Published by Organise!, 40 Bedford Street, Belfast, BT2 7FF Titanic On June 8, the Euro Cup opened in a massive scale, there are cuts in social where many workers are not Warsaw. The city was full of football fans, services and exorbitant price increases - all organized and are beaten with media, police, military police and in the name of „austerity‟. defeatism in a country with conciliatory unions, is creating more protestors. Our comrades from ZSP also pointed out and more social problems. Femen, the anarcho-syndicalist ZSP and the that the general contractor which built the Tenants Defense Committee organised National Stadium in Warsaw had just A guillotine was produced and the Spectacle protests against the politics of the Euro. The declared bankruptcy. Leaving “a whole line demonstrators declared that if the ZSP and Tenants Defence Committee of subcontractors and workers” who have politicians continue protecting the interests protested about the huge amounts of money not been paid. of the rich and elites, at the expense of spent on the Euro. Who will benefit? Well, working people, they might have to use it: These workers: unsurprisingly, UEFA (tax exempt in Poland) Instead of more social cuts, the only along with a few businesses. Almost 26 threatened to block the opening of thing we want cut are the heads of the Euro, but didn't. The workers at billion Euro has been spent on this spectacle the government. and working people are footing the bill. the stadium for the Euro, who are Children go hungry as the city privatises being cheated and receive less money The protestors described the city: school cafeterias, schools and nurseries have than promised, threatened to strike - as one big Potemkin village, been closed, the poor are being evicted on but didn't. This sort of situation, decorated for the games and trying to hide its misery. And this misery is growing all the time. The Ukrainian feminist group FEMEN also staged a topless protest against the Euro 2012 championship in front of Warsaw's National Stadium. Within minutes, all four protesters, armed with fire extinguishers, were arrested. Top right: ZSP and the FEMEN is opposed to Euro 2012 because of Tenants Defense the fears that the tournament will lead to an Committe picket the increase in prostitution in Poland and the opening of the Euro Ukraine, where the Cup is being co-hosted 2012. (for more on FEMEN see pages 7-10). Background photo: As capitalism continues to bite, our „betters‟ flegs and bunting with the rest of them. Not The Queen‟s Jubilee is a sickening advertising for the Members of the ZSP and the Tenants Euro 2012 on derelict Defense Committee joined protests at the have been treating us to a series of to mention the copious amounts of alcohol celebration of privilege, a hangover of housing in Warsaw. police station holding the FEMEN activists to expensive spectacles to distract us from our required to wash it all down. Besides we all feudalism in a time when capitalism is Bottom left: FEMEN had a good aul blow out for Ireland‟s wee reducing many of us below the position of demand their release. increasing misery. protest the opening of stint in Euro 2012 now didn‟t we. wage slaves to that of slaves plain and The Titanic centenary, the London Olympics, simple. While the poor and ill in our society the European Championship and the red, And yet some still have the temerity to raise are demonised as scroungers and frauds white and blue flag waving „pageantry‟ of their voices to declare „Capitalism has no this woman and her family actually are Always Crusaders the Queens Jubilee continue to bombard our clothes‟. real benefits scroungers (see pg 3). senses giving „national pride‟ a boost while Always Antifa the rich get on with the business of robbing While Sinn Fein wax lyrical about equality The Olympics have witnessed London, a city us blind. we see no equality. While Jackie McDonald marred by huge levels of inequality, turned asks us all to turn a blind eye to sectarian At the match where north Belfast team beat Derry City for the all into a police state with missiles installed on For those who prefer their patriotic commemorations we see no end to Ireland cup local Crusaders fans unveiled a banner behind the top of apartments by the MoD (see pg 3). distractions in different colours there is even sectarianism. nets reading Always Crusaders - Always Antifa. some sort of „cross community‟ element to all Behind the carefully choreographed „feel- Welcomed by the fans the response from some other anti-fascist this. The Olympic flame was paraded The truth is that all these celebrations, good factor‟ we find ourselves on the side football supporters was perplexing to say the least. Many through Dublin. The Titanic‟s heritage circuses and spectacles are a very thin veil of the begrudgers who aren‟t buying in. seemed a little upset that the Crues fans had an antifa on display. belongs to us all. Ach, and sure, anti- for the real nature of what is going on. We don‟t want to piss on anyone‟s excuse Something was perhaps unsettling their view of their opponents in monarchical sentiment is off the agenda for Behind the hype, the glitz, the ‟titanic for a piss-up but we really aren‟t feeling north Belfast‟s „prod‟ team as fascists. even dyed in the wool republicans as thinkers‟, titanic restaurant awards, the real too good. From the Levellers point of view the waving of fascist flags at Deputy First Minister McGuinness rises to the story of the Titanic is one of wage slavery, Crues matches in the past is something that should make an antifa challenge of welcoming the „foreign‟ Queen exploitation and murder on a massive scale The pretty colours, big screens, proud presence all the more welcome. for the sake of peace. So everyone can just (see pg 12). It is a disaster that provides a heritage, royality, tradition nor pomp can Confusion, which can come across as deliberate, of the Northern settle down, get back to all the pomp, chilling insight into the nature of capitalism. distract us from our very real circumstance. Ireland flag with a „fascist‟ flag helps no-one in the struggle ceremony, nice distracting bright lights, One hundred years later fuck all has against fascism and nationalism of all stripes. changed. Jason Brannigan Millions ‘One Push Organise! And Youth Fight For Jobs Contacts Anger In Organise! From Penury’ Take Action Against Slave Labour 40 Bedford Street, Belfast, BT2 7FF Challenging the coalition governments worker at Boots was not too impressed. [email protected] assertion that people are better off in work Dublin She repeatedly threatened the picket with Anarchists for Choice research (commissioned by the Guardian) police and told us we had best be on our has found that 2.2m children are living in [email protected] way “before they got here”. households on “economic cliff-edge”. At Sick ‘Pro-Life’ The cops did arrive, checked out the picket Revolutionary Anarcha-Feminist There are close to 7 million working-age and as there was nothing illegal about the Advertising Group (RAG) adults are living in extreme financial stress protest refused to move us on. The PO Box 10785, Dublin 1. “one small push from penury” despite being previously gobby security guard chose to http://ragdublin.blogspot.com in employment and largely independent of skulk red-faced in the shop after that. Campaign benefits. Solidarity Federation Under the guise of „helping the unemployed Unlike the „middle-classes‟ these 3.6m British section of the anarcho- back into work‟ the government is rolling out Youth Defence have provoked anger with not being representative of women‟s syndicalist IWA households in Britain have little or no various workfare schemes that will provide savings, no equity in their homes: their new „pro-life‟ advertising campaign. feelings following a termination, and only PO Box 17773, London, SE8 4WX free labour for their rich corporate serving to increase the shame and stigma and struggle at the end of each month friends. Many charities and even trade The bill board adverts they have paid to [email protected] surrounding the issue of abortion. to feed themselves and their children unions – who should know better – have plaster all over the city claim “abortion Workers Solidarity Movement adequately. been hoodwinked into supporting these tears her life apart” and that, despite the Stephanie Lord said they had received: (Irish Platformist Group) schemes. evidence to the contrary, there is “always Unable to cope on their current incomes, A number of angry and offended PO Box 1528, Dublin 8. a better answer”. with no assets to fall back on, they are left emails about these billboards. [email protected] vulnerable to “something as simple as an The republic‟s advertising standards www.wsm.ie unexpectedly large fuel bill”. agency has been flooded with complaints Some of the emails are from women who have had abortions themselves Alliance for Choice about the hundreds of posters on bill Contrary to the notions of the work and and who object to the message the Abortion Rights Group in Northern pensions secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, the On 19th of May Organise! And Youth Fight boards, bus stops, buses and trams across For Jobs picketed Holland and Barrett and the city. In an effort to increase the billboards convey. These billboards do Ireland findings prove that getting a job does not not speak for them. For a woman who Boots to oppose the use of free labour by stigma faced by women in Ireland http://allianceforchoiceni.org ensure your children are not brought up in has had ast this every day, it’s just poverty.