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Stanislaw Janecki, a journalist and editor of the weekly magazine Wprost was invited with journalist Jacek Zakowski to a TV program to discuss the implications of Jan Gross' book "Fear". According to Janecki, the problem of anti-semitism in Poland cannot be compared to the problem in places like Germany or the USA where people write anti-semitic graffiti on synagogues and graves, Janecki went on to explain that the problem really was that when Poles go abroad, they are "treated like anti-semites".

The discussion was at this point interrupted by a press conference.

Janecki's claims are rather commonly heard among the right in Poland. While one has to agree that such stereotypes about people are unfair and that people need to be treated individually without assumptions as to what people of their nationality "are like", such comments serve to derail serious discussion. Janecki, who somehow hasn't noticed that there is plenty of anti-semitic graffiti in Poland, apparently has chosen to keep his head in the sand.

Over the weekend, anarchists and antifascists from Bialystok made the national news by holding an antifascist march in that city. The antifascists were marching in response to increased antisemitic activity in the city of Bialystok. This has included the devastation of Jewish graves and a large quantity of antisemitic graffiti, even on the house museum of Ludwig Zamenhof. Racists have also defaced a Muslim center.

Workers at Syncreon, formerly TDS Automotive, went on strike on Monday.

The strike began on Monday after 81% of Syncreon's 250 workers voted in an assembly to reject a new salary structure as it did not includes figures for a salary increase. Workers had been demanding an increase of one euro per hour.

The strike led to Ford workers being sent home at 6pm yesterday. After management failed to make a rebnewed offer to the striking workers Ford again sent workers home today, keeoping only the marketing and hubcap sections operational.

http://libcom.org/news/belgium-striking-workers-sub-contractor-close-for...

On Thursday Jan. 10, a large rally of miners took place in front of Budryk in Ornontowice. Over 1000 people took part in the rally. Besides the miners, there were also some supporters from different unions. Letters of support from Poland and around the world were read to the miners who were in a good fighting mood. Rallies were also held in Warsaw and in Poznan in solidarity with the miners' demands.

Z German antifa activist, Andrea Neff, has been jailed for four months for merely having pepperspray on her (something which is actually LEGAL in Germany!). She now faces additional prison time for breaching probation conditions imposed on her after she attended an
anti-nazi rally with some eggs full of pepper.

As the strike goes on in Budryk, the workers who have not given in are faced by attacks not only from the media, but by other trade unions.

The Solidarity branch in Budryk has been the loudest critic of the radical strikers who insist on getting equal pay. A number of comments made by their representatives stand out as particularly scummy.

After almost three years of prisoner support activity by various concerned individuals only, Anarchist Black Cross of Moscow was finally reorganised as a functioning group last summer, as criminal persecutions against anarchists in
Russia reached their highest level in years. Previous concepts of collective membership of existing anarchist groups proved itself not capable of encouraging initiative, thus new group consists of individuals only, and is completely
independent of any existing anarchist groups (although our webpage is still hosted by Autonomous Action).

Polish Defense Minister Bogdan Klich will be visiting the US on Tues. January 15 to talk about several matters related to US and Polish military cooperation.

On Friday the Wroclaw section of the Union of Syndicalists (ZSP) held a solidarity picket for a fired activist of Workers' Initiative in front of an Auchan supermarket. The activist was fired from Auchan in Zielona Gora shortly after there was an action demanding better wages and work conditions there.

New building occcupied for social centre
Crew fighting for autonomous social centre in Helsinki has taken next step in the struggle and occupied new building 11.1.08. New house is
located in Saarenkatu 17 Helsinki. According to our sources the building is owned by the city and in good condition. During our negotiations for
E15 city officials said they respect our need for such place, but E15 is in too bad condition. Now we can see if promises of the city are worth
something.

Controversial sociologist Jan Gross's new book on anti-semitism in post-World War II Poland, 'Fear: Anti-Semitism in Poland After Auschwitz' is due out this week and is already ruffling feathers in society.

International Day of Action to Close Guantanamo - Warsaw, Jan. 11th '08

Polish citizens queuing at the U.S. embassy in Warsaw encountered a surprise this morning when 2 people dressed in orange coveralls and sensory deprivation goggles and ear muffs stood in line awaiting their turn to be processed by embassy staff. Allegedly they had heard that this was a sure way to gain entrance to the United States, whose government continue to detain and torture almost 300 prisoners at the notorious gulag in Guantanamo, Cuba.

The street theatre action was carried out by local anarchists from FA Praga and human rights activists from the Polish Campaign to Shut Down Guantanamo on the 6th anniversary of the infamous prison's gates first opening. 800 prisoners have been detained there since January 2002 and so far almost 500 have been released without charge but not without physical and emotional scars.

Polish police protecting the embassy prevented the 'prisoners' from requesting visas, so a 'Secret Service' agent instructed the 'terrorism suspects' to get into stress positions, e.g. "Get on your knees," and "Stand on one leg," as others handed out leaflets informing passers by about the International Day of Action to Close Guantanamo and other U.S. military brigs worldwide.The fact that even former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and current Secretary of Defence Robert Gates claim it should be closed is testimony to how it has brutally tarnished their government in the eyes of the world.

Production at General Motors' Opel plant in Antwerp came to a halt on Tuesday as workers protested about irregularities in their pay, a union official said.

"There's a spontaneous strike. The production line is stopped," the official said, adding about 150 workers had downed tools on the production line from about 10.30 a.m..

UPDATE: 22:35 The press is reporting that the Management agrees not to seek damages from the strikers if the strike is declared legal by the Prosecutor's Office. It wants to reserve the right to sue in case the strike is judged illegal.
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In quite unclear developments in the case of Budryk, we have confirmation from people at the negotiations that no agreement has been met. The unions cannot reach agreement on the schedule for raises; the unions are demanding that wage increases be effective immediately. Information given in the press that some unions had reached and agreement and that the Board decided not to hold the strikers liable for economic damage turned out to be incorrect.

The union Kadra has withdrawn support for the strike.

Negotiations are still going on in JSW.

Yesterday, around 10 a.m. bailiff together with cops came to Rozbrat squat. The policemen drilled the lock of the gate, the bailiff had a court's permission to come in and estimate the price of the ground. The middle part of Rozbrat squat (including both concert halls, gallery, bars, library and part of the living area) was indebted for a long time by a company that doesn't exist anymore. The ground price evaluation today means that the ground can be auctioned witthin one or two months - that can mean the end of Rozbrat squat - the longest occupied space in Poland.

We'll keep you informed. Activists od Rozbrat count on you being ready to organize solidarity actions by you and your groups!

Striking workers from Budryk who were occupying the mine have come up from underground as the management of JSW has presented a new agreement which would give them a 700 zloty wage increase. This was the amount the strikers have been demanding.

The non-striking unions in Budryk, have already signed the deal. The strikers are reading it and will meet with representatives of JSW in the morning.

This could mean that the strike has been won!

We are waiting for the deal to be signed or rejected by the strikers, but it looks like victory.