Imperialism

What We Believe - WSM Points of Unity Explained (Audio)

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This is a series explaining the 9 Points of Unity of the Workers Solidarity Movement - an anarchist organisation active on the island of Ireland. [Download PDF of these explanations]

The WSM regularly discusses, debates and decides on what our collective political approach is. The Points of Unity are the most basic political agreement necessary to be a WSM member or supporter. They are 9 short points which outline the anarchism the WSM stands for.

WSM Points of Unity Explained: 8 - Imperialism

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‘8. We oppose imperialism but put forward anarchism as an alternative goal to nationalism. We defend grassroots anti-imperialist movements while arguing for an anarchist rather than nationalist strategy.’

Many places, including Ireland have a history of being occupied by colonial powers and anti-colonial struggles that included a radical element. For instance the role of the Irish Citizen Army, initially set up to protect striking workers from the police, along with James Connolly are well known radical elements within the anti-colonial struggle here. But there are others, as far back as 1798 there were organised groups within the anti-colonial movement that promoted a radical, levelling democracy not just a change of rulers. There were also reactionary elements who wanted a 'free' Ireland to have its own colonies or who supported the slave trade or otherwise advanced white supremacist positions. Nationalism insists on blending all such elements together into a single movement and history in which being Irish erases the difference between radicals and reactionaries of the past and present.

Defending Free Speech in France Does not Stop with the Mainstream Press - Support Saïdou and Said Bouamama

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Defending Free Speech in France Does not Stop with the Mainstream Press - Support Saïdou and Said Bouamama

(Translation of article from Alternative Libertaire)

On January 20, 2015, the rapper Saïdou and Bouamama Said, a sociologist and activist, will appear before a Paris Court, following an investigation for "public insult" and "incitement to discrimination, hatred or violence" on foot of a complaint from a far right organisation.

Freedom and Justice for Palestine: National Demonstration

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NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION - “It is time for freedom and justice for Palestine"



The IPSC has put out a call to make the 5th protest for Gaza to take place on a Saturday in Dublin a national demonstration. Details are below and we will link to the FB event notice in the comments.



Saturday at 14:00–16:00
The Spire, O'Connell Street, Dublin, Ireland Dublin 1

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The past month has seen protests for Gaza taking place in countless towns and cities around Ireland. Thousands upon thousands of people have come out onto the street to call for an end to ongoing Israeli injustices against the Palestinian people.

We believe it is time for us all to get together, so the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign is calling for a NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION in Dublin on Saturday 9th August, assembling at 2pm at The Spire, O’Connell Street. From there we will be marching to the Israeli Embassy. 

Please bring friends, flags, banners, noise. We would ask that you do not bring party-political flags (Irish, Palestinian or others). 

Mainstreaming Ethnic Cleansing and Genocide in the Israeli Media

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The Jerusulem Post carried an opinion piece today with the sub-heading: 



"The only durable solution requires dismantling Gaza, humanitarian relocation of the non-belligerent Arab population, and extension of Israeli sovereignty over the region." 



This echoes the words of Moshr Feiglin, deputy speaker of the Knesset, and a member of the ruling Likud Party, who, only two weeks ago said that "Israel must attack Gaza even more mercilessly, expel the population and resettle the territory with Jewish settlers". 

The expression of these views are not isolated, they represent a significant section of mainstream Zionist thinking and could not be freely aired if they did not. In reality they are the honest expression of the Zionist project to create an ethnically pure state, permanently rid of the native people. 

The Zionist Project, Anti-Semitism and Ethnic Cleansing in Palestine

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We published the map (insert in graphic) and accompanying text on our facebook page four days ago as a commentary on Israeli expansionism in Palestine. It's proved massively popular, some 400,000 people have now seen it. There are also many comments and in one of those, a WSM supporter said "I do think that you've very lazily reproduced an image that is borderline anti-semitic by back dating the problem of israeli expansionism to before Israel existed when the "problem" was not Israel, but Jews"

We take the issue of continuing to oppose anti-semitism while opposing the Israeli state's massacre in Gaza very seriously. That has involved deleting blatantly anti-Semitic comments and banning repeat offenders (and the same with Islamophobes) and debting with and educating those making softer versions of such comments. So this criticism coming from a supporter concerned us, had we, albeit accidentally, stepped over the line?

Another supporter (David Landy) responded to that accusation and we found that response so educational we asked if he might write it up in more detail. 

Below David discusses the difficult question of the nature of Zionist colonisation prior to the creation of the state of Israel.

 
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