Hot summer of anti-capitalism kicks off

A HOT summer of anti-capitalist resistance is kicking off, with the Blockupy protests in Frankfurt coinciding with huge anti-government and anti-police protests across Turkey.

Anti-capitalists will also be taking to the streets of London for the Stop G8 week of action and J11 Carnival Against Capitalism.

The uprising against Turkey is against an increasingly authoritarian neoliberal regime - very much following the plutofascist globel model - with the added local ingredient of religious intolerance of secular society.

The spark for the protests was plans to build a shopping mall on much-loved Gezi Park in Istanbul, part of the relentless capitalist enclosure of space and destruction of the environment in the name of profits.

Reports CNN: "Critics are unhappy at the rapid pace of urbanization in Turkey's metropolitan cities. Erdogan is planning to build a third airport, a third Bosphorus bridge and a canal linking the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara, which are likely to destroy millions of trees and a delicate ecosystem in northern Istanbul. A staggering $4.7 billion was spent on ambitious construction projects last year in Istanbul alone."

Nothing can be allowed to stand in the way of machineries of profit, hence the savage and murderous attack on the Istanbul protesters by the state and its thugs.

Hence also the repression meted out to the thousands of protesters who physically confronted the capitalist system in Frankfurt on May 31 and June 1.

Reuters reports:"Anti-capitalist demonstrators from the Blockupy movement paralysed Germany's financial center on Friday, cutting off access to the European Central Bank and Deutsche Bank's headquarters.

"Riot police, showered with stones and paint bombs, used pepper spray to prevent the protesters breaking into the ECB. Several protesters were injured and police made some arrests."

Protests a "serious threat" to London capitalists

 

A MASSIVE wave of anti-capitalist resistance is set to hit London at the start of June.

The Stop G8 week of action ahead of the G8 Summit, featuring the J11 Carnival Against Capitalism on Tuesday June 11, is already worrying the British state.

One newspaper report says "the G8 protests represent a serious threat" and claims Home Secretary Theresa May is ordering in German water cannon, to be used on the British mainland for the first time.

It says: "Mrs May is concerned about thousands of anarchists and other protesters from North America and Europe converging on Britain next month."

A Home Office "source" is said to have told the newspaper: "There's an urgency to get the water cannons by the summer. Theresa May is actually pushing for it. The G8 is a worry for them."

There are a a number of protests lined up around London between June 6 and 14. Some anti-capitalists will be heading to Watford where the 2013 Bilderberg Conference is being held from June 6 to June 8.

UK Indymedia reports that the Stop G8 convergence "will begin on the weekend of June 8-9, with workshops and skillshares involving Green and Black Cross and Fitwatch in preparation for the J11 Carnival Against Capitalism on Tuesday June 11.

"There will then be an anti-militarist protest on Wednesday June 12 and a No Borders No Prisons! day of actions on Thursday June 13, while on Friday June 14 They Owe Us plan to appear somewhere in Canary Wharf, to reclaim and transform a space, bringing beauty and hope to the soulless heart of capitalism."

Stop G8 says the J11 Carnival Against Capitalism will be "a time to celebrate our resistance and our dreams, to bring music and colour to the streets. And also to show our strength and our anger."

State scare tactics in G8 run-up

SCARE tactics and propaganda are being deployed by the British state in the run-up to the G8 summit in June.

There is talk of special cells being readied for protesters at an army camp, of  police-state style  security measures and of overworked and stressed-out cops.

The pressure has also been increased by the discovery of a mortar bomb which a dissident republican group says was intended for the G8 summit venue.

The authorities are facing big protests in three locations - in London for a week of action including the J11 Carnival Against Capitalism, in Dublin just before the summit and around the actual venue at Lough Erne, County Fermanagh (pictured above).

"The police and prison services in Northern Ireland have begun arranging for hundreds of extra holding cells in anticipation of protests at this summer's G8 summit turning ugly," reports The Belfast Telegraph.

Work is apparently under way to make available extra cell capacity inside Maghaberry high security prison in Co Antrim, as well as at Magilligan prison in Co Londonderry and Hydebank Wood young offenders' centre and women's prison in Belfast.

The authorities claim a "ring of steel" will be in place around the summit venue at the Lough Erne resort. With the lakes of Fermanagh providing an additional natural barrier between the hotel and outside world, they say it is unlikely that protesters will get anywhere near the complex.

The demonstrators' focus may therefore shift to the town of Enniskillen, five miles away, or further afield in Northern Ireland, says the Belfast Telegraph. It adds: "Indeed London may witness the largest protests" - referring to the actions lined up by anti-capitalists Stop G8 on and around Tuesday June 11.

Police in Northern Ireland told the BBC: "People travelling on 16, 17 and 18 June 2013 will be advised to leave extra time for their journey.

"Previous G8 conferences have also attracted a number of protest groups. Police will be planning for this eventuality and this may again result in some disruption to the transport network.

"As a result there will be a highly visible police presence across parts of the Antrim Borough throughout the duration of the G8 conference."

The police said that there would be a large security presence on all routes around the airport.

There will also be a "larger than normal police and security presence" within Belfast International Airport itself in the days leading up to the arrival of the delegates.

The Impartial Reporter focuses on the pressure on police for what it is being billed  as a bigger challenge than the "troubles". 

It says: "With just 11 weeks to go until eight world leaders including US President Barack Obama visit Enniskillen, police officers on G8 duties in Fermanagh are complaining of being "over-worked" as they patrol the county around the clock. 

"In what will likely be the biggest security operation in the history of Northern Ireland, a considerable number of police officers here have been tasked with ensuring nothing goes wrong in the run-up to the global event. But some of the officers, according to the chairman of the Police Federation of Northern Ireland, feel under pressure by the workload."

The bomb found abandoned  in Fermanagh was claimed by republican  group Oglaigh Na hEireann, which said it was to be detonated at the hotel hosting the G8 summit.

In a coded statement to The Guardian, the anti-ceasefire dissident organisation also admitted responsibility for an attempted mortar bomb attack on the heavily fortified New Barnsley police station in west Belfast two weeks ago.

ONH also provided two photographs of a mortar launching device alongside a printed note stating: "MK1 10KG Mortar, Range 300 Metres."

The group's statement said: "Car bomb defused in County Fermanagh on Sat 23rd March. Target was hotel hosting G8 summit in June."

London calling for anti-capitalist resistance

 

ANTI-CAPITALISTS in the UK have issued an international call-out for protests against the G8 summit in June 2013.

It includes a big day of action in central London on Tuesday June 11, in the run-up to the meeting of neoliberal world leaders.

Stop G8 says on its website: "This June the leaders of the G8 (the world’s richest countries) are meeting in Northern Ireland. As economic crisis bites, and the planet burns, the bosses and their politicians are celebrating business as usual. Capitalism: a system that kills, exploits, and degrades the many for the profit of a few.

"On June 10-18 we are organising a week of action and events in London. London is at the heart of global capitalism. The corporations, banks, hedge funds, and billionaires looting our world have names and addresses. They are in the glass towers of the City, and behind unmarked doors in Mayfair and Knightsbridge.

"London is the money-laundering den of dictators, the playground of the super-rich. But London is our city too. A city of hope, resistance, and struggle.

"Capitalism is killing us. Unemployment, cuts, and the rise of fascism in the “West”. Poverty, colonialism, brutal exploitation in the “Third World”. War and famine for profit. Private prisons, police checks, CCTV to keep us scared and controlled. Life robbed of meaning and beauty, our dreams and our dignity for sale.

"Don’t ignore. Don’t wait. For our friends and loved ones, for our communities, for our planet, for everything they’re trying to take from us. The time is now. Let’s come together, and fight. One common struggle."

The timetable so far is:

June 11: Big day of action in Central London.

June 17-18: G8 Summit, Enniskillen, North of Ireland.

June 10-18: Week of actions, talks, meet-ups, films, games, concerts, and more, all over London and beyond.


The group says that it believes that any mobilisation at the summit in Enniskillen needs to be started locally. "The StopG8 network will support a locally organised mobilisation. For now, we are keeping the end of the week free. Stay posted for more information."

Occupy WEF build igloos at Davos

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. 
 


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

Protesters occupy council chamber

ANTI-AUSTERITY protesters in London invaded a council meeting and forced councillors out of the chamber as £79m of cuts were due to be passed.

The Guardian reports: "More than 150 protesters have staged an occupation of Lambeth Town Hall after councillors were forced to move out of the official chamber and hold a vote on making cuts in private.

"Demonstrators ranging from trade unionists to pensioners occupied the chamber for more than an hour, taking their seats in what they called a 'People's Assembly' and listening to speeches from those opposed to cuts in services including libraries, adventures playgrounds and schools.

"Members of the Labour-run council, meeting to decide how to make £79m of savings over three years, had walked out of the meeting amid heckling from the public gallery by a number of people, who then joined the occupation in the chamber.

"There had been scuffles earlier as security guards tried to stop demonstrators outside the building attempting to enter."

Massive battles on Greek streets

THOUSANDS of anti-capitalist protesters battled with riot police on the streets of Athens on Wednesday, during a 24-hour general strike.

The From the Greek Streets blog posted live updates of the situation from the Greek capital, which charted attempts to occupy Syntagma Square in the way that Tahrir Square was held by Egypitan revolutionaries:

16:50 (GMT+2) Athens: There is a call for a gathering at Syntagma Square at 19:00. So far there, six protesters have been confirmed as injured. Numerous police motorcycles and riot police are gathered along Alexandras Avenue.

17:37 (GMT+2) Athens: After a respite, there has been at least one more clash at Syntagma Square. The police attempted to disperse the calm crowd, and at least one person was beaten by as many as 10 police and has been detained. The situation has grown tense once more, and Syntagma Metro station is closed again.

18:35 (GMT+2) Athens: A crowd of hundreds ripped up the benches from Syntagma Square to feed a fire they had built in front of the Parliament. The police had tried to disperse the gathering by circling around the protesters menacingly, but people stayed their ground. After a while, the police dispersed the crowd by forming a cordon around them and then chasing them aggressively away, attacking them with teargas and beating them.

22:00 (GMT+2) Athens: There are 20-25 people trapped in one of the entrances to the Great Britain Hotel in Syntagma Square. They are surrounded by police and are presumed to be detained. An hour ago, 70 people occupied the Foreign Press Association of Greece.

Anti-WTO riots erupt in Geneva

RIOTS erupted in Geneva on Saturday during massive and angry protests against the World Trade Organisation meeting being held there from Monday.

Black Bloc anarchists smashed windows of banks and other capitalist premises and set fire to cars.

Said a report on Indymedia: "Police used tear gas, concussion greandes and water cannon. Further protests are scheduled with the WTO meeting starting on Monday 30th November, ten years exactly since the famous Seattle WTO protests."

According to the Associated Press, Eric Grandjean, a police spokesman, said Black Bloc protesters threw fire bombs at police from the march.

"They also damaged 12 businesses, including a bank at Place Bel-Air and a jewellery shop and a hotel on the Quai des Bergues," he added.

A BBC report, which includes a video, helpfully explained that the protest was being staged because of the arrival in town of the WTO "which protesters say works on behalf of big business and exploits the developing world".

Swiss paper Le Matin has a gallery of photos on its website. The protest involved 4,000 to 5,000 people.

Why We Are Winning

LARGE-SCALE mobilisations against capitalist summits are still vital for the global resistance, ten years after the Battle of Seattle.

That's the view put forward in an article called Why We Are Winning posted on the American infoshop website.

It declares: "Without militant protests, every summit meeting would be a self-congratulatory public relations spectacle for the ruling class, a carefully scripted celebration of the wonderful job the neoliberals are doing running the world.

"Instead, because of us, they are increasingly exercises in naked repression that have to be defended rather than celebrated. After the riots in Seattle, the WTO held their next meeting oin the Doha peninsula in Qatar along the Persian Gulf. (As David Graeber put it, they preferred "to run the risk of being blown up by Osama Bin Laden rather than having to face another DAN blockade.").

"They didn't stay there, of course. The image of a group of unaccountable elites handing down unappealable edicts from a remote stronghold was too damaging to the neoliberal narrative of "democratic capitalism."

"Today, as the economic collapse radicalizes ever more of its victims, we have an opportunity to force all summits to be held in such protest-proof locations, to trap summit organizers in the PR equivalent of a secret undersea lair defended by sharks with lasers on their fins (only not as cool). But we can't do it by staying home and starting more reading groups. We need to be out in the streets, confronting our oppressors wherever they show their faces."