youth

Open meeting to set up a London anarchist youth network - meeting minutes

The minutes of a meeting of the organisationalist/class struggle tendency within the London Anarchist Youth group attempting to resuscitate the group, along a tighter class struggle perspective, during the decline of the Anarchist Youth Network.

Though those present no longer agree with all of the meetings conclusions, they are reproduced here for reference.

London Anarchist Youth
Minutes of meeting: 26.02.04

Present: 10 people

Reportbacks:
Feedback on history and perceived failures of the previous incarnation of LAY

Organising:
Aims of LAY decided:
they are..

Cape Town: Community condemns police arrests of shack dweller youths

The shack dwellers of Civic Road near Parkwood, Cape Town, are angered that youth from the shacks are being subjected to repeated police harassment and arrests by the Grassy Park SAPS.

The Civic Road residents have joined the Zille Rain Heights residents in opposing the city council’s bid to forcibly remove them to Happy Valley, 40 kms away.

The Anarchist Youth Network (AYN), personal recollections, 2002-2004

Brief historical notes on the organisation the Anarchist Youth Network (AYN). The AYN was a loosely-organised grouping of young anarchists, supposed to be based in Britain and Ireland.

Lasting only from 2002 to 2004, it suffered many of the weaknesses common in the contemporary anarchist movement of the English speaking world.

Anti-war school walkouts, 2003 - AYN discussions

Extracts from the Anarchist Youth Network's open email discussion with information-sharing and discussion about the walkouts of school students which occured against the Iraq war as it began in March 2003. While there was a lot of potential AYN failed to make a collective impact on them.

1940-1945: The Zazous

An account of the French anti-Nazi cultural youth movement who opposed the Vichy regime in occupied France. Influenced by jazz and swing they met in basement clubs and scuffled with fascists on the streets.

French youth against the Nazis

1976: The Soweto Riots

South African youth protest against apartheid

A short history of the riots against new education laws that turned into a mass collective rejection of apartheid South Africa by thousands of working class black youths.

The Soweto riots of 1976 were the most brutal and violent riots that had taken place against the South African apartheid administration. It was also amazing in how far and how fast it spread. Its significance would go beyond the violence on the streets.

1939-1945: The Edelweiss Pirates

An account of the German anti-Nazi movement of working class youth who fought against the regime.

Hitler’s power may lay us low,
And keep us locked in chains,
But we will smash the chains one day,
We’ll be free again
We’ve got fists and we can fight,
We’ve got knives and we’ll get them out
We want freedom, don’t we boys?
We’re the fighting Navajos!

Heatwave Magazine - UK, 1960s

Texts about and from 1966 British magazine Heatwave, which was linked to American Surrealists and radical unionists.

We group together here 2 texts about the UK Heatwave magazine, which existed for 2 issues in 1966 - and the wider political scene it was a part of, which included its links with the US Industrial Workers of the World and American Surrealists. There then follows a text from issue 1 of Heatwave.

Persistent poverty increase

The Joseph Rowntree foundation has recently produced a study report that shows that persistent poverty (poverty is defined as a family income below 60% of the median income) in Britain is on the increase.

There are approximately 3.5 million children living in poverty in Britain today. That's more than a quarter of the total child population.

1981: The nine year old leader (C.L.R. James on Moss Side)

James discusses a 1981 riot in Manchester, northern England.

FREE FOR ALL The nine year old leader

CPE: Youths give lesson in solidarity

News of transport blockades mostly by high school pupils and young people.

Guingamp in Brittany

80% of young French against the CPE

A survey to be published in tomorrows Libération will reveal the massive level of opposition to Villepins labour casualisation reform.

Some 80% of young people between 15 and 24 years of age are now opposed to the 'contract de first engages', according due to a survey to appear in Mondays paper.

Up to 600,000 youths join protests across France

Round-up of Thursday 16 March's anti-CPE activities across France.

Photos from today.

Rough translation from Le Monde:

Half a million youths say no to the CPE

On Thursday, two days before the latest national mobilisation, hundreds of thousands of students and secondary-school pupils - the latter very numerous - demonstrated across France against the CPE.

In several cities, there were clashes with the police. The Prime Minister Domenique de Villepin claimed once again to be "open to dialogue within the framework fixed by the law to improve" the CPE. "I am very hopeful that this day will go well", he declared before announcing that on Friday evening he would receive the Conference of University Presidents (CPU) in Matignon.

Interview with an Edelweiss Pirate - Walter Mayer

Transcript of a short interview with Walter Mayer, a member of the German youth anti-Nazi organisation, the Edelweiss Pirates.