07/09: Black Flag - Issue 227
Class War now has copies of the mid-2008 issue of the legendary Anarchist magazine Black Flag for sale.
Articles include a critical analysis of just why the fascist BNP has been enjoying such electoral success, the credit crunch, interviews with the London Coalition Against Poverty and the Irish RAG group, plus a peek at Anarchism in France and Russia today.
You can order Black Flag for Ł3 from London Class War.
Articles include a critical analysis of just why the fascist BNP has been enjoying such electoral success, the credit crunch, interviews with the London Coalition Against Poverty and the Irish RAG group, plus a peek at Anarchism in France and Russia today.
You can order Black Flag for Ł3 from London Class War.
At his home on Monday morning 25 August 2008. Gorki Aguila, founder member and vocalist with the Cuban punk band Porno Para Ricardo was arrested(yet again) at his home.
The Cuban state’s harassment of Gorki Aguila and other Porno Para Ricardo members has been relentless ever since the group first emerged. Back in April this year we issued an appeal for “Urgent solidarity with young alternatives and the anarcho-punk movement in Cuba”, concentrating our attention on the Castroist authorities’ relentless harassment of the Porno Para Ricardo band and of Gorki Aguila in particular. And asking freedom lovers around the world to show active solidarity with the alternative and counter-cultural scene within Cuba and adding our voice to the campaign by the promoters of the Cuba Underground project in defending the physical well-being of the members of Porno Para Ricardo, as well as their relatives, friends and colleagues.
Today we reaffirm our unconditional support for all young anti-authoritarians who face in their daily lives oppression and exploitation at the hands of the bourgeois nationalist dictatorship which has been governing Cuba along absolutist lines for the past half century and we are launching the International Campaign for the Immediate Release of Gorki Aguila, calling for demonstrations outside Cuban embassies and consulates around the world and demanding his release and an end to the current witch-hunt against young alternatives and the anarcho-punk and anti-authoritarian movement on the island of Cuba.
We hope that this call will be taken up as it deserves to be by the international punk and anarchist movements.
For a free libertarian Cuba!
For Anarchy!
The Cuban Libertarian Movement. (MLC) 26 August 2008-08-27
Contact: movimientolibertariocubano[at]gmail[dot]com
www.mlc.acultura.org.ve/
www.pornopararicardo.com
PRESS STATEMENT
GORKI AGUILA, MEMBER OF THE PORNO PARA RICARDO PUNK BAND, ARRESTED!
On the morning of the 25th (August}, whilst members of Porno Para Ricardo were rehearsing in Gorki Aguila’s home, a policeman knocked at the door and asked the singer to accompany him to the station, volunteering that he was only following orders.
Gorki was taken to the Station at 3rd and 62nd, popularly known as “the 5th “[precinct].
According to relations and friends of Gorki, he is to be held until Thursday at that station and will then face the courts on a charge of “dangerousness” which carries a possible sentence of between 1 and 4 years in prison.
So far his relations have not succeeded in getting to see Gorki so his present condition is unknown.
It should be borne in mind that a couple of months ago there were reports of the harassment being visited upon the lead singer of the Porno Para Ricardo punk rock band, Gorki Aguila Carrassco (39), he having been summoned to his local police station on Monday 17 June 2008 to a meeting also attended by one Jesus, his sector delegate and chief. Gorki brought with him a tape recorder and managed to tape parts of the meeting with the authorities. Similarly, since Gorki refused to engage in conversation with those present, he brought with him a written statement spelling out his opposition to the Cuban state as well as his determination to carry on with his music. Under the Cuban Penal Code or Law 62 “dangerousness” is when someone is assessed as liable to commit an offence on the basis of contradictions observable in his behaviour, according to the rules of socialist morality (article 72 covering Dangerousness and Safety Measures). Likewise Article 73 stipulates that habitual intoxication and over-indulgence in alcohol, drug addiction and anti-social behaviour are regarded as constituting “dangerousness”. Anti-social behaviours range from “acts of violence” to “breaches of social norms”, through “social parasitism” and “the practice of socially unacceptable vices”.
Havana, Monday 24 August 2008-08-27
Latest
STATUS OF PORNO PARA RICARDO LEAD MUSICIAN GORKI AGUILA
Gorki Aguila is to be held in the police station located at 3rd and 62nd. Municipio Playa, until roughly Thursday when he will face summary trial on “pre-criminal” charges, or, to put that another way, they have no charges to bring against him. So far his father has been repeartedly calling to the police station, better known as “the 5th” [precinct], but has not managed to get to see his son.
The other members of Porno Para Ricardo and friends of Gorki’s are collecting ready cash in order to hire a lawyer versed in cases like these.
It is expected that a press conference will he called in Havana to give the details of the position of the leader of Porno Para Ricardo.
Porno Para Ricardo
Havana, August 25 2008, 11.30 pm.
www.pornopararicardo.com
You are cordially invited to the Class War "Burn A Politican" Bonfire Party on Wednesday 5th November 7pm London Fields in Hackney. Bring effigies of politicans and any loathed figures of authority. Get into the festive rebellious tradition and bring along fireworks and booze. ...
Footage of the March picket of Foxton's in Islington was used in the last week's episode of Mischief about the scandal of expensive housing. It can be seen (until Wednesday evening) on the BBC iPlayer - http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00d2xqb/
24/08: Class War Radio Times
For all our Radio listeners..........
Here's the Radio times for the week:All Radio 4 unless stated
SUNDAY
2100-2130 - Students getting disillusioned in a college looking into international development.
2130 - 2200 - Analysys - power in healthcare. Should patients demand treatment regardless of cost?
MONDAY
Radio 4 - 0930-1000 - Parkmasters - the history of public parks in London.
1100-1130 - School for communists - Jim Riordan and four other young Britons tell their story of 60's education at Elite Higher Party School, Moscow.
1130-1200 - Count Arthur Strong at Edinburgh - bizarre comedy, highly recommended!
2130-2200 - Mind Changers - The Stanford Prison Experiment. Claudia Hammond looks at psychological experiments that changed our understanding of the human mind. Students were in a mockup prison and other students were guards. The experiment became so aggressive it had to be stopped.
TUESDAY
0900-0945 - 1968, The Year Of The Revolution. John Tusa goes to Chicago to meet anti Vietnam protestors.
2000-2040 - Crime Hotspots. Wannabe cop, Nick Ross looks at inaccurate online crime maps in the UK, so the Police are encouraged to under-report crime.
WEDNESDAY
1600-1630 - Thinkng allowed - Will self and others discuss fantasy and reality to create experiences of the modern city.
2045-2100 - The Condensed History of Political parties - This week it's the Tories in 15 minutes.
THURSDAY
RADIO 2 - 2200-2300 - Mark Lamarr's reggae show.
RADIO 4 - 1630-1700 Material World - how artificial intelligence is used in road navigation systems.
FRIDAY
1830-1900 - Armando Ianucci's Charm Offensive - current affairs comedy show.
Here's the Radio times for the week:All Radio 4 unless stated
SUNDAY
2100-2130 - Students getting disillusioned in a college looking into international development.
2130 - 2200 - Analysys - power in healthcare. Should patients demand treatment regardless of cost?
MONDAY
Radio 4 - 0930-1000 - Parkmasters - the history of public parks in London.
1100-1130 - School for communists - Jim Riordan and four other young Britons tell their story of 60's education at Elite Higher Party School, Moscow.
1130-1200 - Count Arthur Strong at Edinburgh - bizarre comedy, highly recommended!
2130-2200 - Mind Changers - The Stanford Prison Experiment. Claudia Hammond looks at psychological experiments that changed our understanding of the human mind. Students were in a mockup prison and other students were guards. The experiment became so aggressive it had to be stopped.
TUESDAY
0900-0945 - 1968, The Year Of The Revolution. John Tusa goes to Chicago to meet anti Vietnam protestors.
2000-2040 - Crime Hotspots. Wannabe cop, Nick Ross looks at inaccurate online crime maps in the UK, so the Police are encouraged to under-report crime.
WEDNESDAY
1600-1630 - Thinkng allowed - Will self and others discuss fantasy and reality to create experiences of the modern city.
2045-2100 - The Condensed History of Political parties - This week it's the Tories in 15 minutes.
THURSDAY
RADIO 2 - 2200-2300 - Mark Lamarr's reggae show.
RADIO 4 - 1630-1700 Material World - how artificial intelligence is used in road navigation systems.
FRIDAY
1830-1900 - Armando Ianucci's Charm Offensive - current affairs comedy show.
As the Olympics come to a close, it is time to stop feeling guilty about lying on the couch all week. Feel good about yourself by battling through each of these programmes, all the way to the end.
Sun 24 Aug Noon BBC1 - Olympics 2008. The Olympic baton is passed on...... to Boris Johnson.
12.30am Movies 24 - Brotherhood of Murder. The story of 80s US terrorist group The Order. Very much a made for TV movie, it does at least show Robert Matthews jerking off to inter-racial porn.
Mon 25 Aug 8pm Ch4 - Dispatches: How the Banks Never Lose. Guess who will still be 'making' money during the credit crunch?
9pm More4 - Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee. A western based on Dee Brown's book, telling the story of American Indians from the Battle of Little Big Horn to the 1890 massacre at Wounded Knee.
Tues 26 Aug 9pm ITV1 - Fiddles, Cheats and Scams. Everyone who has had a negative experience of the insurance industry will be delighted to know that this is yet another programme investigating, not Insurance as a concept, but those who allegedly try to fiddle the system.
10pm Bravo - I Predict A Riot. An hour of riot porn, starting with the excellent 1990 Strangeways Riot and finishing with the 1994 Criminal Justice Bill riot. Those were the days!
Thurs 28 Aug 6.30pm Crime & Investigation - Jimmy Hoffa. America's Mafia/trades union cross over.
Fri 29 Aug 9pm BBC2 - The Tudors. The seedy and nasty origins of the English church, with Henry VIII throwing his considerable weight around.
Sun 24 Aug Noon BBC1 - Olympics 2008. The Olympic baton is passed on...... to Boris Johnson.
12.30am Movies 24 - Brotherhood of Murder. The story of 80s US terrorist group The Order. Very much a made for TV movie, it does at least show Robert Matthews jerking off to inter-racial porn.
Mon 25 Aug 8pm Ch4 - Dispatches: How the Banks Never Lose. Guess who will still be 'making' money during the credit crunch?
9pm More4 - Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee. A western based on Dee Brown's book, telling the story of American Indians from the Battle of Little Big Horn to the 1890 massacre at Wounded Knee.
Tues 26 Aug 9pm ITV1 - Fiddles, Cheats and Scams. Everyone who has had a negative experience of the insurance industry will be delighted to know that this is yet another programme investigating, not Insurance as a concept, but those who allegedly try to fiddle the system.
10pm Bravo - I Predict A Riot. An hour of riot porn, starting with the excellent 1990 Strangeways Riot and finishing with the 1994 Criminal Justice Bill riot. Those were the days!
Thurs 28 Aug 6.30pm Crime & Investigation - Jimmy Hoffa. America's Mafia/trades union cross over.
Fri 29 Aug 9pm BBC2 - The Tudors. The seedy and nasty origins of the English church, with Henry VIII throwing his considerable weight around.
Category: Anti-fascism
Posted by: Admin
A critical look at the events of last weekend from an Indymedia poster.
It was less than a day after the RWB festival finished that local news reports in the Denby area started reporting that the residents were adamant the event would not be held on their doorstep next year.
The fact that local worries about clashes between the left and right had been building for several months was it seems only recognised by one group of anti-fascists and blatantly missed by others.
Indeed the usual suspects of ‘jump on the bandwagon’ Trotskyite groups, who had not even begun to mobilise until a couple of months prior to the event, ultimately seem to be stuck in the old left madness of negotiating with the police for no other reason than then becoming the ‘legitimate’ state sanctioned protest, guaranteed to do nothing other than portray themselves to be the vanguard in the struggle against British fascism.
This tactic is not missed on the majority of the left in Britain, and has created such apathy that a protest today is lucky to bring out less than a fifth of people it would have done a decade ago.
Their loss of all radical thinking has led to the inability to form any kind of strategy, such as one that recognised it would take very little effort to sway local feelings to those of outright objection to the RWB being held in the future.
This goes way over the heads of it’s instigators who are lost in the illusion that joining the machinations of parliamentary acceptability, somehow still maintains a revolutionary zeal with an ability to actually do anything other than become part of the problem.
How these groups, many linked to the SWP in one way or another, can even achieve the pitiful numbers they brought out to march past the RWB, is nothing short of a miracle. It is likely however that even those attending are in the not too distant future most likely to ‘burn out’, dejected and disillusioned, with what has become about as radical as a ‘walk in the park’.
Thankfully however it appears all is not lost. One organisation, Antifa, since it’s birth a few years ago, has constantly harangued and bitten chunks out of British fascist groups. leaving them with a constant headache they appear not to be able to medicate against.
The formation of Antifa, built by a handful of ex members from the untimely ‘drawing down’ of Anti Fascist Action as well as mobilising from the ranks of small but highly politically astute British anarchist groups, has rejuvenated a militant tradition going back to Cable Street, the Spanish Civil War and the 43 Group.
Watching their ‘tactics’ over the last year in the build up to the RWB has been nothing short of watching political genius at work. By appearing to be mobilising a mass group of activists from the UK and abroad it was always going to be a headache for local authorities not willing to take any chances.
Successful ‘no platform’ style actions against the British National Party and the likes of neo-nazi cult group the British Peoples Party, Antifa seemed to know that even by simply turning out a handful of people willing to do nothing more than produce five minutes of chaos, would be more than enough to produce the desired result, a Red White and Blue Festival no longer being held in Denby and the BNP organisers with a major problem on their hands i.e.
“Where do we find a local authority next year willing to take a chance on hosting the RWB?”
Amusingly, the fascist and neo-nazis on Stormfront have been having a field day.
Their belief that the propaganda put out by Antifa was actually implying the organisation genuinely believed they would shut down this years festival, and the far-rights lack of knowledge of ‘left-wing’ groups in general, the bigger picture seems to have completely passed them by.
So buoyed up with seeing a genuinely vociferous but small protest result in mass arrests they have convinced themselves Antifa have been crushed and those arrested are going to be doing years and years behind bars, which is about as likely as Nick Griffin joining the SWP!
Interestingly enough, at the time of writing, Antifa have not even officially confirmed they were actually there, another strategy which shows the level of a political militant awareness that leaves the far-right nervously cackling from the sidelines, convincing themselves all is well in their 'fatherland'.
Where the rest of the British ‘left’ go from here is at present unclear. While the likes of the SWP have already claimed some kind of victory out of actually doing nothing at all, it is of genuine concern that people will still fall for their redundant and impotent style of politics.
One thing is for certain. If the SWP and their front groupings such as the UAF are allowed to continue their nonsense, the genuine fervour of many on the so called ‘left’ will remain untapped.
There remains an anti-fascist militancy in Britain that is sitting in the wings just waiting for its chance to ignite. Let’s hope that the likes of Antifa are able to light the spark.
Their actions up to now and the likelihood that their inspired militancy has stopped the RWB being held in Denby in the future suggests they are.
The Long And The Short Of It.
https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/08/407232.html
It was less than a day after the RWB festival finished that local news reports in the Denby area started reporting that the residents were adamant the event would not be held on their doorstep next year.
The fact that local worries about clashes between the left and right had been building for several months was it seems only recognised by one group of anti-fascists and blatantly missed by others.
Indeed the usual suspects of ‘jump on the bandwagon’ Trotskyite groups, who had not even begun to mobilise until a couple of months prior to the event, ultimately seem to be stuck in the old left madness of negotiating with the police for no other reason than then becoming the ‘legitimate’ state sanctioned protest, guaranteed to do nothing other than portray themselves to be the vanguard in the struggle against British fascism.
This tactic is not missed on the majority of the left in Britain, and has created such apathy that a protest today is lucky to bring out less than a fifth of people it would have done a decade ago.
Their loss of all radical thinking has led to the inability to form any kind of strategy, such as one that recognised it would take very little effort to sway local feelings to those of outright objection to the RWB being held in the future.
This goes way over the heads of it’s instigators who are lost in the illusion that joining the machinations of parliamentary acceptability, somehow still maintains a revolutionary zeal with an ability to actually do anything other than become part of the problem.
How these groups, many linked to the SWP in one way or another, can even achieve the pitiful numbers they brought out to march past the RWB, is nothing short of a miracle. It is likely however that even those attending are in the not too distant future most likely to ‘burn out’, dejected and disillusioned, with what has become about as radical as a ‘walk in the park’.
Thankfully however it appears all is not lost. One organisation, Antifa, since it’s birth a few years ago, has constantly harangued and bitten chunks out of British fascist groups. leaving them with a constant headache they appear not to be able to medicate against.
The formation of Antifa, built by a handful of ex members from the untimely ‘drawing down’ of Anti Fascist Action as well as mobilising from the ranks of small but highly politically astute British anarchist groups, has rejuvenated a militant tradition going back to Cable Street, the Spanish Civil War and the 43 Group.
Watching their ‘tactics’ over the last year in the build up to the RWB has been nothing short of watching political genius at work. By appearing to be mobilising a mass group of activists from the UK and abroad it was always going to be a headache for local authorities not willing to take any chances.
Successful ‘no platform’ style actions against the British National Party and the likes of neo-nazi cult group the British Peoples Party, Antifa seemed to know that even by simply turning out a handful of people willing to do nothing more than produce five minutes of chaos, would be more than enough to produce the desired result, a Red White and Blue Festival no longer being held in Denby and the BNP organisers with a major problem on their hands i.e.
“Where do we find a local authority next year willing to take a chance on hosting the RWB?”
Amusingly, the fascist and neo-nazis on Stormfront have been having a field day.
Their belief that the propaganda put out by Antifa was actually implying the organisation genuinely believed they would shut down this years festival, and the far-rights lack of knowledge of ‘left-wing’ groups in general, the bigger picture seems to have completely passed them by.
So buoyed up with seeing a genuinely vociferous but small protest result in mass arrests they have convinced themselves Antifa have been crushed and those arrested are going to be doing years and years behind bars, which is about as likely as Nick Griffin joining the SWP!
Interestingly enough, at the time of writing, Antifa have not even officially confirmed they were actually there, another strategy which shows the level of a political militant awareness that leaves the far-right nervously cackling from the sidelines, convincing themselves all is well in their 'fatherland'.
Where the rest of the British ‘left’ go from here is at present unclear. While the likes of the SWP have already claimed some kind of victory out of actually doing nothing at all, it is of genuine concern that people will still fall for their redundant and impotent style of politics.
One thing is for certain. If the SWP and their front groupings such as the UAF are allowed to continue their nonsense, the genuine fervour of many on the so called ‘left’ will remain untapped.
There remains an anti-fascist militancy in Britain that is sitting in the wings just waiting for its chance to ignite. Let’s hope that the likes of Antifa are able to light the spark.
Their actions up to now and the likelihood that their inspired militancy has stopped the RWB being held in Denby in the future suggests they are.
The Long And The Short Of It.
https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/08/407232.html
Category: Anti-fascism
Posted by: Admin
While we wait for a statement from Antifa England on the weekends events, the comical self congratulations between fascists on Stormfront is nothing but hilarious!
None of them are bright enough to have noticed.
It seems the locals are singing in unison....
'Never Again!'
http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/news/residents-living-near-BNP-festival-site/article-273452-detail/article.html
http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/news/Left-wing-activists-clash-riot-police-anti-BNP-protest/article-273516-detail/article.html
None of them are bright enough to have noticed.
It seems the locals are singing in unison....
'Never Again!'
http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/news/residents-living-near-BNP-festival-site/article-273452-detail/article.html
http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/news/Left-wing-activists-clash-riot-police-anti-BNP-protest/article-273516-detail/article.html
16/08: Fortress Totobag
Tune in to Radio 4 at 8pm this evening for Fortress Totobag.
This was the cafe in Notting Hill that saw fighting between West Indians and Teddy Boys in 1958, leading to the Notting Hill riots. You can listen on-live via the Radio 4 website, or use the listen again feature if you miss the programme.
This was the cafe in Notting Hill that saw fighting between West Indians and Teddy Boys in 1958, leading to the Notting Hill riots. You can listen on-live via the Radio 4 website, or use the listen again feature if you miss the programme.
