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Home , Brian Haw

100th ISSUE

Bulletin of the Anarchist Federation – February 2008 Free / Donation This is resistance

Since Resistance first went to press in 1999 everything and nothing has changed. The media hype around elections increases every year, as voter turnout reaches a record low – the last illusions in the Labour Party have gone, sold to the highest bidder. Rather than run the country on the behalf of the rich, the politicians have decided to let them run it directly, through privatization – of schools, of hospitals, of transport. They’ve cut out the middle man, and it’s time we did too! No more ‘representatives’ in parliament, at the heads of unions or pressure groups – let’s take this straight to the top. And although small, that is exactly what the anticapitalist movement did, meeting the summits of the IMF, WTO and G8 head on. So the far-right makes its comeback, as to buy the shiny consumables that the rulers and their mouthpieces blame keep the economy growing. In today’s But it took the leaders themselves to anyone but themselves for the crisis. competitive marketplace, we must fight smash the illusion of far better each other for the mangiest scraps from than any black block. With bombs on The gap between the wealthy and the the bosses table. our news screens and on our buses impoverished is at its widest in 40 they brought the war home. Bush and years, and the bottom earners now live It is when we stop that you will see Blair welcomed us to the New American for an average of 20 years less than it. When we stand up to the sell-offs Century, courtesy of 4000 dead US the highest in the UK. Still, everything and sackings in our services, taking all UK soldiers, 49,600 dead Afghans must be fine, statistics show that this is action necessary to increase our control. and 1,168,000 Iraqis, as the planet the lowest period of class struggle yet, When we stop paying rent to the experienced its first resource war. The with the fewest strikes worldwide ever speculators and kick the landlords out world united on February 15th 2003 recorded. But those looking for million of our communities. When the bailiffs for the biggest in history, but man marches and general strikes are once again will fear to tread in the without action, the war went ahead. looking in the wrong place. streets that can’t keep up the payments. We know that wages are falling and When the boss can’t offer us a middle As the bankers in the square mile play you can’t get secure, skilled jobs. That management position to shut us up, with invisible figures, those figures have casualised service industry work will and can’t call in the agency workers come home to roost, huddled together never pay for a home as the developers because they are out too. When we get in trucks or under trains. The world’s snap up the last council stock and the together to solve our problems without destitute have begun to flock to the well off buy-to-let in boroughs they the cops. It can happen anywhere at centres of finance, and are shunted don’t dare walk at night. And on top any time, as long as there is a rich and instead to the working class districts, of it all we have to learn to smile and a poor it will be there, we will be there: desperate for homes, desperate for jobs. “have a nice day” as we earn enough this is resistance h Sock it to SOCPA! Anti-SOCPA protest march

… And on the same day in other parts When Gordon Brown first took up the the Ministry of Justice and Scotland of Britain… position as the new UK Dictator, he Yard. Throughout the march well Milton Keynes and Cambridge saw decided that the state should review known protest chants were vocalised demonstrations in support of the right to the Serious Organised Crime and enthusiastically. The march returned to protest. In Liverpool protesters marched Police Act 2005 (SOCPA). The areas and it was at this through the town centre to the town hall. of attention are the clauses which point that confrontation kicked off. Welsh activists handed out copies of the restrict protesting within one kilometer Protestors moved into the intersection consultation paper and held a series of of parliament. However, this is between Whitehall and Bridge Street in Aberystwyth. The monthly nothing to celebrate, but quite causing an interruption of at Aldermaston staged the opposite. He aims to the flow of traffic. The a solidarity ‘Freedom of Assembly’ extend this exclusion approach by the police demo outside the Atomic Weapons zone to the entire quickly changed as they Establishment. country to ‘simplify’ began to physically A demonstration in Oxford against a police activities. On remove people from proposed new shopping centre took place the 12th January the the area. The protest in solidarity with the other anti-SOCPA Campaign for Free group then moved actions as locals took to Assembly organised to prevent the fencing off of the square h a gathering of people and a number of us at Trafalgar Square to joined the Kenya protest. challenge the extension of Several protestors including this exclusion zone. Brian Haw were then brutally About 200 activists arrived on the arrested by the Territorial Support day and after presentations by several Group police (TSG) outside Downing speakers decided to march in to the Street. Those arrested only began to get exclusion zone. What followed was released from Belgravia Police Station at an array of spontaneous tactics. The 3.00am the following morning. Further march mobilised at Parliament Square action is planned by the Campaign for and moved to a number of key areas Free Assembly. on the basis of consensus by those Who’s streets? Our streets! participating. These areas included Refuse, resist! h On the frontline A round-up of workplace struggles recently announced a restructuring plan improved pay and conditions and calling around the world in January sacking over half of the 493 employees. for the release of a leading militant. Three Belgium—A wildcat strike by railway Management has since offered hundred and fifty factories closed for the conductors began after two were attacked redundancy packages of one month’s day. As workers from 100s of factories on a train. There was at least 30% salary for each year of service, rejected converged, electric poles were used wildcatting at Brussels. Four hundred by the workers. Over 2000 jobs are going as barricades. Several factories were strikers fought police trying to prevent in a 200 km radius, mostly 45–50 year looted as the security forces struggled to them occupying group headquarters. old women with little chance of new jobs. regain control. Police baton charged and New Caledonia—Workers at Carsud, In Paris, posties began an unlimited used tear gas; workers responded with the bus transport system for the capital strike against a ‘modernisation’ plan missiles, burning tyres and blockades Nouméa, struck over a colleagues’ which will relocate a sorting office over of main highways. The city’s garment sacking. They began a general strike, 15km away. industry was completely paralysed. rotating between different regions. Two At the nearby Areva TD factory in Strikers’ demands centred on pay hundred police were deployed to prevent Montrouge, 89 striking workers occupied rises, holidays, medical facilities and the strikers occupying. Picketing workers and blockaded the factory for four days immediate payment of arrears. Rampant were attacked with tear gas grenades, after management announced closure inflation has constantly reduced real rubber bullets and batons. Those caught plans. incomes and the grudging concessions were beaten in police vans. Workers Italy—three of the main unions called won from reluctant employers ignore responded with stones, and clashes for a nationwide ports strike after two inflation. continued all night and into the next workers died in a port near Venice. Argentina—Check-in workers in Buenos morning. Sixty three arrests were made Workplace safety is topical following a Aires walked out after passengers with 12 strikers remanded. Turin steel plant fire in December which stranded by a baggage handlers strike France—Fourteen strikers required killed seven. rioted on Saturday. Tempers flared as treatment after police charged blockades Bangladesh—garment workers continued hundreds of travellers awaited word on at the Miko factory in Saint-Dizier in the escalating protests and strikes over suspended and cancelled flights h January. Workers had confined the several weeks. Several thousand fought manager to his office and occupied cops in the Dhaka Export Processing Thanks to Libcom for much of the above news and the site. The ice cream manufacturer Zone pressing their demands for information. http://libcom.org Government and the Rip Jan Kucera On January 18th in Pribram (a town climate crisis 50km south-west of Prague) 20 year old neo-Nazi Jiri Fous stabbed 18 year old Jan Kucera in the groin and back about Climate change has already started, bosses and politicians—exploiting and an hour to midnight. A group of Nazis with devastating effects on people dominating many, and the environment. had been looking for trouble in town throughout the world. It’s bad and This world wide system of production when they came across Jan and his getting worse, with workers and poor and domination needs to continually friends. Fous pulled a knife and chased receiving the brunt and bearing the grow in order to function. To consistently a small unarmed group of them into blame; we’re ‘addicted’ to cars and air increase profit, new markets have to an apartment block, where he stabbed travel (not big oil) and the poor of Africa be created, old ones more thoroughly Jan who fought to the last to defend his and Asia—already on the worst land— squeezed. By taxing the company’s friends. His family have said Jan was are the deforestation criminals. profits, governments can increase the a staunch anti-fascist and would never tight grip over their citizens (investing hide the fact. His honesty cost him his Hot air (that smells bad) in cutting edge military and surveillance life. To join the fight against fascism, It’s the rich and powerful who, at first, technology). visit Antifa.org.uk h ignored and then tried to deny that human-made climate change exists, The relationship is not a one way road, despite the strong scientific evidence. with government screwing big business Having been pressured to do something, for tax. It’s symbiotic. The government they may have turned to cosmetic enforces the profit system (dept measures. Green wash is being used to collectors can call the courts and police soften dirty corporate images; a good for back-up when payment is overdue). example is BP’s name change (formerly When big business is in trouble British Petroleum to Beyond Petroleum). financially the state usually steps in to When seriously pushed governments prop them up with your money (the and big business prefer ‘technical’ £23 billion spent saving Northern Rock solutions. after the board carelessly speculated on capital markets). In bed with the enemy Hold on, why target Big Business? All Doom And Gloom? No Surely if we change our personal habits There are real solutions to climate we can change the situation? It’s change. Production must be for need true that we can do a lot of good by determined by us, the working class Arm the homeless changing our obsession with consuming majority, not profit. unrenewable resources. However it Bosses, politicians and leaders of all Around 40 young people made has to be pointed out that big business sorts are part of the problem, not the homeless by rising rents in Reading by far produces the largest percentage solution—a world run by the few for took matters into their own hands on of CO2 emissions. So why aren’t their profit and power. the 4th of January. The group had come governments forcing big business to We need to organise, make decisions together whilst squatting a women’s change its toxic habits? The answer lies and act collectively, with our workmates hostel that had been shut down and left in the relationships governments have and neighbours in order to maximise our empty by the council. With notice of with big business. Their system (market power. their eviction served they set their sites capitalism), is based on the few—the It’s our world, lets take it back h on empty student halls which have been left empty for over five years now. The halls could provide housing for near 100 people and are less than a decade old, but the university has decided to knock them down … to build student halls?! Entry to the building was swift and the power was soon on. Unfortunately university security spotted the group and a fire alarm was set off, which can only be switched off by the Fire Brigade. This forced the squatters out to face the police who had now been called. Because they stood together in overwhelming numbers and weren’t intimidated, the cops had to let them go (squatting is legal). Reading and London AF worked together on this, and expect to take direct action again soon: the rent won’t pay itself h Into the future Conservative The past century has been a nightmare! demonstrated by the scale and nature of family values But, there has never been a better time the anti- globalisation movement through to be an anarchist. The past century has out the ‘noughties’ (2000 and beyond). Even out of power the Tories are good been a nightmare for many of us. For From J18 to the May day protests, the for a scandal or two! Conservative a long time anarchists in Britain have principal organising emphasis is non- MP Derek Conway has found a nifty played the ‘supporting band’ to state hierarchical. All these have dwarfed the way to beat University bills his Party socialism (aka state capitalism). No more. traditional locations of resistance against brought in – have your kid registered The vicious attacks by the Thatcherite the boss class – the work place. The as an assistant and pay him £12,000 government on community and work activists have continually rediscovered a year! Altogether a £45000 fraud, place conditions has exposed the the timeless human condition: ‘The the fact that his son was at Newcastle basic failures of Trade Union and Party emancipation of the oppressed is the job University and Parliament is in er, (revolutionary or otherwise) organisation. of the oppressed’ London doesn’t seem to have fazed him. The trade union leaderships’ complicity We must win back of our lives to stop He already pays his other son £32,000 in negotiating a ‘settlement’ with the the wars, deaths and environmental in parliamentary allowances a year, and political ruling class angered many exploitation ruining the planet. Capitalists his wife is an ‘assistant’ on £3271 a working class folk. The betrayal of the and Politicians will NEVER solve the month. And hey, everyone is at it – over ‘socialist’ Labour Party coupled with the potential disasters that lay ahead of us. 70 Tory MPs employ family members. historic failure of We need to organise, in our communities In the same week Conservative shadow Marxist bureaucracy (exposed after and workplaces in order to maximise pensions secretary Nigel Waterson was the dissolution of the Soviet empire) our power and take control. Our method nicked for battering his teenage kids h left vast sections of the working class should be direct action: occupations, – perhaps they’d asked for a raise! disillusioned. blockages, work-ins, wild cat strikes etc. The collapse of the traditional left has There are some who say: ‘ we are Pat on head opened fresh new opportunities for prisoners to our past and held hostage anarchist ideas and practice. Across by our future’ This is bullshit, as for Bingers the world anarchist ideas are being autonomous conscious entities (exclusive Ex health secretary Patricia Hewitt is experimented and used to create: to our species and perhaps alone in the so concerned about underage drinking direct democracy, horizontal structures, universe) we alone are free to determine she has called on the chancellor to raise autonomist, etc. This is clearly our future … lets make it Anarchist h taxes on alco-pops. A brave move – or it would have been if she was in the cabinet. As she has lost her job she We’re 100! can say what she likes – and she does. Resistance has now reached the magic She has called on all parents to prevent number of its 100th issue. We’ve been their children from drinking whatsoever coming out now on a monthly basis under the age of 18. Again this would (with the odd holiday break) consis- be a bold move if [allegedly] both her own kids weren’t out clubbing with fake tently since 1999. On top of this we’ve ID when this author was at school with produced special runs of Resistance for them [allegedly]. One rule for them! h various demonstrations and events. Black man in We feel that the regular appearance of Resistance, a free newssheet explain- Come to this! White House! ing basic anarchist ideas and highlight- ing the acts of resistance against the So America faces the prospect of a black president. Bring it on. Surprising system, big and small, has made a bit thing for anarchists to say? Not at all. of a difference. Maybe when every minority group has We want to make Resistance more had a president it will become clear it effective in the coming years ahead. is not who holds the position that is the We think that we can help take part in problem, but the position itself. the creation of a far stronger anarchist “Lots of young people like him, and movement than has existed in Britain lots of black people like him, but I for a long time. think he’s just the same as all the other If you’d like to help, take copies of politicians. I didn’t vote in 2004, and Resistance (even if it’s only one or I’m not sure who I’ll vote for this time. If two extra for your friends) and send in he becomes president, what is he going news, article and details of forthcom- to do that everyone else hasn’t tried? Obama doesn’t have any magic wand ing events. or pill that’s going to make everything We want Resistance to act as voice for better.” h a growing anarchist movement, but we 24 year old black Wal-Mart employee, quoted in need you to help us do that! h 25.01.08. Why we want you to join

We want people to join the Anarchist that you meet someone in the AF part of our life as an organisation. As Federation! first. That’s how we find out if you do you can gather we have agreed policies basically agree with us and also how and principles. We try to co-ordinate Working together makes us stronger. you find out whether you really want to what we are doing and to work together New people bring new ideas and keep be part of the AF. It’s a two way process as well as we can. To do this we need us fresh. They bring understanding of getting to know each other, not an to meet together to discuss things. We of areas of struggle that we haven’t “interview”. don’t have a central committee to tell us thought of before. New members make Once you are a member you have what to do. So once every three months it possible for us to distribute our exactly the same rights as anyone we get together. publications further. We already produce else. That means you can be an editor At Conferences we spend some of the 2,500 copies of Resistance each month of one of the papers (Organise! and time on routine business, but there is (sometimes more) – we’d like to double Resistance), have a voice when it comes also plenty of time for discussion of that! We can be more effective when we to decisions, can go along to delegate our views and activities. All members are involved in struggles and campaigns. meetings and conferences (We’ll explain should try and get to conferences. We For new members it means meeting what they are in a minute). It means try to make decisions by consensus, with like minded people, realising we’re you can do one of the many jobs we but if that fails we vote. Sometimes we not alone and being able to work more need to keep the AF going. Or, of decide that we need more time to think effectively as part of a group project. course, you can do none of these! It things over, so we are prepared to wait. If you want to join us, there are a few depends on your confidence and skills. It may not always be fast, but it does things you need to know first... However, we really do encourage new mean everyone’s opinions are valued. There are two things you need to do members to take on things. National delegate meetings (NDMs) are 1. Agree with our Aims and Principles You also get to pay dues! Sadly as we held during the rest of the year. They – they are published in Organise and live in a capitalist world we need money are to allow routine business to take most of our pamphlets. They are also on to do stuff. The lowest rate is £16 a place and decide on day to day matters. the web. It’s probably best if you’ve read year for unemployed people, £24 for We also try to work in some discussion Beyond Resistance too as it’s something those with a job. It goes up depending at these. Plus there’s always a good of a manifesto of ours and broadly on how much you earn. We reckon social evening (or two) during the represents our collective views. 1% of wage or salary is reasonable annual conference weekend, so we do 2. Be prepared to work with us. That’s a – but obviously people with kids aren’t manage to mix ‘business’ with pleasure bit of a variable one. What we mean is expected to pay the same as those whenever possible! that we aren’t interested in having lots without. If you want any of our pamphlets you of ‘members’ who don’t do anything. can download them off the web, most How we organise are on our site but if you want the real The joining process Throughout the year delegate meetings thing let us know and we’ll send them If you want to join then it’s important and conferences are a very important to you h Punishment fits the prize Anonymous is Legion?

Perhaps the judge who handed After the Church of Scientology realised that their star down indeterminate sentences player Tom Cruise was to most peoples’ eyes, completely of at least 15 years to the bonkers, they decided an internet video of said nutter £53million robbers was genuinely being a nutter posted on Youtube should be pulled, citing concerned for public safety. The copyright violation. Obviously the millions of net-heads who robbers carried guns, made had been pissing themselves at his brainwashed baloney threats and kidnapped the knew the real reason for their actions, and they were family of the depot’s manager, as well as tieing up fourteen not amused. The shadowy internet figure of Anonymous workers. So why did he give the gangs mastermind, Emir swore to do deadly battle with the multi-billion dollar Hysenaj, a 20 year sentence? Hysenaj took no part in the cult which has been linked to the deaths of at least 7 raid or kidnap. And why such lengthy sentences when street robbers also use weapons, threats and kidnap – but people. Immediately, Scientology’s site went down as routinely get community service? Simple. £53,000,000 millions leeched its bandwidth. Anonymous was making makes it the biggest British heist of all time. And the fact his presence known. When the Church called him a petty that the robbers used movie quality make up, a combination criminal and terrorist, statements from anon were released of official uniforms and meticulous planning to avoid having and aired on all major news sources – who sided with the to hurt a single person only pisses off the powers that be hackers. The next step has been a series of ‘real life raids’ even more. Lets face it, you get 15 years for battering a on the notoriously confrontational ‘church’, which will pensioner to death – they don’t give a fuck. But steal slightly culminate in early February – see partyvan.info for details more than a judge earns? You are direct threat to the status of your nearest picket. Is this Serious Business or is this an quo – an evil monster that might give people ideas h epic troll? Only time will tell h Fash hijack cops?

As 22,500 police marched through London demanding higher pay, who should lead their march but Richard Barnbrook, the mayoral candidate for the fascist BNP. Ex Brixton police chief Brian Paddick (who’s boyfriend tokes the reefer so he can’t really be a bad cop etc etc) says he was ‘uncomfortable’ about this. We can suppose the Black Police Association and Gay Police Association were too. Really? The Anarchist Federation is an “I spoke to one of the organisers of the march organisation of class struggle and I explained who I was and he was quite anarchists which aims to abolish happy about it,” said Barnbrook. “We did Capitalism and all oppression to some interviews for BNP TV. I spoke to a few create a free and equal society. This is Pcs and they were happy to talk.” Anarchist Communism. Certainly the police couldn’t have told him We see today’s society as being to get lost if they wanted too. Fancy the Cop hijacks cops divided into two main opposing police telling a protestor to move on. Never classes: the ruling class which happens h Hats off to PC Geoff Jackson of the Tactical controls all the power and wealth, and Support Group (formerly SPG, formerly Riot the working class which the rulers Squad, formerly ‘mercenary thugs’). Keen to exploit to maintain this. By racism, prove the TSG is just like any other group of sexism and other forms of oppression, violent hooligans and likes a laugh as well as well as war and environmental as fight, he got blind drunk after work and destruction the rulers weaken and nicked A RIOT VAN which he then crashed divide us. Only the direct action of “with such force one of its wheels had been working class people can defeat these torn off”. Beat that. attacks and ultimately overthrow (from internal pig mag ‘Police News’ capitalism. 22.01.08) h As the capitalist system rules the whole world it’s destruction must be Subvert! complete and world wide. We reject attempts to reform it such as working When going on demonstrations stay sober, don’t talk to the police and if you’re arrested through parliament and national give only your name and address then say ‘no comment’ to any other questions. liberation movements as they fail to Visit www.ldmg.org.uk challenge capitalism itself. Unions also work as a part of the capitalist February system, so although workers struggle 1—Peter Gelderloos, author of the book ‘How Non-Violence Protects the State’ will be within them, they will be unable to speaking in the Cowley Club at 6pm (followed by a gig at 8pm: Karaktermoord from Holland bring about capitalism’s destruction plus others)12 London Rd, Brighton. Email [email protected] unless they go beyond these limits. 6—Liverpool Defy-ID Meeting - campaigning against ID cards & the National Identity Organisation is vital if we’re to beat Register. 7pm Next To Nowhere, 96 Bold Street, Liverpool. Web: www.liverpool-defy-id.org. the bosses, so we work for a united uk anarchist movement and are affiliated 8—Anarchist Prisoner Support benefit gig. Inner Terrestrials, KilnAboy, Rejected & Dirty to the International of Anarchist Revolution from 8pm at Tjs, Clarance Place, Newport. £5 adv £6 otd. Web: news. Federations. southwalesanarchists.org The Anarchist Federation has 9/10—UK Indymedia Network Meeting. Hosted by the Sumac Centre, Nottingham members across the British Isles 9/10—National Squatters Meeting in Leeds. E-mail: [email protected] fighting for the kind of world outlined above. Contact us at— March 15—World against war demonstration against war in and . 12noon, Anarchist Federation Trafalgar square, London www.theworldagainstwar.org BM ANARFED, London, WC1N 3XX Smash EDO Tour 2008: For nearly 4 years the Smash EDO campaign have been [email protected] demonstrating outside EDO/MBM, the US arms manufacturers, in Brighton. The campaign www.afed.org.uk / www.iaf-ifa.org will be touring the UK (or beyond) and will be screening the new full length Smash EDO Subscriptions to Resistance cost £4 SchMOVIES film – On The Verge. Initially the campaign is looking for dates in March/April. to the address above for 12 issues. The tour will allow those involved in the campaign to discuss tactics, get feedback, and A two issue subscription to our organise for the future. If you want the tour to come to your town or city email: on-the- magazine, Organise!, is also £4. [email protected]. View the On The Verge trailer at www.smashedo.org.uk or www. You can subscribe to Resistance by schnews.org.uk/schmovies email via the website above.