AUSTRALIA $1.50 · CANADA $1.50 · FRANCE 1.00 EURO · NEW ZEALAND $1.50 · UK £.50 · U.S. $1.00 INSIDE US class struggle a feature at Havana conference — PAGE 6-7 A SOCIALIST NEWSWEEKLY PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF WORKING PEOPLE Vol. 82/no. 20 May 21, 2018 SWP, books, Join teachers for May 16 US rulers, ‘Militant’ spark protest in North Carolina! Tehran fight interest among over sway in working people Middle East BY DAN FEIN BY TErrY EVANS When teachers and other school Determined to protect U.S. imperi- workers went on strike May 7 in Pueb- alist interests in the Middle East, push lo, Colorado, Walmart worker Helen back Tehran’s growing military inter- Meyers and a team of other Socialist ventions and prevent Iran’s capitalist Workers Party members and support- rulers acquiring nuclear arms, President ers were there to join in solidarity and Donald Trump May 8 withdrew the U.S. government from the 2015 nuclear deal signed by former President Barack SOCIALIST WORKERS Obama. That agreement — also signed PARTY SPRING DRIVES by the rulers in Germany, France, Brit- ain, Russia and China — eased sanc- introduce the party, its paper the Mili- tions on Iran in exchange for curtailing tant and books by party leaders. its nuclear program through 2030. They got into a discussion at a noon- Trump said Washington will impose time rally with Tina Gurule, a school sanctions and take other steps to press counselor, about the need to unify the Militant/Diane Shur Tehran to make additional concessions. working class and others in struggle Teachers at April 26 news conference in Greensboro, North Carolina, announcing May 16 More punishing sanctions will sharpen march and rally in Raleigh to demand better wages, work conditions and funds for schools. to build a strong working-class move- the crisis facing Iran’s capitalist rulers ment to organize independently of the Back teachers, join Socialist Teachers, school workers and fall most harshly on working people. Democrats and Republicans, the par- Workers Party campaign! build for Raleigh action Washington holds a vast nuclear arse- ties of the bosses. nal. According to a White House state- Gurule agreed. If the teachers The following statement was is- BY DIANE SHUR ment, the president will “assemble a could deepen their struggle alongside sued, May 9 by John Studer, Social- GREENSBORO, N.C. — The broad coalition of nations to deny Iran those fighting against police brutal- ist Workers Party national campaign school workers uprising that started all paths to a nuclear weapon.” Busi- ity, in defense of immigrants and the director. in West Virginia in late February nesses and banks that trade with Iranian rights of women and gay people, “we and has since rolled across Kentucky, companies will have up to 180 days to can make a change,” she said. Gurule After three decades of retreats Oklahoma, Arizona and Colorado, end these operations. got a copy of Are They Rich Because something new is happening in the has hit North Carolina. More than Government spokespeople in Lon- They’re Smart? by SWP National labor movement. With courage and 11,500 teachers have already filed don, Berlin, Paris and Tehran all say Continued on page 3 Continued on page 9 for personal days to march and rally they will keep the deal working by al- outside the Capitol in Raleigh at the lowing Iran’s oil exports and other trade opening of the state legislative session to continue while Tehran keeps restric- Rulers’ disdain, anti-working-class May 16. tions on nuclear activity. The three Eu- “13 and Counting” is the headline ropean capitalist regimes say they will attacks fuel protests in Puerto Rico Continued on page 4 Continued on page 9 ‘Join fight against Iowa attack on women’s right to choose abortion’ BY LEA SHErmAN filed by local prosecutors, though no More than 100 supporters of wom- penalties are set by the bill. en’s right to choose abortion gathered “The law is bad. Every woman has at the state Capitol in Des Moines the right to make her own decision. for an “Iowa Fights Back rally” May Very young women get pregnant ac- 4. They were protesting Gov. Kim Continued on page 9 Reynolds signing into law that day a so-called fetal heartbeat bill. The law would ban abortions so early in the pregnancy — at six weeks — that Inside a woman might not even realize she Grenfell Tower fire survivors was pregnant. demand housing, fire safety 2 The fight for reproductive rights is “all of our fight,” Suzanna de Baca, Elorientalpr.net/Esteban D. Rodríguez Flecha Volunteers expand reach April 30 protest in Humacao. Second sign from the left says, “Being old is not a crime. Enough president of Planned Parenthood of of revolutionary books 2 already of the lies and deceit.” The sign next to it reads, “Lights for everyone, stop ignoring us.” the Heartland, told the rally, “and it’s on all of us to push against these at- Teachers, school workers walk BY SETH GALINSKY especially the tens of thousands still tacks on our lives, our bodies ... our out in Pueblo contract struggle 4 Officials of the government-run without power. rights.” electric company in Puerto Rico “We have entire towns in the cen- The law requires doctors to give –On the picket line, p. 5– claim that 98 percent of the U.S. col- ter of the island still without light,” all women an ultrasound before per- Ukraine workers rally May Day ony now has electricity, eight months Marimer Castro told the Militant by forming an abortion. If any pulsation in fight for wages, work safety after hurricanes Irma and Maria rav- phone May 7. is detected, then an abortion cannot aged the island, and just a month be- Castro helped organize a demon- be performed. Any doctor who does School workers in New Zealand fore the next hurricane season begins. stration April 30 attended by more perform the medical procedure could rally for equal pay for women But almost nobody believes them, Continued on page 6 see their license revoked or charges Grenfell Tower fire survivors demand housing, fire safety BY PAULINE HARTFORD get behind the fight for rehousing, for LONDON — Marking 10 months tearing down the flammable cladding since the Grenfell Tower fire, where on other buildings across the country, 72 people were killed and hundreds and for installation of sprinkler systems left homeless, thousands of survivors in all housing.” Robertson is a member and supporters marched here April 14. of Unite at the Ford plant in Dagenham. Every month survivors mobilize to de- Dozens of bikers from different clubs, mand government action. This was the organized by the Muslim motorcycle biggest demonstration to date. organization Deen Riders, met at Ace The Grenfell inferno was a disaster Café in North London to drive through waiting to happen, prepared by the cal- the city and lead off the April 14 march. lous indifference of government officials “We can’t distance ourselves from and the building’s owners and manag- such an atrocity,” Jamaal Richards of ers. It was fed by cladding installed on Deen Riders said at the rally concluding Motorcyclists lead April 14 march in London demanding government action to house victims the building’s exterior that was a known the protest. “We have to ensure every- of Grenfell disaster 10 months after fire killed 72. Disaster was result of rulers’ contempt. fire hazard. There was no sprinkler sys- one gets justice.” tem in the tower and substandard fire Pavel Viatkin, a young design engi- cladding. Solidarity actions took place Tirsén, Communist League candidate doors that failed to withstand the flames. neer from Russia who has lived in Lon- in Liverpool, Bristol, Brighton, Thanet, for Longsight in Manchester, who came A poignant moment at each march is don for five years, was one of the bik- Southampton and Scotland. to London to march. “But it could have when protesters turn in silence to view ers. “We rode by Parliament to get here. Of the 209 Grenfell households that happened anywhere. The last Labour the still-standing charred remains of the Thousands saw us and were filming us needed rehousing, only 60 have moved government presided over similar ac- tower, a monument to the rulers’ con- with our signs for Grenfell United. We into permanent homes. A further 68 cidents waiting to happen around the tempt for working people. helped spread the message!” he said. have accepted offers, but are still in country. In no borough anywhere — The survivors refuse to let the govern- Speaking for the survivors’ organiza- emergency housing. Conservative or Labour — has there ment’s announcement of a public inqui- tion Grenfell United, Adel Chaoui an- The Labour Party is cynically trying been a crash program of sprinkler in- ry into the causes of the fire shift atten- nounced they hope the next march May to evade responsibility for the disaster stallation or flammable cladding remov- tion away from the need for action now 14 will be on Parliament where a debate by making use of a leaked report that al following the fire.” on rehousing and fire safety measures. on the composition of the panel for the the spread of the fire was due to shoddy Over 300 other blocks have been Their actions have won broad support. public inquiry is scheduled. refurbishment work done by the Royal identified as covered with dangerous “As we made our way from the Kens- “What we call ‘health and safety gone Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. cladding, according to the government.