The Free

Regaining hope in Rojava: ‘Way beyond Feminism as we Know it’.

from JO MAGPIE at open democracy with thanks

This is a revolution in consciousness, not only in politics, and it has transformed the lives of countless women and men for generations to come.

Sometime in early February, I was excited to receive an invitation to participate in a women’s delegation to Rojava, the de-facto autonomous Kurdish majority region in northern Syria. The delegation was open to women journalists, activists and lawyers, and would be timed to coincide with International Women’s Day.

I arranged to go with two people I hadn’t met before: Ali, a friend of a friend, and Kimmie who I had interviewed over Skype for my book about female hitchhikers. She had already hitchhiked all around West Africa solo and had been blogging about Kurdish and Middle-Eastern issues recently, so she seemed like a good candidate for an adventure. None of us had any idea what to expect, not really. But we are all very open, flexible, and up for a challenge… continues below.. Continue reading “Regaining hope in Rojava: ‘Way beyond Feminism as we Know it’.”

Long Live the Oaxaca Commune: submedia TV and ROAR

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An homage to the Oaxaca Commune, one of the most epic chapters in the annals of contemporary revolt. Followed by a sneak peak at my interview with Cesar Chavez, a Mexican anarchist, teacher and member of Section 22 of the Mexican teachers confederation, CNTE.

Self-Reproduction and the Oaxaca Commun

by Barucha Peller from ROAR with thanks

In 2006 a popular mass uprising swept the southern state of Oaxaca, Mexico, galvanizing hundreds of thousands of participants around the region and removing state power from the capital city and dozens of other municipalities. For nearly six months, there were no police in Oaxaca City, and at one point the cityscape was transformed by up to 3,000 barricades.

After years of repressive, authoritarian rule at the hands of the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) and Governor Ulises Ruiz, the uprising was triggered by a violent eviction of a teachers’ encampment in a central plaza during an annual strike of the Section 22 union on June 14. Thousands of Oaxacans poured into the streets to take back the square from police, and a spontaneous insurrection grew in which state authorities were physically removed and squares, government buildings, media outlets and city buses were taken over by protesters.

The movement formed a horizontal, central organizing body, the Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca (APPO), which demanded the ousting of Ulises Ruiz. For seven months one of the poorest states in Mexico attempted to reorganize society without state governance or capitalist social institutions. When broadcasts from occupied radio stations began to sign off with the slogan “Transmitting from the Oaxaca Commune,” comparisons made to the historic Paris Commune were met with the response: “The Paris Commune lasted 70 days. We have lasted more than 100!” Continue reading “Long Live the Oaxaca Commune: submedia TV and ROAR”

Anarchist Gabriel may be released after 30 years

Don’t let the Claws of the State Crush our Rebel Comrades!

Present situation of our ‘kidnapped’ comrade Gabriel Pombo da Silva
by C.N.A. on May 28th, 2016

After more than 30 years spent in the cells of the Spanish and German states it seems there is finally a light at the end of the tunnel for our colleague Gabriel Pombo da Silva.

He was extradited from prison in Germany under a European arrest warrant issued by the court of Albacete for a further sentence of 3 years and 7 months. Through the application of normal reductions he should already have completed this sentence..

fax campaign see here: CAMPAÑA DE FAXES POR LA LIBERACIÓN INMEDIATA DE GABRIEL POMBO DA SILVA

On May 17, the same court in Albacete gave an order for his immediate release, and in the following days vafrious comrades went to the prison to welcome him to freedom. But in vain, because he is still behind bars.

Originally from Galicia, Gabriel is treated as a political terrorist prisoner under the harsh Spanish regime. His only ‘crimes’ were expropriations from banks for the anarchist cause, (as he admits in his autobiography), refusing to repent and escaping when let out on parole. He was also accused of masterminding an Italian anarchist direct action campaign from inside prison, along with Marco Camenisch , another long term anarchist prisoner. He has recently completed a hunger strike against prison conditions.

Continue reading “Anarchist Gabriel may be released after 30 years”

Customer Horrified To Find Traces Of Food In McDonald’s Burger

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BREAKING NEWS, BUSINESS

FOOD inspectors were called to a Waterford branch of McDonalds today, after reports a customer had bitten into a burger and found traces of food in it.The unprecedented discovery was made by Dungarvan youth, Ian Keenan, 19, as he tucked into his Big Mac meal at lunchtime yesterday.Expecting the usual lukewarm flavourless “edible matter”, normally found in McDonald’s produce, Keenan was taken aback after finding a tasty morsel of something in his mouth. Upon inspection, it was discovered to be actual food, which shocked both customer and staff alike, who immediately made assurances that they had no idea where the food had come from.“You just don’t expect real food in a Big Mac” said Keenan, still shaken by his ordeal.

“At first I thought: oh, I’ve just bitten into a particularly dense wodge of chemicals and hormones, maybe even a bit of sauce that was saltier than usual. But no, it was actual meat, bread, lettuce and onion, none of it genetically modified or anything like that. I nearly got sick”.

Food inspectors were quick to shut the branch down as the investigation continues, while the PR team at McDonald’s issued a statement in which they promised that this kind of thing would never happen again.

from http://waterfordwhispersnews.com/ with thanks