“In early June the world of leaf and blade and flowers explodes, and every sunset is different”
– John Steinbeck
“June is the time for being in the world in new ways, for throwing off the cold and dark spots of life”
– Joan D. Chittister
2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013
May 2021 here…July 2021 here
There are obviously significant limits to providing links to information about situations I know little about. Some of this might give people the idea that struggle is advancing or happening far more than it in fact is, and may even blind people to the contradictions and complexities of any specific situation. However, despite the inevitable limitations, I will continue to put up links if only as a method of keeping a record of events, though this will be reduced compared with previous years.
“Reading the morning newspaper is the realist’s morning prayer. One orients one’s attitude toward the world either by God or by what the world is. The former gives as much security as the latter, in that one knows how one stands. ”
– Hegel
30/6/21:
Lebanon, Tripoli: riots etc. in protests against economic misery
“Tens of thousands of people have lost their jobs since October 2019 in the small nation of 6 million, including a million Syrian refugees. Lebanon’s 20-month economic and financial crisis has led to severe shortages in fuel, medicine and medical products. Electricity cuts last for much of the day and lack of diesel has led the owners of some private generators to cease supplying power…. In the capital Beirut, protesters closed several roads Wednesday to express their anger over harsh living conditions. Riots in Tripoli over the weekend left at least 20 people injured, half of them soldiers. The army on Sunday said rioters on motorcycles threw stun grenades at troops in Tripoli injuring nine soldiers, while another was injured when hit by a rock. Protesters attacked several state institutions in the city.”
Sudan, Khartoum: protests against IMF-exacerbated misery
“Hundreds of protesters have taken to the streets in Sudan’s capital Khartoum to demand the transitional government resign over controversial economic reforms. Public discontent has mounted over the reforms, backed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), that slashed subsidies on petrol and diesel, more than doubling their price. “We want the fall of the regime” and “No to [IMF] policies”, shouted demonstrators who massed outside the presidential palace in Khartoum on Wednesday, a day after the IMF approved a $2.5bn loan and debt relief deal. … The protesters in Khartoum on Wednesday burned tyres and brandished banners that read “Bread for the poor” before they were dispersed by police who fired tear gas. ……The protesters on Wednesday also marked the second anniversary of massive anti-government protests that raged across the capital and rest of the country in 2019, pushing the military leaders who removed al-Bashir to begin negotiating with civilians, ending in Sudan’s current power-sharing arrangement.”
28/6/21:
Eswatini: uprising against monarchy…More here and here
“Militants looted trucks carting goods from South Africa, blocked roads with burning barricades and set supermarkets on fire. A night of heavy protests continued into the daytime. In images shared from the scenes, militants set fire to a statue outside a conference centre in Manzini…The Kungahlwa Kwenile campaign, which has organized demonstrations against the monarchy, called on citizens to burn property and businesses associated with the king. ..There have been protests in eSwatini for several weeks following the death of Thabani Nkomonye, who was murdered by the police in May. “As we launch the ‘Kungahlwa Kwenile’ campaign we want the whole country to be on fire starting from Tuesday. People must target King Mswati’s properties and businesses like Montigny forests, Game Reserves, properties of MPs who don’t corporate [sic] and government properties among others. All roads must be blocked across the country on Tuesday night,” the campaign said.”
More here.
“Chris Vandome, an expert at London’s Chatham House, said the recent protests differed from early episodes of unrest in which unions and other formal organisations had played a significant role. “This time it is more organic and less structured. That makes it much harder to control but also harder for the protesters to have a cohesive position on what they want …”
25/6/21:
Palestine, West Bank: report on “night confusion” activities to make life difficult for Israeli settlers
“The night confusion is a popular night protest activity during which young people use various means aimed at disturbing the settlers and confusing the Israeli army, such as igniting rubber tires near the outpost so that the smoke rises toward the army…Hamayel pointed out that the night confusion activities are aimed at preventing settlers from breathing fresh air on the lands of Beita, let alone sleep calmly and reassuringly. These young people focus on two issues: polluting the air by igniting rubber tires and using horns that emit annoying and loud sounds to irritate the settlers so that Israelis “are prevented from living quietly on our land,” he added. He said the night confusion experience helped young men come up with new resistance methods and tools, the latest of which is directing powerful light and laser beams at the outpost. He said they also used flares, and pointed out that the night confusion activities are a continuation of the continual daylight confrontations between the young people and Israeli forces during their daily storming of the town. Hamayel stressed that the night confusion activities are an initiative on the part of the town’s young people away from the interference or support of any parties. He said the events are funded by the young people themselves and not directed by the municipality, the Palestinian Authority or any other party.”
I don’t usually post stuff about Palestine here because, as with Bahrain and Kashmir, these are daily occurrences that are anyway covered better elsewhere. But this caught my eye, and seemed innovative, within my limited knowledge.
24/6/21:
France, Brittany: fishermen force withdrawal of massive ship aiming to create trenches for cables connecting future wind turbines which would ruin their livelihood (and kill loads of birds as well)
22/6/21:
Brazil, Brasilia: clashes between indigenous and cops in front of Congress over repulsive land reform that would allow construction of things such as mining, hydroelectric dams and roads on previously protected reserves
21/6/21:
France: clashes with cops in 3 cities on national Music Festival night
19/6/21:
France, Brittany: young man loses hand as rave partygoers clash with cops for over 7 hours starting Friday night, 18th June…Report in English…More here in French
This party was in memory of Steve, pushed by advancing teargas-throwing/flashball firing cops into a river in Nantes 2 years ago. See these reports from July 2019:
27/7/19:
France, Perpignan: local offices of governing party trashed and torched on yellow vest demo (videos) This action was directly linked to the “disappearance” of a young man forced by the cops to jump in the river in Nantes (hundreds of miles from Perpignan) during the festival of music, the night of June 21st – 22nd. (Who dares continue repeating, as they dogmatically select only those facts and interpretations that rigidly confirm such a take on this mish-mash of a movement, that the yellow vests have only intensified reactionary attitudes?). Since his body has never been recovered, it’s classified as a disappearance, but obviously he’s dead. Apparently neighbours complained about the loud music, the cops arrived telling them to turn it down, they didn’t turn it down enough (or weren’t given time to), the cops started beating and using their usual weaponry, the group – 15 or so in all – jumped into the river to try to escape, and all but the one have been accounted for. See this.
29/7/19:
France, Nantes: body of Steve, murdered by cops, found in river “Sadness, anger, and bitterness,” this is how Steve’s friends summarise their feelings on Tuesday night, as they gather at the foot of the huge yellow crane on a wharf…. where the body of the young man was found Monday afternoon. It’d been 38 days since they’d waited for news of Steve, that they’d moved heaven, earth and social networks by asking this nagging question “Where is Steve?” ….”When the IGPN [General Inspection of the National Police – in part, the state’s organisation that pretends to police the police – ie inspects cops who have maybe broken too obviously the law of the rulers they protect; a bit like the UK’s Independent Police Complaints Commission, though without the pretense of independence] says that there is no connection between the police intervention and the death of Steve, it is not possible, they are really not ashamed… It could have been my son…”. In the afternoon, several members of the group who’d been mobilized since the beginning to shed light on his disappearance put a black armband on the statues and poured blood-red dye into the water of the fountain of Place Royale. “This fountain symbolizes the city, it is the allegory of the Loire and its tributaries. This is our way of saying that a crime was committed in the Loire”, explains Quentin, who took part in the action…”Seeing this blood in the fountain, it upsets me completely”, sighs Marie-Anne, a 65 year old from Nantes. “Here is a happy place where the whole city meets and these black armbands and blood red water bring us back to a terrible reality. We cannot remain indifferent….” Demos planned in some towns and cities on Wednesady 31st July, though main demos are planned for Saturday 3rd August. See this.
3/8/19:
France, Nantes: clashes over manslaughter of young man by cops
18/6/21:
US, Oregon: clashes between antifa and fascists
16/6/21:
Germany, Berlin: burning barricades…More here
15/6/21:
Tunisia, Tunis: clashes with cops on 2 estates in different areas
“…clashes have resumed in Ettadhamen and Intilaka. Indeed, the protesters set fire to the tyres in the streets and the security forces responded by firing tear gas. It should also be noted that the protesters did not respect the curfew decreed today. Yesterday in Ettadhamen, groups of looters robbed and vandalised several shops in the area.”
More here (from July 2021)
13/6/21:
US, Minneapolis: report on murder by vehicle on demonstrator
” Oklahoma and Florida lawmakers have passed laws guaranteeing civil and criminal immunity to drivers who hit demonstrators with vehicles, effectively granting vigilantes the right to crash cars into demonstrators. At the same time, Florida has introduced penalties of up to 15 years imprisonment for blocking traffic.”
12/6/21:
Tunisia, Tunis: further clashes with cops following death in custody
More here.
“Shortly before the clashes broke out, dozens of protesters gathered outside the headquarters of the Interior Ministry. “Dignity and freedom for working-class neighborhoods,” they chanted, accusing the Interior Ministry of “terrorism.” In a statement released on Friday, several left-wing political parties and national organizations called for a demonstration at the iconic Bourguiba Avenue to denounce “the government’s repressive policies”. These include the Echaâb movement, the Unified Democratic Patriots ‘Party (Ppdu), the Workers’ Party, the Popular Current, the Soumoud Coalition and the General Union of Students of Tunisia. The locality of Sidi Hassine Séjoumi has been experiencing clashes between the police and young people in the region for several days.”
Argentina, Mendoza: police station set on fire after locals protest man killed in police crossfire
11/6/21:
Argentina, Buenos Aires: police station looted and ransacked after cops kill local indigenous guy
France, Toulouse: clashes between cops and those wanting to just enjoy drinking outside after beginning of Covid-imposed 11pm curfew
The curfew has bit by bit been moved back from 6pm to 11pm because the virus only attacks early in the day outside the tourist season.
…Paris: partygoers in post-curfew clashes with cops Video here
“Police used tear gas to disperse hundreds of people – mostly minors – who gathered on Friday night for a giant party on the Esplanade des Invalides, in central Paris. Meanwhile, 10 km to the west, tennis fans were granted a curfew reprieve to watch the end of the French Open semi-final. Images published on social media showed crowds of teenagers singing, dancing and drinking without wearing face masks – as required by French law. The revellers had been responding to call put out on social media to hold an impromptu “Project X” party, named after the American film in which teenagers throw a party that spirals out of control. “We danced, and did pogos (jumping in all directions)… There were hundreds and hundreds of people. We must have been at least 1,000 or 1,500.”Another partygoer, Emma, added: “The lawns were full. It had been a long time since we had a party because of the Covid and we really needed it.” Police intervened when the party went beyond 11pm, in violation of a nationwide curfew to stem the spread of Covid-19. Meanwhile a few kilometres west of Les Invalides, at the French Open tennis tournament, the curfew was waived for fans watching Friday night’s semi-final between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. Around 20 minutes before the 11pm deadline, Roland Garros authorities announced that spectators would be allowed to remain throughout the duration of the fiercely contested match, which was eventually won by Novak Djokovic 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-2. Tournament organisers said the decision was made as a result of the “completely exceptional circumstances”.
One law for the proles, another for the costly ticket-paying tennis spectators.
10/6/21:
Tunisia, Tunis: 3rd night of riots following death of young man in custody
9/6/21:
Brazil, Rio: protesters block highway linking north and south of city after cops kill pregnant woman
“On Wednesday, Romeu’s boyfriend, Marcelo Ramos, posted a tearful video on Instagram, laying the blame on the police. “The culprit has a name: it’s the state, it’s the unprepared police. A month ago, there was the Jacarezinho massacre, now it’s Kate – and next month another family will lose someone close.” Many Brazilians reacted with grief and fury. Ícaro Silva, a popular Black actor, re-posted Romeu’s last Instagram photo, with the comment: “The news is repeated so often it makes you sick. Innocent. Black. Dead. Police operation.”“
UK, Oxford: Off with her head!
8/6/21:
France, La Drome: Macron given a slap
7/6/21:
US, Minnosota: clashes in movement against pipeline
“Environmental protesters clashed with police on Monday after occupying a pump station as they rallied against Enbridge Inc’s (ENB.TO) Line 3 pipeline in Minnesota, while Enbridge said it had evacuated 44 workers from its site. …Pipeline opponents say they stand in solidarity with indigenous communities concerned about the risks the line poses to their rivers and lakes. “For years, we have tried to assert our sovereignty and speak out against Line 3. We still have time to save our sacred waters and land – our life sources,” said Dawn Goodwin, co-founder of the RISE Coalition, which opposes the project. Organizers of the protests in Hubbard County said the demonstrations were the largest to date against Line 3. The clashes came after a peaceful march early on Monday that drew hundreds of people. Between 50 and 100 demonstrators occupied the pump station and barricaded its entrances, chanting “Keep it in the ground” and “Stop Line 3″. At one point a police helicopter hovered low over activists, sending dust and debris flying.”
South Africa: Abahlali baseMjondolo press statement
5/6/21:
Myanmar/Burma: at least 20 villagers killed in clashes with military
“The villagers, according to Reuters news agency, were armed with catapults and crossbows.The civilian death toll in Myanmar since the coup of February 1 has now risen to 865….’Clashes broke out before dawn on Saturday at Hlayswe, about 150 km northwest of the main city of Yangon, when soldiers said they had come to search for weapons…”The people in the village only have crossbows and there are a lot of casualties on the people’s side,” said the resident, who asked not to be identified for fear of retribution.’It was some of the worst violence since the coup in the Ayeyarwady region, an important rice growing area that has large populations of both the Bamar majority ethnic group, from which much of the army is drawn, and the Karen minority…’Saturday’s civilian death toll appeared to be the highest since more than 80 people were reported killed in the town of Bago in early April. ‘Since the coup, conflicts have flared in the borderlands where some two dozen ethnic armies have been waging insurgencies for decades. The junta has also been faced by daily protests and paralyzing strikes,’ said Reuters. ‘The anti-junta Shwegu People’s Defence Force said it had attacked a police station in northern Shwegu late on Friday together with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA).’”
See also this interview with Burmese American Marxist anthropology Phd candidate about situation in Burma/Myanmar …Transcript here
US, Minneapolis: 2nd night of protests after cops kill another black guy…More here
Ironically, the guy murdered has the same name as the main character of Orwell’s “1984”.
New York: clashes as cops crack down on people in park after curfew
France, Nice: report on “feminists against borders” demo
“Numerous pieces of street furniture were damaged on Saturday during the feminist march that gathered 2,000 people, according to the police, in the streets of Nice. The city will file a complaint. Anti-police and pro-immigration tags, theft of a tricolour flag … Several acts of vandalism were perpetrated by demonstrators yesterday on the fringes of the parade organised in the streets of the Côte d’Azur capital…some individuals tore down a French flag placed on top of a mast, in front of the Opéra plage. This did not fail to outrage its manager Nicolas Maiffret. “The fate of this flag is quite linked to that of the republic, sacrificed on the altar of progressivism and globalisation”, he reacted. In addition, many anti-police and pro-immigration inscriptions were tagged on the emblematic structure: “I Love Nice”, located in front of the sea. …Seventeen people were arrested by the police for clashes during the demonstration, including the three people responsible for the tags.”
4/6/21:
Mexico, Tuxtla Gutierrez (Chiapas): Students torch electoral building
“In Chiapas, in the early hours of Friday, June 4, 2021, a group of normalista students, aboard two buses, arrived at the offices of the Institute of Elections and Citizen Participation (IEPC), in Tuxtla Gutierrez, where they vandalised the building and set it on fire…The events occurred when the normalistas moved from the Escuela Normal Rural Mactumaczá to the IEPC facilities, located on Periférico Sur and 21 Poniente in the Penipak colony. They threw stones at the windows of the building and minutes later threw Molotov cocktails inside, they also lowered wooden platforms to set them on fire and then left.”
2/6/21:
France, Calais: 7 riot cops hospitalised in clashes with migrants
“We had 32 colleagues bruised, seven had to go to hospital for further tests. At least one was prescribed 14 days of ITT”, he said. He described exiles “ready to fight”, armed with “iron bars”, throwing paving stones and full and empty tins at the police. According to the Prefecture, one person was arrested.”
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