For those of you that don’t know I work as a volunteer for a charity called The Pilion Trust and this film is very important to us so please consider sharing this film and raise awareness of our and especially the young people we work withs plight, thanks.
So the #occupy movement is really taking and the #occupylsx crew have been outside St.Paul’s for a week now despite the regulation heavy handed policing of last Saturday so a totally succesful occupation you may think. I beg to differ. Big mistakes have been made by the #occupy crew right from the very start in my opinion.
The first being letting the state know each and every little detail and plan by posting them on Facebook, Twitter et al. I said to them from the start this was a mistake and suggest they take it elsewhere on the internet for discussion…..the internet was made for secrets. I even offered to help in that respect. I know about getting into places that I shouldn’t be in and keeping schtum but wasn’t taken up. Now don’t get me wrong I’m not saying that with my help it would have a much more succesful occupation as it’s been fairly succesful this week hasn’t it? But maybe they could’ve had a chance to get into Patternoster Sq at least! Lesson one: Tell the enemy FUCK ALL! Then there’s the whole concessions that have been given all week, the working with the state, ensuring no one is inconvenienced……I FIND CAPITALISM AN INCONVENIENCE!
All this has ensured that now Reverand Right-on has asked them move because the church is losing some £20-30,000 + per week, because of own actions in shutting St Paul’s doors, (and yes you heard that right……..£10 to just enter St Paul’s at 2-3000 visitors per week! Who said religion isn’t still big business?) the ‘reasonable’ one’s will eventually move then the police will move in to ‘remove’ the rest, watch out for the use of tazers coming soon as shown in the Dale Farm eviction earlier this week.
So pretty failed from the off I think. Which brings me onto my real problem with the #occupy crew……so you’re the 99% are you? Really? I beg to differ, where’s the chavs, the blaggers, the piss heads, the junkies, the rioters, the homeless, even the Anarchists in some #occupy camps after they have ‘outted’ to police. No they’re mainly middle class types, under 40 that eventually will reminisce about ‘how rebelious they were back in the day’ while enjoying a pint with their work mates after a week serving the capitalist system!
Get everyone on board #occupy crew and you will be the 99% and then we’ll be unbeatable!
Yes, I’m back. As stated in an earlier post I find it difficult to get properly politically motivated when the weather’s nice and it ain’t been a bad summer,(actually still got the windows open this morning down here in London) so I thought I’d take a break from thinking too hard etc and enjoy.
Actually that’s not entirely true as there has been a couple of moments worthy of a mention. One was Hackney Anarchist Groups involvement in the Save Hackney Libraries campaign. We spent months going to boring council meetings, getting out on the street leafleting, speaking to people, making phone calls, giving interviews to the press etc culminating in the Hackney Anarchist Group Library InfoNite which was held at Well Furnished, (the squatted social center that has since unfortunately been closed by bailifs and police on behalf of landlords that are currently leaving the building to rot!) on the 21st July were a fellow HAG member and library worker announced that Hackney council had backed down on the planned job and service cuts, money still has to be saved apparently but rather than the planned butchering of services and wholesale redundances that were planned they argeed to work with library staff to find the savings. Obvoiusly we have to keep an eye on the situation but it’s looking good so far.
The other things were of course J30. I spent the day with Hackney Anarchist Group starting very early taking breakfast round to the local pickets, marching through Hackney stopping off at the Town Hall on Mare Street then marching onto Hackney Community College for another round of picketing before heading off to the start point in Holborn and then marching (ish) to Westminster. The police were really using Section 60 powers on the day in some of the most ridculous ways I’ve seen a while. We had our banner confiscated by the police on the orders of some Inspector that then not only refused to tell us his name but also refused to give us any details or tell us where the banner was going so we could get it back……and then what really pissed me off was he then ran and hid behind a line of his bully boys. The reason we had it confiscated? Aparently an Anarchist symbol, (yeah, the usual A inside a circle) is likely to promote violence and egg people on to riot, he obviously didn’t think his pals pushing, hitting, attempting to kettle people etc could do anything of a similar nature though as I didn’t see him slapping S60′s on any of them!
Then there was the EDL visit to my neighboring borough Tower Hamlets and the ban on marches imposed by the Home Office which local people ignored in a great show of strength and resistence.
The phone hacking business was quite nice just to see the Murdochs squirm and the attempted cream pie. But appart from those things it’s been a pretty quite, enjoyable summer spent visiting my daughter, friends and generally chillin’. It had it’s downers, the unexpected loss of my closest friend in August was a really kick in the balls. So now it’s Autumn and there is a lot of stuff on the agenda for the coming months so I expect it to a busy time. I started this blog asking ‘can the revolution start here?’, well it seems it was put on hold for summer but I think it’s becoming more of a possibility.
They were all major players in last weeks royal wedding fiasco.
Seriously though, as most of you have probably heard last week in the U.K we entered a new and in my opinion very scary phase in how protest is handled. What trickle down effect this will have over the coming years is anyone’s guess but I’d be willing to bet it ain’t gonna be good!
It must’ve started earlier with some faceless bureaucrats in some office around Westminster I should imagine sometime after the wedding was announced but the first I heard was on Thursday afternoon when I logged on to find messages that Chris Knight, Patrick Macroidan, Chris Vietch and others had been arrested in raids on homes and social centers that day. See the following links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eITZ-Rsc14
http://ianbone.wordpress.com/2011/04/28/patrick-macroidan-arrested-by-royal-wedding-cops/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qwR26u9vXs
Then that evening Facebook shut down the accounts of over fifty groups and individuals that were organizing events or promoting events on the 29th April, (see bellow link) some for just dissenting the whole damn farce. I myself was one of those that had their accounts closed, apparently for harassment! Of who and which pages I’m still trying to find out but I get the feeling Facebook don’t wish to deal with me anymore, (see correspondence between myself and Facebook at the end of this post).
http://www.boingboing.net/2011/04/29/facebook-celebrates.html
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/deletion-of-activist-facebook-profiles/signatures
Then it was the big day and with it came a fascistic state the like of which I hoped I never would never see. I mean lets face it at least usually we’re allowed to say our piece and demonstrate and then they beat and harass us but this time it was all preemptive, once the wedding was under way one small group did manage a protest but not without molestation, to you comrades I say as a friend did recently, “you are heroes, everyone of you”. I was told to “fuck off back to your bedsit” as soon as I was spotted walking through central London. I had a mooch about but couldn’t find the people I was meeting so did fuck off, although to a friends barbecue as I would still be looking for ‘bedsit’ if I’d have taken that coppers advice as I don’t live in one anymore. Here are some links of London that day:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zt98ys08vo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ba-C4WMZH1k&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj4yn1RBxHs&feature=share
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj4yn1RBxHs&feature=share
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5RZLImP5UA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5RZLImP5UA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ox-UJNpHAZY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAbQcEwgoGo
Pretty horrible state of state of affairs eh? What effect these moves last week by the state will have on us in the future is anyone’s guess but one thing is for sure and that’s that if you’re reading this and feel an anger rise don’t lose it, keep burning like a pilot light, turn up at the next demo near you and let them know WE AIN’T TAKING THIS SHIT NO MORE!
This is the correspondence between myself and Facebook over the deletion of my account last week. Unfortunately my first contact with them is missing.
Hi, In order to receive support, you must reply to this email to verify that you are the owner of the Facebook account that you referenced in your inquiry. This security step must be completed before Facebook can respond to your inquiry. In addition, note that Facebook will only be able to provide assistance if you are writing in from the email address that you used to log in to your Facebook profile that's disabled. If your disabled profile was registered under a different email address, then you will need to respond directly from that email address. To do this, take the following steps: • Copy the exact email address you see in the "From" field of this email (ending in @support.facebook.com). • Log in to the email account under which your disabled Facebook profile was registered. • Compose a new email. Paste the address you copied (ending in @support.facebook.com) into the "To" field, let us know you're responding from your disabled email address in the body, and click "Send." Once we have this information, we will take further steps to assist you. Remember that writing in multiple times will not result in a faster response. Once you submit your initial request, it is placed in a queue and responded to accordingly. Lastly, you may not create another account using a different email address while you are waiting for a response. Creating more than one Facebook account is a violation of our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, and violations of this rule could result in all of your accounts being permanently disabled. Thanks, The Facebook Team
ME
What exactly is happening with my account? I’ve done what you asked,now what?
ME
Hi,
Your account was disabled because your behavior on the
site was identified as harassing or threatening to
other people. Our records also indicate that you have
more than one Facebook account.
Prohibited behavior includes, but is not limited to:
• Creating accounts with fake names or impersonating
anyone or anything
• Creating multiple accounts
• Targeting people based on their race, ethnicity,
national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual
orientation, disability, or disease
• Creating or uploading content that is graphically violent,
pornographic or sexually suggestive
• Harassing other people with offensive or sexually explicit
comments
After reviewing your situation, we have determined that your
behavior violated Facebook's Statement of
Rights and Responsibilities. You will no longer be able to use
Facebook. This decision is final and cannot
be appealed. Any future abuse of Facebook may result in further
action.
Please note that for technical and security reasons,
we will not provide you with any further details about
this decision.
Thanks,
Holly
User Operations
Facebook
ME
Dear Holly,
I am wholly unsatisfied with your answer, what EXACTLY is the alleged harassment I am supposed to have undertaken? I have three exact copies of profile up until minuets before it was disabled. I contest that this is nothing more than political harassment on your behalf.
I still wish my account back and in my endeavors to get it back I will be publishing all recent contact with your team and am in the process of speaking to several international media outlets regarding this matter. The world now knows the extent that you attempt to stifle free speech and will no doubt be finding out more in the weeks to come. Unfortunately you have denied too many people who only wish to keep in contact with like minded people and discuss matters of mutual interest. You accuse me of ‘harassment’ on the grounds that I breached your rules, which include racism, posting items of a sexual nature,and posting graphically violent. I think you may be looking members of the EDL who you continue to allow to spread the very filth you claim to not want on your site. I suggest you have a very good look rather than barking when your master tells you to stamp out dissent.
As I have previously stated all I want is my account back. I am perfectly happy to abide by any reasonable rules you may wish to impose and I’m quite happy to say I’m sorry if I have caused anyone any offense but I was under the impression we had free speech in the UK.
I look forward to hearing from again soon.
On a lovely sunny day like today it’s hard to get politically motivated but as I suffer what I call demotivation on days like today over the years I’ve found ways to get round the guilt of ‘doing bugger all’ and still having a good time and enjoying the weather.
Ok, so here’s the, (very simple) plan. I’ll admit it’s a plan that may not work if you happen to live in the wilderness somewhere and if that’s the case why are you looking for ideas to do anything? There’s a 1001 ideas right outside your front door, so don’t pester me.
Right, so we know EVERYBODY likes to be outside in this kind of weather so why not do something outside in the open? I don’t know how many of you live in inner cities but I live in Hackney and although it’s inner city there’s is plenty of green open spaces, some big some small but they’re there. So why not try to get a few local groups together, (ones with similar political motivations is best, it’s not experience but common sense that tells me that it’s probably not a good idea to get the BNP and Antifa together for this!) and set something up in a local green space, squat with a large garden, (not that I’ve known many of them) or even street? I personally wouldn’t go down the route of asking permission from the local ‘authorities’, just spring it on them, there’s really not much they tend to do even if you manage to pull off a big ‘event’. You may get a couple or even a few local coppers turn up with their “ello, ello, ello’s” but once you explain to them it’s a public space etc nice and politely I’ve found they tend to just leave you to it with a shrug of their shoulders. You can even drop a “land claim” on them! Ok, it may not work in the street, but it’s worth a try and if it doesn’t work out have a back up space and shift there. And if all else fails I s’pose you could have a mini riot, just make sure you only go for the Tesco’s, Vodaphone’s etc and bear in mind there are a lot of independently run places still even though it may not seem that way walking down your High St sometimes.
All you really need is a large speaker/monitor and an amp wired so can you run it on a car battery and a good vibe then away you go, (a portable barbicue don’t go a miss either) it’s a great excuse to party and you can use the opportunity to talk to local people about Anarchism or anything for that matter, just get out and meet your neighbors. Show them we don’t fit our media portrayal.
So see you in the parks this summer!
Ok so first let me explain my thinking. Before meeting up with some friends and having a good ol’ party on Saturday, (yes I was what is now being described as the ‘violent minority’ on the demo on 26th March 11) I was having quite a few conversations with people other than fellow anarchists and I found a lot of ordinary people are a hell of a lot more open to the idea of de-centralised, autonomous organisations, social centers, etc within their communities and I can only see the number of those into these ideas rising as the effect of the cuts here worsens, just this morning on the radio I heard of places, services etc closing nationwide this week and have been every week of late without a word in the mainstream press. So to cut this pre-amble short a little my idea is to build on this feeling I have noticed before everyone slips back into a soap induced coma of the mind and to bring that DIY attitude to our communities. Ok, I know the ConDems have cut services and had the front to turn round and ask us to do stuff without a wage, (and maybe it’s because I’ve been volunteering and working with & without and wage for years) but I feel these services are going missing from our communities and it is up to us to make sure if we can’t make them stay then to replace them with something of our own. I know a lot of peoples attitude ‘I ain’t doing that! They’re taking the piss!’ etc etc……But! Please just think for a moment if WE don’t replace them with something of our own the other options are either some ‘nice middle class’ discriminatory organisation or nothing! If we get involved then we have the opportunity to create a greater link with the communities we live in and maybe over time re-radicalise them back to what they once (almost) were. I remember my Grandfather being involved in workers co-op’s,strikes, workers clubs run by and for the workers so have seen how strong the working class can be and could be again, even better this time round if we get out there and dispel the myths the mainstream media, polute-itions and ‘the idiot ‘dahn the pub’ are propagating.
So I’ve set up a PiratePad for us to get together and discuss how we can use Cameron’s idea to better our communities and also make contact with others other than fellow anarchists and show the ‘wider public’ how autonomy can work. If you fancy it join me and hopefully others here http://piratetpad.net/ANoJs8UTJP
So, I switch on the news today and hear that regular ‘peacetime’ refrain “Britain is on a war footing today”. Fucks sake! When will these twunts that suspossedly rule learn? I’m so pissed off about it I ain’t even gonna try and write a long piece about this cos I was hoping for a nice meal with my partner this evening and I’m buggered if I’m not, but before I open a bottle of red I’d like to propose a couple things for us to think about, so here ya go…..
How the hell can “call me Dave” Cameron talk about humanity and freedom in such a (mock me thinks) ‘caring’ way when him and his cronies are causing suffering, (and planning to cause more) to many people in the UK, (OK….I know some people will be asking ‘suffering’ hmmm? so OK I’ll give you that it’s relative to location if you give me that it is to UK citizens?…cool, I’ll continue) and will be planning right now to crush any rebelious voices that may happen to ‘shout to loud’ next week?
And isn’t this just his Falklands moment? I’m convinced he couldn’t give a fuck about the Libyan people, just like he couldn’t really give a fuck about the Baranian, Palestinian, Zimbabwean or Tibetan people. It’s just convenient posturing. He could’ve ‘got involved’ with any number of situations if he really cared about human rights and peoples struggles but Gaddafi is a pretty convenient target for Cameron as he’s well known in the minds of UK citizens thanks to our ‘red tops’ and even the other less sensational media, and even Gaddafi himself…..he’d certainly make a glittering career in PR now would he? Cameron and his cabinet must’ve rubbed their hands together with glee when this flared up, the same as Thatcher and her bunch did when the Falklands kicked off.
I think Cameron & Co saw this as a prime opportunity to do a ‘Thatcher’, they’ve seen riots and unrest on streets all over the UK that is expected to continue and escalate since their campaign of savage cuts started and the Conservatives bed partners the Lib Dems recently took a battering coming sixth in a recent bye election and I don’t think the Conservatives fancied their chances when they face one. So I think Dave has looked to past tried and tested methods to save their, (his in particular) skin and is hoping he’ll have his very own Falklands moment, so with an opponent that’s already seen as ‘the baddie’, the OK of the international community, (you wouldn’t want them lot as your neighbors, would you?) and the 24 rolling media all in place I bet he’s thinking all he has to do is give a few ‘statesman like’ soundbites to media, have a chat with some old ‘chums’ in the press and the British public won’t know what’s hit them. They’ll be waving Union flags before the can say ” the Falklands, is that a new soap?” Not on my watch you don’t and not on yours either I hope. So please, if your friends aren’t that political, don’t know much history etc gently educate them because with knowledge it’s far easier to see the truths that are there for all and then these so called ‘powers that be’ cannot hoodwink us all into a future more screwed than our present.
Hmmm, turned out longer than I planned afterall, now for that drink!
Just a quickie today cos I’m busy making plans for the big one on the 26th March, don’t forget to be their, (black flags optional but preferable).Anyway…… While reading through my letter from Boris Johnson included in my council tax bill I choked on my first cuppa of the day when I read this: ‘Overall the budget requirement will increase by 0.4%. This represents a reduction in real terms based on expected retail price inflation’
Hmmmm?
Ok.
So this increase that is actually a decrease is based on guesses about something that doesn’t actually exist, great economic policy dictated by hmmm? oh yeah, the banks.
There hand in glove I tells ya!
STOP PAYING TAXES. STOP PAYING YOUR MORTAGE. STOP PAYING THEIR BILLS!
I’ve been reading a lot of stuff online recently about the 26th March being the day this revolutionary wave of late will sweep into the western world, well ok, the UK, alright London! And I’ve been getting very excited about the prospect of finally smashing the state once and for all, sweeping capitalism away etc and there’s nothing I’d like more. Now I don’t wanna piss on anyone’s fire, (especially if it’s burning the house of polute-ititions) but as I’m fast becoming one of the ‘old guard’ and have been proud to witness a resurgence in Anarchist thought and action in recent years I offer a word caution and hope for my younger brothers and sisters.
Come to central London on the 26th March and give the ‘powers that be’ a message that won’t be forgoten in a hurry, but remember the excitement you felt when the student demo happened? Mmmm, and how quickly the state picked up the pieces and was back to grinding people down again in no time? I know it’s a bastard ain’t it? Makes you feel “what’s the point”? Well please brothers and sisters DON’T give up.
This IS a long battle and we may not even live to see REAL change in our lifetimes but it is a struggle I implore you all keep at. Keep on taking to streets. Keep on setting up social centers and community groups. Keep on speaking to your friends, family and colleages and bring them on board and one day when the people have really woken up we will see a real change.
Until then, Vive la Anarchy!
