August Update : Anarchist Bookfair (August 10) and Fantin Reading Group (August 25)
MAC will be tabling at and participating in the Melbourne Anarchist Bookfair on Saturday, August 10 at Abbotsford Convent. Entry is free. For more details see the Bookfair website.
On Sunday, August 25 we will be hosting another meeting of the Fantin Reading Group, when we will be discussing the essay 'On the Content of Socialism' by Cornelius Castoriadis. The reading is available on the Reading Group blog.
Coming up in September: a screening of a new documentary film on the early Sydney punk scene.
Anarchist Bookfair 2013 / Black Light #2
Anarres/MAC will be having a stall at the upcoming Melbourne Anarchist Bookfair, August 10, 2013. For more details on the bookfair, see the bookfair website.
We'll also be distributing copies of the latest edition of our zine, Black Light. (The previous edition is available for download here.)
If you'd like to contribute to the zine, write to melbourneanarchistclub[at]gmail[dot]com.
Thank you to all who attended the Towards Federation event at MAC on the weekend of June 8/9. A full report on the event will be available on the MAC site as soon as practical. In the meantime, a brief report has been published on the 'slackbastard' blog.
Talk on health and inequality, Sunday, May 19th
We are pleased to host our Italian comrade, Giordano di Jesi, who will be presenting a talk on health & social inequalities, from a uniquely anarchist perspective. Giordano will also talk about the current struggle in his own workplace, and provide us with an update on the Italian/European situation.
Giordano is in Melbourne for an international health conference. In 2011 Giordano completed a PhD in sociology & epidemiology, focusing on health inequalities. He currently works as a nurse at a regional hospital near Ancona, which is facing the austerity measures of the centre-left regional government.
Giordano is a member of the Anarchist Group Mikhail Bakunin in Jesi, which is a part of the Italian Anarchist Federation; a section of the International Anarchist Federation.
All welcome!
Links:
http://cslfabbri.blogspot.com.au/
May Day 2013
To celebrate May Day (aka International Workers Day) this year we will be doing a few things:
1) The Direct Action Collective (i.e the activist arm of both the MAC and the Anarcho-Syndicalist Federation- Melbourne) will be attending the May Day demo @ the 8 Hour Monument from 12pm, on Wednesday 1st May.
Anyone interested in attending a May Day planning meeting is welcome to come along this coming Saturday 27th April at 3pm @ MAC. We will also be having a banner/poster making session afterwards. BYO paint, brushes and materials.
2) May Day Celebratory BBQ @ MAC, Sunday 5th May from 4pm.
We are holding the BBQ after the Trades Hall Council May Day Rally, (which is held at the bosses’ convenience) on Sunday at 1pm. The DAC will be participating in both marches.
Come join us at MAC to celebrate May Day with food, drinks, and music from DJ Pete!
We will also be introducing our anti-election candidate: Nobody. Vote for Nobody!
Towards An Anarchist Federation, June 8–10, 2013
The Melbourne Anarchist Club is organising a gathering to take place on the Queen's Birthday weekend, June 8--10, 2013. The theme of the conference is 'Towards An Anarchist Federation'.
And what better way to celebrate Elizabeth's birthday than to plot the dismantling of her Commonwealth?
A full program will be provided closer to the date, however for those interested a MAC member will be conducting a workshop on the topic of anarchist federation at the upcoming Camp Anarchy (March 9--11).
Dear Channel 9: On the graffiti at Captain Cook’s Cottage
For the record, an open letter to Channel 9 News:
Dear Channel 9,
Re: Cook’s Cottage spray-painted again
We received a message through our Facebook page on February 6 asking for "our side of the story" regarding graffiti on Captain Cook's cottage. It was written in such a way that it was difficult to take seriously. We have pasted it below.
Later that day, we received a more professional message. At that late stage, we determined we had nothing to contribute, even if the contact was genuine. We don't know anything about the graffiti other than what we saw on the news.
We have made no statements or offered any indication that we took responsibility for the action. We are capable of spelling the word "thief" if necessary. Inclusion of our building at 62 St Georges Rd in Northcote in the footage is likely to give your viewers a false impression. We have already received messages (example) indicating that some of your viewers think we conducted the action based on your news item.
We understand that we gave no statement, but we also did not expect silence to be taken as confirmation of responsibility, especially based on the available evidence. As you might imagine, we are a small group ill equipped at responding in a way that your news cycle might demand.
The Melbourne Anarchist Club would appreciate it if you amended the news item to reflect the fact that people claiming to be anarchists have said on the Internet that they wrote the graffiti. The Melbourne Anarchist Club has not claimed or suggested it has claimed responsibility for writing the accurate statement on Captain Cook's cottage. It seems to us that removing footage of our building would be the easiest way of communicating this.
Frankly, there was some debate in the club that Channel 9 news was capable of accurately reporting this news and this contributed to our silence. If you could provide 6 good examples of your accurate or balanced reporting around political action by non-parliamentary groups from the last 3 years, that might go a long way to persuading our group to quickly respond to poorly constructed Facebook messages in the future. We were unable to find a single example of such reporting in our brief search.
Thanks,
–The Melbourne Anarchist Club.
An Evening With Testament (Test Their Logik, CANADA): benefit gig for Freedom Press (UK)
[NB. We now have copies of Testament's album "A" for sale in the infoshop. Recorded, produced, and mixed by Illogik and mastered by Metalworks Studios (known for producing hip-hop acts such as Drake, DMX, and K-OS), "A" is uncompromising in both message and sound. Offering 11 new songs and 3 bonus tracks in just under an hour, it's a lyrical explosion in the face of authority and oppression, a sonic boom in the ears of big brother, and a no-holds-barred escape into rebellion. Ushering in a new era of subversive anti-authoritarian hip-hop, Test Their Logik delivers clear methodical rhymes alternating with rapid-fire lyrical assaults over dark bass- and synth-heavy beats. The album begins with a lyrical experiment never tried by even the most renowned lyricists: a full song only using words that start with the letter A. This title track sets the bar high for what comes next: everything from confrontation to reflection, to dancing, to imprisonment, and liberation.]
Come and spend an evening with our very special guest: Testament, one half of the Canadian hip-hop duo Test Their Logik; North America's most widely-known anarchist hip-hop group.
This is a benefit gig to raise funds for the Freedom Press Bookshop in London, which was firebombed on February 1st. The Melbourne Anarchist Club is organising this benefit to show solidarity and assist with the repair and recovery of their building.
http://www.freedompress.org.uk/news/
ENTRY BY DONATION: $15 waged / $10 unwaged
This is a fundraiser: NO BYO!!!
Doors open 6pm.
With support by MAC's very own anarcho-poet: P@ULIE
Statement on firebomb attack on Freedom Press (London)
The Melbourne Anarchist Club condemns the recent firebomb attack on Freedom Bookshop in London and extends the hand of comradeship in solidarity. As a gesture of our support at our last meeting it was decided to donate AUD500 to assist in the ongoing repair and recovery of the premises.
TOUCH ONE, TOUCH ALL!
Gary Foley: ‘Native Title is not Land Rights’ (Sunday, January 27)
On Sunday, January 27 come down to MAC and hear veteran indigenous activist and eminent historian Gary Foley speak on contemporary indigenous struggles. 2pm start. Light snacks and refreshments available.
Melbourne Anarchist Club
62 St. Georges Rd
Northcote
NB. On Australia/Invasion Day (Saturday, January 26) there's a rally on Wurundjeri country at 8.30am (corner Gertrude & George Sts, Fitzroy) with a smoking ceremony and welcome to country followed by speakers and forums at 9am then a march at midday to the Treasury Gardens for the 'Share the Spirit' Festival (beginning at 1pm).
Stories of struggle from the streets of Spain
Join us for a lively discussion with our special guest speaker Marta de LaPiluka, from La Piluka social centre in Barrio del Pilar, Madrid.
Marta participated in the 15M/Indignado occupation of La Puerta del Sol Plaza in 2011 and has recently returned from Spain where she witnessed events surrounding the occupation of the House of Deputies on September 25.
In addition to providing an update on the current social, political and economic situation in Spain, Marta will focus on police brutality, the criminalisation of dissent, and libertarian struggles for health, education, employment & housing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gvDiiaJogY
WHEN : 2pm, Sunday, December 16th
WHERE : Melbourne Anarchist Club, 62 St Georges Rd, Northcote