solidarity – DISACCORDS

Anarchists welcome North Thailand’s new ‘Australian’ Honorary Consul to the job with a home visit

On Sunday 29 January 2017, anarchists in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai visited the home of the newly appointed Australian Honorary Consul, Ronald Elliott, to share with him our analysis of Australia’s immigration policies regarding refugees, and to communicate our opinion of Australia’s highly offensive annual nationalist celebration of occupation, displacement and genocide.

We recognise Mr Elliott, who was appointed Australian Honorary Consul in northern Thailand on 17 January, 2017, as representing the vile policies of the colonised land known as ‘Australia’. Hence, in welcoming his new appointment as the ambassador of a government which makes no apologies for its racist immigration policies and unashamed barbaric treatment of refugees, we decorated the wall protecting his expensive upper-middle class property with a demand to “Free the Refugees”.

Similarly, in solidarity with the 7 Days of Resistance to Invasion Day, called by Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance (WAR), we also added the demand to “Decolonise “Australia” to Mr Elliot’s property.

We trust that Mr Elliott will report our message to his superiors in the Australian Embassy proper in Bangkok, who will in turn submit a mandatory report regarding the incident to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and their cronies in the ‘Australian’ government.

In undertaking our visit to Mr Elliott’s residence in the over-policed and exclusive gated community, Mod Chic, in Moo Ban Sansaran, the strategy we used to negotiate entry reaffirmed that no matter how many walls and borders the rich, and by extension the State, create to keep out “undesirables”, those with motivation to gain access to spaces will always find a way- a lesson the ‘Australian’ government would do well to consider when implementing its immigration policies and squandering billions of dollars on “defending the borders”.

via: Insurrection News

Melbourne, Australia: Banner in solidarity with vegan anarchist prisoner Osman Evcan

Insurrection News

Melbourne, Australia, 29.03.16: Banner at Richmond railway station in solidarity with vegan anarchist prisoner Osman Evcan, on hunger strike since 22nd February in Turkey for the right to receive vegan meals as well as improvements to basic living conditions and communications with the outside world.

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Philipines: Anti-APEC (A)ction

22 Nov – Local Autonomous Network or LAN is a network of autonomous activists and anarchists that has multiple activities in relation to their various campaigns and initiatives. Most of the affiliated activists whether groups or collectives are active since 1990s which sustained activities such as skills and information sharing through independent publications, video and audio/music recording, workshops, forums and conferences. Urban gardening and application of solar generator system in households and art workshops are one among consistent interests of the activists that are being implemented, improved and shared to their immediate communities. LAN has hosts of network from Manila South to North and nearby provinces of Cavite and Bulacan (Sapang-Palay and Baliwag). During early processes of LANS’s formation autonomous activists from Davao and Leyte were present and actively participated the activities and discussions.

Since 2012, LAN became the venue of solidarity actions of autonomous activists and anarchists in response to social issues such as ecological destructions, hunger, poverty, war, marginalization and among others. LAN conducted actions in solidarity to Occupy movement; it also participated the anti-pork barrel campaign and anti-election protests actions through its distinct activities. It consistently conducts street actions against SONA while staging solidarity action against market institutions like G8.

Once again, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation or APEC summit held in the Philippines last November 18 – 19, 2015 in Manila. It is a multilateral trade agreement in Asia-Pacific region which composed of 21 member-countries including the Philippines. It’s main objective is economic cooperation to facilitate economic growth and development. As part of preparations, the government literally cleaned the area by displacing marginalized communities, homeless families and small vendors. Main roads in Manila were blocked that caused heavy traffic jam in other parts of metropolis and vicinities as far as Cavite. While APEC delegates were enjoying luxurious accommodations, people were braving the violence of congestion and stress caused by extremely heavy traffic jams.

Trade agreements like JPEPA (Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement) the WTO (World Trade Organisations), ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), ASEAN-China bilateral agreement; APEC is another instrument of neo-liberal project which the ultimate agenda is to eliminate all trade restrictions. This could mean free movements of products (agricultural and industrial), services, investments, labor which include trash, pollutants, toxic and access to natural resources.

Its adverse effects are: destruction of livelihoods of billions of small producers around the world. As we all know, livelihoods are not designed to compete in the market dominated and controlled by corporations. Privatization is one among great threats; corporations will control public facilities and services such as transportation, health and education, this would mean higher costs which will make social services less or not accessible to millions of people. More productive lands and mining sites will be opened-up and operated by private and foreign investors while fisheries resources will be subjected to more pressure and exploitation. In summary, these trade agreements will results to more massive ecological destruction, more poverty and hunger. Liberalization projects are mainly carried out by corporations backed by financial institutions like International Monetary Fund and World Bank reinforced by state institutions through elitist processes of democracy in Senate and Congress to be implemented by the executive branch armed with Arm forces and police.

On the 18th of November 2015, LAN once again carried-out series of activities which the objective is to send solidarity to all the oppressed and marginalized communities and families. The group peacefully gathered and set-up in Baclaran Church opposite of the “Manilabayan” camp –- a protest of Lumad community (indigenous community); they traveled from Mindanao to Manila to seek justice for killings, abuses and exploitation of their people. There were numbers of lumad have been killed due to multitude of issues of mining and insurgency.

Tarps and propaganda materials were installed while others prepared the area for “Really, Really Free Market” and some were busy preparing things for Food Not Bombs. Some activists initiated public discussions which the main topic is APEC. Nearby, an activist offered hair-cutting service patronize by lumads and city dwellers. One of the tarpaulins which were the biggest one is for the group’s solidarity to struggle of lumad and it calls for the ouster of all armed elements and mining corporations in the lumad territory. The whole process was full of fun and informative the public in general was responsive they participated free market and tasted congee and noodles served by the group. Many lumads came out of the camp and participated and witnessed the event.

Continue reading “Philipines: Anti-APEC (A)ction”

Sydney: Solidarity Actions Against the North Wales Mega Prison

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10 Nov – In response to a call for a week of actions against the North Wales mega prison, some anarchists in Sydney made some small actions.

The primary contractor involved in the Wrexham Prison Project is Lendlease, an Australian based construction company. In Sydney Lendlease is currently involved in a huge casino project called Barangaroo. The project has major state government backing and is responsible for the social cleansing of Millers Point, the last working working class district in inner Sydney.

Over the past two years there has been consistent resistance to the project and to the eviction and sell-off of the remaining social housing in the area. Numerous buildings in the area have been squatted, and the struggle continues.

Over the first week of November dozens of slogans against Lendlease and its projects were painted on walls across Sydney. Lendlease banners were torn down from their construction sites, repainted and hung from highway bridges.

We wish solidarity to our comrades in Wales and all those fighting for a world without prison.

Neither prisons no casinos.
For revolution.

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again destroy soli north w neither no bord wrex

Malaysia: Solidarity with Khalid Ismath, imprisoned for criticizing the government on Facebook

18 Oct – Solidarity with Khalid Ismath from Indonesian comrades

Statement of PEMBEBASAN (Pusat Perjuangan Mahasiswa untuk Pembebasan Nasional—Center of Student Struggle for National Liberation).

Free Khalid Ismath! Destroy Militarism! Eliminate the Sedition Act!

For Liberation and Solidarity!

Democracy and capitalism will not be able to walk along because capitalism does not need democracy. For capitalism, democracy will only disrupt the process of capital accumulation, so, even if democracy must exist, then it must be limited, controlled, dwarfed—so it can do no harm to the capital accumulation process. That kind of democracy is always inherent in any capitalist power, anti-criticism and repressive.

It is also endemic in the constitutional monarchy in Malaysia. Efforts to shut the criticism down is done by using the legislation instruments. We know Khalid Ismeth, that since October 7, 2015 has been imprisoned by the police in Ayer Molek, Johor, Malaysia.

The arrest of Khalid Ismath is just because he wrote his criticism against the government and the Sultan in Malaysia on his facebook status. Khalid criticized over the arrest of Kamal Hisham Jaafar through social media. Kamal Hisham try to uncover the truth behind the Sultanate evil empire, and he had been in Singapore since hunted by the government (Sultanate of Johor).

That is where Khalid Ismath expressed his support for Kamal Hisham, while criticizing the Sultanate of Johor. Soon, Khalid was arrested by the police with two charges; violating the section 233 of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia (Section 233 Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Act 1998) and Sedition Act 1948 as he encourage others to join in solidarity. Although two days after the arrest Khalid were released, he has been arrested again with sedition act.

Next, Khalid was brought to the court on October 13, 2015 for trial. Johor Baru Sessions Court charged him with 11 counts under the section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and 3 counts under the Sedition Act 1948.

Repression and anti-democratic act as practiced by the Sultanate of Johor provide a conclusion that there is no democracy for the majority of the people. For Sultanate of Johor, the meaning of democracy is exactly the same as the capitalistic democracy, it never give space for the people.

Capitalism does not object to dictators and dictatorships while they are in conformity with the interests of the accumulated profits. In his book, State and Revolution, Lenin, one of the leaders of the Russian Revolution in 1917, said that democracy in capitalism is democratic to investors that its economic position is free from the control of the people. It is enough to give them a councils, without the right to fire the representatives of their own choosing; enough to give them the ‘democratic’ institutions as a representative functions for their aspirations, without the urge to directly engage and understand it. That artificial democracy was built to keep people from politics, because the politics that is desirable by the capitalist is politics that serve the interests of the investment and the capital accumulation. It consequences on the need of political stability that leave the process of capital accumulation undisrupted. The political stability that is desired by capitalism and capitalist government agencies is enforced through the instrument of legislation and mobilization (military repression). These character appears in capitalist government around the world. Also practiced by the Sultanate of Johor when responding to the criticism issued by Khalid Ismath, and probably also will befall to anyone who dares to criticize the Sultanate of Johor in Malaysia.

Continue reading “Malaysia: Solidarity with Khalid Ismath, imprisoned for criticizing the government on Facebook”

Melbourne: Activists disrupt opening of Turkish government sponsored event

13 Oct – Activists from Rojava Solidarity Australia disrupted the opening of a cultural event sponsored by the Turkish government. The event ‘Sufi Music Ensemble & Whirling Dervishes Melbourne Show’ was held at the Melbourne Town Hall and was sponsored by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Turkish Embassy in Canberra. Mid-way through a speech by a representative of the Turkish government, two activists made their way to the front of the stage and unfurled a banner that read: “STOP TURKISH STATE TERROR” and shouted slogans that included “Turkey supports ISIS”, “Turkey is at war with it’s own people”, “Long live the Kurdish people” and “Who bombed Ankara” before being roughly ejected by security. Unfortunately video footage of the action was accidentally deleted during the scuffle with security. While the majority of the audience were hostile towards the action there was a smattering of applause from people who obviously approved of the action. Here is a statement from Rojava Solidarity Australia explaining the reasons behind their action:

STOP TURKISH STATE TERROR!

We have interrupted this event due to it being sponsored by the Turkish government. The Turkish government is currently waging a campaign of terror against the Kurdish and progressive left movements in Turkey.

This campaign has involved covert support for extremist Islamic organizations such as the so-called Islamic State; mass arrests and imprisonment of Kurdish and left-wing activists, community leaders and politicians; mass censorship and restrictions against social and news media; maintaining a military blockade that prevents humanitarian aid from reaching the Kurdish autonomous region of Rojava in Syria that is under constant attack by IS; the murder of prominent Kurdish and left-wing activists; launching airstrikes against Kurdish guerrillas in Iraq who have been one of the most effective fighting forces worldwide against IS; and most disturbing of all – facilitating terrorist attacks against peaceful and democratic protests.

The most recent of these attacks took place on the 10th of October in Ankara, Turkey’s capital. At least 128 people were killed and hundreds more were injured when twin explosions hit a peace rally organized by the trade union movement. The Turkish state’s immediate reaction following this horrific attack was to order it’s security forces to deploy tear gas and water cannon against people rendering aid to the survivors and to implement a media blackout on reporting about the attack as well as blocking it’s citizens from accessing Twitter and Facebook. The government then went on to make the outrageous claim that Kurdish or left-wing groups could have been behind the attack and to impose further restrictions on reporting or releasing information related to the attack.

The Australian government regularly makes grandiose announcements and engages in much media posturing regarding it’s supposed involvement and commitment to the so-called ‘War On Terror’ – in particular the war against the Islamic State. However, the Australian government maintains normal relations with the Turkish state – a state that routinely terrorizes it’s own population and covertly funds and arms the Islamic State, Al-Nusra Front and other violent Islamic fundamentalist groups that are currently terrorizing the people of Syria and Iraq. The Australian government also lists the PKK (Kurdistan Worker’s Party) as a ‘terrorist’ organization at the behest of the Turkish government. It is widely recognized throughout the world that the PKK is currently one of the most effective fighting forces worldwide against the Islamic State. The PKK are also recognized worldwide for their heroic role in the rescue of thousands of Yazidi people from the Islamic State on Mt Sinjar in Iraqi Kurdistan.

The Australian government is demonstrating via it’s actions that it’s only real commitment to combating IS is to use them as a convenient specter on the domestic front in order to stifle dissent, increase surveillance of it’s citizens and further restrict freedom of speech. By maintaining normal relations with the Turkish state, Australia is in fact aiding the Islamic State and other extremist fundamentalist terror groups – making a complete mockery of it’s supposed commitment to the ‘War On Terror.’

STOP THE TURKISH STATE’S WAR AGAINST IT’S OWN POPULATION!
END AUSTRALIAN COOPERATION WITH THE CRIMINAL ERDOGAN REGIME!

SOLIDARITY WITH THE KURDISH STRUGGLE AND THE PROGRESSIVE LEFT MOVEMENT IN TURKEY!

Rojava Solidarity Australia

13.10.15.

(via Rojava Solidarity Australia)

Victoria: Anti-Fascist Legal Fees Fundraiser

23 Sept – We need help paying fines.

Following a recent anti fascist rally in Bendigo, a protester was slapped with $1200 of fines for burning the Australian flag – something which is not even a criminal offense – charged with “littering” and “inciting a riot”. Fascist rally-goers were not charged with anything despite making vile rape and murder threats against antifascist protesters.

Show your solidarity with an anti-fascist, anti-colonial protester. Make a donation HERE

Also, the fascists are organising another outing in Bendigo, so Antifa is putting together another welcoming party for them. All anti racists are invited, details below:

https://www.facebook.com/events/762477407195421/