2007-03-06

March 6th 2007 Heiligendamm

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Call out for Global Days of Action and Information against Capitalism in the time around the G8 summit 2007

Free to distribute
All of us are called to distribute it as widely as we can, both digital and on paper and especially to those groups and people who can not join the protests by coming to north germany but likely to link their struggles against capitalism.

Capitalism attacks us on many fronts in our daily lives. We are forced to endure the current system of capitalism and its oppressive power destroys, exploits, isolates and dehumanizes us. It's definitely time to get rid of it.

To move forward in the international struggle against capitalism, the following call goes out from the international meeting against the G8, held in Warsaw (Poland) from the 9th to 11th of February with people from more than 15 different countries. Please spread it as widely as you can.

Representatives of the G8 members and other major economic powers will meet in the north of Germany on the 6th-8th of June 2007, closeted behind a barrier of fences and police soldiers. Simultaneously thousands of people - opposed to its neo-liberal policies - will congregate to act in numerous and diverse ways and places. A lot of different groups and persons are in a daily struggle against different effects of the policy for profit over people, creating autonomous spaces, live alternatives and fight the G8 and other global economic institutions. It is amazing to observe how many groups have the protests in June on their agenda or are joining it in different ways. The protests against the G8 will not just be a real desire and attempt to disrupt this summit meeting, but should be seen as an important step in the worldwide struggle against capitalism. Not only during the days of the summit, but a struggle on every day basis.

There have already been global days of actions and solidarity, which seemed not all very successful. Our resistance is often played out on their field, by their rules. How could we re-envision these international acts of resistance in a way where we could actually make a change? One of the ways that seems to work in the current situation is blocking the capitalist economy through attacking infrastructure and the flows of capital across the world.

A large number of the people fighting capitalism and its many forms of oppression all around the world, can not come to the summit protests in Germany. This invitation to the global days against capitalism is an invitation to all of you to link the daily local and global struggles to each other and act together in a strong and coherent way.

The global day of action against capitalism can be an opportunity to show the world and ourselves the range of our resistance, of which the protests against the G8 are only one small part. Effective resistance must be everywhere and continuous. We should believe in the success of our actions and with this knowledge and inspiration, we don't go back to our old life, but let resistance bloom all over the world in 2007 and long afterwards.

We call for actions to take place on the 10 days around the summit (1st-10th June 2007), which include the days of action on agriculture (june 3rd), on migration (June 4th), antimilitarism (June 5th) and climate change (June 8th). Everybody is invited to take part in this process with his/her ideas and capaticity, ranging from sharing information to direct actions across the world with the aim of attacking the global economy, by all means necessary. Capitalism never takes a break. Neither should our resistance!

Postscriptum: Also we call out to connect the struggle against capitalism and G8 with different other global action days, as such:
8th of March - Feminist Action Day
19th-20th of March - Days of Resistance against War
17th of April - International Day of Peasant's Struggle, called out by Via Campesina
1st of May - International Day of Class War

[International Warsaw Meeting on Preparation of the G8 protests-2007]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Global resistance & summit protest: critical retrospections & future visions"
(An activist symposium in Amsterdam , organized by Transnational Institute, XminY, and Dissent-NL)
Seattle 1999, Washington and Prague 2000, Gothenburg and Genoa 2001, Quito 2002, Thessalonica, Evian and Cancún 2003, Gleneagles, Mar del Plata and Hong Kong 2005 - these are just some stations of mass protest against global summits throughout the world. The next stop is the G8 summit in Heiligendamm, Germany, in June 2007. Is this irrepressible movement going to 'shut them down'?

On Sunday, 18th of March, the Transnational Institute, XminY, and Dissent-NL organize an activist symposium in order to reflect on 10 years of summit protest and evaluate the broader dynamics of global movements that have unfolded beyond these global days of action.
What have been the effects of this series of summit protests, both on international institutions and policies, and on the dynamic of global movements? What is the role of global protest events in the North for the daily struggles in the Global South? What are the lessons for the future? And where are possibilities for new types of intervention in global power relations and for new way of practising solidarity?
Two interconnected panels with well-known activist researchers will open a space for analysis and reflection of these broader questions.
Programme (Sunday, 18th of March)
Location: Crea Theater, Turfdraagsterpad 17, Amsterdam

12.00-13.00 Arrival, short movies about previous summit protests, book fair
13.00-14.30 1st Panel: Historical Trajectories of global resistance

Speakers:
Peter Waterman, specialist on labour movements and social forum process Gemma Galdón, Transnational Institute, research project "New politics"

During this panel we will highlight some important historical developments and trajectories of the resistance against neoliberal globalization during the last 10 years. How has the global South inspired new practices of resistance in Northern countries? What was the meaning of events like Seattle in the context of single-issue campaigns as the dominant strategy during the nineties? Why did summits of international institutions become a focus of protest and resistance? How did the new alliances between various actors, such as NGO's, trade unions, socialist groups and grassroots networks, interact? What are the successes and failures of the 'politics of networking'?

14.30-15.00 Lunch break and short films about upcoming protests against G8 in Germany
15.00-16.30 2nd Panel: Envisioning strategies for global struggles and networking
Speakers:
Amory Starr, Colorado State University, author of "Global revolt"
Ben Trott, editor of "Shut them down. Gleneagles, the G8 and the movement of movements"

The second panel provides a space for thinking about present and future possibilities and directions of global movements. Facing the challenges that have been highlighted in the first panel, we would like to touch upon the following questions: How do we avoid ending up with the old problem of single-issue politics, both ideologically and practically? Which practices and types of intervention could produce concrete results? On which ground should we base the construction of shifting alliances? Do we need an alternative to the practice of networking? And what is the relationship between resisting neoliberal policies and creating alternative worlds?
Afterwards Drinks opposite of Crea
19.00 - ... Food kitchen in the Overtoom 301 with Indymedia movie theater ????

For further information and reservation contact: 18maart07@xs4all.nl

Or visit one of our websites:
www.tni.org
www.x-y.org
www.dissent.nl

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Far-left extremism threatens G8 summit

BERLIN, March 5 (UPI) -- Left-wing extremism threatens the security of the Group of Eight summit, the head of a German agency tasked with monitoring extremists said.
Germany will host a summit meeting in the Baltic Sea resort of Heiligendamm in June.
Security has been a big issue at recent summits. Ahead of the Heiligendamm meeting of the world's most powerful leaders, anti-globalization groups have said they expect roughly 100,000 protesters to disturb the talks.
"We are only expecting 50,000 participants," Ulrich Fromm, the head of the Verfassungsschutz, a German federal agency tasked with monitoring extremists, said in an interview with German online daily Netzeitung. Nevertheless, Fromm said his agency was taking "left-wing extremism very seriously," in light of the summit.
"We can't rule out that some demonstrations during the summit will become violent," he said. So far, far-left groups have tried to set fire to 16 buildings and objects belonging to companies the extremists feel are responsible for the negative effects of globalization, Fromm said, adding that he expected the number of attacks to rise in the weeks before the summit.
Germany's most prominent anti-capitalist terrorist group, the Red Army Faction, or RAF, issued a cease-to-exist statement seven years ago, but some observers have warned that "rest structures" of the RAF could come back to plan extremist attacks during the G8 summit.
Fromm said, however, that his agency had "no evidence" that the RAF was still active after it issued a cease-to-exist statement seven years ago. The RAF executed several killings of high-level business leaders in Germany in the 1970s and 1980s, an issue that resurfaced when a German court last month agreed to grant parole to a former terrorist who led the RAF in the late 1970s.

[http://www.upi.com/InternationalIntelligence/farleft_extremism_threatens_g8_summit/20070305-025956-8656r/]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Australian anti-globalisation protesters to get payout

CANBERRA March 5 (Reuters) - Protesters who accused Australian police of using violent tactics at a World Economic Forum meeting have received a A$700,000 ($546,000) payment to end legal claims, prompting warnings the money set a bad example.
Opposition lawmakers said the payments, from the Victoria state government, meant the protesters had been rewarded for offences such as pouring urine on police and hurling missiles at their lines, including nails, bolts and ball-bearings.
"You can beat up on police in Victoria and get money for it down the track," the state's conservative opposition leader Ted Baillieu said.
A group of 47 demonstrators had sued the government of Victoria and 953 police officers placed on crowd control during the riot-hit World Economic Forum at Melbourne's Crown casino in September 2000.
The group, mostly members of the S11 anti-globalisation movement, claimed they suffered shock, anxiety and a range of injuries including wrist and back fractures, when police forced them to clear a path for forum attendees.
But after government legal bills mounted to more than A$600,000, state Premier Steve Bracks approved a secret payment to end the case after four years of argument.
The powerful Victorian police union questioned whether the payment set a precedent and exposed the government to more claims in the wake of protests at the G-20 meeting of meeting of finance ministers and reserve bank governors last November.
The G-20 gathering also resulted in street confrontations between police and protesters, who damaged a police riot squad truck during a day of scuffles.
Police in neighbouring New South Wales state are also braced for September demonstrations during an Asia-Pacific summit which will draw 21 world leaders including U.S. President George W. Bush and Chinese President Hu Jintao.
Victorian Police Association secretary Paul Mullett told The Australian newspaper he wanted "an end point of legislative reform" to make it illegal to take to the streets.
Premier Bracks said the payment set no precedent and was made at the insistence of private insurers spooked by mounting bills.
"The private insurer gave advice to Victoria Police that they wanted to settle legal costs," Bracks said.
The money, Bracks said, would be distributed amongst the demonstrators and their law firm, and some demonstrators said after legal bills they expected only a token payment.
"I don't think anybody is going to be adequately compensated for the suffering that they have been through," litigant and well-known Australian comedian Rod Quantock told Australian television.
($1=A$1.28)
05 Mar 2007 02:43:00 GMT

[http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SYD200404.htm]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Self-portrait of the Rote Hilfe (Red Aid)

The Rote Hilfe [Red Aid] is a solidarity organisation supporting politically persecuted people of the left-wing spectrum. It concentrates on politically persecuted people in Germany, includes, however, also persecuted people from other countries according to its possibilities.

Our support is directed at all people who, as left-wingers, lose their jobs, have to face trials and are convicted due to their political activities, e.g. for being legally responsible for the contents of writings disparaging the state, for taking part in spontaneous strikes, for resisting police incursion or for supporting the demand for not separating political prisoners. We also support those who are persecuted in another state and who are denied political asylum here.

I. Political as well as material aid
* We prepare the trial together with the accused person and especially make his political background known to the public.
* We arrange for the financial strain to be borne together by organising solidarity events, collecting donations and granting allowances from the regular contributions. Above all, lawyer and court costs can be covered partly or completely, furthermore we also pay support for the cost of living if high fines, loss of job or imprisonment have put the person affected or his or her family into difficulties.
* We keep up the personal contact with political prisoners and demand that detention conditions be improved and solitary confinement be abolished; we demand their release.

II. The Rote Hilfe is not a charity organisation
The support of an individual person shall also be a contribution to the strengthening of the movement. Each person taking part in the struggle shall do so knowing that they will not be alone afterwards when they are taken to court. Whereas on one hand the main purpose of state persecution of those who took to the streets together is to isolate them by picking individuals and to deter others by imposing exemplary sentences, the same way the Rote Hilfe sets the principle of solidarity against this and thus encourages one to continue the struggle.

Apart from the immediate support of affected people, the Rote Hilfe considers its task also to be the participation in the general fight against political persecution. When preparing protest marches, for example, it arranges for the participants to protect themselves and others as effectively as possible from injuries or arrests through the state authorities. It engages itself against ever stricter laws on national security, against continued destruction of the right to defence, against solitary confinement, against further restrictions on the freedom of opinion and assembly.
III. Membership and organisation of the work of the Rote Hilfe
The Rote Hilfe has only individual persons as members. There is no collective membership of groups or organisations - even though members of other organisations are often members of the Rote Hilfe as well.

The Rote Hilfe organises its work on two levels:

• On one hand nationwide: The members ( at the moment about 4,500; amongst them a large proportion of 'single members', i.e. members who do not belong to any local group) elect delegates to the Federal Delegates' Assembly, which decides upon the principles and main issues of the work done by the Rote Hilfe. Their member fees create the material basis for the support.

The Federal Executive Committee is responsible for the use of the funds according to their purpose (member fees as well as collected donations on special occasions). The federal executive committee decides upon the use of the member fees, organises the collection of donations and central campaigns on special occasions and is as well responsible for the routine work.

The paper Rote Hilfe Zeitung issued quarterly by the executive committee keeps the members informed and is the main means of publicity.

•On the other hand there are local Rote Hilfe groups in some cities (at the moment about 35):
the current list is published on the back page of the Rote Hilfe Zeitung. In these cities the support as well as the publicity work depends as much as possible on the current local political developments and is done in co-operation with other local initiatives and organisations. The member meetings and boards of the local groups decide independently on the main issues of their work and on the use of the donations collected there.
IV. The Rote Hilfe understands itself to be a solidarity organisation for the whole left
This does not mean that it raises any claim to being the sole organisation of this kind ( on the contrary, we strive for co-operation with as many other legal assistance groups, solidarity-funds, anti-repression groups, inquiry committees etc. as possible!), but it means that it demands of itself not to exercise any exclusions.

In its statutes it lays down the following commitment: "The Rote Hilfe organises, according to its possibilities, solidarity for all those, independently of their party membership or ideology, who are persecuted in the Federal Republic of Germany due to their political activities. Political activities, that is, in the sense of,e.g., supporting the aims of the workers' movement, of the anti-fascist, anti-sexist, anti-racist, democratic or trade union struggle and the struggle against the risk of war."

We do not only want to give material but also political support, thus want to represent in public, as far as it is possible for us, issues others are persecuted for. Therefore we are looking for political discussions with those we support, and also develop our own position concerning their activities. Our support, however, does not depend on the degree to which we agree with their work.

This political openness was not always a matter of course (see the brochure: '20/70 Years Rote Hilfe' available through the Rote Hilfe literature service). The fact that it is not only fixed in the statutes but also practised every day can probably be best seen from the support payments. the cases of supported or denied applications of the respective last quarter are summarized and published in each Rote Hilfe Zeitung.
V. Does the left need a comprehensive solidarity organisation?
As a rule, people who are arrested and taken to court receive support from the political context in which the persecuted action was undertaken. Someone, e.g. who was arrested for blocking a military facility can mainly rely on help from the peace movement, persecuted anti-fascists can rely on the solidarity of the antifa movement. We think that this obvious form of solidarity is the most important one and do not intend in any way to replace it. Definitely, however, we want to supplement it.

There are always people who participate in a protest march as individuals and could not expect any help from an immediate circle of supporters.
Sometimes the financial burden through court costs etc or also through the requirements of publicity work is so heavy that it cannot be borne by one group alone.
In many cases inquiries, preferral of charges and court trials through several stages take so long that the political context has long changed in the meantime and that there is no one left to contact for help when the judgement takes legal effect.

For these reasons, we consider a solidarity organisation necessary:
* which permanently works independently of political ups and downs
* which can grant reliable, if necessary long-term support payments due to regular donation funds
* which is organised nationwide and not restricted to the big cities
* which feels responsible for politically persecuted persons from all parts of the left movement
* which can react to ever stricter laws and waves of court trials on a national level.

Solidarity must be organised!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G8 Tour in Spain in March

In March a tour will take place throughout the Spanish state, presenting the protests against the G8 Summit in Heiligendamm. Beginning in a large venue in Barcelona (North Catalonia), through Madrid and into the Basque Country. A further trip is also planned from Galicia to Valencia (South Catalonia).

Overview

Catalonia (Països Catalans)
* 7.3.2007 UAB (University Autònoma) 12:30. Organiser: SEPC
* 7.3.2007 Vilafranca de Penedès 20 :30
AC la Fornal | C/ Sant Julià, 20
* 9.3.2007 Barcelona (Vila de Gràcia) | 20 :00
La Barraqueta | C/ Tordera, 34
Organised by: Endavant-Gràcia
* 10.3.2007 Barcelona (Eixample) 19:00.
Ateneu Popular de l'Eixample | Passatge Conradí, 3 [C/ Sicília/Rosselló]
Veranstalter: Assemblea de Joves de l'Eixample Nord
* 15.3.2007 Barcelona (Sants) | 20 :00 Casal Independentista de Sants 'Jaume Compte' | C/ Premià 31
Organised by: Endavant-Sants
* 16.3.2007 Berga | 21:00
Ateneu Llibertari del Berguedà | C/ Pinsania, 7 baixos
Veranstalter: Ateneu Llibertari del Berguedà
* 17.3.2007 Manresa
Madrid
* 19.3.2007 Madrid 20 :00 Ateneo Republicano de Vallecas | C/ Arroyo del Olivar 79
Organised by: Coordinadora Antifascista de Madrid

Basque Country (Euskal Herria)

Galicia (Galizia)

[http://www.g8-2007.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=36&Itemid=21]