INTERNATIONAL ANARCHIST MOVEMENT-BULGARIA:

SOLIDARITY WITH QUEER BULGARIA:

The following item first came to Molly's attention via the Europe section of the Anarchist Black Cat Discussion board. It is originally from the International Queer Solidarity Network.

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Solidarity with Queer Bulgaria: 27 June 2009:

The International Queer Solidarity Network calls for a European mobilization, with support from the United States, that will stand in solidarity with Queer Bulgaria. On June 28th 2008, neo-Nazi groups aggressively attacked the first LGBTQ Pride march in Sofia, Bulgaria. A week before the march, the Bulgarian National Alliance, the most visible nationalist organization in the country, called for a “week of intolerance.” The BNA strongly encouraged nationalistic groups to organize themselves against the right of the queer community in Bulgaria to peacefully march, which resulted in loosely organized violence during the festivities.(I find it pleasant that the other side can be at least as "loosely organized" as we anarchists all too often are-Molly)

BNA members and other neo-Nazis threw molotov cocktails and small explosives at the participants of the Pride march. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. However, more than eighty skinheads, including Boyan Rasate (head of the BNA) were arrested for their attempted harm and direct violence toward pride participants. This year neo-Nazi groups are once again organizing themselves against the march and Bulgarian queers’ ability to defend their human rights. The Bulgarian government not only tolerates but also encourages such attitudes. Two of the parties in the Parliament of Bulgaria are nationalistic and one of them, Ataka, called for “the men to beat up the gays.”

In addition, the Prime Minister of Bulgaria and head of the “socialist” party, Sergei Stanishev, subtly, through hidden sparks of hatred, said that he did not like the “manifestation and demonstration of such orientations.” Even though the rights of LGBTQ people in Bulgaria are protected by the constitution, this is yet more empty rhetoric in the hands of the powerful. The queer community refuses to give up its rights to a free assembly. There will be another Pride march on the 27th of June 2009. Let’s unite and stand together against the homophobic and transphobic state of Bulgaria and growing neo-Nazism in Europe.

The International Queer Solidarity Network calls for a European mobilization, with support from the United States, that will stand in solidarity with Queer Bulgaria. For more information on how you can help you can contact: iqsn@riseup.net or sofiagaypride2009@gmail.com If you cannot attend the Pride, visit http://www.iqsn.org/ for more information on how you can help. www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6oz3yeW5yo

e-mail:

iqsn@riseup.net

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For those curious about what the International Queer Solidarity Network is all about see the following statement from their website.

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About Us:
The International Queer Solidarity Network is a developing network of collectives and individuals working to strengthen the global movement of queer liberation. IQSN brings to light the injustices faced by the Queer community world-wide, and builds global solidarity with local struggles. IQSN is part of the larger movement building a world that is free from oppression of all people, including queer and trans people.
Points Of Unity:
* Our work thrives to provide a true sense of total liberation for everyone as we desire to live in a world that is free from discrimination, hatred and intolerance.

* We support a diversity of tactics, ranging from web-based and person-to-person education, to electoral/legislative campaigning to direct action and militant resistance.

* We stand in solidarity and support the tactics used by the community most affected.

* We oppose domination and hierarchy in all it’s forms.

* We value the skills and wisdoms(sic-Molly) possessed by the many different cultures in our world, and support the right to cultural self-determination.

* We believe that governments and institutions are violent and oppressive forces to queer and trans people and other marginalized peoples.

* As part of a global movement towards universal liberation, we recognize the interconnectedness of all forms of oppression. Queer and trans people will not be free until all people are free! and that means you, muthafuckas!!!

* We are in solidarity with all groups and individuals working to end oppression on institutional, socialized, and inter-personal levels.

INTERNATIONAL ANARCHIST MOVEMENT-SWEDEN:

HOLIDAY APPEAL FOR VICTIMS OF NEO-NAZI ARSONS:

Molly has mentioned at least one of the following incidents on this blog before. On December 1 a family of Swedish syndicalists, affiliated to the anarchosyndicalist SAC, were almost killed by an arson attempt on their apartment. Also, however, on the 29th of November, the Swedish autonomous cultural centre Cyklopen was also burnt down by fascist arsonists. Both the family and the Centre need your support, the family to rebuild their lives and the Centre to open once more. Here's the appeal from the Swedish website Anarkisterna.

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Support the victims of Neo-Nazi arsons:‏
Please help us spread this call for solidarity on lists, blogs and pages.Support is needed, both for the family that has lost almost all of their belongings in the attack on their apartment and for financing the rebuilding of the Cyclops.

Thanks /embryo collective

http://anarkisterna.com/blog/2008/12/20/support-the-victims-of-neo-nazi-arsons/

The “Salem March” is the biggest annual Neo-Nazi gathering in Scandinavia.It is an alleged “commemoration” event for a Swedish youth with contacts to the country’s extreme right who died during a late-evening confrontation with migrant youths in the year 2000 in Salem, a suburb of Stockholm. In the weeks leading up to this year’s march, neofascists engaged in a series of attacks against antifascist activists.

On the 29th of November, the autonomous cultural center Cyklopen was burned to the ground. The fire coincided with a planned meeting of the Network Against Racism that organizes protests against the Salem March every year. Luckily, the meeting did not take place that night, so no one got injured in the blaze. According to authorities, the fire was a certain case of arson and the perpetrators are suspected in the neofascist scene. Cyklopen had been threatened various times before. The neofascists know that autonomous left-wing spaces are a cornerstone of effective antifascist work.

On the 1st of December, there was an arson attack on the apartment of two members of Sweden’s anarchosyndicalist union SAC and their three-year old child. One of them explained: “I saw how someone poured some clear fluid into the hallway through the mail-slot. I could smell that it was gasoline. I screamed as loud as I could, ‘We have a child here!’ It is impossible that they did not hear me. Next thing I know, they set the gasoline on fire.” While the child was handed down from the apartment’s third-storey balcony to neighbors below, the two adults were able to climb to safety. The police treats the attack as politically motivated. They strongly suspect the perpetrators to be the same as in the Cyclopen attack. Half a year ago, the names and pictures of SAC members had been published on Info-14, an internet portal of the Swedish extreme right that is closely connected to the organizers of the Salem March.

There exist solidarity accounts for the victims of the attacks:

The “December Collection” (Decemberinsamlingen) serves as emergency help for the family that has lost almost all of their belongings in the attack on their apartment:

Re: Decemberinsamlingen

Addressee: SAC

IBAN: SE24 9500 0099 6034 0809 9236

BIC/Swift: NDEASESS

The Cyklopen activists are determined to rebuild their center – financial help can be sent here:

Re: Cyklopen

Addressee: Kulturkampanjen

IBAN: SE09 9500 0099 6034 1607 5525

BIC/Swift: NDEASESS

RUSSIAN FEDERATION:

NEO-NAZI MURDER IN MOSCOW:

The following is taken from the English language section of the Russian anarchist site Avtonom. In Russia today, in an atmosphere of xenophobic nationalism, neo-nazis run rampant. The government is much more concerned with other matters and sees no reason to oppose such trends, particularly as they encourage the attitudes that underlie the growth of such trends. Once more there has been some slight editing of the following for grammar.

16.03.2008 A new Nazi murder before a concert in Moscow
Today 16th of March around 6:40 PM local time, at the exit of metro station "Kitay-Gorod" ,around 15 Nazis ambushed with knives 7 people, who were going to a concert in club "Art Garbage", where Petrozavodsk oi!-band "Nichego Horoshego" and a number of other groups were to play. As a result of the attack, a young guest of the concert from Noginsk died from multiple stab wounds.

The Attack was planned on the internet, 14th of March in the forum of FC Spartak hooligans (http://forum.fanat1k.ru/index.php) a theme was created, where an attack on the concert was discussed at http://forum.fanat1k.ru/showthread.php?p=32482. Now the theme is deleted, but it may be recovered from search engine caches.

This is not first such assault. In April of 2006, 19 year old Sasha Ryukhin was murdered by Nazis before a punk concert.

NOTHING LIKE "SPEED JUSTICE":

On March 21st, the International day Against Racism (an anniversary that Molly missed through her own fault) fascists from the NOP (Polish National Rebirth an arm of the "Third Positionists" who attempt to recruit anarchists for fascism gathered for a demonstration for a "white Poland" and against immigration in Wroclaw,Poland. Their demonstration of about 100 people was opposed by about 300 anarchists and anti-fascists. The response of the police was to ignore the fascists and surround the anarchists, eventually leading to the arrest of two people. One of these, who was on crutches (very easy to catch I guess-Molly) were charged with "assaulting an officer". Pretty pitiful "assault" in Molly's opinion. The comrades were tried within 24 hours and sentenced to 2 years probation and ordered to pay a fine of 150 zlotnyies to a fund for the widows of policemen. Human rights groups (not anarchist) on the scene were scandalized by the fact that the police ignored the fascists and concentrated on attacks on the anarchists, even though fascist demonstrations are theoretically outlawed in Poland. For more news on this and other matters Polish please consult our Links section, especially the http://cia.bzzz.net site recently added to our Links.

Molly