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MEANDER QUARTERLY Newsletter of Evolutionary Anarchists @ Liberty, Equality, Cooperation, Respect for Nature Vol. 5, No. 5 May 1994 PO Box 1402, Lawrence KS 66044-8402 USA Electronic Version Transmitted to <anarchy-list at cwi.nl> ANNOUNCEMENTS COLUMBUS, OHIO ANARCHIST/ANTI-AUTHORITARIAN GATHERING The Arawak City Autonomous Collective is planning a gathering May 1. Plans s include a picnic (Whetstone Park 12-3 pm), and speakers and bands (River Den, Drake Union, OSU campus 4-11 pm). Info and directions: Tony y (614) 298-0147 or Chris (614) 298-9306. (from <anarchy-list>) COMMITTEES OF CORRESPONDENCE CONVENTION The CoC is holding a founding convention for a new socialist political organization in Chicago on July 22-24. For r more information contact: Committees of Correspondence, 11 John St Rm 506, New York NY 10038. MILITARY RECRUITMENT VIDEO If you would like to borrow a copy of the War Resisters League's video tape entitled "It's Not Just a Job", which is intended to educate prospective enlistees about what they are really getting into, write Ed Stamm, PO Box 1402, Lawrence KS 66044-8402. ANARCHISTS IN CROATIA The Zagreb Anarcho-pacifist Organization (Z.A.P.O.) can be reached at 24 hours a day by fax at 3841/335-230 or by phone MWF after 8 pm at 3841/422-495. They publish a zine called "Comunitas", which is in both croatian and english. Donations are appreciated. INTERNATIONAL ANARCHO-SYNDICALIST MEETING The Anarchosyndicalist Initiative (ASI) is sponsoring a meeting from July 7-10, 1994 in Prague, Czech Republic, to discuss the movement's strategy of achieving anarchism through labor organizing. The e contact person is Andrej Funk, Druzstevni Ochoz 25, 14000 Praha 4, CZECH REPUBLIC. Those planning to attend should contact him for more information. (from m <anarchy-list>) ANARCHISTS IN SOUTH AFRICA A coalition of anarchists is being formed, and can be reached by writing Elli & Renato, PO Box 51465, Raedene 2124, Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA. They y publish an english language zine called "Internal Conflict". ZAPATISTA SUPPORT GROUP If you are organizing or would like to help organize on behalf of Zapatismo, the following people would like to get in touch with other non-authoritarian supporters: Moorish h Orthodox Radio Crusade, Box 113, WBAI-Pacifica, 505 Eighth Ave, NYC NY 10018. Email c/o <dmandl at panix.com>. (from m <anarchy-list>) MEDICAL RELIEF FOR CHIAPAS The International Medical Relief Fund is collecting donations for medical supplies to be channelled through CONPAZ, an umbrella organization of NGO's (non-governmental organizations) in the region, which is coordinating relief caravans into the area. Make e checks payable to IMRF/CHIAPAS. For more information: IMRF, , PO Box 1194, Salinas CA 93902. MARCH ON WASHINGTON FOR LEONARD PELTIER Supporters of Leonard Peltier have tentatively scheduled a march on Washington D.C. for June of 1994. [Peltier r is a prisoner of war in the continuing struggle between the U.S. government and the indigenous peoples of north america.] The Peltier defense committee asks that concerned citizens continue to mail letters, petitions and suggestions to President Clinton in hopes that he might have a shred of decency and grant Peltier executive clemency. For r more information contact: Leonard Peltier Defense Committee, PO Box 583, Lawrence KS 66044 or phone (913) 842-5774. (from m "The Firefly") ARMED MARCH ON WASHINGTON A right-populist/Libertarian group has announced an armed march on Washington DC for the second full week of September, 1994. They y have delivered an ultimatum to the Congress to: repeal the following amendments to the Constitution - 14th (election of Representatives and national debt), 16th (income tax) and 17th (election of Senators); revoke the right of the federal government to have legal jurisdiction within the states; bar the government from using U.S. troops, including National Guard troops, on U.S. soil or against U.S. citizens; declare that the U.S. is not under the authority of the United Nations; declare the national debt and the federal reserve abolished; issue currency backed by gold; repeal NAFTA; withdraw from GATT; repeal the Brady bill; and repeal the crime bill. If f these demands are not met, Congress will be tried for crimes against the people by armed militia units. The communique is from Linda Thompson, Acting Adjutant General. (from m <anarchy-list>) DIRECT ACTION MANUAL CANCELLED The Direct Action Manual Project of the Web Collective has been abandoned due to lack of useful material and too few people in the publishing group. (from press release - address withheld by request) SWEDISH ANARCHIST FAIR June 3rd through 5th, in Gothenburg, Sweden. No o contact provided. (from <anarchy-list>) PERUVIAN ANARCHIST HELD BY SECRET POLICE Andres Villaverde is a Peruvian anarchist who was arrested in October of 1991, accused of acts of sabotage. When n no evidence could be brought against him, he was charged with being a member of the Shining Path, a Maoist guerilla movement. In fact, Shining Path is hostile to all groups not under their control, including anarchists. For r more info write: Release Andres Villaverde, c/o Box 3, Prince St Stn, New York NY 10012 or call (212) 460-8390. (from m "Black Flag") ANTI-FASCIST CHARGED IN ASSAULT Kieran Frazier Knutson, an anti-fascist activist, faces a maximum penalty of 10 years and $20,000.00 in fines for a clash at an anti-fascist rally in which his Nazi assailant was struck with a flashlight and briefly hospitalized. For r more info write: Anti-Fascist Defense Committee, PO Box 7075, Minneapolis MN 55407. (from m <anarchy-list>) ANTI-ZIONIST ORGANIZER ARRESTED Abraham Weizfeld of the Jewish People's Liberation Organization, was arrested at Concordia University in Montreal, while distributing his anthology of jewish dissent writings "The End of Zionism and the Liberation of the Jewish People". For r more information write: JPLO, c/o La Galerie Fokus/Cafe Kaballah, 68 Est, Avenue Duluth, Montreal H2W-1G8, Kebek Canada. (from <anarchy-list>) NEWS FBI USED BOMB INVESTIGATION FOR OWN PURPOSES FBI files recently released in the IWW/Earth First! bombing case have revealed a new layer of civil rights abuses by police and the FBI. The e files show that the FBI lied and falsified evidence in order to justify arresting IWW/Earth First! activists Judi Bari and Darryl Cherney for the 1990 car bombing [the bomb exploded in their own car, and they were arrested for building it]. But beyond that, the files show that, rather than investigating the bombing [likely suspects would be the timber industry for example], the FBI used this case as an excuse to conduct a sweeping campaign of surveillance of union organizers and activists, both in California and nationally. The surveillance included the FBI searching the letters to the editor files of nine northern California newspapers and confiscating letters from union members and environmentalists. The e FBI also interviewed scores of small town police from the timber region, and management personnel from the timber companies, asking them to submit names and information about any and all environmentalists including those organizing timber workers. Nationally, the FBI obtained the telephone records of fourteen activists and compiled a list of 634 out-of-state phone calls they had made. The e FBI then sent this list to their field offices around the country and obtained information on each number called, including names, addresses, physical descriptions, places of employment, criminal records, and political associations. The files also show that the FBI never conducted a legitimate search for the bomber. They y lied about the location of the bomb in the car and falsified evidence about matching nails (components of the bomb) in order to justify arresting Bari and Cherney for possession of the bomb that had been used to try to kill them. The FBI also avoided investigating key leads that seem to implicate timber interests and police in the campaign of threats and harassment of the IWW/Earth First! organizers that [preceded] the bombing. (from m "Bayou La Rose") FEDERAL AGENTS ATTACK EARTH FIRST! CAMP On Sunday, August 8, 30-40 armed federal agents raided the Cove/Mallard activists base camp near Dixie, Idaho. Earth h First!, the Ancient Forest Bus Brigade, Seeds of Peace, and others have been maintaining a comp and engaging in non-violent protest throughout the [two previous] summers in opposition to road building and logging in the Cove and Mallard roadless areas of the Nez Perce National Forest. Agents held activists at gunpoint while they ransacked the camp, making off with much communal gear as well as personal items, money, credit cards and ID's. The e Forest Service claims the raid was motivated by an alleged tree spiking. Earth First! is seeking donations for legal costs at PO Box 210, Canyon CA 94516. (from "Bayou La Rose") AFL-CIO AGREES TO POSTPONE LABOR LAW DEBATE The AFL-CIO, the largest labor federation in the U.S., has agreed with the Clinton administration's plan to delay issuing proposals on labor law reform until after congressional elections in November. After r his election, President Clinton agreed to set up a commission to study how to strengthen unions and to regulate workers councils [company sponsored employee organizations]. Among the proposals the commission is considering are steps that would make forming a union faster and easier, and imposing binding arbitration in unresolved labor disputes. The e commission has found, for example, that American companies over the last decade have fired many more workers for trying to organize unions than they did in the 1950's. (from m "Industrial Worker") GENERAL STRIKE IN SPAIN by Don Fitz "Reforms" in labor law brought Spain to a grinding halt on January 27, or, as they call it, 27-E (27 de enero). Some e of the worst aspects of the legal change are the apredizaje (apprenticeships) and liberalized layoffs. Spain has 23% unemployment. Many y people in their 20's have never had a job. So the employers' association and government developed a program of allowing persons under 25 to work as "apprentices" at 70% of the the minimum wage for one year (80% and 90% for the second and third years). Spanish law currently makes it extremely difficult to have a mass layoff. The e "reform" would make layoffs much easier. Together, the aprendizaje and layoff policy virtually guarantee that workers with seniority will be replaced by those earning a sub-minimum wage. The e reform also legalizes temporary employment agencies, reduces unemployment benefits and makes it easier for employers to changes workers' job assignments. Government workers would be hit hard with a freeze on salaries. A A flyer passed out by the anarcho-syndicalist CNT (National Confederation of Labor) protested that, "The government is introducing measures that will cause the disappearance of the major part of gains won by workers during the last century. And public employees, as is usually the case, will be the first to suffer." After the 1993 elections which drove the ruling PSOE (Socialist Labor Party of Spain) to form a coalition government with Catalonian nationalists, the large labor federations UGT (socialist) and CC.OO. (communist) complained bitterly that no one was including them in negotiations over proposals to change the labor law. When n the government unveiled the proposed changes last December, the unions announced a general strike for January 1994.... In Barcelona, I went with Juan Madrid, a former longshoreman, to the rally at Plaza Cataluqa. The e first group we saw was the anarcho-syndicalist CGT (General Confederation of Labor). Until the 1980's there had been a single major anarcho-syndicalist union, but it split, largely over participation in the government sponsored comitis de empresa [company or management committees?]. The e CGT wanted to participate and the CNT wanted to stay out. A young worker gave me a button with the slogan "No a los recortes sociales!" (No to social cutbacks!). Row after row of workers walked by. Lots s of red flags. A good numbers of red and black flags. Many y carried banners in Catalan which I couldn't make out. The march of 200,000 wasn't like in Washington DC when bus loads of people come in. No o one was coming from outside of Barcelona because other cities were having demonstrations at the same time. The next day I went to Madrid, which had its rally on January 28. Esteban n Cabal and I joined the march somewhere in the middle. We weren't able to see its beginning. We e looked behind us and couldn't see its end. Marchers completely filled the major street in Madrid and spilled over onto the sidewalks. Spanish media started trashing the strike before it began. One e paper published a poll claiming most people did not support the strike. Another declared general strikes to be "obsolete" in a democratic country. The e day of the strike, the unions proclaimed a 90% reduction in work; the government said it was 30%, and the employers' association said it was 26%. The statement that fewer than a third of workers participated was an utter absurdity to anyone walking through any major Spanish city.... The issue confronting the Spanish labor movement is what to do if, as expected, the [government] refuses to alter the "reform". Will l the large confederations of UGT and CC.OO. be willing to mount a new offensive? If they do not, are the [other] unions strong enough to mount their own offensive? (from m "Industrial Worker") TEAMSTERS CLASH WITH POLICE Class war erupted on the picket lines in North Reading, Massachusetts on April 11, when police arrested seven teamsters leaders as nearly 200 strikers clashed with over 50 riot-equipped police officers in front of the gates of Roadway Express, one of the companies struck during the Teamsters National Walkout. The e strikers were trying to stop a scab truck when badgeless cops rioted. Attack dogs were used on the strikers and a union member videotaping the clash was beaten and his camera stomped on by police. Over r 80,000 Teamsters are on strike against national freight hauling companies over the issues of downsizing, layoffs, part-timing and subcontracting to non-union outfits. (from <1-union>) MOST DANGEROUS COUNTRIES FOR LABOR ORGANIZING According to the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, the following countries are the most dangerous for labor activists: Iran, , South Africa, Burma, China, Columbia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Malawi, Peru, and Sudan. Labor activists have been tortured, imprisoned or executed. (from m "Industrial Worker") KIDS LEARN HOW DEMOCRACY WORKS Students at Greenwood County School in Greenwood, South Carolina recently learned an important lesson in how American democracy works. The e students were allowed to vote on a new name for their school. The children overwhelmingly chose e "Springfield Elementary" as their school's new name. The school board tentatively approved the name, but parents and teachers finally caught on to the joke: Springfield d Elementary is the name of Bart Simpson's school (in the popular and subversive animated comedy "The Simpsons"). Parents, who feel that Bart Simpson is a bad role model, asked the district board to drop the name. The e district says that it will accept public comments for several weeks before making a final decision. (from "Industrial Worker") LAWRENCE POLICE CRACK DOWN ON CRIME The Lawrence, Kansas police department pleaded that they needed additional funding to hire more officers, so that they could respond to emergency calls in a timely manner. Now w that the new cops are on the streets, the city has beefed up foot patrols downtown and announced a "zero-tolerance" policy towards jaywalkers. Entire groups of pedestrians have been held captive and lectured on the dangers of crossing when the "Don't Walk" signal is on. One jaywalking Jayhawk got a ticket for $55. The e city claims it is imperiled by "aggravated jaywalking". (from "Journal-World" and "Daily Kansan") DISCUSSION ANARCHIST NEIGHBORHOOD POLL: These are the places where people said they would like to see a loose-knit anarchist neighborhood form (includes first and second choices) 1 New York (E. D'Angelo) PROS: : Relatively tolerant social/ cultural/political l climate; a high concentration n of radicals, a high concentration n of well educated people, jobs s for educated people, public transportation, , a wealth of cultural attractions, , and plenty of ethnic neighborhoods. . CONS: : Noise, pollution, over- crowding, , difficult transportation, high h cost of housing, high taxes. 1 New York (2nd choice) (E. Stamm) PROS: : One AGEA member already lives there e (Ed D.). Easy access to other r countries. We wouldn't be treated d like freaks from outer space like e we would in the Midwest. More people e would be open to our message. CONS: : We could be implicated in the activities s of extremist groups. 1 Kansas City (E. Stamm) PROS: : Low cost of living, reasonable housing g costs, easy for me to relocate, , not much nihilist activity, , reasonable climate, centrally y located, there's already one AGEA A member living there (Carl B.). CONS: : Bourgeois (middle class) atmosphere, , few interesting or progressive e jobs, low wages. 1 Milwaukee (S.M. Johnson) PROS: : Riverwest is a great, cheap area. . Very integrated, pretty harmonious, , crime not too bad, rent reasonable. . We are setting up an anarchist, , volunteer run, all ages space e for gigs, films, theater performances, , and zine, book, record store e and silk screen shop. Future plans s involve bike workshop and tool library. . So the city getting the most votes was New York, but only three people voted and only one person had a second choice. I I visited New York in early April and liked the people I met and projects they're doing, but was put off by the all the concrete, brick and asphalt. Thanks again to Ed, Kurt and Miranda for showing me around. However, , New York is on a much more human scale than Kansas City for example. It didn't seem so huge because, like other older cities, it was built before automobiles were around. I I wasn't able to visit Milwaukee. Any additional comments on designating New York as the gathering place for community-minded anarchists? It t would be hard for me personally to relocate right now, but in the long term I could work towards it. I read an interesting article (can't find it now) that sort of explained the recent popular perception that crime in the U.S. has drastically increased. Although h crime rates have not changed much in recent years, media coverage of crime has gone way up. This is presumably in pursuit of higher ratings and circulations, a tabloidization of the news media. The e result is a terrified population with a siege mentality, which is demanding drastic action. The politicians are happy to ride the wave for all it's worth, and the government is seizing the opportunity to chip away at our "inalienable rights". Ed d Stamm