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."

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

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:

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

Glasgow, May 1st. May Day

         May 1st. May Day in Glasgow this year, was as usual, a friendly and good humoured affair, with a bonus this year, the weather wasn't bad at all. It is always good to meet up with friends, comrades and acquaintances that we have all been too busy to meet up with on a regular basis. The usual groups were there, IWW, Glasgow A. Fed, Glasgow Anarchist Collective, Solfed, Faslane Peace Camp, and others, with a good scattering of black  and red and black flags waving it the chill breeze. Lots of literature was handed out and sold, and lots of chats with the passing public. All these activities were well received by that public looking for a change to this brutal system that hits them with nothing but austerity and promises of more austerity, while the rich get richer.  

       Sunday, May 3rd. will see the Glasgow "official" May Day march and rally, gather at George Square 11.00am, setting off at 11:30am, marching through the city to the O2 centre on the Southside of the city. Hope to see you all there for another show of working class pride.

Some photos from Glasgow's Friday May 1st. May Day:

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