Friday, November 26, 2010

international call out by CONSPIRACY CELLS OF FIRE ( greece)

International revolutionary front
CALL FOR SOLIDARITY TO THE GUERRILLAS OF THE REVOLUTIONARY ORGANIZATION CONSPIRACY CELLS OF  FIRE,  THE REVOLUTIONARIES AND THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ACCUSED FOR THE SAME CASE (TRIAL ON THE 17TH OF JANUARY)

Another reason of our action, via the mass sending of incendiary parcels to embassies and European leaders, was so we can make an international call.
We therefore call to all lengths and widths of the earth, from Europe to Latin America, for the strengthening of the revolutionary war. We organize internationally and aim at the enemy. We can’t wait to see the subversive elements flooding the streets and the guerrilla groups striking again and again. All means unlock and go on the table without taboos and fetichisation. On the demonstrations we smash the heads of cops, banks are robbed and are delivered to flames, bombs blow up governmental buildings, guns execute politicians, journalists, cops, judges, as well as all sorts of protectors of this world. This way step by step the domestic internal enemy becomes even more dangerous for them.
Also solidarity, one of the most powerful and authentic weapons of revolutionary forces, acquires a stronger and coordinated cry. To the mass arrests on a protest in Belgium we in reprisal will put bombs in Greece and when a revolutionary team is jailed in Chile Argentina should fill with rubble from the attacks of comrades. For us the dead guerrillas and prisoners are not a point of truce, on the contrary they become the motive force of the excerbation of revolutionary processes.  This is why we believe that Solidarity should become more an armed stubborness of today an not a humanitarian protest of reform.
On the 17th January 2011 in Athens will be the trial for the case of our revolutionary organization. In this are being tried some our proud members, some revolutionaries and other anarchists because of personal relations with the accused. It is of no value to speak of the trial, since we define ourselves outside the limits of juridical authorities. What has substance is the expression of aggressive solidarity to the comrades that are accused and are in prison for this case. For us despite the man-hunt that has been unleashed against us by the police as well as the recent arrest of our 2 members, nothing can stop the continuous and evolutionary course of our action.
In our decision to promote a battle to the end WE CALL in Greece, Europe, Chile, Argentina, Mexico and to the whole world to the comrades and guerrilla formations to send their attacking signals to the judges and the Greek authorities as well as a greeting of solidarity to the hostages of the new urban guerrilla warfare.
Let this trial become another reason for action in the Revolutionary War

CONSPIRACY CELLS OF FIRE


original text in greek  :


Thursday, November 25, 2010

Statement of Responsibility Claim from Haris Hadjimihelakis in 23 nov.



I take the political responsibility for my participation in the revolutionary organization Conspiracy of Cells of Fire.
I stand proud of my choice to remain intransigent on the side of urban guerilla warfare until the moment the state mechanism on 23/09/2009 managed to tightly tie my hands and throw my body into a dungeon.
What, however, they will never be able to imprison is my free revolutionary consciousness. What they will not be able to prevent is the continuation of production of my radical insurrectional speech, even in the condition of confinement.
I salute comrades urban guerillas Gerasimos Tsakalos and Panagiotis Argirou.
Our position will always be on the authentic side of life, the side of militant guerilla formations for the constant revolutionary action and the revolution.
NOTHING IS OVER, EVERYTHING CONTINUES
REVOLUTION FIRST AND ALWAYS.


A few words about the "Halandri" case and a personal self critique

Now, of course, certain questions will generate about the changing of the political handling of my case from 23/09/2009 until now. Curiosity and the poor imagination of some, may already preparing to spread their traditional bile. Disregarding them, however, i attempt a public self-criticism and repositioning for the real comrades who listen with their heart and mind, not those who are keen to throw mud at every opportunity.
Let's take things from scratch.
The well-known invasion in Halandri combined with the fanfare of the anti-terrorist police to find the safe-house of the revolutionary organization Conspiracy of Cells of Fire. This claim was yet another attempt of targeting the general friend and comrade environment and the translation of this vindictive nature of law enforcement mechanisms to arrest warrants and imprisonments.
Because however, pride characterizes my choices, it does not allow me to connive, but on the contrary requires me to acknowledge errors that stigmatize my progress within the revolutionary movement, I take full personal responsibility (responsibility that I have taken in front of the courts months ago) for the preparatory nature of my error to transfer even if temporary a mechanism to my house, which by being legitimate was a meeting place of people who have no connection with the case.
And in that spirit of self-criticism and self-evaluation of revolutionary my options, I declare publicly that the main reason I had not yet accepted responsibility as a member of the Conspiracy was the cost it could have had on those involved in the case.
You see I always had in mind a certain political stance on red handed arrest, but perhaps inadvertently I had never calculate what happened.
I felt the weight of responsibility on me for many people, believing that a claim on my part might put them in a difficult position.
However, the developments once again beat me to it the afternoon of 1/11/2010, when my comrades Gerasimos Tsakalos and Panagiotis Argirou are arrested in Pagrati area.
The freeze and the blow of loss last only a moment, followed by an iron determination and strong conscience. The fact of the arrest of the comrades, our common origins, the moments we shared in the past, the history and honour of the organization, but also my pride as a revolutionary and a fighter, do not leave me no choice but to take political responsibility for my participation in the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire.
And there is more to come ...
Haris Hadjimihelakis
Koridallos prisons


boubourAs translation actforfreedomnow

SOLIDARITY ACTION IN ROVERETO AND BOLOGNA ITALY

Rovereto – Cash machines damaged and daubed.
Source: L’Adige 19/11/2010
Unknown people have daubed and damaged some cash machines in Rovereto. According to the investigators, the action is to be attributed to people of the anarchist-insurrectionist area.
The group has hit at Unicredit on piazza Leoni, BNL on via Dante and BTB on piazza Nazario Sauro by spoiling the machines with greasy liquid.
Slogans have been spray painted against the centres of identification and deportation for immigrants and the financing of Italian military missions abroad.
Police and carabinieri have started investigating.
Translated from informa-azione.info 

Bologna – Hydrants against prisoners in the immigration detention centre (CIE)
From noinonsiamocomplici.noblogs.org
In the afternoon of 21st November a demo was being held outside the Cie of via Mattei in Bologna in solidarity with the migrants locked up there. As in many other similar occasions, the demonstrators tried to communicate with the prisoners with loud speakers. This time, however, around 5:30pm, police, carabinieri and the army deployed outside and inside the centre, started using hydrants in order to push back migrants who were approaching the gates to communicate with the demonstrators. Hydrants were also fired against demonstrators. The centre was inundated with water. Later the migrants have declared that, in spite of the fact they don’t have any dry clothes, they were happy with the solidarity, the shouting and the slogans they managed to hear.
This nth intimidation is perfectly in line with the infamous deportations of the last days and with the repression of the recent struggle of immigrants in Brescia.
Meantime escapes and revolts in immigration centres do not stop: Milan, Gradisca, Bari, Modena…
On the towers, on the cranes and in the streets the struggle of the oppressed does not stop!
Translated from informa-azione.info.

Alfredo M. Bonnano Released (Greece)

In the 22 November trial of Alfredo and Christos for bank robbery in Trikala, Alfredo M. Bonnano was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment (which practically means that with the time served so far and the fact that he is over 70 years old, he was released). Christos Stratigopoulos (who took responsibility for the action) was sentenced to 8 years and 9 months and with the Greek law will probably be released at the end 2011.

 statement by their families


Comrades,
the trial of Bonnano and Stratigopoulos in the city of Larisa resulted in Alfredo Bonanno getting convicted to 4 years of imprisonment for participation to the robbery, while Stratigopoulos was convicted for the armed robbery to 8 years and to 3 months for each of the misdemeanors without bail and without the court recognising any extenuatory circumstances.
From the first instance it became clear that the judge and attorney wanted a fast trial without any ideological characteristics and with only guide being the criminal record of the accused. In short, they wanted to prove that Alfredo Bonanno was the leader, the moral perpetrator of the robbery and that Christos was the pupil, the one who executed the plan.
Yet thanks to the solid evidence, the witnesses who testified in support of the two and the great contribution of the lawyers  (Papadakis, Kourtovik, Sineli), these claims collapsed.
It “hurt” them that Alfredo was free, that he has essentially served his sentence – and they looked for any legal or other trick in order to torture him further. And so, from the prison of Larisa he was transported to the city’s police headquarters under the pretext of the approval of his exit from the country by the headquarters in Athens,.
There they informed us that apart from the Interpol alert, they would also hold him until their political senior officers would “judge” whether he would be deported in accordance to article 106 of the presidential decree of 2007. Late in the night, after calling a Larisa-based lawyer, we were informed that Alfredo had been arrested anew in accordance to the above article, as he was considered a threat to public security and unwelcome to Greece!
Once again he had to prove the obvious! A 74-year old man with very poor health was considered dangerous. The same went for us, who were waiting outside, the very few comrades sitting at a bench: they sent Riot Police, DIAS and Zita motorcycle cops, undercovers and the anti-terrorist unit to guard us, since we posed a threat to public security!
Faced with this obvious political revanchist action, played within a strategically covered psychological warfare against Alfredo, we had to decide whether to appeal at the Larisa court, which would mean Alfredo would remain detained until the decision was made or until the Greek state would decide to officially deport him. The instant solution given by his layers was for him to be released on Tuesday afternoon and to leave on his own from Larisa to Italy through Athens in the coming days.
After everything comrades lived through from the day of their arrest up until yesterday, as well as for the rest of Christos’ days in prison, they wish and we wish to extend a huge “thank you” to all friends and comrades from Konitsa who came to our support, the friends from Giannena and across Greece as well as abroad who stood by our side, giving us courage and psychological, moral and financial support.
To the comrades we extend our hand, we unite our camaraderie in a dynamic of anarchist solidarity…
- The families of Christos and Alfredo

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

whitehall riots spreading through central london 24 nov.

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STUDENTS and schoolchildren all across the UK rose up against neoliberal plans to raise university fees and slash education funding.

There were angry scenes in central London, where police blocked marchers from reaching Parliament Square and then 'kettled' thousands of youngsters for six hours.

But more impressive still was the news of walkouts, protests and occupations come in from cities and towns all over the country.

Indymedia reports that occupations, teach-ins and walkouts have been reported at places including the University of Kent, Birmingham, Loughborough, Strathclyde, Edinburgh, Essex, Hastings, Winchester, Dursley, Leominster, Bradford, Warwick.

There was also action in Newcastle (reports 1 and 2), Durham, Bristol (reports 1, 2 and 3), Leeds, Cardiff, London - [ULU], [Royal Holloway] [SOAS] [Roehampton] - Glasgow, Plymouth, Sheffield (reports 1, 2, 3, 4), Brighton, Oxford (reports 1 and 2), Nottingham, Manchester and many more...

Says the report: "By Wednesday afternoon, a large demonstration in London included around 3000 people kettled in Whitehall between two police lines (with around 2000 in the surrounding area), a police van smashed and many street fires keeping people warm.

"More trouble was reported in Bristol, Cambridge and Manchester (4 arrests reported).

"In Oxford, students and civilians occupied the iconic Radcliffe Camera, and are calling for supporters to join them. Reports indicate the occupiers are enjoying themselves, having managed to bring in a sound system!
"Many of the occupiers, including those in Cardiff, have announced their intention to remain in occupation until their demands have been met.
"Cops in Bristol were spotted on duty without their numbers displayed, which we'd been assured would never happen again."
Another day of action is being called for Tuedsay November 30.
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fitting graffito on the warroom revolution!


Quick report from outside Parliament- National Student Walk-Out Demo, London

13:32 - Large crowd - Many many thousands of young (and not so-young people), outside Parliament, right now the police have blocked all the people inside a cordon/ 'kettle'. Cops are not letting anyone leave at present. A police van was smashed and attacked when it was stuck in the crowd. The cops are trying to arrest/attack anyone who is masked up, but now it is getting better and the people are more strong. there is a sound-system, dancing, lots of whistles, shouting slogans, good atmosphere.
on the run - street news




The Radcliffe Camera of the Bodleian library, oxford, has been occupied
A student  Students across the UK are taking direct action against the double whammy of 300% tuition fee rises and huge cuts in higher education funding.

80 students occupy Warwick university

80 people are currently occupying the conference hall in Warwick art centre, on Warwick University campus

More people, apparently now including union sabbatical officers (belatedly) and supportive lecturers are outside the room being blocked from entering by security. Security are being heavy handed: three guards and one police officer (PC8532) earlier grabbed one student by force and tried to drag him away and arrest him (after others showed solidarity and de-arrested him they said "we will see you later").

Students are determined to hold the space -- we will set up a true "free university" with workshops, talks, films etc. to show them how it's done. We are currently drawing up a full statement. The occupation is entirely non-violent, and we will not obstruct lectures (there are no lectures in the room today but wil be tomorrow) -- but we will not let them take our university off us.



warwick student

Great news!

Make sure you barricade yourselves in properly this time.

Solidarity!  

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Explosion at Caravel hotel, athens



A homemade incendiary device made from two gas canisters was placed at 3.40am, in the back entrance of hotel Caravel on Efroniou street in Athens.
Others say it was next to the main entrance.
The explosion caused damages to the entrance of the building.
The area is guarded 24 hours a day since there is many MPs from around Greece staying there.

Millbank Fire: Lessons from Millbank PDF (UK)


Reposted flyer circulating on the internet and in paper form:

“Leaflet to be printed and circulated should you like the taste of it. Breaks down into three parts: Cuts are not an issue…(an article about resisting capitalism and not getting stuck on resisting the cuts) / Keeping It Real (advice for those new to doing stuff) and Some Lessons From Millbank (4 practical lessons to be learned and put into effect everywhere). Please circulate through your networks, should you wish. “


Cuts are not an issue…
Although the impact of the cuts have yet to hit us hard, in recent months loads of local anti-cuts campaigns have sprung up to try and work together to resist the austerity the State wants to impose upon us. But it seemed like the fairly spontaneous attack on the Tory HQ at Millbank on the 10th November Demo-lition seemed to really light a fire under people’s anger about the cuts. Everyone was talking about Millbank. It seemed like this moment had ruptured the political silence that had been accompanying the collapse of the economic bubble in 2007.
But when people talk about fighting ‘the cuts’, it sometimes seems like it’s just a new political ‘issue’. But it isn’t. It’s much more essential than that. Issues are things like opposing nuclear power or being against animal testing. But the cuts are not the same thing. They cannot be resisted in the same way. The reason the cuts are being made all across health, housing, education and so on is to maintain the profits that can no longer be made from a busted economic housing bubble and the bonkers levels of individual debt (credit cards, loans mortgages etc). Now the profits to be made are going to come from squeezing the living standards of a large section of the population. The cuts are not being made because the economic system hasn’t worked, they are being made because that’s exactly how the economic system does work. It never stops trying to screw us for more and more of what we have had to fight to maintain over the centuries. The cuts are about how politics works at a systemic level, about our everyday lives and how we live and not just party politics or campaign issues. The Tories make the cuts with relish but if Labour had been elected to power they would be making just the same level of cuts to maintain the same level of profits for the same rich people.

We’re all pretty fucked…
It’s not just cuts in education and upping the fees that’s the problem. The problem is that the cuts in general mean we’re all pretty fucked. Whether you’re a student in a F.E college or University, whether you’re a working single-mum, whether you’re self-employed, whether you’re unemployed, whether you’re working a precarious temp job, whether you working a good job in the public sector. The depth of the cuts means most people are going to become worse-off.
There are differing trains of thought that link the cuts to ‘The Crisis’ or ‘The Deficit’ or ‘The Tories’ but for many there is a much more simple truth – it’s just called ‘Life as normal’. The rich have been getting successively richer in this country and the poor have been getting poorer. If the cuts are setting out to re-float a busted economy of over-inflated debt and speculation by taking more and more from the poorer section of the population, well, it’s just more of the same for most people. Poverty, crap jobs, insecurity, health problems – well, that’s just how we’ve been living anyway. But do you feel like politicians will sort it out for you? Do you feel like if you keep your head down and work hard, you’ll be okay? Do you feel scared? Had enough of that shit yet?

No Escape, Time to Break it
Mass unemployment is coming and the accompanying disciplining of those unwilling to work for shit wages or for free. The promise of a good job and good life after University is an illusion. The system’s guaranteed to be there but the jobs aren’t. Most college leavers and graduates will join the 600 Euro generation alongside their counterparts in France, Italy or Greece. It’s no wonder that those countries have seen huge levels of militancy and great new tactics of resistance as they have already been suffering the harsh realities of the imposition of austerity. It seemed like a little bit of that European fire was finally burning at Millbank last week when the ante was finally upped. That resistance has to remain at that level – always collective and open, always going beyond the polite and useless limits set up by political parties and unions, always ready to occupy, block, to strike, to walk out, to be adventurous and to be excessive! Anything is else is just more of the same shit. Who needs it?

Block The Economy!
Here follows an Excerpt from a statement read out at the General Assembly of students at the University of Rennes, France, 25 October 2010
“Nowadays, audacious experiments of the 2006 movement exist as the basic modes of militant actions in the struggle against the current government. In Rennes, the department stores are targeted in every demonstration. The Marseilles strikers paralyse the harbour and add to their city the beat of the movement. The train drivers are also on the front line, and the lorry drivers have joined the movement. We know that in order to win, we must be able to counteract the government strategies of waiting for the deterioration of the fightback and techniques of intimidation. This can particularly be seen in the increase in the police violence.
What is needed now is the spreading of the tactic – the economic blockade - to intensify the fightback with a means that is accessible to all and to disrupt them in a far more certain manner than the peaceful demonstrations and rallys which have absolutely no effect. Being ready to move quickly, of being able to gather as quickly as possible in one point to constitute a mass that can not be flushed out, as well as spreading to block the city at ten different places at the same time, this will be our tactic. The question of which are the priority targets for the blockade seems already solved: roads, train stations, department stores, distribution centres. Of interest are any blockades which contribute to the spreading of the situation. Let’s think about tourism which constitutes one of the main profitable economic sectors of the City fancy hotels and restaurants, big cultural shows, luxury stores – the list is endless.”
Millbank has now helpfully polarised the debates but there is something worth remembering from the day – it was a fairly easy victory! The next few years will not see our victories so easily come by but this should not make us forget the joy, collectivity and solidarity of that day. Those who think they can now step in and try to control our anger via negotiation or undermine us through party politicking – we will push them aside because this movement belongs to us all.
STRIKE> OCCUPY> BLOCK THE ECONOMY> TAKE BACK OUR LIVES!!
No Ifs, No Buts, Capitalism Sucks!!

KEEPING IT REAL
Keep safe. Maintain open communication with people you trust. Know your surroundings and your friends. Act together!
Try to rely on argument and intelligence. Slogans are a staple for all sorts of political factions and usually very boring. They alienate many more people than they win over. Be smart, be funny, be approachable. Have a laugh.
Don’t get isolated. You’re surrounded by people who are angry and sad about what’s going on, but they keep quiet most of the time. So talk to people, find out how they feel about the situation – and what they might like to do. There are a thousand reasons for fighting back (and reasons not to, as well.)
Have confidence in your judgement. Don’t be afraid to back out of a situation which you no longer agree with. Things move quickly, can get out of control. Maintaining a critical stance is never a bad thing. A good group is a collection of individuals working together.
Consider the possibility that political activity could be a condition of happiness. Be wary of ways of acting that only feel like a burden – and ways of discussing which feel like placing a burden on others. They don’t often go anywhere pleasant. Although, you fight, it’s important to enjoy yourselves because real life is what we are fighting for…

Some Lessons From Millbank
MASK UP!
The lessons of Millbank (and the past) should be obvious – if you’re gonna go for it then mask up or FACE PRISON! It’s that simple!! By masking up, we mean covering your whole face and not just your chin! And stay masked up too because cops and journalists never stop taking photos!! Even if you’re not gonna for it, the more who mask up the better for everyone. We have to encourage people via Internet, leaflets and by word of mouth on demos to MASK UP. How many photos of people going nutso without any face covering have you seen? Spreading a culture of masking up means that we are taking our actions seriously – support one and another!!
PHOTOGRAPHERS
A serious lesson is that we have to stop news photographers taking pics or videos of people doing stuff. They are basically putting people’s liberty at risk! They must be told to fuck off, be blocked and moved away from the any actions. If, after being told to move, they refuse they should be physically confronted (in whatever way seems fit). The pics they take could put you in jail! But, it’s just as bad all the people who take also photos and post them on Facebook, blogs etc. doing the cops jobs for them. The cops trawl these sites to try and identify people. Be conscious of your actions! Don’t photograph people doing stuff!
KEEP MOVING!
Don’t fixate on a confrontation with the cops if you’re outnumbered. Move onto the next thing! Find your own actions, targets, streets to occupy. The cops have to wait for orders to act. They move slow. We should keep it lively and keep it mobile! If the cops block us one way, then let’s find another way! In this way, we avoid pointless set-pieces and we avoid getting rounded up in police kettles.
SOUND SYSTEM and MUSIC
12 Volt battery Sound System on bikes or pushcarts are amazing ways to move large blocks of people fast! They also make a demo or riot more like a party! They inspire us to come together around the sounds and to keep moving! We need more sound systems on demos!! And we need more drum bands and freestyle MC’s on the megaphones because a riot is like a festival!!
———————————-
Keep safe on the 24th!
Millbank Fire

Monday, November 22, 2010

LETER FROM GERASIMOS TSAKALOS PANAGIOTIS ARGIROU.

WHOEVER DOES NOT ARM HIS DENIALS, DIES IN HIS CONTRACTS
On 01/11/2010, after we have already delivered two incendiary packages to Suisse Mail on Astidamantos street and to ACS on spirou merkouri street, in Pangrati, send to the Mexican embassy in Athens and the address of Eurojust in the Hague, we are surrounded by police officers of the DIAS group and arrested. In our possession were found two more packages of incendiary packages destined for the presidential residence of Nicolas Sarkozy in France and the Belgian Embassy in Athens.

As revolutionaries we do not recognize any interrogating authority. So, we were bound to refuse to apologize to cops and investigators, since our revolutionary position only before the public and comrades we feel as a duty to promote.
We declare ourselves, therefore, hostages of the revolutionary war, proud members of the revolutionary organization Conspiracy Cells of Fire. We do not regret anything and we support all commniques and actions of our organization, as well as those that will happen from now on, which made us and will make us proud.
We Support with all our soul the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire, because it is also a part of our soul. We pride ourselves in our selection to find ourselves in a position of attack against the system.

Even through the difficult conditions of detention we will not stop showing never or clear views and positions on armed violence, urban guerilla warfare and the revolution.
Comrades, let us not allow them to take from us even a drop of land.
Comrades, lets break the apathy and social stupefaction.

Lets blow up the regularity of society once and for all.

P.S. There is no more beautiful way to show solidarity and the widening of the revolutionary consciousness than the continuation and intensification of diverse guerrilla action.
So we send our most sincere comrade greetings to the Guerillas, which in spite of the times continue to shine with fires of hate the miserable nights of the metroplois.

In the campaign for international solidarity to foreign organizations and imprisoned fighters, a communique of the organization will follow.
 

NOTHING IS OVER
THE WAR CONTINUES

Conspiracy of Cells of Fire -Commando Practical Theory

Gerasimos Tsakalos Panagiotis Argirou


boubourAs translation actforfreedomnow. 

Alfredo Bonnano Released

In todays trial A.Bonnano was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment (which practically means that with the time served so far and the fact that he is over 70years old HE IS RELEASED tomorrow)
Christos Stratigopoulos (who took responsibility for the action)
was sentenced to 8 years and 9 months with the Greek law will probably be released at the end 2011

Anarchy In Indonesia


As far as I know from my friends' stories and from what I’ve learned, the origin of anarchism in Indonesia came together with the arrival of punk music around 1998. At that time anarchy was synonymous with punk and some people in that community began to delve deeper into anarchic ideology and values. Since that time anarchist discourse began to develop amongst individuals or collectives in the punk / hardcore community, and later to a broader range of groups such as activists, students, workers; essentially reaching a wider public with different backgrounds.

Anarchy In Indonesia

This interview was published in German in the book Von Jakarta bis Johannesburg - Anarchismus weltweit, Sebastian Kalicha & Gabriel Kuhn (eds.) Unrast Verlag 2010
Can you tell us about the history of anarchism in Indonesia?
MT: As far as I know from my friends' stories and from what I’ve learned, the origin of anarchism in Indonesia came together with the arrival of punk music around 1998. At that time anarchy was synonymous with punk and some people in that community began to delve deeper into anarchic ideology and values. Since that time anarchist discourse began to develop amongst individuals or collectives in the punk / hardcore community, and later to a broader range of groups such as activists, students, workers; essentially reaching a wider public with different backgrounds.
Along with the spread of anarchic discourse, many discussions on this topic began to occur, and anarchy began to be debated, analysed and criticized more deeply (and this process continues until today, now with a wider arena of different analyses). The next step was to bring it into praxis, for instance forming collectives with anarchic principals and values (decentralized, non-hierarchical & consensus). Despite the many problems these collectives faced, collective models like this could be seen as something different, a counter to the model of groups which always seek to dominate (both in the political sphere and the non-political) through their hierarchical, centralist, and authoritarian forms or structures.
Actions such as Food Not Bombs can be regarded as one of the early forms of direct action emerging from an anarchic praxis here, along with producing zines and other publication such as newsletter, pamphlets, etc. At first the themes and issues of zines were mostly about the punk / hardcore surroundings, but as time went on and the process developed, more varied themes and issues were presented such as feminism, anarchy values, anti-capitalism, global & social resistance, varients of anarchism, environmental and animal movements, political news , and others. The progress of anarchy is also helped by the increasing levels of Internet access; internet media are used by our friends to disseminate information about anarchist discourse.
PM: I think I have to tell you first, that Indonesian is not familiar with english language so even in that time internet was also started to spread, just a little bit of the whole first generation of anarcho-punk whom understood what is anarchism theoretically. But the urge to do something, shaped also by the turbulence of economical, political and social situation around that time, and our thirst to understand about who we are, led almost half of the first generation towards PRD (Partai Rakyat Demokratik, or People’s Democratic Party), a Leninist political party. We didn’t have much choice since we didn’t have much references in our own language. There were several anarchist pamphlets by Bakunin, Emma Goldman, Rudolf Rocker, translated by several anarchist friends and distributed widely. But it didn’t help much since what that classic thinker wrote is hardly connected to our understanding about our own place and time. Like, how could we really understood about the evil of the goverment since at that time Indonesian history had only experiences life under two presidents? We’re a post-colonial state, and it has a lot of things to do with the believe that the state is an evil naturally.
Around 2001, one by one burn out and left the party, but a lot of us still hold the understanding that the only thing that seems possible to do, is just a way which Lenin said: a revolution under one banner, transitional government, and such stink like that. We’re also treated as anomali by a lot of people, since we as anarchists start to believe that the state is also our systematical enemy. When other people demands to have more power to Indonesia as a state to have a voice in the international circle, we declare that the state and all of the functionaries are also our enemy. And in this time, came the second generation of self-identify anarchists as a result of the first generation activities and confusion. This second generation quitely has more deeper understanding about anarchism and can point the differences with Leninism, or I can say, this generation learn from the first generation’s mistakes.
What is the situation today? What are the main groups and currents in Indonesian anarchism?
JC: As far as I know there is no predominant grouping in Indonesia. There are just several collectives and individuals from various backgrounds and pursuing a range of different strains of anarchism. Not infrequently, this difference in methods gives rise to debate, although this debate does not cause hostilities between the collectives or individuals involved. There are even various occasions when these collectives and individuals from different backgrounds and variants of anarchism become involved in the same project. Mayday 2007 and 2008 are examples of this. Several collectives and individuals from various cities became involved in planning the occasion of Mayday 2007. The collectives involved were: Affinitas (collective from Yogyakarta), Jaringan Otonomis (collective from Jakarta), Apokalips (collective from Bandung) and Jaringan Autonomus Kota (collective from Salatiga). Aside from these collectives, individuals from various cities such as Bali and Semarang also participated, as well as people from punk collectives in Jakarta. The collectives and individuals involved chose to name themselves Jaringan Anti-Otoritarian (anti-authoritan network). On Mayday 2007, the number of participants on the action came to around 100 people, all dressed in black. At that time, the message the Jaringan Anti-Otoritarian was aiming to bring was the redefinition of Mayday, because at that time Mayday was an occasion dominated by leftist groups and individuals. Jaringan Anti-Otoritarian's action that day can be called a success. The anarchist movement, which at that time was considered non-existant, started to receive attention.
After Mayday 2007, the anarchist movement started to flare up. Several new groups appeared in different cities. Anarchists also became more involved in protests, the protests against the building of a nuclear power station, for example.
As Mayday 2008 approached, the co-ordination between collectives and individuals in different cites was reactivated. This co-ordination followed two channels: via the internet and through face-to-face meetings. This time round, an increasing number of participants were involved. Unfortunately around that time Apokalips (collective from Bandung) and Sindikat Melawan (collective from Salatiga) backed down from being involved in the action for various reasons. The coordination seemed in disarray, but Affinitas (collective from Yogyakarta) and the Jakarta collectives as well as some individuals from different towns still managed to pull through with an action. As with the year before, the Mayday 2008 action took place in Jakarta. Up to 200 people participated, including punkers. The issue focussed on was corporate abuses, and the target of the action was the Bakrie Building. This building is the office of the various companies owned by business mogul and politician Aburizal Bakrie. Some participants vandalised the Bakrie building, and not long after that, police arrived and began their repression. Several participants were arrested by force (although some of those arrested were successfully freed by the other participants). After resisting as they could, the participants continued the march, but unfortunately the police returned in greater numbers. All participants on the action were then arrested.
Post-mayday 2008, the escalation of the anarchist movement started to decline. Some collectives also collapsed. But that didn't mean anarchism was dead. New collectives and individuals, as well as those who were already a long time involved in the Indonesian anarchist movement, started networking and taking action with people in various places who have suffered at the hands of corporations. Until the present day, more than a few anarchists are involved in people's struggles against corporations and the state. Some anarchists even start with more militant actions such as attacking police posts or damaging shopping malls.
MT: I will respond more about the current situation, since JC’s answers provide more description about group dynamics.
We can say that the state of anarchism today is still an ongoing process. And I see it, it can be divided into 2 areas, first; that of discourse & theory and second; the praxis.
In the area of discourse & theories; nowadays the topics for discussion and analysis are becoming more widespread starting from capitalism, work, security culture, civilization, philosophy, media, consumerism, religion, gender, corporations, forms of free association, the relevance of anarchy in the context of daily life and Indonesia, and so on. This discussion is carried out both directly (classes, film screenings, regular discussions, group discussions, open/public discussions), or indirectly (mailing lists, email, books, journals, pamphlets, zines, newsletters, websites, blogs).However I feel that at the moment, discussions about corporations, capitalism, social resistance, and direct action are becoming the hot topics in anarchist circles. As a woman I perceive that issues around women, body, sexuality, sexual orientation, and personal relationships are not being discussed enough. That's why I am trying to raise this issue in variety ways and through different media (direct action, criticism, writing, artwork), and now I'm preparing a novel about rebellious genitals. Hopefully through fiction my message can be more easily accepted and understood.
I also saw recently that similar kinds of women's writing are on the rise and are becoming known as 'sasatra lendir'. They are concerned with sexual freedom (women's' sexuality, lesbians and gay), yet without highlighting the relationships and values that lie behind it, such as power, dominance, control and so on.
When it comes to the practical level, nowadays more and more friends are taking direct action based on anarchic values, such as food not bombs, skill shares, street campaigns and demonstrations (about corporate abuses, police violence, consumerism, capitalism, etc.), building collectives with different focusses (such as free schools, reading spaces, infoshops), DIY festivals, following an anarchist approach to organising together with people affected by corporate abuse, and also sabotage. It can be said that the existence of anarchists and their discourse and activism are increasingly being 'noticed' by wider groups, and of course that generates many dynamics and debates, especially in the authoritarian left circles (Marxist-Leninist-Maoist-Chavist activist groups) that dominate resistance movements. There are many errors and misunderstandings about anarchist theory, philosophy and action amongst this 'left' scene. I can understand this, because left groups always see ideology only as a 'tool of their political struggle', while anarchists understand that ideology is something very philosophical and personal (something internalised in ourselves), which can be applied in a range of contexts, whether personal, in relationships or daily life, or in social and political struggles. At the same time I feel there is a more widespread desire to know about anarchist discourse coming from other individuals and groups. This can be seen from the increase of questions, and friends becoming attracted by the idea of anarchy.
The involvement of women in anarchist activism is still quite minimal, this has been troublesome for me during the more-or-less 10 years since I began 'the struggle'. I feel that I have made an effort very often to support and encourage female friends, but it always stops halfway, and the majority opt to go back to their 'prison'. They choose to marry and build a family, or choose to work, or choose to work in a woman's NGO. I feel that in the society I inhabit, patriarchal and sexist values and practices still have a very strong impact, and arise in nearly every context (family, relationships of lovers, friendship, community, organisations, schools, work, society, religion, etc.), maybe that is one reason the situation is as it is. In Indonesia there is very little history of radical women's movements. There was a movement during the time of the PKI (Partai Komunis Indonesia = Indonesian Communist Party), which included an organisation of women known as GERWANI (Gerakan Wanita Indonesia = Indonesian Women's movement). This movement was destroyed during the muzzling of the PKI by the state in 1965-66. Everything that was connected with the PKI or communism has already left a profound trauma on Indonesian society, and this has also become a propaganda tool and threat used by authority to quell any form of popular struggle. “You don't want what happened in 1965 to come back again, right?” After this time there was almost no women's movement or radical individual women, nowadays what is called the 'women's movement' is to a large extent concentrated in women's NGOs or left organisations that repeatedly compromise and are pro- the concept of the state.
Misunderstandings: I also see amongst friends that believe in anarchy and live it in their lives that there are often debates and differences of opinions, they still can't organise themselves and their groups well, there are still misunderstandings about anarchist values and principles in everyday relationships (for example hierarchy, domination and sexism still exist). But I can also understand this, it is part of our process of learning.
The lack of access to information and literature; apart from that, I see that anarchist references and literature are still minimal and hard to access. The majority of information available is in English (or other languages) or from websites, however neither internet access, access to books nor the English language are yet widespread in our society. Institut-A Infohouse and Community Center was started more or less for that reason, there is a need for a space to access anarchist literature.
Are there any historical movements in Indonesia that anarchists today draw inspiration from - even if these movements did not self-identify as "anarchist"?
JC: There are some movements which, although they never identified themselves as anarchists, are nonetheless quite inspirational. Such as in Blora and Pati, anarchists are inspired by the Sedulur Sikep movement (known as Samin people), a social dissident movement that has existed since the Dutch colonial period. However this was only ever active on a local scale. There are also a lot of anarchists who feel social and political movements in Indonesia are not inspirational. For various reasons, some anarchists make a serious attempt to delve into the history of struggle in Indonesia, struggles that despite not clearly identifying themselves as anarchists, still have anarchistic features.
MT: I'm going to try to give a more complete answer about the Sedular Sikep (Samin) movement and its philosophy.
The teachings of Sedulur Sikep were spread by Samin Surosentiko (1859-1914), and were a concept for the rejection of the Dutch colonial culture and capitalism as it emerged during the colonial era in Indonesia, in the 19th century. This movement grew first of all around Klopoduwur, Blora, Central Java. In 1890 the Sedular Sikep movement developed in two forest villages in the Randublatung district, Bojonegoro Regency, East Java, and quickly spread to other villages. It ranged from the northern coast of Java to the forests of the North and South Kendeng mountain range. All around the borders regions of East Java and Central Java according to today's maps, a struggle arose to resist the authority of the Dutch as as they seized land to use as teak plantations.
The teachings of Sedulur Sikep emerged as a result of, or reaction to, the Dutch colonial government and its arbitrary acts. The struggle did not take the form of physical confrontation but instead laid down a challenge to all regulations and obligations of the people to the government, for example by not paying taxes. Influenced by their attitude of challenging everything, they built up their own social order, customary law and traditions independently.
One principle of Sedulur Sikep was “kulo ndiko sami, kowe aku podho” (me and you are equal, so all people may be equal). This is a principle of equality without making a distinction based on skin colour, ethnicity or religion/beliefs. No human being ranks higher than any other, or has more rights or obligations. Samin felt that in all matters, people should sort things out on their own or by voluntary co-operation.
Sedulur Sikep was a practical philosophy, it didn't aim to create something that's impossible. The objective of Sedular Sikep was to bring about an effective freedom for all humanity. The minority does not have any more rights than the majority, and vice versa. It is assumed that each and every person must have the same right to obtain the richness of the earth without money or payment; what a person produces becomes their possession, and no one person, or people acting together, has the right to take any such possession without that person's consent; that everyone can exchange things they produce if they wish to; there are no limits to what people can write, eat or drink, as long as it doesn't disturb the rights of others.
Sedulur Sikep refused the rental of land, allowing whoever lives on the land to make use of it, refused patents and copyright that are a form of monopoly, rejected the imposition of tax on people because tax must be voluntary, didn't send their children to formal education, treated nature and the environment wisely because it was considered as a mother that must be respected.
The key points of the Sedulur Sikep teachings are as follows: -religion can be a weapon or a principal for life. It must be understood that Sedulur Sikep didn't differentiate between religions, and because of this followers of Sedulur Sikep never disavowed or hated religion. The most important thing is how people behave in their lives. Weddings were carried out directly, without involving government or religious institutions because their religion wasn't recognised by the state. -don't annoy other people, don't quarrel, don't be envious and don't try to take others' possessions. -Choose to act wisely, and don't be arrogant. -A living human must develop an understanding of their own life, because our life is the same as our soul and we only have one for all eternity. According to Sedulur Sikep, when a person dies their soul doesn't die, it only takes off it''s clothes. -when speaking we should take care of what comes out of our mouthed, it must be honest and show respect for others. For Sedulur Sikep trade was forbidden because trade contains an element of 'dishonesty'. Also contributions could not be received in the form of money.
PM: Sadly, the regime under Suharto succeed in clearing of any historical material that they found doesn’t suit their positions. An Australian historian, Anton Lucas, wrote books about interesting social upheaval in Indonesia in time the declaration of Indonesian independence, that I found not specifically anarchist, but it autonomously risen against the upper class—against the colonial forces also against Indonesian Republic. I think Papuan indigenous movement also interesting. I met one of their leaders around 2000, and several years later I realized that his vision, his critics about Indonesian, made me remember about the conflict between egalitarian (but primitive) society against hierarchical modern society. I think the first thing to do to find our own history, is a really hard work that have to be done.
Indonesia is an enormously big country with many cultural and religious traditions. In which parts of Indonesia and in which of the country's communities do you find anarchists?
JC: I live on the island of Java, and all this time my activities have mostly been with anarchists that are also on Java (and I don't even know all of those), and a little with anarchists from other islands (and this is only in the context of communication, we have not yet reached the stage of working on a project together).
MT: You have to understand that in Indonesia, the island of Java is the 'heart' of government, information, education, etc. which causes an imbalance in access to this in other parts of the country. The state intentionally creates this condition so that the people outside Java are kept 'stupid' as their territories become the object for large-scale exploitation by the state and corporations.
I live in Jakarta (in the west of Java) and I know of anarchists (individuals or collectives) on the islands of: -Java (Jakarta, Bandung, Jogya, Semarang, Pati, Blora, Surabaya, Rembang, Randublatung, Salatiga, Porong) -Sumatra (Palembang, Pekanbaru, Medan, Aceh) -Kalimantan (Balikpapan) -Sulawesi (Makassar, Manado, Gorontalo) -Bali However some of the people or collectives on this list I have yet to meet with in person.
PM: I believe that anarchy is a basic human character. So in that believe, I think there’re some communities which we can find some anarchist values, even if these communities doesn’t call themselves as anarchist. Some even embrace religious traditions—that usually different with the mainstream, legal religions.
Does religion play any role in the anarchist movement at all? Have people drawn parallels between anarchism and Muslim traditions, for example? Or are all anarchists anti-religion?
JC: I am an anarchist that is agnostic. Many of my anarchist friends hold almost the same view as I do. But there are also some anarchists which are inspired by the Sufi movement, for example. For me, religion is a coercive and hierarchical institution, for which reason it's necessary not only to reject it, but also destroy it. Religion is not the same as spirituality. Although anti-religion, I'm not one of those modern people that glorifies reason and negates spirituality.
MT: I made the choice to not follow a religion before I knew about anarchism, because of my personal experiences in the family and in wider society. I have felt critical of the strong domination or control which religious institutions have in Indonesia ever since first hearing the views and attitudes about religion of some friends about religion. However in anarchist circles, many friends still 'have religion', or are not yet brave enough to have an open mind about the rejection of religion. Usually they are looking for a balance where they can still show respect for their families or religious environments.
In the context of Indonesia being the country with the largest number of Muslim inhabitants in the world, these values are rigorously implanted into us, enforced on us, handed down to us and control us, starting at the levels of family, society and state. However many of us have discussed these points and see religion as a source of domination and control that must be destroyed. Some anarchists look deeper into this issue and make criticisms of Islam from an anarchist perspective.
PM: If we speak about anarchist movement, I can tell you that religion doesn’t play any role in it. But one of my friends is a muslim who also an anarchist. And yes, he can traces any parallels between anarchism and muslim traditions. He even work as an editor in a book publisher that focused more on publishing muslim books.
Is there a strong connection between all anarchists in Indonesia?
PM: I don’t know if I can call this “strong connection”, but yes, almost all of anarchists (the one who self-identify as anarchist) in Indonesia know each other.
MT: I can say yes, maybe because we feel that we are a minority, the links between us are quite strong, there's a feeling that each of us supports the others and there is a desire to know about the activities of other friends. However because of the geographical and financial situation of people in Indonesia, it is quite difficult to meet up for face-to-face communication. Usually we communicate through the internet or telephone.
What are anarchist positions on the independence struggles that have been led in Indonesia over the last decades: in East Timor, West Papua, Aceh, and other regions?
PM: I can’t speak for any anarchist in Indonesia, but personally I think in some level I can support these struggle. I was also involved in the struggle for free Timor Leste (they prefer Timor Leste, not East Timor) before they became an independent state and have a corrupt government.
MT: It needs to be understood that every part of Indonesia has its own problems, that is why anarchists will always take action and resist in a way that is appropriate to the problems they encounter in their own place first of all. We avoid methods that involve representatives (in contrast to the majority of left groups), and this is why we always build our movements and actions in the places we happen to be. Also because there are no anarchist friends that live in those places (actually there is one friend in Aceh, but he has not been able to do so much because he has also just recently arrived there).
But we are nevertheless aware of what is going on in those places, and we support all forms of struggle to fight state authority and all autonomous struggles. However there is a contradiction when we look at the people's struggles in those places to free themselves from Indonesian and form a new nation (the system is the same, government and power have new faces), as can be seen in the case of East Timor for example.
Meanwhile we also discuss these issues from different viewpoints, especially in the context of state authority, militarism and the exploitation of the environment.
The Indonesian state has a terrible legacy as far as the persecution of political dissidents goes. How have anarchists been affected by this historically? What is the situation today?
JC: The Indonesia of today is an Indonesia that is not so totally different from the Indonesia of the New Order period. What I mean by that is, those who refuse to submit to the powers that be today are still persecuted. Nowadays, Indonesia's leaders have learned from the mistakes of their predecessors, and are better organised in their repression. If in the New Order time dissidence was destroyed with in a crude way, it's not like that any more. Those in power in Indonesia today promote an erroneous image that they do not rule through violence, and push the illusion of peace and security to a fantastic degree. This makes many people more pro-government - and even if they are not, they only disagree with its leaders. Hierarchy and power itself are considered legitimate by the majority of people.
MT: Several of us have already had to confront repressive actions from the state such as terror, intimidation, raids and arrests. To continue from JC's answer, we remain alert to this situation and try not to be influenced by the image which is projected by the state. We also try to pay more attention to problems of security and safety by starting to build a 'security culture' as something which should be seen as an important consideration in all our activities, and we are developing methods and strategies to face these situations. But it is important to point out that it is still only a few people that are concerned about this issue.
PM: Nowadays, the government actually still the same as before, but they play it smoothly. They don’t openly declare their statement violently anymore. But it doesn’t mean that they don’t use violence to solve what they see as problems. Several months ago, a village in Riau (Sumatra island) bombed and burned heavily by army helicopters because the peasants in that village didn’t want to give their land to a national palm oil corporation. In Sulawesi, several peasants being shot in the similar case. Also in several village in Java. But no state controlled media covered it all. Me and several of my friend usually publish the terrible news independently.
How about international connections? Do you have strong relations with other anarchists in South-east Asia, and further afield?
PM: Formally no. But for some friends, yes they have.
MT: For me personally, I have several connections with anarchists outside Indonesia, and from the beginning Institut - A was able to exist thanks to the help and solidarity of the international network. We try to make connections with various collectives in order to spread information about our existence and activities here. We are aware of the importance of sharing information and networking, and actually we know what tools we can use to share information, only sometimes we are hampered by language constraints, or not having the time or being in the right mood to translate a lot of material. Not many of us have the ability and desire to be intensively translating.
How do you see the future possibilities of anarchism in Indonesia and South-east Asia?
PM: I can’t speak about it as I don’t know much about anarchism in Southeast Asia. I know, a network is important, but for now, I just want to focus more on Indonesia since there’re so many things to do but so few Indonesian anarchists who really do it down here.
JC: With the ongoing process that has been taking place, I think there is lots of space that can be filled by anarchists in Indonesia. More than a few people who used to be Marxist-Leninist are beginning to think that all forms of power corrupt and repress. People that have become victims of corporations also start to feel that government will only ever take the side of corporations, and so it it is necessary to do something stronger than just asking the government for help.
MT: I feel very positive, especially in the context of Indonesia where there are so many problems. More and more different people and groups start to feel that their form of struggle is arriving at a dead end, and anarchy is seen as something very logical. Nevertheless, all this will need a long process and hard work, we need to build up collaborations and firm solidarity between us. I believe we will see the seeds of anarchy which we sow and scatter today start to grow everywhere...

Activist Pleads Guilty in A.L.F. Sheepskin Factory Arson

In court November 18th, Walter Bond pleaded guilty to one count of "using fire or explosives to damage property involved in interstate commerce and of using force, violence or threats involving animal enterprises" under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act. He faces five to 30 years in federal prison. His sentencing was set for February 11th.

Solidarity Poster for Polykarpos Georgiadis and Vaggelis Chrisohoidis (greece)



POSTER SAYS:
did anyone speak of a
KIDNAPPING?
“…A handful of capitalists
have organized a criminal gang
and have kidnapped the proletarians,
demanding for ransom
their labor force,
merchandising their human activity,
their time (which is turned into money),
their own being itself…”
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
to vaggelis Chrisohoidis and Polykarpos Georgiadis
who the persecuting authorities, exactly because they denied to betray values and people,
accuse them as participators in the kidnapping of industrialist Milonas
anarchists from Serres from north-greece


Anarchists solidarity protest outside Korydallos prison, the main prison in Athens, at the time of the change of the year. This protest happens every New Year's Eve for the past six years. This year more than 400 people took part in the protest that interacted with the prisoners inside through shouting mutual slogans and fireworks. The main slogan was "The passion for freedom is stronger that your prisons".
NEW YEAR OUTSIDE IN KORRIDALOS PRISON 2011
Watch live streaming video from agitprop at livestream.com
FIRE TO ALL PRISONS

A society that punishes/the condition of incarceration/the prison of the mind/the prison as punishment/the rage of the damned will sound on the ruins of prisons/those denying obedience and misery of our era even within its hellholes/will dance together on the ruins of every last prison/with the flame of rebellion avenging whatever creates prisons.

To the prisoners struggle already counting one dead and thousands in hunger strike across greece, we stand in solidarity and anger until the destruction of every last prison.


ARSON AND WILDFIRE FOR EVERY PRISON

SOLIDARITY TO ALL PRISONERS IN GREECE


Keny Arkana - La Rage English Subtitles

1976 - 2000 Greek Anarchists Fight for Freedom

(December Riots in Greece)