Espíritu del Primero de Mayo 12

Workers and oppressed peoples of the world unite! workers.org Vol. 63, No. 18 May 6, 2021 $1

Another police murder in North Carolina Justice for Andrew Brown Jr. By Peter Gilbert Elizabeth City, N.C.

May 1—​Seven deputies from the Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Department killed unarmed Andrew Brown Jr. in his car next to his home here April 21. The dep- uties jumped out of a pickup truck with weapons drawn and rushed forward. Fearing for his life, Brown tried to drive forward out of his driveway and away. Deputy sher- iffs fired into his car from behind, killing him. An autopsy commissioned by Brown’s family confirms he was killed by a bullet to the back of the Protests against police violence continue night and day in Elizabeth City, May 2. WW PHOTOS: PETER GILBERT head. At least three of the depu- ties fired their weapons; none of them have been charged. Four have been a kind man who provided for his family been a violent person in his life. He’s declined in prosperity. returned to active duty. despite the lack of jobs or opportunities in never had a gun, never carried a gun, and The swamp was once a haven for Protests have continued each night Elizabeth City. He lived in a quiet neigh- he’s just not violent." enslaved people who had liberated them- for ten nights since the police execution borhood south of downtown, across the selves from surrounding plantations. The of Andrew Brown Jr., as the community Charles Creek where he had been raised Enslavement, forced labor, militarism swamp played an important role as cover mourns. His funeral is scheduled for by his grandparents and aunts after the Elizabeth City is a majority Black town of for those traveling toward freedom on the May 3. death of his parents. As one close friend fewer than 20,000 people. It was the most Underground Railroad, including some Family members remember Andrew as Jamaul Riddick told WW, “He’s never important trading hub of the region start- led by General Harriet Tubman. ing in the late 1700s, when Recent archaeological studies show enslaved persons were bought that the area was home to a permanent and brought in by plantation settlement of escaped enslaved Africans, owners to labor on the land, as “the security provided by the swamp’s and agricultural products isolation allowed them to create self-or- were then shipped out. ganized communities that spanned gen- The nearby Great Dismal erations.” (tinyurl.com/2tskar7b) Swamp was a source of tim- More recently the Great Dismal Swamp ber that drove the shipbuild- area has been flipped from a haven from ing industry in the town, enslavement to a base for global oppres- which lasted until the end of sion. The area is now home to a 7,000 acre World War II. After the end “United States Training Center”—​the of that war, shipping and Blackwater/Xe/Academi headquarters industry left, and the town Continued on page 3

Celebrating May Day 2021! International Workers Day 6-7 Philadelphia WW PHOTO: JOE PIETTE No education austerity! 2

Vaccine apartheid 3

Colonialism in space 3 ‘Unbroken, indomitable Bash U.S., not 4 spirits’ ‘Scientific’ 5

Mumia Abu-Jamal Albert Woodfox 8-9 Protest for MOVE children 5 Life sentences for children , anti-capitalist 7 Global & local days for Mumia Editorial Free our families! Biden’s military maneuvers 10

Conflict in Chad 10 Ecuador election analysis 11 Page 2 May 6, 2021 workers.org union protests racist austerity this week ◆ In the U.S. By G. Dunkel Justice for Andrew Brown Jr...... 1 Union protests racist austerity ...... 2 A New York State budget that Tell Biden, Gates: End vaccine apartheid . . . . .3 underfunds education was denounced Capitalist exploitation in outer space ...... 3 as racist austerity by union members Black Workers for Justice—for Anthony Brown . . . 4 and allies at an April 27 rally and U.S. commits crimes against humanity ...... 4 march in Manhattan. Attending were over 150 members MOVE children deserve to rest in peace . . . . . 5 of the Professional Staff Congress of Black scientists denounce academic racism . . . .5 City University of New York, mem- May Day: International Workers Day ...... 6 bers of DC37 working at CUNY Lucy Parsons, anti-capitalist ...... 7 and members of NYC for Change. DC37, American Federation of State, SCOTUS rules for child prison for life ...... 8 County and Municipal Employees Bay Area marches for Mumia Abu-Jamal . . . . .8 (AFSCME), is New York City’s largest WW PHOTO: G. DUNKEL Woodfox and Mumia, incarcerated, indomitable . 9 public employee union. The Professional Staff Congress-CUNY rallies, with president Barbara Bowman on the bullhorn, New York City, April 27. Families protest Philadelphia jails ...... 9 The PSC of CUNY is American Federation of Teachers Local 2334 ◆ Around the world and represents 25,000 teachers, both full and adjunct, CUNY colleges have been allocated $1.5 billion in fed- along with professional staff like CUNY librarians. CUNY’s eral stimulus funds, $891 million of which is available for Global movement demands freedom for Mumia . .9 budget is mainly supported by New York State. institutional use. Another $634 million has been allocated Neo-colonialism, resistance in Chad ...... 10 In the opinion of Barbara Bowen, president of to CUNY for direct student aid. Yet while CUNY has dis- Why did Ecuador elect a neoliberal banker? . . . 11 the PSC—as well as the people who attended this tributed $118 million in student aid, the three recent quar- ­protest—the 2021-2022 austerity budget developed by terly reports on the CUNY Budget and Finance website ◆ Editorial Governor Cuomo and fully endorsed by CUNY’s admin- disclose a total of only $51 million of stimulus funds spent istration is out-and-out racism, since 70% of CUNY stu- so far on institutional expenses. No to NATO and Quad ...... 10 dents are Black or Latinx. It’s past time to #FreeTheFunds and use the stimulus PSC members and their allies fought in the state legisla- money as intended to protect the quality of a CUNY edu- ◆ Noticias en Español ture for a budget that rejected all cuts proposed by Cuomo cation and the livelihood and safety of CUNY workers. Espíritu del Primero de Mayo: ¡Lucha! ...... 11 and increased funding for CUNY colleges through reforms PSC members are demanding CUNY use the federal to close the TAP (Tuition Assistance Program) Gap and money now: Speed up payment of the 2% raise for teach- expand opportunity programs. ers and staff; rehire all adjuncts laid off in 2020; unfreeze They won! The CUNY budget has been stabilized. The job searches; restore limits to class size; and invest in pro- CUNY administration has no more excuses for maintain- tecting the health and safety of the CUNY community on ing the austerity measures forced on teachers and staff campus. ☐ in 2020.

Workers World Join us in the fight 147 W. 24th St., 2nd Fl. New York, NY 10011 for ! Phone: 212.627.2994 E-mail: [email protected] Workers World Party is a Marxist-Leninist and trans people are gunned down by cops and bigots on Web: www.workers.org party inside the belly of the imperialist beast. We are a mul- a regular basis. Vol. 63, No. 18 • May 6, 2021 tinational, multigenerational and multigendered organiza- The ruthless ruling class today seeks to wipe out Closing date: May 5, 2021 tion that not only aims to abolish capitalism, but to build a decades of gains and benefits won by hard-fought strug- socialist society because it’s the only way forward! gles by people’s movements. The super-rich and their Editors: John Catalinotto, Martha Grevatt, Deirdre Capitalism and imperialism threaten the peoples of the political representatives have intensified their attacks on Griswold, , Betsey Piette, Minnie world and the planet itself in the neverending quest for the multinational, multigender and multigenerational Bruce Pratt ever-greater profits. . It is time to point the blame at—​and chal- Web Editors: ABear, Harvey Markowitz, Janet Mayes Capitalism means war and austerity, racism and repres- lenge—the​ capitalist system. Prisoners Page Editors: Mirinda Crissman, Ted Kelly sion, attacks on im/migrants, misogyny, LGBTQ2S+ WWP fights for socialism because the working class and mistreatment of people with disabili- produces all wealth in society, and this wealth should Production & Design Editors: Gery Armsby, Mirinda ties. It means joblessness, increasing homelessness and remain in their hands, not be stolen in the form of capi- Crissman, Ted Kelly, Sasha Mazumder, Scott Williams impoverishment and lack of hope for the future. No social talist profits. The wealth workers create should be socially Copyediting and Proofreading: Paddy Colligan, problems can be solved under capitalism. owned and its distribution planned to satisfy and guaran- S. Hedgecoke The U.S. is the richest country in the world, yet no one tee basic human needs. Contributing Editors: LeiLani Dowell, G. Dunkel, has a guaranteed right to shelter, food, water, health care, Since 1959, Workers World Party has been out in the K. Durkin, Sara Flounders, Teresa Gutierrez, Joshua education or anything else—​unless they can pay for it. streets defending the workers and oppressed here and Hanks, Makasi Motema, Gloria Rubac Wages are lower than ever, and youth are saddled with worldwide. If you’re interested in , socialism seemingly insurmountable student debt, if they even and fighting for a socialist future, please contact a WWP Mundo Obero: Teresa Gutierrez, Carlos Vargas make it to college. Black, Brown and Indigenous youth branch near you. ☐ Copyright © 2021 Workers World. Verbatim copying and distribution of articles is permitted in any medium without royalty provided this notice is preserved. Workers World (ISSN-1070-4205) is published If you are interested in joining Workers World Party contact: 212.627.2994 monthly by WW Publishers, 147 W. 24th St. 2nd Fl., New York, NY 10011. Phone: 212.627.2994. Subscrip- National Office Bay Area Central Gulf Coast Philadelphia tions: One year: $36; institutions: $50. Letters to the 147 W. 24th St., 2nd floor P.O. Box 22947 (Alabama, Florida, Mississippi) P.O. Box 34249 editor may be condensed and edited. Articles can be New York, NY 10011 Oakland, CA 94609 [email protected] Philadelphia, PA 19101 freely reprinted, with credit to Workers World, 147 212.627.2994 510.394.2207 610.931.2615 W. 24th St. 2nd Fl., New York, NY 10011. Back issues Cleveland [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] and individual articles are available on microfilm and/ [email protected] or photocopy from NA Publishing, Inc, P.O. Box 998, Atlanta Boston Portland, Ore. Durham, N.C. Ann Arbor, MI 48106-0998. PO Box 18123 284 Amory St. [email protected] 804 Old Fayetteville St. Atlanta, GA 30316 Boston, MA 02130 A searchable archive is available on the Web at Durham, NC 27701 Salt Lake City 404.627.0185 617.522.6626 www.workers.org. 919.322.9 970 801.750.0248 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] A headline digest is available via e-mail subscription. Austin Buffalo, N.Y. Subscription information is at workers.org. Houston San Antonio [email protected] 335 Richmond Ave. P.O. Box 3454 [email protected] Periodicals postage paid at New York, N.Y. Buffalo, NY 14222 Houston, TX 77253-3454 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to 716.883.2534 West Virginia 713.503.2633 Workers World, 147 W. 24th St. 2nd Fl. [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] New York, N.Y. 10011. workers.org May 6, 2021 Page 3 Tell Biden and Bill Gates Justice for Andrew Brown Jr. End vaccine apartheid! Continued from page 1 for training soldiers and police in repres- By Jim McMahan sion tactics. Seattle Originally founded in 1997 as Blackwater by Erik Prince—​right-wing billionaire Nearly 100 demonstrators rallied and brother to Betsy Devos, Secretary here April 30 in front of the Bill and of Education under President Donald Melinda Gates Foundation—​the Trump—the​ company was later rebranded world’s richest “philanthropic” foun- Xe Services, and then Academi when dation—​to demand “End vaccine acquired by a group of private investors. apartheid!” Named for the peat bogs of the swamp, Gates, co-founder of the Microsoft the Blackwater center continues to be used corporation, is one of the multibil- to train mercenaries like those so notori- lionaires opposed to allowing intel- Protests to free vaccines from corporate ous for their deadly cruelty during the U.S. lectual property (IP) waivers so all ‘intellectual property’ are spreading, here occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. And at Moderna headquarters in Cambridge, countries could produce vaccines. the center is where police are trained to Mass., April 28. Gates is allied with Big Pharma in a use military tactics and equipment against big way. He made his fortune relying the civilian population of the U.S., espe- on IP protections on Microsoft products. cially focusing on violent suppression and (tinyurl.com/3syb2pxh) WHO Director WW PHOTO: PETER GILBERT The solidarity protest came after a res- General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus occupation of Black communities. In Elizabeth City, N.C., friends and family olution passed by the Seattle City Council, emphasized: “On average in high-income Police murder and resistance paint Andrew Brown Jr.’s portrait on his which joined 400 plus organizations countries, almost one in four people has house, beside the driveway where he was around the world in urging President Joe received a vaccine. In low-income coun- Since the beginning of the protests, killed by state violence. Biden to immediately waive intellectual tries, it’s one in more than 500. Let me Brown’s family and local activists have property restrictions on U.S.-owned vac- repeat that: one in four versus one in 500.” connected his murder to the conditions tapes documenting the killing of Brown. cines. This would assist all countries in As protestors at the rally chanted, in Elizabeth City, as well as to racism and This includes any body cameras or dash the production of less-expensive generic “Whose vaccine? People’s vaccine!” Hillary police murders across the U.S. and in the cameras from the seven deputies or more COVID-19 vaccines—​and would save Hayden of the Washington Free Trade Tidewater Region of Virginia and North present at the shooting. So far Pasquotank human lives. Coalition said that “113 countries have Carolina. County authorities have refused to make The Seattle action was led by yet to receive a single dose of the vaccine” Joe McCullen, Brown’s uncle, remem- any of the footage public. Councilperson and the due to Big Pharma’s genocidal priorities. bers having a cross burned in his yard by Two family members—​Brown’s eldest Seattle Coalition of Indian Americans Hayden noted that waivers of intellectual the Klan. Brown’s aunt, Joyceanne Ingram, son and his mother—​and their attorneys (SCIA). Sawant said Biden’s recent lifting property resolutions have been passed by speaks of her experiences suffering racist were shown only about 20 seconds of edited of the ban on exporting vaccine materials hundreds of organizations, such as Doctors harassment on the street, despite her status video from one camera. That footage clearly to India dealt with only a tiny part of the Without Borders, and emphasized more of as a veteran of the large nearby Coast Guard showed Andrew Brown sitting in his car, problem. this needs to happen. She said people were base. They both spoke to WW about the lack with his hands completely visible on the Hassan Khan of the SCIA pointed out demonstrating for the vaccine waiver in of jobs in town as exacerbating oppression: steering wheel, as he was killed from behind the terrible mounting deaths caused by Atlanta at a recent speech by Biden. “If you and your white friend walk in to get with an “uncountable” number of shots. the refusal of Big Pharma in the West to Preston, a member of the 6,000-strong a job, your white friend may walk out with Pasquotank County has declared a share the vaccine with India. He said, United Auto Workers Local 4121 at the a job.” state of emergency despite the peaceful “What is happening to India will come University of Washington, spoke on how Demonstrations are continuing through character of the relatively small demon- back to the West.” This is a reference to he and his co-workers—who were teach- May Day weekend with no projected end to strations. Police in full riot gear—​beat- the fact that continuing pandemic infec- ers, health care workers and research- the nightly marches. Solidarity actions are ing their clubs in unison like gladiators to tions anywhere on earth open the way to ers—had helped create COVID vaccines. planned for Durham, N.C., for May 1, and produce an intimidating thunder—​have multiple virus variants that current vac- He stressed the vaccines had been funded the community in Elizabeth City hopes for arrested activists, lawyers and journalists cines may not be able to resist. by the public, but big pharmaceutical com- continued support from across the country. for alleged curfew violations. While over 240 million doses against panies were now making obscene profits Activists from Virginia Beach, Va., who In response to continued pressure from COVID have been administered in the off those public funds while denying vac- have been organizing around the police the movement against police killing, the U.S., billions of people around the world cines to people from the Global South. killings there in April of Donovon Lynch curfew was changed from 8:00 p.m. to do not have access to lifesaving vaccines. Both Preston and Sawant demanded and Deshayla Harris, have been present midnight. But police have been brought in The World Health Organization reported free health care for all. The action was and visible in Elizabeth City. Lynch was from across North Carolina in preparation April 9 that over 87% of the vaccines also supported by the Community a cousin of singer-songwriter and music for barricading all roads in and out of town have gone to high-income or upper- and Alliance for Global Justice/AGRA Watch producer Pharrell Williams. and in an attempt to silence all rebellion middle-income countries, while low-in- and Socialist Alternative. ☐ The main demand in Elizabeth City at against this most recent state-sanctioned come countries have just received 0.2%. the moment concerns the release of the murder. ☐ Amazon workers fight for a union, Bezos sends exploitation to outer space By Janet Mayes 11-minute “unparalleled view of the earth of professional and amateur astrono- youngsters with well-developed educa- from space.” mers—​a contradiction, because not all tional programs for K-12 schools, pro- Jeff Bezos of Amazon may be “step- As discussed in the Workers World arti- observatory work is devoted to “pure sci- viding tantalizing projects to stimulate ping down” from his position as CEO, cle “Astronomical imperialism!” (workers. ence.” Research also targets asteroids and and motivate them to visualize romantic intending to “stay engaged” behind the org/2019/10/43849/), capitalist ventures the solar system (with starry-eyed sce- adventures in outer space exploration and scenes, but he has set his sights on grab- are aiming to mine space for precious met- narios of eventually traveling beyond it) colonization. (clubforfuture.org/curricu- bing infinitely more billions for himself in als, including iron, nickel, gold, cobalt and for future mining and colonization, using lum) Its website links to NASA’s Project space. platinum, plus a potential hugely profit- space vehicles built by Bezos and others. Ianos, whose mission is “to engage and Lest we forget, Bezos is the founder able source of energy from the moon: educate students with the wonders of of Blue Origin, whose stated goal is to helium-3, valued at an estimated $5 bil- Space exploration equals space and to inspire them to become build reusable rockets for transporting lion a ton. Bezos intends to market his space exploitation explorers of it.” (www.projectianos.org) people and payloads into space—​ulti- space vehicles for these ventures. Blue Origin’s website is recruiting work- This is the next generation of exploited mately for colonizing the solar system In competition with other multi-billion- ers for these projects with lofty phrases: and endangered workers. (tinyurl.com/87yf8cp7). In the mean- aires, including Tesla’s Elon Musk, Bezos “We’re looking for people who share that As Amazon workers struggle to union- time, his company invites the very well- with his Blue Origin is perfecting reus- passion and want to turn their career ize here on Earth, we must not forget that heeled to reserve a window seat for an able space transport vehicles launched into a calling. We’re shaping our future capitalist Bezos and other multi-billion- from U.S. military locations, such as Cape in space and we’re looking for dedicated aires never have enough. Not satisfied Canaveral Air Force Station. His Project and inspired people to join us.” Its intern- with having built the biggest monolith on Kiper is sending into low orbit around ship program offers opportunities to par- earth, Bezos aims to expand his avaricious Earth thousands of satellites, which he ticipate in “real engineering projects” for reach, as Star Trek’s captains boast, “to claims are designed to bring low-cost “human spaceflight systems.” The com- boldly go where no one has gone before.” broadband internet capability to the poor pany envisions “a future where millions of and those in remote areas of the planet. people are living and working in space. In Janet Mayes, an amateur astrono- However, this project is really aimed order to preserve Earth, our home, for our mer, authored a science fiction novel at bringing more business to his online grandchildren’s grandchildren, we must about U.S. hegemony in space,“Beyond Amazon monolith. Moreover, the satellite go to space to tap its unlimited resources the Horse’s Eye, a Fantasy Out of Time,” Bezos standing next to a Blue Origin space clusters prevent telescopes from peering and energy” (blueorigin.com). under the pen name Janet Rose. A review vehicle. into an unencumbered sky, to the dismay In addition, Blue Origin is targeting can be found at tinyurl.com/y6fzefun. Page 4 May 6, 2021 workers.org

WW Commentary Bashing China, U.S. commits crimes against humanity By Monica Moorehead in their places of worship and even on the job. Only recently, on April 15 four It was announced April 7 Sikh workers were killed by a 19-year-old that the Biden administration is white, former worker at a FedEx facil- being pressured by right-wing ity in Indianapolis, Ind. When have the Republicans to either fully or par- ­powers-that-be in the U.S. ever cared tially boycott the 2022 Winter about the rights of non-Christian reli- Olympic Games in Beijing, China, gions unless it suits their interests, like which will take place for two now with China bashing? weeks that February. As part of Asian Americans, especially if they are the ongoing anti-China tirade that women, have been targeted in the U.S. by accelerated with the COVID‑19 misogynistic white male supremacists. pandemic during the Trump For instance, on March 16, six Asian administration, these politicians women working in spas near Atlanta, are accusing China of human Ga., were fatally shot. Is this not a human rights violations, specifically in the rights violation? areas of the Hong Kong protests And what about “forced labor”? The and the “forced labor” on Uyghur U.S. has the largest incarcerated popula- Muslims in cotton production. tion in the world, with 2.3 million people, As of now, Biden officials have according to the Prison Policy Initiative. stated that a boycott is not conceiv- (March 24, 2020) Many of these work- able by U.S. athletes, mainly due to ers are modern-day slaves, whose labor multibillion-dollar corporate spon- is superexploited for pennies an hour, or sorship involved in broadcasting no wages at all, to make profits for state- the Games, especially by Comcast. run or private-run corporations. Another consideration is the The deaths in these concentration potential medal-winning Chinese athletes The biggest human rights violator out of extreme poverty and provided high camps, where poor people and people of who have migrated to the U.S. A boycott To be clear, the Biden administra- standards of health care, education and color are incarcerated in disproportion- would not allow them to showcase their tion is in complete agreement with the modern infrastructure. ate numbers, have increased dramatically, talents—or be exploited by U.S. for-profit Republicans in their view on China. “The forces of finance capital in Hong as prison guards are not required to get athletic teams and corporations. Their decision on how to proceed on Kong and their allies in the U.S. and the COVID-19 vaccine or to wear masks Zhao Lijian, a Foreign Ministry spokes- China is based on tactics, not principles. Europe want to pull Hong Kong away or socially distance in these overcrowded person from China, rejected the accusa- Every U.S. administration, Democrat- from China, so it can function as an eco- facilities with poor ventilation. Is this not a tions of abuses, saying, “The politicization or Republican-led, has sought to under- nomic and political outpost in the region. human rights violation? of sports will damage the spirit of the mine, if not outright overthrow, the “This means limiting legal and polit- And then there is the ongoing racist Olympic Charter and the interests of ath- People’s Republic of China because of its ical integration with China as much war of police terror against Black and letes from all countries. The international compromised but still socialist economy. as possible. To this end the U.S. has Brown people. According to the 2020 community including the U.S. Olympics This is the economic basis upon which provided extensive political, financial Police Violence Report, out of the 1,100 Committee will not accept it.” (ESPN, the anti-communist political attacks are and media support for the protests.” plus people killed by the police, Black April 7) being spewed by both right-wing and (workers.org/2019/06/42820) people were 27% of all police killings, 35% The largest imperialist countries like bourgeois liberal mouthpieces, with the Compare these pro-imperialist pro- of unarmed killings, and 36% of those the U.S., Germany, France and Britain right wing being the most aggressive. tests with the protests in the U.S. that are killed who were unarmed and not alleged continue to seek bragging rights when it The protests in Hong Kong against demanding justice and social change—and to be threatening. These deaths are clear comes to winning as many gold medals China are not independently led but are which are confronted with militarized racist human rights violations, based on as possible, compared to countries like backed by imperialist forces, especially police repression and brutal mass arrests. the fact that Black people are only 13% of China, People’s Korea (DPRK), Russia or in the U.S. and Great Britain. This is How could any progressive person—or the U.S. population. other countries that once belonged to the made very obvious with the flying of the anyone with any knowledge of U.S. history, In addition, 58% of all killings by pro- eastern bloc. pro-colonialist Union Jack and U.S. flags both past and present—take seriously the police in the U.S. were traffic stops, Whether the Biden administration at every protest. claims of human rights violations in any police responses to mental health cri- caves into the Republican demand, the As the statement, “U.S. role in Hong country when the U.S. is truly the biggest ses or situations where the person was boycott or no boycott debate will con- Kong protests,” signed by the International human rights violator in the world? reportedly not threatening anyone with tinue to be publicly argued, command- a gun. More human rights violations! Action Center June 30, 2019, explains in U.S. society riddled with class violence ing worldwide attention. The boycott part: “Hong Kong is a center of world (policeviolencereport.org) threat is intensified by the delay in hold- finance capital. It is deeply hostile to the Ever since the 9/11 attacks almost 20 No society is a utopia but with these ing the 2021 Summer Olympic Games in social measures that have lifted hundreds years ago, Muslims have been legally examples alone, the U.S. occupies the top Tokyo, postponed last summer due to the of millions of people in mainland China persecuted by the U.S. government and spot in the world for human rights viola- pandemic. racially targeted, including mass murders tions, hands down. ☐ Black Workers for Justice on the police murder of Andrew Brown The following statement was issued on of the three officers; and 3) An end of the Staying in the streets, with more April 30 by Black Workers for Justice, an curfew. and more involvement and leader- organization of Black workers founded Police have been brought in from cities ship from all sectors of the commu- in 1981 to build the African American across the state of North Carolina as an nity, is extremely important. workers’ movement as a central force act of intimidation in the form of a mili- But equally important is build- in the struggle for Black Liberation tary assault on the peaceful protests. ing an organization to deal with the and Worker’s Power. For more, go to Rooftop snipers, nightly arrests immediate response and the long Blackworkersforjustice.com, Bwfj@ and pressuring of Elizabeth City State hard fight ahead to achieve justice earthlink.net or write to BWFJ, P.O. Box University to force students to vacate the for Andrew Brown and to challenge 1863, Rocky Mount, N.C. 27802. dormitories to accommodate law enforce- and dismantle the system of polic- ment officials from outside of the county ing that killed him and hundreds of our behavior. They are calling for resources to On April 20, Elizabeth City, N.C., are part of the repression. people across the South and the rest of be shifted to building up the community, became yet another site of a fatal police These students have historically, and the U.S. instead of building up the resources of the shooting of an unarmed Black person. The recently, been subject to police brutality Grassroots leadership, a set of prin- police. Elizabeth City can do this too. murder of Andrew Brown has prompted on campus like their brothers and sisters ciples to keep folks accountable to each The Black Workers for Justice supports the justified outrage of the community in the community. other and strategy to win the demands you in your fight for justice and building leading to more than 10 days of protests The added demand now is for a removal are the building blocks needed to make power for the people. We are willing to with crowds reaching as many as 400. of police from the campus, the removal change and shift the power. help. The demands from the community of outside law enforcement, who are here Communities across the country Continue to stand up, and others will have been on target: 1) Release of the under the pretense of riots and violence, are fighting for Community Control stand with you. You are the leaders you body cam footage; 2) Immediate arrest and an end to the curfew. and Review Boards to deal with police have been waiting for! ☐ workers.org May 6, 2021 Page 5 Philadelphia rally demands MOVE children deserve to rest in peace By Betsey Piette This was deliberate murder. The circum- the two Ivy League institutions over the published April 21. He stated at the rally: Philadelphia stances surrounding it were horrible, and decades. Their parents, still alive, were “Two years ago we found out that Penn even more horrible to me was the fact that never informed. Museum had the remains of 53 people YahNé Ndgo opened the rally out- the perpetrators basically were never in In 2019, the remains were held at Penn thought to have been enslaved on plan- side the Penn Museum in Philadelphia any way punished.” That was said by the Museum where Monge, Mann’s former tations in Cuba. When we demanded April 28 by denouncing the University of forensic anthropologist Dr. Alan Mann, student, used them in instructional online reparations, Penn started a committee Pennsylvania’s sadistic desecration of the who was hired by the Philadelphia Medical videos offered by Princeton and UPenn. to ‘consider the issue.’ A year later we remains of two young Black MOVE family Examiner’s Office to analyze the remains of Once again, this was done without con- learned that they also had 14 craniums of members. Ndgo, representing Black Lives those killed in the fire. sent of the children’s relatives. Black people dug up from graves where Matter Philadelphia, stated: “We can Africa said: “Alan Mann is the same Monge’s course was titled: “Real Franklin [athletic] Field is today.” never forget the humanity of Black peo- monster who has done these horrible Bones: Adventures in Forensic Muhammad told the crowd, “This is ple, and we should never have to remind things to my sisters. The other mon- Anthropology”—and MOVE is referred disgusting, this is gross. This is not okay.” people of the value of our lives. Black and ster, Janet Monge, is on a video describ- to as a “case study!” The videos, which News of the MOVE children’s remains Brown bodies are not subjects for you ing how my sister suffered a bone were available for viewing in classes that came just days after Penn Museum offi- to study. We are human beings, and our fracture ‘because something heavy prob- began the week of April 19, have been cials made a commitment to repatriate lives matter!” ably landed on her.’” taken down due to protests. Black and Indigenous remains held for Nearly 400 people attended the rally, Mann worked at the Penn Museum While UPenn officials have issued two over a century in their Samuel Morton including UPenn students and faculty. where he reportedly subjected the bones apologies which have been published by Collection of Human Crania. Morton It followed a press conference with the to detailed analysis, but later used the news outlets, they have yet to apologize to had used the collection of 1,000 skulls of MOVE family April 26, after news sur- children’s remains as science specimens MOVE family members in person. They enslaved African and captured Indigenous faced that anthropology professors at in anthropology classes. The bones were also claim they do not have the remains, people in a racist study aimed to perpe- the school and Princeton University kept in cardboard boxes in non-cli- nor do they know where they are. trate a false theory of white supremacy. had kept the remains of Tree Africa, 14, mate-controlled storage. When Mann Morton’s “experiments'' were used and Delisha Africa, 12, who were killed transferred to Princeton in 2001, he took Museum’s 134-year racist history to justify removal of Indigenous peo- May 13, 1985, when the police dropped the remains with him. Abdul Aliy Muhammad broke the ple in the 1830s and later were part of an incendiary bomb on MOVE’s house. The children’s remains were purport- news about the children’s remains in a pattern of nonconsensual experimen- City officials let the resulting fire burn edly bounced back and forth between a Philadelphia Inquirer opinion piece tation on Black people for medical pur- as police fired tens of thousands of bul- poses. One was the infamous 40-year lets at the burning house, preventing Tuskegee Institute “experiment,”—led anyone from leaving it. The resulting by U.S. health agencies—where hun- conflagration killed 11 people, including dreds of Black men were deliberately left five children, and destroyed 61 homes in untreated for syphilis, even after penicil- a residential Black neighborhood. lin was found to be a cure in 1947. Rally speakers called for Monge to be Murder and then more inhumanity fired and for restitution and account- At the rally, Mike Africa Jr., son of ability from UPenn, emphasizing that MOVE 9 members Debbie Africa and Tree Africa and Delisha Africa deserve Mike Africa, recalled having played with to rest in peace. Pam Africa, Minister of the children killed in the fire. He said: Confrontation for the MOVE family, said, “The medical examiner was paid to find “The bomb they dropped on our family is out how our people died. They took the exploding 36 years later and exposing the bodies to a lab, left them unrefrigerated intent of the cops to kill John Africa and and let the bodies decompose. This was all of our family.” so egregious they were fired. The people The rally was followed by a march to from Penn Museum who took over were the campus home of UPenn President supposed to be ethical, but they are the Amy Gutmann, where demonstra- monsters we are talking about today.” tors blocked traffic on Walnut Street Africa read from a quote located below for over an hour. Speakers announced the graphic of a helicopter dropping a that the 36th anniversary observation bomb from MOVE’s popular orange-on- of the MOVE bombing will be held in black “Welcome to Philadelphia” T-shirt. Philadelphia May 15. WW PHOTO: JOE PIETTE ☐ The quote reads: “This was not an accident. Banner honoring Tree and Delisha Africa leads march in Philadelphia, April 28. Black scientists denounce racism at Penn Museum The following excerpts are from an of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, anthropologists need group that monitors biomedical April 28 statement regarding the uneth- Coursera, along with Professors Alan to condemn this bar- research involving human subjects ical, possession and callous racist use of Mann and Janet Monge, for their hor- baric and savage act by for abuse.] the remains of the children of MOVE who rific treatment of the remains of Tree and its own practitioners. Second, that the American died in the 1985 state bombing of their Delisha Africa, and for the unfathom- And white anthropol- Anthropological Association (AAA) home in Philadelphia. able heartlessness and disrespect shown ogists, in particular, work in haste to help facilitate the towards the Africa family. should not only hold repatriation of the remains of the The Association of Black Anthropologists, We are outraged by the stunning ethical themselves account- Africa family children, as well as the Society of Black Archaeologists and the indifference shown by all parties involved able to the ways that other remains held in the many Black in Bioanthropology Collective are … but also by the fact that these entities they continue to uphold anthropology museums and depart- painfully aware of the barbaric history of effectively monetized the remains of Black normalized forms of anti-Blackness and ments throughout the country. These anthropology, especially when it comes to children murdered in a state terrorist harm through their research and theoriz- include, but are not limited to, the numer- populations of peoples of African descent. attack—a fact made all the more painful ing, but should also actively work to undo ous remains of peoples of African descent. We know that our discipline has been given the heightened public awareness of the centuries of violence and trauma done Finally, toward this end we also call for mobilized to rationalize eugenics and brutal murders of Black children and youth to nonwhite communities. a national audit of all human remains in white supremacy and to justify slavery by the police over the past few years. We realize that Penn and Princeton museum and university collections. We and colonialism. … Ethnographic muse- This revelation represents a pain- are not the only universities trafficking believe it is imperative that this infor- ums, like Penn’s Museum of Archaeology ful reminder of anthropology’s history in the human remains of nonwhite peo- mation become public record, allowing and Anthropology (which houses the col- with the Black dead—of which the Penn ples. And while both the Penn Museum descended communities to reclaim sov- lection of the notorious racist Samuel Museum, as the physical manifestation of and Princeton Anthropology have issued ereignty of the remains of their ancestors. Morton), have supported the academic Morton’s legacy, provides a potent sym- statements of contrition, we believe that We also support the demands of Mike rationale for the institutionalization of bol. Even as UPenn earlier this year has they must do more. The Association Africa Jr.—a MOVE family member who racism in anthropology textbooks, courses tried to grapple with the legacy of Morton, of Black Anthropologists, Society of was six years old at the time when the and curricula. … (tinyurl.com/2tbb33td) we are faced with yet another affront to Black Archaeologists and the Black in Philadelphia police dropped the bomb It is because of this history of racism Black life and dignity. Bioanthropology Collective therefore on MOVE—currently circulated in this in anthropology, and because of the mis- Black anthropologists should not be demand: online petition: tinyurl.com/36hhev6j. sions of ABA, SBA and BiBA to counter it, alone in expressing this outrage and First, that the Penn Museum self-report that we as organizations condemn in the bearing this heavy ethical burden. All this egregious Institutional Review Board For the full statement and demands of strongest possible language the University anthropologists should be enraged. All violation. [An IRB is a formally designated the groups visit: aba.americananthro.org. Page 6 May 6, 2021 workers.org

By Martha Grevatt need for decriminalization, an Celebrating Mayenvironmentalist Day on the Green 2021! May Day began in the U.S. New Deal, a local activist on in 1884 after labor federa- the history of May Day and a tions called for worker strikes housing rights organizer on and protests for the eight- the crisis of evictions. hour day. Some 400,000 Other speakers included workers answered the call Yvonka Hall, executive direc- countrywide on May 1, 1886. tor of the Northeast Ohio That year eight worker orga- Black Health Coalition and nizers, some immigrants, Cleveland AFL-CIO Executive were arrested and framed Secretary Dan O’Malley. for the May 4 bombing of Chairing the workers assem- a Haymarket Square rally bly were Chrissy Stonebraker- in Chicago. Five were sen- WW PHOTO: G. DUNKEL WW PHOTO: JOE PIETTE Martinez, co-director of the tenced to death; four were Chris Smalls, Congress of Jimi Alade, Workers World Party, InterReligious Task Force on executed and a fifth died in Essential Workers, New York City. Philadelphia. Central America and Colombia, his cell. An 1889 interna- and Aisia Jones, Black Lives tional socialist conference declared May 1 in New York’s Chinese community Matter Cleveland organizer and candi- Pensacola, Fla. WW PHOTO: DEVIN COLE International Workers Day, in part to to support the laundry workers of Wash date for Cleveland City Council. honor the Haymarket Martyrs. The day Supply, fired after voting to form an inde- After the rally, marchers chanted: Day demonstrators faced intimidation was revitalized in the U.S. in 2005 by the pendent union. Protesters marched to “Hey, hey, ho, ho, this union busting has by police and Department of Homeland Black-led Million Worker March, and in the home of the owner—​found to have got to go.” Other “has to go” subjects were Security officers at the Immigration and 2006 by the Latinx immigrant workers’ committed wage theft by paying below the bosses, capitalism, Walmart, Amazon, Customs Enforcement detention center, mass strike. In 2021 the day was com- minimum wage—​and held a rally, then Cleveland police, detention centers and where they convened following a May memorated around the world; Workers continued to the Union Square events. white supremacy. Day march and car caravan. With sirens World Party helped organize a number of The Laundry Workers Center coordinated On a particularly hot day—​almost blasting and lights flashing, 22 Portland actions across the U.S. the action. 90 degrees—​socialists and freedom police and DHS vehicles sped toward May Day in New York City returned A spirited May Day march through fighters found a shady spot in a down- demonstrators. Riot gear-clad police, to Union Square after a three-year Center City Philadelphia targeted the town Pensacola, Fla., park to cele- brandishing rifles and tear-gas launch- absence from that historic location of Comcast Center, the health care-for-profit brate May Day. The Central Gulf Coast ers, advanced at the crowd yelling: “Get worker struggle. More than 40 organi- industry at Independence Blue Cross branch of Workers World Party—​encom- back, move off!” zations of working and oppressed peo- and Wells Fargo Bank, where protesters passing parts of Alabama, Florida and A May Day rally began at the Eastbank ple rallied before marching to the home stopped to demand public banking. Chants Mississippi—​called the action and was Esplanade, where people delivered impas- of centibillionaire Jeff Bezos. The march included calls to end Israeli apartheid joined in organizing by the Pensacola sioned speeches. “International Workers’ was led by current and former Amazon in Palestine and to abolish Immigration Community Action Committee and Black Day is our people’s holiday,” said Adrian, workers from Amazon’s JFK8 fulfillment and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and end center in Staten Island, including Chris detention of immigrant workers. Before Smalls, fired last year after organizing a returning to City Hall, where demon- walkout there over lack of COVID pro- strators called for defunding the police and funding community services, they stopped at Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office to demand release of political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal. The march was followed by a community speak-out with entertainers and tabling. A broad coalition of community and activ- ist groups organized the event. Initiated by the Northeast Ohio Workers Cleveland WW PHOTO: SUSAN SCHNUR WW PHOTO: SARA FLOUNDERS Center, Cleveland’s March for laundry workers in Chinese community, New York City. “May Day Workers Assembly and March” Voters Matter. Multiple speakers spoke on an organizer with International Migrants tection. Workers at JFK8 have begun a was jointly organized by a coalition of topics including the need for worker-led Alliance. “We cannot talk about [migrant] union drive, which Smalls’ Congress of local political, worker-based and com- unionization, the attacks on the Black workers without talking about the condi- Essential Workers is involved with. munity organizations. The gathering Liberation Struggle through the passing tions that have led to forced migration,” “We are workers, and we have power!” heard from a range of speakers—​edu- of HB1, the #BAmazon union struggle and said a Somali student representing the said Clarissa, representing Workers cation workers and grocery workers the ongoing local women’s clinic defense. Hurriyyah Collective, an anti-imperialist Assembly Against Racism. “And each and on the need for unions, a supporter of A powerful history of May Day and the Muslim group. every one of us carries a spark that can library janitors on union busting, an need for revolutionary optimism, written Workers World Party gave a salute to burn this whole racist, sexist, exploitative, undocumented student on deportation by a WWP candidate, was read, which the Amazon workers in Bessemer: “They capitalist system down!” and detention, a medical student on the ended by proclaiming: “May Day is all of Continued on page 7 Earlier in the day, 300 people gathered health-care crisis, a sex worker on the us, together!” After the rally, a long car caravan drove through Brownsville, a working-class, low-in- come neighborhood in downtown Pensacola, with signs such as “Stop Evictions Now!” “From Afghanistan to Minneapolis, End U.S. Occupation Everywhere!” and “Smash Police Violence and White Supremacy!” In Portland, Ore., a crowd of 200 mostly Union Square, New York City. WW PHOTO: G. DUNKEL Black and Brown May Bayan and Migrante, Portland, Ore. workers.org May 6, 2021 Page 7 May Day hero Lucy Parsons: union organizer, anti-capitalist fighter

By Monica Moorehead Lucy Parsons was a militant and defiant anti-capitalist anarchist and a socialist, who wanted to empower the Lucy Gonzalez Parsons, an original founder when May workers through revolution. Day launched in 1886, was born into slavery in the early Lucy and Mary Harris “Mother” Jones, a coal miner 1850s on a Virginia plantation. She, her mother and oth- organizer, were the first two women to join the Industrial ers were able to escape and move to Texas. There she met Workers of the World. The union welcomed all workers, her future spouse, , a former Confederate regardless of nationality, religion, gender or skill, into its soldier who helped register newly freed people to vote ranks. Lucy organized campaigns against hunger and for during Reconstruction. This action made him a target unemployed councils on behalf of the IWW. of the KKK who threatened to lynch him. Some of Lucy’s most notable quotes from speeches Lucy and Albert were forced to leave Texas due to the include: miscegenation laws that legally outlawed mixed race • “Never be deceived that the rich will permit you marriages. They eventually moved to Chicago in 1873 WW PHOTO: G. DUNKEL to vote away their wealth.” where great labor struggles were taking place in the Brenda Stokely, union and women’s activist, speaks at • “Let us sink such differences as nationality, factories to demand an eight-hour day. Without union May Day rally, Union Square, New York City. religion, politics, and set our eyes eternally and protection, the industrial workers, many of them poor forever toward the rising star of the industrial immigrants from Europe, were forced to toil 10- to Lucy Parsons championed political rights as well as republic of labor.” 16-hour days under horrendous working conditions. workers’ rights. For instance, she joined the worldwide Both Lucy and Albert became not only union organiz- campaign to stop the executions of two Italian immi- • “So many able writers have shown that the ers but also developed radical anarchist and anti-capitalist grant union organizers, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo unjust institutions which work so much misery ideas. After Albert lost his printing job due to his political Vanzetti, who were framed for murder in 1920. They and suffering to the masses have their root in beliefs, Lucy opened a dress shop in her home to support were executed in 1927. governments, and owe their whole existence to him and their two children and hosted meetings for the Lucy fought for the freedom of the Scottsboro the power derived from government, that we International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union (ILGWU). Brothers, nine young Black men falsely accused of rap- cannot help but believe that were every law, every On May 4, 1886, following a workers’ rally in ing two white women in 1930 in Alabama. A worldwide title deed, every court and every police officer or Haymarket Square in Chicago, the police threw a bomb campaign led by socialists and communists eventually soldier abolished tomorrow with one sweep, we in the crowd, killing eight people and one of their own. exonerated them. would be better off than now.” Albert and seven other union organizers were targeted Lucy was a fighter until her death at the age of 91 on The spirit of Lucy Parsons continues to live in every and framed for killing the officer. Four of them, includ- March 7, 1942, in a fire in her home. Suspected of setting revolutionary who abhors all forms of exploitation, ing Albert, were hanged in the Square in 1887, forever the blaze, the Chicago police confiscated her precious oppression and inequality, who fights to abolish every becoming known as the Haymarket Martyrs. May Day books and writings that never saw the light of day again. ugly feature of capitalism and who fights for a socialist was officially declared as International Workers Day in Parsons was proud of being declared by the Chicago future for the liberation of all humanity. Lucy Parsons, 1889 at an international socialist conference. police as “more dangerous than a thousand rioters.” ¡presente! ☐ Celebrating May Day 2021! Continued from page 6 this pivotal event in labor history began Foods Market where May 9, 1934, and lasted 83 days, leading demonstrations were lost the vote for a union; but by hero- to unionization of all West Coast ports. held recently to sup- ically facing up to the Amazon Goliath, This year’s ILWU-led labor march was port the Bessemer, Ala., they won the war. They sent ripples also dedicated to Mumia Abu-Jamal, a Amazon union drive—​ throughout the working class here and U.S. political prisoner locked up for the over 80 cars stopped around the world.” The event was orga- past 40 years for his writings and activ- traffic for 15 minutes, nized by a coalition of immigrant and ism against the racist Philadelphia police. while a recorded mes- worker’s rights groups such as Migrante, In 1999, the ILWU shut down all West sage from a former Anakbayan and the International League Coast ports to support the campaign to Amazon worker was of Peoples’ Struggle, who voiced their out- get Mumia off death row. played. Hashid Kasama rage over the exploitation and mistreat- The San Francisco march also focused of Rideshare Drivers ment of migrant workers in the U.S. and on support for the Protecting the Right to United talked about internationally. Organize (PRO) Act, strengthening unor- efforts to organize Uber WW PHOTO: JUDY GREENSPAN Two May Day demonstrations—a ganized workers in the fight for unions. and Lyft drivers. Car caravan of Rideshare Drivers United and many others, union-led march in the morning in San Other themes were Black Lives Matter, A second stop at Oakland, Calif. Francisco and a rank-and-file worker support for undocumented immigrant the Lake Merritt and community based car caravan in the workers and an end to anti-Asian vio- Amphitheater brought solidarity greet- over an abandoned house. The caravan- afternoon in Oakland — raised import- lence. Several hundred unionists and ings to the families of Mario Gonzalez ers were treated to a community barbeque ant issues and upheld workers often over- community members marched from and Steven Taylor, both recent victims dinner and joined a rally where speakers looked at traditional labor gatherings. the Embarcadero, in downtown San of police murder in the Bay Area. Family were Indigenous activists, formerly incar- In San Francisco, International Francisco by the Bay, to Civic Center members and anti-police terror activists cerated people, the mother of a young Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Plaza. Speakers included ILWU Local have been organizing around both cases Black man who died at Santa Rita Jail in Local 10 led the march with their historic 10 President Trent Willis and Dr. Angela to win justice for the families and the Alameda County and sex workers. banner reading: “Stop the execution of Davis, well-known scholar and abolition- community. From the spirited commemoration of the Mumia Abu-Jamal.” Organized labor ist activist, invited by Local 10 to help lead All along the way there were talks historic 1934 San Francisco General Strike in the Bay Area has celebrated May Day the march. and chants about supporting the most to the community housing takeover in every year since 2006, when immigrant Later that afternoon, an extraordinary oppressed members of the working class: West Oakland, May Day has again proven workers reclaimed the day for the work- coalition of activists, community organi- incarcerated workers, sex workers, trans to be vibrant and alive in the Bay Area. ing class. This year, most of the Bay Area’s zations and revolutionary groups cara- youth and the undocumented. five county labor councils joined together vaned throughout Oakland, beginning in The last caravan stop was in West Contributing to this report were Devin to call a march dedicated to the 1934 San Chinatown where speakers gave solidarity Oakland at a one-day housing reclama- Cole, Greg Dunkel, Judy Greenspan, Francisco General Strike. Known also as messages to the community in Mandarin tion by House the Bay, where housing Martha Grevatt, Betsey Piette and Carlos the “West Coast Longshoremen’s Strike,” and Cantonese. At the first stop—​a Whole rights and unhoused activists had taken Splitstoser.

Trent Willis, president of ILWU Local 10, leads a solidarity WW PHOTO: JUDY GREENSPAN rally, San Francisco. Mobilization to Free Mumia, San Francisco. PHOTO: TERRY SCUSSEL Page 8 May 6, 2021 workers.org Supreme Court rules kids can be thrown away By Gloria Rubac Breyer and Elena Kagan, criticized the new justices’ change of course in her dissent. The Supreme Court of the United States ruled April 22 Sotomayor recounted the story of the defendant in that children under 18 years of age—the vast majority this case, Brett Jones, to show how “many aspects of of whom are poor and of color—can be incarcerated in Jones’ crime seem to epitomize unfortunate yet transient prison for the rest of their lives with no possibility of immaturity. Jones was the victim of violence and neglect release from behind the razor wire. that he was too young to escape. His biological father Since 2005, when SCOTUS ruled in Roper v. Simmons was an alcoholic, who physically abused his mother, that juveniles could not be sentenced to death, the high- who had severe mental health problems. His stepfather est court has been limiting harsher penalties for juve- abused him, too, using belts, switches and a paddle. He niles. Their rulings accepted that, because children’s openly expressed his hatred for Jones.” minds are still developing, they are less culpable and When Jones moved to Mississippi to live with his deserve special consideration when they are sentenced grandparents, he abruptly lost access to medication he for serious crimes, including murder. The court issued took for mental health issues, including hallucinations a string of decisions based on the science of adolescent and self-harm. His grandfather beat him. One day in brain development. IMAGE: ANNIE OTZEN 2004 when Jones’ grandfather tried to hit him, Jones In 2012, the high court ruled in Miller v. Alabama and stabbed him repeatedly, killing him. He had turned 15 Jackson v. Hobbs that judges must consider the unique Today, Jones is 31. He has spent more years in prison just 23 days earlier. Jones tried to save his grandfather circumstances of each juvenile offender, banning sen- than out of it. with CPR but failed. After making minimal efforts to tences of life without parole for nearly all juveniles—the conceal the crime, he confessed to police. only exception being those determined to be “perma- A ‘very significant rollback’ Nanon Williams, a Texas prison activist sent to death nently incorrigible.” In 2016 this decision was made ret- Brooklyn Law School professor and former juvenile row at age 17, spoke to Workers World from prison in roactive for those sentenced prior to 2012. defender Cynthia Godsoe said of the Jones ruling: “It’s Rosharon, Texas: “If you say a kid can’t change, then who But that streak of rulings, which juvenile justice advo- a very significant rollback of what had been a very prom- can? Even a kid convicted of a bad crime can change. If cates cheered as shielding minors from the harshest pun- ising line of jurisprudence.” you’re not going to give a child a second chance, then ishments, ended April 22, when Justice Brett Kavanaugh you are ignoring the truth. Rich kids’ parents can buy wrote for a 6-3 majority that “a separate factual finding Judge Kavanaugh, credibly accused justice. But for the rest of us, we are victims of a system of permanent incorrigibility is not required” to sentence that doesn’t value us.” a juvenile offender to life in prison without parole. of illegal behavior in his confirmation Williams said that psychologists and criminologists About 70% of children sentenced to life without hearings for the Supreme Court, argued studied juveniles, and the science told them how brains parole are Black and Brown youth. Life without parole develop much later than age 18, that kids are more sus- sentences for juveniles are banned in 25 states and the that his childhood “indiscretions” of ceptible to peer pressure and that teens are impulsive and District of Columbia. In the remaining states, life with- sexual assaults, disgusting yearbook do not consider long-term consequences of their actions. out parole for juveniles is still allowed; when 2020 “In Texas they studied me, Napoleon Beazley and Shaka began, 1,465 people were serving those terms for crimes statements and wild drinking parties Sankofa. But when Shaka used these findings to stop committed as minors. shouldn’t be considered because he his execution in 2000, it failed—and he was executed. The case Jones v. Mississippi involves Brett Jones, Napoleon was executed in 2002, and his crime involved who was 15 years old when he killed his grandfather in was young. Yet this Brett has ruled that extreme peer pressure. We were three Black men, two of self-defense. the other Brett, Brett Jones, should us innocent. Then a white kid named Roper files a case At a resentencing hearing in 2014, Jones told the about juveniles on death row, and they rule in his favor. I court, “I’m not the same person I was when I was 15. … spend the rest of his life in prison — for only survived because of the 2005 Roper decision. I’m still I’ve become a pretty decent person in life. And I’ve pretty a crime he was convicted of at age 15. trying to prove my innocence, but now I’m off death row.” much taken every avenue that I could possibly take in Consider these facts: 2,363 children are arrested each prison to rehabilitate myself. day in the U.S.—one every 37 seconds. About 76,000 “Minors do have the ability to change,” he reflected. Judge Kavanaugh, credibly accused of illegal behav- children are placed in the adult criminal justice system He noted in closing, “If you decide to send me back with- ior in his confirmation hearings for the Supreme Court, each year. out the possibility of parole, I will still do exactly what argued that his childhood “indiscretions” of sexual The criminal injustice system in the U.S. favors the rich I’ve been doing for 10 years. But all I can do is ask you … assaults, disgusting yearbook statements and wild and powerful and destroys working-class and oppressed please give me just one chance to show the world, man, drinking parties shouldn’t be considered because he was people ensnared in its clutches. It cannot be reformed. like, I can be somebody. I’ve done everything I could over young. Yet this Brett has ruled that the other Brett, Brett The whole system must be overthrown for the majority to the past 10 years to be somebody. … I can’t change what Jones, should spend the rest of his life in prison—for a receive justice. We must create a society where children was already done. I can just try to show … I’ve become crime he was convicted of at age 15. are treated as precious, with all the love and dignity they a grown man.” Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Stephen deserve. ☐

Unite to free Mumia! By Judy Greenspan A day of international solidarity with Mumia on his Oakland, Calif. birthday began April 24 in Fruitvale with a rally at Oscar Grant Plaza—renamed by the community after Bay Mumia Abu-Jamal’s 67th birthday was commemo- Area Rapid Transit (BART) police assassinated Grant, rated with three well-attended actions in San Francisco a young Black man, in 2009. More than 100 people and the East Bay from April 20-24. marched from there to rally outside the Oakland Police On April 20, more than 50 people picketed in front Department. Speakers from the Oakland Education of KQED public television studios in San Francisco’s Association, the SF Bay View National Black Newspaper Financial District to protest the airing of Independent and the Cubs demanded Mumia be Lens’ “Philly DA” about the career of District Attorney set free immediately. Larry Krasner. Although he campaigned as a “progres- The demonstrators stayed in the streets and marched sive” who would rectify decades of white-supremacist to the Alameda County Courthouse. District Attorney rulings against Black defendants, Krasner has since Nancy O’Malley has consistently refused to charge and PHOTO: LEON KUNSTENAAR/PROBONOPHOTO refused to order a new trial for Mumia—or open possi- prosecute Oakland police and sheriffs for killing Black Gerald Smith of the Labor Action Committee to Free Mumia bilities for overturning his conviction. and Brown people. A broad array of people spoke, speaks at the Alameda County Courthouse, April 24. Mumia, a world-renowned revolutionary, writer and including young activists on how Mumia’s writings had political prisoner, has served over 40 years for a crime politicized their generation. A taped recording in sup- he did not commit. Krasner has fallen into lockstep with port of Mumia from Kevin Cooper, a prisoner on death August 22, 1989. Participants gathered in front of a the Fraternal Order of Police which has stood in the way row in California, was played. Pam Africa, Minister of home with a mural dedicated to the women of the Black of Mumia’s release. Confrontation of the MOVE organization and head of Panther Party. Black activists—including Fredrika A broad coalition of activists and organizations is International Concerned Friends and Family of Mumia, Newton, his widow and president of the Dr. Huey P. demanding Independent Lens grant them equal time called in from Philadelphia, as did Mumia’s grandson, Newton Foundation—led a procession to 10th and to present Mumia’s case. The coalition organizing the Jamal Jr., to thank everyone for their solidarity and Center Streets where Newton was killed. KQED protest included the Labor Action Committee to organizing. The message of these events was simple: Unite to Free Free Mumia, No Justice Under Capitalism, Free Mumia Later in West Oakland, a ceremony was held for Mumia! According to supporters and prisoners’ rights SF and the Prisoners’ Solidarity Committee of Workers Mumia on the street where Huey P. Newton, a leader activists in the Bay Area, the campaign will continue World Party. of the Oakland Black Panther Party, was shot and killed until Mumia is returned home to his family. ☐ workers.org May 6, 2021 Page 9 Albert Woodfox & Mumia Abu-Jamal ‘Indomitable spirit that refuses to be broken’ The following exchange between political prisoner fighting inside to be heard, to change conditions, rather MAJ: Brother Albert, and in the spirit of all the Angola Mumia Abu-Jamal, wrongly incarcerated since Dec. 9, than turn inward and allow prison culture to set examples Three, I salute you. You know, I think of early days, even 1981, and Albert Woodfox, of the Angola Three, released of how we should live our lives. before trial began. There was a pretrial hearing. I had read in February 2016 after nearly 45 years of incarcera- MAJ: What gave y’all hope? a law book showing cases from the U.S. Supreme Court. So tion, most in solitary confinement, was recorded by AW: I had a wonderful family, it was based on the Constitution, right? I Prison Radio. It aired as part of an evening of solidar- wonderful comrades who made up went to the law library, read those actual ity with Abu-Jamal April 23. the International Coalition to Free cases, and then drew up motions that I the Angola Three, a wonderful legal made in court. Judge Sabo promptly Mumia Abu-Jamal: You, and the other Angola team. But more than anything, what denied the motions. I couldn’t believe it. Three, did an ungodly bid in the hole. How did the state gave me hope was the guys I lived But it made me understand that the justify locking you cats up for so long? around. The social struggle that was legal system most people meet when Albert Woodfox: Given the unchecked and unchal- being waged, sacrifices that were they first go into court, wasn’t bound lenged power of the prison system in Louisiana, their being made, the indomitable spirit by a Constitution or Supreme Court justification was the fact that myself, Herman and that refused to be broken. rulings. They do whatever they want to Robert were fighting for humanity, the fact that we were Now, those are some of the things do, because it really ain’t about the law. fighting to maintain our big identity, pride, self-respect that inspire me. One thing in partic- It’s about power. and a sense of self worth. They felt it ular was the devel- The same judge, Sabo, would later was a threat to what they considered opment of Black Albert Woodfox say in open court, 15 years later, in my to be the only function of a prison. Lives Matter, appeal case, “Justice is just an emo- That was the ‘justification’ here. The which I think is a tremendous move- tional feeling.” To quote Malcolm X, “Don’t be shocked warden made a statement in a depo- ment. And I was so proud to see all when I say I was in prison. Long as you’re south of the sition that I was the most dangerous the young men and women involved in Canadian border, you’re still in prison.” So, all power to man in America. And since I’ve been that movement come forth. As a mat- the people. out, I would like to think that my atti- ter of fact, before the pandemic when AW: My brother, what is your most painful personal tude has proven him to be right. Robert and I were traveling together loss? MAJ: How did y’all endure 40 and speaking, we always asked the MAJ: My mother and daughter, Edith and Samia. I years in the hole? host to arrange it so that we could had dreams of walking with both of them in freedom. AW: That’s a more difficult ques- meet with some of the young leaders And, of course, other family members, brothers, sisters, tion to ask. I guess having political in the movement. cousins, brothers-in-law. They live in our memory and consciousness that was inspired by Mumia Abu-Jamal Those are the things that gave me in our hearts. being members of the Black Panther hope, you know, a love of humanity, AW: Again, my brother, what is your number one pri- Party. They say knowledge is power. We had a sense of the indomitable spirit of the people and the contin- ority when freedom finally comes? what solitary confinement was designed for, so over the ual struggle that was going on in society. Mumia, my MAJ: The same, as it’s always better to serve the peo- decades I would guess strength, determination, values or brother, given the preponderance of evidence exonerat- ple. To work on their behalf, to work for a world where principles. We stayed active, and we looked to society for ing you and lack of evidence against you, how does it feel true Black liberation is a reality, not just words. As for us, inspiration. The men and women, in some cases children, to still be in prison? to say freedom is a must. Thank you, Brother Woodfox. ☐ Global movement demands freedom for Mumia By Joe Piette Main outside the U.S. Consulate led by supporters of Leonard Peltier, Abu-Jamal and members of the Cuban Mumia Abu-Jamal has fought for international soli- Solidarity Network. darity since he wrote for The Black Panther newspaper In Berlin, 200 people protested April 24 to free as a 14-year-old in 1968. Today, from State Correctional Mumia and other prisoners, organized by Death in Institute Mahanoy, he continues to encourage all revo- Custody, Migrantifa and Network for political prison- lutionaries to support each other’s struggles regardless ers, Gemeinschaftlicher Widerstand, Criminals For of where in the world they may be. Freedom, Sabot, no129 and the Aid. Solidarity is a reciprocal thing. People around the VVN/BdA, an anti-fascist organisation founded by world have signed petitions, written letters and called survivors of the Nazi death camps explained why Mumia Pennsylvania officials demanding Mumia’s release from is an honorary member of their organization. Turgay, prison, because he is a political prisoner, because he’s Müllsch, Yok, Mila Morgenstern and Elses Alptraum innocent and because ailing and elderly people should contributed live music. not be incarcerated. In Vienna, Austria, the Network to Free All Political On April 24, Abu-Jamal’s 67th birthday, activists Prisoners held a rally April 24 to support Mumia as well PHOTO CREDIT: JACKY HORTAUT around the world came out into the streets—dans as political prisoner Ali Osman Köse in Turkey, who also In front of the U.S. Embassy, Paris, April 24. les rues, a las calles, and auf die Straße—to demand suffers serious health problems after 37 years in prison. Mumia’s freedom. In Mexico City, another music-centered rally took place ¡Libera a Mumia! which can be watched at: tinyurl.com/n2p7hc6m. Libérons aka Free Mumia Three actions for Mumia took place in Mexico April The people, united, will free Mumia! In Paris, where the Mumia Abu-Jamal Collective has 23-25. In Tepic Nayarit, community organizers took fly- demonstrated every first Wednesday for 20 years at the ers about Mumia to a park to talk to young skateboarders, Thanks to Julia Wright and Jacky Hortaut in France, U.S. Consulate, over 200 people attended a rally April 24. getting positive feedback. In Oaxaca, organizers played Michael Shiffmann and Gregor in Germany and The next day almost 400 people from the Black Diaspora cumbias and urged listeners to support Mumia’s struggle. Carolina Saldaña in Mexico for their reports. gathered in Paris. The Anti-Negrophobia Collective, the “Trop Violans” Collective from French Guiana, and others from Africa, Martinique, Mayotte, Guadeloupe, Kanaky (New Caledonia), Polynesia, and Guiana spoke against Protest for incarcerated loved ones French imperialism and for Mumia’s freedom. (Video with English subtitles: youtu.be/rpviXeodqCI) are waiting for a trial—some for over a year—in unsafe, Madly Etile, the mother of Keziah who was tortured by unsanitary conditions during the COVID pandemic. Paris police as he protested French policies in Martinique On April 30, over two dozen friends and commu- in July 2020, spoke. (tinyurl.com/eydmpaw8) Mumia nity activists stood with families of folks imprisoned at had recorded a message called “Environments of Racism” the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Institute (CFCF) to for Keziah on March 26. (tinyurl.com/49ezzak3) demand action to deal with the abysmal conditions at Abu-Jamal supporters gathered at the U.S. Consulate the prisons. in Amsterdam April 19, calling for Mumia’s release. Relatives of incarcerated people, as well as those Several bands played live music from a trailer truck. recently released, described people having to endure During the rally, the Vice Consul came out to accept a imprisonment with no toilet paper, no edible food, mice, letter of demands. few chances to take showers and other outrageous condi- tions at CFCF and the city’s six other jail facilities. Gerechtigkeit für aka Justice for Mumia Abu Jamal! The Coalition to Abolish Death by Incarceration, In Germany, where a movement to free Mumia has #No215Jail Coalition, Philly Black Mamas of the existed for years, several protests occurred, including Our incarcerated loved ones are being treated inhu- Philadelphia Community Bail Fund and others organized April 8 in Hamburg by the Black Community Coalition manely, and their voices are not being heard. Over 4,700 the hour-long demonstration at CFCF’s main entrance. for Justice & Self-defense in front of the U.S. Consulate. people are locked in Philadelphia’s jails, more than when — Report and photo by Joe Piette Another protest happened April 17 in Frankfurt am COVID-19 began. The majority of people incarcerated Page 10 May 6, 2021 workers.org

editorial No to NATO and Quad The administration’s first new U.S. president seemed more likely to The Quad directs its energy and its war- Islands, adding to the danger of a new 100 days has gotten the most publicity give these NATO allies—Britain, France, ships against China, under the direction Cold War—or even a hot one. They fault for its $2 trillion for COVID-19 relief and Germany, Italy, etc.—a more reasonable of U.S. imperialism. They all have exten- China for controlling its COVID-19 cri- another proposed $2 trillion for infra- share of the wealth looted from the rest of sive economic relations with China. While sis and resuming economic growth. The structure. The infrastructure bill—sup- the world. And less smarmy criticism. In the Quad has not yet reached the level of media also charges China with autocratic posedly financed by taxing the 1%—has public, anyway. an Asian NATO, French imperialism’s rule, human rights violations, etc. yet to be passed. Some call it the most Now NATO’s “Defender Europe” exer- participation shows its potential. The same media could easily expose the extensive social program since Lyndon cises has 28,000 troops from the U.S. French colonialism laid claim to Quad—India’s pandemic disaster and its Baines Johnson’s . and 25 NATO allies and partners under Indochina for a century until the French treatment of Muslims, other minorities LBJ, we recall here, wrote his history Pentagon leadership spreading COVID‑19 rulers’ ignominious defeat in 1954 in and “lower castes,” Australia’s treatment less with his Great Society than with his through Europe as they menace Russia. the battle at Dien Bien Phu in Vietnam. of its Aboriginal population, U.S. police escalation of the U.S. war on Vietnam. (See WW article, tinyurl.com/ysytfa84) One has to wonder if the current French murders and mass incarceration, for This escalation created misery in On the other side of the globe, the U.S. regime dreams of a return, this time sub- example—for many more crimes, and Indochina, led to Johnson’s early retire- Navy will ply the waters of the South and ordinate to Washington. It’s a dream these with a strong basis in reality. ment and eventually to an ignominious East China Sea starting May 11 in alliance that can quickly become a nightmare. These war exercises may look only like defeat for U.S. imperialism. with its fellow exploiters in Australia, The strategists of Japanese imperial- distant warnings of danger. But they more Biden, too, proposes infrastructure Japan and India—joined this year for the ism, which once occupied China, Korea, likely are the symptoms of a capitalist, but provokes conflict around the world. first time by the French Navy. and for a shorter period the Philippines imperialist system in decline—but still Right now—spring 2021—major mili- Because it has four members, they and other Indo-Pacific countries, should capable of great damage. However mild tary maneuvers are targeting Russia and called this alliance “the Quad,” as in quad- remember that too. Biden may appear at home, the working China. rilateral. Adding France, they now call it A corporate media deluge demonizing class and progressive movement here had Washington’s European imperialist the Quad+1—apparently French mem- China accompanies the warships’ show better keep its guard up against a new allies welcomed the Biden regime. The bership is still conditional. of force near Taiwan and the Spratly imperialist war. ☐

Chad Resistance to the coup, opposition to France By G. Dunkel 18 months. While Idriss Déby’s election to another term as president was due to May 2—U.S. and French imperialism be announced the day he was killed, this have competing interests in how an ongo- action of Mahamat Déby was still an ille- ing crisis in Chad is resolved. They also gal coup. share common interests in keeping impe- Protests were organized in N’Djamena rialism dominant. The crisis flows from and also Moundou, the second largest city the death of Chad’s president Idriss Déby in Chad in the south, where farming is the in combat April 20 against the armed main occupation. opposition front FACT. The protests were quickly broken up Right now it appears that French impe- by cops using tear gas and live rounds. rialism has the advantage, while the U.S. According to Baldal Oyamta, the Chadian government is taking steps to ensure its coordinator for human rights, at least nine interests are protected. people were killed and 50 people were FACT, the Front pour l’Alternance et la seriously injured. Scores were arrested. Concorde au Tchad, is an armed group, (tinyurl.com/ykmpyd4d) based in southern Libya, whose main Gounoung Vaïma is general secretary political demand is eliminating Déby’s Students protest in Chad. of the Union of Chadian Trade Unions regime. It appears to be well supplied with (UST). He gave an interview to Tchadinfo, heavy weapons. From where is unclear. an Internet site covering news and events The headquarters of Operation Chad’s main value to French and U.S. Haram in northern Nigeria and resisting in Chad, on the eve of May Day. Vaïma Barkhane, France’s military interven- imperialism appears to be strategic. It is in Islamic groups in the triangle formed by said “At the current time, we are asking tion in the Sahel—the band of countries the center of Africa and has borders with Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. workers to not go in, because we don't stretching across Africa on the edge of Nigeria, around Lake Chad, Niger, Libya, Mahamat Idriss Déby, one of Idriss know what could happen. We don't the Sahara desert—is in N’Djamena, the Sudan, the Central Africa Republic Déby’s sons, an army general, quickly set want to expose folks.” He went on to say the capital of Chad. AFRICOM, the U.S. and Cameroon. It has a well-trained, well- up a military council, dissolved the gov- “The aim of the UST is radical change.” Command for Africa, also has a base in equipped and well-led army that has been ernment and parliament, and promised (tinyurl.com/yvjxk2eb). ☐ N’Djamena. very useful in operations against Boko transparent, free and fair elections in May Day: Hail the workers of the world! Support Workers World!

May Day. Workers. Resistance. Walls section shows our heartfelt support End capitalism! Fight for socialism! Solidarity. of incarcerated workers. The 44-year-long WW Supporter May 1 is International Workers’ Socialists and communists fought Program was created so readers could Day, officially commemorated in successfully for International Workers’ support publication of working-class over 80 countries, but not in the Day to be an official holiday worldwide truth needed for revolutionary change. U.S., where it originated in 1886 in to honor workers' struggles. But the U.S. Members receive a year’s subscription to Chicago as part of the struggle for ruling class tried to erase this workers’ WW, a regular letter about timely issues the eight-hour workday. Its militant holiday and bury its origins in the mili- and one, two or three (respectively) free legacy is marked by strong protests tant strikes of the late 1800s. Washington subscriptions for friends for a donation by the global working class. It’s a instead established Labor Day, which is of $75, $100, $300—or more. Members day of solidarity. The class struggle devoid of the workers' struggle history can receive the book: “What Road to WW PHOTO: BRENDA RYAN is alive, as shown by worker actions May Day, New York City, 2017. embodied in May Day. Socialism?” upon request. (Or read it at against corporate giants and gov- May Day was reignited in the U.S. workers.org/books/.) ernments, with many focused on the cur- We support all those employed by avari- in 2006. Millions of immigrants, the WW articles are posted daily at work- rent pandemic crisis. cious profiteers. WW honors and thanks majority from Latin America, organized ers.org. During the pandemic, printed Workers World newspaper is parti- health care and other essential workers a countrywide general strike to protest copies are being mailed monthly. Issues san. Our coverage lauds struggles by the who risked their health to keep society racist, anti-immigrant legislation, repres- will be printed and sent out more fre- global working class against capitalist running during the pandemic. sion and deportations. quently when the crisis lifts. exploiters. Our newspaper sides with the Our pages express solidarity with the On this May Day, WW says it is imper- Write monthly or annual checks to multinational, multigender, multigenera- millions of workers, especially Black, ative to call for jobs and government Workers World. Mail them to Workers tional working class, organized and unor- Latinx, Indigenous, immigrants, women programs to provide life’s necessities World, with your name and address, to ganized, those fighting for a livable wage, and other gender oppressed people, dis- to all workers and their families, and to 147 W. 24th St., 2nd Floor, New York, benefits and unionization. abled, all who were impacted by the pan- demand an end to all forms of bigotry, NY 10011. Or contribute at workers.org/ WW lauds the courageous workers demic downturn, and those still jobless, inequality and police terror. donate/. and organizers who took on Amazon, the without health care, childcare, sufficient WW promotes the message of May We are grateful for your help in build- corporate behemoth, in Bessemer, Ala. food and housing. Our Tear Down the Day’s socialist and communist founders: ing Workers World! ☐ workers.org May 6, 2021 Page 11

Ecuador election Analysts debate why neoliberal banker won By Michael Otto The Moreno regime consciously failed to way to explain why hardworking, poor of Cotopaxi, which supports his bid to be Ibarra, Ecuador enforce existing labor protections during Ecuadorians chose the neoliberal class president of the powerful CONAIE, made the pandemic, and his new legislation enemy over Andrés Arauz. the controversial claim that the “authentic April 30—​In the wake of the April 11 allowed bosses to easily discharge workers. The burning issue of access to abortion left” didn’t lose. second round of the presidential elec- Official data shows pauperization dra- was barely mentioned in the general elec- On April 5, Iza had criticized Arauz for tion won by right-wing banker Guillermo matically increasing since the Correa gov- tion, with the exception of Xavier Hervas, not distinguishing himself from Correa, Lasso, Ecuador has been torn by cleavages ernment—​which had lifted 1.14 million whose Democratic Left (ID) party won “who separated our organizations from and violence from organized crime, whose out of poverty in ten years. Moreno drove 16% of the first-round votes, attributed to their leaders, deepened the mining in roots are in the extreme poverty, rampant 1.87 million people back into poverty in his slick TikTok appeal to youth. Indigenous territories, persecuted and inequalities and elimination of the social less than four years. And 1.17 million peo- The Constitutional Court waited until criminalized our leaders, struck down welfare programs introduced by the 2007- ple are now in extreme poverty. after the Lasso’s victory to declare the law the intercultural bilingual education and 17 government of Rafael Correa. prohibiting abortions in the case of rape did not respect the [Constitutionally pro- The COVID-19 pandemic is a continu- unconstitutional. tected] right to free, prior and informed ing nightmare, with hundreds of people consultation.” on wait lists for a hospital bed. Here in the Debate among Ecuador’s political analysts Iza tweeted: “Correaism lost but not northern Andean city of Ibarra, more and Various Ecuadorian analysts are exam- the left. We continue to fight! It is time more people are begging in the streets. ining the lessons of the election from the for unity of all popular sectors, we will Although progressive young econo- viewpoints of the sectors of society they make the streets and territories our field of mist Andrés Arauz of United for Hope represent. We present resistance.” (UNES)—​the party associated with for- some of them here. Beginning May 24, Pedro de la Cruz, an mer president Rafael Correa—led​ in the Ecuador general strike, 2019. Marxist thinker Indigenous leader in first round of the election and was leading Alejandro Moreano in with the inauguration Cotacachi, Imbabura in polls, Lasso won the second round with Nonetheless, Moreno’s government an interview with Línea of Guillermo Lasso Province, tweeted a a 5% margin or approximately 420,000 survived the Great Uprising of October de Fuego said, “Moreno reply to Iza: “Mashi votes. There were many more null votes—​ 2019. The worst president in Ecuador’s … will turn out to be as president of Leonidas, you are 1.75 million—​than usual. history, rejected by 90% of the population, more intelligent than all the Republic, the wrong. The Correaism But Arauz won hardly any of the 1.8 repressed the rebellion and imposed even of us, because he sur- that you are talking million votes that went in the first round harsher austerity during the COVID-19 vived the fiercest crit- new government about has more than to the third-place candidate, Yaku Pérez pandemic. icism.” Dr. Moreano 4,232,000 brave citi- of the Pachakutik party (PK). Pachakutik Beginning on May 24, with the inau- observed that the day of Ecuador will be zens, who are not cow- is the political arm of the Confederation guration of Guillermo Lasso as president after the election, directly in the hands ards, in the face of so of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador of the Republic, the new government of Moreno rubbed Lasso’s much defamation and (CONAIE). A regional analysis of the vote Ecuador will be directly in the hands of victory in the faces of the of the elite class of big persecution, and who revealed Arauz won a large percentage of the elite class of big businessmen, bank- masses by raising the businessmen, bankers will be confronting the Afro-Ecuadorian votes. ers and the corporate media, aligned with price of gasoline, which fascist right wing.” Lasso’s electoral victory increases U.S. imperialism and the Latin American polit- was a bitter reminder of and the corporate Ecuadorian histo- hegemony in Latin America and legiti- ical right. Lasso will deepen the neoliberal the issues that triggered media, aligned with rian Juan Paz y Miño mizes Lasso’s four-year unofficial co-gov- business model. the October 2019 social is critical but optimis- ernance with the unpopular President Lasso’s right-wing CREO party and explosion. imperialism and tic. He writes: “Finally, Lenín Moreno. This leaves the Ecuadorian the Social Christian Party led the cabal Moreano called the it would be too naïve working class, the Indigenous movement, that has now privatized the Central Bank election “an abomi- the Latin American and unscientific to and the “authentic left” or “other” left (to following April’s election. Lasso aims to nable thing. … Many political right. conclude that Lasso’s the left of Arauz and Correa), weakened privatize Social Security next. Both steps Indigenous sectors triumph is the ‘fault’ and divided. CONAIE, the PK and the violate the 2008 Constitution on the way voted for Lasso. How to Lasso will deepen of any of the leftist sec- “other left” advised a null vote April 11. to dismantling the social program of explain that? After carry- the neoliberal tors. … But the fact that Correa’s Citizen’s Revolution. ing out the gigantic strike Lasso’s triumph is the South American rightists Even the Public Defender of Ecuador that shocked all of Latin business model. direct work of all the praise Lasso’s win condemned the Moreno regime’s repres- America? How do we powerful forces that The first to congratulate Lasso included sion of the plurinational October 2019 explain that an Ecuadorian voted for neo- supported him has been underestimated.” rightist Colombian President Iván Duque rebellion as a crime against humanity. liberalism after striking in October?” Paz y Miño notes that Alejandro and his fascist predecessor Álvaro Uribe, The next year, during the terrible days of Moreano said, “All the Ecuadorian peo- Moreano severely criticizes the actions of rightist President Sebastian Piñera of the pandemic, the class struggle evapo- ple opposed neoliberalism. Then Moreno Yaku Pérez, and the alliance of Pachakutik Chile and the nefarious U.S. agent Juan rated. Moreno won and Lasso won. responded using anti-​Correaism … It’s not with the Lasso forces, and credits Guaidó in Venezuela. U.S. Secretary of The October 2019 uprising was never about Correa. No, no, no, no. It is a triumph Moreano for recognizing that, in spite of State Antony Blinken discussed his plans discussed in the general election by any of of the Latin American extreme right.” everything, conditions have been created to restore Venezuelan “democracy” with the 16 parties. Yaku Pérez, the Indigenous In an April 16 Zoom forum, economist for a “great anti-neoliberal front,” which Lasso April 23. candidate for PK, even supported the Gabriela Montalvo said, “There is a sig- regroups the left, a matter which, how- regime’s indictments against the leaders nificant vote of women in favor of Lasso.” ever, Moreano sees as difficult. of the rebellion. But it was that October She faulted Correaism’s lack of appeal to Paz y Miño says that Moreano’s 2019 uprising that catapulted the PK into women, saying “the urgent questions con- “approach is timely and true. Therefore, the National Assembly as a force, with 27 cerning feminism [must] be taken into the political groupings that lead and guide deputies. account as a political priority. … the broad spectrum of the Ecuadorian “It is not just violence or abortion. left—the​ ones responsible for this task—​ Corporate media lies There is the economy. Economic pro- will face the urgent challenge of achiev- The dominant discourse promoted by grams always aim at correcting unem- ing the unity and convergence that for the media painted Arauz as a puppet of ployment by promoting construction.” decades has remained unconsolidated.” Correa. And yet the Lasso-Moreno tight She urged special attention to finding the Andrés Arauz, United for Hope Alliance Political struggle inside CONAIE candidate for Ecuador's presidency, at connection during Moreno’s rule was jobs women want: “We have to start look- March 27 rally. successfully hidden by a slick campaign ing at their demands.” In the first week of May, a new presi- supported by the corporate press, with At the same April 16 forum, Franklin dent of CONAIE will be chosen. CONAIE Lasso’s CREO party and the Social millions of dollars spent on social media. Ramírez identified three key aspects will debate its relationship with its politi- Christian Party suffered huge losses in Years of media lies have convinced underlying the election outcome: (1) the cal arm PK. If Iza is chosen president over the first round. They only control 30 seats many voters that Moreno’s right-wing neoliberal advance was catalyzed by vio- Yaku Pérez during the CONAIE Congress, (22%) in the National Assembly, compared regime was a continuation of Correaism. lent “necro-politics,” the death-dealing the Indigenous movement will have a to 49 (36%) for Arauz’ party. Only 2 out of The corporate mass media began viciously politics of the pandemic that prevented any leader with a class analysis. 10 voters chose Lasso in the first round. attacking Correaism for waste and corrup- opposition from forming in the Indigenous Iza says he will seek to consolidate the Lasso’s election increases the misery tion during the latter half of Correa’s sec- movement; (2) the polarized Indigenous unity of the 180 social movements that for the working class, whose precarious ond term with great success. This tactic movement is torn apart by tendencies of constitute the Parliament of the People, downward slide during the last three effectively covered up the violent neolib- the left, right and the center; and (3) the which was instituted by CONAIE after years is well documented. The index that eral attack on the people. defeat of the Citizen Revolution by Lasso the October uprising. That Parliament measures precarity rose at an unprece- Indigenous communities in numerous should have been anticipated. excluded Correaistas at the time. dented rate of 15% in 2020, the year of the provinces voted for Lasso. Many social Ramírez said, “We knew that a unified Now the divide between the two power- pandemic. This rise reflects layoffs of hun- organizations, including feminists and right wing was coming, supported by the ful forces that oppose Lasso is even greater, dreds of thousands of public sector work- environmentalists, abstained or voted for official apparatus and by the big media. as reflected in the twitter exchange between ers, the continuing loss of private-sector Lasso in protest. No one has measured The popular camp is fragmented.” Iza and Pedro de la Cruz. Both the CONAIE jobs and International Monetary Fund- the depoliticizing effect of NGOs operat- Leonidas Iza, president of the and Correaism are facing hard times. The imposed austerity. ing in the country. There isn’t a simple Movement of Indigenous and Campesinos future is uncertain. ☐ Correspondencia sobre artículos en Workers World/Mundo Obrero pueden ser enviadas a: [email protected]

¡Proletarios y oprimidos de todos los paises unios! workers.org Vol. 63 Núm. 18 6 de mayo 2021 $1

Justicia para George Floyd, Ciudad de México, Espíritu del Primero de Mayo: junio de 2020. ¡Lucha! Aplastar la violencia policial y la supremacía blanca El Primero de Mayo es un recordatorio constante de que todo problema social es un problema de los trabajadores … El Por Monica Moorehead El primero es el juicio del policía asesino Derek valiente pero fallido primer intento BOLETÍN: Chauvin declarado cul- Chauvin, acusado de asesi- de los trabajadores de Amazon, de pable. ¡Condenar a todos los policías nato en tercer grado, asesi- asesinos! ¡Abolir la policía! Más en nato intencional en segundo mayoría afroamericana, en Bessemer, workers.org grado y cargos de homici- Alabama, de organizar un sindicato dio en segundo grado por El Primero de Mayo, Día Internacional linchar a un hombre negro en el segundo mayor empleador de los Trabajadores, nació en Estados de 46 años, George Floyd, Unidos a partir de la lucha por la jornada el 25 de mayo de 2020, en privado de Estados Unidos, tiene una de ocho horas en 1886. Minneapolis, Minnesota. importante lección: la solidaridad Los trabajadores, muchos de ellos Chauvin, quien es blanco, socialistas y anarquistas que emigraron presionó con su rodilla y puso todo el de toda la clase es decisiva para de otros países, arriesgaron sus vidas. peso de su cuerpo sobre el cuello de impulsar la lucha contra la explotación capitalista. Mientras Algunos—incluidos los cinco márti- Floyd durante nueve minutos y veinti- res de Haymarket ejecutados por el nueve segundos, mientras que a Floyd se la propiedad privada domine la producción mundial, estado de Illinois el 11 de noviembre de le pudo escuchar en múltiples ocasiones 1887—sacrificaron sus vidas para que decir “no puedo respirar” y llamar a su ningún centro de trabajo, grande o pequeño, ya sea una todos los trabajadores del mundo pudie- madre fallecida hasta que perdió comple- fábrica o un restaurante, puede enfrentarse al capitalista ran ser tratados con dignidad, ganando tamente el conocimiento. Este atroz cri- mejores condiciones de trabajo, un sala- men fue grabado en vídeo para que todo por sí solo sin la solidaridad del resto de su clase. … La rio digno y beneficios decentes. el mundo lo viera. Se espera un veredicto frase ‘todo problema es un problema de los trabajadores’ El Primero de Mayo es visto por millo- en algún momento de la próxima semana. nes de personas en todo el mundo como En respuesta al asesinato, estallaron es cierta en la lucha actual contra el terror policial. una conmemoración socialista, honrada en las calles de todo el país rebeliones, con marchas, concentraciones y huelgas incluido el incendio de una comisaría de sido detenido ni acusado del asesinato de El mismo trato recibió Kyle Rittenhouse, donde no es un día festivo pagado. A lo Minneapolis, que duraron todo el verano. Toledo. Este es otro recordatorio de cómo un vigilante blanco adolescente, que dis- largo de muchas décadas, los trabajado- Ni los toques de queda, ni la policía local y la policía no sólo criminaliza a los jóvenes paró fatalmente a dos activistas antirra- res han aprovechado el Primero de Mayo estatal militarizada, ni la Guardia Nacional negros, sino también a los morenos. cistas que protestaban contra el tiroteo no sólo para luchar contra los codiciosos pudieron detener la airada resistencia de Nos acercamos al 29º aniversario de la de Jacob Blake, de 26 años, herido por la empresarios ávidos de beneficios por sus las multitudes lideradas por los activis- histórica rebelión de una semana de dura- espalda y paralizado por la policía blanca derechos económicos, sino para plantear tas de Black Lives Matter. Estas rebelio- ción en Los Ángeles, que comenzó el 29 de en Kenosha, Wisconsin, el 23 de agosto de importantes reivindicaciones políticas. nes sostenidas lanzaron un llamamiento abril de 1992, incitada por la absolución de 2020. La policía permitió que Rittenhouse Hace quince años, el 1 de mayo de 2006, en todo el país tanto para “desfinanciar la cuatro policías blancos por la salvaje paliza pasara por delante de ellos en sus vehícu- unos dos millones de trabajadores inmi- policía” como para “abolir la policía”. al automovilista negro Rodney King, gra- los blindados después del tiroteo antes de grantes, la mayoría de ellos procedentes Estas protestas se relacionaron con bada en vídeo. Un elemento importante detenerlo horas más tarde. Antes de que de América Central y del Sur, salieron a la otros asesinatos policiales, como el de ha cambiado desde entonces: el uso habi- se produjeran estos disparos, la policía calle en ciudades estadounidenses, gran- Breonna Taylor, la trabajadora negra de tual de los teléfonos con cámara para crear fue grabada dando agua a otros vigilantes des y pequeñas, provocados por la racista EMT de 26 años que recibió múltiples vídeos que se hacen virales, sirviendo como fascistas. y reaccionaria legislación Sensenbrenner, disparos el 13 de marzo de 2020 mien- claras acusaciones de los crímenes policia- Miembros del Ku Klux Klan, padre e que negaba documentos legales para per- tras estaba en su cama en Louisville, Ky. les en las redes sociales. hijo, acosaron y asesinaron a Armaud mitir a los inmigrantes vivir y trabajar en El policía que la mató fue exonerado por Abery, un corredor negro de 25 años, el Estados Unidos. El principal sentimiento un gran jurado secreto en septiembre. La supremacía blanca y la policía 23 de febrero de 2020, en el condado de del que se hizo eco fue: “Sí, se puede”. En segundo lugar, volvieron a esta- están estrechamente relacionadas Glynn, Georgia, en una cinta de vídeo. Al igual que el Día Internacional de la llar las protestas en Brooklyn Center La violencia policial no existiría sin la La violencia antiasiática va en aumento Mujer Trabajadora, de inspiración socia- (Minnesota), a escasos 16 kilómetros del existencia de la supremacía blanca, que en Estados Unidos debido al frenesí sus- lista, el Primero de Mayo es un recordato- juicio de Chauvin, cuando el 11 de abril la impregna todos los sectores de la socie- citado por Trump con sus diatribas con- rio constante de que todo problema social agente de policía blanca Kim Potter dis- dad de clases. La policía surgió de las tra China durante la pandemia. El 16 de es un problema de los trabajadores. El paró mortalmente a Daunte Wright, padre “patrullas de esclavos” para capturar a marzo, el justiciero Robert Aaron Long Primero de Mayo de 2021 continúa esta de familia negro de 20 años, durante un los pueblos africanos esclavizados que se masacró a ocho personas, siete de ellas tradición. pequeño control de tráfico. Potter afirmó atrevían a resistir escapando de su vida mujeres, incluidas cuatro de ascenden- El valiente pero fallido primer intento que pensó “por error” que estaba utili- encadenada. cia coreana, en tres spas de masaje en las de los trabajadores de Amazon, de mayo- zando su pistola eléctrica (Taser) cuando La supremacía blanca es una ideo- afueras de Atlanta (Georgia). ría afroamericana, en Bessemer, Alabama, disparó mortalmente a Wright. logía en la que se basan los patrones Seis fieles sijs murieron a manos de un de organizar un sindicato en el segundo Potter fue detenida y acusada de homi- para mantener intacto su sistema de supremacista blanco en agosto de 2012 en mayor empleador privado de Estados cidio en segundo grado, tras lo cual dimi- lucro dividiendo a la clase trabaja- un templo de Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Y hace Unidos, tiene una importante lección: la tió. Las protestas continúan en las calles dora multinacional—principalmente poco, ocho trabajadores de FedEx, cuatro solidaridad de toda la clase es decisiva para a pesar de los toques de queda diarios, las por nacionalidad—que también cruza de ellos sijs, fueron asesinados a tiros en impulsar la lucha contra la explotación detenciones masivas y las agresiones a otras opresiones—misoginia, opresión su lugar de trabajo en Indianápolis por un capitalista. Mientras la propiedad privada activistas por parte de la policía. En todo LGBTQ2S+, xenofobia, capacitismo y joven blanco de 19 años. domine la producción mundial, ningún el país se están llevando a cabo acciones más. Históricamente, el Ku Klux Klan, los A todos los trabajadores les interesa centro de trabajo, grande o pequeño, ya de solidaridad para pedir justicia para neonazis y los Consejos de Ciudadanos comprender que la creciente crisis econó- sea una fábrica o un restaurante, puede Daunte Wright. Blancos dieron lugar a los actuales Oath mica capitalista es la causa fundamental enfrentarse al capitalista por sí solo sin la Y en tercer lugar, está el tiroteo mor- Keepers y Proud Boys. de cada vez más tiroteos masivos y ejecu- solidaridad del resto de su clase. tal de Adam Toledo, de 13 años y de Hay supremacistas blancos individuales ciones policiales. El Primero de Mayo debe ascendencia mexicana, el 29 de marzo que, conscientemente o no, han atacado convertirse en un grito de guerra, no sólo La violencia policial es en Chicago. Las imágenes de las cáma- a personas de color. Un ejemplo claro es para organizar a los no organizados y abolir una cuestión obrera ras corporales de la policía del asesinato Dylann Roof, un autoproclamado racista, la policía, sino para unir y liberar a nuestra La frase “todo problema es un pro- se hicieron finalmente públicas el 15 de que mató a nueve feligreses negros en clase de todas las formas de explotación blema de los trabajadores” es cierta en la abril. Toledo recibió un disparo en el Charleston, Carolina del Sur, el 17 de junio capitalista y luchar por un futuro socialista, lucha actual contra el terror policial. En pecho por parte del agente Eric Stillman de 2015. A diferencia de Floyd, Wright y libre de la necesidad y la opresión. este momento, hay tres incidentes actua- en una fracción de segundo, cuando Toledo, la policía capturó a Roof vivo e ¡Organizar a los no organizados en les de violencia sancionada por el Estado levantaba las manos vacías. incluso se detuvo para ofrecerle una ham- Amazon y en todas partes! ¡Lucha contra que han tomado el centro del escenario. Hasta el 18 de abril, Stillman no había burguesa antes de ponerlo bajo custodia. el terror policial! ☐