A-Infos (en) Britain, Anarchist Federation bulletin - Resistance #106 - October 2008*

Contents of the October 2008 issue: --- ROBIN HOOD IS DEAD, LONG LIVE ROBIN 
BANKS*,  ---  Roma Solidarity*, --- Travellers*, --- Armed forces on campus*, 
--- coal & climate change*, --- economic chaos*, --- IWW Sheffield campaign*, 
--- ID cards for some foreign nationals.  ---- ID cards for ‘foreigners’ to 
begin in November ---- At the end of September's Labour Party conference in 
Manchester, Jacqui 'Lock' Smith, our hated Home Office minister, officially 
announced the launch of UK Borders Agency introduction of ID cards for 
foreigners. This is due to start next month for overseas students and people who 
have come to Britain to join their spouse on a marriage visa, if they are not 
from the European Union.

This is really nothing new because ID cards for foreigners have been part of the 
government's existing parallel timeline for identity and border control for a 
while now. But to confuse matters, the new cards which will be issued as part of 
a visa renewal and are coming in through a piece of legislation called the UK 
Borders Act (2007) that was passed a year later than the original ID Cards Act 
of March 2006. Everybody else, including British ‘citizens’ and residents from 
EU countries, are due to get ID cards some time later if the government gets its 
way. A few British-born people have been ear-marked for early ID cards, such as 
airport and airline workers, although this has already been opposed by both the 
British Air Transport Association and the Trades Unions Congress, so this plan 
is already delayed.

Really, though, it makes no difference which law is being used to bring in ID 
cards. The government will learn a lot by introducing cards to overseas 
students, who can hardly refuse to have one if they want to stay here and study, 
before they roll-it out to the entire population (let's not forget that the 
'Switch' debit card was also trialed on students). At the same time, 
corporations like IBM and Thales have already been awarded contracts to design, 
build and test the National Identity Register which is the backbone of the 
overall scheme. This will involve photographing and fingerprinting every adult 
in Britain over 15 and perhaps even as young as 14. So those of us born in 
Britain should not be complacent, or fall into the trap of believing right-wing 
lies about the supposed need for tight immigration controls.

Instead we should urgently make links with migrant workers, visiting students 
and anyone else who is subjected to the new cards. As long ago as February, it 
was revealed that any foreign national who boycotts the introduction of ID cards 
could face losing their right to stay in Britain. Refusing to make or turn up to 
an appointment to scan their fingerprints and facial image would incur a fine 
from £250-£1,000, and £125 for failing to tell police about a lost card. We must 
keep an eye on how these sanctions are used in practice, support any resistance 
that arises and mount a collective attack in defence of freedom, before the 
state comes after the rest of us.

---

For a copy of our free anti-ID cards pamphlet, Defending Anonymity 
http://www.afed.org.uk/ace/anon.html (can also be read online), please send at 
least 50p in stamps to our usual address (to cover postage) or order one online 
from our website. Additional donations are welcome to help us print more.

Full content coming soon.

---

SUBVERT!

When going on demonstrations stay sober, don’t talk to the police and if you’re 
arrested give only your name and address then say ‘no comment’ to any other 
questions. For more info visit http://www.activistslegalproject.org.uk or 
contact the Legal Defence Monitoring Group: ldmgmailyahoo.co.uk

OCTOBER


Read/download this issue now in PDF format http://www.afed.org.uk/res/resist106.pdf
---

The Anarchist Federation is an organisation of class struggle anarchists aiming 
to abolish capitalism and all oppression to create a free and equal society. 
This is Anarchist Communism. We see today’s society as being divided into two 
main opposing classes: the ruling class which controls all the power and wealth, 
and the working class which the rulers exploit to maintain this. By racism, 
sexism and other forms of oppression, as well as war and environmental 
destruction the rulers weaken and divide us. Only the direct action of working 
class people can defeat these attacks and ultimately overthrow capitalism.

As the capitalist system rules the whole world, its destruction must be complete 
and world wide. We reject attempts to reform it, such as working through 
parliament and national liberation movements, as they fail to challenge 
capitalism itself. Unions also work as a part of the capitalist system, so 
although workers struggle within them they will be unable to bring about 
capitalism’s destruction unless they go beyond these limits.

Organisation is vital if we’re to beat the bosses, so we work for a united 
anarchist movement and are affiliated to the International of Anarchist 
Federations. The Anarchist Federation has members across Britain and Ireland 
fighting for the kind of world outlined above.

Contact us at:

Anarchist Federation
BM ANARFED,
London, WC1N 3XX.
Email: info@afed.org.uk
Also visit: http://www.afed.org.uk and http://www.iaf-ifa.org

Subscription to resistance in print costs 4 pounds from the address above for 
one year of issues (usually 10 as we have one month off in summer, and one over 
new year). Non-UK subs are £8. A two issue (annual) subscription to our 
magazine, Organise! for revolutionary anarchism, is 5 pounds (£6 Non-UK orders).
=============================
* rest of the articles in the .pdf file only
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S  N E W S  S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://ainfos.ca/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/a-infos-en
Archive: http://ainfos.ca/en