[Onthebarricades] On the Barricades - EUROPE (+Global)

Mon Apr 4 04:25:01 PDT 2005

GLOBAL:  Animal rights protesters launch e-attacks on fur industry sites

http://www.scmagazine.com/news/index.cfm?fuseaction=newsDetails&newsUID=3eaa205b-370a-42f5-95b5-36c2bb537b42&newsType=News

Quebecor workers protest job cuts
http://printweek.hbpl.co.uk/news/index.cfm?fuseaction=article&UID=ac06de09-cb7d-456a-b7e3-44f808701c03

Online civil disobedience for animals on Valentine's Day
http://www.ntimc.org/newswire.php?story_id=1936

Protests at G7 embassies over Third World debt
http://www.commondreams.org/news2005/0314-05.htm

Haiti solidarity demos in 50 cities
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=55&ItemID=7380

World women's relay march

http://www.newsandletters.org/Issues/2005/Mar-April/WWW_Mar-April_05_.htm

RUSSIA: Hunger strikes across Siberia

http://www.workersliberty.org/node/view/3823

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4293715.stm

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=1779760&PageNum=1

http://www.tass.ru/eng/level2.html?NewsID=1769691&PageNum=0

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=1773344&PageNum=0

http://itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=1792524&PageNum=0

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=1773344&PageNum=2

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=1782657&PageNum=0

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=1779759&PageNum=1

http://itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=1789424&PageNum=1

Tavda factory workers on hunger strike
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/mar2005/euro-m04.shtml

Demonstrations win concessions for road transport workers

http://www.itfglobal.org/news-online/index.cfm/newsdetail/331

 Rally against police arbitrariness

http://www.mosnews.com/news/2005/02/15/bashkiriarally.shtml

Students protest against racist attacks

http://www.gg2.net/viewnews.asp?nid=2331&tid=breaking_news&catid=Breaking%20News

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/2EA15633-C9CA-47BF-B29B-3F2D185A55F6.htm

Liberals protest rent/utility charge rises

http://www.mosnews.com/news/2005/03/28/yablprotest.shtml

Protest Rally Against Police Arbitrariness Takes Place in Moscow

Created: 15.02.2005 15:16 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 15:17 MSK

MosNews

People who suffered in a December police raid in the town of Blagoveshchensk in the Russian internal republic of Bashikiria held a rally in Moscow on Tuesday. They demanded to dismiss the head of Bashkirian police, Rafail Divayev, and held posters saying "Battered Blagoveshchensk is Russia's Shame".

On Dec. 8, 2004, a scuffle took place in the town between policemen and local citizens. Divayev ordered to hold "preventive measures" to discover instigators. Policemen conducted raids on homes, beating and detaining many young men. According to human rights sources a total number of injured has reached about 1,000 and 254 people have been admitted to hospitals. The alleged instigators were found. Three local businessmen are charged with violence against authorities. After several weeks in custody, they were released under travel ban.

On Tuesday, Bashkirian prosecutor's office charged the head of Blagoveshchensk police, Ildar Ramazanov, with power abuse in connection with the incident. Earlier, seven policemen were also charged, one of them detained. Several police and prosecution officers were fired, reduced in rank or reprimanded.

However, Russian Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev called the police action "legal and well-grounded" although he noted it was committed with "serious violations." Bashkirian human rights activists criticized the minister's statement and went to Moscow to hold their rally.

One of the organizers of the Tuesday protest in Moscow, Vyacheslav Bikbulatov, a member of the Bashkirian department of the organization "For Human Rights" has told the Kommersant daily that Bashkirian law enforcement structures had attempted to prevent their trip to Moscow on a hired bus. Traffick police of the neighboring republic of Tatarstan repeatedly stopped the bus and checked all passports. They told the passengers they had information on terrorists coming from Bashkiria. Only a local deputy prosecutor allowed HR activists to continue their trip.

Another activist, Ildar Isangulov, quoted by the paper, said they will hold rallies until the "police arbitrariness receives proper estimation and Divayev is dismissed and sent to court." The rally members threaten to start a hunger strike if their demands are not granted.

AVTONOM REPORT ON PROTESTS IN RUSSIA
Protests against neo-liberal reforms and repression against anti-authoritarians in Russia

Dear friends!
During last 9 days, Russia has been shaken by protests unseen since the "rail wars" of 1998, when embittered miners blocked railway connections around the country. Little surprise, that in some cities anarchists and their friends organizing and participating to these protests have been targeted with a fierce repression. We need your help now! In this 
message, you will find information about repressions in Samara and Perm, and information how you may help in case of Perm.  I have also included  lengthy background information for you to understand what these protests are  about.

1) Introduction

Free social benefits are one of the few remaining cornerstones of what  used to be the Soviet social state. Most important of these are free  municipal transport and free drugs for plenty of different group of people - for example in many cities groups as different as World War 2 veterans, Afghanistan veterans, victims of repression, victims of Chernobyl disaster, orphans, children of families which 3 or more children, disabled, heroes of Soviet Union, pensioners, police officers,  security service officers, heroes of socialist work and other groups are entitled to free transport... in Moscow, more than 1/3 of the metro traffic is by those entitled to  free transport. Besides drugs and transport, there are also benefits such as free telephone and free travels to sanatorium for some of the aforementioned groups. Often, of course, these services do not exist in practice due  to "lack of funds".

Neoliberal theorists propagate replacing free benefits with their  monetary equivalents, and no doubt this has been on the agenda of Russian  liberal reformers and their consultants from IMF and World Bank since the day  one after fall of the iron curtain. But liberal reformers do not take into account
-inflation (of course liberal reformers are against inflation  adjustments in principle)
-that unlike free goods, money equivalent may always end up to some official's pocket
-sluggish administrative apparatus of Russia, due to which many regions have not yet any mechanism, nor finances to compensate revoked benefits
-bankrupt state of half of the regions of the federation
-and that money in the household may always be spent by someone for whom the benefit was not meant

Really it was the short success of parliamentarian "communists" in  Russia and protests such as "rail wars" and factory occupations in the late nineties which held the liberal reformers back for a while. But when Kreml managed to split communists and push liberal right-wing opposition out from Duma altogether in December 2003 Duma elections, it was time to get reforms back to agenda - in full steam. In the flush of
victory, KGB clique who has seized all power in Russia has prepared unforeseen set
of reforms, besides monetarization of benefits also partial privatization of elementary
education and abrogation of laws on freedom from the impressments and conscriptions are on the agenda.
Monetarization laws were passed hastily during summer months during  just a couple of weeks, in a time when most of the people who will be most hurt due to reforms were out from the city - millions of people in Russia are partially or completely dependent on subsistence farming  to make their living. An unforeseen coalition uniting veteran
organizations, liberal right, small independent trade unions, human rights organizations representing interests of victims of repression and "communist" parties organized rallies against reform - but these gathered small numbers and were mostly completely ignored by public at large. Due to annihilation of independent TV in Russia during last couple of years, public had no any idea whatsoever what the monetarization was to mean in practice. No person who had observed the lame protests of last July could foresee the storm to begin in January, when laws began to be executed! What are the amounts of money we are talking about? Currently 28 dollars is one ruble, for one euro you must give 36 rubles. In Leningrad region, those who used to enjoy free benefits get a lump
compensation of 230 rubles a month. From this, they should compensate previously
free telephone (a lump sum of 80 rubles a month for unlimited amount of calls). But for example a local train from Gatchina to Saint Petersburg costs 42 rubles for one direction, and bus is even more expensive. In Voronezh, city government decided to compensate revoking benefits with a payment of 100 rubles. Cheapest city transport costs 4.50 rubles. But if a pensioner has a subsistence farm plot outside the city in order not to die in hunger, he may travel there only twice a month with this money.

11th of January - in Dzerzhinsk of Nizhni Novgorod region, 400 veterans  and disabled demonstrate illegally against cancellation of free benefits
12th of January - 1000 pensioners and disabled demonstrate in Penza, demanding payments of the financial compensations.
13th of January - 2000 pensioners demonstrate in Stariy Oskol, demanding to give benefits back
13th of January - 300 demonstrate in Krasnogorsk (Moscow suburb)
14th of January - 400 in Kaluga
14th of January - 400 in St. Petersburg
14th of January - 1500 in Penza
14th of January - 200 in Cherepovets
14th of January - 200 in Rybinsk
15th of January - 1000 in Himki (Moscow suburb)
15th of January - 300 in Kazan
15th of January - At least 8000 in St. Petersburg
18th of January - 1000 in Perm
18th of January - 5000 in Tomsk

and this is just a fraction of the collective, more or less spontaneous protests. And individual protests, such as non-payment and assaults on conductors, are even more widespread. In some cities, municipality is dispatching only male conductors, since they consider that female ones are too vulnerable to assaults from pensioners and disabled. In 
Kaliningrad, city government hastily returned free travel to police when a bunch of 
cops had mishandled a conductor.  Anarchists have been caught by surprise by both scale
and militancy of  these protests
- just as all other political groups. In Moscow, this surprise is also  due to particularities of the city - already in the nineties Moscow strongman Yuri Luzhkov showed door to IMF consultants, and ever since his politics has been that of  maintaining the Soviet social state. This is possible because Moscow is 25 times  richer than poorest Russian regions,

"Moscow privilege" is also a crucial method of dividing working class  and maintaining stability of the center of the empire. It was clear from  the beginning that no free benefits will be cancelled in Moscow. And the  same strategy was chosen by Moscow region authorities as well - but not in regards of the inter-city travels!  So since 1st of January, Moscow became closed for pensioners and  everybody else from suburbs that formerly enjoyed free traveling benefits. Soon  these cities became a hotbed of radical protest - in Himki of North-East a  picket by 50 pensioners snowballed to 200 persons attempting to blockade Moscow-St. Petersburg highway, when passers-by joined spontaneously. Moscow and regional authorities made a hasty deal of temporary return free travel  for
inter-city commuters from 15th of January onwards, but protests are  still planned in more than 20 cities of the Moscow region.

Authorities have made quick concessions in a plenty of other cities as  well:
-In Samara, pensioners were promised a free transport until end of  January
-President of Tatarstan, Mintimer Shaimer promised to increase compensations
-Governor of Kuzbass promised free travel to pensioners
-In Vladimir oblast, price of local trains for pensioners was cut down to 20 rubles
-In Penza, free traveling benefits were returned
-In Tyumen, pensioners were returned all benefits
-Same in Yekaterinburg
-Same n Primorsk region of the Far East for all who used to enjoy free travel
-Same in Almetevsk
-Same in Chelyabinsk
-In Chukotka of Far East, all benefits were returned in regards to municipal payments and drugs as well
-In Bashkiria, 100% increase of the compensations
-In Saint-Petersburg, metro suddenly decided to pass all pensioners in by free, without any published decision.

In the end, it must be said that some of the poorest
are also benefiting from the reforms. Most often this is the case in
distant countryside locations, in which elderly have never been able to
benefit from free travel or drugs. There, extra of few hundred rubles is welcomed. So anarchist demand as part of these protests may not be simply return to the previous situation.

2) Protests against social humiliation - at last! (Translated from russia.indymedia.org)
by Sofia 16th of January 2005

Already before passing the laws about so called "monetarization" of social benefits in State Duma last summer, there were attempts to launch  massive protests against de-facto abolition of the social guarantees. But because state propaganda pressed to conscience of citizens with full force, giving reforms as a real improvement of the social situation
of millions of people, who are using various social benefits (from free transport to free drugs), attempt to gain necessary attention to these serious reforms of already anti-social state policies failed.  These laws have been executed since 1st of January, and since then those who used to enjoy benefits have been facing the consequences. During first weeks
of January there were non-legalized protest actions all around the  country: in Himki (Moscow suburb), Saint-Petersburg, Samara, Penza. Vladimir, Barnaul, Stavropol, Tatarstan, Udmurtia... in every city there were hundreds or thousands of participators. While in the beginning of the protests mostly return of the transport benefits were demanded, soon angered protesters were demanding resignation of the government and president Putin.  Meanwhile, government was putting all the blame on badly working regional powers. KPRF (Communist Party of Russian Federation), RKRP (Russian Communist Workers' Party) and even nazbols were accused of the protests - powers are not ready to acknowledge that in this situation people do not really need any organizers.  In some cities OMON broke up the rallies, but mostly powers seem to be scared and holding back.  According to official mythology, pensioners are "everything for us" - we love them, respect and are taking care of them by any means. Pensioners and other elderly people are also the most disciplined constituency, always used by deputies, governors and the mister president himself.  This is why protests of the pensioners, which powers first attempted to ignore by silence, have already become and object of games of  spin-doctors.

3) Protest in St. Petersburg 15th of January
by Pyotr Raush of St. Petersburg anarchist league

Around 1000 persons gathered 12 AM at Smolna in and illegal,  spontaneous meeting. After 2 hours, without any previous agreement with city authorities crowd moved to Suvorovsky prospekt, blocking the traffic. Uprising square and further continued to Nevsky Prospekt in which traffic was blocked as well. Only few of the slogans concentrated to current issue of the benefits - most of them had a general, political
character: "Down with Putin!", "Down with the governement!", "Down with Matvienko!" (St. Petersburg mayor), "Down with the regime of plundering!", "Revolution!", "Governement to resignation!", "Putin to resignation!", "Shame on Putin!", "Down with  the autocracy!", "Down with Putin's gang!", "Enough plundering the people!".
During the movement, number of participators kept growing, when demonstration arrived to Sadovaya street it was already more than 5000 people. There colon united with those who had protested at Gostiniy dvor since 1 PM - in the beginning there were 400 persons there but number  were constantly growing during the day, when group united with the main march it was already more than 2000 persons.  Crowd of 7000 blocked all movement in the crossing of Nevskiy prospekt and Sadovaya street. Speakers stood on parapet of underpassing, and invited everybody to upcoming protests of 22th of January (commemoration of Bloody Sunday 1905 at Gostiniy dvor), 25th of January (6 PM at Lenin statue next to Finland direction railway station) and 26th of January (9:30 AM at Isaak square).  Simultaneously, there were around 1000 people in Victory park, blocking movement in the Moscow prospekt. From there, crowd moved to memorial of Leningrad siege. During movement, one angered driver drove over three protesters, one of whom died.  Vast majority of the protesters were not in any political  organizations, although in victory park there were orators from liberal "Yabloko", pro-Kremlin left-wing "Motherland" and communist groups - there were activists of several authoritarian communists groups, anarchists and human rights organizations in the march from Smolna to Sadovaya - but number of these "politized" elements was not more than 200 from the total. All of the political structures were caught by surprise with the scale of these protests. All agitation materials were read with big interest in the crowd. In the beginning, police was indifferent with the protests, although they became more active during the day. But they could not arrest anybody.

4) Repression in Samara

15th of January, activist of the NGO "For protection of the rights of electorate 'Voice"" Aleksander Lashmakin was taking a ride in a small bus with Aleksei Ivanov from the place of spontaneous protests against monetarization at crossing of Novo-Vokzalnoy street and Moscow highway.  Suddenly, some plain-clothes officials stopped bus,
they rushed in and took A. Ivanov and A. Lashmakin, without showing any documents.  A. Ivanov and A. Lashmakin were taken to police station of industrial region of Samara.  Lashmakin was brutally beaten up, he was beaten to face, his mouth was 
shut with tape and he was targeted with traditional "Dyba" torture, where he was
hanged between two chairs and beaten.  Then both were placed to a cell, where everyone
arrested during the day were waiting for the court next day. Cops shouted "you all
will suffer because of him (Lashmakin)", and sprayed teargas all around. This
was stated by people sent to court together with Lashmakin yesterday, 18th
of January in the court session. Eventually case against Lashmakin collapsed in the 
court.  (Shortened and edited from message of Lydmila Kuzmina from the courthouse)  Note: Lashmakin is not a member of any anarchist group, but he has been cooperating with anarchists a plenty of times, he was also one of the most active people in the radical ecological protest camp of Perm in the summer of 2004. He deserves all support we may give!

5) Perm protest timeline, repression and solidarity call
18th of January in perm, meeting began 12 AM. In crossing of Lenin and Kuybyshev streets there were at first 1000 people gathering. First meeting did not disturb any traffic, but soon police gave orders to take away car with loudspeaker - this provoked people who decided to have a blockade.  Mounted police gathered around the meeting.
13:15 participators of the meeting began gathering signatures, demanding
1. Free transport to all categories of people, who enjoyed this right until 1st of January 2005
2. Preserve all other benefits, revoked by law number 122 and decisions of the local powers.
3. Financing abovementioned demands from city and regional budgets
Until 13:45 number of participators grows up to 2000 persons. Police is still neutral. 14:00 Meeting moved to crossing of Lenin and Popov streets, and blocked movement to the single bridge over river Kama, which unites two parts of the city. Officials from regional administration invited representatives of the meeting to discuss all problems, but this was not enough for the participators. This radical move caught police by surprise, and they began bringing in "avtozaks" (cars for transport of prisoners) in case mass arrests were to be needed.
14:10 organisators of the meeting announced that in case powers do not take measures to fulfill demands today, next day they will blockade railways. People were discussing should they move to Kama bridge or stay in the crossing.
14:15 Police chief of the Perm region Yuri Gorlov came to meeting, and invited people to discuss with governor Oleg Chirkunov, claiming that governor may not have "constructive discussion" in such a noise. Police blocked way to bridge over river Kama with buses. But eventually 14:20 governor came to meeting himself.
14:20 governor Oleg Chirkunov announced, that he will not discuss with people in the street, and he invited everybody to building of the administration. Meeting voted on the question should they go, and majority decided that they are only going to discuss issues in the street.
14:31 After speech of Oleg Chirkunov, officials of traffic police made a chain to blockade way of the meeting to Kama bridge.
14:40 Chirkunov still refused to talk with the meeting. To question "are free benefits returned to pensioners", Chirkunov answered honestly  "No". Crowd surrounded Chirkunov from every direction.
14:50 police was given command to arrest organisators of the meeting. Among them Roman Yushkov, activist of local Anarcho-Ecological Resistance, and another participator of the protest camp of summer 2004 Yuri Bobrov. People react to arrests by taking governor Chirkunov as a hostage, and they demand changing Chirkunov to arrested anarchist and other activists.  14:59 police agrees to change arrested activists to governor, everybody are freed.
Your solidarity is needed!
It is no surprise, that Perm administration is dedicated to punish local activists for this humiliation. According to current information, they are planning to arrest Roman Yushkov from Anarcho-Ecological resistance, and Anastasiya Maltseva and a number of people from other groups. Yesterday 18th of January, Aleksandr Reznik from independent trade union "Solidarnost" and his wife were already arrested, and they are kept in Lenin region police station.  Local activists ask you to call to city administration, and to ask you to refrain from opening criminal cases against activists and to demand liberation of prisoners. Telephone numbers of the city administration are
+7-3412-12-64-57
+7-3412-12-64-57
and
+7-3412-34-94-91

RUSSIA:  From new issue of Avtonom
Pages 4-6: Russian news - Workers strike in city of Kropotkin against takeover of their factory, rebirth of squat Pekarnia with new name - Klizma, Anti-repression action in Krasnodar, concert for anarchist political prisoner Dimitri Ryabinin in Moscow, informal meeting of Autonomous Action in Moscow, African students protest against racist
murder in Voronezh, hungerstrike in Sankt-Petersburg prisons, Seminar on ecological sabotage in Nizhni Novgorod, scandal in Kem of Karelian republic, action against fascist
Movement Against Illegal Immigration in Moscow, anarchists in Nizhni Novgorod and Moscow demonstrate against new forest codex, anti-fascist demonstration in Sankt-Petersburg, "Case of doctors - 2". Pages 7-8: Reports from anarchist and
anti-authoritarian activities against War in Chechnya in 60th anniversary of deportation of Chechnyans and Ingushetians 23rd of February 2004. Movie screenings in Kazan, graffiti action in Rostov-na-Donu, guerilla theatre in Yekaterinburg, pickets and
meetings in Izhevsk and Samara, non-legalised demonstrations in Vsevolzhk
and Moscow.
Russia, Moscow: the action against a cancelling of delays from military service
On February, 13th, Moscow. About 50 participants of the "Autonomus Action", students of the Moscow high schools, recruits and their relatives have taken part in protest action against a cancelling of delays. The action passed under slogans "the military ser.vice
- school of all crimes ", "Who loves the Motherland, that to morning early digs on a summer residence a toilet to the general ", "We are an ice under legs of the colonel Putin". For actions gathered signatures under the letter to Minister of Defence Sergey Ivanov in whom recruits-patriots expressed desire to pass military ser.vice, but asked Ministry of Defence to put on a full contentment of their family, to enable students to combine service with study, and to invalids to provide an opportunity of service in invalid carriages. Between participants of the action the Death with slanting walked and the tablet " Mow. Or I shall mow! " During short meeting performance of the pensioner called for solidarity between elderly and young opponents politicians of the government and the president has sounded, the letter has been read to Ivanov and the invitation to antimilitaristic festival which opens on February, 20th is sounded. To autumn of 2005 the Ministry of Defence is going to reduce the list of delays from ser.vice in army on health and a social status. The young experts working after high school in scientific research institute, design offices will go to army, at space and military factories; young men with diseases of digestive and respiratory systems; husbands of pregnant women, fathers of children in the age of till three years and having two and more children, unique supporters aged or sick parents. In 2008 of Ministry of Defence promises to start to call students. For last five years " noncombat losses " (suicides, accidents) the Russian army have made 10 thousand person. By results of interrogation of the Analytical Center of Jury Levady of 67 % of inhabitants of Russia would not like, that their relatives served in army.

RUSSIA:  Farewell to arms! - Deserter day festival in
Moscow 20th - 23rd of February 2005 Festival was organised by Moscow group of Autonomous Action, Food Not Bombs and Indyvideo. Main demands of the festival were "no to war in Chechnya!" and "No to new limitations of deferment and exemption from military service!" So, the festival got organised. Half of the program went upside down, whatever I saw around was something like moves of the Makhnovist headquarters during the civil war - through storms, chekist agents and random bands of whites. Clubs,
cafes, gallerias, a map of Moscow on the table, electric trains, telephones... somewhere Bashkirians having a meeting against police terror, communists - for USSR, liberals - for something or against something, Putin running somewhere with flowers... for Chechenyans and Ingushetians - 61st anniversary of the deportations.  Not to forget Rainbow Keepers, people from Association of Anarchist Movements, Federation of Revolutionary Anarchists, "unaligned anarchists" of course, human rights activists, musicians, artists, guests from other countries. 8 planned days was cut short to be 4 - 20th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd of February.  Festival was launched with discussion on theme "anarchist and other alternatives to army and conscription". Anarchist answer to Chamberlains in liquidation of the state, and a regular army with it. A liberal with an orange scarf made a rhetorical question "to whom shirt belongs - to producer, bourgeoisie or to buyer?". In anarchism, question makes no sense: when people are armed, there will no be bourgeoisie and there will be enough shirts for everybody. That will be a society of general distribution of shirts. Soldiers back home! Let generals dig trenches!

Two anti-war punk hardcore concerts were organised - 20th of February (Echo is Your Love from Helsinki, Svinokop from Saint-Petersburg, Potom budet pozdno from Saint-Petersburg, 777 Bakunina from Moscow, Crowd Control from Saint-Petersburg and In Reflection from Moscow), and 21st of February with support from Anti-war club in R-club (Echo is Your Love, Svinokop, Potom budet pozdno, Argument 5.45 from Moscow and Loa Loa from Moscow). Groups began their concerts with speeches against war
hysteria, fascism and nationalism. Audience answered, diving and slamming the
anti-militarist way. Anti-war banners and pictures of destroyed Grozniy were hanged to the walls. Anarchist, anti-war and anti-fascist literature and music was distributed. In the streets, boneheads were running, anti-fascists after them... Moscow nights as usual. Concert of 24th of February was screwd up, and in 27th of February Gulyay-Pole fell under strikes of chekists.

Main action was a non-legalised march against war in Chechnya and against new limitations of deferment and exemption from military service. It went according to all rules of the genre, in the day of official celebrations (of day of Defender of the Fatherland) in the centre of Moscow, and was finished with spectacular arrests. 1 PM at old arbat, next to McDonald's, participators of "Food not Bombs" brought vegetarian food and began distributing it to everyone in a need (among whom many anarchists, who were hanging in the Arbat trying to look as random passers by). Police appeared and attempted to stop the event, but nobody paid attention since there should not be anything political in distribution of food. Police called support forces, which raised their fighting spirits, after which people were forced to split into small groups and disperse to small streets nearby. Unfortunately coppers did not dispersed, but continued their evil ways in the streets, harrassing any odd phenomena in the streets, such as people walking with rolled banners, punks visiting McD toilets and journalists.

2 PM groups reunited not far from crossing of New Arbat and Sadovaya ringroad, they rised anarchists flag and unrolled banners "Death to state and capitalism", "Army is a school of slavery", "No to war in Chechnya", "No to abolition of of deferment and exemption from military service" and marched by New Arbat towards centre. Demonstrators scanned "Soldiers back home, Putin to Chechnya!", "War against war!", "No to police state", "No to abolition of deferment!". When march turned to Gogol boulevard and passed by Army headquarters, people shouted "We wish a quick meeting with Hattab to all HQ!" (Hattab was influential Chechen resistance leader, ambushed by his own few years ago). There was enough chaos - more than half of the poles did not fit the flags, part of the people was lost before the conspirative start, some came late - all in all it was some 65 people. On the way, passers by were given free tabloid "deserter", made by Moscow anarchists.

On the middle way march was granted a police escort. Once a while they demanded
demonstration to disperse, but not with too much effort - apparently they hoped that it will leave to territory of the next station, liberating them from obligation of making decisions on their own, which gives an opportunity to have some booze to celebrate the state holiday. One of the coppers shouted to his radio "They have no leaders! I repeat - they have no leaders!". That was the most happiest line of the festival, but it is unlikely that its author could fully understand the whole meaning. This anonymous Arbat copper announced, that it was a model of non-hierarchical anarchist society passing by him, belief to which is alone a heresy for him.  Demonstration passed by consulate of Turkmenistan, scanning "Down with Turkmenbashi", and soon hit the Old Arbat. Around 2:30 PM police tried to stop march by force, but they did not had nightsticks and thus they had only pretty limited success at first. So they decided to fight with symbols, grabbing people with flags and transparents. In the middle of the Old Arbat, march
was first splitted to two parts, and eventually both had to disperse. 7 participators, one journalist, group of Ren-TV, big banner, flag and one drum were arrested. All of these were took to Arbat police station. Banner, flag and drum were separated from the rest, whom police tried to scare. Since threats did not had much effect, police had it on the presidential way, and they began flushing people down from the toilet. Cops attempted to wash head of one of the anarchists in the toilet, but since he was not up for a shower, they
had to mangle his face instead.

Presence of journalists limited chances to further experiments. Support group of some 20 people was staying at the police station, and eventually around half past 6 everyone was released. Again everybody gathered, video screening which was interfed by FSB the day before was finally done, people almost did not booze... There were also a number of other events, for example lecture on anarchist movement in USA as a part of the weekly anarchist lecture series "Bespartshkola", support for already mentioned picket of victims of OMON mop-up operation in city of Blagoveschensk of Bashkiria, a discussion on non-violent means of protests after a lecture of a guest from War Resisters International, many forms of unformal chatting... much of the program was cancelled, but general mood after event is only positive.  And although Gulyay-Pole lasted only 4 days, free anarchist territory was there for at least a while. We will ride again!
Farewell to army! Peaceful sky for you, Caucasus!
(edited from account of Akbar, written for Avtonom #24)

Post Scriptum: Indeed, everybody were surprised for amount of interest that both FSB and nazis gave to festival. Attempts to stop the event by latter group were expecially sorry. Almost all events of the festival, beginning from the Food Not Bombs of Sunday 20th, were visited by mobs of boneheads, but not once they could bring more than 20 people. For sure self-defence was not too succesfull either. Good opportunities were wasted, only 4 unimportant nazis were beaten during the events and their communication networks confiscated. But it is important to note that although Moscow nazi movement is still strong, they are having their worst crisis ever. They totally lack coordination and may not stop us even if they really try. From now on, streets will be ours!

RUSSIA:  Chernobyl cleanup workers, protesting over health problems, end hunger strike after winning meetings, concessions

http://www.times.spb.ru/archive/times/1040/news/n_14728.htm

INGUSHETIA: Rally opposes Kremlin-imposed local leader

http://www.times.spb.ru/archive/times/1056/news/n_15257.htm

LATVIA:  Russian-speakers protest against political exclusion

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=1824084&PageNum=0

BELARUS: Nazis and undercover cops attack rockers
http://www.enrager.net/newswire/stories.php?story=05/03/23/1005084
Oppositiom supporters rally to "rehearse" overthrow; police attack viciously

http://english.pravda.ru/world/20/92/370/15186_Belarus.html

GEORGIA:  Protests over unfair imposition of national exams

http://www.messenger.com.ge/issues/0816_march_9_2005/news_0816_1.htm

YUGOSLAVIA:  New strike at Jat Airways company

http://www.invest-in-serbia.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=23538

KOSOVA:  Silent march to protest charges against PM

http://see.oneworld.net/article/view/107337/1/3260

YUGOSLAVIA: Air strike continues - Tunisians hired as
scabs
http://www.invest-in-serbia.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=24028

ROMANIA: Labour protests: demonstrators succeed in stopping anti-union laws
http://www.enrager.net/newswire/stories.php?story=05/03/26/8559712http://www.itfglobal.org/news-online/index.cfm/newsdetail/349

http://www.nosweat.org.uk/article.php?sid=1231&mode=&order=0

POLAND:  Protests against Putin - protesters arrested

http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2005/613/613p20i.htm

Health workers stage hunger strike

http://www.wbj.pl/?command=article&id=25660

Tibet solidarity demo

http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=9262&article=March+10+Protest+in+Poland

CZECH REPUBLIC: Skoda workers to stage warning strike
http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/ap/2005/03/29/ap1910918.html

>> NEW UNION MEETS IN RUZOMBEROK, SLOVAKIA
Fifthinternational.org, Vienna
On Friday, 21 January the independent and militant trade union ZOO  Papier held an important conference in Ruzomberok, a small town in central Slovakia with 35.000 inhabitants.  As we have already reported, (see Global Newswire#229, 16 January 2005) ZOO Papier is a new militant union at the Slovak factory SCP/Neusiedler.   It was formed recently after the management sacked union activists who led a struggle for higher wages. When the bureaucratic official union federation KOZ refused to support the activists they founded a new Union, ZOO Papier.

The conference was attended by many militant workers. Most of them are in their thirties, representing a new generation of militant workers in Eastern Europe. The conference discussed how to take the struggle forward and agreed to affiliate to a different national trade union federation (NKOS). The meeting was chaired by Jozef Danis, vice-chairman of ZOO Papier.

For comrades with experience of "normal" trade union meetings this was an impressive example of workers democracy. Everyone could participate in the discussions and many rank and file workers did so. It was no sacrilege to contradict the proposals of the union leaders and all proposals were openly debated. A number of questions where raised and controversial  issues where settled either by compromise or by a democratic vote. The union has to fight under extremely difficult conditions. The SCP/Neusiedler management does everything in its power to liquidate any presence of ZOO Papier inside the factory. The Friday meeting had to be mobilised secretly by activists leaving leaflets inside the factory. Thugs in the pay of the bosses have already twice physically attacked Jozef Danis. Nevertheless the union is gaining in strength: recently 40 new workers asked to join.

The League for the 5th International (LFI) was invited to the conference and sent two delegates. They were asked to share the platform and to address the meeting. In his speech the LFI representative stressed the lessons of the past - that without militant class struggle and democratic unions, workers have no chance of fighting effectively against the bosses offensive. He denounced capitalism as a system of global robbery- the bosses go from to one place, exploit it as much as possible and when nothing is left they move on to another place and another set of victims. This met with loud applause. The speaker stressed that the answer to capitalist globalisation must not be limited to national actions but must be globalisation from below. This is why we organised a meeting at the ESF in London last October with leaders from ZOO Papier and why we support their desire to participate in future ESF meetings.

The struggle of ZOO Papier deserves our fullest
support!

Send letters of solidarity to:
sativa at zoznam.sk
noveodbory at post.sk
Please send protests to the company at
hovorca at neusiedler.sk 
hovorca at neusiedler.sk and at company officials in
your country 
or 
international headquarters (see
http://www.neusiedler.com)

SLOVAKIA:  Protest planned for when Bush meets Putin
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/alt.anarchism/browse_thread/thread/b8844babde18cd44/d3e94ba485386107#d3e94ba485386107

BULGARIA:  Thousands of Roma gather to protest against racism

http://www.novinite.com/newsletter/print.php?id=44186

GREECE:  Landfill protest blocks roads

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100019_12/03/2005_53998

Farmers protest, demand living income
http://www.themilitant.com/2005/6907/690710.html

Anti-deportation demonstrations target violent anti-women centre

http://www.irr.org.uk/2005/march/ak000009.html

CYPRUS:  Combine harvesters stage blockade in farming protest

http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=18383&cat_id=1

Miners strike over unpaid wages
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/mar2005/euro-m11.shtml
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/mar2005/euro-m25.shtml

MALTA:  Postal workers strike over dangerous tools

http://www.maltamedia.com/news/2005/ln/article_5193.shtml

BASQUE COUNTRY: 700 political prisoners go on hunger strike

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OreadDaily/message/678

PORTUGAL: Strike at Spanish oil firm Repsol

http://www.finance24.com/Finance/Companies/0,,1518-24_1665216,00.html

Opel workers strike

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/mar2005/wkrs-m18.shtml
Greenpeace stage blockade to protest use of illegally logged wood

http://www.commondreams.org/news2005/0329-01.htm

ITALY:  Environmentalists protest US non-signing of Kyoto

http://www.voanews.com/english/2005-02-15-voa36.cfm

Rail strike shuts down train services

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apeurope_story.asp?category=1103&slug=Italy%20Train%20Strike

Public transport strike
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/mar2005/euro-m11.shtml

Peace protesters demand release of hostages

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20050220/ap_on_re_eu/italy_iraq_hostage

http://www.aljazeera.com/me.asp?service_ID=7091

Small businesses protest Coca-Cola monopoly tactics

http://www.agi.it/english/news.pl?doc=200503111756-1224-RT1-CRO-0-NF30&page=0&id=agionline-eng.bnessitaly

Protest against bridge, "train tax"

http://www.agi.it/english/news.pl?doc=200503091637-1059-RT1-CRO-0-NF11&page=0&id=agionline-eng.oggitalia

Shooting sparks peace protests

http://www.abc.net.au/ra/news/stories/s1317015.htm

Alitalia staff strike again

http://www.forbes.com/business/commerce/feeds/ap/2005/02/21/ap1838792.html

Precarity activists target fashion show
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/02/305973.html
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/02/305698.html

Fairground workers protest

http://www.agi.it/english/news.pl?doc=200503311800-1244-RT1-CRO-0-NF11&page=0&id=agionline-eng.oggitalia

Roads blocked in rubbish dump protest

http://www.agi.it/english/news.pl?doc=200502261240-1033-RT1-CRO-0-NF11&page=0&id=agionline-eng.oggitalia

ITALY:  Demonstration against concentration camps
NO MORE LAGERS
The demonstration set off from Sagrado station and grew slowly until there were about 2,500 people. First the migrants, followed by the politicians, the centre-left and the various unionists, comunists, disobbedienti and then the anarchists. There was a large number of police and carabinieri in riot gear. After passing through the centre of Gradisca where a great many people watched the march, we wound our way to the place where they're building the "Centro di Permanenza Temporanea" [CPT, Temporary Holding Centre - one of many in Italy where migrants are held before being repatriated, often in terrible conditions - tr.]. The disobbedienti unrolled barbed wire and started throwing smoke bombs and paint, so the police launched into the crowd in an attempt to push them back. However, the tension was broken somewhat and there were a series of speeches made from the various sound systems. Some people sprayed slogans on the walls around and then the march broke up. Most people seemed reasonably happy with the success of the protest, and anarchists were quite content with their sector of the march which included about 250 comrades, mostly from the region. Photos will shortly be published.  The struggle will not finish here, that's for sure. On Saturday 5th March there will be another demo and public meeting in Gradisca, organized by the Libertarian Co-ordination Against the CPT where the disgraceful behaviour of Gradisca's mayor and other politicians who do nothing to stop the construction work on the CPT will be denounced... but let them be under no illusion that we and the rest of the movement will let the matter drop.
No more lagers - here or anywhere!
(Translated from Indymedia Italy)

HOLLAND:  Reed office pixied in arms trade protest
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/03/307414.html

Action at GM animal feed company in Rotterdam
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/03/306885.html

HOLLAND:  Little saboteur mice with clogs on, take out warplanes

Mice Attack, Disable Four F-16 Fighter Jets

Army Times 2.7.05

Four Dutch F-16 fighter aircraft were grounded by a family of 
industrious mice in search of a warm hideout for the winter.  The rodents had 
launched a successful offensive to make nests in the aircraft - using 
some critical wiring that they had gnawed away. 

A Reuters report quoted a Dutch military spokeswoman as explaining that 
the Leeuwarden air base, where the aircraft were stationed, borders a 
large nature reserve, and animals often migrate into the base when the 
weather turns frosty.  "As it is winter, mice seek warm places to 
shelter," the spokeswoman said. 

After a major overhaul that included new wiring, the jets were declared 
mouse-free zones and allowed to resume flying. 

Now, Dutch military officials are trying to figure out how to make 
their aircraft, and the hangars in which they are stored, less rodent 
friendly, using traps, barriers and poison.

BELGIUM:  Hospital strikes as stalemate continues

http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=24&story_id=17593&name=Stalemate+sparks+more+hospital+strikes

http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=24&story_id=17280&name=Belgian+health+strike+to+go+ahead

http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=24&story_id=17329&name=Health+sector+strike+%27a+success%27+say+unions+

Civil servants strike over austerity
http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=24&story_id=18449&name=30%2C000+Flemish+civil+servants+on+strike

Hospital strike in contract dispute
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/mar2005/euro-m11.shtml
Brewers strike
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/mar2005/euro-m25.shtml

FRANCE:  School students protest over exam "reforms"; partial withdrawal forced

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4268705.stm

http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=58&story_id=16899&name=Paris+backs+down+on+'bac'+reform+after+demos

School students protest against cuts as Olympic inspectors arrive

http://xtramsn.co.nz/news/0,,11965-4179349,00.html

http://www.workers.org/2005/world/france-0317/

Hundreds of thousands march against attack on 35-hour week

Strikes against the "reforms" also continue

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/feb2005/fran-f09.shtml

http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=58&story_id=16568&name=French+protest+35-hour+week+reforms

http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=25&story_id=17608&name=France+braces+for+%27paralysing%27+national+strike+

http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=58&story_id=16568&name=Mass+demos+across+France+to+keep+shorter+working+week

http://au.news.yahoo.com/050205/19/sxen.html

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2005-02-05T155407Z_01_JON547583_RTRUKOC_0_FRANCE-PROTESTS.xml

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1107628436084_27/?hub=World

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Thousands-hit-streets-to-protect-35hour-week/2005/02/06/1107625063284.html

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=7869072

http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=58&story_id=17886&name=Huge+following+for+Frenchanti-reform+strikes

Researchers protest over involvement of corporations in research and new research bill which will harm science

http://www.researchresearch.com/news.cfm?pagename=newsStory&type=default&elementID=47847

Airline strike over unsafe stairways which killed a worker, and related suspension

http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=25&story_id=17278&name=Strike+hits+Paris+airports

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050220/bs_afp/francetransportair_050220214714

Strike hits channel ferries

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/kent/4335971.stm

Postal workers demonstrate over "reforms"
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/mar2005/wkrs-m18.shtml
Striking sailors block port, scuffle with cops
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/mar2005/euro-m25.shtml

France: Violent demonstrations of winegrowers in
Montpellier

Thursday, March 10 2005 @ 01:07 PM PST
 Violent demonstrations of winegrowers in Montpellier
March 10, 2005
Richard James
www.decanter.com

Protesters clashed violently with police in
Montpellier as up to 8,000 wine growers demonstrated
against the latest government measures.

As police attempted to disperse the crowd skirmishes
broke out, as wine growers from the
Languedoc-Roussillon and the southern Rhône turned out
yesterday in Montpellier to protest against the latest
government measures and show solidarity in the face of
escalating economic hardship.

The ?70 million rescue plan tabled by the minister of
agriculture Dominique Bussereau has been widely
criticised for not going far enough to support
struggling French vignerons.

Philippe Vergnes, representing the event organisers
and president of one of the growers unions in the
Aude, called on the government to 'pay up so we can
get over the worst. This region has given a lot in the
past, it's time to give something back to small
producers.'

He added, 'If we're guilty of anything, then it's
because there are too many of us. If market forces are
to take over, help those get out of the business, if
they want to, and those who wish to stay, roll up
their sleeves and get out of this mess.'

The supermarket chains were also slammed as 'the
biggest racket going,' along with the government's
anti-alcohol measures: 'This attack on consumption has
lead to the worst crisis in history.'

Growers present were also demanding the right to
publicise the positive aspects of moderate wine
consumption. A delegation from the
Languedoc-Roussillon is due to meet the minister of
agriculture on 22 March.

The demonstration started peacefully in Place Peyrou
by the Arc de Triomphe in Montpellier, where speeches
were held before the march down the hill to the
station and back up through La Comédie.

But by the time the throng reached the town hall -
armed with placards sporting slogans such as 'Chirac -
what a let-down' and 'Get to work Bussereau' -
skirmishes with police had broken out.

Demonstrators threw bottles, burning dustbins and
firecrackers, while riot police and gendarmes
responded with tear gas and a counter-charge.

GERMANY:  Gay-rights activists protest alleged attempt to make gay penguins straight

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3186088a4560,00.html

Port workers' solidarity action wins wage deal for seafarers

http://www.itfglobal.org/news-online/index.cfm/newsdetail/324

Small-scale protests continue over benefits crackdown

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1446794,00.html

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1460965,00.html

One-day strike at GM Opel

http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=motoringSummary&storyID=687637

Farmers blockade warehouses in protest over
price wars, low prices, threats to animals and health
http://www.union-network.org/unisite/sectors/commerce/Multinationals/Lidl_warehouses_blocked_by_farmers.htm

Demo by construction workers against job cuts
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/mar2005/wkrs-m18.shtml

GERMANY:

German police baffeled by Bush poo-flags
Police in Germany are hunting pranksters who have been sticking miniature flag portraits of US President George W. Bush into piles of dog poo in public parks. Josef Oettl, parks administrator for  Bayreuth, said: "This has been going on for about a year now, and there must be 2,000 to 3,000 piles of excrement that have been claimed during that time."  The series of incidents was originally thought to be some sort of protest against the US-led invasion ofIraq. And then when it continued it was thought to be a protest against President George W. Bush's campaign for re-election. But it is still going on and the police say they are completely baffled as to who is to blame. "We have sent out extra patrols to try to catch whoever is doing this in the act," said police spokesman Reiner Kuechler. "But frankly, we don't know what we would do if we caught them red handed." Legal experts say there is no law against using feces as a flag stand and the federal legal experts say there is no law against using feces as a flag stand and the federal constitution is vague on the issue.
link for picture:
http://images.indymedia.org/imc/seattle/images/2005/03/245292.jpg

SWITZERLAND:  Strike by staff hits Geneva flights

http://www.nzz.ch/2005/02/24/eng/article5560572.html

FINLAND:  Strike hits multinational company

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2005/02/19/2003223707

http://www.artto.kaapeli.fi/unions/T2005/i05

Electricians' strike ends - bosses lose
http://www.artto.kaapeli.fi/unions/T2005/i13

Protests over school closures

http://www.helsinginsanomat.fi/english/article/1101978971828

ICELAND:  Dam protesters under attack

http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/news/icelandunderattack.htm

IRELAND:  Angry farmers march on company, Dail over factory closures

http://breakingnews.iol.ie/entertainment/story.asp?j=133249734&p=y33z5x44x

http://breakingnews.iol.ie/entertainment/story.asp?j=133249734&p=y33z5x44x

Limerick students protest against incinerator

http://212.2.162.45/news/story.asp?j=132689170&p=y3z689876&n=132689930

Immigrant workers picket development over pay

http://www.rte.ie/news/2005/0209/picket.html

Limerick prisoners stage rooftop protest

http://212.2.162.45/news/story.asp?j=58380828&p=5838yy3x&n=58381208

http://www.examiner.ie/pport/web/ireland/Full_Story/did-sgkMjr2M-BM1ksgTbBP-2fa91M.asp

Student nurses protest over unpaid allowances

http://www.irishhealth.com/?level=4&id=7141

http://212.2.162.45/news/story.asp?j=136393552&p=y36394z58&n=136394312

Protests in solidarity with banned Basque youth groups
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=68953

Waterford city council workers stage unofficial strike
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/mar2005/euro-m25.shtml

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