INTERNATIONAL ANARCHIST MOVEMENT-FINLAND:

MUSTA PISPALA:

Molly came across this announcement in the English language section of the Polish anarchist news site Centrum Informacji Anarchistcznej. The festival/bookfair that it announces has its own website, as given below. What piques Molly's curiosity is the following question. Anarchist bookfairs are proliferating across the world as the movement expands. Is 'Musta Pispala' the furthest north example of its kind ? What do you think ?

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Musta Pispala - Black Pispala: Anarchist counter-cultural festival in Tampere, Finland, 10.-12. July 2009:
The 4th Musta Pispala will offer practical and theoretical workshops, parties, sauna, book fair and children's activities in the unique setting of Pispala.

For us anarchism means for example the critique of all forms of domination and hierarchy and on the other hand creating non-oppressive, egalitarian culture. We see domination not only in large structures of society, but also in oppressive customs among ourselves. Our analysis is not limited only to human relations. It also includes our relationships with non-human beings. Our aim is to strengthen critical views and empowerment in the form of taking control of our lives. Kill the police within!

Through the workshops in the festival you can get familiar with topics such as basics of anarchism and anarcha-feminism. There will be a couple of workshops on anarchist parenting and unschooling. Anti-psychiatry criticizes mainstream views on mental problems, and offers alternatives for mental care. Environmental themes are approached practically and theoretically through worm-composting, edible wild plants, climate change and the environment and technology thinking of anarchists. We also have workshops about specifically local struggles such as anti-gentrification/yuppification and a counter campaign against the city council's efforts to clean the streets of Tampere from street art and posters of small scale events.

We are consciously trying to work to ensure a safe anti-oppression atmosphere. In order to do this, we come up with guidelines for situations of harassment, and we'll have a specific conflict resolution / anti-harassment group. This doesn't mean we wouldn't encourage everyone to take responsibility to ensure that the atmosphere would be positive. We have a conscious anti-oppression policy including but not limited to anti-sexism, anti-heterosexism and anti-racism.

If you need a sleeping place and/or help with child care, please get in touch via mustapispala (at) takku (dot) net beforehand so we can prepare. You can also get in touch if you want to offer your help in organising, hold a workshop or come to the book fair with your distro. The workshops are in Finnish with English translation.

We are sorry that we are so late with our announcement, which makes it pretty much impossible for people who need visas to arrive. We'll try better next time.

More detailed descriptions of the workshops, timetables and other additional information: http://mustapispala.takku.net

FINLAND:

SUMMER PROTEST CAMP AGAINST CONSTRUCTION OF WORLD'S LARGEST NUCLEAR REACTOR:

Up in Olkiluoto Finland the world's largest nuclear power plant, built from an unreliable prototype is under construction. But it is not without opposition....

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International Anti-Nuclear Festival in Olkiluoto!
This summer, an international camp will be organized to call for sustainable energy solutions in Finland and Europe, and to highlight the risks and problems of nuclear power. You don't want to miss it!

Join us

*to stand up for positive energy solutions
*for workshops, seminars, fun and games
*and a radiant midnight sun party

In close vicinity of Olkiluoto nuke plant and building site of the world's biggest nuclear reactor, a fault ridden prototype.

Come expose nuclear madness – come create better solutions - come party
NEW! Website of the camp - more information and registrations
Spread the word!

FINLAND/RUSSIA:

FINNISH YOUTHS STAGE PROTEST AGAINST THE ARBITRARINESS OF THE RUSSIAN POLICE:

(FROM AVTONOM)

This is a report from the Russian anarchist site Avtonom. The original in Russian is at the site.

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Finnish youths stage a protest against the arbitrariness of the Russian militia

In Helsinki, in front of the Russian Embassy on April 18 activists of the youth movement held a protest against violence on the part of Russian law enforcement and the de facto ban on gatherings for their Russian peers, said a BBC correspondent .

In total it was attended by about 30 people, who kept shouting slogans in English, Russian and Finnish: "Stop police arbitrariness in Russia", "No to militia violence ".

One of the organizers of the picket said that their primary motivation was to express their condemnation of the practice of impunity for violence against the citizens of Russia by the security forces. It is noteworthy that the embassy had no reaction to the demonstration.

The rally was attended by the city police of Helsinki, but they did not interfere in the demonstration.. Under Finnish law, a notification of pickets is required. Organizers have to call the police, no later than six hours before the event.

Recall that in Moscow on April 11 protesters were dispersed by arbitrary action on the part of the militia. The militia attacked the participants of the protest action, after seeing posters saying "no police lawlessness." As a result, about 30 people spent the night in police custody. Anna Orlova