Lovely Philosophy Football Gaza T-shirt

In the 1970s and 1980s Soweto became a global watchword not simply for the murderous brutality of the racist Apartheid regime but also the heroic resistance of the South African people. Solidarity with Soweto became a huge, popular international movement which helped isolate Apartheid.

Today Gaza requires that same wave of support.

As part of Philosophy Football's contribution towards this they have produced a delightfully simple T-shirt design on a non-profit making basis.

They are actively supporting and raising funds for the September 2010 aid convoys to Gaza organised by Viva Palestina. We cannot all join the convoys by land and air. Yet we can all wear 'GAZA' on our chest and help spread the message of solidarity. T-shirt in sizes S-XXL, plus womens' skinny-rib fit.

Special campaign low-price JUST £9.99 Available from http://www.philosophyfootball.com/view_item.php?pid=622

Vote for Counterfire in the Total Politics blog poll

Total Politics has opened the ballot boxes for Britain's best blogger and we are asking our readers to vote for... Counterfire. The deadline for the election is July 31 so vote now!

If you don't already know, Counterfire provides news, features and theories from a network of activists who are Marxist, anti-capitalist, anti-war, anti-cuts while campaigning for equality and workers' rights.  As it was launched less than 12 months ago it has not yet featured in the Total Politics directory.

The website launched this year with an opening day readership of 2,000 and has quickly been recognised as the cutting edge publication for the left. The network also runs Counterforum and is up to its knees launching the Can't Pay Won't Pay campaign to defend jobs and the welfare state.

Adrian Cousins, editor of the website, said: "Counterfire fights for the working class to defend jobs and defend the welfare state. A vote for Counterfire is a vote for a publication which supports strikes and pickets against redundancies, which supports the fight against the cuts through Can't Pay, Won't Pay, supports struggles around the world including Gaza, while opposing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. A vote for Counterfire will - if only in a small way - help raise awareness of these struggles." 

Bloggers who are on the editorial board of Counterfire include The Sauce & Luna17 by Alex Snowdon. The site also provides content from Penny Red by Laurie Penny, A Very Public Sociologist  from Phil and Brother S and the Third Estate collective. 

The Total Politics magazine was launched by Britain's most successful blogger and former Conservative parliamentary candidate Iain Dale. The annual vote is now in its fifth year and a high ranking is a huge boost to the profile of any blog.

The rules of the poll state that you must vote for between five and 10 websites and bloggers are not allowed to provide a "slate" or list for their readers to vote for. Too many people voting for the same bloggers in the same order will lead to votes being rejected. We ask all our readers to vote now and canvass everyone they know to vote as well.

Find out more and  vote at Total Politics HERE.

Joe Glenton, jailed for refusing to fight in Afghanistan, speaks out against the war. With Caroline Lucas, Jeremy Corbyn and Mark Steel.

'AFGHANISTAN:TIME TO GO'. PUBLIC MEETING MONDAY 26TH JULY 

7pm, Monday, 26th July
Conway Hall
25 Red Lion Square
London, WC1R 4RL

Joe Glenton, jailed for refusing to fight in Afghanistan, speaks out against
the war. With Caroline Lucas, Jeremy Corbyn and Mark Steel. 

The war in Afghanistan is in crisis. The strategy is crumbling, with Obama's
sacking of General McChrystal and an increasingly corrupt Karzai government.
The violence is intensifying with No clear goals and even fewer results.
ThousandS of Afghan civilians are dying every year and very little rebuilding
is being done.     Despite the 77% of people being opposed to Britain's
involvement in Afghanistan, this government continues to send troops to kill
and die in a war that is being lost.

This war is wrong, this war has failed and it's Time To Go-- 

Two photojournalists injured by IDF at West Bank protest

Two photojournalists injured by IDF at West Bank protest  

Video

Two Palestinian photojournalists were injured by Israel Defense Forces troops on Saturday during a protest in the southern West Bank town of Bait Ummar near Hebron.

The photojournalists were covering a weekly demonstration again the theft of agricultural land by the Israeli settlement of Karmei Tsur. The demonstration was attended by dozens of Palestinians as well as international and Israeli activists.

One photojournalist reported being hit in the face and leg by a soldier with a rifle and another photojournalist suffered concussion and hearing loss after a stun grenade exploded near his head.17/07/10 Bait Ummar, Occupied Palestine.

© Fil Kaler 2010

_

www.filkaler.com

Only 17% of British want troops in Afghanistan.

> PROTEST FRIDAY 16 JULY
> END THE KILLING, BRING THE TROOPS HOME
> 5.00 - 6.00PM
> DOWNING STREET LONDON SW1A 2
>
> Four more UK soldiers killed in one day, three of them by a recruit
> to the
> Afghan army, but Liam Fox, the defence secretary, still says we will
> "see our mission through and train Afghan security forces so they
> can look after their own security and our forces one day can come
> home". The latest opinion poll shows that only 17 percent of the
> British public agrees with him.

> Stop the War has called a protest at Downing Street this Friday to
> represent the vast majority who say bring the troops home.
>
> *******************************************
>
> RALLY MONDAY 26 JULY 7PM: AFGHANISTAN - TIME TO GO
> CONWAY HALL, 25 RED LION SQUARE, LONDON, WC1R 4RL
>
> SPEAKERS INCLUDE: Lance Corporal JOE GLENTON, just released from
> prison following his court martial for refusing to fight in
> Afghanistan, ex-soldier ROSS WILLIAMS, jailed in 2008 for refusing
> to fight in Iraq, CAROLINE LUCAS MP and other MPs. More speakers TBA.
>
> The war in Afghanistan is in crisis. The strategy for the US-led
> occupation is crumbling. Violence is increasing, with deaths of
> Afghan civilians and Nato troops at higher levels than at any time
> since 2001. But the Con-Lib coalition government continues to send
> troops to kill and die in a war that has no purpose and is being
> lost. Among the speakers at this rally will be two soldiers who were
> jailed by the British army for agreeing with the two thirds majority
> of people in Britain who want all the troops brought home now.

Put The Media on Trial next Thursdya...and not just the biggoted Daily Mail and Daily Express

Reality TV star Carole Vincent and photojournalist Guy Smallman join this month's carnivalesque investigation into The Media

"Freddie Starr Ate My Hamster", claimed The Sun in 1986. "There has been no global warming since 1995", the Daily Mail headlined in February 2010.

We can't always trust the media but since the invention of the printing press it's been a central force in politics, religion, society and fashion.

The advent of reality TV and the rise and rise in online media has made everyday human action a focal point like never before.

The general election was supposed to be decided on Twitter but in reality it was traditional television debates that set the agenda – and the tabloid press that tried to bully the voters.

Mutiny presents a topical and interactive discussion on the nature of the media, the challenges it can pose and how it can be used as a force for change.

The Media on Trial opens at 6pm on Wednesday 21st July at the Resistance Gallery, 265 Poyser Street, London E2. Tickets are £5 with £3 for concessions.

The event is a whistle-stop tour from Big Brother to blogging and hegemony to hatred, with live performers, art installations and video – all in an evening, at one of London's most famous subversive venues.

The event will be hosted by former Sunday Times journalist and blogger at The Sauce, Brendan Montague with contributions from photojournalist Guy Smallman, Big Brother contestant Carole Vincent and Counterfire editor Adrian Cousins.

The night begins with speed debating, followed by three discussion sessions covering the impact of the media, hegemony and the media and activism and blogging. We are still open to submissions for art and performance in all media.

Join us as we put The Media on Trial.

Strike back against homophobic, racist tabloids

Tell the Daily Express, Daily Mail and Daily Star - LGBT asylum seekers are welcome here

Following the homophobic witch hunt against asylum seekers in the tabloids yesterday  please find the attached statement calling for a full retraction and a protest outside of the Daily Express offices Thursday 15^th July, 5.-6.30pm.

In times of crisis we know there will be more attempts to divide us by whipping up bigoted ideas. But there has been widespread anger yesterdays newspapers with our statement and protest attracting widespread support already including from the NUJ Gen Sec and many members, UCU LGBT committee, NUS LGBT and Black student campaigns and more. We must take a stand against any attempted anti-gay backlash but also use this opportunity to win arguments in defence of asylum seekers and refugees.

Please circulate the statement widely and get backing from individuals, organisations and union branches. Send names to noroomforhomophobes@gmail.com

Bring people and banners to the protest on Thursday 15^th July

Check out facebook groups

"No room for gays? No room for homophobes" http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=133406423360622#!/group.php?gid=137196942964613&v=wall&ref=ts

Plus event page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=133406423360622#!/event.php?eid=133406423360622&ref=mf

Statement: Tell the Daily Express, Daily Mail and Daily Star - LGBT asylum seekers are welcome here

We condemn the disgraceful homophobic comments in the Daily Star, Daily Mail and Daily Express which attack the recent Supreme Court decision to prevent the deportation of two gay asylum seekers back to Iran and Cameroon.

The Express front page on 8^th June headlined "Now asylum if You're Gay: they must be free to go to Kylie concerts and drink multi-coloured cocktails, says judge". The Daily Mail asked "What planet is he on?" and called his decision to give home to gay asylum seekers "infantile". The Daily Star carried an editorial titled 'No room for gays' which claimed "opening the floodgates to gay asylum seekers is absolute madness." (see links to articles below)

The reality is very different. Homosexuality is still illegal in over 80 countries world wide. LGBT people seeking asylum in the UK are often fleeing attempted murder, serious assault or rape. Only this month a young gay man has been sentenced to death in Iran. In 2003 a gay Iranian man who had been refused asylum in the UK poured petrol over his body and set light to himself in the offices of Refugee Action in Manchester rather than go back to Iran.

Stonewall's recent report "No Going Back" reveals that only 1 in 50 people who claim asylum on the basis of their sexual orientation is admitted to the UK with applicants frequently being told by the UK authorities that they can avoid attacks by being "discreet" in their country of origin - that is, by lying about their sexuality for the rest of their life.

Abbey Kiwanuka from Uganda where there are moves to introduce the death penalty for homosexuality, said: "This (recent decision) gives me hope …..I feared for my life in Uganda. Just two weeks ago a gay man was beheaded. I lost my appeal because the court said I should go back and live a discreet life. I can't do that. It's impossible to do. "

The only motivation in these tabloid articles is to whip up hatred and division. They want to weaken our support for persecuted people and use asylum seekers and LGBT people as scapegoats to divert attention from an economic crisis we did not create. This is designed to undermine opposition to the cuts which their rich friends want to force on us.

It also risks intensifying homophobia in Britain at a time when reports have shown an increase in reported homophobic attacks of up to 63%. The brutal murder of Ian Baynham in central London last Autumn is a terrible and tragic reminder of where this can lead.

We remember Jan Moir's homophobic article in the Daily Mail following Stephen Gately's death in which she claimed "Whatever the cause of death is, it is not, by any yardstick, a natural one" and questioned civil partnerships. Despite a record 22,000 complaints, including one made by Gately's former partner, the Press Complaints Commission found no case to answer. This cannot be allowed to happen again.

We demand an apology and retraction of the vile views published in The Daily Star, Daily Express and Daily Mail and that they publish the truth about the persecution which LGBT refugees and asylum seekers face in their home countries, and about homophobia here in Britain.

We urge you to write to the papers' editors, post comments online and register a complaint with the Press Complaints Commission.

We also support calls for a protest outside the Daily Express Thursday 15^th July, 5-6.30pm.

Supported by: Supported by Love Music Hate Homophobia, Jeremy Dear NUJ Gen Sec, Michelle Stanistreet Dep Gen Sec NUJ UCU LGBT members committee, Elly Barnes LGBT history month/Schools Out, Vicki Baars & Alan Bailey NUS LGBT campaign, Clare Solomon ULU President elect, Richard Simcox National press officer PCS, Mark Bergfeld NUS NEC, Aaron Kiely NUS Black students campaign, Stow College Student Association, Sean Fox Branch Sec Haingey UNISON, Robert Goddard Youth and Education Officer Stonewall Cymru, Dave Toomer NUJ NEC rep for North West England, Steven Bird, deputy FoC, Katie Carnie, chapel officer, David Crouch, FoC. from NUJ Financial Times, Jason Brown LGBT rep NUS Black students campaign, Jess Hurd Chair NUJ London Photographers' Branch,Counterfire, Socialist Workers Party and many more. All individuals in a personal capacity.

To add your name please email: noroomforhomophobes@gmail.com

Homophobic Articles

Express: http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/185617/Now-asylum-if-you-re-gay

Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1292715/Gay-asylum-seekers-win-legal-battle-stay-Britain.html

Daily Star: http://www.dailystar.co.uk/posts/view/143442/No-room-for-gays/ 

Stonewall Report No going back: Lesbian and gay people and the asylum system (2010), http://www.stonewall.org.uk/what_we_do/research_and_policy/2874.asp 

Two major Athens protest/actions TMRW to build for the general strike

Two Athens demos TMRW: A moto-demo will start at 10.30 from Pedio Areos (King Konstantinos' statue) moving around Athens in order to promote Tuesday's general strike. At the moto-demo participate various groups and campaigns, neighborhood assemblies, and the Coordination of Grassroot Trade-Unions.

Also, tomorrow night at the borough of Elliniko, the mayor
Christos Kortsidis [while on his 60th day of hunger strike against Kallikratis, a restructuring of the state and municipality map in Greece, and against the occupation and privatisation of the beach of Elliniko by the industry of the night, clubowners and corrupted political elites] will attempt along with the people of the borough the blockade of three clubs that operate illegally at the area. The meeting is for 11pm at Pezogefyra Ellinikou on Leoforos Poseidonos, Ag. Kosmas.

Shell Shock and Awe: War, Capital and Carnage in Iraq

Christof Bϋchel: "Unplugged (Simply Botiful)"

Pireos 260

7-11pm every day til 6 July 2010

Even after a shower to remove the grime left on my body after visiting this awesome exhibition in Athens I am still reeling from the impact of the installation.

Taking the headline from a UK right-wing tabloid article 'Simply Botiful' Christoph Bϋchel 'forces the viewer to take part in physically demanding and psychologically uncomfortable scenarios'.

In a space 15m x 15m the artist arranges 10 rooms of death and destruction in such a way that you can almost taste the fear of the millions of Iraqi's who were murdered or affected by the so-called War on Terror in Iraq.

And it is certainly not for the faint hearted or easily offended. Using original items recovered from the aftermath of the Iraq war—bullet riddled clothes, photos, pornography, a full bar frequented by the military, voting booths and bomb-making equipment—Buechel gives us a glimpse, a striking insight, of what is daily life for both the invaders and the victims.

The stench is shocking. In one room, a caravan clearly used for soldiers sexual gratification, an airfreshner can sits alongside remnants of women's underwear and fag-butts. Loud, brash American rave music blares from a tiny sound-system and competes for your attention with an Arabic voice coming from a TV in another area.

The contradictions in this exhibition cause confusion. My companion, the cartoonist Carlos Latuff, said 'it causes an inconvienience in my brain...it makes my body feel sick'. It certainly left a foul taste in my mouth.

This exhibition is in no way beautiful. How can it be? 'War is NOT beautiful' Latuff reflected.

Take time to sit in every room, to absorb the atmosphere and to examine every piece of the 1,000's of items to really get a view of Iraq through the eyes of hard core, pro-war American soldiers. Talk to the bar men. Climb up every ladder. Crawl through every hole. Wear sensible clothing.

With politics as good as is display in this installation no doubt the artists price tag of Euro600k covered mainly what I imagine to be very high transportation costs. That profiteering from war comes at a price is thoroughly displayed within this exhibition.

For more details go to: http://tinyurl.com/iraqart

Από την Αθήνα με αγάπη: εκθεση της Clare Solomon από την Ελλάδα

Thanks a million to Angeliki Mavroidi for this translation on Facebook. Looking forward to meeting you later!

Here's the original: http://www.counterfire.org/index.php/news/143-greek-crisis/5604-from-athens-with-love-clare-solomon-reports-from-greece

A brief disclaimer: I have since found out that some of the 'facts' in this report are incorrect. Feel free to comment below to correct them :-)

Από την Αθήνα με αγάπη: εκθεση της Clare Solomon από την Ελλάδα


"Ηδιαδήλωση είναι σαν ένα άθλημα εδώ στην Αθήνα", δήλωσε μέλος μιαςελληνικής σοσιαλιστικής ομάδας. Και δεν εννοούσε το να περ'ασουμε τηνώρα μας το Σάββατο.


Ξεχάστε τη βόλτα στο κύριο οδικόδίκτυο με την οικογένεια σε ένα σημείο για να φωνάξουμεαντι-καπιταλιστικά συνθήματα: στην Αθήνα, θα πρέπει να έχετε τααθλητικά παπούτσια σας, λογική ένδυση\ (δηλαδή, δεν φορούν τίποτα, σανkeffiyeh, γύρω από το λαιμό, αλλιώς θα μπορούσε να να χρησιμοποιηθείγια να σας πνίξει) και τις μαρτυρίες σας για αναπόφευκτες συγκρούσειςμε κάθε έναν από τους κλάδους των τρελών αστυνομίας (περισσότερα γιααυτό αργότερα).

Με επιθέσεις από σφαίρες χρωμάτων, μια νέαμορφή σπρέι πιπεριού που εφευρέθηκε από την ισραηλινή πολεμική Άμυνακαι των δύο τρελών σκύλιων και την αστυνομία, το να διαμαρτύρεταικανείς εδώ σε αφήνει γεμάτο μώλωπες, χρώματα και ιδρώτα και ασφαλώς δενείναι για τους δειλούς.

Τουλάχιστον μία φορά το μήνα το σύνολοτης έκτασης Εξάρχεια κλείνει με μεγάλους κάδους σκουπιδιών, αυτοκίνητακαι όλα τα είδη των άλλων μεγάλων αντικειμένων με την πρόθεση νααπωθήσουν την αστυνομία.

Και η ποικιλία των διαδηλώσεων είναι από μόνη της αρκετά διαφωτιστική.

Μέσασε τρεις ώρες από την άφιξή μου στο αεροδρόμιο ήρθα πρόσωπο με πρόσωπομε περίπου πενήντα πλήρως οπλισμένους άνδρες των ΜΑΤ στην μέχριπρότεινως αυτόνομη ζώνη των Εξαρχείων. Μια αυτοσχέδια διαδήλωση είχεσυγκληθεί από τους υποστηρικτές μιας ποδοσφαιρικής ομάδας της πόλης.

Επηρεασμένηαπό την πρόσφατη επέμβαση του ΔΝΤ, η ομάδα ήταν υποβιβάστηκε στηνκατηγορία, όχι επειδή είναι ''σκουπίδια'' στο να σκοράρουν γκολ αλλάγιατί η οικονομική τους κατάσταση ήταν τόσο κακή που δεν μπορούν πλέοννα αντέξουν οικονομικά να πληρώσουν τα χρέη. Και τι επώδυνο θέαμα γιατα θλιμένα μάτια να βλέπουν διαδηλωτές ποδοσφαίρου να φωνάζουνσυνθήματα της Αριστεράς κατά του ΔΝΤ!

"Φταίει το ΔΝΤ" έχειγίνει ένα κομμάτι από μια φράση της καθημερινότητας. Το κατάστημα έχεικλείσειι?- φταίει το ΔΝΤ. Ο καφές είναι ακριβός?-φταιει το ΔΝΤ, τοχαρτί τουαλέτας έχει εξαντληθεί? το μαντέψατε, φταίει το ΔΝΤ.

Δεναποτελεί έκπληξη παρά το λεγόμενο πακέτο στήριξης ύψους € 125bn, δενέχει μειωθεί η μεγάλη οδύνη των Ελλήνων. Ο κατώτερος μισθός έχειακρωτηριαστεί από € 700 το μήνα σε € 540pm και συνταξιοδοτικά κοπήκανγια αρχή. Ένα ολόκληρο κίνημα αντίστασης έχει αρχίσει. Θεατρικέςπαραστάσεις, κινηματογραφικές ταινίες, μουσικές εκδηλώσεις και, φυσικά,είναι πολλές ο δημόσιες συναντήσεις που οργανώνονται για να συζητήσουντην πορεία της αριστεράς.

Την δεύτερη νύχτα μου εδώπήγα σε έναν ''''πλήρωσε- όσο θες'' κινηματογράφο για ναπαρακολουθήσουμε δύο σε μια σειρά από έξι ταινίες που προβάλλονται πάνωαπό τρεις ημέρες για το ΔΝΤ. Η ζωή και το δημόσιο χρέος, ντοκιμαντέρτου 2001 για το πόσο το ΔΝΤ ''πάτωσε'' την Τζαμάικα και έδειξε απόλυταπόσο γελοίο είναι το σύνολο του δανείου και το σύστημα επιστροφής και,επίσης, πως τίποτα δεν έχει αλλάξει σχετικά με τη στάση τους, εκτός απότο να κλιμακώσει την ιδεολογία τους.

Τώρα, όσον αφορά τηναστυνομία. Δύο ολοκαίνουργια παραρτήματα της αστυνομίας είχανεγκατασταθεί σχεδόν αμέσως μετά τη δολοφονία του 15χρονου Αλέξανδρου.Ένα με μοτοσικλέτες, όλα τα είδη των τολμηρών ανδρών με 'εντονους τωνμύεςν και Starsky και Hutch-esque γυαλιά ηλίου.Οι άλλοι μάλλονατημέλητοι, βρώμικοι μπάτσοι ταραχών (των οποίων το σύνθημα στιςασπίδες τους δεν σημαίνει, 'οταν ρώτησα, «αυτόνομη», προς μεγάληδιασκέδαση των συντρόφων!). Έχω προειδοποιειθεί να μην προσπαθήσω ναπάρω φωτογραφίες από αυτούς, παραθέτω εδώ μερικά βίντεο -μια ευγενικήπροσφορά του YouTube:



Το σύνθημα του δεύτερου τύπουαναφέρεται στην περιοχή στην οποία οφείλουν είσε μεγάλο βαθμό τηνανάπτυξή τους, όπως αναφέρθηκα, την ''παρελθούσα ''αυτόνομη'' ζώνη τωνΕξαρχείων. Μια περιοχή με το μέγεθος του, ας πούμε, από το PiccadillyCircus στο Holborn, είναι το σπίτι σε μια σειρά, κυρίως αριστερώνοργανώσεων, εστιατορίων, και bar και κολεκτίβες, καταλήψεις,κινηματογράφους και άλλες τέτοιες ριζοσπαστικές δραστηριότητες. Ηπεριοχή είχε , γενικά, τους δικούς της κανόνες και τη διακυβέρνηση της.

Αυτός ο όλος άλλαξε στις 6 Δεκεμβρίου 2008, όταν η αστυνομίαπυροβόλησε άσπλαχνα ένα νεαρό αγόρι, τον Αλέξανδρο, από πολύ κοντινήαπόσταση για το γεγονός ότι είχε το θράσος να αμφισβητήσει ανοησίες τηνανόητη πρόκληση τους. Εβδομάδες ταραχών ακολούθησαν - μια μεγάληποσότητα πληροφοριών σχετικά με αυτό έχει τεκμηριωθεί αλλού - αλλά γιατο κύριο σημείο της έκθεσης αυτής, η περιοχή είναι πλέον σε μεγάλοβαθμό υπό αστυνόμευση, ανά πάσα στιγμή.


Το μνημείο που έχει δημιουργηθεί για τον Αλέξανδρο. Εξετάστε προσεκτικά την συνθήματα στον τοίχο

Ακόμηκαι τώρα αυτή η αυτονομία έχει εξαλείψει , μπορείτε νοιώσετε η αίσθησητης αλληλεγγύης μεταξύ των ομάδων (περισσότερα σ 'αυτό κατά τη διάρκειατης εβδομάδας). Στο Ηνωμένο μίσος της Αστυνομίας.

Σε μια εποχήπου θα μπορούσατε να φανταστείτε 'οτι η αστυνομία θα έπρεπε να κρατήσειμάλλον χαμηλό προφίλ και όχι μόνο δεν περιμένουν να επουλωθεί ηκατάσταση, αλλά αντιμετωπίζουν με οργή τον κόσμο και ανταποκρίνεται μετο να προσλαβει μερικές χιλιάδες υπαλλήλους. Angeliki Mavroidi 23 Juneat 17:20

Κάθομαι σε ένα μπαρ απολαμβάνοντας μερικές μπύρες ήσυχα(καλά, ήπια μια «μερικές», αλλά οι Έλληνες πίνουν πολύ πιο αργά!) καιείχα την επόμενη επίδειξη της ''αυτονομης/αστυνομίας τωνεπαναστατών/ΜΑΤ''. «Είναι σαν να ζεις το προσωπικό σου δράμα με τουςμπάτσους εδώ", είπε ένας από τους συντρόφους μου.

Πουκυριολεκτικά εισέβαλαν κάτω από την οδό, σχηματίστηκε ένα αδιαπέραστοτείχος ασπίδων και στη συνέχεια να στάθηκανεκεί, κοιτάζοντας έξω ανκάποιος 'ερχεται προς το μέρος τους με μόνο σκοπό να αποδείξουν τηνεξουσία τους. Μουγκριτά σαν από γουρουνάκια μπορεί να ακουστούν από τηνάλλη πλευρά του δρόμου στο νεοϊδρυθέν πάρκο αναγεννημένο /πάρκο και οδιευθυντής του μπαρ που είμασταν απάντησε με μουσική τούτκων μαοϊκώνανταρτών .

Κανείς δεν είχε καμία αυταπάτη για το τι σημαίνειαυτή η κίνηση, εκτός από, δηλαδή, ο χαζός της αστυνομίας. "Πιστεύουνότι μας τρομάζουν, όταν όλοι μας σκεφτόμαστε πόσο ηλίθια είναι".

Τέλος πάντων, φεύγω τώρα να παρακολουθήσω κάποιους συντρόφους που παίζουνεπαναστατική λαϊκή μουσική (ρεμπέτικο μου φαίνεται).

Έχω βάλει τα παπούτσια μου για να κυκλοφορώ τις νυκτερινές ώρες, ακριβώς σε περίπτωση που ...

ΗClare Solomon είναι η νέα Πρόεδρος της Ένωσης του Πανεπιστημίου τουΛονδίνουκαι ένα μέλος του συμβουλίου συνταξης του Counterfire

Greek Transport Workers demo

The demo begins outside the townhall

The famous Greek 'demo dog'

Tourists at the Hotel Grande Bretagne--which was threatened to be bombed by the Greek People's Army when Churchill was staying there--taking photos of the approaching demo

The unemployed teachers who stormed the national TV channel lead the demo

Cartoonist Carlos Latuff outside the Greek parliament in front of the riot police

Aaah, nice doggy...x

Lenin & Lukacs Counterforum THIS Saturday (gutted to miss it)

Counterforum looks at the role of two leading Marxist revolutionaries, Marchmont Community Centre on 19th June.

Lenin was the leader of the Bolshevik Party and the architect of the Russian revolution. He remains the foremost Marxist theorist of political organisation.

Georg Lukacs is the greatest Marxist philosopher since Marx. But he was also an active revolutionary - a commissar in the Hungarian Workers Republic of 1919.

Together the writings of Lenin and Lukacs are a unique inheritance for activists today. Counterfire is organising a day of discussion on the work of these two historic figures.

Sessions

11.00-12.30 The Democratic Revolution and the Socialist Revolution

John Rees looks at the recent revolutionary experiences from the East European revolutions of 1989 to the democratic revolutionary movements in Thailand and Iran using the framework developed by Lenin and Lukacs

1.30-3.00 Lukacs’ contribution to Marxism

Chris Nineham examines Lukacs unique contribution to our understanding of class consciousness and the role of political organisation in social change.

3.15-4.45 Lenin’s theory of political organisation

This session reviews Lenin’s theory of political organisation, still one of the most controversial practical applications of Marxist theory to the reality of class struggle.

Saturday 19 June
Marchmont Community Centre
Marchmont Street, London, WC1. (Click here for map)
Registration opens 10.30am (for a 11am start)

Lobby of Legal Services Commission Fri 18 June, 4 pm

The voluntary sector organisation Refugee and Migrant Justice has gone into administration.

 

This is as a result of the changes to Legal Services Commission Funding - apparently where they thought they were to get £100 for each case they dealt with, the LSC has only given them £40, so the trustees have said they must go into administration.

 

They have called for a lobby of the Legal Services Commission on Friday 18 June at 4 pm, to demand extra funding for the organisation - so the refugees and migrants they deal with will not be left in the lurch.

 

The Legal Services Commission is at: 4 Abbey Orchard Street, London, SW1P 2BS. See maphttp://tinyurl.com/leg-serv-comm

 

They are appealing for your support for the lobby - please do your best to get there.

 

Bronwen Handyside

http://twitter.com/solomonsmfield

Notes from CPWPay mtg

Human rights activist imprisoned in Zimbabwe

"Hi all,

If you'd like to follow what is going on with my friend Farai's incarceration in Zimbabwe, here is Rishita's blog with all the information. http://iwanttohelpwhatcanido.wordpress.com/

The first-written post includes instructions for notifying politicians. There are attempts through a human rights lawyer to get Amnesty on the case.

Farai Maguwu is the director of the Center for Research and Development (CRD) in Zim. His org started out by teaching rural teens English, then they conducted truth and reconciliation meetups after the land transfers, and his latest incarnation researches and reports on human rights abuses in Zim. He is an outspoken dissenter of Robert Mugabe and has been arrested and tortured before. He also has gone into exile numerous times but keeps returning to Zim as he mentors/fosters a teenage boy and he is dedicated to justice. I met Farai in 2006 and spent a year with him at our Master's program. He is the most decent man I've ever met. His only flaw is his stubborn commitment to justice which lands him in trouble!

Besides having a cold (or suspected cold at least, as he has been denied medical attention), Farai is physically ok and does have a lawyer representing him, as well as the support of the CRD board.

This has all kicked off because of a report the CRD put out claiming that illegal panners were being killed by the Zim army and diamonds were being illegally smuggled for sale into the UAE, violating the protocol of the Kimberley Process.

I urge you to re-tweet/facebook/etc to get this out there. It is being quickly and widely publicised and has gained support from Global Witness, Partnership Africa Canada, and more NGOs. The more they know they're being watched, the more likely it will be that justice will return to Zim.

Thank you kindly,

--
Colleen Hemsing "

Let me know if you need more details...

Thank you so much!

xEmy