CrimethInc. Ex-Workers Collective

We're receiving reports from one of our colleagues, a refugee from Luhansk whose family remains there, that in the "LPR" and "DPR," all men ages 18 to 55 are now subject to compulsory military conscription and prohibited from leaving the occupied territories. Eyewitness reports describe soldiers kidnapping people. Employees of military enlistment offices are rounding men up in neighborhoods, in shops, and on the streets. Many male residents are hiding in their homes. Cadets aged 16-18 in the military schools are also facing forcible conscription. In 2014, people in Donbas were shamed and harassed for fleeing or not wishing to fight for the new republic, but they were never forcibly conscripted. It was always a choice, though unemployment and other factors drove many people to enlist. This is a new development.

Against Annexations and Imperial Aggression— A Statement from Russian Anarchists against Russian Aggression in #Ukraine https://cwc.im/RussianAnnexation… An English translation of the statement by http://avtonom.org, a media project that grew out of the regional Russian anarchist network Autonomous Action. 🏴 "We do not want to stand up for any states. We are anarchists and we are against any borders between nations. But we are against this annexation, because it only establishes new borders, and the decision on this is made solely by the authoritarian leader—Vladimir Putin." "Even if this conflict does not escalate into a world war, Putin’s imperial fantasies are not worth a single life." "We urge you to counter the Kremlin’s aggression by any means you see fit. Against the seizure of territories under any pretext, against sending the Russian army to the Donbass, against militarization. And ultimately, against the war."

At long last—we've released a new episode of the Ex-Worker podcast! https://cwc.im/exworker80 In January 2022, opponents of vaccine mandates established protest encampments in Ottawa and elsewhere around Canada, blockading several routes crossing the United States border. Far-right organizers and former police officers have prominent positions in this movement, and police took a relatively hands-off approach at first; eventually, Canada's federal government stepped in, taking advantage of the opportunity to set precedents that will be used against liberation struggles as well. The model tested in Canada will likely appear elsewhere around the world shortly. In this episode, we present an audio version of the article "Ill Winds From Ottawa," in which our correspondent in Montréal explores the sequence of events that led up to the protests, reviews the agendas of the various forces involved, and reflects on what we can do when the far right gains the initiative.

Our hearts go out to our comrades in Portland and everyone else who experiences gun violence. A demonstrator’s guide to body armor: https://cwc.im/BodyArmor A demonstrator’s guide to responding to gunshot wounds: https://cwc.im/GunshotWounds Our love and gratitude to street medics.

“It was in the black mirror of anarchism that surrealism first recognized itself.” Andre Breton was born on this day in 1896. His political and artistic output was uneven, but we highly recommend this essay of his about the meaning of the black flag: https://crimethinc.com/2021/06/14/every-flag-is-black-in-a-fire-featuring-louise-michel-andre-breton-and-jean-genet#andre-breton-the-colors-of-freedom

Mendacious Republicans want to appropriate the Kronstadt uprising. The Kronstadt rebels were rebel Bolsheviks, anarchists, and other socialists—as documented here: https://cwc.im/KronstadtRebels To learn about the uprising, start by reading their daily paper: https://cwc.im/Kronstadt If the Kronstadt rebels were alive today, they would be fighting beside us against the rapacious capitalism and virulent nationalism of Madison Cawthorn and his cronies. Cawthorn represents tyranny and oppression. His willful dishonesty rivals the worst excesses of Stalinism.

#Украина война и анархисты https://crimethinc.com/2022/02/15/voina-i-anarkhisty-pierspiektivy-libiertariiev-v-ukrainie… Анархисты из Украины исследуют протесты Майдана 2014 года, рост ультраправых в Украине и угрозу войны с Россией. Это важный исторический документ, ставящий сложные стратегические вопросы. Мы призываем всех прочитать его.

#Ukraine—War and Anarchists https://cwc.im/UkraineWar Anarchists from Ukraine explore the 2014 Maidan protests, the ascendancy of fascists, civil war, and the threat of war with Russia. This is a crucial historical document posing difficult strategic questions. We urge everyone to read and discuss it.

Ill Winds from #Ottawa https://cwc.im/Ottawa2022 In this extensive report, our Montréal correspondent explores the unfolding anti-mandate protests in Canada, reviewing the agendas of the various forces that are vying for power and reflecting on the risks and opportunities in a situation in which the far right has gained the initiative.

Love and Will: In Search of a Cosmology https://cwc.im/LoveAndWill Can we imagine what love means on a scale that extends beyond the human and even the biological—as a kind of relationship that can be found in various forms throughout the cosmos? Could doing so help us to break out of the destructive relationships that pass as love, today?

Today, we remember Aragorn!, a tireless polemicist and partisan of anarchist infrastructure. Please read Leona's and Klee's eulogies and Aragorn's text "Locating An Indigenous Anarchism," all of which are available here: https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/various-authors-black-seed-issue-8 Here is our elegy for him: https://cwc.im/aragorn