Anarchist Social Struggles in Greece-

open public dialogue with anarchist members from Void Network from Athens

Friday 25/1/2019–Cowley Club | Brighton

Greece became a world news report center during the revolt of December 2008 after the assassination of 15 years old boy Alexis Grigoropoulos, by the Greek police in Exarchia square, the stronghold of anarchists and leftists in Athens for the last 40 years. The global economic crises brought Greece again in global news focus from 2010 to 2012 as the collapse of Greek economy activated a general social revolt with the participation of the majority of the population and a serial of social experimentations in self-organization, horizontal assemblies, general strikes, mutual help movements and confrontation with authorities. After the election of left party “Syriza” in the government in 2015 and the appearance of neo-nazi party Golden Dawn the social movements continue to offer alive paradigms of resistance. In our days Greece appears as the country with one of the strongest anarchist movements in the world.

Two members of Void Network [https://voidnetwork.gr], Sissy Doutsiou (actress, published poet and essayist) and Tasos Sagris, co-editor of the books “We are an Image from the Future- The Greek Revolt of Dec. 2008 (AK Press 2010) and “From Democracy to Freedom” (Crimethinc, 2018) will create a public dialogue about social movements in Greece as also about the international co-ordination of the struggles.

As English society face Brexit and European and Greek national elections come closer the talk will take the form of direct Q&A and will include analysis about democracy, far-right and left governments, investigating emancipatory possibilities in the self-organized social projects,  neighborhood assemblies, horizontal anarchist groups and federations, searching for tools and methodologies of creating and defending social centers, solidarity networks and mutual help projects, empowering the fight against the state and capitalism, make antifascist struggles, anarchofeminism and LGBTQI movements stronger, talking about the anarchist movement in Greece and the world today as also share an open invitation for international co-ordination

FRIDAY 25/1/2019 – starts 19.00 until 02.00

Anarchist Social Struggles in Greece–

open public dialogue with anarchist members from Void Network from Athens

Cowley Club Brighton 12 London Road, Brighton BN1 4JA, England

http://www.cowleyclub.org.uk/

After the talk will follow multi media poetry action, visual art and cinematographic electronic soundscapes

Free entrance / suggested donation – members and guests

Void Network is an anarchist group that first appeared in 1990 in Athens / Greece with aim the radicalization of every-day life, the social question, the arising of critical mind, the ecstatic collective symbiosis, the visibility of diversity, the participation to the social struggles of our times. Other aims are the creation of social centers, self-organized autonomous spaces, the construction of situations in public space and the ephemeral arts. In the last 30 years Void Network organized hundreds events and actions in a weekly base, discussions, multi media lectures and poetry shows, open free festivals, art exhibitions, performances, documentary and cinema shows, organization and participation to demonstrations, street parades and public actions, celebrations, concerts, publications, open collaborative workshops and liberated autonomous public zones for thousands upon thousands of people.

More info about VOID NETWORK / Athens – Greece 
as also Global and Local Movements News, Library, Music and Void TV:

https://voidnetwork.gr

The Cowley Club is a libertarian social centre in Brighton, England, United Kingdom opened in 2003. It provides resources and meeting spaces for groups and individuals active in areas such as workplace and unemployed struggles, international solidarity, animal liberation, ecological defence, feminist and queer activism and opposing the arms trade. Its political identity is close to anarchism or libertarian socialism. It also houses a vegan community café, a bookshop, and free English lessons for migrants. The Cowley Club is named after local activist Harry Cowley and is part of the UK Social Centre Network. More info: http://www.cowleyclub.org.uk/

____________________

Wonderful evening at Brighton with the Void Network and members of 
the Void Circle Anarchist Libertarian Assembly 
(participates at the Anarchist Federation in Greece), 
at the full packed historical social center The Cowley Club. 
Lots of questions about anti-fascism, Syriza, the political situation in Greece, 
and our visions for the creation of a free society, organizing groups, 
popular assemblies, public events, spaces of resistance as also ways for 
managing the disagreements between the different tendencies 
of libertarian social movements.

The post Void Network: Anarchist Social Struggles in Greece FR. 25/1/2019 Cowley Club- Brighton appeared first on Void Network.

Similar protests were held in cities across the UK, and thousands rallied against the US President in Paris and Berlin.

The demonstration starts outside the BBC’s headquarters and finishes at Trafalgar Square where thousands are expected to attend. It is organised by a collective identified as ‘Together Against Trump,’ which includes several trade unions and campaign groups, such as Stop the War, Friends of the Earth and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.

The post Thousands protest against Donald Trump in London – 13 July 2018 (video) appeared first on Void Network.

• The 1in12 Club, Bradford BD1 2LY: The club, which is Britain’s oldest active social centre (The Freedom building is longer-running but has only inconsistently been a community space) is in the process of planning a blowout 35th birthday bash for 2018 as it looks to bring more people in for future events/plans.
• Cowley Club, Brighton BN1 4JA: The collective has had a bit of a run of bad luck recently, and is currently fundraising to pay for both a major rates bill and a roof rebuild, which can be done by either donating or through investing with loanstock. It is, however, still rocking the events list and remains a key hub for groups in the left-leaning city.
• Kebele, Bristol BS5 6JY, is back in action after a break in August and is now over 21 years old! It has been hosting meetings galore over the last few months, though it could do with more cooks for the vegan cafe.
• Ace, Edinburgh EH7 5HA: As ever, the Autonomous Centre of Edinburgh is involved at the heart of progressive radicalism in the city, recently holding a solid open day to encourage new volunteers as it continues its work supporting a radical library space and multitudes of events.
• Wharf Chambers (Middle Floor), Leeds LS2 7EQ: Part volunteer-run club and part-worker co-op, Wharf Chambers recently opened the Middle Floor, a bookable space for daytime and early evening talks, workshops, meetings, exercise classes, film screenings and more.
• News From Nowhere, Liverpool L1 4HY: The workers’ co-op worked closely with other groups organising Liverpool’s first ever Anarchist Bookfair in April, as well as hosting Food not Bombs — and English conversation classes are due soon!
• London Action Resource Centre, London E1 1ES: Has recently sorted out a new kitchen and new paint work.
• Decentre, London E1 7QX: The second-floor space which the Freedom building group maintain for public use and events is currently in hiatus, but plans are to revive it in the coming weeks. Alongside last year’s significant rebuild with comfy chairs, tables, rugs and small bar there is now a computer with internet and printer, free to use. Inquire with the ground floor bookshop about evening bookings.
• Common House, London E2 9QG: Has successfully completed an epic appeal for funding after its largest income stream was unexpectedly lost, and is now planning for the longer term. The happy upside of their emergency activities is that the big room’s profile got a substantial boost.
• Mayday rooms, London EC4Y 1DH: Is looking busier than ever at the heart of capital power, and in its archiving role is currently hosting the Lucas Plan collection. This month the collective has started a monthly discussion day on the problems of radical archiving following a much-needed summer break.
• DIY Space For London, London SE15 1TF: The venue space turned two recently and by all accounts everyone had a blast at the celebration party. Their AGM discussed an awful lot of the nitty gritty about finance, future plans and the like, reporting a whopping 136% increase in turnover.
• Partisan, Manchester M4 4FY: Having successfully found a venue, done it all up to look lovely, and opened to a wide array of progressive causes, Partisan is now looking to fundraise for the next stage of becoming a permanent fixture in the city for radical groups. The collective are aiming to gain a full licence, make the space more accessible, sort out a sound system for the space and of course improve soundproofing.
• Star and Shadow, Newcastle NE2 1BB: Having had to move out of their old premises, the team has decided to go the whole hog and just build an entirely new cinema and social space! Build work is coming along nicely and the ambitious project is currently looking for volunteers.
• Sumac Centre, Nottingham NG7 6HX: This year has seen people putting loads of time and energy into a remodelling-rework of the bar area, and for September the taking in of a bountiful crop from their community garden.
• Blackcurrent Centre, Northampton NN1 4JQ: Has rejoined the list of Social Centres after a hiatus. It is operating “more like just a housing co-op” at the moment, but might change this to become more open at some point.

Got missed out? want to add some more detail? Drop us a line via editor at freedompress.org.uk! 

Many of the above centres are members of the Radical Social Centres Network. Plans are afoot for a possible gathering at some point, stay tuned…

article source: FREEDOM Anarchist Media

The post Anarchy in the UK: The Social Centres roundup in England appeared first on Void Network.

# BREXIT 10 point guide for post Brexit resistance as racist right wins EU referendum // text by Workers Solidarity Movement UK

1. The Brexit vote for the UK to leave the European Union demonstrates that even weak parliamentary democracy is incompatible with escalating neoliberal inequality.  In the UK as elsewhere a tiny segment of the population have taken a larger and larger share of total wealth in the last decades.  Particularly under austerity almost everyone else has seen their share of the wealth they produce decline massively.

2. The Remain campaign was headed up by the political class of the neoliberal establishment and backed by model neo liberal corporations like Ryanair.  But because the anger against rising inequality was successfully diverted through scapegoating already marginalized people, in particular migrants, the Leave campaign was also lead by wealthy elitist bigots whose variant of neoliberalism looks to the former colonies and the US rather than Europe.

3. The markets are now punishing the electorate with capital flight. But the racist colonialist nature of the Leave campaign means that rather than capitalism being blamed migrants will again be scapegoated.  The impact of continued inequality – on white citizen workers – will be blamed on attacks on migrants not being as cruel and ruthless as ‘required’.

4. The alternative to fight for isn’t yet another referendum but the abolition of a global order built on inequality & market dictatorship.

5. In the immediate future, the defense of migrants, including those yet to come, is fundamental to opposing the swing to the right post-Brexit.

6. If the left swings towards a simple economist stance post-Brexit then the racist colonialist nature of that vote will be solidified  We must argue on the more apparently difficult grounds of global class solidarity and not on the treacherous path of the narrow self interest of white citizen workers which can only serve a reactionary English nationalism steeped in racism and colonialism.

7. The fallout from the Leave vote will not just be limited within the borders of the UK will see a  but huge boost for racist colonialist movements across EU.  The leaders of those movements, like Marine Le Pen have already greeted the Leave vote with joy.

8. It’s vital to understand this cannot be combatted with liberal platitudes because it is a consequence of the rising inequality economic liberalism has created.  We are facing either a transformation to radical direct democracy that will create economic equality or a turn to the authoritarian politics of control needed to enforce sharp divisions in wealth.

9. Things look grim but then they were already grim as we face into climate change and automation under capitalism.  The rise of the far right and colonialist racism is not a natural phenomenon but a consequence of a system in a crisis that is a fundamental product of  its own functioning.

10. We need to take our world back from the patriarchal white supremacist capitalist elite that dominates the planet and dominated both sides of the EU referendum.  The transformation we need if we are not to face escalating poverty, war and climate destruction is a total one that eliminates the state and capitalism to create libertarian communism.

—-
A note on southern Ireland
The text above is written primarily with the UK in mind, including the north of Ireland which continues to be ruled from London and the large population of Irish migrants living in Britain.  However there are also enormous implications for people in southern Ireland, in particular those who do not have Irish or UK passports. In the light of the almost complete ban on abortion access people without Irish/UK passports with unwanted or unviable pregnancies may soon find it very much more difficult – if not impossible – to travel to Britain to access abortion services.

It’s an open secret that the border with the north being often unpoliced meant that it was a route that those without papers could sometimes risk to travel to and from Ireland and the UK, maintaining some physical contact with friends and family.  Finally although the virulent anti-Irish racism that was common in Britain up to the 90s had receded as anti-migrant rhetoric increases it may strengthen once more.  Indeed some Irish people living in Britain already felt they are in a more hostile environment from the experience of the Leave campaign.

source: http://www.wsm.ie/c/10-point-guide-post-brexit-resistance

The post #BREXIT: What the UK Anarchists think about it? appeared first on Void Network.