COMMON GOOD FILM NIGHT CONVERSATIONS:
THE BICYCLE THIEF
Tuesday, 8th of September at 18:30
The Portal Plantation Productions, 987 Govan Road, G51 3AJ
Unemployed Antonio Ricci (Lamberto Maggiorani) is elated when he finally finds work hanging posters around war-torn Rome. Disaster strikes when Antonio's bicycle is stolen.
Nice film this.
This is far from being a first … We learn in a statement of August 26, 2015, that a police agent infiltrated the autonomous area and ‘Rote Flora’ between 2009 and 2012. The undercover cop Maria Böhmichen rubbed shoulders with anti-capitalist activists / anarchists during this period and embedded herself in their private spaces. Under the name of “Maria Block”, she has participated in several international mobilizations over recent years, such as during the protests against the UN climate conference in Copenhagen (Denmark) in 2009, during the ‘No Border’ camps on the island of Lesbos (Greece) in 2009 and in Brussels (Belgium) in 2010.Besides having created bonds of “friendship” and having had at least one sexual relationship within the community, she was able to gain access to private areas of activists and infiltrate the organization and execution of direct actions (not penalised). She also participated actively in meetings, demonstrations and events concerning anti-fascism and anti-racism, as well as in anti-nuclear and environmentalist struggles.This new case of an undercover cop comes less than a year after comrades exposed the infiltration of cop Iris Plate into the autonomous milieu in Hamburg in December 2014. This one had been embedded for six years, between 2000 and 2006, under the name of Iris Schneider. So this is the second case of spookery under the leadership of Senator of the Interior Neumann of the Social Democratic Party (SPD).
Election Boycott against Capital and the State
The approval of the third memorandum by the SYRIZA—ANEL coalition government clearly destroys the reformist delusions. Very few continue to believe that under the domain of global capitalism, the European Union, and contemporary totalitarianism, that government programs could possibly satisfy the needs of the exploited. Through their facetious referendum, the Left government transformed the social effervescence of the “NO” into a resounding “YES” for emiseration. Now they are preparing for new elections, showing how quickly they have learned to take advantage of the rules of the bourgeois political game. In the same moment, a section of SYRIZA has split off, trying to renovate faith in the prospect of leftwing management of capitalism. They continue to cultivate the delusion of delegating the solution of social problems to self-proclaimed saviors, within a populist-nationalist program of interclass collaboration. But it is now clear that the neoliberal path as well as the statist alternative converge in their goals of capitalist growth and the further devaluation of our labor and our lives.
It is more urgent than ever to understand that we can only rely on our own power. To prevent social cannibalism, it is necessary to organize the self-defense of the exploited and oppressed. Networks of social solidarity based in direct participation that take a position against the philanthropic logic of NGOs and the Church, can create a common field of defense and reproduction of our class in conditions of crisis and the assault of Capital. Simultaneously, we must sabotage the plans of the State and Capital, and organize our attack. With base unions and workers' initiatives that will attack the bureaucratic, state-legitimized syndicalism and organize in the workplace, with public assemblies that will turn neighborhoods into zones of resistance, with federated political groups, with all of these we have to reorganize every aspect of social life, and to organize our attack against the dominance of State and Capital. Inseparable from our self-defense as a class is the defense of the devalued segment of our class: the immigrants and the refugees. We will not allow the fascists to ever again appear in public space, promoting as always the interests of the bosses.In this year's Thessaloniki International Trade Fair, we make our first appearance in the movement as the Initiative for the Creation of the Anarchist Federation, emphasizing the collective organizing of our needs and the coalescence of the struggles of our class against contemporary totalitarianism. We support the uncompromising and independent social and class struggles, such as the struggle of the workers of the self-organized, occupied factory of BIO. ME. that of the residents of Halkidiki against the goldmine in Skouries, and all of the other self-organized initiatives from below, with which we will struggle together against the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair. Against the State, the European Union, local and international capital, we walk towards the social revolution, anarchy, and communism.
WE WILL NOT LIVE LIKE SLAVES.
FOR SOCIAL REVOLUTION,
FREEDOM, AND COMMUNISM—ANARCHY
Open invitation to participate in the demonstration against the Thessaloniki International Fair*, Saturday, 5 September 2015, Kamara, 6pm
*The Thessaloniki International Trade Fair is an annual meeting of investors and business owners, important in the Balkan and east Mediterranean region.
Anarchist Group Thrialida (Fuse) (Athens), Anarchist Group Kathodon (On the Way) (Athens), Anarchist Group from Nea Filadelfia Athens, Anarchist Group Rubicon (Athens), Anarchists for Social Liberation (Athens), Void Circle (Political Section of Void Network, Athens), Libertarian Initiative of Thessaloniki, Anarchist Group Oktana (Crete), Libertarian Initiative Against State and Capital “No Man's Land” (Patras)
Read the full article HERE:As for energy and perseverance, I can honestly say that I have never been more in love with the ideal of anarchy or more convinced of the possibility of its practical application, provided people actually want it. I feel like I have a clear sense of the general lines of the tradition and, somewhat surprisingly, that the elements that originally drew me to that tradition were no so marginal to it as I had been led to believe. I find myself curiously mainstream, with a line of influences running right through the heart of the “classical” part of the tradition (roughly Fourier—Proudhon—Bakunin—Mella—Nettlau—> .)
The last couple of years have been like a homecoming, though perhaps a little light at times on the welcome. The last couple of months have been about getting okay with all of that.
It’s not so easy to feel like you have finally reached the sort of understanding you’ve been struggling toward, and to end up feeling more than a bit lonely when you get there. It’s easy to imagine that, even among anarchists, failure to conform is failure. But I’ve come to believe, over time and through periods of wrestling with facts and stakes, that it is unfortunate, but not unlikely that coming to terms with the ideal of anarchy, in the midst of a world that is so firmly set against it, should be an isolating affair. I’ve spent a lot of time, particularly quite recently, in the context of some other anarchists’ explorations of similar concerns, thinking about what “not giving up” and “not burning out” might look like, and also what it might look like it the burn-out was more general than individual. And I’ve reached my own conclusions, for better or worse, and this time around I really think that, well…
-------Yet, in positions of power, there are many revolutionary people with a strong anti-state philosophy. [7] So there is an opportunity here. We have a unique space where we can organise, carve out our own projects and implement our ideas. We are at an advantage in this space with access to a lot of resources (think oil fields and country of three million people) rather than your little commune or squat.
Maybe that’s cool for you and you like the lifestyle but don’t call yourself a revolutionary. I’m disappointed that there’s less than a dozen libertarian type revolutionaries here. They are desperate for solutions here and if we don’t give them, they will go to the corporations rather than allowing their people to starve.
ISIS became strong when they announced to the world their project for a revolutionary caliphate. Revolutionary Muslims came from all over the world with the strength of their conviction and made ISIS powerful. If Rojava fails it will be because of the lack of international solidarity and I will personally disown the anarchist movement as a joke movement incapable of practical change. Now the revolution has happened but people don’t seem to want to know about it. Cool.
Here are some excuses I’ve heard from friends I’ve invited:
“I have to look after my dog.”
“I can do more from here advocating and protesting.”
“I don’t know if Rojava is real” (i.e. I will stay comfy in a capitalist state rather than risk a revolution).
“I have important work here” (maybe your work is more useful in Rojava).
History is made by people that leap into unknowns. If you are satisfied with the status quo, stay where you are. But this revolution is the biggest libertarian project of this century. This is a chance to be a better person that swum against the tide. The more of us that do this, the stronger we become. And we don’t even need to be that great in number.
The time of theory is over. Now is the time of action.
– from Rojava Reality
Additional Notes1. It has been claimed that the PKK executed 1,500 of its own members.† This may be an exaggeration but one former member insists that Abdullah Ocalan “demanded absolute submission to his person from the people in his surrounding and unrelentingly pushed this through”. Another has said that “you’re not allowed to question Ocalan’s orders. You’re not free. … If there was Kurdish state it would be like the PKK.” Yet another PKK dissident has said: “One man decides everything, nobody else can say what they think. … To become a member of the PKK is like joining a religion.”2. This claim is backed up by Abdullah Ocalan’s brother, Osman, who says that the PKK still has a Stalinist ideology of ‘one party, one leader’ and that the PKK “orchestrates 90% of what is happening in Syrian Kurdistan.” The Rojava regime, apparently, has even tried to ban the display of pictures of politicians other than those from the PKK such as Abdullah Ocalan.† They have also banned overly critical journalists.†3. Workers’ “uncooperative” attitude is hardly surprising considering that selling your labour to a cooperative in a market economy gives you no real control of your life anyway.--------
This month, the inspirational Take One Action film festival returns to cinemas in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Now in its eighth year, the Take One Action Film Festival promises some of the most inspiring new international films, plus debates and opportunities for change for a better world.
This year, we’re supporting screenings of the film Tigers, a moving thriller and real-life David and Goliath story about what happens when a young salesman working for a multi-national pharmaceutical company realises the impact of what he's selling and decides that it's time to take on the company, and the system.
The screenings are on Saturday 19 September at the Edinburgh Filmhouse and Sunday 20 September at the Glasgow Film Theatre. Both screenings will be followed by panel and audience discussion as well as ideas and opportunities to take action or get involved locally.
Hope to see you there!
Best wishes
Liz
Global Justice Now (Scotland)
Connect with us: Twitter | Facebook
Our mailing address is:
Global Justice Now
66 Offley Road, London SW9 0LS
Phone: 020 7820 4900
We used to be the World Development Movement. Find out more.
Indonesian National Revolution 1945-49
Greek Civil War 1944-48
Operation Masterdom 1945-46
Malayan Emergency 1948-60
Korean War 1950-53
Angola-Egyptian War 1951-52
Mau-Mau Uprising 1952-60
Jebel Akhdar War 1954-59
Cypriot Intercommunal Violence 1955-60
Suez Crisis 1956-57
Irish Border Campaign 1956-62
Indonesia-Malayasia Confrontation 1962-66
Dhofar Rebellion 1962-75
Aden Emergency 1963-67
Nigerian Civil War 1967-70
Irish “Troubles” 1968-98
Falklands War 1982
Multinational Forces In Lebanon 1982-84
Gulf War 1991
Bosnian War 1992-96
Operation Desert Fox 1998
Kosovo War 1998-99
Sierra Leone Civil War 2000-02
Afghanistan War 2001-14
Iraq War 2033-09
Libyan Civil War 2011
As various segments of the US radical left begin planting their flags in the electoral arena, Syriza’s recent fall from grace should serve as a stark reminder of the unfulfilled promise of the electoral road to socialism.Read the full article HERE:
Syriza’s rise to power elicited widespread praise from the left internationally, inspiring renewed enthusiasm for the possibilities and promise of “mass left” party building in and outside the United States. At a rally celebrating Syriza’s electoral victory in Spain, Pablo Iglesias, secretary general of the Spanish anti-austerity party Podemos, declared that“the sun of hope rose over Greece.”
Yet “the sun of hope” began to set on Greece almost as quickly as it rose. Shortly after taking office, Syriza, the “Coalition of the Radical Left,” formed a coalition government with the right-wing, anti-immigrant Independent Greeks (ANEL) party, followed only months later by the predictable surrender of the government to a new round of harsh austerity imposed by Greece’s creditors.
Note: Evi Statiri is the partner of Conspiracy of Cells of Fire member Gerasimos Tsakalos. She was arrested on March 2, 2015 under accusation of participating in a 'terrorist' group, for allegedly being involved in an escape plan by the imprisoned CCF members. After her arrest, CCF members went on hunger strike to the death, demanding the release of their family members. After 31 days of hunger strike, with some strikers approaching death, the left wing management agreed to their demands. However, after months of waiting, Evi remains in prison.Inter Arma received and translated:On September 3, the Judicial Council is going to decide on the extension of the pre-trial detention of Evi Statiri.In the context of the nationwide call for action and solidarity which has been organized by comrades for the 2nd of September, we invite all anarchist individualities, direct action cells and comrades to sabotage normality and to destroy the clock of power. To brake the silence with counter-info actions (posters, flyers, banners, slogans) and to end the immobility of passivity with actions and sabotage.On September 2, let us challenge the world of organized apathy with hostile gestures of insubordination.NO REGRETNO DEFEATIMMEDIATE RELEASE OF EVI STATIRI2 SEPTEMBER NATIONWIDE DAY OF ACTIONindividualities tending towards chaos
Read the full article HERE:A statistical release published today (August 27) in response to my Freedom of Information request dating back to May 28, 2014, states that the total number of deaths involving claimants of Incapacity Benefit, Employment and Support Allowance and Severe Disablement Allowance – between the start of December 2011 and the end of February 2014 is 81,140, including 50,580 (ESA claimants) and 30,560 (IB/SDA claimants). All figures are rounded up to the nearest 10.Add this to the 10,600 deaths that were already known between January and November 2011 and you have 91,740.Information for ESA claimants shows:
- And 3,320 deaths in which the claimant was not in receipt of any benefit payment and is therefore marked as “unknown”.
The total number of claimants who flowed off ESA, IB or SDA whose date of death was at the same time and of those the number with a WCA decision of “fit for work”, between December 2011 to February 2014 was 2,650 (2,380 ESA, 270 IB/SDA).
