INTERNATIONAL ANARCHIST MOVEMENT-BRAZIL:

PROTEST POLICE ATTACK ON THE GAÚCHA ANARCHIST FEDERATION:

Last Thursday, October 29, police in the southern Brazilian city of Porto Alegre broke into the headquarters of the local anarchist federation, the Federação Anarquista Gaúcha (FAG) (Gaucha Anarchist Federation), making arrests and stealing various items of the property of the FAG. The following item from the Anarkismo website is the response of various international anarchist groups to these raids, and is hopefully the beginning of an international solidarity campaign. If you can read Portguese stay tuned to the FAG website linked above for further develeopments.

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International anarchist statement:
Solidarity with the Federação Anarquista Gaúcha:

Yesterday, Thursday 29th October, the Civil Police of Rio Grande do Sul, under the command of Governor Yeda Crusius, broke into the premises of the Federação Anarquista Gaúcha. Police seized various materials such as posters, minutes of meetings, the hard disk of a computer and also the contents of refuse containers that were at the headquarters. They also tried to intimidate those who came to show their solidarity and names contained in the records of the organization's website. Two comrades were arrested and charged.

The comrades of the FAG have spent years fighting against exclusion and casualisation, defending justice and decent living conditions. They are well known for their work with the "catadores" (collectors of cardboard and recyclable refuse), with the homeless and with the landless. In short, work they have been carrying on for years with those at the bottom of society.

This is the reason why the police of the State of Rio Grande do Sul is repressing the comrades of the FAG, a State immersed in corruption scandals, which takes a repressive stance against collectives and organizations that freely exercise their freedom of speech in order to criticize various anti-people policies of the government. This is the government's response to social protest. And the FAG is not the first to be attacked - we must remember the murder of the landless peasant Elton Brum or the death of Marcelo Cavalcante last February.

We condemn these acts of repression in the strongest terms. We denounce the incongruity of Brazilian government policy, a policy of the right with left-wing words. A policy that is governed by the economic parameters dictated by the multinationals and therefore their militaristic, repressive tactics.

Not only do we reject this government repression, but we also express our solidarity and support for the comrades of the FAG, for the constant and tenacious work they do with the ordinary people of their city, which the government and police authorities are seeking to silence by terror, intimidation and repression. We are sure they will not succeed.

It is important now to show support and solidarity. For this reason, we appeal to all anarchist, libertarian and grassroots organizations and collectives to protest against this attack.
Federazione dei Comunisti Anarchici (Italy)

Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Front (South Africa)

Alternative Libertaire (France)

Melbourne Anarchist Communist Group (Australia)

30 October 2009

This statement is based on the one issued by the Confederación General del Trabajo

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As has been mentioned above this statement is based on one from the Spanish CGT(Confederación General del Trabajo) which happens to be the largest anarchosyndicalist organization in the world (by perhaps two or three orders of magnitude). The CGT was "first off the mark" on this matter, and Molly reproduces her own translation of the CGT statement below. For a more complete and perhaps continuing coverage of this issue refer to the CGT's press organ Rojo Y Negro. As an aside Molly has to mention that she is still in the slow process of adding all the CGT's contact info to her Links section. I was "warned" about what a task this would be by Larry Gambone of the Porkupine Blog, and what he warned me about is very much true. Every time I think that I am nearing the end of these listings I discover yet another layer of complexity to the CGT. This, I guess, is not unexpected from an union federation that can gain the votes of about 2 million people in a country (Spain) that has only slightly more people than Canada. What I see the CGT as being is the prime example (the CNT-F is the secondary one) of how to make the ideals of anarchism relevant to a modern society. I also have to admit that my project of listing the CGT allows me to put other matters in better perspective. There is little doubt that there are more "groups" (ranging from 3 to 3,000 people) in the CGT than there are "individuals" adhering at least in their best mindless fashion to certain trends in anarchism that I find repulsive in the whole fucking world. It puts a hopeful light on things, that anarchism has not degenerated into a plaything of religious cultists without God, that anarchism can actually appeal to ordinary people who have ordinary interests and needs.

In any case here is the translation from the CGT.

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Solidarity with the Gaucha Anarchist Federation (FAG):

The CGT calls international solidarity and support to the assault by police at the headquarters of the FAG

Yesterday, Thursday 29 October, the civilian police of Rio Grande do Sul, under the command of the Governor Yeda Crusius broke into the premises of the Gaucha Anarchist Federation. Police seized various materials such as posters, minutes of meetings, the CPU of a computer and trash that they had at headquarters. They also tried to intimidate those who lent their solidarity and were contained in the records of the organization's website. There are two comrades arrested.

The comrades of the FAG spent years fighting against exclusion and precariousness, defending justice and decent living conditions. Their work with with the "tasters" (collectors of cardboard and recyclables) with the homeless and landless is well known. In short, a work they hav done for years with the lower classses.

This is the reason why the State Police of Rio Grande do Sul has practiced repression of companions in the FAG, a state immersed in corruption scandals and which adopts a repressive atitude towards groups and organizations who freely exercise their freedom of speech to criticize the various anti-people policies of the government. This is the government's response to social rejection. And the FAG was not the first to be attacked; we must remember the assassination of landless peasants or Elton Brum Marcelo Cavalcante's death last February.

Since the General Labor Confederation (CGT) of the Spanish State want to show our strongest condemnation to these acts of repression, we denounce the incongruity of the Brazilian government policy, a policy of right wingers with left-wing rhetoric. A policy that is governed by the same economic parameters that are dictated by the multinationals and therefore the same militaristic and repressive tactics.

Not only do we reject the government repression, but we also want to express our solidarity and support to colleagues of the FAG for the work they do with the simple people of their town, constant and tenacious work that government and police authorities have sought to silence by terror, intimidation and repression, but a silence that we are sure they are not going to get.

At the moment we consider expressions of solidarity and support from the CGT important, and therefore we appeal to different organizations and groups to make visible their rejection of these attacks.

Up with those who struggle!

Permanent Secretariat of the CGT Confederal Committee

Related Link: http://www.cgt.es/

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Here are other articles and statements on this incident from the Anarkismo website. Said website also contains updates of many other international anarcho-communist organizations that have joined this appeal.

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Other material:
Sede da FAG é invadida pela Polícia Civil, Federação Anarquista Gaúcha
Solidaridad con la Federacion Anarquista Gaúcha, Federação Anarquista Gaúcha
Brazil: FAG premises raided by police, Federação Anarquista Gaúcha
Solidaridad con la FAG - llamamiento internacional de la CGT, CGT Internacional
Αστυνομική επίθεση και έρευνα, Federação Anarquista Gaúcha
Brasile: Sede della FAG invasa dalla polizia, Federação Anarquista Gaúcha
Perquisition des locaux de la Federação Anarquista Gaúcha, Federação Anarquista Gaúcha
La CGT presenta en la embajada de Brasil en España nota de protesta, Confederación General del Trabajo
Comunicado de la FAU en apoyo a FAG, Federación Anarquista Uruguaya (FAU)
Pronunciamiento de la USL en solidaridad con la FAG, Unión Socialista Libertaria (Perú)
Carta de Apoio a Federação Anarquista Gaúcha, Pró – Coletivo Anarquista Organizado de Joinville
Κατασχέθηκε υλικό της FAG, Federação Anarquista Gaúcha
Carta de Solidariedade a Federação Anarquista Gaúcha, Solidaridade
Nota de Repúdio à invasão da Polícia Civil à sede da FAG, Federação Anarquista do Rio de Janeiro
Protesto não é crime, nenhum passo atrás!, Federação Anarquista Gaúcha
Solidarité avec la Federação Anarquista Gaúcha, Confederación General del Trabajo

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Finally here is the letter (in Portuguese) that the FAG would like you to send to the Brazilian authorities, along with the suggested addresses.

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CARTA DE SOLIDARIEDADE A FEDERAÇÃO ANARQUISTA GAÚCHA

Viemos através deste manifestar nossa solidariedade a Federação Anarquista Gaúcha em repúdio a invasão e apreensão de materiais e equipamentos de sua sede em Porto Alegre operada pela polícia civil na tarde de quinta-feira, 29 de outubro, e a abertura de processo criminal por injúria, calúnia e difamação a mando da governadora Yeda Crusius e expedido pelo Ministério Público Estadual. Este ato repressivo constitui cerceamento da liberdade de expressão e o direito de reunião resultando em censura política e intento de criminalização desta organização.

Já é notório para o Brasil e também em nível internacional a política de criminalização da pobreza e do protesto que é operada por este governo. Repressão e processos judiciais sobre o Movimento Sem Terra, categorias em greve, dirigentes sindicais e mobilizações populares que fazem oposição e denúncia aos esquemas de corrupção instalados nos altos escalões do governo e das políticas do Banco Mundial que desmontam com os serviços públicos e atacam direitos dos trabalhadores. A pobreza da periferia das grandes cidades também é alvo desta política truculenta.

Com esta carta queremos pesar as justas reivindicações de fim aos processos judiciais e a devolução de todos os bens apreendidos da FAG como a garantia das liberdades democráticas que foram violadas pelo Estado.

Ouvidoria do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul - Brasil

Correio: ouvidoria@gg.rs.gov.br

Fax: 00 55* (51) 3210.4522

Procuradoria Geral de Justiça - Ministério Público Estadual

Correio: pgj@mp.rs.gov.br

Fax: 00 55* (51) 32253288

Gabinete do Ministro da Justiça – Governo Federal

Site: www.mj.gov.br

Fax: 00 55* (61) 20259556

*para chamadas internacionais.

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MOLLY NOTES:

Molly is definitely no great fan of the pseudo-socialism represented by various South American governments such as the PT-led coalition that governs Brazil today under 'Lula', and I have no doubt that said government is very much hand in glove with institutions such as the World bank and the IMF, as the comrades of the CGT and the FAG have charged. Still it should be remembered that Brazil is a federal state and that direct responsibility for the repression against the comrades of the FAG lies with the municipal and state governments. It is no doubt correct to appeal to the federal government to intervene, at least to test the limits (narrow as they may be) of their 'good faith'. The incredibly corrupt conservative state government that runs the state of Rio Grande Do Sul is controlled by the conservative PSDB party. The city of Porto Alegre used to be the darling of the "limited libertarian" fashionable left as its adminsitration allowed a carefully policed "participation" of citizens in democractically (more of less) setting priorities for about 10% of the city budget. This was instructive, as it pretty well defines the "limits" of such leftists worldwide with their calls for either "workers' control" or "popular control" ie 10%- as long as it is sufficiently overseen by an army of bureaucrats. To say the least experience with this system did more to drain popular enthusiasm for social change than to encourage it. The end result is that Porto Alegre is now run by a city administration controlled by the PMDB Party, a bizarre conglomeration, mostly centrist but with both a right wing and a left wing consisting of an ex-guerrilla Maoist cult. Very strange. To my mind direct responsibility for the attack on the FAG rests with the city and the state rather than with the federal Brazilian government. Not that the Brazilian feds shouldn't be pressured to show their hand and make it plain whether they are on the side of popular movements or of graft ridden state governments. I guess we'll see what side they are on in the near future.

CANADIAN LABOUR/INTERNATIONAL LABOUR:

BRAZILIAN POLITICS AND VALE INCO:

As the following item from the Sudbury Star, courtesy of the Vale Inco strike support site Fair Deal Now says the Brazilian government "has some issues" with the parent company of Vale Inco in its home country of Brazil. this is all fair and good, but given the track record of the PT government of Lula in Brazil it is obvious that the workers of this company can expect little but noise from the social democrats ensconced in Brazil's political ruling class. It is even less likely that the statist ruling class of Brazil will even "say boo" to the foreign workers ie the Steelworkers in Canada, who are presently on strike against the company. To say the least this is one more example (amongst perhaps tens of thousands) where ultimate faith is put into a belief in the political process and the role of social democratic parties in same.

The situation here is perhaps an even more egregious example than the usual blind faith of too many union leaders and, unfortunately, ordinary union members in the idea of the NDP as the "great Messiah" who will lead them to the promised land. In the case of the Brazilian PT it has probably accumulated in its few years in power a record of treachery equal to 20 years of NDP governments in various provinces in Canada. I guess, however, that hope springs eternal, even the ultimately unrealistic hope that a government that routinely betrays its own voter base (because they have nowhere else to go besides to a smorgasbord of ridiculous communist parties) will somehow lend its realistic support to workers outside of its own country. Dream on. The only support that matters in the end is the support of workers employed by the parent company in Brazil itself. Everything else is illusion and political posturing.

In any case, for what it is worth, here is the story from the Sudbury Star.

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Brazilian president takes aim at Vale SA:
Posted By Denis St. Pierre,

The Sudbury Star
The Brazilian president's reported denunciation of huge job and investment cuts by mining giant Vale SA is being praised by the United Steelworkers union, which also decries the absence of such a position by the Canadian and Ontario governments.

"Good on Lula, bad on the Canadian government," Steelworkers District 6 director Wayne Fraser said Monday in response to news reports about Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Lula, Brazil's first-ever working- class president, wants his government to take control of Vale SA, the country's largest newsmagazine reported on the weekend.

According to the report, Lula is upset with what he considers unnecessary job cuts and curtailing of investment plans by Vale SA's chief executive officer, Roger Agnelli.

Lula asked officials to find a legal way to ensure the government controls Vale through the investment arm of Brazil's state development bank and its state-controlled employee pension fund, the magazine Veja reported, without identifying its sources.

Valepar SA, the company that controls Vale, is owned by a combination of the employee pension fund of Banco do Brasil SA; Bradespar SA, an industrial holding company; Mitsui and Co., Japan's second-largest trading company; and BNDES Participacoes SA.

Vale declined to comment on the report, a company spokesperson told Bloomberg.comon on the weekend.

Nor did Lula's press office return calls, Bloomberg said. (OOPS-gotta leave room to backtrack-Molly)

On Monday, the Steelworkers' Fraser said he is not surprised that Brazil's president would denounce what he characterized as Vale's attacks on workers and their communities, in various countries.

"Lula has said to all the Brazilian multinational companies, 'if you're moving into other countries, you're representing Brazil in these countries and the reputation of Brazil is at stake with everything you do,' " Fraser said.

"Agnelli's cutting thousands of jobs, not just here but in Brazil and elsewhere and that's not going over too well. It's their disrespect for their employees, be it in Brazil or Canada or South Africa, that is the issue here and at least the president of Brazil appears to think that's important.(Uhh- did he really say that he was or was not speaking only on matters Brazilian-Molly)

"It would be nice to see our leaders, whether it's (Ontario Premier Dalton) McGuinty or (Prime Minister Stephen) Harper, say, 'this is enough; it's time to get back to the bargaining table.' " (As if an NDP government, as they have always done, would not find a way to do the same thing while making pro-labour noises- Molly)

About 3,100 members of Steelworkers Local 6500 in Sudbury and another 125 members of Local 6200 in Port Colborne have been on strike against Vale Inco since July 13. The workers have rejected the company's demands for changes to their bonus system, pension plan and seniority rights.

About 120 to 150 Steelworkers members, employees of Vale Inco's operations in Voisey's Bay, Nfld., went on strike Saturday.

Meanwhile, Steelworkers members from Sudbury and from Vale Inco's operations in Thompson, Man., are in Port Colborne today for a rally at the union's picket line in the southern Ontario community.

"Basically, our entire bargaining committee is here to meet with the Local 6200 strikers and local residents and politicians who support our fight," said Local 6500 president John Fera.

"It's important to make sure that everybody knows that we in Sudbury and Port Colborne and Voisey's Bay are not fighting in isolation, that we are united in this."

United Steelworkers members from Sudbury travelled to Brazil on the weekend and another local delegation is headed to the South American country next week.

The trips are part of the Steelworkers campaign against Vale's actions and the union's ongoing collaborations with other international labour groups, Fraser said.

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A little Molly question here:

In the age of the internet is it really necessary to send a delegation to Brazil to present a case that is already made by email (repeatedly !!!!!!!!)? Wouldn't it be better to spend the money on other matters. If nothing else there is now such a thing as "video conferencing". I will bet good money that this action will rebound to the discredit of the union when all is said and done.

BRAZIL: 5TH CONGRESS OF BRAZIL'S LANDLESS MOVEMENT: CREATING THE BASIS FOR A NEW WORLD:

There's an interesting recent article over at the Autonomy and Solidarity site about the 5th Congress of the Brazilian Landless Rural Workers Movement (Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurals Sem Terra- the MST). Since 1979 the MST has engaged in land occupations of large estates. Today they have 5,000 settlements occupying 55 million acres and housing about 2 million people. There are also 150,000 landless workers camped on the side of highways still struggling to obtain land. This Congress was notable in that despite having called for support for President Lulu's Workers' Party(the PT) less than a year ago Lulu was pointedly not invited to this event, and there were far fewer representatives of the PT than at previous congresses. The actuality of social democracy in power has proven to be disappointing for the MST and many other social movements in Brazil. In relation to agriculture the MST is particularly disturbed by the acquiescence of the PT with neoliberalism's plans for genetically modified crops and ethanol production, all of which means support for agribusiness rather than small peasant farmers.

The article at Autonomy and Solidarity is by Raul Zibechi of Brecha, a weekly journal in Montevideo, Uruguay. Excerpts follow:

"The largest social movement on the continent, and one of the most important in the world, held its 5th Congress in mid-June 2007 in Brasilia. Despite successful mobilization of masses of people and significant media impact, under Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's government the movement faces strong challenges to activate its base against new enemies such as agribusiness....

"This was the central dilemma for the 5th MST Congress. To make agrarian reform viable, first the neoliberal model that is advancing in Brazil under the administration of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva must be rejected. The recent agreement between Lula and George W. Bush for the production of biofuels proved to the MST that it can no longer no longer count on Lula to support its goals. Stedile sees Lula's second term, which began in January 2007, as likely to be even more conservative than his first (2003-2006)....

"In contrast with previous congresses, this one had fewer representatives from Lula's Workers' Party (PT), and Lula was not invited. Although less than a year before, the MST had called to support Lula in the second round of the presidential election, relations have never been worse. The first leftist government in Brazil's history not only failed to accomplish the agrarian reform expected by the landless; it also supported agribusiness by approving transgenetically modified crops and promoting biofuels....

"Agrarian Reform for Social Justice and Popular Sovereignty was the theme of the 5th Congress. MST believes its main enemy now is agribusiness linked to multinationals, which wrests land and resources from the type of family agriculture that assures sufficient food for the national population. The organization proposes five steps:democratize ownership of the land; reorient agricultural production by turning towards the internal market and away from the external market preferred by multinationals; develop new agricultural techniques that do not harm the environment; spread education among farm workers; and develop small agroindustries to create employment....

"As a result of this, Stedile says in an article in Folha de Sao Paulo that the movement focus is on a democratic agricultural model that guarantees access to work, land, water and seeds for all. As an example of an undemocratic model he points to Lula's first four years in power, during which the State transferred US $300 billion to the financial sector because Brazil's interest rate is the highest in the world."

To read the entire article go to the Autonomy and Solidarity site HERE.