from Contra Info
Today, February 27, we put up posters in downtown Philadelphia in response to the call for a general mobilization against the airport project in Notre Dame Des Landes. The posters explain what the ZAD is and the struggle against the airport. We mostly put posters up on LAZ parking lots and structures. LAZ is owned by Vinci, the same company responsible for building the airport in Notre Dame Des Landes.
Against the Airport and its World!
from It’s Going Down
On Saturday, February 6, 2016, a measly 15 self-proclaimed “patriots” from Americans First, a quasi-fascist group, held an “End Sharia Law in the US” rally. This is the latest in a string of rallies that Americans First have held in Central PA. In January, they held a rally outside of Church World Services, a refugee resettlement organization. In response, over 250 people in Lancaster came out to let Americans First know that hate will not be tolerated in their town.
In Reading, about 100 antifascists and others came out to deliver the same message. Despite having a slightly smaller crowd than in Lancaster, the Reading event was much more militant. The group took up a position immediately in front of the “patriots” and effectively shut down the entire event, chanting “Say it Loud, Say it Clear, Refugees are welcome here” and shouting down any attempts the fascists made to spout their bigoted views. Shortly after the event started the antifascists were joined by Make The Road, a Latino rights organization, who marched in to the sound of drums. Make The Road members delivered short speeches, played music, and sang songs for about an hour, making it very clear that they were not afraid of their racist, xenophobic opponents and would continue their social justice mission.
Despite the heated exchange between the fascists and antifascists, only one shoving match broke out, which elicited no response from the local police who were posted up on each end of the block. At one point, one of the “patriots”, a former military member and current Biker, President Dawg, in a bold move, stepped up looking to fight an antifascist who had damaged his fragile ego. Instead of backing down, the antifascists stepped up as a single unit to challenge this fascist thug, and he backed down. Antifa shut down the fascist Americans First, the second time they have been shut down in as many months. The fight is not over!
Nobody is Illegal!
Refugees Welcome!
Fascists and Racists Out!
Take Away From Reading, PA:
The rally in Reading, much like the rally in Lancaster, drew a lot of support in favor of refugees and in support of the Muslim population. However, Reading was much more militant than Lancaster was. This was due to the organizing efforts of antifascists that promoted militant tactics instead of leaving planning in the hands of the progressive church leaders as was done in Lancaster. It’s essential to squash any potential fascist organizing when it is small, before it grows in size and confidence to carry out physical assaults on their victims. Organizing antifascist resistance is extremely important!
There was little opportunity to reach out to the surrounding area. The location chosen by the fascists was in an area that received little foot traffic and was shielded from most car traffic. Greater outreach allows the spread of antifascist ideas and is able to combat the narrative pushed by these hate groups.
Additionally, we have begun an informal relationship with the members of the other organizations that joined us and will continue to build on those through participation with their events and campaigns.
Central PA Antifa can be found here.
from facebook
All too often as anarchists in the U.S. we look to places like Oakland or New York for cues of how to get it done. The problem with this being that most of us don’t live in anarchist-disney world, where anything is possible and everything is flammable, and we couldn’t afford the rents in Oakland anyway. This February and March we will be publishing a collection of interviews and essays from the spaces in between to bring to your towns.
The tour features friends from Denver, Colorado and Richmond, Virginia coming to your town to talk about what it looks like for anarchists outside those spaces with longstanding institutional left bases. We think there is a lot to learn from the less glamorous towns and small cities where anarchists continue fighting in spite of it all. Sharing our experiences of building, failing, rebuilding, fucking it up and sometimes winning, we hope to strike up conversations in your towns with your friends. Let’s talk community defense work, anti-police struggles, combating gentrification warfare, how not to let the liberals get us down and more.
[February 22at 8:30pm at A-Space 4722 Baltimore Ave]
from facebook
Benefit show to support the FiReFlY AcTiOn MeDiCaL collective. $5-10 donation. There will be food, drinks and screen & block printed goodies for donation as well.
Pushin it 2 the Limit (PHL) — https://pi2tl.bandcamp.com/releases
Puff Pieces (DC) — https://puffpieces.bandcamp.com/releases
Invasive Species (PHL) — https://theinvasivespecies.bandcamp.com/
Opening up is the Philadelphia Women’s Slavic Ensemble
The money from the show will benefit the Firefly Action Medical collective, a crew of street medics who organize together to support rebellion and resiliency in Philly and beyond
www.fireflyactionmedical.wordpress.com
[February 19th at 8pm at LAVA 4134 Lancaster Ave]
from facebook
Come through and learn some self defense and boxing basics in a chill environment from Philly’s own Ronnie Vega! It’s pay what you can and all the money is going toward Stephen Loughman’s case against the KKK (more info on that below). All experience levels are welcomed and encouraged to attend. No corny macho shit.
Philly Antifa will be here helping out with gear and showing a short film about Stephen’s case. Gloves, handwraps, and pads will be available, but if you have your own please bring them.
[February 18 at 6pm at LAVA 4134 Lancaster Ave]
Submission
A no show doesn’t mean go home, it means go hard!!
Rumor has it that Daryush “Roosh V” Valizadeh and his Return of the Kings have canceled their international meet-ups due to safety concerns.
Philly has no reason to stand down in light of this. It’s easy to label him and his people as benign internet trolls, but the reality is way more sinister. The Return Of Kings represents a serious rise of tradtionalist fascist movements that aim to uphold structures of sexism, racism, transphobia, and homophobia through the direct promotion of violence. Roosh V even rails against “multiculturalism” making society “unlivable”. He is a self-described advocate of trumps doctrine as well. It cannot be stressed enough that these fuckrs are not as isolated as we wish they were.
White nationalist terror attacks have been on the rise as a white nationalist figurehead has been given the mainstream spotlight through the elections.
This is directly related to the struggles of women of all backgrounds. The same forces that enable these racist attacks to occur are the ones that allow there to be attacks on women’s health centrs, and women in general. The enemy is fascism, and all systems of control that dominate everyday life. This isn’t a matter of negotation. Women being raped, while rapists speak in comfort means this is a matter of war!
To expect the state to do a damn thing is a huge mistake. The state not only protects fascists, but it is an active part of the same structure that fascists aim to strengthen. The police are not our fucking friends. They enforce the same borders bastards like Trump wish to secure even more. They have their guns directed at the same people of color that white nationalists wish to see dead. It’s already well known that 40% of police officer’s families experience domestic violence at the hands of the officer in the family. Support for policing in what is a clearly a police-state has no place in any anti-fascist movement.
The kings may not return saturday night but fascists are stepping it up all over the country with the full suport of American politics. The ideas fascists promote are everywhere and a constant part of our society. Anti-fascists waiting even a moment longer means allowing the enemy to continue dealing the cards. It means allowing them to create the stakes, and control the game.
In an age where fascism is growing stronger, it’s abou time we strengthen our own convictions and actions. Whether these rapists show or not we still need to be out there celebrating anti-fascists resistance. It’s time we step it the fuck up and show every fascist scum what happens when they even so much as mention building a platform for their movement on OUR streets in OUR city. Every Fascist, and Rapist should have fear struck into their hearts when they hear the word “PHILLY”.
SEE YOU IN THE STREETS!
from Philly Antifa
Anti-Fascists in and around Eastern PA will have their dance card full this Saturday.
First up that morning, there is an Anti-Refugee rally being organized by whatever types of people want to be first in line to oppress and harass people fleeing for their lives under the banner of “America First: End Sharia Law.” IDAVOX has more info on their site , but the event has the endorsement of at least one PA “politician” Berks County Republican committeeman , and is likely to draw members of the Keystone State “Skinheads” and “3%ers” movement, a faction of the militia movement that have been in the news recently due to their involvement in the occupation of Malhuer National Wildlife Refuge, which is (of course) stolen Native land.
A counter protest has been announced by Central PA Antifa. Both rallies will take place at the Berks County Court house at Noon on Saturday 2/6/2016. Anyone who can get there to show support to our fellow Anti-Racists and Anti-Fascists should do so.
–
Finally, here in Philadelphia Saturday night, a demonstration has been called to counter a meetup by a group of internet troll misogynists and “Men’s Rights Activists” that is being organized by (among others) Daryush “Roosh V” Valizadeh.
Valizadeh runs a website called “Return of Kings” which specializes in Anti-Women vitriol but also features tons of Anti-GLBT and racist postings (Link is NOT to their stupid fucking site). Valizadeh has been quoted as saying he supports legalizing rape “on private property.”
The meetup is one of over 100 worldwide. If is an effort by Return of Kings members to move from strictly online crying to crying in person. Probably because of the inevitable beating these fools will receive, if not on Saturday then one day really soon.
If you were ever unfortunate enough to read their site, you know that these guys have no idea what they’re talking about. One article they had was literally just 60 sexist quotes from a book of sexist quotations written over 100 years ago as some kind of evidence of the age old wisdom of misogyny in an attempt to get everyone to roll back their concepts of gender and sexuality to the level of the most reactionary idiots publishing books during the McKinley presidency.
What it is about our society that makes us produce people who think they live in a world without consequences? Is it a fundamental misunderstanding of the intent and scope of “freedom of speech?” Who knows?
What is known is that the local Return of Kings meetup rally and redirect point is in Washington Square Park at 7:30pm Saturday night. A protest has been called at the park for the same time and location. Already Valizadeh is decrying the worldwide effort to shut down his events and (in this author’s opinion) laying the groundwork for what will inevitably be a lot of cancellations and last minute alterations.
Antifa Philadelphia hopes to see everyone in the streets this Saturday.
from Idavox
It seems Pennsylvania’s anti-immigrant wing of the militia movement is trying to keep things on the down low when it comes to organizing public events, especially surrounding the activism against the Syrian refugees. Given the fact that they keep bringing neo-Nazi groups like the Keystone State “Skinheads” with them, not to mention the overwhelming opposition they see when they come out, we can understand why. Problem for them is the down low will not be afforded them when they come out this Saturday to the Berks County Courthouse. The event is called “Americans First: End Sharia Law in the USA” and John Rentschler, a Republican committeeman from Berks County, PA is pushing this hard among his people. And just like the other times, his hurdle is to convince people to not worry about those who would call them out as the bigoted fascists they are, writing in one post, “If you can’t bring yourself to stand up to the fear of offending someone or fear of name calling you will never break the bonds of tyranny and you are already a slave.” Thing is, the Facebook page for this event is secret so no outsiders can see it, so even he is afraid of what will go down. As well he should. When Rentschler & Co. came out to protest a church welcoming refugees in Lancaster last month, 200 persons came out to oppose his crew of 40, a number one of his participants called “pathetic”. In other words, people have made it clear they are not going to let this crowd move forward, and they are planning to come out to remind them once again.
