Libcom.org News

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When an illness becomes serious, when medical attention becomes a vehicle for myopic, politically motivated decisions and when a patient becomes drunk with power, it can only end this way. The strongman has died, and in so doing, he has initiated a substantial shift in the Venezuelan political landscape.

What used to be the regime’s greatest strength has suddenly turned into its defining weakness: it was all Chávez, and, without him, the only solution is to fabricate an absolute commitment to his memory and his plans for succession.

We must spell out for the politicians in power that we don’t need them, neither as intermediaries nor as gracious givers of what we ourselves can construct – united and from the base – without any need for “clean hands” or “red berets”

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Following the largest demonstration yet, a second occupation has begun at the University of Sussex. This statement was read from the steps of the occupied BSMS building.

We, 200 students and staff of this university, have occupied the Michael Chowen lecture theatre.

This action is a response to a lack of alternatives within the current situation. Management still refuse to engage with our demands even as they attempt to placate us by feigning negotiation. So we reiterate that we will not compromise, and state them again:

Our temporary occupation here should be considered a warning shot: this campus was always ours, and we will not allow management to terrorise our community any longer.

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Demo today (Thurs 28th Feb): 'the big one' | 1pm Library Square | Bring workmates, friends, and yellow squares.

The long-running struggle against the outsourcing of 235 jobs at the University of Sussex has been gathering momentum. The plans were first announced in May 2012, prompting demonstrations and mass meetings by staff and student supporters.

On a recent demonstration, for the first time staff outnumbered students.

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After refusing to cooperate with an investigation against anarchists in the Pacific Northwest, Katherine Olejnik and Matthew Duran, who have spent the last 5 months in prison - much of which was in solitary confinement - are finally being released.

Article taken from Seattle Free Press - By Brendan Kiley of the Stranger:

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HoRa (People-against-Racism) warns: nationalist and neo-Nazi tendencies made provocations during today’s (Feb. 24, 2013) procession, which started officially from the Ministry of Economics in protest of high electricity bills.

HoRa supports the majority of protesters in their justified criticism of the political and economic system. What follows is not an analysis of the protest as a whole. Please understand us correctly: neo-Nazis were only one part of the protesting citizens, yet they caused trouble.

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Production at the bankrupt Vio.Me building supplies firm has resumed under control of the workers.

After 3 days of intense mobilization, the factory of Vio.Me. started production under workers' control on 12 February. It is the first experiment in industrial self-management in crisis-stricken Greece, and the workers of Vio.Me. are confident this is going to be only the first in a series of such endeavors.

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Hunting down undocumented immigrants like animals is immoral and a waste of police resources, argues syndicalist weekly Arbetaren’s editor-in-chief Daniel Wiklander, who would like the Swedish companies who exploit vulnerable foreign-born workers to be held responsible.

Swedish police are using ever more resources in the hunt for undocumented immigrants. But as it is illegal to stop a person without reasonable grounds for suspicion, the police are making up reasons.

The end result is racial profiling, which is undignified for any country that respects the rule of law.

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Concerning support for neo-fascist groups grows in the global financial crisis.

Indeed for some the idea of something akin to Nazi Germany ever rising again may seem ridiculous. Undermining that very real possibility is a frightening mistake. In capitalism’s last great crisis, The Great Depression, we saw the rise of many populist, nationalist groups all across the globe. Today in the modern crisis it’s no different.

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It has already been over two years since Doorbraak started an experiment in Leiden of using ‘organizing’ elements in the battle against the government cuts. We have reported back a few times, and this time we can report the first actual results!

Examples of these ' organizing' elements are conducting dialogues, indepth evaluation of all activities, and targeted efforts at building a position of power.

Due to our campaign the desired ‘normality’ is not easily restored

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As journalists at the BBC strike to defend their jobs while senior execs get huge payoffs, former front man of middle-of-the-road Britpop act The Charlatans, scabs on them by covering for Lauren Laverne who joined the walkout. Presumably, as he is so desperate, being a scab is the only way he can get on the radio.

Thousands of members of the National Union of Journalists at the corporation walked out on 18 February against job cuts. As the corporation makes compulsory redundancies while advertising posts externally and giving huge payoffs to failing bosses like George Entwistle who quit during the Jimmy Savile scandal.

After God had finished the rattlesnake, the toad, and the vampire, he had some awful substance left with which he made a scab. Jack London

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Striking workers at the Vio.Me factory in Thessaloniki, Greece who have not been paid since May 2011 have decided to restart production under workers' control on 12 February 2013.

With unemployment climbing to 30%, workers’ income reaching zero, sick and tired of big words, promises and more taxes, unpaid since May 2011 and currently withholding their labour, with the factory abandoned by the employers, the workers of Vio.Me.

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Short reportage from Indonesian Autonomous Peasant Congress

Dozens of peasants from various organizations in several cities in Indonesia, joined in Forum Komunikasi Masyarakat Agraris (Agriculture Community Communication Forum) or FKMA, gather in Yogyakarta to hold 2nd Autonomous Peasant Congress, 8-10 February 2013.

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Currently we have addresses of 15 anarchist, anti-authoritarian or
anti-fascist political prisoners, or their supporters in Russia and
Belarus. Of these, 14 are interested to receive letters of support.

Situation with prisoners is evolving all the time, and we do not have
addresses of most recently arrested comrades. Please keep visiting our
prisoner list at
http://wiki.avtonom.org/en/index.php/Categoryrisoners_in_former_Soviet_Union
for most up to date information.

In order to learn more about case of the prisoner, click her/his name in
the address above.

Maria Alyokhina

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"As I swilled the last traces of toothpaste from my mouth this morning, a Wobbly's head flew past the window, shouting the word "victory".

From Bristol IWW General Branch:

http://www.bristoliww.org.uk/iww-help-in-victory-against-bad-boss-in-the-care-sector/

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Following a demonstration of over 300 staff and students in opposition to the privatisation of services at Sussex University; a large group of people have occupied the conference centre on the top floor of Bramber House.

In May 2012, the University announced its unilateral decision to sell off most services provided on campus, over 10% of its workforce, to private investors. This announcement came with no student consultation, and next to no consultation with the 235 workers and trade-unions concerned.

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On 4th February, at around 10pm local time, riot police brutally evicted
a group of anarchists, community activists and local history enthusiasts
who had been occupying a disused railway station, Warsaw station, in St
Petersburg, Russia.

Hearing that the site would soon be demolished to make way for a
multi-storey housing complex, the activists had turned one of the last
warehouses attached to the historic train station into a community
centre, hosting concerts, poetry readings and a photo-exhibition of the
history of the station.

The neo-renaissance-style building was built in the middle of the

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Radical scholars and social justice activists say the popular discourse of The New Jim Crow promotes a false understanding of mass incarceration in the United States and serves to reinforce the status quo by quietly separating mass incarceration from its most defining and central features.

For the last couple of years social justice advocates have loudly sung the praises of Michelle Alexander’s book The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration the Age of Colorblindness, which has garnered a huge following and spawned an allegedly new designation for racial inequity in the United States.

The great success of The New Jim Crow rests on the fact that it provides a cathartic release for its readers without seriously threatening oppressive hegemonic assumptions. A. Johnson

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London based anarchist bookshop Freedom was damaged in an arson attack in the early hours of Friday morning. Nobody was hurt in the fire which partially gutted the ground floor and damaged the building's electrics.

Freedom Press is Britain's longest running anarchist publisher and traces its history back to the original Freedom paper started by Charlotte Wilson and Peter Kropotkin in 1886.

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Ben Fogel writes on the new footage of the Marikana Massacre screened on Channel Four in the UK and asks where was the South African media?

Five months after the Marikana Massacre in South Africa, footage of police action at the ‘killing koppie‘ ["hill"] has finally reached the public.

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On Saturday 26th January over 200 people took to the streets of Halesowen to demand the reinstatement of four members of the Maths department who had been sacked. On a cold day, with snow on the ground, there was a fantastic array of banners and placards showing how far people had come to express solidarity with the Halesowen 4.

Music and speeches made for a carnival atmosphere as trade unionists, educators, students and members of the local community assembled outside the gates of Halesowen College.

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