1 00:00:06,858 --> 00:00:09,032 This episode of It's the End of the World 2 00:00:09,032 --> 00:00:10,422 As We Know it and I feel Fine 3 00:00:10,422 --> 00:00:12,459 was made possible by contributions 4 00:00:12,459 --> 00:00:14,037 from slaves like you. 5 00:00:14,037 --> 00:00:15,172 Spank you very much! 6 00:00:15,172 --> 00:00:16,392 This amateur footage 7 00:00:16,392 --> 00:00:17,984 captured the violence of an attack 8 00:00:17,984 --> 00:00:20,265 on two police officers on Wednesday. 9 00:00:20,595 --> 00:00:22,825 After kicking in the police car's windows, 10 00:00:22,825 --> 00:00:24,415 a protestor threw an explosive 11 00:00:24,415 --> 00:00:25,674 into the vehicle... 12 00:00:25,674 --> 00:00:27,505 setting it alight. 13 00:00:27,505 --> 00:00:29,539 The attack occurred while a protest 14 00:00:29,539 --> 00:00:31,462 was being held BY the police 15 00:00:31,462 --> 00:00:33,242 not far away at Paris' 16 00:00:33,242 --> 00:00:35,071 Place de la Republique. 17 00:00:35,071 --> 00:00:37,266 This spring over 350 of them 18 00:00:37,266 --> 00:00:39,220 have been injured by protestors 19 00:00:39,220 --> 00:00:41,220 during the Up All Night movement 20 00:00:41,220 --> 00:00:43,522 and anti-Labour Law rallies. 21 00:00:43,522 --> 00:00:44,696 A few hundred people 22 00:00:44,696 --> 00:00:45,924 defied a state order 23 00:00:45,924 --> 00:00:48,028 and gathered at the same time 24 00:00:48,028 --> 00:00:50,279 to march against police brutality, 25 00:00:50,279 --> 00:00:52,921 chanting Everyone Hates the Police! 26 00:01:01,051 --> 00:01:03,406 Goooooooooood morning slaves 27 00:01:03,406 --> 00:01:04,998 and welcome to another sedition of 28 00:01:04,998 --> 00:01:06,499 It's the End of the World as we Know it 29 00:01:06,499 --> 00:01:07,802 and I Feel Fine... 30 00:01:07,802 --> 00:01:08,659 the show where pigs 31 00:01:08,659 --> 00:01:10,233 get reality checks cashed… 32 00:01:10,233 --> 00:01:11,385 free of charge. 33 00:01:11,385 --> 00:01:13,422 It really poses the question - 34 00:01:13,422 --> 00:01:14,601 what do you want to do? 35 00:01:14,601 --> 00:01:15,821 Do you want to take a chance 36 00:01:15,821 --> 00:01:16,872 and risk getting KNOCKED OUT? 37 00:01:16,872 --> 00:01:18,297 Oh my god! 38 00:01:18,297 --> 00:01:20,319 Oh......wow! 39 00:01:20,569 --> 00:01:22,468 What an idiot! 40 00:01:23,508 --> 00:01:25,207 What a loser! 41 00:01:25,837 --> 00:01:26,463 Good! 42 00:01:26,463 --> 00:01:27,894 I am your host the Stimulator 43 00:01:27,894 --> 00:01:29,235 and though you wouldn't know it from 44 00:01:29,235 --> 00:01:31,171 watching the corporate fucking media... 45 00:01:31,171 --> 00:01:33,011 The candidates took to Twitter! 46 00:01:33,011 --> 00:01:34,511 My word! 47 00:01:34,511 --> 00:01:36,463 Indeed there was a lot to discuss. 48 00:01:36,463 --> 00:01:37,805 for months now, peeps in France 49 00:01:37,805 --> 00:01:39,265 have been teaching the world 50 00:01:39,265 --> 00:01:41,096 a valuable lesson on how to wage 51 00:01:41,096 --> 00:01:43,574 a popular mothafuckin insurrection. 52 00:02:06,225 --> 00:02:07,359 While a fair amount of attention 53 00:02:07,359 --> 00:02:08,997 has been devoted to Nuit Debout 54 00:02:08,997 --> 00:02:10,135 - the vibrant movement 55 00:02:10,135 --> 00:02:11,449 of participatory democracy 56 00:02:11,449 --> 00:02:12,993 whose participants continue to hold 57 00:02:12,993 --> 00:02:14,375 nightly assemblies in cities 58 00:02:14,375 --> 00:02:15,543 across the country, 59 00:02:15,543 --> 00:02:16,774 outside of these occupations, 60 00:02:16,774 --> 00:02:18,728 a broader decentralized movement 61 00:02:18,728 --> 00:02:20,155 has been steadily expanding 62 00:02:20,155 --> 00:02:22,151 in a nationwide showcase 63 00:02:22,151 --> 00:02:23,606 of tactical innovation 64 00:02:23,606 --> 00:02:25,640 and militant fucking resistance. 65 00:02:25,640 --> 00:02:26,859 In just one example, 66 00:02:26,859 --> 00:02:28,242 on mothafuckin May Day 67 00:02:28,242 --> 00:02:30,996 militants in the northern city of Rennes 68 00:02:30,996 --> 00:02:32,821 stormed and occupied La Maison du Peuple 69 00:02:32,821 --> 00:02:35,064 - or House of the People - transforming it 70 00:02:35,064 --> 00:02:37,018 into a public gathering space 71 00:02:37,018 --> 00:02:38,957 and logistical hub complete with 72 00:02:38,957 --> 00:02:41,308 its very own guerrilla radio station. 73 00:02:41,308 --> 00:02:42,746 These badass squatters held down 74 00:02:42,746 --> 00:02:44,616 the occupation for nearly two weeks, 75 00:02:44,616 --> 00:02:46,080 before a heavily militarized 76 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:48,062 tactical squad managed to take back 77 00:02:48,062 --> 00:02:49,532 the building on May 13th. 78 00:02:49,532 --> 00:02:51,935 Buuuuuuuuut rather than accepting defeat, 79 00:02:51,935 --> 00:02:53,275 peeps just said fuck it! 80 00:02:53,275 --> 00:02:54,614 And went ahead and re-occupied 81 00:02:54,614 --> 00:02:56,036 the building on May 27th, 82 00:02:56,036 --> 00:02:57,258 forcing the cops to come back 83 00:02:57,258 --> 00:02:58,637 and clear it out again two days later. 84 00:03:00,884 --> 00:03:02,579 Yup… France has become 85 00:03:02,579 --> 00:03:04,384 a veritable mosaic of revolt, 86 00:03:04,384 --> 00:03:06,234 a tapestry of combative street demos, 87 00:03:06,234 --> 00:03:07,815 occupations, direct actions, 88 00:03:07,815 --> 00:03:10,461 and nationwide one-day general strikes. 89 00:03:10,461 --> 00:03:13,303 The latest of these was on May 26th, when 90 00:03:13,303 --> 00:03:16,261 over 150,000 people took to the streets 91 00:03:16,261 --> 00:03:17,698 in cities across the country, 92 00:03:17,698 --> 00:03:19,759 with riots and clashes with police 93 00:03:19,759 --> 00:03:21,310 breaking out in Toulouse, Nantes, 94 00:03:21,310 --> 00:03:22,410 Lyon, and Bordeaux. 95 00:03:22,410 --> 00:03:24,443 In Paris over 20,000 peeps 96 00:03:24,443 --> 00:03:25,827 took to the streets for a 97 00:03:25,827 --> 00:03:27,171 particularly rowdy demo. 98 00:03:27,171 --> 00:03:28,379 During the fracas 99 00:03:28,379 --> 00:03:30,660 a 28 year old photographer, Romain D, 100 00:03:30,660 --> 00:03:31,905 was critically injured 101 00:03:31,905 --> 00:03:33,386 by a police flashbang grenade 102 00:03:33,386 --> 00:03:34,484 and ended up spending 103 00:03:34,484 --> 00:03:35,743 eight days in a coma. 104 00:03:39,585 --> 00:03:42,299 On June 4th a large contingent of antifa 105 00:03:42,299 --> 00:03:43,643 hit the streets of Paris 106 00:03:43,643 --> 00:03:45,666 to commemorate the third anniversary 107 00:03:45,666 --> 00:03:48,272 of the murder of 18 year old anti-fascist 108 00:03:48,272 --> 00:03:49,676 Clément Méric, 109 00:03:49,676 --> 00:03:51,694 who was killed by neo-nazi shitbuckets 110 00:03:51,694 --> 00:03:53,234 back in 2013. 111 00:03:53,234 --> 00:03:54,650 After a few luxury shops 112 00:03:54,650 --> 00:03:55,923 and a real estate agency 113 00:03:55,923 --> 00:03:57,305 were smashed the fuck up, 114 00:03:57,305 --> 00:03:59,083 the march quickly descended into 115 00:03:59,083 --> 00:04:00,227 a pitched street battle, 116 00:04:00,227 --> 00:04:01,768 with the pigs attacking the demo 117 00:04:01,768 --> 00:04:03,561 with tear gas, flashbang grenades 118 00:04:03,561 --> 00:04:04,780 and rubber bullets 119 00:04:04,780 --> 00:04:06,570 - and militants responding in turn, with 120 00:04:06,570 --> 00:04:08,562 bottles, bricks and other projectiles 121 00:04:08,562 --> 00:04:10,499 French workers have also thrown down 122 00:04:10,499 --> 00:04:11,881 in a serious fucking way, 123 00:04:11,881 --> 00:04:13,230 paralyzing the country with 124 00:04:13,230 --> 00:04:14,767 a series of coordinated strikes 125 00:04:14,767 --> 00:04:16,098 and blockades aimed at 126 00:04:16,098 --> 00:04:17,564 forcing the government to back down 127 00:04:17,564 --> 00:04:20,160 on its package of proposed labour reforms 128 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:22,110 - the so-called Loi de Travail. 129 00:04:22,110 --> 00:04:23,748 Given French workers' proud history 130 00:04:23,748 --> 00:04:25,366 of militant wildcat actions, 131 00:04:25,366 --> 00:04:26,555 bossnappings 132 00:04:26,555 --> 00:04:28,300 and industrial fucking sabotage, 133 00:04:28,300 --> 00:04:30,331 the country's tepid union leadership 134 00:04:30,331 --> 00:04:31,757 has been forced to go along 135 00:04:31,757 --> 00:04:32,759 with these strikes, 136 00:04:32,759 --> 00:04:34,199 in a desperate effort to maintain 137 00:04:34,199 --> 00:04:35,381 their position as 138 00:04:35,381 --> 00:04:36,966 the legitimate negotiating partners 139 00:04:36,966 --> 00:04:37,953 of the French State. 140 00:04:37,953 --> 00:04:39,359 This wave of labour unrest 141 00:04:39,359 --> 00:04:40,384 has hit the energy and 142 00:04:40,384 --> 00:04:43,035 transportation sectors particularly hard, 143 00:04:43,035 --> 00:04:45,217 with workers blockading oil refineries 144 00:04:45,217 --> 00:04:46,228 and fuel depots, 145 00:04:46,228 --> 00:04:48,655 and shutting down nuclear power stations 146 00:04:48,655 --> 00:04:50,787 causing long line-ups at gas stations 147 00:04:50,787 --> 00:04:52,459 and forcing the government to dip into 148 00:04:52,459 --> 00:04:54,085 its strategic fuel reserves. 149 00:04:54,085 --> 00:04:55,511 These workers have been joined by 150 00:04:55,511 --> 00:04:56,847 striking train operators, 151 00:04:56,847 --> 00:04:58,361 dock workers, truck drivers, 152 00:04:58,361 --> 00:04:59,780 air traffic controllers, 153 00:04:59,780 --> 00:05:01,404 and thousands of striking students. 154 00:05:01,404 --> 00:05:02,947 Pilots with the national airline, 155 00:05:02,947 --> 00:05:05,187 Air France, have also joined the fray, 156 00:05:05,187 --> 00:05:07,440 announcing plans for a three-day strike. 157 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:08,628 This ongoing unrest 158 00:05:08,628 --> 00:05:10,383 comes at a particularly bad time for 159 00:05:10,383 --> 00:05:12,414 France’s shit-sipping socialist president, 160 00:05:12,414 --> 00:05:13,798 Francois Hollande. 161 00:05:13,798 --> 00:05:15,593 At the time of writing, the country 162 00:05:15,593 --> 00:05:17,288 is bracing itself to play host 163 00:05:17,288 --> 00:05:18,649 to Euro 2016 164 00:05:19,729 --> 00:05:21,410 - a month-long football extravaganza 165 00:05:21,410 --> 00:05:22,877 that will inundate the country 166 00:05:22,877 --> 00:05:23,772 with tourists, 167 00:05:23,772 --> 00:05:24,980 and put it firmly under 168 00:05:24,980 --> 00:05:26,377 the international spotlight. 169 00:05:26,377 --> 00:05:28,489 With the ruling Parti Socialiste 170 00:05:28,489 --> 00:05:30,447 stubbornly refusing to back down, 171 00:05:30,447 --> 00:05:32,434 the national trade unions calling for 172 00:05:32,434 --> 00:05:34,702 another general strike on June 14th, 173 00:05:34,702 --> 00:05:36,543 and intransigent French youth 174 00:05:36,543 --> 00:05:38,574 giving no sign that they're gonna stop 175 00:05:38,574 --> 00:05:40,238 lobbing rocks and bottles at pigs, 176 00:05:40,238 --> 00:05:42,552 and setting shit on fire anytime soon, 177 00:05:42,552 --> 00:05:45,359 the coming days and weeks should make 178 00:05:45,359 --> 00:05:46,971 for quite the fucking show. 179 00:06:59,925 --> 00:07:01,040 In my last sedition, 180 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:02,366 me and my subMedia slaves 181 00:07:02,366 --> 00:07:03,830 took a fond look back at 182 00:07:03,830 --> 00:07:05,329 the mothafuckin Oaxaca Commune, 183 00:07:05,329 --> 00:07:07,347 an epic six-month long uprising 184 00:07:07,347 --> 00:07:09,775 that turns ten years old on June 14th. 185 00:07:09,775 --> 00:07:11,549 In my report, I pointed out that 186 00:07:11,549 --> 00:07:13,458 the teachers of Section 22 187 00:07:13,458 --> 00:07:14,997 of the Coordinadora Nacional 188 00:07:14,997 --> 00:07:16,461 de Trabajadores de la Educación, 189 00:07:16,461 --> 00:07:17,481 or CNTE, 190 00:07:17,481 --> 00:07:19,426 who kicked things off back in '06, 191 00:07:19,426 --> 00:07:21,583 are still holding shit down to this day. 192 00:07:21,583 --> 00:07:22,600 For three years now, 193 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:23,906 they've spearheaded resistance to 194 00:07:23,906 --> 00:07:25,813 neoliberal education reforms that 195 00:07:25,813 --> 00:07:27,889 Mexico's taco-smuggling president, 196 00:07:27,889 --> 00:07:30,204 Enrique Peña Nieto, has been trying to 197 00:07:30,204 --> 00:07:31,916 impose on the whole fucking country. 198 00:07:31,916 --> 00:07:33,503 Well... this work paid off. 199 00:07:33,503 --> 00:07:35,614 And on May 15th - or Mexico’s 200 00:07:35,614 --> 00:07:37,288 national day of the teacher, 201 00:07:37,288 --> 00:07:39,037 members of the CNTE launched 202 00:07:39,037 --> 00:07:40,464 an indefinite mothafuckin strike, 203 00:07:40,464 --> 00:07:42,338 and peeps around the country took part 204 00:07:42,338 --> 00:07:44,088 in a day of action that saw marches, 205 00:07:44,088 --> 00:07:46,076 rallies and plaza occupations, 206 00:07:46,076 --> 00:07:47,486 or plantóns, 207 00:07:47,486 --> 00:07:50,573 break out in 23 of Mexico’s 31 states. 208 00:07:50,573 --> 00:07:52,127 Since then, this strike has 209 00:07:52,127 --> 00:07:54,000 totally fucking paralyzed Mexico's 210 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:55,335 education system, 211 00:07:55,335 --> 00:07:57,286 with thousands of schools shut down 212 00:07:57,286 --> 00:07:58,888 in the southern states of Oaxaca, 213 00:07:58,888 --> 00:08:01,172 Chiapas, Guerrero, Veracruz and Michoacan 214 00:08:01,172 --> 00:08:03,006 and support going strong in Mexico's 215 00:08:03,006 --> 00:08:04,717 Federal District - where one in five 216 00:08:04,717 --> 00:08:05,856 Mexicans live. 217 00:08:05,856 --> 00:08:07,800 In Chiapas on May 27th, 218 00:08:07,800 --> 00:08:09,714 thousands of teachers temporarily 219 00:08:09,714 --> 00:08:11,545 took over a number of private radio 220 00:08:11,545 --> 00:08:12,808 and television stations 221 00:08:12,808 --> 00:08:14,597 to call bullshit on the corporate media’s 222 00:08:14,597 --> 00:08:15,733 framing of the strike, 223 00:08:15,733 --> 00:08:17,117 and to get their own message out. 224 00:08:17,117 --> 00:08:18,948 That same day, teachers in Oaxaca, 225 00:08:18,948 --> 00:08:22,021 in a truly impressive tactical manuever, 226 00:08:22,021 --> 00:08:23,414 managed to surround a contingent 227 00:08:23,414 --> 00:08:25,090 of hundreds of federal police, 228 00:08:25,090 --> 00:08:26,545 forcing the pigs into 229 00:08:26,545 --> 00:08:27,940 the awkward situation of having to 230 00:08:27,940 --> 00:08:29,447 negotiate their own withdrawal. 231 00:08:30,237 --> 00:08:32,491 In the areas most heavily impacted 232 00:08:32,491 --> 00:08:33,316 by the strikes, 233 00:08:33,316 --> 00:08:34,896 the teachers enjoy widespread 234 00:08:34,896 --> 00:08:35,793 public support. 235 00:08:35,793 --> 00:08:37,459 Not only are they demanding that 236 00:08:37,459 --> 00:08:38,750 the government scrap their proposed 237 00:08:38,750 --> 00:08:40,399 education reforms, but they're 238 00:08:40,399 --> 00:08:42,555 also calling for increased funding 239 00:08:42,555 --> 00:08:43,919 for education more generally, 240 00:08:43,919 --> 00:08:45,786 freedom for all political prisoners 241 00:08:45,786 --> 00:08:47,338 and prisoners of conscience, 242 00:08:47,338 --> 00:08:49,204 and justice for the 43 missing 243 00:08:49,204 --> 00:08:51,970 Normalista students from Ayotzinapa. 244 00:08:52,796 --> 00:08:54,403 And that's why we're marching together... 245 00:08:54,403 --> 00:08:56,395 for our teachers... for our children... 246 00:08:56,395 --> 00:08:58,438 and for the generations still to come. 247 00:08:58,598 --> 00:08:59,739 And a bit further south, 248 00:08:59,739 --> 00:09:00,987 Colombia has also been 249 00:09:00,987 --> 00:09:02,336 brought to a standstill, 250 00:09:02,336 --> 00:09:04,234 in this case by a Paro Nacional, 251 00:09:04,234 --> 00:09:05,500 or national strike, 252 00:09:05,500 --> 00:09:08,404 initiated on May 30th by a broad-based 253 00:09:08,404 --> 00:09:09,967 coalition of Indigenous groups, 254 00:09:09,967 --> 00:09:12,037 Afro-Colombians, farmers, truck drivers, 255 00:09:12,037 --> 00:09:14,477 teachers, students and precarious workers. 256 00:09:14,477 --> 00:09:15,806 As part of the Paro, 257 00:09:15,806 --> 00:09:18,337 an estimated 100,000 people 258 00:09:18,337 --> 00:09:19,478 have taken part 259 00:09:19,478 --> 00:09:21,914 in over 100 blockades, occupations 260 00:09:21,914 --> 00:09:23,807 and so-called points of concentration 261 00:09:23,807 --> 00:09:24,917 across the country. 262 00:09:24,917 --> 00:09:26,590 This is the third Paro this year, 263 00:09:26,590 --> 00:09:27,963 and each time they've gotten 264 00:09:27,963 --> 00:09:29,294 more fucking intense. 265 00:09:29,294 --> 00:09:30,656 A defining tactical feature 266 00:09:30,656 --> 00:09:31,827 of these strikes has been 267 00:09:31,827 --> 00:09:33,582 the coordination of mass highway blockades 268 00:09:33,582 --> 00:09:36,096 by rural peasants, aimed at paralyzing 269 00:09:36,096 --> 00:09:37,973 the national transportation networks 270 00:09:37,973 --> 00:09:40,273 in order to force government concessions. 271 00:09:40,273 --> 00:09:42,086 During the current Paro, participants 272 00:09:42,086 --> 00:09:44,094 have raised a number of demands, 273 00:09:44,094 --> 00:09:46,029 many of which focus on the ongoing 274 00:09:46,029 --> 00:09:47,859 privatization of state assets 275 00:09:47,859 --> 00:09:49,401 and national resources, 276 00:09:49,401 --> 00:09:50,862 the failure of Colombia’s 277 00:09:50,862 --> 00:09:52,649 lizard-faced fuck of a president, 278 00:09:52,649 --> 00:09:54,116 Juan Manuel Santos, 279 00:09:54,116 --> 00:09:55,984 to live up to previous agreements 280 00:09:55,984 --> 00:09:57,164 with social movements, 281 00:09:57,164 --> 00:09:58,787 and the horrific fucking state 282 00:09:58,787 --> 00:10:00,127 of human rights in the country 283 00:10:00,127 --> 00:10:01,955 – where disappearances and assassinations 284 00:10:01,955 --> 00:10:03,624 of organizers and land defenders 285 00:10:03,624 --> 00:10:05,249 are still common practice. 286 00:10:05,249 --> 00:10:06,834 So.... to learn more about just 287 00:10:06,834 --> 00:10:08,678 what the fuck's going down in Colombia, 288 00:10:08,678 --> 00:10:10,243 I recently caught up with Marcela 289 00:10:10,247 --> 00:10:12,858 of las Organizaciones Sociales de Arauca 290 00:10:12,858 --> 00:10:15,773 - or the Social Organizations of Arauca. 291 00:10:15,773 --> 00:10:18,146 Hey Marcela... how the fuck are you? 292 00:10:19,066 --> 00:10:20,459 There is a lot of violence 293 00:10:20,459 --> 00:10:21,467 against the people. 294 00:10:21,467 --> 00:10:22,984 So, we are not doing well. 295 00:10:22,984 --> 00:10:24,806 On May 30th, peeps in Colombia 296 00:10:24,806 --> 00:10:26,517 staged a Paro National, 297 00:10:26,517 --> 00:10:28,212 or a nationwide blockage, 298 00:10:28,212 --> 00:10:30,571 somewhat akin to a general strike. 299 00:10:30,571 --> 00:10:32,559 What led people to take this action? 300 00:10:33,289 --> 00:10:35,647 Well, principally it's the economic model. 301 00:10:35,647 --> 00:10:36,911 The people are tired of the same 302 00:10:36,911 --> 00:10:38,862 economic policies that the government 303 00:10:38,862 --> 00:10:40,897 has been implementing for decades. 304 00:10:40,897 --> 00:10:42,848 These are the same policies that generated 305 00:10:42,848 --> 00:10:44,473 the armed conflict in the country, 306 00:10:44,473 --> 00:10:46,220 but they have also has generated 307 00:10:46,220 --> 00:10:47,967 social issues that the people can 308 00:10:47,967 --> 00:10:49,837 no longer continue to tolerate. 309 00:10:49,837 --> 00:10:51,505 So this is what has provoked this 310 00:10:51,505 --> 00:10:53,868 national agrarian, peasant, ethnic 311 00:10:53,868 --> 00:10:55,660 and popular strike. 312 00:10:55,770 --> 00:10:57,409 How was this Paro organized? 313 00:10:57,409 --> 00:10:59,135 And what has the state's response been? 314 00:10:59,135 --> 00:11:00,901 Well, the social movements are 315 00:11:00,901 --> 00:11:02,397 connected to a platform called 316 00:11:02,397 --> 00:11:03,852 the Agrarian Summit, 317 00:11:03,852 --> 00:11:05,526 which includes participation from 318 00:11:05,526 --> 00:11:07,886 peasant, indigenous and afro-descendent 319 00:11:07,886 --> 00:11:09,429 organizations. 320 00:11:09,429 --> 00:11:11,484 And there has also been dialogue with 321 00:11:11,484 --> 00:11:13,371 other members of social sectors, 322 00:11:13,371 --> 00:11:14,874 such as the truck drivers, 323 00:11:14,874 --> 00:11:17,194 transporters, labor unions, 324 00:11:17,194 --> 00:11:19,037 and other trade unions. 325 00:11:19,037 --> 00:11:20,800 The people have been protesting for 326 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:23,036 a few years now and the government has 327 00:11:23,036 --> 00:11:25,194 made promises that it has not fulfilled. 328 00:11:25,194 --> 00:11:26,658 This new strike is demanding 329 00:11:26,658 --> 00:11:29,062 the fulfilment of these prior agreements. 330 00:11:29,062 --> 00:11:31,034 And the response from the government is 331 00:11:31,034 --> 00:11:32,911 on one hand, to try and draw out 332 00:11:32,911 --> 00:11:35,377 this dialogue, prolong these negotiations, 333 00:11:35,377 --> 00:11:37,769 and on the other to repress. 334 00:11:37,769 --> 00:11:39,249 To repress the people who are 335 00:11:39,249 --> 00:11:40,753 mobilizing on the highways 336 00:11:40,753 --> 00:11:42,540 and in the lands of Colombia. 337 00:11:42,540 --> 00:11:44,210 One of the issues that organizers 338 00:11:44,210 --> 00:11:45,669 of the Paro Nacional have raised 339 00:11:45,669 --> 00:11:47,373 is the National Development Plan 340 00:11:47,373 --> 00:11:49,366 being proposed by Colombia's president 341 00:11:49,366 --> 00:11:50,938 Juan Manuel Santos. 342 00:11:50,938 --> 00:11:52,225 What does this plan entail? 343 00:11:52,225 --> 00:11:54,204 And why are people so opposed to it? 344 00:11:55,314 --> 00:11:57,265 The National Development Plan is 345 00:11:57,265 --> 00:11:59,364 a deepening of the economic policies 346 00:11:59,364 --> 00:12:00,827 of the government. 347 00:12:00,827 --> 00:12:02,583 Among other things, it allows 348 00:12:02,583 --> 00:12:04,289 the land to be concentrated, 349 00:12:04,289 --> 00:12:06,119 more than it already is, 350 00:12:06,119 --> 00:12:07,867 into the property of businessmen, 351 00:12:07,867 --> 00:12:09,159 cattle breeders, 352 00:12:09,159 --> 00:12:10,876 and owners of agro-business. 353 00:12:10,876 --> 00:12:13,360 It privileges mining, mineral extraction 354 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:14,946 and hydro-carbon extraction 355 00:12:14,946 --> 00:12:16,653 above protecting the environment... 356 00:12:16,653 --> 00:12:17,916 above maintaining 357 00:12:17,916 --> 00:12:19,460 environmental equilibrium. 358 00:12:19,460 --> 00:12:22,306 So basically it prioritizes extraction 359 00:12:22,306 --> 00:12:24,582 at the cost of the resources and wealth 360 00:12:24,582 --> 00:12:26,527 that the Colombian people produce, 361 00:12:26,527 --> 00:12:28,486 and which exist in Colombian territory. 362 00:12:28,486 --> 00:12:30,152 And this obviously negatively affects 363 00:12:30,152 --> 00:12:32,467 the quality of life of the population. 364 00:12:32,467 --> 00:12:34,412 So this is why the people are against 365 00:12:34,412 --> 00:12:36,255 the National Development Plan. 366 00:12:36,255 --> 00:12:38,580 Back in 1998, Billy Clint launched 367 00:12:38,580 --> 00:12:40,860 Plan Colombia -a bilateral agreement 368 00:12:40,860 --> 00:12:42,720 framed as an effort to help Colombia 369 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:44,191 fight a so-called War on Drugs. 370 00:12:44,191 --> 00:12:46,470 This arrangement has continued under 371 00:12:46,470 --> 00:12:48,742 both the Bush and Obama administrations 372 00:12:48,742 --> 00:12:50,651 and has since served as a model 373 00:12:50,651 --> 00:12:52,715 for the current war on drugs in Mexico. 374 00:12:52,715 --> 00:12:54,793 What material effects has Plan Colombia 375 00:12:54,793 --> 00:12:56,541 had on social movements in your country? 376 00:12:57,871 --> 00:12:59,792 The consequences have been more poverty 377 00:12:59,792 --> 00:13:01,728 and more militarization. 378 00:13:01,728 --> 00:13:03,571 Really, drugs were just an excuse, 379 00:13:03,571 --> 00:13:04,990 because here the drug problem 380 00:13:04,990 --> 00:13:06,165 has not been resolved. 381 00:13:06,165 --> 00:13:07,964 What was gained through Plan Colombia 382 00:13:07,964 --> 00:13:09,545 was a massive increase to the budget 383 00:13:09,545 --> 00:13:13,099 and resources required to finance the war, 384 00:13:13,099 --> 00:13:15,618 to finance the state security forces, 385 00:13:15,618 --> 00:13:18,283 to militarize the territories, the cities, 386 00:13:18,283 --> 00:13:19,499 the countryside... 387 00:13:19,499 --> 00:13:21,371 and so a consequence is that today 388 00:13:21,371 --> 00:13:23,405 peoples lives are more heavily controlled. 389 00:13:23,405 --> 00:13:24,826 Now the private sphere 390 00:13:24,826 --> 00:13:25,962 has been militarized, 391 00:13:25,962 --> 00:13:27,619 the schools have been militarized, 392 00:13:27,619 --> 00:13:28,887 civil life in general 393 00:13:28,887 --> 00:13:30,079 has been militarized. 394 00:13:30,079 --> 00:13:32,343 That is the consequence of Plan Colombia. 395 00:13:32,343 --> 00:13:34,606 And the phenomenon of narco trafficking 396 00:13:34,606 --> 00:13:35,882 and the production of crops 397 00:13:35,882 --> 00:13:37,140 with illegal uses, 398 00:13:37,140 --> 00:13:38,786 continues basically the same. 399 00:13:38,786 --> 00:13:40,471 How have the recent peace negotiations 400 00:13:40,471 --> 00:13:41,688 between the government 401 00:13:41,688 --> 00:13:43,106 and guerrilla groups like the FARC 402 00:13:43,106 --> 00:13:45,599 and ELN affected the overall 403 00:13:45,599 --> 00:13:47,145 political atmosphere in Colombia? 404 00:13:47,145 --> 00:13:49,420 Well, the impact has been pretty negative 405 00:13:49,420 --> 00:13:50,882 because on one hand, 406 00:13:50,882 --> 00:13:52,588 the talks are not focused on resolving 407 00:13:52,588 --> 00:13:54,209 the grave social issues that exist 408 00:13:54,209 --> 00:13:55,379 here in Colombia. 409 00:13:55,379 --> 00:13:57,422 What it has generated, on the other hand, 410 00:13:57,422 --> 00:13:58,844 is polarization between 411 00:13:58,844 --> 00:14:00,554 different sectors of the right-wing. 412 00:14:00,554 --> 00:14:02,010 The neoliberal right-wing 413 00:14:02,010 --> 00:14:04,288 of the industrial bourgeoisie, which is 414 00:14:04,288 --> 00:14:06,961 connected to transnational corporations 415 00:14:06,961 --> 00:14:08,813 has been supporting the peace process, 416 00:14:08,813 --> 00:14:10,933 because it's a convenient solution 417 00:14:10,933 --> 00:14:12,963 for them to pacify the territories, 418 00:14:12,963 --> 00:14:14,268 in order to guarantee 419 00:14:14,268 --> 00:14:16,641 the extraction of natural resources. 420 00:14:16,641 --> 00:14:18,159 And the ultra right-wing, that is 421 00:14:18,159 --> 00:14:20,518 closer to the cattle-breeding sector, 422 00:14:20,518 --> 00:14:23,046 the oligarchy that is more closely aligned 423 00:14:23,046 --> 00:14:25,164 with the land and landowners... 424 00:14:25,164 --> 00:14:27,319 has not supported this process, 425 00:14:27,319 --> 00:14:29,430 because they still believe that the state 426 00:14:29,430 --> 00:14:31,833 has the military and economic capacity 427 00:14:31,833 --> 00:14:34,163 to terminate and eliminate the guerrillas. 428 00:14:34,163 --> 00:14:35,862 So this has been a small difference 429 00:14:35,862 --> 00:14:38,098 in terms of the specific methods that 430 00:14:38,098 --> 00:14:40,814 the right-wing and the oligarchy advocate 431 00:14:40,814 --> 00:14:43,141 for ending the country's insurgency. 432 00:14:43,141 --> 00:14:45,481 And so what the peace talks have done 433 00:14:45,481 --> 00:14:47,398 is to polarize public opinion 434 00:14:47,398 --> 00:14:49,795 between the two right-wing positions. 435 00:14:49,795 --> 00:14:51,739 And as for the position of resolving, 436 00:14:51,739 --> 00:14:53,113 in a structural way, 437 00:14:53,113 --> 00:14:55,111 the problems facing the people 438 00:14:55,111 --> 00:14:56,494 living in bad conditions... 439 00:14:56,499 --> 00:14:59,020 this position is isolated, 440 00:14:59,020 --> 00:15:01,233 neutralized and invisibilized. 441 00:15:01,233 --> 00:15:02,344 As a precursor to 442 00:15:02,344 --> 00:15:03,590 the current peace process, 443 00:15:03,590 --> 00:15:06,768 in 2003 the government of Álvaro Uribe 444 00:15:06,768 --> 00:15:08,680 began negotiations aimed at 445 00:15:08,680 --> 00:15:10,789 demobilizing right-wing paramilitary 446 00:15:10,789 --> 00:15:12,091 death squads, such as 447 00:15:12,091 --> 00:15:14,288 the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, 448 00:15:14,288 --> 00:15:15,456 or AUC. 449 00:15:15,456 --> 00:15:16,933 This process was supposed to have 450 00:15:16,933 --> 00:15:18,471 finished in 2006. 451 00:15:18,471 --> 00:15:20,678 Did these groups actually demobilize? 452 00:15:20,678 --> 00:15:21,776 And what happened to 453 00:15:21,776 --> 00:15:22,876 the members of these groups? 454 00:15:24,736 --> 00:15:27,268 Well, really it is not them... 455 00:15:27,268 --> 00:15:30,069 paramilitarism is not a group of people. 456 00:15:30,069 --> 00:15:32,226 Paramilitarism is a strategy, 457 00:15:32,226 --> 00:15:35,482 or mechanism of extrajudicial violence. 458 00:15:35,482 --> 00:15:36,826 Of dirty war. 459 00:15:36,826 --> 00:15:38,813 Paramilitarism was implemented 460 00:15:38,813 --> 00:15:40,247 by the Colombian government, 461 00:15:40,247 --> 00:15:41,510 by private armed groups, 462 00:15:41,510 --> 00:15:42,849 but also by members of 463 00:15:42,849 --> 00:15:45,003 the state security forces - the police, 464 00:15:45,003 --> 00:15:48,459 army, security organisms, DAS - 465 00:15:48,459 --> 00:15:49,841 to be able to carry out 466 00:15:49,841 --> 00:15:51,424 undercover operations. 467 00:15:51,424 --> 00:15:53,776 That is what paramilitarism is... 468 00:15:53,776 --> 00:15:55,764 it's a mechanism that claims to be 469 00:15:55,764 --> 00:15:58,000 a third actor, external to the government, 470 00:15:58,000 --> 00:15:59,901 that carries out grave crimes 471 00:15:59,901 --> 00:16:01,093 such as tortures, 472 00:16:01,093 --> 00:16:03,700 disappearances, massacres etc. 473 00:16:03,700 --> 00:16:05,355 It is logical that if there are 474 00:16:05,355 --> 00:16:07,386 private individuals who participated 475 00:16:07,386 --> 00:16:08,968 in these structures, they could have 476 00:16:08,968 --> 00:16:10,725 been demobilized in a dialogue 477 00:16:10,725 --> 00:16:12,222 with President Uribe. 478 00:16:12,222 --> 00:16:13,769 Some of these people were. 479 00:16:13,769 --> 00:16:16,370 But others continue carrying out this role 480 00:16:16,370 --> 00:16:18,357 - so knowing that, what had to be 481 00:16:18,357 --> 00:16:19,627 eliminated was not 482 00:16:19,627 --> 00:16:21,660 the individuals involved, but precisely 483 00:16:21,660 --> 00:16:23,729 the mechanism of illegal violence 484 00:16:23,729 --> 00:16:25,354 that has been implemented by 485 00:16:25,354 --> 00:16:27,207 the Colombian state since the 70s, 486 00:16:27,207 --> 00:16:29,540 when paramilitarism began. 487 00:16:29,540 --> 00:16:31,129 And this has not been resolved. 488 00:16:31,129 --> 00:16:33,283 Paramilitarism continues to exist 489 00:16:33,283 --> 00:16:35,520 and those in power continue to use it. 490 00:16:35,520 --> 00:16:37,348 There is the clear case of the 491 00:16:37,348 --> 00:16:40,108 disappearances of activists demanding 492 00:16:40,108 --> 00:16:42,771 Land Restitution for displaced people. 493 00:16:42,771 --> 00:16:43,892 Despite the fact that 494 00:16:43,892 --> 00:16:45,971 these paramilitary groups no longer 495 00:16:45,971 --> 00:16:47,505 officially exist, these people 496 00:16:47,505 --> 00:16:49,594 continue to be assassinated. 497 00:16:49,594 --> 00:16:51,005 And they continue to be assassinated 498 00:16:51,005 --> 00:16:52,398 for the same reasons. 499 00:16:52,398 --> 00:16:54,228 For decades Colombia has been known 500 00:16:54,228 --> 00:16:56,264 as one of the most dangerous countries 501 00:16:56,264 --> 00:16:58,495 in the world for trade unionists. 502 00:16:58,495 --> 00:16:59,963 What is the current situation 503 00:16:59,963 --> 00:17:01,743 facing workers in Colombia? 504 00:17:02,743 --> 00:17:04,356 The situation is grave. 505 00:17:04,356 --> 00:17:05,818 You no longer hear statistics 506 00:17:05,818 --> 00:17:08,054 of hundreds of dead labour unionists... 507 00:17:08,054 --> 00:17:10,609 because they have already been killed. 508 00:17:10,609 --> 00:17:12,162 So... with this violent aggression 509 00:17:12,162 --> 00:17:13,620 against the labour union sector, 510 00:17:13,620 --> 00:17:15,533 the unions have become divided 511 00:17:15,533 --> 00:17:17,314 and the people have been dissuaded 512 00:17:17,314 --> 00:17:19,190 from joining these labour unions. 513 00:17:19,190 --> 00:17:20,533 And the few that still exist 514 00:17:20,533 --> 00:17:22,011 are always threatened. 515 00:17:22,011 --> 00:17:23,738 They live controlled by the state, 516 00:17:23,738 --> 00:17:25,564 and repressed by their bosses 517 00:17:25,564 --> 00:17:27,808 - like the cases of Coca Cola, Nestle, 518 00:17:27,808 --> 00:17:29,597 and Drummond - where it was proved 519 00:17:29,597 --> 00:17:31,307 that these companies used 520 00:17:31,307 --> 00:17:33,453 paramilitarism to control and eliminate 521 00:17:33,453 --> 00:17:34,760 labour leaders. 522 00:17:34,760 --> 00:17:36,548 The result is that we don't even have 523 00:17:36,548 --> 00:17:38,621 10% of the unionized workers 524 00:17:38,621 --> 00:17:40,354 that we had 20 years ago. 525 00:17:40,354 --> 00:17:41,598 Anything else you wanna add? 526 00:17:42,638 --> 00:17:44,644 Well, what the peasants are demanding 527 00:17:44,644 --> 00:17:46,634 - the peasants, indigenous people, 528 00:17:46,634 --> 00:17:48,910 afro-descendant people, and the other 529 00:17:48,910 --> 00:17:50,777 sectors that have joined this strike - 530 00:17:50,777 --> 00:17:53,002 is the minimum that any inhabitant 531 00:17:53,002 --> 00:17:54,629 of this country could demand... 532 00:17:54,629 --> 00:17:56,714 to live in dignified conditions. 533 00:17:56,714 --> 00:17:58,423 They are not asking for the government 534 00:17:58,423 --> 00:17:59,967 to fulfil the impossible. 535 00:17:59,967 --> 00:18:02,087 But the economic sectors that obviously 536 00:18:02,087 --> 00:18:04,240 hold the political power in Colombia 537 00:18:04,240 --> 00:18:06,922 do not want to cede absolutely anything. 538 00:18:06,922 --> 00:18:09,158 They want to continue accumulating all of 539 00:18:09,158 --> 00:18:11,311 the wealth that the country produces. 540 00:18:11,311 --> 00:18:13,708 The wealth of the natural resources, 541 00:18:13,708 --> 00:18:15,756 but also the wealth that is produced 542 00:18:15,756 --> 00:18:16,962 by the workers. 543 00:18:16,962 --> 00:18:18,543 And because of this, they won't even 544 00:18:18,543 --> 00:18:21,407 allow for a decrease in the price of fuel, 545 00:18:21,407 --> 00:18:22,981 or a lowering in the price of 546 00:18:22,981 --> 00:18:24,597 agricultural supplies. 547 00:18:24,597 --> 00:18:25,732 They won't even invest 548 00:18:25,732 --> 00:18:28,019 a couple million pesos to fix the roads, 549 00:18:28,019 --> 00:18:30,337 the ones used by the peasants to bring 550 00:18:30,337 --> 00:18:32,790 their products to the principle cities. 551 00:18:32,790 --> 00:18:34,616 They won't do it and we don't know 552 00:18:34,616 --> 00:18:36,760 how long the people will have to protest 553 00:18:36,760 --> 00:18:38,023 to force the government 554 00:18:38,023 --> 00:18:39,644 to come to the table. 555 00:18:39,644 --> 00:18:40,966 Thanks Marcela. 556 00:18:40,966 --> 00:18:42,888 And that about does it for this sedition 557 00:18:42,888 --> 00:18:44,368 of it’s the end of the world 558 00:18:44,368 --> 00:18:46,088 as we know it and I feel fine. 559 00:18:46,088 --> 00:18:48,141 We’d like to give a huge mothafuckin 560 00:18:48,141 --> 00:18:49,766 welcome to the newest member of 561 00:18:49,766 --> 00:18:52,024 the subMedia.tv family. 562 00:18:52,024 --> 00:18:54,162 Weighing a whooping 10 pounds, 563 00:18:54,162 --> 00:18:56,485 the person known as Agent Charlie 564 00:18:56,485 --> 00:18:58,399 will be producing a mustard-like 565 00:18:58,399 --> 00:19:00,365 substance, and keep us awake at night 566 00:19:00,365 --> 00:19:02,069 for the next few months. 567 00:19:02,069 --> 00:19:03,747 To the elites of the world, 568 00:19:03,747 --> 00:19:06,075 we’d like to say - watch the fuck out! 569 00:19:06,075 --> 00:19:08,177 Because Agent Charlie is already training 570 00:19:08,177 --> 00:19:10,951 to be a lean mean fascist-killing machine. 571 00:19:10,951 --> 00:19:12,901 Bienvenido al mundo mi hijo! 572 00:19:12,901 --> 00:19:14,500 Don’t forget that if you would like 573 00:19:14,500 --> 00:19:16,267 to know the names of the songs we played, 574 00:19:16,267 --> 00:19:17,657 the samples we used, 575 00:19:17,657 --> 00:19:19,482 to subscribe to our podcast, 576 00:19:19,482 --> 00:19:21,037 sign up to our email list 577 00:19:21,037 --> 00:19:23,145 or to send me diaper changing techniques 578 00:19:23,145 --> 00:19:25,066 just visit my fuckin website: 579 00:19:27,422 --> 00:19:29,096 that said, this recital of 580 00:19:29,096 --> 00:19:30,807 reactionary rethoric is made possible 581 00:19:30,807 --> 00:19:32,270 because slaves like you kick down 582 00:19:32,270 --> 00:19:34,300 a few bucks to help us keep the lights on. 583 00:19:34,300 --> 00:19:37,310 So many muthafuckin thanks to Mathew, 584 00:19:37,310 --> 00:19:39,183 Jennifer, Banjamin, John, Francois, 585 00:19:39,183 --> 00:19:41,044 Dylan, Kyle, Steven, Jonathan, Shannon, 586 00:19:41,044 --> 00:19:43,248 Margaret, Derrick, Marten, Meghsha, Max, 587 00:19:43,248 --> 00:19:45,240 Gregory, Breton, David, Maciej, Ricky, 588 00:19:45,240 --> 00:19:47,469 Andrew, Alexanda, Roma, Sebastian, Yifan, 589 00:19:47,469 --> 00:19:49,707 Mason, Christopher, Reto, Jeremy, Gavin, 590 00:19:49,707 --> 00:19:52,102 Willie, Justyna, Kirk, Michael , Marisol, 591 00:19:52,102 --> 00:19:54,948 Joseph, Sawyer, Raul, Sky, Andrew, Lauren, 592 00:19:54,948 --> 00:19:57,185 Sebastien, Coby, Juliano, Stephen, Bruno, 593 00:19:57,185 --> 00:19:58,445 Gabriel and William. 594 00:19:58,765 --> 00:19:59,740 Tortas! 595 00:19:59,740 --> 00:20:01,248 I also would like to welcome 596 00:20:01,248 --> 00:20:03,890 the newest members of the taconspiracy: 597 00:20:03,890 --> 00:20:06,414 Raul, Sawyer, Marten and Crystel. 598 00:20:06,704 --> 00:20:07,833 Janitzio! 599 00:20:07,833 --> 00:20:09,262 Finally I’d like to send a shout out 600 00:20:09,262 --> 00:20:11,783 to Blandine and Milene for facilitating 601 00:20:11,783 --> 00:20:14,015 our coverage in Mexico and Colombia, 602 00:20:14,015 --> 00:20:16,334 and to our incredible translation team 603 00:20:16,334 --> 00:20:18,560 for taking the time to interpret the word 604 00:20:18,560 --> 00:20:20,930 fuck in many muthafuckin languages. 605 00:20:20,930 --> 00:20:22,352 Domo Arigato! 606 00:20:22,352 --> 00:20:24,710 Stay tuned next time for more news 607 00:20:24,710 --> 00:20:26,855 from the global muthafuckin resistance. 608 00:20:26,855 --> 00:20:28,789 Hasta la pasta compañeros!