ISSUE TWO
Racism is rising across Britain. Politicians eager for a cheap soundbite and tabloids desperate for scare stories are helping this cancer to spread. Strict new laws are now in place denying refugees benefit payments - which makes it a little hard to survive as they’re not allowed to work either! These people now have to rely on local councils to provide food and shelter for them. This is putting a strain on the finances in some places - which racists are quick to exploit.
Trouble in Dover
In Dover, where many refugees arrive, two local papers have published petitions calling for the repatriation of all asylum seekers, accompanied by allegations of refugees sexually harassing the locals. Needless to say, the police have no record of these attacks happening, whilst abuse towards refugees has increased. The national papers, especially The Sun, have also helped to stir up hatred towards foreigners. In early December an editorial translated some Romanian phrases including ‘Where’s the nearest benefit office?’ and claimed that Romanian gypsies were not fleeing persecution but were, instead ‘illegal immigrants who fell off the back of a lorry’. The fact that gypsies in Eastern Europe now risk being physically attacked every day has obviously escaped them.
New Labour
Surprise, surprise, New Labour has done nothing to address these problems, choosing instead to continue the racist policy of the previous government. The most recent government white paper on immigration proposes to make much harder for those fleeing persecution to enter the country in the first place. This is no doubt to save the government the embarrassing appeals against its rulings which generally find in favour of the asylum seeker. Back in Dover, the fascists of the National Front have held two high profile marches calling for “gipsies” to go home. You obviously don’t need a brain to belong to the master race.
Fighting back
In response, various local activists, disgusted by the way some people are behaving towards the persecuted, have taken matters in to their own hands and established ‘Dover Residents Against Racism’ to highlight the plight of refugees and encourage tolerance and mutual understanding. We all have to stand up and fight against the racists and fascists on the streets, in the media and in the government.
Those who can remember the refugees that were burned to death by fascist mobs in Germany whilst locals looked on will know the price of failure is high.
Racists can be found in all areas of Britain and all walks of life. They need to be challenged whenever they spout their nonsense.
Dover Residents Against Racism can be contacted at:
DRAR c/o Refugee Link, PO Box 417, Folkestone, Kent, CT19 4GT.
The campaign against the National Front in Dover has it’s own website at:
http://www.canterbury.u-net.com/Dover.html
Newham Monitoring Project: PO Box 273, London, E7
Anti-Fascist Action (groups across Britain) can be contacted at:
AFA, BM1734, London, WC1N 3XX or visit their website
A welcome tonic at the festive season was the resignation of smarmy spin doctor Peter Mandelson due to his greed with a chaser of Charlie Whelan (Gordon Browns spin doctor) wanting to “spend more time with his family”.
As the media sharks circle greedily around the blood bath of Labour in-fighting, resistance can reveal the news (which will astound many of our readers) that the carnage is solely motivated by the greed for power. There is no disagreement between Brown, Blair, Mandelson or Prescott about the direction of New Labour. For all of these rulers the aim is the same: to exploit and suppress us, to sing the praises of the unbridled market, to proceed with their austerity programmes and law and order packages.
Arrogance
The arrogance of New Labour with a massive majority, the backing of the Liberal Democrats and no visible opposition on the horizon (at the moment!) leaves them relaxed enough to pursue their feuds within government. The nastiness of all these scum is revealed as they try to destroy their own colleagues.
Little chihuahua
Blair, the USA’s little chihuahua, is ready to snap at the ankles of Saddam if Clinton tells him to. All of the Labour cabinet members like Cook and Becket who were vocal about their opposition to the last gulf war when Thatcher was in power are falling over themselves to support the war mongering. Principles are thrown out of the window once they’re in power.
All the same
No, there is no political difference between Mandelson, who told a meeting of millionaires that New Labour “feels intensely relaxed about people getting filthy rich” and Brown who promised to stick to the Tories spending plans. All of the Labour party, whether so call “lefts” like Livingstone or Benn, or the apostles of New Labour like Blair or Mandelson are our enemy - the class enemy. We must oppose them relentlessly!
PS - Spookily enough both Peter Mandelson and Charlie Whelan were in the Communist Party in their younger days. Surprising? No. A apprenticeship in Stalinism is the perfect way to get ready to be a New Labour shit.
Anarchists in London have formed an Anti-Labour Alliance to go on the offensive against the government. For more information contact:
Anarchist Communist Federation, c/o 84b, Whitechapel High Street, London, E1 7QX H or email us
Continuing our regular look at the history of working class struggles we examine how when states indulge in one of their favourite hobbies it can sometimes blow up in their face.....
As the history of the twentieth century has shown, states love a good war. Like spoilt children, the mildest irritation is used as an excuse to invade, bomb and plunder other states. And where no real provocation exists, states will invent them.
Sometimes for states wars entail considerable risks, they might lose. Far better to pick on some weaker state where victory is assured as in the ongoing bombing of Iraq.
Victorious wars have many advantages for states. They increase power and domination over other states. They bring in wealth for the state and it’s capitalist allies. They strengthen support from the masses - everyone wants to back the winning team.
Workers councils
But sometimes things go seriously wrong, as happened most dramatically in Russia in February 1917. Incompetent generals, massive defeats, shortages of food and galloping inflation all fuelled massive popular discontent and, ultimately, spontaneous revolution. War weary soldiers mutinied and hungry workers rioted and demonstrated. There was born a new form of power, the workers and soldiers councils, which became the model for the oppressed everywhere. Out of war came revolution!
The governments of the world were terrified by this as for a time revolution swept across Europe. All states are now aware the next war could be their last! But we would be foolish to think they haven’t learned from this.
At the end of the gulf war Western allies carpet bombed thousands of deserting Iraqis, whilst leaving Saddam’s elite republican guard untouched. Once oil supplies were secure again the last thing the West wanted was a triumphant revolution in Iraq, making the region unstable for capitalism again. Despite their recent change of heart, once Saddam was tamed they were quite happy to keep him in power, which makes the recent bombing all the more sickening.
Anarchist activists Dave Morris and Helen Steel have appealed against the Libel award made against them in June 1997. Denied trial by jury, even the presiding Judge was forced to concede that many of the points made in the “What’s wrong with McDonalds” leaflet were true: that McGreedy exploits workers, children and animals. However he found against the defendants on some other points and awarded £60,000 damages to McNasty (though their costs are estimated at £10,000,000!). The McLibel two have refused to accept this and are appealing against the ruling and to try and stop multi-national corporations using libel laws to censor their opponents.
More info from: London Greenpeace, 5 Caledonian Rd, London, N1 9DX,
or visit: www.mcspotlight.org
.
Leonard Peltier is an American Indian Movement (AIM) activist who was framed on the charge of killing two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Lakota Reservation on June 26, 1975.
The FBI was a part of the oppression of the traditional Lakota People and AIM who were the resistance to the illegally taking of Lakota land to be used for uranium mining. In the two years before the shoot-out over 60 resisters were murdered by a death squad that was armed, trained and directed by the FBI. On the day of the shoot-out two FBI agents came into an AIM camp in the same manner that the death squad had done all over Pine Ridge. There is much proof that this was a setup against AIM. Two FBI agents and one AIM member were killed .
Self defence
In the first trial two AIM members were found not guilty by reason of self-defence. Then the government illegally had Leonard extradited from Canada based upon false statements and moved his trial to a judge that had been cited for his anti-Indian attitude. Leonard’s trial was a frame-up that included falsified evidence and the intimidation of witnesses. Through the appeals process Leonard’s defence has disproved the government’s case to the point that the government prosecutor has come out and stated that they don’t know who killed the agents and that if Leonard were to have a trial today they could not convict him. They say now that Leonard’s crime was that he “aided and abetted” in the deaths because he was there that day. Since the first two AIM members were found not guilty for reason of self-defence, this means that Leonard has been locked-up for 23 years for aiding and abetting in an act of self-defence.
International solidarity
Feb. 6th of each year has become The International Day In Solidarity With Leonard Peltier, marking the day he was arrested in Canada in 1976. Activities supporting Leonard happen on this day (and throughout the year) internationally.
For more information contact:
Leonard Peltier Defense Committee at: PO Box 583, Lawrence, KS 66044, USA. email: lpdc@idir.net. For web-site info see our prisoners page.
Write protest letters to:
US Pardon Attorney, Roger C Adams,
500 First Street N.W. Suite 400,
Ref: Leonard Peltier #89637-132,
Washington DC 20500, USA.
President William Clinton,
The White House,
1600 Pennsylvania Ave,
Washington, DC 20500, USA,
Or email: president@whitehouse.gov
Native American prisoners are now facing further persecution in California as a new ‘grooming’ code has been passed by the department of correction. All prisoners have to cut their hair so it is no more than three inches in length. For religious and cultural reasons many native prisoners have refused to have their hair cut. The prison authorities have responded by restricting prisoners visitors, phone calls parcels from home and loss of good time....
Protest letters to:
California Department of Corrections Regulations and policy matters,
PO Box 942883, Sacramento, California 94283, USA.
Continuing our regular look at the history of working class struggles we examine how when states indulge in one of their favourite hobbies it can sometimes blow up in their face.....
As the history of the twentieth century has shown, states love a good war. Like spoilt children, the mildest irritation is used as an excuse to invade, bomb and plunder other states. And where no real provocation exists, states will invent them.
Sometimes for states wars entail considerable risks, they might lose. Far better to pick on some weaker state where victory is assured as in the ongoing bombing of Iraq.
Victorious wars have many advantages for states. They increase power and domination over other states. They bring in wealth for the state and it’s capitalist allies. They strengthen support from the masses - everyone wants to back the winning team.
Workers councils
But sometimes things go seriously wrong, as happened most dramatically in Russia in February 1917. Incompetent generals, massive defeats, shortages of food and galloping inflation all fuelled massive popular discontent and, ultimately, spontaneous revolution. War weary soldiers mutinied and hungry workers rioted and demonstrated. There was born a new form of power, the workers and soldiers councils, which became the model for the oppressed everywhere. Out of war came revolution!
The governments of the world were terrified by this as for a time revolution swept across Europe. All states are now aware the next war could be their last! But we would be foolish to think they haven’t learned from this.
At the end of the gulf war Western allies carpet bombed thousands of deserting Iraqis, whilst leaving Saddam’s elite republican guard untouched. Once oil supplies were secure again the last thing the West wanted was a triumphant revolution in Iraq, making the region unstable for capitalism again. Despite their recent change of heart, once Saddam was tamed they were quite happy to keep him in power, which makes the recent bombing all the more sickening.
PIE IN THE EYE!
Nobody could have missed the hilarious sight of Dutch finance minister Gerrit Zalm getting a custard splattering by activists in Amsterdam last month, or the spectacle of him trying to play it cool in front of photographers, whilst looking more like a fruit salad than a politician. Like the true internationalists we are at resistance, we welcome this growing trend on the continent to bring windbag politicians down to size by a good old custard pie greeting. Let’s hope the trend catches on over here.
HAVEN DISTRIBUTION
Haven Distribution are a voluntary service supplying free books to prisoners. A copy of their catalogue is available to prisoners for a second class stamp (and we’re sure donations are welcome from anyone). Write to: 27 Old Gloucester St, London, WC1N 3XX
Due to the possible eviction of the 121 centre (see our news diary for details). London Anarchist Black Cross and the London Mumia Support Group can now be contacted at BM Haven, London, WC1N 3XX. See our prisoners page for Mumia updates.
Please visit the regularly updated ACF News Diary page for details of the latest events