Voku for Solidarity With Migrants & book presentation ‘The Light of the Beast’ by Pablo Allison

Thursday 15 February 2024, Voku for Solidarity With Migrants & book presentation ‘The Light of the Beast’ by Pablo Allison. Door opens at 7pm with food. The book presentation from Pablo Allison starts around 20:30. No reservation.

The Light of the Beast is the culmination of six years work documenting migrants traveling from Central America, through Mexico and into the USA as the final destination. Since 2007, British-Mexican artist Pablo Allison has tried to understand life and its intricacies, by documenting migration and its consequences.

‘The Beast’ or ‘La Bestia’ as migrants call it, is a freight train that carries goods between Canada, the United States of America and Mexico. As most people who leave their countries travel with no money, ‘La Bestia” represents the only way to get to the USA border, despite this being forbidden by Mexican authorities.
This journey is tough and it can be extremely dangerous for people to travel this way, for a number of reasons. These travellers often referred to as migrants, run a high chance of being kidnapped, mugged, extorted or ending up dead in the desert before they reach their destination.
The majority of migrants that use this mode of transport come from countries with the highest levels of violence in the world. Places like Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala are examples of countries where the situation is so untenable that undertaking this potentially devastating journey is an only option for survival.
The vast amount of migrants that leave their countries are forced to, due to the oppression and extreme violence caused by delinquent groups that dominate entire communities. Violence in these countries is a product of decades of poverty and a lack of decent and fair policies from governments in Central America as well as from US interventions over many decades. https://www.pabloallison.co.uk/

The benefit for this voku is Solidarity With Migrants, an open assembly in solidarity with migrants in Greece consisting of locals, internationals and migrants against racism, fascism, and capitalism.
Our speech and actions are against the war against migrants waged by the states, capitalism and all kinds of racists and fascists, focusing on the anti- migration policy of the Greek state and the dehumanising camp system. We seek the communication between and connection of the struggles of locals and migrants against our common enemies, in the context of international struggles against all forms of oppression and devaluation of our lives. People attending and participating in the assembly come from different backgrounds and are often faced with different forms of oppression and violence (racist, gender violence, sexism, classism etc). Many of us are also involved in political movements, antifascist, antiracist, antisexist and other struggles. We want all to be equal and we also want society to become fair and free for everyone. This is the basis of everything we do.
We are not an NGO nor in another way an official organization so we don’t get funded from anyone and we are also totally independent from refugees organizations, the greek government and the European Union. According to our political standpoint of opposing all these, refusing funding by them is essential.

Solidarity With Migrants: solidaritymigrants [at] riseup [dot] net […Lees verder]

Benefit voku for Jorge Esquivel, punk prisoner in Mexico

Thursday 1st june 2023, Benefit voku for Jorge Esquivel, punk prisoner in Mexico. Food served from 7pm, no reservation.

Call for solidarity with Jorge Esquivel, punk prisoner in Mexico

Jorge “Yorch” Esquivel is a beloved compañero of the punk community, and a long-time participant of the Okupa Che Guevara. He was arrested on December 8, 2022 by plainclothes police as he was leaving the campus of the Ciudad Universitaria (of the UNAM university) in Mexico City as part of a campaign of criminalization against the Okupa.

BACKGROUND

On February 24, 2016, an operative was carried out in which plainclothes policemen arbitrarily detained him, “planting” drugs on him in order to fabricate crimes against him. The whole case was plagued with irregularities. He was transferred to Oaxaca and then to a maximum security prison in Hermosillo. The authorities used this strategy under the supposition that the distance would hinder his legal defense, but even so, thanks to the solidarity and legal work, he was reclassified from the crime of drug dealing to simple possession of narcotics, so he was released on bail in March 2016.

Jorge decided not to continue with the legal process due to the fabricated charges case against him and the climate of repression towards the Okupa. In the meantime, the frame-up continued to be put together. Constant threats and journalistic reports did not cease; the press even took him for dead and accused him of participating in organized crime.

On December 9, 2022 he was arrested in exactly the same place – a few steps outside Ciudad Universitaria, where the Okupa is located and again by plainclothes police – with the grounds for this illegal detention being that the Attorney General’s Office appealed the decision to reclassify the crime.

The compañero’s health is fragile due to an extended hospitalization a couple years back and more recent bouts with different illnesses.

CURRENT SITUATION

Jorge is currently incarcerated in the Reclusorio Oriente prison in Mexico City, where he was recently transferred from the observation and classification area to the general prison population area. For nearly three months he was unable to receive visits other than from his lawyers, but he had his first authorized visit on March 5.

The legal process is in the evidence stage. The Attorney General’s evidence includes the testimony of the police officers who detained Jorge; one of them is deceased and the other has not been located. Due to this, the hearing scheduled for February 17, 2023 did not take place and a date was set for April 14.

On behalf of the legal team that has been working in solidarity to defend Jorge, two expert reports will be presented by an external expert (called a perito in Mexico), one in dactyloscopy to prove that the packages of narcotics were never touched by Jorge, and another one in criminalistics. These expert reports will be presented once the hearing is held on April

Thanks to the solidarity of individuals, collectives and networks, it has been possible to cover Jorge’s expenses inside the prison, which have been very high due to the blatant corruption that reigns in Mexican prisons run by mafia groups that charge prisoners for everything from use of the bathroom to water, electricity, even the cell they are held in. So in addition to Jorge’s costs in prison and other legal fees related to the case, we call upon the solidarity of our friends and compañerxs around the world to help us in supporting our compañero Yorch.

Volkseten Vegazulu is a people’s kitchens existing since the very beginning of Joe’s Garage, June 2005. Your donations are welcome. Food is vegan, no reservation. All benefits go to social & political struggles. Joe’s Garage is a space run by volunteers. Without a collective effort, without your active participation, we’re remaining closed. Get in touch in you feel like giving a hand. We’re always looking for cooks. Any help is welcome in the kitchen. Experience not required. If you want to know which days are still available, mail us.

Solidarity voku for El Real Under cultural center in Mexico city

Monday August 17th 2020, Solidarity voku for El Real Under cultural center in Mexico city, from 7pm till 9pm. No reservation.

Voku and take away. Bring your own container. El real under has been home of the alternative scene in Mexico city, has offered cultural, social, ecological support events and concerts for social causes, El Under is the benchmark in Mexico city as a meeting point for those who looking for art, fun and rebellion. If you want to support El Real Under you can do it direct with them.
PayPal: zedkiel [at] gmail [dot] com. ( Donations Real Under)
Bank account: 6477636272 Card no: 42131 66108 473681
Clabe: 02118 0064 7763 62726 HSBC in name of, Estefani Dolores Carmona
http://theunder.org/ […Lees verder]

♬♬♬ Concert with Arrajatabla from Mexico City ♬♬♬ Radar benefit voku

Monday September 2nd 2019, Concert with Arrajatabla from Mexico City. Radar benefit voku. Volkseten Vegazulu, 7pm. Music on the stage between 21:00 and 22:00.

If you missed Arrajatabla on saturday at the 35 Binnenpret anniversary party, here is your chance. Arrajatabla are from Mexico City, they play Mexican Son and traditional music from different regions of Mexico. https://youtu.be/cdrNjRTzfHw

Joe’s Garage is always looking for cooks. Any help is welcome in the kitchen. Experience not required. If you want to know which days are still available in the schedule, mail us and book yourself the night. You can, of course, also participate by rolling up your sleeves and doing the dishes.

Ajo Negro antiauthoritarian kitchen & info evening about the criminalization of social movements, forced disappearance, torture and impunity in Mexico

Thursday May 9th 2019, Ajo Negro antiauthoritarian kitchen, Volkseten Vegazulu, 7pm. After the food, info evening about the criminalization of social movements, forced disappearance, torture and impunity in Mexico with Damián Gallardo, former political prisoner from Oaxaca, Mexico. The info evening will be in Spanish with English translations.

Ajo Negro is an antiauthoritarian kitchen group. The meals are strictly vegan and soja and gluten free. The benefit is on donation to cover court expenses.

Noche informativa sobre la criminalización de los movimientos sociales, la desaparición forzada, la tortura y la impunidad en Mexico con Damián Gallardo – ex preso político de Oaxaca, México. La noche informativa será en español con traducción al Inglés

[english below]

Además de la criminalización y detenciones arbitrarias, se ha documentado la agudización de todos los ataques contra activistas, líderes comunitarios, periodistas y en general contra personas defensoras de derechos humanos en Oaxaca, Mexico. Mexico. El miércoles 8 de mayo, después de Guerrilla Kitchen, tendremos la oportunidad de escuchar y hablar con Damián, un ex preso político de Oaxaca, México. Damián compartirá su experiencia vivida y sus conocimientos, en particular sobre la situación de los defensores de derechos humanos de los pueblos indígenas, muchos de ellos asesinados, otros detenidos arbitrariamente y sujetos de tortura.
Actualmente Damián se encuentra en Europa para crear conciencia sobre la represión política de los activistas en el contexto de México. Para él, será muy interesante conocer a maestros, estudiantes y activistas, para dar a conocer su caso y el de miles de presos políticos en México. […Lees verder]

Movie and Conversation: Together We Defend Our Mother Earth: Documentary on the Commons of Tila, Chiapas, Mexico

Sunday June 3rd 2018, Movie and Conversation: Together We Defend Our Mother Earth: Documentary on the Commons of Tila, Chiapas, Mexico. Door opens at 8pm, event starts at 8:30pm.

The indigenous ch’ol community in the town of Tila in Southern Chiapas, Mexico, live on the the communal lands protected legally as an ‘ejido’ (roughly: Commons). They have their own forms of governance and live in peace with most of their non-indigenous neighbours — except the authorites, who wanted to take over part of the communal lands. Left with no other option, the commoners took action against the ‘bad government’ on their lands and started to build autonomy in line with Zapatista principles and forms of organization. The documentary was made together with the commoners, to give those who are not from there the opportunity to understand the commoners’ experience and their struggle. We will watch the film, get an update on recent developments, and have a ‘conversatorio’, a conversation, about commonality, territory, solidarity, and documentary-making.
https://poeticsofresistance.wordpress.com/2016/12/21/together-we-defend-our-mother-earth-documentary-on-the-ejido-tila-chiapas-mexico/

Film night at Joe’s Garage, cozy cinema! Free entrance. You want to play a movie, let us know: joe [at] squat [dot] net

Benefit Dinner: Tila Commons, Chiapas

Monday May 28th 2018, Benefit Dinner: Tila Commons, Chiapas, Volkseten Vegazulu, 7pm.

Members of the indigenous ch’ol community in Chiapas, Mexico, near the town of Tila live on the communal lands of an ‘ejido’ (roughly: Commons). They mostly live in peace with their non-indigenous neighbours, except with the authorities who wanted to take part of the communal land. The members of the commons expelled the bad government and started to build their autonomy according to the principles of Zapatismo. They are advancing well but are under threat from paramilitary groups, and from fake news. There will also be photos and a brief talk on the current situation. The funds raised with the food will go towards their defense against fake news. laotraejidotila.blogspot.com […Lees verder]

Benefit for Radio Totopo, Mexico

Thursday 16th November 2017, Benefit for Radio Totopo, Juchitán de Zaragoza, Oaxaca, México. Volkseten Vegazulu, 7pm.

Second fundraiser for the community radio station, Radio Totopo, in their efforts to provide relief from the earthquake.
Mexico’s Community Radio Stations Fight for Survival and Recognition (article by Daniela Pastrana, May 6 2013): Radio Totopo was founded in February 2006 in the Pescadores neighbourhood, the oldest and poorest part of the city of Juchitán in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca. But the authorities closed it down in late March, even though Congress is debating a constitutional reform that would recognise community radio stations. Residents of Pescadores say the radio station belongs to all the people. Totopo, like most community radio stations in Mexico, has no official licence, and 90 percent of its programming is transmitted in Diidxazá, the language of the Zapotec indigenous people.
In recent years, Radio Totopo has supported campesinos (peasants) and fisherfolk of the local Zapotec people, who call themselves Binnizá, in resisting a wind park that the Spanish company Gas Natural Fenosa is planning to install on communal lands on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.
The indigenous Assembly of Peoples of the Isthmus in Defence of Land and Territory denounced that deception was used in the presentation of the project to the campesinos, some of whom, unable to speak Spanish and not provided with a translation, signed contracts to rent out their plots at a complete disadvantage, violating the right of native peoples to information and prior consultation.
For six months, Radio Totopo translated contracts into the Zapotec language, broadcast them and ran campaigns on the project – until Mar. 26, when state police dismantled the radio station, removed power and audio cables and took away the transmitter and a computer as part of an eviction action in the disputed area.
One of the radio station coordinators, Carlos Sánchez, sustained a broken arm during the operation and he is now in hiding to avoid detention. Mariano López Gómez, the leader of the movement opposing the wind parks, was held for several days, accused of extorting government officials. […Lees verder]