(en) Australia, Brisbane, Media, Anarchist Black Bloc would protest G20

Protesters linked to the Black Bloc movement targeted the G20 summit in Toronto in 2010.
The high-profile Black Bloc anarchist protest group is likely to be in Brisbane for 
November's G20 Leaders' Summit, a researcher into previous G20 summits in Toronto and 
London believes. ---- Associate Professor Janet Ransley, who heads Griffith University's 
School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, believes the ease of travel makes it more 
likely that Black Bloc members ? anarchist anti-capitalism protesters ? could come to 
Australia for the Brisbane G20. ---- "I think it would be naive to think that Black Bloc 
and some of those groups are not mobilising," Professor Ransley said. ---- "I know there 
has been some chatter on social media about them trying to get a presence in Brisbane."

Professor Ransley said not all Black Bloc protest participants were "super violent".

"There's peaceful anarchists as well as violent anarchists," she said.

"The challenge for police is to work out which ones are the real danger and which ones 
simply want to be there."

Black Bloc is a loose association of anti-capitalism protesters that began in Europe in 
the 1980s and operates now more as a tactic against police than as a strict organisation.

Black Bloc protested at Melbourne's 2006 G20 conference, one organiser told security 
writer Clive Williams from Macquarie University in 2011.

"One of the Melbourne demonstration organisers, Mick Armstrong, noted 'I was one of the 
organisers of the G20 demo from the Stop the War coalition and I am also in Socialist 
Alternative'," he told Professor Williams.

Professor Ransley said Black Bloc commonly protested in Europe, Britain and North America 
against what it believed were the adverse effects of capitalism after the global financial 
crisis in the late 2000s.

She said they were seen during several of the Occupy protests in North America in recent 
years.

Occupy has raised its profile in south-east Queensland in the past two years, camping in 
Post Office Square in Brisbane in 2011 as "Occupy Brisbane" before being evicted.

For G20, Occupy Brisbane is working under the banner of the Brisbane Community Action 
Network-G20 group, going by the name BrisCAN-G20.

BrisCAN-G20 is a group of community groups that have organised one large G20 protest march 
on Saturday, November 15, which leaves Roma Street Forum at 11am.

They have also organised a three-day "people's alternative G20", including indigenous, 
climate change and civil rights speakers from November 12-14, immediately before the G20 
leaders' forum.

The G20 summit runs from Friday, November 14-16 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition 
Centre.

Spokesman Max Riethmuller said Occupy Brisbane doubted that Black Bloc would be coming to 
Brisbane, but agreed with Professor Ransley that it was naive to rule it out.

"I think it unlikely that Black Bloc will appear for a number of reasons," Mr Riethmuller 
said.

"We are not ruling it out, however.

"But there has been a softening in the anti-global agenda in recent times and we've also 
heard that Black Bloc aren't interested because it is too far away and it is not worth the 
investment in time and energy."

He said, though, that these were just rumours.

"We think that is possible that they will turn up. It is certainly naive to say that it is 
not possible," Mr Riethmuller said.

He said Occupy Brisbane and BrisCAN-G20 were interested only in putting an alternative to 
the G20 world leaders' summit.

"We are not out there to cause trouble," he said.

"We would rather stimulate a positive debate - and in terms of the march ? we want to get 
people questioning the existing paradigm.

"But we don't want to replace it with one that is just as violent."

He said if Black Bloc protesters appeared it would be a matter for police.

"We just want to have our say. If other people turn up and cause trouble, then it is 
between them and the authorities."

Police say 21 protest groups have registered to demonstrate at the G20 leaders' forum.

Assistant Commissioner Katarina Carroll, who heads the Queensland Police G20 Group, said 
while they had been given the heads-up on 21 protests, more clandestine protests were likely.

"I definitely expect that and, for those groups, we're purposely reaching out to them," 
she said.

"...But I do expect, like any major event, that there will be some groups that are unknown 
to us until very late in the day."

Ms Carroll said police were aware of protests planned up to a week before the November 
15-16 summit.

She said enhanced police powers were already in place through amendments to the G20 
(Safety and Security) Act, which was passed in State Parliament last October.

Anarchy on the streets of Brisbane: Protesters vow to 'smash the G20' summit next month 
with violent demonstrations, while police launch a special court for mass arrests
Local activist factions are planning violent protests
An activist medic team has launched to treat protesters on site
Police have planned a 24 hour special court in Brisbane
Experts believe notorious international groups such as Black Bloc could be mobilising for 
the event
G20 meetings have been met with large scale riots in the past

A number of online anarchist groups have emerged, threatening to hold violent protests 
before and during next month's G20 summit in Brisbane.
The news comes as authorities announced plans for a 24-hour court to deal with the 
expected mass arrests.
Numerous groups have launched online campaigns threatening violence, with one saying that 
vandalism is 'not violent protest'.

The court, which will open on November 10, mirrors the approach of Toronto police during 
the 2010 summit, when 1100 people were arrested and dealt with in a specialised court.
One group, calling itself Plan B, says it opposes the G20 group of nations, who will meet 
on November 15-16 at Brisbane's Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Anonymous anarchists have posted on their website: 'We are encouraging individuals and 
groups to take action which they see as effective and necessary given their circumstances. 
We do not see property destruction as an inherently violent act.'
In a separate post, they wrote: 'While the p**s are helplessly patrolling the streets of 
Brisbane's CBD in their ridiculous armour with their intimidating vehicles, decentralised 
waves of creation and destruction will ebb and flow right across the country.'
Other groups such as the Autonomous Action Radio, which broadcasts a weekly community 
radio show, has created posters which are on display across Brisbane depicting 
balaclava-clad protesters throwing objects and toppling over bins.

The poster carries the accompanying message 'Smash the G20. For decentralised attacks on 
capital in mid-November: Capitalism is stumbling, let's make sure it falls. '
Another recently formed group is the Brisbane Street Medics, who say they are 'Street 
Medics serving the activist community in Brisbane, Australia,' on their official Facebook 
page.
In addition to local factions, there are concerns that notorious international groups such 
as Black Bloc, thought to be responsible for the riot in the 2010 G20 summit in Toronto, 
are attempting to mobilise in Brisbane.
Associate Professor Janet Ransley, who heads Griffith University's School of Criminology 
and Criminal Justice, told Brisbane Times 'I think it would be naive to think that Black 
Bloc and some of those groups are not mobilising.
'I know there has been some chatter on social media about them trying to get a presence in 
Brisbane.' Ms Ransley said.
Assistant Commissioner Katarina Carroll, who is responsible for the Queensland police's 
response to the G20 protests, says they will keep a close eye on all the groups involved.
'Our top priority at all times is to ensure that members of the Queensland community are 
safe. Our top priority at all times is to ensure that members of the Queensland community 
are safe,' Ms Carroll said.
There are currently 21 planned protests to the event, but more clandestine are radical 
protests are expected to appear on the day.
The 2010 G20 Toronto summit protests saw $750,000 worth of damage wreaked on the streets, 
including police cars being set ablaze and mass looting of stores.

International Day of Solidarity with the Drivers of Dominos Pizza

September 15 was an international day of solidarity with the drivers of Dominos Pizza in
Brisbane, called by the Anarcho-Syndicalist Federation of Australia. These workers, who
deliver pizza, are in a struggle against the arbitrary abuse of the firm, which cut their
salaries by 19%. The campaign was supported by the International Workers Association and
actions were carried out in many countries around the world. - History of the Conflict --
The drivers from Dominos Pizza in Brisbane, Australia, including members of the
Anarcho-Syndicalist Federation (ASF), have been confronting the company which cut their
salaries by 19% since April 9. >From that time they have been struggling to regain their
former pay. This struggle has been not only with Dominos, but also with the right wing
hierarchy of the SDA union, which also includes some Dominos employees.

In response to the inaction of the SDA, the drivers formed the General Trasport Workers
Association (GTWA, connected to the Anarcho-Syndicalist Federation) and actively
coordinates the struggle to reinstate the salaries on the national level. Other employees
of the firm joined the ASF's branch union seeing that the other union functioning in
Dominos is concilliatory and does nothing to improve the situation of the drivers.

The union SDA, is one of the main ones in Australia, with approx. 230,000 members. SDA is
run by a right-wing Catholic hierarchy (bureaucracy) headed by Joe de Bruyn, who is not
against using the union to propagate clerical ideology.

ASF Brisbane organized a meeting with Tim Van Schyndel, director of labour relations for
Dominos in its Australia headquarters, demanding to regulate the question of the drivers
salaries. But the meeting did not bring results. Then the ASF-B organized a picket at the
headquarters, which was warmly received by local residents. They appealed to the ASF
Melbourne for support and they unanimously decided to support their comrades and picket
every weekend in front of Dominos, supporting the pickets in Brisbane.


The drivers had the following demands:

1) The basic wage should not be lower than the official minimum wage set by Fair Work
Australia and casual and part-time employees should also be guaranteed this minimum

2) This norm should be observed irrespective of the collective agreement

3) Workers should be paid for training and meetings they have to attend (in the restaurant
or on the Internet)

4) All tips from clients should go to the employees in their entirety and under no
circumstances should Dominos take any part of them

5) All casual and part-time workers should be paid public holiday rates in ratio to those
entitlements currently received by full-time, and part-time employees to the extent that
by 2014, all casual workers including drivers be paid at the rate of double-time for all
hours of work performed on public holidays.

Solidarity Action on September 15

Australia. Pickets and solidarity meetings with the drivers are organized in Brisbane,
Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth.

?rgentina. The Society of Resistance of FORA in Rosario translated and distributed the
appeal of the Australian comrades.

Great Britain. The Solidarity Federation called for people to send solidarity protests
through the firms page on Australian Facebook and on September 17 to flood the Australian
office with protest faxes and letters of protest, so as to paralyze the company's
communications for a while. SF organized protests in front of restaurants in London,
Manchester, Leeds, Brighton, Bitterne Southhampton and other places.
http://wessexsolidarity.wordpress.com/2012/09/15/solent-solfed-picket-do...

In Manchester, activists from SF from the city and West Yorkshire, together with members
of the Anarchist Federation and other libertarian comrades picketed Dominos near the
university. The manager called the police but they did not intervene. The action was
successful: during the picket only one group of customers went in.
(http://www.solfed.org.uk/?q=manchester/dominos-solidarity-in-manchester)

In Bristol, an Australian woman approached the picketers and thanked them for solidarity
with Australian workers. She promised to inform about the action on local radio in
Melbourne when she returned home. In New Cross members of South London SolFed delivered a
protest letter to Dominos Pizza and spoke with the drivers there; the area was posted with
leaflets and stickers supported the Brisbane drivers.
http://solfed.org.uk/?q=south-london/solidarity-with-australian-dominos-... A picket in
Sheffield in front of Dominos was organized by the Industrial Workers of the World. And in
Leeds, members of the IWW and the AFed also picketed.

Brazil. The Brazilian Workers Confederation (COB) organized solidarity actions in Sao
Paolo and Porto Alegre.

Germany. Members of the Free Workers' Union (FAU) picketed Dominos restaurants in Bonn,
Cologne and Langenfeld. They gave leaflets to the workers, passersby and residents which
explained the basics of the labour conflict in the firm. On a placard in Cologne was
written "19% wage cut in Dominos! Today Brisbane, tomorrow Cologne?
(http://allgemeinessyndikatkoeln.blogsport.de/2012/09/15/protest-bei-domi...)

Spain. There were different solidarity actions with the drivers of Dominos organized by
members of the CNT-AIT in different cities. In Mataro, activists from Premia and Mataro
held a picket at a restaurant on St. Antoni St.
(http://www.cntpremia.blogspot.com.es/2012/09/concentracio-dominos-pizza-...)

In Gijon, a banner was hung on one restaurant and different graffiti against the company
was made.

In Cornelia de Llobregat there was a picket in front of Dominos when they have the most
customers there. They read a communique a few times and gave out about 300 flyers to
passersby, customers and workers.

In Salamanca, members of the CNT (from the CNT union in Telepizza) informed workers about
the campaign and called on workers in the branch to follow the example of the Australian
colleagues, chosing the path of self-organization
(http://quienparteyreparte.blogspot.com/2012/09/dominos-pizza-explotacion...). In Elche
there was a picket in front of Dominos Pizza which lasted about one hour. The participants
gave out leaflets and brochures to passersby, customers and workers and they put up some
posters. (http://cntelx.blogspot.com/2012/09/jornada-mundial-de-lucha-contra-domin...)

Canada. ? protest against Dominos was held in Vancouver.

Netherlands. The Amsterdam group of the Anarcho-Syndicalist Union made a picket in front
of Dominos. The participants explained the situation to pizza delivers and they expressed
sympathy with their Australian colleagues. One of them openly expressed solidarity with
them. (http://anarcho-syndicalisme.nl/wp/?p=1779)
New Zealand. ? protest against Dominos took place in Auckland. It was organized by
activists from ?Action against Poverty? and Auckland anarchists and supporters. Another
action took place in the capital in Wellington.

Norway. ?ctivists from the Norwegian Syndicalist Federation distributed leaflets at a
Dominos in Oslo.

Poland. Members of the Union of Syndicalists, Poland visited the office of the company in
Warsaw on September 14 and delivered a protest. On September 15, then hung banners on the
restaurant on al. Jerozolimskie, which drew the attention of many passersby. They gave out
leaflets explaining the struggle of the drivers from Dominos Pizza in Australia and about
the situation of workers in the food service industry in Poland. The police and manager of
the restaurant showed up. He made photographs of the picket to send in to the head office
and tried to make an impression by offering the protesters
pizza.(http://cia.media.pl/miedzynarodowy_dzien_solidarnosci_z_kierowcami_domin...)

Russia. For the international solidarity day, stickers were put up at the entrance of a
Dominos restaurant reading ?September 15, international day of solidarity with drivers
from Dominos Pizza in Brisbane. Shame on the company that lowered wages by 19%! No to
exploitation! International Workers Association". Leaflets with a similar text were left
on cars, including the ones for delivering pizza.

Slovakia. Since it that country there are no Dominos, Priama akcia sent letters of protest
to the company.

USA. Solidarity actions took place in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Berkeley, Long Beacg,
Cleveland, Providence, Tampa, Ann Arbor, Atlanta, Minniapolis/ St. Paul and other cities.
Most of them were attended by the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), Workers'
Solidarity Alliance and other local activists. Members of the Workers' Solidarity Alliance
took active part in the campaign in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Berkeley, Long Beach and
Providence (together with the group ?Common Struggle?. In Missoula (Montana) there was a
picket in front of Dominos organized by the Workers Solidarity Alliance and the Zootown
Solidarity Network. In Ann Arbor the action was organized by Lansing Workers' Center.

France. French anarcho-syndicalists held pickets in front of Dominos in Caen,
Clermont-Ferrand, Paris, Toulouse, Pau and other places. Leaflets were distributed in 4
restaurants in the Paris region (in Nanterre, Besonne, Sartrouville and
Enghien-les-Bains) entitled "Why the pizza delivers get only pennies? and they spoke with
the workers. They discussed with workers about their conditions and what is happening in
Australia. In Toulouse about 200 leaflets were given out in front of a Dominos restaurant
and they spoke with the workers. In Caen there was a picket and leaflets were given to
residents, customers and passersby. An administrator came out and demanded an explanation
and declared that the situation in Australia does not concern him and that he would inform
the management of the company in France. In Pau a picket was made and the comrades talked
to the workers, asking them to deliver leaflets to the company headquarters.

Activists of the union of retail and services of SUD delivered a protest letter to Dominos
on Boulevard Saint-Marcel 40 in the center of Paris.

Translated from the website of KRAS-IWA: www.aitrus.info

(Information in this article based on news sent Sept. 15-18. Updated Sept. 18.)


www.iwa.ait.org

Bron :  a-infos-en@ainfos.ca