South Asians—in varying degrees—carry the political, cultural, and historical traditions of their respective nations when they arrive in the United States. Some might hope to leave as much as possible behind for a variety of reasons. Others come here to replicate their homes, except with fuller stomachs. Most know that they will give up something to gain another and are willing to take that risk. Few can imagine what lies ahead.

My visit back home to the Galilee coincided with the genocidal Israeli attack on Gaza. The state, through its media and with the help of its academia, broadcasted one unanimous voice - even louder than the one heard during the criminal attack against Lebanon in the summer of 2006. Israel is engulfed once more with righteous fury that translates into destructive policies in the Gaza Strip. This appalling self-justification for the inhumanity and impunity is not just annoying, it is a subject worth dwelling on, if one wants to understand the international immunity for the massacre that rages on in Gaza.

The following mainstream media story has been confirmed by the RNC Felony Working Group. We are calling for those who are able to make it to come out and pack the courtroom, and for those who can't to support the defendants in whatever ways they can, whether it be by sending mail, acting in solidarity in whatever ways people see fit or simply monitoring the outcome of this case. These cases, like all RNC-related cases, affect us all.

The title of Chip Berlet’s piece in the January 2009 issue of Z Magazine, “Brownshirt Anarchism, Bogus Journalism,” has nothing to do with the article. It is plainly misleading. There is nothing in the article about “brownshirt anarchism.” In fact, Berlet’s article has nothing to do with anarchism. It is mentioned briefly in the beginning to make some broad point without a single fact to back the assertion.

Rough translation of a posting on Athens indymedia, the day after a riot cop was shot in Eksarhia, Athens. The text below is important as it seems to reflect a sentiment shared with the majority of the people in the anarchist, and the wider antagonist social movement in the country: The greek state seems to be pulling out some of its oldest and dirtiest tricks in order to go, once again, on the offensive. Luckily, our movement does have one of the most valuable assets - collective memory. In the US they called it COINTELPRO, in Italy it was the strategy of tension, over here it is lonely gunmen shooting from (but really: shooting at) the very spaces we are trying to defend. We don’t forget, we don’t forgive, we won’t be intimidated…

In the early morning hours of New Year's Day, an unidentified BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) officer executed an unarmed man on an Oakland train platform. Oscar Grant, who was being restrained by officers, was lying on the ground with two officers kneeling on top of him when one officer casually drew his service weapon and shot Grant in the back, killing him.

Video of the incident can be seen here http://www.ktvu.com/video/18409133/index.html

Chicago -- Standing outside for five days in the Windy City under skies of lead and the thermometer below freezing provides an opportunity to make certain observations. Standing three blocks from the home of the next president of the United States the day he leaves for a new home in Washington, D.C….well you can’t help but observe certain things.

Dates, Location Set For 2009 NYC Anarchist Book Fair; Program to Include Publishers and Booksellers, Art Show, Panels and Workshops, Film Festival

NEW YORK – So you think the era of big government is back?

You might want to think again if you attend the 2009 New York City Anarchist Book Fair, to be held April 10-12. For the third year in a
row, NYC's anarchist community will will play host to a weekend of community and collaboration including

The Maryland State Police surveillance of advocacy groups was far more extensive than previously acknowledged, with records showing that
troopers monitored -- and labeled as terrorists -- activists devoted to such wide-ranging causes as promoting human rights and establishing bike lanes.

When the scheduled federal trial begins this month for two Texas men who were arrested during the Republican National Convention on charges of making and possessing Molotov cocktails, one of the major witnesses against them will be a community activist who acted as a government informant.

Starbucks' is preparing to fight its second trial against Unfair Labor Practices. Last week, in an 88 page decision, an administrative law judge found, among other things, that Starbucks maintained multiple policies which interfered with workers' right to communicate about the union and about working conditions; terminated three workers in retaliation for union activity; and repeatedly discriminated against union supporters.

HANOI (AFP) — Nearly 4,000 workers at a Taiwanese footwear plant in Vietnam have gone on strike to protest alleged ill-treatment by their bosses, state media reported Sunday.

The workers, mostly women, said managers from mainland China had beaten and humiliated employees at the Sun Jade company in Thanh Hoa province, according to the Thanh Nien daily.

A Greek riot policeman has been seriously injured by two men with Kalashnikov automatic weapons in central Athens, officials say.

The officer was part of a unit guarding the culture ministry when the pre-dawn attack took place.

The policeman was taken to hospital and undergoing surgery.

Reports are coming in on Athens Indymedia that at approximately 3.23 this morning a riot cop was shot while guarding a building of the ministry of culture in Eksarhia. Mainstream media outlets confirmed the news; apparently the riot cop is injured (not in a life-threatening condition) and currently undergoing an operation.

During mid-December a large number of people working under temporary contracts in governmental offices lost their jobs due to orders “from above” that mandated a drastic reduction in the inflated state payroll due to the economic crisis. On the other hand a report by the NGO CECODAP counted 174 children dead by gunshots in one year in their neighborhoods, which testifies about the violence we live with in this country, symptom of our social crisis. The lack of decent housing affects 13 million people, after ten consecutive years of the Bolivarian government failing to meet their own goals, which has mobilized the community of the homeless throughout the nation, occupying land under threats of criminalization and police and judicial repression. During 2008 inflation was the highest in Latin America, lowering real wages as the cost of food and services rose, and this situation is not going to improve in 2009. Besides, the state’s income and expenses will drop considerably due to falling oil prices, our main export. The condition of health care, personal security, of people deprived of freedom, the degradation of the police forces and the murder of labor activists do not pass scrutiny either, despite al the government propaganda in the media.

Prison does not only mean "normalisation" on the societal level, but also isolation, arbitrariness, incapacitation, degradation, fear, boredom and complete powerlessness on the personal level. A situation which was a daily reality for each of us for 3.5 months. After months of intense surveillance we were held between three prisons for a quarter of a year along with other animal welfare and animal rights activists under the pretence of “Forming a criminal organisation” (§278a of the Austrian penal code.)

Every day we read in the newspapers about new proposals hatched up by Sweden's neo-liberal government. One day brings cut downs in social funds. Another day it is tax deductions for domestic services, making it cheaper for the well-off to employ a maid or a nanny (this is known as pigavdrag - "maid deductions"), or a new child care allowance for people who stay home and take care of their children (vĺrdnadsbidrag - care support). We know that these schemes, that seem to bring us back to the 1950s, are bad and that we need to stop them, but often we fail to discern how each proposal paves the way for further proposals to be implemented.

Heavy fighting is raging in the Gaza Strip between Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters after Israel launched its ground offensive on the territory.

At least 30 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed since fighting began late on Saturday, according to Palestinian medical sources.

An Israeli soldier was killed on Sunday in the fighting, the Israeli army said.

The AAtW comrades arrested Saturday while trying to block the road in front of the war ministry during the big demonstration of the radical left were released with a bond equal 100.- ERO and two weeks restricting from approaching the site of the demo. (Still lenient "democracy for Jews"). However when few of us joined demonstrations of our Palestinian partners in Ni'ilin there was another level of suppression. In spite of the regulations not to use live ammunition when Israelis join Palestinians demonstration, such ammunition was used in Ni'ilin - four Palestinians were hit two of them fatally.