Category Archives: International

The battle for Algeria’s streets begins: police attack protests as mass strikes sweep country

Protests and strikes demanding the new ‘transitional’ president Abdelkader Bensalah follow Bouteflika out of office are gathering pace across Algeria. On the railways, in the ports, government offices, schools, universities and across large swathes of manufacturing, workers are walking out or going into occupation in solidarity with the continuing demonstrations in major cities demanding that all the key figures associated with the old regime step down.

But the regime is fighting back: police attacked a major student protest outside the Post Office in the capital Algiers on 9 April. Trade union federation COSYFOP condemned the attack on student protesters by security forces and urged workers to join the general strike planned for 10 April: “The strike continues, and we will escalate our action until we win freedom,” the federation said in a statement on Facebook.

Thousands of demonstrators were met again with police water cannons and tear gas on 10 April, but news reports showed large crowds continuing to rally despite the efforts of police to smash the protests. Thousands could also be seen in reports from social media marching in other major cities including Tizi Ouzou, Bouira, Tiaret, Annaba, Blida, Batna, and Tlemcen. School and university students are leading many of the demonstrations, alongside their teachers who have been at the forefront of strike action in recent years.

What you can do:

 

 

  • Send a message of solidarity to trade unions and student unions in Algeria – email menasolidarity@gmail.com and we will pass it on or let you know where to send direct
  • Download a copy of our briefing on teachers’ struggles with a model motion: [Teachers_MENA_2019]

Ronnie Kasrils: ‘Legacies of the Anti-Apartheid Movement

10 April 2019, 18.30-20.30 

SOAS University of London
SOAS main building, Kamran Djam Lecture Theatre (DLT 139)

Speaker: Ronnie Kasrils 
Ronald “Ronnie” Kasrils was a member of the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa from 1987 to 2007, after having played a central role in the struggle against apartheid in the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s.

About the event
Evolution of Struggle is a series of events about the anti-apartheid movement in the UK. For decades, thousands of people across the UK (and far beyond) dedicated years of their lives to anti-apartheid campaigns, in solidarity with South Africans fighting against this cruel and oppressive system.

Ronnie Kasrils, a key figure in the South African struggle against apartheid, will reflect on the role that solidarity movements, such as the Anti-Apartheid Movement in the UK, played in the struggle against institutionalised racism and oppression in South Africa, and the lessons those experiences can lend to activists and campaigners today.

This event is hosted by SOAS PalSoc. For more information about our Evolution of Struggle project, see https://www.evolutionofstruggle.com/

Tickets are FREE for UK students and university staff at any UK university.

Book your free ticket as a UK student or university staff.

Brazil: Stand with the resistance against far-right Bolsonaro by Brazil Solidarity Initiative Thursday 28 March 2019 @ NEU 18:30 – 20:30

Thursday 28 March 2019

Brazil: Stand with the resistance against far-right Bolsonaro

by Brazil Solidarity Initiative

18:30 – 20:30

NEU

Hamilton House, 4 Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9BB

Cost: £Donations

Opposing Bolsonaro’s attacks on human rights — Free Lula – Remembering Marielle Franco.

 With: Julia Felmanas, PT nucleo in Londres, for a special eye-witness report back from Brazil

Danielle Rowley MP

Christine Blower, former NUT General Secretary

Kate Hudson, CND

Chair: Claudia Webbe, Labour NEC

War on Want: Stop corporate courts

Corporate courts, formally known as ISDS (investor-state dispute settlement), are an obscure parallel legal system only accessible to the super-rich. They allow transnational corporations to sue governments outside the national justice system, for amounts into the billions, over decisions the companies think might affect their profits.

Health warnings on cigarette packets, raising the minimum wage and protecting the environment from mining are just some of the laws big business has challenged in corporate courts. Even the threat of a case can be used to bully governments into backing down.

Recently the Minister proposed using Brexit to slash tariffs, regardless of impact on jobs, farming and industry, following an extreme market-driven approach. Corporate courts are a key part of this agenda.

The minister wants to keep ISDS to protect investment stocks. We need to speak out and say that people and planet matter far more.

TAKE ACTION

The fightback has begun. Across the world, countries have been rejecting ISDS: South Africa, India, Ecuador, Tanzania, Indonesia and New Zealand have all taken steps to back away from corporate courts.

Here in the UK and across Europe, our movement against TTIP and CETA – the EU’s trade deals with the USA and Canada – has exposed its illegitimacy. The system is vulnerable.

We’re at a tipping point, and if enough of us come together, we could bring ISDS down altogether. Can you sign the petition today and join the movement to end corporate courts?

Turkey – democracy denied but not yet lost

writes Barry White

With democracy teetering on the edge and the country accelerating towards dictatorship under the autocratic rule of President Recep Tayip Erdogan, last Saturday’s 3rd annual Solidarity with the People of Turkey (SPOT) conference in London brought together some 200 people. The purpose was to hear eye witness reports from Turkey and the Kurdish community and to plan future solidarity action aimed at calling to account the Turkish government and to challenge the complicity of European governments in their support for the Erdogan regime.

Opening the Conference, Christine Blower reported on the current political situation. The state of emergency introduced following the reckless and bloody July 2016 coup had been incorporated into law and an executive presidency had been firmly established, sidestepping parliament. She referred to the recent solidarity action by the NUJ in condemning the imprisonment of Ayse Duzan and four other journalists for just doing their jobs and to the solidarity message to the conference from the French journalist union SNJ-CGT. She also paid tribute to Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn for his message of support to the conference and long standing solidarity with those resisting oppression in Turkey.   Read more.

LONDON CONFERENCE “VENEZUELA UNDER ATTACK” – EUROPEAN NETWORK OF SOLIDARITY WITH THE BOLIVARIAN REVOLUTION

BOLIVAR HALL, 54 GRAFTON WAY, LONDON W1T 5DL

Telephone: 0207 3885788

FRIDAY 8th MARCH 2019:

19:30 – 21:00  Screening of the documentary “A letter from Venezuela” by Carolina Graterol and Alan Gignoux at the Bolívar Hall.

SATURDAY 09th MARCH 2019 8:00  –  20:00

8:00   REGISTRATION

9:00  –  11:00. CONFERENCE: VENEZUELA UNDER ATTACK.  SPEAKERS:

  • EP JAVIER COUSO
  • DRA. PASQUALINA CURCIO
  • DRA MARIA ALEJANDRA DIAZ
  • DR. RODULFO PEREZ HERNANDEZ
  • ECON. OSCAR FORERO
  • MR JORGE MARTIN (HOV)
  • MR GUSTAVO BORGES (MISION VERDAD-VENEZUELA)
  • MR FRANCO VIELMA (MISION VERDAD-VENEZUELA)

11:00  –  11:15 COFFEE BREAK

11:15  – 12:15  SESSION OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

12:15  –  13:00  LUNCH

13:00  –  16:30  WORK TABLE

16:30  –  17:00  PLENARY PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF CONCLUSIONS FROM WORK TABLES

17:00  –  17:30 LIGHT SNACK

17:30  –  17:45  LECTURE OF FINAL  DOCUMENT       FROM WORK TABLES

17:45  –  20:00  MUSIC CONCERT

NOTE:  SOME SPEAKERS ARE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF BEING CONFIRMED. ALTERNATIVELY, ITS REMOTE PARTICIPATION IS PROPOSED THROUGH A VIDEO CONFERENCE OR TELEPHONE INTERVIEW INSTEAD.

CONFERENCE THEMES:

  • Chavez and his Legacy
  • Asphyxiation of the Venezuelan Economy
  • The labelling of Venezuela as a Failed State

WORK TABLES THEMES:

Table 1: Coordination and articulation of the Network

  • Ideas on mechanisms of agreements and decisions
  • How to achieve effective operation in each city or Country
  • Security and counterinformation
  • Conflicts resolution

Table 2: Base on the information of the Network

  • Generation of relevant content
  • Data Verification
  • Effective Diagramming
  • Preferred methods of dissemination of information

Table 3: Increase power of influence of the Network

  • Create foci of influence in diverse communities in each city
  • Training of effective spokesmen
  • Ideas on how to attract followers. How to talk outside the group of convinced
  • How to influence the members of Parliament, Trade Unions, political parties and influence groups.
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