Vol. V. 20p

Orga*^ n of the Anarchist Black Cross

K A F E S TO TO THE NATIONAL II A R C H IS T

MOV EM EN T LORENZO KOM BOA E R V I N

"Before the First World War the main impetus for Social The incapability of bourgeois scientists and politi- Revolution came from the Anarchist and revolutionary cians to get to the root of these problems opens the doors Syndicalist movements. However, following the defeat to Anarchist revolutionary activities. This obvious world of the Russian Revolution with the triumph of author- wide destruction as well as the every-approaching planet- itarian (State) Communism, world Capitalism tended to ary catastrophe, (that even the Bourgeoisie can see!), concentrate its energies on destroying this (real) appar- opens up for the Anarchist world-view the best possible ent danger to its continued existence, thus giving the circumstances since the beginnings of the Anarchist move- impression that the Libertarian movement and its ideas ment. Thus, Anarchism presently faces an excellent were superfluous, or, at best, a side issue to the main opportunity to become a dominating social force in struggle, so far as the organized working class was con- modern society, to change the scientific, cultural, and social chaos into a free society, and to implement Libert- cerned. Only in a minority of countries did Anarchism arian Socialism on a world scale. take the lead, elsewhere the very idea of freedom went The Anarchist society will only be realized as a into decline (Albert Me/tzer in 'THE INTERNATION- result of world-wide social' revolution. However, this AL REVOLUTIONARY SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT', will be possible only when there exists a international Cienfuegos Press 1974). revolutionary Anarchist organization. An organization "The modern States (totalitarian or democratic), which can co-ordinate the everywhere existing resistance private and State capita/ism, all variations of political struggles of the people, but without centralizing those and religious ideology, trade unionism (whether reformist activities, and which con give to the actions Libertarian or State-run), in general, all social groups which are pan goals, at which point we know we can make freedom and of the productive society have established, as a fact, Libertarian Socialism come true. a co-existence that tends at any cost, to ensure the present The Social Revolution is proletarian international status quo for all forms of privilege, exploitation, and . not merely an insurrection in one land, and must authority". (Meltzer) i to goal wbrld-wide Anarchist rebellion and over- East and West, States are the oppressors of the peo- throw of the State. We need an organization and a Social ple. But Capitalism is being undermined due to economic revolutionary movement capable of launching, sustaining, and political crises (expression, inflation, exposures of and co-ordinating our struggles in every country. political corruption) and a myriad of social and cultural ; Cont. page 9' ills. Our time is indelibly branded by the robbery of human labour power, and by the exploitation of natural resources. The denial of freedom, world war, and op- : International Prisoners; Thorpe; China; pression by the State also characterizes our period. Times; Body Guards & more BLACK FLAG is late again - and BSNEFIT (PRE-TRIAL) not too well produced at that. Our '"#. • 'PERSONS UNKNOWN' problems have not been financial — SATURDAY 8TH SEPT. DON'T FORGET THE though they could, of course, be K 'V. CDNWAY HALL; 7.30 PM "FLAG" COMPANEROS dispensed with by cash. They rest WE GET NO MONEY upon the breakdown of a typesetting GRASS; POISON GIRLS machine, and the difficulties of obtain- AND ONE MORE GROUP FROM THE WORLD ing a typesetter where the work could COUNCIL OF CHURCHES! be done commercially. We were, in fact, all set to trans- form BLACK FLAG into a fortnight- 3 PM - 6 PM MEETING ly, and this will certainly come about DEFENDANTS WILL TALK in the foreseeable future. Strange, ABOUT THE CASE when this is the second copy in the 3EFORS DANCE. year - and it's supposed to be a monthly (more or less)? Not so strange when one thinly that the problems of a fortnightly are utterly differen t. However we can't go ahead without a solution to the typesetter problem — and purchase a new one involves sev- eral thousands of pounds. We hope to reach an agreement with some group doing typesetting. Meanwhile, once again we offer our opologies for irregularity and the appearance of the Flag, for so long vain of its appear- ANARCHO-QUIZ 3fe% •••';*• •';/ .,-:.WM-, On to the Fortnightly! We realise 1. Pope Innocent III ordered a that others are thinking of the crusade against the Albigensian same thing — an Anarchist paper Postage dnduding A8C) 114J& Stationery 10.00 (Cathar) heretics: what was with fortnightly, and some in London the answer of the Church to the hope weekly, issues. The more military commander who asked 386.50 the merrier — there is plenty of scope. during the siege of Beziers Sales & Subs 231.14 Regularity means topicality «T*~, (France) how in the heat of Donations + 85.50 316.64 and dealing with current issues - but battle he could distinguish bet- these cannot be dealt with by any ween Cathar heretics and the 69.86 paper under fortnightly appearance. Loss Catholic faithful? Is a daily an impossible pipe dream? deficit c/fwd 1326.58 Not so. It is within the bounds of 2. How is it that British 1396.41 immediate possibility if three or new deficit achievement in geriatric science four fortnightly papers were brought never gets recognised in the out by different groups, were success- Honours List? ful, and saw the possibilty of collab- Last issue sold out but we would oration. still solve our deficit if all copies were paid for. But as long as it's below 3. What have Pullman Wagons de tho dreaded £1400 figure it's manage Lit (sleeping cars) to do with VOLUME V. NO. 9 20p. able. anarchism? + donations 4. What has the statue of Queen London: Punk Concert £15; JH £5; Published by Black Flag, Over the Anne outside St Paul's Cathedral JG £6; SM £1; 'Smithfield Mob' Water, Sanday, Orkney, KW17v 2BL in London, in common with the £25; JF £2.50, AM £20, Cosham the statue of Brigham Young in SB £7; Washington (Tyneside) DAS Printed by Little @ Ltd.. Metropolitan the middle of Salt Lake City £4. TOTAL. £85.50. Wharf, C.1, Wapping Wall, Wappint, (at least, as enshrined in jest)? London El Typesetting & Layout by Black Flag 5. Which English politician was Collective, c/o Little @ Ltd., Metro- compared during the election politan Wharf, C1, Wapping Wall campaign (admiringly) with Mich- London E1 ael Bakunin and other Russian Subs. £4.00 per 12 issues (home). revolutionaries? Canada/Australia/N.Z. (airmail) U S.A. $14.50. Seamail S7.50 6. Mr G.N.Strauss.until the election Father of the House and now in the Lords, once collabor- ated with Anarchists and others in a 'terrorist murder plot'. What did he do ?

Answers on page 23 PAGE 2 interview

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO 'INDIVIDUALIST'ANARCHISM? 'Punk is dead'.' so goes a song writ- to spread anarchist ideas not only ten by a group calliVig themselves amongst the Left but also amongst CRASS and who have brought anarchism the extreme Right, this being the back on to th^urrrtable. CRASS are main thing that sets them apart from other 'individualist' anarchists irt of i..f-r1 lT~fo|j||feJ^"" near Spping. We wondered if they were (and rock groups). They consider that merely?l^i>|lig*ffrbifefB« heady their way of IBfe*«*iSSies'fir*t, whilst days of '76, or whether in fact they™ their"Tfiu§i'e is only an extension had anything to offer the anarchist of it. One interesting aspect of movement. Some of them have been their lifestyle is that unlike most living in the collective for about anarchists who find themselves out fifteen years in a rented farm- of work and who tend to advocate house where their lifestyle would living off the dole (as if in doing seem to reflect the kinds of anarch- so they are striking a blow at capit- ism they have adopted. They live alist society), CRASS bluntly frugally, are anti-consumer and when refuse to take any hand-outs, real- they need money they do the odd job ising (quite rightly) .that if they to get what they need. In other Became claimants their collective words, lihey live at a very low mone- would then in fact be financed by tary level - consuming only what they the State. Many anarchists tend to need. At the same time they realise justify the former belief by stating tnat they don't need to compensate that if everyone went on the dole for an unsatisfying life by spending then the capitalist society would money and 'consuming'. collapse. This is, of course, Unlike most rock bands the group unrealistic as everyone isn't going have put a lot of thought not only to go on the dole. There is the into how their music relates to other point that eventually, in their audience but also how it re- order for capitalism to continue, lates in the wider context to their it will be necessary for a high type of anarchism.' CRASS (Oxford dict- percentage of the population to be ionary: stupid, ignorant, etc.) act- paid not to work (even Tory M.P.'s ually describe themselves as 'indiv- are getting used to this idea and idualist' anarchists, although on some are even advocating it). But first sight appear to be just another as anarchists this doesn't really_ bunch of peace freaks who live in a concern us as it is merely reformism commune and grow their own' food. How- and we are not interested in aiding ever, despite this, they are trying capitalism in recuping itself. Cont page 21 PAGE 3 C H INA A FILM Kajt bain made in China bas- ed on the novel "The Family" by Pa Chin, whose conflicts with the Stata we have recorded ki thew columns. The book It available in English (theohfy one of his to be). It has been censored; the film may be very much more so. But it would be inter- esting to see if it ever comes your

"Shouhuo" (Harvest), a Shanghai literary publication, has in its Febru- ary issue "Memoirs on the creative work of the noted writer Ba Jih" (in.thf new spelling). '•After a mass rally on Feb 6, the provincial party committee in Canton "exonerated" two of the three act- ivists who issued the "notorious" poster "On Socialist Democracy and the Legal System" in Kwang Tung •VuiS.ince training'shows police horses how to cope with the enemy. back in 1974. (Metropolitan Police training school photo). Known as the Li Ti Zhe poster" (after the three concerned: Ki Cheng, a student, Wang Xizhe,* worker. and Guo Hongzhi, a party cadre) MI 111 » f f! ft'fiC'23it d V d ^ O it caused a big stir at home and abroad. Typical of China that one There has been a concerted attack on The Vice-Chancellor told them that a poster on one wall could make such militant students at Sussex University University had to be non-democratic a stir! by the University heirarchy, the in order to be run efficiently, and Anarchist students being singled out there was no room for the "consumers "Confessing", but only just, Li for vicious treatment. The Student's to participate in decision making". A and Wang said the campaign was ^__ Btingwas planned for not a "drive for Western democracy", as it had been interpreted, and they authorise a programme of disruption This attack on Anarchists is a were "dissidents of the Communist to stop the preliminary examinations. further illustration of the intensify- Party". Many of the students had been forced ing of action against Anarchist in But of Gup. no word. He was not to re-sit it as they had refused to particular. The mailing list of Essex there to join in the praise for the attend the original exams. Anarchist was stolen, it is believed current leadership. That means either On May 31, as students were by Special Branch. Then came the crashing dustbins outside an examinat- news that 300 Students were also he refused to recant or that he is threatened with explusion for being dead. If the former, he will be in ion hall and creating a row, the Vice Chancellor's assistant and another on rent strike. one of the permanent prisons where member ot the management were Sadly, there people rot for years as they are "re- seen photographing the incident. This have had no outside support. Letters habilitated" — which usually means resulted on June 1 in Richard Flint of support should be sent to . that they petition to stay on "until being accused of being personally the year of re-education" — which responsible toi the boycott/disru pt- Dave Nundy ion, and he and Shaun Senior, another 27a Park Village, may be foiever. A grim sick joke Univ. of Sussex, of Maoism. Anarchist, were given until midnight on the Sunday to be out of the campus. Falmer,Sussex.

" . •. -; ™ *Wi* -••. - ---v**'-•*4• £i1 What's Happened Here? I have been used, abused, Carl L. Harp age 30 serv- I have been caged, iso- lied to and about, play- ing four consecutive life lated, segregated, alien- ed as a pawn, ignored, terms in the Wn. State ated, classified, review- sensationalized, scape- Penitentiary is an Anar- ed, denied, put off, put goatatized, and so much rhist Communist and mem- on, beat up, gassed, more that words alone ber of the Anarchist. Black starved, tortured, sham- cannot tell you about Dragon Collective in the ed, humiliated, degraded, this existence. Penitentiary. subjected to fear, paran- oia, frustration, depress- ' feel a hurt so bad, so deep, a rage so consum- ion, rage and sorrow, a Glasgow Anarchist Group — contact sense of emptiness, a ing, that only love can John Cooper, 34 Raithburb Avenue, sense of loss, and digit- save me from myself. Castle-milk, Glasgow G45. ial sodomy. PAGE 4 LIGHTNING INSURANCE -ogna, a demo of millions of cops and about JQ anarchists 1The Blasphemy La*s were due to be old men with a record of given a critical eye once more but aeons in gaol and kids. Oh. with the new Attorney General this has perhpas been dropped. How can it was a proud moment for anyone take them seriously (but for her when she first saw the their possible legal consequences?) red and gold unfurled ! But Consider the case against Gay what a shock when she locate News ending with a large fine. One -ed the point of the demo: a sees the point of a blasphemy law, if it is in order to propitiate a jealous protest about English brutal Forget all the talk about Thorpe God liable to strike us all dead for the -ity in Ireland." Someone - 'getting off because he was a sins of the minority, and the only 1 suspect at the Guardian - pnember of the Establishment. If they thing to do to avert a calamity is to has got a little confused. can't get justice, who can? burn the offenders at the stake. This Not so when they interviewed The fact is his acquittal proves at least makes sense...provided one two things. One, that the Conspiracy believes. But what is achieved by », Alexander Zinoviev. On Solzh Laws are seen as a vicious red herring fine and costs? Nothing is propitiated -enitsyn he remarked shrewd and should be repealed instantly. and nobody is persuaded. If the -ly that he and other dissid It was not denied that there was a State cannot say openly that what -ent writers "to a certain conspiracy. There were "nods and is wanted is to protect religion against extent prevent more extreme winks" which, a judge once said, ridicule then it should drop the was all that needed to be proved. charges of "blasphemy" in which it forms of resistance, ivery But not a conspiracy to murder. On e clearly does not believe itself. one who plays a passive ro-ie can "conspire" to do many things plays also a negative role." some of them lawful, some of them meritable, some inconsequential. And yet he does not despair That can be taken to prove evidence of Russia. "I am sur* tah of a non-existent crime. And yet he does not despair Two, the secret service got a of Russia . " I am .su**e thtt hammering — overlooked by the press hanging about like vultures terrorism will come about. fb exploit the sex angle. The case dose of Anarchism is part was cooked up b South Af ri iLESCENT FEVER Russian soul. 1 am Intelligence through Guardian jourhaHstt vriM typical 'Russian fortunes though not as much as they an old friend) says that Ang might have made if they had got -ela Carter now a leading a conviction. It is a defeat for the writer, 'had an adolescent Law and Order Partv. fever for anarchism1 which A.T.3. 3ITE TRAINERS. calls to mind Lenin's 'infan The Anti-Terrorist Squad arrested -tile disorder'. "In her mat two members of the Hampstead -urity she still thinks them Labour Party on election day, and right, and righter all the Mr F. Randall B.::-c strip-searched and 'interrogated' time"..how come the adolesce DI-A vl.cnd) is a.n offic- them. Ken Livingstone, Parliament- ial academic explainer of ary candidate, has protested to Scot- -nt bit then? "The trouble is she reflects ruefully, political ideas, and is land Yard about this "ham-handed presumed to be able to mistake". when two anarchists meet, teach the young the Alas, the moral is that when you there's straightaway a split."1 allow your Labour Home Secretary issues and parties of to pass "draconian laws" and then Chuckles from appreciative the day. His textbook stand by while the ATS are given Guardian readers; from 57 va "British Government and full licence to rad other political -ieties of Trots, eight diff persuasion than yours, you won't [Politics", in th? K A : be taken seriously when it's your turn erent Liberal tendencies, ter Handbook series published Margaret Fletcher and Nick Mullen factions of the Labour Party,] by Macdonald & Evans ic were collecting elderly people when and Marxists of all shades I hereby awarded the Joseph they called at the hit address — and sizes. Yet what split ex GeobbeIs/Donald Dur.k prise 'they could not understand the tenor I -ists among anarchists? for objectivity. of the questioning', it was said. But this perhaps they can understand: Between revolutionary anarch- A sample: when the bell tolls, it tolls for thee. ists, hardly any differences. ..."(a; THE USA LEFT1 is Among the Quasi-Anarchists, |not a parly out a number diluted peaceniks and life- of groups frequently at style libertarians, perhaps odds with each other »ut a few. The problem is that united in a common belief this essential difference is that society should be not spelled out. "She tells [governed by an elite. Ian anecdote of Communist Bpl Cont. Page 23 PAGE S *iaiMftaB^ i£lH*f|if l| jd atjk T.. I'- mmmm Anarchist Black Cross The following* an extract of a letter receiving from a comrade in Aust- 77w Anarchist Black Cross is not of ralia, proving again that fact is stranger itself an organisation but it is a spring- than fiction. board for organization. It stands for solidarity with political prisoners On Saturday (April 14th) following and with all libertarian prisoners the Tuesday picket of the Victorian whether their offences are political tourist bureau, Paul, Geraldine, Gay, or not. We recognise that our and Eric & pet Daschund cum lover resources are limited but even so have (no pun intended) went out to the city managed to work for authoritarian jail to hand out leaflets to outgoing political prisoners on occasion or visitors, complete with I.W.W. banners for others in general. O'Mcally that N.Z. exile Michelle Badgirl had Our simple formula for prisoners . VtotoritV temporarily donated to the cause. aid is the 'round of drinks' for an longest semng prisoner, After exhausing their supplies of was released last week printed matter, all 5 headed back to absent friend. It is only necessary after serving 27 years of a to contribute the cost of a round of the Jura shrine to reassure them that life sentence imposed in their Standards hadn't slipped. Well, drinks, at or after every meeting, 1952 for tite killing of Con- use it to help a comrade inside. Groups stable George Howell. as it was a Saturday, the bookshop which do this beome the most com- was full of reverent worshippers who mitted to all revolutionary work. had collectively gathered to pay It is as well to save money until vthf tnefttonof yesteryear it is worth sending but there are jwhose coitaetiytspfeit weekly mater- always many urgent causes — Just ialises through a medium - that of the as, at present, in addition to the printed word; and furthermore, to forthcoming trial (Sept. 10th is the IF THEY COME FOR YOU IN THE NIGHT [engage in ritualistic sexual acts which latest date given) thereJs the trial by Tobin (ould surely contravene the Mutual pending of Spani^ French and ., |Masturbatory Act of 1905. One British miUWfiUjn/atis; and many *tf tMy ««M* ft»fti*iii tnjrrt rk Maqueer. G.O.B. in the USA, Girmams and Spain - Then they will come for me in Hfe mornntg to name but a few countries. So we must stand together and fight jaculation, ran at the entourage as they came in the doorway, screaming: Work for prisoners is not the We don't need no other warning same as propaganda activity. If one is "Get that dog out of here!" & showing educating the general public one I am finished with sitting on the fence visible signs of cancer in its inter- makes generalisations-Abolish the To fight is my best defence mediate stages. Then the Grand Lizard of Jura, recently returned from an Prison s. Disband the SPG and so I'll find you when the walls fall. on. It is a half-baked idea to paint a overseas study of the workings of back wall with the request to a be- the Freedom Bookshop in London wildered passer by to free John If they break you mind in jail (only last week, at 7.30 a.m., was he seen trying to pass Peace News & Smith. If it cannot be done by a mass Then they will break my heart in passing campaign it needs to be done by per- Industrial Worker as "Anarchist" publi- sonal contact, legal aid, individual So we must struggle on win or fail cations to an unsuspecting North (and humiliating) approaches to auth- 'Cause its us they're bashing and gassing Shore public) • yes, none other than ority or influence. It is not done Alan F. Westfield - engaged in verbal Revolution is pie up in the sky sparring with Geraldine (which Gerald- by small groups endlessly duplicating Here in hell we only fry manifestos to each other. That is the ine won on a T.K.O.) "they were the stuff of political agitation but not the Still, I'll find you when the walls fall. I.W.W., not us; we had/» daim to the way to help prisoners. There is no banners; it was better that the banners stayed in the I.W.W. temple upstairs reason why there whould not be We can hear you crying at night political agitation but one must recog- gathering dust than to fall into the nise that these are two distinct No matter where they build their Katingals hands of such riff-raff as ourselves; matters. Can you hear us demanding the right why, we don't even pay dues - how dare we call ourselves I.U.D. Local 5 In the main, in the work of the To raze the jails, let the prisoners mingle Black Cross, we have done this. If (meanwhile Bill O'Meally continues to there is what is known as the 'Black Utopia is not around the bend rot in gaol). However, such rationale Flag tendency' it is the result of many But I'll be damned I will not bend was no match for Geraldine's abras- ive wit, and it was an overwhelming militants with differenct strains of I'll find you when the walls fall. experience coming together in a points decision in favour of the girl common endeavour. One both learns from Tasmania. from militants who have fallen foul of Q. Why do we need Armies? FROM YOUR ROVING REPORTER repression and teaches them too. One IN AUSTRALIA draws inspiration from them and they A. To keep our handles on! give it too. This is how real, not paper, Cent pap 7 in temationals are made. PAGE 6 usa u.s./ MONTGOMERY, Ala. Time has run out trance for the last 23 of some 6OO black men who Five years aftBt.ltte auction of the stood to collect thousands of dollars because canada Spanish banker Suarez (who rememb- they were tricked into taking part in i.. M!'-"- ers?) the French Public Prosecutor the government's infamous Tuskegee has dug-up the case, dating back to the black years of Franco's agonis- syphilis study, comparable to the Jonestown ing rule. In Spain, all cases connect- Guyana massacre. border ed with the Resistance against Franco A report from Associated Press stated that have been amnestied. In France, the US Public Health S ervice experiment./011 APril 13th ten Anarchists and four others, they linger on. which began in 1932 and ended 4O years crossing from Windsor to Detroit were seized Eleven libertarian militants on US Customs officials on entering the States. provisional liberty since the end of later, consisting of withholding from 4OO 1974 risk a heavy sentence at the syphilis victims the treatment necessary, The 12 Canadians and "two Americans were end of a slapdash trial to be held so doctors could study the effect of the hauled from their van , put against a wall, in the summer recess. untreated disease on the human body. body searched and interrogated for six hours. five years await- The 2OO other participants did not have Finally, the two Americans were released ing trial, not a page has been added but the 12 Canadians were threatened with to the case for the prosecution. syphilis and were used as a control group. Like that of the GARI the case indefinite detention if they rtAued to submit 'After disclosure of the experiment in has been kept in the dark, lost in the to fingerprinting. Following forced finger- 1972 produced public outcry, ttostudy files, since 1974. They were then printing, they were expelled from the US was discontinued and the Health Service accused of receiving stolen property. Abruptly, in March 1978, another began the following year notifying the Anarchist literature was seized, also accusation was added, that of compli- participants that they had been used as documents intended for a conference of city in holding the Director of the guinea pigs. the Anarchist Communist Conference Bank of Bilbao for a period of twenty days following his kidnapping in The participants, all poor, unschc led North America in Ypsilanti.Michiganm the group's destination. Pans, May 1974 (a political kidnapp- black men, were never told the purpose ing to obtain the release of Spanish of the study or that they had The official charges are: prisoners). This belated accusation syphilis. They were persuaded to You are seeking to enter the U»lted States permits the case to be sent to the participate by promises of free engage in activities which wc*ld be prejud- Assize Court. Until now, neither police nor the Public Prosecutor treatment for illnesses other than .cialto the public interest; you advocate opposition to all organised government (i.e. have been able in the slightest degree syphilis, free meals and free burials. to show any proof of their accusat- anarchy); you probably would, after entry, 'At least 28 men died as a direct result ions. It entirely rests on the accus- engage in an activity a purpose of which is of untreated syphilis, and officials ation of receiving three million francs estimate that the number of deaths the opposition to the Government of the which corresponds to the ransom. United States by uncc nstitutional means.' This accusation rests entirely on attributable to the experiment may the actions of one Inocencio Martin- exceed 1OO.' Entry was refused under the ez, who is said to have left the bag Thie type of Buchenwald experiment 1952 Immigration Act, relevant sections with the ransom in a parked car in was carried out in Nazi Germany by of which date back to 190L It was pointed Avignon and disappeared into Spain force; in free America it is carried out out by Toronto Anarchists that this immediately afterwards. He is suppos- ed to have been followed by French by fraud. is a clear violation of the 1975 Helsinki i police up to the point of leaving the agreement which provides for the un- ransom — and then lost light of. hindered passage of individuals and ideas No need to comment on the weakness brazil between signatory nations. of this case — the irony being that FED TO FISH More, this treatment, which fa more granted. It involves militants from the Arecently discovered tribe of Chip- arbitrary and despotic than that suffered ula Indians. I am told, found living in movements in several countries — at the notorious East Berlit including this. It seems a last-ditch 'paradaisical bliss' in a remote valley frontier (which at least guara ntees stand of the Francoists in France. in the jungles of western Brazil were unhindered passage to West Berlin) reported to have thrown two repre- ROHAN BENNETT is still in •j is directed at visitors to the US and aimed jail in Brixtor; - the sentatives of FTFiilto the piranha- I at subverting their viewpoints. infested waters of the Itui River, official reason for his hav| where they were immediately de- ing been refused bail is Statists always imagine they own the the dangers of "the Irish voured. ITT could offerno country in which they reside. All is connection" which "cannc*. explanation for this uncharacter- theirs to dispose of as they wish. be overlooked1!. It is istic behaviour. The ITT sales But in a commercial-minded society like now officially admitted, team had been demonstrating the US they will be wary of losing the it would seem, that pei— colour TV to the tribe by show- lucrative business that goes with preying ing a documentary on life in the sons of Irish origin - on strangers - if it can be demonstrated even if, as in this case, US when they were suddenly That the 12 are not-alone. , attacked, no reason being given. born in England are second class citizens. Cont. page 8 PAGE 7 Anarchist Black Cross (New York) originally west NYC + undertook to publish The New York chapter of Komboa's writings be- the Anarchist Black Cross cause it was hoped the One of the dangerous aspects for announced the publicat- publicity they generated free expression in the law is that it provides a catch-all in that it penal- ion after a long delay, would have three effects. ises but does not define "the violation of Lorenzo Komboa Ervin's Fir st, it might make of public order" and an "offence pamphlet "Anarchism and those who had Komboa at against personal liberty" as expressed the Black Revolution". their mercy afraid to go in literature. It is open to a vast army For copies write to Gin- as far as they had with of interpretations - and to State corruption. ger Katz: Anarchist Black the ten prisoners who The arrest of the AGIT printers Cross, 339 Lafayette St., did not survive the will result in an epidemic of insecur- New York, NY 10012. Marion unit's version ity among printers. Not only print- Komboa was one of the of 'behaviour modifi- shop owners but workers are made Marion Brothers, the responsible for what they print, and cation". Second, it was presumably all should act as censors. prisoners at the infam- thought it might lead The way out, in England would ous Behaviour Modificat- to the Marion prisoners be for printworkers to use their law ion Centre at the Marion, being transferred to a given rights of political censorship Illinois prison. This unit less dangerous prison. to hold up the daily press, until the law is repealed. But this is not likely . has been used especially Thirdly, it hoped it to happen at this stage in Germany. for Black militant prison- would lead to the close- Even to express the idea might be ers whose political dis- down of Marion Prison and illegal. cussions and educational others like it. In October, 1977 four rgembers activities among the of a West Berlin printing press Komboa has since been collective, AGIT, were arrested and other prisoners were transferred to Leaven- charged under 129 88a with "support- effective enough to att- worth Jail. The first ing a terrorist organisation". In that ract the attention of emergency is over but month, 38 private dwellings, libraries prison officials who feel what he has to say re- and one printing press were searched. such behaviour stands in Is the •'t*frodtt,ruwrttCin" jhatv mains exciting^ and rele- large? vant, The four member of AGIT, two of all means necessary1 t He joins MSirtin whom had stopped working for AGIT they can get away with. in sharing observations six months before, were imprisoned Soon after its estab- because they had printed texts of the and insights obtainable June 2nd movement, the RAF lishment less than ten nowhere else. and the revolutionary cells. These years ago the Marion unit were in a weekly, IN FO- BUG which became notorious among AGIT printed. people interested in The weekly had been in existence changing the criminal since 1973 providing an undogmatic arena for debate betwen the extra- justice system and concern- parliamentary left. Views varied great- ed with simple human ly. AGIT was founded in 1968 to print decency and social justice for alternative groups and others. for Black people, prison- It was charged, not because it had ers and everyone else. provided INFO—BUG, let alone the RAF, with arms or economic aid, but Criticism came from all because it had printed the 'illegal' kinds of people and organ- ideas the readers had expressed. isations, regardless of Another printer who offered to their political or other print INFO BUG was raided in Septem- association. ber. Meanwhile, the four AGIT pris- oners were held for nine months under Psychological terms " 1 know we support them, preventive detention awaiting trial. like "behaviour modifi- In a ploy recognisable here too, cation" and 'aversion but don't you think the the one woman was held in high secur- • therapy' and a rationale Super, is going a bit too ity. far? " In August 1978 they were finally of modern pseudo science released on bail, following a massive became a mask for torture public support. They now await trial. . - severe enough to cause Desire is the heartbeat of the deaths of ten prisoners freedom. Such h the "State of mental siege" in Germany. Once more, in the first five years thought does not travel free of toll. ,of the unit's operation. •{"Gedenken sollen zollfrei") Contpage 22 PAGE 8 . ~ A CALL FOR AN INTERNATIONAL ANARCHIST RESISTANCE MOVEMENT CHEMICAL AGENTS, dealing with Ir' I ' Although it may seem that what is being discussed here A chemical compound which perman is a monolithic, centralized apparatus, such is not the case. ently or temporarily incapacitates, There must be a network of organizations which is spread or kills, people; or which destroys all over the world, based on a c o m m o n_c oncensus plants or material; when directed for revolutionary struggle. The structures would be federated into against such objects by any suitable an international revolutionary organization and Social move- delivery system, is termed a CHEMI- ment. The revolution recognizes no border lines! CAL AGENT. In dealing with chemical agents 1 . Anarchtet-CftmmualBt Infrastructure ANTI-STATE MILITARY ACTIV it is important that every individual The Communes are the ground- ITIES understands the nature of each agent, work for this internatienalorganisation, At some stage it is inevitable that the symptoms each will cause, and and are the primary social form of the State will recognize the danger to how to deal with them. It may be the new society, but even more are itself of such self-managed organizations delivered in a spray force, like an the subversive organism to undermine and will then try to forcibly repress them. aerosol or mist, or in a gaseous form, the authourtty and control of the We must organize self-defence committees, which may be invisible. It may be State. It is intended to organise the whether Workers' Defence Leagues or breathed in, swallowed with food new society in the shell of the old. Community Self-Defence Groups, to pro- and drink, or simply penetrate the tect ourselves and our movement from skin or eyes. It can be delivered in Communes may be social organisms almost any way imagined. Here are (such asLabor or mudtcipal communes) repression. Such military organizations the main types. br affinity groups and collectives. would not be a vanguard, police force, Incapacitating: include Riot Control IN a revoluttonaiffr 'situation. Free or standing Army in the Statist sense, agents such as Mace and acreolin and Cities would constitute communes. but would rather be'defence organisms can cause everything from eye irrit- But we must begin now to form Labor self-managed by the workers and commun- ation and fainting to mental disturb- Communes and Community Communes ity itself, or in other words: the people ance and paralysis. (and not just be satisfied with forming in-arms. These militia organizations, plus Blister agents: cause the other agents small, isolated non -functional com- our revolutionary unity, will allow us to will destroy food crops. • at any time resist attacks from the auth- munes, which are really just collect- Protection: These are the type of orities, no matter from what direction they thing we can expect the ravenous ives for alternative life-styles) to come (Left or Right-wing), and we can invading hordes to throw at us, after distribute food, clothing, and other then ward off the assaults without being wiping out our army, navy and RAF I Ii'-iWp-v^f- *•<&, •••iLv>'3>*SJiRt-> crippled or seriously endangered (Royal Air Force in this instance), :risis in the captilist countries a in addition, there should be an or- arotect oneself? The first n infrastructure for di to conduct an underground tective mocracy- by the people. TWs wou resistance struggle, specially in those ex-navy foul-weather suits— water- undermine leaders, political parties countries where an open Anarchist move- proof smock/hood, elast cuffs, water- and the state, and would constitute ment would be impossible, or would be trouswt, rubber overboots and gloves the first shet fired in the social revo- sure to be subjected to fierce repression that protect the wrists. A self-inject lution. It would mean discrediting by the State. Such countries as Iran, ampule of atropine will counteract the state and rendering k anlrrel- Russia, China, Korea, South Africa, Chile, nerve agents, oxime tablets are also ivent dinosaur. People would be able and other repressive countries are fascist useful in increasing resistance to :o see how the future Anarchits society dictatorships - either Red or Black. The nerve attacks. But a respirator is a 411 work, be seeing It Ui an embryonic only hope for freedom from slavery foi must, and must be put on if you get 'drm today. these unfortunate people, and for the a sudden headache or blurred .vision, Therefore we need an INTERNAT establishment of Libertanan Communism sore eyes or chest IONAL to organize national and contin- in those areas is to wage an underground The suit could also Be useful as ent-vile Anarchist federations all over resistance struggle. Such a struggle would nuclear protection. Radio-active the world, to co-ordinate those federations not merely be military, but would also fallout occurs over a wide area for which already exist, and to link up those fed mean creating a propaganda network to some time after a nuclear explosion, and communes with one another all over expose and undermine the State, as well as well as there being induced the world. In countries where there is no radiation from the ground. The suit as spread Anarchist ideas; creating free can be showered down. If any of us tradition of Anarchist activities, it should unions and other .autonomous worker survive the nuclear explosion without establish a string of Anarchist Pro- organizations to sabotage industrial pro- being blinded by the flash, incinerat- jpnda Leagues, book ships, duction and to act as industrial "guerillas" ed by the fireball, or crushed by the educational, cultural and social groups, I and a catalyst for strikes and other Labour blast, we might want to head for the newspapers and theor journals, work- I protests; and other such protest activit hills. But you might want to qo back ers' associations, and r organizations | ies. Peoples' guerilla warfare techniques for some military equipment, especia- to spread Anarchist ideals, win people should be used (particularly well organ ally if there were troops preventing over to our views, and build a mass Liber- ized sabotage of State installations, and the you leaving the contaminated area, tarian revolutionary movement. Of course, assasination of secret police, torturers and or gunning you down as you approach- the conditions in each country will dic- murderers) with, the immediate aim of ed the roadblocks. tate how this is done, and the local people disabling the whole State system as far After all, you could hardly expect will always serve as the revolutionary as possible. When such extreme forms of the government to allow a bombed organizers, even though on occasion the revolutionary action are required, however, city to contaminate the rest of the initial impetus may come from delegates a clear differe 1 be seen amonr country, and there is no real solut- from the international organization. This revolutionaries between simple terrorism ion to the problem other than elim- • is in line with our ideals of workers' self- without popular support and guerilla ination of the'carriers'. management and the self-determination of warfare arising out of the ccobective Nimrod all oppressed peoples. felt frustrations of the common people. PAGE*.' PROPAGANDA LEAGUES should be es- nform Anarchist comrades world-wide of KOM30A (Continued) tablished now to propagate class struggle the level of the struggle, which is also ina unionism, create revolutionary cells in position to spread Libertarian/Anarchist the trade unions, and push them in the It is very important and needs to deas world-wide. The Information Bureau revolutionary Syndicalist direction. be made quite clear that the creation of would serve as a communications and Many countries in Africa such as a people's guerilla warfare situation would propaganda centre, and would carry on Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, Zambia, be a me; is and not an end in itself. For such activities as: translating Anarchist and others (even South Africa, where such a means belongs to the tactics and heoretical works into every major indi- there is a large African working class) not the strategy of an Anarchist revolut- genous world language, and distributing have very large trade union confederat- ion. The use if military methods would such literature to every continent; creating ions, but they are reformist and are under be necessary in every case where the a SOCIAL REVOLUTIONARY ANAR- State control. The ideas of Anarcho- attitude and actions of the State made CHIST NEWS SERVICE to act as a wire syndicalism among the rank-and-file of it imperative for revolutionaries to defend service and send information and news such trade unions could create a revolut- themselves by taking the offensive against o Libertarian journals and newspapers ionary upsurge, free unions, and add to the State so as to disrupt its normal world-wide; securing an international anti- the strength of the international Anarch- functioning and thus make all the easier copyright agreement among Anarchist/ ist workers movement. Further, in the the building of a Libertarian/Anarchist libertarian publishers to allow free re- Third World it would change the nature social infrastructure in place of the e?tis,t- sublication rights of all Libertarian works; of the liberation struggles from Marxist ing one. An intelligently executed and creating one (or several) international Leninist authoritarian to Anarchist Liber successfully-run people's guerilla warfare Anarchist weekly newspapers; creating a tarian; from the supremacy of a party or campaign would have the effect of w arin LIBERTARIAN PRESS SYNDICATE "Liberation Front1' (sponsored by Moscow down the State machine and its capacity to offer Anarchist publications mutual for regimentation and control. This is the or Peking) to the self-organization of the aid and international connections. workers themselves; from the ideas of a only way that Anarchism can raise its In addition, the Information Bur- Workers' State" to the creation of Anar head in such repressive States: underground eau should establish propaganda networks chist Communes (which are especially resistance networks in the workplace and to engage in underground revolutionary fitted for African and Asian villages and the community. propaganda activities in those countries city life) and workers and peasants' Such activities require an internal which repress Anarchist ideas. Every councils and unions. This is a form of ional revolution capable of carrying on possible method of clandestine propaganda revolutionary struggle never seen in the such struggles. Such an organization must must be used: "pirate" radio stations Third World. It will change the course be decentralized and a semic landestin? and secret transmitters, to be established of history. ferderation of dedicated revolutionaries in the target country or a neighboring In Eastern Europe (including Russia), the INTERNATIONAL REVOLUTION- country; establishment of an underground China, South Africa, and other repressive ARY ACTION GROUPS is the organiz- printing press and secret distribution of countries we would have to conduct our Autonomous revolutionary Anarchist literature (such as is being done activities underground. The building of an arry on clandestine propa- with the "Samizat" literature in Russia underground autonomous workers' move- ganda, industrial sabotage, anti-State milit- today): secretly plastering buildings with ment for revolutionary industrial sabotage ary activities, organizing Anarchist Comm paint or posters foi propaganda messages; and a General Strike, to organize the unes and Assemblies, and an Anarch spreading leaflets and other materials; workers for self-management of production, Syndicalist Labor movement, among other holding impromptu raffles and demon- and to undermine and overthrow the activities. strations against government policy or government is the number one priority. repression, and ether activities. The ob- In those countries unions are merely jective of the underground propaganda organs of the State, (if they exist at all), network is to inform the people of Anar there is no right to strike, therefore the chist ideas, and to incite them to over- International should organize clandestine throw the State. We must be creative workers Assemblies, factory committees, in our methods, our very lives and the independent unions and other such free fate of the revolution may depend upon workers' organizations. Labour Communes, it. Peasants and Workers Councils, Syndical ist unions should be established to create a dual power (Workers' Control) situation in both industry and society, in order to struggle for Social Revolution and workers self-management of the economy. In the Western industrialized count ries it is necessary to infiltrate the reform- ist trade unions (event hose under Communist Party control) and push them 3. INFORMATION 4. ANARCHO-SYNDICALIST LAB- into a class struggle, revolutionary Syndic- Every individual who is involved OUR MOVEMENTS alist direction; create factory committees, in the Social Revolution must know how Many whole continents as well as workers' Assemblies, industrial councils, far our cause has advanced in other count- well as individual countries have no anar- and other autonomous labour organs, in ries. We must not leave the tasks of in- chist nucleus: Africa, Asia, the Carribean, order to undermine the trade union mis formation on our comrades and analysis Oceana, many countries in Eastern Europe leadershipand evade government control of our movement and its activities to the and some in Latin America. In the major of the unions We must demand an end bourgeois and Socialist press. Therefore ity of these countries where there has to government control of the unions and we must take all necessary measures to never been a history of Anarcho-Syndical the repeal of all anti-Labour lav/s. as well establish an INTERNATIONAL ANAR ist activities. ANARCHO -SYNDICALIST as rank-and-file democratic control of the CHIST INFORMATION BUREAU to unions Cont. page 17 PAGE 10 Comrade Shellard gave me a right Repression is noteworthy for giving" shellackin' for my "State of the way under certain pressures to out- British Worker". His criticisms one by burts of negative emotion. The French one: workers were cetainly depressed in 1.1 didn't intend negatively assault- 1789AII it took was a royal whore to ling the working class! My aim was to jeer Garn! Eat cake! to usher in the well- describe some of its members as known Revolution. "One inarticulate I found them in pub, caff or dig- scream of rage fromthe French work- ging holes in the road. Along with ing class'Vas how one historian des- There is today a mix-up as workers Wordsworth I have time for yer cribed it; the debris from it is still often earn higher wages because average worker 'I love every greasy falling down. If one of our obliging they're organised than many ill- wrinkle on his dirty sulky face'. But royals had been persuaded to address organised professional people cling- I'm not sentimental about him by the the workers thuswise -- "Gam, you ing to their social status. It is a pecul- same token. Love isn't blind. great gits. Get back to the slums on iarity of English life and language 2.1 agree that everyone works. To the dole where you belong!"....well. to distinguish class by accent but say clipping one's share coupons at anyway, it's just a thought. one can be a millionaire with a Barclay's or screwing sociaJ security L.H. Cockney accent - all that proves is for a clothing allowance are'nt examples the sliding scale of capitalism. of work is merely misusing the langu- It is not a question of idealising age . But there is an ethos in Coron- The working class in America is not one class as against another. Carl is ation Street not quite the same the most revolutionary class The right in saying the American (or the as the one in most revolutionary classes id America British) worker is not revolutionary in Albany, Mr Heath's current tener are the lower classes i.e. Black, Third that, while they think they can screw d sociologists have such diffi Vorld, Poor and Prisoners. more out of the system by organis- f defining their difference that The working class in America is ation, they are not insurrectionary. few have been misled into split into two camps i.e. the working But it is only they who can change thinking it doesn't exist - like claim- middle class and the working class. the social system, since it is a matter ing that because 'red' is indefinable, The latter is its majority is reformist. of seizing the economy and that the Red Flag isn't red. In Russia the working class and the means occupying the places of work Try getting your doctor to utter peasants overthrew Czarism, the not the social security offices or the in his piercing Hamstead accent: working class then and there was the prisons. They only need to be torn F.ctuallay, Ay'm a membah ot the most revolutionary class. In China the down in a free society. If both isn't Briish working clahsss too, y'know", peasants overthrew the ruling power/ done there is a situation that looks as I got a Tory MF to do, years ago. class because they were the majority revolutionary but can't be pulled And try to stop laughing at the same and most revolutionary class. through. To place any hope in the time. In America the majority of revolut- 'petty bourgeois revolutionary intell- 3. The beer-fags-chips-foot-ball-telly ionary minded and active people are ectuals' is a fatal mistake. That is a Kurtur is there to be seen wherever in the lower classes, not the work- myth of Leninism and of the student Britons earn wages instead of salaries. ing class. movement alike. They, as such, can It is not abusive to point Each country is unique. American offer nothing but leadership, another it out: it is a billion-pound industry revolutionaries are trying to copy the word in this context for betrayal. battering and frying the BW in with Russan and Chinese revolutions with Ins fish-fingers every night of the the wrong class as a starting year. point. Dear Black Flag, It is a mere philosopher's quibble The petty bourgeois revolutionary to debate whether this culture tor- intellectuals and the minority of the Purely you all realize pedos the BW's ability to think along revolutonary working class must that the "Rev." Jim Jones sound political lines (our lines) or join hands with the lower classes to was not a _>outnerner, let whether his refusal to think this way, make revolution in America. alone from the Deep South, for whatever historical reason, resulted Carl Harf in his present cultural state. and never picked cotton? 4. Change of any kind...is a veiy slow Also that, in the 20th process*. Not always. The Shit of NOTE: In our view LH is provocative century, the K.K.K. has lran....vro-om! My whole point is that and witty but confused: the working - or to be exact, productive - class is had most of it's member- it ihe BW is depressed and despondent snip outside the Deep (study the boozing figures) then our firstly economic and secondly tactics should involve some study on {because in a parasitic society those South? 2 how to use this sad social fact for our who do most get least) culturally J. Huller political ends. deprived. A free society must be Southern Libertarian based on a productive class since the Q. What is passivity? existence of a parasitic society is the Messenger, I A. A slow form of suicide! reason for the need for authority. South Carol: na U ..3. A. PAGE 11 FROM A CORRESPONDENT Feelings of solidarity within the Alliance were lost as those against the The aim of the recent Torness gather- occupation of the inner compound ing (May 4-7) was to gain sympathy collaborated with the police in trying for the Torness Alliance's work to to get the 'wreckers' out. Peaceniks Lord ThomsonJiasiuaet a well- oppose the building of a nuclear react- outside the compound shouted to established applecart; and of course or at Torness and to try to put a halt them to come out, and came pretty with his sort of money, he doesn't to the nuclear programme. What close to collaboration with the police. need to worry about apples. happened at the week-end? It should No support was offered the folk in Who would have thought the have been a success. Between five the compound, who eventually came hstablishment would have so tamely and ten thousand people went to but of their own accord marching borne the loss of that old lie-machine, Torness, and after a festival on the behind a black flag. its cherished London Times? It floated^ Saturday, held meetings to decide Some questions persisted after- all the rumours, evasions, propaganda whether and when the occupy the wards. The one one of 'violence' disguised as news tor successive govern- site, and eventually decided on doing and 'non-violence'. Most of the Alli- ments, in an impartial way (as bet- so on Sunday rather than Monday. ance saw the occupiers of the com- ween governments), mistaken for On Sunday morning people got pound as 'wreckers'determined to liberalism. But it was a luxury the on to the site using haystack bales destroy the nuclear site. They saw Establishment could afford to lose, as a stairway. Then various happen- this as 'violence' - so they sided with for it was always the journal of the ings took piact;. Floweis and trees the police. Their greatest concern club rooms, the nails of academia, were 'planted', the fence was decor- was for good (press) publicity - the embassies and consulates, ated and anti-nuke messages written which would have been none but rather than of the businessmen who in rocks and stones. Some directed • make them all jump to it, more for the 'violence' - against property, a stream to flood the road. not people or animals. |s this violence? clearly expressed in the Daily Express.' A meeting was then held on the The old Lord Thomson was site whether to occupy the inner interested in money, many English compound (with its McAlpine mach- "I press lords have been more interested inery). Though the meeting decided - in power, and the sort of power not to, some damage was done to the that goes with owning a'great national.: works by 25 'self-confessed anarch- newspaper. ists' - vide press - watched by self- The present Lord Thomson inher- confessed police — and they were its an empire in which monet- soon joined by over a hundred anar- ary losses of several million pounds chists and other frustrated demon- don't matter. He will not give way strators.

not uqipo• s':••• jn* r

PApE 12 THETT1MES 53 The Times will not re-open (fail- ing pressure put on Lord Thomson) without the most humiliating surrend- er by the printworkers and already unions arc realising the facts of the case and allowing them to go to other jobs - which will make it more difficult for the paper to re-open (to the outrage of the management which tliinks it can sack its workers and keep them waiting as well). Why could they not have seized the paper and gone on printing? This was spoken about throughout the Organisation. There was a massive expediture on locks and security systems (but even so. occu- pation was always possible until very recently). There arc times when we all have to be Anarchists. The printers, divided into unions, divided between factions, did not do it. They could have done it without the journalists -which would have made it so interesting an experiment that Lord Thomson would have re-opened next day WITII the journalists, who are still in the payroll anywav.

Violence is what the Torness reactor will do when it's built. What is a linle PASSIVE damage to fencing and machinery when one looks at what has been done RESISTANCE ? to the East Lothian countryside? Months of delay caused by damage would, on the contrary,have post- poned, maybe threatened, the frontal SHIT attack made by the reactor on the peple and the country. There is something to be said for non-violence as a tactic In some situations: when bulldozers are work- :^m.wm ing, for instance, and there is some- thing to be physically stopped. There $? is none for an ideological 'non-viol- ence' that is a cop out for liberals who don't want to get arrested or who 'respect property'. The Alliance as

a whole look at nuclear power as a i«KV.^t£;^. P.«*:£ 1 single issue, rather than in the wider spectrum of State oppression. 2iJ

-decide our poncy on arrest before- fTarur— wh'eTM'eTTb go limp or to co1 operate ue sure you don't struggle. -SMILE!

•.*•?..• ITS THEM OR US

PAGE 13 Margaret Thatcher as Wonder Woman Letters to Black Flag • • appeared on the front page of the last issue of the Flag. We hear that 'insurgent sisters' from two doors up from Rising Free (North GUARDS London bookshop) stuck stickers on issues there saying'THIS DEGRADES I think this cover is awful. Don't WOMEN: anarchists have any awareness of sex- In Edinburgh copies were withdrawn ism? Women have had enough of from sale by two (male) members of their bodies being used to put mes- the First of May Bookshop because sages — we don't expect to get it they thought it "offensive to from the left as well! women". It was admitted by one of Beverley Sommerville the members that he ought to have NOTE: Any photograph or cartoon consulted the collective first (especi- shows a body, or are you inisiting on ally the women) but he still felt the a strict interpretation of not making cover was sexist. graven images? If we had showed The following correspondence has her in her undies being fondled ensued. The first letter is from there might be some point in your London; all the others from Edin- Dear Black Flag Collective, remarks. burgh. There were (so far as we know) This is about the cover of your latest no other reactions. issue. I don't like it and I'd like to I know you didn't mean it, but you explain why. My first response was lot of all people should have known Dear Friends at Black Flag, confusion — I'd forgotten about better. Simply because the Tories I was disgusted to learn that some the Smirnoff ad and the montage/ used Thatcher's sex as an electioneer- women professing to speak for all, label/caption didn't add up to ing device there's no excuse for you put stickers on the last issue of Black anything for me. I didn't think it was to go for the cheap laugh to counter Flag at Rising Free because of the doing anything very powerful about them. Thatcher may be the leader caricature of Margaret Thatcher. Thatcherism but assumes that since of that party and is deinitely the sym- Tory feminists? Let me tell you of I didn't get the point I had no right bol of the election victory, but my experience when a group of so- to criticise. I was wrong. wouldn't it have been more to the called feminists were discussing the What changed my mind was seeing point if you'd displayed, for example, General Election when to my dismay some politically naive kids come the evil Sir Keith Joseph below your one 'sister' came up with the idea we into the bookshop and snigger, as if headline? should invariably vote for women; if it were Playboy i.e. what your cover yours in hope more than one, or none, then for the was doing was reinforcing their con A Barlow Tories to get la Thatcher in. I asked tempt, not just for Thatcher, but for foocrggconam/c Class 5) sarcastically if I should vote for the all women. I think this is likely to be NOTE: Then some equally sensitive National Front, as the one woman a pretty common response from men soul would have accused us of anti- candidate in my constituency was a with no feminist awareness: to further semitism! fascist. To my horror the 'sister' brutalise their attitudes to women. said, Of course that's the whole What you meant by the cover doesn't Dear Friends, idea. That certainly degraded and dis matter at all. The front cover of Black Flag is a gusted me for one. What the cover really does matters good example of the trouble you get Martha Johnson a lot. I suspect it will have far more in if you don't have a clear political NOTE: To be pedantically correct, effect on women in general than it programme. The cover photo seems our comrade is mistaken in think- will on Thatcher in particular. to be nothing more than a personal ing the Islington 'feminists' are pro So please THINK about what you attack on one human being — Marg- Thatcher; they probabiy equate publish in the Flag and how it will be aret Thatcher, not her policies or the acrobats with strippers. Even Mrs received: if some of your readers re- government's policies but the person. Whitehouse allows for "good whole- act as if it were the News of the World. The attack is clearly based on the fact some entertainment" and a phone call If Black Flag has a real commitment to that she is a woman. (Am I missing elicits she includes Wonderwoman opposing sexism, then it must make something or is there more to it?) therein. that damn clear even to men so deeply I wonder how much public confro- enmeshed in it that they don't know ntation we should have over this what it is. kind of stuff - it certainly should Love be exposed but I think we can more Jack Camp in readily look on the idea of Black Flag NOTE: How patronising to your as allies than we can, say, the Right young customers! Are you an ageist? Wing. Maybe we should encourage Could it not be they were less politi- discussion on what kind of political cally naive than you — you can't tell • programme is workable as well, as, or even rather than, saying nothing the sternly moralistic News of the World from Black Flag? You couldn't until some silly cover photo comes do a newsboy's job! They 'sniggered', up. I happen to know the designer did they? — did they see the point of of the cover is trying to go against Thatcher as Wonderwoman and the of lot of sexism in Black Flag and connotation of the Smirnoff ad? elsewhere in the anarchist move- What is the alternative? That they ment. So maybe we should remem- were sexually aroused at seeing a ber that as well as jumping down his stockinged leg? Long shirts went throat at any mistake. Is your friendly neighbourhood Black out in 1923. Cont. page 15 Flag PAGE 14 Cont. from previous Meanwhile, even the artist recanted Dear Black Flag, Yes, it is sexist but ideas are communicated only with trust rather It is a great pity that you chose to run than leaving it to censorship. I have the photomontage of Margaret That- told the designer some of this so don't cher as Wonder Woman on the front page. When I made the montage I make him paranoid by having him was only too aware that to depict on the capet. He is on our side. With love Thatcher as Wonder Woman would Michael Spring be open to criticism for being 'off- NOTE: Thatcher, like Hitler, is a hum- ensive to women' since it would be interpreted as a cheap put-down an being. That has nothing to do of Margaret Thatcher because she with out animosity. Nor has the fact is a woman. That Was not my intent- of their sex. Politics is based on ion. people. As for a 'clear cut political I had hoped that by combining Or is it mistaken identity? programme', this always means one's her picture with Jim Callaghan in own. How come you wait giving us the equally ridiculous body of Super- the benefit of yours until you got man that the message would be clear. offended about the Prime Minister' Sadly the final photomontage depict NOTE: \|te did not suppress the ing the patriarchal superheroes Wonder picture of Jim Callaghan as Superman Woman, Superman and Spider Man for fear of upsetting those who would struggling for political power against shrink from seeing him with his a background of the Houses of underpants outside his trousers. The Parliament was not published. Per London editors didn't receive it in sonally I feel to show one figure with- time (or even see it for weeks after). out the other is open to criticism But anyway it was clear before the as being 'sexist' and ('would like result that Saatchi and Saatchi had to apologise for any offence that the won the Election with Wonderwoman cover has caused to anarchists or and Uncle Jim's Homely Brand was anarcha-feminists. nowhere. Having said that, I also want to What sort of statutory balance point out that here are many other would you propose next tune - periodicals that could be construed if Shirley Williams contests as Labour as offensive on sale at 'Left book- leader by then? We accept that the nothing but sexist (a word shops' and I feel dismayed at the cover may have been offensive to some connoting everything from Playboy arbitrary way the Flag has been singl- male or female feminists, but doubt to*power stations}? ed out. The covers of The Leveller, if they represent more than a fraction Tyneside Street Sheet and the back of feminists, and an infinitesimal YES this is the unacceptable face of cover of Red Rag can be regarded as part of women generally. The Body anarchism due, presumably, to not offensive. To take an example. Red Guards operate in many causes: the icalismg the importance of feminism Rag depicks a naked masked man on obsessive in every cause who convince to every sphere of life. all fours used as a coffee table, with few and do more harm than good to The attitude of many anarchists the caption 'I'm Allen Jones — fly their cause. Ridicule had drive the ;s that anarchism, by its very me'. If the reader does not know that "Body Guards" out of every popular nature, includes all freedoms for all Allen Jones is the artist who produced cause and they only flourish among people is at least partically to blame a series of offensive sculptures of minorities. for this. For feminism needs to be masked nude woman as tables, chairs, stated explicitly agai{ijpti|again in hat-stands etc. the viewer would be order for 99% of men to even recog- justified in thinking this was an nise its existence, let alone its valid- attempt to degrade men's bodies. In ity. World Information on Energy Service Mrs Thatcher should be opposed (WISE) a nuclear power station is for a very great number of reasons, depicted as a penis and balls which namely her policies, and if ridicule could also be construed as offensive - be part of that opposition so be it, unless one realises that nuclear power but the fact that Mrs Thatcher is a is a symbol of patriarchy. All these woman is irrelevant, and she should interpretations depend upon the not be subject to ricicule because political consciousness of the reader, of her sex, which is what the cover and having said that, I am sorry to of Black Flag amounts to. have to admit there is a lot of sexism in the anarchist movement. So if a There is no anarctifsm without sexist person looks at this particular feminism. cover of Black Flag, it would reinforce . ftounna Otcil his or her sexism. That is where I Hun»»:r 4, K»i?ri. ::n.< NOTE: Your attitude.is (you will have failed. be horrified to hearNKi* of the anti- In solidarity, suffragists of seventy years ago. Their P. Monteur for Black Rnx World Information Service on Energy arguments included the one that if showing nuclear power as a penis a woman entered the political arena, and balls. (No wonder some guys got she would be subject to political an inferiority complex. No wonder ridicule like all politiciansandthat some men got a guilt complex!) would be degrading to any lady. Her sex is irrelevant. Don't bring Cont page 16 it up. PAGE 15 RE: FUSS REVIEW Most historians are propagandists and a lots of what they write is bunk. I wish to question the reviews of John John Quail's book wasexceptionally Quail's book The Slow Burning Fuse good but his omissions and mistakes' by Stuart Christie and Albert Meltzer can be rectified. He is totally (Black Flag Vol V No. 8) in so far as mistaken, for instance, about George they criticise John for basing his hist- Cores — well known to many still ory of the British anarchist movement living. There are also many still liv- almost entirely on written material ing who could have corrected him on and hardly at all on personal mem- many matters — e.g. the 'pro-war ories of living people. minority' of 1914 where he followed The first, particular, objection is repeated, but false, assumptions.) that John's book describes events roughly from 1880 to 1930 and comes to an effective end half a century ago; indeed he explicity (page 307) refrains from describing events in which living people were involved. There are still a few survivors of the We do accept one point from our movement before 1930, but it is critics. Middle class feminism has made surely doubtful whether they could some major points and will not go have contributed anything signifi- away. It is absurd to say that 'the • cant to John's very compressed ac- anarchist movement is sexist' or count of developments after the First 'there can be no anarchism without World War. feminism' without defining anarch- The second, general object- ism, sexism or feminism. The definit- ion is that personal memories ions of sexism and feminism have- are very unreliable. For example, come from the student m'ovement Albert mentions Mat Kavanagh, but, influenced package-deal left and taken whatever his undoubted qualities as 30S PRESS REVIEW for granted, or rejected, in thei/terms a propagandist, he was a very careless SOCIAL which are different from those of historian, as may be found by check- WE3UCK HOTEL working people. ing his many biograhical articles in | TOTTENHAM COURT RD. We invite an extensive debate on the anarchist press. Albert also men- 7.30 P.M. SEPT. ?th anarchism and feminism from anar- tions 'the traditions of Frank chists (to be published in the Flag ut again, whatever his equally Nearest TUBE: the Review or as a pamphlet, accoi tubted qualties as a propagandist, ing to response). We do not parti- he too was a very careless propagandist -3 cularly want the view of the quasi- historian, as may be found by anarchists of the Zero school (though checking his memoirs. Albert we're prepared to include them) mentions that Charles Lahr was an but of revolutionary anarchist especi- authority' on Kitz, but Lahr was yet ally those of the Black Flag tendency. another very earless historian. Our experience is that women If anything, I would make the themselves tend not to write on the opposite criticism of the Slow Burning subject — we suspect because those Fuse— that John relies too much on who reject the student-.movement personal memories. The problem think it bring all women into ridi- is thjt personal memory is unrivalled cule or perhaps because to take a stand for such things as atmosphere, cha- on the subject is to accept the separ- ;icter, pi ace, appearance, but that, atist portion. Or is it just apathy? whether vviitten or spoken^t is oftun Anyway, it's a mistake. If we do not worse than useless for hard facts, spell out such issues they tend by unless it is carefully checked against becoming part of the left package contemporary documents. I have deal To be taken for granted (as found this again and again, both in shown here). using my own memories and in using those of others; and I would end by saying that the most unreliable evi- once all is anecdote based on personal memory of someone else's person memory — the folk memory which plays such an important part in the historiography of the anarchist move- ment. NICOLAS WALTER (To some extent, yes; bv^consider the lists of non-existent groups and federations published in Freedom in the 60s and reproduced by bourge- ois historians, all of which can be contradicted by personal memory and knowledge. PAGE 16 KOMBOA (Continued) This international defence campaign In the Western Industrialized count- may involve: armed support activities; an ries Anarchists should expose the corrupt international boycott and General Strike ion and incompetency of government, The International must represent the against a target country's consumer goods should build a powerful working class most oppressed workers: especially immi and services, or the activities of the multi- movement, and should build revolution- grants to the western industrialized count national corporations; protest demonstrat- ary, communes Assemblies, and Anarchist ries, racial minorities and women workers ions at Embassies and Consulates of the Communist federations in order to create and to organize the un-organized workers counties involved; an international Petition dual power in both industry and society. Further, with the current economic crisis and letter-writing campaign; and many Libertarian educational, cultural and social in the Capitalist countries there are now other activities. We need an international activities should emphasize countering the millions of unemployed workers: there prisoners' aid organization to lead and co- effects of the authoritarian psyche should be unemployed unions existing ordinate such activities. Of course branche; (racism, militarism, patroitism, sexism, parallel to the workers unions to demand of Anarchist Black Cross and Habotoc and other ills) and the ' work ethic' the bosses provide them with (socially exisf in several countries, but full support The objective being the creation of an useful) work and to provide strike support must be given to building a strong Black Anarchist system of human relatio ns. to workers on strike against the boss. Cross or other Anarchist prison support Anarchists should, when necessary for Finally, the International should be organization. The prison struggle is an their survival, practice armed self-defence basis rather than by integral part of the struggle against the against repression and even guerilla struggle national labour federation, because it State and it deserves the full support of to some extent; but in the jnitial stages much more effective for labour solidarity, all sections of the Anarchist movement. of our struggle our activities in the including a revolutionary General Strike. Wt must build an INTERNATIONAL "democratic" countries will be more agit- Anarchists of every stripe should join the ational, educational and organisational sections of the International and once ANARCHIST BLACK CROSS, with bran- ches in every country where we are active. than direct physical actions. More evolut again make Anarchism a working class lonary than revolutionary. One thing we doctrine. Many prisoners will turn out to be some of our strongest Anarchist revolutionaries, aefutely must.do is to show that the and further we should not forget that 'free world" is not free and that Anarchy Bakunin, Kropotkin, Johann Most, Sacco stands for the greatest degree of freedom and Vanzetti, the Haymarket martyrs and democracy possible In the fascist and State '•Commun- Alexander Berkman, Makhno, Emma Gold- ist" countries, however, our struggle man, Durruti, Martin Sostre, and many must be much more vigorous and revolut- other Anarchists . were political prisoners. ionary. There, Anarchists must lead an And to this very day, throughout the underground existence or suffer persec- world many of our Anarchist comrades ution or death. With the fascist countries are in State dungeons. Shall we ignore their cries for help? this is cleariy recognized and acknowledg ed, however the Communists pose as revolutionaries and the State regimes they haw erected as "workers States" where they are "building Communism". Thus Castro in Cuba. Mao in China, and other dictators have been able to win a quite large international group of sym- pathizers and followers (especially among youth) for being "successful revolution- aries". The ideas of Marxism-Leninism are AREAS OF STRUGGLE IN THE WORLD in vogue as never before; people are sym- 5. PRISON SUPPORT WORK The revolution cannot be confined pathetic to what they feel is Socialism All Anarchists oppose Laws, prisons behind national borders, but rather must as opposed to the Capitalism of the West, and the State. Prisons or Laws are not be international in scope. We have to although there is also a large number of designed to 'protect society' or even to build an international revolutionary solid- other persons who are anti-communist lock away dangerous criminals, (the arity movement. Our objective is to spread because of the crimes of Lenin, Stalin, real criminals run the State), but rather Anarchism all over the world. Our tactics and Mao. and the obvious bureaucracy is a means of State social control and slave may vary from country-to-country, but and authoritarianism of their regimes. labour. Further the pnsons are mere our objective »remains the same. The Anarchists should counter the myths concentration camps ofr the poor and State is our eternal enemy, but will only and lies of these Red fascists, and should powerless. We must organize to abolish go away through the triumph of the expose their State crimes. But most the prison system along with the State, Social Revolution. Anarchists should imnortantly Anarchists should challenge and free all class war prisoners. involve themselves in struggles in every the monopoly by the Marxist Leninists Further, we must be able to oryan field varying from wome n's and of the ideas of Socialism and Commun- ize a powerful international defence struggles to the rapidly developing conflict ism and libertarian Socialism and Comm- campaign to free "political" prisoners, between the much exploited poor peoples unism. We must begin to challenge and that is, those prisoners confined for their of Africa, Asia, and Central/South defeat the Marxist-Leninists in both ideas social or political beliefs or their revolut- America and the rich exploiting nations. and practice, and show that their ideas ionary organizing activities, and/or frame It is vital that Anarchists involve of State Communism are obsolete and up victims and those railroaded through selves in such grassroots conflicts now oppressive. And most importantly, Anar the Capitalist courts. These comrades are raging or ready to erupt. For unless we do, chists should begin a fight for freedom victims of State political or racial per we will have no voice or influence in such (Libertarian Communism) in the count secution, and it is our revolutionary duty developments, let al one be able to create ries under the heel of the red "dictator- to free them. Anarchist support bases in those areas. ships of the proletariat". r Cont. pagers PAGE 17 •nvrrywuwwa KOMBOA (Continued) Our Mint to act HOI forever be SPAIN cursed by tomorrow's slaves. As Anarchist revolutionaries (let us always remember We must build an In a document addressed to that by definition Anarchists are active underground resistance movement with Juan Carlos from Valencia revolutionaries, ever at war against State anarchist freedom fighters taking revolution- machines, and if not, they are not Anar- Provincial Prison dated ary actiona against these dictatorships chists) we must be ready to struggle, not ^6th February 1979, ten of the Communist party. It is a life- theorize. Anarchism has always been a prisoners announce their and death struggle which will determine dynamic doctrine of revolutioany struggle, intention of mounting a the true worth of Anarchist ideals and the when it becomes a haven for bourgeois future of our movement. There is no other FAST TO THE DEATH. They mtellectusland hippie freaks, then it is question their exclusion way that freedom (Anarchist Communism) no longer Anarchism. will be established in those areas of the from a recent amnesty, THE FUTURE IS ANARCHISM, OR world. It will be a violent, bloody struggle, THERE W1LI BE NO FUTURE!! arguing that this is in but it cannot be avoided. All fundamental SMASH THE STATE!!! defiance of all logic, change is violent; and to radically trans- and article I4 of the form our world, a violent revolution shall prepared by Constition. Constant vio- be necessary - even if only for reasons Lorenzo Komboa Ervin _ff_ lations of their rights of self-defense. Liberation will not be IT 18759-175 given to us: we must take it for ourselves. have persuaded them to United States Penitentiary But, naturally, we cannot sing the praises withold all cooperation of violence for its own sake. Rather P.O. Box 1000 and recognition from the Marion, Illinois 62959 than say that violence inevitably and logic- authorities. Their ally proceeds from revolution, it is better decision is to affirm to say that we are forced to resort to their humanity and to violence because, in order to retain their reject all attempts to power and privileges, the counter revolut- ionaries (Capitalist class) will try to sup- turn them into pawns or press us with violence. All oppressed commodities or property. people have a right to rebel! They itLUes.tibn the whole myth of prison, of order, of laws. «(VE SEEK TO BE FREE WITHOUT CONDITIONS." They have wearied of play ing the role appointed by the Authorities...conform- ing to rules...petitioning WHAT IS TO BE DONE? for Rights... .acquiescing The creation of a large Anarchist in thfr prison system. They social revolutionary movement - global in scope and with dense local pockets have na:4***fin Uf seek in many parts of the world - is a vital death, m initial step in preparing the ground for a on living. The masquerade successful - 'pocal Anarchist revolution. can go on without them. It would provide the necessary support The 10 aret base which is not so badly lacking for Jose Ram6n Gornejo Sanchez. Anarchist activities of all kin^s varying from a highly developed global information Luis Garcia Tamarit. netowrk (itself a vital step in the making Arcadio .del Real Rodriguez. of a militant global Anarchist ovement) Cent. Page 20 to successful anti-State military operations, where such are both necessary and possible. Conditions are becoming ripe for a thorough-going world Anarchist revolution which will replace the long diseased and in- adequate State/class social order with a stable trans-national Libertarian But such a genuine revlution cannot take place unless the groun is prepared ofr it beforehand. The, problem ri£tt HOW fa to ciWM a militant Anarchist minority, which would serve as the £ £ for such social revlutionary movement. Many anarchists are mere dreamers or armchair theorizers, while their follows around them are being destroyed by State machines. They do not inhabit the real world. STVno» PAGE 18 in the main without losing given right to own the strip of land they occupy and there THE BOAT PEOPLE AND . thecivilising effects of OTHERS bourgeois life either. Its is no place for the Vietnam- ese refugees. Racialism and The ethnic Chinese living nationalism may be as rampant as any other» but this aspect Nationalism always runs to throughout the lands of Asia hatred; no feelings of are industrious and hardwork- is a significant one, and such a solution is needed to racialism and nationalism ing, and are generally indiv in China, one of the most • idualistic. They are the type the "Chinese ethnic" and Indian and Pakistani emigr- racialist and nationalist of people who normally become of all, induce feelings of individual craftsmen but in ation. gUTWJERE? But where in the world solidarity with their co- the type of exploitative soc- racialists and co-nationals iety they find themselves in, is there a place for many of the people expelled from adrift on leaky boats or become minor capitalist entre- stranded on waterless islands. preneurs j and some, a not in- Vietnam to go? Even if there were, they would face the self- THEM OR US substantial minority, major This type of genocide, now exploiters. A similar problem same problems of the Jews in Palestine - either to domin- widely practised, has no anser exists with Indians in Africa but social revolution. No where an agressive and ate or be dominated, to expel or be expelled. amount of charity, no amount ambitious people finds it- of goodwill, not even strikes . self both excluded from The whole parlour Left, taking its ideals from the or sabotage, can help the sit- normal working and pushed uation. There are some situa- into administrative positions student-dominated movement, should hang its head in rem- tions in the world (the Viet- and buisness yet hated for nam war as it affected Vietnam being in that position. In orse over the incidents of the Boat People. Who was it was one\ even the massed many countries they find power of the working class is themselves cheek-by-jowl that only a few years ago chanted "Victory to the Viet- useless against the aggression with a local people that of the State. It becomes Them prefers to take things eas- cong"? Now* when one reads of expulsions of thousands or Us. The ethnic Chinese, ier and not to join in a rat hounded and harried like race; and these of ethnic Chinese - the Inese gave their jiimals to the boats, should ietcong vie - icd irv**ia*i ditch *ay - perhaps the glory 'of TheyMid not do so, This was the story partly because of their indiv- behind the Asians expelled io Chi Minh fades a little? Anarchists always bitterly idualism, everyone thinking from Alain's Uganda. It also >pposed the dictatorship of to save themselves; partly explains the Pakistanis who to Chi Minh and the vietcong, because of the pervasive are victims of racial pred- but it is no consolation to be effect of State propaganda. judice and economic exploit- provedright when one reads of Like the Jews in Europe, ation when they come to thousands being sent out in they have trailed along to Britain;but who once here are open boats,the men tortured the gas chambers, the more pillars of economic exploit- to find gold, the women raped, readily because there was ation and "natural" capitalist! the boats refused entry any- just a glimmer of hope. There-is an ugly side to Zion- where, and militant Islam, in And who knows which of ism, often stressed today us in the world will be the because the Jewish State, when the form of the Malay States, threatening to open fire if the next to follow that futile'path built, is inevitably like any heretic refugees dare to land of non-resistance? other state. But it should not in their ports. Are we in Europe not as be forgotten that one of the It is intended to expel bemused with the myth of early ideals of Zionism -and one or two million, partly to Parliamentary Statism as one which has been partly disembarrass Vietnam of a other parts of the worud acieved - was to transform potential middle class; partly are with State Communism? generations of city-dwelling to ensure State Communist dom- If we are faced with the crunch people immersed in capital- ination! partly to embarrass will we, one wonders, be queue- ism and competition once more the Chinese Republic in its ing up for the gas chambers into agricultural workers and conflict with Russian Imperial- or the leaky boats; waiting for out of the capitalistic ethic; ism. The West moralises. It our draft papers to nowhere; and however the State reacts . has territory available. entrusting our lives to who- against the national enemy, the Australia does not even occupy ever happens to be in control Zionist ideal in this has made its outer rim to the full. But of the State at the time? a productive class out of the the Nation States divide the A lengthy article on Cambodia hangers-on of capitalism, and world as if they had a God- has been held over till next issue. INTERNATIONAL NEWS (Cont.) Tobago West Indies. Also The THEIR DEMANDS: West Indies Prime Minister of the Asked for a Feder- Our position here remains the Phe Attorney General of the.. al Investigation of same - five of us - Dennis Ihe Minister of National Sec- the prison, for Fed- Fletcher, Peter Chandre, Kirk urity The Ombudsman.... eral Protection and -Ion Paul, Winston Ferrier & Ihe Opposition Leader transfer to Federal myself (Andy Thomas) await . George Weekes OWTU Custody (because they death by hanging. tad Andy Thomas - P.O. Box 12 fear for their lives). Six others, Clyde Haynes, Port of Spain Trinidad West Demanded lawyers, Clem Haynes, Tony Alexander, Indies. formal court charges Lincoln Noreiga, Bunny Gran- and a jury trial. They saul and Andrea Jacob, are JAIL STUDENT want full public scrut- iny of the illegal serving long prison sentenc- l*KDLLS HIMSELF es, ranging from lifetime to activity at the A law ttudent awaiting trial penitentiary. ? years . 01, kidnapping charges electro- We are all members and .cuted himself in Stannheim jail They also asked to yesterday, the Stuttgart chief be placed in Segret- sympathisers of the National prosecutor's office said. Werner Edrich, aged 29. con- ation. United Freedom Fighters nected a wire from a set of ear- (NUPF) that was engaged in a phones to the prison's power system and died when tbe elec- SPAIN Continued guerilla confrontation here tricity was switched on at about in 1972 -75. We have been 6 n.m» the prosecutor's offic* Juan Paredes Daningo. classified and tried as crim said.—Renter. Jose Saura Navarrete. -inals despite the recent U.b.A. ; Jos* Manuel Gil Ramos. Geneva Convention ?n tfar On May 9::iy ?th: Th-- ively in jail for supposedly robbing indication of the dangers the National Bank of Greece on 19th Classification And Parole August 1977. of co-ordination to keep Building in the Washington me alone. Co ordinated I Please send solidarity to Theodore State Penitentiary at walla Tsouvalakis c/o Aeg/na Prison, Islo can wage war, provide a Walla prison, Wash (USA) was of Aeg/na, Greece. target - Spain, taris, taken over and twelve people He had been held in Chalkis slipways to a stable and held hostage for twelve hours prison but in early June was trans- overt oppressive society. fered to Aegina where conditions because the conditions in the are worse. I move in space creat- prison threaten the lives, Also please write to the following ed by the political and limbs and minds not only of addresses asking for details of the social confidence trick. the men taking the action whereabouts of Nick Tsouvalakis I think that is why most who was also held in Chalkis prison but of every prisoner in but has been transferee! e Isewhere. of the activity here, of the jail. Ail attempts sa a co-ordinated sort, at- Express concern for Nick and Theo- far for reform have failed. dores' wellbemg and state that their temps to make others It is already established treatment by the Greek authorities aware of this space - in law that prisoners have may violate the Universal Declarat- the band, publications, the right to be free from ion of Human Rights. graffiti and various- Letters to:- Christphoros Stratos, cruel and unnatural punisrf- Ministry of the Interior, Stadiou & other anti-social pursuits. ment and to escape from Dragatsaniou, Athens GREECE. Individuals can use this conditions and treatment George Stamatis, Ministry of Justice, space as they want. Factor that threatens life, limbs Socratous & Zenonos, Athens, GREECE ies, families, fighting, - and minds. Legal recourse offices, fields, oppressing having failed, the activist oneself and others must declared that they had Q. What is a Vanguard ? in the end be a matter of done what they did to the A. One Shop Steward and personal choice. Someone best of their -ibility for three students '- does the doing - the justice and human rights. consequences vary. PAGE 22 long term harm is done BOON 'N ABOOT (ContQ Regimes, except tnose R.A.P. statement by giving the impression that the solution to a which they specifically A Public Statement from problem is to kill some- support, are seen as Radical Alternatives to one? Isn't that the type corrupt and the only way Prison (RAP), lO^a Brack- of behaviour we discour- to change the system is enbury Road, London A.6 age from "delinquents"? by violent means. They (tel (01 -7^8 5778} In fact it is our include the Trotskyists Britain and West Germany competitive society that (members of the Internat- have the highest prison encourages anti-social ional Marxist Group), Mao- population in Europe benaviour. In a caring and ists, who accept that the (43,000 here) and anti- co-operative society anti- Chinese version of commun- social behaviour is in- social behaviour based on ism is the correct one, creasing. Holland has greed and profit canct and anarchists (who share proportionately a quarter survive. It is a*, this most of the above views of Britain's prison pop- fundamental level that but do not see violence ulation and has been re- •the answer t^ "crime" mu~t as the way to achieve ducing her prison popul- lie - which is why the main their aims) M ation whilst Britain has political parties evade a ANSWERS TO QUIZ been increasing hers. rational discussion of the Also in Holland sentenc- topic. ing is less severe - The only thing the 1.. The answer, redolent of the rorrjnunity gets out of crimes of Christianity, was that over half their prisoners the whole town should be serve sentences of a month prison, fr>r the millions slaughtered Cathar and Catholic or less. In Britain o'nly of pounds spent annually alike - God will distinguish his 17% of prisoners do such and all tr.p misery in- own'. short sentences. volved, i? lor seme peop-f-. 2, The leading specialist is Dr rfhat is the result? to b» kept out qf ..sight Alex Comfor' an Anarchist, Ls not any differ- for a few month; an 'honour'. ice between Britain's That is all crime rate and Holland's: There is an argument 3. Peter Kropotkin cited them as that prison is a punish- prison and length of an example of non-governmental sentencing are irrele- iment that deters but it international co-operation. vant. In both countries clearly does not. Some anti-social behaviour is maintain prison has reform- 4. Queen Anne was said, in her increasing. So is the ative influence yet over- statue as in her life, to have her remedy more prison? all, the record of prison 'back to the church and her The answer to over- as a reformer is a dismal face to th e ginshop ; Brigham one. Indeed many petti- Young is said to have his arse crowding in prisons is to the temple and his hand out -in obvious one of reduc- thieves become profession- to the bank'. ing the prison population. al criminals as a result : 5 - * &Z £•<

"f I!" "II COMING SOON III Charlotte Wilson on Anarchism. 1886 Military Subversion in the U.K. Facerias. Zaparta of Mexico by Peter. E. Newell PLUS LOTS OF OTHER SURPRISES.

*s£ll

H- 3 f" x-x fs 3 M, p. B) *j P C << 5-V 30) P»'