Defend Yourself

national | miscellaneous | news report Wednesday June 05, 2002 22:21 by Anatoli - Anarchist Federation

extract from Resistance 12 - bulletin of the Anarchist Federation

This is an extract from Resistance, the monthly bulletin of the Anarchist Federation. The full bulletin can be read at http://www.afireland.cjb.net in pdf or text version and if you want to take copies to distribute for free you can contact us at [email protected]

DEFEND YOURSELF

On May 31st, just as we were going to press, 27 employees of Control Plus (Dublin’s car clampers) were arrested under the Public Order Act for picketing the entrance of the company’s compound. Wildcat strike action began a four days earlier in reaction to management’s breach of an agreement on promotions, and was escalated after the bosses threatened firings. 117 workers are on strike. Initial reports have it that picketing will continue but without obstruction to company vehicles, and the arrested people were released without charge.

There is always the significant possibility that effective action will encounter the attention of the police and the courts. Police and courts acting in their eternal role as the defenders of the rights of property, profit, power and privilege.

One of the main purposes of this bulletin is to publicise and promote effective action, and as such it would be remiss not to report on the development of a legal defence group which aims to establish a permanent fund for meeting the financial costs of police action against direct action. In other words fundraising for legal fees.

Its other proposed roles include solidarity protests and the provision of general information about the laws you may be done under. The goal is a permanent response to state repression rather than reacting to it as it happens.

As the founding statement of the Anarchist Legal Defence Group says:

“We are a group of individuals who have came together as a response to recent incidents of state repression against activists in Ireland. Our goal is to help counter attempts by the state to obstruct dissent and direct action.

We aim to support activists who, by their involvement in direct action, public protest or related activities, find themselves in a court, a police cell or a prison.

We accept the law in Ireland and throughout the globe reflects the interest of the ruling capitalist class. We don’t want the bosses’ law imposed on us but it is and with this a reality we want to offer activists the confidence that this organisation will support their struggle.”

If you want to help us, contact ALDG at: [email protected] or P.O. Box 1528, Dublin 8.