Sunday, February 9, 3pm: Meeting to discuss anarchist response to new move-on laws
On Sunday, February 9 from 3pm at MAC, a meeting of anarchists and anti-authoritarian radicals to discuss the campaign to oppose the Summary Offences and Sentencing Amendment Bill 2013. Once law, the bill will give police additional powers to break union and community pickets, public assemblies, street marches and other forms of public protest. It constitutes an attack on legal rights to free speech and assembly.
For more information on the amendment see Fitzroy Legal Service submission; Victoria Goes After Protest And Picket Rights, Adam Brereton, New Matilda, January 21, 2014.
Punk Fundraiser for ASF Melbourne, Saturday, February 1
Our first gig for 2014 is taking place on Saturday, February 1 from 3pm. The gig is to raise funds for the Melbourne chapter of the Anarcho-Syndicalist Federation, the Australian section of the International Workers' Association. The IWA held its 25th Congress in Valencia on December 6--8, 2013 and the gig is to help defray costs associated with the ASF's participation.
Entry is $10, there'll be a BBQ and refreshments and the following bands are scheduled to play:
• Bombs Are Falling
• Cabin Fever
• Citywide Wildcat
• Con-Troll
• mammoth graveyard
• NMA
• The FckUps
Interview with our comrade P@ulie on 3CR Monday Breakfast
You can listen to our comrade P@ulie being interviewed on 3CR Monday Breakfast here. The interview starts at the 37 minute mark and goes for about 10 minutes. P@ulie touches on: the philosophy of anarchism; the life and death of Francesco Fantin; the Fantin Reading Group; the Direct Action Collective; and the influence of anarchist principles on the Occupy movement. With thanks to our friends at 3CR Community Radio (855AM, on digital radio and online). Happy listening!
Joint statement by MAC and ASF (Melbourne) regarding sexual assault within Melbourne anarchist milieu
JOINT STATEMENT BY MAC AND ASF-M REGARDING SEXUAL ASSAULT WITHIN THE ANARCHIST MILIEU IN MELBOURNE
Since 2010, the question of how an anarchist group can respond effectively and fairly to sexual misconduct by men against women has been the subject of debate and action by the MAC and the Anarcho-Syndicalist Federation Melbourne.
By sexual misconduct we mean the spectrum of conduct from low level sexual harassment through to opportunistic or predatory sexual behaviour.
This misconduct is a fundamental challenge and threat to our anarchist goals of a free and equal society. In the absence of an effective anarchist justice system we are ill-equipped to respond.
For this reason, we want to put on the public record our support for the right of women to choose the appropriate avenue for redress when wrongs are committed against them. This includes the criminal justice system.
An injury to one is an injury to all. Our anarchist community must develop its sophistication in making that axiom real for women who suffer injury from men.
Endorsed at the 27 October meeting of the MAC
Subsequently endorsed at the assembly of the ASF Melbourne
Benefit gig for #Tecoma8, Saturday, November 16 at 3pm
On Saturday, November 16 from 3pm MAC will be hosting a benefit gig and BBQ for the Tecoma 8 -- 8 people being dragged through the courts for daring to challenge McDonald's corporation in their attempts to colonise the Dandenong Ranges.
The gig will feature music from seven bands -- including Cabin Fever, Citywide Wildcat, Con-Troll, Flawless Boiz and Spew'N'Guts -- and a BBQ. Entry is $10 with all proceeds going to the campaign in defence of the Tecoma 8.
The MAC is located at 62 St Georges Road in Northcote.
Fantin Reading Group meeting, October 20
The next meeting of the Fantin Reading Group is on Sunday, October 20 at 1.30pm. The reading for the meeting is an essay by Cornelius Castoriadis titled 'Recommencing the Revolution'. All welcome. For more details see the Fantin Reading Group blog.
Distorted punk rock documentary, Saturday September 14
Distorted: Reflections on early Sydney punk - Trailer #1 (2013) from Des Devlin on Vimeo.
The Melbourne premiere of the acclaimed documentary
'Distorted: Reflections on early Sydney punk'
Directed by Des Devlin
This documentary charts the growth and development of the punk scene in the first city in Australia where it appeared with a particular emphasis on the famed Grand Hotel at Railway Square. Featuring interviews with those who were there including the musicians, activists, artists, squatters and anarcha-feminists and actual never-before-seen footage of live bands. 'Distorted: Reflections on early Sydney punk' firmly locates the punk scene in Sydney in its social and political context in what some have claimed as the last true white rebellion in Australia.
This will be the first time it is to be shown in Melbourne before going on to wider release next year.
WHEN : 7PM, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2013
WHERE : MELBOURNE ANARCHIST CLUB, 62 ST GEORGES ROAD, NORTHCOTE
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August Update : Anarchist Bookfair (August 10) and Fantin Reading Group (August 25)
MAC will be tabling at and participating in the Melbourne Anarchist Bookfair on Saturday, August 10 at Abbotsford Convent. Entry is free. For more details see the Bookfair website.
On Sunday, August 25 we will be hosting another meeting of the Fantin Reading Group, when we will be discussing the essay 'On the Content of Socialism' by Cornelius Castoriadis. The reading is available on the Reading Group blog.
Coming up in September: a screening of a new documentary film on the early Sydney punk scene.
Anarchist Bookfair 2013 / Black Light #2
Anarres/MAC will be having a stall at the upcoming Melbourne Anarchist Bookfair, August 10, 2013. For more details on the bookfair, see the bookfair website.
We'll also be distributing copies of the latest edition of our zine, Black Light. (The previous edition is available for download here.)
If you'd like to contribute to the zine, write to melbourneanarchistclub[at]gmail[dot]com.
Thank you to all who attended the Towards Federation event at MAC on the weekend of June 8/9. A full report on the event will be available on the MAC site as soon as practical. In the meantime, a brief report has been published on the 'slackbastard' blog.
Talk on health and inequality, Sunday, May 19th
We are pleased to host our Italian comrade, Giordano di Jesi, who will be presenting a talk on health & social inequalities, from a uniquely anarchist perspective. Giordano will also talk about the current struggle in his own workplace, and provide us with an update on the Italian/European situation.
Giordano is in Melbourne for an international health conference. In 2011 Giordano completed a PhD in sociology & epidemiology, focusing on health inequalities. He currently works as a nurse at a regional hospital near Ancona, which is facing the austerity measures of the centre-left regional government.
Giordano is a member of the Anarchist Group Mikhail Bakunin in Jesi, which is a part of the Italian Anarchist Federation; a section of the International Anarchist Federation.
All welcome!
Links:
http://cslfabbri.blogspot.com.au/