A-Infos (en) resistance issue 56. Dec 2003. AF (Britain)

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From: E W <nastyned-A-email.com> BAH, HUMBUG!
CHRISTMAS: THE WORSHIP OF AUTHORITY AND MONEY
It's that time of year again. For some, it is the time to celebrate the major
event in their religion and to worship the authority they call God.
Many others have rejected this meaning of the celebration. Instead they
rush frantically around amassing huge debts and gorging themselves in
endless rounds of Christmas parties.
It is not surprising that people want to do something out of their routine at
this time of year. The summer is far away and the dark and cold seem to
have us permanently in their grip. But instead of celebrating what we truly
value about our lives and our world, we offer ourselves as sacrifices to
alien powers that we could well do without- religion and capitalism.
Religion is still a powerful force in the world. Both Blair and Bush make no
secret of the importance of religion in their politics. Many of Blair’s
important behind the scenes advisors and confidantes are strongly
motivated by religion. It’s not just Christians, these include Jews such
as Michael Levy, the key to Blair’s fundraising, and a Hindu steel
magnate. Bush’s whole political programme and his main support is
influenced by the Religious Right. We only have to look around at recent
events to see the devastating impact religious belief can have when people
claim that “God is on their side”: September 11th and suicide
bombs, the continuing bloodshed in Palestine/Israel, massacres between
Hindus and Muslims in India and the war in Iraq itself which Bush is
seeing very much as a Christian crusade.
Some will argue that this is not the ‘true’ meaning of the religion.
But it’s not just a question of what you decide God’s message is.
The main problem is that you have given up power over your own live to a
“higher” authority. The Alpha course, funded largely by millionaire
banker Ken Costa, is currently marketing Christianity like the latest model
mobile phone with notable effect. The reason for the appeal is significant.
As one convert said after attending an Alpha course, “I don’t have
to sort my own life out anymore. Someone else is doing it for me.”
Philip Pullman’s popular Dark Materials trilogy sums up the problem
with religion. God is called “The Authority” and is kept alive by the
rich and powerful so that they can keep control over the world. The only
way for people to free themselves is to kill this “Authority”.

So what’s the alternative?
Instead of church and God, many choose the shopping mall and money,
even though most realise that having yet another pair of trainers or
designer T-shirt is not going to make them feel any better about their lives.
Retail therapy is a short-lived relief. Many are also quite aware that
Christmas shopping is a pointless waste of money. Do you think your
friends and family really want a hamster that sings Merry Christmas or a
pair of leopard skin boxer shorts? But somehow we get caught up in the
trap of consumerism, helpless to escape. Stores target people with credit
deals and many people will end up working for months before the debt is
paid off. Capitalism is not that different from religion; you have given up
control of your life to something beyond yourself.
Anarchism rejects both the God of authority and the God of money.
Neither will do anything for our frustration at work, our discomfort in the
overcrowded train or our anger at the dangerous stupidity of politicians. In
fact, it is these powers that have caused the problems in the first place.
The only power to change the way we live lies in our own hands. Take it
and Use it!

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ANARCHISTS IN PARIS

Nearly 3,000 anarchists marched through working class areas of  Paris on
Saturday, November 15th. The march coincided with the Libertarian Social
Forum, running at the same time, which had a series of large and
well-attended meetings and film shows as well as a busy Anarchist Book
Fair.
All the anarchist groups, the anarcho-syndicalist  CNT-F, the Federation
Anarchiste, Alternative Libertaire and the Organisation Communiste
Libertaire as well as smaller groups and unaligned individuals came
together to show unity. There was a contingent from the Anarchist
Federation from Britain and Ireland, marching behind our banner.

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ON THE FRONTLINE

The threatened closure of the Hoover factory in Cambuslang has brought
people out into the streets in protest. The closure would mean the loss of
260 jobs, which are being transferred to Wales and China. The
workers’ union, Amicus, claimed “No-one is seriously suggesting
that Cambuslang workers should compete against a low age economy like
China but there is every reason for us to compete with Wales as the most
innovative and highly motivated workforce in the UK.” So, the union
reckons that the real enemy isn’t the transnational company ready to
do business wherever’s cheapest, but Welsh workers who are,
apparently, less highly motivated and worthy of jobs. This approach is of
course typical of the ‘nationalist’ logic of unions, Amicus being
merely a particularly vile example. With leaders like these...
  The Scottish nursery nurses are back out on selective strike in the weeks
beginning 1st and 8th of December. The tactic of selective strikes, often
used by Unison, seems to have done nothing to convince the bosses that
it’s time to pay up and voices are being raised that leaving Nursery
Nurses to fight alone, when low pay is an issue effecting thousands of
council workers, has been a conscious union tactic to “let off
steam”. Although morale remains high, many nurses are sick of being
rolled out like a stage army every other month. The time has come for some
self-organisation and imaginative tactics!
Two hundred of Oldham’s posties walked out in a lightning wildcat
strike on November 18th.  They walked out after one postie was
suspended for refusing to clear a backlog of mail from the London strike for
no extra pay.  So effective was their action that by lunchtime he had been
reinstated.
In Martinique and Guadeloupe strikes and blockades of several economic
sectors multiplied recently against threats to the index linked cost of living
by the right wing government.
In Germany 100,000 workers demonstrated on the first of November
against Agenda 2010 of the Green-Social Democrat government which will
reduce the unemployment benefit and pensions for workers.
In Italy a general strike took place at the beginning of November against
pension reform. It was the first general strike called by grass roots
workers organisations, not traditional unions linked to political parties.
Italian anarchists played a key role.

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A news sheet has been produced by Bradford anarchist group. Contact
them at: bradfordcalling@yahoo.com

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CELEBRITY PRAT OF THE MONTH

The charity mascot Pudsey prat of the month? Yes! Wherever you go there
he is trying to get money off us. His devious strategy is to look pathetic
and try to con us into thinking that if we weren’t such tight wads there
would be no “Children in Need”. Pudsey teams up with publicity
hungry rock stars who could easily raise millions from their current
accounts.
That such a charity actually exists nowadays in the fourth richest economy
in the world is a total disgrace and clearly shows that the capitalist system
works for some and not for others. It’s bad enough that we have to fork
out money to enrich landlords, supermarkets, and the State’s war
coffers without being morally blackmailed into giving to Pudsey the prat
and his rich backers.
The apathetic acceptance of such crap is reflected in the fact that the BBC
“Breakfast Programme” are offering as a prize a visit to have
breakfast with City of London’s suited sharks to help raise funds for
poor old Pudsey. These are the  people who made fat profits out of the war
on Iraq – the bombing of children is good for the arms industry.
Why on one day a year are we supposed to be generous when corporate
greed for a few is worshipped as the norm the rest of the time? Usually
we’re encouraged to “think of number one” and stuff everyone
else. This philosophy can only benefit a few. The real reason there are
children in need is because  these same people are quite happy to pay such
low wages that cause many people to live in poverty.
Doubters of the above brief points should invest in a copy of Noam
Chomsky’s book “Profit over people – Neoliberalism and global
order”.
Pudsey’s also a prat for his condescending portrayal of children and
disabled people. They are not powerless victims who cannot speak and act
for themselves. We should support them in doing so not celebrate them
being patronised, Here at resistance we were inspired when shool kids
went on strike against the war on Iraq.
Donating to “Children in Need” won’t solve the problem of
poverty or inequality because the only way forward is to work to get rid of
the whole rotten system. Pudsey should stop looking so pathetic and show
some teeth!

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A WARM WELCOME FOR BUSH

In late November, the capital city was visited by the barbarian hordes from
the West.
As soon as (Genghis?) George Bush touched down, he was greeted, not
by sycophantic, flag waving patriots, but by hundreds of thousands of
pissed off protesters, angry at everything from steel tariffs to the main
sticking point, ‘The War Against Terror’ aka the war for oil. On
Tuesday Nov 18th, hundreds of students at University College London
occupied a section of the building, turning the space into an autonomous
area in which people were invited to discuss issues they saw as important,
organise for direct action, and for the march scheduled for the Thursday.
The national demonstration on the Thursday, predicted to number 30,000,
shocked everyone with a turnout in the region of 200,000.
Whilst we can only be encouraged by the overt display of mass disgust for
the governments of Britain and the USA, we here at resistance believe
there are a couple of points which need to be emphasised
  Bush himself is only symbolic figure for the destructive systems of
capitalism and the State. Even if he was to drop dead tomorrow (we can
but hope!) little would change. The rich would carry on getting richer, and
we would carry on slaving away, getting poorer. If we are truly interested
in fighting for justice and freedom, then we have to go the whole hog.
Whilst capitalism and hierarchies exist, war and violence will continue, as
those on the top of the pile consolidate their power, and keep the working
class down.
Another problem was the passive nature of the demo. The scheduled
‘day of direct action’ was a predictable washout. The combination
of 14,000 police - as always serving the interests of our rich and powerful
rulers -  and complete lack of support from the Stop The War Coalition
(comprised as it is of people who want to become our new rulers), and
their joint scaremongering, meant many stayed away. As the million strong
march on Feb. 15th showed, nice processions from a to b do not change the
minds of the ruling class, no matter how many people there are. Many
people understandably find these strolls a disempowering experience (we
know we do!). Mass direct action on the other hand is empowering; we
take control over our own lives and actions - it truly scares our beloved
rulers!

---

AN ANARCHIST INTERNATIONAL?

It may come as a surprise to some, but yes, anarchists are actually
organised enough to have formed an international.
The International Federation of Anarchists was founded in 1968 in Carrara,
Italy. It brought together anarchist federations in Spain, Portugal, Italy,
Argentia, France and Bulgarians in exile which had a history of struggle
dating back many decades. Also there were anarchists present from
around the world. Many of the older founders had been involved in the
Spanish Revolution and the younger ones had been active in the wave of
unrest that swept through Europe in the 1960s.
We in the Anarchist Federation felt that it was important to join with other
anarchists, especially those who had shown such a commitment to
working class revolutionary anarchism. Therefore we decided to affiliate
and are now the British section of the International. We attended one
Congress and have participated in the twice yearly meetings, the most
recent one last month in Prague. It has been very inspiring to meet with
anarchists from so many countries- not only Spain, Italy and France but
also now the Czechs, Slovaks, Germans, Slovenes and Poles. The
anarchist movement in Britain is growing, though it’s still yet to reach
the same level of influence among the working class as our brothers and
sisters in France and Italy have  (both these federations have weekly
papers).
Particularly inspiring, though, is the interest expressed by many young
people in eastern Europe. Not being at all fooled by the smooth talk of the
authoritarian communists, those who realise that capitalism and
“democracy” do not mean freedom and equality have been attracted
to anarchism. Their enthusiasm and a commitment and level of theoretical
analysis stand as an example to us all to follow.
The International is now preparing for its Congress – a major event
which is held only every five years. It will be held in Besancon in France, a
town with a long anarchist history. There will be delegates and visitors
from all over the world. But the aims and topics of discussions will be very
different from other world summits. Instead, of organising for greater
exploitation and oppression, we will be coming together to share
experiences and ideas in order to contribute to the building of a global
anarchist movement.

---

HUNGER STRIKERS BAILED

Thessaloniki Seven Released
On 26th November at 4pm, the council of judges in Thessaloniki decided to
release all seven activists who had been imprisoned since the 21st of  June
for taking part in the demonstration against the EU summit, held near
Thessaloniki, Greece. Because of the success of militant street
demonstrations, which showed the contempt for our rulers that many feel,
the authorities have been clamping down hard.
The release of the seven was mainly down to the five hungerstrikers, but
the large amounts of international solidarity will have helped! The
hungerstrikers conditions are no longer critical, and they’ve come off
the hunger strike.
In central Athens the university had been occupied, and, after a short
assembly, the occupiers had a spontaneous motorbike demo to the
hospital, and the prison where the prisoners had been held. But the
solidarity campaign is not over, the hungerstrikers need to recover, and the
prisoners have only been released on bail, not allowing the foreign
ex-detainees to leave Greece. All of the seven have to report to a police
station every two weeks.
29 people are now facing charges relating to the demonstrations against
the EU summit, and could face prison sentences. We need to keep on
pushing until the charges are dropped. For more information get in touch
with the Thessaloniki Prisoners Support Group –
thessalonikiprisoners@yahoo.co.uk

---

TIME BOMB

“Anarchism is organisation, organisation, and more organisation.”
Errico Malatesta, who coined the unambiguous phrase above, was born
150 years ago this month. He dedicated his life to the anarchist cause,
joining the Italian section of the First International Working Men's
Association in 1871, shortly after the Paris Commune uprising, and dying in
1932 while under arrest ordered by Mussolini.
In the intervening years he was involved in insurrections, strikes and near
revolution. Though forced to spend many years in prison and in exile, he
was an outstanding organiser, agitator, writer, and editor. He was one of
the most famous revolutionaries of his time, an icon of freedom for the
Italian working class movement.
Malatesta effectiveness is shown in this police report:
“Malatesta’s return from London was the signal for a reawakening
of the anarchist movement in Ancona ... Malatesta immediately set about
reorganising it. He made revolutionary propaganda at meetings and
gatherings; by leaflets and through articles in the weekly Volonta ...
... In a short time in Ancona, anarchists and sympathisers number some
600 individuals, consisting predominantly of dock porters, workers, and
criminal elements of the town. ... his qualities as an intelligent, combative
speaker who seeks to persuade with calm, and never with violent,
language, are used to the full to revive the already spent forces of the
party, and to win converts and sympathisers, never losing sight of his
principle goal, which is to draw together the forces of the party, and
undermine the bases of the State, by hindering its workings, paralyse its
services, and doing anti-militarist propaganda, until the favourable
occasion arises to overturn and destroy the existing State”.
The “Red Week” occurred shortly after Malatesta’s return:
armed battles with the police took place, a general strike was declared,
and in many areas autonomous communes were proclaimed. Sadly, when
the reformist unions called the strike off, the government was able to
re-assert its authority, and Malatesta returned to exile.
There is only a small amount of his writing translated into English, but the
clarity and strength of his arguments make many of them seem
refreshingly relevant today. “Malatesta’s Anarchy” (available
for £2.95 from Freedom Bookshop, 84b, Whitechapel High St, London, E1
7QX) is well worth reading.
 >From Dec 5th – 7th, meetings celebrating Malatesta’s life will be
held in Italy, organised by the Italian Anarchist Federation.

---

INSIDE INFORMATION

Irish anti-war activist imprisoned
Fintan Lane, of the Cork Anti-War Campaign and public relations officer
for the Irish Anti-War Movement has handed himself into Garda custody
and is in prison in Limerick after refusing to pay a fine for his part in the
mass trespass in Shannon on Oct 12th 2002 (after the fence was taken
down and 100 to 150 people went into the runway grounds).
Shannon being a civilian airport in the west of Ireland currently being used
by the US military.
  More details here:
  http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=62419

Please write to him at:
Dr. Fintan Lane, Limerick Prison,
Mulgrave Street, Limerick, Ireland.

Probably best to include a return address (prison censors can be pedantic)
and remember to send cards at Christmas.
He is in for 60 days (from Wednesday, Nov 26).

Police repression in the US
The Free Trade Area of the Americas summit came to a premature close,
after ministers from 34 countries apparently accepted a watered-down
proposal for creating a hemispheric economic community.
Huge amounts of protesters came to Miami to protest against the FTAA.
They were met with extended police brutality- mainly on the streets but
also in jail. Already in the run up to the summit, dissent was criminalized
with support of the mainstream media.
  The legal team estimates more than 250 arrests in total, with more than 50
arrested at a jail solidarity protest. There are reports of the arrested being
brutalized in jail.
Independent journalists, including a producer of Democracy Now! were
arrested, and a New York City indymedia volunteer was held in solitary
confinement and a $10,000 bail is set for him.
When not busy being attacked by the police, activists took the opportunity
to feed the homeless and to show school kids the independent media
centre.
  For more info on how to support the prisoners visit:
http://ftaaimc.org/en/2003/11/1758.shtml
Legal support has confirmed at least five sexual assaults of arrested
people, plus 12 separate incidents of beatings, mostly because people
would not state their nationality or citizenship status. There were
numerous pepper spray incidents as well and much verbal abuse and
humiliation.
If you would like to wire money for bail and legal defence for these APOC
people, it can be donated online via paypal, at
http://www.illegalvoices.org/apoc/index.html

Greece
In one of many actions against imprisonment of Thessaloniki Seven,
anarchists occupied the Press Agency in Macedonia on October 10th. A
few hours later and many miles away in Iraklion, Crete, 30 anarchists
occupied the offices of Radio Crete, interrupting broadcasts and reading
out a message of solidarity with the seven.

---

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.

DECEMBER:
6: Fifth Manchester Radical Bookfair. Bridge 5 Mill, 22A Beswick Street,
Ancoats, Manchester. 11 am - 5pm www.radicalbookfair.org.uk
6: Frock On! Glasgow. Female collective workshops and bands.
www.frockon.org
13: Glasgow Anarchist Dayschool 10 am - 11pm The Annexe, 9a
Stewartville St, Partick www.nocog.org/~autonomy/dayschool.html
13: End injustice at Guantanamo Bay 1-4pm, opposite Downing Street,
London. Campaign against Criminalising Communities 020 7250 1315
www.cacc.org.uk
13-15: Menwith Hill Spy Base women’s peace camp and blockade.
01943 458 593 helenmenwith@yahoo.co.uk
22: Benefit for Leonard Peltier Defence Commitee, Joiners Arms, St.
Mary’s St, Southampton with bands: Crowzone, Careless, Chihuaha
Zycantah £3 (free booklet) www.leonardpeltier.org or
joepublic23@hotmail.com
JANUARY
17-18: Reclaim the bases weekend of anti-militarist action. A weekend of
action at military bases - from vigils to direct action. Start organising an
event at a base close to you. Visit: www.reclaimthebases.org.uk  To join
the discussion list Email: reclaimbases-discuss@yahoogroups.com

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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
Email: anarchistfederation@bigfoot.com


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