Brazilian protests: why do the police use shields in protests?

Protest in Rio de Janeiro June, 17, 2013 in front of legislative assembly

The protests, triggered by a hike in mass transit fares that began more than a week ago, is spreading across the country raising many other problems.
The protesters don't want political parties but it is inevitable that they claim that they are supporting and even among the crowds without any prove.

Tear gas and rubber bullets are being used but it seems that there is not a single pacific demonstration in the world without the presence of the police armed as if combating armed people. Why they use shields is a mystery  since all the violence are created by their forces.

Maybe they fear the flowers.

Statement of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey

Statement of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey

The following is a statement of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP), issued June 4. It has been slightly edited for readability. Follow Liberation News for frequent updates and statements from activists and organizations on the ground in Turkey as the struggle there unfolds.

1. For days now Turkey has been witnessing a genuine popular movement. The actions and protests, which started in Istanbul and have spread all over Turkey, have a massive, legitimate and historic character. The most important of all is the striking change in the mood of people. The fear and apathy has been overcome and people have gained self-confidence.

2. The Communist Party of Turkey has been part of the popular movement beginning from the first day and has mobilized all its forces, tried to strengthen the proletarian and revolutionary character of the movement, endeavored to encourage a mature attitude of discipline, and organized numerous actions and demonstrations. In this process, the police forces carried out a heavy assault on our party headquarters in Ankara. All over Turkey, several party members have been injured and arrested. There have been some attempts of abduction of our party cadres. But the attempts of provocations against our party were defeated.

3. Our emphasis on the role of the TKP does not aim to underestimate the spontaneous nature of the movement or contribution of the other political actors. On the contrary, the TKP stresses that this movement has an aspect that is beyond the impact of any political actor or any kind of political opportunism.

4. The call of the masses for the government to resign is an absolute demand of this movement. Although it is obvious that a leftist alternative cannot be built “right now,” this demand should be expressed loudly. This option for the working people can be generated only through benefitting from the energy that came out at this historical moment. The TKP will focus on this and expose the real meaning of alternatives like “the formation of a national government,” which will most likely be put forward to deceive the working masses into thinking that the crisis can be overcome that way.

5. Without a doubt, the holders of political power will try to calm the people down, institute control and even attempt to use the situation to their advantage. They can have temporary achievements. Even in that case, the popular movement would not be wasted. The TKP is ready for a period of stubborn but intense struggle.

6. In order to act in concert, different branches of the socialist movement sharing similar goals and concerns need to evaluate the rise of this popular movement immediately. The TKP, without interrupting its daily missions and activities, is going to act responsibly regarding this issue and endeavor for the creation of a common ground in line with the urgent demands below.

7. In order to nullify the plans of the government to classify and divide the popular movement as legitimate and illegitimate, all forces need to avoid steps that might cause damage to the legitimacy of the movement. It is the political power that attacks. The people should defend themselves as well as their rightful action but never fall into the provocation trap of the government.

8. While the masses are chanting the slogan “government, resign,” the negotiations limited to the future of the Taksim-Gezi Park are meaningless. The government pretends not to understand the fact that the old balance has been upset fundamentally and cannot be restored. Everybody knows that the popular movement is not the product of sympathy towards the trees in the Gezi Park. The anger of the people is over the urban transformation projects, the terror of the market, open direct interventions in different lifestyles, the Americanism and subordination to the U.S., the reactionary policies, the enmity towards the Syrian people. The AKP cannot deceive the people with a discourse of “we will plant more trees than the ones that we will chop down.”

9. While rolling up our sleeves in order to create an alternative of the working people, the movement needs to lean on certain concrete demands. These demands are valid in the case of the resignation of the government or of Erdogan:

a) The government must announce that the projects that involve the demolishing of Gezi Park and the Ataturk Cultural Center are terminated.

b) Those who were taken into custody during the resistance must be released, and all charges against them must be dropped immediately.

c) All officials whose crimes against the people are proven by reports of the commissions that are formed by the Union of Bar Associations* and local bar associations must be relieved of their duties.

d) The attempts that hinder the right of the people to get true news on the developments must be stopped.

e) All prohibitions regarding meetings, demonstrations and marches must be repealed.

f) All de facto or de jure obstacles that lock out the political participation of the people, including the 10 percent election threshold and the anti-democratic articles of the “law on political parties,” must be abolished.

g) All initiatives that attempt to impose a monolithic life style on all people must be stopped.

10. These urgent demands will in no case affect our right and duty to continue the opposition against the political power. The people’s reaction to the government must be reinforced, and efforts must be concentrated to bring about a real alternative in the political scene.

11. The star and the crescent Turkish flag that was intended to be used to provide a shield for reactionary and chauvinist attacks against laborers, leftists, and Kurdish people after the fascist military coup of September 12, 1980, has now been grasped by the people from the hands of fascism, and given to the honorable hands of Deniz Gezmiş and his comrades, as a flag in the hands of patriotic people.

12. The people’s movement, ever since the beginning, has persistently put down the sinister strategy to play one community against another in Turkey. This attitude must carefully be maintained, leaving no room for chauvinism or vulgar nationalism.

13. Appealing to our Kurdish brothers and sisters, we had already declared, “There can be no peace agreement with AKP.” There can be no deal with a political power to which its own people have turned their backs, and the true face of which has been revealed. Kurdish politics must give up “cherishing hopes of proceeding further with AKP,” and become a strong constituent part of a united, patriotic and enlightened laborer people’s movement.

14. Our citizens who have lost their lives at the hands of the police force of the political power have sacrificed their lives in the name of a just and historic struggle. The people are never going to forget their names, and those who are responsible for their deaths will pay the price before the law.

Central Committee
Communist Party of Turkey
4 June 2013

*This is the name of the Turkish lawyers association that are recognized as public organization and care for human rights and rights of the citizens. (note of the blogger. No. I'm not communist but I this is important.)

Europe Austerity Protests: police beat and arrest Europeans citizens

The European Day of Action and Solidarity on 14 November, organised by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), resulted in a strong mobilisation across Europe. Hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated in a large number of European cities against the brutality of austerity measures.

ETUC General Secretary Bernadette Ségol commented:

"Europe’s leaders should recognize the full magnitude of yesterday’s European mobilization  Some 50 trade union organisations from 28 countries participated actively in this day of action. It is impossible to pursue the path of austerity, which is a total failure. According to a recent report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the austerity measures implemented in Greece are leading to violations of fundamental rights. We need to change course immediately. The social situation is urgent."
Source:  European Trade Union Confederation  ETUC.

It is appalling that the police has beaten and arrested citizens during the protests and that the answer of the European governments is that they cannot do anything.
There are people committing suicide because they don't see a way out and numerous people don't see their future.

The mainstream media is reporting the violence against unionists, activists and supporters as if it it was nothing exceptional.

When governments treat their own citizens this way one has to stop and think what is going on.
There is something very evil behind it all. I didn't receive the memo.
All I know is that the money is in the account of few and it is a lot of money.
Scary times.

Dirty Fucking Hippies were Right! transcription and song

This video appeared and nobody knows who did the rant, the edition, the melody... nothing. Still it tells some truth. Worthy listening since...

"Peace is never discussed. Peace has somehow become a pejorative..." The Big Pharma and their fake concern wit health selling medicines that kill...

Update:

I just found the transcription at Daily Kos:

But something puzzles me. How can a revolution forgets to manifest culturally? Is it possible to revolutionize talking about economy, politics and ranting but without creating not even a tiny symbol that communicates what is the desire of people?

This song(?) is the result of the lack of a anti-establishment culture in US and in the whole world.

A song that raises the issues enumerating them but incapable of reaching hearts and minds and with no cultural print.

Appealing to the hippies was the way out but I doubt that people is willing not to wash their hair or behave the old hippie way and it is sad that this soapbox song refers to them the way they are called by those who hate their message.

Again it seems that creativity is way out of reach and without it, without art, literature, music, and all the "humanities" a crucial part of human beings vanishes.

When the imagination is not exercised, exited, and capable of creating, analyzing, and criticizing it is easier to control the thoughts and desires of the population, not people because they don't see people, they see numbers.

Fighting for education that is not financed and dictate by the corporations is also part of this revolution.

The alleged counter-establishment group "Anonymous" took a mask from a movie.

Have you noticed that in this movie, "V de Vendetta", there are books, paintings, sculptures, a whole iconography of the weapons that revolutionaries use to express their ideas?

"Bullets don't kill an ideal."

Take a good look at the black and white photography above and tell us what you see.

________________________________

The Dirty Fucking Hippies were Right!

"Flag planting on Iwo Jima. Tug-of-war with dollar sign. Headline: U.S. economy worsens. Chart heading sharply down “Class Is Now in Recession”.

“There’s a black granite wall in Washington DC that bears 58,260 names on it. All of those whose names that are carved on that wall are dead. For what? Freedom?.

“If this country had listened when kids were screaming to stop that slaughter, that wall would have been one hell of a lot shorter.

“Yet we as a nation still wage wars of choice. Wars encouraged by plutocrats who never have to fight them.

“Peace is never discussed. Peace has somehow become a perjorative.

“Peace is no perjorative. Peace is essential to the survival of the human race. And those who advocate for war are a dangerous and fearful group who should be marginalized and disavowed.

“War is always the last choice. The dirty fucking hippies … were right.

“Now the oceans have been rising. The polar ice is melting at alarming rates. The climate is changing in irreversible ways. Our survival as a species on this planet is on a precipice.

“The science on this is clear. Humans are now in trouble. Because of our reckless stewardship of what we dominated, we have polluted this fragile jewel that hangs in space – our only home.

“We’ve elected sociopath after sociopath for the last 30 years, to every level of government. – many of them slaves to corporate parasites that gorge themselves at the public trough, while the most vulnerable people in our society – the sick, the young, and the elderly – go wanting.

“The food we buy is contaminated. The toys we give our children as presents for Christmas are tainted with poisons. The water we drink is rife with carcinogens. The fish in our seas, lakes and rivers are so full of mercury that it’s only recommended that we eat them once per week.

“We have now come face to face with our own extinction.

“I hate to say ‘I told you so,’ but the dirty fucking hippies … were right.

“Billions of dollars of profits are being snitched up at the expense and suffering of our neighbors by the jackals that comprise our pharmaceutical companies and insurance companies. Both of which pipe their diagnostic wisdom and their fake concern right into our homes via TV and radio commercials.

“These legal drug dealers now sell their wares with impunity. And the insurance gamblers perform a slick game of three-card monte right in our living rooms.

“Most of these drugs have a list of caveats that would make even the most dishonest used car salesman blush. And the insurance hustlers change the rules of the game just when it’s time to pay up – profiting from the suffering and pain and others, profiting from human frailty.

“Universal healthcare? ‘It’s too expensive,’ we’re told. Gasbags talking heads on TV and radio have been complicit in this deception, while being handsomely compensated for their assistance.

“I’ll say it again: the dirty fucking hippies … were right.

“Big box discount stores descend upon small towns in America like alien ships, filled with cheap products bought at low prices from countries that pay their workers slave wages. Plutocrats love this business model!

“Mom and Pop shops can’t compete with prices set by these huge corporate parasites and, to no one’s surprise, many small businesses in these tiny hamlets fail, leaving small towns filled with empty storefronts and even, in some cases, forcing these same small business operators to go to work for the very people that ruined their livelihoods.

“Small-town America is subsequently decimated by this invasion. Often helpless in stopping it.

“Wall Street has cannibalized itself. Still hungry, feeling the pangs of their greed, they’ve now come to the government for their daily meal. And still, without a hint of irony, a spokesman for this ravenous tribe mounts his soapbox and has the temerity to rail against the ‘evils of Socialism’.

“Turns out the Socialism is for them. The Capitalism is for us.

“Abbie Hoffman once baited these banksters by throwing cash onto the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. To no one’s astonishment, they demonstrated their insatiable greed. The gluttons couldn’t help themselves – they stopped trading, got on their knees, and swept up the free loot.

“Wall Street should have been reined in long ago.

“I’ll say it again: The dirty fucking hippies … were right!”

Michael Moore urges every American city to join "Occupy Wall Street" protest

What happens in Wall Street affects all the world but no. No! You will not see any news about the "Occupy Wall Street" protests as well as what is happening in Wisconsin and Ohio.

The corporate media want to hide any protest that goes against US government and its allies in America or in other part of the world.

But people are protesting and Americans are making their voices being heard.

You can check at Facebook, Twitter and at Occupy Wall Street site.

Reuters published three times about the protests with little information: here, here and here.
Even CNN wrote an article.

So, now we know... it is real! We all know that it is real if it is published at the mainstream media, don't we?

"The demonstrators were mostly college-aged marchers carrying American flags and signs with anti-corporate slogans. Some beat drums, blew horns and chanted slogans as uniformed officers surrounded and videotaped them." "Occupy Wall Street, they chanted, all day, all week." Reuters

They just forgot to show the students being beaten and arrested by the police but this is a detail. Who cares?

At the video there are demonstrators talking about their intentions but as I know that some people don't like clicking at the start button of videos I did a transcription of a little of what Michael Moore said:

"... this is gonna grow. Not only in Wall Street but in communities all over America. I would encourage people watching the show to think about... ok, you can't make it to New York city but there is a branch of Chase Bank in your town, there is a branch of the Bank of America and there is nothing preventing you from organizing a demonstration outside their branch with signs, with possible even civil disobedience to make your voices heard. They think they're gonna get away from this.These people stole the pension funds of the American public, stole their money stole the future of our kids and grandkids... they're kleptomaniacs and they think they're gonna get away with this. They have taken our democracy and formed into a kleptomocracy.
If we don't stand up, if we don't have our voices heard...
believe me they're not done yet."
Watch the video! These young are fighting not only for America but for the world:
"There is a bunch of people gambling with our futures."...  "Our politicians no longer represent us. the people..." 

click to twitter

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