As one of the most respected punk bands of the past decade, Anti-Flag has made a career of standing up for what’s right and speaking out against oppression. Whether the cause is human rights or animal rights, you can count on Pittsburgh’s favorite politi-punks to fight back. Because they’re well versed in the ways of activism, vocalist Justin Sane and bassist Chris #2 wanted to share their own thoughts on what it means to be an activist—in your community, in the animal rights movement, and within yourself. Watch our video to hear their thoughts and pick up tips for getting active on your own.

Watch the Video

You can also enter peta2′s contest for the chance to win a really cool prize:  a new record player and an autographed vinyl copy of our newest album, The General Strike. The contest ends on May 23, 2012, and one winner will be chosen at random and notified on May 28, 2012. “No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law.”

Enter the contest here!

MUCH RESPECT.

ANTI-FLAG

International Worker’s Day, which falls on May Day, began over 100 years ago following a general strike was called in Chicago, Illinois.  Workers all over the city had left their jobs to participate in a rally at Haymarket Square demanding an 8-hour work day, no longer being able to tolerate having no option but to take 10, 12, 14, and longer hour shifts in dreadful working conditions.

At some point a bomb went off, killing several police officers, to which the police responded by firing into the crowd at innocent spectators, killing even more.  Eventually, eight anarchists were convicted of conspiracy, and sentenced to death or prison, even though the evidence was meager, and the prosecution found that none of them had thrown the bomb.

Outrage over the event only made the struggle for the 8-hour working day stronger, and on May 1^st 1990, 4 years later, the first International Worker’s Day took place.  It would take more struggles to win the 8-hour working day around the country, but the Haymarket affair is commonly seen a catalyst for this change, and the latest Anti-Flag album, “The General Strike”, takes some of its inspiration from that historic day.

Today, May 1^st continues to be celebrated and used as a day of striking and worker solidarity. This year, the day was especially prominent due in part to the success of the Occupy movement.  Occupy Wall Street called for a general strike of all workers and students, and thousands of protestors turned out on the streets in unison.  Various events were held in the city as to encourage participation, including a free university in Madison Square Park that received little to no mainstream news coverage.

“Professors and experts gathered groups around [th]em throughout the benches and pathways of this park as midtowners walking by stopped to look. There was a lesson on “horizontal pedagogy”—how to teach without hierarchy—talks by noted leftist thinkers Chris Hedges and Francis Fox Piven, a discussion about native/indigenous resistance and another about gender constructs, and most pertinently, a student debt teach-in. One guy was even leading a class on “ancient political philosophy” and I was reminded of the Athenian forum.”

In San Francisco, the Inlandboatmen’s Union staged a half-day strike, “shutting down ferry service from Sausalito to San Francisco. The ferry workers are in a dispute with management over health-care costs, and have been working without a contract for over a year.”  In Toronto, protesters took the opportunity to re-occupy, this time at Simcoe Park.  In fact, May Day marches took place all around the world, in over 135 different cities!  It would be difficult to list everything that happened in this entry, but there’s a great listing of the events that took place, here.

Finally, here’s a great video showing what the May Day strikes looked like, should you want to participate in one of next year’s rallies, or even in a similar protest.  Additionally, you can find more information on how to protest and carry on May Day’s energy by visiting here.  And if you did attend this year, please feel free to comment and post your pictures, videos, or experiences.  We would love to put them up in a future news entry!

ANTI FLAG – The General Strike Australian Tour
w/ Special Guests: STRIKE ANYWHERE & THE FLATLINERS

May 24- Capitol, Perth (18+)
May 25- Fowlers, Adelaide (Lic/AA)
May 27 – Hifi, Melbourne (18+)
May 30 – Zoo, Brisbane (18+)
May 31- Coolangatta Hotel, Gold Coast (18+)
June 1- Manning Bar, Sydney (18+)
June 2 – Uni Bar, Wollongong (18+)

Tickets On-sale NOW!
For more information and to rsvp please visit: http://www.facebook.com/events/116855411773018/

Check out the Bombshell Zine “Hot Seat” Interview with Chris #2: http://www.bombshellzine.com/blog/2012/04/the-hotseat-chris-2-of-anti-flag/

Thursday 24th May – Capitol, Perth 18+
w/ STRIKE ANYWHERE & THE FLATLINERS & THE DECLINE
393 Murray Street, Perth – Doors 7:30pm
Tickets – moshtix.com.au
Direct Link For Tickets – http://www.moshtix.com.au/event.aspx?id=55243&ref=moshtix&skin

Friday 25th May – Fowlers, Adelaide Lic/AA
w/ STRIKE ANYWHERE & THE FLATLINERS & HIGHTIME
68/70 North Terrace, Adelaide – Doors 7:30pm
Tickets – moshtix.com.au and venuetix.com.au
Direct Link For Tickets – http://www.moshtix.com.au/event.aspx?id=55250&caller=CAL&noadd=true&skin

Sunday 27th May – Hifi, Melbourne 18+
w/ STRIKE ANYWHERE & THE FLATLINERS & THE RAMSHACKLE AMRY
125 Swanston Street, Melbourne – Doors 7:30pm
Tickets – www.thehifi.com.au, tel 1300-THEHIFI (843 443), Polyester Records-CBD & Fitzroy,Sight n Sound – Northcote & Boronia
Direct Link For Tickets – http://www.thehifi.com.au/gig/anti-flag-usa-2012-05-27/

Wednesday 30th May – Zoo, Brisbane 18+
w/ STRIKE ANYWHERE & THE FLATLINERS & ARMY OF CHAMPIONS
711 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley – Doors 7:30pm
Tickets – oztix.com.au 1300 762 545 & www.thezoo.com.au
Direct Link For Tickets – http://tickets.oztix.com.au/?Event=25819

Thursday 31st May – Coolangatta Hotel, Gold Coast 18+
w/ STRIKE ANYWHERE & THE FLATLINERS & MILESTONES
Cnr Warner St & Marine Parade – Doors 7:30pm
Tickets – oztix.com.au
Direct Link For Tickets – http://tickets.oztix.com.au/?Event=25821

Friday 1st June – Manning Bar, Sydney 18+
w/ STRIKE ANYWHERE & THE FLATLINERS & EASY COMPANY
Manning Road, Sydney – Doors 7:30pm
Tickets – www.manningbar.com (ph 1300 762 545)
Direct Link For Tickets – http://tickets.oztix.com.au/?Event=25854

Saturday 2nd June – Uni Bar, Wollongong 18+
w/ STRIKE ANYWHERE & THE FLATLINERS & STEEL CITY ALLSTARS
University of Wollongong – Doors 7:00pm
Tickets – Redback music, Unicentre, Bigtix.com.au & oztix.com.au
Direct Link For Tickets – http://www.bigtix.com.au/ProductDetails.aspx?productID=2181

NEW ALBUM! “The General Strike” Available in Australia NOW on Side One Dummy/Shock Records.

We’re getting close! ANTIfest is taking place NEXT THURSDAY, May 3^rd at THE FORUM – University of Hertfordshire, UK.

This exciting line-up includes ANTI-FLAG, THE BOUNCING SOULS, THE SKINTS, THE MENZINGERS, THE COMPUTERS, RED CITY RADIO, and LEAGUES APART. PETA, Amnesty International, and Emmaus UK will also have a presence at the festival.

ANTIfest 2012  - Tickets are available now for only £13! http://www.forumhertfordshire.co.uk/

DOORS OPEN AT 5pm!

The Forum
University of Hertfordshire
College Lane
Hatfield, Herts
AL10 9AB

Nearest train is Hatfield Station!

For more info please visit: http://www.anti-flag.com/ANTIfest

You can also follow ANTIfest on
 TWITTER: @ANTIfest2012

Our new album “THE GENERAL STRIKE” is available TODAY! You can purchase it online and in stores now!

Buy the album now at Sideonedummy.com, Interpunk, iTunes, Amazon, HMV and usual online outlets or in your local record store.

http://store.sideonedummy.com/bands/anti-flag.html


http://itunes.apple.com/album/the-general-strike/id507853994

http://interpunk.com/item.cfm?Item=199240&

http://www.banquetrecords.com/sodantif

http://www.kingsroadmerch.eu/bands/anti-flag.html

*If “THE GENERAL STRIKE” is not in your store, please ask them to order it!

Check out our “A-Sides” session at Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jon-chattman/anti-flag-_b_1362048.html and our interview with Fuse TV here: http://youtu.be/uGfD_ApTisU

Follow us on twitter: @anti_flag

MUCH RESPECT.

ANTI-FLAG

Contest ends Friday at 4pm EST. Good luck!

Take the quiz and watch the video here:
http://anti-flag.com/videocontest

THE GENERAL STRIKE available TOMORROW, March 20th!

Today marks six months of Occupy Wall Street. Congratulations! You have woken a sleeping giant and changed the course of history. I’d like to mark the occasion with a song. Enjoy!

Solidarity,

Justin Sane, Anti-Flag
@justinsanesolo
@anti_flag

“Don’t Call It Zuccotti, Call It Liberty” by Justin Sane

Don’t call it Zuccotti, call it Liberty
Don’t call it a heavy handed police response, call it savagery
Say we got no demands, we don’t know where we stand…
You don’t know what you’ve got on your hands

We occupy together, 99 to 1
From Tahrir to New York the Arab Spring has just begun

Don’t call it financial services, call it a total rip off, a scam
Don’t call it within the realm of the law, call criminal fraud by down right low criminals
Money junkies on a tear, without concern without a care
Line their pockets with your hopes, your dreams and your tears

So we occupy together, 99 to 1
From Tunisia to LA the Arab Spring has just begun

What’s your name?
My name is Troy Davis, my name is Emmett Till, Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King.
Sleep on the streets, stars up above, making history…

The National Defense Authorization Act makes it more likely that anyone–including you–could be held indefinitely without charge or fair trial. You could be like Shaker Aamer. He’s been held by the US government at Guantanamo for over 10 years without charge or fair trial, despite the British government’s request that he be released to his wife and children in London. Like all people held without charge by governments around the world, he should be charged and fairly tried or released. The right to a fair trial protects all of us from abuse.

“The erosion of human rights should always be taken seriously. We wanted to find a creative and clever way to introduce these ideas into the discourse about our new record “The General Strike”. This video is
a culmination of that idea, yea, maybe we’ll talk about how funny it is to see puppets beating the hell out of us, but we’ll also discuss the idea that people are being held in prisons without fair trials, and the promise Obama has made to shut down Guantanamo Bay has yet to be fulfilled.” –Anti-Flag

Amnesty International and Anti-Flag have worked together on a number of important causes, taking campaigns on tour with the band in the United States and overseas, and now they have teamed up together to speak out against indefinite detention with Amnesty International premiering the new video.

“The passage of the NDAA represents a further erosion of human rights in the United States and we are excited to be partnering with Anti-flag to help get this message out to a wider audience.” Tom Parker, Policy Director for Terrorism & (Counter)terrorism and Human Rights for Amnesty International USA

Take action now at: www.Amnestyusa.org/NDAA

In addition you can also find information about (NDAA) and sign the ACLU’s petition HERE.

Keep fighting the good fight! (And keep an eye on those puppets in Washington and beyond…)

MUCH RESPECT.

ANTI-FLAG

THE GENERAL STRIKE RECORD RELEASE TOUR
Anti-Flag with The Flatliners and Have Nots

03/06 Philadelphia, PA – The Barbary
03/07 Washington, DC – Rock & Roll Hotel
03/08 New York, NY – The Studio
03/09 Allston, MA – Brighton Music Hall
03/10 Wilkes-Barre, PA – Redwood Art Space
03/11 Pittsburgh, PA – Altar Bar
03/12 Detroit, MI – Magic Stick
03/13 Chicago, IL – Reggies
03/14 Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!

The exclusive download card you receive with ticket purchase will be made available at the show.

ANTI FLAG – The General Strike Australian Tour
w/ Special Guests: STRIKE ANYWHERE & THE FLATLINERS

May 24- Capitol, Perth (18+)
May 25- Fowlers, Adelaide (Lic/AA)
May 27 – Hifi, Melbourne (18+)
May 30 – Zoo, Brisbane (18+)
May 31- Coolangatta Hotel, Gold Coast (18+)
June 1- Manning Bar, Sydney (18+)
June 2 – Uni Bar, Wollongong (18+)

Tickets On-sale NOW!
For more information and to rsvp please visit: http://www.facebook.com/events/116855411773018/

NEW ALBUM! “The General Strike” Available in Australia March 23rd on Side One Dummy/Shock Records.