Britain, Solfed, Vote With Your Feet! - elections political parties anarcho-syndicalism today

 (en) Britain, Solfed, Vote With Your Feet! - elections
political parties anarcho-syndicalism today

In the last election, about 22 million of us didn't vote [1]. That's more people than 
voted for any political party. It's not because we're apathetic - it's because most of us 
see through the "good cop, bad cop" routine of Labour and the Tories. Both parties support 
cuts, privatising the NHS, and making life hell for benefits claimants. [2] In the same 
way that a "good cop" will offer a cup of tea and a "friendly chat" while a "bad cop" 
shouts and makes threats, the Tories jeer at "scroungers" while Labour smiles and talks 
about the need to be practical. But whatever they promise in their manifestos, they both 
want to do the same thing - to screw us over on behalf of the rich. ---- So what's the 
alternative? If you listen to most of The Left, either we should create a new party (why 
would they be any different?) [3] or "vote labour without illusions", because they are 
"the party of the working class" (bollocks are they!) [4]. This is obviously not going to 
change anything. All it does is channel our anger at being screwed over into a process 
designed to pacify us. If we want to make our lives better we need to take action for 
ourselves, not vote for "representatives" to do it for us.

Rather than trying to get another rich liar politician into power, anarchists are working 
in their communities to solve problems through "direct action". When workers aren't paid 
the wages owed them, rather than asking the government to give us better legal protection, 
we take action to force employers to pay. We've won many cases like this [5]. Rather than 
asking the government to end the "workfare" programmes currently used against benefits 
claimants, we are shutting them down one by one [6]. The government has even claimed that 
AFed and SolFed, among other groups, are a serious threat to workfare! [7] This is despite 
the involvement of only a few hundred people. Imagine what we could do with several thousand!

Anarcho-syndicalists also work towards a society where we have real democracy. In SolFed, 
we vote on the issues facing us directly, rather than electing representatives and 
expecting them to make decisions for us. All our roles are taken on by volunteers - people 
with the same pay and the same troubles as all the rest. And unlike politicians, if anyone 
steps out of line they can be recalled right away. In the future we want workplaces and 
communities to be run like this: with everyone having a say, and decisions made by a 
majority rather than a few managers and shareholders. Bosses are the dictators of the 
workplace. We can't be free until they are overthrown.

Voting is a waste of time and only serves to dull our anger. On the other hand anarchist 
tactics - grassroots organising and direct action - are making a difference right now. If 
all of us who don't vote got together and took action (voted "with our feet"), then we 
could take back all the rights and benefits we lost under the last Tory government, with 
more besides. So let's get organised, get active, and give 'em hell!

[1] stats from govuk website - 15 million plus estimated 6 million not registered
[2] 
https://johnnyvoid.wordpress.com/2015/04/13/here-comes-the-forced-labour-party-massive-extension-of-workfare-and-benefits-to-be-slashed/; 
https://libcom.org/library/driving-nhs-market;http://libcom.org/library/labouring-vain
[3] http://libcom.org/library/should-brighton-vote-green-03032010
[4] http://libcom.org/blog/let%E2%80%99s-all-vote-labour-without-illusions-16112011
[5] UK examples: 
http://www.solfed.org.uk/south-london/victory-in-the-wage-theft-fight-against-green-eco-plus, 
http://www.brightonsolfed.org.uk/brighton/solfed-chalks-up-another-wages-win-with-brighton-hospitality-workers, 
International: http://www.iwa-ait.org/content/struggles-and-victories-iwa-2014
[6] For example: 
http://bristolaf.wordpress.com/2013/06/05/victories-in-the-battle-against-workfare
[7] 
http://www.informationtribunal.gov.uk/DBFiles/Decision/i1437/Department%20for%20Work%20&%20Pensions%20EA.2014.0073,%200109%20&%200130%20%2822.12.2014%29.pdf

http://www.solfed.org.uk/bristol/vote-with-your-feet

Britain, SolFed, At least 26 comrades arrested across Spain

From Brighton, we want to show our solidarity with the comrades who have been arrested. 
We reproduce a text explaining the events that took place in Spain on March 30th. ---- 
(What follows is the translation of an article from the media, reproduced from a 
government press release. We are already aware of at least one other arrest; the case is 
still very much open. Protests have been called for in various cities tonight. The arrests 
are connected to the recent Operation Pandora). ---- 12 People Arrested by the Policia 
Nacional for belonging to the Grupos Anarquistas Coordinados (GAC) ---- Madrid, Barcelona, 
Palencia, Granada, 30/03/2015 ---- The arrested have been accused of membership in a 
criminal organization with terrorist objectives, and of committing felonies relating to 
sabotage and the placing of explosive and incendiary artifacts.

17 searches have been carried out by police, during which another 14 people were arrested 
for resistance.

Agents with the General Commissary of Information of the Policia Nacional, in 
collaboration with the Information Brigades in Madrid, Barcelona, Palencia, and Granada, 
carried out at 6:00 in the morning, an operation resulting in the arrests of 12 people.

17 raids were carried out in total, six of them in Occupied Social Centers [CSOs], where 
some of those detained engaged in resistance. During the course of the raids another 
fourteen people were arrested for the felony of resistance.

Those arrested [the original 12] belong to the Coordinated Anarchist Groups [Grupos 
Anarquistas Coordinados, GAC]. They have been accused of membership in a criminal 
organization with terrorist objectives, and of committing felonies relating to sabotage 
and the placing of explosive and incendiary artifacts.

The operation is the fruit of the investigations carried out in the Central Court of 
Instruction no.6 of the Audiencia Nacional.

Britain, SolFed Solidarity with arrested St. Imier anarchists

The North London Solidarity Federations would like to extend our fullest solidarity to the
anarchists who were wrongfully detained while returning from the St. Imier anarchist
conference in Switzerland. These actions, executed by British anti-terrorist officers, at
best constitute unlawful police harassment. At worst, they are illegal actions designed
to intimidate and repress. ---- Although we are not at all surprised to see such blatant
disregard for civil and legal rights by the British state, we are concerned that such
actions indicate a turn towards a more aggressive policing of the global anti-capitalist
movement. As such, North London SF pledges to stand in solidarity with not only these
particular individuals and the organisations to which they belong--the UK Anarchist
Federation in particular--but to actively participate in defending anarchists who are
victims of state repression.

For further information, please refer to the statement put out by the Anarchist
Federation:
http://www.afed.org.uk/blog/state/316-anarchists-detained-by-counter-terrorist-police-on-return-from-swiss-conference.html

Bron : a-infos-en@ainfos.ca