HOT SUMMER IN SPAIN

On June 20, 2002, Spain was hit with a one-day general strike coinciding with the EU Summit in Seville (see www.indymedia.org.uk). The strike call has been massively followed in practically all the regions of Spain. Over 100 000 demonstrated in Seville, 50 000 in Granada, and 30 000 in Malaga. In some areas the strike was almost total with even the bars and shops shut. It was supported in both town and country, as so-called “reforms” of the government will deprive agricultural workers of unemployment benefits, forcing them off the land altogether.
The anger that has been smouldering in Spain for years burst to the surface. The riot police were treated to mass contempt and derision by the demonstrations. “Here they are, here they are - the pickets of the bosses!” was one of the chants as the demonstrators passed the massed ranks of these State thugs. Even three of the police unions stated that they were not prepared to protect strikebreakers but only the right to strike! This indicates the levels of discontent within Spanish society.
The strike was spread by flying pickets of up to 100 people who at dawn filtered through neighbourhoods announcing the general strike and calling upon everyone to join it.
The general strike was forced on the UGT and CCOO unions by the simmering anger of the working class. For the last six years they have agreed to swingeing cuts in wages, conditions and living standards. They hoped a symbolic one-day strike would calm things down. But the strike shows both the fear of the union bureaucrats and the rising militancy of the Spanish working class. Now the struggle needs to go beyond the control of the UGT and CCOO bureaucrats.

Massacre in Mazar

“We were told there were no friendly forces...We were told specifically that if there were women and children to kill them.” This open admission from a U.S. solider serving in Afghanistan, was published, without comment, in a small local newspaper in the States.
Massacre in Mazar, a new documentary from an Irish film maker, records the slaughter of POWs by American forces last winter. Those that survived being transported in sealed containers, were taken out in the desert, shot, and dumped in mass graves. The film also documents tortures such as the pouring of acid over the bodies of captives.
The U.S. Government is considering a law authorising the invasion of that well known rogue state the Netherlands. Satire? The “war on drugs” taken to further extremes? No the U.S. Government is committed to invading the Netherlands if the newly formed international criminal court in the Hague ever prosecutes any one from the American military.
Then we have the American and British states newly revealed nuclear first strike policy, on non-nuclear “rouge states”. Of course these will be aimed at “military targets” just as the then U.S. President Truman said in 1945: “the world will note that the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, a military base. That was because we wished in this first attack to avoid, in so far as possible, the killing of civilians…”
Anti-War stickers and posters are available for a donation from London AF.

In last months resistance we reported on the encouraging signs of the rebirth of mass class struggle across Europe – this past month has brought further evidence of this and also of an expansion of this struggle into wider areas.
Most notable was the first Spanish General Strike for eight years - see full report on the front page.
A series of regional general strikes are also taking place in Italy, following on from the nationwide strike in April. Rome was shut down on 4th June, whilst Milan (Italy’s financial capital) is targeted for July 4th – these actions are in protest at Premier Silvio Berlusconi’s plans to make it easier to fire workers. Italy was also the scene of a transport strike that shut down public transport in Milan, Naples, Turin and Florence – all important tourist sites
Another encouraging sign was that the first internationally co-ordinated strike since protests in support of the Liverpool dockers, took place on the 18th-20th June when air traffic controllers struck in Portugal, Italy, France, Spain and most other European countries struck in protest at plans to bring all air traffic controllers under unified supervision – a plan which would be used as an excuse to introduce redundancies and lower safety standards. Flights were cancelled from Finland to the Czech republic, with flights in and out of France being the worst affected, with nearly 90% of flights being cancelled. This one has the potential to develop into a large-scale battle.
The struggle is also spreading in Germany, where the recent successful mass strikes by engineers have inspired a growth of confidence in other workers to try and impose their demands over the summer months of pay bargaining. Thousands of construction workers have struck for the first time since WW2. The plan being to expand the strike to a new town every day until they receive the rise they want. Postal and telecom workers have also walked out, demanding a wage rise over 5% above the rate of inflation.
As noted in previous resistances, the sharp rise in wage demands over the last 6 months is a result of the working class gaining confidence in its power through collective action, this confidence must be used to build up links between workers in different industries, who can operate outside of official channels – this is the only way we can really impose our demands.

CELEBRITY PRAT OF THE MONTH

Anyone allowing themselves to be called “Sir” has his head so far up the establishments arse it must be pitch black. Bob Geldoff, in particular in promoting the police as “friendly and caring” is either privileged, a liar, or out of touch with reality.
That the police are indelibly anti-working class is exposed time and again by their shameless fitting up of people like Ray Gilbert and Mark Barnsley (to name just two) who fall prey to cop class prejudice. And in the few (but there should be many) cases where guilty verdicts are overturned, when do we hear these “hugely compassionate and understanding officers” say they’re sorry? Never!
Consistently, cops are proven to have lied or falsified evidence to secure convictions against less well-connected members of the public (that’s us lot!) yet are never heard to utter a single word of regret, an apology, or are they held to account. Working class people the world over bear the brunt of police aggression and dirty tricks. Geldoff mewls: “Having to make a decision which may disrupt families forever is a huge personal responsibility”. Damn right it is! Mark Barnsley’s family life was disrupted for eight long years and Ray Gilbert has endured loss of liberty for 21 years (continuing) as a consequence of dodgy decisions taken by deceitful coppers and a class biased judicial system.
Old “yes sir, yes sir, three bags full sir” may feel the pigs are OK but their many working class victims know different. We reckon Harry Roberts had a much better take on the filth that coppers nark Geldoff and his fawning admiration for some of the nastiest people on the planet. Go get ‘em Harry!

SWAMPED WITH LIES

The Government, Opposition, and large sections of the media shriek ever more hysterically about the bogus asylum seeker crisis. The truth is that there is no crisis, although there are social problems (poverty, homelessness etc.) which only ordinary people can solve, through working and fighting together.

There are NO bogus asylum seekers - they are all fleeing poverty-political persecution (including torture and death) - war. Who wants to leave the country where they were born, where their family, friends and culture are, for somewhere where they know no-one, may not speak the language, and may not find a home or half decent job? 150 000 British people emigrate every year, outnumbering the people who enter the country. Where they are employed, refugees often do the worst jobs that no-one else will do because of the crap pay and conditions. Governments create refugees by maintaining artificial barriers (borders) artificial labels such as national, legal, and illegal. Money is allowed to move without restriction so that capitalists can maximise their profit at the expense of the rest of us; people are not allowed such free movement.

Cry wolf
Why all the hysteria about a ’crisis’? Governments create refugees through creating and maintaining poverty, repression and war. The main sources of refugees are Afghanistan, Palestine, Eastern Europe, Somalia and Sri Lanka. Refugees are convenient scapegoats for the social problems that governments create - its the old tactic of divide and rule. Refugees are a good source of cheap labour due to their desperation and marginal status. The government prefers to exclude ‘unskilled’ refugees, and to try to force poor British workers into the crummiest jobs through the minimum wage and slave labour schemes of the New Deal. The latest bizarre proposals include using warships to intercept refugees and RAF transport planes for bulk deportation. As a result of widespread opposition, Blair has already been forced to drop plans to withdraw aid from countries which refuse to take back failed asylum seekers.

Resistance
Asylum seekers need our support because they are fellow workers and are at the bottom of the heap, and because allowing the government and bosses to pay below poverty level wages and benefits undermines all of us. Measures such as the introduction of identity cards will also be used by the police to control and attack people who are fighting their bosses, landlords, councils etc.
Refugees resist through hunger strikes, escapes and general non co-operation with the prison regime. Such opposition has forced the government to shut the Landmark and Inn in the Park in Liverpool which were slum estate accommodation for refugees. Community groups, schoolchildren and teachers have waged successful campaigns to prevent people being deported. Contact: National Coalition of Anti-
Deportation Campaigns, Tel: 0121 554 6947 Email: ncadc@ncadc.org.uk

RESISTANCE ROUNDUP

We don’t need any more parasites!
Aberdeen - On 28th May Aberdeen Anarchist Resistance (http://geocities.com/resistanceab) protested at the Queens visit to Aberdeen. A leaflet highlighting the parasitism of the royal family, was produced and distributed along part of the route the Queen would be taking. But it seems as the coppers didn’t agree much...we were stopped 15 minutes later in another part of the city by two cops in a police car, and later another two came in a van. Told that someone had found our leaflet offensive, we were asked to turn out our pockets. But when they searched our bag they found a hundred or so leaflets and confiscated them, as well as a Greek newspaper! They took our names, addresses etc., having them checked, and said that they will examine the “material”... and that if we want it back we should contact them.

So saying in public our opinion about monarchy is offensive, but it’s not offensive to give a free day to very young schoolchildren so as to attend the Queens visit and give ‘em flags to wave...children not old enough to make up their own minds about such things. Brainwashing anyone? The newspapers said that there were 15 000 people to welcome the queen, but there weren’t more than 1 000 (600 of them schoolchildren)!!! That’s how the ruling class is rewriting history...

Solidarity to all anti-monarchy and anti-state actions! For a stateless society!

Hereford – A planned anti-jubilee benefit punk gig in Hereford was banned by the police early on in June, although the local filth wouldn’t give a reason as to why. Organisers viewed this as part of a wider state clampdown on anti-jubilee actions, making sure it all went smoothly for that disgrace they call Queen. Nevertheless, local anarchists hastily organised an alternative anti-jubilee action for June 3rd - walking through the centre of town with a “bollocks to the monarchy” banner! Organisers of the cancelled gig are now thinking about legal action against the police. Meanwhile, Hereford Anarchists now have a website under construction. Visit it at www.herefordanarchists.cjb.net

Camden Solidarity
A new community based anarchist group has recently been established in the Camden Borough Area of North London. It mainly concentrates on gentrification/housing issues. For more info Email: Camdensolidarity@hotmail.com or
Tel: 07765476777.

Anarchist Youth Network
National gathering July 12th–14th, North London. This is the first national conference/gathering of the Anarchist Youth Network so if you are interested in getting involved please come along. If you are planning on coming please contact the AYN in advance. More details will be released shortly. Contact: AYN c/o 84b, Whitechapel High Street, London, E1 7QX Tel: 07814 629 780 Email: younganarchos@hushmail.com Visit: www.anarchistyouth.net

Mayday in Scotland...
Aberdeen Anarchist Resistance travelled to Glasgow on May 1st to meet and march with other folks from the AF. There were folks from Class War, GAIA and the Black Flag collective there too. With around 600-700 people in attendance, we marched through Glasgow city centre. While some confusion followed, eventually made it to Kelvingrove Park, where a party ensued. Scottish AF leaflets and copies of resistance and Mayday fliers were distributed throughout the march.
Scottish AF now have a new website at: http://flag.blackened.net/af/alba

...and Ireland
There was a good turnout for the annual MayDay parade in Belfast. There was a good atmosphere all round probably helped by the fine weather, and music which ranged from the drum beat to the bagpipe. Anarchists from the Anarchist Federation Ireland and the Anarcho-Syndicalist Federation distributed copies of their respective bulletins - Irish
resistance and Solidarity - both before and after the march, on which the ASF unveiled an impressive new MayDay banner. At St. George’s market afterwards, there was food, drink, music and stalls. All in all, a fine day out. Visit the AF Ireland website at: www.afireland.cjb.net

No let up for the royals
Local campaigning group People Not Profit, will “celebrate” the Queen’s Jubilee visit to Liverpool on July 25th and 26th by putting the Queen on trial for war crimes committed by the British Army during her 50 year’s reign, indicting her as Head of State and Head of the British Armed Forces for war crimes committed in Malaya, Aden, Cyprus, Kenya and the Falklands. If convicted, the evidence and indictment will be sent to the International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague with a request an international warrant for her arrest be issued. Contact: Merseyside AF, PO Box 350, Liverpool, L69 6EE.

TIME BOMB

“Our army that now remains in Vietnam is in a state approaching collapse, with individual units avoiding or having refused combat, murdering their officers and non-commissioned officers....”

- a U.S. Marine Colonel in 1971.

G.I. Resistance during the later stages of the Vietnam war took a number of Forms:
Firstly, “combat refusal” - straight forward mutiny, usually achieved by secretive means. Secondly, “fragging” – the assassination of glory hunting officers, which reached the stage where bounties were put on the heads of the most unpopular officers. Most famously on the Lieutenant Colonel who ordered the bloody attack on “Hamburger Hill” in mid-69, and had a bounty of $10,000 placed on him in response. The money was collected through whip rounds.

Thirdly, the growth of anti-war, anti-brass, newspapers, over 300 by 1972, with names like Harass the Brass, All Hands Abandon Ship, and the Star Spangled Bummer. These were produced by discontented rank and file soldiers.

Fourthly, desertion, by 1970 the U.S. Army had over 60,000 deserters. Finally, back on the “home front” veterans organized themselves into groups such as “Vietnam Veterans Against the War” and exposed war crimes through the “Winter Soldier Investigation”.
The “air wars” strategy of the last 30 years was developed not with the official enemy in mind, but to avoid the situation where America’s rulers are again faced with a mutinous army.

ISRAELI REFUSNIKS JAILED

Israeli Army reservist Guy Rozin, was sentenced on June 16 to 28 days for refusing to serve in the occupied Palestinian territories. He was tried and found guilty of desertion and has appealed his sentence. Guy’s address: First Sgt. (res.) Guy Rozin, (Military ID 3777618) Military Prison 4 Military Postal No. 02507, IDF, Israel. Guy can also be contacted via: daphna_r@zahav.net.il
Objectors Yair Khilou, an anarchist on whom we have reported in previous issues of resistance, and Igal Rosenberg who have been successively imprisoned five times have been released from prison and were finally exempted from military service altogether, on grounds of incompatibility. Objector Daniel Weinbach has been sent to prison on 16 June for the 4th time.

INSIDE INFORMATION

Anti-Fascist Resistance
In the Polish city of Bialystok anarchists and anti-fascists have waged bloody and hard, uncompromising war against nazi scum for years. During these hard times many of them were injured or suffered legal trouble. But on the other hand they managed to limit nazi activity in their city and stopped them controlling the streets. Now four people are on trial, with serious charges, for different actions. One of them has already spent four months in prison. They have spent tons of money on lawyers and need a lot more to defend themselves successfully and also to increase their activity. They would like to appeal to all concerned anti-fascists around the world to help them in whatever way possible. If you can also send some financial support, organise benefit parties or whatever will help them, get in touch.
Radical Anti-Fascist Action, PO Box 43, 15-662 Bialystok 26, Poland.
Email: soja2@poczta.onet.pl

Support Wayne Heaton
Wayne Heaton, an anti-fascist activist, has been sentenced to 18 months for violent disorder during the Burnley riots last summer. Wayne, who grew up in Burnley, was none too happy seeing the growth of support for the BNP in his home town. So when the police defended the BNP, Wayne like many locals stood up and fought. He’d love letters of support. Write to: Wayne Heaton - GK 7292, Wing G1 8, H.M. Prison, 2 Ribblestone Lane, Preston PR1 5AB.

Finnish anti-militarist Janne Kuusisto is a total objector, he was imprisoned for refusing from both military and alternative service. His current address is: Janne Kuusisto Kayran avovankilaosasto Jarvenojantie 36 21370 Aura, Finland. But since he might be moved soon, it’s best to write to Anarchist Black Cross (Anarkistinen Musta Risti) of Turku, AMR-Turku PL 994 20101 Turku, Finland. Janne will be released on the 23rd of November.

Support anarchist prisoners “I am proud to say I am an anarchist...I refuse to give in to the prisoncrats. Sometime ago a group of prisoners and myself founded the Missouri Prisoners’ Labor Union and our goals and objectives are to promote social justice, human rights, prisoner rights, workers’ rights and prisoners’ right to vote...Fellow anarchists since the time we organize ourselves as the MPLU I have been through hell and back, I’ve been harassed beyond one’s belief...

We are fighting to obtain our civil and human rights, and I am in need of your aid in our struggle here. The abolition of prisons, the systems of laws, and the capitalist state is the ultimate objective of every true Anarchist. So IF YOU ARE NOT AFRAID OF A REAL LIVE FIGHT WITH THE PRISONCRATS I can be contacted at: Jerome White-Bey #37479, Jefferson City Correctional Center, PO Box 900, Jefferson City, MO 65102, USA.”
For more info, contact:
Break The Chains Northwest Political Prisoners Support Group, PO Box 11331, Eugene, OR 97440. USA Email: gumbycascadia@yahoo.com

Subvert and resist

Take precautions when going on demonstrations and don’t take cameras, booze or drugs. If you’re nicked give your name and address then say ‘no comment’ to any other questions.

JULY: 7 – 8th – Protest at the Manchester Military Tattoo at the M.E.N. Arena. The event glorifies war. Meet on Friday 7th 6.30pm at the Post Office by Victoria Station. Tel: 0161 273 8283 for details of possible pickets on the Saturday shows

10 – 14th – Earth First Summer Gathering, West Country. “An opportunity for anyone interested in non-hierarchical environmental direct action to get together...” Email: summergathering2002@yahoo.co.uk Visit: www.eco-action.org/gathering

12 – 14th – Anarchist Youth Network first national conference/gathering. Somewhere in North London: See article inside..

11th – Nought for Conduct film night. Matewan - true story of a West Virginia mining town that formed an unlikely union between striking hillbilly miners and black and Italian scabs in the 1920s. 7.30pm at Marchmont St Community Centre, Marchmont St, London WC1. Wheelchair access. (Nearest tubes Russell Square & Kings Cross) £2 Waged, £1 Unwaged. Organised by the Anarchist Federation. Tel: 07946 214 590 Email: noughtforconduct@hotmail.com

19th - Benefit gig for Walthamstow Anarchist Group. Playing are Thatcher’s Children and others. The Chestnut Tree, Lea Bridge Road (Near Whipps Cross) Leytonstone, London. £3 entrance. 8pm. For more info Tel: 07867 806 450 or Email: info@walthamstowanarchy.co.uk

Join the resistance

The Anarchist Federation is an organisation of class struggle anarchists aiming to abolish capitalism and all oppression to create a free and equal society. This is Anarchist Communism.

We see today’s society as being divided into two main opposing classes: the ruling class which controls all the power and wealth, and the working class which the rulers exploit to maintain this. By racism, sexism and other forms of oppression, as well as war and environmental destruction the rulers weaken and divide us. Only the direct action of working class people can defeat these attacks and ultimately overthrow capitalism.

As the capitalist system rules the whole world, its destruction must be complete and world wide. We reject attempts to reform it, such as working through parliament and national liberation movements, as they fail to challenge capitalism itself. Unions also work as a part of the capitalist system, so although workers struggle within them they will be unable to bring about capitalism’s destruction unless they go beyond these limits. Organisation is vital if we’re to beat the bosses, so we work for a united anarchist movement and are affiliated to the International of Anarchist Federations.

The Anarchist Federation has members across Britain and Ireland fighting for the kind of world outlined above. To get involved contact us at:

Anarchist Federation,
84B, Whitechapel High Street,
London, E1 7QX. Tel: 07946 214 590
Visit: www.afed.org.uk
Email: anarchistfederation@bigfoot.com