Over 30 years of anarchist writing from Ireland listed under hundreds of topics
Garda Brutality on Doorstep of Irish Citizen Army Secretary
Date: Wed, 2015-01-28 18:00
The Irish Water battle came right to the door step of Sean O'Casy's home on Inisfallen Parade this morning. Garda assaults have seen one person injuries and attempted intimidation on balaclava wearing goons hired by Irish Water is continuing.
We note that while the media has had a huge focus on insults shouted at the president no questions have been raised at why 'security' are not only following and videoing residents but are now running around masked up and refusing to identify themselves. It seems extraordinary that the media have failed to notice this while at the same time having such a focus on verbal insults (which have now been apologised for). You'd almost think they had an agenda.
After the election of Syriza - Power is not in Parliament
Date: Sun, 2015-01-25 16:11
Today, across Europe, the left is excited by Syriza topping the polls in the Greek election. Some on the left have gone so far as to suggest the election itself will mark the end of austerity policies, in the terminology of the Anglo left, an end to the idea that There Is No Alternative (TINA). Another indication that something of significance is happening is that ahead of the election a new wave of capital flight has started from Greece with an estimated 8 billion transferred out of the country over the last few weeks.
Anti-Racist Groups Withdraw from Charlie Hebdo Rally As It Is Co-Opted Into Republican Grandstanding
Date: Sat, 2015-01-24 16:55
The hijacking of Sunday's demonstration against the assassination of journalists - by the same world leaders who are themselves responsible for censorship of the press and the jailings, murder and torture of journalists - has been well documented. What is perhaps less known is that their presence caused a number of left anti-racist organisations in France to withdraw from the protest.
One statement explaining this said:
"We deeply regret that Sunday's demonstration – initially set up by anti-racist organisations - was transformed into a « Republican march » for which Valls would like to appear as the organiser and where Sarkozy will be marching.
Fiercely opposed to this « national unity », for the reasons mentioned above, we will not participate. It is of utmost importance that all those who feel outraged by this fascist attempt and who refuse to march alongside Sarkozy and Valls, all those who are intent on resisting racism and discriminations, on opposing security policies designed to curb our liberties, regroup and recapture the initiative." (Full text at end)
Global 1% to Own 50% of Wealth by 2016 - Enough Is Enough
Date: Sat, 2015-01-24 15:36
There is something fundamentally wrong with this system when 80 people can have the same amount of wealth as what 3.6 billion people have between them. The figures from Oxfam’s latest report show that the rich really are getting richer and that the poor are getting poorer.
There are many factors we can attribute to this trend; globalization, out-sourcing, the breaking of labour power through the breaking of the unions in the Reagan-Thatcher era that labour never recovered from. Ultimately it falls down to the growing strength of capitalism and therefore the growing strength of the other harmful power structures that it has to support it. Included in these is racism, cheap labour from immigrants or as in many cases slave labour, as well as sexism, with gender being the division of labour. Both of these things, racism and sexism (to name only a few) come from policies implemented at the top of society that are targeted at the rest of us.
Anti-Water Charges Demonstration
Date: Sat, 2015-01-24 14:40
The next mass anti-water charges protest is on January 31st, at 2pm, in Dublin city centre. The Facebook event page can be found here.
Residents of North Dublin will meet at Connolly Station, residents of South Dublin will meet at Heuston Station, and all will march down both sides of the quays. Those travelling from outside Dublin can meet wherever (Connolly or Heuston) is closest to them. Many local anti-water charges groups will be marching in together. Also, many local groups outside Dublin which cannot make it will be demonstrating locally.
Rojava: ISIS Almost Driven Out of Kobane
Date: Thu, 2015-01-22 14:00
Very positive news coming out of Kobane where as these maps, from different sources, show ISIS have almost been driven out of the city.
Overnight the YPG/J announced they had liberated Suk Al-Hal & the Industrial Zone on the eastern and north-eastern edges of the city. Earlier in the week. There are also rumours of clashes in Helince village south east of the city. If ISIS lose that local commentators say their remaining forces in Kobane will be entirely cut off from supply.
When ISIS reached Kobane about 130 days ago, equipped with US armour captured at Mosul, they appeared unstoppable. The Kurdish defenders were pushed into a small defensive zone in the north west of the city but Kobane became ISIS's Stalingrad. Unable to admit defeat they kept pouring men & equipment into the city, at one stage managing to even mount a suicide VIBED attack at the Turkish border. Now not only have they almost been driven out of Kobane but they are being driven back by Kurdish forces elsewhere.
Surviving the Propoganda Wars, Social Conditioning in Practice, the Art of Thought Control
Date: Wed, 2015-01-21 15:57
We examine how the media determines and conditions the way that people think. When faced with broad opposition, we scrutinise how those in power rally behind the banners of no-change in order to keep things the way they are. We also see how they are assisted by the media in this exercise with the ultimate aim of maintaining power, privilege and control of our society.
Can you remember the last time you saw real story being broken in the media or printed press? When I was a young fellow I naively thought that I’d like to work as a journalist. You know those secret meetings with whistleblowers in subterranean car parks, all intrigue and mystery, digging for the truth. I envisioned myself building up a picture of the connections on a cork board, and stripping away at the official story to reveal the truth. I was chasing a dream. That world doesn’t exist and appears to have flourished only for the briefest of moments, a long time ago.
Irish Chamber of Commerce Puts Profit Before Right to Protest
Date: Wed, 2015-01-21 13:00
The spokesperson for the Irish Chamber of Commerce has said 'We'd never deny people the right to protest - but
the protest has to be done and managed in a way that causes minimal disruption to businesses', citing revenue lost by the massive anti-water charges demonstration on December 10th.
We cannot tolerate such anti-democratic statements. The crux of this position is that we can have some semblance of democratic rights and freedoms, but we have to remember that money comes first. The essential condition is that businesses have the maximum ability to make profits, even if it means curtailing protest.
Divorce .. Undermining the family? ( WSM pamphlet from 1st Divorce Referendum in 1986)
Date: Tue, 2015-01-20 12:42
This pamphlet was produced by the Workers Solidarity Movement in the weeks before the 1986 referendum on whether or not to remove the constitutional ban on divorce. The vote was lost by a margin of almost 2:1, with 935,843 (63.48%) voting to keep the ban and 538,279 (36.52%) to remove it. A second referendum in 1995 saw the ban finally scrapped, with a result of 818,842 (50.28%) to 809,728 (49.72%).
Alone on the far left, the WSM was heavily involved in this campaign and had two members elected to the National Executive of the Divorce Action Group. At the time they described their motivation as being to “increase personal freedoms” and “challenge the power of the Catholic bishops”. Read the full text of the pamphlet in the article.
Anarchism in Central Java, Indonesia - an interview with local anarchists by a WSM supporter travelling in the region
Date: Tue, 2015-01-20 12:20
Anarchism in Central Java, Indonesia - an interview with a WSM supporter travelling in the region by Workers Solidarity on Mixcloud
A WSM supporter travelling in Central Java recorded this interview with two local anarchists in January 2015. They talk about the anarchist & punk scene, gender violence, politics and social context in Indonesia, land struggles and the struggle for abortion rights.