Students, Workers Occupy the Millbank Tower in London Port
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
INDUSTRIAL OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER oF T H E I NDUS T R I A L Wo R K EWORKER R S O F T H E Wo R L D D ecember 2010 #1731 Vol. 107 N o . 1 0 $1/ £ 1/ €1 Jimmy John’s Solidarity With Review: Zionism, Police Brutally Workers Keep Up Locked-Out Country Judaism and Attack Workers in The Fight 5 Club Workers 6-7 ‘Mythistory’ 8 Greece 12 Students, Workers Occupy The Millbank Tower In London From afed.org.uk property destruction and occupation at A report on the demonstration and Millbank Tower, home to the Conserva- attack on the Tory headquarters by tive Party Headquarters. Direct action students and education workers against was not limited to this either, with the cuts. London School of Economics going into One of the largest and most vibrant occupation shortly after the end of the protests in London in recent history took protest, a sit-down protest in Parliament place on Nov. 10. More than 50,000 edu- Square and some limited property destruc- cation workers and students took to the tion at Liberal Democrat Headquarters. capital not only to protest against the rise Students and education workers have not in tuition fees but reforms in education only demonstrated their anger at the wave in general and to protest for a fairer, free of attacks in store for a whole generation higher education system. The Anarchist of young people, but their lack of faith in Federation was among them, forming parliamentary democracy and the need a “radical workers’ and students’ bloc” to take the struggle into their own hands. which, along with London Solidarity Fed- The media and official union response eration, argued that capitalism is the cause to this has hardly been surprising. Com- of this crisis; that the Left and the union mentators were quick to denounce the leaders cannot be trusted to fight our actions at Millbank tower as that of a battles (a point that the National Union “militant minority,” “the Socialist Worker of Students (NUS) president Aaron Porter Party” or “anarchists,” who, to quote later so aptly demonstrated); and that we Harry Mount from the Telegraph “perhaps need united, grassroots direct action as with a student card, from a third-rate part of a sustained fight back. institution they never visit, that cloaks Contrary to the corporate media their criminal violence with the fig leaf of Photo: Henry Langston, libcom.org commentaries, a significant portion of principled protest.” NUS President Aaron More than 50,000 students and education workers occupy London’s Millbank the march also involved itself in the Continued on 5 Tower on Nov. 10. Port Shutdown Demands Justice For Oscar Grant By Judy Greenspan since its 1934 general strike, developed a The stage and steps of Frank Ogawa strong relationship with the Black com- Plaza in downtown Oakland, Calif., shook munity in West Oakland and other parts and trembled with the strong unifying cry of the Bay Area. of “We are all Oscar Grant!” as over 1,000 people—Black, Brown, Native, Asian and Power of the Working Class white—came out to attend a rally that Richard Mead, president of ILWU followed the dramatic shutdown of Bay Local 10, recalled that the shooting of two Area ports by workers of the International workers sparked the 1934 general strike Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU). led by the dock and maritime workers The ILWU drill team opened the Oct. in San Francisco. “Oscar Grant’s death 23rd program in full uniform, marching was also murder,” Mead said. “[A general to the beat of “What time is it? Union strike]—that’s where we need to go now.” time!” and “We are the union—the mighty, Thomas put Grant’s killing in a larger mighty union!” perspective: “The war on the Black com- Clarence Thomas, long-time ILWU munity, particularly on the youth of color, Local 10 member and labor activist who always intensifies during times of econom- co-chaired the rally with Jack Heyman, ic crisis. Oscar Grant could have been any another ILWU dockworker, proudly an- one of our sons, nephews or grandsons.” nounced, “All of the Bay Area ports are “We stopped international commerce shut down today in honor of the fight for today. We shut down all of the ports. That’s Community activists demand justice for Oscar Grant on Oct. 23. Photo: Judy Greenspan justice for Oscar Grant.” the power of the working class,” Thomas This rally came just two weeks before announced. the sentencing of Johannes Mehserle, Cristina Gutierrez, a Latina activist Industrial Worker Periodicals Postage the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) cop representing Barrio Unido, a San Fran- PO Box 180195 PO Box 180195 PAID who shot and killed 22-year-old Grant, cisco-based organization for general and Chicago, IL 60618 Chicago, IL 60618, USA Chicago, IL an unarmed Black man, as he was tightly unconditional amnesty for immigrants, and additional restrained face down on a BART platform delivered a moving statement on the ISSN 0019-8870 mailing offices on Jan. 1, 2009. The labor and community strength of the unity of all people against protest was held to send a message to the oppression. “Yo soy Oscar Grant, I am ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED court demanding the harshest possible Oscar Grant, I am Mumia, I am Lynne sentence for Mehserle. Stewart, I am Black, I am Brown, I am Chi- Mehserle was charged with second- nese, I am a worker,” Gutierrez exclaimed. degree murder, but he was convicted of “I am the one who came to this coun- only involuntary manslaughter. Grant’s try to seek work. Unless we work hand in mother, Wanda Johnson, said immediate- hand with our Black brothers and sisters, ly after the verdict, “My son was murdered. we cannot win,” said Gutierrez. He was murdered and the law has not held BART workers from the Amalgam- the officer accountable” (San Francisco ated Transit Union Local 1555, led by past Chronicle, July 9, 2010). president Harold Brown, stood together on Many speakers noted the incredible stage and delivered a moving statement in role played by the ILWU in supporting support of justice for Oscar Grant. Brown, the rally. The union has a long history of a train operator on the BART line which supporting anti-racist and progressive passes through the Fruitvale station, the causes with work stoppages. The dock site of Grant’s killing, noted, “There’s not a and warehouse workers union has also, Continued on 5 Page 2 • Industrial Worker • December 2010 nerves,” it was quite amusing to see that he former player Dave Meggysey said, “play- Literature Review Is Invaluable misspelled our names multiple times. (For ers are being compensated for giving up Fellow Workers, future reference when you write your next their middle age.” It was with considerable sadness that I screed, it is “Parthun” and “McKeegan” not (6) The industry they work for makes read on pages 12-13 in the November 2010 “Pathun” and “McGeehan”). billions. As a worker, they would be insane Industrial Worker that FW Jon Bekken’s X365465 continuously admits that he not to demand as much of the revenue “Annual Survey of Historical Writing on has limited knowledge of the subject, but as possible. Only for some reason, FW the IWW” is to be the last of the series. that does not stop him from gloriously X365465 sees fit to demean and punish Letters Welcome! Jon has performed an invaluable service pontificating. While he beats the dead them for their bargaining successes. for people interested in this literature by Send your letters to: [email protected] horse of high pay for certain players, Just because FW X365465 compiling this information year by year. It with “Letter” in the subject. his ignorance of the subject fails to has a “great deal of difficulty is unlikely that any of our members will be mention: thinking of anybody in that sal- Mailing address: able to continue this effort in the future. (1) The average career of an ary range as ‘workers’” does not IW, P.O. Box 7430, JAF Station, New For this, as for many other services to the NFL player is three years. discount the idea. He skillfully York, NY 10116, United States IWW, we are indebted to Jon Bekken. (2) A player must play 3.5 years and deftly avoided our discus- Steve Kellerman, X325068 to get the minimum health care benefit sion about most players risking their lives Get the Word Out! which is only five years. on every snap as well as the concurrent IWW members, branches, job shops and Football Players ARE Workers! (3) Players will likely have health point that most players are not those that By Neil Parthun and Photo: iww.org other affiliated bodies can get the word maladies requiring necessary care for receive national media attention. out about their project, event, campaign Dann McKeegan longer than those five years which means Furthermore, it should be noted that or protest each month in the Industrial Editor’s Note: This will be the last in a the next 50+ years (if they live to expected there is not only one professional foot- Worker. Send announcements to iw@ series of debate regarding this issue. life span for adult male) must be paid out ball league. The United Football League, iww.org. Much appreciated donations The combination of arrogance and of their own earnings. Canadian Football League, American for the following sizes should be sent to: ignorance shown in FW X365465’s let- (4) Nearly 50 percent of what they Professional Football League, Atlantic/ ter, “NFL Players Are Not Workers: The make is gone when factoring in income American Indoor Football League, Con- IWW GHQ, Post Office Box 180195, Debate Continues,” which appeared in the taxes, their agent’s cut and their associa- tinental Indoor Football League, Indoor Chicago, IL 60618, United States.