GREECE GOES ON STRIKE - 48HOUR - STRIKE!

AGAINST THE POLICIES OF THE GREEK GOVERNMENT - EUROPEAN UNION - IMF


A big nationwide mobilization started on Monday 27th with the 48-hour strike.


SYMBOLIC OCCUPATION OF THE ACROPOLIS MONUMENT

“The peoples have the power and never surrender. Organize, Counterattack” was the slogan written in Greek and in English on the banner that the all Workers’ Militant Front (PAME) hung from the Acropolis on 27th June, on the eve of the 48-hour strike against the barbaric anti-people measures of the social-democratic government, the EU and the IMFthat starts on Tuesday 28th June and is expected to embrace every workplace.

Early in the morning hundreds of members and cadre of PAME carried out a symbolic occupation of the Acropolis raising two huge banners. This initiative of PAME had a very positive impact not only on the Greek working people but also on the tourists who were visiting the country and the Acropolis. The access of tourists to the Acropolis was allowed within the framework of the symbolic occupation of the forces of PAME.

PAME notes in its statement: “We call on the working people, the youth, the unemployed and the women to a carry out a people’s uprising. We struggle along with the peoples all over the world against the capitalist barbarity. The barbaric measures that lead the people to bankruptcy must not pass”.

In the afternoon the forces of PAME organised placard protests and mass rallies-in order to conduct propaganda for the strike-in many neighbourhoods in Athens as well as in other cities in Greece.
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1st DAY OF THE STRIKE

The flags of All Workers Militant Front (PAME) waved in workplaces, enterprises, construction sites, ports, public authorities. Thousands of workers responded to the militant call of PAME. The strike has succeeded! Self-employed, poor farmers, pensioners, immigrants and students were there too.

Hard Battles took place at the gates of the factories and the ramps of the ships in order to picket the strike and make the capital feel the power of the working class where it hurts most, as it happened yesterday that hundreds of thousands took part in the strike.

During the dozens of demonstrations held throughout the country thousands of protesters voted unanimously against the measures in streets and squares.

The working people reject the new anti-people measures, refuse to become slaves of the plutocracy. We should note that the new anti-people measures reduce wages and pensions, increase further retirement ages and indirect taxation from 13% to 23%, strike a blow on social security and the list of hazardous occupations, increase the daily unpaid working time, establish particularly low wages for young people, abolish collective labour agreements, establish the temporary contracts which entail dismissals without compensation, reduce “social” benefits etc. In addition, they privatise companies, land, water supply services, ports, airports etc that were owned by the state in order to bring money to the state funds and pay the debt, as they claim themselves. Nevertheless, the reason is that they want to hand over new sectors of economy to the capitalists in order to invest their over-accumulated capital.

The workers and the popular strata defied the intimidations and participated in the yesterday morning’s strike demonstrations as well as to the dozens of demonstrations that took place yesterday afternoon. Today they continue their struggle which is a significant legacy for new struggles, for the escalation of the struggle. The vast majority of the protesters who participated in the strike demonstrations held in 65 cities of the country demonstrated with the flags of PAME and not with the so-called “indignant citizens” or with the leaderships of the yellow unions GSEE-ADEDY.

The Executive Secretariat of PAME saluted the hundreds of thousands of strikers who fought decisively for the strike. At the afternoon of the first day of the strike PAME organised a massive demonstration in the centre of Athens which extended up to the parliament. The strong picket lines of the demonstration prevented small provocateur groups from setting up provocations with the aim to dissolve the demonstration.

Although hundreds of thousands of strikers struggled dynamically for the strike, which succeeded in all over the country, although streets and squares flooded by the demonstrations, the international TV media showed the activity of the provocateurs as if it was the main issue in Greece and hardly spent a few seconds for the strike. This is their allegedly objective information! We have to do with a massive scale operation for the distortion of reality in Greece, that intends to conceal the resistance, the struggle and the demands of hundreds of thousands of working people.

The Press Office of the CC of KKE noted in its statement: “quite accidentally” the various groups of the hooded persons appear during the strike demonstrations with the police riot forces. This fact is one more evidence that enables the people to see that the movement which the system and the repressive mechanisms are afraid of is the movement in the factories and the enterprises, the movement of the working class that gives a perspective to the people. The class oriented workers’ movement knows how to struggle and protect itself from the provocateurs. The struggles continue undiminished.

Furthermore, the Executive Secretariat denounced the stage-managed games of some dozens of hooded individuals with the police riot forces because they seek to slander the workers’ struggles, intimidate the working people and the youth and prevent their participation in the strike demonstrations. PAME called on the workers to defy them and give an organised answer to the provocative action of these mechanisms through their mass participation in the demonstrations.

In an interview at MEGA TV channel on 28th June Aleka Papariga, GS of the CC of KKE, underlined that the activity of the hooded individuals “benefits the government too” and added that “there are many cores both within and outside the government at each time or others created by relative mechanisms that utilise these incidents or even create them”. Talking about the possibility of bankruptcy in case that the parliament does not adopt the anti-people measures of the government the GS of the CC said:

«Bankruptcy is a fact. Perhaps now they agree on the conditions or the distribution of the possible losses among the creditors.” Aleka Papariga called on the people to struggle for the disengagement of the country from the EU and for parallel radical changes in society and economy.

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2nd Day of the STRIKE

At the second day of the strike PAME along with PASEVE (Nationwide Antimonopoly Rally of the Self-employed and the small Tradesman ), PASY (All Farmers’ Militant Rally ), MAS (Students' Militant Front ) and OGE (Greek Women Federation) held mass strike demonstrations in 65 large cities of the country.

In Athens the demonstration took place in Omonoia square. A delegation of the CC of KKE headed by the GS Aleka Papariga participated in the demonstration. Afterwards followed a march in the streets of the city that ended to the Omonia square where the protesters stayed till the voting of the package of the new anti-people measures which was adopted at the afternoon by the parliamentary majority of PASOK, with 155 votes. The parliamentary group of KKE voted against the measures as a whole and headed towards the demonstration of PAME where Aleka Papariga extended a greeting stressing the need to continue the struggle for the overthrow of the anti-people choices of the government, the capital and the EU.


For more information, photos and videos you can visit:

http://inter.kke.gr/

http://es.kke.gr/


Communist Youth of Greece
www.kne.gr/english.html
Tel: 00302102592307
Fax:00302102592611

The human face of solidarity

By Vinnie Molina, for The Guardian, newspaper of the Communist Party of Australia

            On my recent visit to Colombia I visited Colombian trade unionist Liliany Obando. She has been held at the Buen Pastor Women's Prison in Bogota for almost three years.

            The visit is grueling; arriving to line up for the visit at 7 am is not early enough. It took four hours of processing before I saw Liliany through the window in Yard 6. People I met in the queue waiting to get a number told me they sometimes spend the night outside to get one of the first places.

            Getting the number is just one step, many check points follow. You are searched by dogs and questioned; if you bring food stuffs it must be searched thoroughly. You are weighed, pass through the metal detector and take your shoes off before passing to a small room where you are searched again. Finally you are asked who you are visiting. Liliany is in the 6th yard where political prisoners are held. When they learn that a whole new round of processing begins.

            After a not so pleasant search, ID or passport and two finger prints are taken. The food is returned and you are walked to another building where another finger print is taken. At each of these checks your arm is stamped; you end up with an armful.

There is still another metal detector and search before getting to the door of Yard 6. Again you are asked to give your ID, name and address. Finally the prisoner who has been waiting since 8 am gets to see their visitor.

            Liliany was charged with one count of rebellion and one count of fundraising for a terrorist organisation. Rebellion is a "catch all" charge aimed at the political opposition, trade union and human rights activists. Under normal circumstances Liliany and other political prisoners charged with rebellion have their cases quashed due to irregularities in due process including the use of fabricated evidence. However, because the latter charge must be heard by a specialised anti‑terrorist judge Liliany's charges come under a much more complex process and the judge has greater leeway in imposing harsher sentences up to 40 years.

            Liliany's case is one of up to nine cases that emerged after computers were seized in an illegal incursion into Ecuador in which FARC (popular resistance movement) commander Raul Reyes was assassinated with 25 others. The tragic event of March 1 2008 resulted in a number of personalities, parliamentarians, trade unionists and academics being named and charged using computer files taken from the FARC encampment as evidence.

            On May 18, 2011 the Supreme Court made a critical finding in the trial of former parliamentarian Wilson Borja who was also charged with links to FARC. The judge found the computer files were obtained illegally; the army didn't follow correct procedure. Lawyers for Liliany believe she should also be immediately released.

            Liliany and I spent three hours talking about her case and about international solidarity. She thanks the international solidarity movement for being instrumental in breaking the silence and providing a voice for the 7,500 political prisoners currently in detention so their stories can be taken beyond the walls.

The international community calls for respect for human rights in Colombia, the humane treatment of political prisoners and for a humanitarian exchange of prisoners of war. A humanitarian agreement will be a first step towards a political solution to the deep armed and social conflict. Recently, for the first time almost 50 years of armed conflict was recognised by Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos. The recognition of the armed conflict and its causes is an important step towards the recognition of both the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) and the ELN (National Liberation Army) as belligerent forces in the conflict and should lead to their removal from terrorist lists in Colombia, US and the European Union.

            At 2:45 pm I heard the whistle that signals visits are over. It was time to line up to leave the premises by 3 pm.

            Liliany thanks all those in Australia and around the world whose solidarity keeps her revolutionary spirit high. She looks forward to her freedom after already spending three years behind bars despite her innocence. These three years have left serious scars on the life of her loved ones. I also had the opportunity of spending a few lovely days with her mother and children. They welcome seeing a human face of solidarity and I value learning their story. Koalas and kangaroos are essential toys in that household.

            For more information visit: www.inspp.org

No going back!

Pride 2011 statement from the Communist Party of Canada and the Young Communist League


This summer, as the LGBTQ communities and their allies across Canada hold Pride events, there is much to celebrate, but also serious challenges. The Communist Party of Canada and the Young Communist League send warmest greetings, and pledge our solidarity to the ongoing struggles for full equality.



These struggles gained more new ground in the past year, in Canada and many other countries. The powerful movement for full gender and sexual equality continues to break down old barriers and prejudices. The right to same-sex marriage equality is being recognized in more U.S. states and in other countries. The “It Gets Better” campaign has given some hope to millions of queer and questioning youth who face abuse and hatred. Toronto City Council has rejected attempts by homophobic mayor Rob Ford to deny funding to Pride Toronto.



We welcome the continued expansion of queer‑positive environments in the public realm, the growing numbers of trade unions with active Pride and LGBTQ caucuses, and the increase of gay‑straight alliances, safe school spaces and “Pride proms” in our schools. These and other legal, political and cultural victories are the hard‑won results of decades of efforts by the LGBTQ community and allies.



But this progress is under attack. Those who rely on the divisive tactics of fear and bigotry have a powerful new ally – the Conservative majority elected on May 2. Other far-right forces seek to gain power with the aid of reactionary, fundamentalist groups, such as the Hudak Tories in Ontario. The manufactured outcry against the Burnaby School District’s new anti-homophobia policy, and the Toronto Catholic School Board’s banning of a lesbian comedian from an anti-bullying event, are reminders that anti-equality groups will keep trying to turn back the clock.



Alarmingly, police‑reported hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation rose by 18% in 2009 according to Statistics Canada, after more than doubling from 2007 to 2008. Hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation are often violent, confirming news of more gay-bashings in recent years. Despite the “It Gets Better” campaign, most LGBTQ students still report feeling unsafe at school, and prosecutors are often unwilling to prosecute vicious gay‑bashings as hate crimes.



Bill C-389, the historic legislation to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act by making it illegal to discriminate on the basis of gender equality or gender expression, was adopted by the last House of Commons, only to die with the dissolution of Parliament before a vote in the Senate. The struggle for legal equality for transgender Canadians will now be much more difficult and complex.



We are confident in eventual victory for trans equality, but the cost of delaying for years will be tragic. To those who dismiss the significance of this issue, we point out that trans people are about one-tenth of the LGBTQ population, and face huge medical costs, higher levels of unemployment, less access to housing, widespread intimidation at work, and lack of legal protections.



The demand for trans equality must be intensified by the LGBTQ communities and our allies in the coming period. But the Harper Tories hope to use their new majority to reverse queer rights as well as decades of gender equality gains by women. Right-wing forces continue to scapegoat the LGBTQ community and racialised groups, to divide working class resistance against finance capital, corporate bailouts and global environmental plunder.



Globally, the struggle to end the criminalization of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression faces stubborn resistance. Violent expressions of homophobia are on the rise in many countries, sometimes in response to courageous attempts to hold public events such as Pride Parades. Working class queer people suffer vicious discrimination, along with women and racialized communities who bear the brunt of neoliberal economic and social policies.



ILGA, the association of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersexed peoples, reports that 76 United Nations member states still criminalize consensual same‑sex acts among adults. In five countries, punishment for homosexuality still includes the death penalty.



But the ILGA also notes that “from the adoption of marriage laws in Argentina and Iceland, and the decision of the Brazilian Supreme Court recognizing rights of same‑sex civil unions, to the issuing of a Statement signed by 85 countries at the UN Human Rights Council condemning persecution on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, a lot of progress has been made the last year on recognition of LGBTI rights in the world.”



The myth that queer rights can only be won in wealthy capitalist countries is shattered by these advances, and by the reality that homophobic and racist concepts are exported from North America and Europe.



Today the so‑called “war on terror” is an excuse to remove civil liberties, and the ruling class is using the economic crisis to conduct a vicious assault on workers and hard-won social equality gains. We must always remember that “an injury to one is an injury to all.” Just like racism, sexism, and national chauvinism, homophobia and transphobia are weapons to divide working people. Equality and human rights must be expanded to include full legal and political protections for sexual orientation and expression, and gender identity.



This demand is not “divisive.” It is a vital part of the fightback by people’s movements. A broad democratic and social resistance is needed to block and reverse the corporate agenda. Together, we must build a powerful coalition around a genuine people’s alternative ‑ a common front of labour, Aboriginal peoples, youth and students, women, seniors, farmers, immigrant and racialized communities, environmentalists, peace activists, the LGBTQ community, and many other allies.



Ultimately, this struggle in our communities and workplaces, in the streets and at the ballot box, can defeat the Harper Tories and open the door to a people’s coalition government. The goal of the Communist Party is to win fuller social freedom and genuine people’s power in a socialist Canada, where our economy will be owned by all and democratically controlled. It will then become possible to eradicate the intersecting forms of exploitation and oppression which we all face today. We urge you to join us in this goal of creating a liberated society in which, as Karl Marx said, “the freedom of each is the condition for the freedom of all.”

On the ICC capture warrant against Muammar Khadafi

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued a capture warrant Muammar Khadafi, president of Libya, blaming him for the “illegitimate arresting of
people” and “murders of opposition members” standing against the Libyan government, both done since last February.

Once again, the ICC comes to prove itself as a ridiculous puppet of the imperialist order, whose only purpose is to legitimate the imperialist interventions.

It is of high importance to remind, once again, that this court does not judge American soldiers or crimes done by the US and, since it exists, never it has taken even a word against the countless crimes of NATO or any other imperialist coalition or intervention.

WFDY does not recognize to the ICC even a drop of authority to blame or find guilty anyone for anything. Over the last years, this so-called “court”, has never even spoken about the killing done by imperialist criminals and their allies in Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, Western Sahara, Bahrain, Yemen, Tunisia and Egypt (just to mention a few) and always stood by the side of the occupiers, the bombers and the dictators. Its role is to contribute to the pillage and murder that imperialism spreads around the world with its constant wars and conflicts.

The motivation of imperialism to bombard and invade Libya was never and is not Khadafi or any hypocrite defense of the human rights. Imperialism has armed rebel forces, bombed and invaded Libya and killed innocent Libyan people to go after the Libyan immense reserves of oil and to be able to install in that area another huge military compound that will create better conditions for any new interventions.

On this occasion, WFDY calls upon all its member organizations to denounce this new wave of propaganda as part of the continuous efforts we are making for the immediate end of the war against Libya, so that it can be the Libyan people to solve their own issues, as in any other sovereign country.