed at Assad's government, but has an impact on the whole of Syria. Trump has promised that the Autonomous Administration
of Northern and Eastern Syria will be spared sanctions, but this promise has not yet been fulfilled. An embargo has also been imposed on
Rojava since the beginning of the revolution.[5]In terms of resources, Rojava is dependent on wheat and oil, raw materials that are now
suffering from a sharp fall in prices. The coronavirus crisis has contributed to the sharp fall in crude oil prices, on which the Autonomous
Administration depends.[6]In addition, the sanctions imposed on Assad's government make oil sales more difficult. Crude oil can then only be
processed in refineries under the control of the Syrian state. As for the wheat, it had to be harvested prematurely this year so as not to
repeat the scenario from last year, when the Islamists set fire to huge fields before the harvest. So the wheat did not burn this year, but
it is green, and its market price is therefore much lower. In addition, much wheat was stolen by the Turkish occupiers, a huge force being
found mainly in Tel Abyad.
The last point we would like to mention also concerns the global pandemic, because closed borders restrict the mobility of internationals.
During the last four months, no volunteer could come or leave Rojava, which limits the number of new people who want to come but have no way.
Under these circumstances, it is difficult to predict what will happen. The situation is very unstable, there are so many variables and
interests at stake that things change from day to day. Undoubtedly, the biggest threat is another invasion of the Turkish state, probably
into Kobanî, as it has attracted the most international attention in the past due to resistance against Daesh. The symbolic power of this
city is very important. The Turkish state wants to occupy it, because it knows that it would be very difficult to keep the revolution
without a city that has managed to break Daesh's advance. It is possible that the first attack will come on the cities of Ain Issa and
Manbij, because they are the closest and very important for supplies if Kobanî is again under siege. In order for Erdogan to launch an
attack, he needs the green light of international and regional powers. The war for influence between the United States and Russia in the
Middle East can play an important role. Depending on as the balance of power and priorities of the two imperialist powers changes, the
effects will be felt not only by the people of Syria, but throughout the Middle East and around the world. In recent months, we have already
witnessed the withdrawal of US troops. So far, this is not a definitive withdrawal, as the US still does not intend to leave influence in
the area to other forces, especially not Iran and Russia. Putin is doing everything possible to fill the vacuum, strengthen influence on
Syrian soil and secure access to the Mediterranean.
The future of Syria may also be affected by other regional powers, such as Israel, which continues to occupy the Golan Heights and is
carrying out bomb attacks in Syria against various targets. Iran's presence is also no secret, as most Israeli attacks are aimed at
Hezbollah or other allies of the Iranian theocratic regime. Netanyahu's Zionist government is using hostilities between the United States
and Iran to carry out impunity for attacks to weaken the powers surrounding Israel. Egypt is now threatening to enter the conflict in Libya
to weaken Turkey's expansionism. Egyptian forces do not yet operate in Syria, but the Sisi government sees Erdogan as a threat due to his
neo-Ottoman rhetoric and strong ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, the main opponent of the Sisi government.
Another possible scenario for the near future is a total attack by the Turkish state on the Qandil Mountains in Iraqi Kurdistan, where the
PKK bases are located. Erdogan has been besieging the heart of the Kurdish rebel movement for many years and hopes to support the North
Atlantic Alliance, its technology network and the media. But to start a war in these mountains, he needs not only the permission of Iraq,
but also of Iran, because it lies on the border. It would be a very costly campaign, and given the volatile economic situation in Turkey and
the fact that it is already fighting on so many fronts, it is not clear whether Erdogan is capable of launching another major campaign. Such
aggression would be a great provocation to all parts of Kurdistan, and the revolutionary Rojava would not remain idle.
Rojava is a small player in this game of powers full of resentment. Its short history has always been threatened by war and the conflicts
that surround it, as its very existence calls into question the plans of the powers fighting in Syria. Despite the tactical alliance, it is
clear that no state has an interest in this revolutionary project prospering and expanding. The caliphate was defeated and other forces
continue to reach Rojava, mainly through the Turkish state and its allies. Rojava exists thanks to the determination and collective efforts
of thousands of militants, and we must always keep in mind that without their sacrifices, none of what we are experiencing here today would
be possible. The attacks we survived caused painful losses, and we must move forward and build new houses on the ruins left by the war. This
experience has made us aware of basic needs, such as self-defense,
Rojava remains an inspiration for revolutionary movements around the world, a place for debate and political practice that shows that
another world is possible. Rojava is not an anarchist society, but a society where anarchists from all over the world can put our ideas into
practice. We cannot allow this torch of hope to go out, and although it will still not be easy, we intend to continue to build, defend and
develop the world we dream of. More attacks will come and cause new losses and pain, but we are not afraid of debris, because we carry a new
world in our hearts.
Tekosina Anarsîst
July 2020
Rojava
Translator's Notes:
[5]The trade embargo was imposed by Turkey, Iraq and Iran, powers that did not find understanding for the transformation of the economy
based on workers' cooperatives.
[6]If one wonders how an oil-dependent system can be ecological at the same time, the problem is probably that we are in a war zone on which
a trade embargo is imposed by neighboring countries. For the time being, Rojava's ecology consists of a strong emphasis on the local economy.
Source:
https://autonomynews.org/interview-with-tekosina-anarsist-an-armed-internationalist-anarchist-collective-in-rojava/
We wrote:
https://www.afed.cz/text/7211/spolecne-a-mezinarodne-proti-misogynii-a-patriarchatu
https://www.afed.cz/text/7206/osm-let-od- zacatku-rojavske-revoluce
https://www.afed.cz/text/7122/koreny-tureckeho-fasismu-i
https://www.afed.cz/text/7123/koreny-tureckeho-fasismu-ii
https://www.afed.cz/text/7222/interbrigada-tekosina-anarsist-ii
------------------------------
Completion of an analytical interview with international
volunteers of anarchists fighting in Rojava. [machine
translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Throughout all these years, we have been operating continuously and without sponsors in the social, political and cultural space of Poznan
and the country. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic also put us to a serious test and the need for an adequate response. Since March, we have
temporarily suspended many initiatives at Rozbracie, including free school activities, concerts, training room classes, and activities
related to the organization of demonstrations and conferences. Over time, we changed the operating system in order to maintain continuity
and security. From the very beginning, however, we realized that it is interpersonal solidarity and mutual aid that is a more important
guarantor of our health and safety than that of the government. That is why we undertook the campaign of sewing and distributing masks. We
distributed disinfectants and supported Kolektyw's actionsFood Instead of Bomb the group cooked and handed out free meals to those who
needed it most
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Department: Rozbrat stays!
Keywords Rozbrat stays Rozbrat stays squatting re-privatization Anarchist Movement
At the same time, we observed the inefficiency of the government, whose representatives were not even able to properly inform the public
about the epidemiological threat. Recommendations for mask wearing obligations to minimize the risk of infection have changed like a
kaleidoscope, with no debate about the causes of the healthcare crisis. It was not possible to provide an adequate amount of medical and
protective equipment (including respirators) for health care or care facilities, efficiently escaping from criticism of the state's actions.
However, where the authorities failed, the self-organization of society often won. Numerous self-help groups were established - helping to
organize shopping, helping to take care of pets, sewing masks as well as organizing collections of equipment and funds for hospitals.
With the "stay home" messages coming from all sides, the need for paid work and the economic exploitation associated with it did not cease,
on the contrary, it gained a new pace adapted to the pandemic conditions. The richest once again benefited from the crisis at the expense of
the rest of society. Therefore, as a community associated with Rozbrat, we continued to actively participate in the activities of OZZ
Inicjatywa Pracownicza. We supported Amazon warehouse employees working at full speed despite the enormous risk of contamination. Today we
know that it is the owner of Amazon - Jeff Bezos - who has once again strengthened himself in the ranking of the richest people in the
world, despite, or maybe thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. We also publicized the proposal of OZZ IP in VW Poznan plants, which consisted in
shifting production to the production of the necessary medical equipment - respirators - such that, unlike those ordered by the government
for exorbitant sums, would work, meet the necessary standards and go to hospitals.
We got involved in the activities of the newly established environmental group, Green Wave . Just before the lockdown was announced, the
group undertook a blockade of an excavator in the Tomislawice opencast mine, which stopped its operation and led to a debate about the
impact of the exploitation of natural resources and the climate crisis on our lives. We also conducted local campaigns, incl. blocking
felling of trees together with the inhabitants, in Suchy Las near Poznan.
In the face of a crisis that has made many people unemployed or reduced their income, action is needed to prevent situations such as the
loss of shelter by those most affected by the crisis from worsening. Therefore, in consultation with the Wielkopolska Association of
Tenants, we demanded the suspension of all bailiffs' actions and evictions against tenants in the face of a pandemic, as well as a freeze in
paying rents. We also supported WSL in organizing medical support for people with experience of migration and homelessness, opening new
fields of activity.
We were also involved in street protests when the government announced a tightening of regulations on access to abortion which is so
restrictive. We protested after the murder of George Floyd in the United States, which, also in Poland, met with reactions in the form of
pickets and solidarity marches. Thus, we recalled the importance of the problem of racism and police violence that also took its toll in our
country - its victims were, among others, Igor Stachowiak . Any such protest during the period in which the authorities impeded and forbade
citizens from assembling, using imprecise laws on preventing the spread of COVID-19, was also a form of struggle for basic civil rights,
freedom of speech and the right to protest for us.
We reminded about the threat related to the plans for the actual development of green wedges in Poznan. This threat overlaps with the
attempts of developers, as well as the Darex company claiming the right to part of the plots on which Rozbrat is located. The company
itself, as we have informed many times, came into possession of the land as a result of an unclear re-privatization process, and swindled an
unpaid loan for the ownership. Today, the company aims to regain "its" property, which poses a threat not only to Rozbrat, but also to the
nearby allotment gardens of ROD "Bogdanka". We do not agree to concrete wedges of greenery, just as we do not agree to the liquidation of
allotment gardens or the takeover of the Rozbrat area by re-privatization fraudsters!
Recently, we have opposed the repression and the campaign, which was particularly intensified during the presidential campaign, and was
directed against the LGBT + community. We took part in solidarity actions with the activist of the Stop Bzdurom group - Margot . We also
demonstrated in connection with the subsequent rigged elections in Belarus and the repression of the Lukashenka regime. We acted for
solidarity with the local opposition, among whom there is no shortage of anarchists, anti-fascists and leftists who are fed up with the
dictatorship of power.
Our commitment is often subject to repression by state and police representatives, who have always sympathized more with capital and
neo-fascists than with social movements, with the administration of injustice on their side. This is what happened recently, following a
direct action against the fascist presidential candidate, Krzysztof Bosak . In this case, the case is still at the preparatory stage, we
provide full support to the accused. The proceedings related to the protest in defense of women's rights during the "Black Protest" are
still pending. We informed about the verdicts that were passed in the court of first instance here and here. The first appeal hearing will
be held on Friday, September 11, 2020 at 12:00. Importantly, the appeal was lodged not only by the defendant's defense lawyer, demanding
full acquittal, but also by the prosecutor's office seeking higher sentences. As you can see, the authorities want to severely punish those
who oppose its oppression!
Regardless of the COVID-19 pandemic, regardless of subsequent authoritarian actions of politicians, regardless of exploitation at work and
social divisions - Rozbrat has been going on for 26 years and will continue to be a place generating movements against injustice!
https://www.rozbrat.org/informacje/rozbrat-zostaje/4728-mija-juz-26-rok-dzialalnosci-kolektywu-rozbrat
------------------------------
Message: 2
The wreckage of the state-capitalist regime is covering an ever-increasing area, degrading the lives of millions of people around the globe.
The social body that is already suffering the catastrophic consequences of the permanent imposition of sovereignty and exploitation is
receiving another severe blow due to the management of the Covid-19 pandemic. The criminal state policies proved - after the last wave of
upheaval - that they do not care, as they hypocritically claimed, for the lives of the people of the social base, the workers, the weak.
After all, they had already proved this by managing the pandemic in the places that had the greatest need for protection, such as prisons,
refugee and immigrant detention centers, etc.
Today they prove that the financial profits of tourism bosses come in higher than anything else. In addition, the state, government and
bosses are trying to take advantage of the state of emergency as a whole to their advantage. Amid quarantine and a curfew, two major
reactionary bills were passed on the environment and education in the direction of neoliberal restructuring. During the summer, repressive
strikes against squatters took place, while they are already promoting the implementation of the new, junta-inspired law on demonstrations.
The bosses and the civilian staff are preparing feverishly, preparing a precautionary counter-insurgency plan. They want to completely
subjugate the social body and bury the fires of resistance, before great unrest breaks out in view of the depth of the capitalist crisis
that throws even more people on the margins of unemployment, poverty, misery. The first goal of the repression plan is the anarchist
movement and the occupied structures of resistance and social solidarity. The blow to the squatters is not only or mainly for the
exploitation of the buildings that host them, but for the attack on the militants who operate and inspire them. The recent attacks and
evacuations in Libertatia and Terra Incognita in Thessaloniki and Rosa Nera in Chania also have this meaning.
It is very important for the plebeians, the working majority, the unemployed, the students and the pupils to stand tall. Completely reject
the nationalist rhetoric used to integrate the social base into the states' belligerent plans to control, through multinational
corporations, the Eastern Mediterranean submarine resources. No one should fall into the trap of intra-capitalist antagonisms and become
meat for the bosses' shells, which they equip by squandering public funds on military spending. At the same time, the oppressed must
completely reject the irrational conspiracy theories, narratives that come entirely from the far right and seek to exploit the concern of a
section of society for economic developments in order to embed it in their fascist aspirations. These movements, like all those from the far
right, appear to be separated from the state orders, while they are their best ally. In this case, they de facto support the given
indifference of the state to provide better public health coverage for the care and treatment of all people without exception. while they
are their best ally. In this case, they de facto support the given indifference of the state to provide better public health coverage for
the care and treatment of all people without exception. while they are their best ally. In this case, they de facto support the given
indifference of the state to provide better public health coverage for the care and treatment of all people without exception.
The fear of the authorities for the time of the Plebian uprising is growing. Let's make it a reality. The solution is in the way of the
struggle. Where the laws and the power of the uniformed guards of our lives can be shattered. Organization with decentralized and unmediated
terms on all social fronts. Unity at the base, coordination in action. Solidarity and resistance to the end. To organize the Social and
Class Counterattack. In the crack of modern totalitarianism, the vision of another world is already growing. From Santiago and Portland to
Ankara, Chania and Thessaloniki, the people who stand against the monster of fascism, statehood, totalitarianism, racism and the ecological
destruction of the planet are the first drops of our just wrath.
For the World Social Revolution. The fight continues and will continue...
ANTI-GOVERNMENT-ANTI-CAPITALIST DEMONSTRATION AT THE OPENING OF THE THESSALONIKI HELEXPO FORUM: SATURDAY 12 SEPTEMBER | ARCH 18:00
CONCENTRATION: OCCUPATION MUNDO NUEVO, 17:30
PS: The APO Freedom Festival that was scheduled for September 12, 13 is postponed due to the TIF demonstration and will take place on
September 26, 27.
Anarchist Political Organization - Federation of Collectivities
apo.squathost.com | anpolorg@gmail.com
FB: anpolorg | Twitter: anpolorg
http://apo.squathost.com/deth-2020-kalesma-sti-diadilosi-savvato-12-septemvri-18-00-kamara/
------------------------------
Message: 3
Anarchist and former political prisoner Igor Olinevich spoke about his vision of the situation in Belarus in a new video. We also provide a
text version from Igor's telegram channel . ---- Hello. My name is Igor Olinevich, I am a former political prisoner of the Lukashenka regime
, the author of the book " I am going to Magadan ", where I described the torture and abuse of prisoners in the KGB prison. ---- When I saw
the first photographs of the tormented guys from Akrestsin Street, looked through those terrible footage from the ROVD, in which people were
dragged out like cattle and put on their knees with their hands tied behind their backs, I learned methods that were painfully familiar from
my own experience. Once upon a time, the chastisers beat me with truncheons in a crowd, beat my head on the concrete floor, tortured me with
rigid stretch marks, took me along the corridors with broken arms, and humiliated me in every possible way. Even worse, they used
sophisticated mental torture and forced to listen to others being tortured. Many years have passed, but the feeling that everything was like
yesterday.
Now the network is full of speculations that the surge in violence from punishers was allegedly spontaneous and was even caused by revenge
in response to violence from the demonstrators. This is not true. For several years, while in prison, I studied the methodology of
repression, and I argue that the bacchanalia of terror and atrocities that the punishers unleashed on the streets of our cities is a planned
punitive action to pacify the entire society. Let me emphasize that it is the entire society. That is why there were so many obviously
random people among those tortured in dungeons. Chance is the method of punitive action, because fear is only then all-embracing and
paralyzes the will when the selection criteria are not obvious, when there is no safe line of behavior. This topic is discussed in more
detail in another article, with little-known historical precedents as evidence.
Here, I will only emphasize the conclusion: the punitive action was planned, an order was given to carry it out, the goal was to sow fear
and paralyze the will of the people with a decisive cruel blow.
The fascists miscalculated. Instead of kneeling down, the Belarusian people found strength and cheered up. Of course, Lukashenka has a huge
experience of holding on to power, after all, for 26 years. And despite the ongoing mass protests, strikes and strikes, the tyrant is still
in power. However, his song is sung. A solely bayonet-based mode is neither strong nor durable. Power is already giving in! We have all seen
the fear of the tyrant at the MZKT, we have all seen his clowning with an automatic device.
Citizens, despite the fact that his own environment will merge him - don't get fooled! No negotiations, no compromises, no cabinet changes!
Only the immediate departure of Lukashenka and the entire top nomenclature of power, absolute and unconditional. Tribunal over the August
torturers for war crimes.
If the old elites consolidate their power again, there will be no investigation into the August crimes. For the sake of appearance, they
will condemn several of the most odious punishers from above and among the performers. The rest will swear allegiance to the new government
and will continue to "serve the people."
I am talking about this because a whole queue has already lined up for negotiations, they already want to establish political parties. Is
this serious? What legal methods can we talk about, what procedure for recalling deputies and the functioning of parties? The regime openly
tortures and kills people in order to maintain its power. This power is fascist, occupational, state laws have lost even formal legitimacy.
They don't talk to the fascists, they are fought with by appropriate methods.
The real strength of the Belarusian revolution lies in decentralization and self-organization. Create horizontal networks across the
workplace, school and home. Establish meetings in every yard, in every workshop, in every office, in every educational institution, in every
hospital. Promote your trusted delegates to a more global level - city, inter-district, regional; from the shop to the enterprise, from the
enterprises to the entire industry as a whole. Let the delegates be under the control of your meetings, and any committees and strike
committees under the control of your delegates. Not from top to bottom, as it used to be, but from bottom to top!
When the whole country is covered with a system of popular assemblies, workers' syndicates, volunteer associations, only then the Belarusian
people will become a real political entity that can determine the common future.
Without this foundation, the ruling nomenklatura will become bolder and will again rush to power. The experience of the post-communist
countries shows that yesterday's stranglers of the people's will and executioners briskly changed their colors and reassigned posts and
property to themselves, naturally, under new banners and slogans.
The better and more firmly we are now self-organizing on the principles of direct democracy, the sooner and more consistently we will build
a true democracy and a country for life.
Citizens!
The future is in our hands!
We are the people! Fascism will not work!
We are stronger and we will win!
Long live Belarus!
Igor Olinevich
youtube.com/watch?v=gBU-E8Ro8N8
Anarchist opinion
Alternatives to the System , Lawlessness of Power , Videos , Protests , Direct Action , Prisons
Belarus
Igor Olinevich
Alexander Lukashenko
https://avtonom.org/news/igor-olinevich-o-belorusskoy-revolyucii
------------------------------
Message: 4
Candlelight vigil in solidarity with the refugees of camp Moria on Lesbos suffering violence, neglect, dehumanisation, and who have now lost
the little that they had in a devastating fire. This protest is also in solidarity with refugees everywhere, also in our country, who are
forces to live in inhumane conditions because of xenophobic politics.
Tonight, from 20.00 to 22.00 on the Grote Markt, Nijmegen.
Bring banners, signs, mouth masks, friends and candles, and keep a safe distance
Vrije Bond Secretariaat
https://www.vrijebond.org/tonight-nijmegen-solidarity-with-the-refugees-of-camp-moria/
------------------------------
Message: 5
This is a citizens' initiative in collaboration with Volt Europe and 500Kinderen. The protest is supported by SOSMoria, Vluchtelingen Werk
Nederland, Stichting Vluchteling, Defence for Children and Comité Vluchtelingkinderen Haarlem . Anyone who wants to contribute or help
organize the protest can reach the organization by email evacuatemoria@gmail.com. ---- Moria is burning. On the night of 9 September,
multiple fires destroyed large areas of the refugee camp on Lesbos, displacing 13,000 residents. This is the result of years of failing EU
policy. There have been frequent warnings, but in vain. ---- The inhabitants of the overcrowded camp on Lesbos have fled their homeland and
left behind everything in the hope of a better life. Instead of humanitarian relief, they encountered an extremely intolerant Europe that
was closing its borders. Families, the elderly and unaccompanied minors are trapped in appalling conditions. Doctors Without Borders,
international NGOs and UNHCR have been warning for years that the situation on the island is untenable and inhumane. There has been no
response from the European Union and specifically the Netherlands.
The fire was the last straw. We can't wait any longer and that is why we argue for a more humane asylum policy, starting by immediately
hosting 500 children in the Netherlands and the proportional hosting in Europe of the other refugees who are stuck in Greece. The
Netherlands also has a share in this. While the cabinet is doing too little, we will make our voices heard.
Where?
Museumplein
Amsterdam
When?
Saturday, 12 September 2020
16:00 - 17:00. Be on time!
How?
Bring banners or signs, keep 1.5 meters away and wear face masks. Stay at home if you or your roommates have any symptoms.
Vrije Bond Secretariaat
https://www.vrijebond.org/demonstration-evacuate-moria/
------------------------------
Message: 6
Start the conversation HERE ---- How do you analyze the process of building democratic confederalism? What is your role in this process?
---- The building of democratic confederalism is currently most visible in Rojava, but it cannot be excluded from other parts of Kurdistan.
In recent years, the ideas of this political direction in Rojava have been put into practice on a huge scale, but we must not forget other
places such as the Mexmur camp or the relatively fresh Sinjar Autonomous Zone in Basur (Iraqi Kurdistan). Political developments are also
taking place in Rojhilat (Iranian Kurdistan), but the movement is strong especially in Bakur, the territory of the Turkish state. It is
important to consider the four parts into which Kurdistan is divided today in order to understand why the Kurdish movement has resorted to a
stateless solution.
If we want to analyze developments here, we must look at the work of Abdullah Öcalan and his "Manifesto for a Democratic Society". Unlike
other policy proposals, democratic confederalism is not limited to describing a utopian society free from oppression, but opens up a number
of questions and a dialogue on how to change society and realize this utopia. How do we want to live? How do we want to communicate? How do
we want to fight? These are important questions for building a revolutionary society. The answers outlined by Öcalan cannot simply be
summarized in a few paragraphs, but it is important to understand some of the ideas with which he identifies. This democratic modernism, as
we have already mentioned, is based on the liberation of women, ecology and stateless democracy.
This ideological development is similar to other revolutionary processes, such as Zapatism, an insurgent movement in the mountains of
southern Mexico. Both movements began as Maoist, but later reoriented toward libertine socialism, both movements grew and took refuge in the
mountains, referring to the legacy of their ancient ancestors, have a strong autonomous women's movement, and both movements are the
inspiration for anti-capitalist movements around the world. Democratic confederalism is not new, it is a way of understanding society and
civilization that inspires us to develop as a revolutionary movement, to commit ourselves to our ideas and to move resolutely towards a
fairer society.
The implementation of these ideas in Rojava was largely influenced by the war. On the other hand, it was the war that enabled the revolution
and the radical social transformation needed to lay the foundations for such political development. In 2012, the YPG / YPJ, then poorly
armed people's militia, expelled Syrian soldiers and bureaucrats almost without a shot. This was followed by bitter fighting against groups
like Al-Nusra and later Daesh. Following the breakthrough of the siege of Kobanî Daesh in 2015, the YPG / YPJ expanded to become a leading
force in the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) coalition. Later, in 2017, Rakka was liberated and the SDF became a military force that must be
reckoned with, trained and armed at a semi-professional level.
This military development was accompanied by a process of social transformation based on the ideas of democratic confederalism, which
included the formation of communes, cooperatives, women's centers, judicial committees, cultural centers, vocational schools, Kurdish
teaching, etc. The Movement for Democratic Society (Tevgera Civaka Demokratîk; TEV-DEM), together with the Democratic Party of Unity (PartY
Yekineyen Democratic; PYD) and other political parties, have united into the so-called Autonomous Administration, originally operating in
three cantons, in Africa, Kobanî and Cizre. We see a clear goal here to manage the territory through a local organization, based on a
municipal model, without seeking the centralization typical of a state system.
No revolution is an easy process, and despite criticism of certain decisions, the development Rojava has been going through over the past
eight years is admirable. Once again, it is difficult to summarize everything in a few paragraphs, but the most important steps we want to
mention include progress in the field of women's equality and the role played exclusively by YPJ women's militias in the revolutionary
process. Women in Syria, like women around the world, suffer from violence and oppression of the patriarchal system, but since 2014 they
have been particularly threatened by the theocratic despotism of the Islamic State. Daesh is undoubtedly a much more brutal and bloody
example of patriarchy, leaving behind thousands of abducted women sold into sexual slavery. The words of YPJ Anara from Kobanî, "our
philosophical views have made us realize that as women we can only live in resistance" explains why so many women have raised their arms, to
free themselves from these threats, why they chose self-defense and direct action against what threatens their lives. After the military
victories against Daeshi, the enormous courage and sacrifice that women contributed to the revolution was undoubtedly demonstrated. The
Kurdish movement says that no society can be free unless women are free, and in Rojava this slogan is the heart of the revolutionary process.
Our participation in this process is relatively modest, as we have been working in Rojava for only three years. In the beginning, the most
important thing was to understand the local reality, the Kurdish language and culture, the political project, the functioning of
organizations and structures. The new methods of organization meant certain ideological contradictions for us. Despite ideological
similarities and Öcalan's references to various anarchist thinkers such as Bakunin, Kropotkin, or Foucault, for example, anarchism remains
largely unknown to the Kurdish movement. In the third edition of the "Manifesto for Democratic Civilization", Öcalan writes about the
importance of anarchism as a key ally in achieving the development of democratic modernity and shares the criticism and prospects of the
anarchist movement. At the ideological level, our work focuses on the reflection of these ideas and contradictions, we translate them and
try to make them accessible to a wider audience. We have also spent some time debating within our group, as we are an international group of
anarchists from different countries, often with different perspectives and coming from different backgrounds. These debates have helped us
to better understand the libertarian movements in different parts of the world and how to put them into context with the revolutionary
process we are going through.
On a practical level, our work focuses on defending the revolution. After participating in several war campaigns against the Islamic State,
we sought to improve in the field of military medicine, as timely assistance is key to survival. The Tekosîna Anarsîst Inter-Brigade has
already operated as a combat medical battalion in the Battle of Bakhúz, the last stronghold of the Islamic State, and we have had this task
in any battle in Rojava ever since. Being a combat medical battalion also means being able to train new people in this field, so we have put
a lot of effort into working on what we have learned so that we can share knowledge with the new comrades who have come to support the
revolution.
How do you analyze the current situation in Syria and what are the prospects?
Now, in July 2020, the war in Syria continues. We recently celebrated the eighth anniversary of the revolution. Autonomy was announced on
July 19, 2012 in Kobanî. The Islamic State was defeated in Baghuz in 2019, but there are still actionable cells and groups that continue to
attack. Many of its former members have also joined the Turkish-backed Islamist groups that have been occupying Africa since early 2018. It
is not a year since Turkey and its Islamist mercenaries occupied towns and villages along the border between Tel Abyad and Serêkaniyê.
The population fled the area to refugee camps. People from Africa fled to the Sehba camp from Turkish bombs, and people from Serêkaniyê fled
to Wasokanî. Managing Al-Hol Camp is also not easy. Women and children of the caliphate are being held here. Some of them still follow
Islamic fundamentalist ideas, often provoking unrest and making statements in support of Daesh, attacking camp security, attacking other
women with knives and acid, and setting their tents on fire. Prisons for Daesh fighters pose further problems for the Autonomous
Administration in stabilizing the region. They need an international court to find a fair solution. But the international community does not
seem interested in such a trial, and only a few countries have repatriated Islamic State fighters. There are also riots and escape attempts
in these prisons.
Refugee camps are also the focus of epidemics. An epidemic of salmonella and black fever broke out in the Sehba camp. Fortunately, the
covidu-19 pandemic has not yet broken out in Rojava, yet the municipality is working to prevent future risks. Our medical work has also
allowed us to gain some knowledge and support in the field of epidemiology, better understand the situation, work together to organize
courses and prepare preventive measures in case the virus starts to spread. The only hospital in Serêkaniyê that is now occupied by Turkey
and its allies has been equipped with PCR testing technology, and it is known that Turkey sends a huge number of people infected with covid.
In Africa, the epidemic is already spreading due to the presence of the occupying forces of the Turkish army and Islamist militias. It is
possible that the Erdogan administration is trying to contribute to the spread of the virus in Rojava.
The military situation is also not easy. On the one hand, Erdogan continues to occupy and threatens the whole region. The Tal Rifaat and
Sehba camps are in danger, as are the towns of Manbíj and Kobanî. As we have seen in the recent past, the question is not whether Turkey
will attack again, but when. Recently, Erdogan launched a new operation in Basur, Iraqi Kurdistan, which began with the dropping of 80 bombs
by the Turkish air force. The Mexmur camp, the hospital in Sinjar, civilian villages and PKK bases in the mountains on the border with
Turkey and Iran were hit. At the end of June, drones bombed a village near Kobanî, where a meeting of the Kongreya Star (Rojava women's
movement) was taking place. Four women were killed, including the Kobanî area president. Turkey also maintains a front in Idlib, supporting
the Lantant Liberation Organization (HTS; Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, formerly Syrian Al Qaeda),
The Turkish state has moved in a very authoritarian direction over the last decades, which has not been possible without purges in high
military circles, especially after the coup in 2016, as well as very high arms spending. Erdogan recently received a second shipment of
Russia's S-400 air defense system and signed an agreement with the United States to supply Patriot missile systems. We see that it is arming
itself to the teeth, trying to maintain its position in NATO, at the same time dating Russia and reorganizing the geopolitical situation in
the Middle East with nostalgia for the imperial Ottoman past. Similar dreams of expansion, which fascist regimes usually suffer, always
require an internal enemy. In 1915, the world witnessed the Armenian genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire, during which not only
Armenians and other Christians were forcibly displaced and massacred, a strong precedent was also set, which was later referred to by
Holocaust screenwriters. "After all, who is dealing with the extermination of the Armenians today?" Hitler said after the occupation of
Poland. Today, it is the Kurdish population that is suffering from an extermination policy, and there is no doubt that Turkey is on the fly.
The economic situation in Rojava is also quite complicated. The Syrian pound has fallen to an all-time low. In recent months, its value on
domestic markets has fallen by 300%. To this must be added the new sanctions imposed on Syria by the trump administration, which is a form
of economic war aimed at Assad's government, but has an impact on the whole of Syria. Trump has promised that the Autonomous Administration
of Northern and Eastern Syria will be spared sanctions, but this promise has not yet been fulfilled. An embargo has also been imposed on
Rojava since the beginning of the revolution.[5]In terms of resources, Rojava is dependent on wheat and oil, raw materials that are now
suffering from a sharp fall in prices. The coronavirus crisis has contributed to the sharp fall in crude oil prices, on which the Autonomous
Administration depends.[6]In addition, the sanctions imposed on Assad's government make oil sales more difficult. Crude oil can then only be
processed in refineries under the control of the Syrian state. As for the wheat, it had to be harvested prematurely this year so as not to
repeat the scenario from last year, when the Islamists set fire to huge fields before the harvest. So the wheat did not burn this year, but
it is green, and its market price is therefore much lower. In addition, much wheat was stolen by the Turkish occupiers, a huge force being
found mainly in Tel Abyad.
The last point we would like to mention also concerns the global pandemic, because closed borders restrict the mobility of internationals.
During the last four months, no volunteer could come or leave Rojava, which limits the number of new people who want to come but have no way.
Under these circumstances, it is difficult to predict what will happen. The situation is very unstable, there are so many variables and
interests at stake that things change from day to day. Undoubtedly, the biggest threat is another invasion of the Turkish state, probably
into Kobanî, as it has attracted the most international attention in the past due to resistance against Daesh. The symbolic power of this
city is very important. The Turkish state wants to occupy it, because it knows that it would be very difficult to keep the revolution
without a city that has managed to break Daesh's advance. It is possible that the first attack will come on the cities of Ain Issa and
Manbij, because they are the closest and very important for supplies if Kobanî is again under siege. In order for Erdogan to launch an
attack, he needs the green light of international and regional powers. The war for influence between the United States and Russia in the
Middle East can play an important role. Depending on as the balance of power and priorities of the two imperialist powers changes, the
effects will be felt not only by the people of Syria, but throughout the Middle East and around the world. In recent months, we have already
witnessed the withdrawal of US troops. So far, this is not a definitive withdrawal, as the US still does not intend to leave influence in
the area to other forces, especially not Iran and Russia. Putin is doing everything possible to fill the vacuum, strengthen influence on
Syrian soil and secure access to the Mediterranean.
The future of Syria may also be affected by other regional powers, such as Israel, which continues to occupy the Golan Heights and is
carrying out bomb attacks in Syria against various targets. Iran's presence is also no secret, as most Israeli attacks are aimed at
Hezbollah or other allies of the Iranian theocratic regime. Netanyahu's Zionist government is using hostilities between the United States
and Iran to carry out impunity for attacks to weaken the powers surrounding Israel. Egypt is now threatening to enter the conflict in Libya
to weaken Turkey's expansionism. Egyptian forces do not yet operate in Syria, but the Sisi government sees Erdogan as a threat due to his
neo-Ottoman rhetoric and strong ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, the main opponent of the Sisi government.
Another possible scenario for the near future is a total attack by the Turkish state on the Qandil Mountains in Iraqi Kurdistan, where the
PKK bases are located. Erdogan has been besieging the heart of the Kurdish rebel movement for many years and hopes to support the North
Atlantic Alliance, its technology network and the media. But to start a war in these mountains, he needs not only the permission of Iraq,
but also of Iran, because it lies on the border. It would be a very costly campaign, and given the volatile economic situation in Turkey and
the fact that it is already fighting on so many fronts, it is not clear whether Erdogan is capable of launching another major campaign. Such
aggression would be a great provocation to all parts of Kurdistan, and the revolutionary Rojava would not remain idle.
Rojava is a small player in this game of powers full of resentment. Its short history has always been threatened by war and the conflicts
that surround it, as its very existence calls into question the plans of the powers fighting in Syria. Despite the tactical alliance, it is
clear that no state has an interest in this revolutionary project prospering and expanding. The caliphate was defeated and other forces
continue to reach Rojava, mainly through the Turkish state and its allies. Rojava exists thanks to the determination and collective efforts
of thousands of militants, and we must always keep in mind that without their sacrifices, none of what we are experiencing here today would
be possible. The attacks we survived caused painful losses, and we must move forward and build new houses on the ruins left by the war. This
experience has made us aware of basic needs, such as self-defense,
Rojava remains an inspiration for revolutionary movements around the world, a place for debate and political practice that shows that
another world is possible. Rojava is not an anarchist society, but a society where anarchists from all over the world can put our ideas into
practice. We cannot allow this torch of hope to go out, and although it will still not be easy, we intend to continue to build, defend and
develop the world we dream of. More attacks will come and cause new losses and pain, but we are not afraid of debris, because we carry a new
world in our hearts.
Tekosina Anarsîst
July 2020
Rojava
Translator's Notes:
[5]The trade embargo was imposed by Turkey, Iraq and Iran, powers that did not find understanding for the transformation of the economy
based on workers' cooperatives.
[6]If one wonders how an oil-dependent system can be ecological at the same time, the problem is probably that we are in a war zone on which
a trade embargo is imposed by neighboring countries. For the time being, Rojava's ecology consists of a strong emphasis on the local economy.
Source:
https://autonomynews.org/interview-with-tekosina-anarsist-an-armed-internationalist-anarchist-collective-in-rojava/
We wrote:
https://www.afed.cz/text/7211/spolecne-a-mezinarodne-proti-misogynii-a-patriarchatu
https://www.afed.cz/text/7206/osm-let-od- zacatku-rojavske-revoluce
https://www.afed.cz/text/7122/koreny-tureckeho-fasismu-i
https://www.afed.cz/text/7123/koreny-tureckeho-fasismu-ii
https://www.afed.cz/text/7222/interbrigada-tekosina-anarsist-ii
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