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Amenazas contra Venezuela; ¡Liberar a Leonard Racism, poverty Peltier! 12

WARMAKERS fuel rebellion FALL OUT By Fred Goldstein The epicenter of the rebellion was in Saint-Denis, Department Cheney, McCain 93, 10 miles outside Paris. Paris rents have been going through & torture 3 Nov. 9—The reactionary capitalist rulers of France have the roof. Last year more than 100,000 people competed for decreed a state of emergency in an attempt to suppress the 12,000 available substandard housing units in Paris. “Among the wholly justified and righteous rebellion of African immigrants hardest hit without housing are immigrants.… The three back- against decades of racism, poverty, unemployment and national to-back Paris fires over the spring and summer, which killed oppression—imposed upon them under the hypocritical slogan many children, occurred in such rundown buildings.” (ABC NEW ORLEANS of the “social republic” of “liberty, fraternity and equality.” News) The rebellion, which has spread to 300 cities, is led by youth The law under which the state of emergency was decreed is • What workers are and is an expression of the anger and frustration of the millions particularly hated because it was first imposed in 1955 as part of facing of immigrants and their children who come from former colonies the bloody colonial war by the French imperialists to hold on to of France, mostly in North and sub-Saharan Africa. Algeria. It permits governors and mayors “to forbid the move- • Struggle over This rebellion is basically against internal colonialism—as evi- ment of people and vehicles,” to ban meetings, to “search homes Davis-Bacon 4 denced by official youth unemployment at close to 40 percent, at any time of night or day,” to control “press and publications run-down housing built in the 1950s and 1960s, a continual cam- of all kinds,” and to impose a two-month jail sentence for viola- paign of police harassment and brutality, and exclusion and tion of the curfew, among other things. Over 1,500 people have racist discrimination in housing and employment. already been detained and hundreds more arrests are expected. France has 750 areas classified as Sensitive Urban Zones Several years after imposing this law in Algeria, the govern- UNIONS SAY NO (ZUS) where unemployment hovers at 20 percent—twice the ment extended it to France itself, to suppress support for the Delphi's national average—and incomes are no more than 60 percent of Algerian liberation movement. It created such a climate of the national average, according to government statistics. Official repression that, on Oct. 17, 1961, a demonstration in Paris in sup- 5 indecent offer unemployment there in the age group 15 to 25 is 36 percent and port of the Algerian war of liberation was attacked by police. Over reaches higher if only young Muslim men are counted. Continued on page 8 DECEMBER 1 Day of Absence is building 6-7 New York embraces ARGENTINA! World Cup for Bolivarian revolution Bushwhacking 8

IRAQ & IRAN Oil and resistance 11

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ADDRESS Manhattan’s 1,500-seat Town Hall was packed on Nov. 8 for Hugo Chávez’s statements that the revolution must advance to “An Evening of Solidarity with Bolivarian Venezuela.” Those socialism. Eleguá, an Afro-Venezuelan women’s drummer group, CITY/STATE/ZIP attending were from Central, South and North America as well pictured above, brought the audience to its feet during the as the Caribbean. A large delegation from Venezuela electrified rally’s finale. The event was initiated by the Alberto Lovera EMAIL PHONE the audience with speeches explaining the revolutionary Bolivarian Circle and the International Action Center. Go to the WORKERS WORLD NEWSPAPER process that is bringing accessible health care, literacy pro- PeoplesVideo.tv website for video and audio of the rally. The 55 W. 17 St. NY, NY 10011 212-627-2994 grams, decent housing and land reform to meet the needs of next issue of WW will have more extensive coverage. www.workers.org millions of Venezuela’s poor. Many speakers hailed President —Monica Moorehead Page 2 Nov. 17, 2005 www.workers.org Black activist:

‘I believe in what I did’ In the U.S. Black activist: ‘I believe in what I did’ ...... 2 By Larry Hales Adams County has shown its willingness to proceed Death penalty protest in Texas capital...... 2 Denver with this fraudulent trial even though there are a video- Cheney, McCain and the debate over torture ...... 3 tape and ample witnesses to attest to the sham nature of Bush’s Rx for flu: profits before people ...... 3 “Win, lose or draw, I believe in what I did, and I reject the charge. Workers face many hazards in New Orleans ...... 4 any plea they give me. They said that if I pled guilty to sec- After the professor’s remarks, conservative forces had Strengthening Davis-Bacon for all workers ...... 4 ond degree, I wouldn’t receive jail time, but I’m going to pounced on him, attacking progressive and radical voices Black artists sponsor Katrina forum ...... 4 fight,” Shareef Aleem told this reporter on Oct. 24 before on campuses around the country and defending the rul- Unions reject insulting Delphi offer ...... 5 going into court, where he faced a trumped-up charge of ing class brutality and plunder in the Middle East that has NYU grad student workers vote to strike ...... 5 second-degree assault on a campus cop of the University enraged Middle Eastern people and Muslims as far away Broad support for Boston Day of Absence ...... 6 of Colorado. as Indonesia. Youth plan Dec. 1 protest ...... 6 What Shareef Aleem did was stand up during a Board Recently, another community activist challenged the Mumia Abu-Jamal: Other mothers, other movements . 6 of Regents meeting on Feb. 27 and say, “Do the students professor and his followers for not supporting Aleem in Letter: Millions More Movement rally ...... 7 get the right to speak? Is this a democracy or not? If not, his time of need, even though Aleem had the courage to Baltimore bill calls for Day of Absence...... 7 let’s stop calling it that.” support the embattled professor. Up to that point, only a Lavender & red, part 47...... 10 The Board of Regents meeting had been advertised as small number of Denver activists had gone to court with Around the world being public, but students were silenced and kept from Aleem. Now his support from the community in Denver, France: Racism, poverty fuel rebellion ...... 1 voicing opinions in support of a university professor who including those who supported the professor, is broader Bush humiliated as movement rebuffs FTAA ...... 8 was being criticized after he put the blame for the 9/11 than before, and people are beginning to rally around this Rebellion exposes deep crisis in France ...... 9 attacks squarely on the shoulders of the U.S. government. important anti-racist activist. French soldiers murder Ivoirian prisoner ...... 9 When Aleem stood up in the meeting, he was An attack on Aleem is an attack on everyone, especially U.S. offensive kills many civilians in Iraq ...... 11 approached by a campus cop. The cop had earlier forced on the right of oppressed people to self-determination. Imperialists plot ‘regime change’ for Iran...... 11 a student to leave who had begun to ask the same ques- Aleem has worked tirelessly in the Black community, most tions. However, Aleem, one of the few Black people in the notably against police brutality, and was instrumental in Editorials crowd, was grabbed, had his camera shut off and eventu- winning a suspension of a police officer who killed a 15- The beginning of history—again...... 10 ally was pulled down on top of the cop. He was then bound year-old mentally disabled Black youth. That suspension and stunned with a Taser. Before it was over, nearly a was overturned after the momentum was usurped by Noticias En Español dozen campus cops were on top of Aleem, and cops in full weaker leaders, who dismissed the outrage in the Black Venezuela ...... 12 riot gear waited outside. community and moved to work with the very cops who Leonard Peltier ...... 12 Aleem’s trial has been postponed until Feb. 27, 2006. brutalize people of color. WW CALENDAR

NEW YORK. hot reception that a crisis- besieged Bush received at the Death penalty protest Fri., Nov. 11 Summit of the Americas. 7 p.m. Workers World Party Meeting: (Dinner at 6:30) At 55 W. 17 St., Why France is Burning. Hear Larry 5th Fl., Manhattan. For info (212) Holmes, a leader of Workers 627-2994. World Party, and LeiLani Dowell, a in Texas capital founder of the F.I.S.T. youth group, give a Marxist perspective By Gloria Rubac The protesters chanted, “They on the massive rebellion against Austin, Texas say death row, we say hell no!” racism engulfing France. Also, Rebeca Toledo, a writer for and “What do we want? Workers World, will report on the Nearly 500 protesters, many in town Abolition! When do we want it? for a conference of the National Now.” Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, Speakers highlighted the cases Workers World marched here against executions on Oct. of Tony Ford and Rodney Reed. 55 West 17 Street 29. In November, the number of people Ford has been protesting the New York, N.Y. 10011 executed since the U.S. reinstated the inhuman conditions of isolation Phone: (212) 627-2994 death penalty in 1976 is scheduled to top and sensory deprivation on Fax: (212) 675-7869 1,000. Some 35 percent of these official Texas death row. The protest is E-mail: [email protected] killings have been in Texas. being spearheaded by a group Web: www.workers.org Rick Halperin, professor at Southern known as Death Row Inner- Vol. 47, No. 45 • Nov. 17, 2005 Closing date: Nov. 9, 2005 Methodist University and a member of communalist Vanguard Engage- the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death ment. See Editor: Deirdre Griswold Penalty, told the crowd at a pre-march www.drivemovement.org. Technical Editor: Lal Roohk rally, “You are in the hellhole of human Juan Robert Melendez told of Managing Editors: John Catalinotto, LeiLani Dowell, rights.” spending 17 years, eight months Leslie Feinberg, Monica Moorehead, Gary Wilson The march was led by Journey of and one day in a Florida jail. He West Coast Editor: John Parker Hope, an organization of murder victims’ WW PHOTO: AUSTIN-RALLY was released after a tape- Contributing Editors: Greg Butterfield, families who oppose the death penalty. Texas is 'the hellhole of human rights.' recorded confession by the true Fred Goldstein, Teresa Gutierrez, Berta Joubert-Ceci, They had just completed a two-week tour killer was found. Some 121 people Milt Neidenberg of the state, speaking before 130 audiences at churches, proved to be innocent have been released from death rows Technical Staff: Shelley Ettinger, Maggie universities and community organizations. Their contin- in the U.S. since 1993. Vascassenno gent included exonerated death row prisoners, families of As the rally ended, the crowd surrounded the executed prisoners and families of people on death row. Governor’s Mansion with yellow crime scene tape. Scott Mundo Obrero: Carl Glenn, Teresa Gutierrez, Berta Joubert-Ceci, Donna Lazarus, Carlos Vargas, In the group was New Orleans evacuee and community Cobb of Texas Moratorium Network explained that “the activist Eloise Williams, whose son was murdered in Texas biggest crime in Texas is committed by the government.” Internet: Janet Mayes just a month before Hurricane Katrina forced Williams Death penalty abolitionists are planning protests Workers World (ISSN-1070-4205) is published from her home. around the country to mark the 1,000th execution. weekly except the first week of January by WW Publishers, 55 W. 17 St., N.Y., N.Y. 10011. Phone: (212) 627-2994. Subscriptions: One year: $25; foreign JOIN US. 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A failing war and an administration in crisis Cheney, McCain and the debate over torture By Fred Goldstein co-authored the original torture memo on the subject without other key Cabinet that came out of the Justice Department members,” an intelligence official con- A dispute over outlawing government- authorizing torture as a prerogative of fided to the Washington Post. Rice has endorsed torture has opened up as a new presidential war powers. told Cheney she wants to be at all meet- front in the developing struggle within the It was Addington who recently called ings. ruling class establishment against the Rumsfeld’s chief aide on detainee policy, Cheney recently went to a weekly Bush administration. It is a struggle to Matthew Waxman, into his office and luncheon of Republican senators and “soften up,” isolate and undermine the cross-examined him about the new Pen- made “an impassioned plea” to reject the power of Vice President Dick Cheney, who tagon guidelines. Waxman “left bruised McCain amendment. McCain rebutted is regarded by many as the secret and and bloody,” said a Defense Department him, according to an aide, telling his col- nefarious unofficial prime minister. This official. “He tried to champion Article 3 [of leagues that the image of is part of a broader struggle to break up the Geneva Conventions], and Addington The torturers the United States using tor- the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld axis as Wash- just ate him for lunch.” (New York Times, ture “is killing us around ington and the Pentagon sink deeper into Nov. 2) are coming out the world.” the Iraq quagmire. The Times continued that “Addington against torture. So there you have it. The The battle is being waged in two areas: objected to phrases taken from Article 3— Against Torture. No one should militarists in the Pentagon, over the drafting of new Pentagon guide- which proscribes ‘cruel treatment and tor- Just as in the struggle well represented by fellow lines on torture, and over Senate legisla- ture,’ and ‘outrages upon personal dignity, over the Defense give one ounce militarist McCain, fear that tion outlawing torture. In both spheres, in particular murder of all kinds, mutila- Department guidelines, of credit to the torture is besmirching Cheney is leading the opposition to legal tion, humiliating and degrading treat- Cheney is the chief oppo- war criminals Washington’s image and and administrative restrictions on the ment’— as problematically vague.” nent. Much of the decisive ruining U.S. imperialism’s “right” to torture. One of the Addington camp’s major initiative for the McCain for this. efforts to conquer Iraq and Cheney is also—unofficially—a key tar- defenses is that Bush “specifically rejected amendment comes from proceed with its plans in the get in the CIA-leak grand jury investiga- the Article 3 standard in 2002, setting out the military itself. rest of the world. tion. The grand jury, convened by federal a different one” that said detainees should Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice The strategists of U.S. imperialism are prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, has already “be treated humanely and to the extent wants to change the rules “to get us out of not opposed to torture because it is dehu- issued a five-count felony indictment appropriate and consistent with military the detainee mess.” (Washington Post, manizing, degrading and cruel. No. But against Cheney’s chief of staff and key necessity.” Nov. 7) Rice’s aides and her counterparts proclaiming it as official policy is “ruin- aide, I. Lewis Libby. But the attempt to rewrite the rules in the Pentagon are trying to change the ing their image” as they vainly attempt to The struggle against new Pentagon “received strong support from lawyers for rules and the image. Cheney’s group is a colonize Iraq and pacify Afghanistan. guidelines that would mandate a reduc- the armed services, the military vice chiefs “shrinking island,” according an anony- The CIA trained the torturers of the tion in the brutality against detainees has and some civilian defense officials,” said mous State Department official. Savak under the Shah of Iran. The FBI and been smoldering behind the scenes for the Times. “Their concern was that we Cheney twice held meetings with legis- the Pentagon trained torturers for Latin two months. But the debate has been were losing our standing with allies as well lators to try to have the McCain amend- America at the School of the Americas. going on for three years, since Bush as the moral high ground with the rest of ment defeated. When it was passed in the Washington backed the death squads in El decided that the Geneva Conventions did the world.” Senate, he got CIA head Peter Goss to Salvador and now in Colombia. They sup- not apply to the so-called “fight against meet with McCain and argue for exempt- ported the Argentinian, Uruguayan, terrorism,” which includes just about any- Militarist introduces ing the CIA from the amendment. The Paraguayan and Brazilian generals and one the Pentagon or the CIA can get their anti-torture amendment CIA is reported to have illegal secret pris- dictator Pinochet of Chile, who “disap- hands on in the Muslim world. The legislative struggle was precipi- ons around the world—in Afghanistan, peared” tens of thousands. With world-wide condemnations of tated when Bush rival and militarist Sen. Pakistan, Guantanamo and Eastern The torturers are now coming out Pentagon and CIA torture, the military is John McCain introduced an amendment Europe—where it tortures and “disap- against torture. It is a victory to see them moving to change its image. But Cheney outlawing “cruel, inhuman or degrading” pears” prisoners. Some are known to have on the defensive, having to pull back and signaled that he was not going to back up treatment of any detainee in U.S. custody. died under torture. disavow their brutal tactics. But no one an inch on the torture question. The day The amendment was attached to the Cheney lost that battle. His staff is should give one ounce of credit to any of after Libby resigned, Cheney appointed $445 billion military spending bill. The now “trying to have meetings cancelled the war criminals for this. The Iraq resist- David Addington to replace him as chief language of the McCain amendment is … to at least slow things down or gum up ance and its refusal to submit is what has of staff. Addington, among other things, taken directly from the UN Convention the works, or trying to conduct meetings brought it about. Bush’s Rx for flu: profits before people

By Hillel Cohen cine is that it must match the specific form has fought hard against other countries those who were stranded. Racism and of the virus to be effective. H5N1 vaccine, that have tried to introduce such emer- poverty made the difference between who President George W. Bush has announ- now in development, may not be as useful gency measures, for example with regard got out and who suffered or died. ced plans to guard the public against bird against the virus if it shifts to humans. to HIV/AIDS medications. The government could demand that all flu. A close look at his $7.1 billion proposal Also, if a worldwide outbreak of flu hap- Other gaps in the plan are as wide and bosses pay workers who have to stay reveals that the number-one priority is to pens, there will be little time to do exten- deep as the holes in the broken levees that home, either because they are ill, have to protect drug company profits. sive safety and effectiveness testing. were meant to protect New Orleans. take care of children or some other flu- Very little of the money will go to local A key provision in Bush’s plan is to cre- The administration hinted broadly related emergency. communities. The plan clearly ignores the ate blanket liability protection for the drug that flu-stricken communities might be The government could arrange for local specific needs of working families and companies—which means they could not put under quarantine or that workers supermarkets to distribute free or subsi- communities of color. In the event of a be sued if their vaccine products caused with symptoms might be forced to stay dized supplies for those who need them. worldwide epidemic (pandemic) outbreak harm. The big pharmaceuticals have been home. Schools and childcare centers Such emergency measures are common of avian influenza, the Bush plan has the pushing for this for years, and are using might be closed because children easily sense but challenge the capitalist credo potential of recreating the hardships that fear of a flu pandemic to get it passed. It is pass the flu among themselves. But such that profits and property rights are more occurred in the aftermath of Hurricanes similar to how Bush used the Katrina dis- “plans” ignore the realities of life of mil- important than people’s lives. So instead Katrina and Rita, but on an even greater aster as an excuse to try to suspend the lions of working and poor people who of developing plans to address the hard- scale. Davis-Bacon Act, which guarantees pre- live check-to-check. Many workers don’t ships that widespread illness, quarantine There is great concern that an epidemic vailing wages for construction work by get paid sick leave, or if they do, it’s just and isolation will undoubtedly create, of the flu virus known as H5N1, now rag- government contractors. for a few days. Bush has proposed instead to place troops ing among wild birds and poultry, may The Bush plan also chooses to ignore Where will they get money for food, rent in the neighborhoods to enforce order. jump to humans. The core of Bush’s plan the monopoly on patent rights on the and utilities? If children must stay home, This thinly disguised version of mar- is to pay drug companies to manufacture antiviral medications, such as Tamiflu, what will working parents do for childcare? tial law will undoubtedly be concen- vaccine and antiviral medication in much that some believe will be most effective If people are quarantined in their homes or trated in communities of color. The larger amounts than are now available. against avian flu. According to interna- communities, how will they get food, med- occupation of New Orleans with merce- Vaccine would be used to prevent infec- tional law, governments can suspend ications and other necessities? naries and soldiers may be only a hint of tions with flu, and antivirals would limit patent rights and force companies to allow During the hurricanes, the government what the Bush regime is planning for the the severity of illness once someone manufacture of generic versions in case of told people to evacuate but had no plans to country in the event of a pandemic flu caught the virus. a public health emergency. However, the help those without cars or travel money outbreak. A big problem with manufacturing vac- U.S. government, across administrations, and no plans to provide food and water to Next: Is a flu pandemic likely? Page 4 Nov. 17, 2005 www.workers.org Workers face many hazards in New Orleans By Dana Gilmartin nish their homes? Block after block, the These Honduran New Orleans curbs are piled high with dry wall and workers removed other materials from houses that have asbestos from severely A labor shortage is evident all around been gutted, a visual reminder of how contaminated New Orleans. Burger King is offering a widespread the damage was. hospital. $6,000 signing bonus; Popeye’s is offer- Speak to people who have gone back to ing $9 an hour. Restaurants have to close their homes to find what is salvageable. PHOTO: DANA GILMARTIN early due to lack of staff. Some use paper One woman grimly holds up two Christ- cups and plastic plates because they can’t mas ornaments, the sum total of her and all the con- find anyone to operate the dishwasher. In undamaged possessions. tents of the base- hotels, rooms are cleaned every other day Some folks whose apartments were ments—is conta- instead of daily (horrors!). above the first floor and did not sustain minated with Not aware of their racism and classism, major losses are able to work now. If they asbestos, not to some people say, “Why don’t New work for a company that has a contract mention the lead Orleanians come back and fill these jobs? with FEMA, they can eat breakfast and in old paint. seen without fall protection was the roof Why aren’t they helping with the clean-up dinner free of charge at the FEMA support Who is doing this cleanup? African- of a union hall. and rebuilding?” Why not indeed? Let’s tent, can pick up bag lunches and bottled American and non-English-speaking Other workers in “cherry pickers” can look at some of the reasons. water (finally the pallets of water appear!) workers: Brazilians, Hondurans and oth- be seen perilously close to live power lines. Major sections of working class and and drop off laundry, all free of charge. ers. Many are not even familiar with the Their training in terms of safety has been poor communities were badly damaged by Some workers whose homes and cars words for asbestos and lead in their pri- scant and they often have not been given Hurricane Katrina and parts are utterly were destroyed are being put up in mary language, which shows that the con- the protective gear they need. Many of destroyed. Power has not yet been hotels by their employers. On the other tractors didn’t train them on the health these workers are Latin@. restored to the ninth Ward. Driving hand, some workers report being housed effects of these substances, as is required Meanwhile, at the landfills and the through the ward at night shows how few in apartments where the plumbing does- under “right to know” laws. debris collection areas, the workers are people are there. One or two houses per n’t work and the rats are as big as cats. Electrical power may still be energized, exposed to high levels of dust. Tens of mil- block have a light on, probably battery- Others are staying in motels where even though the floors are wet. lions of pounds of putrefying chickens and operated. major structural damage has not yet These workers are not in unions and are shrimp add intense and nauseating odors. Schools are still closed, so why would been repaired. In many cases, the fami- vulnerable to unsafe and unhealthy con- Faced with the super-exploitation of families with children return? The flood- lies of these workers are still in Atlanta, ditions. In the hurry to make a buck, the workers under these conditions, an waters damaged the ground floors of Baton Rouge or Houston. contractors are bypassing recognized safe opportunity is presented for unions, buildings, which in many cases held cor- Cleanup is the major activity under- practices for minimizing worker exposure community groups and worker safety ner grocery stores, restaurants and phar- way in downtown New Orleans and in to hazardous substances and reducing the and health alliances to network and macies. You can drive for miles without the hard-hit areas. The basements of spread of contamination. increase awareness, disseminate educa- finding access to basic supplies. hotels, office buildings and hospitals In residential areas, many roof repair tional material and make site visits. The Public transportation has barely started flooded to levels that damaged pipe insu- jobs are underway. The workers are not combined power of union membership up again. Even thrift stores had their fur- lation and boiler insulation containing tied off for safety; other precautions to and community pressure can stop the niture inventories destroyed, so how are asbestos. This means that the wreck- prevent falls are not being taken. killing, maiming and sickening of our families supposed to inexpensively refur- age—rotten food, drop ceilings, drywall Ironically, one site where roofers were multi-national workforce. A challenge to labor after Katrina Strengthening Davis-Bacon for all workers By Milt Neidenberg choice is no accident—they are all anti- On Oct. 26, however, Bush reinstated This victory for organized labor has shar- union, “right-to-work” states. DBA. This backpedaling revealed weak- pened the fangs of the right wing, which is In August and September, Hurricanes Bush’s suspension of DBA, had it suc- ness and vacillation. Why? Because mobilizing to repeal DBA and restore the Katrina and Rita exposed President ceeded, would have strengthened his anti- Katrina is another quagmire, like Iraq and suspensions. In the wake of the hurricanes, George W. Bush’s racist, criminal neglect union, right-wing base, expanded the low- Afghanistan. The president was now shift- congressional representatives from the of the Black population of New Orleans and paid workforce and shrunk wages in the ing his base to “moderate House Repu- House Republican Study Group have intro- the Gulf Coast. It will be forever in his Delta region. The suspension was calcu- blicans who argued that [white—MN] Gulf duced legislation to repeal DBA on the legacy. lated to cut redevelopment costs in New Coast residents were being left out of the fraudulent grounds that prevailing wages On Sept. 7, Bush declared a national Orleans and the Delta region so as to guar- recovery and that the region was becom- are bureaucratically controlled by unions. emergency and suspended the Davis-Bacon antee the profits of Corporate USA, ing a magnet for illegal immigrants.” The right wing’s allies include social Act (DBA) of 1931. The act sets a wage floor notably Halliburton/KBR—of which Vice (Washington Post, Oct. 27) conservatives like foes of reproductive on federal construction contracts and pro- President Dick Cheney is a former CEO— The Post article called the decision “a rights, supporters of the Supreme Court vides that workers on-site be paid no less and a host of other anti-union companies rare victory for organized labor” and “a nomination of Judge Samuel Alito Jr., and than “locally prevailing wages.” This blow supported by the Bush administration defeat for traditional Bush allies, includ- powerful lobbyists like the Chamber of against organized labor covered Alabama, that have received contracts without com- ing the construction industry and conser- Commerce, the National Association of Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi. This petitive bidding. vatives in Congress.” Continued on following page Black artists sponsor Katrina forum Special to Workers World of Black people, especially in the aftermath New York of Katrina, and the need for broader unity to fight for self-determination. To commemorate Black Solidarity Day, Usavior, the program’s moderator, pre- a “Black Aid” forum and fund raiser was viewed a documentary he is producing on held here on Nov. 1 with a major empha- the gathering of material aid in Brooklyn sis on Hurricane Katrina and continuing in September for Katrina survivors on the support for the survivors of this disaster. Gulf Coast. Latisha Devine, also with The forum participants, from left to Black Waxx, read a poem. right, were: Bob Law, “Night Talk” radio Black Solidarity Day, which falls every host and New York State chair of the November on the Monday before the elec- Millions More Movement; Nana Soul, tions, was founded in 1969 by Black polit- Black Waxx artist and activist; New York ical activists to encourage people not to go City Councilperson Charles Barron; Dr. to school or work as a protest against racist Carlos Russell, a founder of Black oppression in the U.S. The meeting was Solidarity Day; Monica Moorehead, sponsored by Black Waxx Recordings and International Action Center organizer; and Filmworks and the Black Star News. Larry Milton Allimadi, editor-in-chief of The Holmes, a leader of Workers World Party, Black Star News. At podium is Black Waxx officially welcomed everyone to the party’s filmmaker Usavior. All spoke on the plight office, where the meeting was held. www.workers.org Nov. 17, 2005 Page 5 Unions reject insulting Delphi offer

By Jerry Goldberg coverage. Dental and vision coverage corporation to shut five U.S. plants: in Flint, strategize on how to fight the Delphi bank- Detroit would be discontinued. Company-paid Mich.; Kokomo, Ind.; Milwaukee, Wis.; ruptcy. They are being organized by rank- holidays would be trimmed from 16 to 10 Vandalia, Ohio; and Tucson, Ariz. The and-file groups like New Directions, On Oct. 21 Delphi Automotive Systems per year, and the Christmas and Inde- Flint plant alone employs 3,400 workers. Members for Change and Futureofthe made its first offer to its unionized auto- pendence week holidays would be elimi- A study by the Anderson Economic Union.com., and are being publicized on workers since the corporation filed for nated. The pension plan would be frozen Group of East Lansing, Mich., estimated websites and blogs as the workers avail bankruptcy on Oct. 8. This contract offer on Jan. 1, 2006, and possibly eliminated. a reduction in Delphi employment of themselves of the new technology to com- contained even deeper wage and benefits over 12,500 workers, with the closing of municate and organize. cuts than the company’s earlier proposal, Anti-worker bankruptcy court at least 10 U.S. plants. This study esti- which was roundly rejected by the unions In making this outrageous “offer” to the mated that Delphi’s proposed “reorgani- Asserting right to their jobs and prompted the bankruptcy filing. union membership, Delphi management zation” would cost the federal govern- The key is for the unions to develop a Delphi has 33,000 unionized workers was obviously buoyed by the actions of the ment $4.8 billion in lost income taxes, tax program and strategy to fight back. The in its U.S. facilities, over 24,000 repre- New York bankruptcy court, which has revenue and pension liability. Under the Job Is a Right Campaign, which helped sented by the United Auto Workers jurisdiction over the Delphi bankruptcy. best-case scenario, it would cost the state lead the struggle against General Motors (UAW) and 8,500 represented by the In the month since the bankruptcy was of Michigan, already suffering from the plant closings from 1986 to 1988, popular- International Union of Electrical Workers. filed, the court has already demonstrated highest unemployment in the country, ized the demand for a moratorium on Delphi’s new proposal called for base its bias in favor of the corporation and $390 million in lost tax revenues. plant closings. It has issued a flyer calling wages of $9.50 an hour for existing pro- against the workers. for a three-part strategy to fight back. duction workers, $10.50 an hour for high For example, one of the first actions of Auto workers want to fight back The flyer raises the demand that the production workers, and $19 per hour for Deirdre Martini, the trustee named by the On Nov. 8, the six major industrial UAW be named trustee to administer skilled trades. This is a drastic cut from the court to oversee the bankruptcy proceed- unions that represent Delphi’s hourly Delphi through bankruptcy proceedings $26 an hour the average Delphi worker ings, along with U.S. District Judge workers formed a coalition in a solidified and urges calling a mass demonstration currently makes. Robert Drain, was to name the “unse- effort to take on the corporation. In outside the bankruptcy court in New York Cost of living and profit sharing would cured creditors” committee. The role of announcing this coalition, UAW spokes- to press this demand. be dropped. Monthly premiums for health the Creditors’ Committee is a significant person Paul Krell stated: “We are out- It calls for rank-and-file Delphi workers care and prescription drugs would be one in a Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It reviews raged by Delphi’s attempt to use the to prepare for a strike if Delphi attempts imposed: $85 for singles, $170 for couples, and gathers information about the bankruptcy process to dictate the radical to impose its wage and benefit cuts, and to $160 for single employees with children debtor’s activities and financial condition destruction of the living standards of prepare to occupy the plants to assert the and $240 for couples with children. and participates in the formulation and America’s industrial workers.” property right of the workers to their jobs Currently, autoworkers pay no premiums negotiation of the plan of reorganization. Krell announced that UAW president if Delphi begins to shut plants and dispose for their health care benefits. Normally, the Creditors’ Committee con- Ron Gettelfinger has endorsed a job action of its assets. In addition, deductibles and co-pays up sists of the largest unsecured creditors. called “work to rule,” which means that The flyer also points to Article 50 of the to $2,500 for individuals and $5,000 per Incredibly, despite the fact that the Delphi workers perform no duties beyond UAW constitution, which authorizes a ref- family would be imposed on health care UAW represents the largest group of indi- the workplace rules. “Work to rule” essen- erendum vote for a general strike of the viduals who will be affected by Delphi’s tially amounts to a slowdown strike. Work entire UAW membership when the “exis- bankruptcy, and despite the fact that the to rule would also mean no overtime. tence of the international union is involved UAW specifically requested to be included In addition, numerous UAW locals have together with the economic and social on the Creditor’s Committee, the union already expressed their readiness to strike standing of our membership.” Davis-Bacon was excluded. Delphi in December if it persists with its The flyer states, “Just beginning this pro- Continued from preceding page The bankruptcy court’s corporate bias outrageous demands. A rank-and-file cess of a vote on a general strike in every was further demonstrated on Nov. 4, worker from UAW 598 in Flint, Mich., has UAW local would send a message that the Manufacturers and the construction when the bankruptcy judge approved published an on-line petition opposing fight against this bankruptcy will not be industry. This alliance has won the back- Delphi’s proposal to offer millions in Delphi’s union busting, available at limited to so-called ‘legal’ channels that ing of a section of Black entrepreneurs sweetened severance packages to its top 21 www.thepetitionsite.com. In Dayton, inevitably result in disaster for the workers. who claim they can’t submit low bids if executives, including 18 months of salary Ohio, a community march to defend the The organized power of the rank and file they have to pay DBA prevailing wages. and 18 months of bonuses. workers’ jobs has already taken place, with can defeat the Delphi bankruptcy and turn On the books are rules that supposedly another scheduled for Nov. 25. around the corporate drive to lower wages guarantee jobs for “minorities” and women Massive job losses & tax deficits Town hall meetings are being organized and benefits for the entire working class.” through affirmative action “set-asides,” but A confidential Delphi memo code- for rank-and-file UAW members and The writer is a UAW retiree and they are not enforced. The Black-owned named Northstar identified plans for the community activists to come together and leader of the Job Is a Right Campaign. companies need subsidies to enable them to win bids on federally financed projects while paying prevailing wages. Ruling-class strategy is to exploit divi- sions between organized workers and NYU grad student oppressed nationalities, as happened when the DBA was first introduced, back in 1927. A contractor had employed African- workers vote to strike American workers from Alabama to build a Veterans Bureau hospital in Long Island, By Shelley Ettinger of faculty members have moved their A contract was finally settled and signed N.Y., the district of Rep. Robert L. Bacon, New York classes off campus and pledged not to do in 2002. It established, for the first time, a Democrat. The other sponsor was Sen. the graduate employees’ work during a a range of rights for graduate employees. James Davis, a Pennsylvania Republican Graduate employees at New York strike. Students and teachers have signed And it provided much-improved health and former secretary of labor under three University have voted to authorize a strike. petitions demanding that NYU negotiate benefits and pay. Republican presidents. The walkout is set to begin Nov. 9. with Local 2110, also called the Graduate Meanwhile, however, NYU continued Their pet issue was protecting America’s The NYU administration can save the Student Organizing Committee (GSOC). to press for a reversal of the pro-GSOC rul- “racial homogeneity,” a code word for fall semester and avert a strike by agree- Many undergraduate students’ parents ing made in 2000. In July 2004, Sexton racism. The American Federation of Labor ing to negotiate with the graduate work- are speaking up, too. They’re demanding and company got what they wanted. The was then all white. Samuel Gompers, ers’ union, UAW Local 2110. This is that NYU use a portion of the exorbitant Labor Board, now packed with a reac- founder of the AFL and the architect of unlikely to happen. NYU President John tuition dollars they pay not for union bust- tionary majority, issued a new decision business unionism, had died a few years Sexton appears intent on doing whatever ing, but to fund a fair deal for the gradu- finding that graduate employees are not earlier and was replaced by William Green, it takes to crush the union. ate students who do most of the under- workers and have no right to union repre- who followed in his footsteps. Craft unions But it is even less likely that Sexton will graduate teaching. sentation. and relatively high-paid, skilled white succeed in his union-busting quest. The administration moved quickly. members dominated the labor scene. In a week-long strike-authorization National significance Sexton announced he would refuse to DBA passed in 1931—the depths of the vote in late October, graduate workers The struggle at NYU is being watched negotiate for a second GSOC contract. Great Depression and the end of Repu- voted by an overwhelming 85 percent to closely by the national labor movement. A The contract expired this Aug. 31. On blican President Herbert Hoover’s admin- authorize the walkout. They are strong. GSOC strike and its results would have that day, protesters gathered in front of istration. Millions of workers, skilled and They are united. repercussions for graduate student organ- Bobst Library, site of the NYU administra- unskilled—white, Black and other nation- And so it’s class war at NYU. izing at every private university in the tion offices. Several dozen people, includ- ally oppressed—were unemployed. DBA On one side are Sexton and his team of country. ing AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, put a floor on what a company could pay administrators and deans, operating on The university was ordered to recognize were arrested for sitting down in front of workers on public works construction proj- behalf of the all-millionaire board of GSOC/Local 2110 in 2000, when the the doors. ects. The law helped keep wages from trustees. On the other: 1,100 graduate, National Labor Relations Board ruled that Now the showdown arrives. GSOC has plunging to rock bottom. teaching and research assistants—backed the NYU graduate students are workers called on all supporters to join its mem- by the vast majority of faculty, undergrad- with full rights to collective bargaining. It bers in a massive show of strength to kick 1930s labor upsurge uate students, and all the other campus took an ongoing mobilization to drag the off the strike with a giant picket line at Amendments to DBA in 1935 forced unions, representing clerical, technical, administration to the bargaining table. Bobst Library at 8 a.m. on Nov. 9. companies that had violated the law to pay maintenance, service and other workers. After that it took a long, hard negotiation The writer is a member of AFT Local Continued on page 6 Strike organizers report that hundreds to win an agreement. 3882, the NYU clerical workers’ union. Page 6 Nov. 17, 2005 www.workers.org

Mumia Abu-Jamal from death row Other mothers, Broad support for othermovements Boston Day of Absence From an Oct. 26 audio commentary: By Bryan G. Pfeifer schools. The reenactment march was donment of mostly African Americans he death of civil rights Boston also to gather support for the Voting in the Delta region in the wake of icon Mrs. Rosa Parks, at Rights Act, part of which is set to expire Hurricane Katrina. T the age of 92, has Representatives from a broad cross- in 2007. The brothers painfully conveyed how become a national event with section of labor and community organ- Gibran Rivera, a progressive District their loved ones are now dispersed media outlets running retrospec- izations have agreed to hold a series of 6 candidate for Boston’s City Council, across the country and how they are tives from the Montgomery bus militant actions in Boston on Dec. 1, the endorsed Dec. 1 and thanked the partic- unable to reconnect with them due to boycott, which sparked the rise 50th anniversary of the day Rosa Parks ipants for supporting him. Rivera’s FEMA’s criminal negligence and whole- of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther was arrested for refusing to give up her campaign is the first time in recent sale abandonment of hundreds of thou- King Jr. and the birth of the bus seat to a white man in Montgomery, memory that a Latin@ candidate has sands of working class and oppressed modern civil rights movement. Ala. These Boston actions will be part of seriously vied for this council seat, his- survivors. “Our heritage has been This, in this moment of familial and social loss, is yet a good thing for it teaches and reminds the the Dec. 1 Nationwide Day of Absence torically held by conservatives. stolen,” said Carl Sisson. Those in atten- young of how things were in an America that they against Poverty, Racism and War. Larry Holmes, national coordinator dance pledged their support for the did not live in. Mrs. Parks rightly deserved the The participants in a Nov. 5 planning of the Troops Out Now Coalition, trav- Sissons, including supporting the right accolades and honors heaped upon her for the meeting unanimously agreed to Boston eled from New York City to the meeting of return for survivors. great and noble role she played in a mass move- City Councilor Chuck Turner’s propos- and provided information on the Rev. Franklin Hobbs of Healing ment that touched the lives of millions. als to name Dec. 1 “Rosa Parks Human resounding support Dec. 1 has received Our Land reminded participants that Yet, unless one reads the work of Rights Day” and to submit a home-rule across the country. To date, over 1,000 Dec. 1 is World AIDS Day. The meet- Black and radical historians, we petition to have this day declared an individuals and organizations have ing pledged to make this a top priority would not know that Mrs. Parks annual Rosa Parks holiday in the city. endorsed and/or created Dec. 1 organi- at the Dec. 1 actions. wasn’t the first Black woman Possible Dec. 1 actions discussed zing committees, press conferences have Four of the Somerville 5 spoke about who refused to give her seat include a rally at Boston City Hall fol- been held in New York City and else- their police brutality case, as did Carol to a white man or was arrested for refusing to do lowed by a march through the financial where, and an upcoming Dec. 1 support Anderson, mother of two of these so. district and various working class and resolution, similar to one passed by the youths. In December 1955, an oppressed neighborhoods, ending with Boston City Council on Oct. 26, will soon Members of the International Action organizer of the Women’s Political Counsel, Jo Ann a teach-in at Roxbury Community Col- be brought before the New York City Center from India informed partici- Robinson, acted within hours of Mrs. Parks arrest lege. Plans will be formalized and final Council for a vote. Holmes also empha- pants of a day-long general strike there by working the phone tree and then writing a leaflets produced at the next meeting on sized the vital contributions of African- in October, joined by at least 40 million leaflet that went out throughout the city which Nov. 12. American women in the 381-day Mont- workers, that shut down vital sectors of read, “Another Negro woman has been arrested Councilor Turner, Rachael Nasca of gomery bus boycott. the economy. and thrown in jail, because she refused to get up the Women’s Fightback Network, and Tony Van Der Meer, Africana studies Other participants in the Nov. 5 meet- out of her seat on the bus for a white person to sit Frantz Mendes, vice-president of Steel- professor at the University of Massa- ing included members of the Archdale- down. It is the second time, since the Claudette workers Local 8751, Boston’s school bus chusetts-Boston, gave a brief historical Roslindale Coalition, Boston Troops Out Colvin case, that a Negro woman has been arrested for the same thing. This has to be drivers union, co-chaired the meeting. overview of the resistance of persons of Now coalition, Bromley Heath Mainten- stopped. Negroes have rights too for if Negroes It was held at the Painters and Allied African descent from the onset of slav- ance Workers, Community Church of did not ride the buses, they could not operate. Trades (IUPAT) District 35 union hall, ery to the present day. He also told par- Boston, Disabled People’s Liberation “Three fourths of the riders are Negroes, yet also the site of Local 8751’s office. ticipants how Rosa Parks as well as oth- Front, International Action Center, New we are arrested or have to stand over empty Tony Hernandez, IUPAT staff organ- ers in the developing civil rights move- England Human Rights Organization seats. If we do not do something to stop these izer and coordinator of Labor for Felix ment were sparked to action by the for Haiti, Rev. Filipe Teixeira of the arrests, they will continue. The next time it may Arroyo, Boston’s only Puerto Rican City racist murder of Emmett Till. Young Cape Verdean Club and well- be you, or your daughter, or mother. This woman’s Councilor, opened the meeting by “wel- known anti-police brutality activist, case will come up on Monday. We are therefore coming this organizing in our home.” Hurricane survivor tells Stonewall Warriors, United American asking every Negro to stay off the buses Monday in Ron Bell of Dunk the Vote pledged his of racism Indians of New England, Veterans for protest of the arrest and trial. Don’t ride the bus organization’s support for Dec. 1 When Carl Sisson, a Local 8751 stew- Peace, Women’s Fightback Network, to work, to town, to school, or anywhere on Monday. You can afford to stay out of school for actions. Bell was a principal organizer ard, introduced his brother, Daryl Sis- graduate students from University of one day if you have no other way to go except by of “Retracing the Struggle,” a march on son, a New Orleans Hurricane Katrina Maryland-College Park, progressive bus. You can also afford to stay out of town for Oct. 30 that retraced the route walked survivor, the meeting went silent. Indian activists as well as union mem- one day. If you work, take a cab, or walk. But by Dr. Martin Luther King in 1965 to People listened intently to descriptions bers from AFSCME, the Communication please, children and grown ups, don’t ride the bus protest segregation in Boston public of the federal government’s racist aban- Workers and Service Employees. at all on Monday. Please stay off all buses Monday.” (“The Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Women Who Started It, The Memoir of Jo Ann Gibson Robinson,” 1987) Without Jo Ann Robinson’s activism, who would Youth plan Dec. 1 protest know of Rosa Parks? What if she, or her Women’s Youth and students in New York City are being encour- 8th Avenue in Manhattan before marching to 14th Street at Political Counsel, did nothing? What if she hadn’t aged to join a day of absence on Dec. 1, the 50th anniver- Union Square. At 11:30 a.m. speakers and entertainers will activated the phone tree, or written and then dis- sary of Rosa Parks’ arrest for refusing to relinquish her kick off the rally. There will also be a fund-raising donation tributed this leaflet, and what if Black folks in seat to a white man on a segregated bus in Montgomery, box for Katrina survivors. Montgomery, by the hundreds, thousands and Ala. Following the rally, a second march will leave from Union more, didn’t respond to those leaflets? This day of absence means no work, no Square at 3:20 p.m. heading for the major 4 p.m. People build movements, one by one, in tens, school and no shopping in order to protest war, rally at Wall Street. FIST is calling on everyone to hundreds, thousands and eventually millions, and racism and poverty throughout the United States. work together to get military recruiters out of the what if Claudette Colvin, this poor woman, lost Fight Imperialism-Stand Together (FIST) is organ- schools and bring the troops home from Iraq. For more not only her seat and her dignity but was later izing a youth march and rally that will end up join- information on this FIST action, e-mail tossed in a mental institution. Few remember this ing the Wall Street demonstration later in the day. [email protected] or call the Troops Out Now woman’s name, but her contribution that would FIST will gather on the corner of 19th Street and Coalition at (212) 633-6646. set the stage for Parks was immense, yet none of us can deny the power of Montgomery and how it electrified the nation. On Thursday, Dec. 1, 2005, a number of organi- zations, unions and activists are calling for a Rosa Strengthening Davis-Bacon for all Park’s 50th anniversary Nationwide Strike, to shut the war down. On that day, they’re calling for no Continued from page 5 vented laws such as DBA from being blamed the AFL-CIO, and in particular school, no shopping, no work, to not only mark the prevailing wage when bidding for overturned. The DBA was strengthened the construction trades, for growing Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her seat, but a public works programs. The amend- in 1964 to include fringe benefits in the inflation and initiated a wage freeze. nationwide strike against poverty, racism and war. calculation of on-site prevailing wages. But, weakened by the Vietnam War Organizers include the Million Worker March ments came at the height of a labor However, the DBA has been a politi- quagmire, he reversed himself after Movement, the Troops Out Now Coalition, Black upsurge and the beginning of the Workers For Justice and a wide, diverse group of Congress of Industrial Organization’s cal football, kicked around to suit the only 28 days and reinstated the act to organizations and leaders. (CIO) organizing drives, which ruling class. Like all capitalist laws, pro- win organized labor’s support for the When asked about the bus boycott, Parks said, included bringing Black and immi- gressive or reactionary, it reflects the widening war. “The only thing that bothered me was that we grant workers into a powerful union- vicissitudes of the times, the changing In September 1992, President waited so long to make this protest.” It’s been 50 conscious movement that changed the relationship of class forces and, most George H.W. Bush indefinitely sus- years since her heroic stand in Montgomery, relationship of class forces. This important, the struggle for the right of pended DBA in the aftermath of against the racist system of segregation. Today, in upsurge was an historic moment in self-determination for the oppressed Hurricane Andrew, which devastated the brutal aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it is working-class history. nationalities. southern Florida. His intent was to past time for protests against poverty, racism and Independent class-wide struggle, By the 1970s, the AFL-CIO was on the reinforce divisions within the multina- scourge of war. People joining together make defensive. President Richard Nixon sus- tional labor movement and relieve the movements. general strikes and seizure of plants pended DBA in February 1971. He costs of contractors bidding on public From Death Row, this is Mumia Abu-Jamal. led to progressive legislation and pre- www.workers.org Nov. 17, 2005 Page 7

Millions More Movement rally Taking the message to the people orkers World Party and the Inter- with a banner that read “Smash Capital- national Action Center were both ism & National Oppression.” This is a presentW at the Millions More Movement beautiful, colorful banner that has rally on Oct. 15 in Washington, D.C. One Malcolm X and Harriet Tubman on one of their missions was to hand out flyers side and Sojourner Truth and Fred about the Dec. 1 Day of Absence, which Hampton on the other, along with the will mark the 50th anniversary of the day red, black and green Black Liberation our sister in the struggle, Rosa Parks, flag. As we all know, the MMM rally refused to give up her seat to a white drew hundreds of thousands of people. man. Hundreds stopped to take pic- People not only accepted and wel- tures under that banner. At comed this flyer and expressed soli- letter times there was a line of peo- darity with this call, but many families ple waiting to take a picture with friends asked for more copies so that they could and family under our banner. WW PHOTO: GLORIA VERDIEU take them back to their children’s We began to wonder if people were Millions More Movement rally, Oct 15. schools. Some educators said they would just interested in the colorful banner or if take the picture.” His friend responded hour and it was all positive, all good. We discuss this in their classrooms. they were also in agreement with what again, “No man, I am not against capital- began to hear from the same young man Childcare providers began to explain the the banner read. This brings me to this ism.” At that point Carl said to the young responses like, “Man, I didn’t know that,” chain of events in Montgomery to their one incident that confirmed that people brother, “What you don’t understand is and “I need to check that out.” little ones who were just beginning to were reading what this banner said. that capitalism created national oppres- This is the kind of organization and read. Overall the response was incredi- There was a group of about 13 youth of sion.” education that needs to be taking place ble. We gave out tens of thousands of African descent. They all huddled under Carl began a class right there. The nationwide. We all agree that our youth these flyers. I am sure that people will the banner for a group photo. One youth youth gathered around as Carl explained, are being denied the education that will remember us as they deal with the sor- stood back and read the banner and said, “Capitalism is the root of all of the prob- involve them in the struggle for true row of the passing of Rosa Parks. “I am for smashing national oppression, lems that the poor, workers, and people peace and justice in this country. This In addition to handing out newspapers but I ain’t against capitalism.” Carl of color in this country face daily. Look at youth took a stand based on the informa- and Dec. 1 flyers, the main mission was Muhammad heard this young man make the clothes you wear, the jewelry that you tion that he had, and Carl gave him some to educate and organize. We were this statement. One of the youth tried to have on, the food that you eat and the truth and started the process of turning camped out on the sidelines of the rally persuade his friend, “Come on man, just house you live in. We, as workers, pro- him around. Carl set an example of how duced all of these things yet we don’t own we need to take our message to the the means of producing any of it. That in streets. and of itself is a form of oppression.” This Gloria Verdieu Baltimore bill calls discussion went on for at least a half an San Diego for Day of Absence A National Day of Absence The Baltimore City Council has voted to The bill encourages “all public and pri- hold hearings on a bill that would celebrate vate businesses and educational institu- the anniversary of Rosa Parks’ courageous tions located in Baltimore City on Decem- December 1 stand against segregation with a Day of ber 1, 2005, to either close or allow their The50thAnniversary of ROSA PARKS’Arrest Absence on Dec. 1. The public will have an workers or attendees time off to attend opportunity to testify at the expedited Rosa Parks Commemoration events tak- hearing on Nov. 16, 11:30 a.m., at City Hall. ing place during the normal business Against Baltimore has thus joined New York, hours without sanctions.” Boston, Detroit, Oakland and other cities Local groups, including the Baltimore where resolutions have been introduced NAACP and other community, union, stu- Poverty,Racism supporting the Day of Absence Against dent, anti-war and religious groups, will Poverty, Racism and War in honor of hold a rally at City Hall at 12 noon on Dec. Parks, who died recently. The Alabama 1, followed by a march through downtown & WAR woman 50 years ago refused to give up her Baltimore to highlight cuts in education, seat on a bus to a white man, sparking the health care, utility hikes and shutoffs, No School–No Work–No Shopping Montgomery bus boycott and the begin- labor rights and police and jail abuses. Marches & rallies in cities across the country ning of the civil rights movement. —Sharon Black Bring the troops home now Justice for Katrina evacuees Jobs at a living wage Continued from preceding page planning to shape the reconstruction of Military recruiters out of our schools the Gulf Coast to suit their need for prof- Cut the war budget– not healthcare, works projects by cutting wages. education & housing When Bill Clinton became president, he its. “With Congress dangling as much as To find out what's being planned in your area or to help plan reinstated DBA in March 1993 as a reward $200 billion in hurricane-related aid, lob- a December 1 activity contact: Troopsoutnow.org for AFL-CIO support. In 1994, DBA was byists for oil companies, airlines, manu- facturers and others are clamoring to get or call 212 633-6646. You can endorse online, or email again amended to cover the construction, your endorsement to [email protected] renovation or repair of buildings used by their share.” (“Lobbies line up for relief Rosa Parks Anniversary Nationwide Day Of Absence And Protest initiators. Over 1000 groups and leaders including: Troops Out Now Coalition; Million Worker March Movement; Black Head Start programs. riches,” Washington Post, Sept. 28) Workers for Justice; Teamsters National Black Caucus; Michigan Emergency Comte. Against War & Injustice; New York Labor Against The War; Baltimore NAACP; Ramsey Clark; Rev. Herbert Daughtery, Presiding Minister House of Lords Church; Rev. Dr. Kwame O. Abayomi; Trent Willis, Pres. ILWU Local 10; Charles Barron, NYC Council; Guyanese-American Workers United; Chuck Now that the Bush administration has To advance the workers’ struggle, there Turner, Boston City Council District 7;Minister Don Muhammad, NOI Mosque No 11; Consuela Lee, Montgomery Bus Boycott Participant & Jazz Musician & Composer; Harlem Tenants Union; East Bay Homeless Union, Oakland; Code Pink, Bremerton, WA; Artist & Activist United for Peace; Louisiana Peace Action Community; Richmond Action Center;Virginia Anti-War Network; Orlean reinstated DBA, it’s time to strengthen this must be a united front that challenges the Area Coalition for Peace & Justice; SBA Farms Anti War Collective, Winnie,TX; So. Jersey Coalition for Peace & Justice; N E Ohio Antiwar Coalition; Minneapolis Anti-war Comte.; Peace & Justice Advocate, Methodist Fed. For Social Action*, Des Moines; Latinos For Peace, Concord, CA; South Miss. United for Peace Stonewall Warriors; St. Pete for Peace, St. Petersburg, FL; Queers for law to serve the interests of both organized corporations’ racist plans. Strengthening Peace&Justice; High County Peace & Justice; United Actors for Peace, Great Barrington; Vietnam Veterans Against The War, Denver; Voices Of Peace, Battle Creek, MI; We Are Michigan, Traverse City, MI; New College Alliance for Peace; Topanga Peace Alliance & Progressive Democrats of the Santa Monica; F.I.S.T. Fight Imperialism Stand Together; Steven Funk, GI resister; Elena Everett, labor and the oppressed nationalities and DBA would be a step in wiping out the lin- Chair NC Green Party; Colo. Communties for Peace & Justice; Episcopal Peace Fellowship; Steve Gillis, Pres., USWA Lo. 8751 Boston School Bus Drivers; Father Luis Barrios, Pastors For Peace; gering division between the organized MLK Jr. Bolivarian Circle; Mumia Abu-Jamal; Abayomi Azikiwe, Editor Pan-African News Wire; Al-Awda; BAYAN; Puerto Rican Alliance of LA; Arab American Civic Organization; Asia Pacific prevent the bosses from sowing divi- Action; Philippine U.S. Solidarity Org., Seattle; Action Center for Justice, Charlotte, NC; Arise for Social Justice, Springfield, MA; NY Committee to Free the Cuban 5; United American Indians labor movement and the oppressed of New England; Haiti Support Network; Andre Powell, AFSCME 112 Dele. CLC Balto.; Puerto Rican Alliance of LA; Fanmi Lavalas; Eugene Craig, Steward SEIU Lo. 715 San Jose; Crockett Peace sions—which DBA was conceived to do & Justice Coalition, Crockett, TX; Jane Franklin, Historian, Montclair, NJ; Susan E. Davis, Delegate, Book Div. Co-chair NWU Lo.1981*; Dave Sole, Pres., UAW Lo. 2334, Detroit*, MI; Michaelann nationalities. Ending this division is part Bewseeq, Pres., Arise for Social Justice, Springfield; Jerome Bibuld, Hat City Independent Media Center*, Danbury, CT; Abayomi Azikiwe, Editor Pan-African News Wire; Eugene Craig, Steward nearly 80 years ago. SEIU Lo. 715 San Jose; Capricorn Rising, LA, CA; Comm. to Defend The Somerville 5, MA; East Bay Coalition to Support Self-Rule for Iraqis; Center for Alternative & Responsible Education, of the challenge to labor. Lafayette, CO; Blauvelt Dominican Sisters Ministry of Social Justice, New Rochelle, NY; Center For a Livable World, Darien, NY; Lost Colony, Mocksville, NC; Minjok-Tongshin (Korean-American Hurricane Katrina has laid bare the cri- Internet Daily), LA, CA; Power Speaks, Baltimore; Free People’s Movement, NY, NY; Metrovoice Youth Entrepreneurs Program, Inc., Washington, DC; October 22nd Coalition to Stop Police The Million Worker March Movement Brutality, LA, CA; Lesbians for a Better America (LBA), Phila., PA; North Fork People Of Conscience, Southold, NY; North Shore No to Draft, Stoneham, MA; Pattern Interrupt, Mission Hills, CA; sis of a Black population exploited by class, Pax Christi, St. Peter's College, Jersey City, NJ; Peace Presence, Grand Rapids, MI; Radio Free Maine, Augusta, ME; Religious of the Sacred Heart Of Mary, Monterey Park, CA; Freedom Socialist (MWMM) has provided a perspective that Party; Full Circle Studios, Chapel Hill, NC; The Garden of Radical Presence, Santa Fe, NM; IndyIraqAction, Concord, CA; IWLU 465, Bonfield, IL; Politicin’ With The Sisters, Boston, MA; Atlantic racism and poverty. DBA needs language Insititue of Applied Psychophysiology, St Simons Island, GA; Wolf Enterprises Human Rights Advocacy, Whitefish, MT; Judy Greenspan, Brd Mmbr, CA Prison Focus*, San Francisco, CA; Larry that puts this catastrophe front and cen- takes on this challenge. Led by a core of Hales, Denver IAC, Denver; Michael Letwin, Frmr Pres., UAW Lo. 2325*, Co-convener, NYC; All Peoples Congress, Balti., MD; Aztlan Media Kollective, East LA CA; Buffalo/WNY Int’l Action Center; Christians Against Murder & Exploitation, Lacey, WA; Citizens Initiative Omega, Marxzell, Germany Deist Gamse, San Diego, CA; Denver IAC, Denver, CO; DestroyIndustry, Raleigh, NC; ter. Bush has promised a $60 billion first Black leaders, the MWMM has called on Disabled Rights Alliance, Victoria, BC, Canada The Great Peace March For Global Nuclear Disarmament 1986, Fredonia, NY; Hitec Aztec, Concord, CA; The Humanistic Party, Bronx, NY; Independent Consulting Services, Glendora, CA; Multicellular Organism, Kent, OH; NPLA-New Patriot Liberation Assoc., Whitestone, NY; Old Hippies Sharing Higher Intellect & Thought, Norfork, installment on a $200 billion appropria- the AFL-CIO, the Change to Win federa- AR; Peoples Video Network; Planetary Crisis Action Group(reforming), Taos, NM; Public Intellectuals for Social & Spare Change, NYNY; Queertoday.com, Boston, MA; Russian River Times, Monte Rio, CA; Spiritbody Resources Healing Center, Kennett Square, PA; Texas Death Penalty Abolition Mvmt., Houston, TX; Mountains, Woodland Hills, CA TPA / PDSMM, Woodland Hills, tion to repair, rebuild and restructure tion of unions and the anti-imperialist, CA; Troops Out Now, Gainesville, FL; Two-edged Sword Incorp., Newnan, GA; United American Indians of New England; UP (United Progressives) for Democracy, Bearsville, NY; W.Mass.Troops Out Now; Windy Hill Apple Farm, Newark, OH; Women's Fightback Network, Boston, MA; YCL Stanislaus USA, Turlock, CA; Yes You Can Cable Show, LA, CA; Nadin Abbott, Pres., Deist Gamse, dozens of cities like New Orleans around anti-war forces to join them in this historic San Diego, CA; Fatemeh Abdollahzadeh, Prof., Central Conn. State U.*, New Britain, CT; Scott Ainslie, CEO, Cattail Music, Ltd., Brattleboro, VT; Sydney Akerstein, Arroyo Grande, CA; Melissa Alexander, High Point, NC; Sean Alexandre, Bishop, CA; Ellen Allen, Melrose, FL; Mazen Almoukdad, Pres., Arab American Of Anaheim*, Anaheim, CA; Sydney Alonso, Norwich, VT; Patricia the Gulf Coast. mission. Katrina will be an acid test for Altomare, Pelham, NH; Jon Anderholm, Retired Teacher, United Educators of San Francisco*; Sue Anderson, Pagosa Springs, CO; Franki Andrews, Media Workers, MITF*, Santa Rosa, CA; Erica these potential allies. Anthony-Benavides, San Antonio, TX ; Blair Anundson, Campus Organizer, Washpirg*, Olympia, WA;Louis J. Arcese Jr., Chairperson, Center for a Livable World, Darien, NY; Mike Arrajj, San Bush and the corporate parasites are Francisco, CA; Rose Ashbach, student, Arcata, CA; Brooke Atkisson, St Louis, MO ;Azmi & Salwa Audeh, Retired, Boulder, CO; Russ Austin, Denver; Lynn Azar, Bonny Doon, CA; Barbara Back. Page 8 Nov. 17, 2005 www.workers.org

Summit of the Americas Bush humiliated as movement rebuffs FTAA By David Hoskins to send “troops to Haiti and trying to help environmental con- assure the survival of a democratic system tamination that are U.S. President George W. Bush received in Venezuela and Bolivia.” Gutierrez fur- the result of unregu- a chilly reception in the seaside city of Mar ther speculated that Argentina’s assis- lated corporate del Plata, Argentina, on Nov. 4-5. The chill tance in supporting the FTAA would reaf- domination. This came from his fellow presidents at an his- firm the two countries’ shared “belief in resistance ranged toric two-day summit meeting of leaders the free market system as a vehicle to … from the armed from 34 states in the Western Hemi- upholding democracy.” rebellion that broke sphere, with socialist Cuba excluded. The “democracy” that Gutierrez speaks out in the southern In the streets of the city and the soccer of includes U.S.-sponsored kidnappings Mexican state of stadium, however, the reception was hot- and coups, as in Haiti, Chile and Guate- Chiapas just after ter. Tens of thousands of Argentineans mala, meant to ensure that only govern- the signing of and other Latin Americans trashed Bush ments friendly to the objectives of imperi- NAFTA, through the and the so-called Free Trade Agreement of alism control the countries in Latin anti-globalization upsurge in Seattle in nesses of Che, and burned effigies of Bush. the Americas (FTAA) while cheering America and the Caribbean. 1999 and on from there. Guevara was assassinated in 1967 at the Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and Now Bush has discovered on the streets direction of the CIA while leading a guer- the memory of the legendary revolution- Legacy of “free” trade of Mar del Plata that the legacy of militant rilla campaign in Bolivia. ary Che Guevara, himself an Argentinean. proves ominous resistance is alive and well. At the summit’s conclusion, Bush left The Fourth Summit of the Americas NAFTA was implemented in 1994 when without an FTAA deal, without a final convened on Nov. 4 under the ambitious Democrat President Bill Clinton was in Bush versus Che communiqué and even without the clear title of “Creating Jobs to Fight Poverty and office. It aimed at eliminating all trade bar- A two-pronged people’s movement bat- support of host-country Argentina. Strengthen Democratic Governance.” riers between Canada, the United States and tled the FTAA in the streets and behind the The U.S. ruling class, still smarting from Mexico by 2009. NAFTA has shown it is barricades, as well as at the summit meet- Protests follow Bush to Brazil its failure to win meaningful international detrimental to workers in all three countries ings. One Latin American president fought Bush’s reception in Argentina left the and domestic support for its colonial who are struggling to maintain basic labor to ensure that the summit remained true U.S. ruling class high and dry. His adventure in Iraq and its inability to rights, social programs and public services to its announced theme of creating jobs, estrangement from Mexican President defeat the Iraqi resistance, had hoped to against the attacks of unfettered capital. fighting poverty and encouraging demo- Vicente Fox, a former ally, was obvious use the summit to advance its goal of A recent study conducted by the Eco- cratic governance: Venezuelan President from Fox’s comments dismissing their strengthening and extending neo-colonial nomic Policy Institute demonstrates that Hugo Chávez, who proved a forceful oppo- lack of a face-to-face meeting. Fox has been relations throughout Latin America. over 1 million manufacturing jobs in the nent to FTAA at the summit. hoping for an agreement that would allow For Bush, whose administration repre- United States and Canada have been lost President Chávez lobbied against FTAA Mexican workers to come legally to the sents the interests of U.S. transnational as a result of NAFTA. According to the EPI behind closed doors and publicly support- U.S., but to no avail. Mexicans without capital, the meeting provided an opportu- report, the results for Mexico’s workforce ed the demonstrators during his address to papers continue to die by the hundreds nity to seek hemispheric consensus for the have been equally devastating: manufac- 50,000 FTAA opponents during a counter- crossing the U.S. border. FTAA. This trade agreement models itself turing workers are now earning 21 percent summit at the city’s main soccer stadium. When Bush traveled to Brazil Nov. 6, on relations, like those in the North less, salaried workers earn 25 percent less Chávez’ public comments revealed the the protest against FTAA followed him to American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and the purchasing power of the Mexican level of resistance Bush and other U.S. the capital of Brasilia and through a half- that have proved disastrous for the minimum wage is now worth only half of diplomats faced. “Every one of us has dozen other major Brazilian cities. Pro- economies of underdeveloped and develop- its 1994 value. brought a shovel, because Mar del Plata is testers painted monuments in the capital ing countries. Millions of Mexican workers and their going to be the tomb of FTAA,” Chávez city with graffiti denouncing Bush’s As early as March of this year the U.S. families live in abject poverty in the slums said. planned visit with slogans that read, “Get government publicly revealed that it surrounding the maquiladora industries If the events in Argentina were in fact a out, killer Bush” and “Yankees go home.” would not hesitate to use FTAA as a vehi- along the U.S. border, which have grown battle between Bush’s concept of freedom Even in Panama, Bush’s last stop, there cle to undermine the national sovereignty sharply following the implementation of and that of the great, murdered revolu- were demonstrators in the streets and of countries that resist imperialist maneu- NAFTA. tionary, Che Guevara, as the Christian Bush effigies burning. He returned home vers in the hemisphere. The failures of NAFTA spurred a decade Science Monitor suggested, the Bush con- defeated and without his deal. The other During a speech at the Harvard Club, of resistance to “free trade” on the part of cept was dealt a near knock-out blow. Tens hemispheric leaders had to heed the rally- U.S. Ambassador to Argentina Lino the workers and oppressed, who bear the of thousands of protesters marched in the ing cry in the streets as the people turned Gutierrez praised Argentina for working brunt of the declining living standards and streets, rallied under banners with like- down the FTAA. Racism,poverty fuel rebellion in France

Continued from page 1 is our profession” is a common view. At the same time, de Villepin has the working class had declined. The ruling 300 people were killed; their bodies were In keeping with the political fiction of resorted to the carrot along with the stick, class decided that to get back on its feet thrown into the Seine and some were “equality,” the French government does talking about 20,000 state jobs, money for quickly it needed an influx of immigrants— hanged. not keep statistics on discrimination. neighborhoods, and tax breaks for busi- wage slaves who could be exploited at the Affirmative action in France is forbidden; nesses and development. least cost to the bosses in order to From external to internal colo- it clashes with the assertions of equality. It took a rebellion in 300 cities, that as strengthen French capitalism in the world nialism The reactionary application of this concept of Nov. 9 has lasted almost two weeks and struggle for markets. Just as the original law was meant to was demonstrated when head scarves for has virtually overwhelmed the police, to The result was an opening up of immi- maintain colonialism in Algeria, so the female students were forbidden on the get the ruling class to even talk about gration, especially from North Africa— present decree is meant to maintain inter- false ground of the secular separation of reforms. This rebellion is earthshaking Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. This pol- nal colonialism. church and state. and the ruling class will soon find out that icy continued throughout the period of The French ruling class has proclaimed But just as Katrina exposed the naked Band-aids will not fix the problem. imperialist expansion up to the 1970s. that in the “social republic” everyone is racism and national oppression that exists French imperialism had been driven out equal and that the government pursues a in the United States, the great rebellion in Bosses wanted immigrants of Vietnam, then out of Algeria, and suf- policy of “integration.” But in interview France has exploded all political fictions of after WWII fered from economic contraction more after interview with people of all ages, equality and social justice. President Jac- The crisis has its origins in the inex- severely than its rivals. But the organ- reporters for the capitalist networks and ques Chirac, Prime Minister Dominique orable developing crisis of world capital- ized working class was powerful. It print media get the same story. “We are de Villepin and Interior Minister Nicolas ism. French imperialism has dealt with this rebelled in 1968 and forced drastic told we are French, but we are not Sarkozy are now jockeying with each other crisis by launching a vicious, racist cam- changes in the government and some French.” “We have the papers that say in the crisis. paign of divide and conquer directed progressive concessions. ‘French’ but we are not the real French.’” Sarkozy is hated by the oppressed and against the entire French working class. As the 1970s developed, the ruling class If your name sounds African or Middle all progressives throughout France for his The key element in their strategy has been reversed its attitude toward immigration. Eastern, your application for a job or for openly hard-line, “law and order” policy a slanderous campaign against immigrants. It began to impose restrictions and in the decent housing goes to the bottom of the and his racist insults. The government has The rebellion is the fruit of this strategy. 1980s even threatened to deport hundreds pile or gets tossed altogether. no one it can talk to with any influence After World War II French capitalism of thousands of legal immigrants by revok- Unemployment among African college among the youth. And the entire regime is was in ruins from the Nazi occupation and ing their status retroactively. This meas- graduates is close to 50 percent. “Janitor now moving towards increased repression. the Allied invasion. The population and ure was defeated, but just raising it was a www.workers.org Nov. 17, 2005 Page 9

FRANCE. Rebellion exposes deep crisis By G. Dunkel publicly that the protesters were “scum” As the youths pointed out over and over the suburbs can wait, he said. who had to be “pressure-hosed from their in their interviews, no matter how well De Villepin announced a few minutes A wave of youth rebellions against communities” before they spread their educated they are or how high their school later that he was going to make some pro- police harassment and brutality in the “gangrene.” marks, if they have a Muslim name the posals for equal opportunity but, more mostly immigrant suburbs of major One Muslim man, although he brought only job they can get is to be a porter at the importantly, he wanted people arrested French cities has created a political and his family to a “peace” march sponsored airport. and tried immediately. Already 160 of social crisis in France that can be felt by Sarkozy’s party, told the French news- While services and public expenses those arrested during the last 10 days have throughout Western Europe. paper Libération, “Pressure hoses, isn’t devoted to the needs of poor and working been tried and 20 have been imprisoned. The rebellions put on the front burner that how they clean shit off dogs?” people have been cut, taxes on the rich and Most left and workers’ parties have crit- the relations between imperialist govern- The youth blame Sarkozy for the police on dividends have been slashed. Pensions icized the rightist government, and espe- ments and the mostly working-class pop- harassment that weighs on them. Police in and wages are under attack. cially Sarkozy, for provoking the rebel- ulation who have immigrated from former France can legally demand that people For example, the public transportation lions. They have demanded more funds colonies. These struggles cry out against show their identification cards and hold workers in Marseille, a city where the for social services and more respect for racism, xenophobia, high unemployment people at the precinct for four hours to ver- working class is thoroughly multinational, people’s rights in the affected communi- and a lack of future for the youth, exacer- ify their ID and check for warrants. This were out on strike for 33 days. Rather than ties. bated in this case by the rightist govern- ID check is almost always directed against settling, the national government passed According to the Nov. 5 daily ment in power in Paris. youths of North African and African ori- a law making the strike illegal and forcing L’Humanité, the French Communist Party Photos from France show burning cars, gin, who say that it shows the police and the workers back. This is a big step to the (PCF) held a demonstration in front of the schools, buses; not shown by the U.S. the French state do not respect their right for France. Hotel Matignon Nov. 4 to blame the gov- media are scenes of banks, police stations rights. On Nov. 6 President Jacques Chirac ernment for not responding to the people’s and other state institutions that have been The government campaign against finally spoke out after a meeting of his need for justice and respect. targets of young people’s anger. head scarves worn by Muslim women in domestic Security Council. With Prime As of Nov. 8, however, there have been The struggle burst into the open on Oct. public places and the roundup and mas- Minister Dominique de Villepin at his no actions reported by unions or other 27 after two youths, one of Mauritanian sive deportations of West African immi- side, Chirac said that the “absolute prior- mass organizations in open solidarity with origin, the other Tunisian, were electro- grants this year also left a deep residue of ity of his government was to reestablish the youths from the immigrant communi- cuted when they tried to hide from police bitterness among these youths and their law and order.” Solving the problems of ties. in an electric substation. parents. At first the protests were concentrated Most North African commu- in poor, working-class suburbs northeast nities in France, where much of Paris, where most residents are French- housing is public, contain a born children of North African immi- substantial number of immi- grants. By Nov. 6, however, they had grants who are established cit- spread widely—to Lille in the north, izens and a much smaller num- Rennes in the west, Dijon in the east and ber born in France. Whether Marseille in the south. from North or sub-Saharan The intensity of the attacks is new and Africa, they are generally still growing, with 1,300 cars, trucks and Muslim. Islam has as many buses being burned as of Saturday night, practicing members as Nov. 5-6, and 1,406 more on Nov. 6-7. The Catholicism in France. Nov. 3 Le Monde pointed out, however, that 28,000 cars and trucks have been High unemployment burned since Jan. 1. Police claim they have At an official rate of 10 per- had 37 injuries throughout France. cent, unemployment is high in Youths interviewed on French televi- France, and much higher still sion also pointed to factors sustaining the among youths in these immi- protests. Two days after the rebellions grant working-class suburbs. started, some racist tossed a teargas The right-wing government has grenade into a mosque filled with people cut funds for social services, who had come to pray at the end of the education—which is financed day’s Ramadan fast. on a national level—public The youths also blamed Interior transportation, and grants to Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, who on an community centers and special inspection tour of one of the suburbs said programs for the youth.

French soldiers murder divisive measure. unorganized, but right now they are The crisis of immigrants was aggra- potentially the greatest allies of the organ- Ivoirian prisoner vated by the scientific-technological revo- ized workers. They have overwhelmed a lution and the capitalist de-industrializa- part of the state. They are mobilized and The brutality of French imperialism in allegedly being in a firefight with French tion that hit the suburbs and left little rust if they were to be joined by a solidarity the Algerian war for independence, when soldiers. While he was being transported belts and shuttered factories around all strike against racism, poverty and oppres- it killed 1 million Algerians from 1954 to to prison in a French armored car, soldiers the cities. sion, the entire working class could push 1962 in a vain attempt to maintain its put a plastic bag over his head and he suf- In the 1990s, the fascist French the ruling class offensive back. colony, is part of the historical background focated to death. National Front, led by Jean-Marie Le Pen, It would be a mirror, but on a grander of the current struggle in France. On Nov. 3 the French minister of picked up on the campaign started by the scale, of when the French workers in 1968 But Algeria wasn’t France’s only colony defense formally reprimanded Gen. Henri mainstream ruling class and took it even followed the students with a general strike in Africa. The Ivory Coast, although with- Poncet, commander of the French forces, further. Le Pen made progress on his and shook the ground under French cap- out the oil and natural gas riches of Algeria, and his assistant, Gen. Renaud de Malaus- racist anti-immigrant campaign and in italism. It is the lack of understanding of was one of France’s most profitable posses- sene, for covering up the murder, and 2002 actually got into a run-off for the the national question, of the colonial ques- sions. More French lived there after its for- removed them from their commands. This presidency with Jacques Chirac. tion, of the importance of coming out mal independence than before. is the heaviest punishment they can The working class leadership in France against national oppression, that now In 2002, a rebellion broke out and receive. has been weak on this question and down- stands in the way of a united struggle France rushed in troops to prop up its A judicial inquiry has also been opened right reactionary at times. Right now they against capitalist exploitation itself. This clients. The fighting was sharp. Finally, an in a gesture to public opinion in France need to stop retreating. They must not must be overcome. Ivoirian plane bombed the French bar- and in the Ivory Coast. confine themselves to mere protests The French working class has a glorious racks, causing eight deaths. The viciousness with which the French against reactionary measures of repres- history of class struggle and uprisings, A stalemate was arrived at. The French ruling class defends its interests abroad is sion. They need to demand that all the going back to the revolution of 1848, the troops and their clients have been holding also reflected in how it treats the people cops be withdrawn, that the emergency Paris Commune of 1871, the mutinies after the south, while the rebels hold the north. who immigrate from those areas. decrees be revoked. They need to come out World War I, and the general strikes of In May, an Ivoirian named Firmin —G. Dunkel for the justified rebellion. 1934 and 1968. This is the moment for the Mahe was wounded and captured after The rebellious youth must be embraced leaders to grasp their historic role and as part of the working class. They may be their responsibility to turn the situation unemployed, underemployed and/or around and fight back. leftbooks.com... Books to change the world–that’s the point Page 10 Nov. 17, 2005 www.workers.org When Mattachine got red-baited By Leslie Feinberg world view. While speaking out may not have seemed to them to be an option—because they feared Because of space considerations after Hurricane McCarthyism presaged a fascist takeover of the fed- The beginning Katrina, WW in September began running the eral government—it left these revolutionaries voice- “Lavender & Red” series in full only on-line, with less to defend themselves against red-baiting. the print edition containing just the first para- Sen. Joseph McCarthy had taken over the chair of of history — graph. Because of requests from our readers, the Government Operations Committee as well as its however, we are resuming the full series here, permanent subcommittee on investigations in beginning with the first missed article. January 1953. A month later, while the Mattachine AGAIN leaders were holding their urgent meeting to discuss The communist leaders of the Mattachine organ- reorganization, McCarthy’s probe to find commu- ization were red-baited soon after they publicly nists in the State Department was accompanied by emember the end of history? Once the USSR fell defended Dale Jennings, one of the founding mem- scare headlines. in 1990, there wasn’t supposed to be anything but bers of the group, against anti-gay police entrapment The House Un-American Activities Committee capitalism forever after. R charges. (HUAC), which had terrorized Hollywood with six This month marks 88 years since the Bolshevik Revolution in Arab-American attorney George Shibley, who years of investigations, was back in Los Angeles in Russia, and exactly 100 years since the first Russian Revolution defended Jennings, became the target of McCarthy- March and April, holding public hearings focusing in 1905, which brought a new political formation into the world: ite red-baiting. on the Communist Party USA, of which Harry Hay workers’ soviets, or councils. For the first time, workers had a Harry Hay, a founding member of Mattachine, had been a member for 18 years. political instrument to vie for power with the propertied classes. was “outed” in a Los Angeles daily paper in February It was in this political context of repression and In 1917, when the tsar fell and two more revolutions came in 1953 as having been a former Marxist teacher. whipped-up fear that a syndicated columnist at the quick succession, the peasants and the soldiers set up their own Mattachine itself was characterized by a February Los Angeles Daily Mirror, Paul Coates, wrote an arti- councils, too, so that by October there was already in place an Los Angeles Times article as organizing dangerously cle on March 12 describing the Mattachine alternative to the corrupt government of the bosses and landlords. subversive activities. Foundation to readers as “a strange new pressure At the prodding of Lenin and the Bolsheviks, the Soviets then In response, the Mattachine Foundation—as the group.” above-ground voice of the organization—hastily At first glance, Coates’ article appeared to be a real took the power. It was the beginning of a revolution that lasted published an “Official Statement of Policy on media breakthrough. He explained what the for more than 70 years. They took the country out of World War Political Questions and Related Matters.” The doc- Mattachine name meant. I, renouncing the tsar’s plans to annex territory, and turned over ument disavowed any relationship with any other “It is not inconceivable,” he argued, that homosex- the factories, banks and lands to the working people. organization—which of course at the height of the uals, “scorned” by the community at large, “might But world capitalism wasn’t dead yet. Even as socialist revolu- McCarthyite witch hunt meant the Communist band together for their own protection. Eventually tions were spreading in Asia and eventually Eastern Europe, Party USA—and from any political, religious, or cul- they might swing tremendous political power.” He promising greater equality, capitalism was penetrating country tural ideology or “ism.” added that homosexuals, “one of the largest minori- after country, coopting feudal lords and latifundistas. The No matter how wise or tactically sound this pub- ties in the country,” could exercise a voting bloc of imperialist countries, which had all fattened off of colonialism, lic statement may have seemed to the Mattachine 150,000 to 200,000 in the local area alone. had the technology to greatly increase the productive output of leadership at that time, it’s hard to imagine that such Pointing to the Foundation’s demand for protec- the working masses. The early socialist countries, all poor to a political retreat could have provided any respite tive laws against police harassment, Coates wrote begin with, were still trying to catch up. But where the imperial- from the anti-communist Cold War witch hunt. that this “scorned part of the community” could turn ists made inroads, the wealth they generated went almost The defensiveness of the stance was made even out to be “a group of responsible citizens seriously entirely to themselves, secondly to their local allies, and only the clearer by the unanimous agreement by the core concerned with a tragic social problem.” smallest of crumbs to the people. leadership—the Fifth Order—that since Hay had However, he dropped the other shoe: there were For many hundreds of millions around the world, daily life been publicly singled out, he had to remove himself some matters that should be alarming to the orga- became more wretched even as modern transportation, commu- from public association with the Mattachine Society nization’s membership and the public at large. nications, energy and machines grew up all around them, suck- and Foundation. It’s not clear from accounts of the Claiming that he had tried to track down the foun- ing out their natural resources and moving the wealth abroad. group decision how Hay himself felt about dation’s treasurer, Romayne Cox, to no The U.S., grown into an imperialist economic and military super- it. But he agreed to pass on all speaking avail, he ran a provocative subhead in power, was able to grind down what was left of the workers’ engagements to other Mattachine his article: “Where is Romayne?” states in the Soviet Union and its close allies. founders and thereafter only wrote under “If I belonged to that club, I’d The gap between rich and poor grew to unbelievable propor- his nom de guerre, Eann MacDonald. worry,” he wrote with mock concern. tions. Not just between social classes, but between exploiting and (“The Trouble with Harry Hay”) Coates claimed to have checked and exploited countries. A handful of billionaires arose whose net found no record of the foundation’s assets equal those of half the nations on earth. Inside the U.S. ‘A movement in motion’ incorporation. In fact, Mattachine itself, as workers’ wages remained stagnant, executive salaries With the Foundation as its public face, attorney Fred Snider had filed the doubled, tripled, and finally grew to 20 and 30 times what they Mattachine sent questionnaires to all the papers already, but there had been a were just a few decades ago. candidates in the local Los Angeles elec- PART 47 bureaucratic delay. So now here we are, 15 years after the end of history. And, to tions. The entire Coates twisted the knife of red-bait- the alarm of the rich, capitalism is not a pretty word at all. Candidates running for the Board of Lavender & ing. He reported that Fred Snider had As surprised reporters following Bush to Argentina just heard, Education received letters charging the Red series, which been called before HUAC and that he socialism is the word that is resonating throughout Latin public school system with “a high per- explores the history had been an “unfriendly witness.” America. And why not? The workers and farmers of the many centage of responsibility for the social of the socialist Baiting the leadership, Coates con- movement and countries “south of the border” know all about capitalism. And it tragedy” faced by homosexuals. The ques- cluded that, “A well-trained subversive the struggle for has only brought them grief. tionnaire polled each candidate about could move in and forge that power sexual & gender Ever since the Cuban Revolution, Washington has come up where they stood on “non-partisan” coun- into a dangerous political weapon. liberation, can with one high-sounding plan after another: Alliance for Progress, seling about homosexuality in high “To damn this organization, before be read online at NAFTA, CAFTA, FTAA. But for every dollar the U.S. has put into schools. www.workers.org. its aims and directions are more Latin America, the imperialists have taken out five. Electoral hopefuls in the race for clearly established, would be vicious Meanwhile, socialist Cuba has helped its neighbors with doctors mayor, city council and board of supervi- and irresponsible. and medicines and teachers, even when it was struggling to survive sors got letters detailing the “growing body of evi- “Maybe the people who founded it are sincere. It the cruel U.S. economic blockade. And it asked for nothing in dence” that Los Angeles police were carrying out will be interesting to see.” return. “explicitly unlawful” actions against homosexuals. To the Mattachine leaders, the article seemed like And now comes Venezuela. President Hugo Chávez says his Candidates were canvassed about their view on these good publicity during a period of such political reac- country aims to build “socialism of the 21st century,” and is police activities. tion. working with other countries of the region on development plans Few candidates replied. But the Mattachine “We all thought it was pretty good,” Hay recalled free of the exploitation and control that go with every scheme founders were on a roll. With new numbers swelling in a later interview, “and so we ran off 20,000 copies generated by the transnational corporations that run their ranks, they attempted to take this nascent to send out to our mailing list and to be distributed Washington. movement to unprecedented heights. Konrad city- and statewide. Wow! Whammo! We’d forgot- Yes, for a lot of people, history seemed over for a while there. It Stevens remembered, “[W]e were meeting very ten what the detail about Fred Snider’s being was a pretty awful period but, as history goes, it didn’t last that often. We just lived Mattachine. We didn’t do any- unfriendly to the House Un-American Activities long. History is back, and with it the hope of all humanity for thing else. We never went anywhere just for pleas- Committee would do to the middle-class Gays in change, for a life of dignity, justice and sovereignty, a life without ure. When we went, it was organizing.” Mattachine. We had been getting in this status-quo billionaires and without beggars, a life where everyone has the Chuck Rowland wrote to Harry Hay that they had crowd; the discussion groups had been growing by right to a job, a home, an education, health care, and time to all “set a movement in motion.” leaps and bounds. relax and enjoy what we have produced. We call it socialism. And “When Paul Coates’ article appeared, all the sta- so do more and more people every day. Twisting the knife of red-baiting tus-quo types in the discussion groups were up in The Mattachine leaders were not just vulnerable arms; they had to get control of that damn because they were anonymous. They were also a core Mattachine Foundation,” he recalled with sarcasm, of dedicated revolutionaries, most with communist “which was tarnishing their image, giving them a bad ON LINE: backgrounds. But because they were underground name. This is when the real dissension began WWW.WORKERS.ORG they could not speak out about their political beliefs between the founders and the middle-class crowd.” and try to win over others in the organization to their Next: Left wing loses battle for Mattachine. www.workers.org Nov. 17, 2005 Page 11

As ‘fragging’ case worries Pentagon U.S. offensive kills many civilians in Iraq

By John Catalinotto “Local people said there were dozens U.S. military in Iraq aims to terrorize the explicit political or personal reason was of civilian casualties in Qusayba and population, not win its allegiance. given to explain Martinez’s alleged motive. The Pentagon mounted its biggest nearby Qaim,” Reuters reported. “They Attorneys for the accused argued that at offensive in a year against Iraqi resist- added that much of Qusayba’s 30,000 Fragging: what goes around, the time of the deaths, the U.S. was not ance forces on Nov. 5. According to a people had already fled the town. ‘The comes around officially at war—President George W. statement from the Marines, some 2,500 Americans destroyed Qaim. Our houses It is no surprise then, that the Bush had announced over a year earlier U.S. troops and 1,000 local Iraqis took are destroyed, our children are getting Pentagon’s brutal policies are coming that the war with Iraq was over. Their part in “Operation Steel Curtain,” rolling killed. What are we supposed to do back to haunt them. motion that Martinez be tried in a civilian through the streets of Qusayba on the now?’ one unidentified resident told a In a hearing in Kuwait on Nov. 1 and 2, court was denied. Syrian border. local reporter.” (Reuters, Nov. 5) Staff Sgt. Alberto B. Martinez was charged The first fragging of the U.S. aggression A Reuters article Nov. 5 calls this offen- In early October U.S. forces carried out with the murder of West Point graduate against Iraq took place just before the sive “the biggest operation in the mainly a similar attack on the town of Haditha, Capt. Philip Esposito and 1st Lt. Louis E. March 20, 2003, invasion. Last April, Sunni desert province of Anbar since but not as large as “Operation Steel Allen at Forward Operating Base Danger, Sergeant Hasan Akbar of the Army’s 101st weeks of fighting forced insurgents from Curtain.” The following report, published near Tikrit, Iraq, on June 7. Martinez may Airborne Division was convicted of the the city of Falluja, close to Baghdad, in by the BRussells Tribunal, passed on this face the death penalty. murder of two officers and attempted November last year.” description of Haditha from local Iraqis: The deaths were first reported as the murder in the wounding of 14 other sol- A collaborationist Iraqi politician, “Water, electricity, phones, roads were result of fire from Iraqi resistance forces. diers. Akbar was sentenced to death. Defense Minister Saadoun Dulaimi, all cut off. The city was besieged before the According to expert witnesses, however, Akbar, a Muslim, had told investigators aroused anger when he encouraged the bombing began on Oct. 5 and went on for the fatal wounds were more consistent he staged the attack because he was upset U.S. slaughter: “Without hesitation I say 18 days. Many houses were demolished; with injuries from a Claymore anti-per- that U.S. troops would kill his fellow we will go and bring down their houses on many families left to the refugee camps, sonnel mine and fragmentation grenades. Muslims. the heads of their inhabitants.” The media many people were arrested, including the Soldiers killing their officers with frag- While no political motive has yet been in Arab countries carried stories of entire Moslem Scholars Association secretary in mentation grenades became a regular made public for the latest alleged fragging, families wiped out in the onslaught, in Haditha and his son. event during the war in Vietnam. Between some reports indicate the Pentagon is which the U.S. conducted nine aerial “The general hospital was occupied for 1969 and 1971 alone, the Army reported worried that this may not remain an iso- bombings. 10 days; the hospital director and one of 600 separate “fragging” incidents, which lated incident. The Marines claim the target is “al- the doctors were brutally beaten and caused 82 deaths and 651 injuries. The population of the U.S. has become Qaeda,” that is, a “terrorist network” and locked up for a week inside the hospital. It was not only personal grievances aware that the Bush administration lied to that the U.S. forces use only precision Many schools and offices were still occu- against selected officers that motivated justify the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Soldiers bombing and artillery fire. According to pied. All houses were raided, some twice the Vietnam-era fragging, but the overall know, too, that over 2,000 of their buddies reports from the Iraqi resistance, U.S. war a day. All weapons were confiscated anti-war political climate and the unwill- have died serving a lie. They also know propaganda exaggerates the role of what including the personal. There is no gov- ingness of African-American troops to tol- how the U.S. is slaughtering the Iraqi peo- they call “al-Qaeda in Iraq.” The Pentagon ernment, no offices, no schools, no work, erate racism. Officers who were consid- ple and how much these people hate the also claims its troops are carrying out no markets … nothing.” ered too aggressive in moving troops into occupation. Whether this knowledge “surgical” strikes when, in reality, the U.S. One can only assume that, at present, an battle or who had treated enlisted soldiers results in organized refusals to fight or Air Force is bombing people’s homes, even greater assault on the civilian popu- in a racist way were especially at risk. individual acts against authority, the killing dozens of civilians and terrorizing lation is going on under the name of Though a witness testified that Pentagon generals know the chain of com- thousands. “Operation Steel Curtain” and that the Martinez said he hated Esposito, no mand is in trouble. Part 2: Divide to conquer Imperialists plot ‘regime change’ in Iran By Ardeshir Ommani era of globalization, has to be devised—a the Persian/Arab Gulf region to attack ident scholar of the American Enterprise strategy that consists of using the entire striking workers, whose demands did not Institute (AEI), a co-founder of the The 1979 Revolution in Iran overthrew arsenal of corporate propaganda tools at go beyond the right to organize and the Coalition for Democracy in Iran, and a for- the dictatorial regime of Mohammad Reza the disposal of world imperialism, as well right to safe housing, with clean, running mer consultant in the Department of Shah, who had been Washington’s obedi- as the “honorable” offices of the United water and electricity. These armed Arabs State, Department of Defense and the ent puppet. Since then, intimidation, Nations General Secretary, if possible its who attacked the oil refinery workers were White House. threats and actual aggression by the impe- Security Council, the International Atomic themselves poor and destitute. They were Ledeen, an arch-reactionary at the serv- rialist powers of the U.S. and Western Energy Agency—the UN’s nuclear watch- used by the British and Arab feudal sheiks ice of the most rabid and blood-thirsty fac- Europe against Iran have been taking dog, and the NGOs of the day—so-called in the pay of the British intelligence service. tion of world imperialism and Zionism, is shape on numerous fronts. “human rights” and even women’s organ- When the imperialist powers cannot a strong advocate of regime change, not The U.S. and the dominant powers of izations. Behind all this are the cruel eco- control a government and cannot subvert only in Iran but also in Syria, Egypt and Europe, even after 26 years, have not come nomic sanctions against the entire popu- it from within, they resort to creating dis- even Washington’s ally, Saudi Arabia. to grips with the new reality of today’s lation of Iran and threats to use tactical cord between different nationalities and On Oct. 26, on behalf of the AEI, he par- independent Iran. They are still dreaming nuclear devices. setting centrifugal tendencies in motion, ticipated in a conference named “The of turning the wheels of history back and tearing the national and unifying fabric of Unknown Iran, Another Case for re-establishing their political, military and Divide and conquer the society apart. The first stage in the divi- Federalism.” Ledeen, an inept and wish- economic domination over the oil-rich The period immediately following sion of the country is to challenge the com- ful thinker, prematurely assumes that fed- country. But, to their regret, today’s Iran World War II saw the rise of nationalist monality of interests of different national- eralism has already taken root in Iraq, and is not the Iran of 1953, when a pack of U.S.- fervor, a new labor movement and new ities in a geographical entity that has it is now Iran’s turn to be dragged into fac- British intelligence officers could carry out socialist organizations in Iran. lasted for centuries. tional fighting, a civil war and division. a palace coup and overturn the entire state The British government, trying to What is so insidious about encouraging The agenda of the conference was to apparatus by influencing the top ranks of strengthen the tentacles of the British the nationalities to be at each other’s promote and exploit the differences the Iranian military. Petroleum Co. around Iran’s oil industry throats is that such schemes are presented between various nationalities, races, and Therefore, a new, more sophisticated and its mighty labor force, armed a minor- with an aura of pseudo-progressivism—of religious and ethnic groupings across and comprehensive strategy, worthy of the ity of the Iranian Arab population living in emancipation from national oppression. Iran. Ledeen is a staunch supporter of In Iraq this scheme, formulated by the launching U.S. military intervention and most decadent breed of British and the occupation of Iran. In this conference Yankee imperialism, is nothing short of a he courted a few isolated individuals who plan for privatization and expropriation of self-righteously had appointed themselves Subscribe to Iran’s national wealth: its natural spokespeople for different nationalities resources, especially oil and natural gas, there. Among the four members of the Workers World Newspaper its financial institutions and public health panel, the spectrum of ideas ranged from insurance enterprise, the manufacturing self-rule to outright separatism for various Special trial subscription $2 for eight weeks $25 for one year and public service sectors, and finally the nationalities. urban and rural public-landed properties. A fleeting glance at the U.S.-NATO war Name______The final stage of this plan is to open on Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and now Iraq leads one to believe that balkanization of Phone number______Email ______wide the doors of Iran’s labor and com- modity markets to the giant transnational many independent countries, especially Address ______City/State/Zip______corporations, led by Wall Street. the petroleum-rich states of the Middle WORKERS WORLD NEWSPAPER The latest anti-Iran propaganda show East, is at the heart of the U.S. strategy for 55 West 17 St. NY, NY 10011 212 627-2994 was performed by Michael Ledeen, a res- world domination. ¡Proletarios y oprimidos de todos los países, uníos! Aumentan las amenazas estadounidenses contra la Revolución Bolivariana Por Teresa Gutiérrez post-Irak de las amenazas estratégicas El 19 de agosto, el Secretario de Defensa Venezuela. contra los Estados Unidos. La planifi- Donald Rumsfeld acusó a Chávez de tener Venezolanos derechistas anti- Mientras el proceso revolucionario en cación la ha precipitado directivas gen- un “comportamiento desestabilizador y Chavistas, muchos de los cuáles están Venezuela continúa inspirando a millones erales y específicas promulgadas por el anti-social” que amenaza la seguridad de fuera del país, están organizando una por el mundo, la amenaza de intervención Secretario de Defensa Donald Rumsfeld la región. La Secretaria de Estado campaña hostil y maliciosa contra la se asoma como nube oscura sobre esta y sus asistentes de política civil.” Condoleezza Rice ha repetido este punto Venezuela Bolivariana y su liderazgo. En gran nación sudamericana rica en Venezuela ha estado redirigiendo sus de vista en más de una ocasión. varios sitios en la Internet y en comunica- petróleo. recursos para acabar con el analfa- El 30 de octubre, el Washington Post dos de prensa, ellos llaman abiertamente El imperialismo estadounidense está betismo, construir casas y escuelas y publicó un editorial declarando que “la a la “violencia” en Venezuela. sobreextendido con guerras en Irak y proveer alimentos subvencionados para comunidad de derechos humanos está Hay que tomar en serio estas amenazas. Afganistán que no puede manejar más una los pobres, e implementando la reforma bajo asedio” en Venezuela. El editorial El uso a través de cuatro décadas de creciente crisis política en la Casa Blanca. agraria. Para la pandilla de Bush, todo eso también dijo que la libertad de prensa y los cubanos derechistas por el imperialismo Es precisamente en épocas como ésta que es una “amenaza estratégica”. periodistas también estaban siendo ame- estadounidense para sabotear a Cuba es el imperialismo estadounidense puede ser En julio, cientos de soldados esta- nazados. Esta especie de editorial intenta un perfecto ejemplo de lo peligroso que más peligroso porque aquellos en el poder dounidenses fueron asignados a Para- disminuir la popularidad de la revolución pueden ser estos elementos. pueden estar tentados a esperar que la guay para ejercicios militares que durarán venezolana dentro de los Estados Unidos El creciente proceso Bolivariano en intervención en el extranjero pueda dis- hasta el 2006. Hay evidencia de que insta- y preparar así para una intervención. Venezuela ha ganado los corazones de las traer la atención de la gente a estas crisis. larán otra base militar permanente esta- Hay aumento de evidencia que masas por todas las partes del mundo. Primero en la lista de metas de dounidense, una que será capaz de aco- Washington está utilizando de nuevo cier- Desde África hasta Asia, de Europa a Washington es la incipiente Revolución modar aviones bombarderos. tas fuerzas religiosas para sabotear la rev- Estados Unidos y por toda la América, los Bolivariana de Venezuela. Aparentemente Washington espera que olución Venezolana al igual que lo hizo en pueblos están está vitoreando a Hugo Mientras la administración del la presencia de estas tropas pueda alterar Nicaragua durante los años 80. A fines de Chávez y a la revolución en Venezuela. Presidente Hugo Chávez tiene grandes los vientos de cambio que están soplando octubre, el gobierno de Venezuela anunció Esta solidaridad será decisiva mientras avances sociales, económicos y políticos, por el continente. que había tenido que pedir que saliera del el imperialismo extiende sus tentáculos el peligro de intervención estadounidense También en julio, el Congreso autorizó país a una misión evangélica, las Nuevas para hacer todo lo posible de parar la amenaza parar todo este progreso. al gobierno a iniciar emisiones de radio y Tribus. La iglesia de los Mormones, Revolución Bolivariana. Cuba, sin Durante las últimas semanas, las ame- televisión a Venezuela para contrarrestar basada en los Estados Unidos, también embargo, ha enseñado que cuando están nazas de Washington se han intensificado. a Telesur, entidad radiodifusora de tele- retiró a todos sus misionarios de unidos y fuertes, los movimientos revolu- William Arkin reportó en la edición de visión independiente del imperialismo Venezuela, mencionando motivos de cionarios pueden detener al imperial- Internet del Washington Post el 2 de que fue fundada por Venezuela, seguridad. ismo. Venezuela puede hacer lo mismo noviembre que “El Pentágono ha Argentina, Uruguay y Cuba, y apoyada El Presidente Chávez dijo que los pero la solidaridad mundial, incluyendo empezado planes de contingencia para un por Brasil. Telesur transmitirá programas misionarios estaban asociados a la CIA y aquí mismo en el centro imperialista, potencial conflicto militar con Venezuela en Venezuela y por toda América Latina y estaban buscando información estratégica proveerá una ayuda importante. como parte de una amplia evaluación el Caribe. que amenazaba la seguridad nacional de Venezuela será victoriosa. La lucha continúa para liberar a Leonard Peltier Dos agentes del FBI y un hombre indí- ción de contrarrestar esta campaña. La La abogada progresista Lynne Stewart, gena murieron durante un tiroteo iniciado operación clandestina para destruir los que espera su sentencia en diciembre en por los agentes en la Reservación Pine grupos progresistas de los años 70 con- otro caso fabricado, también estaba pre- Ridge en 1975, en una pequeña aldea tinúa. sente y habló brevemente sobre el clima mientras los residentes dormían en sus “El FBI organizó líneas de piquete, pub- político actual. “El FBI no se cansa. Están Por Stephanie Hedgecoke casas. licó anuncios, y atacó el pedido de clemen- investigando casos de 30 años atrás,” en L@s asistentes a la reunión del 23 de cia a Clinton. Fue porque organizadores casos sin limitación de tiempo. Partidarios del prisionero político indí- octubre vieron la película del 1991, “West partidarios de Peltier habían ganado gena, Leonard Peltier, se reunieron en 57th Street” sobre el caso de Peltier. La influencia…. Nosotros, como activistas, Peltier, ahora en Lewisburg Nueva York el 23 de octubre para escuchar película relata el ataque del FBI y el tiro- en las comunidades, habíamos hecho el Leonard Peltier había sido transferido los recientes sucesos relacionados a su teo en la Reserva de Pine Ridge. trabajo para ganar su libertad. de la Penitenciaría Federal Leavenworth, caso. El orador principal de la actividad Nunca ha existido evidencia alguna de Robideau siguió: “Nosotros, como a la prisión de seguridad máxima en Terra fue Bob Robideau, vocero internacional que Peltier disparó los balazos fatales. activistas tenemos las herramientas, el Haute, Indiana, donde había estado inco- de Peltier y militante del Movimiento Para obtener su extradición desde poder para hacer la diferencia y liberar a municado por un tiempo indefinido. Indígena Americano, (AIM por las siglas Canadá, EEUU ocultó cientos de miles de nuestros presos políticos. Activistas alrededor del país se movi- en inglés). El Movimiento Jericó documentos que hubieran indicado su “Hoy día, el FBI se ha vuelto una fuerza lizaron protestando tales condiciones y patrocinó la reunión, la que se llevó a cabo inocencia, incluyendo los informes de policial internacional. Y siguen activa- finalmente fue sacado del “hoyo”. en las oficinas del Centro de Acción balística. Los fiscales federales admitieron mente trabajando para asegurarse que La vocera del Movimiento Jericó, Internacional. públicamente que no sabían quien dis- Leonard Peltier pase el resto de su vida en Paulette D’Auteuil declaró que Peltier está Peltier ha estado encarcelado casi 30 paró las balas que mataron a los agentes la prisión.” ahora en la USP Lewisburg en años por un crimen que no cometió. En del FBI. Refiriéndose al reciente juicio de Arlo Pennsylvania, y puede nuevo participar en violación a sus propias leyes, el gobierno Robideau, también uno de los acusa- Looking Cloud y las acusaciones contra sus prácticas espirituales indígenas. de los EEUU ha rehusado consistente- dos, habló con detalle sobre la operación John Graham en la muerte de la activista También está pintando nuevamente. mente liberarlo bajo palabra. Las autori- COINTELPRO, el papel jugado por el FBI, Anna Mae Aquash de AIM, Robideau dijo, El Comité de Defensa de Leonard dades carcelarias niegan considerar y las actividades actuales de esa agencia “El FBI está detrás de todo esto. Y ahora Peltier pide que por lo pronto, hasta que soltarlo bajo palabra hasta que haya policial federal. “En 1993,” dijo, “después el FBI está usando el caso de Anna Mae el grupo tenga una oficina más cerca de cumplido el doble del período normal que fueron agotadas todas vías de para establecer un record permanente en Lewisburg, se pueden enviar donaciones para su supuesto crimen. Peltier es apelación, comenzó un esfuerzo interna- contra de Leonard Peltier que se va a usar a: Peltier Legal Fund, C/O Barry reconocido mundialmente como un pri- cional para pedir clemencia. En 1994, el en contra de él y la posibilidad de obtener Bachrach, Esq., Bowditch & Dewey LLC, sionero político. FBI elaboró un memorando con la inten- libertad bajo palabra o clemencia.” 311 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01615. LIBERTAD PARA LOS CINCO CUBAN0S