REPRESSION – The Westcountry Mutineer

MAYBE IT’S MAYDAY, MAYBE WE’RE BORN WITH IT

THE FOLLOWING FROM some of Bristol First of May Group:

May Day has been celebrated as International Workers’ Day since 1890, and is a time to remember our collective history, and to re-ignite our present day struggles for a better world. For May Day 2013, unions in our sister-shitty Bristol are calling for a March Against Austerity on 04/05. We are one of the ones calling for a Radical Block/Bloc (dictionary, anyone?) to march with them.

Come and join us on the streets if you are:

Mad – at the govermint which continues to attack society’s most vulnerable for the benefit of no one, other than themselves (and their rich mates)

Angry – that the costs of living are going up and your boss won’t pay you more

Frustrated – that your working conditions are being destroyed and the bureaucrats at the top of your union don’t seem up for the fight your fellow workers are ready for

Worried – that if we don’t do something soon, there will be no NHS or decent education left for your children

Bored – with the latest lies from the politicians and press you’re expected to believe

Inspired – by the courage of those that have gone before us, who have fought against exploitation, and won us all victories which last to this day

Optimistic – about creating a society that can meet all our needs and seek an end to: sexism, racism, transophobia, ableism, ageism, religious intolerance, homophobia, and the many other oppressive ways we are divided.

Grab your red flag, your black flag, your pirate flag, or no flag at all, and get together at 10.30am, Saturday the 4th of May on College Green to take to the streets of Bristol, and lets rekindle the spirit of resistance!

BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME, COPPAHS!

SATURDAY MORNINGS TOOK a turn for the bizarre on the 9th February, when, as four morning volunteers preparing the weekly Saturday breakfast at Kebele Community Co-op cafe were met by a pair of plods and attendant member of the public, whose i-phone was apparently stolen the night before. The police claimed that they tracked the phone to the whereabouts of the social centre/the surrounding area/they can actually track the phone moving around inside – choose whichever one you wish to believe, and they demanded entry to search the building. The police’s various accounts differed when individually questioned. The key detail is that the cops had no warrant for entry, and so the volunteers politely refused; the police then threatened criminal damage to the property.

As 20-or-so Kebele supporters turned up over the next 10 minutes, they were preceded by a few police cars and a C.C.T.V. van’s worth, full of police, which only increased in number as the morning went on.

Whilst this was all happening, there were attempts made by the gathering crowd and volunteers to find a compromise, allowing the individual to come inside and search for his missing phone, without accompanying police – as their presence would breach the centre’s Safer Spaces policy. The police refused the offer, leading to an hour-and-a-half of strange standoff: instead, police stated that “We don’t talk to members of the community.” They refused to speak to anyone but the volunteers within, through the letterbox, and eventually all left to attend another call – apparently deciding there was no crime taking place after all?

Then the individual claiming the stolen i-phone came inside for a coffee, but decided not to bother looking for his phone, and refused any help to do so, as his phone ‘was on silent anyway’.

Whilst we here at the Mutineer disapprove of the role of the police as hired thugs of the rich and the powerful in the status quo, and look forward to a society of mutual aid and without oppression, it warms our heart to know that, should we ever lose any our property in a public building or shop, like McDonalds or Starbucks or what-have-you, we will be able to instantly call on a small private army to come help us kick down the door, no questions asked. The world is hence a safer place.

One benefit to all the melodrama though, was that a lot more people turned up for Kebele breakfast than normal, and much funds were raised!

So it was nothing too serious at the end of the day, but the golden question about the whole thing is: what was this really all about?

THEORY CORNER: JACKAL RUN RUNS WILD

AS EVERYONE ALREADY knows, it has been revealed over the last week that the rozzers have been found using the identities of dead infants for their nefarious plans to infiltrate known extreme fringes of hippydom that threatens the sovereignty of Our Proud Empire. This has no doubt caused outrage amongst the general public (including muesli-eating Guardian readers and Middle England Daily Heil readers), and the paying public are demanding executions – or just short.

While we find this latest tactic disturbing, we have to ask why are people acting so fucking surprised? This has been treated as if the police would not reach these depraved depths, despite all evidence to the contrary: all the Ian Tomlinson manslaughter cases, all the institutional racism and Stephen Lawrence, the Hillsborough cover-up, undercovers getting under the bed covers of activists, Mark Duggan’s killing, Wapping and the attacks on striking workers, attacks and incitement of demonstrators, and all the fit-ups and corruption and lying to protect their own dodgy colleagues all throughout their history.

While we don’t mean to downplay the severity of this latest scandal, we question why such scandals filter out of the public’s mind so quickly, only to resurface with a dollop of fresh outrage at the police’s next offence. If in a couple weeks’ time the media has forgotten all about these children and their parents’ plight, it won’t mean that the police are suddenly our best friends again. We feel that people need to remember that this will not be the last time the filth will pull off such an abuse of power, even if they sacrifice one ‘bad apple’ or two to take the fall.

It bears repeating that the police are not servants of the public trust, but actually they are the snarling hounds of the ruling class, snapping and stretching at the leash – they are a private army, a mercenary corporation, who sell their brutality to the highest bidder: and they see the general public as their enemy – whether they state it in those terms or not.

They will continue to find ways to find ways to fuck us over as and when they can get away with it, and we need to keep this truth clear in our minds, or things will continue to get worse, unchecked and unending.

A.C.A.B.

Bereaved parents: coppers have set their sights on you — The Jackal in a less convincing role [above]

SOLIDARITY APPEAL

IN ISSUE #2, we reported on the case of a young antifascist who – as a result of a biased legal system and false testimony from the cops – has been found guilty of several offences relating to July’s massive anti-E.D.L. protest in Bristol.

The demo was successful in marginalising the racist group who had openly threatened to attack various multicultural, political and social ‘targets’ in the city. The activist has avoided jail (previously hinted at by the judge), but has been landed with community service and a fine. Combining his fine with legal costs, he has been left footing a bill of over £1,000. It is vital that we all stand together against fascist thugs like the E.D.L. (and their wigged friends?) and help out those who’ve found themselves on the sharp end of the law for standing up for their communities. Various groups are organising a whip-round to pay off this fine. If you, your group, or your union branch could donate – no matter how much – please send a cheque made out to Anarchist Federation to Bristol Afed, c/o Kebele Community Co-op, 14 Robertson Road, Easton, Bristol, BS5 6JY.

THEORY CORNER: BUT DON’T WE NEED PRISONS?

In recent weeks, Tory bluster about tougher sentences for offenders has been on a steep rise, possibly as a populist smokescreen to divert attention from their disastrous economic policies. However, there is no evidence that tougher punishments are any deterrent for ‘criminals’ – in fact evidence consistently shows that the opposite is true. Anarchists make a very different argument, for a society without prison as we know it and with an emphasis on rehabilitation above punishment.

ONE OF THE things that many people find hardest to accept about anarchist ideas is our rejection of prisons. This is a scary thought, so what would society look like without prisons as we know them?

Well, first of all, we should look at society as it is at the moment, and the current prison population. The vast majority of people in prison are there because of the rotten system that we live in – from people that have had to steal to feed their families, ran up unpayable debts, or got addicted to drugs or alcohol because of the powerless, penniless surroundings they find themselves in. Even a lot of violent crime only happens because people who feel powerless in their workplace, Jobcentre or community end up snapping and taking out their frustration on someone who doesn’t deserve it. And that’s not even mentioning all the new non-crimes recent governments have concocted, like squatting or “interfering with a contractual relationship”(?), or anti-terrorist laws banging people up for going on protests or maintaining a website. We live in a society where people end up inside for nicking a pair of trainers, yet big businesses dodge tax, trash the environment, run sweatshops and provide weapons to fuel brutal conflicts all under the protection, and encouragement, of the law. This is modern ‘justice’ – harsh penalties for petty crimes committed by the poor, while the rich are rewarded for acts of disgusting oppression and exploitation.

Anarchists reject this twisted logic. We believe that most ‘crimes’ are caused by the unfair, unequal society that we live in. In a fair world where everyone has equal access to opportunities and resources, and feels like a valued and important member of their community, the majority of modern crime just would not happen.

Of course, this doesn’t explain how we would deal with the proper wrong’uns – the remaining tiny percent who want to rape, harm and kill – but do today’s laws or prisons deter these people? Looking at crime statistics, the answer seems to be ‘no’.

We don’t believe that some people are safe to walk the streets and cause more harm and distress to their victims, or potential victims, but we place far more importance on education and rehabilitation over punishment. Look at the sky-high re-offending rates – does the current ‘justice’ system work for either the victim or the offender?

We also reject the idea that some wigged-up bastard in a court room is capable of giving a fair judgement. Let’s not forget that today’s laws were dreamt up by the rich and powerful, mainly for the protection of them and their wealth and that judges work for the most violent organisation going – the state. It is not laws, or punishments, that prevent crimes such as rape and murder, it is that fact that most of us have reached a consensus that such actions are wrong. We believe that problems affecting a community need to be solved directly by that community. For example, a woman who has killed her abusive husband in self-defence will probably still do time today, whereas her neighbours and community would be far better placed to decide whether an actual crime has been committed.

So, when we say ‘no prisons’, we don’t mean ‘no justice’, we just don’t trust the government to decide what is right and what’s not – as with everything else, the justice system would work better if we ran it ourselves!

NO GRASSES ON OUR TURF

IT’S EASY TO have political beliefs, but so much harder to maintain those beliefs in the face of violence and intimidation. Which is why we’re straying from the sandy shores of the westcountry to bring news of three imprisoned anarchists from Oregon, U.S.A.

Way back in August, anarchists Matthew Duran, Katherine Olejnik and Leah-Lynne Plant had their doors kicked in by armed police, all of their personal possessions seized as ‘evidence’, and the three were then locked up. Police reports parroted by the media claimed that all three were being held in relation to (a minor) vandalism of banks that had occurred during this year’s Seattle Mayday parade.

Despite being able to prove that they were not at the protest, all were ordered to return to court in order to provide names and information that may lead to arrests for the vandalism. During the course of their defence, lawyers working for the anarchists found that the arrest warrants had been signed off in March – before the vandalism at the centre of the investigation had even occurred. The arrests were nothing more than part of an evidence-gathering mission against a vibrant American anarchist movement. Back in court, all three anarchists refused to testify or provide any names or information. As per American law, the judge then applied to strip the defendants of their right to silence, which was duly granted.

All three still refused to talk and now, all but one are starting lengthy prison sentences for the ‘crime’ of refusing to grass on people who may or may not have committed minor crimes at an event which none of the defendants were actually at. Since the trials ended, a fourth anarchist, Matt Pfeiffer has been called before a grand jury. He is also refusing to co-operate and is due to be imprisoned soon.

Across America, acts of solidarity, from protests to sabotage of court-houses and cop-shops, have been intensifying and the prisoners have reported receiving hundreds of books and letters of support (which you can add to by checking out nopoliticalrepression.wordpress.com). Here at the Mutineer, we want to raise our hats in salute to four people who took their politics beyond a game or lifestyle choice. When faced with a real test of their beliefs, they lived up to the thousands of anarchists before them who have faced imprisonment and repression simply for holding the dangerous belief that we can, and should, create a world free of injustice, inequality and tyranny.

THEORY CORNER: ON THE RECEIVING END

In the first of a three-part series on heightened ‘security’ culture, we look at the increase in oppressive policing, surveillance and militarization of society, explore the state’s reasons for this and begin to suggest ways to fight back.

NOW MORESO THAN ever, those of us who don’t fit in with the aims of the state are under attack. As the economic situation worsens and people fight back, these attacks carried out by the state and their supporters will grow, and take various forms. Young people, the unemployed, trades unionists, travellers, the sick and disabled, migrants, and protesters (amongst others) are demonised in the media and calls are made for them to be controlled.

There is an unprecedented attack on benefits claimants – through cuts, sanctions and the use of ATOS to penalise the disabled. Workfare is used as a form of slave labour, obliging the unemployed to work for free. In terms of surveillance, Britain now has more C.C.T.V. cameras per head than any other country and the authorities are calling for tighter controls on our phone calls and e-mails.

Through the so-called ‘justice’ system last year, poor rioters were tried straight away and handed top-heavy sentences by special courts, while the rich and powerful get away with crimes like tax evasion scott free. Even the high profile friends of the David Cameron charged with corruption and phone hacking are yet to see proper trial. The right to protest is being eroded. This year the courts have ruled it legal to kettle demonstrators and to arrest and hold people before they commit any offence, like those arrested during last year’s royal wedding.

Ian Tomlinson is the most well-known of those who have died at the hands of the police, but 15 people have died in/following police custody between 2011 and 2012. Also, remember that no police officer has been successfully prosecuted for a death in this country since the 1960’s. Events like the Olympics and the Jubilee are used in two ways by the state: to both increase security (military, police or private security) firms erasure of rights, and to get the public used to seeing soldiers on the streets. What was once rare in the security field now becomes the norm. People who complain, or refuse to comply, are branded as ‘subversive’ or, worse, ‘unpatriotic’, and requires control.

So what can we do about the increased militarisation of the forces against us?

Firstly, we need to publicise what is happening. Secondly, we need to join with others on what unites us, not what divides us. Through organisations like anti-cuts campaigns, we can increase our numbers and build up our strength. Thirdly, we must not be intimidated by the authorities: some leftwing groups now ask for the permission to demonstrate, which just leads to more restrictions on our right to protest. We need to remember that the streets are ours, not theirs.

MINE, ALL MINE

OVER THE LAST couple of months, the news has been full of bloody stories from the mining communities of South Africa. We first of all heard of the tragic deaths of over 30 striking miners gunned down by cops, whose government bosses then tried to use Apartheid-era laws to place legal blame on the miners themselves. After that, the focus soon shifted to stories of ‘extremism’ from striking workers, threatening both bosses and scab workers (like they don’t deserve it) and holding the economy to ransom. Then the news went dead. What most people in this country will not know is that after all the suffering, the miners won a complete victory, securing the 22% pay increase they had been striking for.

In what seems to be corporate news policy, they are willing to show us stories of workers getting bravely beaten or being ‘unreasonable’ and violent themselves, but find it impossible to tell the public when ordinary working people organise themselves and win: it would set a bad example. But the good news does not stop at the miners’ victory. Following their example, protests and strikes have erupted across the country, with everyone from teachers to gold miners taking action to better their lives. Since Apartheid ended, wealth in South Africa has still been controlled by the same elite, now with a smattering of added colour, and the workers, overwhelmingly black, still find themselves in dire, increasing poverty. The victory of the miners, though won at a bloody cost, has sent shockwaves through the working class, which is now gearing up for a fight which could see some of the great wealth of their country ripped away from the rich few and taken back by those who work, sweat and die to create it. More to follow.

WIGGED-UP STITCH-UP

A BRISTOLIAN MAN has been found guilty of multiple accounts of assaulting an officer during last July’s anti-E.D.L. demo in Bristol, simply because the judge disagreed with his politics – allegedly; the demo itself saw hundreds of police protecting 300 racists from thousands of locals and anti-fascists, making multiple arrests. Despite the hearing taking place in a magistrates court, a district judge sat in. His first move was to declare testimony from two people invalid solely, due to their membership in the Anarchist Federation – an above-ground, legal, membership-based organisation. From there, the trial became even more farcical, with the judge ignoring gaping holes in the contradictory statements of two cops. At one point, the ‘assaulted’ officer admitted that he couldn’t be sure the accused was even responsible for the ‘assault’. The same officer then alleged that he ‘punched his hat off’, despite pictures featured in Vice magazine clearly showing the officer wearing his hat throughout the proceedings. But duty solicitors failed to submit the photographs, anyway. Throughout the hearing, the judge was more keen to criticise the lifestyle and political philosophy of the defendant than to consider evidence which pointed towards ‘not guilty’. After finding the anarchist guilty, the judge won’t rule out prison. Even if prison is averted, he’ll still be left with £600 to pay in fees, not including any fines. If you’d like to show (financial) support, drop us an email, and we’ll let you know what you can do to help stick two fingers up at a legal system that has always defended the interests of the powerful, judicial process be damned.

OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS

WORKERS FROM THE threatened Remploy program occupied their manager’s office in protest to the planned closure of their workplaces. Remploy is a government-run group of workplaces, providing employment for people with a range of disabilities. By the end of the year, the Coalition plans to close more than half of Remploy’s 54 sites, resulting in the loss of over 1,700 jobs. As part of its brutal program of austerity, and in keeping with its passion for hitting the poorest and most vulnerable hardest, they insist that the workers should be able to find ‘normal’ jobs in private industry. The facts paint a different picture – following the last round of jobs cuts at Remploy two years back, 85% of workers are still unemployed. After the most recent round of factory closures, some bosses didn’t even have the guts to let the workers – some with learning difficulties – know face-to-face that they were being made redundant. The hypocrisy is doubly hard to bear when it comes from a government attempting to ride a wave of popularity off the back of the Paralympics, while tossing disabled workers – including Brian Davies, a Remploy worker who has won four Paralympic gold medals – on the scrapheap.

On August 23rd, having booked a meeting to talk with a senior Remploy boss in Leicester, Remploy workers decided it would be more productive to occupy his office, refusing to leave until the Disabilities Minister, Maria Miller, committed to further negotiations before the closing of any factories! The workers are determined to fight back, with five days of strike action planned for early this month. They have called for solidarity in their fight for dignified employment; if you would like to support the Remploy workers, check out their website at http://www.remployworkers.info.

On the other hand, what to do when strikes and occupations fail? Well, we hope Remploy won’t follow the burning example of the Maruti Suzuki carplant staff in India. On the 9th July, following over a year of wage disputes and a poorly-timed nasty comment from a supervisor, the workers kicked off, ransacked offices, and then apparently locked the execs in a room and lit them up! Nine police were injured in the battle, an H.R. Manager fried, and at least 99 arrests were made. But honestly, we’ve all dreamed bout torching the boss, right?

http://rt.com/news/india-suzuki-plant-clashes-567