Skip to content or view screen version

Anarchists at Manc demo - report & pictures (plus IWW picket)

Northern anarchist | 24.09.2006 19:38 | World

The anti-war demonstration in Manchester on October 23rd was supported by a colourful and vocal ‘anarchist block’ with attendance from anarchist organisations and non-aligned anarchists from Manchester and across the county, at least 40 bodies in all. The block was called by the Anarchist Federation and Solidarity Federation, two of the class struggle anarchist organisations in Britain with international links. (Story continues after photos).

Placard from Starbucks picket. Keep up the boycott!
Placard from Starbucks picket. Keep up the boycott!

Anarchist flags on the anti-war march - red and black
Anarchist flags on the anti-war march - red and black

Eye in the sky - cop helicopter surveys demonstration
Eye in the sky - cop helicopter surveys demonstration

Pigs eye view - surveillance by the repressive state
Pigs eye view - surveillance by the repressive state

Fight the bosses not their wars - the only way to win
Fight the bosses not their wars - the only way to win


In the morning, prior to the demonstration, an International Workers of the World (IWW) union picket of Starbucks was well supported. This took place at the Starbucks next to Albert Square, and another branch, in solidarity with a ‘wobbly’ activist in New York who has been threatened with the sack for being involved with setting up a workers union to fight for better wages and conditions. It was great to find that many potential coffee-drinkers opted to go elsewhere on hearing the facts, and for most of the picket the Albert Sq. clientele seemed to consist mostly of cops and going to the loo and at times drinking, we believe, free drinks provided by the management.

In the Peace Gardens before the rally started, home-made banners encouraged soldiers to desert, and called for opposition to the tools of state repression like ID cards. More than a two dozen red-and-black flags, well known from the Spanish Revolution as a symbol of anarchist-communism and anarcho-syndicalism, flew high in the air. Also in the sky, a police helicopter droned on, while cops on the ground did their best to snap anarchist faces on camera, presumably to be used when they get tired of harassing other potential ‘terrorist’ suspects with the raft of new repressive laws brought in by this government. Haven’t they realised that governments, elitist groups and the capitalist arms companies who supply all sides for profit, are the real terrorists?

On the march, chants of “no more leaders, no more laws, no more lies and no more wars”, could be clearly heard. Or was it no more pies? Certainly “no Gods, no masters” was included amongst the other slogans that were shouted by anarchists that day. Who cares if the war is technically ‘illegal’ or not, wars are never in the interest of ordinary people. When we get rid of capitalism with its ownership of the Earth’s resources by wealthy minorities who force us to work for them, and nation states with their borders, armies and police forces, only then we will finally get rid of war. Unlike the terrorist tactics of groups who just want to take another form of power over our lives and impose a new set of rules, our refusal of work and mass revolt against all authorities are the tactics that will eventually win freedom and equality for all.

We are against all wars. All wars are against us. No war but the class war!

Links:
Anarchist Block on 23rd:  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/manchester/2006/09/351088.html
Anarchist Federation (North):  http://www.af-north.org/
Anarchist Federation:  http://www.afed.org.uk/ including Resistance bulletin.
Solidarity Federation:  http://www.solfed.org.uk/ including Catalyst bulletin.
Starbucks Union:  http://www.starbucksunion.org/

Northern anarchist

Additions

Error Correction

24.09.2006 21:46

more accurate

!
- Homepage: http://www.wrekinstopwar.org


Comments

Hide the following 12 comments

Northern Anarchist Network

24.09.2006 20:57

NAN Will meet at Wellington on September 30th 2006 from 10 to 5 at the Christchurch Hall off Millbank. see http:www.wrekinstopthewar.org.uk for fmore accurate info.

Ilyan


Error Correction

24.09.2006 21:28

Advancing Senility
- Homepage: http://www.wrekinstopwar.org


Divide.....AND CONQUER

24.09.2006 22:21

Do not mention Blair or the slaughter of 100,00+ innocent bodies. Bleat on about abstract concepts like capitalism, anarchism, sindicalism. Divide the population into two halves and get them to fight each other instead. Play a four-sided game between a coffee shop, coffee drinkers, police, and yourselves. Ignore the Labour party - it's capitalism stoopid. Just like in Iraq where the Sunnis have been tricked into fighting the Shias the Shias fighting the Sunnis. Play Blair's game, not ours. Bosses fight the workers, workers fight the bosses. This class fight that class etc ad infinitum. It's the borders that cause us to fight Iraqis not Blair&Co. It is the nation state stupid not Blair&Co. Hazel Blears does not exist. It was actually the pigs that started the Iraq war not Blair's neo-Labor party.

BIG BROTHER WILL BE VICTORIOUS - WELCOME TO THE IDENTITY CARD, NEW WORLD ORDER citizens

Brian B


Eh? Blair's government could be any government - that's the point

24.09.2006 22:48

Bliars war, Bush's War. Thatcher's war, Clinton's war. This war is under Republicans and New Labour now but war is health of the State and capitalism whoever's in power. The last Gulf War was who's war?

No war but the class war. That's the anarchist position and it's the right one. We are NOT all Hezbollah now.... Workers unite!

anarchist communist


non-resistance is futile

24.09.2006 23:43

The police (state) praised "anti-war" protesters for being peaceful and law abiding at the Manchester time to go demo.

. . . War will carry on as usual tommorow.

no_ground_rules


unite and be managed (looks good on my CV)

25.09.2006 08:00


damn those pesky anarchos going on about abstract concepts like capitalism and the state. Can't they see I need to improve my recruitment targets if I'm going to rise in the official hierarchy of the protest industry. This is really upsetting my career prospects. I wish they would stop exposing the relationships of domination that underpin my elitist capitalist existence, shut the fuck up, and get to work on the mass protest production line. Plebs!

party organiser


Some discussion, and some corrections.

25.09.2006 08:41

Yes demonstrations are one thing. How to stop a war that is being waged abroad is not an easy problem. More than a million marched in London before the Iraq war/occupation and it still happened. That's the power of the State. What did 'The Sun' say about that day - that that the 59 million other people in Britain who stayed at home that day must have supported the war? Currently people prepared to act, even just to march, are a minority. Many people support governments or just want a different government.

Cops said the march was peaceful? Not necessarily a bad thing on this occasion. A pitched battle with police on their terms is usually a loser. We need to build for revolution on the other 364 days of the year ... back in our workplaces and our communities, where it really counts. The Poll Tax 'riot' was different - it was an outpouring of anger from months of creating solidarity in local communities. Even small revolts in everyday life can shit up the authorities, much more that one-off spectacular events they can control. Thats where it starts. We are ruled while we allow ourselves to be ruled.

PS Sorry for errors in date (September 23rd, not October) and to IWW (I=industrial, not international).

Northern anarchist


INSURRECTION now

25.09.2006 10:29

it woz good 2C a few anarchos and ther nice red'n'black flags. unfortunately i couldnt get my newly purchased @A anar-key hat to stay on my head! suggestions to get a haircut R being ruthlessly ignored as usual. it occurs to me that discretion may be the better part of VALOUR. well done to every single person that turned up for the whole demonstration, except for the polis of course bekoz they wer @work. must say i thought the best singing i heard woz on the scootish SOLIDARITY blok. i have got a HEZBOLLAH t-shirt, but i would like to state that i do not agree with them fully which should B blindingly obvious ( dont think this is th rite plaice 4 a full discussion of this issue but remember the IRA & gerry adams woz in th middle EAST same tym as BLIAR- did any-1 tell U that- C indymediaEIRE)

WONDER wot NEXT

luv'n'TAT
caitlin

150203cait LIN
mail e-mail: copito@bushinternet.com


Northern Anarchist Network?

25.09.2006 14:09


NAN meets in Wellington, Wrekin, Shropshire??!

(My geography must be centralist-authoritarian then).

I. Shower


Typo???

25.09.2006 16:03

Industrial Workers of the World.

Ex-Wobblie


Who doesn't read posts

25.09.2006 16:06

Apologies NAN!

Ex-Wobblie


Dan Gross was sacked and so were three others

27.09.2006 19:28

The Starbucks "investigation" of IWW member Daniel Gross concluded with his termination after more than three years of organizing at the company. Daniel's expression of solidarity at a union picket line with co-worker and fellow union member, Evan Winterscheidt, was deemed threatening by Starbucks despite multiple eyewitnesses who confir

m that Daniel merely asserted to District Manager Allison Marx that Evan should not be fired. With the termination of IWW members Daniel Gross, Evan Winterscheidt, Joe Agins Jr., and Charles Fostrom in less than a year, Starbucks has demonstrated conclusively its intense hostility to the right of workers to join a union.

To provide additional cover for the unlawful termination, Starbucks issued Daniel a blatantly discriminatory performance review today with negative ratings for things like, "not communicating partner morale issues to the Store Manager." The manager confirmed that morale issues included complaints about wages and working conditions. Last we checked, an employer may not mandate an employee to engage in surveillance of co-worker's protected activities.

west wobbly
- Homepage: http://www.starbucksunion.org/