Yesterday in 1934 Erich Mühsam, German anarchist poet,cabaret performer, who achieved international prominence during the years of the Weimar Republic for works which, before Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933, condemned Nazism and satirized the future dictator.was found dead at the Orianenburg concentration camp. He had been murdered during the night by Nazis.The nazis claimed that he committed suicide. Many details and many testimonies proved that he was coldly killed by the SS. Miihsamwastheson of a pharmacist. In hisfirstcollections,whichincludedTheDesert(1904), he depictedtheworldthroughtheeyes of a lonelyhero. He publishedtopicalverse in satiricaljournals. In itsthematiccontent,Mühsam’spoetrywassimilar to therebelliousantiwarlyricpoetry of left-wingexpressionism.Forthefirsttime in 20th-centuryGermandemocraticpoetry,Miihsamcreatedtheheroicfigure of therevolutionary. Erich Mühsam represented the idea of nonviolent anarchism and characterized anarchists as follows:
"An anarchist never enters into voluntary commitments that can affect self-determination or subordinate him to authority."
The way he lived shows how consistently he followed his credo, formulated in 1918: "And if they slay me, to obey is to lie!" Mühsam tried repeatedly to unite all left-wing parties in solidarity against the war and with these pacifist efforts he was a thorn in the eye of the imperial empire. After a counterrevolutionarycoup in Munich, he wasarrestedandremained in prisonuntil1925. When, after his release, he and his wife arrived at the Anhalter Bahnhof in Berlin, thousands of comrades were waiting for him singing the Internationale, for which they were attacked by the police.
In 1929, the Jewish-born Mühsam warned the SPD and the KPD that the fascists were planing a coup.In the night of the burning of the Reichstag, 27th to 28th February 1933, Mühsam was arrested and taken to jail. His plan to escape the next morning to Prague did not work out. He was held in various prisons and concentration camps and suffered repeatedly months of beatings and torture.In hissatiricalplayWeatherforAll(1930;publishedposthumously), he exposedthebehind-the-scenescollusion of theNazis,industrialists,andtheGermanmilitarycliqueandtheconciliatorypolicy of theright-wingSocialDemocraticleaders. After his death he was buried on 16 July 1934 in the cemetary of Dahlem. The following is a short account of his life, work and subsequent martyrdom.:- https://libcom.org/library/erich-m%C3%BChsam-his-life-his-work-his-martyrdom-%E2%80%93-augustin-souchy The Revolutioner - Erich Mühsam, 1908 (Original in German)
Dedicated to German Social Democracy
A guy for revolution screamed Who as civilian lanterns cleaned Marched like chased by Lucifer With all the revolutioners
And he cried: “I revolute!” His revoluting hat so cute Tilted over his left ear Felt most dangerous, oh dear!
But the revoluters roved In the middle of the road Where usually, without dismay He cleans the lanterns every day
The revolutionary crowd Began to tear the lanterns out The pavement disarrayed They built a barricade!
The pavement disarrayed They built a barricade!
Our revolutionary cried: “People, I’m the cleaning guy
Of this lamp, so kind and warm Please, don’t do it any harm.”
“If we take away their light The citizens won’t see at night
Spare these lamps, I do deplore Or I won’t play with you no more!”
The revolutionaries laughed And the gas lanterns they smashed
And the lampman slid away Cried so bitter in dismay
So he stayed at home And wrote a mighty tome: Called: How to revolt and still scrub lanterns to the last bolt
Don't live in fear. Live your life.It is our responsibility to break down these walls of indifference, to shatter these conspiracies of silence,to stand up and be counted and not look around to see whoever else is standing before we make a judgment to do so, because in the world in which we live, there are few people prepared to stand, let alone be counted.
So open up the borders, give refugees a safe welcome, oppose war, fight injustice, stand with others in solidarity. Together we can make a difference. In the words of the philosopher Edmund Burke ’the surest way to ensure that evil will triumph in the world is for enough good people to do nothing.’
United we can bring about a better society, we can cheer one another on in pursuit of love, truth, justice and freedom.
People standing together, gain strength, I believe in people power,the more of us standing together, raising the call for justice and equality, the louder our voice. United we can take on the might of governments, corporations, and the media , holding forces of tyranny and oppression that brutalizes and dehumanises to account. With a shared inclusive identity in which all have a stake, we can build another world. Never be complicit through silence. And as for Jayden K Smith they can simply piss off.
( no apologies, another poem for Jane , 9/5/ 60 - 8/1/17)
We sat together by the river teifi
My dear friend and I,
As life floated on by
Onwards into eternity,
We held hands, consumed by love,
As waters moved so feely
We had so much in common,
Our laughter rippled
As tidal currents flowed on and on,
We smiled and consoled one another
Trusting the forces of nature,
Gliding and glistening
Our love was real,
Reflections of the past
All belong to this earth,
As time rumbles on
Waters deep hold a common treasury
The future will always, belongs to us all.
The first week of July has seen lots of activities for the Stop Arming Israel campaign across the country, coinciding with the third anniversary of the brutal military assault on Gaza. In the summer of 2014, Israel carried out its deadliest ever massacre of Palestinians in Gaza, killing more than 2,300 people. Over 550 of these were children.
HSBC holds shares and provides loans to military and technology that sell weapons and equipment to Israel used in the abuse of Palestinians’ human rights,. HSBC’s complicity in Israel’s militarised oppression includes Elbit shares worth £3.64m and holds £180m of shares in BAE Systems, a key company involved in manufacturing the F-16 fighter jets used by Israel to attack Palestinians in Gaza. HSBC also holds £102m of shares in Boeing, who have provided Hellfire missiles, F-15 Eagle fighter jets, MK84 2000-lb bombs and Apache helicopters used in Israel’s devastating attacks on Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
Since the summer of 2012, HSBC has also been involved in syndicates with other banks that have provided loans to arms companies supplying weapons to Israel worth around £19.3 billion.The bank was also involved in providing loans to Caterpillar, whose bulldozers are used to demolish Palestinian homes.
BDS campaigners said HSBC policy appears to state that the bank should not give financial support to the arms trade. Riya Hassan of the Palestinian BDS national committee said: “By investing in and providing loans to the arms companies that help Israel to oppress Palestinians, HSBC is lending its support to Israel’s violations of international law.“HSBC is profiting from the armed violence and repression that lies at the heart of Israel’s system of oppression over the Palestinian people.”
The anti-poverty charity’s senior militarism and security campaigner Ryvka Barnard said: “HSBC holds shares in, and arranges loans to, a number of companies that sell weapons and military technology to Israel, used in the abuse of Palestinians’ human rights, including war crimes.
“If HSBC is serious about a commitment to human rights, its first step must be to immediately end its business relationship with companies that sell weapons to Israel.”
Please keep calling on HSBC to immediately end all forms of support for arms companies that help Israel to oppress Palestinians and violate international law. People will be taking further action in due course to pressure HSBC to end its complicity with the Israeli arms trade.
We must urge them to end its complicity in Israel’s systematic violation of Palestinian rights.
Do not let HSBC and Elbit Systems look away from the consequences of their continued dealings with the Israeli military. Arming any country in my opinion in this unethical way, is simply wrong.
(was not sure whether to share this, but arrived a moment ago, as mood descended, as it made me feel better I thought id share it.) I have not forgotten, that out of the darkness An individual arrived, put a spell on this earth, A faraway voice nearly seven months gone, (in my head, still keeps an eye on us) Releases rainbow lakes into which I dive, In slow motion her hands outstretched move devotion Allow my fears to disappear from this troubled world, In the storms calm descends, her eyes appear illuminating Casting captivating rays in every town and city, Walking beside us, a little flower of heaven With compassion on her lips, an inspiration of magic, Though faraway, still releases beauty Putting smiles back on faces, allowing flowers to bloom As stars shine down feel the magic.
Nye Bevans legacy came into the world 69 years ago this morning, when he opened Park Hospital in Manchester at a time of rationing and shortages, when we were nearly bankrupt, a jewel that the war generation left us with, a proud legacy, for us to all to continue to share.For the first-time doctors, nurses, opticians, dentists and pharmacists all worked under one organisation, free at the point of use. A healthcare service which is available to everyone for free is what separates us from the US. It offered for the first time a free healthcare system for all, and has since played a vital role in caring for all aspects of our nations health. It has been the envy of the world ever since. My own father served it well for nigh on 40 years.Remember we paid for it, so it is owned by us, it is our precious commodity, it must survive, we must tear the vultures hands from it.
It wouldn’t be possible to run a 7-day NHS, caring for millions of people day-in-day-out without the hard work and dedication of its staff. Despite all the adversity that’s thrown at them: poor pay, bursary cuts, hospital parking fines and staff shortages to name a few; they continue to become stronger and relentlessly deliver fantastic healthcare to the nation .Recent tragic events that have taken place in London, Manchester and Grenfell Tower have once again highlighted the strength, professionalism , dedication and bravery of our healthcare staff. It is truly inspiring to see how amazing the staff handled the awful situation and it was a testament to every healthcare worker throughout the UK. They are a credit to our nation and we couldn’t be more proud.
The NHS here in Wales employs close to 72,000 staff which makes it Wales’ biggest employer. I can never forget the compassion they gave to my dear departed, the staff always managing to keep her spirits high, never once showing any dereliction of care.Dedicated, compassionate staff are under increased pressure, leading to low moral. Recent figures have emerged that 2/4s of hospitals have been warned about dangerous staff shortages.
As the Tory's and their rotten hearts seek to dismantle it, we should not forget Nye's words who said ' It will last as long as their are folk with enough faith to fight for it. We cannot reach the day again where people make a profit out of our sickness.On its birthday we should also join the call for fair pay for all NHS staff - scrap the cap ,Public sector pay has been capped for too long. This is despite rising inflation and increased living costs. Workers in the UK are on average £1200 worse off a year than in 2008. It's not OK that NHS staff like nurses are resorting to food banks to get by
We are now standing at a precipice: the NHS has been severely damaged by underfunding and privatisation .But remember we paid for it, so it is owned by us, it is our precious commodity, it must survive, we must tear the vultures hands from it.As the Tory's and their rotten hearts seek to dismantle it, we should not forget Nye's words who said ' It will last as long as their are folk with enough faith to fight for it.' We cannot reach the day again where people make a profit out of our sickness . The NHS is a shining example of how a caring society can create good and safe care based on social solidarity., making such a great contribution towards social and health equality.
Please sign the following birthday card to Theresa May and Jeremy Hunt a message - It's time to care for the NHS
The Toxteth uprising of July 1981 was a civil disturbance in Toxteth, inner city Liverpool which arose in part from long-standing tensions between the local police and the black community. They followed the Brixton riots earlier that year. At the same time there were outbreaks in Birmingham's Handsworth, Chappletown in Leeds, and Manchester’s Moss Side.
Underpinning these outbreaks were the themes of discrimination against black people in an increasingly precarious economy, bitter hostility in the inner cities to the government of Margaret Thatcher and several years of assaults on black and Asian communities by the National Front, which had in turn provoked the formation of the Anti-Nazi League, street-fighting by anti-fascists and, in 1977, the "Battle of Lewisham" in London. The 1976 Notting Hill carnival had ended with running battles between the police and black youths chanting: "Soweto, Soweto", after the uprising there and repressions in apartheid South Africa earlier in the year. Strong cultural currents flowed through the period, including the influence of American ghetto soul music, and arrival of songs by Bob Marley especially, gave young people living in the inner city a sense of the justice denied them, as well as strength and purpose.
Get up, stand up Stand up for your rights Dont give up the fight!
Most people think great God will come from the sky Take away everything Make everybody feel high But if you know what life is worth You’ll look for yours on earth
.
2-Tone music from bands such as the Specials and Selecter fused elements of ska, punk rock and reggae also provided much of the soundtrack to these years. In their songs, British reggae bands like Misty in Roots, Aswad and Steel Pulse linked the tribulations on the streets at home with struggles in Africa and elsewhere.
But the overt reason for the serial disturbances was the ubiquitously appalling treatment of black youths by the police. Harassment, intimidation and wanton arrest were integral to the fabric of young black life, invariably applied by flagrant abuse of the so-called suspected persons, or "sus" law, a section of the 1824 Vagrancy Act that permitted police officers to arrest anyone loitering "with intent to commit an arrestable offence" – which in Britain's ghettoes had come to mean almost anyone between the ages of 13 and 30.
This combined with the activities of the Mersyside police force which had, at the time, a poor reputation within the black community for stopping and searching young black men in the area, under these "sus " laws .Perpetually, young men of different races and black citizens were complaining about how the authorities were treating them. Prior to the uprising, there were lots of incidents of harassment, drug planting, people being criminalised for trivial reasons and heavy handed policing.
One of the other root causes was that with the economy in recession. unemployment in Britain was at a 50-year high in 1981, and Toxteth had one of the highest unemployment rates in the country.Liverpool 8 had long suffered a range of social, economic problems, also official figures confirm that out of 22,000 people working for Liverpool City Council at the time of the riots, only 169 were black. It was estimated that unemployment was running at something like 60% in the black community and in areas where blacks had been employed elsewhere in the UK, like public transport, there was hardly a black face to be seen. In Liverpool’s schools, only two governors were black and poor academic performance was endemic.Liverpool's black population was concentrated in Toxteth. Many feeling a sense of abandonment.
This combined with the activities of the Mersyside police force which had, at the time, a poor reputation within the black community for stopping and searching young black men in the area, under these "sus " laws .Perpetually, young men of different races and black citizens were complaining about how the authorities were treating them. Prior to the uprising, there were lots of incidents of harassment, drug planting, people being criminalised for trivial reasons and heavy handed policing.
On the evening of Friday July 3rd the police had attempted to arrest a young, black motorcyclist at the junction of Granby and Selbourne Street. An angry crowd had gathered, leading to a fracas during which the motorcyclist escaped but a different black youth, Leroy Cooper whose brother had been acquitted on what the local community regarded as a trumped-up charge in the Crown Court only the day before, was arrested for assault on a police officer.Incensed by what they had witnessed they started name-calling, this grew into jostling and within minutes there was a full-scale fracas that saw three police officers hurt..It did not stop there. Police mounted extra patrols in the area and early the following evening, July 4, there was more trouble when they came under attack from a crowd armed with bricks and petrol bombs.
The existing tensions between police and people had already been noticed by respected local magistrate and councillor Chairman of the Merseyside Police Committee, Margaret Simey She worked ceaselessly to hold the police force and its Chief Constable to account for their methods, both before and after the riots. She once remarked that in the face of such conditions the people of Liverpool 8 would have been ‘apathetic fools’ if they didn't protest".
It was the events of Sunday 5 July that launched ‘Toxteth’ (as outsiders commenting on the events always called the area) into the national headlines. Over the days that followed, disturbance erupted into full-scale rioing, with pitched battles between police and youths in which petrol bombs and paving stones were thrown. During the violence milk floats were set on fire and directed at police lines. Rioters were also observed using scaffording poles to charge police lines. The Merseyside Police had issued its officers with long protective shields but these proved inadequate in protecting officers from missile attacks and in particular the effects of petrol bombs. The overwhelming majority of officers were not trained either in using the shields or in public order tactics. The sole offensive tactic available to officers,the baton charge, proved increasingly ineffective in driving back the attacking crowds of rioters. At 02:15 hours on Monday 6 July Merseyside police officers fired between 25-30 CS gas grenades for the first time in the UK outside Northern Ireland. The gas succeeded in dispersing the protestors but should never have been deployed on crowds of people.
In all, the rioting lasted nine days during which 468 police officers were injured, 500 people were arrested, and at least 70 buildings were damaged so severely by fire that they had to be demolished. Around 100 cars were destroyed, and there was extensive looting of shops.Further serious rioting occurred on 26-28 July when, at the time of the royal wedding of Charles and Diana, a young local disabled man from Wavertree boy David Moore was killed a police van dispersing rioters. Police officers were accused of his manslaughter, although they were eventually acquitted. . Such was the scale of the uprising in Toxteth that police reinforcements were drafted in from forces across England including Greater Manchester Police, Lancashire , Cumbria, Birmingham and even Devon to try to control the unrest.
A second wave of rioting began on 27 July 1981 and continued into the early hours of 28 July, with police once again being attacked with missiles and a number of cars being set alight. 26 officers were injured. However on this occasion the Merseyside Police responded by driving vans and land rovers at high speed into the crowds quickly dispersing them. This tactic had been developed as a riot control technique in Northern Ireland by the Royal Ulster Constabulary and had been employed with success in quelling the Moss Side riots by the Greater Manchester Police.
The riots, like those around the same time in Brixton, Handsworth, and those in 1980 in Bristol were generally seen as race riots, but there are many reports of similarly frustrated white youths travelling in from other areas of Liverpool to fight alongside Toxteth residents against the police.
One facility looted in the riots was a sports club called the Racquet Club, which was opened in 1877 on Upper Parliament Street, when Toxteth as an upper-middle-class area. When the riot started, the clubhouse included 3 squash courts and 12 bedrooms e riot, the clubhouse and all of its facilities and records was burnt and destroyed, and it did not reopen until 20 May 1985, in another building.
Dozens of senior citizens were evacuated from the Princess Park Hospital during the riots.
Thatcher sanctimoniously condemned the rioters, denying any link between the uprising and social conditions. Nevertheless, Michael Heseltine, then the darling of the Tory Conference, was rushed to Merseyside as a new Minister for the area.He launched a garden festival site, which is now a wasteland. Millions of pounds were poured into the area but with little or no effect in terms of jobs for native Liverpudlians. In 1981 Liverpool, amongst other cities, was given the “benefit” of an Enterprise Zone. Companies were offered relaxed planning requirements, exemption from rates for non-domestic property, and 100 percent capital allowances for industrial and commercial properties. Liverpool’s Development Officer at this time declared: “With no rates to pay, it is a tremendous bargain”. Those who benefited were mostly “out of town” contractors with their own specialized labor. Patches of green field were laid down throughout the Toxteth area and plenty of trees were planted. Moreover, what was given with the one hand was more than cancelled out with the other.
The subsequent Scarman report , though primarily directed at the Brixton Riot of 1981 recognised that the riots did represent the result of social problems, such as poverty and deprivation. Acknowledging "racial disadvantage that is a fact of British life" and concluded that "complex political, social and economic factors" created a "disposition towards violent protest". Lord Gifford, tasked to report on Liverpool, found that racial discrimination had been "uniquely horrific" in the city.
10 people (including three police officers) were injured in a second riot in Toxteth on 1 October 1985, after gangs stormed the district's streets and stoned and burnt cars in response to the arrest of four local black men in connection with a stabbing. The Merseyside police Operational Support Division was deployed into the area to restore order and were later criticised by community leaders and the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Liverpool, Derek Warlock for their "over zealous and provocative tactics" which including the drumming of batons on riot shields.
The riots took place whilst The Specials song "Ghost Town" was topping the UK singles chart , the song had been written earlier in response to riots in Coventry and was released at a time when unrest had broken out in several parts of London and the rest of England. The Specials - Ghost Town
Here are two songs by local bands who responded to the 'uprising' of 1981 shortly after the event:
Public Disgrace - Toxteth (1982)
and Cook Da Books' 12" single "Piggy in the Middle Eight", its haunting dub side, "Gone to Black", with reggae producer Dennis Bovell at the controls, including many theme tunes from TV cop series. Both records were issued on Liverpool's Probe Plus label.
Cook Da Books - Piggy in the Middle Eight
Cook Da Books - Gone to Black ( Dennis Bovell mix )
A lot of healing has since gone on in Liverpool 8 , a story of hard work and optimism, people looking ahead, while painfully being aware of the past.We should remember that uprisings/ Riots do not happen for no reason, they are usually spontaneous responses to a simmering resentment to how people have been treated for a number of years. People with a sense of worthlessness, disenfranchised and dissaffected in times of desperation and social deprivation with nothing left to lose will respond and kick off.
