April 2018 – DISACCORDS

Yogyakarta: Libera Infoshop Needs Your Help

14 April – Libera Community Space (Coffee, Books, & Infoshop) needs your help!

Libera Community Space is organized by a group of anarchist-minded people in a horizontal and egalitarian way. We promote issues such as gender & sexual liberation, economic equality, and other socio-ecological issues, be it in forms of writings, arts, or social movement.We are openly egalitarian and not dogmatically ideological or religious. We are open for participation from all people, regardless of their backgrounds. However, we do not want to get involved with political parties, NGOs, or anything institutional. We are committed in making a true grass-root and self-organized community.

Background

In 2016, in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Libertas collective was formed. It initiates several discussion panels, anarchist classes, and is also involved in running one of anarchist websites in Indonesia, anarkis[dot]org. Then, one of the individuals in the collective decided to establish a small coffee shop and infoshop: Libera Community Space (Coffee, Books, and Infoshop).

Inspired by anarchist tradition, we decided to put our efforts, seize the moment, and get our own venue. We host a wide range of activities, such as a providing a meeting place for cultural and political initiatives, movie screenings, library running, and a building a stronger network of antifascist movement.

What We Do

In collaboration with several anarchist publishers—such as Ikarus Press, Pustaka Catut, and Nihilis Media—Libera also serves as an infohub for curious people who are interested in anarchist and radical thoughts.

During 2016 until 2017, there was an intiative to build antifascist network in Yogyakarta and Libera became the base for the initiative. Up until now, individuals who are active at Libera are involved in many projects such as:
– Antifascist organizing
– Book Publishing (Ikarus Press, Pustaka Catut, & Nihilis Media)
(We have translated and published books from wide range of anarchist thinkers, such as Emma Golman’s “Anarchism: What it Really Stands For”, Murray Bookchin’s “Ecology of Freedom”, Alfredo Bonnano’s “Armed Joy”, “On the Poverty of Student Life”, “Under the Black Flag: Anarchist Writings in Dutch-Indies”, and we are currently working on translating Alfredo Bonnano’s “Anarchism and National Liberation Struggle”.)
– Running a counter-info site: agitasi.noblogs.org
– “Dapur Nomad” Kitchen Cooperative

Since then, even with all of our limitations, Libera has been thriving. We have been hosting all different kinds of people: travelling and local anarchists, students, activists, curious people, even Marxists, trying to convert people to Marxism. Libera has achieved much, and we intend to achieve more.

Libera is not just an infoshop or a cafe, but it’s also a community space, a library, and a free internet access zone at which we always work to empower networking communities, broaden our network by outreach, and fight for our cause. However, since there has been growing number of anarchist circles within Central Java, we would like to rearrange our work place, cafe, co-ops, and provide a place for travelling activists/anarchists to crash at or for meetings with collectives and organizations from different cities.

If any of you friends are in Yogyakarta, our place can be easily found. You can just type “Libera Coffee and Book” on Google Maps. Of 6 individuals who are involved at Libera, we mainly work as freelance writers & translators, illustrators, and baristas.Most of us don’t have a college degree, but we have managed to allocate some of our personal income for the infoshop. I hope this short introduction can convince you to help us. Continue reading “Yogyakarta: Libera Infoshop Needs Your Help”

NSW: Solidarity with la ZAD

13 April – Solidarity with la ZAD from Wiradjuri country, in so-called NSW.

For almost a decade la ZAD in Notre Dame Des Landes has been an autonomous zone, liberated from the French republic. The zone is currently being attacked by a massive police operation intent on the complete destruction of this seed of another possible world, a world free from the logic of capital.

ZAD Partout!

Brisbane: Arson Attack on the Commonwealth Games Clock

13 April – Yesterday in Meanjin (Brisbane, so called Australia) we watched on social media as the police brutalised and arrested peaceful Stolenwealth Games protestors on the Gold Coast. They used excessive force on young people, people with disabilities, and elders.

The police also tried to claim one young person self harmed while in their custody. Allies are urgently needed at Camp Freedom on the last two days of the Commonwealth Games, to join peaceful protests and protect the camp, which over the last two weeks, has been threatened by Neo Nazis, racists, and the Queensland Police force. Our action is in no way endorsed by Stolenwealth Games organisers and protestors (who have no knowledge of it), but they have our solidarity through this and more practical acts.

This surfboard clock was launched in 2015 on this fake beach to count down 1000 days until the Commonwealth Games. Time is now up for the Commonwealth, the State, and the weapons of the state — the police. If Queensland wants to slip back so easily to the days of the opppressive and violent Joh Bjelke-Petersen dictatorship, then more resistance can be expected. Fuck the Police. Fuck the Commonwealth. This isn’t the Queen’s Land. The time to decolonise is now, for healing the land and healing the people of the land.

#BurnAustraliaToTheGround #EyesonQLDpolice #Toomanycoppersnotenoughjustice

Papua: Riot erupts in Oksibil

Riot erupts in Oksibil

12 April – A group of people set fire to Pegunungan Bintang Regent Costan Oktemka’s residence in Oksibil, Papua, in a riot that erupted on Thursday.

The incident was reportedly triggered by disappointment regarding the regent’s failure to fulfill his promises to give door prizes to participants of a fun walk event held to celebrate the 15^th anniversary of Pegunungan Bintang regency. The crowd also blockaded Oksibil Airport.

Before burning down the regent’s house, they set fire to a stage, tents and chairs prepared for the anniversary celebration.

“Some residents became violent and burned down the stage that was going to be used as the venue of the celebration. They later walked to the regent’s house and set it on fire,” said Papua Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. AM Kamal.

He said the fun walk event had run smoothly. “They were later disappointed after the organizing committee of the event announced that they would not giveaway door prizes as promised before. Initially, they wanted to file their protest with the regent, but he was no longer at the venue, so they vented their anger on the regent’s house,” said Kamal.

Authorities strove to calm them down, but failed because the group had become too big. To avoid conflict, some Oksibil residents sought refuge in houses of worship. “Churches and mosques were full with people and their goods,” said Meryana, an Oksibil resident, to The Jakarta Post.

Many people wanted to leave the city, but they could not find access to transportation because Oksibil Airport had also been blockaded. Authorities temporarily closed the airport.

Gold Coast: Three arrested during protest at Commonwealth Games opening ceremony

A group of indigenous protesters block a Gold Coast road, bringing a temporary halt to the Queen's Baton Relay before the opening ceremony at Carrara Stadium. Picture: AP Photo/John Pye

5 April – Dylan Voller was arrested at the Commonwealth Games after allegedly trying to storm the stadium as a protest turned ugly during the opening ceremony.

The former Northern Territory youth detainee was demonstrating for Aboriginal rights when a group allegedly rushed the Gold Coast venue where the ceremony was taking place and were wrestled into handcuffs by police.

Voller and two women were charged with one count of public nuisance each after several fights broke out. The 20-year-old man will appear at Southport Magistrates Court on May 3.

Police said they would not tolerate disruptive behaviour during the Games after clashing with demonstrators after non-ticket holders allegedly tried to get into Carrara Stadium.

“Around 7.30pm, a group of people were protesting in a carpark outside of the stadium,” said Queensland Police in a statement. “It will be alleged that some protesters attempted to gain unauthorised entry into the venue.

Aboriginal protesters are arrested by police during the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony.

Demonstrators were held down after allegedly trying to storm the Gold Coast stadium after a day of peaceful protests turned ugly, with scuffles breaking out.

“The Queensland Police Service respects the right of people to protest lawfully and peacefully in Queensland but will not tolerate disruptive behaviour during the Commonwealth Games and associated events.”

Two Queensland women aged 21 and 30 were also charged with one count each of public nuisance and are due to appear in the Southport Magistrates Court on April 23.

The drama came after a day of mostly peaceful “Stolenwealth” protests turned ugly, with scuffles breaking out as around 100 demonstrators faced off with police on horseback.

The demonstrators carried banners reading “Colonisation Is Not A Game” and chanted “always was, always will be Aboriginal land” as they waved Aboriginal flags.

They were pushed back by police as they tried to enter the stadium, chanting “No Justice, No Games”. They had earlier been directed by police into a field across the road from the main entrance via a soggy paddock and car park.

Indigenous activists displayed signs reading ‘Stolenwealth Games’ and ‘Colonisation is not a Game’ as they protested for Aboriginal rights. Picture: Britt Ramsey

A smaller group halted the Queen’s baton relay briefly earlier Wednesday by blocking a road near Main Beach before the route was amended for the final 14 baton bearers to continue.