…”They [Catalans] had attempted to produce within the militias a sort of temporary working model of the classless society. Of course there was no perfect equality, but there was a nearer approach to it than I had ever seen or than I would have thought conceivable in time of war.”…
Homage to Catalonia (1938) is what it says, George Orwell’s homage to the people of Catalonia who attempted an anarchist/socialist revolution in response to the army’s attack on their fledgling democracy, and more broadly in response to centuries of harsh rule by feudal landowners supported by the Catholic church and the monarchy. A revolution that was brought down not by the civil war but by the backsliding of right-wing socialists in the Republican government and by the treachery of the Communists.
In this it resembles (or presages) another account of anarchist ‘revolution’ undone by Communists, Daniel Cohn-Bendit’s Obsolete Communism: The Left-Wing Alternative(1968) about the Paris uprisings of that year and which I have owned almost since it was written. In fact, a great deal of Orwell’s book, particularly about the lies invented and propagated by the news media, serves to show plus ca change etc.
Homage to Catalonia has two parts – Orwell’s memoir of his time as a volunteer soldier, and an analysis of the failure of the Revolution – written in the immediate aftermath of his service, “five months ago” as he says, and before the end of the Spanish war (1936-1939). The book contains a third part, Looking Back on the Spanish War, written in 1943. But that deals in particular with the partisan, dishonest role played by the press and deserves a separate review. Continue reading “Homage to Catalonia, George Orwell.. Free Download, PDF”
But many people are still confused about anarchism, associating it with indiscriminate violence, chaos, and disorder. This distorted image runs counter to more than a century of anarchist activity in and outside the United States.
So if not chaos or disorder, what does anarchism stand for? What do anarchists believe in?
Core Anarchist Values
At the most basic level, anarchists believe in the equal value of all human beings. Anarchists also believe that hierarchical power relations are not only unjust, but corrupt those who have power and dehumanize those who don’t. Continue reading “Who are these Anarchists? and What the Hell do they Want?”
From territory under domain of Brazilian government – An urgent call for solidarity!
an earlier antifascist demo
ALERTA ANTIFASCISTA! FROM THE TERRITORY UNDER DOMAIN OF BRAZILIAN GOVERNMENT! AN URGENT CALL FOR SOLIDARITY!
On May 2, at eight o’clock, local antifa and members of the Palestinian refugee community from São Paulo, called a protest against an anti-migrant demonstration organized by fascists. We arrived on Paulista Avenue, the main thoroughfare in Sao Paulo with a small group of 15-20 people to shut the demonstration down.
by Pablo Heraklio from.. Rojava Azadî
In the Autonomous Area of Rojava the fighting does not cease while the federative and cooperative advance continues.
Health and strength to those who fight!
A new international anti-fascist battalion has been formed in Rojava to combat the Islamic State, the AIT, (Anti-Fascist International Tabur) with volunteers from around the world. The battalion was officially constituted on 12/19/2016 with a press release.
On the same day a truce finally took effect the ‘new Hitler Erdogan’ ordered his invasion force to attack the non sectarian, anti sexist, multi ethnic SDF.. launching a new war.
Turkey, Islamist groups attack Kurdish forces despite truce in Syria
ARA News….. Aleppo – The Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) reported on Friday that their positions were being attacked by Turkey’s military and Islamist rebels. The anti-YPG offensive targeted military installations across northern Aleppo Governorate.
“The Turkish Army and allied jihadist groups launched a renewed offensive in the Kurdish areas of Rojava, targeting YPG headquarters with heavy weapons and airstrikes,” the Protection Unit’s leadership said in a statement.Turkey has a modern, largely US equipped, Nato army of 300,000 soldiers, though mostly conscripts, and over 5000 tanks.
The Turkish military shelled YPG security offices in the villages of Yabsa, Kerbnav and Seloula with heavy artillery. The artillery bombardment in eastern Kobane, coincided with Turkish air raids on the YPG-held village of Khane. Continue reading “Turkey bombs and attacks Kurds on 1st day of ”Truce””
Franco’s 40 year long catholic fascist regime buried at least 150,000 victims in over 2000 unmarked mass graves. Up to 80 years later over 1700 remain unexcavated with their families awaiting closure..
by Carmen Buades, Leire Gira and Marc Ferrâ summary from La Directa ..translation by TheFreeOnline
Skulls with bullet wounds to the face, tell the story of executions by Falangist fascists. The position of the skeletons, lying dumped on each other without order by the indifferent killers.
wife, daughter and granddaughter of Timoteo Mendieta: Still awaiting news.
“Thrown here as if they were dogs, rudely, without order.” says Dolores Marin historian and part of the commission created from last May, after a loca law was approved in the Balearics forcing the government to finally take charge of the exhumation and dignity of more than 50 mass grave sites there on the islands. Continue reading “Digging up Dignity at a Mass Grave of Anti Fascists in Majorca”
Turkey Threatens Europe: “Unless Visas Are Removed, We Will Unleash The Refugees”
by Tyler Durden Following months of appeasement of Turkey’s dictator Recep Erdogan, Europe has found itself surprised that as it yields to every incremental demand, Turkey simply asks for more and more. One such example was chronicled by the FT earlier today in “Turkey demands EU hands over €3bn for refugees” in which we read that “a row has erupted between Turkey and the EU over billions of pounds in aid for Syrian refugees, casting fresh doubt on a fragile deal to halt the flow of people towards Europe.”
Erdogan’s argument is that he wants the money to be transferred over to him directly to dispense with as he pleases, while Europe insists that UN agencies oversee that the money be spent as designated for refugee needs, instead of funding another wing for Erdogan’s palace.
Some 7,000 people protest against neo-Nazi appearance in Sabadell, a town/suburb of Barcelona
from Cèlia Castellano, La Directa The demonstration was convened following the aggression and threats of neo-Nazi groups against the self-run Occupied Social Center Obrera.
People of all ages, backgrounds and political allegiances of the left took part. Around 6,700 people, according to the Sabadell local police (who always under estimate), demonstrated under the banner: “Sabadell for all”.
L’Obrera (The Worker) Occupied Social Center
The demonstration was called by the Obrera (the Worker) social center , against the aggression of neo-Nazis at dawn on April 9 and against Nazi meetings. The event was policed by a large deployment of riot units ARRO.
“If they touch just one of us, they hurt us all”, ..”Sabadell will be the tomb of fascism”, ..”Native or foreign, the same working class .” ..These were some of the chants heard during the event, . During the march, a dozen anti-fascist protesters put stickers on the gym Therien Jiu Jitsu Kick Boxing, where the Workers Collective say some of the neo-Nazis in the neighborhood meet.
Reading a manifesto from the balcony of the occupied Workers center, members of the collective stated that “the increase in xenophobic ideologies throughout Europe is, today a reality with parties that promote racist, sexist and classist attitudes.”
Also, they said that “we have to make the fight against fascism and racism every day from schools, work and on the streets, leaving no free space to disseminate their exclusive approaches”. While reading they also reminded us of the antifascist Guillen Agulló, who was killed 23 years ago in Montanejos, as well as those presently indicted in the Oct. 12 and the Pandora anti-anarchist cases, and the brigadiers from Vallès county arrested in Idomeni in Greece.
Attending the mobiliziation were the Collective Unity Against Racisme and Fascism, the Platform of People Affected by Mortgages and the Crisis, Crida per Sabadell, Arran and Youths of Esquerra Republicana, among many others.
The call to demonstrate had adhesions of many organisations (60) and examples of solidarity with the workers by different groups throughout Catalonia. According to David Moya, a member of the community center, “it was an inclusive event, with the assistance of many groups and people of different ages. That’s what bothers the Nazis, we are not only young and militants. ”
On Friday 22 April, a group of neo-Nazis from the Western Vallès county made an appearance at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, coinciding with an act of Youth Civil Society Catalana (SCC), prompting a student demonstration of rejection. Some of them are the same neo-Nazis who berated the members of the Workers center in early April.
Unas 7.000 personas protestan contra las agresiones neonazis en Sabadell
La manifestación ha sido convocada a raíz de la agresión y las amenazas de grupos neonazis contra el centro social la Obrera.
por Cèlia Castellano, La Directa Gente de todas las edades, procedencias y afinidades políticas de la izquierda. Alrededor de 6.700 personas, según la Guardia Urbana de Sabadell, se manifestaban ayer por la tarde tras una proclama unitaria: “Sabadell para todas”. La manifestación fue convocada por el centro social liberado la Obrera a las 17.30h horas en la plaza Imperial, contra las agresiones de grupos de neonazis que sufrió la Obrera la madrugada del 9 de abril y contra las concentraciones de personas de este segmento ideológico en las puertas del local. El acto contó con la presencia de un gran despliegue de unidades antidisturbios ARRO.
“Si tocan a una nos tocan a todas”, “Sabadell será la tumba del fascismo”,”Nativa o extranjera, la misma clase obrera”. Estos son algunos de los cánticos que se escucharon durante el recorrido de la manifestación, desde la plaza Imperial, pasando por la Gran Via, la calle de Sol i Padrís y la calle Brutau hasta el local de la Obrera, en la avenida Barberà. Durante el trayecto, una decena de manifestantes pusieron pegatinas antifascistas en el gimnasio Therien Jiu Jitsu Kick Boxing, de la calle de Sol i Padrís, donde aseguran desde la Obrera que se reúnen algunos de los neonazis que han increpado en el barrio.
Mediante la lectura de un manifiesto desde el balcón de la Obrera, los integrantes del CSA afirmaron que “el aumento de ideologías xenófobas en toda Europa es, hoy día, una realidad con partidos que promueven actitudes racistas, sexistas y clasistas”. Así mismo, aseguraron que “la lucha contra el fascismo y el racismo la tenemos que realizar día a día desde los centros educativos, el trabajo, en la calle, no dejando ni un espacio libre donde difundan sus planteamientos excluyentes”. Durante la lectura también recordaron al antifascista Guillén Agulló, asesinado hace 23 años en Montanejos, a las encausadas del 12 de octubre y del caso Pandora, y a las brigadistas del Vallès detenidas en Idomeni.
En la movilización asistieron colectivos como Unitat Contra el Feixisme i el Racisme, la Plataforma de Afectados por la Hipoteca y la Crisis, Crida per Sabadell, Arran y las Juventudes de Esquerra Republicana, entre muchos otros. La convocatoria contó con tantas adhesiones (más de 60) y muestras de solidaridad con la Obrera por parte de diferentes colectivos de toda Catalunya, que se convirtió en un acto sin firma, popular. Según David Moya, miembro del centro social, “ha sido una manifestación inclusiva, con la asistencia de muchos colectivos y personas de distintas edades y procedencias varias. Eso es lo que más les molesta a los nazis, que no somos únicamente jóvenes y militantes”……….
…El pasado viernes 22 de abril, un grupo de neonazis procedente del Vallès Occidental hizo acto de presencia en la Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona, coincidiendo con un acto de las Juventudes de Societat Civil Catalana (SCC), lo que provocó una manifestación estudiantil de rechazo. Algunos de ellos son los mismos neonazis que increparon a las integrantes de la Obrera a principios de abril.
We go inside Greece’s resurgent anarchist movement as it seeks to show that it is about more than just violence. from Tommy Trenchard AJE (photos added).
After seven years of economic and political crisis, Greek youths are looking for an alternative
On a warm evening in August this year, in the quiet residential neighbourhood of Kesariani, in the Greek capital, Athens, several hundred young people gathered in front of a stage as a band fine-tuned their instruments. At first glance, there was little unusual about the scene, but this was not an ordinary concert.
Above the drinks stand, where 20-somethings wearing black waited for their beers, the flag of the anarchist movement swung between two pine trees. Behind the stage, a banner urged the audience, in bold letters, to take up arms against the state.
Soup kitchen activists deliver food to a poor area of Athens
“When confronted by tyranny,” it read, “people choose between chains and guns.”
The atmosphere hovered somewhere between festive and threatening.
“Don’t take photographs of anyone’s faces,” warned one bystander. “They do not like the press.”
see also>
One of the Palestinians being arrested 
One such example was chronicled by the FT earlier today in 
Gaziantep, Turkey, Syrian refugee camp: mass rapes of Syrian women, slave trade, criminal trafficking with complicity between Turkish authorities and jihadist-terrorists
Some 7,000 people protest against neo-Nazi appearance in Sabadell, a town/suburb of Barcelona
The Free 