May 2012 issue of Freedom After a slight delay, the May 2012 issue is now out and available either directly from Freedom Bookshop or from other good radical bookshops or social centres.
Alternatively take out a yearly subscription and have the paper delivered to you every month at a discounted rate.
Saturday May 19th 3pm at Lucas Arms, Gray’s Inn Road, London , Nearest tube King’s Cross.
On the 140th Anniversary of the Founding of the Anti-Authoritarian International in St Imier Switzerland
This year marks the 140th anniversary of the founding of the Anti-Authoritarian International . Following moves by Marx and his followers to expell two leading anarchists , Mikhail Bakunin and James Guillaume, from the First International, the first genuine intertational working class organisation, the Jura section in Switzerland, supported by the Italian and Spanish sections, revolted agaist the se bureaucratic moves and convened a conference. They were soon joined by other sections equally dismayed by these moves and Marx’s high handed decision to move the General Council of the First International away from Europe to New York. These developments have left a permanent mark on the socialist and workers movements.
Thousands of anarchists will be attending a massive celebration of the founding of the Anti-Authoritarian International in StImier itself, with round tables, public meetings, music concerts, film shows, plays etc.
this meeting will give an account of the original events and give details of the coming celebrations. all welcome.
speakers so far;
speaker from Anarchist Federation
Brian Morris, author of books on Bakunin, Kropotkin, and Ecology and Anarchism
other invited speakers from rank and file electricians Sparks, the Occupy movement 9tbc0
Free.
The conference will take place on Sunday 20th May, from 10.30am, at
the Bishopsgate Institute in Bishopsgate. Further details, including
a programme of events, and directions to the venue can be found on our
conference website. http://kettlepolicepowers.wordpress.com/
Netpol are hosting the conference as part of our campaign to kettle
police powers. The conference brings together activists, lawyers and
others working at the sharp end of challenging unlawful, violent,
racist or excessive policing, to look at the concept of Total Policing
– the London-based policing initiative with an elusive definition. Are
we seeing Total Policing or, in reality, a Total Lockdown?
Confirmed speakers include:
Estelle du Boulay from the Newham Monitoring Project, who has recently
written for the Guardian on racism in the Met,
Writer and researcher Rizwaan Sabir who, as a Nottingham student was
wrongly arrested for terrorism offences,
Marc Vallee, an investigative journalism with an interest in unpicking
plans for the policing of the Olympics,
As well as speakers from Stopwatch, Green and Black Cross, Fitwatch and
others.
We very much hope you are able to join us.
Entry is by a suggested donation of £5/£10. This enables us to
provide a light lunch, and the opportunity for some informal
discussions during lunchtime.
Prior registration: It is not necessary to register in advance, you
are welcome to just turn up on the day. But registering in advance
helps us to plan numbers and will ensure your lunch! Registration is
here: http://kettlepolicepowers.wordpress.com/registration/
Since Freedom shifted from fortnightly to monthly publication the prison news just comes too thick and fast to really be able to give all the often startling (even for an old hand like yours truly) news a fair crack with regards to column inches. So it has become a question of either short pointers to as many stories as can be jammed into 550 words or longer analysis of one or two more of the important issues. Last month it tended towards the latter, with POA scaremongering, non-riots, deaths in custody and restraint techniques.
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After John Foley’s impressive action in handcuffing himself to the goalposts during an important premiership match to highlight his Ryanair Don’t Care campaign, Solidarity Federation put their support behind the International Week of Action Against Ryanair on 12th -18th March.
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Almost two years after the oil rig explosion off the Gulf of Mexico that killed 11 workers and spewed nearly five million barrels of oil into the sea, British Petroleum (BP) will face a civil lawsuit in New Orleans. The non-jury trial will be divided into three phases, the first of which was to begin in late February.
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On one cold February morning in 1972, as planned, they marched down to the big iron gates of the Saltley Coke Depot in the centre of Birmingham. They began arriving early that morning thousands upon thousands of them, stretched down the main road as far as the eye could see, and they didn’t stop coming, hundred strong contingents from all sides making their way down to the entrance with union banners and placards, chanting, singing and readying themselves for the job ahead.
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Just to remind contributors and people interested in writing or submitting articles for the May issue of Freedom. The deadline for submitting articles is Thursday 12th April. (As a rule the deadline for each issue is usually on the 12th of each month).
We are happy to accept any original content, as long as it is politically relevant and fits in with the basic writing guidelines (see contribute link below).
To submit content simply send your article to: Email: 
copy@freedompress.org.uk
Postal address:
Freedom newspaper
Angel Alley
84b Whitechapel High Street
London E1 7QX
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The recent occupation of Oxford Street in central London by a group of disabled, sick and elderly people, disability campaigners and anti-workfare activists was the latest protest against the introduction of the Welfare Reform bill currently passing through Parliament. The legislation seeks to impose benefits caps, mass health and disability testing programmes, workfare and the slashing of benefit for 20% of disabled people.
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We now have a collection tin in Freedom Bookshop in order to raise funds for the mighty London Anarchist Black Cross. London ABC are a prisoner support group that spend most of their money on postage, as well as sending postal orders to needy prisoners. With courts cracking down on protestors, this need is never [...]
Friday April 13th. As part of the Moving Forest event in July (a Macbethian movement and expression against Olympic militarisation securitisation of the city) a ‘Hecate’s Prophecies’ Reading Group is being …cont
This month’s issue of Freedom is available to buy in the shops. The UK’s longest running anarchist publication is now monthly, with new sections, more features, and an expanded format – all for just £2. More…
We are currently upgrading Freedom bookshop online service. If there is any books you wish to purchase from Freedom please contact the bookshop directly either by phone, email or post they we will be more than happy to help you out. A new and improved online book purchasing service will be up and running soon. [...]
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The final volume in Dave Douglass’s mining trilogy published to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the end of the miners’ strike.
Peter Kropotkin, “The Anarchist Formerly Known As Prince”, kindly agreed to contact us from beyond the grave to update his 1902 classic book on the importance of co-operation in evolution.
The definitive book on the hero of the Mexican Revolution.
The latest in the 'Wildcat' series of cartoons by Donald Rooum, this time in full colour!
Bakunin proclaimed “Proudhon is the master of us all,” while for Kropotkin he laid “the foundations of anarchism.” Property Is Theft! collects his most important works in one volume, making many available in English for the first time. Extensively annotated and introduced by editor Iain McKay, Property Is Theft! is an indispensable resource for anyone interested in the history and development of anarchist principles and practice.
Doors closed on The People’s Cafe
Another setback for the people of Edinburgh as occupied social centre is closed. So what went wrong?
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