Why an anticapitalist bloc and what’s it gonna look like?

For the demonstration against TTIP on April 18, we will organize a separate anticapitalist bloc. We chose to do so because we want to make clear that our criticism of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is going farther than the criticism of the group Stop TTIP. We are convinced that it is important not to stop at this point and just critizice this free trade agreement itself. It is just another manifestation of capitalism and it’s foundation in inequality. We want democracy without capitalism!

Our approach doesn’t just differ in what we believe has to be critized, but also expresses itself in another visual ways. On Saturday, April 18, we will form a colorful bloc. For this, we will bring pink scarves and umbrellas of different colors. To offer you the opportunitiy to participate in our bloc more easily, we organized a meeting at the autonomous social center Klinika on April 11 at 17:30. If you are interested in getting to know more about TTIP, the plans for the bloc or if you would like to join us for its preparation, you’re very welcome, feel invited. Also there will be a workshop where we will prepare transparents and other things for the demonstration. This workshop will take place on Thursday, April 16 at 18h, also at Klinika. This is also where we meet before the demonstration on April 18 at 12:30h to go there all together. Join our colorful and frisky protest that aims right at the center of the problem! Join the anticapitalist bloc! State, nation, capital, TTIP – bullshit!

Meetingpoint for all participants of the anticapitalist bloc before the demonstration will be at the autonomous social center Klinika (Jeseniova 60, Praha 3) on April 18, 2015, 12:30h.

Stopping TTIP isn’t enough – Call for the anticapitalist bloc for the demonstration against TTIP

From their very start, the preparations for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the European Union and the USA have been target of well-deserved criticism. Today, it is overly visible that this agreement (in case it will be signed) will unleash yet another wave of unemployment, endanger the health of people through genetically manipulated food and will strengthen the position of power the great concerns inherit even more. This trend, to privatize profit and socialise losses is the current, neoliberal “reform” of capitalism. The system, built on inequality and oppression, is getting worse and worse and at the same time offered to us as the only one possible.

Economical crisis is repeating in Capitalism on a regular base and expect for incredible suffering for ever more people it leads nowhere but towards yet another transformation of capitalism into a form even more powerful than the one before. Just as the economical crisis in the 1970s marked the starting point of deregulated and uncontrolled growth of financial markets, now, after their partial collaps, the next transformation begins. Crisis is a spin-off of the need for limitless growth which is inherent to capitalism. To realize that crisis is an integral part of the system is the first step towards real change!

Unfortunately, the public discussion is based on the idea that concurrence was essential to human life and that there would be no alternative to living under poorest conditions for the majority of people. This is why the remedy to crisis is presented to as the toxic pill of neoliberal austerity measurements, privatization, deregulation invading every part of life. We can observe this for example in the politics of the European Central Bank towards those states within the eurozone which the crisis has hit the hardest. Political proposals how to solve the crisis are inspired by the spirit of market fundamentalism, which made a god out of the market and elevated it’s principles to commandments.

Free trade agreements like TTIP institutionalize the transformation of the system. They spring from the same source as the austerity regimes forced onto the states. But they are even worse, because unquestionably they put the right of free movement of capital above the rights of people. While all borders for goods and money are to be torn down, walls and barbed-wired fences are errected at the borders of the EU and USA in order to stop people from moving. While companies dealing with tobacco and genetically manipulated food are to be allowed pushing through their “right” to profit by all means possible, more and more people are deprived from health care and food. While more and more people are being pushed into poverty we are supposed to carefully watch our deeds in order not to disturb big business.

One of the most common criticisms of TTIP is, that it values corporations over the nation state. Without any doubt this states a problem, but we prefer to ask, how legitimate are states or even the EU, if only such a little amount of people participates in elections, and if it is legitimate at all, that they decide about things that have such a great impact on the lifes of everyone.

Mostly, criticism of TTIP is based on the resulting increase of power of corporations. We agree, that it will be the great corporations that profit most from TTIP. Nonetheless it would be wrong not to think any further. TTIP isn’t just a game some lobbyists are playing, but first and foremost it is another transformation of the system. We don’t want to pick up on the criticism of the “one percent” (meant as “greedy capitalists”) like Occupy Wallstreet does, neither do we want to join in the choir of nationalist calls to “get the hands back on our own country”. Capitalism is a game we are all forced to play, and it just isn’t enough to red-card to the worst of players. We have to destroy the whole dirty game! That is why it isn’t enough just to stand up against TTIP. We have to stand up against all authorities who decide behind our backs about our lives.

In order to do so, we organize an anticapitalist, antiauthoritarian bloc at the demonstration against TTIP on April 18.

They want capitalism without democracy, we want democracy without capitalism!

Iniciativa Ne Rasismu!
Anarchistická federace

Dates:

April 11, 2015, 17:30h: information and mobilization meeting for the anticapitalist bloc at the autonomous social center Klinika

April 16, 2015, 18:00h: Banners and pickets’ workshop at the autonomous social center Klinika

April 18, 2015, 12:30h: participants’ meeting for the anticapitalist bloc before the demonstration at the autonomous social center Klinika

More information at http://nerasismu.cz/na-e-l-nky/na-e-l-nky/zastavit-ttip-nesta-v-zva-k-vytvo-en-antikapitalistick-ho-bloku-na-demonstraci

OFFICIAL FACEBOOK-EVENT for the DEMONSTRATION AGAINST TTIP:
https://www.facebook.com/events/433466580160073/
18. 4. 2015, 14:00h, nám. 14. října - Demonstration against TTIP

12.4.2015 AF

Akce Protesty