• Sindicatos y OWS • Gadafi editorial 12

Workers and oppressed peoples of the world unite! Nov. 3, 2011 Vol. 53, No. 43 50¢ A blow aimed at all of Africa Gadhafi lynched by U.S.-NATO

By Abayomi Azikiwe ing. There have been several attempts on Editor, Pan-African News Wire Gadhafi’s life since the beginning of the March 19 bombing campaign. Gadhafi’s What ‘free speech’? Col. Moammar Gadhafi, leader of the son and three grandchildren were killed Libyan people for 42 years, was brutally in one of them, when their residence targeted, tortured and executed in a se- came under attack by imperialist war- ries of events on Oct. 20 in the coastal city planes. It has been reported that another Cops attack OWS camps of Sirte. The city is a bastion of resistance one of Gadhafi’s sons, Mo’tassim, was Oct. 25 — Despite all the official words of support for “peaceful” to the U.S.-NATO war in Libya. captured and executed, purportedly by protests, all the “sympathy” over the conditions that sparked Gadhafi, 69, was there directing re- the NTC rebels, on Oct. 20. Occupy Wall Street, all the protesters’ efforts not to antagonize sistance fighters who have defended the Stories reported by the NTC spokes- the authorities, the police crackdown has begun. country against an imperialist-engineered person illustrated the inherently dishon- civil war and bombing campaign. The war est character of the U.S.-NATO rebels. The most recent was in Oakland, at 10 p.m., having first blocked access has resulted in the deaths of tens of thou- They initially said Gadhafi was killed in Calif., on Oct. 25, when riot-garbed po- to the area with their cruisers. sands of Libyans and other foreign nation- a crossfire involving loyalist forces and lice carrying shotguns stormed Frank The next night was Chicago’s turn. als. The Libyan state and its supporters the NTC rebels. However, this fabrication Ogawa Plaza at 4:45 a.m. Within a half An annual National Day of Protest have heroically held out for eight months quickly evaporated when a video shot by hour, they had cuffed and arrested sev- march had targeted police brutality. Af- and are still waging a struggle to reverse someone in the lynch mob showed that eral dozen people, trashed their tent ter a rally, the marchers went to Grant the counterrevolution financed and coor- Gadhafi was alive when apprehended and city and scattered their belongings. Park, where Occupy Chicago welcomed dinated by the U.S.-NATO governments. extrajudicially killed. They had first shut down Oakland’s them. Later that night, the police ar- Just two days prior to Gadhafi’s assas- Various reports indicate that the con- Center City, claiming they were “clean- rested 130 occupiers, seizing their sination, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary voy Gadhafi was travelling in was tracked ing” the area. Buses were rerouted and tents, including a medical aid tent be- Clinton was in Libya, meeting with the by a U.S. Predator drone. Another account downtown BART stations closed for longing to National Nurses United. “rebel” National Transitional Council re- suggests that French Mirage fighter jets several hours as the city told workers It is no accident that these attacks all gime and calling for his capture and kill- Continued on page 9 to stay away. Details are still sketchy. took place in cities with large African- Spectators were not allowed as 200 American communities. The move- police cordoned off the area. ment needs to respond: An injury to ATLANTA HOMELESS Shelter threatened 3 This followed similar attacks else- one is an injury to all! where. Police arrested about a dozen See workers.org for updates. people at Occupy Cleveland on Oct. 21 CHRYSLER CONTRACT UAW locals resist 5

TTHEHE OCCUPY REVOLUTIONREVOLUTION UNUN HASHAS BEGBEG THE WORLD

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Address______Occupy the U.S. 4, 6 & 7 Peoples Assembly 7 City /State/Zip______Workers World 55 W. 17th St. #5C, NY, NY 10011 212.627.2994 workers.org GREECE, CHILE STRIKES 8 SOMALIA 11 Page 2 Nov. 3, 2011 workers.org Workers world Party national Conference WORKERS WORLD Marxist perspective on Middle this week ...

East struggles  In the U.S. Cops attack OWS camps ...... 1 Excerpted from a talk given by Joyce Chediac at the country with no ability to Atlanta business, officials attempt to evict homeless shelter 3 Workers World Party National Conference held in New defend itself militarily. Occupy foreclosed homes! ...... 3 York City on Oct. 8-9. The U.S. now threatens the same scenario against March shows solidarity between Verizon union & OWS . . 4 Workers World Party founder Sam Marcy was above Syria. Syria is in a strategic Million Worker March supports Occupy Wall Street . . . . 4 all a Leninist who described the world situation as a anti-imperialist and anti- Philadelphia march targets unemployment, student debt 4 “Global Class Struggle,” with the workers and oppressed Zionist alliance with Iran, Will Chrysler workers reject concession contract? . . . . . 5 nations on one side of the class camp and the imperialists ww Photo Steven Kirschbaum Hezbollah and Hamas. This and their agents on the other. Joyce Chediac is crucial in holding back the Philaldelphia youth march for immigrant rights . . . . . 5 Marcy included in our class camp anti-imperialist op- predatory Zionist state from taking over the whole area. On the picket line ...... 5 pressed nations, even if they are not communists or work- Yet some progressives in the Middle East oppose the OWS spreads through U.S...... 6 ers. This clarification of the workers in the oppressed na- Syrian government, as some opposed Gadhafi. Nov. 5 People’s Assembly ...... 7 tions as being on the same side and having a vital interest Marxist perspective needed in the anti-imperialist struggle in the oppressor nations  Around the world abroad is part of WWP’s fabric. Marxists call governments like those in Syria and Libya Gadhafi lynched by U.S.-NATO ...... 1 This is true concerning the struggles in the Arab and “bourgeois nationalist” — nationalist because they seek Marxist perspective on Middle East struggles ...... 2 Muslim countries. Our party has always been consistent to develop their countries free from imperialist domina- on this. Our newspaper’s first issue in 1959 supported the tion and bourgeois because they are ruled by an exploit- Sixth general strike in Greece confronts austerity plan . . 8 Algerian revolution. ing capitalist class. They seek to push out the imperialists Chile’s students strike for free education ...... 8 We look past the form a struggle may take to its class to better exploit the workers, but they have common in- Is the U.S. really withdrawing from Iraq? ...... 8 terest with the workers when imperialism threatens the content. Many progressives here did not support the Don’t blame Libya for the Lockerbie bombing ...... 9 1979 Iranian revolution because it had a religious color- country’s sovereignty. New data on global corporate control ...... 10 ation, but that was just the form. The substance was anti- Marxist-Leninists support these governments uncondi- ‘Women workers face extreme insecurity in India’ . . . . 10 imperialist. tionally against imperialism because they are manifesta- When students took over the U.S. embassy in Tehran tions of self-determination of the oppressed. However, not French ships, U.S. drones attack Somalia ...... 11 and held U.S. personnel hostage, anti-Iranian sentiment every policy is supported. Marxists are for the best inter-  Editorials and anti-Islamic racism swept this country, generated ests of the workers. These governments cannot consistent- by the government and the establishment media. WWP ly fight imperialism, as the working class can. Vacillating The state & Occupation U...... 10 demonstrated in support of the Iranian revolution then. in the anti-imperialist struggle is part of their nature. Marcy explained what the U.S. government had done — Syria has been ruled since 1970 by a secular govern-  Noticias En Español stealing the oil, the poverty, the repression and the 1954 ment dominated by the Arab Socialist Bath Party. The Sindicatos y OWS ...... 12 overthrow of an elected government. He talked about Assad family has ruled for 40 years. Editorial: Imperialistas asesinan Gadafi ...... 12 a long trade union struggle where the bosses wouldn’t Syria is a “frontline state” with a border with Israel. budge and the strikers’ families were hungry. That has made it an object of constant imperialist and “Would you blame the strikers,” he said, “if they took Zionist pressure. It links the Syrian people to the Pales- the company bosses hostage?” He won people to sup- tinian struggle. Israel occupied and then annexed Syria’s porting the Iranian struggle. strategic Golan Heights. Marxist-Leninist theory should be used to analyze to- While Syria plays a regionally progressive role now, in Workers World day’s situation in the Middle East. Not all the struggles 1976 the government intervened in Lebanon’s civil war 55 West 17 Street New York, N.Y. 10011 are the same. Marxists must distinguish the differences. against a revolutionary Palestinian-Lebanese alliance on Phone: (212) 627-2994 While the workers and middle class there seek jobs, the side of Lebanon’s Israeli-armed fascists. Syrian capi- E-mail: [email protected] talists feared that a revolutionary Lebanon might lead to economic security and democratic rights, the imperial- Web: www.workers.org ists have something else in mind. their overthrow by Syrian workers. Until 1989, the Soviet Union was a counterweight to U.S. and Israeli pressure and Israel’s refusal to return Vol. 53, No. 43 • Nov. 3, 2011 world imperialism and a formidable obstacle to U.S. ag- the Golan Heights has Syria’s rulers back to an anti-im- Closing date: Oct. 25, 2011 gression. Made even more aggressive by the world capital- perialist stance. Despite that, Damascus seeks a better Editor: Deirdre Griswold ist crisis, the imperialists now seek to take advantage of deal in the world capitalist market, which is dominated Technical Editor: Lal Roohk the social explosion rocking the Middle East to consolidate by Western banks. their stranglehold there. They have united to attempt to During economic downturns, Wall Street forces na- Managing Editors: John Catalinotto, LeiLani Dowell, take back all that was blocked from them in the Soviet era. tionalist governments like Syria to make economic Leslie Feinberg, Kris Hamel, Monica Moorehead, Publicly U.S. imperialism claims to support the “Arab concessions, which attack the workers and establish a Gary Wilson spring,” but it is selective. When Yemen’s government re- pro-imperialist elite, a comprador bourgeoisie that un- West Coast Editor: John Parker cently killed 100 people, there was no outrage from Con- dermines the government’s independence and isolates it Contributing Editors: Abayomi Azikiwe, gress or the White House, no U.N. move for a no-fly zone. from the workers. Greg Butterfield, Jaimeson Champion, G. Dunkel, This is a U.S. client guarding strategic waterways. In 2006, Syria adopted an International Monetary Fred Goldstein, Teresa Gutierrez, Larry Hales, Fund plan with austerity measures, opening the econo- Bahrain’s regime has repeatedly attacked anti-govern- Berta Joubert-Ceci, Cheryl LaBash, my to foreign banks and privatization of industries. For ment demonstrators. It sentenced doctors who treated Milt Neidenberg, Bryan G. Pfeifer, Betsey Piette, wounded demonstrators to 15 years in jail for treason! workers, it has meant unemployment, inflation and de- Minnie Bruce Pratt, Gloria Rubac But Bahrain houses the U.S. Fifth fleet and is a major Gulf terioration in social conditions, but it has benefited busi- Technical Staff: Sue Davis, Shelley Ettinger, oil producer. This is why Saudi troops rode into Bahrain nessmen close to the Assad family. Bob McCubbin, Maggie Vascassenno on U.S. tanks to protect the pro-U.S. regime there. NATO Syria has lost the allegiance of much of its population. is not bombing Bahrain. Repression there did not begin with the current dem- Mundo Obrero: Carl Glenn, Teresa Gutierrez, U.S. imperialism is going after the Arab governments onstrations, but the Assad government has responded to Berta Joubert-Ceci, Donna Lazarus, Michael Martínez, with some independence — Iraq, Libya and now Syria. them with force, killing many. Carlos Vargas Under the guise of a “humanitarian mission,” the en- Imperialism has not imposed sanctions on Syria be- Supporter Program: Sue Davis, coordinator tire imperialist world bombed Libya, a former colonized Continued on page 11 Copyright © 2011 Workers World. Verbatim copying and distribution of articles is permitted in any medium National Office Buffalo, N.Y. Durham, N.C. Pittsburgh without royalty provided this notice is preserved. join us 55 W. 17 St. 367 Delaware Ave. 331 W. 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Each night issued a dispossessory judgment last week Most poor families were channeled into 500 to 1,000 men sleep within its walls. allowing the eviction of the Task Force A campaign launched by major busi- the Section 8 voucher program, provid- Peachtree-Pine also provides computer from the building, but then reversed his ness interests in Atlanta, with the active ing a boon to unscrupulous landlords and training, bicycle repair, a clothes closet, order on Oct. 21. The building and its assistance of elected officials, city admin- speculators. High utility bills, nonrenewal library, roof garden and art studio. Every location on Peachtree Street are worth istrators and other “civic” organizations, is of vouchers and record-breaking unem- year, thousands have been assisted out millions of dollars, but a phony “charity” attempting to evict the metro Atlanta Task ployment have led many into eviction, of homelessness or been given lifesaving instigated by the Chamber of Commerce Force for the Homeless from its home. homelessness or resettlement in suburbs shelter by the Task Force. bought the mortgage for a pittance and For 30 years, the Task Force has been that lack public transportation and other Despite these accomplishments, the then immediately foreclosed on the Task a fierce advocate for the rights of poor services. big business and government campaign Force. Declaring that “this deal smelled” people to decent shelter, life-sustaining The Task Force was again in the fore- against the Task Force has managed to to him, for more than a year and a half employment, accessible health care and front of publicly condemning these proj- strip it of all of its public funding and Judge Craig Schwall had prevented the respect. Formed at the initiative of At- ects, many of which favored the building of most of its large private donations. new “owner” from taking possession of lanta’s first African-American mayor, housing for the new surge of suburbanites A federal judge recently revoked an the building while the issue was being liti- Maynard Jackson, for a number of years moving into the city. The plan conformed injunction that had prevented the city of gated. Within a week of the Task Force’s the Task Force functioned as a homeless to a long-sought-after goal by corporate Atlanta from turning off the water at the lawsuit being filed, Schwall took it upon services resource center and oversaw the interests to change the racial, political and facility. Lawyers for the Task Force had himself to abruptly allow the eviction. disbursement of federal grants to service economic demographics of Atlanta. argued that it was the actions by the city When Task Force lawyers filed an appeal, providers. Building a central resource for to block funding that prevented the pay- he just as quickly reversed himself. In the period leading up to the 1996 the homeless ment of the bill. Although the Task Force On Oct. 14, participants of Occupy Atlan- Summer Olympics in Atlanta, the down- In 1997, a progressive philanthropist owes more than $147,000, there are de- ta, including numerous homeless men and town business community stepped up its bought a large unused building at the cor- velopers and others, including the city women, marched from their encampment efforts to rid the hotel, convention and ner of Peachtree Street and Pine, at that itself, with even larger unpaid water bills in Troy Davis Park (formerly known as tourist areas of poor people, particularly time a somewhat run-down area of Atlan- that do not face a cutoff. Woodruff Park) in militant solidarity with Black men. Compliant elected officials en- ta’s well-known main street in midtown In an attempt to expose the machina- the Task Force. Taking the northbound acted “quality of life” ordinances that crim- Atlanta. She immediately donated it to the tions of the corporate class that more lanes of Peachtree Street during the eve- inalized the poor. Homeless people were Task Force, which envisioned the multi- and more openly runs the city of Atlanta, ning rush hour, they focused their outrage given one-way bus tickets out of town, floored building as a central resource for the Task Force filed numerous lawsuits. at Emory University and Emory Health- and the neighborhoods where low-income all the services needed to aid homeless The most earth-shattering suit names care, which operates a hospital across the Black workers and seniors lived were bull- and poor people. Included in the plan was the city of Atlanta, the Chamber of Com- street from the shelter. Chanting, “Emory dozed for Olympic stadiums and parks. All long- and short-term residential housing. merce, Central Atlanta Progress, Cousins hates the poor, kicks the homeless out the the while, Atlanta’s reputation as the home The building required extensive renova- Properties, Emory University and the door!” they amassed at the front doors of of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the mec- tion to make it habitable. The Task Force, United Way, among others, of engaging the medical building, part of a very wealthy ca of Black America was ballyhooed inter- which had been disbursing U.S. Depart- in a criminal conspiracy to obstruct fund- private institution funded with huge dona- nationally by the image-conscious, corpo- ment of Housing and Urban Develop- ing, engineer a fraudulent foreclosure tions from Coca-Cola. The hospital admin- rate public relations machine. ment funds for years to others, now was of the building and displace Black men istration has barred Black men they think Two days before the Olympics open- obstructed from receiving federal grants. from Peachtree Street. The depositions are homeless or residents at Peachtree- ing ceremony, the Task Force filed and Undaunted, a mortgage was secured, the of well-known business leaders, city of- Pine from entering the food court, which eventually won a lawsuit charging racial necessary repairs were made, and the Task ficials, members of the media and rep- is frequented by many nonhospital users. discrimination in the ordinances that tar- Force began operating out of the facility. resentatives of charities, churches and The men who shelter at the Task Force geted homeless African-American men. For 14 years, the Peachtree-Pine facil- foundations reveal a shocking story of building have declared themselves as “Oc- That courageous action earned them the ity has maintained a 24-hour hotline; lies, financial intimidation, blatant collu- cupy Peachtree” and vow they will not be enmity of the Chamber of Commerce, placed people in emergency, temporary sion and the use of racist imagery to un- removed from their home. They have of- various other business interests and their and permanent housing; helped secure dermine the existence of the Task Force fered an open invitation to Occupy Atlan- political allies. identification, Veterans Affairs benefits at its Peachtree location. ta to use the facility in any efforts to bring During the administration of Mayor and food stamps; done job counseling and The concern is that the court proceed- justice to those victimized by the profit- Andrew Young in the 1980s, all of Atlan- résumé preparation; assisted placement ings, where all this information can come driven banks and corporations. ta’s large public housing was torn down. in addiction treatment facilities; and pro- out, are being delayed while the threats to For more information, go to www. Some of these large tracts of land remain vided a day shelter in a cavernous room, the shelter are escalating. homelesstaskforce.org. ‘Bail out the people, not the banks’ Workers world Party national Conference Occupy foreclosed homes! Taken from a talk by Jerry Goldberg, and exotic loans, and are suffering from of Housing and Urban Development], ing the Great Depression: by direct action a Detroit WWP organizer, at the Oct. 8-9 the complete collapse of housing values, now control about 75 percent of all mort- to stop evictions, moving the furniture Workers World Party National Confer- which was the fundamental repository for gages. When your home goes into foreclo- back in when the bailiffs remove it. ence in New York City. what wealth may have existed. sure, the government pays the bank the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac owned When the housing crash hit, the banks, full amount of your fraudulent loan, and 242,000 empty homes as of June of this While the economic crisis is a product every one of which was a participant in the then it’s the government that throws you year as a result of foreclosure-related of low-wage capitalism, it was the action criminal conspiracy, had their losses cov- out of your home. Incredibly, the federal evictions, and this number grows ev- of the banks, inducing millions of work- ered first by the 2008 $700 billion TARP government through Fannie and Freddie ery day. We paid for these homes. They ers to sign over their homes in mortgage bailout. But what is less exposed and even is actually more aggressive than the banks belong to the people. The Occupy Wall refinancings through a criminal enterprise more significant is the continuing bailout in pushing foreclosures and less willing to Street movement has every right to take based on fraud and deceit, that staved off engineered through the federal takeover reduce principal on loans. over all these homes, turn them over to the crisis for a number of years by artificial- of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. the homeless, and demand a federal jobs People before ‘banksters’! ly pouring trillions of dollars into the econ- In 2008, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, program to train youth to repair them and omy, and then caused the bubble to burst which had formerly been quasi-govern- It’s time to insist that this nationaliza- insure their viability. with the crash we are still experiencing. mental agencies established to back mort- tion of the housing market be utilized In addition, why should the same banks As a result, an estimated 9 million gage loans, were taken over by the federal to benefit the people and not the banks. that destroyed the tax base of governmen- families will have lost their homes to government. Fannie Mae and Freddie Since the government controls 75 percent tal units at every level have first claim on foreclosure from 2009 to 2012 — anoth- Mac began purchasing toxic and failing of mortgages, President Obama has the taxpayer dollars to pay off debt service er 13 million face potential foreclosure mortgage securities, paying full price to absolute authority to put an end to fore- while public services are destroyed and in the future. The total lost home-equity the banks and financial instruments for closures by executive order, implement- public workers are laid off? In Detroit, wealth due to foreclosures is expected to mortgages that in fact had lost 50 to 75 ing a moratorium on foreclosures that property values have declined by an aver- be $1.9 trillion for the years 2009-2012. percent of their value. would allow families to remain in their age of 75 percent due to foreclosures with Foreclosures this year alone are expected This bank bailout — which will cost homes based on whatever they can pay. a resulting decimation of the tax base. Yet, to total a record 3.8 million homes. The taxpayers between $389 billion and $1 We need to implement this moratorium 80 percent of state school aid goes to the oppressed communities were especially trillion — means Fannie Mae and Fred- just like the unemployed councils won same banks that destroyed the city to pay targeted with predatory, racist, subprime die Mac, along with HUD [Department foreclosure moratoriums in 25 states dur- Continued on page 5 Page 4 Nov. 3, 2011 workers.org Protest shows solidarity between Verizon union & OWS

By G. Dunkel when the company agreed to start bar- gaining. Verizon wants to increase its On the day Verizon announced that its profits by forcing concessions on its work- new york third-quarter profits had jumped to $1.38 ers’ unions, mainly the CWA and the In- billion, more than 2,000 members of the ternational Electrical Workers union. A Communication Workers union, together concessionary contract would also under- with contingents from unions including cut unionization efforts in its wireless di- the American Federation of State, County vision, which is almost totally nonunion. and Municipal Employees Union, District The chants varied. “We are the 99 Council 37; the United Auto Workers; the percent!” and “The people united will Teamsters union; and the Professional never be defeated!” were popular, along Staff Congress of the City University of with denouncing the “Verigreed” of Ve- New York held a vibrant, militant picket rizon. On the march, Teamsters chanted line in front of Verizon’s headquarters on “Whose streets?” and the CWA answered Water Street on Oct. 21. “Our streets!” The picket line was joined by a few hun- After marching around Zuccotti dred people who marched down from Oc- Square, the march headed off to picket a cupy Wall Street at Zuccotti Square. The Verizon Wireless store on Broad Street. OWS contingent was warmly welcomed Some of the CWA members came back to and provided much of the music for the Zuccotti Square to spend the night. line and the march back to Zuccotti Square. Both the CWA members and the OWS The CWA suspended its two-week supporters appeared to be very satisfied strike against Verizon in mid-August, with their solidarity. WW photo: G. Dunkel Million Worker March supports Occupy Wall Street The following statement was issued by changes hats and occupies public office to protest movement against the capitalist adopted a resolution to join and defend the the Million Worker March on Oct. 17. wage class war on working people. They elites, must continue to deepen, expand OWS and called for other longshore locals have captured the State in their own in- and become a direct challenge to corpo- to do the same. More importantly, Local 10 The Million Worker March organiz- terests. They represent what the OWS ac- rate power. Class warfare demands fight- is connecting the OWS movement with the ers and activists call upon all workers, tivists call the 1 percent, otherwise known ing on multiple fronts, and it all leads Pacific Northwest dockers’ struggle with organized and unorganized, and the un- as the ruling class. back to Wall Street. While the officialdom EGT in Longview, Wash. (EGT is an inter- employed to join and defend the Occupy Like the MWM, the OWS has emerged of labor has given verbal support to OWS, national grain exporter that is attempting Wall Street movement. We extend the call at a time when the two corpo- the rank and file possesses the to rupture longshore jurisdiction.) The to anti-war, immigration rights, environ- rate-controlled political parties real power of the labor move- driving force behind EGT is Bunge Ltd., mental and social justice activists to join are preparing for the presiden- ment. It is only through rank- a leading agribusiness and food compa- this movement, which could replicate the tial election — a smokescreen and-file unity that labor’s true ny that reported $2.4 billion in profits in Arab Spring here at home. where billions are spent to pro- power can be realized in this 2010. This company has strong ties to Wall The MWM, initiated by the Interna- mote a top-down and false cer- OWS movement. Workers can Street. This is but one example of Wall tional Longshore and Warehouse Union emony of democracy. take action at the point of pro- Street’s corporate attack on union workers. Local 10 on Oct. 17, 2004, at the steps Like the MWM, the OWS will duction and service, as well as On Oct. 12, the vice-president and of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, be criticized for having demands that are put people in the streets. secretary-treasurer of ILWU Local 21 in D.C., advanced the slogan “mobilizing in too broad. We have endured more than 50 We must be mindful of attempts to co- Longview … were allowed to speak by the our own name,” independent of the two years of corporate assault on working peo- opt this movement. Let us not forget the organizers of Foreclose on Wall Street Wall-Street-controlled political parties to ple, social services, jobs, wages, pensions, action of the Democratic Party and its sur- West. They explained their struggle to address the economic crisis of working health care, public education and housing. rogates within the AFL-CIO to pressure several hundred people attending the ral- people in which the vast majority are un- The pursuit of endless wars, the lack of a Wisconsin unions not to initiate any gen- ly, which took place in the San Francisco der siege financially. comprehensive immigration policy and eral strike actions in opposition to Gov. financial district. This is an important All important social movements that the erosion of the environment in pursuit Scott Walker’s plans to eliminate collec- and strategic show of solidarity between have occurred in this country were start- of corporate greed makes it impossible to tive bargaining for state workers. Wiscon- labor and OWS. ed from the bottom up (rank-and-file/ address all of these issues in a soundbite. sin workers were limited to circulating pe- It was Black trade unionists that con- grassroots) and not from the top down. Yet one thing is crystal clear: OWS con- titions to recall targeted state Republican ceived and launched the MWM. Black The MWM’s mission statement speaks to veys a definite anti-capitalist message. elected officials. This took away labor’s workers and other workers of color should how … a handful of the rich and powerful It is being expressed to the entire world only real power, the ability to withhold its play an integral role in expanding the pow- corporations have usurped our govern- at the temple of American Capitalism — labor in defense of collective bargaining. er and influence of OWS. The Black unem- ment. A corporate and banking oligarchy Wall Street. The OWS, while now a major ILWU Local 10’s Executive Board has ployment rate is 24 percent and growing. This needs to be a part of the discussion of the peoples assemblies, as it concerns Rally targets unemployment & student debt empowering this people’s movement. Working people need to have a political A spirited march from the city hall expression of our own that is an alternative site of Occupy Philly on Oct. 17 focused to the U.S. corporate sector that both the on joblessness and the trillion dollar stu- Democrats and the Republicans represent. dent debt crisis. More than 80 protest- The timing of the MWM in Washington ers chanted, “The banks got bailed out! was to prepare the beginning of a fightback Students got sold out!” on the way to precisely because of the agendas of two po- the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, where litical parties, acting as one, the corporate Betsey Piette of Workers World Party agenda of permanent war, destruction of criticized the $16 trillion handed over to all social services, Jim Crow and a relent- bankers while 30 million unemployed less assault upon working people. and underemployed people are ignored. This is an opportune moment for rank- “No funding cuts, no fees! Education and-file working people to forge a mass should be free!” and “The people have movement for fundamental change. Rare- spoken! The system is broken!” were the ly has the importance of unity in struggle chants as Jamila Wilson of the Philadel- been more compelling along an axis of phia Economic Advancement Collective class independence. led the crowd to the regional northeast Only by our own independent mobili- office of the federal Department of Educa- zation of working people across Ameri- tion. After a student decried her impossi- ca can we open the way to addressing a ble-to-pay-back loans, Darryl Jordon of people’s agenda. The MWM and OWS are the Third World Coalition announced a Philadelphia both about building grassroots and rank- petition campaign to forgive student debt. and-file, anti-racist unity, forging the The average student in the U.S. graduates student debt crisis into the perspective of political prisoners such as Mumia Abu- fightback on all governmental and corpo- with a debt load of more than $34,000. other problems faced by communities of Jamal and Marshall Eddie Conway — rate policies influenced and or directed by The next stop was the city courthouse, color. Attacking stop-and-frisk policies, leaders the system deems too dangerous Wall Street. where Brother Weldon of the Askia Co- curfews against youth and the education- to allow them freedom on the streets. Lets take it to the corporate state; let alition Against Police Brutality put the to-incarceration pipeline, he defended ­– Report and photo by Joe Piette the 1 percent take the weight. workers.org Nov. 3, 2011 Page 5 On the Picket Line Will Chrysler workers By Sue Davis Philly office cleaners win contract reject concession contract? The afternoon before a strike deadline was set to By Martha Grevatt proved the contract, but some votes Moreover, the UAW could still expire at one minute after midnight on Oct. 19, hun- Detroit were close. By the second day of resist if it wanted to. The union can dreds of Service Employees Local 32BJ janitors and voting, three locals — including this strike over local contract issues. The building engineers, dressed in the union’s trademark As of this writing on Oct. 24, writer’s Local 869 in Warren, Mich. pressure from the company on work- purple, marched south on Philadelphia’s Broad Street workers are still voting on a four- — had turned the agreement down. ers to vote yes could be the basis of to Locust Street for a rally outside the building where year contract between Chrysler and Workers felt strong. Local 869 an Unfair Labor Practice strike. An contract talks were being held. No wonder the owners of the United Auto Workers. Ratifica- members commented, “I’m so glad in-plant “work to rule” slowdown about 100 of the city’s biggest high-rise office buildings tion is not a sure thing. that we stood up” and, “Finally after could be conducted. A “corporate coughed up a decent four-year contract for the 2,650 Like the recently passed contracts 19 years we voted down an agree- campaign” could be waged against workers at the eleventh hour. On-the-scene WW re- at General Motors and Ford, the ment” and, “In all my years of fight- Chrysler’s major lenders. In fact, the porter Joe Piette speculated that what also helped avert contract turns back the clock on 60 ing concessions I have never been so UAW is already boycotting Chase the strike was that “the owners must have feared the years of gains won through struggle. proud.” Workers gave the thumbs Bank over the foreclosure issue. presence of the Occupy Philly encampment as a ready- The carrots dangled by GM and Ford up. They felt they had sent a mes- The problem is that the Interna- made source of bodies ready to help fight in solidarity.” bosses and approved by Wall Street sage to Marchionne, who reportedly tional union won’t fight. To justify The new contract will boost wages by 7 percent over were bonuses for workers totaling made the statement during the 2009 the lower bonuses, local union offi- the course of the contract, with a $600 bonus this year, $8,000 and $12,000 each, respec- Chrysler bankruptcy discussions — cials distributed leaflets that implied while maintaining employer-aid pensions and health tively. In exchange, such established which led to Fiat gaining up to 35 Chrysler was struggling financially. care coverage. An Oct. 19 Philadelphia Inquirer article union standards as the cost-of-living percent ownership of Chrysler at no Workers at the Toledo Jeep plant, noted: “Stakes were high for this round of negotiations allowance, premium pay after eight cost to Fiat — that “the UAW has to who are not covered by the no-strike — the contract in Philadelphia is among the first in a hours and on weekends, and “equal get used to a culture of poverty.” language, were reportedly told by wave of contracts that come up this fall in East Coast pay for equal work” were given up. UAW Vice President General Ho- cities.” May 32BJ continue to prevail! There were other concessions such Union leadership wants liefield that the UAW knows it could as fewer holidays, shorter breaks, ‘competitive’ companies strike individual plants but opted not AFL-CIO joins OWS in 200+ cities frozen or cut pay for all but the low- While the cheap lump sum may to because it would hurt the company. Little did the AFL-CIO know when it called “America est paid workers, pension reductions have been what provoked workers to Getting back COLA, ending two- Wants to Work National Week of Action” starting Oct. and a draconian attendance policy. vote no, the worst aspect of the con- tier, restoring the 3 percent “annual 10 that the Occupy Wall Street movement would spread Scare tactics were employed by the tract is the divisive two-tier pay struc- improvement factor” raises of the like wildfire all over the country. Union members from UAW leadership, which openly touts ture. Although this contract keeps past, and ending work schedules Minneapolis to Baton Rouge, La., and from Vermont to their “partnership” with the Detroit “entry level” workers making $9 an that undermine the eight-hour day Oregon ended up joining the young activists to demand Three companies. GM workers were hour less than everyone else, for them are things that should have been jobs and protest the big banks and corporate greed in told that this was the best the union this is a substantial pay increase. brought to the table. It is one thing more than 200 cities. As AFL-CIO official Dennis Le­ could get under a no-strike clause im- UAW staff reps patrolled the plants, to make demands and not win them. Bounty told the Burlington Free Press in Vermont, posed during the 2009 bankruptcy. telling workers they would likely lose The UAW would be up against the “The message needs to get through that the rich should Ford workers, on the other hand, were that raise if the contract is defeated company bosses, Wall Street, the pay their fair share and that you can’t balance the bud- told that if they voted no they would and put in the hands of an arbitrator. state and the media. The outrage is get on the backs of working men and women.” (Oct. 15) have to go on strike and Ford could In reality, one can’t predict how in not even making just demands. hire permanent replacements. Never- an arbitrator might rule. Arbitration UAW President Bob King stated that ILWU Local 21 struggle continues theless, over a third of the workers at is intended to reduce “labor strife” he did not want to make the com- those two companies voted “no” and by letting a neutral party resolve panies “uncompetitive” by adding International Longshore and Warehouse Union a number of UAW locals rejected the disputes. It disempowers workers “fixed costs” like pay raises. members at six Pacific Coast grain exporters approved contract by wide margins. by taking away the strike weapon. King openly backs the Occupy a new, one-year contract on Oct. 19 with a pay increase, For the most part the Chrysler With this contract, however, striking Wall Street movement, but with his full medical benefits and contributions to the pension agreement mirrored the Ford/GM is already legally limited. The union own members he is shilling for the 1 plan. Meanwhile, ILWU Local 21 members at the Port pattern, but with one exception: is confined to arguing at the bargain- percent. Autoworkers aren’t happy. of Longview, Wash., and two terminals at the Port of The “ratification bonus” was cut ing table. There is no reason to be- In the words of one Local 869 mem- Kalama, Wash., were not included in the agreement. from $5,000-$6,000 at the other lieve that an arbitrator, who at least ber who voted no, “We are the 99 per Local 21 members are continuing the fight to save their two automakers to $3,500 at Chrys- professes neutrality, would broker a cent whether they like it or not.” jobs at the new EGT grain terminal in Longview. (www. ler. The real clincher was that only worse deal than Marchionne, whose Grevatt has been a Chrysler tdn.com, Oct. 19) $1,750 was guaranteed. The other anti-union attitudes are public worker and UAW member for the half would depend on the company knowledge. last 24 years. Ohio women workers say achieving financial results that could not be guaranteed. Annual bonuses ‘No’ on Issue 2 were also only half of what GM and On Oct. 18, a panel of working women in Cleveland one-third of what Ford agreed to pay. agreed that women workers will be hard hit if the Ohio This was a slap in the face to work- law taking away collective bargaining rights from public ers who have not had a raise in five sector workers is not overturned on Nov. 8. That’s years. They were infuriated by the why they urge everyone who cares about equality for belligerent “vote yes or else” attitude women and good working conditions to vote “No” on of Chrysler and Fiat CEO Sergio Mar- Philadelphia Issue 2. For example, Tracey Wright, a firefighter with chionne. The first locals to vote ap- the Youngstown Fire Department and the first woman youth march captain, stated that because of collective bargaining, “I am afforded the same wages, benefits and promotional ‘Bail out the people’ for immigrant opportunities as my brother firefighters.” The same ap- plies to other oppressed workers — people of color and Occupy homes! rights. the lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer communities. Continued from page 3 off debt service, while schools lack History textbooks funds to pay for toilet paper. Casino ignore unions’ role tax dollars, hailed as the savior of the city, go to a trustee to be turned over A new study, sponsored by the American Labor Stud- to the “banksters.” ies Center, found that history textbooks present labor We need to join with workers and history in a biased, negative way. They focus on strikes oppressed people from around the and strike violence without any mention of the vile, world, from Greece to Latin Amer- oppressive working conditions and the employer abuse ica, in demanding a moratorium on and violence that lead to strikes. In addition, “American debt service to these criminal banks. Labor and U.S. History Textbooks: How Labor’s Story The Occupy Wall Street move- Is Distorted in High School History Textbooks,” shows ment provides an opening to raise that the four major textbooks in use today virtually these demands and take direct ac- ignore the role of unions in passing worker protections tion to demand that the govern- On Oct. 20, more than 50 demonstrators marched from the Liberty Bell to the side- and reforms such as the eight-hour day, Social Security, ment “bail out the people, not the Medicaid and Medicare, occupational safety and health, walk outside the immigration court, where undocumented youth bravely explained banks” as a transition to eliminating how their family’s undocumented status has deprived them of education, job rights the end of child labor and environmental safeguards; the capitalist system and creating a that unions supported the Civil Rights movement; and and even the right to live in the country they grew up in. DreamActivist Pennsylvania socialist world where the capitalists members spoke out against the massive deportations of youth and their families, that organizing public workers in the 1960s into unions are relegated to the dustbin of histo- enforced through federal regulations such as Secure Communities, the Immigration gave rights and decent living standards to millions of ry where they belong, and people’s and Customs Enforcement’s 287(g) program, and other repressive laws. public employees. (AFL-CIO Now Blog, Sept. 6) needs dictate the agenda. — Report and photo by Joe Piette Page 6 Nov. 3, 2011 workers.org OWS spreads through U.S., makes space for struggle

route. Once there, nearly 200 protesters By LeiLani Dowell detroit jammed Wharton’s lobby to push demands New York for income equality, chanting, “Occupy Throughout the country, the Occupy Philly! Occupy Penn! Occupy Wharton!” Wall Street movement continues to defy They promised to return. the cops, make demands for social and The first arrests at Occupy Philly occurred economic justice, and provide spaces for at noon on Oct. 23, after dozens had taken solidarity and anti-capitalist momentum. over the streets outside Philadelphia’s po- The following is a snapshot of people’s oc- lice headquarters the night before to protest cupations taking place: police brutality. In a clear statement con- In Chicago, police arrested 130 people demning the role police play in protecting, who defied police orders to clear out of supporting and enforcing the interests of the Occupy Chicago in Grant Park. The week- CEOs, superrich and politicians, 14 demon- end before, 175 arrests had been made strators willing to risk arrest sat in, in soli- at the same location. Eleven members darity with those who have been silenced and of Occupy Cincinnati were arrested and terrorized by police brutality in Philadelphia. charged with criminal trespass on Oct. 23. Among the demands was one to reopen the case of political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal. New York In New York City, Occupy Wall Street Detroit has spread from Manhattan to Harlem Protesters called out by Occupy Detroit and the borough of Queens. On Oct. 21, descended on the Bank of America branch dozens were arrested, including a large in downtown Detroit on Oct. 18 and again on contingent from OWS, after a march Oct. 21 to demand an immediate moratori- ww photo: kris hamel from the Harlem State Office Building to um on home foreclosures. The People Before Harlem’s 28th Police Precinct to protest liance in Jackson Heights, Queens, on On Oct. 17, hundreds of Service Em- Banks Coalition and the Moratorium NOW! the New York Police Department’s stop- Oct. 23, they then marched to the Man- ployees Local 32BJ members gathered at Coalition to Stop Foreclosures, Evictions & and-frisk program. According to the New uel Unanue Park for a symbolic Occupy Occupy Philly for a march and press con- Utility Shutoffs helped bring out hundreds York Civil Liberties Union, more than 85 Queens, featuring speakers and cultural ference that issued a clear statement of of community, religious, union and social percent of those harassed by police under performances. Organizers of the event solidarity with the OWS movement. justice activists. People’s anti-foreclosure at- the program are Black or Latino/a. A soli- stated that the march was dedicated to On Oct. 21, House Majority Leader Eric torney Vanessa Fluker told Workers World darity march to the 33rd Precinct, where supporting and standing in solidarity with Cantor abruptly cancelled his planned that the actions at BofA were crucial in help- those arrested were said to be held, en- the OWS movement. “IMA and the other speech at the University of Pennsylva- ing to save her client’s home. Occupy Detroit sued. The day’s events were organized in groups … recognize that the economic cri- nia’s Wharton School of Business when has held an ongoing encampment in Grand solidarity with Occupy Harlem, which is sis devastating so many workers’ lives is he learned that Occupy Philly partici- Circus Park since Oct. 14. scheduled to begin on Oct. 28. (occupy- in essence what is behind the Occupy Wall pants might be in the audience. Just in wallst.org) Street movement. … The special onerous case Cantor missed the message that they Rochester, N.Y. That same day, members of the Muslim conditions for immigrants will be empha- would no longer put up with Wall Street’s The General Assembly of Occupy Roches- communities held Jumma Prayer at Zu- sized Sunday at Occupy Queens,” a press greed, more than 500 demonstrators ter has decided to physically occupy Wash- cotti Park, the location of OWS. statement reads. marched more than two miles from City ington Square Park in downtown Rochester, If not for the helicopter overhead and In a mobilization in support of public Hall to the campus. Chants of “Stand up, located two and a half blocks from daily pro- the lineup of police and their vans outside education, OWS members plan to occupy get down! Revolution has come to town!” tests at the Liberty Pole. The Band of Rebels of the Symphony Space concert venue on a meeting of the Department of Educa- were greeted with applause, raised fists demonstrates in front of the Bank of Ameri- the evening of Oct. 21, most Upper West tion on Oct. 25. According to organizers, and people grabbing fliers all along the ca, located across the street from the Liberty Side residents strolling down Broadway the meeting is being hosted by the Panel Pole, every Monday at noon. would not have known their neighbor- for Educational Policy, an unelected, On Oct. 18, union leaders and workers hood was about to be “occupied.” At 13-member body that makes all decisions from the Rochester Central Labor Council about 10:30 p.m., a crowd emerged from for the DOE. joined Occupy Rochester for a demonstra- the theatre following a concert by Pete The Jobless Avengers Working Group tion and press conference supporting the ex- Seeger, Tao Rodriguez-Seeger, David is meeting on Oct. 28. That same day, tension of the millionaire’s tax in New York Amram, Arlo Guthrie and others. Like protesters at OWS will wear kaffiyehs, a state. About 200 people attended. Pan Pipers, they led a lively OWS march symbol of Palestinian resistance, in sup- On Oct. 20, protesters from Occupy Roch- down Broadway, picking up parents with port of Palestinian political prisoners and ester marched from the Liberty Pole to City strollers and others who eagerly came out in solidarity with the people of Palestine Hall, where they protested the police’s kill- of shops and restaurants and down from in general. ing of Hayden Blackman only days before. their apartments to join the march or A People’s Video Network video, “Voic- From the doorway of his apartment, Police raise their fists in support. Accompanied es of Occupy Wall Street,” can be seen at officer Randy Book shot Blackman three by guitars, a flute, an accordion and vari- tinyurl.com/6k5kg93. times. Blackman’s family and supporters joined the other protesters. They then packed ous other instruments, they sang union Philadelphia solidarity songs and traditional Seeger a meeting of the newly formed Police Com- and Guthrie favorites. According to the Occupy Philadelphia entered day 18 on mission, which is supposed to investigate po- Associated Press, 1,000 people ultimately Oct. 23. A well-organized community has lice abuse. Several witnesses gave vivid and converged on Columbus Circle, where the sprung up around City Hall complete with moving personal testimony of police brutal- 92-year-old Seeger led them in song. a medical tent, legal tent, library, food ity. Both the witnesses and those attending After immigrant and workers’ rights tent, security, housing and general infor- strongly urged the formation of a truly inde- organizations gathered for the founding mation, and a wide range of outlets for po- pendent, civilian review board controlled by event of the International Migrants Al- litical and economic struggles. the community, not the police.

Upper west side, N.Y. Philadelphia

Photo: Janet mayes ww Photos: Joe Piette workers.org Nov. 3, 2011 Page 7 OWS spreads through U.S., makes space for struggle Nov. 5 People’s Assembly to unify worker, community demands & OWS movement By Dee Knight declared Rick Coss, steward of Teamsters ty Congress organizers. A march for jobs ity for most youth who live in the poor Local 808 at Woodlawn. with union rights and benefits is planned neighborhoods of the South Bronx, Har- The People’s Assembly at Hostos Col- A march and rally at the cemetery’s for Nov. 17, called by the New York Civic lem, Brooklyn and Queens. The message lege in the Bronx, N.Y., scheduled for Sat- main gate, slated for Nov. 12 — one week Participation Project of SEIU 32BJ. The is clear: “If you’re young, nonwhite, and urday, Nov. 5, has the ingredients for a after the People’s Assembly — is part of a march will start at the High Bridge, which walking on a public street, you’re a sus- unifying moment, bringing workers’ and “Bronx protest marathon” that includes a spans the Harlem River between Manhat- pect.” The People’s Assembly will take up communities’ struggles together with the campaign to save the Postal Service and tan’s Washington Heights neighborhood how to turn the tables and put the system mushrooming Occupy Wall Street move- an ongoing struggle against poverty and and University Heights (near Bronx Com- on trial for its many crimes against youth, ment. Outreach in the Bronx has focused violence. On Oct. 29, a March Against munity College) on the Bronx side. This and struggle for real change, focusing on on postal workers’ unions, parents’ asso- Poverty and Violence will take place in the target highlights the need for a massive the rights to decent jobs, debt-free educa- ciations and tenants’ groups. People are superoppressed Mott Haven neighbor- program to revive crumbling infrastruc- tion, and a future with better alternatives excited to know they will be encouraged hood — an area made famous by Jonathan ture — an effort that requires a large-scale than prison or war. to speak up for themselves as well as hear Kozol’s book, “Savage Inequalities.” public works program like the Work Proj- from others with the same problems. The call to “Occupy the Bronx” came ects Administration of the 1930s. A movement for people’s power Members of CASA, a large tenant orga- to life on Oct. 22, as hundreds of people “Food Is a Right” is another key demand. The People’s Assembly will focus on nizing group serving 5,000 residents of rallied at Fordham Plaza, in the heart of About a third of the 1.4 million residents of building people’s power and building links formerly abandoned buildings in the High- the Bronx and about halfway between the the Bronx qualify for food subsidies under between the communities of working and bridge neighborhood, responded to a call South Bronx and Woodlawn Cemetery. the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assis- oppressed people and the “occupy” move- to make their knowledge and experience in Community struggles are at the cen- tance Program. They face threats of ser- ment. There is a deep desire to respond fighting landlords available to other tenants ter of the Bronx movement: the people’s vice cutoffs, while the program’s complex to the call of the people-of-color working throughout the city. right to decent housing, quality education, and contemptuous application program group at Occupy Wall Street, and “build The presidents of parents associations in health services and jobs. A fury is brewing effectively bars many from receiving ben- a racially conscious and inclusive move- District 12 of the South Bronx are mobilizing at the threat of massive job cuts and shut- efits. Hundreds of people have mobilized ment.” The People’s Assembly will pri- their members to participate, focusing on all downs of the Postal Service in the midst to fight for their right to food, and a big- oritize communities of color — including the issues that concern working people. Free of the current crisis. Organizers have be- ger campaign is in the works. Community immigrant, undocumented and low-wage child care will be available at the Assembly. gun a survey of post offices and their sur- Congress organizers are also discussing workers, prisoners, LGTBQ people of col- “Woodlawn is Wall Street” rounding neighborhoods, to determine moves to increase food self-sufficiency like or, marginalized religious communities In the Bronx, the embattled Band of which should be primary targets in the those pioneered by the Black Panthers and such as Muslims, and Indigenous peoples, Brothers — workers at Woodlawn Cemetery expanding “occupy” movement. Young Lords in the 1960s and 1970s. and those whose responsibilities do not al- — are waging a determined fightback against The concerns of youth — and their right low them to participate in the occupation. racist abuse and anti-union intimidation, Plans for action to a future — are high on the agenda. The The goal is to make the movement acces- and have called on the Wall Street occupi- The People’s Assembly will be about ac- New York Police Department’s “stop and sible to all, and thus become a real move- ers to join them. “Woodlawn is Wall Street,” tion, according to South Bronx Communi- frisk” program is a daily personal real- ment for people’s power.

Milwaukee Rochester n i s t) (Commu of Ind i a of a t ne yo Ba y d i a t Un ity So c i a li s t C en tr e Photo: G. Pf e if r G. hoto: L ww p hoto:

an In a show of solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street gan its weekly General Assembly meetings, funds, there would be no budget : B ry : movement, the Socialist Unity Center of India (Com- which will take place every Friday at 4 p.m. shortfall. They say we have to ac- munist) has organized street meetings and rallies at Fountain Park. Occupy Madison, Wis., cept— but we know that if we take Wisconsin in a number of Indian metropolitan areas and cit- s ww p hoto is ongoing and sponsoring various events. mass collective action, we can de- ies. In Kolkata on Oct. 19, protesters marched more OWS actions are growing across Wiscon- All of the OWS groups in Wisconsin feat these attacks.” than two miles to the “American Center” at the U.S. sin. On Oct. 22, Occupy Appleton, Wis., have Facebook pages and are mobilizing A rally of close to 1,000 people Consulate General. As police blocked the road, a protesters marched on the main Chase speak-outs, leafleting days at banks and marched to the Civic Center, the protest meeting was held and an effigy of an oc- bank in downtown, chanting, “Bail out the more. For more information and frequent site of Occupy San Diego, on Oct. topus was burned to signify the destruction of the grip of capital over society. Protest leaders urged people, not the banks!” That same day, the updates visit www.wibailoutpeople.org. 15. A few days later on Oct. 20, people to rise up against Indian capitalism. Occupy Eau Claire, Wis., group sponsored walkouts under the banner of “Oc- a demonstration at Owen Park. California cupy Higher Education” were held on the sembly, Workers World Party sponsored Occupy Milwaukee, which is now op- The Labor Video Project reports that campuses of California State University a film showing of “Cuba: In Defense of So- erating from Garden Park in the Riverwest hundreds of Occupy Oakland, Calif., sup- San Marcos, Grossmont College, Palo- cialism — Fighting Imperialism.” As soon neighborhood of Milwaukee, sponsored porters attended an Oct. 22 rally in defense mar Community College, San Diego State as the film began, a large crowd formed a protest at M&I Bank on Oct. 20. Austin of the occupation. ILWU Local 10 Executive University, UC San Diego and the Uni- a half shell around the screen, seemingly Thompson, an African-American orga- Board member Clarence Thomas called on versity of San Diego. in awe of Cuba’s contributions to building nizer, was arrested for disorderly conduct the entire labor movement to defend the It was a day of huge, loud and militant the kind of society many of them are dis- and put in the Milwaukee County Jail for occupation against threats by Mayor Jean marches with chants targeting the cor- cussing at these occupations nationwide. the night. Occupy Milwaukee mobilized to Quan and the city of Oakland to shut it porate elite, the banks and government After the film, Aracely Espinosa and win his release the next day. Supporters down. Other speakers included members bailouts to them in Los Angeles. A march Mike Martinez answered questions about are now calling the district attorney to have of the California Nurses Association and that began at Pershing Square ended at Cuba and countered one individual’s Thompson’s disorderly conduct charge the Industrial Workers of the World. the site of Occupy Los Angeles, which by parroting of the State Department lies dropped and working to pack the court for Occupy San Francisco is calling for an then had grown to almost 700 people. regarding Cuba’s “lack of democracy.” his scheduled appearance. Occupy Education day on Nov. 16, when The character of the occupation at City Regardless of that incident, the film and Occupy Milwaukee is now mobilizing for the University of California Board of Re- Hall, in downtown Los Angeles, resumed comments made one thing absolutely an Oct. 29 march beginning at 12 noon at gents will meet to discuss and possibly with its usual hustle and bustle of varied clear to 99 percent of those who consider Lincoln Park. Occupy The Hood-Milwau- vote on a proposal to raise student fees by activities — from educational talks on themselves “the 99 Percent” — they were kee, a group focused on issues of people of up to 81 percent over the next four years. various subjects, spanning politics and being lied to about Cuba and socialism is color, is mobilizing for a Nov. 12 event in A statement by Occupy San Francisco spirituality to constant drumming, music, a system worthy of further study. Milwaukee. reads: “They say cuts are inevitable be- food distribution and more. But, there was Lydia Bayoneta, Kris Hamel, Janet Occupy Green Bay, Wis., continues to cause there are no funds — but we know an added element that evening after the Mayes, John Parker, Bryan G. Pfeifer, meet at the County Courthouse on various that if we really taxed the corporations, long march. At 6:30 p.m. on a big screen Betsey Piette and Gloria Verdieu days, and Occupy Sheboygan, Wis., be- ended the wars, or took back the bailout provided by the Occupy L.A. General As- contributed to this report. Page 8 Nov. 3, 2011 workers.org

Greece Sixth general strike confronts austerity plan

By John Catalinotto corporate media. Somehow, accord- which exists in this country must become attacked the organizers of a mass work- ing to the capitalist pundits, the Greeks the people’s. We must disengage from the ers’ demonstration. There has been evi- The working class in Greece is taking have been too extravagant in government bonds of the EU and unilaterally cancel dence from past strikes in Greece — and up the challenge the European capital- spending. They claim that a tight austerity the debt. There is no intermediate solu- this happened in Barcelona in the Span- ist class has thrown against them. The plan in Greece and an intelligent “rescue” tion.” (inter.kke.gr, Oct. 19) ish state, too — that police and fascist ele- unions held their sixth general strike to loan might stop the capitalist crisis from The second day, police estimated ments have disguised themselves as anar- combat the government’s austerity pro- spreading to other countries and sparking 120,000 people surrounded Parliament chists to provoke confrontations in those gram, this one for the 48 hours of Oct. 19- another recession or depression. — a low estimate according to PAME — situations and bring about police repres- 20 and with even more massive participa- The truth is that the crisis is not solv- as Papariga addressed the crowd, saying, sion of demonstrators. tion than earlier actions manifested. able by capitalist means. Even upturns in “The struggle doesn’t stop today, it will Thus the KKE evaluation has even more The action’s high point was a demon- production wind up spreading new tech- continue. This torrent must be more tur- weight: “On the second day the forces of stration of hundreds of thousands of peo- nology and eliminating jobs, thus exacer- bulent, more radical, more subversive. capital sought to suppress the strong po- ple surrounding Parliament in downtown bating the crisis of overproduction. What It can sweep everything away under one litical message of the workers. PAME had Athens on Oct. 20. The PAME trade union is at stake in Greece is not whether the cri- condition: that they won’t steal the victory announced the encirclement of the Parlia- federation, close to the Communist Party sis will be overcome, but simply whether in the nick of time as has happened many ment for the time when the anti-worker of Greece (KKE), played a strong role in the bankers and billionaires will be able to times before.” (inter.kke.gr, Oct. 20) measures were to be discussed and voted the action. Other unions, left groups and make the working class pay the entire cost on by article with a roll call vote, at the re- mass organizations of students and wom- of their capitalist crisis. Clashes with ‘anarchists’ or provocateurs? quest of the KKE. en also supported the struggle. The New York Times and other corpo- “For this reason they [the pro-capital- The courage of the workers in Greece Communists call for debt cancellation rate media distorted the mass character ist forces] mobilised and unleashed in a is an example for workers throughout Since the KKE and the PAME unions of the protests in Greece by concentrating planned way organized groups with spe- Europe and North America. They have played such a big role in the strike, it is their coverage on outbreaks of “violence” cific instructions and anarcho-fascists who thrown themselves into this struggle, instructive to reproduce some of the com- and especially on the direct attack by al- with Molotov cocktails, stones, and other which is not only against the Greek capi- ments of KKE General Secretary Aleka legedly anarchist groups on the PAME weapons that are used by the police, such talists, but against the capitalist class of Papariga to the media following meetings and Communist contingent. as teargas and stun grenades, attempted all of Europe. These latter are represent- Oct. 19 with various party leaders. One can understand that some people to disperse the majestic rally of the work- ed by the “Troika,” that is, the European “From now on things will literally be might honestly feel it liberating to attack ers and people in Syntagma and especially Union, the European Central Bank and decided by the mighty people and not by some symbol of their oppression, such the part where PAME was concentrated.” the International Monetary Fund. the negotiations,” she said. Calling on the as a bank headquarters or police station, (KKE statement on media, Oct. 21) The events of Greece — indeed the people to go forward without fear, with- whether or not this is a wise tactic. The provocation caused injuries to 80 entire economic crisis of Europe — have out illusions until the final victory, she But what happened in Greece was that PAME members but failed to disperse the been presented in a false light in the U.S. added, “There is one solution: the wealth some group pretending to be “anarchist” demonstration. Chile’s students strike for free education By John Catalinotto tions have been the broadest and largest according to the organizers, “all united who is a member of the Communist Party in Chile since the time before a Sept. 11, around one message: Education shall be of Chile, was asked to compare the Chil- Chile’s mass student organizations, 1973, U.S.-backed military coup ended free for all.” (Junge Welt, Oct. 21) ean movement with the Occupy Wall with support from the organized working the democratically elected Popular Unity During that day, Chilean police arrest- Street movements: “We sympathize and class, held a two-day general strike and government headed by Salvador Allende. ed 234 participants in the demonstration. understand the struggle of the outraged demonstration demanding free university As part of the privatization and neo- There were a number of attacks by hooded ones,” said Vallejo, “but in Chile we have education on Oct. 18-19. Tens of thou- liberalism imposed on Chile under the figures against a city bus and some build- gone beyond the stage of discontent. Now, sands of students and workers participat- dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet, ings, and police used these events as we must look ahead and build an alterna- ed, with the main demand being for free university education was privatized. To- an excuse to attack parts of the student tive for the country.” and universal higher education. day many students finish university stud- march. Student organizers suspect police The different movements — Chile, Co- Last August the labor confederation ies owing tens of thousands of dollars in provocateurs initiated the attacks. lombia, Brazil, France, Spain — have their CUT [Central Unitaria de Trabajadores] tuition. Years of frustration under this Student leaders Camila Villejo and own special conditions, said Vallejo, “but called and carried out a general strike. system finally broke out into struggle last Giorgio Jackson, who had just returned viewed as a whole, it is the struggle of This time the unions backed the students’ May. from a European political tour and had those who have awakened to build a dif- actions and joined the demonstrations, On the second day of this latest strike, put the Chilean students’ demands before ferent model of society nationally and in- but didn’t call a strike. the morning of Oct. 19 at precisely 10 a.m., international bodies, told the demonstra- ternationally.” The movements are similar The students have been holding actions the student and teacher organizations and tors they were more determined than ever in that each resists privatization or takes for their demands since last May 12. This unions held actions “from the city of An- to continue the struggle. (Junge Welt) steps that bring them closer to winning was the 40th time they have come out into tofagasta in the north down to Temuco in In an interview with BBC Mundo on the that demand. the streets since then. These demonstra- the south.” More than 300,000 took part, eve of the strike, the 23-year-old Villejo, Is the U.S. really withdrawing from Iraq? By Gene Clancy resident of eastern Baghdad. “They won’t A mercenary war Embassy personnel. The Embassy will leave.” (Associated Press, Oct. 22) The U.S. is attempting to salvage some have consulates in Basra, Irbil and Kirkuk. President Barack Obama has said that These suspicions are well-founded. De- measure of success from its adventure The State Department will provide Iraqi all U.S. forces will be out of Iraq by Dec. spite assertions by the U.S. government by militarizing the State Department police training with its own personnel. 31, but this does not mean that the war is that its military mission is complete, the through the use of private contractors. “What’s unusual is the scale and the over, or that aggression against the Iraqi fact is that their “mission” has been an al- Under the new plan, about 16,000 per- militarization of the foreign service” as people has ended. most complete disaster. sonnel will be assigned to the U.S. Embas- it oversees the thousands of security per- While it is true that the administra- Since the invasion in 2003, 1 million sy in Iraq, about 1,700 of them diplomats, sonnel, said David Newton, a former U.S. tion suffered a diplomatic rebuff on Oct. members of the U.S. military have been experts in fields such as business and ag- ambassador to Iraq from 1984 to 1988. 21 when the Iraqi government refused to deployed to Iraq, of whom 4,482 have riculture and law enforcement officers, The agency will even run its own airline to grant immunity from Iraqi law to U.S. mil- been killed and 32,200 wounded. Hun- while around 5,000 will be security con- shuttle staff around the country. “This is itary forces, the U.S. is working feverishly dreds of billions of dollars have been ex- tractors to guard personnel and facilities not the kind of thing that diplomats do,” he to continue the war through the use of mil- pended while former President George including consulates, according to State said. (Bloomberg Business Week, Oct. 22) itary contractors, i.e., mercenary soldiers. Bush’s promise to the ruling elites that Department figures. Spencer Ackerman of Wired Maga- Obama’s announcement was greeted Iraqi oil would more than pay for the war The newly established Office of Secu- zine has studied the State Department with joy on the streets of Baghdad, where has gone unrealized. rity Cooperation in the Embassy will have and concluded: “The State Department’s people want nothing more than to be For the Iraqi people the war has meant a core staff of 160 civilians and uniformed Bureau of Diplomatic Security does not out from under the repressive U.S. oc- the almost total destruction of what was military alongside 750 civilian contrac- have a promising record when it comes cupation. But many have expressed a once one of the most progressive and pros- tors overseeing Pentagon assistance pro- to managing its mercenaries. The 2007 deep skepticism about U.S. intentions. perous countries of the Middle East. The grams, including military training. They Nisour Square shootings by State’s secu- “I believe that the full withdrawal will be war — and the economic sanctions which will be guarded, fed and housed by 3,500 rity contractors, in which 17 Iraqi civilians only in the media but there must be se- preceded it — killed millions, devastated the additional contract personnel. were killed, marked one of the low points cret deals with the Americans to keep infrastructure and pushed back gains which The Security Cooperation office will of the war. Now, State will be command- some American forces or members of the had previously been made in the areas of also operate out of 10 offices around the ing a much larger security presence, the American intelligence,” said Raja Jaidr, a women’s rights and religious tolerance. country, half of them shared with other Continued on page 11 workers.org Nov. 3, 2011 Page 9 Don’t blame Libya for the Lockerbie bombing By Stephen Millies claiming that Megrahi couldn’t have plant- of five official observers appointed by geria, a section of the French military ed the bomb without Fhimah’s ­assistance. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. rebelled. They formed the terrorist Se- Two hundred seventy people were They were tried in a special court con- cret Army Organization (OAS), which at- Where’s the motive? killed in the bombing of Pan Am Flight vened in the Netherlands, but with three tempted to assassinate French President 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, on Dec. 21, Scottish judges. There was no motive for Libya to blow Charles de Gaulle for recognizing Alge- 1988. For 20 years Libya and its lynched The trial was a frame-up. One of the up the Pan Am plane. But there was cer- rian independence. leader, Col. Moammar Gadhafi, have been prosecution’s star witnesses, Ulrich tainly a motive for the apartheid regime Any genuine investigation of an aircraft blamed for this great crime. Lumpert — who testified about the timer that was then ruling South Africa. bombing should start with who was killed. Mustafa Abdul Jalil, chair of the “Na- used in the bomb — admitted he lied. (The At the end of 1988, the apartheid sys- Among the 270 victims on the Pan Am tional Transitional Council” of Libya, told Herald, Scotland, Sept. 5, 2007) tem was in a crisis. One general strike af- flight was Bernt Carlsson, the U.N. com- the Swedish newspaper Expressen on Even the official who drew up the in- ter another was shaking the fascist state. missioner for Namibia. Feb. 22 that he could prove Col. Gadhafi dictments against the two Libyans, Lord The African National Congress, the Com- After a long, armed struggle waged by personally ordered the bombing. Peter Fraser, doubted the testimony of munist Party and the unions were making SWAPO, led by Sam Njomo, Namibia was That was eight months ago. Where’s the Tony Gauci, a crucial prosecution witness. the country ungovernable. on the verge of winning independence from proof? (London Sunday Times, Oct. 23, 2005) The South African army was crumbling. South Africa. Carlsson was flying to New Were Libya and Gadhafi guilty? Jim Gauci, a Maltese shopkeeper who allegedly Earlier that year it had been decisively de- York to sign the independence accords. Swire, an English doctor whose 24-year- sold clothes that were in a suitcase with feated by Angolan and Cuban forces at Cui- Namibia’s freedom would mean that the old daughter died in the bombing, doesn’t the bomb, was offered a 2-million-pound to Cuanavale in southern Angola. White, apartheid regime in South Africa would think so. “award” for his testimony. (The Guardian, draft-age men were fleeing South Africa. have to go, too. He visited Abdelbaset al-Megrahi in a Oct. 2, 2007) The most unyielding elements in South Interestingly, South African Foreign Scottish jail. The former head of security After Megrahi’ s conviction was upheld Africa’s military and police didn’t want Minister Pik Botha and other apartheid for Libyan Arab Airlines was convicted in on appeal, Austrian philosophy profes- to concede power to the country’s Black officials who were supposed to fly with 2001 of 270 counts of murder. sor Dr. Hans Koechler called this ruling a ­majority. Carlsson on Flight 103 either changed their His co-defendant, Lamin Khalifa “spectacular miscarriage of justice.” (BBC In a similar situation, when the French flights or stayed in London. Fhimah, was acquitted, despite prosecutors News, March 14, 2002) Koechler was one colonialists were being kicked out of Al- Continued on page 11 Gadhafi lynched byU .S.-NATO Continued from page 1 ties engineered against the Libyan people roic last stand against NATO hegemony an open letter asked if the heir apparent were also involved. by the U.S.-NATO alliance and their NTC is a defining moment in this era of U.N.- would survive to stand trial before the The video shows people who appear rebels. A systematic racist campaign tar- backed imperialism. He could have fled ICC. Lamb said that a delegation of law- to be NTC rebels beating and torturing geting Black Libyans and other Africans Libya, but he did not. Col. Gadhafi chose yers hired by the Gadhafi family “have Gadhafi, a series of gunshots and, later, living and working inside the country has to fight alongside his people in Libya, to been advised by Gadhafi supporters in the dead body being thrown onto a truck. exposed the true nature of the opposition his last breath. He stood his ground until Libya and neighboring countries that the Those in the crowd cheer and celebrate at to Gadhafi. the end, refusing to flee, choosing to be NTC at the direction of NATO fully in- the carnage. Hundreds of dark-skinned people and martyred on African soil.” tends to see Seif al-Islam killed before he In contravention of Islamic law and other presumed and actual supporters of The paper noted that “Gadhafi’s legacy can address the international media and international norms, Gadhafi’s remains the Gadhafi government have been per- speaks for itself. He guaranteed the right his supporters, following the transfer of were put on display in a meat storage fa- secuted by the rebels. Numerous people to free education for everyone from el- his father’s leadership authority to Seif on cility. People claiming to be rebellion sup- have been beaten, tortured, driven out of ementary school right up to university and August 29, 2011.” (Oct. 21) porters were allowed to view the body and their hometowns and cities, imprisoned post-graduate studies, at home or abroad; Lamb states, “We intend to prove in take photographs. Gadhafi’s remains were and lynched in the same fashion as Gad- free health care; 1:673 doctor-patient ratio, Court that NATO did repeatedly sanc- not turned over to his family for a proper hafi and other high-ranking officials. free electricity for all citizens; interest-free tion others to carry out Muammar Gad- burial within the time period required by The U.S.-NATO air campaign was spe- housing loans; and free land for farmers.” hafi’s assassination and that his killers on his religious and cultural traditions. cifically designed to destroy the national The African National Congress, the rul- October 20, 2011 knew that a large cash A massive cover-up is being attempted wealth and infrastructure of the country, ing party in South Africa that gained tre- award awaited them if they killed Colonel to deflect responsibility for his death away which had achieved tremendous progress mendous support from the people of Libya Gadhafi, thus silencing him from testify- from U.S. imperialism and its collabora- since the Al-Fateh Revolution of 1969 and during and after their struggle for national ing against NATO officials and current tors in Libya. After international outrage the assumption of People’s Power in 1977. liberation, said: “It is regrettable that the western leaders who led the eight month over Gadhafi’s assassination escalated, In the same city where Gadhafi was as- Libyan conflict ended with the gruesome destruction of Libya.” the U.N., the U.S. and the NTC client re- sassinated, a massacre of 53 pro-govern- killing of the Libyan Leader Muammar gime called for an investigation into the ment supporters was reported at a hotel. Gadhafi. … We once again call on western Why was Gadhafi killed? circumstances of his death. According to Human Rights Watch, “The countries under the command of NATO Gadhafi was lynched in a vain attempt The U.S. has supported the anti-Gadhafi hotel is in an area of the city that was to stop the bombardment of Libya and its to end the resistance of the Libyan people rebels for more than three decades. The under the control of anti-Gadhafi fight- people.” (ANC statement, Oct. 21) against imperialist aggression. The extra- U.N. Security Council voted to impose a so- ers from Misrata before the killings took A statement from the ANC Youth League judicial killing is also designed to send a called “no-fly zone” over Libya despite the place.” (Afrique en ligne, October 24) calls Gadhafi an anti-imperialist martyr: message to other opponents of imperial- fact that there was no evidence that alleged HRW called upon the NTC to conduct “The ANCYL salutes Colonel Muammar ism in Africa, where the U.S. and NATO massacres had occurred in areas retaken by an immediate investigation into the mas- Gadhafi, a brave soldier and fighter against states are intervening at a rapid rate. the government from the NTC forces. sacre. In a statement, HRW said: “We the recolonization of the African continent. Africa is increasingly supplying larger The “no-fly zone” was a pretext for to- found 53 decomposing bodies, apparently Brother Leader was ruthlessly killed by amounts of oil and other strategic resourc- tal war against the state of Libya. A na- Gadhafi supporters, at an abandoned hotel rebels armed by NATO forces who invad- es to the U.S. and Western European states. val blockade was imposed by the NATO in Sirte, and some had their hands bound ed Libya because of its natural resources. This attempt at regime change in Libya is countries; more than $120 billion in for- behind their backs when they were shot. Brother Leader resisted imperialist domi- also designed to impede the increasing co- eign assets belonging to the government … This latest massacre seems part of a nation of the African continent and never operation between the People’s Republic of were frozen; the NTC rebels were armed, trend of killings, looting and other abuses agreed to the continued draining of natu- China and the African continent. financed, promoted politically and given committed by armed anti-Gadhafi fighters ral resources from beneath Africa’s soil. He If the social justice and anti-war move- military cover by the U.S.-NATO countries who consider themselves above the law.” understood and appreciated that Africa’s ments inside the U.S. and Europe are go- and their allies in the region; the Penta- natural resources should be economically ing to achieve any results aimed at ending gon-NATO air and naval forces conduct- Gadhafi’s contributions used to benefit the people of Africa.” militarism and austerity imposed by the ed more than 20,000 sorties and 9,500 to the African Revolution In the East African state of Uganda, banks and transnational corporations, bombings; and corporate-government Despite the imperialist-controlled me- 30,000 people attended a memorial ser- they must seriously address the escalating media campaigns were conducted against dia assertions that Gadhafi’s rule was vice in honor of Gadhafi. In Nigeria, a imperialist aggression against the Afri- the Libyan government to justify the de- solely characterized by undemocratic former militia leader said that the Libyan can continent, its people and leaders. The liberate destruction of the most prosper- processes, many throughout the world leader would be avenged. massacre of Libyan people and the attacks ous country on the African continent. admired the leader and paid tribute. Reports in the aftermath of Gadhafi’s upon its government can only be viewed Despite the objection of the 53-mem- Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez martyrdom indicated that his son and as a setback to working and oppressed ber African Union, the U.S.-NATO states called the fallen leader a martyr who died heir apparent, Seif al-Islam, was captured people within the imperialist states who refused to negotiate and demanded that a hero. The Global Alternative Agenda Af- by the NTC rebels. Yet in a broadcast over are suffering as a result of low-wage capi- the government resign. The International rican youth organization, based in Nige- the Libyan-owned Al-Rai satellite televi- talism and wars of occupation abroad. Criminal Court in the Netherlands issued ria, called Gadhafi’s assassination “highly sion in Syria, Seif issued a statement say- It will take an alliance of the working unsubstantiated charges and indictments irresponsible, a breach of all international ing: “We continue our resistance. I am in people in the capitalist states and around against the Libyan leadership to further laws. It was barbaric and humiliating to Libya. I am alive, free and intend to go to the world to bring down world imperial- isolate the government amid a massive all Africans. It must be condemned in the the very end and exact revenge.” (ham- ism. Only with the destruction of impe- military invasion and bombing campaign. strongest terms.” (GAA Statement) sayeh.net, Oct. 24) rialism will there be an opportunity to Gadhafi’s assassination must be viewed The Zimbabwe state newspaper Sun- In response to the reported capture of achieve genuine peace and development within the broader context of the atroci- day Mail said on Oct. 23: “Gadhafi’s he- Seif al-Islam, attorney Franklin Lamb in throughout the planet. Page 10 Nov. 3, 2011 workers.org editorials Lenin’s ‘Imperialism’ confirmed again The state & New data on global Occupation U. corporate control

he chain reaction of protest occupa- Increased repression, recently most By Deirdre Griswold defined as companies that have at least 10 T tions that has swept the United States obvious in Cleveland, Ohio; Chicago; percent of their wealth in more than one has already reinvigorated the struggle and Oakland, Calif., plus threats of Researchers in Zurich, Switzerland, country. They describe the structure that for equality and for participation in repression in Atlanta and elsewhere, put have used a powerful computer database emerged as resembling a “bowtie,” with decisions that affect the lives of the 300 the question of the state and the police to analyze which transnational compa- lots of corporate entities in the periphery million people the demonstrators call the again on the front burner at Occupation nies dominate the world economy. Their but a small group at the center controlling 99 percent. University. findings, called “The network of global the flow of wealth. These occupations, beside raising Based on their salaries, police would corporate control,” appeared this sum- While the global capitalist economy protest to a new position of respect, have be among the 99 percent, and not even mer at arxiv.org, an online publisher of today is vastly larger and more complex been universities of class struggle. After at the top. But from the point of view of scientific material. than a century ago when V.I. Lenin wrote decades of what appeared to be political training, discipline, life experience and Using information from the financial his groundbreaking book “Imperialism,” stagnation, there is a complete openness prevailing racist ideology, the police are database ORBIS, which provided them this attempt by mathematicians to pen- to discussion about what makes 21st-cen- servants of the 1 percent -- or really of with data on “37 million economic actors, etrate the murky world of corporate and tury capitalist society tick in the center of the top 1 percent of that 1 percent. They both physical persons and firms located finance capital confirms what the leader world imperialism. maintain capitalist order. in 194 countries, and roughly 13 million of the Russian Revolution wrote in 1916. Where there is large participation of directed and weighted ownership links Lenin showed how even then the big On Sept. 24, the New York police youth of color in protest movements or (equity relations),” the team of scientists banks, insurance companies and other sprayed pepper gas on Occupy Wall where people come out against “stop from ETH Zurich, headed by Stefania Vi- financial institutions of Europe and the Street protesters near Union Square and frisk” laws, this message has been tali, used a new mathematical analysis to United States had grown to dominate Park and the next week arrested 700 on brought to the occupations. In Atlanta, tease out the structures linking transna- over all other forms of capital. He used the the Brooklyn Bridge. At that time in this where the cops shot a Black youth in the tional corporations to their subsidiaries data then available to show that they had editorial space we began a discussion of back and killed him, this became part of and to each other. formed giant cartels that divided up the the capitalist state based on Frederick the protest and clarified the repressive The result? Out of this vast number world markets into “spheres of influence.” Engels’ book, “The Origin of the Fam- and racist role of the police. of corporate actors, in 2007 “a mere 147 Written during World War I, the book ily, Private Property and the State.” The tiny number of rich people on companies controlled nearly 40 percent explained what drove capitalist nations to By “the state” we Marxists mean the top could never rule without their paid of the monetary value of all transnational half-exterminate each other in the struggle standing army, the courts, the prisons propagandists, without their miseduca- corporations,” wrote Rachel Ehrenberg in for superprofits around the world. The and especially the police, who have the tors and especially, when all else fails to an article summarizing the group’s find- message was clear: War and exploitation most direct contact with the demonstra- deceive the people, without the clubs and ings. (“Financial world dominated by a will continue as long as there is capitalism. tors. These days we might also include guns of their professional police. Wheth- few,” Science News, Sept. 24) There is no such message in these re- the corporate media for its mind con- er the police talk nice or scowl, they take The authors say their work is the first cent findings. Rather, the research is di- trol, buttressing and rationalizing state orders from their paymasters, and their attempt ever made to plot the myriad rected at capitalist governments and mul- repression. job is to keep the big capitalists on top. connections among the transnationals, tinational institutions that the authors hope will shape better policies. However, coming at a time when the capitalist system is in a deepening crisis Interview with union organizer of overproduction that is being felt all over the world, this study dispels the the- ory that capitalism has somehow become ‘Women workers face more democratic because, for example, millions of people have to rely on pen- sions that invest in mutual funds. As the Occupy Wall Street movement extreme insecurity in India’ says, only a tiny number of the world’s people really control the wealth. They independent and internalize democratic sponding to these conditions within India Workers World contributor Dante are really much less than 1 percent and principles. or elsewhere around the world? Strobino interviewed Meghna Sukumar, are concentrated in the major imperialist WW: Have conditions changed for MS: What we are witnessing around a young organizer with the Women’s countries. workers in the past few years in India? the world is definitely encouraging and Workers Union, Garment and Fashion The top 50 control-holders in the world is a resounding call for change. It is quite Workers section, on Sept. 24, the open- MS: I think there has been a renewed are listed in a table at the end of the study. inevitable that it will be the youth that ing day of the United Electrical Work- attack on trade union and collective bar- Twenty-four of them are from the U.S. will take the lead in any such movement ers union 72nd National Convention in gaining rights. Especially in new indus- Most of their names are obscure: FMR towards social change. The trade union Pittsburgh. Her union is part of the New trial areas and Special Economic Zones, Corp., The Capital Group and State Street movement must be prepared to give any Trade Union Initiative of India (NTUI). workers are facing tremendous obstacles are among the largest. But behind these such movement direction and energy. Sukumar was participating in the UE from management and government to names are many of the same old ruling- Young Activist international conver- form or join unions of their choice. WW: Why does your union focus on class families that have picked presidents gence, along with young militant trade WW: In June your union won passage the leadership of women workers? Have and secretaries of state for generations unionists from some of the most progres- of an important new labor law covering do- you seen the capitalist crisis dispropor- to ensure that the U.S. government puts sive unions in France (CGT), Quebec mestic workers. Can you tell us about that? tionately affect women? If so, how? their class interests before anything else. (CSN), Mexico (FAT) Japan (Zenroren) MS: The women workers’ union in MS: Without a doubt, women are In the recent period, this has meant and many young UE activists from Chennai has been campaigning for rec- disproportionately exploited. It is a clear getting their hands on trillions of dollars across the U.S. ognition and regulation of domestic work case of how capitalism uses patriarchy in government bailout money when the WW: On your website, the NTUI says for several years now. Our demand has and vice versa to ensure that women’s markets turned sour, even as millions of that part of your mission is “to meet the been for the inclusion of domestic work work is unrecognized and grossly under- workers lose their jobs and homes. challenges of the offensive against the under the Minimum Wages legislation paid. In India, industries where women Lenin called imperialism “the highest working class, under capitalist globaliza- in the state of Tamil Nadu and a demand work have, on an average, much lower and last stage of capitalism.” How much tion.” What is your view about some of for 30 rupees [U.S. $.60] per hour as the wages than industries with a primarily longer will such a horrible system be al- the challenges faced by unions and work- minimum wage, a paid weekly day off male workforce. The apparel industry is lowed to endure? ers in India during this world capitalist and an annual bonus of one month’s sal- an apt example where the average daily economic crisis since 2008? ary. While there has been no legislation wage is just over $2. Moreover, women’s MS: I think the biggest challenge has passed for regulation of domestic work work is only seen to be supplementary to learn anything new about conditions in been coping with the scope and pace of as yet, the historic convention on Rights a man’s income in a family. Also, more the U.S. in your meetings with young informalization of work in many indus- of Domestic Workers that was adopted and more new industries like auto parts workers here? tries. This means that there is a large by the International Labor Organization and electronics are being set up which MS: This has been my first interac- workforce that not only works for wages this year, which the government of India employ first-generation young women tion with workers in the U.S. Of course, far below living wages, but also workers voted in favor of, is definitely a step in workers with absolutely no knowledge we have been reading extensively about who are working in extremely precarious the right direction. We will continue to about their rights at the workplace. This how the budget cuts have been affecting conditions with no job security and no campaign for bringing domestic workers makes them extremely vulnerable to public sector workers’ social security. But social security. Unions in India are strug- within the ambit of labor laws. violence and exploitation. For these and meeting many young workers and actu- gling to organize [these] contract workers. WW: We have witnessed in the past a host of other reasons, it is important to ally hearing about the struggles that they Another huge battle has been resisting year that young people and workers have build women’s leadership in unions so have been facing over the past couple of the tremendous offensive on the right led many rebellions across the world, that women workers’ issues are brought years has been a tremendous eye opener. to association and trade union rights. It mostly catalyzed by record unemployment to the forefront. It is surely going to be a tough fight is important that trade unions remain and police brutality. How is your union re- WW: Were you shocked or did you ahead. workers.org Nov. 3, 2011 Page 11 Lenin’s ‘Imperialism’ confirmed again French ships, U.S. drones attack New data on global Somalia as Kenyan troops invade corporate control U.S.-backed regimes abet imperialist aggression By Abayomi Azikiwe ow. That is one of the areas we want to Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Bu- interests for the U.S. and the European Editor, Pan-African News Wire inflict trauma and damage on the al-Sha- rundi and Rwanda. Their current govern- capitalist states. The Gulf of Aden and the baab basically to reduce their effective- ments have close political, economic and Indian Ocean contain some of the most An all-out offensive against the Al-Sha- ness completely so that they do not exist military ties to the U.S. lucrative shipping lanes in the world, baab Islamic resistance movement based as a force.” (Associated Press, Oct. 24) The ongoing Kenyan invasion of Soma- with billions of dollars of goods traveling in Somalia is currently underway in the Regional grouping calls for ‘no-fly zone’ lia is illegal, says a Horn of Africa publi- through this region daily. southern region of this Horn of Africa na- cation: “The Kenyan action contravenes Oil has recently been discovered in tion. A combined force of U.S. Predator In another development, the regional Inter-Governmental Authority on Devel- the U.N. and African Union Charters and Uganda. Kenya is a major area for the drones and French naval vessels is target- infringes the sovereignty of Somalia.” Western-oriented tourist industry. Soma- ing four towns in the southern region so opment (IGAD) has called for the imposi- tion of a so-called “no-fly zone” and naval (Mareeg Online, Oct. 24) lia, which has been without a stable gov- that Kenyan military forces on the ground This article refers to both the Kam- ernment for more than two decades, has can seize Kismayo, a port city under the blockade against Somalia. An innocuous-sounding “no-fly zone” pala Accord, which was signed on June 9 posed a monumental challenge for U.S. control of Al-Shabaab. The city is a major and mandates the postponement of elec- imperialism, which has tried unsuccess- Continued from page 9 source of trade and serves as the econom- resolution against Libya, passed last March by the U.N. Security Council, be- tions in Somalia for one year while the fully to impose a stable government sub- ic lifeline for the resistance movement, involvement of pro-Western interests in ordinate to its interests since 1992. which has been labeled by the U.S. as a came the basis for a seven-month NATO bombing campaign that destroyed the the country’s political process is ongoing, The Al-Shabaab resistance movement terrorist organization allied with al-Qaida. and the Communique of the International has taken control of large sections of Kenyan press reports on Oct. 23 indi- infrastructure of the country, killed thou- sands of civilians, displaced hundreds Contact Group, signed in Denmark on the south and central regions of Soma- cated that French warships bombarded Sept. 29. Both documents make reference lia. Inside the capital of Mogadishu, the areas near Kismayo in efforts to support of thousands of workers and led to the targeted assassinations of Libyan leader to a Regional Political Initiative which is organization controls most of the city. the land invasion and the ongoing Pen- not explained in detail. Were it not for the presence of a CIA sta- tagon drone attacks. French diplomatic Moammar Gadhafi, several members of his family and other top government of- Mareeg Online states that the current tion, Predator drone missions and the sources, as usual, denied these reports. situation in Somalia provides a political U.S.-funded AMISOM forces, the Islamic At least 4,000 Kenyan troops are fighting ficials in that oil-rich North African state. The prevailing atmosphere within the framework which “serves the leaders of group would have seized power long ago. alongside the military forces of the Trans­ IGAD/EAC as an insurance coverage for These developments in Somalia are tak- itional Federal Government (TFG), the governments of the U.S. and other imperi- alist countries is heavily geared toward mil- their political abuses and corruption in ing place within the context of greater U.S. interim government based in Mogadishu their own countries and as a cash cow to and NATO military intervention in Africa. that has little popular support and is largely itary intervention in Africa. However, the most recent effort of these countries to get receive special privileges and massive fi- In addition to their Libya mission, where subsidized by the U.S. The TFG is bolstered nancial, military and diplomatic assistance the U.S. Africom military command con- by the so-called African Union Mission to a sanctions resolution against Syria failed as China and Russia, citing what had hap- from the U.S. administration and Europe- ducted its first major operation on the con- Somalia (AMISOM), which encompasses an countries. The clashes between Somali tinent, the U.S. imperialists have recently 9,000 troops from the Washington-backed pened to Libya, both exercised their veto. The invasion of Somalia is closely re- factions along the border with Kenya and admitted to dispatching 100 military ad- regimes of Uganda and Burundi. the recent spate of kidnapping of foreign visers and Special Forces commandos into Naval ships from Kenya fitted with lated to the pro-Western policy impera- tives of the IGAD/East Africa Community citizens from inside Kenya have disturbed four states in Central and East Africa. heavy weapons are also said to be operat- the security and economic situation of Ke- Other reports indicate that the oil- ing in Somalian territorial waters. Political Initiative. Leading states within the IGAD/EAC Political Initiative include nya, but they were not sufficient to justify a producing state of Nigeria has stepped U.S. drone attacks have escalated military invasion of Somalia.” up its military cooperation with the U.S. against Somalia over the last few weeks. The Kenyan government, in preparation and that the Gulf of Guinea is the scene In just two days, Oct. 20 and 21, at least for the invasion, received helicopter gun- of periodic war games conducted by the 66 people were reported killed in bombing Lockerbie ships from the U.S. In addition, former So- Pentagon in partnership with several gov- raids carried out by these pilotless planes malian TFG Minister of Defense Mohamed ernments in West Africa. Continued from page 9 deployed by the CIA and the Pentagon. Gandi “reached a personal understanding These military operations on the part French naval vessels were reported to Don’t blame Iran, either with Kenyan officials for the recruiting, of the imperialist countries are framed to have struck the town of Kuday near Kis- If apartheid diehards were responsible training and arming of 2,000 troops se- the public as “humanitarian missions” de- mayo. These attacks may be related to the for blowing up the Pan Am plane, the lected from specific clans of the Jubba re- signed to fight terrorism and protect civil- abductions of several French nationals conspirators probably figured that Iran gions and asked for their relocation in the ians. Yet it is the U.S. involvement in So- and a British citizen in Somalia in recent would be blamed for it. capital of Mogadishu.” (Mareeg Online) malia that has destabilized the region and months. A civilian plane, Iran Air Flight 655, The Horn of Africa nations and the created the worst food and water crisis in U.S. officials told the Associated Press had been blown out of the skies on July 3, entire East Africa region have strategic the world. during the week of Oct. 17 that Washing- 1988, over the Strait of Hormuz, by a mis- ton was pressuring the Kenyan govern- sile launched by the U.S. Navy ship Vin- ment to take action inside Somalia. De- cennes. Among the 290 passengers who spite this admission, the White House is died were 66 children. Perspective on Middle East struggle claiming that the Kenyan invasion took This terrorist act effectively ended the Continued from page 2 Washington’s “war on terror” and its ren- the Obama administration by surprise. Iran-Iraq war. Although it paid $61.8 mil- cause it has impoverished the workers, dition program, and more. Kenyan military leaders are anticipat- lion in compensation, the U.S. government developed corruption and denied others a While such policies deserved to be op- ing heavy fighting in their efforts to take still refuses to apologize for this crime. voice in the government. Yet it hates Syria posed, some otherwise progressive forces the town of Afmadow. Heavy rains have If the U.S claimed that Iran took revenge for hosting Palestinian leaders; for not even called for NATO to intervene against stalled the Kenyan military advances as by bombing Pan Am Flight 103, South Af- giving up its claims to the Golan Heights; Gadhafi. hundreds of residents have fled in order rica would be needed in a new war. Apart- for refusing to sign a peace treaty with Is- The U.S.-NATO forces are the bosses in to avoid the impending assault. heid might be given a new lease on life. rael; because it won’t end its relationship the Middle East and Northern Africa. The Kenyan military spokesperson Maj. But the first Bush administration that with Hezbollah or with Iran; and because imperialists “helped” by destroying Libya’s Emmanuel Chirchir said: “Most likely was coming into office already had made it opposed the attack on Iraq in 2003. civilian infrastructure and economy and by man-to-man battles will occur in Afmad- its plans to invade Iraq. Libya served as Imperialism opposes Syria for the good unilaterally bombing Libya. NATO’s assault an alternative scapegoat. things it has done. on Libya is allowing Washington to get its One of the biggest blows to apartheid The opposition to Assad is divided and military force, Africom, on African soil. Iraq withdrawal? was when Iranian workers stopped oil without a clear anti-imperialist focus. Imperialism and capitalism are always shipments to South Africa, which had Well-meaning Syrians may oppose Assad, the main enemy. Imperialism is thor- Continued from page 8 previously gotten 60 percent of its petro- but for diametrically opposed reasons oughly reactionary and predatory. It has equivalent of a heavy combat brigade. In leum from Iran. than why the U.S. opposes him. no progressive role to play. It only “helps” July, Danger Room exclusively reported We need to know the truth about who itself, at the expense of workers and op- that the State Department blocked the bombed Pan Am Flight 103 and other How U.S.-NATO are ‘helping’ Libya pressed people. congressionally appointed watchdog for ­terrorist crimes. But don’t expect any help Libya had another bourgeois nation- Our fate is tied to those whom imperial- Iraq from acquiring basic information from the terrorists in the CIA and Pentagon. alist government with a dual character, ism oppresses abroad. We are in the same about contractor security operations, such Seventy-eight people died when Cu- inconsistent in its treatment of working class camp. We have the same class enemy. as the contractors’ rules of engagement.” bana Flight 455 was blown up on Oct. 6, people and its opposition to imperialism. An imperialist win abroad emboldens the (Talking Points Memo, Oct. 21) 1976, by CIA assets Orlando Bosch and Many groups and individuals in Africa capitalists in their attacks on workers here, It is difficult to escape the conclusion Luis Posada. This was retaliation for Cuba defended Gadhafi because of aspects of while a defeat for them abroad weakens that the U.S. intends to use the State De- coming to Angola’s aid after the newly in- his record in Africa and his support for them here. partment and its contractors as a means dependent country had been invaded by the armed struggle in South Africa. Workers and progressives here must op- of continuing its aggression in Iraq. It may South Africa. Yet some Arab groups here and in the pose U.S. intervention in Syria. It would be also be a means of making sure that U.S. Bosch, who died this April 27, was par- Middle East opposed Gadhafi because he the worst thing for oppressed people in the personnel get immunity from Iraqi law for doned by the senior President George has repressed Libyans with different po- Middle East and for the working class and any crimes they may commit in the future. Bush in 1990. Posada still lives in Miami. litical views, because he cooperated with oppressed here, too. Correspondencia sobre artículos en Workers World/Mundo Obrero pueden ser enviadas a: [email protected]

EDITORIAL: Los imperialistas ¿Por qué los sindicatos apoyan asesinan a Gadafi al movimiento OWS? Por G. Dunkel la AFL-CIO hizo un llamado, junto amortiguada. as noticias circularon por el mundo el 20-21 de Nueva York con muchos otros sindicatos y orga- El gobernador Andrew Cuomo, Loctubre diciendo que aviones de la OTAN habían gol- nizaciones progresistas, para acudir un demócrata, ha alegado que para peado a una caravana de coches que salían de Sirte en Casi todos los principales sin- y mostrar su solidaridad con los/as mantener a los ricos en el estado de Libia, hiriendo a Moamar Gadafi, y que el líder libio fue dicatos nacionales - excepto en la manifestantes. Nueva York, tiene que dejar que ex- capturado vivo y posteriormente asesinado. Los detalles industria de la construcción - y la Este fue un acto rápido sin prec- pire un recargo de impuestos que de de su muerte son superficiales y podrían estar delibera- AFL-CIO han respaldado Ocupar edente por parte de la AFL-CIO, lo contrario traería 5 mil millones damente distorsionados u oscurecidos por sus asesinos. Wall Street. Pero lo más importante poniéndose en una situación que de dólares el año próximo. Dado el Destaca este hecho principal: tomó la intervención de es que en las grandes ciudades han no podía controlar y que contenía mandato constitucional de Nueva las fuerzas imperialistas de aire — incluyendo un avión ofrecido un importante apoyo orga- un elemento de confrontación con York para equilibrar el presupuesto estadounidense Predator sin piloto y un avión de guerra nizativo, financiero y político a este el poder del Estado. El llamado de del estado, él decidió llenar ese vacío francés, para poner fin a la vida de este líder africano. movimiento. la AFL-CIO dio un espacio para que con recortes de servicio y exigencias Así, el asesinato de Gadafi fue igual que el resto del Nueva York, donde OWS se los sindicatos locales de Nueva York en los contratos impuestos a los/as llamado alzamiento en Libia: una completa creación de inició hace más de un mes, no sólo le pidieran a sus miembros que si trabajadores/as estatales. las potencias imperialistas en la OTAN. Como hemos es la capital financiera del poder era posible, se presentaran inmedi- El sindicato mayor del estado es dicho en esta columna anteriormente, los “rebeldes”: económico dominante del mundo, atamente en la Plaza de la Libertad la Asociación de Empleados de Ser- los líderes del Consejo Nacional de Transición, los sino que también es la ciudad de los para estar con los/as manifestantes. vicio Civil (CSEA por las siglas en monárquicos de Banghāzī y cualquier otra fuerza que EE.UU. con el mayor porcentaje de La movilización fue un éxito y la inglés), Local 1000 de la Federación se unió a la desarrapada cruzada contra el gobierno en trabajadores/as sindicalizados/as. ciudad pospuso el desalojo. Americana de Empleados del Es- Libia — no hubieran podido ganar una batalla sin el Por la respuesta de los/as miembros Leyendo los endosos de los sin- tado, Condado y Municipio (AFSC- poderío aéreo, el reconocimiento, la logística, la finan- de los sindicatos, está claro que este dicatos extraído del Occupied Wall ME). Es uno de los endosantes del ciación, la planificación y la intervención directa de la llamado tiene un amplio apoyo. Street Journal, (8 de octubre), y OWS. CSEA, bajo la amenaza de de- OTAN. El apoyo sindical más grande algunos publicados en el internet spidos masivos, acordó un contrato Esto significa que especialmente Francia, Bretaña fue el 5 de octubre cuando más de como los de la United Auto Workers de cinco años que dicta tres años de e Italia, con pleno apoyo logístico de Estados Unidos, 30.000 personas – trabajadores/as y la Unión de Empleados de Servi- cero aumentos salariales y luego dos llevó a cabo una guerra — utilizando escasas fuerzas del transporte y la comunicación, cios, el amplio acuerdo político entre años con aumentos de sólo un 2 por títeres libias — en un intento de recolonizar a Libia, al maestros/as y profesores/as con los sindicatos y el movimiento OWS ciento, además de 13 días sin trabajo igual que los imperialistas han intentado recolonizar sus estudiantes, trabajadores/as de se vuelve más claro. Ambos se opo- ni sueldo y mayores costos por aten- Iraq y Afganistán. Todavía, ninguno de estos intentos ha la salud y organizaciones de la co- nen a la codicia y las manipulaciones ción médica pagados por los/as tra- logrado completamente subyugar al pueblo, que sigue munidad - marcharon desde Foley políticas que los banqueros de Wall bajadores/as. Los/as trabajadores/ resistiendo heroicamente en cada ubicación. Cierta- Square, justo al norte de la Alcaldía, Street y los administradores de fon- as representados/as por el CSEA mente los imperialistas han traído miseria dondequiera hasta el Parque Zuccotti/Plaza de la dos de inversión libre (hedge funds) que ahora viven bajo el nuevo con- que han hundido sus garras, pero en ningún lugar su Libertad. utilizan para crear auges económi- trato están viendo sus sueldos más dominio está asegurado. Incluso el sindicato de maestros/ cos - con las resultantes caídas. reducidos a cambio de un frágil acu- Quienes se engañaron creyendo que este era un legí- as del estado de NY, el New York Estos colapsos crean enormes erdo de cero despidos. timo levantamiento popular en Libia, como aquellos en State United Teachers (NYSUT) tra- pérdidas para los/as trabajadores/ El segundo sindicato más grande la vecina Egipto o Túnez — tienen que sentirse humil- jo dos autobuses desde Albany, en as que los sindicatos representan; se del estado de Nueva York, la Feder- lados escuchando hoy los discursos triunfantes de los un viaje de más de tres horas. Las destruyen puestos de trabajo, vivi- ación de Empleados Públicos (PEF), jefes de gobiernos de la OTAN, Nicolas Sarkozy, David delegaciones de la Unión de Traba- endas, atención médica, educación y que forma parte del NYSUT, rechazó Cameron, Silvio Berlusconi y Barack Obama. Las pal- jadores de la Comunicación, (CWA), transporte público. Las ganancias y un contrato similar a finales de sep- abras de los líderes imperialistas despotricando contra que está en una lucha amarga con- el poder de Wall Street sin embargo, tiembre. Un día después, salieron el Gadafi que asesinaron es prueba suficiente de que el tra Verizon, marchó con OWS en fueron y siguen siendo sostenidas y avisos de despido por correo elec- líder libio murió tratando de luchar por la independen- Nueva York y San Francisco. Veri- mantenidas con miles de millones trónico y el estado comenzó a aju- cia de su país rico en petróleo de estas mismas potencias zon ha acumulado más de $20 mil de dólares en rescates del gobierno. star su contrato junto al liderazgo mundiales depredadoras. millones en ganancias en los últi- ¡“Los bancos consiguieron rescates! del PEF. Un acuerdo tentativo de un Sin embargo, la lección más importante es que los Es- mos cinco años. ¡Nosotros fuimos traicionados”! es contrato de cuatro años ligeramente tados imperialistas y sus líderes no tienen ningún reparo El CWA suspendió sus dos se- una consigna frecuente en las mar- modificado fue alcanzado el 16 de sobre uso de la fuerza, rompiendo las leyes internacio- manas de huelga en contra de las chas del OWS. octubre y debe ir pronto para un nales y simplemente asesinando a líderes de gobiernos. operaciones de línea fija y FiOS de Algunas corrientes del mov- voto entre la membrecía. Son criminales de guerra. No merecen ningún respeto. Verizon a mitad de agosto, cuando la imiento OWS se están moviendo En un blog abierto del periódico En su lugar, lo que se merecen es ser sometidos a juicio. empresa accedió a volver a la mesa en una dirección anticapitalista que en línea Albany Times-Union, pa- En las últimas semanas cientos de miles de jóvenes de negociaciones. Desde entonces muchos sindicatos quizás no com- rece haber un fuerte sentimiento han estado ocupando las plazas o manifestándose en las ha habido un poco de progreso pero partan todavía, pero aún hay un acu- en el PEF para otro voto de “no”, principales ciudades de los países encabezados por estos la compañía sigue insistiendo en erdo político general. con muchas entradas refiriéndose al imperialistas. Este último asesinato debe reforzar su de- grandes recortes de los beneficios, El UAW envió muchos miembros OWS. El rechazo en septiembre fue terminación de librar al mundo del sistema capitalista, en jubilación y en atención médi- a la marcha del 5 de octubre y tuvo el primer voto de “no” en 34 años. que no sólo les priva de su futuro en su propio país, sino ca para obtener así aún mayores un contingente de 50 a 100 miem- Cientos de miles de trabajadores/ que trae dolor y miseria a gran parte de la humanidad. ­ganancias. bros en la protesta del 15 de octubre as estatales tienen contratos que ya ¡Viva la lucha para liberar a Libia y al mundo del La noche del 13 al 14 octubre contra los bancos llamada por el Co- han expirado o van a expirar pronto. imperialismo y de los bancos y las corporaciones que lo mostró la profundidad del apoyo del mité Enfoque Sindical del OWS de Lo que está alimentando su enojo y sostienen! movimiento sindical para el OWS. Nueva York. Su respaldo no fue sólo desasosiego es que el estado y la ciu- La ciudad estaba amenazando con una formalidad. dad utilizarán estos contratos dra- usar la excusa de que era necesario Mientras la fuerte lucha del CWA conianos y retrógrados con CSEA y “limpiar” Zuccotti Park para prote- con Verizon ha influido claramente PEF como estándares. ¡OCUPEMOS ! ger la salud pública y la seguridad. en el apoyo del sindicato para OWS, La lucha continúa, ahora con YAYA COMENZÓCOMENZÓ AL Esta “limpieza” hubiera significado la importancia del conflicto entre el nuevos aliados/as mientras los/as MUNDO –LA REVOLUCIÓN!REVOLUCIÓN el desalojo de los/as manifestantes. estado de Nueva York y sus sindi- trabajadores/as luchan contra los Tan pronto se conoció la noticia, catos de servicios públicos ha sido patronos. Anunciando una Cumbre en Contra del G20 Continúan demandado su libertad por los Cinco Cubanos. Gerardo Hernández ASAMBLEA POPULAR Nordelo, Ramón Labañino­ Salazar, AL COLEGIO HOSTOS EN EL BRONX Rene González Sehwerert,­ Savoy Manor – La calle 149 y Avenida Walton Fernando González Llort and Antonio Guerrero Sábado, 5 de NOVIEMBRE Rodríguez De las 12 a las 4 de la tarde (inscripción 11:30 am) MOVIMIENTO RESCATE AL PUEBLO bailoutpeople.org

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