A-Infos (en) resistance issue 49 - May 2003. Anarchist Federation (Britain)

[E W <nastyned@email.com>]

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 > LABOURING UNDER ILLUSIONS
The Labour Party must be the most mis-named
organisation in the world, equalled in that respect
only by Hitler's National Socialist German Workers
Party (Nazis) and the "Communist" Party. From the
moment of its birth, it has done as much to destroy
the wellbeing of working class people as it has done
to promote the interests of capitalism. Now, Tony
Blair has taken this to new depths.
In support of an extreme right-wing American
government, Blair has dragged us into a brutal
conflict that has laid waste to an already
poverty-stricken Iraq. There are spin-offs here in
Britain: in the budget, £300 million has been
allocated to countering the threat of "terrorism" (as
defined by the British State, which has plenty of
weapons of mass destruction, and has just been
found guilty - officially - of supporting the loyalist
murder of Republicans in Northern Ireland). The
people in Britain are already one of the worlds most
spied upon and now surveillance measures are to be
dramatically increased. We will be watched and
harassed even more.

Tony Blair's Labour Party is the party of big
business, greed, and hypocrisy. Millionaires have
been falling over themselves to fund New Labour
and you can bet that it is nothing to do with
generosity. They want, and will receive, a pay-back
for their investment.
Of course, the working class has always had to
subsidise business. The very nature of employment
requires that the workers who make the wealth only
get a fraction of the wealth that they create. The rest
goes to the bosses. Now, with a bloody war and its
aftermath to pay for - £3 billion plus - the new
increase in National Insurance contributions will do
nicely.
By the way, avoid having a serious accident! Stocks
of blood donated to the transfusion service have
been prioritised for troops in Iraq, thanks to the
government.
New Labour's "Third Way" is nothing of the sort. Old
Labour was in reality a third way between (private)
capitalism and state-capitalism. New Labour is
unashamedly pro private capitalist. An example of
this cosy state/business relationship will be the huge
profits private firms will make in the so-called
public-private partnerships which are being
promoted everywhere.

New Labour Gangsters
New Labour is being shown for the set of gangsters
that they are - bashing strikers at home, and
butchery abroad (an average of a war a year).
Regardless of their backgrounds, whether working
class like Prescott or upper middle class like Blair,
Labour is our enemy, they must be defeated by
working class action in workplaces and the
community, which does away with all bosses and
governments permanently.

---


ANARCHY IN THE EU

Greece: As up to 20,000 police guarded the EU
meeting in Athens, Greece, 8,000 anti-war
protesters clashed with police and smashed shops
and banks. Police responded with tear gas and
savage beatings, and were met with stones, bottles
and petrol bombs. Elsewhere several other blocs of
demonstrators managed to get near to the meeting.
Several undercover police were beaten by
protesters and expelled from the demonstration. The
British, Italian and French embassies were attacked,
and British Airways' office was occupied. The day
ended with 106 arrests.
The EU enlargement will involve increasing
"liberalisation" of the economy, to the benefit only of
the rich.

Spain: The city of Barcelona was shaken on
Thursday 10th April as thousands of people took to
the streets in a day of protest against the killing in
Iraq and the permanent war. Many businesses were
closed, following a call by several
anarcho-syndicalist unions (CGT, CNT-AIT, SO) for
a general strike of 24 hours. Actions were continuing
until the late evening. Strikes and demonstrations
also happened in Madrid and across Spain.

Italy: One million people responded to a  general
strike call put out by the rank and file unions such as
the CUB, COBAS and the anarcho-syndicalist
USI-AIT. Marches and demonstrations took place in
most towns and cities.

---


ON THE FRONTLINE

The day-to-day class war has been continuing as
normal, demonstrating the nonsense behind the idea
that the country has united around the bosses in a
time of war.

. More trouble for management in the midlands car
factories - MG Rover workers have overwhelmingly
voted for strike action over the offer of a paltry 2.2%
pay rise - in the same week that Chief Parasite -
sorry, Chief Executive  Kevin Howe was awarded a
£500 000 bonus.

. The fire-fighters dispute rumbles on, despite
desperate attempts by the Union bureaucrats to
bring about a humiliating 'settlement' and deliberate
morale weakening statements from the same.
At a Brighton Conference delegates voted to reject
the 16% offer recommended by the executive and
setting up the very real prospect of 'rebel strikes'
once the War is over - clearly sticking two fingers up
to the FBU chiefs whose mishandling of the dispute
has highlighted the danger of relying on well-paid
representatives to fight our battles  - they've more in
common with the bosses across the table than the
workers.

. Wales & Borders, Central Trains, Virgin West
Coast, Virgin Cross Country and Midland Mainline
and ScotRail were all hit by strikes by guards and
conductors over Easter (one of their most profitable
weekends) over safety worries (the companies want
a 'looser' safety-book to save money). Most of the
lines were only able to operate less than 50% of their
scheduled journeys and suffered financial losses
probably in the millions.

. Hospital cleaners, porters and catering workers are
on strike at hospitals in Scunthorpe, Grimsby and
Goole in protest at receiving lower wages from the
private sub-contractors (Carillion) than those
directly employed by the NHS. These deliberate
attempts at dividing workers and also increasing
profits are increasingly common tactics by the NHS
Trusts.

. There's serious trouble brewing for bosses in the
state sector with teachers on the verge of their first
national strike since 1994 if any jobs are lost
because of the present funding crisis - caused by
"Ministers making fundamental miscalculations to
the education budget" with half a billion pounds
gone "missing".
The prospect of a council workers strike is also
looking likely if the government presses ahead with
plans to end national pay bargaining.

---

ELECTION DECEPTION

Early this month, council elections will take place
throughout Britain as well as elections to the
Scottish Parliament. Turn out at the polls has been
lower than at national elections for many years. The
chances are that mass disillusion with the electoral
process will grow. This disenchantment may well be
fuelled by recent events, when the Blair regime
virtually ignored even token recognition of
Parliament.
Despite this, some may decide to show their disgust
with Labour by a vote for the Greens, or even the Lib
Dems, as a result of anti-war sentiment.
At the same time, the fascists of the BNP will be
standing a record number of candidates in the
council elections, hoping to profit from an increasing
disillusion with Labour within the working class.
In response to this disillusion which opens up a
vacuum in British politics, and against the threat of
the BNP, some groups have decided to run as left
alternatives to Labour. This includes the
Independent Working Class Association in various
areas around England, and the Bristolian electoral
alliance in Bristol. The latter appears to be an
alliance of community activists, ex-Labour and
ex-Liberal Democrats and radical liberals.
Some anarchists seem mesmerised by these
electoral challenges to Labour, and appear to have
lost their critical faculties. Some of these groups
have highlighted the need to build effective
community organisation within working class areas,
especially in opposition to the fascists, who are
trying out this tactic themselves. We heartily agree
that now is the time to develop community
organisation, to act locally - within a broad general
strategy - to organise among tenants, to develop
counter-organisation and self-organised welfare
groups.
But there is no difference between a vote for a
parliamentary candidate and a vote for a council
candidate: the local state - as represented by
counsellors - is the same as the national state as
represented by MPs. Organisation in the community
should not mean a vote for an uncontrolled
candidate but should involve the empowerment of
all.


---

ARGENTINEAN STATE REPRESSION

The Argentinean state continues its attack on the
occupied factories and neighbourhood assemblies
over there:
"The sisters and brothers workers of Brukman have
suffered another attack at the hands of the justice
system, the government and the bosses. In a brutal
police operation, with more than 250 police, attack
vehicles, ... and the presence of infantry, our factory
was evicted."
"During the last year and a half of occupation and
production under workers' control, we workers
demonstrate that we are the only ones interested in
sustaining the workplace abandoned by the bosses.
We have taken charge of the factory, we put it into
production, we have been receiving a decent wage
all these months and have even hired workers fired
by the bosses. This has led to our receiving
immense solidarity from the people of the capital
and especially from the movement of popular
assemblies, trade unions and other organizations of
employed and unemployed workers."
"We call on all of them to stay rallied at the door of
our factory. Since the first moments hundreds of
brothers and sisters got here, now we are almost a
thousand defending the factory. Here we will stay
until we regain it."- Sister and brother workers of
Brukman. As we go to press the workers of Brukman
are fighting hundreds of police for control of the
factory.
Meanwhile, the occupied space of Lezama Sur,
home of the local community assembly and
Indymedia, was evicted as part of a terror campaign
against the occupied spaces in Buenos Aires -
buildings taken over by activists and families for
safe housing and cultural centres. The organisers
inside the building were forced out by police but not
detained.
The government is cracking down on protests and
community projects to intimidate activists.  The
atmosphere of brutal police control seems to grow
more intense daily.  Almost everyday there are
cases of police repression - worker controlled
factory evictions, protesters being beaten, police
blockades in the streets, and most frighteningly
assembly members being kidnapped. In recent
weeks the media has only sensationalized these
acts.

---

IRAQI "FREEDOM"

Operation "Iraqi Freedom" has supposedly liberated
Iraqi Arabs and Kurds. The trouble is, what freedom
and peace can this sort of war bring?
It was the creation of Iraq by colonial powers, their
backing for Saddam against Iran, the war and
sanctions when he stopped behaving as the US
wanted and the blind-eye turned to the suffering of
Kurds that has also been responsible for the misery
of ordinary people. So this is a war not to right those
wrongs but to improve the US economic and political
influence in the oil-rich region. We all know this, and
millions of people have told the UK and US
governments "Not In Our Name", but were still
unable to stop it.
Meanwhile, now more US involvement is called for
even by leaders who said they opposed the war, to
"restore order". The western and Iraqi middle
classes patronisingly call looting unfortunate and
misguided. In the space between repression and
poverty under a tyrant and an equally uncertain
future, it makes sense to take what you can and
need. It is survival, not theft. Of course there are
people acting against working class interests - the
contract stealing of what should be common
resources for personal profit. But government at the
point of a US gun has removed opportunities for
more constructive self-organisation and community
based solutions. This is what war - any statist war -
does. The rich and the brutal get richer and more
brutal at the expense of the rest. The Iraqi working
class doesn't need US troops to impose order but
peace to organise autonomously.
Iraqi "self-rule"?
But working class self-organisation is not the same
as the nationalist self-rule which newly emerging
leaders in Iraq are demanding. Anarchists know that
self-rule granted by western powers will mean yet
more military-backed divisive repression of ordinary
people of all ethnic and religious groups. It might
come in the form of twisted religious clerics like
those who run Iran, or of ethnically defined regional
government which will oppress minorities, or by
Arab-dominated secular government promoting the
interests of the Sunni middle class within global
capitalism. Ordinary people need to unite across
such divisions and revolutionaries must help them.
Western "democracy"?
But appealing to western leaders to see reason isn't
working. International opposition has continued, and
even grown as the war unfolds and we watch the
true US agenda reveal itself. If Anarchists fear what
will come next in Iraq we also point out the defects
of our own countries' supposedly democratic
systems. The majority of people in Britain opposed
the war and between one and two million people in
England were present on a single march in London.
But our democratically elected government entirely
ignore our demands.
So, what exactly is so good about "western
democracy"? "We have the freedom to demonstrate",
liberals argue. But this "democracy" is robbing us, as
it will rob Iraqis, of the freedom to bring about real
change.


---

ANTI-WAR ACTION IN MANCHESTER

What began as a heavily controlled anti-war demo in
Manchester (29.3.04) ended up as something
completely different. And wasn't it a lot more fun!
The march through Rusholme was supported
strongly by passers-by, shopkeepers and drivers.
The initial, well publicised, aim was to demonstrate
outside the BBC, criticising them for their censored
dishonest reporting of the Iraq war. The crowd sat
down and blocked the road.
We walked down to the Peace Camp...a large banner
in the camp with "Fuck Capitalism" on it was ripped
down by the cops and people started to get angry.
A quiet word went round to lead off down towards
Market Street without the police. This is a
pedestrianised area full of shoppers. Now also full of
demonstrators, coppers and bloody massive police
horses.
We were doing what we wanted - a little bit of
mayhem in a normally hemmed in, consumer driven,
Saturday afternoon. That was too much for them.
You can't let people see that they can do what they
want and get away with it. Too dangerous. So now
the cops started to get nastier.
Some people went down a side street which was
really narrow. It was easily blocked off by the
horses. The police corraled a group onto the grass.
Loads of coppers, many with horses, kept the rest
away, but inadvertently made a great amphitheatre
for their production.
Significant numbers of people who had previously
scoffed at the demo or not understood what the
police were doing started to make connections.
Self organised action leads to much more thought
and understanding all round and doesn't half
authority them off.
 >From Greater Manchester AF

---

CUT THE CARD

You don't need to work for the Financial Times to
realise that credit card debt is getting well out of
hand. Ten years ago hardly anyone had one. Now
there are 91 million credit and debit cards in the UK.
Two fifths of our shopping is now put on the plastic.
The net result is a large portion of the population
with massive credit card debt. Given the
extortionate interest rates charged this is seriously
bad news for us and the source of gleeful hand
rubbing for the high street bankers who are
pocketing it.
Credit cards have been introduced not to make our
lives easier, but to extract money from us. Credit
card debt acts like a mini mortgage - got to keep our
noses to the grindstone so as not to miss any
payments. We lived without them for years, and can
start doing so again. To help you on your way to
liberating yourself from plastic purgatory get your
credit card and take a pair of scissors to it. This may
seem hard at first, but believe me, the feeling of
relief when its done is immense. Worried about the
debt you've accrued? The most important thing is
not to panic. For starters, did you know the
following?
. Credit Card debt is classified as "non-priority" debt.
You can't be imprisoned for not paying non-priority
debts and you are unlikely to lose your home or your
essential goods.
. It is an offence under The Administration of Justice
Act 1970 for someone in debt to be harassed by their
creditor such as a credit card company or an agent
acting on their behalf.
. Debts of under £5000 can only be heard at the
small claims court. So even if you do get taken to
court you can't be stung with solicitors costs if you
lose.
. Debt collectors are not the same as bailiffs. Debt
collectors cannot take any action against you, apart
from asking you to pay any money owed.
. Regardless of what they say, YOU DON'T HAVE
TO LET BAILIFFS IN. They are not allowed to force
their way into your home unless you have let them in
on a previous visit, hence the importance of never,
ever letting them in.
We don't claim to be legal experts. We certainly
don't claim to offer "impartial" advice either - we
despise bailiffs, bankers and other creditors as much
as anyone and support fair means or foul to get the
better of them! Some decent, free, practical advice is
available from The National debtline on 0808 808
4000. Their website is www.nationaldebtline.co.uk.
Alternatively, you could visit the Citizens Advice
Bureau.
Thanks to Walthamstow Anarchist Group (07810 288
889) for the article.

---

INSIDE INFORMATION

Ray Gilbert
Seven debilitating long years beyond an initial tariff
of 15 years black Liverpool prisoner Ray Gilbert still
protests his innocence. They won't release him until
he admits to the crime. How can he? Would you? A
discussion forum to push Ray's case for freedom is
to be held on Thursday, May 29, 8pm at Friends
Meeting House, Pradise Steet, Liverpool (opposite
Holiday Inn). Come along in support of Ray if you
can.

Prisoners of War against War
Bristol Prisoner of War Against War, Josh Richards
is now out on bail. He sends his thanks to all those
who wrote to support him and should be out until
September. Don't forget others still inside, including:

Philip Pritchard-JT5131
HMP Gloucester
Barracks Square
Gloucester GL1 2JN
Toby Olditch-JT5132
HMP Gloucester
Barracks Square
Gloucester GL1 2JN

Angie Zelter - Charged for trespassing onto a US air
force base near nuclear capable F-15 Strike Eagle
aircraft, for more info contact David on 01508 550
446.

Barbara Smedema - Disabled an American
communications satellite at the military airport of
Volkel, in the Netherlands. Contact: P.I.TerPeel,
Patersweg 4, 5977 NM Evertsoord. Netherlands.

Arthur Milling and Dr Margaret Jones will be in court
on 23 May for cutting their way into Fairford airbase
and causing £50,000 of damage to B52 support
vehicles.  More info:
media@tridentploughshares.org.

Other peace prisoner info: www.peacenews.info and
www.j-n-v.org/prisoners.htm
For Legal info check out www.gwi.org.uk/legal.htm



---


ACTIONS IN HEREFORD

On Tuesday 15th March 20 people held a vigil
outside the Magistrates Court in Hereford in
solidarity with a member of the Herefordshire
Anarchist Group who was on trial for walking in the
road at an anti-war demonstration the week before.
The member was released with an unconditional
discharge.
The following day around 50 people met in Hereford
city centre to protest against the war. Dispersing
and then regrouping to evade police surveillance.
The group then successfully blocked a main road
outside the Armed Careers Office for an hour with
police mearly redirecting traffic. From Hereford AF
(contact hereford@afed.cjb.net)

---

SUPPORT RESISTANCE

Thousands of copies of resistance are produced and
distributed for free each month by the Anarchist
Federation.
We have no rich backers so if you like what you read
please help us by sending a donation to the address
below.

---

  Subvert and resist

Take precautions when going on demonstrations
and don't take cameras, booze or drugs. If you're
nicked give your name and address then say 'no
comment' to any other questions.

---

MAY: Mark Barnsley Speaking Tour - prisoners
survival and prison support - contact the campaign
to help and organise an event in your town. JfMB,
PO Box 381, Huddersfield, HD1 3XX, England.
Email: markbarnsley@mail.com Tel: 07944 522 001
   1: London Critical Mass. Part of London Mayday
2003 - a day of action against capitalism and war
(www.ourmayday.org.uk) Calling all bikes, skates,
anything without an engine. Meet 11am under
Waterloo Bridge - South Bank, London.
Visit:http://cmlondon.enrager.net
   8: Disarm DSEI public meeting 7:30pm Venue: to
be confirmed - Tel: 07817 652 029
   10: The French Connection: Anarchism and
Organistation. 2-5pm. A talk at Conway Hall, Red
Lion Square, London. Organised by London
Anarchist Federation.
17: 4th Manchester Radical Bookfair, 11am
onwards-Bridge 5 Mill, 22a Beswick St, Ancoats,
Manchester. www.radicalbookfair.org.uk
   7: Manchester Peoples' Assembly, 1pm - 5pm,
Friends Meeting House, Mount Street, City Centre
(behind Central Library). For more info Tel: 07986
305 320 or Email:
peoplesassembly@manchesterstopthewar.org
   JUNE: 28-1: Anti-G8 summit, Evian in France. Visit:
www.claaacg8.org. Anti-capitalist village, Visit:
www.vaaag.org

New Wales AF Email Address:
afedcymru@yahoo.co.uk

---

  Join the resistance

The Anarchist Federation is an organisation of class
struggle anarchists aiming to
abolish capitalism and all oppression to
create a free and equal society. This is
Anarchist Communism.
We see today's society as being divided into two
main opposing classes: the ruling class which
controls all the power and wealth, and the working
class which the rulers exploit to maintain this. By
racism, sexism and other forms of oppression, as
well as war and environmental destruction the rulers
weaken and divide us. Only the direct action of
working class people can defeat these attacks and
ultimately overthrow capitalism.
As the capitalist system rules the whole world, its
destruction must be complete and world wide. We
reject attempts to reform it, such as working through
parliament and
national liberation movements, as they fail to
challenge capitalism itself. Unions also work as a
part of the capitalist system, so although workers
struggle within them they will be unable to bring
about capitalism's destruction unless they go
beyond these limits.
Organisation is vital if we're to beat
the bosses, so we work for a united
anarchist movement and are affiliated to the
International of Anarchist Federations.
The Anarchist Federation has members across
Britain and Ireland fighting for the kind of world
outlined above.  Contact us at:

Anarchist Federation,
84B, Whitechapel High Street,
London,  E1 7QX. Tel: 07946 214 590
Visit: www.afed.org.uk or www.iaf-ifa.org
Email: anarchistfederation@bigfoot.com


-- 
______________________________________.org.

Other peace prisoner info: www.peacenews.info and
www.j-n-v.org/prisoners.htm
For Legal info check out www.gwi.org.uk/legal.htm



---


ACTIONS IN HEREFORD

On Tuesday 15th March 20 people held a vigil
outside the Magistrates Court in Hereford in
solidarity with a member of the Herefordshire
Anarchist Group who was on trial for
walking in the road at an anti-war demonstration the
week before. The member was released with an
unconditional discharge.
The following day around 50 people met in Hereford
city centre to protest against the war. Dispersing
and then regrouping to evade police surveillance.
The group then
successfully blocked a main road  outside the Armed
Careers Office for an hour with police mearly
redirecting traffic. From Hereford AF
(contact hereford@afed.cjb.net)

---

SUPPORT RESISTANCE

Thousands of copies of resistance are produced and
distributed for free each month by the Anarchist
Federation.
We have no rich backers so if you like what you read
please help us by sending a donation to the address
below.

---

  Subvert and resist

Take precautions when going on demonstrations
and don?t take cameras, booze or drugs. If you?re
nicked give your name and address then say ?no
comment? to any other
questions.

---

MAY: Mark Barnsley Speaking Tour Spain: The city
of Barcelona was shaken on Thursday 10th April as
thousands of people took to the streets in a day of
protest against the killing in Iraq and the permanent
war. Many businesses were closed, following a call
by several anarcho-syndicalist unions (CGT,
CNT-AIT, SO) for a general strike of 24 hours.
Actions were continuing until the late evening.
Strikes and demonstrations also happened in
Madrid and across Spain.


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