See the MAC blog for more details. There’s also the Facebook event.

The main controversies, if the pub talk was anything to go by, were the inclusion of the Communist League and Polyester Books as stall holders.

Kieran’s Review: Thoughts on the Melbourne Anarchist Bookfair

A couple of particularly good replies to this review were in the comments of Kieran’s website. From Lia. From Rebecca.

A Marxist goes to an Anarchist Bookfair.

IWW Melbourne GMB: A Melbourne Wob reviews the 2nd annual Melbourne Anarchist Bookfair.

Plan to Win’s recommendations for “good anarchist and activist books”.

The Facebook event also has a lot of discussion.

The next major event for the discussion of anarchist ideas looks to be the Anarchist Summer School up in Queensland in 2013.

Interviewer:

Now, Work for the Dole, what do you think about that [unintelligible]?

Anarchist 1:

Pathetic.

Anarchist 2:

Absolutely ridiculous.

Anarchist 3:

Hitler would have loved it.

Statement from
Felicity Ryder

Comrades, friends,
I would have liked to have written earlier, but for various circumstances I haven´t had the chance to yet. I want to send a warm greeting and say thanks to everyone who has worried about me and my situation, to those who have shown solidarity with Mario and I. In these difficult moments it means a lot to have people standing in solidarity from near or from far, even without ever having met me. I sent a revolutionary hug to all of you.

I want to clarify that despite all of the lies of the Mexico City police forces and the mass media, I was never arrested and they never had me detained in any of their prisons. I have tried to understand why they would have said that and spread such false information throughout Mexico as well as Australia, but at the end of the day, as a free person I don´t think like a police officer, and I won´t be able to understand. If it was to try in vain to break or manipulate Mario, to manipulate my family, or to try to appear half competent in doing their jobs, I don´t know.

What I do know is that I am proud of being an Anarchist, and proud to be an enemy of authority and the State.

To my brother Mario, I send him a giant hug and much strength and health. I know that he will always maintain his convictions strong, as well as his desire to achieve Total Liberation. I will always be by your side, compañero. Remember, always face to face with the enemy!

I also send a warm greeting to the fugitive comrades Diego Rios and Gabriela Curilem in Chile. A warm hug to the comrades from the CCF and Revolutionary Struggle in Greece, to the anarchist comrades in prison in Italy, to Braulio Duran, Luciano Pitronello, Gabriel Pombo da Silva, and to all of the anarchist prisoners and fugitives all over the world.

Que viva la Anarquia!

Felicity.

Mario López Hernández was injured when an explosive device he was carrying went off prematurely. According to statements by the Mexican police via media reports and Mario’s statement below, Felicity Ryder’s passport was found in his backpack at the scene. We have reprinted his statement, denying Felicity’s involvement, in full, after the break.

Statement from
Mario López Hernández

Hello dear comrades,
As you already will know (inside and outside of Mexico) I find myself hospitalized due to injuries to my shin, leg, and right arm. At the moment I’m “ok” given the situation, I am concerned about my health and am also concerned about several things which I’ll expand upon in a few points.

First the fact of writing now and not later.

Well, this is easy because physically I have the ability to do so and because in the future when they charge or sentence me the control will be greater and communication will be more difficult.

ABOUT MY HEALTH

Well, I have three fairly serious burns, the first on the right leg, the second is a hole from once side of my arm to the other, and the last is on the right shin. Bad if one day I go back to practicing Muay Thai. In the hospital the nurses and doctors are behaving great, including nicknaming me “bombiux” and I have hope in saving my leg.

ABOUT THE LEGAL SITUATION

Here the problem is that another person is now implicated because we made the error of carrying in the backpack which remained at the scene her ID and because of that they identified her and linked her with a video of the area. Yesterday (June 28) they told me that she was detained, or rather with their words: “now we’ve got your girlfriend” … they said she made a statement against me and well, the same story. First, they wanted (and want) me to claim the attack on a bank in Tlalpan: “I do not accept this,” then they would say it was my comrade (now that she was identified) who did it: “I do not accept this,” and finally they wanted me to name more people who did it and obviously I did not accept this. Regarding my comrade they came to corroborate her physical information and all of this in front of a state lawyer.

ABOUT ME

I stated that I did everything from beginning to end and that I was individually responsible for this act (or attempt), of course this statement was made under pressure, with the army, with the marines, with the military camp #1 and also I was in a state of physical and psychological weakness as a result of the anaelgesics and the surgery on my leg. Even so, I maintained this declaration with the goal of not directly involving more comrades in my problem.

I, as an anarchist, comply (as far as possible) with the consequences and responsibilities derived from my individual act. Therefore, I declared myself responsible for this act from beginning to end, my comrade was only there at the moment when the device exploded and the most serious error was having her ID with us.

ABOUT THE SOLIDARITY FROM COMRADES

Yesterday I almost cried (and today while writing this letter) when the lawyer told me that everyone was outside. It gave me goosebumps that independent of the differences of how we see things, the paths to follow, the means, etc. It showed me that relationships are also built through mutual knowledge. Some take one path or decisions, others others, but at the end of the road is absolute freedom.

ABOUT HOW I’VE IDENTIFIED MYSELF

Since the bomb exploded I have identified myself as an anarchist in spite of the “consequences” that my way of life, struggles and ideas can lead to.

The federal police arrived and tried to turn me and of course I did not accept it. Three years less in jail for being a snitch is not worth it, not even if it was 30.

Regarding the motives that led me to carry out this action, they are more than my futile and contradictory statements to the prosecutors who never stopped pressuring me. In short, as an anarchist, I don’t consider that this type of situation or political moment should be the starting point for projecting our struggle, as building-destruction is the daily construction of our persons and of our goals. I only consider it necessary to draw a clear line regarding political parties without contradicting the above statement. Even more so in these times where populist discourses (democratic left or right) can be confused with our proposals and ideas of freedom.

The IFE (Federal Elections Institute), PRD (Party of the Democratic Revolution), are a couple more institutions that are just like a bank or a police station that conform to the machinery of the system.

This is my statement to the comrades and not to the muddling and manipulative questions of the police, who, without any form of counsel made me fall into unbeneficial positions for my case…but you are the ones who are most important.

I identify myself as an anarchist enemy of any kind of State and of capital, each chooses the methods or means according to their criteria, but the struggle is a daily one, inside and outside of the prisons.

To the comrades in solidarity and to the Anarchist Black Cross, a strong, combative hug and thank you for being with my mother, she understands the situation.

Greetings to Luciano Pitronello!
Solidarity with all prisoners of war and political prisoners in the struggle!
Solidarity with the comrades who are prisoners in Italy!
For the destruction of the prisons!
Social war on all fronts!
Long live anarchy!
The claim of responsibility begins!

Mario, Tripa
June 2012

Source: Slackbastard

Source: australianmuseumofsquatting.org

After 6 years at 22 Enmore Rd in Newtown, Black Rose Books has once again been moved into storage awaiting it’s next reincarnation. We expect this web address will disappear sometime later this year.

Refer to Jura Books for Anarchist Literature
Peoples’ Kitchen is starting up again on Wednesdays at Dustmonster

Thanks to all those who have been involved over the past 6 years (and the past 30 years!!). There is no collective to be contacted anymore so please direct any questions to Jura books.

Love & Rage

And there you have it.

In other news, Loophole in Melbourne looks set to lose its venue. The fate of Barricade Books, housed at Loophole since they left the Melbourne Anarchist Club, is unknown. The “non-denominational, intergenerational, non-hierarchical, not-for-profit, wheelchair accessible” venue must be vacated by June 11, 2012.

This leaves Jura Books and the Melbourne Anarchist Club as the only permanent anarchist spaces in Australia. Correct us if we’re wrong in the comments.

Sources: Black Rose and Loophole