Früher war alles besser und so. The NPD had a „demonstration“ in Göttingen…
The third visit was less of a sporting ocassion, but did produce a nice mobilization video:
Archiv für Oktober 2010
What can be said about it after all these years? Not much, so here is the standard text:
„The classic Antifascist agenda/organizer, back for a further year of helping you plan your discontent. 
Stets aktuell von undogmatisch aktiven Menschen aus der Bewegung gemacht, ist der Antifa-Kalender mittlerweile ein nicht wegzudenkender Begleiter sowohl für Einsteiger/innen als auch für die Erfahrenen unter den politisch Aktiven. „
In other news, we now have two different hipbags to offer. To the already well known basic hipbag with the patch, we have now added a fuller model, hence the name „Full“ …
Finally, not new but finally available again, some classics from the Spanish State in the form of two Sin Dios CDs and the classic Non Servium CD, „NSA“
The video is from „El Imperio del Mal“ but still, you get the idea…
A young activist, student, and member of the Partido Obrero (Workers Party, Trotskyist), 23 year Mariano Ferreyra, was shot and killed yesterday in Buenos Aires.
He was the shot while supporting, together with other left-wing activists, fired workers who had been subcontracted by a company to work for one of the Buenos Aires railroad companies. He was the fatal victim of an attack by members of the „Union Ferroviaria“ („Railroad Union,“ mainstream railroad workers union) against the protesting workers who were demanding their re-incorporation and permanent contracts and their supporters. One further victim of the armed ambush remains in critical condition, having been shot in the head while a third shooting victim was shot twice, but is not critically injured.
In order to carry out their attack, the „Union Ferroviaria“ mob, a shining representation of the corruption and manipulation rampant in mainstream Argentine syndicalism, enjoyed a „liberated zone“ granted to them by the police, who while the armed gang threw stones at the demonstrators, joined in by shooting rubber bullets at them. To what extent which arms of the ruling elites have an intellectual responsability in this crime is still unclear, but the impunity with which the „Union Ferroviaria“ mob moved can only lead suspicion to government involvement.
In response to this murder, one more in a long line of killings of social activists since „democracy“ returned to Argentina, a nationwide day of strikes and protests has been called for today. Schools were closed, most forms of public transportation were either completely or partially stopped, and road blockades have been erected all over Buenos Aires. As this is being written, tens of thousands of demonstrators are converging on Plaza de Mayo.
In an ironically sad twist of fate, the last time a social activist was so brazenly murdered by the State or its rented thugs of the moment, when Kosteki and Santillan were murdered in Avellaneda by cops during a repression against a bridge blockade, Mariano Ferreyra, then aged only 14, was also present, taking his first steps in activism and accompanying his older brother. Those who knew him say that the incident deeply marked his political activism.
Rarely does the mainstream press write something so positive about a left-wing activist. Sadly there is not the time to translate it, but nonetheless it is here reproduced in full in Spanish, from Clarin:
Todavía no comprendía del todo las letras de Spinetta ni había ido a ningún recital de Los Redondos. Todavía no había empezado a estudiar teatro ni tocaba el órgano ni había quedado maravillado con los filmes surrealistas de David Lynch. Todo eso vino después. Mariano Ferreyra era un niño, sólo tenía 14 años cuando el 26 de junio de 2002 acompañó a su hermano mayor a la protesta en el puente Pueyrredón, el día que la Policía asesinó a Maximiliano Kosteki y Darío Santillán . El recuerdo lo iba a acompañar para siempre. Más: sus amigos dicen que iba a ser el símbolo de su militancia. En la secundaria, en los centros barriales y en las fábricas.
“Esas muertes marcaron su destino. Le dieron un envión muy fuerte. Darío y Maxi representaban lo que a él lo llevó a militar. Su militancia no tenía retorno”, contó a Clarín uno de sus mejores amigos, Patricio, aún conmovido por la noticia.
Mariano, Patricio y un numeroso grupo joven del PO se habían reunido por última vez el martes en el local del Partido Obrero en Avellaneda. “Marianito estaba a full con los despedidos del Roca y quería tomar medidas de acción directa”, cuentan. Ayer, antes de recibir el balazo en el tórax que terminó con su vida, se había manifestado junto a las vías del tren.
El día anterior, Mariano había pintado una bandera con vistas a la protesta. Esa misma bandera era agitada anoche por sus compañeros en Corrientes y Callao. Se leía: “Tercerizados en lucha. Pase a planta permanente” . La bandera se alzará hoy al frente de la movilización a Plaza de Mayo.
“Esta lucha tiene que triunfar”, era una de sus frases preferidas, según cuenta Leo, otro de sus amigos. Leo y Ariel lo definen como “un pibe de perfil bajo, tímido, el más politizado de nuestro grupo y también el más solidario ”.
Le gustaba la literatura de no ficción (especialmente los de corte periodístico latinoamericano) y los libros que narran la historia de la revolución rusa. Lógicamente, en su biblioteca se destacaba la obra de Marx, su debilidad. Había llegado a él a través de su hermano Pablo, y ambos antes por su mamá, preceptora del colegio Simón Bolívar de Sarandí.
De ella heredó la vocación por la docencia . Había comenzado a cursar el CBC para seguir el profesorado de historia , pero no estaba muy convencido. Le costaba concentrarse en una sola actividad. Le pasó con el teatro y la música: cursó varios años y dejó sin explicar los motivos.
“Era muy analítico, todo lo pensaba antes de actuar”, dice Roxana. “Era callado y organizador”, sostiene Norma, 34 años mayor que él, a quien había conocido en un curso de oficios en Avellaneda. Mariano se había recibido de tornero . Luego hizo algunas changas en comedores y fábricas, en los que militó. Actualmente estaba desocupado .
Cuando se juntaba con sus amigos a contar historias, se jactaba de haber participado de “la lucha obrera en Sasetru”. Tenía 19 años en el momento que integró el grupo de militantes que en 2006 enfrentó el desalojo policial en la ex fábrica. “Fue una victoria”, decía.
Lo suyo no era el deporte. “En fútbol era el típico patadura. Quería jugar siempre pero nosotros le decíamos que fuera a tocar el piano”, apunta Marcelo, que lo había conocido en una marcha. Marcelo, últimamente, lo iba a visitar seguido a la casa de sus padres. Mariano estaba un poco bajoneado porque se había peleado con su novia.
La frase
„Un zurdito menos“
Esta fue la frase que lanzó un integrante del grupo que ayer asesinó al joven militante del Partido Obrero Mariano Ferreyra. El fotógrafo de Clarín Gerardo Dell’Oro estaba trabajando en el lugar de los hechos cuando la escuchó con total claridad.
So the derby is now a couple of weeks behind us, and its come time to share some of what it left us with.
„Daddy, when I grow up I want to feel it and live it like they do…“
Racing lost, 0-1, but this is really not exactly something that could be called news. Racing has lost the last 4 games against Independiente, and has not defeated Independiente in an away game in the last 9 years (scoring in that time….1 goal!). But as I cant say enough, the game on the field is secondary, representing merely which club has the best mercenaries. The true spirit is the people and the fans, and there their is still no comparison possible.
And because this is an irrational rivarly of neighbors that very often takes a very unpleasant form, this was a banner shown by Racing fans last game. The irrational Buenos Aires troublemaking crazy in me loved it, the minimally civilized human being in me is rather embarassed that this came from „our“ terrace. It is a „the score“ so to speak of the past confrontations between both sides. The translation would be „1 dead + 50 wounded + 1 paralyzed= SHUT UP.“
The geniuses, again failing with a large banner. This time they at least didnt break it, they just showed it backwards…
Aside from the usual folklore, there was indeed much bad blood between Racing fans and players the last couple of weeks, mainly due to the fact that they lost the derby, against probably the worst Independiente in years (currently in 18th place). The mood is best summed up here. It reads „You Again Failed those Who Never Fail“:
During the week, several Racing fans showed up at practice to let the players know of their „displeasure,“ and the visit ended with a verbal confrontation with some players during which one player apparently spit at a fan. During this time, the car of a player who it was rumored went out to a club on the night after the defeat was damaged.
With this background, the mood at the game last weekend was, to say the least tense, as the many chants making reference to the players mothers and the banner calling for the coach to quit made clear. At least it didnt reach the point of a couple of years ago, when with Racing desperately battling to avoid relegation the players were met one game with two large banners reading „If We Go to Second Division, You Go to the Hospital,“ and the now legendary „Theres enough bullets for everybody…“
With the game over and a 2-1 victory for Racing, a fortunate occurance as otherwise the players would have had a difficult time leaving the stadium, the players chose to show their „discontent“ regarding the incidents during the week by not „greeting“ the fans at the end of the game. This of course resulted in a huge scandal and another wave of insults and threats. The next chapter will be played out on Saturday, when Racing visits River Plate. Another scenario from which we have seldom emerged victorious, but as we often say…hope dies last. When it does go well against River, it looks like this…
Finally, to return to the subject of futbol driving people to the irrational, here is a half hour documentary dealing with possible influence of black magic in the form of black cats being buried on the pitch being the cause of Racings problems. This is a widely believed story, reaching its peak in 1998 as 20.000 Racing fans showed up to an exorcism of the stadium. As an atheist and a Jew, it was one of the first times I felt rather out of place at something having to do with Racing, and I must admit I took the 2-0 loss which we „enjoyed“ on the very same day as further proof of how right my atheism was. In Spanish, no subtitles. Should you understand Spanish, very entertaining…
