[Lietuvišką tekstą rasit apačioje]

On Wednesday evening at “Antras Aukštas” Pizzeria 7pm there will be a discussion about opening a social centre. Everyone who feel interested in being involved opening a socially and politically active space are welcome.

Before jumping into practicalities about where to find a place and how to get it, first of all we want to address some questions that are coming from experience of having infoshop, occupations against new labor code, and critique of squatting.

To begin, the question would be: what the social centre is for?

Having a space means more possibilities to spread anti-authoritarian ideas and to have a space where to organise. However, if it is only about anti-authoritarian books and zines, political discussions and film screenings, the space tends to create only a “radical” identity for its’ own well being, not overlapping with material struggles and not creating bonds with community around. Usually, the space dies out as it stays only on few people need to sustain this identity and people with the same identity attending the events. Or in the worst case scenario, it can can lead to gentrification of neighborhood by attracting liberal “cultural milieu” (hipsters) to peripheral districts and making it “exiting”, “undiscovered” and “unique”. Depending on where you are, this can create even more separation and conflict with community around.

It doesn’t mean dismissing cultural events, parties, discussions or film screenings as wrong (even hipster might be not a lost cause). The problem is how to set up a space for organising which is not based on identity as “anarchist”, “active youth”, you name it.

It might be helpful to look at examples of social centres or squats like Rog (working with “erased” people in Slovenia), Rozbrat (a space where Syndicalist Union is based, Poznan), or Syrena (Warsaw, the building  was occupied after a housing activist was killed). Also, GPB occupation might be a good example. In some way, it succeed into involving people from different backgrounds and creating bonds based not on identities. The aim of the occupation, time and materialities were limited, but it could be a good entry point for discussion about our context.

And last, we recommend to read a short critique of squatted social centres for the discusssion. For those who haven’t been involved in squatting, maybe it would resonate a bit with experience from occupation. As this is the only material for discussion, it is quiet important that everybody reads it. Following it, we will discuss different option for acquiring a space, its’ minuses and benefits.

So, in the end, the aim of discussion is to come up with an idea of what kind of space we want to create and with we come with agreement, think about next steps.

[LT]

Trečiadienio vakarą Picerijoje “antras aukštas” 7h. vyks diskusija apie naujo socialinio centro atidarymą. Visi, kas būtų susidomėję ir nori įsitraukti į politiškai ir socialiai aktyvios vietos kūrimą, yra laukiami.

Prieš šokant į praktikinius klausimus, norim pirmiausia iškelti keletą klausimų kurie kyla iš infoshopo, okupacijų ir skvotinimo patirties. Pradedant nuo klausimo: kam yra skirtas socialinis centras?

Erdvė duoda daugiau galimybių skleisti anti-autoritarines idėjas ir taip pat lengviau organizuotis. Bet jei tai reiškia tik zinus ir knygas, politines diskusijas ir filmų peržiūras, erdvė dažnai sukuria tik “radikalų” identitą, bet nėra susieta materialiais saitais su aplinkine bendruomene ar pasipriešinimu prieš išnaudojimą darbe, kovojimu už apgyvendinimą ir pan. Dažniausiai tokia erdvė lieka lankoma siauro rato žmonių, turinčių panašų identitetą. Arba dar blogiau, tai gali vesti į rajono gentrifikaciją, kultūringais renginiais pritraukiant “centro publiką” ir taip paverčiant vietą nauja “egzotine” atrakcija. Tai gali vesti netgi į konfilktą su vietine bendruomene (priklausomai, žinoma, koks tai rajonas).

Tai nereiškia kultūrinių renginių, vakarėlių atsisakymą. Klausimas yra kaip kurti erdvę organizavimuisi, kuris nebūtų grįsta vien identitu kaip “anarchistai”, “aktyvus jaunimas” ar bet kas kita.

Šioje situacijoje gali padėti kiti socialinių centrų ar skvotų pavyzdžiai: Rog (dirba su “ištrintais žmonėmis Slovėnijoje”), Rozbrat (skvotas Poznanėje, kuriame įsikūrusi syndikalistinė profsąjunga), ar Syrena (skvotas Varšuje, užimtas po aktyvistės pasisakiusios prieš žmonių iškeldinimą iš namų nužudymo).

Galiausiai, siūlom paskaityti trumpą kritiką skvotintiems socialiniams centras, kaip dar vieną aspektą šioje diskusijoje. Tiem kas nėra susidūrę su skvotinimu, galbūt šis tekstas šiek tiek rezonuos su GPB okupacijomis. Taip pat, tai yra vienintelė medžiaga diskusijai, tai svarbu, kad daugelis būtų susipažinę su juo. Sekant šį tekstą, pakalbėsim apie skirtingus būdus įkurti erdvę.

Taigi, galiausiai diskusijos tikslas yra suformuoti erdvės viziją ir jei tai pavyks, pašnekėti apie kitus žingsnius.

Kaunas infoshop is closing. There are plans to move to other space, but for now we invite you to a closing party on Monday, 7pm. Write us an email to get location.

This page will continue to function as a news page for social and political events and hopefully, soon we will have another spot!

See ya soon!

Antradienį 7val vakaro Kauko baseine:

≠Giz Medium , akustinis pankrokas iš marselio≠
≠Giz Medium, acoustic punk songs from marseille≠
≠Гиз Медюм, акустичние панк песни из марселя≠

Vienas turuojantis po Europą Giz Medium dalį turo apsijungs jėgom su Captain Chaos ir porą pasirodymų pagrosiantis kartu su panašių kalibrų grupėmis iš Suomijos: Lifelong Hangover, Slackbird , bei pirma infoshop’e grojusia Efa Supertramp iš Velso!

Daugiau apie turą čia:
Болше о туре здесь:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1516873508640770/

naujas jo albumas/ новый его албом/ new album : https://busstoppress.bandcamp.com/album/are-we-there-yet

On the night of May 23rd, the police in Warsaw arrested three anarchists on charges of an alleged arson attempt of a police vehicle. The three were transferred to a remand prison where they are to be held in custody for three months, awaiting trial. They face up to 8 years in prison. Media frenzy broke out over the arrest in the past few days, with high-ranking politicians and experts on terrorism discussing the matter on TV. Photos and video reruns of the arrested walking with chains around their feet and hands are broadcast on public transportation. The text below is a translation of the statement that was sent out by various groups from the anarchist and wider social justice community in Poland, in response to these arrests.

Open letter in connection with the arrest of three anarchists in Warsaw

The mass media in Poland are releasing increasingly more absurd, one-sided reports about the arrest of three anarchists on Monday, May 23rd. We interpret this as an attempt to intimidate and criminalize social justice movements in Poland.

As we write, Polish authorities are pushing for the so-called “Counter-Terrorism Act” to enter into force by June 1st of this year. It is no coincidence that as we approach this date, the media and politicians are desperately searching to construct a reality in which this new law will seem absolutely necessary. Yet the step-by-step analyses of the police operation that neutralized the alleged arson attempt of a police car on the night of May 23rd stand in stark contrast to the media’s silence around other recent events, which challenge the image of “police heroes”. Just a few days before, the police in Wroclaw murdered Igor S., an unarmed man. Igor was beaten to death while in custody at the police station. In this case, righteous indignation on the part of politicians, media, police or terrorism experts is hard to find. Journalists prefer to safely turn their critical gaze in another direction when it comes to police brutality. But police killings are only the tip of the iceberg: extortion, beatings and the unlawful protection of the interests of the powerful are daily bread in Poland. Every year, among 16,000 complaints filed against the police only 5 percent is taken into consideration, while the rest is simply ignored. Due to media bias and omissions, the police have little fear of repercussions. It is safe to say that people are officially discouraged from filing complaints since they bring no effect. The truth is that only loud protests and upheavals have the power to prevent police violence from being quietly swept under the carpet. We must bear this in mind, as the media will not miss the opportunity to pave the way towards the greater expansion of police authority and to further reduce public control over the activities of these bodies of repression.

Today, the panic over an alleged, failed attempt to burn down a police car fabricates the consent necessary in order to pass a severe law that will allow for uncontrolled surveillance, a database of potential terrorism suspects, shoot-to-kill policies, martial law, the delimited right to public protest, and the profiling of migrants, Muslims in particular. This is legislation that will allow for unlimited police violence against all people. Today, irresponsible journalists use sensationalism associated with “terror” in an attempt to persuade those not yet convinced: even official political trends in Poland express doubts about the new “anti-terrorist” law.

The anarchist movement in Poland is active within groups of workers and tenants, in the environmental and anti-racism struggles, as well as in the fight against land-grabbing. It works without compromise towards social justice and against the oppression of business and political elites. The lack of public control over the police force has led to a tacit approval of uncontrolled brutality, on the part of police, against people opposed to systemic violence in various fields. More broadly, the atmosphere of a witch-hunt of the entire anarchist movement serves to build consent for the repression and surveillance of communities that challenge the most influential interest groups in this country.

Today, amidst the media reconstructions of the alleged arson attempt, the psychological profiles of the would-be arsonists and the press conferences, it is with great anger that we recall the lack of a similar reaction to the repressions of people fighting for our causes. When the tenant activist Jolanta Brzeska, who lived 50 meters from a police station, was repeatedly harassed and eventually assassinated in March 2011, we could not count on similar outrage from the political elite. There were no TV debates, expert opinions, or step-by-step accounts of how she was kidnapped and burned alive, like a witch. There were no psychological profiles made of the real-estate developer who harassed her; there were never even any murder suspects. Indeed, whenever attacks are made on social justice fighters, public opinion does not pay them any attention.

In contrast, a media storm explodes around an arson, which in fact, did not take place. The arrested anarchists are being referred to as “terrorists”. This serves to enforce social acceptance of using physical and psychological violence against them now, while they are in custody. Their current state of health and physical appearance already testify to the fact that they are being tortured, with impunity.

To our friends and comrades: resist the panic spread by police and the media. The good authority, concerned with our safety, is merely an illusion. Ask: who benefits from this sort of writing of history? Does such a manipulative narration leave any reason to believe in a fair trial?
We will not be intimidated, nor will we cease our struggles for social justice; in spite of what is increasingly becoming a full-fledged police state.

To the media: until you have the courage to condemn many years of police violence, sustained by an excess of privileges and the entire state apparatus, your judgment of the imprisoned anarchists and your campaign against the whole anarchist movement will only ever serve to reveal your well-funded bias. There is no- and there never will be any- authority, business or church behind this movement. Our history is made of a thousand social struggles, about which many of you are too afraid to speak. Our history will survive any repression.

We stand in solidarity with the arrested and we call on all people to do the same.

Enough of a state founded on fear and police violence!

Kolektyw Syrena (The Syrena Collective)
Warszawskie Stowarzyszenie Lokatorów (The Warsaw Tenants’ Association)
Kolektyw Przychodnia (The Przychodnia Collective)
Ruch Sprawiedliwości Społecznej (The Social Justice Group)
Kancelaria Sprawiedliwości Społecznej (The Social Justice Office)
Warszawska Federacja Anarchistyczna (The Warsaw Anarchist Federation)
Jedzenie Zamiast Bomb – sekcja Warszawa (Food Not Boms – Warsaw section)
Antyfaszystowska Warszawa (Antifascist Warsaw)
ROD Kolektyw (The Radical Allotment Gardens Collective)

Penktadienį, 19val. / Friday, 7pm

Tik ką grįžus iš Prancūzijos, Noah papasakos apie vykstančius protestus, miesto aikščių okupacijas ir besivystantį naują socialinį judėjimą kilusį iš pasipriešinimo planuojamam naujam darbo kodeksui.

[EN] Noah recently visited France and will give a briefing about continuing protests , occupations and development of a new social movement which were sparked by government plans to introduce new labor codex.

Šį antradienį infošope žiūrėsim “lengvai holivudinę” Hany Abu-Assad dramą/trilerį apie Palestiną “Omar” (2013). Filme susipina jaunuoliška meilės istorija, teroristinė veikla ir distopiška Gazos ruožo kasdienybė.

Pradžia 19:30

[EN] This Tuesday 1we will watch “lightly hollywoodish” movie by Hany Abu-Assad drama/thriller about Palestine “Omar” 2013. A love story, teroristic action  and distopian reality of Gaza’s Strip intertwines in the movie.

Starts at 19:30