The Usual Police Brutality.

 

      Police brutality is a fact of the state system, there is no other way that the state can keep control of the population. What the people want and what the state want are irreconcilable. People want freedom to choose their way of life, to enjoy the fruits of their labour and to share in an equal and civilised manner. The state wants total control to keep the wealth flowing to the few wealthy power mongers at the top. The moment people challenge that position out comes the iron fist, Chile, Lebanon, Ecuador, Haiti, Bolivia, Iran, Iraq, France, Spain, Hong Kong and lots of places elsewhere.

   Let's not forget Greece, a short video of Greek democracy at work today:

αλλού τον βρίσκει αλλά δεν έχει σημασία που θα σε βρει ο πυροσβεστηρας ...

— Konos (@Kon0s) December 6, 2019

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk

The Rapist Is You.

      It infects our world, it is an epidemic that needs to be stamped out, no country is immune from it, patriarchy, the virus spawned for the macho state model that at present rules the planet. Patriarchy is cloaked in the false legitimacy of tradition, culture and phony macho values, and where ever women stand up against this silent brutality, civilised men must stand with them. It is a vile problem for all of us who desire and struggle for a free and civilised world.

       It is wonderful and encouraging to see such unified and open opposition to this silent and all too often, accepted violence. Thanks Loam for the link:

Source: @Professorsblogg on Twitter. In front of the Chilean Court of Justice –and even in front of a police station– a most strong message delivered by female protesters on brutal state-repression, disappearance of detainees, police rapes and judges' complicity. Here translation by The Indicter Channel of the original (in Spanish) chant:

The rapist is you.

And our punishment

it's the violence you don't see.

Patriarchy is a judge

that judges us for being born.

And our punishment

it's the violence you see.

It's femicide,

impunity for the murderer.

It is the disappearances [of detainees].

It is the rape.

And the fault was not mine,

neither where I was,

nor the way I dressed.

And the fault was not mine,

neither where I was,

nor the way I dressed.

The rapist was you.

The rapist is you.

They are, the cops.

They are, the judges.

The state.

The President.

The oppressive state

is a macho rapist.

The oppressive state

is a macho rapist.

The rapist is you.

The rapist is you!

[Below, in quotes, a citation of the Carabineros (police force) anthem, shouted by the female demonstrators]:

"Sleep quiet innocent girl

without worrying about the bandit

that for your sweet and sinuous dream

watch the policeman who loves you "

The rapist is you.

The rapist is you!

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk 

Writers For Miners.

      It is that time of year again, when we at Spirit of Revolt stand with cap in hand asking for your donations.

You Can Donate HERE:

     Spirit of Revolt was formed in 2011, by a small group of volunteers, with one thing in mind, the history of the ordinary people matters and is very important in defining who we are. Since that day when we got our first collection we have built up a fabulous array of material from people who struggle for all of us. The number of collections now numbers 40, with more being processed. The number of documents goes into the thousands from leaflets, serials, letters, posters, booklets, pamphlets, photos and lots of other memorabilia. All this material is open to the public via the Mitchell Library, but we also have put an incredible amount on line for you to peruse at home, on your phone, laptop or whatever, and will continue with this process.

     Our collections are too numerous to list here, but they include, "The Faslane Peace Camp", "James Kelman Collection", "Bratach Dubh Collection", "Counter Information", all valuable records of the history of the ordinary people. 

    We are in no way attached to trade unions or political parties, nor do we receive any funding from these organisations. We collect material of the struggles of the ordinary people, mainly from the Glasgow Clydeside area but some of material comes from further afield.

    I think it was George Orwell who said, ( I paraphrase here) "The best way to destroy a people is to destroy their history"

    Without our history we are a people without a culture, without a past. In the case of the ordinary people that is far from the truth, we have a long history of struggle of which we can be very proud. What Spirit of Revolt collects and stores is a history that is not usually preserved, we owe it to those people of past struggles that we should remember them and learn from them.

    Why not take a look at what we do, browse the labyrinth of collections, be proud of your history and learn more about that history.

     If you like what we are doing and think we are doing a decent job, why not make a small donation, a one of, or a direct debit, and help us to continue doing what we do, preserving your history.

    To tempt you, for a limited period, we are offering a free CD to anyone who arranges a direct debit of £5 or more. This is a unique CD with an array of names you will not see on any other one CD. Think of it as giving us the price of a couple of coffees once a month.

Free CD and booklet.

     Spirit of Revolt is anarchist/libertarian-socialist archive dedicated to preserving and making easily accessible to the public at large, Glasgow/Clydeside grass-roots history of struggle. We are not connected to any political party or trade union nor do we receive any funding from any of these organisation. We are a volunteer group who give our time freely, however in a capitalist society funds are a necessary evil to survive and grow. We rely on our various outreach programs to raise funds, and the much appreciated supporters who have signed a direct debit to help sustain this project, to them, a great big thank you.

In an endeavour to increase our funds and help secure the project, we are, for a limited period offering a CD and booklet, Writers for Miners, to anyone who signs up a direct debit for £5 or more, to Spirit of Revolt. It will be free delivery in the UK, further afield we would have to look at the cost. Have a look at our website https://spiritofrevolt.info, if you like what we are doing and think we are doing a good job, then the price of a couple of coffees a month would be much appreciated.

Details of the CD and booklet:

 The Writers for Miners Events, 1984

        In 1984-85 events known as “Writers for Miners” took place on consecutive Saturdays in Glasgow’s 3rd Eye Centre to raise funds for striking coal miners at local pits in one of the most significant industrial disputes in world history. With 140,000 out on strike the Thatcher Government planned to break the power of the NUM union, the most well organised group of workers in the country. With 11,291 arrests and lasting 1 year it unleashed massive state repression, brutality and violence. The other unions largely did not show solidarity and the strike failed, opening the door to the destruction of working class communities, job insecurity and privatisation.

       Performers, poets, visual artists and others decided to support the striking miners in Scotland and formed artists-in-Solidarity which organised fundraising for the miners’ families by holding events. This CD is a recording of those events. James Kelman explains, “Radical history is marginalised by the State and events of this nature should be recorded otherwise they are forgotten. The STUC offered to part-fund the project but on this occasion failed to come up with the money. We still went ahead. It was hoped that a selection of songs, poetry and prose-readings might be produced eventually in the form of a couple of albums (all proceeds to the miners’ strike fund). It didn’t happen, for one reason or another…The original project was launched in support of the miners and their families. Those days may have gone but solidarity and comradeship haven’t. All proceeds from the sale of the Writers for Miners album will go toward the Spirit of Revolt (S.O.R.) Archive, in appreciation of the crucial work carried out by the S.O.R. volunteers in the preservation of radical history”.

In 1984, those involved were,
Norman McCaig,
Freddy Anderson,
Hamish Henderson,
Duncan Maclean,
Kathleen Jamie and Robert Alan Jamieson,
Donald Saunders,
Peter Nardini,
Rab Noakes,
Nancy Nicolson,
Alasdair Gray,
Jeff Torrington,
Agnes Owens,
Carl MacDougall,
James Kelman,
Archie Hind,
Donald Saunders,
Tom Leonard,
Edwin Morgan,
Edward Boyd,
Danny Kyle,
Tom McGrath,
Jeff Torrington,
Agnes Owens,
Archie Hind.
Where will you get such a fabulous collection of performers on one CD?

You can make you donation from our donate page:

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk

The State's Pacifier, Police Violence.

 

        Yes the yellow vests struggle in France continues, but what we have to realise that it continues in face of extreme state violence against anyone who would dare to challenge the inequality, injustice and corruption of the French state. Those statistics of injuries are people, people's lives mutilated and changed forever by the callous use of brute force and dangerous weaponry, on which the state believes it has a monopoly. They believe they can use what force they wish with impunity, and those who continue to resist this savagery will be hit harder, and others will be chewed up in the state's loaded judicial system.

The extremely violent repression of the Gilets Jaunes movement has affected the lives of many, continuing a long tradition of police violence in France. In December 2018: three lives are affected by police violence amongst the chaos of the Yellow Vest protests in France. This film is dedicated to people all over the world mutilated and killed by police weapons. Please watch and share this independent short documentary which has been filmed over a year.

A story of police violence in France from Ross Domoney on Vimeo.

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk

Capitalism Extinction Or Anarchism Survival?

 

  The latest from Sub.Media on climate emergency.

          Every day the news gets worse. Millions of people are displaced by record-breaking heatwaves and droughts, violent mega-storms and flash floods. Unprecedented wildfires burn out of control, scorching massive tracts of forest and brush, and plunging nearby urban metropolises into surreal scenes of mid-afternoon darkness. Meanwhile, scientists solemnly inform us that marine life could be wiped out by mid-century, as the oceans continue to be gradually transformed from vibrant areas of rich biodiversity into the plastic-filled graveyards of industrial civilization. Try as we might... the consequences of our consequence-free lifestyles are becoming harder and harder to ignore.

       It’s become widely accepted that ‘global warming’ exists, and that our societies’ current rates of carbon emission are imperiling future generations. Millions of people agree that we are robbing our unborn descendants of their right to an inhabitable planet – something that their ancestors foolishly took for granted. This increasing awareness is translating into a growing consensus that our so-called ‘leaders’ need to intervene in order to fix this problem and correct this historic injustice. Unfortunately, most environmental activists continue to be hampered by a false understanding of how power operates in society, the scale of the problem that we face... and what would actually be required to fix it. In Trouble 23, subMedia takes a closer look at these dynamics, arguing for the importance of taking bold action to defend local bioregions, even as we work towards the total overthrow and replacement of the global capitalist economy.

Trouble #23: Prelude to a Disaster from sub.Media on Vimeo.

 

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk 

Chile, The Struggle Continues.

     Chile has dropped off the radar as far as our mainstream media are concerned, they have used it for a sensational splash and then dropped it in favour of a prince's alleged sexual antics, and our political ballerinas prancing around for photo ops to enhance their chances of winning the latest "crooks and liars" competition. However, the people of Chile are still in struggle against the corruption, injustice, inequality and state brutality of the regime in control there.

 

There's no doubt where their loyalties lie. Photo from crimethinc.

 

This from LeftVoice:

 

 

      Chile is now in the midst of a popular rebellion. Sparked by protests against unpopular subway fare hikes, the popular rebellion that began on October 18 is perhaps best described as an uprising. One union playing a leading role in these tumultuous events is the radical Dockworkers Union of Chile (UPC – Unión Portuaria de Chile).
     Academic and contemporary Chile specialist Franck Gaudichaud has pointed to the key role now being played by the Dockworkers Union of Chile. In a recent interview, he points out that in the early days of the rebellion, it was the UPC that first took action with its 24-hour strike on October 21, while the bureaucratized United Workers’ Centre (CUT – Central Única de los Trabajadores) union federation initially refused to act..
     The 6,000 members of the Dockworkers Union have repeatedly paralyzed the majority of the nation’s ports in a series of 24-hour and 48-hour strikes. The first was the 24-hour strike on October 21 that coincided with the largely spontaneous demonstrations of over 1 million people that same day. The UPC then called a 48-hour strike for October 23 and 24, which fed into the October 23 general strike, the first called by the CUT since the rebellion began. The dockers’ union has also had a 24-hour stoppage across October 29-30 that linked up with the general strike of October 30, and a further 24-hour strike on November 12, which coincided with that day’s general strike. The most recent was the 48-hour strike over November 25, 26 and 27, which exceeded the CUT’s call for a November 26 general strike and coincided with the call by the Social Unity Roundtable group of unions and social organizations for a national strike from November 25 to 27.

Continue reading HERE: 

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk

War And Climate Emergency.

     Yesterday evening, Tuesday, 3rd. December, in Glasgow's dark and cold weather, Scottish CND and Scottish Peace Network held a demonstration at the top of Buchanan Street, against war and all the death, destruction and misery that goes along with this barbaric state action. Among other groups, the Clydeside IWW was there, and some comrades handing out the re-born Glasgow Keelie, now on its third issue.

     At the moment there is a lot of focus on climate emergency, but what should not be forgotten is that the greatest carbon footprint is war and its ancillary support mechanisms. The Pentagon has the world biggest carbon footprint. So when you shout "climate emergency" you must support the anti-war movement. You can't have one without the other. Two aspects of our world that are driving it to extinction are capitalism and war, and states are the guardians of both of these two mechanisms.

     So our lords and masters who are holding "summits" on climate change in Madrid at the moment, are liars, charlatans, weavers of illusions, for they are the very people who instigate, manage and carry out wars, in all parts of the planet. If our aim and desire is to save the planet from unimaginable disaster, we have to take a stand against the various state apparatuses that perpetuate wars. Wars are not accidents or unavoidable circumstances, they are planned and executed by states, and these states are made up of people who have grasped power and use it perpetuate that power.

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk

Homelssnes Midst Opulence.

  

     So winter is biting, wrap up, keep warm and stay in if it gets worse. However, what do you do if you are homeless and sleeping rough. Doorways, bridges, benches and lanes don't have thermostats to adjust. It is absolutely criminal that a society can let people die on our streets simple because they don't have a roof over their heads. The figures for deaths from sleeping rough in the UK are a national disgrace, an indictment against the unjust, unequal system we tolerate.

       In 2018, 726 homeless people died in England and Wales, that's up 22% on 2017, and up 24% over the last 5 years. Data from the Museum of Homeless, states that a homeless person dies every 19 hours in the UK.

        From Wikipedia: Crisis estimates there are roughly 12,300 rough sleepers in the UK and also 12,000 people sleeping in sheds, bins, cars, tents and night busses. The figure is derived from research by Heriot-Watt University. Rough sleeping has risen by 98% since 2010, sleeping in tents and the like rose 103%. In England rough sleeping rose by 120%, in Wales it rose by 75% and in Scotland it fell by 5%. 

      Homelessness is the stepping stone to sleeping rough. Because of deliberate government policies, the number of homeless people is rising fast, so it follows that the number of rough sleepers will also continue to rise rapidly.

From Wikipedia: 

       The UK homeless charity Shelter put the 2017 figure for the whole of the UK's homeless at 300,000, including people in temporary accommodation.^[1][2] The charity, Crisis attributes rising homelessness to a shortage of social housing, housing benefits not covering private rents and there not being homeless prevention schemes for people leaving care.

        None of these figures are the result of unavoidable events, none are unforeseen accidents, these figures are the direct result of ideology, government decisions based on economics that suits big business, carried out by people who are immune to the devastation of their profit driven greed. We are the 6th richest country on the planet, we can afford the latest and most expensive weaponry, we can fund wars, and our lords and masters tour the world in luxury yachts, private jets, and live in opulent mansions, but we can't house our people. Don't you think that there is something wrong?

THE WARMTH OF A DREAM.

 
He lay in a dark doorway, dreamed of home,
night frost locked his joints
morning rain chilled the marrow of his bone.
In the dream there was a sister,
a pram in a garden, a crowd of youngsters
who called him “mister”, a time of little pain.
Are these youngsters the same young men, who
now laugh at him, throw beer cans,
piss on him as he lies drunk in some dark lane?
When was that first step down this slippery slope,
when was that first step to no forgiveness.
No will to rise to beg for food,
numbness kills the pain.
The dream brings a warmth that feels good,
dark fog shades out consciousness,
an ambulance carries off a body washed in rain.

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk

Do You Remember?

         Some will remember being there, some will regret missing it, and no doubt others will be glad they did miss it, but it helped shape that world we live in.

EVERYBODY IN THE PLACE

       An Incomplete History of Britain 1984-1992

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk

Magic In The Frost.

 

       The frost has taken a grip of Glasgow the last couple of days, but with frost can come magic. So I thought I would share a few magic photos taken in our front garden this afternoon by Stasia. Enjoy.

      Despite the magic of the frost, I still long for those warm sunny days that send you out on your bike, however, there is magic everywhere.

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk

History And Today.

      Back from my daughters wee weekend birthday bash in Auchterarer and had a wonderful time, I did manage to find the farm I was evacuated to during ww2. It brought back some wonderful memories. The place has changed, a lot of the outhouses have been demolished, but some of the outer walls are still standing. The actual farm house where my sisters and I lived is still there, looking all smart and well kept. Couldn't locate the small school that we walked to every morning, it may have been expanded or demolished. The town of Auchterared has massively expanded, and was very busy, it was rather difficult to cross the road. So very different from my time being there during the war, we only stayed in the town for a couple of months, and then back to Glasgow.

  

     During my short absence for my beloved city, there were two march/protests. Friday was the climate change protest held in George Square, from reports from my friends, it was not as well attended as one would have hoped, but a reasonable crowd. Never the less people are becoming more aware of the oncoming disaster unless we sort out our economic system away from capitalism towards a green and sustainable system that sees to the needs of all our people.

Thanks Keith for the photo:

       The other event I missed, was on Saturday, a Glasgow annual march and rally, where the citizens of Glasgow and further afield come together to make it quite clear, Glasgow is not a racists city. The last Saturday of ever November, the people of Glasgow gather with friends/acquaintances/comrades from surrounding areas to march from Glasgow Green to a rallying point where they hold a large meeting. The whole idea behind this event is to raise the fact that the people of Glasgow will not tolerate racism in any shape or form. 

      As always, a great turnout and a multitude of banners and flags proclaiming who they were and what they stand for. Again, well done Glasgow and friends.

Again thanks Keith for photos: 

A pop-up IWW stall at anti-racism march.

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk

Memories.

     My wee rant will be stilled over the next couple of days. It's my daughter's birthday and she and her family have booked a wee cottage in Auchterader in Perthshire for the weekend and we are invited.

 Auchterarder main street, the longest main street in Scotland.

   It will be interesting to see what memories it will bring back. During the war, WW2, not WW1 as some people might think when looking at me, I like many other school kids from Glasgow were "evacuated" further north away from the risk of bombing in the cities. I and two of my sisters ended up living on a farm just outside Auchterarder. For a wee Glesca lad it was a wonderful and very pleasant experience. The farmer treated me like a son and I have fond memories of those days.

     Will I find the farm I lived in? Will I find the house that was the school? Who knows, what has changed and what has remained, fascinating.

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk