Comcast And Net Neutrality

     A massive battle to save net neutrality has been won, but the corporate power of Comcast is still attempting to reverse that victory. We won because of the massive response of ordinary people across the globe, their persistence and organisation was a tribute to people power, proving we can change the world, if we all come together. However we have to be ever vigilant and ready to resume the struggle.

Comcast is at it again -- they are scheming with a corrupt Congress in hopes of breaking the Internet for their profit. Take action now to demand that Congress leave the Internet alone.

Dear Fight for the Future member,

Good news. This morning, the FCC released the full text of the historic new net neutrality rules, and now it’s clearer than ever that these rules will protect free speech, and that Comcast and their allies in Congress have been lying to you.

You can read them in full here -- but since it's 313 pages (of fiery, Comcast-slaying justice), we wanted to give you a quick rundown of what the rules do and don't do. But don't stop reading after the summary, because Comcast is already on the attack and there's more to do right now.

• ISP’s and their friends in government can't block you from visiting a website. So you can visit any site that you want.
• They can't slow down access to websites. So the sites you want to visit will come to you as quickly as the sites Comcast wishes you were visiting.
• They can't speed up or make certain websites load faster. This is absolutely critical, because if they could speed up certain sites, that functionally means slowing down other sites.
• They can’t get between you and any content, application, service, or anything else that you want to access online. That is explicitly one of the rules. Just in case the other rules don’t cover something.
• There are no new taxes or fees anywhere in the rules, and there’s nothing limiting investment. At all. Period.

All of that is to say two simple, wonderful words: we won. And not only that, we won because of the work of people like you. Activism is mentioned time and again in the rules, and there’s barely an article written that doesn’t talk about it.

But the fight isn't over yet. Comcast has been scheming about how to use a corrupt Congress to kill net neutrality since before the FCC even voted on the rules. Last week, the House introduced a bill to kill the rules. Next week, there are three different hearings about them.

We can't let Comcast’s attacks get any traction -- these new rules do everything that the public fought for. Now we need to defend them and end this fight for good.

Click here to call the members of Congress who are going to the hearings next week and make sure they know you want to keep these rules strong.

These rules are built on almost a decade of groundwork, but the last year is when we really kicked this fight into high gear. Check out our timeline of everything that happened over the last year, from camping out outside of the FCC, to some of the largest Internet protests in history.

Thanks for helping us win net neutrality -- and for helping us protect it.

Charlie, Tiffiniy, Holmes, Evan, Jeff, and everyone at Fight for the Future

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

Anarchy In Rojava.

       The latest video from The Stimulator at Submedia, is on what is happening in Rojava, among other things, plus a wee plug for AK Press.

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

GLC, Athens Group Of Libertarian Communists.

       An interesting interview by A-radio Berlin, held in Paris with the Athens Group of Libertarian Communists (GLC). The interview is in English and covers Syriza, Golden Dawn and other matters relating to anarchist views in Greece. It is always good to get information from those involved.

Enjoy it HERE:

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

Unite Against Fascism.

An Appeal From Unite Against Fascism Edinburgh:

        The racist English Defence League (EDL) had planned a march in Brighton but the consistent opposition to this and previous marches has meant that the EDL have cancelled.  Here in Edinburgh we have planned protests by Pegida from Germany (Sat 21 March) and the home grown Scottish Defence League (Sat 14 March). Let us make the opposition so big, so loud and proud that they never come back again.
      Also on 21 March there is a national demonstration in Glasgow, part of worldwide protests with the theme “Stand Up To Racism and Fascism”.
       Make sure your voice is heard, please come on the following events:

14 MARCH SDL DEMONSTRATION IN EDINBURGH.
     Say no to the racist Scottish Defence League; meet 1.30 at the Scottish Parliament, foot of the Royal Mile.  Keep up to date by liking our Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/events/415161085309799/

21 MARCH PEGIDA
      There has been plenty of media coverage of the first ever march by the anti- Muslim group Pegida in Scotland (see links below). In Germany “Pegida” have built up to having thousands of people on their marches; we can’t afford to let them grow to that size here.
      They keep changing the time and location of their protest, the latest is that they will be at Wellington Statue, east end of Prince Street at 8pm. To keep up to date with the latest situation Like our Facebook event  page
https://www.facebook.com/events/439710179515899

21 MARCH; STAND UP TO RACISM & FASCISM NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION
    There has been a fantastic range of groups supporting this event, https://www.facebook.com/events/317044925169581
      Come along and join in the world wide protest on UN anti-racism day, March 21st.
Assemble 10.30 am, March & Rally 11 am, George Square, Glasgow.
We have a coach going to Glasgow so please get in touch to book a seat.
Email: StandUpToRacismScotland@gmail.com
Download printer friendly flyers and posters here:
A4 Poster:  http://goo.gl/cIWaiy
Double sided flyer:    http://goo.gl/Eb1b40
WE NEED YOU

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

Glasgow, The Commons, Sharing.

       A worth while opportunity for you and the kids to get your hands dirty and feel good

Farmhouse Work Day 
This Saturday 14th. 10 till 4pm.
Community Garden Elder Park Govan.

https://commgood.wordpress.com/

Last day of the first phase tidy up this Saturday. Come along and sample Joeys fine broth soup. Last few Saturdays weather was a bit on the wet side but we still managed to get plenty done, rain or no. We are clearing a space at the entrance to the farm yard. The bit most people see as they walk/drive past. We want it to be child user friendly and are planning activities there. Come along for the crack, the soup or to push the wheel barrow, or the full package. From 10 till 4 

Project update coming soon.

https://commgood.wordpress.com/
 

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

Lest We forget, Fukushima Anniversary.

        And still the corporate Mafia and their minders the government, try to sell us nuclear power as a safe and economical power source, this in spite of Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima, The cost and the ongoing costs of those three incidents could probably solve the world's energy problems by safe renewable means. 

       On 11 March 2011, the strongest earthquake in Japan's history caused a giant tsunami that killed more than 18,000 people along the country's north-east coast. It also triggered a triple meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant that will take four decades to clean up at a cost of tens of billions of dollars. As Japan prepares to mark the fourth anniversary of the 3/11 disaster, the Guardian talks to key figures from the most critical days of the Fukushima crisis and to some of the tens of thousands forced to evacuate their irradiated communities and who continue to live in nuclear limbo

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

The UK's Gulags.

        From Athens to Harmondsworth, solidarity with the hunger strikers and all prisoners in revolt.

       Prisons are the state's last resort before execution, though a number of state's have abolished official state murders, (executions), but prisons remain and become more brutal in there surveillance and isolation techniques. Degrade, humiliate, harass and repress, all strategies to control that are common in prisons across the world. The state will introduce whatever legislation it pleases to make something a “custodial” offence. In the case of many migrants, there has been no offence, no sentence, no defined term, just the indefinite custodial act, at the whim of the state apparatus. What is more repugnant, is the fact that lots of these hell-holes are run by private companies on a strictly for profit basis. The detainees are secondary to the profit, it is to the companies benefit to hold as many as possible, for as long as possible, for as cheaply as possible. A sure recipe for abuse and deteriorating conditions. As always, as conditions deteriorate, so the anger grows, and rightly so. However those unfortunate enough to be caught up the the state's repressive prison/detention Gulags, should not have to fight their battles alone from the inside. Their conditions, and justice, demand our solidarity. Without that solidarity the state will brutally crush any internal protests, all hidden from the public gaze, all behind high stone walls. An abundance of repression and brutality goes on on a daily basis behind those high stone walls. We can't be deaf and blind to their call for help.

This from Rabble:

      Tuesday evening 10 March. Rebellion is spreading across the UK’s “gulag archipelago” of migration prisons.

     Hunger strikes and yard occupations and other protests are now taking place in at least 6 UK detention centres. The protests started last week in Yarl’s Wood (Bedfordshire) and in the Harmondsworth and Colnbrook migration prison complex near Heathrow airport. (See previous reports here and here.)

     Today we heard that 50 people were on hunger strike in Tinsley House, with protests also at nearby Brook House, both inside the perimeter of Gatwick Airport. Hunger strike has also started at Moreton Hall (Nottinghamshire). There may well be others.

     In Harmondsworth, some prisoners have now been on hunger strike for a week (picture above from yesterday). See this video featuring interviews by phone with some of the people detained there. Also see the Detained Voices website which is receiving and spreading words from friends on the inside.

      Today there were due to be three mass deportation flights of prisoners from UK detention centres to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Albania. In particular, it is known that a number of people deported to Afghanistan recently, particularly from ethnic minorities, have been killed or imprisoned and tortured by state and para-state forces upon arrival in the country.

Full article and photos HERE:

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

Solidarity Has No Borders.

     Some facts and figures that don't get much, if any cover, from our babbling brook of bullshit, the mainstream media. Since 2007 there have been 1,644 attempted suicides within the walls of the UK detention centres, on top of that since 2000, there have been 19 deaths in those same detention centres. Those figures alone tell you that there is something rotten at the heart of the UK immigration detention system.

     So it comes as no surprise that there is trouble at Hamondsworth detention centre. Treat humans in an inhumane manner, and sooner or later there will be an explosion, people will only take so much. We must remember, solidarity has no borders.

This from Rabble:

Updates:
Resistance continues today at Harmondsworth and Colnbrook.Over 70 people detained have gathered in the courtyard to continue the protest.

Outside at 9am a group of people made a solidarity demonstration in support of the protests. They could hear people shouting ‘Freedom’ and ‘No Food’. The police were called to the protest and one person was pushed aggressively.

Guards and centre managers are asking detainees to go to their rooms and come to talk to the managers one-by-one or in pairs. Detainees have refused and ask the management/staff to come and listen to them in the yard.

Latest statements/testimonies from people inside today: Things are not right here:
https://detainedvoices.wordpress.com/

The detainees demands are as follows:
An end to:

• indefinite deprivation of liberty and human rights
• the use of “Detained Fast Track”
• bias and incompetence in case-handling by the Home Office
• unlawful forced removals
• stressful and degrading conditions which they describe as “mental torture” and which lead many to self-harm
• overcrowded accommodation “comparable to animal cages”
• refusals to return those who want to go back to their countries of origin

One person detained said today:
‘The protesters outside are really the energy for us’

Take action! Join the resistance!  A small group of people can make a lot of noise if they try outside the detention centres at Harmondsworth and Colnbrook! People are gathered in the courtyard and ask for us to go by and support.

For updates follow @AntiRaids or @followMFJ  or @detainedvoices

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

 

Of The people And For The People.

      Syriza claims to be a party for the people, so as an anarchist, I would expect one of the first things they would do would be to remove all the draconian legislation created by the previous, pro-capitalist parties in power. Legislation that targets protests against the capitalist system, stop the state apparatus targeting anarchists and their families, repeal all legislation regarding high security prisons, that rob anti-capitalists of their human rights. I would expect them to immediately bring an end to the appalling, unsanitary, inhumane, overcrowded, ill-funded, disgusting, criminal, Greek prison hospital system. None of the above, with perhaps the exception of the prison hospital, would require any massive funding, so would not in any way add to their problems as they kneel before their financial masters in Europe. The above changes would show exactly where they stand regards the people and capitalism.

     What we have is another power group who think they can manage capitalism in a slightly different manner. They will not hand over enterprises and institutions to the people, to run them for the benefit of the communities, and the people of Greece in general. They will base all their plans on the economic growth of the capitalist model. Perhaps slicing a little bit more off the cake to help alleviate the poverty and misery of the people. They will continually kneel at the alter of the financial Mafia, who will make it quite clear, that the cake belongs to them.

    I agree that the people of Greece have, and are, suffering more than any other group in Europe, and a desire to bring some sort of relief is overwhelming, but Syriza is a left of centre capitalist oriented political party. Its solutions will inevitably lead to the same capitalist problems that we all face, it will all just be a matter of degree. The struggle in Greece is still in progress, as it is in the rest of the capitalist world. If you wage your struggle according to the rules created by your enemy, you are doomed to failure.

This from Contra Info:

“Today Sunday 8 of March we occupy the central offices of the government SYRIZA in Koumoundourou Street.
We stand in solidarity with the hunger strikers, political prisoners in Greece, and we ask that their demands are satisfied.
1. Abolition of the Anti-terrorist Law Α’, article 187, Law 2001 (criminal organization)
2. Abolition of the Anti-terrorist Law B’, article 187A, Law 2004 (terrorist organization)
3. Abolition of the “hoodie law” (acts committed with concealed physical characteristics)
4. Abolition of the legal framework for type C prisons
5. The immediate release from prison of Savvas Xiros (convicted for his participation in the R.O. 17 November) on health grounds
6. Against the criminalization of the family relations of the members of the R.O. Conspiracy of Cells of Fire.
Anarchists in solidarity with political prisoners”

If Syriza was of and for the people, these individuals would not need to do this.

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

Guy Aldred's "The Word".

       Spirit of Revolt is still busy trying to bring alive Glasgow/Clydeside non-party political grass-roots history. The latest addition to our ever growing collections is four bound volumes of Guy Aldred's, The Word, probably one of the largest collections in Scotland. Thanks to co-operation with The Sparrow's Nest, you can now read fourteen issues of The Word on line, we will have more on line later. Twelve from the 1939/45 war years and a couple from later on. They make fascinating reading, a lot of anti war material, conscientious objectors' trials and a variety of subjects covered from the perspective of one of Glasgow's better known lifelong anarchists. Just click on HERE, scroll down and enjoy.

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

The World Needs The Full Potential Of All Its Peopele.

      March 8th. International Women's Day, a day when we honour the achievements of women across the world, a day when the other half of the world's population should rise up, join women, and once and for all, end the domination of one half of the species by the other. Women's fight for full equality can only exist because those rights are refused by men. There is no grounds for any law, natural or otherwise, that states one half of the species shouldn't have the same rights and opportunities as the other.

      We are all born as children, it is unacceptable that we should structure our society so that one half of those children will not have the right to develop to their full potential. Any institution that furthers or defends this inequality of opportunity must be destroyed, be it religious or political.

     By seeing that every human on this planet has equal rights to develop to their full potential, will release an explosion of creativity that will enhance the quality of life across the globe. We as a species, cheat ourselves and humanity, if we deny half our population the right to add their full worth to our combined effort to build that better world. There can be no better world when half its population is denied equality.

     I thought it fitting that on this day, International Women's Day to post a cutting from an old copy of The Word, held in the Spirit of Revolt Archive. We all should honour and respect those who stand up in the face of the state, in time of war, and say, "I am are a conscientious objector". However we tend to think of them as men, this case, from WWII, is the UK's first women conscientious objector.

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

Who Cares Who She Was.

       I removed the post called Who Is She. as I found out that it was Gracie Fields entertaining the workers for the war effort, not something I would knowingly support. Thanks to the individual who pointed out who she was, and thanks to others who commented. These war supporting creeps get enough publicity from the establishment, and that babbling brook of bullshit, the mainstream media, without me adding to their worthless, already bloated celebrity status.

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

Workers And Soldiers.

     They can call it democracy, but the state can attempt to stifle free assembly, if it so wishes. If they don't like what you're doing or saying then they will draft a law to say you can't do or say that.

     At a time of anger and organisation among the people, the state will bring about any weird and wonderful "law" to intimidate and prevent the people from expressing that anger.

      This is a wee gem from our Glasgow's democratic past, when the powers that be were getting a bit anxious about the coming together of the public and soldiers. Obviously they were a bit worried about the rebellion sweeping across industry, might just take hold in the forces. After all the imperialists needed the soldiers as the pursued their bloody land grab of that era.

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

Workers Know Your History, Glasgow's 1848 Food Riots.

      The citizens of Glasgow have always been a rebellious bunch, like other large cities across the UK, they have been involved in a long struggle to improve their conditions, and sometimes that struggle has been bitter and violent. You could say Glasgow has been a City of Rebellion, from the union in 1706, we had anti-union riots, and many more after that, some being violently put down, there was the 1725 Malt Tax riots, Feb 1800 crowds breaking into shops, and the troops called to quell their anger, 1812 the weavers strike, and so it goes on, with other protests and riots in between. However, today March 6th. marks the 167th, anniversary of the Glasgow food riots, back then society hadn't the safety valve of "food banks".

     The trouble started when the mass unemployed were expecting some sort of handout of provisions, which never materialised. The angry and starving crowds started marching through the main streets in the city centre, smashing their way into food shops, and went further, starting breaking into gun shops. The entire city centre came to a standstill all business closed. By now the starving angry and armed crowds were covering the city centre marching and shouting, "bread or revolution". 

     The authorities read the "riot act", the crowds were spreading into other districts of the city, breaking in to any food shop they came across. The city fathers called on more troops troops from Edinburgh. March 7th. crowds again gather in Bridgeton, a young boy threw something at the troops and was arrested. However the crowd were not having that, stormed the troops and rescued the young boy. It was then that Police Superintendent, a Captain Smart, gave the order to open fire, in the ensuing minutes, five of the crowd were shot, also a police officer was shot in the cross fire. For some days after this event crowds still lined the streets, however every public office in the city was securely guarded by troops.

       And so the struggle goes on, the rent strike 1915, the Upper Clyde work-in, 1971/72. In between the bitter and sometime violent struggles we have had an endless catalogue of smaller battles, but never the less important, and part of our history, a history that proves that it is only the ordinary people who carry forward this struggle for a better world for all, against an elite of rich and powerful, that will do their damnedest to hold on to their privileged position. So let's not forget those who challenged that elite, at times with great personal sacrifice and on occasions, death.

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

The State's Prying Eyes.

     So the Scottish government wants to open the NHS central Register (NHSCR) to 100 or so public bodies. What could possibly go wrong with 100 different public bodies being able to dip into your personal data, after all we know that all these 100 or so public bodies are all fully staffed by totally scrupulously honest people, who would in no way abuse that data!! Not even inadvertently.

     The Scottish government, UK government, French government, American government, Chinese, government, and the rest, they are all the same. They want to collect as much data as possible about you and share it with all branches of their apparatus, and it is always for our benefit, to protect us, but the bottom line is that it is control. They want all their branches to know as much about you a possible. Dipping into your personal data will be local councils, the police, tax collectors, benefit offices, education departments, even Scottish Canals and Quality Meat Scotland. Like I said before, what could possibly go wrong? 

      We all know that a lot of that data would be very useful to commercial entities, insurance companies etc., and they will be doing their level best to pick-pocket little gems to enhance their profits, with over 100 new doors opening, that would make their job so much easier.

      Big Brother walks in many guises, but the aim is always the same, who are you, where are you, what are you up to, why are you there, have you been authorised to be there, who are you mixing with, and why. It costs a lot of money to collect, process and store all that data, and you would be a fool if you thought it was all for your benefit. The tentacles of the state do not caress, they strangle.

From the BBC:

   Everyone born in Scotland or registered with a GP north of the border has a Unique Citizen Reference Number (UCRN) held in the NHSCR.

Read the full article HERE:

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

Human Ingenuity.

      Man cons prison in to letting him walk free!! I found this amusing, you have to admire the ingenuity of the human species. Perhaps all prisoners should take courses in IT.

This from Mail Online:

       A serial fraudster managed to con prison guards into letting him walk free from jail by sending them emails from the ‘courts service’ demanding his release.
       Neil Moore, 28, set up a fake website and sent emails purporting to be from the courts service to trick Wandsworth Prison into thinking he had been freed on bail by a judge.
      However, the ‘consummate and practiced’ conman appeared to have a ‘change of heart’ just three days after his release and was re-arrested after informing his solicitor of his actions.
      Moore, of Ilford, north east London, had originally been jailed for an elaborate web of frauds which saw him posing as bank staff to dupe major organisations into handing over more than £1million.
      He pretended to be employed by RBS, Lloyds bank, and Bank of America to dupe companies into handing over money.
     Cambia Autos was conned out of £46,000 in November 2013, Thomas Global Exchange handed over £140,000 to Moore, TD Banking gave up $120,751, and Hogan and Vest was duped out of $739,439 in 2012 and 2013.
      Moore also targeted Volkswagen by posing as an employee of the Bank of New York in December 2013.

Read the full article HERE:

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

Brutal State Murder By A Friendly Nation.

      The West has gone to war on numerous occasions under the pretext that they were removing an unacceptable tyrant, recently Saddam and Gaddaffi, to mention just two. We were told that they treated their citizens brutally, and we are going to "free" the people.

      However there are extremely brutal regimes that indulge in the most barbaric and horrendous state murders and yet the West is silent, and even honours and anoints them with the highest of hospitality at the highest offices in the land.
    The quote below is of an event ordered and sanctioned by the highest in the land, in that "friendly" nation Saudi Arabia, and that babbling brook of bullshit, the mainstream media, will let it pass without as much as a ripple of disapproval.

Photo of a women being beheaded in Saudi Arabia for sorcery. 

     I have edited it slightly for translation purposes only, this from Arrezafe:

      The Saudi authorities beheaded, on Monday a Burmese woman, in compliance with the judgement rendered against her, for allegedly murdering her sister, a girl of seven years, as reported by Saudi media. A recording of the beheaded woman, identified as Laila Bint Abdul Muttalib Basim, has been released on the internet.
       In the shocking document, you hear her shout, “I did not kill, I did not kill”, while at least four policemen dragged her into the middle of the street, where an executioner was waiting to behead her. She uttered a shriek moments before the executioner's sword fell on her neck. According to Saudi media, it took up to three strokes with the cutlass to sever the neck of the woman.

Read the full article HERE:

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