Re: Re: [Leica] Anarchist riots in Gothenburg

[ShadCat11@aol.com]

In a message dated 06/18/2001 1:37:00 PM, you wrote:

<<I hope I will not offend anyone when I say that these people are NOT
anarchists. Lawless anonymous hooliganism is not what anarchists want.
Please read about the anarchists of the Spanish Civil War; whether you agree
with their ideology or not, the sight of all the peoples of Europe united
against a common fascist enemy was an amazing bright light of humanity in a
very dark century.

John Collier

Thank you for the link to the pictures; and, yes I am familiar with how
other factions (Communist) in the  Republican side decided it was better to
"win" the ideological war and lose the real one.>>

Since this is off-topic, I will be brief.  There is no justification for the 
above comment.  All parties involved in the Spanish Civil War against Franco 
fought to win.  There were differences in ideology and strategy among them, 
but if anyone can be accused of trying to "win" the ideological war and lose 
the real one, it would be the anarchist leadership, in particular Cipriano 
Mera, who turned their forces against their fellow defenders of the Republic 
during the closing agonies of that conflict.  But by then it didn't matter.  
Spain was betrayed by the democratic governments of the world who should have 
supported it most.  

The true facilitators of the Falangist victory were Nazi Germany and Fascist 
Italy, with the assistance and encouragement of Britain, France and the 
United States of America.  The "democratic" members of that coalition imposed 
an embargo against beligerants in that war and allowed the Germans and 
Italians to enforce it.  That meant Franco was supplied and the Republic was 
strangled.  Only the Soviet Union (and Mexico) braved the blockade to supply 
the anti-fascists with military equipment, and Communists world-wide 
organized volunteers to fight for the Republic.  

Whatever the sins of the Communist International, and they were many, In 
Spain the Communists behaved with valor and distinction.  Gratuitous slaps 
like the above depend on most people knowing little or nothing about one of 
the greatist tragedies of the 20th century.

This will be my only post on this topic.  If anyone wishes to communicat 
further, please take it to me off list.

Allen Zak 
  
> From: "Hans Pahlen" <hans@komvux.skola.mark.se>
> 
> Well, I have to confess that I stayed at home because I got some fever and a
> cold. Had I only known what would happen, I would have been there anyway...
> The central city was taken over by the "black block" for a few hours. Most
> windows where smashed on the main street, and fires were made of furniture
> from restaurants.
> This "black block" is a group of very militant European anarchists, who 
travel
> around through Europe and communicate via the web. 700 well organized people
> can do a lot of damage, first hiding within the large demonstrations, then
> putting on their masks on a given signal and run berserk. The police had no
> chance to stop them.
> We have never seen anything like this in Sweden, and the whole country was 
in
> a chock. I was in Gothenburg today, and things were back to normal, 
although a
> lot of windows will have to be repaired.
> /Hans
> 
>> I hope that you are well and did not get caught up in the violence.
> 
> >>