ACN/AKN: Brussels on fire! Workers, Autonomous and Youth on the Barricades!
ACN/AKN: Brussels on fire! Workers, Autonomous and Youth on the Barricades!
by Rapaille Sun Jan 04, 2015 8:31 pm
Report of the Anticapitalist network (ACN/AKN) Netherlands:
https://acnaknnederland.wordpress.com/2014/12/05/acnakn-brussels-on-fire-workers-autonomous-and-youth-on-the-barricades/
Thursday the 6th of November, three of the most important Unions in Belgium (the “socialist” ABVV/FGTB, the Christian ACV and the liberal ACLVB) called for the biggest national manifestation of the last 25 years. This massive manifestation (according to the Belgium press around 120.000 participants) moved in an impressive line from the North- to the South-station. At the end near the Zuidlaan (close to the South-station) a confrontation erupted.
Bart de Wever, N-VA and one of the pillars of the new reactionary government Michel, recently announced that the country needed a more “Dutch model”. In reality this means an index jump of 2% (among others; 2,5 billion tax reductions for corporations and no pay rise for the workers for at least the upcoming two years), higher prices for almost all public services, a stricter approach towards the unemployed, etc. “This is going to hurt, but there is no alternative”, de Wever claimed. With this the brand new reactionary government MR/N-VA hit a nerve with the since 1988 ruling social democrats of the PS and their “leftwing” support in the syndicates. Therefore the mobilization of the Unions, the PVDA/PTB and all other leftwing opposition parties was inevitable. (For clarification: the government Michel does not represent the majority of the French-speaking voters! [The MR unites only a quarter of the French electorate))The government MR/N-VA was promised a ‘hot autumn’. The demands of the Unions are: Recovery of the index (automatic price compensation), free CAO-negotiations, a minimum wage of E15 gross/hour, no precarious contracts, hands of the pensions and the retirement age, stop the hunt for unemployed and nationalization of the key-corporations.
On the kick-off day of this first great manifestation – the first in a row of three upcoming regional (Monday-)strikes and a final national 24-hour strike on the 15th of December – the demonstration from start till finish went as planned. The Union- and Party bosses kept their members neatly lined up and there was laughter, drinks, acting crazy and so forth. It seemed to become the usual puppet-show and the umpteenth chance for the syndical bureaucracy to let their militants blow off some steam.
Only a big group of Dockers and Metalworkers ventured into the sideways, organizing themselves separately from the official manifestation. Here we can speak of an attempt for an independent organization among the working masses.
The picture of independent struggle among the Dockers and Metalworkers was of an entirely different order than our militants witnessed at first instance when the rally started at the Northern station. At an excavation site people were working under the eyes of the waiting demonstrators! The workers did not cripple their work to join the manifestation. The masses did not call on these workers to join. The masses did not call on these workers to join. Incomprehensible! Also the syndical officials did not make any attempt to move these workers into action.
After the manifestation had reached the southern station, the bosses did their obligate chat and the whole event was nearing its end, however the situation several tens of meters further on was of an entirely different order. There a big group of Dockers battled with the cops – and won the first round! A path of submerged streets, moved objects and demolitions led us into the “warzone”. There seemed to be a brief respite, but a full on charge of the cops ushered the second round. The crowd fiercely fought back and treated the cops on a rain of stones, bottles, pyrotechnics and so on. ,,Tous ensemble! Grève generale!”, the workers shouted. The cops deployed a total of five water cannons, together with heavily equipped cops who were geared with abundant battle weapons and CS-gas. The pepper spray flowed and burned the faces of the struggling workers. These heroic men and women also had to endure a rain of beatings to their heads and bodies.
The cat-and-mouse game with the cops lasted for several hours, but after a while the pattern became predictable and monotone. The cops were somewhat pushed back at the time the water canon was “dry”, the workers were pushed back in turn, after which a new water canon replaced the former. From that moment on it was only about several meters of terrain gain.
By then new fresh shock troops came to the streets of Brussels to set them into fire and flames. These new rebels existed not only from workers, but from all kind of autonomous groups and local youth who enthusiastically threw themselves into the battle.
As for the in the bourgeois press (as well as by the so-called “Antifa”) expressed suspicions against anarchists and other groups being so-called responsible for “derailing” the manifestation; this is absolutely incorrect. The Dockers who led the confrontation did certainly not need any support from the outside (from so-called “infiltrators” or “professional hooligans”) to fight the cops. The workers were and are in fact perfectly capable to think for themselves and don’t need the help from any outsider what so ever! Metalworkers don’t need “infiltrators”, “gauchistes” or “casseurs” to make them realize that the cops, the bureaucrats (both from the Parties as well as the syndicates) and the patrons are their enemies! No external persons, groups, parties or propaganda were needed. Also the youthful rebels of Brussels seemed to have long since discovered an instinctively “socialism”.
Black and white youth against the system!
The bourgeois-media reported the next day that six cars were burned, 25 were thrown on their side and the cops were pelted with everything that was within reach. During the struggle something like a fraternization arose between the Dockers/Metalworkers and the anars (anarchists). A young Docker waved the flag of anarcho-syndicalism (red-black), while embracing an old “casseur”. ,,Vive l’Anarchie!”, it sounded among the protestors. Under this slogan several moments later the windows of the NMBS-building (the building of the Belgium railroads) were smashed. And it was anarchy! For some time the system lost all control. For some time the State did no longer rule! After the cops eventually succeeded to beat asunder the battling crowd, they acted out their frustrations (as usual) on isolated groups of militants. With batons and bludgeons, supplemented with an inexhaustible supply of pepperspray, the undercover and uniformed cops went all out on the contained individual workers. Everything was lawful in this last 15 minutes. And all who were already wounded on the streets got an extra load of pepperspray as a bonus. Men and women, young or old, nobody was spared. Approx. 40 wounded on our side this day, 31 protestors were detained (administrative or judicial). And worth mentioning: 20 cops were badly wounded!
The system can be wounded! Resistance is possible! So on to the next confrontation!
After this most groups retreated towards the southern station. This day certainly has proven the unprecedented potential there is among the workers at the basis. The dynamics of the formation of independent organization among the Dockers and Metalworkers, against the syndical bureaucracy rebelling Union basis and the direct action of the autonomous scene in Brussels, made this to be a successful day.
The coming month it remains to be seen to what degree the reactionary government-Michel will hold on to its rigid worker-hostile austerity demands. The syndical bureaucracy may already be in negotiations with the government-Michel, but the workers at the basis will not tolerate a compromise! The slogans remain unchanged:
Away with the government-Michel
Independent struggle without and against the syndical bureaucracy! For a united front from the basis!
Reformism – No! Revolutionary workers unity – Yes!
Consequent struggle for the following demands:
No adjustment of the law-Major! For preservation of the Dockworker statute! No adjustment of the index! No adjustment of the retirement age!
Forward to the 15th of December!
Some ,,casseurs”, present in Brussels
https://acnaknnederland.wordpress.com/2014/12/05/acnakn-brussels-on-fire-workers-autonomous-and-youth-on-the-barricades/
Thursday the 6th of November, three of the most important Unions in Belgium (the “socialist” ABVV/FGTB, the Christian ACV and the liberal ACLVB) called for the biggest national manifestation of the last 25 years. This massive manifestation (according to the Belgium press around 120.000 participants) moved in an impressive line from the North- to the South-station. At the end near the Zuidlaan (close to the South-station) a confrontation erupted.
Bart de Wever, N-VA and one of the pillars of the new reactionary government Michel, recently announced that the country needed a more “Dutch model”. In reality this means an index jump of 2% (among others; 2,5 billion tax reductions for corporations and no pay rise for the workers for at least the upcoming two years), higher prices for almost all public services, a stricter approach towards the unemployed, etc. “This is going to hurt, but there is no alternative”, de Wever claimed. With this the brand new reactionary government MR/N-VA hit a nerve with the since 1988 ruling social democrats of the PS and their “leftwing” support in the syndicates. Therefore the mobilization of the Unions, the PVDA/PTB and all other leftwing opposition parties was inevitable. (For clarification: the government Michel does not represent the majority of the French-speaking voters! [The MR unites only a quarter of the French electorate))The government MR/N-VA was promised a ‘hot autumn’. The demands of the Unions are: Recovery of the index (automatic price compensation), free CAO-negotiations, a minimum wage of E15 gross/hour, no precarious contracts, hands of the pensions and the retirement age, stop the hunt for unemployed and nationalization of the key-corporations.
On the kick-off day of this first great manifestation – the first in a row of three upcoming regional (Monday-)strikes and a final national 24-hour strike on the 15th of December – the demonstration from start till finish went as planned. The Union- and Party bosses kept their members neatly lined up and there was laughter, drinks, acting crazy and so forth. It seemed to become the usual puppet-show and the umpteenth chance for the syndical bureaucracy to let their militants blow off some steam.
Only a big group of Dockers and Metalworkers ventured into the sideways, organizing themselves separately from the official manifestation. Here we can speak of an attempt for an independent organization among the working masses.
The picture of independent struggle among the Dockers and Metalworkers was of an entirely different order than our militants witnessed at first instance when the rally started at the Northern station. At an excavation site people were working under the eyes of the waiting demonstrators! The workers did not cripple their work to join the manifestation. The masses did not call on these workers to join. The masses did not call on these workers to join. Incomprehensible! Also the syndical officials did not make any attempt to move these workers into action.
After the manifestation had reached the southern station, the bosses did their obligate chat and the whole event was nearing its end, however the situation several tens of meters further on was of an entirely different order. There a big group of Dockers battled with the cops – and won the first round! A path of submerged streets, moved objects and demolitions led us into the “warzone”. There seemed to be a brief respite, but a full on charge of the cops ushered the second round. The crowd fiercely fought back and treated the cops on a rain of stones, bottles, pyrotechnics and so on. ,,Tous ensemble! Grève generale!”, the workers shouted. The cops deployed a total of five water cannons, together with heavily equipped cops who were geared with abundant battle weapons and CS-gas. The pepper spray flowed and burned the faces of the struggling workers. These heroic men and women also had to endure a rain of beatings to their heads and bodies.
The cat-and-mouse game with the cops lasted for several hours, but after a while the pattern became predictable and monotone. The cops were somewhat pushed back at the time the water canon was “dry”, the workers were pushed back in turn, after which a new water canon replaced the former. From that moment on it was only about several meters of terrain gain.
By then new fresh shock troops came to the streets of Brussels to set them into fire and flames. These new rebels existed not only from workers, but from all kind of autonomous groups and local youth who enthusiastically threw themselves into the battle.
As for the in the bourgeois press (as well as by the so-called “Antifa”) expressed suspicions against anarchists and other groups being so-called responsible for “derailing” the manifestation; this is absolutely incorrect. The Dockers who led the confrontation did certainly not need any support from the outside (from so-called “infiltrators” or “professional hooligans”) to fight the cops. The workers were and are in fact perfectly capable to think for themselves and don’t need the help from any outsider what so ever! Metalworkers don’t need “infiltrators”, “gauchistes” or “casseurs” to make them realize that the cops, the bureaucrats (both from the Parties as well as the syndicates) and the patrons are their enemies! No external persons, groups, parties or propaganda were needed. Also the youthful rebels of Brussels seemed to have long since discovered an instinctively “socialism”.
Black and white youth against the system!
The bourgeois-media reported the next day that six cars were burned, 25 were thrown on their side and the cops were pelted with everything that was within reach. During the struggle something like a fraternization arose between the Dockers/Metalworkers and the anars (anarchists). A young Docker waved the flag of anarcho-syndicalism (red-black), while embracing an old “casseur”. ,,Vive l’Anarchie!”, it sounded among the protestors. Under this slogan several moments later the windows of the NMBS-building (the building of the Belgium railroads) were smashed. And it was anarchy! For some time the system lost all control. For some time the State did no longer rule! After the cops eventually succeeded to beat asunder the battling crowd, they acted out their frustrations (as usual) on isolated groups of militants. With batons and bludgeons, supplemented with an inexhaustible supply of pepperspray, the undercover and uniformed cops went all out on the contained individual workers. Everything was lawful in this last 15 minutes. And all who were already wounded on the streets got an extra load of pepperspray as a bonus. Men and women, young or old, nobody was spared. Approx. 40 wounded on our side this day, 31 protestors were detained (administrative or judicial). And worth mentioning: 20 cops were badly wounded!
The system can be wounded! Resistance is possible! So on to the next confrontation!
After this most groups retreated towards the southern station. This day certainly has proven the unprecedented potential there is among the workers at the basis. The dynamics of the formation of independent organization among the Dockers and Metalworkers, against the syndical bureaucracy rebelling Union basis and the direct action of the autonomous scene in Brussels, made this to be a successful day.
The coming month it remains to be seen to what degree the reactionary government-Michel will hold on to its rigid worker-hostile austerity demands. The syndical bureaucracy may already be in negotiations with the government-Michel, but the workers at the basis will not tolerate a compromise! The slogans remain unchanged:
Away with the government-Michel
Independent struggle without and against the syndical bureaucracy! For a united front from the basis!
Reformism – No! Revolutionary workers unity – Yes!
Consequent struggle for the following demands:
No adjustment of the law-Major! For preservation of the Dockworker statute! No adjustment of the index! No adjustment of the retirement age!
Forward to the 15th of December!
Some ,,casseurs”, present in Brussels
Rapaille- ___________________________
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