Oh Crikey! it’s : APEC

Posted on September 5, 2007 by @ndy

Today Crikey! has published ‘Your cut out and keep APEC protest guide’ by Luke McKenna, a leftist trainspotters’ guide to who’s who in the anti-APEC Zoo. In it, Luke identifies ten main groups, to which I’ve added a little commentary.

1 ) Stop Bush Coalition (which “will return to being the Stop The War Coalition after APEC”): As Luke writes, this is a leftist coalition, dominated by the Democratic Socialist Perspective (DSP)… or possibly Party (see below). The Coalition’s media go-to man is Alex Bainbridge, a 30-something veteran DSP member. The Coalition has organised a march for September 8, the route of which, incidentally, has just today been denied legal access by the courts (David Braithwaite / AAP, Police win protest action, The Age, September 5, 2007):

Protesters have been denied permission to march to the edge of police lines during an anti-APEC rally in Sydney on Saturday. The NSW Supreme Court today granted Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione’s application for an order preventing up to 20,000 people from marching to the corner of George and King streets… Chief Superintendent Cullen told the court he held “grave concerns” for public safety during the protests. “Based upon my research, experience, current intelligence and evidence from internationally similar events – more recently G20 in Melbourne – I have absolutely no doubt that minority groups will engage in a level of violence not previously experienced in Sydney,” he said.

2 ) The Democratic Socialist Perspective: The brains trust at the DSP changed its name from Party to Perspective just a few short years ago, as part of an overall strategy with regards that strange, misshapen creature known as the Socialist Alliance (see below). Prior to this, it was known as the Socialist Workers’ Party. It publishes Australia’s leading leftist weekly Green Left (sometimes also referred to as the Environmental Leninist in acknowledgement of the group’s Leninist political orientation). See Raiders of the Left Ark.

3 ) The Socialist Alliance: Less an “anti-capitalist group” — as Luke describes it — than an electoral platform for Marxists / Leninists and Trotskyists, SA was formed via a coalition of a number of Marxist parties, ranging from the small to the tiny, in the wake of the September 2000 protests against the World Economic Forum’s meeting in Melbourne, and in an explicit attempt to capitalise upon what was assumed to be a groundswell of opposition to neoliberalism in Australia. The two main forces in the SA were until recently the DSP and another Marxist party with its roots in the (post-)New Left of the 1970s, the International Socialist Organisation (ISO). The ISO recently left SA, having belatedly discovered its main use was as another feeder organisation for the DSP, which remains to run the show. Since its establishment, most of SA’s activity has been electoral-based, but the absolutely disastrous results of this activity has stripped it of whatever meagre credibility it may once have possessed among a broader progressive political community, and it appears at this stage that it will continue to eke out an existence for precisely as long as the DSP finds it useful as a means to contest and to lose council, state and federal elections. See NSW State Election : Results (March 24, 2007); Join in the chorus? Socialism vs. 2006 Victorian state election (November 26, 2006).

4 ) Resistance: Remarkably unacknowledged by Luke, Resistance is in fact the youth wing of the DSP, and like SA, acts as a feeder organisation. The APEC summit, and more specifically its attendant publicity, is sure to be a recruitment bonanza for Resistance, and from the hundreds who join will likely result in the eventual recruitment of several dozen militants for its adult partner the DSP.

5 ) Iraq Veterans Against the War: The IVAW is essentially a US project, one member of which, Matt Howard, has been flown to Australia by the Stop Bush Coalition in order to address rallies and meetings in Sydney and elsewhere. See Frank Walker, Marine urges APEC protests, Sydney Morning Herald, August 19, 2007. Howard sensibly advocates placing Bush on trial for war crimes: Mark Dodd, Try Bush for war crimes, urges US combat veteran, The Australian, September 5, 2007.

6 ) FLARE in the Void: As Luke notes, not an organisation but an event, a pre-APEC convergence space, organised by elements of the anarchist and libertarian left. Note that such events have become part of the standard retinue accompanying major anti-Summit protests the world over, and act as a vital means of allowing dissident ideas and practices to be communicated, reflected on and, hopefully, extended more deeply and widely among constituent communities.

7 ) Alliance for Civil Disobedience Co-ordination (AC/DC): contra Luke, it should be made clear that “AC/DC is [NOT] an anarchist group”, but rather an ad hoc collection of groups and individuals from Melbourne committed to confronting APEC. The idea that the group is committed to ‘violent’ confrontation is a furphy, although obviously an eminently useful one for the authorities. Thus according to Luke, AC/DC “has controversially announced its intention to ‘violently’ disrupt the summit (they told Crikey! that their definition of violent differs markedly from the media’s)”. Given the use of a non-standard definition of the term ‘violence’ by the corporate and state media, this may well be so. In any case, in reality AC/DC’s open letter — a statement of principles — make the group’s intent quite clear:

The Melbourne Alliance for Civil Disobedience Co-ordination (AC/DC) statement on APEC protests in September 2007, Sydney, Australia:

1. We recognise that APEC is an illegitimate institution in the eyes of the mass of the human population, and that its agenda is a threat to our welfare and environment. We are therefore in favour of the largest possible mass mobilisation and mass demonstrations against it

2. We aim to disrupt the functioning of any APEC-related activities in Sydney in September 2007

3. We defend our right to mass civil disobedience and mass direct action and we will attempt to use these tactics as part of our resistance to the agenda of APEC

4. We reject the police and the state’s attempts to define and control our protest and our resistance through the use of declared areas, protestor black lists and other forms of state intimidation

5. We want to convince other groups, individuals and communities to join us in resistance to APEC that is meaningful and empowering

Unfortunately, it appears that a hack called Sarah Elks, writing for Limited News, confused this statement with another called ‘Shared Intent’ (Protesters warn of violent challenge, The Australian, August 30, 2007). Ironically, this error has previously been highlighted on Crikey! by Cam Smith.

8 ) Mutiny: “Mutiny is one of the anarchist groups linked to violence at last year’s G20 summit” writes Luke, which is largely correct. Notably, this ‘link’ was originally made by Marcus Greville; like Alex Bainbridge, a DSP member, and the then media spokesperson for the Stop G20 coalition of leftists based in Melbourne (and, like Stop Bush, an organisation also dominated by this Party… er, ‘Perspective’). ‘Controversy’ surrounds the group’s attempts not to allow organising against the APEC summit to fall prey to attempts by the police / state and the gutter press to vilify protesters as ‘violent’ and to severely limit discussion of potential forms of protest and resistance to neoliberalism, war, social domination and economic exploitation generally to those which are hopelessly ineffectual.

9 ) Maritime Union of Australia: Outside of elements of the CFMEU, seemingly one of the last bastions of even vaguely ‘leftist’ or ‘progressive’ orientation in the trade union movement, one which exists in an industry in which the (re-)imposition of capitalist forms of economic ‘globalisation’ has seen wages and conditions spiral downwards across the globe. The Union generated massive popular support during industrial disputes in 1996, lost the ensuing battle, but won the right to being featured in a mediocre quasi-documentary. In more general terms, it should be noted that dockworkers and longeshoremen have an almost unequalled record of practices of global working class solidarity and political radicalism, continue to play a crucial role in the distribution of goods around the world, and hence be subject to almost constant attack by capital and state.

10 ) Latin American Solidarity Network: as Luke recounts, an “independent and inclusive group of people working in solidarity with Latin American grassroots movements and its struggles.” In Australia, LASNET aims to “raise awareness of the struggles of Latin American people and works to support these initiatives through local and national activism.”

For a spot of comic relief:

And then there’s the protest protest group, Aussies for ANZUS: Formed just last weekend by the “proudly Liberal member” John Ruddick, Aussies for ANZUS is a group designed to welcome the US President to APEC and promote the Australian-US alliance. Its creator boasts a five-by-three metre banner [that] announces, “We support Bush, we love America, aussies4anzus.com“, decorated with both countries’ flags. The group has been given police permission to position themselves within the APEC security zone.

Posted in Anarchism, History, State / Politics, Student movement, Trot Guide | 4 Comments

APEC : The more things change

Posted on September 5, 2007 by @ndy

Juliet Herd, Class War thugs prepare to bash police, The Sun, April 6, 1990:

Class War, Crowbar, Spartacus, Counter Information, Red and Black, The Hurricane… be afraid if ever you hear those names whispered on our city streets. Be very afraid, because evil follows their every move and they drag around with them the stench of anarchy. Last week, not for the first time, they brought bloodshed to the streets of London. Their kicking, punching, missile-hurling orgy ended in 370 police, 86 members of the public and 20 horses being injured in various degrees of severity… and they warn of more violence to come. At the forefront of the shameful rioting, under the guise of an anti-Poll Tax demonstration, were warriors of Class War. They had hijacked Britain’s biggest peaceful protests for at least two decades and proved beyond doubt they mean business. Under their black flag banners and wearing t-shirts showing a meat cleaver sinking into Prime Minister Mrs Thatcher, the anarchists fired the first shots in a full-scale war against capitalism, and democracy as we know it…

Bruce Tobin, Protest ‘totally over the top’, say police, The Age, January 4, 1992:

Baton-wielding police and hundreds of angry protesters clashed during President Bush’s whistle-stop visit to Melbourne yesterday. Protesters hurled rocks, bottles, cricket balls, horse shoes, metal-tipped sticks, mud and horse manure at police and tossed ball bearings on the road to unsettle police horses. The acting police chief commissioner, Mr John Frame, said last night the behaviour shown by many protesters was “totally over the top”. He said the wild protest had fallen to the levels of the Vietnam War and Springbok demonstrations. Mr Frame branded some of the protesters as “rock apes” and said police would have to review the way they responded during future protests…

Paul Molloy, A need for riot gear — police, The Sun, January 4, 1992:

…The head of police at the World Congress Centre, Chief Insp. Brendan Bannan, said protesters used “hit and run” tactics not seen since the Vietnam War demonstrations. And Insp. Paul Evans, who organised police on the streets, said it was the worst violence he had witnessed during 18 years on the force. Both Chief Insp Bannan and Mr Frame also expressed concern that violent demonstrations appeared to be becoming more frequent. Mr Frame said while the police administration did not want to see members donning riot gear, “I am not prepared to see our young members made human punching bags and subject to the sort of violence and nonsense they have had today.”

Bushwhackers, The Sun editorial, January 7, 1992:

Make no mistake — the organisers of the wild Melbourne demonstrations against the Bush visit were out to create chaos. We doubt that the wider conglomeration of ratbags and misfits who wrought havoc cared about the token issues invoked as justification by the leaders. For some rioters, cop-bashing relieved the monotony of life on the dole. So did invading a public building. But the International Socialist Organisation which orchestrated the melee knew precisely what it was about: it was following the age-old tactic of discrediting authority by provoking the police. Core of the protest was a collection of the same stirrers who created havoc at the AIDEX defence exhibition in Canberra recently… Who can blame the very young, inexperienced constables charged with protecting the world’s most powerful man, if they over-reacted at times? It can’t be pleasant to be pummelled by mindless hoons, or spat on by a mob containing AIDS activists. Australians have a right to protest. But this does not include licence to break the law. As the foreign-based organisation which masterminded Friday’s riot knows very well, that way anarchy lies.

Robyn Dixon, Bruce Tobin, David Bruce and Hugo Kelly, Students’ city brawl, The Age, March 28, 1992:

About 2000 students stormed the steps of State Parliament late yesterday during a violent demonstration in which 22 police were injured and the doors of Parliament locked… Police released four students they had arrested, to defuse the violence. The officer in charge of the operation, Inspector Doug Hocking, described the brawl as the worst violence he had experienced in 22 years…*

Gerard Ryle, Anarchists blamed for uni protest, The Age, March 30, 1992:

The deputy chief police commissioner, Mr John Frame, has started criminal investigations into what he called a “small core of anarchists” responsible for violence during a student protest outside Parliament last Thursday. He said yesterday that police might seize media video reports of the protest, which left 15 police injured, to help identify those responsible… “Police are sick and tired of not only being punching bags, but targets for hurled objects…”

Andrew Bolt, Our cops go girlie, Herald Sun, November 22, 2006:

Let’s first go through more pictures from the protest outside the G20 meeting of world finance ministers. Hey, there’s tutu woman again, this time monstering your riot police with her new baton, without a single officer daring to arrest her. And here’s one of your police standing meekly in a line, not defending themselves or their dignity, while some hooligan on the roof gives them a long, humiliating drenching with a hose. See how few risk lifting a baton with striking intent, even when being spat on, bitten, hit with rubbish bins, pelted with garbage and rammed with plastic barriers? I’ve seen punching bags with more fight…

AAP, Police not punching bags, Sydney Morning Herald, September 1, 2007:

New NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione says he will not tolerate having his officers used as punching bags by protesters during the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit. Addressing reporters on his first day as police commissioner, Mr Scipione said Sydney’s APEC meeting was his first priority and challenge and the force was ready. “The most important thing from my perspective is (officers) now have been given very clear directions … our police, particularly in APEC are not there to be punching bags, they are not there to be spat upon, they are not there to be assaulted and if people do that our police will act appropriately, but they will be very decisive, it will be very rapid,” Mr Scipione.

    *Students rally against loans scheme, Green Left Weekly, April Fools’ Day, 1992:

    In Melbourne, Dirk Welsford and Vannessa Hearman report a rally of 3000 in the City Square. Speakers included Rob Houghton of NUS, Chris Raab from Melbourne University, and representatives from the Public Sector Union and the Union of Academics. At the end of a march to Parliament House, four students were arrested as a handful of police tried to prevent the students occupying the steps in front of the building. When a crowd of about 200 surrounded the paddy wagon, police took the names of the four and released them, saying they would be charged on summons. A few protesters verbally abused the majority who wanted to concentrate on the education issue rather than the clash with police…

Posted in !nataS, Anarchism, History, Media | 1 Comment

The only good anarchist is a dead one…

Posted on September 4, 2007 by @ndy
    In the United States, whose CEO arrives in Sydney today, the first Monday in September is ‘Labor Day’. Supposedly a day of rest for US workers, one celebrated since the 1880s, and the subject of an Act of Congress in 1894 declaring this to be so, the institutionalisation of Labor Day sought to erase the memory of May Day, and to supplant it as a day of working class rebellion. 113 years later, The Boston Globe has an interesting editorial on ‘The labor day that wasn’t’:

“LABOR DAY has its origins in the worker-management strife [sic] stemming from the industrialization of the country after the Civil War, but it has never had the hard edge associated with International Workers’ Day, or May Day, celebrated in the rest of the world. Yet May Day became a labor holiday because of the suppression of a protest in the United States.

In the 1880s, American workers were trying to get their employers to adopt an eight-hour workday. In Chicago, a union alliance called a general strike for May 1, 1886, which generated intense opposition from business people [capital] and their allies in city government [state]. Protests continued throughout the week, climaxed on May 6 by a peaceful rally in Haymarket Square. But then 200 police officers marched in to disperse the crowd, someone threw a bomb, and seven officers died. Seven labor leaders were eventually convicted of “conspiracy to murder” on flimsy evidence, and four were executed. “There will be a time when our silence will be more powerful than the voices you strangle today,” the anarchist August Spies said before he was hanged.

Protests to save the condemned men galvanized the international labor movement, which coalesced around May 1 as a day of protest, remembrance, and solidarity. In the United States, however, state legislatures took up an idea proposed by labor leaders a few years earlier that the first Monday in September be designated Labor Day. In 1894, Congress made it a holiday in the District of Columbia and US territories. The September Labor Day, with its barbecues and ball games, has been an American tradition ever since.

Some harbor the suspicion that legislators acted so quickly to prevent American unions from looking to the Haymarket model as a reminder of the need for militancy and unity. That may be so, but the date of a holiday isn’t going to affect great social movements unless other factors are at work.

Despite many successes since the Haymarket violence (including the adoption of the eight-hour workday and the 40-hour week), American labor unions haven’t shown the cohesion and aggressiveness of their counterparts in Europe. Perhaps this spared [sic] the United States the class divisions that facilitated the rise of communism and fascism during the first half of the 20th century. It also denied American workers the benefits of the social-welfare state that became the norm in Western Europe after 1945.

Today there’ll be a few labor parades but it’s mostly a time for a visit to the beach and a traffic jam after a long weekend. Perhaps a thought could be spared for the Haymarket protesters and their fallen leaders, who braved the wrath of their city leaders and employers to make life better for themselves and the generations of workers who would succeed them.”

    63 Arrested in Copenhagen Clashes
    AP
    September 3, 2007

    COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A protest by hundreds of youth activists turned violent Sunday, with protesters setting fire to cars and smashing shop windows, police said. One officer was injured and 63 people were arrested as riot police clashed with the rock-throwing youths, police said. “Three or four people will be charged for violent behavior against police officers,” said police spokesman Flemming Steen Munch. “The others have been released.” The unrest started after a demonstration late Saturday commemorating the Youth House, a makeshift cultural center for the city’s anarchists and disaffected youth, which was demolished in March. “It’s six months since we cleared the house there, and they want to show they’ve not forgotten,” police spokesman Mads Firlings said. “Almost immediately they started building barricades and throwing rocks through the windows of shops and banks.”…

…But, if you think that by hanging us, you can stamp out the labor movement — the movement from which the downtrodden millions, the millions who toil and live in want and misery — the wage slaves… if this is your opinion, then hang us! Here you will tread upon a spark, but there, and there, and behind you and in front of you, and everywhere, flames will blaze up. It is a subterranean fire. You cannot put it out.

THE GROUND IS ON FIRE

upon which you stand. You can’t understand it. You don’t believe in magical arts, as your grandfathers did, who burned witches at the stake, but you do believe in conspiracies; you believe that all these occurrences of late are the work of conspirators! You resemble the child that is looking for his picture behind the mirror. What you see, and what you try to grasp is nothing but the deceptive reflex of the stings of your bad conscience. You want to “stamp out the conspirators” — the “agitators?” Ah, stamp out every factory lord who has grown wealthy upon the unpaid labor of his employees. Stamp out every landlord who has amassed fortunes from the rent of overburdened workingmen and farmers. Stamp out every machine that is revolutionizing industry and agriculture, that intensifies the production, ruins the producer, that increases the national wealth, while the creator of all these things stands amidst them, tantalized with hunger! Stamp out the railroads, the telegraph, the telephone, steam and yourselves — for

EVERYTHING BREATHES THE REVOLUTIONARY SPIRIT.

Posted in Anarchism, History | Leave a comment

APEC : Media savages heads of state for war crimes, environmental destruction, and massive human rights abuses

Posted on September 3, 2007 by @ndy

Just kidding.

No, in terms of APEC reportage, while there have been scattered references to say, ‘climate change’ — and the possibility that some people in China may on occasion be prevented from fully exercising the entire spectrum of their civil and political rights under international law — the fact that a probable (US) war criminal is visiting these shores has been markedly overlooked. So too, the fact that another (Russian) war criminal has presided over a regime in which investigative journalists have been decimated. In a remarkable (or perhaps not) display of loyalty to their employers, however, no Australian journalist has raised these or any other difficult subjects in their writings on the upcoming Summit. Instead, the public is expected to take (frankly ludicrous) tales of anarchist malfeasance seriously. For example, the state-owned Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports — without attribution — that an:

Anarchist training manual ‘justifies’ APEC security

New South Wales Police Minister David Campbell says a training manual distributed by a protest group proves the need for the strong security presence in place for APEC.

An anarchist group calling itself the ‘Mutiny Collective’ is reportedly distributing the manual to would-be protesters.

Mr Campbell has labelled the manual as “disturbing”.

“The fact that this group called Mutiny have distributed a violent protests step-by-step guide I think demonstrates what police have known all along – that there were people intent on violent behaviour at APEC,” he said.

“It justifies this planning around a strong security presence that has been put in place.

“Any reasonable person in our community would be disturbed that there is a step-by-step guide on how to create mayhem, how to take part in a violent protest, how to hide your identity and even how to evade paying fares on the public transport system as you go about your violent protests.”

Oddly enough, by his own admission, New South Wales Police Minister David Campbell hasn’t even read the bloody thing! Thus: “Detectives are yet to see a copy of the document, but New South Wales Police Minister David Campbell says reports of its existence justify the heavy security presence in and around Sydney. “Police have known of the tactics of these groups through their preparation and through their training,” he said. “The fact that this manual is being distributed as widely as it is by this organisation is of concern” (an extract from another ABC report titled Rudd backs APEC crackdown; yet another one of the seemingly innumerable cases of Rudd’s me-tooism).

Taken literally, Campbell is claiming that the estimated $170 million cost of security at the conference may be justified by reference to reports of a manual which may or may not exist, but which is purportedly ‘violent’.

One might note at this point that it’s quite odd that a manual may be both ‘widely distributed’ and at the same time NSW Police be unable to obtain a copy in order to examine its contents for themselves. Either the Police are massively incompetent (possible, but unlikely), or simply lying (both possible and likely).

But where did all this nonsense about a violent manual come from anyway?

APEC ‘rioters’ plot to target Bush
EXCLUSIVE by Joe Hildebrand and Malcolm Farr
The Daily Telegraph
September 3, 2007

ONE group of militant APEC protesters is secretly plotting an outbreak of violence for US President George W. Bush’s arrival in Sydney tomorrow, distributing a rioter’s training manual on how to wear gas masks, confront police and even evade fares.

The clandestine anarchist action, six weeks in the making, has been dubbed “FLARE in the void” and is described as an “Anti-APEC counter convergence”…

Protest tips

The FLARE (For Liberation Autonomy Resistance Exodus) manual openly declares an prepardeness [sic] to commit violence.

It tells protesters engaging in “direct action” to form small groups of five to 15 people and to wear masks so they cannot be identified.

“It is important to defy police attempts to frighten us,” the so-called Mutiny Collective has written in one section.

The manual also tells protesters to wear gas masks, goggles, running shoes and full-body clothing to protect from tear gas and capsicum spray. It also advises carrying water and a bandanna soaked in vinegar to combat the effects of pepper spray.

    Joe: “Wow! How’d you track ’em down, Malcolm?”

    Malcolm: “Good question. On one of my frequent trips to the ground, I noticed Mutiny wore sneakers… for sneaking!”

Busloads of interstate activists expected to descend on Sydney are also told how to evade public transport fares, including forcing their way through railway station ticket barriers.

Threats

Mr Howard has acknowledged the threats of violence and the response of intrusive security precautions in Sydney’s CBD.

This morning the Prime Minister has made another YouTube appearance to spruik his APEC agenda.

But he has also said that if violence occurred people should not blame him or Mr Bush.

“Don’t blame the police, don’t blame the NSW Government, don’t blame any of our (heads of government) guests, don’t blame the Federal Government,” he said.

“Blame the people who threaten violence.”

Mr Howard said the APEC summit was an opportunity, despite the expected clashes, to present a positive image of Australia.

He said the nation’s largest city, “undeniably the most beautiful big city in the world”, would be seen as as a modern, sophisticated, tolerant, multi-racial society.

Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd said violence would be unacceptable and backed a zero-tolerance policy by police towards protests who were not peaceful.

“I would appeal to anyone who is thinking of protesting out there to protest in peaceful terms only,” he said…

For a corrupt old millionaire queen’s perspective on events, see also The Parrot, who joins John HoWARd on YouTube to provide all and sundry with deep insights into the meaning of ‘democracy’ in contemporary Australia. Choice quote, in reference to the 20 visiting heads of state: “I’d be down on bended knee, saying please spend a few more billion dollars [on] us. Instead, we’ve got the spectacle of what happened last year at the G20 summit in Melbourne. Frightening! Barricades burnt, police pelted with bottles and garbage; we’ve only got 14,000 police. Do we need the Army? There’s no reason these people should be allowed to march…” The Parrot then goes on to phantasise about the use of water cannons and tanks. “If there’s a 12,000 litre tank with shatterproof glass and a push bar in the front that can clear barricades and other obstacles, use it… Remember one thing: the rabble and the ferals are watching“.

Next: Punching bags!

    In a building of gold, with riches untold,
    lived the families on which the country was founded.
    And the merchants of style, with their vain velvet smiles,
    were there, for they also were hounded.
    And the soft middle class crowded in to the last,
    for the building was fully surrounded.
    And the noise outside was the ringing of revolution.

    Sadly they stared and sank in their chairs,
    and searched for a comforting notion.
    And the rich silver walls looked ready to fall,
    as they shook in doubtful devotion.
    The ice cubes would clink as they freshened their drinks,
    wet their minds in bitter emotion.
    And they talked about the ringing of revolution.

    We were hardly aware of the hardships they beared,
    for our time was taken with treasure.
    Oh, life was a game, and work was a shame,
    and pain was prevented by pleasure.
    The world, cold and grey, was so far away,
    in distance only money could measure.
    But their thoughts were broken by the ringing of revolution.

    And the clouds filled the room in darkening doom,
    as the crooked smoke rings were rising.
    How long will it take, how can we escape,
    someone asks, but no one’s advising.
    And the quivering floor responds to the roar,
    in a shake no longer surprising.
    As closer and closer comes the ringing of revolution.

    So softly they moan, please leave us alone,
    as back and forth they are pacing.
    And they cover their ears and try not to hear,
    with pillows of silk they’re embracing.
    The crackling crowd is laughing out loud,
    peeking in at the target they’re chasing.
    Now trembling inside the ringing of revolution.

    With compromise sway we gave it half away,
    when we saw that rebellion was growing.
    Now everything’s lost as they kneel by the cross,
    where the blood of Christ is still flowing.
    Too late for their sorrow they’ve reached their tomorrow,
    and reaped the seed they were sowing.
    Now harvested by the ringing of revolution.

    In tattered tuxedos they faced the new heroes,
    and crawled about in confusion.
    And they sheepishly grinned for their memories were dim,
    of the decades of dark execution.
    Hollow hands raised, they stood there amazed,
    in the shattering of their illusions.
    As the windows were smashed by the ringing of revolution.

    Down on our knees, we’re begging you please,
    we’re sorry for the way you were driven.
    There’s no need to taunt just take what you want,
    and we’ll make amends, if we’re living.
    But away from the grounds the flames told the town,
    that only the dead are forgiven.
    As they vanished inside the ringing of revolution.

    ~ Phil Ochs

Posted in !nataS, Media, State / Politics, War on Terror | 17 Comments

APEC : Kiwi anarchists have lasting impact

Posted on September 3, 2007 by @ndy

Until G20 in November last year, protests in Australia were all strictly peaceful affairs. Unfortunately, and despite the best efforts of both state authorities and a number of revolutionary vanguards of the proletariat, violent, disease-carrying anarchist thugs from Aotearoa/New Zealand — and an unknown number of similarly-affected English, German and Swedish football hooligans — effectively hijacked an otherwise overwhelmingly peaceful and law-abiding display of opposition to war, capitalism, and Evil; turning central Melbourne into a virtual slaughterhouse, and littering Collins Street with the bodies of an as-yet unknown number of innocent civilians. Worse, the end result of their mindless violence is that large numbers of Australian youth appear to have become infected with the virus, and since then it has spread itself far and wide. Today, the Sydney Morning Herald has revealed that in the nine-month interim, medico-political authorities suspect there to have been significant outbreaks on a number of NSW college campuses: “A unit operating in the intelligence section of the NSW Police APEC Security Command has been in contact with medical personnel at Wollongong University, Macquarie University and the University of Technology, Sydney, requesting permission to quietly monitor “IMGs”, or illness-motivated groups” (Dylan Welch, Police very keen to help ill students, email reveals, September 3, 2007).

Dr. Mick Armstrong, of the group Sane Alternative, and a specialist in the study of disease-carrying agents, describes the symptomology as hostility and contempt for properly-constituted authority, one often manifesting as a refusal to obey perfectly reasonable requests issuing from same. “What gave the outbreak a certain critical mass at the G20 was the presence of considerable numbers of disease-carriers from overseas. A fellow expert from New Zealand said he recognised at least 40 former patients, of which he knew all by number, and at least 20 by name.” As for treatment, Dr. Armstrong recommends isolation: “The authorities should offer no comfort to these crazies. We should do whatever we can to isolate them. They are wreckers. If this disease grows in Australia it will simply make it harder to build healthy protests and movements.”

In further news, medico-political authorities in NSW appear to have taken Dr. Armstrong’s advice to heart, and, in the interests of public health and safety, imposed bans on the 29 worst-affected from entering the CBD. According to Andrea Petrie, writing in today’s Age, “MORE than 20 people struck with illness at Melbourne’s G20 riots last year have been issued with exclusion notices preventing them from entering Sydney’s CBD during the APEC summit… NSW Premier Morris Iemma yesterday urged all those blacklisted not to enter the regulated zone. “These people have been put on this list for a very good reason and that is they’ve got a track record of displaying violent symptoms,” he said. People who breach the high-security zone housing world leaders face up to six months in treatment facilities” (Melbourne G20 patients on summit black list, September 3, 2007).

Finally, a patients’ rights group has come in for intense criticism from Sydney health reporters Joe Hildebrand and Malcolm Farr (DIY health manual fires up rioters, The Daily Telegraph, September 3, 2007): “MILITANT patients’ rights protesters are deliberately plotting an outbreak of illness for US President George W. Bush’s arrival in Sydney tomorrow, distributing a sufferer’s training manual on how to wear gas masks, confront police and even wear flares. The clandestine action, six weeks in the making, has been dubbed “FLARES in the void” and is described as an “Anti-fashion counter convergence”.”

More news as it comes to hand…

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

APEC : Huge sale! All journalistic standards must go!

Posted on September 2, 2007 by @ndy

[Oh yeah: F.L.A.R.E. in the void, ‘for liberation, autonomy, resistance, exodus and a Collingwood victory in the Grand Final’ is a convergence taking place from Wednesday September 4 — Sunday September 9 somewhere in Sydney. Go read the blog, phone 0434 585 264 or drop in to Black Rose (22 Enmore Road, Newtown, 100 metres from Newtown train station) on Tuesday September 4 — Wednesday September 5, 11am — 5pm for more information.]

You still don’t get it, do you? It’ll find you. That’s what it does. That’s all it does! You can’t stop it. It’ll wade through you, reach down your throat, and pull your fucking heart out.

Listen. And understand. Capital is out there. It can’t be bargained with. It can’t be reasoned with. It doesn’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead.

APEC anarchy: our man at the planning committees
Cam Smith
Crikey
August 30, 2007

News Ltd. papers breathlessly report this morning that “a Melbourne group has announced its intention to violently disrupt next week’s APEC summit and has issued a call to action to recruit more people for a ‘mass, strategic intervention’.”

The Australian carries the headline “Protesters warn of violent challenge.” Unfortunately, for those hoping to avoid a repeat of last year’s dull G20 riots, the articles fail to deliver on these promises. From The Oz:

The group, AC/DC, which is believed to be aligned with the anarchist political movement, plans to act as a “mobile disruption” unit during APEC, which will be held in Sydney for a week from Sunday.

AC/DC’s open letter, posted on a number of internet forums, said APEC “promotes exploitation, inequality and the destruction of the planet” and acknowledged the group’s actions might be seen as violent.

“By the very praxis of stepping out and challenging their control of space, we are committing what is regarded as a violent act,” the letter reads. “It is the violence of articulating resistance; it is a violation against their understanding of our lives.”

At a meeting of AC/DC (Alliance for Civil Disobedience Co-ordination) attended by Crikey last week, members did not give the impression that they were planning much in particular, let alone the alarmingly dubbed, ahem, “mobile disruption unit.”

Discussion largely centred around whether APEC was to be used as an election rally (it, apparently, was not) and under which metaphorical banner AC/DC would march – it was proposed that their united distaste for capitalism would do, as that was something all could agree on.

The meeting became most heated when an elderly (and quite possibly inebriated) anarchist began a diatribe about “Statist sh-ts.” His state-smashing days appeared to be behind him.

A member of AC/DC told Crikey this morning that the article contained a number of glaring inaccuracies:

It’s quoted the sections where the words “violence” are used, and we’ve explained exactly what we mean by that, that just by saying that we’re going to challenge APEC, that will be construed as violence [by the media and the police].

The Acker Dacker also noted that AC/DC was not an anarchist group – though some members were anarchists – but was actually made up of people from a variety of political streams of thought: Socialist, Anarchist, Environmentalist, etc.

It seemed that the violent rioter was about to further slander the journalistic standards of The Australian, when the realisation dawned upon both your fearless Riot Reporter and the fearsome AC/DC rioter that the article in question did not actually quote from AC/DC’s open letter at any point, but was in fact quoting from a different group entirely, Shared Intent.

“I can’t really speak on their behalf” said the problem child in question, before they had to rush off – possibly to procure explosives which will be used to dismantle global capitalism.

See also : takver, Melbourne: Police provoke arrests at G20 Solidarity Court protest, Sydney IndyMedia, September 2, 2007, concerning the brave actions of local police who narrowly averted the sky falling on our heads by arresting a man possibly guilty of possessing a pocketknife. Either that, or PC Richard Head really really really wants to make it into the Schnews ‘Crap Arrest of the Week’. “On Friday, August 31, 21 people appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on charges including rioting, affray, reckless conduct endangering injury and criminal damage from the G20 protest in Melbourne in November 2006. Outside the court 30 people turned up in support and solidarity for those facing these charges. Police provoked an incident outside the court arresting two of the people who were there in solidarity with those inside the court facing charges…” | Stephen Smith, We can build you – APEC and the rise of military urbanism, Webdiary, September 2: “We can define military urbanism as the way in which global power works to inscribe political violence and war into the planning and design of cities. It is more than an APEC like pause to business as usual. It is the marking of the city as a permanent zone of conflict. What they learn from APEC’s laboratory in the CBD they can apply to Sydney’s more ‘feral’ postcodes…”

Posted in !nataS, Anarchism, Media, State / Politics, Student movement, Trot Guide, War on Terror | Leave a comment

Talk – Action = 0

Posted on September 2, 2007 by @ndy
    So I include with one concern, that
    You must learn

    ~ KRS-ONE, ‘You Must Learn’

Canadian punk legends DOA are returning to Australia in October after a 14 year absence to play The Arty in Melbourne on Friday October 19, with No Idea, Rule 303 (NSW) and The Worst. (DOA last played in Melbourne at The Prince of Wales on September 18, 1993, with Nomeansno and Front End Loader. About the only thing I can remember about that gig is that I succeeded in convincing Bren to join me in screaming for them to play ‘Disco Sucks’; they didn’t.) Unfortunately, both No Idea and The Worst have scabbed on the boycott of a local neo-Nazi venue The Birmy: No Idea playing there on ANZAC Day (April 25, 2007) and The Worst on no less than three separate occasions, on November 18, 2006, April 25 and July 7, 2007.

    A LOCAL woman who was intimidated and racially abused by a group of men last month will attend a protest against neo-Nazism outside a Fitzroy pub. A coalition of local groups is organising the “peace movement” in response to a neo-Nazi concert at the Birmingham Hotel on Saturday, September 23, held to commemorate the death of British white supremacist Ian Stuart. Blondien (not her real name) says she was walking alone to her car on Johnston Street the same night when she was surrounded by about seven men. She says the men screamed abuse at her, calling her a black c..t and forcing her to repeat the insults. “It’s disgusting that people would single out one person and you have to say stuff about your race to get out of it,” Blondien said. ~ ‘Victim of white supremacist abuse returns to join protest chorus’, Marika Dobbin, The Melbourne Times, October 18, 2006

Also in October, on Saturday October 13, Blood & Honour Australia and the Southern Cross Hammerskins — local franchises of international neo-Nazi networks, of which B&H in Germany and Spain is banned, and under threat of banning in Belgium and Holland — are holding their annual tribute concert to dead bonehead Ian Stuart Donaldson; the person responsible, alongside of another good fascist, Nicky Crane, for establishing Blood & Honour in 1987. The two events — the DOA gig and the ISD gig — are intimately connected, as the 2006 concert was held at The Birmy, and both No Idea and The Worst have actively supported The Birmy since that time — and, by extension, local neo-Nazi networks.

This post is dedicated to explaining what the slogan ‘Talk – Action = 0’ means in the context of the local punk milieu, especially with regards the politically reactionary elements within it that support those institutions, such as The Birmy, who most actively collaborate with the propagation of neo-Nazi ideology and its associated practices. By way of introduction, here’s a recent post on Stormfront on the subject of the 2007 ISD gig:

“einzelkampfer” : I’m an American who is seriously considering going to the Fortress show in OZ in Oct. They have been one of my favorite bands for years. My question is, what is the scene like in OZ? [Specifically], do shows get shut down often? What is the success rate for shows there, as in pulled off without a hitch.

Thanks in advance!

“Clockwork Violence” : The shows have never been shut down and there is never any trouble before, during or after the gigs… of course there are always the idle threats made by various red wanker factions, but nothing ever comes of it.

Last year they knew the location of the ISD Memorial (that took some real super sleuthing btw) and all they could do was muster up some prank phone calls and then organise a protest a month after the gig.

So yeah, it will be well worth the trip as this will also be Fortress’ last gig. If you’re interested, you will need to contact [email protected] and let them know that you would like to attend.

Hope you can make it.

Blood & Honour Australia / Southern Cross Hammerskins

Clockwork Violence is from Adelaide, and like most of the other boneheads who form the membership and outer circle of B&H and the Hammerskins in Australia, is in his mid-30s. Like his fascist comrades, he’s also quite cheeky, but nevertheless — sadly — largely correct in his assessment of the history of B&H in Australia. To the best of my knowledge, the shows B&H have organised have never been shut down, and the only trouble that has occurred before, during or after the gigs has been of the sort experienced by Blondien; that is, a woman being surrounded by about seven men, having the men scream abuse at her, call her a black c..t and forcing her to repeat the insults. And as Gary, the manager of The Birmy (and the scabs who’ve continued to play at his pub) might say — “Who gives a shit?”

    Reject an alien government, don’t recognise their laws
    It’s time to close the floodgates, it’s time to shut the door
    Repatriate, ship ’em out, send the bastards back
    If they don’t fucking like it, it’ll be in body bags
    Get out! We don’t want you around
    Get out! Want the people to shout
    Get out! Get outta my sight
    Get out! Parasites… Parasites… Parasites

    ~ Fortress, ‘Parasites’

For better, but largely for worse, I do — which is why I’ve dedicated a considerable amount of time to first exposing the fact that the 2006 ISD memorial gig took place at The Birmy, and then promoting first a protest outside, and then a boycott, of the pub in question. In the process of which, I’ve also highlighted the fact that The Birmy has been used on many previous occasions for the same purpose. On Saturday April 20, 2002, for example, Gary — after allowing local neo-Nazis the use of the pub to hold their meetings — further allowed B&H to organise a gig to celebrate Hitler’s birthday. Interestingly, while last year’s ISD gig was conducted in relative secrecy, in honour of Adolf, B&H’s swastika banner was clearly visible from the pub’s Johnston Street windows. (Note also that Charter 77, another one of the bands that has scabbed on the boycott, were approached following this gig and asked for their support. Their response then, as now, was “fuck off”. Punk, innit?)

On the other hand, while B&H and the Hammerskins have been operating within Australasia for over a decade now, they’ve operated largely under the radar (with the exception, naturally, of ASIO and other state agencies). Further, while Clockwork Violence is technically correct with regards the rather meagre level of opposition last year’s gig generated, this was attributable to two main factors: one, the fact that the actual location of the gig was discovered less than 24 hours prior to its occurrence; and two, the near-complete absence of an organised anti-fascist presence in Melbourne, whether within the punk milieu or outside of it. Worse, not only is there an absence of an organised movement of any kind, but fascist and neo-Nazi elements find a happy home among local ‘punks’, of which the following are just a few examples.

    Spreading lies and muck behind our backs
    A vicious cowardly attack
    A spiteful scheming slimeball with a huge ego
    Your pathetic negative actions make me want to throw
    I can’t believe the depths to which you’ve sunk
    You’ve got some nerve to call yourself a punk
    But you’ll pay for your trouble making and your deceit
    For as ye sow so shall ye reap

    ~ Oi Polloi, ‘Lowest of the Low’

Bulldog Spirit ♥ neo-Nazism

Bulldog Spirit first came to my attention in August last year, when they played the Wasted Festival.

    The Wasted Festival was organised in large part by local bonehead Fiona Walsh, who expresses her support for neo-Nazism by flogging White Power muzak via her distro Deadset Music and through her personal attendance at last year’s ISD memorial gig.

Originally from Canberra, the band — unquestionably in possession of ‘nationalistic’, but otherwise generally facile politics — has for a number of years flirted with more overt expressions of reactionary ideology, whether by playing on the same bill as neo-Nazi bands, denigrating anti-racist and anti-fascist punks and skinheads, or otherwise lampooning what are presumed to be the scum who inhabit working class suburbs like Footscray. I’ve made a note of these tendencies on my blog — an action which has resulted in the singer for the band, Doug Smith, calling me (among other things, no doubt) a ‘clueless cunt’; ironically enough, partly in connection to my supposed misunderstanding of the history of skinheads and sharpies (the irony, in this case, best understood by those who are more familiar with my upbringing; an upbringing, I imagine, quite removed from Doug’s).

Naturally enough, when pressed, Doug has denied any interest in ‘politics’, claiming that the band lives in the same, parallel universe all those other people do where icky things like ‘politics’ fail to interfere with their otherwise untroubled (yuppie) lifestyles. Unfortunately, Doug has since proven to have been exceedingly economical with the truth for, leaving aside the band’s antics on stage (such as dedicating a Pogues’ song to Ulster), the drummer for the band, Joel, is a bona fide bonehead, who has for many years played, recorded and even toured with neo-Nazi bands, including Fortress, Ravenous and — of most interest given the situation in Russia (of which more below) — the band Deaths Head, author of such smash hits as ‘More Dead Niggers’ (Hang the Traitors demo, 1999) and ‘Swastika’ (Onslaught, Panzerfaust, 2001). Still, 9 out of 10 people who play in Melbourne working class punk bands agree that: 1) wanting to see more dead niggers has nothing to do with icky things like politics and; 2) who cares anyway — if they’re not niggers, they’re just black c..ts.

Boneheads. Melbourne boneheads

Jesse’s not a friend
Yeah, I know he’ll never
be a good friend of mine
But lately something’s changed
that ain’t hard to define
Jesse’s got himself a drummer
and I think he’s fucking swine

On May 2, 2007, Jesse of neo-Nazi metal band Deaths Head was interviewed by a geek from US neo-Nazi group Label 56. Here’s some of what Jesse had to say. It gives the reader some further idea of the kind of people, in addition to Bulldog Spirit, Joel likes to play, record and tour with.

Obviously everyone knows you from your band Deaths Head. Can you give readers a little background info on you and your bands?

Well as you stated above I am a founding member of [National Socialist; that is, Nazi] metal band Deaths Head. We’ve been gigging and releasing CDs promoting National Socialism for going on 8 years now and we’re not tired of it yet. Personally I’ve been a bonehead for going on 15 years. During this time I’ve been an active supporter of Blood and Honour Australia and I’ve also been a member of the Southern Cross Hammerskins for near on 7 years now.

I understand you have a lot of refugees floating to your shores like we in America do with Cubans…

…All sorts of other human shit has come here… we have many Muslims who continually stir up shit, and a fuck of a lot of Jews as well. The latest bunch is African niggers, and these ones people actually have a problem with, they don’t assimilate at all and even the federal government is trying to back peddle and restrict their numbers though now they have lobby groups and it’s too late…

It’s obviously tough, then, to be a bonehead and to live in Melbourne. But not as tough as it is to be a punk and to not play neo-Nazi venues, as the following should make clear:

punk? i’m glad you’re here to set me straight. there i was thinking it was just about having a laugh and having a say. but when did i claim to be the king of punk? Lin “Spit” Newborn and Dan Shersty, Timur Kacharava and Aleksandr “Shtopor” Ryukhin, Tomek Wilkoszewski and Augustin Kraus? never heard of any of them.

~ redmond of local band charter 77, june 7, 2007

Which I think is an opportune moment to remember why it is that neo-Nazi ideology and political projects — especially those centred on global terror networks such as B&H and the Hammerskins — should be opposed. Further, to remember that this opposition is, in fact, international, and takes place in societies where the penalties for so doing, unlike Australia, can sometimes be death. At present, one of the places where neo-Nazism is most virulent is Russia (and it is resurgent in Germany: see A German Ritual of Hand-Wringing and Helplessness, Spiegel Online, August 27, 2007). Several years ago, Melbourne band Deaths Head toured Europe, playing in Germany to large numbers of neo-Nazis, and allegedly also playing in Russia. And while the band is not scheduled to play on October 13, Fortress, another local Melbourne band, is, and Fortress is a band that has toured far more extensively, in both Europe and North America, and probably done more to support the propagation of neo-Nazi propaganda, than just about any other in the world. Not that you’ll read or hear about any of this in the corporate or state media, of course. In any case, if you’ve never heard of Lin “Spit” Newborn and Dan Shersty, Timur Kacharava and Aleksandr “Shtopor” Ryukhin, Tomek Wilkoszewski and Augustin Kraus, you have now:

Lin “Spit” Newborn and Dan Shersty

On July 4, 1998, two skinheads — Lin “Spit” Newborn, 24, and Dan Shersty, 20 — were murdered by boneheads in the rocky desert northwest of Las Vegas, USA. The only person to be convicted of their murders, John Edward Butler, was initially sentenced to death for the crime in 2001, but, after failing in his first attempt in 2002, was eventually successful in winning an appeal against his sentence in 2004. However, prosecutors say that at least four people were involved in the plot to kill Lin and Dan, although so far no others have been charged. Further, “While hate crimes such as the torture of a gay man in Wyoming and the dragging death of an African-American man in Texas have received national attention, the deaths of Lin Newborn and his friend Dan Shersty are chronicled more by friends and activists than the national press”.

Prosecutors from the Las Vegas district attorney’s office were slow to prosecute the case despite holding the key evidence necessary to try the case only a week after the murders. It was not until after a 500 person Anti-Racist Action protest in the fall of 1998 in John Butler’s neighborhood, and a similar protest in 1999, where activists marched down the Vegas strip distributing information on the case to tourists and demanding the case be prosecuted, that the district attorney acted. Allegedly, Butler had received money in the past from the Las Vegas police department as a police informant.

Ross Hack, who fled to Europe when he was identified as a suspect two years ago, has never been charged for his involvement in the murder. According to the defense attorney, Ross Hack has been on a “two-year vacation in Europe,” courtesy of his rich father. Prosecutors say they have no plans to pursue charges against Ross Hack. Melissa Hack also remains uncharged in the case.

Lionel Newborn said his son had told him that he was involved in various organizations that opposed racism. After the slayings, the father learned with some pride that his son played a leading role in this effort. “I had no idea that he was involved to the extent that he was,” Lionel Newborn said. “I probably wouldn’t have been able to sleep at night.”

…It pains [Dan’s father] that his son’s sacrifice is unheralded while the media obsesses on the cultural war between liberal and conservative values. It’s a war, he says, that demands no risk whatsoever from its TV-talking head combatants. “Dan died as a soldier who believed in his cause — anti-racism,” says Walter. His son’s ARA troops are still fighting for the cause, though police advised them to leave when rumors surfaced that the Nazis had created a hit list. The cause unites them with something valued in military custom: courage and a code of honor.

Timur Kacharava

Vigilante Justice
Galina Stolyarova
August 30, 2007

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia | A man is a murderer when he cuts another man’s throat in a deliberate attack, right? But the question then arises: are the people that hold the victim’s feet, punch him, tie him up and prevent him from escaping also culpable in the crime?

However obvious the answer may seem, regardless of forensic or legal expertise, a Russian court can often rule otherwise.

A notorious trial that ended in St. Petersburg in August concluded that Alexander Shabalin, the person charged with fatally slitting the throat of 20-year-old anti-fascist activist Timur Kacharava in November 2005, was a murderer. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison. But six other people who held Kacharava and prevented him from resisting were not charged as accomplices in the murder, but rather for inciting social hatred. Three received suspended sentences, the others got up to three years in prison.

The lawyer who represented the Kacharava family in the trial suggested a mistake had been made – either deliberately or because of incompetence – when the case was classified during preliminary investigations.

Despite testimony from Kacharava’s friends that he had been followed, received threats by telephone and been targeted before, the investigators accepted the scenario in which the murderer said he had spontaneously suggested beating up an anti-fascist and taken the initiative in attacking him, with the whole thing getting out of control.

Kacharava’s relatives, friends and colleagues remain convinced he was the victim of an organized and well-armed neo-Nazi group. The fatal stabbing occurred outside a St. Petersburg bookshop on a Sunday evening, as Kacharava and friend Maxim Zgibai were talking. Zgibai survived the attack by the seven young men.

“St. Petersburg’s fascists aren’t a disorganized gang. They are a full-fledged, militarized group, boasting a diverse structure, complete with scouts, guerrillas and access to classified databases containing personal information on local citizens,” one of Kacharava’s friends told me. “Timur had been attacked by fascists before. Just three days prior to his murder, he told his girlfriend he felt threatened and worried for his life.”

TROUBLING PATTERN

In the context of other recent trials for hate crimes in Russia, a disturbing pattern is emerging. The victim is typically attacked by a group of assailants but in the end they either escape punishment, get charged for hooliganism, or guilt is piled upon the attacker responsible for the mortal wound, while accomplices enjoy a lucky escape.

In October 2006, the St. Petersburg City Court acquitted a group of young people suspected in the murder of Vietnamese student Vu An Tuan, who was stabbed to death in October 2004 during an attack by a group of drunken youths. Also in 2006, another group – suspected in the murder of 9-year-old Tajik girl Khursheda Sultanova – was cleared of murder charges and convicted of hooliganism.

The Kacharava case illustrates that for the Russian state, the problem is an individual killer rather than a broader problem with Russian society, where neo-fascist groups are gaining strength.

The verdicts mirror far-reaching xenophobic sentiments in society and the unsympathetic way many people feel toward non-Slavs, as well as those who speak out.

In the middle of August I attended a discussion between a group of Russian journalists and several Western editors in Prague, Czech Republic. One of the issues discussed was the elections to the Russian Duma in December.

“We will vote for anyone who helps to get rid of the Chinese,” said one Novosobirsk journalist, eyes full of rage, to a question about the possible electoral preferences during the campaign. “This Chinese invasion is by far the biggest problem here,” the journalist added to dispel any doubts about his views the audience may have had.

In other Russian cities a Tajik construction worker and an unlicensed Azeri driver have become a faceless stereotype, like the Polish plumber in Western Europe.

IT’S ALL HOOLIGANISM

The Russian authorities have not yet been able to introduce an efficient mechanism against racism and ethnic and religious intolerance. They often turn a blind eye to the scale of the problem by classifying many of the attacks as ordinary murders or “hooliganism” to create more positive statistics.

When Valentina Uzunova, one of Russia’s leading experts on ethnically motivated crimes, complained to the police this spring about being followed and receiving threats, and asked for protection, her request was turned down owing to “lack of evidence.” In July, Uzunova survived a violent street attack and was hospitalized with severe head injuries. Files she had on an important legal case – involving a nationalist gang – were stolen. Was the attack that missing piece of evidence the police required to give the expert the protection she clearly needed?

Several years ago, when human rights advocate Yuly Rybakov was a deputy in the State Duma, he learned that two extremist groups had been planning to assassinate him.

The lawmaker contacted the police and, providing all evidence available to him, asked for protection, or at the very least, for his phone calls to be monitored and recorded. His request was turned down.

“I then went public about the threats, and made a speech at the Duma about it to protect myself,” Rybakov said. “In most cases, prosecutors openly show their contempt to anti-fascists and democrats, sometimes with outright insults, because we challenge and criticize the authorities.”

Naturally, if the police really reacted to every signal like that, then the scale of the problem would be impossible to ignore, and they would have [to] develop a counterstrategy.

But the climate of xenophobia benefits the authorities as it provides a convenient channel of routing people’s anger. If ordinary Russians blame ethnic minorities for a poor quality of life, corruption, high crime rates and the enormous wealth gap, the major consequence will be a high level of intolerance and ethnic hatred. But if the people turn their anger against the authorities, then the state would face an uncomfortable level of social unrest.

Russians should care more about creating a state to protect to their rights, liberties and interests and be less concerned about a few more Chinese restaurants opening in the neighborhood or a few more Azeri drivers giving them a cheap ride at a quarter of a regular taxi price.

And they should care more about having courts handing out verdicts that illustrate the strength of law, rather than the power of all sorts of biased attitudes.

If they did, they might be less afraid of external enemies – real or imagined.

Aleksandr Ryukhin

On April 16, 2006, Ryukhin and a friend who managed to escape were stabbed by six fascist youths. Ryukhin died. He was murdered near the nightclub Planeta Lda, where a German hardcore punk band was about to play. Aleksandr was approaching the club with a friend when they were jumped. Aleksandr was stabbed in the heart and died before paramedics arrived 30 minutes later.

Tomek Wilkoszewski

Tomek Wilkoszewski began a 15-year sentence in Sieradz prison in 1996, after being convicted of the murder of a neo-Nazi in a street brawl. In passing judgement, the presiding judge ignored the fact that Tomek had for few years preceeding the attack been harassed and assaulted by local boneheads. In addition, as a poor worker from a poor village, Tomek was unable to afford a good lawyer, and the fact that the bonehead died as a result of actions Tomek was forced to take in his own defence was not taken into account in his sentencing. He is currently fighting for justice from behind bars and with the support of Polish and international comrades.

Augustin Kraus

Augustin Kraus is an antifascist from the Czech city of Most, who was sentenced in March to 14 months prison for anti-fascist activities.

    And to end on a more positive, musical note, check out:

Razor Bois

RAZOR BOIS is an antifascist band from Moscow, Russia. We try to play fast and hooky mix of traditional Oi!/street-punk, old school hardcore and ska-punk.

RAZOR BOIS has a strong position against any forms of fascist crap (such as racism, sexism, homophobia etc), government oppression and nazi pigs in uniform (they also known as “police”). We also never hesitate to laugh in your pathetic face, elitist PC-snobs. Get a life!

The band was involved in [the] setting [up] of DIY non-profit all-ages gigs in Moscow which were open for everyone except nazi-boneheads and violent fucks.

RAZOR BOIS also got a great honor to be on Insurgence Records‘ compilation Class Pride 3.

We just recorded brand new stuff and even played our noise in the USA (while our other band – FRANK CASTLE GONNA BREAK YOUR NECK! was on a lil’ tour there). Our old CD “BAD NEWS FOR THE SCUM” is sold out, but the new CD/Record with both new and old shit is coming soon.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

If you’re a racist, sexist or any other kind of fascist shithead, don’t add us. If you’re a friend of nazis or go to their gigs or play with their bands – don’t add us! Our label called “BOYCOTT THE FENCEWALKERS” – does it ring any bell?

Posted in Anti-fascism, History, Music, War on Terror | Leave a comment

Russian anarchists still languishing in police custody

Posted on September 1, 2007 by @ndy

Two anarchists from Petersburg, Andrei Kalyonov and Denis Zelenyuk, as well as a Chechen from Novgorod, Hasan Didigov, are still being held in jail in Novgorod. The three are accused of attempting to blow up the “Nevsky Express” train in the Novgorod region on August 13, 2007. Under Russian law, those accused of terrorism may be detained for 30 days, but Russian anarchists and others are demanding their immediate release.

On August 26, the regular picket of the Anti-war Committee took place in the centre of Petersburg. Activists held banners with slogans reading “Freedom to Andrei Kalyonov and Denis Zelenyuk!” and “Witch-hunt 2007”, distributed leaflets about the case, and collected money to be used in their defence. Up to 50 people participated.

On August 28, anarchists, human rights and anti-war activists organised a picket in Moscow in solidarity with Petersburg anarchists. The picket was not permitted by the authorities, and six participants were detained and spent a night in the local police lockup. The next day anarchists tried to organise another picket, but Moscow police were successful in preventing them from doing so.

On August 29, after two weeks, Andrei Kalyonov ended his hunger strike because of his worsening health.

The next solidarity action in Petersburg will take place on September 2. Russian anarchists call for solidarity actions in the first week of September. Demand an end to the repression of anarchists and the immediate release of Andrei and Denis!

ABC-Petersburg // Anti-war Committee-Petersburg
Contact: [email protected] // [email protected]

Source : @-Infos | See also : Galina Stolyarova, Suspect In Train Bomb Points To ‘Solid Alibi’, St. Petersburg Times, August 31, 2007 | Russian anarchists framed for train bombing (August 24, 2007)

Posted in Anarchism, State / Politics, War on Terror | Leave a comment

APEC : Protesting is baaad, mmmkay?

Posted on August 31, 2007 by @ndy

If you don’t eat yer meat, you can’t have any pudding. How can you have any pudding if you don’t eat yer meat? or If you like school, you’ll love work

I believe the children are our future, and so do NSW and Victorian police, who’ve promised a crackdown on truancy (that is, swapping a probably boring school day for a possibly more exciting day protesting). NSW Premier ‘Mr Iemma has backed the police action against students with a warning that “these are school days and you should be at school. If you’re a school-aged kid, your place as far as APEC is concerned is to be at school”‘ (Rhett Watson, Police target truants at APEC, The Daily Terror, August 31, 2007).

    Note that in Melbourne, high school students will be assembling at Flinders Street station next Wednesday, September 5, at 1.30pm.

Whose streets? Um… our streets?

Police appear very keen to test their new toy, a $600,000 water cannon, and have subsequently refused the organisers of a march planned for September 8 permission to walk from Town Hall Square along George Street, through Martin Place, to finish at Hyde Park (AAP, Protesters, police fail to agree on APEC, The Age, August 30, 2007).

NSW Police announce 29 finalists in Australian Activist Awards

NSW Police remain tight-lipped regarding the identities of 29 individuals nominated for the Annual Australian Activist Awards. “Incoming Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said 29 people who are viewed as a political threat by the authorities would be informed that they were on a list of nominees for the Award, but the Awards themselves will only be presented to them upon entering the Sydney CBD during the upcoming conference. He said the list would not be made public because Police were inspired by watching repeated screenings of madcap 1960s comedy The Great Race, and wanted to introduce an unusual element to this year’s Awards ceremony, ensuring nominees complied with the special legislation. “That means we will be talking with every one of those people on that list, making it clear why they are on the list and what it means,” Mr Scipione said.”

Get off the bus, feral scum! or Reasons to boycott Dysons

“Meanwhile, Melbourne Stop The War Coalition — set to travel to Sydney to protest next weekend — says local bus company Dyson cancelled three booked buses because they had concerns about “ferals” and wanted to remain “politically neutral”. But a Dyson spokesman said the protesters told the company they were football fans who wanted the buses for a match. Melbourne Stop The War Coalition spokesman Ben Hillier said the group had made other transport arrangements.”

“Sponsored By Multi-National Forces, Get Those Animals Off Those Horses!”

In a local sequel to Class War of the Worlds, a virus has succeeded where hip hop has failed: Police horses struck down with flu, ABC, August 29, 2007. “New South Wales Police say eight police horses are believed to be suffering from the equine influenza virus and all the force’s mounts have now been quarantined at their Redfern barracks. Mounted officers will now be unable to take part in policing the upcoming APEC leaders summit in Sydney.”

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APEC : Hail to the Chief

Posted on August 30, 2007 by @ndy

Lesley Stahl on U.S. sanctions against Iraq: We have heard that a half million children have died. I mean, that’s more children than died in Hiroshima. And, you know, is the price worth it?

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright: I think this is a very hard choice, but the price — we think the price is worth it.

— 60 Minutes (May 12, 1996)

Mrs. Bush’s Message to the Children of the U.S. Military

March 31, 2003

To the children of the United States Military,

President Bush and I are very proud of your family members who are serving in America’s armed forces. At this difficult time, every American is especially grateful to your loved ones for protecting our country and defending freedom.

We know being apart from the people you love is not easy. Remember that people all over the country care about you and your family.

President Bush and I send you our very best wishes and our prayers for the safe return of the people you love.

With warmest thoughts,

Laura Bush.

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