Dark Nights – Page 144 – For Mutual Aid & Solidarity

Interview and dialogue with Alfredo Cospito from the prison of Ferrara [Published in anarchist paper Vetriolo, Issue 2, Autumn 2018]

Posted on 2021/09/06 - 2022/11/16 by darknights

What international? Interview and dialogue with Alfredo Cospito from the prison of Ferrara.Part One

Internationalism has always been the principle inspiring the actions and horizons of the exploited who do not accept the role that society has given them. It has always been a vaccine against opportunism of every kind, a guarantee that those who practice it are not the servants of their boss or a foreign boss, but are authentic enemies of all forms of exploitation and authority. Internationalism as tension, as spirit, does not change with the changing of times. But the way it becomes real in history changes. Reformists, opportunists and authoritarians have always tried to pervert internationalism towards their own interests. The question of questions, the lever get the world to rise up, is therefore the International. How, what should the International be today? Should it be a real “organization”, a federation of groups, a “world party”? Or can there be instruments or “structures” that are closer to the anarchist Idea and that are more effective in this historical period?

Like “scientific” socialism, anarchism was born to oppose a global process, capitalism and the advent of the bourgeoisie. It is more than natural that anarchists and Marxists have from the beginning pursued with alternating fortunes an international organizational dimension. In the nineteenth century, with Bakunin, anarchy abandoned the philosophical, idealist level to take its first steps in the real world. First against Mazzini’s messianic liberalism, to then clash with Marx’s state socialism, giving rise to the autonomist federalist currents within the First International.
Continue reading “Interview and dialogue with Alfredo Cospito from the prison of Ferrara [Published in anarchist paper Vetriolo, Issue 2, Autumn 2018]” →

Bristol: Write to the Kill the Bill prisoners

Posted on 2021/09/06 by darknights

Source: Bristol ABC

Part Two – What’s happening in Cuba? An Anarchic look at the 11-J protests EN/ES

Posted on 2021/09/05 - 2021/09/06 by darknights

ES: SEGUNDA PARTE – ¿QUÉ PASA EN CUBA? UNA MIRADA ANÁRQUICA DE LAS PROTESTAS DEL 11-J.

-Interview with comrade Gustavo Rodriguez (Second of three parts)

AI: Do you think a U.S. military intervention instigated by the annexationist yearnings of the Cuban exile is possible?

To speak in the singular of “Cuban exile” is to refuse to see the whole picture. We must refer to “the exiles” and, not only for chronological but even “ideological” reasons. One should mention, for example, a first exile, which originated in December 1958 and the first half of 1959, with the flight of high-ranking army and police officers of the Batista dictatorship (most of whom -including Batista- did not obtain visas to enter the U.S.). Another one immediately after, between December 1959 and January 1961, where the aristocracy and the upper classes of the society (sectors that, curiously, had financed the struggle of the Catholic nationalists to overthrow “the black man” who governed the Island in an apocryphal way 1 ). A third wave would follow, which originated between 1962 and 1965, with the departure of the middle class. During those years, Cuban anarchists and anarcho-syndicalists also went into exile; some of them after having served “political imprisonment”. The story would be similar for a large group of rebels who had fought against Batista -including Castro’s former comrades of the 26th of July Movement- who opposed the Stalinist turn of “their” Revolution. From 1966 to 1979, the first leftist dissidents fled in dribs and drabs. 1980 would be a turning point for Cuban migration with the mass departure of the “scum” (an epithet used to designate thousands of artists and intellectuals, considered until then “sons and daughters of the Revolution”). In 1994, a new chapter was opened with the flight of thousands of ” rafters” who risked their lives in order to escape from the “socialist paradise”. These last two migrations stand out for the high incidence of Afro-Cubans from the poorest strata. And, of course, with the different waves of exiles, there is also evidence of diverse political-ideological positions, from the conservative right to the ultra-left (including libertarian socialists, Trotskyists, Maoists, Stalinists, Luxemburgists and “pure” Marxists), without forgetting the more hackneyed expressions of that same National Socialism which, from the extremes of the pendulum, aspire to a Castroism without Castro. A reliable example of that political-ideological diversity was the customary edition of the anarchist magazines Guángara Libertaria and A Mayor, in the heart of Miami.

Once these nuances have been highlighted, it only remains for me to underline that the only thing that gives a certain “unity” to the different exiles is the unison rejection of the dictatorship. This common denominator, in fact, has never exceeded the limits of a local industry (very lucrative) that is far from being a binding force capable of capitalizing some political leadership and, much less, consolidating a uniform and monolithic ideological vision (Fortunately!). And this is where the theoretical-practical heterogeneity comes in, which influences behaviors as disparate as the choice of the method of struggle or the geographical site we choose as residence. Of course, in this extensive political-ideological plot, there is also the annexationist position. However, it is necessary to point out that this political figure had a certain prominence in the 19th century and, at present, it is reduced to an entelechy fabricated by the dictatorship. “Annexationism” is significantly small and caricatured. It is so buffoonish that it leaves no doubt that those who express it -on this side of the Florida Straits- are probably on the payroll of the Cuban State. Continue reading “Part Two – What’s happening in Cuba? An Anarchic look at the 11-J protests EN/ES” →

Meuse, France: Solidarity for Boris

Posted on 2021/09/05 by darknights

A few days before the beginning of the Rayonnantes camp, we send all our solidarity to Boris, imprisoned in Nacy-Maxéville since september 2020.

Boris was imprisoned in the context of repression against the wave of incendiary attacks on relay antennas, in his particular case those of the Mont Poupet, which Boris claimed. You can read his declaration here.

A few days ago, a fire started in Boris’ cell and he was transfered to Metz hospital. You can find a communique about his situation here.

You can also find more information on the procedure here.

Our struggles against this energy-consuming world, that pushes the commercialization and artificialization of the world, from Cigeo to relay antennas, are the same.

Our struggles for freedom and autonomy stand against every prison.

Source: Bure Bure Bure

Italy: Green Pass? Block everything

Posted on 2021/09/05 by darknights

Refrain from what has the head on the shoulders, set the pace on that of storms said an adage of some time ago.

Today, Wednesday, September 1, was launched in various railway stations of the Belpaese, an invitation to block trains to criticize the obligation of the green pass, necessary for those who want to travel on certain means of transport. What could happen when the train of resignation to coercion stops, on the wave of “if I can’t move, nobody moves”?

When a telematics control repeater is attacked, when a vaccination center is sabotaged, when a virologist calling for confinement for those who don’t vaccinate is confronted in the street, when a party banquet is overturned, when you have the bright idea to start blocking the movement of human-commodities, how many other possibilities might emerge? When a nascent protest against green passes and the disciplining of people’s movement opens up spaces for anyone, without leaderism or law enforcement, can we begin to develop content that highlights social contradictions as a response to the increasingly asphyxiating controls on our lives?

There are many possibilities for insubordination to explode as thinking individuals. Alone or together with others. In the light of the sun as well as in the glare of the night – with the idea of breaking with everything that suffocates us – we could move away from the cage of politics and the chains of common sense. For with just a little imagination we can attempt to experience unheard of moments of liberation from constraints.

Blocking everything rejuvenates to stop a present made of discriminations forged by the past, restores the imagination of reflection, makes the spirit of revolt fruitful. Unlike the technical vocabularies of the regime, blocking is never an end in itself, it means to provoke cracks of meaning, to open up new spaces where we were unable to grasp them, to create unexpected surprises, to invite us to travel along unknown horizons, to give rise to opportunities for new challenges.

Blocking everything, therefore, to open up with pride to life and finally discover the uniqueness of each individual.

Few and some vagabonds

(flyer distributed in Cremona, September 1, 2021)

Source: Finimondo

Chile: Drawing by our compañera Monica Caballero

Posted on 2021/09/01 - 2021/09/01 by darknights

Nothing to believe, nothing to expect from justice.

France: [Zine] History and context of the struggle in Bure

Posted on 2021/09/01 by darknights

Source: Bure Bure Bure

Here is a map of the territory around Bure, with indications in the following text. It is a representation of the area, in order to better understand the different places and the high points of the struggle (Andra laboratory, the former station of Luméville, Lejuc wood, the struggle against Unitech in Joinville, the archives of Houdelaincourt, the GIP,…). The map, which is more of a bird’s eye view of reality, could be completed with other more precise documents, for a more refined vision of the territory. What was important to us here was the space left to the text.

The struggle in Bure has been going on for almost 25 years, and in order to have a more complete vision of the past years, the second part of the zine is a chronology of the struggle against Cigéo. The two parts go together, but can also be read separatly. This is why historical sequences can be redundant from time to time (Lejuc wood and 2016-2017, for example).

As with any written perception of the territory and past events, this is a subjective (although collective) vision, a kind of tool, a mean. It should not be taken for granted and is only willing to be criticized, confronted with other opinions or testimonies.

The present zine is also available in French, German and Italian.
On this beautiful pompous verbiage, we wish you a nice reading session (and more if desired) against Cigéo!

Summury :

-> GEOGRAPHY OF A NUCLEARIZED TERRITORY :
The ANDRA’s Laboratory
La Maison de Résistance à la Poubelle Nucléaire
The Lejuc wood
The former station of Luméville-en-Ornois
In Froncles (42 km to the lab) : POMA, subcontractor of CIGEO
In Joinville (22 km to the lab) : UNITECH, another example of territory’s nuclearization
The GIP’s funding
The SAFER of land, forest and building grabbing
-> CHRONOLOGY OF THE STRUGGLES :
1) 1987-2000 : Where will be the storage site that nobody wants ?
2) 2000-2014 : Early years in Bure
3) 2014-2015 : Bure is not just a Meuse and Haute-Marne problem!
4) 2016-2017 : occupation of the Lejuc wood and agricultural resistance
5) 2017-2019 : repression on opponents intensifies
6) 2019-nowadays
7) Today’s issues : 2021 and the risk of acceleration for Cigéo’s project
-> FOR FURTHER INFORMATION…

Page by page format – zine format

15/08/2021

Harm Reduction Guided by the Goal of the Abolition of Prisons and Capitalism: An interview with former Direct Action member and ex-prisoner Ann Hansen

Posted on 2021/09/01 - 2021/09/23 by darknights

(Above) The now closed P4W (Prison for Women) in Kingston, Ontario.

Originally published at Kersplebedeb

Ann Hansen was imprisoned in 1983 for her involvement in the urban guerilla group Direct Action. She is the author of Direct Action: Memoirs of an Urban Guerilla and Taking the Rap: Women Doing Time for Society’s Crimes. She wrote the introduction for Margrit Schiller’s Remembering the Armed Struggle: My Time with the Red Army Faction. This interview was conducted in the summer of 2021.

How would you like to introduce yourself?

I am a 67 year old white cis gender female anarchist on parole for life after being convicted of a number of actions in 1984 along with some members of the urban guerrilla group, Direct Action. Since being released from prison, I have been living for almost 25 years now on a small farm that I own near Odessa just west of Kingston, Ontario. I am active with the Prison for Women (P4W) Memorial Collective which has been fighting for a Memorial Garden at the site of the now closed Prison for Women, and a Gallery where the women’s art and writing can be seen in order to give some context to their lives and deaths.We also agitate to improve prison and parole conditions as a harm reduction tactic in order to alleviate some of the suffering, but always within the context of the abolition of prisons and capitalism as the goal, the light that guides us through the darkness

I should also add that my parole conditions have a direct impact on my political activism. In 2012, my parole was suspended for allegedly not telling my parole officer about a Prisoners Justice Day (PJD) film I screened at the Kingston public library in conjunction with a lawyer who outlined our civil rights in the context of large civil disobedience actions. My parole was reinstated by the Parole Board but only after adding this new parole condition in which I must “notify” my parole officer about any political activity in which I am engaged, such as attending events, public speaking, writing, etc. Even though the word is “notify” as opposed to “approve,” they could revoke me for anything. This seems shocking to activists, but any prisoner who has been on parole knows that you can be revoked for anything, anytime. It is very common to be suspended for obscure things like “deteriorating behavior” or “having a bad attitude,” especially if you are not a politicized prisoner. Politicized prisoners usually have some community support and a radical lawyer, so parole suspensions are more likely in the public eye and thus parole officers and the Parole Board are more accountable. “Social prisoners” on the other hand are usually invisible and are less likely to have legal representation so parole officers feel less constrained in terms of suspending them for ridiculous reasons. Continue reading “Harm Reduction Guided by the Goal of the Abolition of Prisons and Capitalism: An interview with former Direct Action member and ex-prisoner Ann Hansen” →

Leipzig: Wir bleiben militant – Autonomen Antifaschismus verteidigen! DE/EN

Posted on 2021/09/01 - 2021/09/01 by darknights

Kommt am 18.09.2021 zur Grossdemo “Wir sind alle Antifaschist*innen – Wir sind alle LinX” nach Leipzig in den Antifa-Block!

Am 8. September 2021 startet in Dresden ein medial groß inszeniertes Justizspektakel, in dem Lina und drei weiteren Gefährt*innen der Prozess gemacht werden soll. Seit November 2020 sitzt Lina – ihrer Freiheit entzogen – im Knast in Chemnitz. Grund dafür ist der Vorwurf, Angriffe auf gewalttätige Neonazis in Ostdeutschland durchgeführt zu haben. Gleichzeitig rückt die Urteilsverkündung im Prozess gegen Jo und Dy in Stuttgart immer näher. Auch ihnen werden Angriffe auf FaschistInnen vorgeworfen und auch sie wurden zeitweilig inhaftiert bzw. sind es immer noch. Die damit verbundenen Verfahren nach dem Paragraphen 129(a) sind der Höhepunkt eines steigenden Repressionsdrucks gegen Antifaschist*innen, welcher bundesweit spürbar ist, sich aber in den letzten Jahren auch in Leipzig konzentriert.

Diese Repression richtet sich allerdings nicht gegen alle Antifaschist*innen. Sie richtet sich nicht gegen einen oft beschworenen “zivilgesellschaftlichen Antifaschismus”, welcher sich allzu oft darauf ausruht, beim gemeinsamen Bratwurstessen gegen Rechts “Gesicht zu zeigen” und sich selbst zu vergewissern, ein besseres oder bunteres Deutschland zu verkörpern, als die Neonazis es gerne hätten. Der staatliche Angriff richtet sich nicht gegen einen Antifaschismus, der darauf abzielt, den FaschistInnen zu zeigen, dass “wir mehr sind” – ein Ansatz mit dem sich die antifaschistische Linke schon immer selbst belog, um das eigene Gewissen zu beruhigen. Ein solcher Antifaschismus ist längst Teil der politischen Selbstinszenierung des deutschen Staates geworden, welche hilfreich dafür ist, die eigene nationalsozialistische Vergangenheit doch endlich hinter sich zu lassen und sich als geläuterte Nation darzustellen. Continue reading “Leipzig: Wir bleiben militant – Autonomen Antifaschismus verteidigen! DE/EN” →

U$A: US Bank Attacked in Los Angeles, California

Posted on 2021/09/01 - 2021/09/01 by darknights

The U.S. Bank building in downtown Los Angeles was subject to an anti-capitalist attack on August 27.

A group of about 20 people descended upon the building’s main foyer at 5th Street and Grand Avenue, hammered the plate-glass windows and spray painted messages.

Others used paint to scrawl messages such as “Burn All Banks” and “ACAB,” and “Land Back,” a reference to the Land Back initiative, an effort to re-establish indigenous people’s political control over land that has historically belonged to them prior to colonization.

The group succeeded in shattering the front door and destroyed most of the huge plate-glass windows lining the lobby.

The group left the area expediently, and were able to avoid the pigs.

Source: AMW