workers.org Workers and oppressed peoples of the world unite! MARCH 1, 2007 VOL. 49, NO. 8 50¢ February protests show Bush aumenta Struggle heats up amenazas contra Irán 12 • vs. Iraq war funding By Monica Moorehead WW COMMENTARY: New York INTERNATIONAL Congress could stop the war 9 The struggle from below to force Congress to vote NO on any WORKING additional funding for the racist occupation of and war on Iraq got Katrina survivors; stop the war at home—stop racist police ter- WOMEN a tremendous shot in the arm this past week with numerous anti- ror—stop ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] raids; war protests organized across the U.S. From the West Coast to military recruiters out of our schools and communities and no • Immigrant fight-back then the East Coast, thousands of people and especially students took draft—education, not war.” to the streets to demand, “Cut off war funding now and bring the and now 5 Chapel Hill, N.C. troops home.” th • Stop execution The Feb. 15-17 protests sent a clear message that there is growing On Feb. 16, while Rep. David Price (4 District-N.C.) was of Iraqi women 9 mass awareness that Congress cannot be counted on as a whole to on the floor of the House debating a meaningless nonbinding stop the Bush administration’s objective of staying in Iraq for an resolution, six youth were sitting in on the floor of his office, • Campaign for indefinite amount of time—even after the Nov. 7 elections, which demanding that the funds for the war on Iraq be cut off and that the people’s needs start being met. The six youth, members of the Cuban Five 8 became an anti-war mandate from registered voters. The Troops Out Now Coalition (TONC) initiated a national call U. of N.C.-Chapel Hill SDS (Students for a Democratic Society) for the Feb. 17 demonstrations. TONC is urging all progressive and Raleigh FIST (Fight Imperialism, Stand Together), were movements and activists, of all political persuasions, to unite subsequently arrested for the action. and come to Washington, D.C., for the march on the Pentagon The demonstration, organized in coordination with the CHRYSLER called by ANSWER for March 17. TONC is also urging activists Troops Out Now Coalition’s “Cut Off ALL War Funds Day,” More jobs on to occupy Washington, D.C., while the debate on the war funding Continued on page 6 takes place. 4 chopping block A TONC leaflet passed out in New York and elsewhere on Feb. 17 reads in part: “President Bush won’t stop the war. ... Congress won’t stop the war. ... It’s time to ... occupy Washington. ... Across lavender the U.S., activists and organizers are planning buses, car cara- vans, vans and peace trains to Washington—not just to march, & but to stay, because it’s time to go from mere protest to resistance. red We need a massive mobilization on the streets of Washington as Congress votes on war funding. We hope to set up an encampment t in D.C. beginning the week of March 12.” H TONC demands include an “immediate, complete and uncon- 1959 CUBAN ditional withdrawal from Iraq; an end to colonial occupation and imperialist aggression from Africa to Asia, Iraq, Palestine, REVOLUTION Afghanistan, Haiti, the Philippines and Puerto Rico; no new wars First step for against Iran, Syria or North Korea; hands off Cuba, Venezuela, PHOTO: ELENA EVERETT 8 Bolivia and Lebanon; solidarity with immigrant workers and Students hang banner in front of Rep. David Price’s office, sexual liberation Chapel Hill, Feb. 16. Black Editor on Sudan & Somalia 10 WW PHOTO: CHERYL LABASH Abayomi Azikiwe Subscribe to Workers World 4 weeks trial subscription $1 One year subscription: $25 Name _________________________________ Address ______________________________ City/State/Zip ________________________ Phone______________ email ____________ Workers World Newspaper 55 W. 17 St. NY, NY 10011 212-627-2994 www.workers.org WW PHOTO: JOHN CATALINOTTO Feb. 17 march, NYC. Page March 1, 007 www.workers.org MILWauKee. Youth focus of Black History Month H In the U.S. By Bryan G. Pfeifer human; how to build unity between African Americans Struggle heats up vs. Iraq war funding. 1 and other disenfranchised individuals and communities, Youth focus of Black History Month events. 2 The war on the Black Nation within the United States, including the white working class; the role of African- Al-Arian hospitalized on 23rd day of hunger strike. 3 particularly on the youth and how to fight back, sparked American and other women; the often negative treat- lively discussion at two Black History Month events at ment of youth by police and security personnel at public Federal judge trounces Ohio prison system. 3 the U. of Wisconsin Milwaukee. spaces such as Mayfair Mall; the lack of public spaces NAACP People’s Assembly builds a working-class move- Speaking before a packed room of multinational for youth; the relationships between youth and elders; ment. 3 campus members, representatives from three commu- nutrition; the role of unions and churches; the U.S. war Chrysler to cut 13,000 jobs. 4 nity-based Milwaukee youth organizations spoke Feb. on Iraq and its effect on poor communities; and the neg- 13 on “The Reality of African-American youth.” On Feb. ative and positive aspects of hip hop culture. On the picket line. 4 15, M1 of the hip hop group Dead Prez also spoke at the Concluded Mbalia, “We must no longer sit back and Court rules in favor of protesters. 5 university. do nothing. If you are unorganized you can’t control any Congress could stop the war--but won’t. 9 The chair for both events, Dr. Ahmed Mbalia, an situation. If you’re organized you can make a difference. assistant professor in the department of Africology and Youth are the spark.” H Around the world a member of the Pan African Revolutionary Socialist Party, began the Feb. 13 panel discussion by describing ‘Defeat imperialism!’ International women’s rights. 5 the effects of institutional racism confronting African On Feb. 15 M1, or Mutulu Olugabala, focused on the International women’s campaign for the Cuban Five . 8 Americans, specifically youth in Milwaukee, and nation- relationship between Black revolutionaries in the 1960s Rainbow Solidarity for the Cuban Five . 8 wide. He described health care disparities, endemic and 1970s and the international movements arising from Sex-changes in Cuba will be no-cost. 8 poverty, unemployment rates which are double that of these roots, including hip hop. Olugabala is currently on whites, failing schools and how African-American youth a U.S. speaking tour that is being filmed for a future DVD Lavender & red, part 91 . 8 in Wisconsin are imprisoned at the highest rates in the release. He had just come from Omaha, Neb., Malcolm Stop execution of Iraqi women . 9 nation. X’s birthplace. Black editor in Detroit on: Somalia and Sudan. 10 “Our youth are a product of the environment they Olugabala, wearing a military hat with a red star International briefs. 11 come from. This is a population that is indeed faced with insignia and “Cuba” above the star, spoke before a large major crises,” said Mbalia. multinational audience that included many long-time H Editorials Reggie Moore of Urban Underground grew up and still Black and other liberation movement freedom fighters— The prisons are the crime. 10 resides in Milwaukee. He described how he had to search including African-American Milwaukee City Council for institutional assistance beyond his family and kinship Alderman Michael McGee Jr., who is currently under networks while he saw this wasn’t the case in more afflu- racist attack for defending and supporting working class H Noticias En Español ent areas. This, in part, led him and others to create Urban and oppressed people. Bush aumenta amenazas contra Irán. 12 Underground in 2000. Moore said much of the organiza- Olugabala described his personal journey, beginning tion’s focus is “how to create spaces for young people in with his formative years from his birth in Jamaica to this community” and help them overcome personal chal- living in Brooklyn, Raleigh, N.C., and Tallahassee, Fla., lenges. Activities, mostly led by young African-American where he met his Dead Prez partner Sticman, helped women, include community organizing such as fighting form the Black Survival Movement and joined the African police brutality and harassment, educational programs, People’s Socialist Party and the National Democratic finding alternatives to incarceration and workshops. Uhuru (Freedom) Movement. Victor Barnett, executive director of Running Rebels, From there he gave an overview of the U.S. “unde- Workers World described how this organization has participated in help- clared war” on the Black Nation in the latter half of the 55 West 17 Street ing thousands of youth since 1980. Barnett said one of twentieth century largely waged through COINTELPRO, New York, N.Y. 10011 the main goals of Running Rebels is to “show the youth a counterinsurgency program that used assassinations, Phone: (212) 627-2994 that someone cares about them.” With an expansive torture and other forms of terror against the Black and Fax: (212) 675-7869 office in the central city, the organization runs a variety other liberation movements. Olugabala stressed that E-mail: [email protected] of programs focusing on educational and recreational particular targets of U.S. imperialism were the Black Web: www.workers.org activities. These include mentoring, tutoring, crisis sta- Panther’s people’s programs and dynamic leaders, orga- Vol. 49, No. 8 • March 1, 2007 bilization, anger management, daily living skills, a music nizers and theoreticians such as Assata Shakur, Fred Closing date: Feb.