Tunisia - working class revolt

[Streathamite]

A grudging 'well done' to the swiss for freezing the ben ali family assets. on the torchings; 2 more in algeria, plus the woman BA referred to, who it seems merely badly burnt her hand, sez the Guardian

 

[butchersapron]

A grudging 'well done' to the swiss for freezing the ben ali family assets. on the torchings; 2 more in algeria, plus the woman BA referred to, who it seems merely badly burnt her hand, sez the Guardian

That's shit - they should be burning the politicians hands!

 

[Streathamite]

well yes, that's an immolation one would want!

 

[audiotech]

RadioLabour
WEDNESDAY, January 19, 2011
www.radiolabour.net
* BBC Arabic Service journalists on strike
* COSATU fights Walmart entry into South Africa
* Tunesian unionists won’t join interim government

 

[Streathamite]

Ahmedinejad has stuck an entirely predictable oar in, claiming tunisians want an islamic state. bollocks do they, this was a labour uprising

 

[audiotech]

Amnesty International Statement.

 

[butchersapron]

Boston Globe have done one of their picture specials - what i find slightly surprising is the apparent total lack of guns on the protesters side.

 

[Divisive Cotton]

The Boston Globe is great at picture specials. They seem to have very well-dressed rioters in Tunisia (armed with bread sticks)

 

[JimW]

Boston Globe have done one of their picture specials - what i find slightly surprising is the apparent total lack of guns on the protesters side.

Rea on a thread somewhere else that Tunisia had the lowest rate of gun ownership of 178 countries surveyed in 2007. Ben Ali probably had an inkling what people would do if they had 'em.

 

[audiotech]

Powerful images.

 

[camouflage]

CNT-F statement here.

Awww, look, they maded a "Statement". Kind of sweet that they think anyone cares what the anarchists have to say about it. Bless.

 

[Streathamite]

Awww, look, they maded a "Statement". Kind of sweet that they think anyone cares what the anarchists have to say about it. Bless.

actually, given that this was a TU-led revolt, what CNT-F said does matter. I understand them to be the smallest of the union groupings, but insignificant they are not

 

[Random]

how big are they, do you know?

 

[Streathamite]

how big are they, do you know?

not too sure. it's also difficult to get hard and fast figures

 

[Random]

not too sure. it's also difficult to get hard and fast figures

Oh, I see it's actually the french anarcho syndicalists who made the statement. Here was me hoping that the colonial link with France meant there was actually a Tunisian CNT

 

[pk]

It's become a bit of a cause celebre with the Anonymous lot with the Guy Fawkes masks who have got together avec Tunisians to remove the government restrictions on internet/phone taps etc.

Lots and lots of dead people being found, massive issue now.

This is the Tunisian government's own homepage in the last few hours:

And this is a high school. Seems to be working too.

LINKS

http://iseenklootzak.nl/tnvideos/
http://tnvideo.hysing.org/
http://www.33bits.eu/tnvideos/
http://www.immi.is/tnvideos/
http://tnvideos.humaninternet.info
http://seattlefenix.net/tunisia/
https://ice.thoughtcriminal.us/tunisia/
http://stuff.is/mirror/tnvideos/
http://tunisia.zizag.be/ (bandwidth ~500gb)
http://tnvideos.culture.org.au/
http://tnvideos.h2so4.se
http://tunisia.fejsrape.se/
http://tnvideos.xchatfr.org/
http://tty2.org/tnvideos/
http://tunisie.partipirate.org/


PRESS REPORTS

http://24sur24.posterous.com/reportage-tf1-10-janvier-2011 TV French

http://fr.readwriteweb.com/2011/01/...es-vidos-des-massacres-en-tunisie-sidibouzid/

http://youtu.be/zEPzQydlp1s?a Vidéo LCI

http://optunisiafrench.blogspot.com/

http://reflets.info/la-jeunesse-tunisienne-a-faim-de-liberte/

USEFUL INFO FOR USING TUNISIAN INTERNET ANONYMOUSLY

http://pastebin.com/ThbE8W4V
How to access the www after the government censors it.
Download the files you need and give them to your friends as well.
More here.
http://image.bayimg.com/nadnoaadd.jpg

 

[pk]

Interesting take on it all by Al Jazeera - 23 mins long

 

[butchersapron]

All the really highhanded arrogant crap from anon was from over two weeks ago - and it's self serving narrative is one that's been increasingly (and increasingly angrily) rejected by those in Tunisia who actually carried out the uprising - as has the idea that this was some 'twitter' or 'wikileaks revolution'.

 

[peterkro]

Large numbers of police changing sides (for whatever reason),a good sign I think. ^^ Jasmine revolution is a media invention as well.

 

[YouSir]

All the really highhanded arrogant crap from anon was from over two weeks ago - and it's self serving narrative is one that's been increasingly (and increasingly angrily) rejected by those in Tunisia who actually carried out the uprising - as has the idea that this was some 'twitter' or 'wikileaks revolution'.

Agreed that it's neither and that Anon tend to lean towards the pretentious over-dramatics but it's no bad thing to have the censorship challenged by anyone willing to do it and I don't think it's taking away from the actual, real world actions being taken in any way. I'm guessing that, asked specifically about Anon., most Tunisians wouldn't really give a toss, more important things on their minds. Of course I may be wrong, they may be outraged by a handful of internet trolls.

 

[butchersapron]

BTW - Algerians out today again

 

[butchersapron]

First Saudi suicide by self-immolation

 

[pk]

it's no bad thing to have the censorship challenged by anyone willing to do it and I don't think it's taking away from the actual, real world actions being taken in any way. I'm guessing that, asked specifically about Anon., most Tunisians wouldn't really give a toss, more important things on their minds.

This. And the links on how to access the web anonymously are definitely useful. All are valid tools in this war.

 

[pk]

Apparently the Tunisian cops are begging for forgiveness from the people, saying the militias were pretending to be cops, and that they haven't eaten for 4 days and not slept for 2, and they have families to support... etc etc.

Seems to have calmed down and the military (who have ostensibly sided with the people) are making a point of detaining those left who were loyal to Ben Ali.

But the military will be keen to get a leader up and running quickly, one that works in their interests. Next few weeks will be interesting.

 

[pk]

As for the idea that this as a Wikileaks revolution angrily rejected, not being in Tunisia I wouldn't know for sure but the timeline suggests a strong catalyst for the current uprising was indeed the internet and info-wars - but here's the leaked cable from December 13th 2010:

http://wikileaks.nl/cable/2009/06/09TUNIS372.html

This leak and similar regarding corruption allegations via Wikileaks were heavily reported by Al Jazeera in the run-up to the initial protests.

The first riots were reported on the 17th, after a Facebook campaign in solidarity of the fruit-seller who set himself on fire on the same day was set up, it was censored and traffic to the site redirected a 404 page (not found).

In a country where half the population is under 25, it seems arrogant and wrong to say the least that "those who actually carried out the uprising" were not in any way motivated to do so or assisted by the media and internet tools such as Twitter and Facebook, especially given the widespread phishing exercises by the government to hack the bloggers and forums involved.

And let's be honest here - certainly if the SWP in this country is anything to go by - the arrogant habit of the socialist groups of claiming credit for every single type of social upheaval has been going on for decades.

I would suggest that the mobile telecommunications and certainly Wikileaks and the sabotaging of government domains by Anonymous played a far more influential role in the "jasmine revolution" than anyone getting angry about the fact that they aren't being given the credit.

I can see why people don't like Anonymous, who in this instance are merely providing route-arounds and sabotage of oppressive government apparatus, but I can't see anyone in Tunisia claiming they actually carried out the uprising without being laughed at.

The spontaneous nature of the events and the demographic of the initial demonstrators involved suggests to me this was everything to do with portable communications devices, Wikileaks, news media and bloggers using all the skills they have to beat the police state censorship - and winning.

 

[Brainaddict]

This must have been a dark struggle for a lot of the people involved, but with neither the military nor the police fully committing to fight the protesters it feels like the end could be in sight. It's amazing to see people determined, organised and knowing what they want. This was on the beeb and just made me smile:

Among those calling for a new administration is the country's main trade union, the General Tunisian Workers' Union (UGTT).

It has backed a protest march dubbed the "Caravan of Liberation", which set off from central Tunisia for the capital on Saturday, reaching the town of Regueb by nightfall.

"The aim of this caravan is to make the government fall," [said] Rabia Slimane, a teacher in Menzel Bouzaiane.

 

[pk]

Military rule is not a good substitute for corrupted politicians though... Tunisia has no leader.

Maybe this really is it.

 

[butchersapron]

Brief update on Yemen - two separate anti-regime protests yesterday and this morning Tawakul Karman (that's not to endorse Islah but to highlight how the regime deals with dissent - it leaves little room for peaceful style opposition - very dangerous) was taken away by masked gunmen.

edit: long time pain in the arse of the regime Khaled al-Anisi (lawyer) also taken away.

 

[Divisive Cotton]

The BBC World Service are saying that the police have now started demonstrating with the anti-government protesters - LOL!

 

[butchersapron]

Workers expelling CEO and other bosses from the STAR offices (Jan 18th).