The Vast Minority

Wall comes down as protests grow

2012-02-02T11:32:00.000-08:00

THE WALL came down in Cairo on Thurday night as anti-regime protesters broke through a massive stone blockade in Mohamed Mahmoud Street with a makeshift battering ram.

Ongoing clashes with police have been taking place in the capital all day, as Egyptians respond to the deaths of nearly 80 football fans at Port Said.

Growing numbers of them believe the hand of the state can be seen behind the horrific events.

Crowds were reported to be shouting: "This was not a sports accident, this was a military massacre!"

Writes Mohamed El Dahshan: "It doesn't add up. Port Said's Masry soccer team won 3-1 against itslong-time rival Ahly. In Port Said. It was a tough victory, one that Masry won withthe support of its fans. The logical question would be, then, 'Why would theMasry fans attack the minority of Ahly fans among them?'

"From there on, the questions just don't stop. 'Why did neither thegovernor of Port Said nor its security chief attend a game they both normallyattend?' asked parliamentarian Mohamed Abou Hamed on live television.. 'Why were security forces barely present despite knowing that the longrivalry between the two teams had a potential for violence?'

"On the streets and on the web, blame is put squarely on the police. Onceagain it failed miserably, as it has for the past year. Blame is also being puton the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, the SCAF, as the head of theexecutive branch."

This was not just the feeling in Cairo - Port Said residents are also adamant that the violence at Wednesday’s match there was caused by infiltrators, not hardcore local football fans.

A handful of supporters of the Masry Football Club, which beat Cairo’s leading team Ahly 3-1 before the violence began, told Egypt Independent on Thursday that what happened the day before was the premeditated work of infiltrators taking advantage of an intentional security vacuum.

They pointed out that the gate between the stands and the pitch was left open, while at the same time the exit to the area where Ahly fans were sitting was kept closed.

At least 71 people died and more than 300 were injured in the violence Wednesday night.

Thousands of people gathered outside the Port Said governor’s headquarters by late afternoon, chanting, “Port Said is innocent!” and “This is the truth,” blaming security forces for the deadly violence.

“This is a conspiracy. We wouldn’t do this to our brothers,” said Mohamed Abdel Fattah, standing outside of the governor’s office. “The Ahly supporters were predominantly from Port Said. My brother was one of them. Port Said is sad today; all residents of the city are sad and feel as if their own relatives have died.”

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Egyptians angry at deaths of rebel fans

2012-02-01T23:33:00.000-08:00

ANGER is growing in Egypt about the state's role in the deaths of almost 80 people at a football match.

Security forces clearly stood by and watched the murderous attack on fans known as Ultras who have been at the foreront of resistance to the SCAF military regime.

Football supporters and their families are planning to march on Thursday February 2 from the Al Ahly Club to the Ministry of Interior, reports Nagoul1 on Twitter.

He adds: "The Port Said Incident will not pass lightly. Expect some serious development in the next couple of days."

Writes blogger Dimak Hatib: "Let me refresh your memory. It was on the 2 February 2011, one year ago. Tahrir Square was attacked by thugs on camels, horses and donkeys, which came all the way from the Pyramids, about 17 kilometers away.

"These clashes that lasted for hours and hours, being watched live on TV all over the world, came to be known as the Camel Battle. It was an unforgettable day in Egypt's 18 days of protests that ended up with toppling Hosni Mubarak on 11 February 2011.

"One year later, at a football stadium in the city of Port Said, chaos breaks after a football match and somehow violence ends up with a death toll of almost 80 people and almost 300 injured!

"So many Ultras are dead. Suprisingly - or may be not surprisingly - from Al Ahly football club. Al Ahly Ultras have been among the most vocal and most active revolutionaries.

"As the news travelled around the world about those Ultras being killed and injured, many probably thought : oh this was just another hooligans fight!

"But in Egypt conspiracy theories and accusations grew louder and louder on TV stations and social media.

"Let's not forget that Egyptians have had quite an eventful week since 25 January 2012 when more people than ever before turned up at Tahrir Square.

"That was followed by a major bank robbery, clashes between protesters and Muslim Brotherhood supporters outside parliament, continued sit-in outside State TV, etc.

"In the beginning of this video (above) you can see clearly how security forces stood by watching while violence was breaking at the stadium.

"Such footage coupled with countless accounts by witnesses with details of how things turned ugly only came to emphasise people's doubts that the ultras may have been tragetted.

"Whether or not that is true, the damage is already done.

"As the train from Port Said arrived at Cairo Station after 3am, carrying some of the Ultras, inlcuding injured ones, their family members and friends were waiting to see who would come out of the train, alive. Some did come out, safe and sound. Others came out injured. But some did not make it! It was a very emotional moment.

"And.. thousands were gathered at the station.

"The chanting was becoming louder and clearer:

"Either we get their rights, or we die like them"

"Down with the Military Rule"

"The People Want to Execute the Field Mashall"

"Ambulances took the injured to hospitals while the Ultras marched on to Tahrir Square, a square they know very well, a square where they have survived many battles before and are ready for any new ones to come.

"It was yet another unforgettable day and an unforgettable - sleepless - night in Egyptians' long struggle for freedom."

Anarchists target fat cat banker

2012-01-31T23:12:00.000-08:00

ANARCHISTS are set to invade the country estate of British banker Stephen Hester.

Class War founder Ian Bone is calling on his blog for an 'Occupy Hester' action on Sunday April 29, the date of an official open day for the forelock-tugging public to admire the arrogant fat cat's wealth.

The proposal has already been reported by The Guardian and bankers' website Square Mile.

Bone says: "Stephen Hester’s 350 acre country mansion is BROUGHTON GRANGE at Broughton near Banbury in Oxfordshire.

"The next OPEN DAY there is on APRIL 29th – when for a mere £6 you can marvel at Stephen’s good luck and shake hands with one of his eight gardners…….no doubt the scullery maid will also be present.

"Soooooo……CLASS WAR are urging as many people as possible to come on the open day and chuck a few more quid into Hester’s maw. Fun and games assured. BE THERE – BEST FUN SINCE HENLEY. Our French comrades will be visiting his ski lodge at Verbier on the same day. "

51-year -old Hester is chief executive of RBS, bailed out by the British taxpayers for £45 billion, and was this week forced to waive a £1m bonus after public outrage at fat cat greed.

Hester also enjoys the upper class hobby of murdering wildlife and his wife is a master of fox hounds in Warwickshire.

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'This is the task of my generation'

2012-01-30T23:26:00.000-08:00

AN INSPIRING message of defiance and hope has been sent out to the world by one of the young activists in the Occupy Oakland movement, following the weekend's clashes.

Declares Boogie Man on his blog: “I will seek the changes I marched for tonight until I winor die. It is the task of my generation, worldwide, to return power to thepeople.

"Governments around the world are quickly realizing that ourgeneration will not back down.

"This is bigger than ‘occupy’, this is bigger than onecountry, one problem, or one protest. The people want their world back. We arefighting for our future, and we are winning.”

Anarchist blogger Paul Cudenec comments: "This is exactly the spirit I have been writing about overthe last couple of years – the spirit that is necessary if we are ever going tosave our planet from death by capitalism.

"This kind of force of opinion has got nothing to do withtwo-dimensional party political programmes or efforts to ‘build towards’ someshort-term reformist goal.

"This is the real thing. This is the life force swelling upfrom the collective unconscious and manifesting itself in an individual whofeels its power and is ready to be guided by it.

"As every previous generation of rebels fades away, a new oneis born to take its place – and to push even harder against the system that isblocking its potential."

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London protest planned against ACTA

2012-01-30T12:19:00.000-08:00

PROTESTS against the ACTA attack on web freedom are spreading fast, with one planned for the UK on Saturday February 11.

Current plans are to meet in London's Trafalgar Square at noon, but supporters are urged to check the web page for updates.

Says the Stop Acta London group: "The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) is a plurilateral agreement for the purpose of establishing international standards for intellectual property rights enforcement.

"The agreement aims to establish an international legal framework for targeting counterfeit goods, generic medicines and copyright infringement on the Internet, and would create a new governing body outside existing forums, such as the World Trade Organization, the World Intellectual Property Organization, or the United Nations."

Massive protests have already erupted in Poland over the sinister agreement.

And on Friday EU official Kader Arif resigned as rapporteur, saying negotiations over the controversial "anti-piracy" agreement "lacked transparency".

Oakland rebels battle police thugs

2012-01-29T23:31:00.000-08:00

THE USA is heading towards being a police state, a lawyer warned this weekend after a brutal attack on Occupy protesters in Oakland.

Cathy Jones, an attorney with the NLG gave the following statement to Occupy Oakland’s media team: “Through everything that has happened since September, from Occupy to the acceleration of 'Bills' — NDAA, SOPA, PIPA, ACTA — never have I felt so helpless and enraged as I do tonight.

"These kids are heroes, and the rest of the country needs to open its collective eyes and grab what remains of its civil rights, because they are evaporating, quickly.

"Do you want to know what a police state looks like? Well, you sure as hell still do not unless you were watching our citizen journalists.”

Oakland Police deployed hundreds of thugs in riot gear so as to prevent Occupy Oakland from putting a building, vacant for 6 years with no plans for use, from being occupied and 're-purposed' as a community center.

The Occupy Oakland General Assembly had passed a proposal calling for the space to be turned into a social center, convergence center and headquarters of the Occupy Oakland movement.

Tear gas, batons and explosive devices were used against the protesters, many of whom suffered injuries at the hands of the neoliberal fascist enforcers. Some 400 people were arrested.

In a daring revenge attack, rebels broke into Oakland City Hall, smashed display cases, cut electrical wires and burned an American flag, said media.

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M31 - European Day of Action Against Capitalism

2012-01-28T03:56:00.000-08:00

A EUROPEAN Day of Action Against Capitalism has been called for Saturday March 31 2012.

Said a statement on the M31website: "During an international meeting in December 2011 in Frankfurt am Main, several left wing organisations and grassroots unions from Greece, Spain, Poland, Austria and Germany decided to launch a joint effort against capitalist reforms under the current crisis.

"On March 31st, there will be a 'European Day of Action against Capitalism', with simultaneous demonstrations in those countries, labeled 'M31'.

"Groups from other countries are likely to join in, as networking continues. Protests will be directed against neoliberal and undemocratic impositions by the European Union (EU), the European Central Bank (ECB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

"The anticapitalist organisations involved want to send a clear signal against further austerity measures, mainly propelled by Germany, and on the backs of workers, the unemployed, students and migrants.

"We protest against nationalist propaganda targeting wageworkers in Southern European countries, and against the EU’s military bulkheading on its borders. Alternatively, organisers of M31 call for transnational solidarity and self-organisation of those affected by further cuts, privatization and capitalist exploitation.

"Up to now, there is no effective transnational solidarity between workers, unions, the unemployed and migrants. If we want this to change, we’ll have to do it ourselves.

"The international day of action in spring preludes a forthcoming European initiative of left wing organisations and grassroots unions, preparing further protests throughout 2012. We invite other emancipatory unions and organisations to join M31.

"Please take note of our Call for Action on www.march31.net. We’ll be happy to answer any request or proposal.

"Let’s get started!"

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Anger grows at Europe's ACTA of deceit

2012-01-28T03:46:00.000-08:00

PRESSURE is growing on the European Union to drop its bid to sneak through new legislation which will effectively censor the internet.

On Friday EU official Kader Arif resigned as rapporteur of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA).

The French MEP said that negotiations over the controversial anti-piracy agreement "lacked transparency", and claimed that the European parliament was denied its say.

Arif condemned the ACTA deliberation process, saying that he witnessed "never-before-seen manoeuvres from the right wing of this parliament to impose a rushed calendar before public opinion could be alerted".

He also spoke out to "denounce in the strongest possible manner the process that led to the signature of this agreement", stating that there was an "exclusion" of the parliament's demands on numerous occasions, The Parliament reports.

Arif added: "Everyone knows ACTA is problematic, whether it is its impact on civil liberties, the way it makes internet access providers liable, its consequences on generic drugs manufacturing, or how little protection it gives to our geographical indications.

"This agreement may have a major impact on the lives of our citizens, and yet everything is done so that the European parliament has no say. I will not participate in this charade."

Meanwhile, big protests continue in Poland, where the population has woken up to the threat posed to online freedom of speech and is pressuring its government not to ratify the agreement.

Reports RT: "Unlike the week’s massive protests, Friday’s showdown had clear political overtones. While the majority of demonstrators were saying “no” to the treaty, a large crowd was also directing their anger at the government. Experts say, the scale of public dissent has managed to make authorities nervous."

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Poles take to streets to defend web

2012-01-27T00:06:00.000-08:00

TENS of thousands of Poles are expected to take to the streets on Friday as anger grows over the neoliberal fascists' attack on the global internet.

Despite widespread opposition, Poland on Thursday signed the ACTA treaty behind closed doors in Japan.

Under the guise of protecting 'copyright' this will in fact criminalise free expression on the web and is likely to lead to authorities blocking content they don't like.

After the signing, protesters rallied in the Polish cities of Poznan and Lublin to express their anger over the treaty.

An even bigger demonstration is planned for Warsaw later today, Friday January 27.

Anonymous hacktivists have already disabled a whole swathe of Polish government websites in protest at the move.

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Desert rebels fight for free Azawad

2012-01-26T11:06:00.000-08:00

DESERT rebels have launched a revolutionary war in the Sahara.

The fight for a free Azawad has turned into an armed conflict after brutal attacks on the population by the US-backed state of Mali.

On January 17 armed resistance fighters attacked military compounds in Menaka, Adaramboukare and Tessalit in the north of the African country.

Fighting continued for some time and there was a serious clash at Aguelhok.

Behind the insurrection was the Azawad National Liberation Movement (Mouvement National De Liberation de l'Azawad - MNLA), a group formed on October 16 last year.

The Mali state flooded the area with tanks, aircraft and troops and more fighting broke out on the morning of Thursday January 26.

The MNLA says the Malian army suffered heavy losses and was forced to retreat.

Photos published on Facebook show the wreckage of a burnt-out MIG-21 jet shot down by the resistance fighters.

Mossa Ag Attaher, spokesman for the MNLA, told French newspaper Le Monde that the aim of the struggle was to liberate Azawad from Malian colonialism.

He explained that Azawad consisted of three regions currently part of Mali - Timbuktu, Gao and Kidal.

The MNLA was fighting for the aspirations of the Touareg people and also those of the Songhai, Peuls and Moors.

They had a right to choose their own form of government, to self-determination and, if they so desired, to independence, he said.

The MNLA is the result of a fusion between the Mouvement National de l'Azawad (MNA), a group of young intellectuals and political activists, and the guerrillas of the former Alliance Touareg Niger Mali (ATNM).

These elements have now been joined by groups of former Touareg rebels who fled Mali in the 1990s to join the Libyan army and returned to Azawad, with plenty of weaponry, during the NATO war on the Gaddafi regime.

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Australian protesters trap Prime Minister

2012-01-25T23:40:00.000-08:00

AUSTRALIAN Prime Minister Julia Gillard and opposition leader Tony Abbott were trapped in a restaurant for half an hour by a crowd of anti-racist protesters.

The 200 indigenous rights campaigners were responding to Abbott's statement that it was time to move the Aborigial tent embassy that has been in Canberra for 40 years.

They surrounded the building, banging on glass and shouting "shame" and "racist".

As the politicians were "rescued" from the restaurant by police, Gillard tripped and lost a shoe.

Her car was also blocked by protesters, who banged on the roof, reported news.com.au.

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Anniversary protest in Tahrir Square

2012-01-24T23:28:00.000-08:00

THOUSANDS of Egyptians are gathering in Cairo's Tahrir Square today to mark the anniversary of the January 25 revolution.

And amidst all the pride and celebration is anger that despite all the efforts made and lives lost, the country is still essentially ruled by the same elite.

The SCAF military junta has promised to step down once a president is in place in June, but there is little reason to think it will voluntarily step away from political control.

The brutality it has deployed against protesters in the last few months has been horribly reminiscent of the Mubarak regime that the revolution famously toppled.

Commented journalist rurned blogger Dima Khatib on Twitter: "A year has passed since #Jan25 with 945 people dead, more than 6,400 injured and not one police officer was sentenced. #Egypt”

A live blog of today's Tahrir protest is being run by Aljazeera and you can also follow the #jan25 hashtag on Twitter to see how events develop.

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Occupy WEF build igloos at Davos

2012-01-23T23:26:00.000-08:00

ANTI-CAPITALIST igloos have been built in Switzerland at a protest camp against the World Economic Forum.

Occupy WEF says on its website that it has contructed five of the ice homes at Davos, plus a couple of yurts and a field kitchen.

It adds: "Every year, self-proclaimed 'global leaders' allegedly committed to improving the state of the world meet up for the World Economic Forum (WEF) in the Swiss mountains to propagate their own businesses and network amongst the so-called global economic elite.

"This year, we will not let them exclude us, the 99%! We say: occupy WEF!"

The protesters re calling for people to join them in Switzerland for a week of protests - updates via their Twitter account.

A video of the igloos being built can be seen below.

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Libyan protesters storm government offices

2012-01-22T23:20:00.000-08:00

LIBYANS are rising up against the new western-backed regime and moving towards a real grassroots revolution.

Protesters ransacked the Transitional National Council's offices in Benghazi on Sunday, with a crowd of mostly young men throwing a grenade, smashing windows and forcing their way into the building while the council’s chairman, Mustafa Abdel-Jalil, was inside.

Reports the New York Times: "For months, youth groups with a range of complaints have been protesting against the Transitional National Council in Benghazi, the eastern city whose protests sparked the nine-month revolt and which once served as the rebel capital.

"Protests have cropped up elsewhere, too, including in Tripoli, the capital, where activists have erected a small tent city across from the prime minister’s office.

"Seeking to contain the fallout from the attack, Abdel-Hafidh Ghoga, the transitional council’s deputy chief, resigned Sunday, telling the Arabic satellite channel Al Jazeera, 'My resignation is for the benefit of the nation and is required at this stage.'

"Speaking to reporters in Benghazi on Sunday, Mr. Abdel-Jalil warned that continued protests could lead the country down a perilous path and pleaded with protesters to give the government more time."

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Fifth site occupied in London

2012-01-21T08:14:00.000-08:00

ANOTHER site in central London has been taken over by the expanding Occupy movement.

Said a post on UK Indymedia: "The Occupy London campaigners – part of the global movement for social and economic justice and real democracy – stated that they intend to occupy the building – their fifth occupation – until such time as the City of London Corporation publishes full details of its City Cash Accounts. This is a request that Occupy London has consistently asked off the Corporation, so that it can become a more transparent public body like every other public body in the country.

"A press conference will be held at 11am today at the building which is on the corner of Wood Street and Fore Street (London EC2Y 5BA), with the building opening to the public at 11am Monday 23 January for a lecture focusing on the City’s secret finances and its lobbying activities. Roman House is a non residential building for Occupy London. The City of London Police have visited the building and have agreed that it is a civil matter.

"Stuart Fraser, outgoing policy chief of the City of London Corporation, revealed on 17 November on an edition of The Report on BBC Radio regarding the Occupy London Stock Exchange occupation by St Paul’s that “now, under transparency, we’ve got to think about it [releasing details of the City Cash] very seriously. Let me put it this way, it is under discussion.”

"Occupy London is still waiting.

"Occupy London supporter Bryn Philips commented: 'The Corporation has undermined our democracy through the power of its lobbyists and must submit to public scrutiny. If the City agrees to publish its City Cash Accounts, future and historic, we will leave the building immediately. If does not, we will take appropriate action until such time as it does'

"Calls for greater transparency from the Corporation have grown since OccupyLSX by St Paul’s began its occupation on 15 October, with support given from groups such as Reclaim the City who campaign for the democratisation of the City.

"Most recently, there was a significant step towards transparency – thought not through the choice of the Corporation – when Fr William Taylor, former Common Councillor for the City of London Corporation from 2001 to 2003 and again from 2005 to 2008, who had access to the City’s private ‘City’s Cash’ accounts published some of the accounts via his blog ‘Hackney preacher’. [4] Fr Taylor has also published a new blog focusing on one of the noteworthy funds wrapped up in the City’s Cash account – the Gresham Estate. [5]

"Roman House becomes Occupy London’s newest occupation, while its first occupation – OccupyLSX bySt Paul’s Cathedral – will this Monday celebrate its 100th day. Other occupations includeFinsbury Squarewhich is currently in the process of transforming into an eco-village [6], the Bank of Ideas which was previously the abandoned multimillion pound offices of Swiss investment bank UBS and Occupy Justice, the former Old Street Magistrate’s Court where Occupy London has been putting the one per cent on trial. "

Anonymous launches 'biggest attack ever'

2012-01-19T23:39:00.000-08:00

ANONYMOUS hacktivists launched their 'largest attack ever' on Thursday in response to the US government's growing war on internet freedom.

Before controversial 'anti-copyright' legislation has even been passed in the form of the SOPA and PIPA acts, the American 'world police' moved against one popular non-US sharing site, with arrests made on their behalf in New Zealand.

Said an Anonymous statement on YouTube (see video above): "A new era has come. Anonymous is no longer playing nice, and we do not intend to ever play nice.

"We have seen you corrupt our people, corrupt our country and we will not sit and watch while you allow bills such as SOPA and PIPA to be passed.

"Our power is too strong and soon they will have to listen to the people. This is a time of action. We as a nation must come together and fight the tyrants!

"Do not sit and watch! Do not sit and cheer! Use your powers!"

Although the Megaupload website is based in Hong Kong, some of the alleged pirated content was hosted on leased servers in Ashburn, Va., USA, which gave federal authorities jurisdiction, the indictment said.

Said Technolog : "The Justice Department said in a statement said that Kim Dotcom, 37, and three other employees were arrested Thursday in New Zealand at the request of U.S. officials. Three other defendants are at large."

Reported the AnonOps Communications site: "Within minutes of the site being shut down, and DOJ releasing its statement, Anonymous sprang into action and started taking down a ton of sites -- including websites for the DOJ, the US Copyright Office, Universal Music, the RIAA, the MPAA and a bunch of other sites."

It said this was Anonymous's "largest attack ever, crippling government and music industry sites" and the following sites had been targeted:

Department of Justice (Justice.gov)

Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA.org)

Universal Music (UniversalMusic.com)

Belgian Anti-Piracy Federation (Anti-piracy.be/nl/)

Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA.org)

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI.gov)

HADOPI law site (HADOPI.fr)

U.S. Copyright Office (Copyright.gov)

Universal Music France (UniversalMusic.fr)

Senator Christopher Dodd (ChrisDodd.com)

Vivendi France (Vivendi.fr)

The White House (Whitehouse.gov)

BMI (BMI.com)

Warner Music Group (WMG.com)

It added: "Many members of Congress have just changed their stance on the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA, the raid on Megaupload Thursday proved that the feds don’t need SOPA or its sister legislation, PIPA, in order to pose a blow to the Web."

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Romanians battle neoliberal fascism

2012-01-18T23:36:00.000-08:00

THE ROMANIAN uprising against neoliberal fascism continues, with more protests planned for Thursday.

Anger is growing against the regime of President Traian Basescu, which has been brutally imposing IMF-ordered 'austerity measures' since 2009.

But the ruthless attack on people's living conditions has gone so far that they are taking to the streets in their thousands and staying there - even though Basescu has hastily dropped the changes to the health system which sparked the latest protests.

The outbreak of people power has been met with the same police brutality as is being unleashed by other local franchises of the global capitalist system, as can be seen in this 12-minute video by Alex Sandulache.

RT reports: "Some 60 people have reportedly been injured as demonstrators clashed with riot police, hurling stones and petrol bombs, in an outpouring of rage against the government."

It quotes Marioara Florescu, aged 60. She has worked all her life in a textile factory in Bucharest, but now she is being forced to pay for her social security out of her small pension.

She says: “I've come here for the pain of the Romanian people, the pain of the entire country. For 22 years all they've done is destroy the entire country. Our youth has no future.”

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Armed prisoners in full-on riot

2012-01-17T23:28:00.000-08:00

ARMED prisoners have scaled fences in a full-on riot at an Australian jail.

It was being reported on Wednesday January 18 that at least two buildings were on fire at Fulham Prison in Sale, Victoria.

Said one website: "Prison authorities are being held at bay as the prisoners brandish bar bells and other gym equipment on the northwest side of the prison."

Pepper spray was being used to try and put down the rebellion.

Prisoners are understood to have become increasingly unhappy at the way they are being treated and the riot was sparked when they were ordered indoors on Wednesday afternoon.

The latest uprising comes just a few weeks after worldwide solidarity protests outside prisons at which organisers declared: "We will not let the prison system break their spirits and our passion for their freedom WILL be heard."

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Occupy Belfast take over city bank

2012-01-16T23:27:00.000-08:00

OCCUPY Belfast activists have taken over a high-profile disused bank in the Northern Ireland city centre.

Says a statement from the group: "Occupy Belfast have taken control of the Bank of Ireland on Royal Avenue in opposition to soaring homelessness, lack of affordable social housing and home repossessions.

"We hope today’s announcement will serve to initiate the building of a housing campaign. Building such a campaign will not be easy.

"To do so we need to begin to organise as workers, students and the unemployed in a real and meaningful way in our communities – to become involved in discussing, agreeing on and organising the tactics necessary to build resistance and a better society for all.

"No politician will do it for us. We hope the seizure of the Bank of Ireland will be the place to begin.

"Banks take our houses so we take their buildings. This is a repossession for the community! "

Blogger Slugger O'Toole writes: "On Saturday, Occupy activists entered the disused Bank of Ireland branch on the corner of Royal Avenue and North Street, which was the home of the Belfast Stock Exchange in the days when we still had one… at least until the late 1990s, if my memory is correct.

"They did not make their presence public until just before noon today [Monday], when they unfurled a number of banners from the top floor of the building, quickly attracting a crowd of curious onlookers, along with the PSNI and, for a brief period, keyholders and the Fire Brigade.

"They could not have picked a better metaphor for their critique of free-market democracy.

"Not only did is it the former home of a stock exchange, it also hosted a branch of an institution that has benefited from the controversial taxpayer-funded rescue package for profligate banks in the Republic.

"This gorgeous building, one of Belfast’s few pieces of art deco, has lain empty at one end of the City’s main shopping thoroughfare for almost half a decade.

"The property developers who bought it in 2007-ish were doubtless working on assumptions about the future of Northern Ireland property prices that have turned out to be grossly unrealistic.

"And so, one of the gateways to the city centre is overlooked by a decaying shell rather than something productive and well looked after. This is indeed a case where the logic of the market flies directly in the face of the common good."

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Molotovs as Romanians join global insurrection

2012-01-15T23:29:00.000-08:00

ROMANIANS have joined the worldwide uprising against neoliberalism with a weekend of protests in which molotovs were hurled at police.

The uprising was sparked by unpopular government proposals to push funds into the private healthcare sector while neglecting the public system.

But this was just the latest in a familiar series of steps towards a global neoliberal takeover of the country, which date back to a loan of 20 billion euros from the International Monetary Fund and the European Union in 2009.

The usual strings were clearly attached behind the scenes and the Romanian government cut salaries in the public sector by 25% a year later to enforce so-called "austerity measures" recommended by the IMF.

Reports The Associated Press: "Romania's government called an emergency meeting late Sunday to discuss violent protests that show no sign of abating after demonstrators angry about austerity measures hurled stones and firebombs at police. At least 13 people were injured.

"More than 1,000 protesters clashed with police, who used tear gas and flares to repel demonstrators who blocked a main road in Bucharest. One man was briefly set ablaze during the chaos. Interior Minister Traian Igas called an emergency meeting to deal with the crisis.

"The protests, in their fourth day, are the most serious since President Traian Basescu came to power in 2004. They are the result of frustration against public wage cuts, slashed benefits, higher taxes, cronyism in state institutions and widespread corruption.

"Protesters yelled 'The Mafioso government stole everything we had!' and 'Get out you miserable dog!' -- a popular expression of contempt used to refer to Basescu."

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Occupy protests bringing 'anarchy' to Nigeria

2012-01-12T23:33:00.000-08:00

OCCUPY Nigeria is gathering momentum, with the upsurge in people power now threatening to disrupt oil supplies to the world markets.

Nigeria's biggest oil workers have threatened to shut Nigeria's oil rigs starting with work stoppages on Sunday, as anger grows over President Goodluck Jonathan's axing of fuel subsidies for ordinary people.

If the union follows through, analysts estimate that Nigeria's oil output could fall by between several hundred thousand and a million barrels a day. Nigeria produces two million barrels of crude daily, accounting for 95% of its export revenue, yet about 70% of Nigerians persist on just $2 a day or less.

The Wall Street Journal warned its readers: "Some analysts warn that even if Mr. Jonathan were to restore part of the subsidy, the concession wouldn't be enough to satisfy the thousands of protesters, who have turned city centers into caldrons of antigovernment sentiment."

It quoted Bismark Rewane, managing director of Financial Derivatives Co. in Lagos, as saying: "Both the unions and the government have lost control of this process," The protests, he said, were "becoming a referendum on Goodluck."

"All the oil wealth that this country has earned over the years hasn't touched the population," said Adeyinka Shorungbe, a 36-year-old banker who was one of several thousand demonstrators who on Thursday marched through the affluent center of Nigeria's largest city, Lagos. "Everyone knows what's at stake here."

The Independent reported that Jonathan's government was warning of "anarchy" in Nigeria and reported seeing a protester carrying a sign that read: "We are ready for the civil war."

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Greek revolutionaries storm radio station

2012-01-11T23:31:00.000-08:00

GREEK revolutionaries have stormed a radio station in Athens and broadcast a message of solidarity with comrades on trial.

Contra Info reports that the action on January 10 involved some 20 members of the solidarity assembly for the case of Revolutionary Struggle (Epanastatikos Agonas), whose trial is currently underway.

They entered the corporate radio station flash.gr on Kifisias Avenue and interrupted the station’s programme, to transmit their statement.

It adds: "Despite the fact that neither the station’s management, nor its staff asked officially any police intervention, scores of police (DIAS motorcycle units, squads such as MAT, plainclothes cops, among others) soon arrived on the spot and encircled the building.

"At about 14.00, after hours of being blocked inside the radio’s offices, anarchists who took part in the solidarity intervention were detained en masse and taken to the police headquarters on Alexandras Avenue: two prosecutors along with police squads stormed the radio station, forcing the comrades to exit the premises; all were handcuffed and held in police buses, while their mobile phones were confiscated."

The report says that as soon as the news was circulated, anarchists gathered opposite the police HQ, where a solidarity protest of approximately 100 people was staged.

A text released by the 20 detainees themselves states: "We have taken this action in an effort to break the wall of silence and the political order to gag the trial process and the political discourse of the defendants in the Revolutionary Struggle case.

"A confirmation of this gagging was the immediate reaction of police forces during the broadcast of our audio message with the words of the prosecuted for the same case.

"This mobilization of the executive and law enforcement authorities is indicative for anyone who resists, for whoever puts forward the total overthrow of the system through the social revolution, which is the only way to escape from the modern totalitarianism of the Troika of EU, ECB and IMF and their trustee, the Greek State, that have submitted the entire society in poverty and misery."

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French city erupts into rioting

2012-01-10T23:32:00.000-08:00

A FRENCH city has erupted into rioting after the latest instance of police brutality and the predictable cover-up.

Some 30 cars were torched in Clermont-Ferrand on just one night as locals expressed their anger at the fact that Wissam El-Yamni, aged 30, was still in a coma after being arrested on New Year's Eve and suffering a 'heart attack' for unknown reasons while in the hands of the cops.

He had no medical history of heart problems and had injuries to the neck, report French media.

Wissam died on Monday this week, prompting the authorities to flood the Gauthière area with yet more police to try and quell further uprisings.

A police helicopter hovered over the estate, shining searchlights into residents' flats in a blatant show of intimidation.

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Occupy Nigeria uprising - ten protesters killed

2012-01-09T23:30:00.000-08:00

POLICE have killed 10 protesters as the Occupy Nigeria uprising gathers force.

Tens of thousands of people have been taking to the streets as trade unions join in the rebellion with an indefinite nationwide strike against Goodluck Jonathan's neoliberal regime, which has hit the poor by removing a state fuel subsidy.

President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, who confirmed the killing, accused the police of using excessive force to quell the protests and cracking down on protesters.

Giving the breakdown of the casualty figure, Omar said six protesters were killed in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, three in Lagos and one in Kano during the demonstration, reports The Moment.

The Red Cross also confirmed that police fired live ammunition and tear gas to disperse a crowd of protesters in Kano and Lagos wounding at least 18 people, some of whom died in the hospital.

For the Lagos incident, angry protesters at Ogba in Lagos, identified one of the slain protesters as Ademola Aderinto, and the injured as Alimi Abubakar, Egbujor Samuel and Iyara.

One of the protesters, Dickson Oracle said, ‘There were about seven policemen shooting in the air to disperse protesters.

"The DPO (police chief) opened fire targeting these four people and shot them. One died on the spot, because he sustained serious bullet wounds and the remaining have been brought to the hospital."

Another protester, Abubakar, said: "We were standing in front of our Mosque when some people who were sharing hand bills got to the place and just as we were still talking with them, suddenly police vehicles pulled up and started shooting sporadically on the ground before one of their Ogas took the gun from one of them and fired at us and the bullet hit me on my left thigh and I fell down.

"We were not even protesting on the road."

In Lagos the usually busy Mushin, Fadeyi, Jibowu, Ikorodu Road, Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway were blocked by the protesters who made bonfires on the roads.

At Fadeyi bus stop, demonstrators burnt tyres and scores of youth were seen chanting anti- government slogans.

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Counter Olympics - meeting date in London

2012-01-08T23:19:00.000-08:00

A BIG meeting to prepare for Countering the Olympics is being held in London later this month.

The event is being staged on Saturday January 28, from 10.30am to 5pm, at Toynbee Hall, Commercial Road, London E1 6LS.

Says a statement on the CounterOlympics website: "There are now fewer than seven months before the shenanigans hit town, with each day bringing more news about runaway finances, contaminated topsoil, privatised housing, militarised neighbourhoods, losses of basic liberty, corruption, undemocratic planning decisions…

"While the bigwigs are gaining billions, just what do the rest of us lose?

"This will be a day-long opportunity to investigate and interrogate all aspects of Olympic theft, debt, repression, pollution, corporatisation, sponsorship, displacement, and lack of community consultation.

"From NOGOE and Save Wanstead Flats to Vancouver and Athens, a range of local, national and international activist groups will share their stories. Then it’s up to us all to create the mass mobilisation needed to expose these Olympic-sized lies!

"Whether you’re an avid organiser or new to the game, now is the time to get involved."

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Nigerians riot against neoliberalism

2012-01-05T23:25:00.000-08:00

POVERTY stricken Nigerians are taking to the streets against a new government imposing a neoliberal agenda.

Reports Vanguard: "For the third consecutive day, protests in different parts of the country over the New Year Day’s removal of fuel subsidy continued yesterday in some parts of the country ahead of Organised Labour’s nationwide industrial action billed for Monday.

"Protesters grounded Ibadan, Benin and Kaduna yesterday as the three-day peaceful protest in the commercial city of Kano turned violent with about 44 persons injured.

"This was even as other trade unions, including the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria, NWUN, Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions, Federation of Informal Sector Workers, Petroleum and National Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, and the Federation of Female Lawyers have indicated their interests to participate in the strike.

"No fewer than 44 persons were seriously injured in Kano State, when the police and other security agencies reportedly used maximum force to disperse thousands of protesters who had spent three days at Tahir Square in the city centre over fuel subsidy removal that has led to the increase in petrol price from N65 to between N138 and N250 per litre across the country.

"In Benin, the Edo State capital, economic activities were grounded when market women, youths, Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Trade Union Congress, TUC, Civil society organizations under the umbrella of the Coalition to Save Nigeria, in their thousands, stormed the streets of the ancient city, protesting government’s removal of fuel subsidy."

A letter addressed to President Goodluck Jonathan from protesters said: “In the interest of peace, unity and progress in Nigeria, we recommend the immediate reversal of the price of fuel to N65 in the first instance and thereafter to N39.50k, which is the ideal price of a litre of petrol.

"Restore the capacities of the four refineries in the country immediately and take full control of the oil industry. Drastically reduce the cost of governance and use the proceeds to fund development projects and the welfare of Nigerians. Jettison all market fundamentalist policies/programmes of the IMF/World Bank.

“The ideas and development policies of the two Bretton Woods Institutions have failed repeatedly in different parts of the world. Therefore, the current Minister of Finance and all other agents of the World Bank and IMF in the Federal Executive Council should be sacked if they fail to resign honourably. We believe that Nigeria must reclaim its sovereignty from the IMF, the World Bank and Multinational Corporations, MNCs.”

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Take back the future!

2012-01-04T23:30:00.000-08:00

THE ECONOMIC crisis affecting the neoliberal-ruled world presents radicals with a golden opportunity which must be seized.

That is the New Year message from UK-based weekly direct action news source Schnews.

It writes: "In Europe, austerity packages have failed, whole economies have nearly defaulted and double dipped all over the place, people got angry, and the police beat them up.

"Whole new governments in Italy and Greece were installed without any popular mandate – these weren't coups of course, that would just be too twentieth century and Latin American – nope these were coalitions in the national interest headed up by utterly apolitical 'technocrats'.

"These paragons of virtue have predictably made the pleasuring of international finance their first prerogative.

"For a while the whole nature of what is occurring has been deliberately obscured, buried under a blizzard of economic jargon. But put simply what is at stake is what has always been at stake – power and wealth.

"While the 'free' market kept the elite in the style to which they were accustomed the free market itself was an unassailable idea – a basic fact of nature. The minute the markets turned on their makers the tune suddenly changed to one of 'regulation' with a farcical attempt to pin the blame on a few rogue traders and convince a sceptical populace that 'We're all in it together”. That is all wearing a bit thin.

"That crisis is now unfolding across the Western world – and in many ways for us lot (the radical left) this is a golden opportunity.

"The impoverishment of a whole sector of the population in order to maintain the rich lifestyles of a few (the cuts agenda) is an obvious morality tale that requires zero grounding in Marxist dogma to understand.

"The Occupy movement has made some bold strides in this direction – and there are encouraging signs of linking up with other struggles, notably the autonomous and rowdy electricians movement – the Sparks.

"Whether it's sleeping on the concrete outside St Pauls, wildcat strikes, chucking a molotov or taking a beating at the hands of a corrupt cop, we are all in this together. The only real alternative is the radical alternative. Take back the future!"

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Scotland - prisoners riot in private jail

2012-01-03T23:18:00.000-08:00

UP to 70 prisoners went on a riot at a privately-run jail in Scotland, firing snooker balls as missiles and setting fires.

The incident saw a number of inmates take control of one wing of Addiewell Prison in West Lothian for more than three hours.

The rebellion sparked a full emergency response from police, the Scottish Ambulance Service, and Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service, reports The Scotsman.

Prisoners took control of the wing at around 4.30pm on Monday for more than three hours, before being surrounded.

Inmates used snooker balls as missiles and are reported to have set off multiple small fires before police regained control at around 7.45pm. There were no reported injuries to prisoners or staff.
Sources said it was a “serious” situation requiring a “full-scale response”.

One source said: “It was well out of control. Up to 70 prisoners were involved.”

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Americans protest against new attack on liberties

2012-01-02T23:34:00.000-08:00

OCCUPY activists in the USA are protesting on Tuesday against controversial and draconian laws passed by the Obama regime over the New Year.

These allow the US state to indefinitely detain citizens, though this frightening truth is being hidden from the American public by official spin .

Says the Occupy Wall Street site: "A call has been put out to let our government know the people will not tolerate any more attacks on our rights!

"January 3rd will be a spontaneous show of people power in reaction to Obama’s treasonous signing of the National Defense Authorization Act.

"Not only does this act violate our first, third, fourth, fifth and sixth amendments, as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, but this Act was signed quietly this past New Year's Eve violating what little trust remained between the people and their established government. We see what’s happening here, and we will not stand for it."

Blogger Jonathan Turley writes: "For civil libertarians, the NDAA is our Mayan moment. 2012 is when the nation embraced authoritarian powers with little more than a pause between rounds of drinks."

Video - Bahrainis with molotovs battle cops

2012-01-02T07:00:00.000-08:00

BAHRAINI revolutionaries have fought back with molotov cocktails after a teenager was murdered by police.

Sayed Hashim Saeed, aged 15, who died on Saturday, had apparently been hit by a tear gas canister at close range on Saturday.

The Al-Khalifa regime is backed by Saudi Arabia and the USA and Press TV reports that there have been anti-US protests in several areas, including Sitra, in which US flags were burnt.

In an interview with the Iranian TV channel, Bahraini activist Asma Darwish says: "Actually the regime mercenaries are shooting directly into people and into the houses and just today our house was shot by tear gas canisters. The smell is so strong and those tear gas [canisters] are all made in Brazil and in France and the United States.

"The countries, including the United states should stop supporting the Bahraini regime. The Bahraini regime is an oppressive regime."

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Indian rebels blow up new police station

2011-12-31T01:14:00.000-08:00

NAXALITE rebels in India have demolished a newly-built police station in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district.

Reports IBN Live: "A group of 50 Naxals assembled at the police station near Geedam area and asked the labourers present there to leave. They blasted the building using huge amount of explosives, police said, adding there were no reports of any casualty."

According to The Economic Times: "On Tuesday, dozens of Maoists [Naxalites] stormed into a two-storey building at Geedam town, some 10 km away from Dantewada town. They blew up the newly-constructed building which had been built by the state government at a cost of Rs.3.5 million.

"The building, which was ready to be handed over to the police department, was located barely a km away from the existing Geedam police station where about two dozen policemen were present at the time of the incident. But no policemen reached the blast site for several hours."

Following the incident, the state government transferred Dantewada police chief Ankit Garg and posted him at police headquarters to Raipur, official sources said.

The photo shows Naxalite rebels with writer Arundhati Roy, who has explained the reasons for their uprising, in the face of massive anti-Naxal propaganda from the Indian state.

She said last year: "Over the past five years or so, the governments of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal have signed hundreds of memorandums of understanding – all of them secret – with corporate houses worth several billion dollars, for steel plants, sponge-iron factories, power plants, aluminum refineries, dams and mines. In order for the MOUs to translate into real money, tribal people must be moved. Therefore, this war."

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Afghans protest against NATO attack

2011-12-29T23:14:00.000-08:00

THOUSANDS of Afghans have taken to the streets in the eastern province of Ghazni to show their anger over a US-led night time raid that killed two civilians in the area, Press TV reports.

The protesters staged a rally on Wednesday and strongly condemned the civilian casualties sustained during the deadly NATO airstrike. They also chanted anti-US slogans.

Meanwhile, the Kabul-Kandahar Highway was blocked for hours by protesting local residents.

President Hamid Karzai said on December 24 that Afghanistan will not sign a strategic partnership deal with the United States until NATO night raids and house searches stop.

Karzai said that “arbitrary operations and house searches by NATO have become a serious problem between Afghanistan and NATO forces and that this has been one of the main obstacles on signing the strategic partnership deal with the United States.”

The loss of civilian lives at the hand of foreign forces has dramatically increased anti-American sentiments in Afghanistan.

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Moscow anarchists take to streets

2011-12-28T23:23:00.000-08:00

THE ROLE of Russian anarchists in the recent anti-Putin protests in Moscow has been outlined in an article on libcom.org

Despite being picked out for attention by Putin's police, they managed to form a vocal and effective block on December 24 as an estimated crowd of 120,000 protested against corruption and vote-rigging.

Almost all the speakers at a makeshift assembly were unanimous that the official 'opposition', who consider themselves the ideologues of the protest movement, just want to get into power and do not intend to defend the interests of ordinary people.

It was unlikely that any number of peaceful meetings would lead to radical changes. People could only defend their rights by fighting against the state and capital, and building around libertarian ideas, insisted the anarchists.

The anarchists barracked 'opposition' oligarch Prokhorov when he took to the main podium, calling for "the power of millions, not the millionaires".

After 16 hours, when some protesters began to disperse, a column of anarchists and anti-fascists joined together with a group of feminists, LGBT activists and individual representatives of the organized left-wing organizations and moved closer to the stage.

The anarchists chanted slogans such as "Freedom, equality, anarcho-communism," "Higher, higher, black flag, the state is the chief enemy," "Fascism shall not pass!", "Our country - all of humanity!", "All politics - crooks and thieves," "Our candidate - self-government", "Down with fascism and capitalism" and "The path to freedom is revolution!".

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New Year's Eve march on prisons

2011-12-27T02:01:00.000-08:00

A GLOBAL call-out has been issued for New Year's Eve solidarity demos outside prisons, as opposition to neoliberal rule is increasingly criminalised.

One protest is being held in London, with people set to gather at 11pm on Saturday December 31 outside the Roxy and march on Brixton Prison.

Said a statement on the Act for Free site: "Over the past year, we have seen prison population soar to record highs.

"The british government with its neo-liberal, proto-fascist agenda sees no problem with criminalising and incarcerating thousands of people, especially youth, all across the country.

"After the August uprising, during which our youth showed the authorities just a taste of how much they were willing to fight back, we have seen a brutal crackdown by pigs on anyone suspected of even minor offenses. Dawn raids, CCTV manhunts and riot police patrolling our streets have seemed to have become the norm.

"With 2012 starting in a few days we should look to the future and think about about the forthcoming olympic$. The police and the army will be working to ensure the smooth running of the gam€s. It is important we remember the every day repression it will bring as well as its lasting legacy of increased militarism of police, intrusion of survelliance and generally increased police powers. We cannot let this become normal.

"We invite you to come celebrate new year with us in solidarity with all those currently in prison for resisting. We will not let the prison system break their spirits and our passion for their freedom WILL be heard.

"SOLIDARITY WITH FRIENDS, RIOTERS AND ALL THOSE IN PRISON.
FIRE TO ALL PRISONS.
RIOT ON, RIOT NOW."

A year ago, prisoners torched Ford Prison in Sussex, England, when warders tried to break up a New Year's Eve party.

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2012 in rap - we're in for a massive year

2011-12-26T02:24:00.000-08:00

AN ENTERTAINING and politically astute look at the year ahead is proving a big hit on the internet.

RAP NEWS episode 10 from http://thejuicemedia.comcombines references to the Mayan prophecy of the end of the world with a look at the growing global insurrection.

As host Robert Foster says: "If 2011 was a prelude, a portent of things to come, then it's dramatically clear we're in for a massive year."

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Troops attack Life March in Yemen

2011-12-24T10:02:00.000-08:00

REVOLUTIONARIES in Yemen have arrived in the capital after an astonishing five-day 264km Life March - only to be attacked by pro-regime forces.

There are early reports of at least 13 protesters dead and dozens more injured as troops opened fire on the Gandhi-style mass peaceful protest.

Yemenis expressed outrage of the lack of global media coverage of their uprising against the US-backed Saleh regime.

US Ambassador to Yemen , Gerald Feierstein, has even been reported as saying the march was not peaceful and that it was legitimate for the regime to kills marchers.

Reports Global Voices: "Yemen's revolutionaries are not deterred nor did they give up on their demands despite the signing of the strongly rejected Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) initiative proposed in April and finally signed by President Saleh on November 23, 2011, providing a so-called mechanism for him to 'relinquish' power.

"They went out on a 264 km march on foot from the city of Taiz in the south to the capital Sanaa in the north to send a message to the world, the United Nations, United States, the GCC and Saleh that they reject the newly formed unity government and are determined to demand that Saleh, who was granted immunity from prosecution for his involvement in an 11-month crackdown on protesters demanding democracy, gets punished for his crimes."

Here are some of the comments on Twitter today

#LifeMarch was made by heros, and attacked by cowards.

#Yemen never witnessed such a day before, and I guess will never witness it again ... #Lifemarch

Live celebration on Suhail TV @ Change Square for the heroes of the #LifeMarch who arrived in Sanaa after 5 days of barefoot walking. #yemen

An uprecedented all day today & night celebrations welcoming the heroes of the #LifeMarch. #Sanaa hasn't been happier Support the #NewYemen

Revolution is Reborn. #Yemen is Reborn. #Taiz #LifeMarch, shines and people just sink in joy.

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Was USA behind Baghdad terror attacks?

2011-12-24T09:35:00.000-08:00

WAS the USA behind this week's terrorist outrages in Baghdad?

That's the question now being asked by many people in Iraq, while the western media paints a picture of a sectarian civil war erupting after the pseudo-departure of American forces.

Sami Ramadani writes in The Guardian that divide-and-rule tactics remain the only viable weapon the Americans have to control or influence the Iraqi political scene.

He says: "In the rush to provide an explanation for the nihilistic violence, the same old simplistic mantra is trotted out.

"Thursday's co-ordinated, simultaneous attacks are invariably described by the media as sectarian. Few pause to ask why a 'sectarian' attack would be aimed at all sects and ethnicities equally.

"Only a handful raise the possibility that these attacks are not sectarian in motive, or a reflection of sectarian hatred on the streets, but are instead designed to create sectarian entrenchment and animosity, and ignite street conflict.

"Similarly, analysts are quick to conclude that both the power struggle within the political elite, and the explosions are the result of the withdrawal of US troops. They portray the US forces as the good Samaritan who prematurely left the scene.

"Too few examine the legacy of the occupiers' poisonous presence at the heart of Iraqi society for nearly nine years, or ask why the US has built the biggest embassy in the world in Baghdad, staffed by 15,000 personnel and spies."

Adds Ramadani, a political refugee from Saddam's regime: "Such is the anger at the occupation that many Iraqis think the US was behind Thursday's attack. This belief is dismissed as conspiratorial, but it is widely held.

"There is a reason for this. Apart from the horrific violence committed directly by the occupation forces and Pentagon-contracted mercenaries, the US also created Iraqi secret militia, and smuggled tens of thousands of weapons and tons of explosives into Iraq through private firms in Bosnia.

"[Paul] Bremer was unable to tell a congressional committee how he spent an unaccounted-for $8.8bn dollars, but many Iraqis suspect that it was used to fund violent sectarian forces.

"Indiscriminate killings and terrorist attacks were a permanent feature of the US-led occupation, and to many ordinary Iraqis, Thursday's bloodshed is just more of the same. "

Meanwhile, some anti-imperialists also see the hand of the USA behind this week's terrorist attack in Damascus in which 55 people died.

'These kids are absolutely fucked'

2011-12-22T23:42:00.000-08:00

.

A NEW video on the street revolt in Greece has been published on Vimeo by Ross Domoney.

On December 6th 2008 a police shooting of a 16 year old innocent boy in Athens started a two-week revolt in cities around Greece.

The film, featured on the From the Greek Streets blog, explains how anger at his death was combined with the frustration of a new generation for whom the future is bleak. "These kids are absolutely fucked."

Three years on people march in remembrance of Alexis Grigoropoulos. Greece now is very much in social and economic turmoil, with all parts of the community sharing the rage of the youth.

The streets look like a war zone as petrol bombs and rocks are hurled at the hated riot cops - often far right extremists in state uniforms.

Where will it all end? Nobody can know.

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Video - Chinese eco-protesters block major road

2011-12-21T23:23:00.000-08:00

CHINESE protesters against a coal-powered power station have blocked a main road and defied riot police.

Reuters reports that the situation seems to have escalated, with residents smashing cars and hurling bricks even though officials sought to calm tempers by suspending the unpopular plan.

Angry crowds smashed and overturned police cars and riotpolice fired teargas in Haimen town in Shantou city onWednesday, the second day of the unrest, Hong Kong newspapersreported.

Residents of Haimen, furious with plans to build acoal-fired power plant, took to the streets ,surrounding a government building and blocking an expressway.

Officials agreed to suspend the project this week, butresidents refused to back down, demanding the plan be scrapped.

Outside a large and closed petrol station near ahighway into Haimen, about 100 men on motorbikes watched a wallof riot police armed with batons and shields, blocking thehighway.

"What place in the world builds two power plants withinone kilometre?" said one of the Haimen residents, who wassurnamed Cai, as he watched the riot police.

"The factories are hazardous to our health. Our fishare dying and there are so many people who've gotcancer , " he added.

"We thought of protesting outside thegovernment office but we know none of them has listened to us.So we had no choice but to block the highway. The police beat upso many of the protesters in the past two days."

At one point, Haimen residents screamed andsurged forward when a riot policeman, waving his baton in theair, charged towards a man on a motorcycle who had been ridingtowards the police blockade on the highway.

State news agency Xinhua said several hundred peoplehad protested on a highway on Wednesday. According to HongKong's Ming Pao newspaper, more than 1,000 residents gathered ata toll gate to confront hundreds of riot police.

Witnesses said police fired four rounds of teargas and beatup protesters, who do not want another power plant when existingpower facilities there were already polluting air and seawaterand had greatly reduced their catch at sea, the report added.

At least three protesters were hit and arrested.

Adds Reuters: "People in China are increasingly unwilling to accept therelentless speed of urbanisation and industrialisation and theimpact on the environment and health.

"Protests are also often held over corruption, wages and landseizures, that officials justify in the name of development.

"Residents of Wukan village, also in Guangdong, agreed to enda 10-day standoff with authorities over a land dispute onWednesday."

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Protesters drive tank to seize courts

2011-12-20T23:09:00.000-08:00

OCCUPY protesters, including former soldiers, drove a tank to seize disused law courts in the centre of London.

And they say they will use the building to put on trial the 1% who have stolen everything from the rest of the world's population.

A spokesman told the media: "We are targeting the people we feel have been let off or not been brought to justice - it could be bankers, politicians or companies.

"These are not mock trials. These are trials with qualified solicitors. It’s not about staging anything. The accused will be invited to attend."

Said a statement on the Occupy London website: "As Occupy London Stock Exchange occupation prepares to present its case at the High Court today, Occupy London supporters have liberated a disused court house – Old Street Magistrate’s Court – in London‘s East End alongside a group of military veterans, Occupy Veterans.

"The opening of Occupy London’s fourth occupation, will see the movement conducting 'trials of the one per cent' in the abandoned magistrate’s court building which has lain empty since 1996, despite its prime location and grade II listing.

"More information about this abandoned magistrate’s court can be found at http://www.mpa.gov.uk/committees/mpa/2005/050224/10/.

"To the one per cent – see you soon at Occupy Justice, formerly Old Street Magistrate’s Court, Old Street London EC1."

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Tuesday - dawn raid on Tahrir Square

2011-12-19T22:22:00.000-08:00

EGYPTIAN police and soldiers fired weapons and used batons and teargas for a fifth day on Tuesday in the latest security operation to clear Cairo's central Tahrir Square of opponents of army rule.

The sound of heavy gunfire rang out across the square as armed security forces charged hundreds of protesters attempting to hold their ground, activists and a Reuters witness said.

"Hundreds of state security forces and the army entered the square and began firing heavily. They chased protesters and burned anything in their way, including medical supplies and blankets," protester Ismail said by telephone.

Before the latest security charge, protesters had been trying to tear down a brick wall the army had put up to block access to parliament, which is located beside the square.

A security source told Reuters some protesters wanted to remove the wall in order to reach parliament and destroy it.

Medical sources have said 13 people have been killed since Friday, but the protesters say the latest attack produced more casualties. "Some of those who fell had gunshot wounds to the legs," Ismail said.

Hundreds more were wounded and scores have been detained in attempts to disperse protests in and around Tahrir Square, hub of the uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak in February.

Anger has been inflamed by brutal attacks on protesters at the weekend, including one on a young woman whose clothes were partly torn off, captured on video for the world to see.

Meanwhile, in an interview with the BBC, Robin Wright, a senior fellow at the US Institute of Peace, said the SCAF regime was now effectively a military junta preventing the country from moving forward and the protests were taking on the form of a real revolution.

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15 dead as Kazakh workers fight cops

2011-12-18T23:30:00.000-08:00

AT LEAST 15 people have been killed and 70 injured as Kazakh police opened on unarmed rebel oil workers and their supporters in the west of the country.

The uprising is now being further fuelled by anger at the brutal methods deployed by the state to attack the demonstrations calling for higher wages.

Reports the New York Times: "On Saturday, several hundred protesters blocked railroad tracks in Shetpe, a town north of Zhanaozen, to protest the treatment of the other activists. The police opened fire, killing one person and wounding about a dozen more.

"Kazakh authorities said that the police had made protracted efforts to persuade the protesters to withdraw from the railroad tracks but that '50 hooligans' refused to do so.

"Only after a crowd pelted the police with stones and Molotov cocktails and set a locomotive and the municipal Christmas tree on fire did the police begin to fire in the air and at demonstrators’ legs, the prosecutor’s office said. Five police officers were injured, the statement said.

"An Associated Press reporter who arrived in Shetpe on Sunday said the town was flooded with police officers, some of whom tried to restrict the movement of visiting journalists.

"Another group of oil workers held a protest on Sunday in front of the municipal administration building of Aktau, the regional capital, unfurling a long banner that read 'Do not shoot at your people'.”

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2012 London Olympics - the enemy of democracy

2011-12-18T10:01:00.000-08:00

THE 2012 London Olympics are the enemy of democracy and anarchists must protest against them, despite draconian threats from the state.

That's the forceful message from a new post on the Rebel Cleaners blog.

It says: "While company directors, corrupt politicians and bankers are comfortably seated together to supervise and reap profits from the labour of others (how capitalist!) we'll still be on the streets showing that we're strong, we're angry and that these bastards are losing their control over us.

"Now, there is something that our rulers absolutely do not want broadcasting around the world. There'll be no shortage of cameras about, as pretty much every news agency in the world will be operating here in Britain this summer.

"It's not hard to see why the rich are so worried. Protests, direct action, strikes and the like are set to undo every bit of material gain they're hoping to raid from the Olympic Games.

"How can the rich push the sponsors if the TV cameras are showing pictures of people angry at those exact same sorts of mega-corporations?

"How can the rich get their billionaire buddies to travel to Britain to spend their cash in London's fancy hotels and restaurants, if these places are under threat of being attacked by black bloc tactics?

"How can the British government continue to dictate to Greece and other countries through the IMF and EU about their economic policies when the people riot against British economic policy?

"How can foreign policy be enforced when TV screens from Hong Kong to Houston are showing pictures of people critical to these policies?

"The answer is, they can't. So, prepare to kiss your fantasy of legitimate protest goodbye."

The blog lists various measures being taken by the British state to ensure that the corporate, not people's, voices are heard this summer:

Protests near to the Olympic sites are to be banned. We've already seen bans on protests enforced in parts of London, under the façade of anti-fascism. It's also looking like the legislation is being expanded to include new powers to the police to attack protesters wherever they may be, with encampments such as that at St Paul's or Parliament Square targeted in particular..
Display, production, or even possession of posters, leaflets, which critises the government, Olympics, or sponsors has been criminalised. Just printing this article authorises the police to break in, seize your computer, search your home and arrest you for it. Sorry about that.
13,500 soldiers to be deployed to "maintain order", including drones, the Royal navy's biggest aircraft carrier, a dozen Eurofighter Typhoons and several attack helicopters mounting tank killing missiles. Oh and a cute jingoistic Nuremberg Rally style military parade too.
Total control of the media. Reporters or networks that report anything that does not fit into the corporate plan, are threatened with being shut down and having their license (yes, license) to write, or broadcast, what's going on, revoked.
The push to further militarise the police, by giving them new powers to disperse protest quicker and new weapons such as tasers, water cannons, rubber bullets and chemical warfare agents.

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Tahrir video sparks outrage

2011-12-18T05:28:00.000-08:00

THIS astonishing video has appeared online showing the horrific extent of the Egyptian army's attack on Tahrir Square.

No comment is necessary.

Unsurprisingly, outraged Egyptians have been back on the streets today.

Reports AFP: "Clashes between Egyptian troops and protesters rocked central Cairo Sunday in a third straight day of violence that has left 10 people dead and damaged a world-famous historic library.

"Some 500 people have also been wounded in the street battles outside parliament and the government's offices where protesters have been demanding an end to military rule.

"The clashes erupted Friday overshadowing the count from the second phase of the first parliamentary elections since president Hosni Mubarak was ousted in February.

"Demonstrators hurled stones and pieces of metal over a concrete wall erected by troops on a wide avenue leading from Tahrir Square to the seat of government, AFP journalists reported.

"Outrage flared on Sunday as furious protesters brandished the frontpage of a local paper showing military police clubbing a veiled woman after having ripped her clothes to reveal her bra.

"In the picture and YouTube footage of the incident, the woman is sprawled on the ground, helmeted troops towering over her, one is seen kicking her, and later she appears unconscious, her stomach bared and her bra showing.

"Other pictures circulating on social media networks that have enraged protesters include one of a military policeman looming over a sobbing elderly lady with his truncheon."

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Police cars torched in Finland

2011-12-17T05:11:00.000-08:00

FINNISH anti-capitalists torched two police cars in the capital, Helsinki, on Friday night

A statement at http://takku.net says that as the world economy falters the power elite is holding on to capitalism by tooth and nail, even though around them, their house of cards is wavering.

It adds: "The police are a model example of obedience. The decisions are made high up in the hierarchy and the people who execute these commands can not and will not put them into question.

"Bureaucracy will always prove too slow and rigid for life that is characterized by being fast-paced and ever-moving.

"On the night of Friday the 16th of December 2011, we burned two police cars in the backyard of a Volkswagen-dealership in the Herttoniemi district in Helsinki. We torched both cars by lighting and placing a handful of lighting briquettes on the front wheels and then fled the scene.

"According to their communiqués the police have apprehended people in the vicinity of the dealership on the same night. It is not unheard of that the police bungle arrests without any evidence.

"We claim responsibility for the arson of these cars and wish to say, that no arrests will resolve this situation. Solidarity with all who are imprisoned!"

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Videos - brutal Egyptian army attacks Tahrir Square

2011-12-17T04:46:00.000-08:00

THE stormtroopers of the global neoliberal order today moved into Tahrir Square, the cradle of the international pro-democracy uprising.

Protesters were shot in the streets and brutally beaten, while tents were smashed up and set on fire as the supposed friends of the Egyptian revolution showed themselves for what they always were.

Unbelievably, the attack took place during the call to prayer, as can be heard on the video footage.

Posts on the #tahrir hashtag on Twitter tell of "atrocities everywhere".

"We can't allow this to continue, it's so very wrong," says one comment.

Pleas another: "We need people...battle at kasr al ainy".

"No difference btw Israeli army attacking Palestinians who throw rocks and the Egyptian army attacking its own people," someone else points out.

Another reveals: "Doctors are hiding severely wounded patients in the bathrooms so police and army won't find them."

One video shows soldiers attacking a middle aged woman offering no resistance whatsoever.

Meanwhile, Kamal al-Ganzouri, prime minister under the SCAF regime, has had the barefaced audacity to describe the protests in Cairo as a "counter-revolution".

More updates later.

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Video - oil workers riot in Kazakhstan

2011-12-16T09:52:00.000-08:00

OIL workers in the south of Kazakhstan have rioted and torched local government offices, an oil company building and a hotel.

Thousands of protesters demanding higher wages took to the streets in the town of Zhanaozen as the state was marking the 20th anniversary of its independence from the USSR on Friday, December 16.

Russian news agency ITAR-TASS said the protesters set fire to the offices of the town administration, the Ozenmuinagaz oil company and the nearby Hotel Aruana. The crowd also prevented firemen from attending the fires. The source said that, as of Friday afternoon, the police could not contain the unrest.

RT adds: "Later in the day Kazakhstan’s prosecutor general said that 10 people have died in the Zhanaozen unrest and many more wounded, including police officers. The official also confirmed that three buildings were burnt down, as well as several cars and a police bus. The crowd looted some ATMs, the prosecutor said."

"Russian-language blogs described the situation in Zhanaozen as much more dramatic, saying the police opened fire at protestors, killing 70 and wounding over 500 people. Bloggers also said that the authorities deployed 1,500 marines to the town in bid to suppress the riot."

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Libyans protest against new regime

2011-12-15T23:34:00.000-08:00

PEOPLE in Libya are rising up against the regime foisted on them by foreign powers following the overthrowal of Gaddafi.

In the words of Twitter user Dima Khatib: "Revolutionary Friday is back in #Libya .. Yes #Feb17 is alive and kickin till the people get what they fought for."

There are reports of tens of thousands of Libyans protesting in Benghazi and Tripoli accusing the National Transitional Council of "stealing the revolution."

The protesters demand transparency, accountability and payment of wages in a movement that connects democratic and economic demands.

Business Week says they feel the ruling National Transitional Council is being too secretive about its membership structure and finances.

“We sacrificed a lot in this war,” Salwa Bugaighis, a lawyer in Benghazi and a former member of the NTC before she resigned in August over a lack of transparency in its decision- making process, said in an interview.

“We want democracy.”Bugaighis said protesters set up a tented encampment today at Benghazi’s Maidan al-Shagera, or Tree Square, and will not leave until the NTC enacts new rules on transparency and releases the names and resumes of all its members.

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Chinese villagers rise up against authorities

2011-12-15T00:01:00.000-08:00

CHINESE villagers have risen up in force, expelling corrupt local officials and taking on the police.

Reports The Daily Telegraph: "Trouble in Wukan has been brewing since September, after the village revolted at an attempt to take one of its last parcels of farmland and give it to a major Chinese property developer, Country Garden.

"However it was the death of 43-year-old Xue Jinbo, one of the village’s 13 temporary representatives, in police custody that pushed Wukan into its current fury, and saw the last of the village’s dozen Communist party officials flee. His family believe he was murdered.

"Wukan has been encircled by a police cordon since Sunday, after an attempt by 1,000 armed officers failed to retake the town. No food or water is allowed in, and no villagers are allowed out."

Adds The Financial Times: "Thousands of people from a southern Chinese village protested on Wednesday against the death in police custody of a popular local leader following a standoff over land acquisition and allegations of corruption.

"Xue Jinbo, 43, is believed to have died on the night of December 10. His family saw his body the following evening and reported that it showed signs of bruising – enraging Wukan village in Guangdong province. Local authorities say he died of cardiac arrest.

"Police have responded to the demonstration by blockading the village, residents said, and the term 'Wukan' was blocked on Chinese microblogging sites.

"For the provincial government of Guangdong, which as China’s most industrialised province has faced several protests by workers recently, bringing Wukan under control is proving particularly difficult. Villagers have been demanding the removal and punishment of local officials they claim were involved in a corrupt land deal."

“The police have blocked all the main roads now. We have to go the farthest way round via back roads when we get in and out,” a villager named Zhang told the Financial Times. “Even the rice store is running out. They cut off internet access last night and warned they would cut our electricity today. They haven’t yet.”

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EDL exposed as puppets of the 1%

2011-12-13T23:31:00.000-08:00

THE true nature and purpose of the English Defence League is gradually emerging, as the far right street movement struggles to maintain any momentum.

It originally claimed to be virtually apolitical, with the sole aim of countering what it described as the threat of 'Islamic extremism' in the UK.

However, it has recently shown its true colours by vehement animosity towards trade unionists and threats to attack Occupy activists in various cities.

A further dent to its phoney 'working class' credentials has now been made by an investigative report in The Sunday Times exposing some of the wealthy individuals running the show behind the scenes.

These include property tycoon Ann Marchini, from upmarket Highgate in north London, and Alan Ayling, a former director of an investment fund.

Ayling, pictured above, uses the pseudonym Alan Lake in EDL circles.

It is rather convenient that at a time when opposition to neoliberal rule is on the rise, and the state is sensitive to the possible knock-on effects of overt police violence against dissidents, a ready-made Freikorps-style army is available to do the 1%'s dirty work on the streets.

There still remains much more to be exposed about the EDL and its murky role in contemporary British politics.

Protests succeed in disrupting US ports

2011-12-12T23:37:00.000-08:00

OCCUPY protesters in the USA succeeded in causing serious disruption to West Coast ports on Monday.

Reports RT: "From the blocked port of Oakland to the shipping hub of Seattle, thousands of disenchanted activists have taken to the streets in defiance of a police crackdown.

"Seattle police have reportedly used flash bang percussion grenades to disperse the protesters who blocked the entrance to the Port of Seattle facilities. Police said multiple people had been arrested, but did not specify exact figures.

"Occupy Seattle protesters were seen holding banners reading Made in China, clearly highlighting the problem of American jobs being outsourced to China.

"Those protests appear to be a part of the nationwide effort to block West Coast port traffic, when thousands took on ports from California to Alaska to disrupt, they claim, the economic machine that benefits the wealthiest individuals and corporations.

"Protesters say they are targeting corporate greed and the government’s complicity and by maintaining their activity, they are keeping the message of the Occupy movement alive.

"According to protesters, among other things they are targeting profits of Goldman Sachs, which owns half of one of the world’s largest transportation and shipping outfits. Therefore, for the movement this is the way of 'getting back at' one of the major banks which had contributed to the financial crisis.

"In New York City, protesters took their message to Goldman Sachs directly. They marched in solidarity with their fellow campaigners from the West Coast to the bank’s Low Manhattan’s headquarters. Almost two dozen of them were arrested."

"In Houston, Texas, some 20 people got arrested in similar solidarity protests.

"While US authorities seem to be quite successful in cracking down on peaceful protesters, with more than 5,000 having been arrested in the course of the past three months, none of those arrests even make it to the headlines in major US media anymore.

"Occupy protesters marched on Monday morning on ports in San Diego, Oakland and Los Angeles in California, Portland in Oregon, Seattle and Tacoma in Washington, as well as Anchorage in Alaska, eventually succeeding in disrupting the work of these major ports on the West Coast. The port of Oakland, for example, was almost completely shut down, while in Portland and LA they effectively blocked trucks from approaching the ports."

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Journalist condemns big lie of neoliberal 'democracy'

2011-12-12T23:25:00.000-08:00

A LEADING British journalist has spoken out about the big lie of 'democracy' in the neoliberal world.

In an article entitled Bankers Are the Dictators of the West, Robert Fisk of The Independent compares the Arab uprisings with the wave of Occupy protests.

He notes: "The protest movements are indeed against Big Business – a perfectly justified cause – and against 'governments'.

"What they have really divined, however, albeit a bit late in the day, is that they have for decades bought into a fraudulent democracy: they dutifully vote for political parties – which then hand their democratic mandate and people's power to the banks and the derivative traders and the rating agencies, all three backed up by the slovenly and dishonest coterie of 'experts' from America's top universities and 'think tanks', who maintain the fiction that this is a crisis of globalisation rather than a massive financial con trick foisted on the voters.

"The banks and the rating agencies have become the dictators of the West. Like the Mubaraks and Ben Alis, the banks believed – and still believe – they are owners of their countries.

"The elections which give them power have – through the gutlessness and collusion of governments – become as false as the polls to which the Arabs were forced to troop decade after decade to anoint their own national property owners.

"Goldman Sachs and the Royal Bank of Scotland became the Mubaraks and Ben Alis of the US and the UK, each gobbling up the people's wealth in bogus rewards and bonuses for their vicious bosses on a scale infinitely more rapacious than their greedy Arab dictator-brothers could imagine."

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Occupy activists aim to shut down US ports

2011-12-11T23:19:00.001-08:00

A BID to block the West Coast ports of the USA is being launched by Occupy activists on Monday December 12.

Says the West Coast Ports Blockade site: "The ports play a pivotal role in the flow and growth of capital for the 1% in this country and internationally.

"For that reason alone it is the ideal place to disrupt their profit machine. The workers on these ports have always understood that; they have consistently staged shutdowns for political reasons, honored community picket lines, and led the labor movement.

"A general disruption of commerce, in protest of the nationally coordinated attacks on Occupy movements alone is warranted, but additionally, the specifically targeted attacks on workers at these ports by the 1% further necessitate this call to action."

Adds the Occupy Los Angeles site: "As part of the Dec. 12 Boycott and March for legalization and good jobs, the Occupy movement will protest at one or more facilities belonging to SSA Marine, a shipper owned by Goldman Sachs, with 5 terminals and a warehouse in the Harbor area.

"SSA Marine was recently fined for building an illegal road to the site of its massive, dirty coal terminal project in WA. It was also caught recently not alerting workers to the threat of explosive cargo in Oakland.

"SSA/Goldman Sachs symbolize the ruin that corporate greed has brought into our lives. The 1% are depriving port truck drivers and other workers of decent pay, working conditions and the right to organize, even while the port of LA/LB is the largest in the US and a huge engine of profits for the 1%.

"The 1% have pursued a conscious policy of de-industrialization that has resulted in 'trade' at the port meaning that there are 7 containers coming in for every one going out. The 1% have driven migrant workers into a 'grey market' economy and repression.

"The 1% use police brutality and repression, jails and prisons to suppress, divide and try to silence the 99% and all who oppose their insatiable greed. To put an end to all that, we call on the 99% to march, boycott, occupy the ports, and STRIKE."

For latest news, the Twitter hashtag is #occupytheports

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'Corrupt civilization must be destroyed'

2011-12-11T01:31:00.001-08:00

A CALL for the complete destruction of our valueless and corrupt capitalist civilization has been issued by anarchist blogger Paul Cudenec.

Entitled 'We Anarchangels of Creative Destruction', his article draws on a number of unusual sources, such as the French traditionalist philosopher Rene Guenon.

Cudenec writes: "How many Anarchangels does it take to bring down acivilisation?

"More than we are now, that is for sure. But we will swell insize and strength as others flow into our stream and turn it into a mightyriver.

"Don’t forget that it rains all the time. Life-moistureexpended and drawn up into the ether is formed again and joins us here onEarth.

"Regeneration means new generations and these are born toplay their part in the ending of an age.

"The death-power is strong and could not be defeated by theenergy of risings past.

"But each time we come back stronger and in greater numbers.Each time we know less fear and we understand more fully just how far we haveto go.

"This will happen again and again until we have won.

"Sin miedo. Nothing can stop us."

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Russian anarchists torch police car and call for uprising

2011-12-10T02:03:00.001-08:00

RUSSIAN anarchists have torched a police car and called for a radical uprising against the regime.

Says a statement from the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire, Russian Cell, FAI/IRF, posted on the 325 website on Friday "After December the 4th (election day in Russia), when the Russian state deployed numerous police and military forces in Moscow and common people took to the streets to shout 'Enough is enough' in the face of cops and corrupt bureaucrats in all major Russian cities, anarchists were engaged in assembly work, organizing and propaganda.

"Last week saw several clashes of common people with police (anarchists took part in those fights): 1 & 2

"This 'popular dissent' is expressed not only in Moscow, but in St. Petersburgh, Nizhnii Novgorod, Tyumen and other big cities.

"System opposition called for a mass rally on December the 10th. Them and the authoritarian lefties try to come on top in this situation and direct the malcontent towards liberal reformism and pacifist practices.

"Tomorrow will be the day we’ve been fighting hard to see coming. Tomorrow is the day that the Russian regime anticipates with fear.

"Being not the least among those who helped build-up the situation, we continue to push for a more radical character of popular uprising.

"On 09/12/2011 we torched a police car. Solidarity with all active insurgents, solidarity to all revolutionary anarchists in prisons!

"Push for anarchist revolution!"

Occupy Red Square!

Live streaming of protest in Russia can be seen at http://www.ridus.ru/

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UK rioters speak out - video

2011-12-08T22:14:00.001-08:00

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Occupy movement reclaims homes from banks

2011-12-07T23:15:00.001-08:00

OCCUPY activists in the USA have moved forward into a new terrain of social war by reclaiming repossessed homes for families.

Announced the Occupy Our Homes site on Wednesday: "A housing system that only serves Wall Street banks and the 1% hasn’t worked. Yesterday the 99% stepped up and said, 'We are reclaiming our homes.' The banks have heard this message loud and clear.

"From Southgate, Michigan to South Gate, California, from East New York to the steps of the Fulton County Courthouse in Georgia, members of the 99% took action to Occupy Homes.

"The banks noticed - Bank of America warned their employees nationwide about the 99% standing up for their homes. Banks came to the negotiating table with home occupiers in West Oakland, Seattle, and San Jose. Foreclosure auctions were blocked in Georgia and California, stopping the sale of dozens of homes.

"The media noticed - major programs like Rachel Maddow, Ed Schultz, and Keith Olbermann highlighted stories from Occupy Our Homes, along with hundreds of other outlets.

"And perhaps most importantly of all, homeowners and people fighting for housing around the country noticed. Local communities and 99% movement participants have committed to escalating this movement to Occupy Homes because everyone deserves a home — and to stop the bailed-out and fraudulent big banks that are stealing our homes.

"The movement to Occupy Our Homes got this kind of attention by taking action for forty homes and 5,000 activists. Imagine how the country will respond if we occupy 1,000 homes and 200,000 people taking action.

"Please keep taking action, keep occupying and bringing the fight for our homes and our neighborhoods to the banks."

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Youths attack police station in Greek suburb

2011-12-06T23:08:00.001-08:00

A GROUP of youths in a suburb of Athens staged a remarkable attack on their local police station on Tuesday.

Reports Contra Info: "As part of the anti-repression commemorations, across Greece and in other parts of the world, for the three years since the assassination of Alexis Grigoropoulos and the December ’08 uprising, a morning rally was held today, December 6th, 2011, in the northern suburb of Halandri, organized mainly by high school students.

"More than 150 people (mostly youths) attended the protest march. The demo started from the square of Aghios Nikolaos and moved on to the police station which was guarded at the time by at least one squad of YMET forces (in blue uniforms).

"Youths attacked the police station throwing stones, reaching its entrance and forcing the cops to retreat and hide inside the building.

"During this direct action which lasted nearly five minutes, the facade was shattered and a police shield was taken as a trophy. The cops used fire extinguishers and shock grenades to disperse the rioters.

"The protesters took to the streets again and continued their march, attacking a luxury car parked nearby, but also smashing shop windows and destroying several bank surveillance cameras along their way. The anti-repression demo ended without any report of arrests."

The video below shows scenes in the centre of Athens on Tuesday.

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Russians revolt against corrupt regime - video

2011-12-05T23:19:00.001-08:00

THOUSANDS of angry Russians have taken to the streets in Moscow and St Petersburg in protest at the corrupt Putin regime.

The ruling United Russia party won less than half the votes in this week's elections - and there are claims that even this was only achieved with the help of vote-fiddling.

Protesters in Moscow tried to march on the Central Elections Commission near the Kremlin, but were stopped by riot police and taken away in buses.

The photo below shows anarchists burning flares while protesting in the Russian capital with a banner declaring: "You were cheated!".

As one newspaper report says: "Many voters, fed up with widespread corruption, refer to United Russia as the party of swindlers and thieves and resent the huge gap between the rich and poor."

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'Riot will always be the best day of my life'

2011-12-05T11:19:00.001-08:00

"I WAS actually doing it. I felt alive, there's no word to explain it. It was like that first day it happened will always be the best day of my life for ever."

This is just one of the comments from English rioters recorded in a new study by the Guardian and the London School of Economics.

Says the paper: "Hundreds of interviews with people who took part in the disturbances which spread across England in August revealed deep-seated and sometimes visceral antipathy towards police."

The findings cut through all the propaganda about criminals and gangs to reveal the obvious truth about the uprisings - they were directed at the police and everything they represent.

And the authorities will be scared witless to hear that thousands of the rioters are up for doing it all again - soon!

Reports The Guardian: "An overwhelming majority of people interviewed about their involvement in this summer's riots believe they will be repeated and one in three said they would take part in any future disorder, a study by the Guardian and the London School of Economics shows.

"Of the 270 questioned in the Reading the Riots study, 81% said they believed the disturbances that spread across England in August 'would happen again'. Two-thirds predicted there would be more riots before the end of 2014.

"Despite more than 4,000 riot-related arrests, and harsher than average sentences in the courts, many of those interviewed said they did not regret their actions."

Some other comments:

"For the record: yeah, I do hate the fucking police ... I was caught up in the situation. And it was like: let's cause fucking chaos – let's cause a riot."

"I think the looting came about because it was linked to police. We're showing them that, yeah, we're bigger than the police, we are actually bigger than the police. Fair enough, we are breaking the law and everything, but there's more of us than there are of you. So if we want to do this, we can do this. And you won't do anything to stop us."

"I just see bottles flying. I've never seen police so scared before – it was like they had no control whatsoever. Like even the police cars, the police vans, they was just throwing rocks at them."

"It felt good, that police car – it felt really good [she torched it]. Especially when my friend took the radio and started saying all this hullabaloo over the radio and confusing them and all that. It was fair for us to do that."

"Never thought it would turn out to be throughout the country. I never knew it was going to escalate, all the way up to Croydon, Liverpool – I never knew it would go all over the place. When I seen some of it on TV, I thought: 'Go on you fuckers, keep going – fucking riot away'."

‘It felt like I was part of a revolution, showing these stupid police that, you know, they’re not invincible’

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Motorised demo in Athens - video

2011-12-04T23:15:00.001-08:00

A MOTORISED demonstration has been staged in Greece in support of striking factory workers.

From the Greek Streets reports that 400 workers from the Halivourgiki steel factory have been on strike for more than a month, after their bosses announced that some would be sacked and the rest face reduced wages.

On Saturday December 3 a solidarity demo was called, people gathered in various squares around Athens, informed the local residents about the strike and collected money, food and other goods for the strikers.

Then they formed a solidarity motor-demonstration and went to the factory in Aspropyrgos and joined the picket lines en masse, blocking entry.

Keep up to date with the global insurrection - follow VM on Twitter.

Zapatista flag flies on Mexican embassy in London

2011-12-04T09:45:00.001-08:00

ZAPATISTA supporters staged an impressive gesture of support for the Mexican rebel movement on Saturday on a weekend of defiance against oppression.

Says a report on Indymedia: "A solidarity demo in Embassy Quarter, London, began dramatically with the imperialist tri-colour being removed from the Mexican embassy, set on fire, and replaced with the Zapatista red star.

"Protesters then moved through London streets with music and a banner, handing out flyers raising awareness about the situation in Chiapas.

"Public engagement was good and lots of people stopped to talk and discuss the issues.

"This was part of the weekend of actions and demos worldwide.

"Solidarity to the indigenous people of Mexico!"

Keep up to date with the global insurrection - follow VM on Twitter.

Indian protesters block trains and torch police cars - dramatic video

2011-12-04T09:25:00.001-08:00

THOUSANDS of survivors of the world’s worst industrial accident blocked trains through a central Indian city on Saturday to demand more compensation.

The protest came on the 27th anniversary of the disaster in Bhopal, where a Union Carbide pesticide plant leaked lethal gas that killed an estimated 15,000 people and maimed tens of thousands more.

Associated Press reports that Bhopal activists and survivors also are calling for Dow to be dropped as a sponsor of the 2012 London Olympics. On Friday, about 200 protesters had marched to the now-abandoned plant and burned effigies of Olympic officials, including Lord Coe.

Activist Rachna Dhingra said police charged Saturday's protesters with sticks in trying to stop them from occupying Bhopal’s five train lines. The protesters, most of them women sitting on the tracks, threw stones at the officers and set four police jeeps and several motorcycles on fire.

Several people, including a police superintendent, were injured in the stone pelting, police said. Eight women were detained, activists said.

Trains were backed up and halted on most lines through much of Saturday, including the route between Delhi and the southern city of Chennai.

The five Bhopal victims’ rights groups that organized the protest demanded that Dow Chemicals, which bought Union Carbide in 2001, pay $8.1 billion in compensation for more than 500,000 people exposed to the leak.

Keep up to date with the global insurrection - follow VM on Twitter.

Video - London cop punches protester

2011-12-02T10:06:00.001-08:00

VIDEO footage has emerged of a policeman punching a protester during the November 30 protests in London.

The incident happened at Haymarket in central London at about 6.15pm.

Says one commenter on YouTube: "I was in Haymarket and saw police behaving badly. I was NOT involved in demonstrations, an innocent bystander visiting London with my 81 year old mother.

"Watching from behind police line, a police officer lashed out at me, screamed obscenities at me.

"I spoke to the same Superintendant shown in the video, who agreed that this sort of behaviour did not give a good impression, but didn't take my complaint seriously, walked away smirking. Brutal, violent, stupid behaviour by public servants."

Another adds: "Did you notice that as soon as the victim started shouting 'what's your number' a fellow officer placed his hand on the offending officer's shoulder in an attempt to obstruct the officer's number whilst making it look like he was merely 'helping' the police push forward.... very sneaky."

Keep up to date with the global insurrection - follow Vast Minority on Twitter.

Zapatistas declare weekend of defiance

2011-12-01T23:18:00.001-08:00

ZAPATISTA rebels in Mexico have called for a weekend of solidarity against a wave of violent political repression directed at them and the National Indigenous Congress (CNI).

And one demonstration has been called at the Mexican Embassy in London (16 St. George Street Lon W1S 1FD) at 2pm on Saturday Dec 3.

The revolutionaries have been occupying areas of Chiapas non-stop since 1994 in their fight against neoliberalism and have come under regular attack from the state.

Says the statement: "We call on everyone to mobilize on the 3rd and 4th of December, so that, according to our own ways of doing things, we can all perform activities in our own places to show our solidarity with the organizations and individuals who are part of the Other Campaign in the country [Mexico] and who are, or have been, victims of government violence, and to demonstrate our opposition to the repression of the Mexican state which murders, kidnaps, and illegally detains social activists who are in opposition to its policies of dispossession, exploitation and death.

"The mobilization of our forces in the country will help free our prisoners, rescue our disappeared, identify the killers and impart justice.

"We fight against the impunity of a corrupt political regime which is unable to offer our people the solutions they require to live well and in peace.

"The struggle of the Zapatista compañer@s shows that there is another way, yes you can live well, with security and wellbeing.

"So they attack them, fear them, and try to destroy their schools and clinics, they do not want the example to spread.

"This is why the struggle to change things in this country requires our commitment, militant activism and solidarity with our Zapatista brothers and sisters, the CNI, the political prisoners and the disappeared.

"We call on everyone to take the public squares of our cities on the 3rd and 4th December and raise our voices to demand:

"STOP THE ATTACKS ON THE ZAPATISTA SUPPORT BASES".

In this video, Subcomandante Marcos talks about the role of the global neoliberal media in which, needless to say, the ongoing Zapatista struggle is barely mentioned.

Keep up to date with the global insurrection - follow Vast Minority on Twitter.

London protesters storm offices - videos

2011-11-30T23:32:00.001-08:00

PROTESTERS in London stormed the offices of the country's highest paid boss during Wednesday's day of action against neoliberal 'austerity' measures.

About 60 protestors gained entry into the offices of mining company Xstrata, a ‘leading light’ of the FTSE 100 and British industry to highlight the fact that CEO Mick Davies was the highest compensated CEO of all the FTSE 100 companies in the last year, when his companies had losses and the economy collapsed. He received £18,426,105 for his efforts.

This comes in a year when the average pay rise of executives across FTSE 100 companies was 43%, with ‘top’ directors at 49%.

Led by a samba band to the building from Piccadilly Circus, the protesters entered the HQ at 25-7 Haymarket, London, with the protesters chanting against the corporate greed of Mick and other executives, in support of all those striking for fair pensions for all today.

The protesters also unfurled a banner saying “All power to the 99%” from the roof top.

Keep up to date with the global insurrection - follow Vast Minority on Twitter.

Corrupt British state under double attack

2011-11-29T23:14:00.001-08:00

THE CORRUPT British state is coming under attack at home and abroad this week.

The day before two million workers were due to take a day of strike action in the UK, an angry crowd of students stormed the British embassy in Tehran (see video).

This follows new sanctions imposed by London, based on the unverified claim that Iran is developing nuclear weapons already possessed by the UK, USA, France and Israel.

Although thousands of miles apart, the two protests are deeply related.

The truth is that the British state, like the US and other states, does not exist to further the interests of its own citizens, let alone absurd notions of global 'democracy'.

Instead, it is controlled entirely by a ruthless neoliberal mafia and used to promote and defend the commercial domination of corporate interests and the capitalist system that enables them to flourish.

Rebellious worker-drones at home and dangerously independent countries abroad are all threats to that hegemony and have to be crushed.

But there are now definite signs that this is not going to be as easy as it once was.

Keep up to date with the global insurrection - follow Vast Minority on Twitter.

Day of resistance for UK

2011-11-28T23:22:00.001-08:00

BRITAIN is preparing for its biggest day of union resistance for many years.

Report direct action news source SchNEWS: "Wednesday 30th November will see the first mass strike in the UK for four decades.

"17 unions, including the biggest ones Unite, UCU, Unison, various teaching unions and PCS, have balloted to strike on pension reform which will see an estimated 3 million off work and, hopefully, cause massive disruption. Demonstrations and pickets are planned across the country – see http://www.n30strike.org for a complete list.

"While the ‘official’ pensions reason is a biggie, the day will be one of anti-austerity action on the whole. It was obvious a year and a half ago that austerity measures were going to cripple the public sector, but it’s only over the issue of pensions that unions have been able to come together in co- ordinated action.

"The government’s various cuts bills have been sector specific until now, and Tory anti-strike legislation forbids solidarity action – effectively making mass, cross-sector strikes illegal. This, combined with the timidity of the unions and their own stifling legal processes have delayed action until the shared pension cuts could become the focal point for general civil unrest.

"Which is rich, considering unemployment is at a 17-year high thanks to government policy. They’re also attempting to rebrand it as a 'take your child to work day' in an effort to avoid parents taking the day off to look after children turned away from closed schools.

"It’s not only the government who want to break the strike: One particularly bizarre measure is being taken by an academy school headteacher in London, who is bringing in ex-Army personnel, police dog handlers and CSI teams to teach classes next Wednesday.

"The tactics for the day are to keep demonstrations and marches focused in local communities and for many dispersed actions as opposed to a mass gathering, but if you fancy hitting the road to get in on the action, the most fun place to be looks set to be London.

"Occupy have issued a call-out to congregate in the capital and ‘Shut down the city’ – the plans for which are to be confirmed..."

Keep up to date with the global insurrection - follow Vast Minority on Twitter.

Video - German protesters block rail track

2011-11-27T23:20:00.001-08:00

HUNDREDS of riot cops with helicopter support have cleared the way for the Castor nuclear waste train in Germany.

This video from graswurzel.tv (grass roots tv) shows how activists approached the railway line through woods, before evading police to stage a massive occupation of the track numnering up to 5,000 people.

More than 1,000 people were arrested for refusing to leave and police also clashed with two groups of protesters that hurled stones and fireworks, say corporate media.

There were clashes in France last week when protesters managed to sabotage the line and torch a police vehicle.

The shipment paused overnight south of Hamburg and is expected to reach its destination with considerable delay on Monday.

Keep up to date with the global insurrection - follow Vast Minority on Twitter.

New wave of anger at US empire

2011-11-27T07:15:00.001-08:00

ANGRY opposition to US-led imperalism is reaching new heights in Pakistan following a cross-border NATO air strike that killed at least 24 Pakistani soldiers.

In revenge, the state has given the US 15 days to vacate an airbase used as a key launchpad for drone strikes in Afghanistan and also shut down NATO supply routes into the neighbouring country, which has been under neoliberal occupation for ten years.

American flags have been burned in the streets, Pakistanis took to social media websites to express their dismay and the media reflected the public anger over the attack.

"US stabs Pakistan in the back, again," said a headline in the Daily Times while headline in The Express Tribune read: "Pakistan inflamed as 24 killed in Nato strike".

Keep up to date with the global insurrection - follow Vast Minority on Twitter.

'Era of naked force' - frontline video from Egypt

2011-11-25T03:21:00.001-08:00

"WE HAVE now entered the era of naked force".

That was the view expressed by former New York Times correspondent Chris Hedges, as this video was released showing a week of rebellion and repression on the front line in Egypt, with police clearly seen shooting at protesters against the neoliberal-backed SCAF military regime.

Hedges wrote in an article called This is What Revolution Looks Like: "The historian Crane Brinton in his book 'Anatomy of a Revolution' laid out the common route to revolution.

"The preconditions for successful revolution, Brinton argued, are discontent that affects nearly all social classes, widespread feelings of entrapment and despair, unfulfilled expectations, a unified solidarity in opposition to a tiny power elite, a refusal by scholars and thinkers to continue to defend the actions of the ruling class, an inability of government to respond to the basic needs of citizens, a steady loss of will within the power elite itself and defections from the inner circle, a crippling isolation that leaves the power elite without any allies or outside support and, finally, a financial crisis.

"Our corporate elite, as far as Brinton was concerned, has amply fulfilled these preconditions. But it is Brinton’s next observation that is most worth remembering. Revolutions always begin, he wrote, by making impossible demands that if the government met would mean the end of the old configurations of power.

"The second stage, the one we have entered now, is the unsuccessful attempt by the power elite to quell the unrest and discontent through physical acts of repression.

"I have seen my share of revolts, insurgencies and revolutions, from the guerrilla conflicts in the 1980s in Central America to the civil wars in Algeria, the Sudan and Yemen, to the Palestinian uprising to the revolutions in East Germany, Czechoslovakia and Romania as well as the wars in the former Yugoslavia. George Orwell wrote that all tyrannies rule through fraud and force, but that once the fraud is exposed they must rely exclusively on force. We have now entered the era of naked force.

"The vast million-person bureaucracy of the internal security and surveillance state will not be used to stop terrorism but to try and stop us."

Today, Friday, was expected to see massive crowds turn out to call for the immediate end to SCAF rule.

Updates at EA World View.

Live streaming from RT.

Protesters battle French riot cops

2011-11-23T22:20:00.001-08:00

ANTI-NUCLEAR protesters battled with riot police in France in a bid to stop a train of nuclear waste heading for Germany.

The authorities used tear gas and brute force, but the environmentalists managed to sabotage part of the railway and torch a police vehicle.

The French state is refusing to end its nuclear operations, even after the Fukushima disaster and the horrific after-effects.

The shipment from the French nuclear giant Areva's reprocessing plant at La Hague is the last planned to Germany.

Similar protests are expected along the whole route - the last convoy in 2010 was blocked for three hours in Caen and one night in Germany.

Egyptian lesson for global revolutionaries

2011-11-23T10:59:00.001-08:00

POTENTIAL revolutionaries across the world should watch carefully what is happening in Egypt at the moment.

This is what happens if you get anywhere near threatening the grip on power of the global capitalist system.

First of all they ignore you, then they mock you, spy on you, infiltrate you, kettle you, prosecute you, intimidate you, threaten you, lie about you, beat you up.

If all that fails, they may trick you into thinking you have won - as they seem to have done in Egypt earlier this year.

When you see through it all and refuse to lie down, they will start shooting you (as they do in this video).

And still you have to keep fighting, like the heroes of Cairo, because otherwise you are condemning your children, their children and their children afterwards to lives of slavery.

New York cops attack students - video

2011-11-22T22:23:00.001-08:00

ANGER is still bubbling to the surface of society in the USA, as the momentum from the Occupy movements spreads into other protests.

This video shows police getting physical with student protesters opposing tuition fee rises at CUNY, the City University of New York.

A statement on the students' website says: "We demand free tuition and admission open to all with a high school diploma or GED, with special attention in admissions to New York City public high school graduates.

"We demand that you fund adjuncts’ health care, and all the wages, benefits, and working conditions for our faculty and staff need to live in dignity.

"We demand that you pay for this by continuing the Millionaires’ Tax, reinstating the Stock Transfer Tax, and pivoting spending within CUNY away from wealthy top administrators’ compensation and toward the education of students and compensation of faculty and staff."

Gunfire in Cairo - raw video

2011-11-22T12:20:00.001-08:00

ASTONISHING video footage is emerging from Cairo, where protesters are braving toxic chemical gases and even live bullets as they fight to protect democracy and the revolution.

Huge numbers gathered in Tahrir Square on Tuesday, with adjacent side streets filled with what was virtually civil war, as the state attacked opponents of the SCAF military regime.

A televised speech by Mohamed Tantawi, the head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, did nothing to halt the mood of rebellion, with its echoes of Mubarak's final days.

The mood of the protesters today can be seen in these messages appearing on Twitter under the hashtag of the revolution, #jan25:

This is different than #Jan25 somehow. Less chanting/signs and more battle-like. Its not a protest anymore, it's a revolution. #tahrir

a friend who never supported #jan25: "I support tahrir. Today I can say tahrir is only true & honest thing in #egypt" it made me cry...

Today is the happiest for me sice #jan25 ,today my fiancee joins the revolution and we are going to #tahrir hand in hand :)

2,000,000+ now in #tahrir, I guess that didn't even happen in #jan25 days !! #Egypt #noSCAF

Dear US Government, We don't hate you because we hate your freedom. We hate you because you hate our freedom. #Tahrir #Egypt #Jan25

Call to 'Occupy the Machine'

2011-11-22T12:08:00.001-08:00

RADICAL environmentalists have issued an open letter to the Occupy movement urging it to go beyond symbolic action.

Entitled "Occupy the Machine - Stop the 1%, Literally", the piece appears on the Deep Green Resistance website.

It states: "We invite you to imagine, as many of you already probably have, if thousands of people occupied local refineries, roads, ports, oil and mining extraction sites, etc. – in other words, imagine if people occupied the locations where the 1% destroy the land and exploit humans, all for profit.

"Imagine their stock prices falling, their cash flow being interrupted, their ability to get loans and/or expand 'production' – a euphemism for converting living beings into dead products – finished.

"Imagine if we were able to stop them, stop the 1%. Literally. Not symbolically. We think it can be done if we all do it together. We think it can be done if we all figure out how to do it and if we are willing to make the necessary sacrifices, together.

"To be clear, what we’re envisioning here would mean a massive escalation. It would mean hundreds of thousands of people all over the country leaving behind school, jobs, family, and comfort, to really go for it. To not settle for less than victory. To leave behind symbolic action for good."

For the full detailed article go to http://deepgreenresistance.org/occupythemachine/

US cops 'inspired Egyptian brutality'

2011-11-21T22:13:00.001-08:00

SCENES of violent American police smashing up the Occupy Wall Street protest camp in New York inspired Egyptian state forces in their attack on the Tahrir Square occupation.

This is the shocking revelation picked up from Egyptian state TV by the Russia Today news channel.

It reports that an anchor for the broadcaster referred to the "fantastically efficient police response to the Occupy Wall Street movement in America" and added: "We saw the firm stance the US took against OWS people (and the German government against green protesters) to secure the state" .

It is clear that US support for the army regime consistst of more than just theoretical inspiration, with chemicals used to attack protesters being supplied from America.

Despite the vicious attack by police and army, the encampment in the centre of the Cairo remains in place and on Tuesday a new series of demonstrations are expected as momentum grows for a Second Revolution in Egypt to sweep aside the SCAF military council.

Egypt: video, updates and live links

2011-11-21T11:07:00.001-08:00

EVENTS are moving rapidly in Egypt following the massive street uprising against the SCAF military regime and revulsion at the brutality meted out by the once-popular troops.

At the time of posting the latest news was that the Egyptian cabinet has submitted its resignation to SCAF.

Other updates are:

* 63 flights in and out of Cairo have been cancelled due to the unrest in recent days.

* The Muslim Brotherhood has called on SCAF to stop the killing and aggression against the demonstrators in all squares immediately and without delay and withdraw its soldiers and vehicles from the squares.

* Rebellion is spreading, Al Jazeera has been showing videos of protesters in Dammiyat, Zaqazeeq and Port Said, in addition to previous reports from Cairo, Alexandria, Suez, Al Arish and Ismailiya.

* Disturbing details have emerged of the US-made "tear gas" being used by SCAF in its chemical warfare against its own population.

To keep up to date with the latest developments, try EA WorldView which is currently running a live blog at http://www.enduringamerica.com/home/2011/11/21/egypt-and-beyond-liveblog-the-newest-battle-of-tahrir-square.html.

RT is streaming live from Tahrir Square at http://rt.com/on-air/egypt-tahrir-clashes-live/

13 killed in new battle of Tahrir

2011-11-20T23:12:00.001-08:00

COURAGEOUS revolutionaries continue to battle the SCAF military regime in Egypt.

The BBC is reporting that at least 13 protesters have been killed by the authorities in Cairo over the weekend.

It says: "Security forces launched a major assault to clear the square on Sunday, but protesters returned within an hour."

One Egyptian commenting on Twitter said: "I am out of words. Egyptian army is murdering Egyptian civilians. That's our worst living nightmare."

Said another: "This is the longest battle we've ever fought ever since #Jan25, and by far the most critical."

New revolution ignites in Egypt - video

2011-11-20T04:46:00.001-08:00

A NEW revolutionary wave is sweeping Egypt, as people take to the streets to oppose the SCAF 'temporary' military regime.

Reports The New York Times: "A police action to roust a few hundred protesters out of Tahrir Square on Saturday instead drew thousands of people from across Egyptian society into the streets, where the violence continued on Sunday.

"The confrontations were the most violent manifestation so far of growing anger at the military-led interim government.

"In a battle reminiscent of the clashes that led to the ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak nine months ago, a mass of protesters converged on Tahrir Square, fled before an onslaught of riot police officers firing tear gas and rubber bullets, and then surged back to retake and hold the square through the early hours of Sunday.

"State media reported Saturday night that more than 700 people had been injured, including 40 riot police, and at least one civilian died of a gunshot wound.

"Protesters operated a makeshift field hospital in small mosque near the square, where doctors said Sunday morning that they had treated at least 400 people for serious injuries and hundreds more who suffered from tear gas. The smell of gas was still heavy around the square.

"The clashes continued Sunday through midday as a crowd of perhaps a few hundred who stayed in the square through the night swelled back to thousands.

"Though demonstrators occupied the square unmolested, a battalion of young men that filled a city block was charging against a wall of police, who fired tear gas to defend the headquarters of the interior ministry.

"Witnesses said the battle had pushed back and forth through the night.'I saw the revolution being slain so I had to come,' said Ahmed Hamza, 41, a lawyer, watching the fray. Like many in the square, he vowed to stay until the ruling military council committed to a swift exit from power but also said he feared the generals welcomed the chaos as pretext to cancel elections. 'Today there will be violence,' he predicted, awaiting new moves to clear the square."

Bank of Ideas to inspire London revolt

2011-11-19T03:11:00.001-08:00

ANTI-CAPITALIST protesters in London have upped the ante by squatting a massive disused building owned by Swiss bank UBS.

This is the message on the welcome page of its website at http://www.bankofideas.org.uk/

The Bank of Ideas is situated on Sun Street, Hackney in an abandoned office block purchased several years ago by the bank UBS. It is an enormous space complete with a 500-seater lecture hall.

It has been opened to the public for the non-monetary trade of ideas to help solve the pressing economic, social and envionmental problems of our time.

There is also room for community groups, youth clubs, nursuries and other public services that have lost their space due to Government spending cuts.

Artists, performers and creatives are welcome to come entertain and to help transform the space. We also encourage games, workshops and skillshares on anything from yoga to yahtzee.

The only prerequisite is that this space is not for financial transactions. Trade in ideas or skills, but no one should need to pay to take part in the Bank’s activities.

Everyone should feel safe and welcome in the Bank. Our Safer Spaces Policy asks people to be mindful and respectful of how their ideas or actions might effect others, and there is a No Drugs and Alcohol Policy. As this is a public space any damage or disrespect to the property would be an act of disrespect and violence towards your own community, a community trying to come together to find positive solutions to our current crises. We ask all people who come into the space to come in with respect.

Everyone is warmly welcome and encouraged to come and be part of creating the Bank of Ideas. Email us with your ideas, suggestions and requests at bankofideaslondon@gmail.com.

50,000 demand democracy in Egypt

2011-11-19T02:51:00.001-08:00

PRESSURE is building in Egypt for a second revolution to rid the country of the SCAF military regime.

A massive demonstration of 50,000 people was held on Friday in Cairo's Tahrir Square, in which protesters from all backgrounds came together to demand the democracy they thought they had won in January this year.

But a stark reminder of how little some things have changed came after the rally with the arrival of riot police to dismantle tents and force the remaining people out of the area.

The scenes also have huge resonance with the attacks on Occupy camps in the USA, making it even clearer that we are witnessing the same system oppressing the same people - all across the world.

Reports Aljazeera: "Friday's protest drew political parties and religious movements of different stripes, though the loudest voices in the square came from Islamists, including hardline Salafis and the comparatively moderate Muslim Brotherhood.

"Liberal, leftist and Islamist parties and groups such as the April 6 Movement, founded in solidarity with labour protests, participated in the rally. Islamists joined with their call to put an end to military trials of civilians, which have led to the incarceration of thousands in proceedings described by human rights activists as opaque and unfair."

It quoted Anan Zuhairi, a 26-year-old doctor, as saying she was not with any party or political movement but that she joined the protest because 'nothing has been resolved since the revolution.

"'Nothing we revolted for has happened. Emergency law is still not canceled. People are being taken out of their homes. Our demands have remained the same except they've become more," she said. "We just want democracy and freedom. The people with opinions are all in prisons."

Global insurrection is taking shape

2011-11-17T23:20:00.001-08:00

A NEW phase has been reached in the growing global uprising against capitalism.

The scenes in this video happen to have been shot in Italy on November 17, but they could have been anywhere.

It is becoming increasingly apparent that the familiar scenes of unarmed, mostly youthful, protesters being attacked by paramilitary baton-wielding riot police, are not snapshots from unrelated public order incidents in various separate parts of the world.

They are, rather, scenes from different fronts in the same war - between the vast majority of the human race and the ruthless and greedy elite who want to keep us all in slavery.

On the one hand, the millions of people who took to the streets on November 17 in the USA, Spain, Greece, Italy and elsewhere are now seeing through the whole landscape of lies that has been used to fool us all into being robbed and disenfranchised by the capitalist system for so long.

On the other hand, the system itself realises this, realises the potential danger it is facing, and is acting in a co-ordinated and deliberate manner to intimidate, brutalise and crush any signs of an uprising.

This will, obviously, open people's eyes still further to the realities of their position, fuelling their anger and bringing still more out on to the streets in support.

How will it end? We cannot know. But if there was going to be a global revolution its beginning would surely have to look something like this.

Kuwaitis storm parliament - video

2011-11-16T23:21:00.001-08:00

IN DRAMATIC scenes captured on this video, protesters in Kuwait have stormed the country's parliament as anger rises over the corrupt regime.

ABC reports that the scenes materialised after police and elite forces beat up people marching on the prime minister's home to demand his resignation.

It says: "The police had used batons to prevent protesters from marching to the residence of prime minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, a senior member of the ruling family, after staging a rally outside parliament. Witnesses said at least five demonstrators were injured and treated on the site.

"Some activists said they will continue to camp outside parliament until the premier is sacked.

"Chanting 'the people want to remove the prime minister', the protesters started to march to the nearby premier's residence when police blocked their way.

"This was the first political violence in the oil-rich Gulf state since December, when elite forces beat up protesters and MPs at a public rally, though activists have been holding protests since March.

"Tension has been building in Kuwait over the past three months after it was alleged about 16 MPs in the 50-member parliament received about $350 million in bribes."

The Kuwaiti regime is closely linked to the USA, which has a military presence there.

On the same day as the protests, First Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah were discussing closer ties with US Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Andrew J. Shapiro, reports the Kuwait News Agency.

It says: "The meeting tackled military cooperation between the two countries and discussed issues of mutual interests."

November 17 - a day of action

2011-11-15T23:18:00.001-08:00

NOVEMBER 17 will be an important day for democracy on two continents, with big protests against neoliberal tyranny lined up.

Greece will see the first large-scale reaction on the streets to the imposition of an unelected banker leader.

Writes From The Greek Streets: "The build-up for the annual commemorative events for the anti-dictatorial student uprising of 1973 is fully underway, with demonstrations planned across Greece.

"In Athens and in Heraclion, at least, some anarchist blocks will use the same slogan that had been used by the EAM, the communist movement of armed resistance against the Nazi occupation: 'when the people are confronted with the threat of tyranny, they either chose the chains or the guns'.”

Meanwhile, the same day has been chosen for a national day of action by the Occupy movement in the USA, with protests in New York's Wall Street - following the brutal eviction of the Zuccotti Park camp - and in many other cities includng Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington DC.

We

2011-11-15T12:55:00.001-08:00

We smash your skulls with sticks and shields and trample onyour dreams

We strut and sneer and snort contempt for you and all yousay

We screech above the city streets and rain down death andfear

We build a prison round your lives and tell you that you’refree

We poison all you eat and drink to make a few more bucks

We milk you dry of all you have so we get fatter still

We fill your world with lies that serve to keep you in yourplace

We laugh at you

We own you

And you are too scared to do anything about it

As posted on Paul Cudenec's blog

Cops smash up Wall Street protest camp

2011-11-14T23:35:00.001-08:00

THE limits of so-called capitalist democracy were brutally exposed in New York early on Tuesday morning, as riot police smashed up the inspirational Occupy Wall Street camp.

The state thugs kettled off the whole area in the middle of the night, closed subway stations and stopped both press and camp supporters from reaching Zuccotti Park to help or witness what was happening.

There were confirmed reports of pepper spray being used on protesters and of police laughing and smiling as they ripped apart the tents and infrastructure of the anti-capitalist community that sparked a movement across the USA and beyond.

Some of the cops involved were from the 'Counter Terrorism' force (see photo), confirming that for the neoliberal global regime a 'terrorist' is simply a term to describe anyone who challenges their domination.

A protest march on the Wall Street stock exchange is planned for Thursday November 17 - let's hope this is now bigger and angrier than ever as the harsh reality of the capitalist tyranny becomes more and more apparent for all to see.

London - undercover cops exposed

2011-11-13T23:22:00.001-08:00

MORE evidence is emerging of sinister undercover police infiltration of the student protest in London on November 9.

This excellent video exposes the extent of the new tactic of oppression, part of the agressive contempt for the right to protest displayed on the day by the Met police, which boasts of its commitment to "total[itarian] policing".

Portland resists eviction police

2011-11-13T04:12:00.001-08:00

THOUSANDS of people took to the streets of Portland, Oregon, USA, over Saturday night to resist eviction of the Occupy protest camp in the city centre.

At the time of writing, four hours had elapsed since the police's midnight deadline and the protesters were still standing firm.

As this recorded video shows, riot police lines actually retreated in the face of mass defiance.

Live streaming was being provided at http://occupyportland.org/ and http://www.livestream.com/globalrevolution

Resistance targets phone masts and hubs

2011-11-12T01:40:00.001-08:00

RESISTANCE fighters in Afghanistan are declaring war on a key element in any system of oppression - its communciations system.

Reports The Guardian: "The Taliban began attacking transmission masts in 2007, but the damage was limited and the attacks were often aimed only at extorting money from companies.

"But since mid-summer attacks have soared, with up to 30 towers being destroyed or damaged in one 20-day period. Previously a loss of five would be considered a bad month.

"Insurgents have also become much more destructive. 'They used to just blow up our fuel tanks,' a senior executive of an Afghan telecoms company said. ''Now they put fuel inside the control room with all the equipment, absolutely destroying everything'.

"Some masts have even been blown completely out of the ground by insurgents wiring them up with huge quantities of explosives.

"And they have focused many attacks on critical hub relay towers, which has the effect of bringing down services in many other locations. In some cases entire provinces have lost all phone services for days on end."

Anarchist video from the USA

2011-11-10T23:07:00.001-08:00

COOL video from US anarchists at www.submedia.tv

Video - Gogol Bordello play Occupy Vermont

2011-11-10T22:46:00.001-08:00

GIPSY punk band Gogol Bordello played at the Occupy protest site in Burlington, Vermont, in the north east of the USA, on Wednesday night.

Ukrainian-Roma frontman Eugene Hutz, who once lived in the city, is on record as a supporter of the anti-capitalist protest movement.

Video - undercover cops on demo

2011-11-10T12:38:00.001-08:00

THIS video shows undercover cop thugs in action on the London student demo on November 9.

They can be seen at Holborn Circus pushing to the ground and arresting a protester - about a minute into the video.

Says the N9 Anarchist Bloc site: "This new police tactic, if it continues, will need anarchists to acknowledge our collective role on demonstrations. Any anarchists who continue to attend demonstrations as individuals, as opposed to a politically constituted element, will have to learn pretty sharpish a new way of thinking.

"Nov 9 was a classic example of a police demonstration. The new and dangerous twist is the police are now an active and embedded part of the march itself.

"A warning of things to come."

Unauthorised routes of protest lie ahead

2011-11-10T11:22:00.001-08:00

THE BRITISH authorities and their hired thugs are feelingpretty pleased with themselves.

A potential outbreak of dissent on the streets of London on November 9 wascontrolled and corralled to an efficient extent.

It did take the threat of rubber bullets, a concerted mediacampaign, intimidation by letter of potential protesters and 4,000 cops withhorses and crowd control barriers along the route of the student march (plus some undercover), butthis was no doubt a price worth paying for those in charge of maintainingbusiness as usual.

There was certainly no sense of official embarrassment thatcops were clutching riot helmets before the demonstration had even begun, letalone kicked off, or that at the completion of a ‘legitimate’ A to B processionpeople found themselves in a de facto kettle, which they could only exit one ata time through two police cordons to enable them to be individuallyphotographed by police ‘evidence gatherers’.

There seemed no sense of surprise among the protesters,either, that the mere act of marching against the government has apparentlybecome criminalised in an Orwellian state running 27 years behind schedule.

But there were also signs of changing times. Not only werethe anti-capitalist marchers applauded by builders on the scaffolding near Waterloo Bridge – itself unthinkable ten yearsago – but they were also cheered by some of the besuited office workers atLondon Wall.

Despite the overhwelming force that the British statebrought to bear on its young opponents in London,the panicked looks on the faces of some of the police at the slightest signs ofdefiance spoke much about what lies ahead.

Police and government know full well that the currentcapitalist crisis is not going away any time soon and neither is the swellingtide of resistance.

The course of a river can be temporarily dammed with riotshields and snarling masked goons, but water has a wonderful way of finding itsway past any obstacle.

November 9 was a battle fought according to state rules onits own terrain and it is little surprise, in truth, that might prevailed.

On other occasions, however, the police chiefs’ arrogancewill no doubt be found to be sorely misplaced, as the flood of revolt breaksout into wholly unauthorised routes of protest.

Electricians kick off November 9

2011-11-09T01:02:00.000-08:00

RESISTANCE began early in London on November 9 with 1,000 electricians marching through the city.

There were early reports of police lines being broken as the workers refused to be halted.

Protests have been growing against de-skilling and pay cuts being imposed by a group of construction firms.

Autonomous trade unionists are expected to join forces with the student protest and Occupy London later in the day.

London police threaten violence

2011-11-09T00:48:00.000-08:00

LONDON'S police thugs are planning to use force to "disperse" protesters at London Wall at 5.30pm today, it has emerged.

Comments London anarchist Ian Bone on his blog: "The new commander at the Met really is doing his best to ensure violence. This is bound to lead to trouble – so blame Commander Fuckwit Pountain and his boss.

"Swaggering bullies with their bullets and armoured cars determined to show off to Theresa May how tough they are – no nonsense types. Well..they’ll have to do the same on November 23rd and 30th – by which time the cracks will show."

November 23 is the date, already announced, of the next student day of action and November 30 will see a national day of industrial action and protest against the neoliberal economic assault on the population.

Europe run by 'unelected cabal'

2011-11-09T00:38:00.000-08:00

EUROPE is not a democracy and is being run by "an unelected cabal".

That's the conclusion of an article in The Guardian today by economics editor Larry Elliott.

He writes: "The European Union has always had problems with democracy, a messy process that can interfere with the grand designs of people at the top who know best.

"When Ireland voted no to the Nice Treaty, it was told to come up with the right result in a second ballot. The European Central Bank wields immense power, but nobody knows how the unelected members of its governing council vote because no minutes of meetings are published.

"That said, the latest phase of Europe's sovereign debt crisis has exposed the quite flagrant contempt for voters, the people who are going to bear the full weight of the austerity programmes being cooked up by the political elites.

"Here's how things work. The real decisions in Europe are now taken by the Frankfurt Group, an unelected cabal made of up eight people: Lagarde; Merkel; Sarkozy; Mario Draghi, the new president of the ECB; José Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission; Jean-Claude Juncker, chairman of the Eurogroup; Herman van Rompuy, the president of the European Council; and Olli Rehn, Europe's economic and monetary affairs commissioner.

"This group, which is accountable to no one, calls the shots in Europe. The cabal decides whether Greece should be allowed to hold a referendum and if and when Athens should get the next tranche of its bailout cash.

"What matters to this group is what the financial markets think not what voters might want. To the extent that governments had any power, it has been removed and placed in the hands of the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the IMF. It is as if the democratic clock has been turned back to the days when France was ruled by the Bourbons.

"In the circumstances, it is hardly surprising that electorates have resorted to general strikes and street protests to have their say. Governments come and go but the policies remain the same, creating a glaring democratic deficit.

"This would be deeply troubling even if it could be shown that the Frankfurt Group's economic remedies were working, which they are not. Instead, the insistence on ever more austerity is pushing Europe's weaker countries into an economic death spiral while their voters are being bypassed. That is a dangerous mixture."

London police ramp up intimidation

2011-11-08T11:08:00.000-08:00

POLICE in London are ramping up the intimidation ahead of Wednesday's big student and union protests in the British capital.

In a blog entry entitled "Don't be intimidated, see you on the streets", police monitoring group Fitwatch reports that letters have been sent to protesters on police files trying to put them off turning up.

Says the report: "On the eve of the mass education/sparks/cabbies protest on 9th November, it is clear the state are trying to intimidate us.

"From the news today that the police have written to protesters arrested at previous demonstrations warning them off protesting (see picture), to the “total policing” of the last couple of weeks witnessed at the squatting demo and deaths in custody march (amongst others), the message is clear; attempt to protest and the state will clamp down, act violently, and make arbitrary arrests.

"And, if you’re unlucky enough to get caught, the courts are making sure long deterrent sentences are passed, regardless of how insignificant the individual action, in attempt to scare us away from future protest.

"However, whilst even seasoned activists have admitted to being a little scared at the current state of policing, it’s not all doom and gloom, and we mustn’t be tricked into feeling intimidated.

"It’s nearly the anniversary of the Met’s attempt to silence Fitwatch for giving common sense advice to the Millbank protesters. This is still recommended reading, as is this Fitwatch call to action.

"Above all, we should be applying the lessons we have learnt on the streets over the last year. When we don’t just ‘walk on by’, and act in solidarity with each other, we are stronger; when we act as fast mobile blocs, we are more effective and harder to contain; when we sit down or put our hands in the air, we are fodder for baton strikes and kettling; when we refuse to play the divide and rule game and condemn fellow protesters, we are more threatening.

"And finally, and perhaps most importantly, when we mask up, and make no comment to police questioning, we are harder to convict and lock up.

"See you on the streets!"

Neoliberal mask is slipping fast

2011-11-08T07:01:00.000-08:00

THE ILLUSION of democracy under capitalism is finally being dispelled as the neoliberal elite desperately tries to stem the global surge of revolt.

With paramilitary police forces being sent in to crush dissent wherever it breaks out and 'austerity' measures imposed everywhere, the mask of consensus is rapidly slipping to reveal the brutal face of plutocratic dictatorship.

Reports From the Greek Streets today: "It sounds like a sitcom joke, or maybe a strange feeling that perhaps those at the echelon of power might have a sense of humour after all, even if it’s a twisted one — but it’s true: Greece’s representative at the IMF (called Panagiotis Roumeliotis, in case you want to know) now appears 'very likely' to become the next prime minister, according to corporate media reports and ‘leaks’.

"In the near-incomprehensible sequence of events unfolding before our eyes, democracy is unveiling itself for what it really is — nothing more, of course, than a means to protect and perpetuate the existing system of power and domination.

"The fact that the veil of any sort of 'representation' or 'consensus' has dropped can be a positive one: resorting to showing its brute face is a sign of weakness on the side of power, and a hint of some great opportunities on the side of our own."

Adds a contributor: "In Italy the EU and US want them to get rid of Berlusconi and install a technocrat. This is the way they want the world to be run now, not be people voting people into office (which almost always turns out to be a joke anyway).

"Now they are just bypassing any facade of democracy and basically 'appointing' representatives who will do the bidding of capital markets.

"It is however a big sign of weakness. Because once the illusion of democracy is removed, that’s when people can no longer trick themselves."

Sydney video - police thugs move in

2011-11-08T06:22:00.000-08:00

OCCUPY protesters in Sydney, Australia, have been evicted from a disused building by a gang of 100 police thugs with dogs.

Angry supporters chanted "this is not democracy!", "shame!" and "no justice, no peace!" as the huge contingent of cops moved in to arrest the ten people who had squatted premises abandoned since 2008.

Police also assaulted protesters in the street and shone a high-strength torch into the lens of video cameras outside to stop the eviction being filmed.

Occupy Sydney has reported that police will not give them any information about the arrestees, citing 'privacy reasons'.

A 60-minute protesters' recording of the eviction can be viewed here.