A-Infos (en) Britain, Anarchist journal Direct Action #47 - Have your say -- Anarchism & Crime + The Miami Five + English National Resistance + Left Luggage

Anarchism & Crime --- Dear DA, May I commend DA for the article Anarchism and Crime in the 
Spring 2009 edition. It’s nice to read anarchists discuss this issue sensibly. ---- Not 
sure what exactly “the policing role would...be carried out only as part of a balanced job 
complex” means. -- Can I assume it means we the people policing ourselves and each other, 
as community militia, workers and residents militia, protecting ourselves and each other 
and coming to decisions by free association and direct democracy, with former skilled 
police constables training the rest of us in crime prevention and detection and forensics 
being retained as needed? Glad to read about rotation of posts and community direct 
democracy. Of course there would be no role for judges in an anarchist society. Deci-sions 
on proven guilt would need to be reserved to juries, and sentencing also decided by 
community direct democracy. Judges can be replaced with chairpersons of the court, a 
position rotated and recallable, and for maintaining order only.

Solidarity, Joey.

     We would argue for society to dispense with police forces per se, but some of their 
functions, like those you mention, would still be needed. Instead of being the preserve of 
one group, as now, these should be integrated with other related, “non-policing” roles, 
always under the control of an appropriate council (rather than militia) whether that be 
at the community or workplace level, or at the regional or industrial level.


The Miami Five

Dear DA,

The Miami 5 were trying to prevent Miami fascists, aided by the CIA, from carrying out 
sabotage in Cuba. They were arrested in 1998 as “terrorists”, have been in US jails ever 
since and have been denied regular family visits.
<image>

Join the campaign for their cause by writing to:

     Secretary of State
     Hilary Rodham Clinton
     U.S. Dept. of State
     2201 C Street NW
     Washington DC
     20520 USA

Urge her to grant temporary visas on humanitarian grounds to 2 of the prisoners’ wives, 
Olga Salanueva and Adriana Pérez, who have been refused visas nine times and have not seen 
their husbands for 8 and 10 years.

The Miami 5 are innocent. For details see the Cuba Solidarity Campaign at: 
www.cubaconnect.co.uk

In solidarity, AC.


English National Resistance

Dear DA,

I have been monitoring a little group of Nazifascists, English National Resistance, for a 
couple of months:

The interesting thing about them is that they are purposely attempting to replicate 
similar movements in Ger-many who have taken on the anarchist style of dressing in black; 
they even have the anarchist antifa flag logo as their logo! From their site it seems they 
are getting active – graffiti, banner drops, leaflets – in a few cities.

Just thought I’ll let people know. No doubt we will run into them at some point – it’s 
always good to be on our guard especially if they turn up in black trying to infiltrate 
demos, etc.

In solidarity, AN


Left Luggage

Dear DA,

Just to let you know that we have launched a website to promote discussion of strategy on 
the British left.

We hope to build links and share ideas and experiences with others on the left. Our 
primary goal is to develop working class self-organisation and to reorientate the left 
towards this aim. We also aim to encourage a culture of robust self-criticism and internal 
democracy. The site is independent and run on non-sectarian lines, and welcomes 
contributions from activists from across the Left.

Please visit our blog at: theleftluggage.wordpress.com

We’d also be very grateful if you’d be willing to put a link to the blog on your site, or 
in DA. Feel free to use any of the articles on the blog – we just ask that you include an 
active link to our site.

Best wishes, Joseph

See “Friends and Neighbours”, p35.

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