Legal And Illegal Vandalism.

        It is amazing how in this society damaging acts can be catalogued differently. Some types of damage can be labelled “vandalism” and “violence”, while others don't receive either of those labels. It all depends on what side of the fence you live. In this society there appears to be legal "vandalism" and "violence" and illegal "vandalism" and "violence". You can trash a family, destroy a neighbourhood, or bomb a civilian population, and it will come under the classification of policy. The powers that be and their septic supporters would never put the labels “vandalism” or “violence” on these actions. We all know that these acts are extremely violent and brutal acts, deliberately carried out, the weapon is legislation. Carry out some act against those who perpetuate this violence against the ordinary people, and it will immediately come under the heading of “vandalism” and/or “violence”.

      To emphasise this point, and pose the question, is it vandalism or self defence, I quote the following article from Act For Freedom Now:

      Do we really need to give reasons why we chose to damage the property of a Tory councillor? Have a look at the last five years of Tory rule and endless, savage attacks on our lives and you’ll find enough. Wealthy, over privileged Charlotte Leslie and her kind represent all that we detest. With friends in high places and a big business budget to buy all the power and influence she needs, she shamelessly does all she can to make life even easier for the rich and even harder for the rest of us.

     So, we thought we’d share a bit of the stress back that’s been imposed on us and make life a bit more difficult for this champion of the rich. A country house in Easter Compton? Delightful! Four cars for one household? That will do nicely! Canvassing cars were our canvas as we scratched and spraypainted, leaving “Media hungry Tory scum” and a big circled A as a contribution to her self obsessed publicity election drive. Tires were punctured to put a brake on the race further to the right. next up was bit of drilling for domestic heating fuel and an oil spill all over the well kept garden. Because fracking is a dirty business and those who support such an industry should really think about ecological consequences. And also because people should not be forced by government’s poverty policies to choose between having heating or food.

    People like Charlotte Leslie declare moral outrage at such “vandalism” and denounce as unfair attacking her home. But compare the damage caused by this action to the extent of the damage to people’s homes and lives caused by such greedy, lying politicians every day. You’ll see there is no comparison. What is really shocking is that actions like this don’t happen more…

      The iron lady that the police’s Operation Rhone couldn’t protect, the one supporter they should have taken care of. Are they serious? Or a laughing stock? They need to try harder. This was surely too close for comfort. So where’s next?

”Thatcher’s children”

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

 

The Illusion.

       Yea, I know, National Poetry Month has been and gone, but there is nothing wrong with a wee bit of poetry now and again. So here:

The Illusion.

How frail we are

how tenuous our hold,

what a strange trick of nature

that we should feel so bold.

To life tied by a silken thread

burning youth,

a new world vows to mould,

oblivious, as fate blindly cuts the thread,

without a sigh,  leaves sweet youth so cold.

Middle age with confidence comes,

experience expands the illusion.

We cover the world in words of wisdom

believing we,

lead nature to the right conclusion,

but she with ease, a beauty all her own,

shows our naive plans as utter confusion.

At what age will we realise,

we always pay for our arrogant intrusion.

In old age we accept the fact

our time in nature's span is small.

How rich, life in nature's domain could be

if to foul greed we refused to fall.

Accept, we as beggars in her presence stand,

man can flourish and grow tall,

act as her lord and master,

she'll cast man aside like a cheap rag doll. 

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

Racism And Police Brutality.

 

 It says "Police" on his chest, but he looks like a soldier in a combat area.

An appeal from ColorOfChange, on behave of the people of Baltimore:

Sign the Petition.

Over the past few days, Baltimore law enforcement stepped up their militarized violence against protesters. Courageous Black folks and their allies calling for an end to centuries of structural racism and discriminatory policing were met with pepper spray, beatings and unjust arrest. 1 And while all 6 officers who killed Freddie Gray have been charged and are out of jail, many protesters are languishing in overcrowded, inhumane jail cells facing unjust criminal charges and outrageous bail.

Will you join nearly 30,000 ColorOfChange members urging State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby to drop the charges against all protesters?

Since the tragic police killing of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, more than 300 people have been arrested for protesting. Among them is Allen Bullock, an 18-year-old facing a $500,000 bail and 8 criminal counts — that carry a life sentence — for smashing the windows of a police car. 2 Allen's family urged him to turn himself in, but in the context of a justice system that values property over Black lives and disproportionally treats Black youth more harshly than their white counterparts, Allen faces no mercy.

The people of Baltimore have had enough. Over just the last 4 years, police have killed 109 people in the city. And in 2014, 100% of the people killed by Baltimore police were Black. Baltimore — like most cities in America — has a long and ongoing history of violent, discriminatory and illegal policing. 

The same racist and violent Baltimore policing culture that killed Freddie has fueled the recent abuse of protesters. In a harrowing video released this weekend, police are seen pepper-spraying a Black protester point blank and then brutally dragging him across the street by his dreadlocks. 3 White people protesting the same unconstitutional curfew instead received a 5-minute-warning. 4 Police also arrested 10 legal observers who were documenting human rights abuses by law enforcement. 5

Protesters are not criminals. Urge State's Attorney Mosby to drop the charges against protesters and focus the city's resources on preventing violent and discriminatory policing.

Thanks and peace,

— Rashad

Sign the Petition.

References

1. "A Bloody History of Police Brutality in Baltimore," The Root 05-04-2015
http://www.theroot.com/articles/history/2015/05/a_bloody_history_of_police_brutality_in_baltimore.html

2. "Cops Who Murdered Freddie Gray Released On Bail, Protester Still Stuck In Jail (VIDEO)," ReverbPress 05-04-2015
https://reverbpress.com/justice/bullock-held-on-500k-bail-freddie-gray-cops-released/

3. "Balt Police caught treating peaceful protesters diff based on race/or content of speech," SCT LAW Tweet 05-03-2015
https://twitter.com/wylielawfirm/status/594921328643317761

4. "White protestors politely asked to leave, black protestor pepper sprayed and dragged away," BoingBoing 05-04-2015
http://boingboing.net/2015/05/04/white-protestors-politely-aske.html

5. "Baltimore's Refusal to Permit Legal Observers to Witness Police Enforcing Curfew Resulted in Mass Arrest," FireDogLake 05-04-2015
http://dissenter.firedoglake.com/2015/05/04/baltimores-refusal-to-permit-legal-observers-to-witness-police-enforcing-curfew-resulted-in-mass-arrest/

Don't they make you feel safer!!!!

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

Electing The Lying, The Greedy, The Power Seekers.

      Well the grand five yearly Crooks and Liars competition is drawing to a close, and all the competitors have all followed the rules impeccably. They have used every variety of lie and deceit, in every variation, they have hurtled vitriol at each other, they have all promised Utopia, they have refused to answer questions, and on the odd occasion they have come out of their little bubble of unreality, and touched mere mortals in the street. During this Crooks and Liars competition, each candidate names the other as a lying, misleading and dangerous anti-democratic menace. 

 

      However, those who win this extremely expensive charade of smoke and mirrors, will, with a smiling arrogant pomposity, take their seat in the Westminster Houses of Hypocrisy and Corruption, referring to each other as "Honourable Members". They will then proceed with the usual activities of handing out little titbits to their friends and buddies. A little slice of the NHS here, a little subsidy there, a little tax relief to needy millionaire friends. Of course they will not forget themselves in this divvying up process, there are lavish expenses to be fiddled, there are foreign junkets to be enjoyed, wining and dining with the great and good,(the greedy), and attending to their lavish pensions. 

       All of this will of course, be paid for by pillaging the public purse, taking from the poor and the needy, and that's what makes this, not just a stupid lying game, but an attack on the welfare of us, the ordinary people. The Crooks and Liars competition is just another way of perpetuating this greed driven system of exploitation of the people. It's not funny, it is a deadly serious procedure to create the illusion that you, the people, are in control. To a degree you are, you can take part in this charade and hand them power, or you can ignore them and take control and organise your communities the way you want them, working in co-operation with other communities, by communities I mean of course, all that is in them, workplaces, shops and offices, etc. We don't need an cabal of Crooks and Liars divvying up our wealth to their advantage, but they do need us for their unearned lavish lifestyle. We can surely sort this out.

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

Capitalism's Deadliest Enemy.

      In spite of the babbling brook of bullshit, the mainstream media, spewing out crap that gives the picture that capitalism is doing fine with a few minor hiccups in the financial section, that will be resolved by balancing the books, reality speaks a different language. Capitalism is brutally assaulting millions of ordinary people, as it tries to further the wealth and power of the few. Those millions are more and more fighting back, and the capitalist states don't like it. The various states across the capitalist world have increased their repression against anarchists individuals and groups, as they see anarchism as the biggest threat to their system of exploitation.

        For a number of years now Greece has been brutally attempting to crush anarchist autonomous centres, squats and groups. It even started to arrest and imprison relatives of anarchists, simply because they were relatives. However this was stopped by the courageous and prolonged hunger strike of anarchists held in the Greek prison system.

      Of course Greece is not alone in this attempt to crush anarchists and their ideas of freedom and justice for all, here are just some of the other states that are doing their damnedest to extinguish the anarchist spirit of freedom, which is really a human desire for freedom. 

From Anarchist News:

      Following massive raid on anarchists on Tuesday night, three people were charged with terrorism and taken into custody. Whole operation police called “Phoenix” started in early morning with house search in dozens of private flats and social center “Ateneo” in the town of Most. Around 20 people were arrested, part of them only questioned and immediately released.

       Three people were charged of attempted terrorism (12-20 years of prison), some others are officially investigated of the same crime but were released. Even others were charged of not reporting this serious crime. Three people were taken into custody. As some servers were confiscated most of Czech anarchists websites are down.

From Roblosricos:

     the thing to keep in mind with this development is that these demos are illegal, taking pictures of the police is illegal, reporting on police activity is illegal – unless you only regurgitate officially-sanctioned press releases. it’s really difficult for us to know what is happening in spain right now. see previous post –

spain leaps back to dark ages, inquisition, reconquista – any form of public dissent now illegal

     So far over 400 cops, since 5 a.m., have arrested ten people in the city of Barcelona and the historic 25 yr occupied anarchist centre–La Casa de la Muntanya (The house on the mountain) the Anarchist workers centre of St Andreu barrio that of Anarchist Ateneo of Poble Sec neighbourhood – as well as a dozen homes.

From Dark Nights:

     Presenting a series of open letters on the recent raids and jailings of anarchists in the dark heart of Europe, plus a provocative text about refusal of the judicial system by   Edizioni Cerbero

      These are just a few examples of state repression against anarchists, but if you look, you'll find this going on from South America to Asia, from Canada to Australia. Where ever the savage beast of capitalism raises it head, it will see anarchists and anarchism as its deadliest enemy, ask yourself WHY? Just  remember, ----first they came for the anarchists, I wasn't an anarchist so I-----

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

Glasgow's Wet And Cold May Day March.

       Glasgow, George Square, the forenoon of Sunday 3rd. May, a drab wet and cold day, lousy for this time of year, but the array of colourful banners and colourful umbrellas, painted a different picture. It was Glasgow's official May Day march, and despite the lousy weather, by my estimate, I would say that 500+ turned out to brave the rain and the cold. Think what a wonderful turn-out there would have been had the sun been kind to us. They were lead off by a brass band and the usual banners, were held aloft by soaking wet arms, well done.

Some photos from the day:

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

Glasgow's May Day, Sunday May, 3rd.

        Tomorrow, Sunday 3rd. May, Glasgow's "official sanctioned" May Day march and rally will gather at George Square at 11:00am and form up and march off at 11:30. The march will make its way through the city to O2 centre on the south side of the city. Let's make this a big one, get there, bring the kids, banners whistles and your hopes and dreams of a better world for all.

      Just to help get you in the right frame of mind, here is the last verse of Louis Zukofsky's poem, March Comrades.

March comrades in revolution
From hirer unchained
Till your gain
Be the freedom of all
The World's May Day! May!
May of the Freed of All the Earth! 

Then there are the words of August Spies: 

      "You may strangle this voice, but there will be a time when our silence will be more powerful than the voices you strangle today."

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1,000 Deaths A Year At The Hands Of The Police!!!

       In the UK there are killings by the police, and rightfully, there is an outcry of anger when ever they occur, one, is one too many. However, the figures of police killings here in the UK, look almost saint like when compared to those in that land of the free, the Good ol' US of A. This giant that stomps about the world bombing people into democracy, sees more of its citizens killed by its law enforcement officers than any other country in the developed world. Here in the UK, from 1920 to 2014, 46 people have died at the hands of the police. Shocking and unacceptable. 

      However, in America the average appears to be 1,000 a year, killed by its law enforcements officers, I wonder how this compares with its hoopin' and howlrin' days of the Wild West? How can that be acceptable in a so called civilised country. Looking at the out break of violent protests over the most recent US police killing, and then considering these figures, I'm surprised that there is any peace on the streets of America, any day of the week. The US government ranks up the fear of terrorism, yet Since 9/11, foreign-inspired terrorism has claimed about two dozen lives in the United States. Compare that to 1,000 a year by the US police forces. Obviously the government is looking in the wrong places if it claims to be protecting the American people. There is something rotten at the heart of America.

This from Hartford Courant:

      It turns out that record keeping on this subject tends to be a bit makeshift but that 1,000 deaths-by-police is not a crazy number.
1,000. In a year. I can’t get my mind to ingest that number.
     In Great Britain, the usual number, per year, seems to be zero.  Give or take one?
     Germany reported 8 deaths by police service weapons in a two-year period.
      In Canada, well, I read a  bunch of reports like this one, but I never got a hard number. I think if you said a dozen a year, you wouldn’t get much argument.
1,000.
     I’m in shock. We really have to look at this. To pretend that calling attention to it amounts to some kind of verbal war against police is ridiculous.

Read the full article HERE:

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