On Saturday the 24th of October around 80 people packed into a South Manchester house to enjoy punk, electronic and experimental acts perform in a basement at a fundraiser for Iranian political prisoners. The event was mainly attended by crust-punks, students and squatters who donated £100 to the cause.
Simon Morris of Ceramic Hobs, (long associated with Mad Pride) had this to say about Freedom and Equality Seeking Students in Iran – “It must be shit living in a country ruled by bigoted religious fucktards while the rest of world wants to bomb you. The Iran/Iraq underground music scene consists of some of the bravest artists the world has ever known.
The majority of the Ceramic Hobs are persons diagnosed as mentally ill – the most routinely prejudiced against group of individuals in Western society, who know no civil rights because the big pharmaceutical corporations bought laws ruling over any human rights legislation as far as we are concerned – so obviously we are happy to show solidarity with other oppressed groups worldwide.”
After the dust had settled the next day I was able to distribute some HOPI literature and discuss internationalism and revolutionary socialism with those who were still around. This was a great event and hopefully caused some people to be more aware of the repression of those who seek freedom in Iran as well as the communist response to capitalist imperialism.
Thanks to:
The Gash Collective – http://www.gashcollective.com/
The Autonomads – http://www.myspace.com/theautonomads
GNOD – http://www.myspace.com/127278241
Ding Fortuna and The Fantastic Wow (aka Ceramic Hobs) – http://www.myspace.com/theceramichobs
Flat Back Four – http://www.myspace.com/flatbackfour
3rd Eye Open – http://www.myspace.com/3rdeyeopenuk
By Mark Harrison
(Pics: Keir O’gorman)