Picnic On The Green, May 2018.

      Well our May Day week celebrations came to a very pleasant end with our annual Picnic on the Green. The sun came out, the temperature soared and the people had a great time. May Day celebrations as they should be, family, friends, chat, music, poetry, fun, dance, food to share, face painting for the kids, and thoughts of past struggles and hopes for the future. Even although some of the performers couldn't make it at the last moment, it was a wonderful mixed afternoon of fun. A special thanks to our to young dancers, they were a star turn.

    Our week started with the Donald Dewar statue gathering on May 1st. music, poetry and leafleting. Wednesday May 2nd was our history walk through the city centre, about 25 interested individuals gathered to follow, listen, question and learn, as they twisted their way through the city. A great success with lots of literature handed out on some of our working class struggles.

     The culmination of our week's celebrations was the Picnic on the Green, Sunday May 6th. This was our third year, and each year it has got larger, so here's hoping that the next one will be bigger still.

     None of this would have been possible if it wasn't for that wee band of dedicated volunteers, who took the idea and pushed it into a reality, nor would it have worked without all those wonderful people who gave up their valuable time to come and take a shot at centre stage, without them it would be nothing. A big thank you to those who came with their stalls and set up, adding colour and interest to the event. Of course there is the most important group of all, the general public that turned up and supported the idea of May Day celebrations on the Green. A big thank you to all and each of you.
     Some photos and video from the afternoon Picnic on the Green:

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On The Street With The Invisible Ground.

        Across the world anarchist put together leaflets, zines, pamphlets, etc., and work towards getting them out on the street among the less informed members of society, in the hope of bring about change. Though I see a place for the "social media" avenue of communication, I still believe we abandon the paper and the street at our peril. The street is the place to meet people you have never met before, to influence that stranger, to make that new connection. The paper "thing" in your hand, transferring it to a living person, is so much more alive than sitting at a screen spouting your thoughts. So I always plug magazines, leaflets, flyers, etc.. Though no longer able to do my bit on the street as I used to, I still hunger for that human connection between me, my ideas on paper and a complete stranger.

      So here is an extract from my pick of an April zine, The Invisible Ground, that could be freely printed out and taken to the street.

Fascists ARE the State

        States uphold their own authority by maintaining a monopoly on violence. The state, through its police and military apparatuses, is considered the only actor that may legitimately commit violence. Fascism is a bargain struck between the state and certain privileged groups; that members of these groups may enact violence which is then legitimized by the state. As long as the violence serves the state’s desires and ultimately upholds its authority, the state will not interfere.
       Historically, when a state (especially capitalist states) finds its authority is in jeopardy it will commonly employ campaigns against an ideological “Other” in an attempt to reunify an increasingly skeptical population under its mythological authority and ensure its continued existence.
         20th and 21st century fascism are examples of this practice, as is the colonial concept of whiteness itself.

The myth of the Legal Society

        There are many myths that are crucial in upholding behaviors that ensure the public’s continued participation in, and identification with the nation state. Few of these myths are as pernicious as that of the Legal Society; the notion that the actions of the state are bound by a code of laws, and not simply motivated by the state’s desires.
     State atrocities committed through the police and military throughout history and in recent memory have proven the ideal of the free and legal society is a myth.
       How many lived through the evictions of Oceti Sakowin and Sacred Stone Camp? How many more watched via livestream? How many injustices must we witness before we admit that the state is limited in action only by its own ability, and driven only by its own desire!
       It doesn’t matter if we believe our actions will be considered “legal”. When the state feels threatened, legality becomes difficult to define.

Download free as a PDF HERE:here 

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Glasgow May Day 2018.

     May Day would not go unmarked in Glasgow, as would be expected, a motely band of anarchists, socialists, wobblies and diggers, etc. set forth from George Square. Headed by a banjo and singing they threaded their way past the Merchants House, past the undergrond, up to the green man that is the Donald Dewar statue, Glasgow's icon of Labourism. There they joined stalls, musicians, singers and poets.

     The proceedings opened with a splended rendition of Preacher and a Slave sung by Brendan in a resplendent red jacket. By now some passers-by joined the group, swelling the numbers. Brendan McLaughlin was followed by the wonderful soaring vioce of Joe Craig, recalling the Spanish Civil War. The crowd were now treated to Pauline Vallance playing the clarsach, her first song being self-penned about a May Sunday. Then followed some poems by Rab Fullerton and Paul Anderson, more songs this time from Pauline Bradley. Things kept lively, and feet kept tapping, with several  tunes played on the pipes by Tommy Kayes.

       Living rent and Scottish independence speakers followed, and then a Anti-Austerity/Class War spokesperson, gave a conversational account of their visit to the Scottish Parliament to give Esther McVey, government's Minister works and pensions a small taste of her own medicine.

     The event closed with more songs from Joe, Pauline and Brendan.

      A group retired to the Scotia Bar for more chat and songs, by 2pm., the temperature had dropped and some stalls packed up among them Clydeside IWW, Living Rent, and Westgap. An earlier threat by an "official" regarding Class War posters put up on a shop window, evaporated as nae polis showed up.

     The afternoon was stimulated by other events, old friends passing by were greeted, new enquirers were given leaflets and info on History Walk, Wednesday, evening, 6pm. 2nd May, Montrose Street, and the Picnic on the Green, Sunday May 6th., 2pm. Glasgow Green.

       The afternoon's events, which were a great success, were filmed by City Strolls, thanks Bob. Report by Keith, edited by J.C.

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Glasgow's May Day Celebrations.

     Glasgow May Day celebrations kick off on Tuesday May 1st. Don't forget our gathering at the Donald Dewar statue at the top of Buchanan Street, performers and stalls 12 noon May 1st.
     Then that history walk, Wednesday May 2nd. 6pm, a stroll through the city stopping to learn a wee bit about the Glasgow's radical past, then the main event, the annual Picnic on the Green, Glasgow Green, Sunday, May 6th. from 2pm. again a wee bit of everything, singers, musicians, poets, dancers, face painting, and food to share. Bring what you expect to find, bring the family, bring your street.
     Here's a wee bit of info.

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A Welcome Sign On A Short Run.

      After six months of medical problems and a prolonged winter and forced inactivity, my thoughts were sadly turning to, would I ever get out on the bike again. Saturday was a beautiful day so after a few trials of trying to get my leg over and onto the bike and back off again, I set off. I picked an easy run, very easy, and a short run, very short, I decided to follow the Forth and Clyde canal for a bit and then return by the same route. I was hoping that the legs wouldn't complain too much, to my delight they didn't. The pace was down as was the gears I was using, but what the hell, here I was pedaling in beautiful sunshine, ah, the exhilaration. Not far along my journey I had to stop and take a photo of a very welcoming sight, an unknown friend had been busy with their paint can.

      So the first run of the late start season over, and looking forward to building it up, weather permitting, after all, this is Scotland, land of the mist and the heather. 

A welcoming sign.

A wee seat at Kirkintilloch to sit and enjoy the canal.

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The Illusion Of Order.

Paris 2018.

        As usual, our babbling brook of bullshit, the mainstream media, displays order in our land. The government has set up a hotline for the innocent people of the  "Windrush" engineered victimisation scheme, well that's that problem sort!!! All those lovely people, the leaders of the Commonwealth, are wining and dining with the Queen and agreeing that her, on lifetime benefit, son, should become leader of the Commonwealth, well that's unemployment down again. All this is laced with bits of spice and a little bit of shock here and there, but all is well here in the UK, order reigns among a happy population, after all we have a royal wedding to finance and look forward to, which will bring colour and pleasure into our simple lives. And so the illusion is re-enforced for the gullible. The misery caused by austerity, universal credit, rising homelessness, increasing child poverty, a crumbling education system, and a health service cracking at the seams, is sidelined in favour of popcorn and bubblegum "news", trivia and propaganda. Nor is there a word about the chaos just across the Channel in France. Transport strikes that are paralysing the country, the students' strikes and occupations, Air France strikes, and not forgetting the strikes and protests by civil servants, energy workers and garbage collectors, then there is ZAD, and the ongoing struggle to defend ZAD against brutal eviction. France's Economy Minister has admitted that the strikes are impacting on growth, oh dear. President Macron is not a popular man among the ordinary people, but of course, big business love him. To the uninitiated, that should give you a hint as to where his loyalties lie. 

Defence of ZAD, April 2018.

  

    On top of this welling up of hatred and disgust with the economic system in France, the powers that be, are a bit nervous about the looming 50th. anniversary of the May 1968 French uprising, which may be celebrated in a way that the political ballerinas and corporate Mafia don't like. Well here's hoping. 

Paris, May 1968.

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My Little Patch Of Deprivation.

      Maybe it's my age, or maybe it's just my personality, but I get irritated by the increase in "The only way is----". I suppose this is due to the weird popularity of a certain TV program. On Facebook we have "The only way is Maryhill" and "The only way is Gorbals" will these be followed by "The only way is Garngad", "The only way is Calton", "the only way is Bridgeton" etc., etc. I call this an insular policy, tribalism and petty patriotism, just a precursor to "The only way is Great Briton". It is as though each of these districts were the only slum in Glasgow, and some people wear it like a badge of honour, but let's not forget, Glasgow was a slum. As was Liverpool, Birmingham, Belfast and all industrial cities in this landmass called Great Britain. Instead of looking inwards and focusing on our own little bit of this industrial capitalism created slum, we should be looking outwards towards each other and coming together to free ourselves from the ever increasing threat and distinct possibility, of a return of the modern slums. Let's not describe ourselves by our own little patch of deprivation, we are much bigger than that. We can come together and without the burden of our political ballerinas and "entrepreneurs" ensure we see the last of "The only way is my little piece of deprivation" and the creation of "The only way is the people's world".

 Maryhill.

 Garngad.

 Gorbals.

 Bridgeton.

Calton. 

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Trees Or Tarmac, Autonomy Or Control?

  And more on the ZAD struggle. This from Contra Info:

       A CALL FOR INTERGALACTIC SOLIDARITY ACTIONS EVERYWHERE TO END THE DESTRUCTION OF THE ZAD OF NOTRE DAME DES LANDES

We are writing with the smell of tear gas rising from our fingers. The springtime symphony of birdsong is punctuated by the explosive echo of concussion grenades. Our eyes are watering, less from the gas than the sadness; because our friends’ homes, barns and organic farms are being destroyed. Bulldozers, supported by 2500 riot police, armored vehicles, helicopters and drones, are rampaging through these forests, pastures and wetlands to crush the future we are building here on the to the zad (The zone à defendre).

We are calling on you to take solidarity actions everywhere, it could be holding demos at your local french embassy or consulate, or taking actions against any suitable symbol (corporate or otherwise) of France ! And if you are not too far away, bring your disobedient bodies to join us on the zone. If the French government evicts the zad, it will be like evicting hope.

For fifty years, this unique chequerboard landscape was the site of a relentless struggle against yet another climate wrecking infrastructure – a new airport for the nearby city of Nantes. Farmers and villagers, activists and naturalists, squatters and trade unionists wove an unbreakable ecology of struggle together and three months ago on the 17th of January, the French government announced that the airport project would be abandoned. But this incredible victory, won through a diversity of creative tactics from petitions to direct action, legal challenges to sabotage, had a dark shadow. In the same breath that declared the abandonment, came the announcement that the people occupying these 4000 acres of liberated territory, the 300 of us living and farming in 80 different collectives, would be evicted because we dared not just to be against the airport, but its WORLD as well.

Read the full article HERE:

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Autonomy Verses State Control.

     Years of occupation, in defence of the area and to prevent it becoming another tarmac and concrete jungle and now ten days of relentless state brutality to evict the occupants of ZAD, and still the battle rages. All the savage force of the state apparatus is being brought to forcibly evict a community, autonomy can't be tolerated in the psyche of the state. This land must be under their control and made available to the corporate juggernaut that is raping and plundering the planet. People will be beaten, bludgeoned, teargassed, and forcibly dragged and dumped or arrested, while the state talks of democracy. The struggle taking place in ZAD demands all our support and solidarity. This from Its Going Down:

       The first episode in a series by The Cinema Committee which looks at La ZAD, or the Zone to Defend, in France.
        In the early morning of Monday, April 9, 2018, the current invasion of the ZAD began. This land-occupation near the village of Notre-Dames-des-Landes is still under siege after nine days of tear gas, concussion grenades, drones, clubs, tanks, and attack dogs. Like the famous French children’s song, the imperial assault began on a “Lundi matin” and continued every day of the week until the following Monday when it started all over again. This is now the second week of the siege.
       In the original lyrics of the children’s song, the emperor, the empress, and the prince come to put “you” in a pinch every day of the week but luckily “you” are never there. The emperor of this little song was based on Napoleon III, the disease-ridden tyrant who ruled over France until his disastrous war with Prussia. Thanks to his idiocy and egotism, the city of Paris was surrounded by the invading army and within a year the autonomous Commune had forced the Republican government to flee the city. The current situation is much different than it was in 1871 and hopefully it ends with victory rather than bloodshed. In no uncertain terms, what is being fought for at the ZAD is the earth itself. Unlike the Paris Commune with its delusions about the citizen, the state school, money, and government, this epic battle in the hedgerows is being fought to free the land from the capitalist economy, not compromise with it.
       Our own personal time in the ZAD was far too brief and yet long enough to linger in our minds forever. Like those who’ve visited Chiapas or Rojava, the ZAD is one of the few places on the planet where capitalist time and its market relations have been abolished. Living a communal life free from economic constraints is a visceral experience that makes even the longest work-vacation seem like a sick joke. Nothing is more infectious and viral than the experience of a life worth living. It’s powerful enough that thousands of people have spent the past week fighting for it on the moorland of Notres-Dames-des-Landes where there have been over 100 serious injuries.
      On this Wednesday, April 18, three representatives of the ZAD met with the French state and reasserted their demand that the entire zone be held in common by the inhabitants. As could be expected, the state refused this demand once again and insisted that each parcel must be individually claimed by a private owner no later than April 23. Should the inhabitants of the ZAD refuse to sign their names on these individuals contracts, the French state will order another round of evictions and destroy the remaining 70 structures. This cannot be allowed to happen.
       To help spread awareness of this beautiful zone, we are releasing a series of videos that document this battle to save the ZAD. Each one is formatted as a self-contained episode and will cover the various aspects of this struggle. They are meant to be circulated across North America and will be released until the siege has been broken. This first episode covers the first two days of the eviction and weaves together footage from a variety of sources. As could be expected, the mainstream media outside of France is hardly covering this historic event and it’s up to us to disseminate news of the ZAD. We wish everyone good luck between the hedgerows and hope you all stay free. Keep up the good fight and know we are all with you across the ocean. Let’s bring the ZAD back home!

With love and affection,
-The Cinema Committee

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