I am really disappointed when I read the last. It is obvious these demonstrators really don't understand what is going on. They (the establishment) is playing you. Every demonstration you have will be allowed to get a bit louder and rowdier. You'll break windows and, by some miracle, get away clean. You'll attack the Yuppies (who I don't really like either) and, lo and behold, the police will come late if ever. Some places you won't be able to touch but they will let you understand that by a show of pre-emptive force that you know you can't challange, so you will by-pass it for easier targets. You will become convinced that you have found the strategy and your enemies are afraid to take you on. You'll declare more and more openly your goals. Then the hammer will fall. I predict it will be at the convention next year. By that time you will have, probably unknowingly, caused enough resentment to grow against you by the "average Joe" you inconvenience and the small business owner you disrupt or whose property you damage, that they will say no more than a "Oh how terrible" when you are slaughtered. The convention will be a perfect time for it to happen. A designated national security event (check into it because the rules are a lot different than a standard protest demo, even against the WB or WTO). It brings into play all the elements of the Patriot Act(?), allows military involvement, limits the review process of the courts, including federal courts, and modifies the use of force policy for the agencies involved. If you are designated a threat to a protected individual, pre-emptive deadly force is authorized. Be very careful how you plan or city streets may literally be washed in your blood. That is what they are leading you into. It's been done successfully all around the world. Most of you are just too young or ideological to understand the power of the government or the indifference of the general population when you piss them off. Smile at your face and cut your heart out from behind. Take care!!

tell me sightseer
is it fun to simply be a sightseer
a spectator
are you ever going to live or are you done with that already

i am old enough
to understand
that a governments power
exists in the minds of the people who are allowing it to govern

willing slaves, in other words.
spectators, like yourself.

If we only hit legitimate targets and refuse to engage anything belonging to the general public(except the yuppies), then the only way the Enemy will be able to play this game will be to set up a fake Bloc to do things like trash working class cars(like they were cfaught doing in Genoa).

" Washing the streets with our blood" would anger people and lead to more aggressive underground action. If the only environmantal protest you couild get away with were ELF actions, for instance, all enviro activists would have to become ELF or abandon the fight-and no way would aeveryone quit. We've hit many national security designated events before, like the State of teh Union address last winter. That is, of course, considered by most security experts to be the king of sensitive targets. Only "cracker" or dummy shells were fired, if even those, because using live ammo would encourage too much violent retaliation. Look what it did to the president of Bolivia?

Even when D'aubisson(dictator of El Salvador at that time) was ambushed in front of the White House in 1989, the ecret Service held their fire. Although they could legally have fired on us(even pre-Patriot Act), the politica of that were just too much.

Similarily, if the real Black Bloc ever catches and photographs an undercover cop trashing a working class store(we don't tolerate that kind of shit), it will be the cops that will look like shit-and it will be upon them that the hammer wil fall, much like it did in Genoa with so many cops arrested for the brutality there.

I easily spotted the undercovers that tried to stand behind me at one point, and if the cops try to lead us to hit targets that will cause a backlash they will probably be caught. Just imagine being police chief when the local paper prints a picture of undercovers dresed like us being handed Molotov cocktails out of the trunk of a cop car!

This has happened before, and again and again, in Argentina, in Genoa, and elsewhere they have been caught-and even a FOX news viewer can distinguish between the politics of a molotov thrown by an anarchist and one thrown by an undercover cop. If I saw someone raise his arm to throw something at an independant, small store, I would pull his arm down in full knowledge that I was either stopping an undercover or saving someone from an act he would later regret.

Sightseer, your strategy has been tried before, and it always backfires and the police provocateurs are too easy to tell from our own people. Been there, seen that-and we are still alive and growing.

Also, if we had martyrs at RNC 2004, it would be a major international news story that would explode in the establishment's face!

Lastly, there are plenty of legitimate targets in every city. What incentive is there to break a working class car window when there are so many cop cars out there-or an independant store window when there are entirely too many McDonald's, KFC's, Burger Kings, etc to ever protect them all.

If one target is too well defended to deal with, it is very easy to find another target which is just as legitimate. Protecting all of the legitimate targets is beyond the manpower of any police department-especially with most of the cops needed to police a downtown rally or protect a summit fortress.

For instance, last Spring people stormed the IMF while the cops were busy with ANSWER. This time, that was too well defended but another IMF building on the 1800 block of I st, not as well known, would have been an easy target, undefended and close to our second breakaway.

We have no need to hit stupid targets in a town like this one! Similarily, using the Patriot Act on us has a political price(even Asscrotch won't admit to the library searches, for instance), much like killing us does. I don't think even sightseer's friends are stupid enough to create more Wen Ho Lees!

"If one target is too well defended to deal with, it is very easy to find another target which is just as legitimate. Protecting all of the legitimate targets is beyond the manpower of any police department-especially with most of the cops needed to police a downtown rally or protect a summit fortress"

Exactly Lawerence of Arabia's strategy. A good book to read is Lawerence's Seven Pillars of Wisdom. In a part of it, he lays out his guerilla strategy for defeating the Turks. And this sentence quoted above has that strategy exactly right. It takes too many troops and costs too much to defend against a mobile and flexible force.

If you don't read the book, go at least watch the movie some time. But the book is better. You'll also know what the Arabs are talking about when they say Sykes-Picard.

To 'lawrence'

Sykes-Picard?

LOL

Maybe in Starfleet Academy.

The guy's name was 'Picot'.

The text of the agreement can be found at:
www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/mideast/sykes.htm

That sounds a lot better than the only black bloc-ish thing I saw in San Francisco.

They did no outreach, had no message or fliers, got caught by the police...

I saw them leave the post-march rally and followed at a slow pace. My friend had heard someone practicing poor security say that they were going to Union Square, where all the Macy's-type stores are. I headed in that direction so slowly that I even stopped for a leisurely lunch.

I knew I was getting close when I saw the vehicle that the police always use to follow us around town. When I found them they were marching towards the Gap. There were about 20 or so people, some masked up. Mostly young and around half women or so. They stopped near a side entrance of the Gap and turned around. Then they went quickly to a side entrance of Macy's (I think it was Macy's, it was hard to think what with the cloud of toxic perfume, which, by the way, is an oil-war product), where some people were sitting on the ground, apparently detained by the cops. People argued with the cops and while someone was showing me his detention slip from a little bit earlier (kind of like a ticket, I guess) the four people joined the crowd.

The crowd next went to a nearby Starbucks. People went straight in and demanded free water and use of the bathroom. Apparently now they only let you use the bathroom if you buy something. People tried to talk politics with some of the cashiers and they got angry and walked away from their posts. We talked a lot of shit about Starbucks (as you know, they are part of the corporate consumer boringization of cafes all over the country, imposing their "culture" where once there had been bazillions of mom and pop cafes) and slowly walked out when the cops started to notice where we were.

Then we stood around on the sidewalk for a bit. Some people showed off the things they had stolen- right outside the door! Another example of poor security.

Overall this "action" was an example of why we don't necessarily need to even try to do things as the black bloc or anarchists/anti-authoritarians at some of these big demos. Since we don't know each other, we can't even get together at the announced gathering points, cuz we don't recognize each other. Then we can't announce discussions of actions, so people feel alienated. Then when we alternately joke loudly about inviting our 20+ "friends" to go "shopping" in a store and, as we march down the sidewalk because we don't have sufficient numbers to take the street, and chant slogans against the police for no apparent reason, our "actions" show that they have no purpose- they are not creating an effective spectacle, and they are not sending out a political message that people can understand. At this particular action, there were no flyers given out, nor were people writing political stuff on police cars, walls, windows, or anything, as far as I could see.

I know it's important to do things that feel fun to the people who are doing them, but I think that things like today should be done at the affinity group level. When there are demos where we'll have the necessary numbers (how will we know this in advance?) we should then call for larger bb gatherings so we can do things that require more people.

One more thing- how long can this framework of listening to the same speakers over and over and marching the same routes go on? These demos are about preaching to the choir and trying to outdo each other with our signs and banners. We might as well call them anti-war pride parades instead of "end the occupation" marches...

So, today I spent all the time I had mopping and ranting about how worthless I am. Friday evening 2 friends and I planned out our weekend and headed to DC. Plan A was a sure thang. We stopped at a near by DC city to hit the hay at some friends house but ended up waking up 8 hrs. to late for the DC anti capitalists demo. So, all day I spend mopping and ranting only hoping that the demo wasnt a success for obvious selfish reason(a clear stretch of truth my friends.) I am glad it was a SUCCESS, DC has needed some successful ''black bloc'' demos....CONGRATS you did it, my thanks go out to all of you! KEEP IT UP, WHOO HOO!

look at this:
images.indymedia.org/imc/washingtondc/media/image/10/large/flagburn25oct2003.jpg

here's a photo of a policeman, dressed up and fashionable in black-bloc style doing his best to prove to America and the soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan that we in the peace movement hate and despise them.

never has there been a peace movement so closely allied with the average soldier on the ground and vice-versa - yet, these supposed anarchists are doing their best to destroy that emerging alliance.

good job, children.

perhaps you will grow up when the draft comes and it is YOU that is sitting in Iraq (or Iran or North Korea) wondering why the protesters on the streets of DC hate you so much.

how pathetic

too much FBI agents disrupters in IMC.
Sad.
really sad.

True Black Bloc actions don't get discussed on IMC or any other public website. Where is the first place FBI agents will go? This discussion is basically armchair radicals.

The true strategic moves (whether you agree or not) is happening in private groups. I do agree that if anarchy, violent disruption, civil-disobedience is a tool you are choosing-- you have to be strategic about it. Size & planning matterss. Otherwise you're just small blips, easily caught and neutralized.

Check out the WEATHER UNDERGOUND documentary. Small dedicated group, passionate, all the right sentiments-- yes in the end, they were caught & neutralized, but there is something to learn from that. If WU had been quiter, more covert and had gathered more numbers before launching their attacks, they may have made a BIGGER difference (they did have AN impact-- remember 1970s America was more easily disrupted than 2003 America). Especially as they were all white liberals (many jewish), so not as easily bludgeoned into oblivion as the Panthers/MOVE were.

'True Black Bloc actions'

I wasnt talking about 'True Black Bloc actions' or otherwise - i was talking about tactics and strategies.

what exactly is the strategy of burning an american flag - other than you black blocers get the corporate media attention that you all crave?

What's the point in any action at a demo? It's all symbolish. If you support breaking windows, you can support burning flags. It has nothing to do with getting media fame, but expressing yourself.

"What's the point in any action at a demo? It's all symbolish. If you support breaking windows, you can support burning flags. It has nothing to do with getting media fame, but expressing yourself. "

Exactly!

Why all this hatred of flag burning, Emma? You condemn the act as pandering to the media but it seems that charge could be flung right back at you. Do you seriously worry that much about HOW the media is going to present the protests? 'Cause I can see where you're coming from but you've fallen into the same trap I've seen MANY a dedicated activist fall into - allowing concern over how things will be presented in mainstream media to override your ability to have FUN (or even express your true feelings about the State).

Don't allow fear to paralyze you. You're better than that.

whats the point of criticizing it? The people who burn the flags are the most active, like it or not. Sure, you have your occasional stupid, rich, suburban kid too...but while all the democrats were out there supporting Clinton on Kosovo, even though further ethnic cleansing could've been prevented with diplomacy, the flag burners, the anarchists, the greens, were all out there protesting Clinton in Kosovo. So all you nationalist pussies complaning about the flag being burnt, just realize it has happened wiht a democrat (look at 'nam), and will again

i believe that was one of the most succesfull protests ive been to while marching with black bloc, as in the origanal post, Luke was sayin how many times we broke away with no sweat..it was honestly insane how fuckin easy it was. it really showed our ability to communicate. i admit we had several problems with keeping the group together at certain times but in the end, most of us survived with no arrests!(i think) i believe the best part of the day was the dance circles we had- and when we sat in a circle in the park surrounded by cops and played "anarchist anarchist cop"(duck duck goose)

thank you to everyone for protecting and looking out for one another

As far as "hammering" went, it my opinion that once again we are using big words to cover small actions. Let us be real about both the anarchist movment and the Black Bloc. I work with a group known as The Organization. We join the Black Bloc when we march because it tends to take more action than your typical upper middle class white protesting college student. But once again lets be real. As much as THE ORGANIZATION is critical of groups like UFPJ, NION, and ANSWER for a tendancy to mass mobalize and leave the revolution at the door one cannot confuse smashing Starbucks and blocking streets with the revolution. I have many friends that use the black bloc tactic, but let's face it. It is hardly a desisive body. It gets in pointless confrontational situations with the pigs, plays "anarchist anarchist cop" when it should stay moving, and then, when a tactic is decided on (like going into the subway and resurfacing) 70 get on 17 get off. This is not to say THE ORGANIZATION will not continue to make the Black Bloc a little more Grey, you'll be seeing a lot more of us. But we need to work on both our tactics and our ideology.

I am not an anarchist nor do I claim to be, however it is rare that I meet a black blocer who has read Kropotkin or can even tell me a brief history of the Spanish civil war. Mutual aid means a bit more than just sharing and food not bombs will not feed the masses if that capitalist businesses that through out the dumpstered food go out of business. Most of my political education come from anarchists in Italy and ENgland. Over there they have their shit together. They grow their own food, make their own clothing, and put some real work into empowering the working class. TO many black blocers this is just a game. Dress up in black and "smash the state". Well no offense, the real working class needs more sussatnce than that if they are actually going to revolt towards an anarchist society. Being an anarchist isn't about dumbster diving, squatting, listening to punk and saying FUCK THE POLICE. It is about a genuine fight to do away with society and educate the working class, an all other classes how to survive in the absence of the state. If you're an angry little middle class white kid who is angry at their parents well then I guess you're getting kinda heated right now, but fuck it, unlike most of the new new left I don't subsribe to this attitude of let's BE SUPER SENSATIVE.
Don't get offended.

continued (hit add comment by mistake.)

...If you really are serious about The Revolution and want to be real revolutionary you gotta read, you gotta give back to the community, and you gotta have substance to you message. How many black kids are in the BLACK BLOC? How many poor black families are getting fed due to food not bombs? What is the anarchist movment doing for the working class?

These are the questions we should be asking, not jerking each other off with this whole "hammering business." The IWW hammered the union busters, the Panthers hammered the pigs, the Weather Underground hammered the establishment. You gotta earn you hammering credentials, not say bull shit to feel empowered. This is bigger than all of us and you better believe the movement and the anarchist community has a ways to go.

RNC is one year away and unless you want to get hammered yourself it is time to organize, train, and get ready for a week that will define the movement.

When the revolution comes it won't be communist, it woun't be socialist, and it will not be anarchist. It will be a total combination of the three and if you want to be a part of it you better have the masses on your side and the training you need to really fight.

People can glorify the Black Bloc all they want as I once did when I saw it for the first time, but we need more.

The ORGANIZATION will be around. Watch out for the badass brothers and sisters in grey. All respect, once again don't get angry, get more efficient.

Zachariah Artstien
MINISTER OF DEFENSE
The Organization
SUNY PURCHASE CHAPTER

all power to the people.

I have been in Black Blocs and arrested in mass demos in DC. I want to be the first to suggest that you all are a bunch of middle-class idiots.

I quit the anarchist movement because I no longer wish to help middle-class kids feel better about themselves (by rebeling against their parents exploitation of me and my parents).

As you rebel against your parents class (yuppy) for a few years before graduate school, you're doing nothing but fooling yourself into thinking that now you are part of the masses. Your desire for belonging sickens me.

As I've heard many times (until I woke up from middle-class anarcho-cultism), GET A JOB.

You don't need to read to be an anarchist. It's only social awareness and realization. Maybe for revolutionary theory you have too. Also, mutual aid is important, but it's not a liberal charity. Anarchy is empowering people to take control of THEIR OWN lifes. It's not a 40 hour a week job. I'd have to say squatting and dumpstering is anarchy. If anything we need rent strikes and mass revolt, and we need sustainable alternatives to capitalism and I understand the frustration, but also understand we are fighting spectular society - spectacle. Black bloc is all symbolism. It doesn't attempt to change anything in itself, but only serves to break the spell through spontaneity & controversy to motivate people to organize in their community. It's empowerment and direct confrontation. It's unity of the dissenters. CELL PHONE CELL PHONE

to the "ex-anarchist"...

well then it sounds like you were never an anarchist to begin with... and you probably got into bb for all the wrong reasons.

as many people have stated blac bloc does not equal anarchy and vise versa.

and i highly doubt all if even most are college students.

its too bad you got busted, saw the ugly side of the system and decided to take the easy way out and call it quits.

not everybody can do that, and maybe you havent noticed that its getting kinda hard to FIND a job nevermind one that pays a decent wage. maybe youre just another middle class brat. any frat kid can torch couches, flip cars, and throw a tantrum...

i would hope that people are in this fight for the long haul, not to chicken out and get a day job when things get tough for them personally.

i say GET A LIFE!

you all have missed the point, or perhaps the simple question: how does burning a flag do anything to convince the american people and the US Troops that they should support our cause?

the answer is simple, which is why you boys either didnt get it or probably just avoided it because you know it is true: it does NOTHING to further the cause. period.

it may feel good, but this ritual, offensive to those who you supposedly want to convince, only make YOU feel good.

like i said: pathetic!

"how does burning a flag do anything to convince the american people and the US Troops that they should support our cause?"
Why does this have to be the point of every single thing we do?

"the answer is simple, which is why you boys either didnt get it or probably just avoided it because you know it is true: it does NOTHING to further the cause. period. it may feel good, but this ritual, offensive to those who you supposedly want to convince, only make YOU feel good."

Emma, you're being silly! If it makes us feel empowered, then it DOES do something to further the cause. We're also being realistic- do you think the people who saw the march (either the breakaway or the legal march) thought to themselves, "Oh, a march. Now I am against the occupation." Convincing people of our position is going to take a lot more work than running around DC.

The big mobilizations are nothing but self-serving, pat ourselves on the backs circle-walks. And hey, sometimes we need that (as long as we recognize it as such). Miami is coming up soon, and I for one was excited to breakaway without the anxiety & threats we're going to have in Miami. (you'll be in miami, emma, won't you? to further "The Cause"(tm)? What exactly is The Cause(tm)?)

Flag-burning is the same way. We do our share of outreach, but we shouldn't hide who we are and what we stand for. We weren't pandering to the media, we were making a statement that needed to be expressed, lest the whole rally be sucked into the whole "Peace is Patriotic" mindset.

As for your obviously intentional use of the word boys, that's also silly and sexist. Though it seemed like there were more males than females, there were lots and lots of females running with the Bloc. Especially near the front. It probably doesn't fit the stereotype you'd like to put on us, but maybe you should look at the Bloc before you make a judgement .

The 025 Bloc wasn't about being macho, it was about breaking away from a scripted and predictable march, and stepping outside the boundaries that were established for us by others. And believe it or not (like it or not), women are a part of the movement that wants to smash those barriers. And very, very good at it.

-to all the sisters in the 025 Bloc!

I was the only soviet-flag bearing communist participating in the black bloc. (and they were still considerably nice to me.) Anyways, however much you guys crtique black bloc tactics, it still has its place in a protest. I agree, there needs to be a force that is more aggressive in its action, but it doesn't subtract from the importance of black blocs. The Police are literally scared of black blocs. Infact, I was walking with two anarchists and a fellow communist up the street and D.C. assigned two police men on motorcycles to follow us at a close distance. ;)

you morons...you were selling stuff at the protest rally. bunch of commie using capitalism to promote your leaders affluent lifestyle. hypocrites.

OK, so you admit you wanted to terrorize the yuppies.

All communist regimes use terror to maintain their hold on power.

Thank you for exposing your Nazi (National Socialist Workers Party) tactics.

[ was sent to scout the World Bank-and found it crawling with cops, hunkered down and expecting attack. Our first run was a feint in that direction but we did not pursue it seriously, figuring they'd be idiots not to have it heavily protected.]

And they did that because you guys destroy public property.

Take the values (i.e., $$$) of the property you and your thugs destroy and the cost for police protection and figure out how many homeless MIGHT have been sheltered, how many hungry MIGHT have been feed and how many sick MIGHT have been healed.

But that didn't happen because Luke is addictied to VIOLENCE.

.
EMMA LIES!

[never has there been a peace movement so closely allied with the average soldier on the ground and vice-versa - yet, these supposed anarchists are doing their best to destroy that emerging alliance.]

Emma,

You marched under the leadership of a group that syas it is OK to kill American soldiers. From ANSWER's own website, Richard Becker makes the following statement: "Now is the time for the anti-war movement, here and abroad, to give unconditional support to Iraqi's anti-colonial resistance forces.

Emma, that says that if the "anti-colonial resistance forces" kill American soldiers, it's OK, they won't chide them for doing that.

So Emma, you have the blood of those dead and wounded soldiers on your hands for marching with those who give UNCONDITIONAL SUPPORT to those killing your soldiers.

Go to ANSER's homepage, go down to the brochure "Counter-revolution & Resistance in Iraq" and look at the last sentence in the article. There's the truth, ANSWER has picked sides in a war and it's against the American soldier. That's treason.

[you all have missed the point, or perhaps the simple question: how does burning a flag do anything to convince the american people and the US Troops that they should support our cause?]

Burn a North Korean flag, but Becker would never allow that.

This sounds hypocritical as all hell, but if any of us really want to be changing shit for the better, we should get the fuck off the computers and start doing something more productive instead of arguing amongst ourselves in a public forum. Come on everyone, we all have different ideas of how the world should be and we shouldn't fuel the ignorance that some of these responses exhibit. Get up. Get out. Live life. Start, join, or finish a revolution. That's what I'm going to do right now, and I hope the rest of you do the same after you read this. Peace.

No Black Bloc style anticapitalist would EVER go if drafted! Instead, we would treat it as a draft notice to fight AGAINST those who issued it!

Sorry I took so long to get back. Had more important things going on. To Angel, actually I have been at far more demonstrations than a snot like you could imagine. In fact it is very likely I will be at the next one you attend.
In no way and I trying to discourage anyone from acting. I spend a great deal of time studing and writing about you. Have been doing it since the '60's. None of you are new nor are any of your ideas original. There may be slight variations that make you feel like your innovative but believe me, everything, the slogans, signs, acting out, have all be tried and tried again. Your not going to change the system until you learn, like those who went before you, that you must work within it. Oh, I know it is far more dramatic to flail your arms and sceam slogans. You might even get on TV and piss off your parents but you are not going to change a thing. Change will occur as a natural process.
But again, my statements were advise only. Trust me, you are playing with a different deck of cards than before. Why my interest? I really don't care what happens to you, but I will be at both conventions and want something interesting to watch. Your recent demonstrations have been pityful. No imagination, just the same old crap. I want something original people. I don't want you hurt until you can produce something film worthy. It's just business. I already know who will ultimately win for better or worse.
Anyway I have wasted enough time on this. Just keep yourself safe until I can get the data I need.
Oh by the way, please continue to vent your collective spleens. Your postings show how immature most of you are. The thought that you actually believe your going to be anyones salvation is fully laughable. I am making them part of my collection.
See you later (You won't see me).

To "patches"...

Sorry to quit out on the anarchy cult. I never fit in with you whiney, counter cultuer brats anyways. You will too soon, trust me.

Middle class revolutionaries can eat it.

Hey Westley-money spent repairing Black Bloc damage would never have been spent on services! When the World Bank had to repair the damage they got last Spring, that no doubt came out of money that woudl have been spent on dams, pipelines, and resource extraction. Even if insurance paid, the premiums(and any increases) do the same thing. Do you really think the $6,500 that Neiman-Marcus spent on repairs after NCOR 2001 would have gone to the poor?

Similarily, if the Convention Center had been trashed, it would not have come from DC General's budget because that doen't exist anymore anyway! More likely it would have reduced money available for things like probation officers and drug tests, as these things and halfway houses seem to be extremely budget-sensitive!

Stategicly, making a controversial program expensive reduces its profitability and causes marginal targets to be abandoned. How many people won't study for a career in vivisection because thye fear the ALF? How many developers shy away from builidng in cities with active(violent only!) racial strife or in ELF-protected forests? How many companies won't bid on, say, timber harvests known to be spiked?

If direct action didn't make targets unprofitable Huntingdon Life Sciences wouldn't be on life support, and a lot of currently standing forests(like the surviving parts of headwaters) would have been logged to death by now. What works in the wilderness is worth a try in the "urban jungle" as well.

Lastly, we are fighting for the whole world, and on a global basis there are a hell of a lot more of us than there are of you, just as there are more Iraqis than cops and more African-American youth(like some I saw in the Bloc) than there are narcs and cops.

On Saturday, not only were there antiwar demos on both coasts, but Uribe lost his referendum in Colombia on emergency powers, FARC hit a shitload of targets there, and a US Black Hawk was shot down in Iraq. On top of that the Iraqi resistance nearly got Wolfowitz and suceeded in driving the US out of the Al Rashid the very next day. That does not sound to me like the capitalists are winning anything! We are all part of this struggle, and it is time to choose sides...

[On Saturday, not only were there antiwar demos on both coasts, but Uribe lost his referendum in Colombia on emergency powers, FARC hit a shitload of targets there, and a US Black Hawk was shot down in Iraq. On top of that the Iraqi resistance nearly got Wolfowitz and suceeded in driving the US out of the Al Rashid the very next day. That does not sound to me like the capitalists are winning anything! We are all part of this struggle, and it is time to choose sides..]

Spoken like a true traitor. Why not skip the fighting and just move to Cuba where you can have it all right away?

Wesley Cook, are you stupid enough to believe that the World Bank is "public property"? Do you know anything about the organization or it's anti-democratic nature - or are you simply defending it because it's something many Leftists oppose? I'm going to have to guess the latter.

And while you're surfing the web educating yourself about the World Bank, take the time to learn a bit about the different forms of socialism (dare I say, the different PERVERSIONS of socialism). The Nazis were not, by original definition, socialists. They were fascists - and fascists heavily favor capitalism, friend. Mussolini (often credited as Fascisms creator) was once quoted as saying that fascism ought to be called corporatism, since that's what it really is. I realize that you've convinced yourself otherwise. It's easier for you to exist in your Right Wing dreamworld that way. My hope is that one day you'll seek to join the rest of the world, take off those blinders, and read a few history books. These are two topics you seriously need to learn something about before you open your yap.

Oh, and a final thing. That money would NOT have gone to shelter the homeless anyway. The money was already budgeted to the pigs and would only have been used to either hire more officers or give the pigs more toys to use on us at future protests.

Moving to Cuba really wouldn't solve anything. The U.S. openly talks about the goal of a subservient hemisphere. You think you can simply move 70 miles away and escape Uncle Sam's crasp? Those who died as a result of Operation MONGOOSE know otherwise, Wesley.

how does burning a flag do anything to convince the american people and the US Troops that they should support our cause?

"Why does this have to be the point of every single thing we do? "

Because anything else would be irresponsible considering how many people are dieing every single day....Can you imagine Karl Rove saying "why do we always have to care what people think of us?" and then burning a flag? I can't. Maybe that's why he's in power and we're not.

If you don't want to make positive change, we can't force you, but please don't sabotage the efforts of others just to make yourself feel good by "expressing" yourself. If you really, really need to get it out, burn it in private.

"If it makes us feel empowered, then it DOES do something to further the cause."

First of all, it doesn't make me or any other protestors feel empowered, it makes us feel like we're part of a rabble with no self-dicipline.

"Oh, a march. Now I am against the occupation."

If you think that protests don't work, then nobody's forcing you to come. It's true though, you don't see Karl Rove protesting much either. Working on propaganda and volunterring for campaigns is more effective.

But honestly, think of the golden rule: if someone burns an anarchist flag, would you be more or less willing to listen to what they have to say?

"We weren't pandering to the media, "

Which explains why you don't have power, and Bush does.

"we were making a statement that needed to be expressed"

Oh really? How about you go to the starving people and war victims and burn a flag in front of them, and as them if it makes a difference in their lives.

"lest the whole rally be sucked into the whole "Peace is Patriotic" mindset. "

Except that Peace IS patriotic, read up on what the founding fathers had to say about war.

To "who cares", you obviously have nothing to add to this conversation. You are irrelevant. Congrats.

To Heckraiser, the issue of flag burning has always been controversial - even amongst those protesting against this government's decisions. The way I see it is this - we are radicals. These blocs are formed by radicals and participated in by them. Why disguise that? I want to see the American Empire crumble like all the empires that came before it. I'm not ashamed of this and make no attempt to disguise it in my daily conversations so why should I suddenly do an about face when the cameras are around?

I firmly do not believe that we'll see an end to this types of wars until we do some major reorganizing of our society (aka REVOLUTION!). It doesn't matter if a Democrat or a Bush wins the next election. Both parties are playing the same fucking game. Sure, Bush is more blatent about it but hey! nearly half a million Iraqi children died thanks to Clinton's policies as well - and he wasn't shy of blowing up innocent people either, if you'll recall. The American government is rotten to the core (which was inevitable and part of the reason certain Founding Fathers encouraged revolt on a semi-regular basis) and needs to GO! The stars and stripes is the symbol of this government so why NOT burn the fucker? Burning the flag is symbolic of my political feelings and I won't refrain from doing it simply because the mainstream media MIGHT try to use it to discredit people like YOU (who still believe there's hope in government).

Pandering to the media will only get you so far. Again, I know because I've been there. If you kiss enough ass you might get SOME decent coverage but it WILL come at pretty high price. If I learned one lesson from the massive protests prior to the start of this war it's that numbers are not necessarily the issue here. We had hundreds of thousands in the streets prior to this war (millions worldwide) and we were still ignored. We had the numbers. We had the polls. We had all those things I used to think we'd need - yet we somehow became irrelevant (w/the exception of SF where resistance arose). The big question on all of our minds was - why? The way I see it, it was because we were all too concerned with how things would be PRESENTED. With how the mainstream media would show things. If NYC Feb 15th had resembled Seattle 1999 we might not be here today. The media would have demonized the fuck out of us but our "leaders" would have gotten the god damn hint.

What's more effective; not being demonized on FOX OR shutting down Washington, DC? Do you think "our" Congress people will pay more attention to Bill O'Reilly or the fact that they CAN'T GET TO WORK because the streets are SHUT DOWN by protesters who believe in their cause strongly enough to face the police in order to make their opposition known to the WORLD? These are questions you have to answer for yourself. I've made my choices and hopefully this post/explanation will help you to understand how I (and many others) got to this point and you'll be able to empathize. Our goal is not to discredit you. Our goal is to be effective. We can't allow fear of the media to control our behavior. If we do, we become irrelevant.

Just to elaborate a bit on the last point about numbers. The Founding Fathers only had the support of a small minority when they revolted against the Brits. Castro probably had less than that as he was openly ridiculed for his early exploits. The beginnings of the revolt in Northern Ireland were the actions of merely a few. I'm not dismissing outreach or information spreading here. I'm just pointing out that our obsession with polls and public opinion might be a bit unfounded. Those things ARE obviously important but not more so than our willingness to RESIST and we perhaps we should stop allowing that obsession to paralyze our movements.

Westley- were the German heroes of WWII that resisted Hitler(and tried to get rid of him) traitors? If so, traitors to who? Hitler?

There is nothing dishonorable about being called a traitor by someone who has transformed your country into a slave-driven empire of suffering!

BTW, your advice to go to Cuba is bullshit, as the fires of capitalism will spread, and the forests of Central America will burn unless this empire is stopped. Cuba is not strong enough to stand alone against the wrath of Bu$h.

I see alot of comments regarding class war and how deeply oppressed the folks in D.C. are, however the 'global' class war inolves a core/periphery relationship between the bougie developed world and the developing world, not just between global elites.

Although in many US cities we witness a 'third world' in ghettos and poor slums, nothing compares to the marginalized barrios in Central or South America. The polarization between classes in the global south is far more apparent than here in the US, observing little or no middle class. We may witness an erosion of the middle class here in the US, but it is our bougie taste for luxury items like coffee, sugar, and chocolate that plays in the oppresion of our brother & sisters in the devloping world.

Point being, before we complain about how oppressed we are here in the US, try and conceptulaize the global or whole picture. Are behavior in the US manisfetsed in a class war through the shit we buy.

You can't judge a tactic by the people in attendance. If so "educating the public" and having "speakers" can be attributed to racists. Alot of time people from the "national alliace" spread their word by speaking at libraries. Does that make the tactic of education a failure?

>>>>>Feanaro Elensar supports a racist<<<<<

Three black men were arrested, tried, convicted and executed in under two weeks by Castro. For what? Hijacking.

No one was hurt, the weapon a knife.

Yet Castro can execute three black men for hijacking in under two weeks and ANSWER and Feanaro Elensar is silent.

Why?

Because Castro is white, they are white and racists stick together.

I'm not especially happy about what Mr. Crook alleges to have happened in Cuba, but I should point out this: If the same hijackers did this in the US, execution without trial would be legal under the Patriot Act.

Castro has some serious problems, but its not Fidel that threatens all of Central America with conquest, either by arms of by one-sided so called "free trade" deals. For every person Fidel has executed the SOA's graduates have butchered hundreds!

In other words, Any criticism that can be made of Castro's regime applies as well with greater force to US policy in Central and South America. Furthermore, Fidel is a useful counterweight to US hegemony in tha tpart of the world, and fear of guerilla movements supported by Cuba may well help reign in some of the worst human rights violations committed by US supported regimes and their torturers and murderers tranind by the SOA.

If Castro's regime was replaced by a Bush puppet, the result would be little change in Cuban human rights, except for exactly who got the shaft. In the rest of Central America, however, it would sow fear of American interventon and aggression.

That fear is the real reason Neocons are threatening Cuba with war-so Bougie Americans can have their cheap coffee no matter how many Nicaraguan children must starve!

all i have to say (quote) is:

Through the best of times
Through the worst of times
Through Nixon and through Bush
Do you remember '36?
We went our seperate ways
You fought for Stalin
I fought for freedom
You believe in authority
I believe in myself
I'm a Molotov cocktail
You're Dom Perignon
Baby, what's that confused look in your eyes?
What I'm trying to say is that
I'll burn down buildings
While you sit on a shelf inside of them
You call the cops
On the looters and piethrowers
They call it class war
I call them co-conspirators
Cuz baby, I'm an anarchist
And you're a spineless liberal
We marched together for the eight-hour day
And held hands in the streets of Seattle
But when it came time to throw bricks
Through that Starbucks window
You left me all alone
You watched in awe at the red
white, and blue on the 4th of July
While those fireworks were exploding
I was burning that fucker
And stringing my black flag high
Eating the peanuts
That the parties have tossed you
In the back seat of your father's new Ford
You believe in the ballot
You Believe in reform
You have faith in the elephant and jackass
And to you, solidarity is a four-letter word
We're all hypocrites
But you're a patriot
You thought I was only joking
When I was screaming "Kill Whitey!"
At the top of my lungs
At the cops in their cars
And the men in their suits
No, I won't take your hand
And marry the state
Cuz baby, I'm an anarchist
And you're a spineless liberal
We marched together for the eight-hour day
And held hands in the streets of Seattle
But when it came time to throw bricks
Through that Starbucks window
You left me all alone

What I find interesting is that nobody has so far pointed out the cowardice of taunting the cops (oh, sorry, "engaging the opposition") and then HIDING in a peaceful, family-friendly march. Yeesh! Yes, you were too many to hide; but you still led the cops to the demo. Nice.

my name is elsayed hafez i need aid to puplish some books in my puplisher house in egypt

i need to puplish children books

and need aid from any orginization

elsayed hafez

El Sayed Hafez

( Summary of the writer )

**************************************************************

- El-Sayed Hafez .

- Born in 1948 Alexandria , Egypt .

- Graduate of Alexandria university, Social and philosophy studies 1973 , Faculty of education

- A Diploma in philosophy 1975 .

- Director of the drama section in the popular Culture in Alexandria 1971 - 1976 .

- Won the first prize in the drama writing 1970 .

1. Won the prize of best writer for children in Kuwait on Cinderella play 1983 .

2. He is the first Arab writer to publish nine of his plays for children on the internet in England at the following address(htt://www.schoolshows.demon.co.uk/download.htm)

- Editor in cheif of the R'oya Magazine issued in Egypt .

- Member of the writers'(union)in Egypt since 1986.

- Member of the Arab writers'(union)in Damascus since 1983 .

- Director of Alwatan Alarabi Center for publication and media for five years .

- Reporter in the politics newspaper for 7 years .

- Won a scholarship from the ministry of culture in 1994 and has been acknowledged as a pioneer of the Egyptian theater .

- Won the prize for the best play on his play Rehalat Ebn Basbosa in Al-Arish Festival, October 1995 .

- Director of Afkar Magazine in Cairo 1995 .

-Won the prize for the best play in Port Said festival on his play Al-Azf fee Al-Zahera 1996 .

- A Writer and journalist for the time being .

Issued for the writer .

(for elders)

****************************

- Pride of Silliness in the countries of meaningless 1970 .

- The dump drums in the bleu valley 1971.

- Happened as it happened but there is no action 1971.

- Love concert ( short stories ) 1980 .

- My beloved I'm leaving ( play ) 1979 .

- They are the same but they are not Zaaleek (play) 1980.

- The appearance and disappearance of Abu Zer Al-Khfaari 1981 ( play ) .

- My beloved, princess of the cinema ( play ) 1982.

- The story of the country of Al-Zafaaran ( play ) 1982.

- The story of the peasant Abd Al-moutee ( play ) 1982.

- The age of the word / lies / fear / death 1987.

- Six men in a detention camp (third edition) 1989.

- Love concert (second edition ) 1991.

- Siezeef the 20 th century ( first edition ) 1991.

- Nine experimental play 1992.

- Trees sometimes bend .

- Al-Hakem Be'Amr Allah 1993.

- The journies of Ebn Basbosa 1994.

- King of the Jungle 1995.

- A Gossip ( 6 play of one act ) 1995.





"for children"

**********************************

- Sondos 1987.

- Aly Baba 1987.

- Antr Ebn Shadad 1987.

- Knights of Bani Helal 1987.

- Abu Zeid Al-Helali 1995.

- Shirt of happiness 1995.

- Goha's sons 1996.

- Cinderella 1996.

- Quatr Al-Nada 1996.

- Princess Hab Al-Roman and Khirazan 1996.

- The wonderful monster 1996.

- Cinderella and the prince 1996.

- Nanoosa and uncle Kuku 1996.

- Hemdan and mesHmesha 1996.

(Acted on theater)

*****************************************

- Cinderella (play) ( Kuwait - Oman - Bahrain ) 1983. Directed Mansor Al-Mausose )

- Al-Shater Hassan (play) ( Kuwait - Dubai - Abu Dabi ) 1983 / Ahmed Abd Al-Haleem.

- Sondos (play) ( Kuwait - Bahrain - Quter )1985. Mahmoud Al-Alfy.

- Aly Baba (play) ( Kuwait - Dubai ) 1985. Ahmed Abd Al-Haleem.

- Goha's sons (play) ( Kuwait - Bahrain ) 1986. Mahmoud Al-Alfy.

- Cinderella's shoes (play) ( Kuwait - Baghdad ) 1987. Dokhail Al-Dokhail

- Bebi and the old man (play) 1988. ( Hossein Mousalam ).

- The knights of Bani Helal (play) 1984 ( Kuwait ) 1989. Mohammed Mousalan.

- Antr Ebn Shadad ( Kuwait ) 1989. Ahmed Abd Al-Haleem

- Goha's sons ( Egypt ) 1989. directed by the auther.

- Sondos (play) ( Egypt ) 1989 , 5 Directors

- The story of Loulou and Koukou, 1990. directed by the auther.

- The Shirt of happiness (Cairo) 1993. Mohammed Abd Al-Moute.

- Abd Al-moutee (play) Baghdad 1980, by Dr. Saadi Yonis.

- Abd Al-moutee (play) Al-Shabab Kuwait 1990, directed by Abd Allah.

-Abd Al-Rasol directed by Magdi Ebbed 1992 . Bani Souif (Egypt )

- The gossip (play) ( December 1991 ) Al-Shabab theater, directed by: Faroq Zaki starring :Samir Hosni / Salwa Osamn / Osamn Mohammed aly / Mahmoud Al-Eraqi

- The sweet dayes of the past : February 1993 / directed by: Abd Al-Rahman Al-Shafee .. presented on the stage of the culture palaces in Egypt .. starring : Gamal Esmail / Mohammed Metwali / Amira Salem / Lobna Al-Shekh / Afaf Hamdi / Music by : Hamdi Raaof, Decoration : Hosein Al-Ezabi, Poems by : Ezzat Abd Al-Wahab

His plays were presented in 19 governarate in Egypt.

(Series)

***********

- Mubarak ( 15 episode ) ,Directed by : Kazem Al-Kalaf.

- Giving ( one episode )( Kuwait ) Directed by : Abd Al-Aziz Mansour.

- The big love ( one episode )( Kuwait ) Directed by : Hosein Saleh

- The stringer ( 3 episodes )( Kuwait ) Directed by : Yossef Hamoda .

- Younger's to live ( 15 episodes ) starring : Haiat Al-Sohd ,Directed by : Mohammed Al-Sayed Essa.

- Echo of the dayes ( 2 episodes ) Directed by : Karam Hamed, starring : Mansour Mansour , Hoda Hamada.

- The big house. (90 episode) (Qutar) duration (15 M.)

- Strangers in life ( 30 episode) ( Bahrain )

- Five Radio series (Kuwait) (30 episode)

- (90 episode) about a Gulf book (Quatar)

- (30 episode) about saving the nation . ( prepared by Quatar Radio)

- ( 30 episode ) series about The madness and the art .(Abu Dabi) directed by habib Galoum.

- (30 episode) for Children ( Alla Din and princess Jasmine) starring Mohamoud Yasen . directed by Ahmed Mousaed ( Kuwait's Radio)

(Films)

*************

- Naasa's Mountain . ( not yet released )

- A man for this age ( not yet released )

- No way for Love ( not yet released )

- A Decoration from the president ( not yet released )

- Home alone ( not yet released )



(Journalism)

**********************

- A Corespandant for (Al watan Al Arabi) in Paris.

- ,, for Al Thakafa Al Arabia in Libya.

- ,, for Al Fekr in Jordan.

- ,, for Fonon in Yemen.

- Head of the Art section in the Gulf voice till 1986.

- Corespandant for Al-Amarat international.



(festivals and Cultural Seminar)

**************************************************************

- The Secretary general of the Arab culture and theater seminar in Kuwait.

- participation in Baghdad's theater Festival.

- ,, in Kartag ,, ,, .



(Book's and Studies about his works.)

****************************************************************

- A Book about the research for the epic story in the child's theater in Kuwait . A study in the theater of El Sayed Hafez by Amal Al Gareeb. The High Institute for Theater. 1986 Published by Al watan Al Arabi Center 1987.

- A research in the poetic Language in the theater of Al Sayed Hafez - Moscow - London, supervised by the historian,Vladimur Shaagal.

- A book about the peasant in the Arab theater . the story of The peasant "Abd Al Moutee" by El Sayed Hafez . Khadiga Falah - University of Mohammed the first -Morocco published by Al watn Al Arabi 1988.

- A book about the hero in the theater of AL Sayed Hafez ( the appearance and disappearance Abu zer Al Ghaffari) (Mausowia Moubarako) Teddah- Morocco published by Al watn Al Arabi 1989.

- A book about the Palestine case in the theater of Al Sayed Hafez.( 6. men in a detention camp) (Sheraif Al habib) Morocco published by Al watn Al Arabi 1990.

- the concept of instruction of the theater and the question of experiment in the theater of Al Sayed Hafez.(A child, a shell and a Rainbow) ( Hafoon Al Hamid) Morocco 1992.(not published)

- experiment in the theater of Al Sayed Hafez . (the not gog is looking for that waiting for the old angry child) (Aisa Al abde) university of Mohammed the first 1991.(not published)

- The child " Theatre of Al Sayed Hafez work ". (Fatma Al Hago ) Morocco 1991.

- Experiment and farce in the Arab theater . The play of Seizeif by Al Sayed Hafez ( Halima Manona) 1992



You can find the works of the writer at

*************************************************************

1- Akhbar Alyom libraries - Cairo - Al Sahafa street .

2- Dar Al Arabi - Cairo - 60 Al Kasar Al Aini St., .

3- Dar AL Nadeem for publication . 6 . A Gawaad Hosni St. Cairo .

4- Libraries of culture development . Ministry of

information of Egypt . The Obra house - Cairo .

5- The General Institute for Books - Kourneesh Al Neil - Cairo .

6- Kuwait . Al Ouroba library - facing Al Nokra Al Shmali Mall

7- Kuwait . Al Roubian library - Ebn Khaldoon St.

Please , Call the writer before Presenting any of his Works.

Address : 12 Tarek Yehya Abdel Gani St., Al-Tawun -Haram -Giza-Egypt

Tel. Fax. 02-3868657 e.mail elsayedhafez (at) hotmail.com



and

Looking for Avant Garde

The quest for the Arab Pioneering

Theater's Role

Dr. Shathi Bin Khalil

El Sayed Hafez is the name of a playwright who has his oun mark in the Arab Theater. He is an artistic experiment from whish many creative bridges have reached out. He is one dreamer of a better future for his nation and his country and he is also part of one of the founders of the renovation movement in The Arab Pioneering Theater.

That is way the tone of his theater becomes sharper, more prominent, more exposing and more exposing. But what really drove me to write that about El Sayed Hafez was the statement he made in the kuwaity "El Anbaa" journal in which he declared : That had stopped writing for the Pioneering theater for five years and that he turned into writing for T.V and journalism. That was after he and his generation were shot by ignorance so that the real creator would die of frustration and disease.

How could that happen?

I found the answer of this question in more than one study on his theater and here is Dr. Sherief El Hussainy's research titled "Why do we assainate Hafez's theater? Kuwaity El Raai El Aam 24/9.1993".

He thinks that the Arab Cultural areana realm practices neglection and discouraging criticism on Hafez's pioneering writings and that this is an obvious attempt at assassinating that writer though his plays are no less mature than other important theatrical creations.

And the critic Mandouh Badran from Italy wrote justifying why El Sayed Hafez stopped writing in a research titled (A conversation with a writer. Kuwity El Syassa. (15/9/1983) in which he stated that El Sayed Hafez gave and is still giving to theater and its issues. He is a fighter who looks for his own awakness a teacher who dreams of change and a survivor touching out for a way to salvation. Traditional guards of knowledge in the Arab realm, however, called his theater ambiguous. Said that he is a philosophizing writer whose theater is full of ambiguities and riddles. These words kept chasing him because his words aspire to have new meanings and to be different from the diction of the old.

El Sayed Hafez rebels against his reality. Refuses the caves of traditions and is considered an adventure who dedicates himself and efforts energies to looking for a different life and different breathing holes inside this repetitive world of ours. But reality always rejects the rebels in their time exactly like what happened to all explorers of the spiritual and material unknown; those who refused the identical old glasses forced upon their ade. Another supporter of my opinion is Abdel Kereem Bersheed the critic and theater director in one of his studies called (The Theater of El Sayed Hafez between experimentally and fundmentality). The theater of Hafez always indicates the existence of a meaning and the existence of justice and truth. But, there are those who do not want the ignorance should prevail and the world should stay static just the way it was without any changing or becoming.

Best how does the cultural community reacts when one of the creators of the pioneering theater stops writing? Nothing. Or just as El Sayed Hafez had said, "It was just as it happened but nothing really happened" in the field of Arab Culture.

The pioneering writer El Sayed Hafez said justifying his stoppage of writing. (Dialogue Magazine - Sweden. October 1993) I quit writing for the theater for five years after I had discovered I was a weaponless fighter in the artistic areana. I feel regret and a special kind of sorrow. Everything around us has become untruthful, false and deluging. Glorin our cultural life is now for the ridiculous and the spongy literature and art which deceives people and rides the revolutionary wave. We live in a nation that suffers from intellectual retardation, political frustration and cultural illetracy that why I deserted theater temporarily and headed for journalism and television work.

When El Sayed Hafez started the journey of creation and creativity, the ground was not furnished for him with welcomes honorable reception or the holy sprit of creation but it was furnished with redicule and refusal.

Why does no he follow the present toughts. Why is not he just an excuter of the ready-made ideas, forms and inherited shapes?

The criticism directed at Hafez's experimental word did Hafez adopt a mere black blizzard with no justification but rejecting the method in relation to the new language he presents. This situation puts us face to face with a serious issue that does not only relate to the literary formation but to the writers freedom of expression. That freedom given him by the chronically evolution. Just as the director and critic Saad Aradash says : if the judge is forced by law to assume good will on the defendant's part till he is convicted by evidence; and if the critic takes the judge's place, he has to assumo goodwill on the part of the writer's citizenship because he presents to his society a word he is committed to and whose target is to build and develop. When Hafez published his first play (The pride of triviality in the of triviality in the land of Meaninglessness) 1971, it caused a huge depate in the Arab cultural reams when he made the material things in his play (Chair - Cup - a sheet of glass - a frame - triangles - sewing needle - a moving dog on stage) heroes. The play was attacked because it does not belong to the familiar theater language. But the fact that they did not releaze was that Hafez ever since his first play 1971 - was following the pioneering method of writing. The method determined by Appolnear when he said.

The pioneering playwright has absolute freedom. He is the creator and master of his world and its just and right for him to make groups and material things talk and to neglect time and place if he likes to. His world is his play. Inside it, he is the creating god who arranges voices, gestures, movements, masses and colors however he wants the play has to be a complete world with its creator.

Dr. Ibrahim Abdeen asserts this ( A study on the universality of El Sayed Hafez's theater - Iraqi culture January 1983). He says, "Hafez's theater is the one from which next century's theater will result from. His he a new kind of theater for he tries to find a new formula and looks for advanced shapes that exceed the theatrical form we have known sine Aristotle to the Nonsensical and Bright.) Dr. El Imbaby agrees with him, too in (A study of creativity and experimentally in Hafez's Theater. Biroti Arab week 23-5-1983) where he states that Hafez always tries to create losting works that over lives ages which drove him manya time to break the familiar artistic forms.

The theater of El Sayed Hafez is mainly interested in making a revolution in the Arab Theater and he is deeply interested in the meaning of man's existence, the role played by the society and awakening the audience to what is wondrous, unfamiliar and extraordinary in our daily life. This is the job of the pioneering theater and he is still looking for its local, social and cultural origins in the Arab reality.

The French Pioneering Theater:

Hafez's theater always faces complicated issues that occupy man's mind in our modern age. That's why it resorts to pioneering forms and contents that overleap all the limits that previous pioneering movements were based on in order to free the Arab theater from all that can be considered as the dictator ship of the word. This was what drove Dr. Saeed El Waraki to rite about El Sayed Hafez in (A study in Kuwaitian El Syassa - 14 February 1980) that Hafez lives charged with senses that reserve, record and work under the control of tension with repeated charges of wonderful exciting fascination. His art does not mean to calm the receiver's senses but aims at creating a sudden shock inside him that is born without lension, confusion and inquiring. Maybe this secret of all his work being pioneering experiences.

Why did playwrights resort to Pioneering theater and what is its concept from the pioneering writer's point of view?

We find that the contemporary playwright his suddenly came to after some slanderous political, military, economical and scientific events that took three decades from the fifties to the eighties. He comes to the fact that he has lost his present and future. In other words, he has lost the joy of life in the present, suffered from frustration and misery as far as the future is concerned. As Saad Ardash said that he rejected the formula of the present art and theater in general and is trying to took for a new one originating from his ancient legacy.

Alfred Gary justifies the pioneering the mind and spoiling the memory.

As for the Tunsian playwright Ezz El Deen El Madani, he says that pioneering writers went that way because it invades the unknown and does not stop at what is present. Experiment means inspection, testing and the word searching mean inspection into the essence, forms and contents side by side with previous knowledge of fundamentals and basics.

The critic Talis Mozendes says the pioneering writer is a fighter, an anarchist very attached to his individualism. He has his personal opinion without needing a companion even if he was reaching for the impossible. He is a constant mal content.

The pioneering writer from the Moroccian playwright Abdel Kerim Bersheed's point of view is the strifer i.e. this man who does not know what a fighter's break is because a break means death, nothingness of injustice and ignorance.

Pioneerism from El Sayed Hafez's point of view is the art of founding the intellect of the ago and history we live in the pioneering theater is the past, present and the fulure all in one. The pioneering writer from his view point has to be a contemporary of his age not its prisoner, has to unify himself totally with his present realty so as to speak on its behalf and become his age's spirit. Je is like a soldier at a mercenary war. Whatever the author's political ideology is, his art is an expression of a spiritual status inherent in his consciousness.

Who is the pioneering writer El Sayed Hafez ?

He belongs to the relapse I set back generation 1967 and has gone through a continuous political struggle against all the bearau cratic froms practised against the Arab and Egyptian peopl. Hafz's generation played a great role in preparing for public upheavels and preserving the gains of 1952 Revolution

Hafez is different from most of the writers of his generation because his intellectual and political approach was different which led the critic Abdellah Hashem write in The [Libyan Public Newspaper] that he is the most important pioneering writer in the seventies for he collects both originality and being a contemporary where the most ancient content and the most recent technique do meet.

El Sayed Hafez emerged from the mud of the Nile like a thunder bolt or fire in to the Egyptian street. He inhaled the sea breeze and carried words, vision and creativity waves in to the Arab cultural street. Most of his generations were burnt in the Relapse and others in their own attitudes where his words end as soon as they are presented.

El Sayed Hafez has plunged into the pioneering theater to unveil the Arab letter and uncover the darkness of metaphor. Hafez discovered the revolution writers began to give up their dreams. They felt tired. His generation walked over the relapse's dead bedies. Here we find that Hafez had corried the defeat since 1967 and began looking for a new formula for the rains and hallucination of the intellectuals. His experiment was like lightening in the Arab theater space. He always exposes the body of the experiment, exposes the place, rolls time of the stage's breast and makes his character represent land, blood, rivers an the disintegration of the spirit of things.

His plays represent the real intellectual theater that Iris Bentley is calling for which led Bersheed to say that Hafez's creations flies above people and things with two eyes.

The first is the Arab eye which is open on the "We", the "Now" and the "Here" where as the other is opened on the Europian theater where there one daring, new, surprising experiments. This duality of vision and expression freed his theater from following the western Pioneering theater to whom does Hafez write?

Hafez's plays exposes the relation between the guardian and the guarded or the ruler and the ruled and the theories around the possibility of selection and representation philosophy. (One representing all). As Saad Ardash said - starting with the principles of divine laws and ending at the gains achieved by peoples via their revolutions throughout the : centuries Hafez goes into clarifying a constant idea in his intellectual approach i.e. the real scale for balance is the nation / citizens people. Hallways talks about the lack of freedom and decoracy in practicing the governing game in all systems, about man and man's identity on which systems, states, ideologies and organization have set millions of barriers, obstacles and limited relations.

Hafez also writes for villages, streets, lanes, framers, the sinning laborers very morning and for those who plant freedom on the mountains of death.

Dr. El Imbabi sees that Hafez's plays talk about all the human crisis.. about Nasism, Spain and the resistance, the suppressed countries, about the Palestinian problem, about the middle east crises, about Vietnam and South Africa, about the coming war, about Arab retardation and retreat and about materialistic life anf its influence on man if this age.

Humane and political criticism in Hafez's theater:

Out of patriotic care, Heafez presents a criticism of the Arab satus que. The writer's feeling of disappointment lived by most Arab people represents a reflection that affects theatrical ideas presented by Hafez. Through them he expresses the contradiction in the Arab social reality where Saed Farahat in [Kuwaitian El Rai El Aam 18-8-1981] says that Hafez belongs to the human theater not through his inclination towards justice but in his attempt to unify with the worries of the Arab life as a whole and its future to create a new society where happiness removes misery and defeat from inside the unfortunate Arabs.

This beliefor fact remained with his its torture, problems, suffering and struggles. Here's the wife of Abu Zar El Ghefary calls for freedom in his play Abu…..

Woman: My master, origin of honorable thought. Your thoughts climbed the narrow houses' walks. There is a mosque between each two bars, a thief and a ruler between each two crowds of poor people. Between right and wrong the gladiators do kneel. Between Sultan's and Amirs' palaces there are the foodless houses of the poor. Between a man and the next there is a secret policeman. Between the bite and the next there lies worry of famine."

Chorus : The guardian and the guarded. Which is the victim? Who serves who and what is the judge's role? The public police chief? Prison is for whom? For the thief, or the Sultan's opposers? The revolutionist has become Cray, netencted, or fanatic. He becomes a number in prison killed by authority and Sultan where miseries overwhelm him till he is burnt down with sadiness, silence till he dies without a revolution."

The character of Abuzar is a symbol of social and political Rebellion that mixes theatrical with practical actions because he refuses the false reality as Bershead says " the destined to live his psychological, social and intellectual strangeness"

The critic Nagib Qurshaly in (Kuwaitian Pioneering Magazine September 1983 - A study of the Palestinian issue in the contemporary theater) says that the Hafez's role in the Palastin is a Issue is no less important and effective than the role of Tawfeek Zyad, Mahmoud Darweesh, Ghassan Kanafany, Samih El Quassen and Mueen Beseeso .He adds that his theater is the theater of political events prediction for he wrote " Six men" in 1971 and it was published ten years later 1981. But here are the political events coming time just as he has anticipated Dyia , The hero speaks about lreason explaining how the Palestinian issue turned into files, papers and empty speeches at conferences.

Dyaa : My love. The files are torn. The whole word decorates his eyes with lies, lying is opening barred gates at prisons for the issue. My love, the streets of Paris, London, New York talked today about the homeless and banished people. The issue is the sane while the files are stacked in front of the Effendis.

The writings of Hafez prove that he is a real struggler who participated with their true word. Here's "The Dum Drums in the Blue valleys" through which Hafez emphasize the inevitability of man's power to think and struggle.

The girl : Revolution! Revolution for who? Whom are you going to lead? The colored, the white Indians the poor.. Oh (She ridicules the boy) You'll no doubt lead the savage heathens. The blacks like us. Who? Farm laborers, factory workers? The slaves or the master? The crushed or ….

Boy : I lead the silence stabbed by injustice in the human souls.

Boy : For whom I write? Who reads?

The play's author says it falls into their turn points where the critic Ibrahim Abdel Magaad says (El Rai El Aam 28-2-1980) The author refuses to say three acts because he is not with separation. The work is a whole unity that is created and that emerges from itself. We are really faced by three attempts at revolution. This statement comes n the third revolutionary boy "I want to see a new in every happy inch. I dream of mothers giving birth to smiling babies that do not cry when they come to the world" Pioneering writing with Hafez rebels against all traditional voices as Bersheed says. For he exposes in his play "El Zaafaran City the methods of political and economical manipulation which in Hafez's opinion represents the beginning of a dectator's era.. on era of domination where there is no word freedom, no democracy.

Magbool : Who chose the public servant (Ruler)?

Chorus : We.

Magbool : Who relieves him?

Chorus : "Muttering"

Magbool : Who can relieve the public servant?

Chorus : The sultan, the ruler or the minister.

Magbool : No. It is you people. I came with me fear. Give me your courage. I came with my weakness. Give me your strength. Justice was married to the sultan's ideas and gives birth to farce.

This was what let Dr. El Imbabi say that El Sayed Hafez carries the responsibility of tomorrow on his shoulders. He goes through the battle of right, truth and other things.

Why does Hafez's plays create a wave of discussions and views in the artistic field when they are issued?

There are a lot of opinions dealing with this phenomenon but I'll tackle some of them before analyzing this dangerous cultural phenomenon in the Arab Cultural movement.

Dr. Saki El Ashmawi says : that explaining this phenomenon lies in that Hafez's theater asks us to retreat not in the Heknic or the theatrical sense but in the modern sense i.e. we should have an unpreceded vision. ( Siminar about resistance theater and El Sayed Hafez. Alex. 1975)

Dr. Sherief El Hussaini explains this phenomenon and says plays need more than one stoppage because his Arab pioneering creations are no less mature then these of ugean unisko, Bernard Shaw - picket.

As for Dr. Abdean, he says in (Arab culture magazine 1983) that hafez's theater creates wide and violent debate because he breaks through into many worlds where he touches our artistic, social, intellectual and political conceptions in a strong and direct manner.

Abdel Aal El Hamumssy says in " Egyptian El Helal 1973" that his plays create debate because of his exaggeration and irrelevance. That is because we are accustomed to show animosity awards what duffers from our moods. I sea that the explanation of this phenomenon lies in that Hafez differs with most Arab playwrights whose plays have contained abstract characters of just dolls / dummies. This kind of plays is no theater at all because they are unable to leave a dramatic effect on us. They are more transference of what is present and familiar and not real creation. This is the true difference between creation and creativity the theater with El Sayed Hafez and many Arab Playwrights there is no doubt that there are a lot of organized companies against Hafez's theater for fear of feeding the artistic weakness and classical limitation forced by most of our playwrights of themselves.

MOROCCO :

SHADHI BIN KHALIL