A Date For Your Diary, Glasgow.

       As the state apparatus continues to sell WW1 as a period of glory, and a victory for democracy, there is a multitude of people out there doing their best to propagate the truth. The truth being that WW1, was in fact a bloody, totally unnecessary, imperialist land grab. A war littered with bloody blunders by stupid, blinkered officers and parliamentary ministers, blunders that cost millions of young lives and blighted a generation. All for the power and glory of our imperial masters. One such horrendous blunder was Gallipoli, an idiotic plan, or lack of plan, by the UK fascist, First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill, which resulted in around 100,000 dead and almost 500,000 casualties, (Wikipedia) 

        If you're in or around Glasgow on the 25th. of April, you could take the opportunity to find out more about this particular disaster of war, and some of the many others, the Scottish Peace Network will be doing a film show and talk/discussion in the CCA, Glasgow.

      April 25, Saturday, 1pm in the cinema room at the Centre for Contemporary Art at 350 Sauchiehall Street. This day marks the centenary of the World War I battle of Gallipoli, a disaster that cost the lives of hundreds of thousands. We will be showing part of a movie made by Peter Weir, and featuring a young Mel Gibson. The movie will be introduced by three short talks, one setting the context of the battle and the connection to Scotland, another on the enormous impact Gallipoli had on New Zealand and Australia and finally a talk putting this centenary event in the context of the counter program to the government's glorification of the war and of militarism. The movie will be followed by a discussion. FREE. All welcome. Sponsored by the Scottish Peace Network.

 

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

A Vicious Faith.

Another day, another poem.

A Vicious Faith.

Pecuniary priests, the canons of faith dictate;

from pulpits of financial cathedrals proclaim

humanity must accept its fate

pawns in a free market game.

Its laws immutable,

its march inevitable,

a system with a purpose of its own,

human freedom expendable,

the mighty dollar on the throne.

Human need sacrificed to greed

all power to the market place,

you who make the people bleed

the scriptures of profit embrace;

your system breeds voracity

showers gold on a worthless few,

to the common-man aridity

the beauty of life all askew.

Raise loud your ritual chants

as all freedom you try to sever,

to your system our poverty yields,    But tyrants,

be warned,   our hearts,-----------never.

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

Cameron Fixed It For The Parasites.

     Our leader Cameron, that product of the Oxbridge sausage factory, while doing his rounds in the latest Crooks and Liars competition, our general election, has been spouting how wonderful our country is now that it has been fixed by him and his millionaire cronies. Well, I suppose from where he lives, in that bubble of pampered parasites, it has been fixed and the figures prove his point.

     Since Cameron was crowned king of the Crooks and Liars, all of us lesser mortals have seen our incomes depressed, while inflation kept on rising, and energy bills went through the roof. According to the Office of National Statistics, UK incomes have fallen by 3.5% in real terms.

     So here are the figures that prove the King Cameron is correct in his claim that he has fixed things.

Average Wages Rises Under the rule of King Cameron:

Bankers:                          35%

FTSE 100 directors:      14%

MP's:                                11% 

Nurses:                              1%

Teachers:                           1%

    So you can see, from his wee bubble, he has fixed things good and proper.

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

Workers Remember Your History, Orgreave.

        Workers must always remember their history, it is from that history that we learn who are our enemies, who continually exploits us. We learn from the struggles of the past, how to fight the battles of the future, we see the brutality our forefathers bore as the system attempts to crush any resistance.

    This film is in homage to the courage of the miners and their supporters during the 1984/85 miners strike, under the regime of the Thatcher dictator.

On behave of the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign:

This video will not be available soon if you know how to make a copy please do so and share :)
Posted by Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign on Wednesday, 5 March 2014

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

Latest On The Greek Prison Hunger Strike.

        It is quite amazing to see such strong, prolonged and mass support for the anarchist hunger strikers in the Greek draconian prison system.

From 325:

     Eight anarchist prisoners of the Network of Imprisoned Fighters (DAK) are still on hunger strike in different hospitals and Greek prisons, demanding the abolition of type C maximum security prisons; abolition of the antiterrorist legislation (articles 187 and 187A); abolition of the anti-hoodie law; abolition of forcible taking of DNA samples, abolition of analysis of DNA samples that contain a mixture of genetic material from more than two individuals, access to DNA samples for analysis by a biology expert witness trusted by the accused; and the release of the polytrauma patient, 17N prisoner Savvas Xiros. According to the latest medical report, all comrades are in critical condition.

:: ON HUNGER STRIKE SINCE 2/3 ::

Fivos Harisis has lost 22% of his initial body weight; currently treated under police guard in the hospital ‘Attikon’ in Athens, in life-threatening condition.

Antonis Stamboulos has lost 20.5% of his initial body weight; currently treated under police guard in the hospital of Larissa, in life-threatening condition.

Argyris Ntalios has lost 18% of his initial body weight; currently treated under police guard in the hospital of Nikaia in Piraeus, in life-threatening condition.

Giorgos Karagiannidis has lost 17% of his initial body weight; currently held in Koridallos prison, in life-threatening condition.

:: ON HUNGER STRIKE SINCE 9/3 ::

Grigoris Sarafoudis has lost 16% of his initial body weight; currently held in Koridallos prison, in very critical condition.

:: ON HUNGER STRIKE SINCE 16/3 ::

Dimitris Politis has lost an average of 10% of his initial body weight; currently held in Koridallos prison.

Andreas-Dimitris Bourzoukos has lost an average of 10% of his initial body weight; currently held in Koridallos prison.

:: ON HUNGER STRIKE SINCE 23/3 ::

Yannis Michailidis has lost 8% of his initial body weight; currently held in Koridallos prison.

see related updates

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Tasos Theofilou, participant in the Network of Imprisoned Fighters (DAK), suspended hunger strike

       Anarchist communist Tasos Theofilou, held in Domokos prison, lost 20% of his initial body weight after 39 days of hunger strike.

     Today, April 9th 2015, the comrade suspended hunger strike, sending strength to his fellow participants in the Network of Imprisoned Fighters (DAK), eight of whom continue the strike.

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

Brazil General Strike.

"The PL 4330 bill sets no limits to outsourcing in private and public sectors. Activities, including those linked to the core business of a company, could be outsourced.

If made law, it could lead to a large-scale replacement of direct permanent workers by outsourced workers with poorer working conditions, less protection and fewer benefits."

Read the full article HERE:

     Sound familiar? Well it should, it is a trend throughout the developed world. However in Brazil the unions are doing something about it, they are calling a general strike from the 15th April. The neo-liberalism of today uses this method to bring down working conditions and suppress wages and smash organised labour, all in the never ending quest to drive up profits and fatten the bank accounts of greed driven shareholders. 

      We can show our support by spreading this around all the social networks. Solidarity knows no borders. 

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

 

Belonging.

    Continuing with my belated start to National Poetry Month, something short.

Belonging.

A gentle kiss that bears a promise

confirmed in the philtrf smile,

soft fingers like a breath on flesh

lingering, just a while.

Sweet words that caress

loving hands that speak,

these tell my wandering heart

here is the harbour I seek.

A closeness that needs no voice

a peace that stills the storm

this special human magic, can

an arduous world transform.

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

The History Of Oil.

       Oil, the sea on which imperial bloody wars float, oil the weapon of imperial domination, Oil the ecological disaster. Not a new video, but informative and still relevant.

And on the same theme, from the Freedom Socialist:

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

Past Conventions.

     Dearie me, here we are on the 9th of April and I had forgotten it was National Poetry Month. So I'll just throw this one in to get things started.

A Cage Of Past Conventions.

Life is passion ever surging,

we must grasp the moment

changing apathy to hope

dreams to life;

set freedom freely flowing,

fiercely remaining

a river of desire.

Seek freedom from the reverence of the past,

freedom from nation, name and caste,

let freedom drench the eager heart

changing our life to a living art.

Yet,   foolishly we seek false assurances

locked in a cage of past conventions;

bidding our heart take the safest stance,

afraid to dance a forbidden dance.

Afraid of beauty, remembering pain,

shackling tomorrow to yesterday's chain,

sowing seeds of regret;

living lives in rigid schemes

labouring to forget,

only freedom can free our dreams.

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

The Illusion Of Democracy.

       Our babbling brook of bullshit, the mainstream media, is in full tilt throwing out the usual crap concerning our latest Crooks and Liars competition, known as the general election. TV is giving us "the leaders' debates" where we hear the well rehearsed sound bites, or bursts of pointless growling and snarling between "the Leaders", ah, where would we be without "our leaders". The babbling brook of bullshit create the illusion that during the Crooks and Liars competition you are free to roam the streets spouting your particular message to the general public, they call it "democracy". But what if your message is contrary to the accepted views of the powers that be? Will you still be free, in this "democracy" to go about spreading your opinion? Well apparently not, you will find yourself and your supporters being put under the watchful eye of the system's minders, and threatened and harassed at every opportunity. 

This from The Void:

       Lisa McKenzie, who is standing for Class War  against Iain Duncan Smith in Chingford, was arrested last night in the latest petty police attack on the group’s election campaign.

      Lisa was accused of putting a small sticker on a wall two weeks previously and thrown into the back of a van, hand-cuffed and held for hours.  She has been charged with criminal damage. The arrest took place at last night’s Poor Doors demonstration, the weekly picket of the luxury tower block in Aldgate where tenants in social housing are forced to use a different door to the rich.  According to one onlooker police insisted her arrest was nothing to do with the election campaign against Iain Duncan Smith.  They must think we are fucking idiots.

     When Lisa and Class War recently went on the campaign trail in Chingford they were followed by police, repeatedly harassed and threatened with arrest.  Class War candidate for Croydon South, Jon Bigger, was recently followed around the constituency by up to a dozen coppers just for handing out leaflets.

       At previous Poor Doors protests police arrested high profile Class War supporter Jane Nicholl, threatening her with ludicrous arson charges after somebody allegedly burnt a small effigy of Boris Johnson.  At a later demonstration police seized a Class War banner they said had a rude word on it and arrested the person holding it.  One of Class War’s founders, Ian Bone, has also been arrested at the protests for equally trivial reasons.

Read the full article HERE:

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

Prejudiced, Crap Legislation.

       All states pass legislation that, to the rational mind, is just plain wrong. We all know why, simply to protect the status-qua. However, that "land of the free", the Good ol' US of A, takes the trophy for some of the most blatant, prejudiced legislation in the Western world. A recent article in the Freedom Socialist, (Voice of Revolutionary Feminism) highlights one such a piece of ignorant, blatant, prejudiced crap, that passes for law.

 Silence Mumia Abu-Jamal? Never!

     “Social change and social transformation form the raison d’etre of Goddard.”

     Mumia Abu-Jamal spoke these revolutionary words by phone from his prison cell during his commencement speech to Goddard College on Oct. 4, 2014.

     Abu-Jamal, a renowned journalist skilled at exposing crimes of the U.S. “justice” system, was framed for the killing of Officer Daniel Faulkner in 1981, and sentenced by a judge who vowed to “fry that n––––r.” Now, Faulkner’s widow Maureen claims she’s upset that Mumia, a “radical who hates America,” is allowed to speak to journalists and the public. That’s why the day after Mumia’s speech, Tom Corbett, Pennsylvania’s outgoing Republican governor, introduced the Revictimization Relief Act of 2014. The Act criminalizes public speech by offenders that causes “mental anguish” and punishes any journalist who quotes such speech.

       This new law reveals an appalling trend by cops trying to gag those who publicly criticize the U.S. justice system, especially political radicals. In December 2014, St. Louis police demanded an apology from five St. Louis Rams players who entered the field with their hands up, a gesture cops deemed “offensive, tasteless, and inflammatory.”

     Notably, not Faulkner, Corbett, or the St. Louis cops have tried to ban bigoted speech by the KKK or Westboro Baptist church to protect the feelings of their victims. This shows that Pennsylvania’s lofty Revictimization Relief Act has nothing to do with helping victims, and everything to do with silencing political dissent. (For more information, visit prisonradio.org.)

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

Rehabilitation And All That Crap.

Understanding and Tolerance.
        This UK “democracy” charade that we live under has many anomalies, none more so than our prison system. Spouted as the land of freedom, tolerance, compassion, England locks up more of its population than any other Western European country, a staggering 147 per 100,000 of its people are in prison. Since the start of 1993, the number of its citizens locked up in prison has risen from 41,600 to more than 80,000. Further increases are expected. Of course Scotland follows the same trajectory with a 10% rise since 1996/97 to almost 7,000. Northern Ireland saw a fall in the 90's but has now started to follow the UK trend, up to around 1,400. Another massive rise has been in the number of citizens serving life or indeterminate sentences, 7,600 in August 2006, a rise of 27% in a year.

Overcrowding and Ever Growing Prisons.
      Many prisons have more inmates than their target limit, but are at a level considered “safe”. According to this definition, prisons have been overcrowded every year since 1994. Of course the state always works on the theory of ever increasing problems with its citizens, so always plans for more spaces. Since 1997, more than 17,000 extra prison spaces have been created. A further 8,000 are planned,

Bad People, or People With Problems?
      Most perceptions of prisoners are fashioned by the babbling brook of bullshit, our mainstream media, and come under the category of “bad “ people. However facts prove otherwise. Almost 50% of prisoners ran away as a child, this compares with 11% of the general population. Almost one third of female and 50% of male prisoners, were excluded from school, with a large majority having no qualifications. Prisons are also dumping dens for for a large amount of those with mental health problems. The prison population has a very large proportion of those with two or more mental health problems. In the general public this figures is less than 5%, in prisons that figure is 72% of male and 70% of female prisoners who fall into that category.

Despair and Violence.
     Prisons are described by the powers that be, as places of rehabilitation, but are in fact places of despair and violence. In the year 2005-6, a shocking 63 prisoners took their own lives. There are on average, over 20,000 incidents of self harm a year. 50% of those who self harm are women, though the account for only 5% of the prison population. To further undermine that false theory of prisons being places of rehabilitation, approximately two thirds of prisoners are re-convicted within two years. Among the younger prisoners released, aged 18-21, almost 75% are re-convicted within two years. And to finally kill of that “rehabilitation” crap, approximately one third of released prisoners have no place to stay, and a majority will have no job on release. Added to that is the brutal fact that six out of 10 employers automatically exclude those with a criminal record. 

 

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

Mumia Abu-Jamal Appeal.

Regarding the appeal on behave of Mumia Abu-Jamal,

Corrected phone number for PA Gov Tom Wolf:  717-787-2500

Click HERE to view in browser     PLEASE SHARE WIDELY       

A Victory For The Prison Hunger Strikers.

       A victory for solidarity, and the determination of those on hunger strike. An action taken to force the state to stop its vindictive collective punishment, to free those relatives of the prisoners who were being held for no other reason than they were relatives.

 Inter Arma received and translated:

THE  HUNGER STRIKE OF THE CONSPIRACY OF CELLS OF FIRE WAS VICTORIOUS

      Today is a day that a crack in the walls of the imprisoned world around us has opened. After 32 days of hunger strike, the mother of Christos and Gerasimos Tsakalos and the girlfriend of the latter will soon pass the exit of prison, free again…

      32 days of hunger strike, with eight comrades of the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire being hospitalized, balancing between life and death. Mihalis found himself in the ICU the last few days, Olga has reached 40 kilos, Panagiotis had an already compromised health from previous surgeries on his head, George P. has a problem with his heart, with his heart-beats reaching 30 and all of them had medical measurements indicating that they lost 15-20% of their initial body weight.

      32 days, the hunger strike became a daily, slow torment of death, in order for us not to make truce with the absolute death of emotional blackmail. An insidious blackmail which authority wanted to impose on us by abducting and keeping our relatives as hostages in prison. 32 days of hunger strike, every fading beat of our heart, reminded us of the promise we made together when we met for the last time, “Let’s go, until freedom …”.

      After 32 days of hunger strike, the shadow of repression grew pale, the walls of captivity lowered and prison admitted defeat.

      This victory is not only the result of the hunger strike of the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire. It’s a victory of a whole world of solidarity with arson attacks, occupations, sabotage, marches, gatherings, unexpected interventions, which broke social peace, turned cities into fields of insurrectional moments and occupied buildings into living labs of subversive situations. In an everyday life where the desire for freedom has been suspended indefinitely, life flooded with small and large liberation gestures, with fires, with slogans and sparkling eyes of persons who wore hoods.

We are flooded with many thoughts that want to fill with words the corresponding meanings. But now, there is neither a day for celebration, nor for accounts of victory. Today we stop the hunger strike, having beaten the scarecrows of authority who wanted our relatives in prison, BUT at the same time the hunger strike of the remaining political prisoners, for the overall requests that have been set, continues. The days that follow are critical both for their health and for the total bet of anarchist struggle. Therefore, there is no time neither for relaxing, nor for victory celebration. The die is cast long time ago… We, as the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire, remain on the ramparts and prepare our counter-attack, supporting the struggle conducted within and outside prison.

Authority and it’s scarecrows should know that every judicial coup, every jail, every moment of oppression, every propaganda lie, every shade of bourgeois morality will return back to its instigators and owners, with multiple power and vehemence. With the power and vehemence of sabotage, fire, explosion, execution… In war, we answer with war. Time for us to attack first…

STRENGTH AND SOLIDARITY with anarchist comrade Nikos Maziotis. member of R.S., and the Network of Fighting Prisoners

VICTORY TO THE STRUGGLE OF THE HUNGER STRIKE

EVERYTHING CONTINUES…

Conspiracy of Cells of Fire – FAI/IRF,
Imprisoned members’ Cell,

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The State Has Many Ways To Take Your Life.

URGENT!  URGENT!  URGENT!

Mon. April 6 national call in: No medical execution of Mumia!

 

PLEASE SHARE WIDELY    

SAVE THE LIFE OF MUMIA ABU-JAMAL!

STOP HIS EXECUTION BY MEDICAL NEGLECT!

DON’T LET THE STATE MURDER ANOTHER BLACK LEADER!

SHUT IT DOWN FOR MUMIA!

     Stopped from carrying out the death penalty against Mumia Abu-Jamal by a worldwide movement that spanned three decades, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections has been attempting over the past three months to execute him by medical neglect.

      On March 30, Abu-Jamal was rushed, unconscious, to the Schuylkill Medical Center in Pottsville, Pa., suffering from diabetic shock, with a dangerously high blood sugar level of 779.   After just two days of treatment in the hospital’s ICU, on April 1, Abu-Jamal was returned to the prison infirmary at SCI Mahanoy in Frackville, Pa., into the hands of the very same doctors whose medical neglect and mistreatment nearly killed him.

      Prison officials initially denied visits by family members, supporters and Abu-Jamal’s attorneys and only backed down after receiving thousands of calls. Those able to visit Mumia on April 3 reported he was extremely weak, had lost 80 pounds, and still had elevated blood sugar levels over 300. For lunch that day the prison fed him spaghetti, one of the worst foods to give a diabetic patient.

The murder of aging political prisoners by denying them inadequate health care has happened before. Earlier this year, MOVE 9 member Phil Africa died under suspicious circumstances at SCI Dallas. The lack of standard medical treatment impacts all prisoners, particularly those over 55.

     We are demanding that the state of Pennsylvania cease and desist in their attempts to murder political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal:

●Allow daily visits by Mumia’s family, friends and attorneys. Their support and protection at this time of vulnerability should not be restricted.

●Allow Mumia’s choice of specialist doctors to examine and schedule treatment for him -- NOW. Neither the prison staff at SCI Mahanoy nor the Schuylkill Medical Center has a diabetes specialist. There is precedent in Pennsylvania for this. Prisoner John E. du Pont, an heir to the du Pont chemical fortune, was allowed care by private doctors during imprisonment. Mumia deserves the same.

●Release Mumia’s medical records to his attorneys.

●Release from prison all the elderly age 55 and over. Mumia will turn 61 on April 24.

●Allowa full investigation of prison health care in Pennsylvania.

●Mumia is innocent and should never have been incarcerated. We demand his immediate release.

     We are calling on everyone to participate in the following actions over the next few days:

●Twitter widely using the hashtags #mumiamustlive,  #saveMumia and #Blacklivesmatter.

●Call, fax and email the following state officials to raise the above demands:

~ DOC Secretary John Wetzel: 717-728-4109; crpadocsecretary@pa.gov.

~ Gov. Tom Wolf: 717-772-5000; fax 717-772-8284; governor@pa.gov.

~ Prison Superintendent John Kerestes: 570-773-2158; contact.doc@pa.gov.

●MONDAY, APRIL 6: A car caravan will demand to see Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Superintendent John Wetzel at the DOC office: 1920 Technology Parkway, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050 at 11 a.m. Cars leaving Philadelphia will gather at 7 a.m. on JFK Boulevard between 30th and 31st Streets (across from Bolt and Mega buses). If you can offer rides or need a ride, call or text Joe Piette at 610-931-2615 or email jpiette660@hotmail.com.

●TUESDAY, APRIL 7: Press conference in Philadelphia at 11 a.m. outside

District Attorney Seth Williams’ office at Juniper Street & South Penn Square (across from City Hall, near Macy’s).

●FRIDAY, APRIL 10: Organize a demonstration in your city, on your campus, wherever you can get out word to stop this attempt to murder Mumia. We need to SHUT IT DOWN FOR MUMIA!

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk