Police use attack-dogs against workers on strike

Egypt Independent
Cement company workers decry dog attack

Sat. March 2, 2013

Jano Charbel

The use of police dogs in attacks against labor actions have been documented by activists and workers, who say that this is a part of a host of heavy handed crackdown and punitive actions used against them recently.

Among the most recent crackdowns was the storming of the Portland-Titan Cement Company in Alexandria by security forces on 17 February.

Central Security Forces armed with clubs, electric prods and attack dogs –– an unprecedented incident –– conducted an early morning raid in which tens of workers were injured, five of these workers have been reported to have sustained serious injuries, including broken bones, and cuts.

Security forces arrested 87 workers who were striking and occupying their company’s administrative building. Eighteen of these workers remain in police custody pending investigations, while the other workers have since been released.

“We’ve never heard of a crackdown against workers involving police dogs prior to this incident,” said Talal Shokr of the Egyptian Democratic Labor Congress.

“This is a clear escalation in police brutality against the workers and their right to strike,” Shokr added. “It is the most brutal attack against workers since the crackdown against the strike at the Helwan Iron and Steel Company in 1989.”

In August 1989 Mubarak’s police forces raided this massive state-owned steel mill in southern Cairo, where thousands of workers were staging a sit-in protest. Police shot dead one worker, injured dozens, and arrested nearly 600, while other workers were tortured in detention.

Speaking in Giza on Wednesday evening, at a labor conference titled “Workers face brutal repression, imprisonment and joblessness,” Mohamed Hamed, president of the Independent Union Committee for Portland-Titan Company Workers, expressed his dismay at “the current regime’s failure to respect workers’ rights.”

Hamed claimed, “I was imprisoned, tortured and electrocuted by [former President Hosni] Mubarak’s security forces on charges of instigating a strike at our company in 2007.”

Hamed added, “Our demands back then are the same as they are now: full-time contracts for our full-time work, and the payment of overdue profit-sharing. As during the days of Mubarak, our demands still remain unmet under the administration of President [Mohamed] Morsy.”

Hamed expressed his disappointment as he asked, “How is it that the president, who is referred to as a believing Muslim, condones the use of police dogs in attacking workers while they pray in a mosque?”

Hamed explained that workers were praying their dawn prayers in a hall within the company’s administrative building –– which had been converted into a makeshift prayer room –– when police stormed their sit-in occupation.

“Police removed the muzzles from their dogs’ and unleashed them upon us. The police attacked the workers while they were praying. They violated the sanctity of our mosque with their boots and their dogs,” said Hamed.

“One worker was attacked and bitten by a police dog, others jumped out of windows in attempt to evade the police’s batons and dogs. Yet another worker was thrown out of a window from the third floor at the hands of the police.”

The use of attack dogs by security forces has precedents. Last November, military police forces had come under criticism for unleashing an attack dog against protesters in the Nile Delta city of Kafr al-Sheikh; the incident informally became known as the "Battle of the Dog."

However, General Abdel Mawgoud Lotfy, Alexandria’s top security chief, denied the use of police dogs or any other form of violence in dealing with the workers. According to media reports, the general confirmed that 87 workers were initially arrested –– justifying the action on the basis that they were holding members of the company’s administrative board as hostages –– including Egyptian and foreign nationals.

Hamed vehemently refuted these claims, and challenged authorities to release the medical reports of his detained co-workers. “My imprisoned colleagues are not allowed any visitors, so we can’t get our doctors inside to document their cases. Two of those assaulted and locked-up are my deputies in the trade union.” Hamed claimed that authorities are providing the detainees with “inadequate medical attention in detention.”

Hamed also denied any case of "boss-napping," saying, “There are 156 workers who were present when the police stormed. Each one can bear witness to the fact that we didn’t take any hostages from the administration. We talked and dealt with the administration in a very civilized manner. Everybody was free to leave. This is clear in the photos and videos we took using our phones.”

Media reports prior to, and since, the police stormed the company on 17 February mention that an Indian, Greek and Egyptian administrators were being held hostage for several days. “One day prior to the attack, I found that the company administration had filed charges against us at the police station claiming that we were holding them hostage. These are bogus and trumped-up charges, yet the police acted on them anyway,” said Hamed.

An Alexandria court is scheduled to review the case of the 18 workers on 3 March.

A labor rights rally held on Thursday in Alexandria dubbed “Scream of the Workers” addressed the case of the Portland-Titan Company, as well as two independent union organizers from Alexandria’s Water Utilities Company who were reportedly assaulted by unknown assailants and the case of workers from Faragello Company who were rendered jobless with the closure of factories, 16 of whom were later arrested. The conference also raised the case of workers from the Sumed Company whose sit-in protest has entered its third week.

According to Fatma Ramadan, Egyptian Federation of Independent Trade Unions board member, “Morsy and his regime have repeatedly proven their willingness to use police violence, and to draft hostile laws, which strip Egypt’s workers of their most basic rights. This regime has even resorted to the use of police dogs against workers –– a brutal act, unheard of even during Mubarak’s rule.”

Ramadan added that “over the past few days we’ve witnessed physical assaults against workers and systematic violations of labor rights from Alexandria to Luxor, and beyond.”

Ramadan concluded, “the new regime has moved to demonize strikes and industrial actions, describing them as selfish actions which only serve to harm the national economy and to obstruct ‘the wheel/gears of production.’”

On Tuesday, Finance Minister Morsy Hegazy claimed that Egypt's economy is ailing, and that it incurs losses amounting to LE100 million each day as a result of ongoing unrest, including protests, strikes and other disruptions.

*Photos from the military police's "Battle of the Dog" in Kafr el-Sheikh, November 2012 - courtesy of Al-Watan Newspaper

Unprecedented strikes & protests across Europe

Agence France Presse

Workers launch southern European strikes

November 14, 2012

Workers across southern Europe yesterday launched an unprecedented string of strikes to battle austerity cuts, paralyzing factories and grounding more than 700 flights.

Unions called general strikes in Spain and Portugal, the first such action across the Iberian Peninsula, along with temporary walkouts in Greece, the epicenter of the debt crisis, and Italy.

It was the first time workers had agreed on simultaneous strikes in four European countries, said the European Trade Union Confederation, which organized the “Day of Action and Solidarity.”

“In some countries, people’s exasperation is reaching a peak,” confederation general secretary Bernadette Segol said.

“We need urgent solutions to get the economy back on track, not stifle it with austerity. Europe’s leaders are wrong not to listen to the anger of the people who are taking to the streets,” she said.

Spain, the eurozone’s fourth-largest economy where one in four workers is unemployed, was holding its second general strike in eight months to protest draconian budget cuts.

In the main squares of Madrid, the main unions strung up banners declaring: “They are taking away our future.” They deployed pickets overnight at airports, markets and bus and railway stations.

“We are launching a day that will be a milestone in the history of European unionism,” said Ignacio Fernandez Toxo, head of the country’s largest CCOO union.

“It is a strike against the government’s policy of unemployment, misery and to stop this path toward the precipice,” he said.

Police set up metal barriers at an access road to parliament in Madrid, where activists called an evening rally.

Strikers froze factories, including Volkswagen’s car plant in northern Navarra and a Ford plant in the eastern Valencia region, Spanish media said. Buses and trains ran with sharply reduced schedules.

In neighboring Portugal, Lisbon’s metro service was out of service, while ferries across the River Tagus and trains across the country ran skeleton services.

Hospital staff joined the action, with up to 90 percent of staff reportedly abiding by the strike call.
Portugual’s unions have called marches and rallies in about 40 towns and cities against the government’s austerity policies.

Legislation in both Spain and Portugal require workers to provide a minimum service in essential industries, but airlines canceled many domestic and international flights.

Greece is the epicenter of the eurozone’s debt crisis, but its unions are focused on the national crisis and its protest is limited to a three-hour work stoppage and a rally in Athens.
Italian unions have also called a four-hour walkout.

Union-led rallies were also being held in support of the day of action in France, Belgium and in Poland, where workers decry “social and wage-dumping” in their country.

In Germany, viewed by many in southern Europe as the paymaster behind the austerity drive, the union federation DGB has called protests across the country, including in Berlin and Frankfurt.

“For now it is mostly people in southern Europe suffering from a crisis they are not responsible for, but the consequences will surely be felt in the rest of Europe,” it said.


*Photos courtesy of REUTERS/GETTY IMAGES

Europe's Struggling Trade Unions

AlJazeera
Europe's struggling trade unions
April 6, 2012

Barnaby Phillips  

Here's a sobering thought for Europe's trade unions. Throughout the long and painful story of the Eurozone crisis, from early 2010 to the present, it's difficult to think of a single significant victory for organised labour.

There have been many strikes and protests in Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal. Some have been well attended, others not. Sometimes there has been violence, but most protests have been peaceful.But heavily indebted governments have pushed ahead anyway, with big cuts in public spending and a range of economic reforms.

Are the unions simply helpless before what they would characterise as the powerful forces of neo-liberalism and international finance? Do they lack the stomach for a fight? Or are they simply failing to present viable alternatives for Europe's struggling economies?

Last week I went to a gathering of trade union leaders in Madrid. Representatives from France, Italy and Belgium had come to express solidarity with their Spanish counterparts. Looking at the line up on the stage I couldn't help but notice that all the speakers were not only male, but also appeared to be on the wrong side of 55.

Europeans are looking for inspiration in these troubled times, but this collection of middle aged men did not look like they represented the future. And although the meeting was headlined "Alternatives to Austerity", speaker after speaker railed against government policies, but gave few details on how they would restore Europe to growth.

The previous week I was in Portugal, reporting on a trade union march in Lisbon, and again I was struck by the advanced age of so many of the participants. Some were heroes of the revolution of 1974, but that is ancient history for many of the young Portuguese who are caught up in the economic crisis.

This is a desperately difficult time to be starting out on a career in Europe. The youth unemployment figures in countries like Greece, Spain and Portugal are staggering. Many of the best and brightest are looking to emigrate.  When I talk to young people in these countries, I often have the impression that they are cynical about trade unions, and see them as part of the established political order.

Sometimes, they see unions as an obstacle to progress, more interested in protecting their own privileges then in changing the economy in ways that would give younger people more chances to find work.

On March 29th, Spanish trade unions held a general strike in protest against changes in the labour law which make it easier for companies to fire workers. (The government argues that Spain's high unemployment is partially a result of the rigidity of existing labour laws, and that greater liberalisation, will, in the long run, bring unemployment down).

The strike was an important test for the unions, whose influence in Spain has been steadily diminishing for many years.  A previous general strike, in late 2010, had not had the impact that many had expected.

This time, the unions were more successful. Transport and industry (two areas where Spanish unions still retain a strong concentration of members) were hit particularly hard. In the evening, there were very big demonstrations in several Spanish cities.

Crucially, many young people joined marches to show their general opposition to austerity, even if they did not belong to a trade union.   I think the Spanish unions may be emboldened by this success; they are threatening more action if the government does not amend the labour law by May 1st.

It will be very interesting to see how the conservative government in Spain responds.  If it does decide to make changes to the law, then Spanish trade unions will have bucked the continent-wide losing trend, and at last recorded a victory for organised labour in Europe.

In Athens the anarchist tradition is alive & well

France 24
In Athens, an anarchist tradition alive and well

February 19, 2012

Gaëlle Le Roux


Singled out for blame in the wake of riots that broke out in Athens on February 12, Greek anarchists are eager to show that they “are not mere hooligans”. France24.com takes an exclusive look at the movement on the ground.

Nikólaos, a 36-year-old Greek anarchist, is reluctant to talk to journalists.

“Let me make it clear: I don’t represent any movement,” he says, making direct eye contact. “What I’m going to tell you is just my personal opinion. I’m not a leader or a spokesperson.”

His goal in speaking to the press is to make people abroad understand that Greek anarchists “are not mere hooligans”.

Nikólaos is seated in the office of Radio-Bubble, a community radio station in the neighbourhood of Exarchia in Athens. Home to numerous soup kitchens, occupied public buildings and squats, Exarchia has been the vibrant centre of Greek anarchy movements for nearly 40 years. In the 1970s, students rose up in revolt against the military dictatorship. Today, graffiti and anarchy posters line the walls of Exarchia’s narrow streets.


“We’re not only in a social war,” he insists. “We’re also in a media war.”

In the wake of the February 12 riots in Athens, news outlets and political leaders were quick to point their finger at anarchist protesters and far-left militants. The same scenario unfolded in 2008, when young Greeks and law enforcement officers faced off hours after the police killed an adolescent in a street protest.

“The major difference with 2008 is that on Sunday [February 12], in Syntagma Square, people applauded us,” Nikólaos explains. “Workers, middle-class people, young people, old people, students…We were all gathered at the same place to fight against the same things.”

If the demonstration got out of control, Nikólaos says, it is because the police used clubs and tear gas against peaceful protesters.

'DEFENDING OURSELVES' AGAINST STATE VIOLENCE

“Many Greeks are now becoming aware of police and media manipulation,” Nikólaos asserts, stirring his coffee furiously. “On the night of February 12, TV news bulletins broadcast very calm images of Parliament as tens of thousands of protesters were being suffocated with tear gas just next door.”

“When faced with state violence, you need to know how to defend yourself,” Nikólaos continues. But if Greek anarchists are, in theory, non-violent, things are a bit different in practice. On February 12, anarchist militants threw petrol bombs and stones at banks, corporations and luxury magazines. “For me, violence begins when your pockets are empty and you have nothing left to eat. Capitalism is a daily form of violence,” Nikólaos says.

Nikólaos is careful to emphasise that “violence is not an end in and of itself”. He elaborates: “The only solution is autonomy and direct democracy.” In other words, no state and no government, but decisions made collectively through assembly-style gatherings.

EXARCHIA, THE CAPITAL OF GREEK ANARCHISM

According to Nikólaos, the anarchist movement in the Exarchia neighbourhood “is a one-in-a-kind phenomenon”.

“Just one kilometre away from Parliament and Greece’s financial institutions, we’re coming up with strategies targeting all the deficiencies of the system and we’re experimenting with alternatives,” he says.

The movement has been increasingly successful. Last year, tens of thousands of people attended an “anti-authoritarian festival” organised in Nosotros, a giant squat that also houses a café, a cultural centre and meeting space. Anarchists from around Europe regularly visit the squat to take notes on the Greek movement in hopes of replicating the “Exarchia model” in their respective countries.


Ypopto Mousi, who hosts a news program on Radio-Bubble, estimates that there are more than 10,000 anarchists in Athens. He says that in recent years he has seen people from increasingly diverse backgrounds and situations drawn to the movement.

“There are a lot of people in society who are anarchists without even knowing it,” he concludes.

Greek austerity vote leads to more strikes

Reuters
Greece faces key austerity vote, more strikes

ATHENS, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Angry protesters vowed to bring Greece to a standstill on the second day of a general strike on Thursday while disgruntled lawmakers vote on the details of a deeply unpopular austerity package needed to stave off bankruptcy.

Parliament is expected to give a final green light late in the day to the belt-tightening plan required by the EU and the IMF, after backing it in principle in a first reading on Wednesday despite the country's biggest labour action in years.

But some ruling party MPs have warned they may vote against one of the bill's most controversial provisions, threatening to weaken the beleaguered government's narrow majority as it battles a debt crisis that is shaking global markets.

Thousands of police will be deployed through central Athens after black-clad youth clashed with riot police on Wednesday, pelting them with petrol bombs and chunks of marble during an anti-austerity march that drew more than 100,000 protesters.

Ships will be docked, ministries and schools shut and hospitals will work on skeleton staff in the second day of a 48-hour strike against plans to pile more taxes on austerity-hit Greeks and put tens of thousands of state workers on the road to redundancy.

"The protests will shake the government again, they will feel like an earthquake," said Ilias Iliopoulos, secretary general of public union ADEDY.

Protesters are set to rally in front of parliament from 0800 GMT and will try to stay on the square till late at night, while lawmakers vote on the bill.

Analysts expect the protests to continue unabated as Greeks of all walks of life have become increasingly angry at measures they feel only hurt the poorest while tax evaders and corrupt politicians remain unaffected.

But commentators see no other option for the ruling Socialists, who hold 154 seats in the 300-strong assembly, than to pass the measures, a key condition to convince the EU and IMF ahead of a crunch summit on Sunday that Greece deserves to keep getting the loans it needs to avoid bankruptcy.

"People sent a message on Wednesday that they have reached their limits and can't take any more austerity," said Theodore Couloumbis of the ELIAMEP think-tank.

"But these kind of protests cannot topple the government ... I don't see this happening now," he said.

The bill foresees an average income cut of about 20 percent for public sector workers, according to estimates by public sector labour unions, and reduces the tax-free income threshold.

It will make it easier for firms to cut payroll costs by reaching company-level wage agreements, which has particularly angered some ruling party lawmakers.`

Prime Minister George Papandreou will hold a cabinet meeting at around 0900 GMT, ahead of the parliamentary vote and of Sunday's EU summit.

Clashes in Athens as workers strike against cuts

Reuters
Clashes in Athens as workers strike against cuts

* Police fire tear gas at stone-throwing youths

* Trains halted, flights grounded in nationwide strike

* State workers protest against wage cuts, layoffs

By Renee Maltezou and Yannis Behrakis

ATHENS, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Riot police fired teargas at stone-throwing youths in central Athens on Wednesday as thousands of striking Greek state sector workers marched against cuts the government says are needed to save the nation from bankruptcy.

Youths broke up marble paving slabs in central Syntagma Square and hurled the chunks at police in full riot gear. The police responded by firing teargas grenades and chasing the protesters through the square and into surrounding streets.

Flights were grounded, schools shut and government offices closed in Greece's first nationwide walkout in months. Labour leaders call it the start of a campaign to derail emergency austerity steps launched last month by a government that has already imposed two years of tax hikes and wage cuts.

Greece's worsening debt crisis poses a risk to the euro currency and the international financial system. Reforms to Greek finances took on a new urgency this week after the government announced it would miss its 2011 deficit target.

Thousands of state workers, pensioners and students had gathered peacefully, beating drums and waving banners reading "Erase the debt!" and "The rich must pay". They marched into the square outside parliament where lawmakers were debating holding a referendum on the response to the fiscal crisis.

Reuters saw one bare-chested man covered in his own blood, rescued by bystanders after clashing with demonstrators. Protesters tried to storm an Economy Ministry building, shattering heavy glass at the entrance.

Sporadic scuffles between baton-wielding police and stone-throwing youths continued for several hours.

Police said at least two police and two civilians were hurt and 12 people detained. Violence was far milder than in June, when more than 100 people were injured in battles between demonstrators and police in Syntagma Square.

The strikes forced hospitals to run on emergency staff and the closure of some state schools. Trains were halted, and more than 400 flights were cancelled at Athens airport. The Athens Acropolis and major museums were shut.

Despite its new measures demanded by the EU and IMF, the government was forced to announce this week it would still fall short of its 2011 deficit target by nearly 2 billion euros, rattling global markets. Polls show nearly four of five Greeks expect a default on the massive national debt within months.

"We want this government out. They deceived us. They promised to tax the rich and help the poor, but they didn't," said Sotiris Pelekanos, 39, an engineer and one of the striking workers gathered in central Athens. "I don't care if we go bankrupt. We are already bankrupt."

Greece's main labour unions ADEDY and GSEE expect hundreds of thousands of people to walk off the job.

"They are not trying to save Greece. They are just killing workers," ADEDY Vice President Ilias Vrettakos said in a rally speech. "They should get the money from the rich, not from us."

Private sector workers did not participate in the strike but will take part in a bigger general strike on Oct. 19. Many in the Greek private sector resent perks of state workers, who are protected from layoffs by the constitution.

SCRAMBLE TO PROTECT BANKS

Greece's announcement this week that it would not meet its 2011 deficit target has put in doubt the viability of a 109 billion euro bailout agreed in July -- the second huge bailout in two years. If that deal must be renegotiated, European banks that hold Greek debt could suffer a heavy blow.

EU officials are scrambling to protect banks from a repeat of the crisis that froze the world financial system in 2008.

They have postponed until mid-November a decision on whether to approve the next 8 billion euro ($10.7 billion) tranche of bailout loans, giving negotiators more time to press the government to enact promised reforms.

A senior official from the "troika" of EU, IMF and European Central Bank negotiators in Athens since last week, told Reuters the tranche would probably be approved, but only if the government proves first it can enact reforms.

In more bad economic news on Wednesday, Greece's statistics agency produced revised numbers showing that recession began nearly four years ago, a year earlier than previously thought. The government now says the economy, which was to have resumed growth next year, will instead shrink by another 2.5 percent.

Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos said on Tuesday Greek finances for this year could slip even further behind its target if the country failed to rally round the reforms and show "national cohesion and solidarity".

His government has promised to hold a referendum on the fiscal crisis this autumn but has not said what question Greeks would be asked. Parliament debated the referendum law on Wednesday as the protesters gathered outside.

Labour unions say the recession has been prolonged and deepened by government salary cuts, tax hikes and layoffs.

"The government is panicking and has no strategy," said Thessaloniki port (OLTr.AT) unionist Fani Gourgouri. "These measures are only extending poverty. We'd be willing to shoulder the cost and say 'yes' to austerity if they proceeded with reforms that would create jobs instead of cutting them."

*Additional reporting by Ingrid Melander and Harry Papachristou; Writing by Peter Graff

Against Egyptian Dictators Old & New - anarchist perspective

Libcom.org
An Egyptian anarchist talks about the January 25th Revolution


Libcom.org interview Jano Charbel, an Egyptian anarchist and blogger, on the January 25th uprising, how it has progressed and the possibilities for working class struggle in Egypt and beyond.


*1) What forms of workers' organisation has Egypt seen since the events of Jan 25th?


Since January 25th the Egyptian masses self-organised themselves into numerous grass-roots organisations. Civil-society associations mushroomed nationwide, including 'popular-committees', town-councils, cooperatives, independent trade unions, workers' parties and coalitions. These grass-roots associations emerged spontaneously, out of necessity. It was a sort of organic-anarchism that was practiced by millions of Egyptians.

The defeat of Egypt's police forces on January 28th led to their withdrawal and disappearance from the streets. Their disappearance was also intended to create a 'security vacuum'. To be precise, it was the uniformed police forces which disappeared, and the plain-clothed armed police which stepped in to terrorise neighborhoods.

Furthermore, in many cases police officers emptied prisons; criminal elements were armed and given orders to loot, shoot, burn, and wreak havoc. There were also a number of jail breaks orchestrated by family members and friends of the prisoners.

In response to this 'security vacuum' neighborhood patrols emerged, along with teams of civilians to direct street traffic. Others manned roadblocks and barricades established by the 'popular-committees'.

'Popular committees' sprung-up in neighborhoods across the country - to protect homes, shops, agricultural lands, crops, livestock, automobiles and other properties. The people in these committees armed themselves with anything they could get their hands on: wooden sticks, iron rods, kitchen rolling-pins, clubs, swords, guns, rifles, mace-spray, Molotovs, etc.

In terms of industries and services, there were some incidents of capital-flight and employers' lockouts and as a result there were also some brief experiments in factory occupations, and workers' self-management.

Egyptians are still organizing themselves into trade union committees, general unions and federations. These labor unions, professional syndicates, unions for peasants and small farmers - are being established independently of the Egyptian Trade Union Federation (ETUF.) This yellow state-controlled federation had monopolized the union movement since 1957.

An independent union movement existed from the turn of the 20th Century, but was crushed following the military coup of 1952. Greek anarchists (based in Cairo and Alexandria) were instrumental in establishing Egypt's first trade union - the cigarette rollers' union in 1899. Italian anarchists were also involved in Egypt's union movement until the 1950s. The independent trade union movement re-emerged in late 2006, but only really materialized in late 2008.

*2) How much continuity has there been from the 2007-8 strikes? Have those strikes and other workers struggles influenced the 2011 movement?


There is an almost seamless continuity in the labor strikes and their demands, which began in December 2006. The demands for independent trade unions and an adequate minimum wage emerged from the Mahalla Textile Strike in December 2006. These are still the primary demands of millions of workers across the country.

A national minimum wage of LE 1,200 (around $US 200) was one of the few economic demands raised during the 18-day uprising, which began on January 25. It remains a popular demand of the revolution until this day. Workers have also been demanding a maximum wage (or salary-cap) for administrators and managers.

On January 30, four independent unions and syndicates joined forces to establish the 'Egyptian Federation of Independent Trade Unions.' EFITU announced its active solidarity with the Egyptian revolution, and is still challenging the undemocratic and unrepresentative authority of the state-controlled ETUF.

Then on February 8th a new strike wave emerged and dictator Hosni Mubarak abdicated three days later. This strike wave dealt a fatal blow to the Mubarak dictatorship as it involved public transport workers across greater Cairo, along with other public sector workers; laborers along the Suez Canal also began protesting and threatened to strike.

Soon after Mubarak's abdication on February 11, the public transport workers established their own independent unions. Tens of thousands of workers followed suit, and unions mushroomed across the country. There are some 30 independent unions now in existence, including: blue-collar and white-collar unions, professional syndicates, along with farmers' and peasants' unions. Estimates suggest that the independent union movement has an aggregate constituency of over 250,000 - from quarry workers to hospital staffs, from seasonally employed agricultural laborers to pensioners.

The state-controlled ETUF reportedly had a membership of over 4 million, but countless numbers of workers are quitting this yellow federation. The corrupt and undemocratic ETUF is soon expected to wither away.

Other than unions, workers are now organizing themselves into workers' parties and coalitions. The Democratic Workers' Party (with a membership of more than 1,000) has informally been established. However, the Egyptian (interim) constitution and political parties law prevent the establishment of class-based parties. Workers in this party intend to push ahead nonetheless.

*3) At the start of the movement, it seemed that people both in Egypt and abroad saw the police as enemies of the movement, and the army as on the side of the people. What is the general feeling towards the army now?


Yes, the general Egyptian populace hated the interior ministry, the police forces, and especially the State Security Investigations Apparatus - due to their oppressive practices, espionage, corruption, brutality, systematic torture, and extra-judicial killings. January 25th used to be Egyptian Police Day. Thousands poured out onto the streets across the country to protest against Mubarak and his police-state on this day. Three days later, Mubarak's police forces were decisively defeated.

On January 28th, when the armed forces were first deployed across Egypt's streets, there was a sense that the army is more respectable and honorable than the police. Which is not saying much. Yet the army was in fact patrolling streets and protecting neighborhoods. They (initially) chose not to fire upon protesters. They were policing, while the police had only been assaulting, shooting and terrorizing.

People in Tahrir Square, and across Egypt were chanting "the army and the people are one." This relationship quickly spoiled when the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) reared up its ugly head. Since February 11, this military junta has assumed (interim) dictatorial powers. The SCAF currently acts as the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the state.

The state is now in the hands of Mubarak's generals; the ruling military junta is presided over by Field Marshall Hussein Tantawi - Mubarak's loyal lapdog, and minister of defense for 20 years.

Since February 11, when SCAF assumed its dictatorial powers, over 7,000 civilians (including hundreds of political activists) have stood trials before military tribunals. Thousands are serving prison sentences which were hastily handed down, and do not have the right to appeal.

This is happening while only a handful of Mubarak's corrupt and criminal billionaire ministers stand trial before civilian courts. Hosni Mubarak is allowed to play dead at a five-star hospital suite in Sharm el-Sheikh, while Suzanne Mubarak has been released on bail. Their billionaire children are locked up pending trial. Yet this deposed family has access to the best lawyers, they have the right to due-process, and can appeal and re-appeal their cases before the courts.

Furthermore, the SCAF has moved to crackdown against popular dissent - both on the streets and in factories. The armed forces have repeatedly assaulted, and even killed activists occupying Tahrir Square. The armed forces even have a makeshift torture center by the Egyptian Museum were Tahrir's activists have been brutality assaulted, and female activists have been forced to undergo virginity tests.

As for workers and labor strikes, SCAF ordered a violent attack on striking textile workers in Shebin el-Kom (in the Nile Delta). Several were injured and detained in Shebin el-Kom, as was the case with striking employees of petroleum companies, and a leading unionist in the public transport union movement is on trial for 'instigating strike action.' On May 10, in the City of Mahalla, the army forced striking physicians to break their strike - by threatening them with arrest and trials before a military court.

Furthermore, in April SCAF secretly passed a law criminalizing labor strikes - with penalties of imprisonment and/or fines of up to LE 500,000 (more than $US 83,000)! The fines stipulated are absurd because they are far beyond the means of any Egyptian worker or employee. The SCAF has, over and over again, proven that it is a fascist-leaning group of Mubarak's military men.

*4) What role have women played in the protests? Women played a very important role during the 2007 strike wave (Mansoura-España occupation, Mahalla textile strikes etc), has the same been true in 2011? Has a specific working class women's politics emerged?


Women have been on the front-lines of the protests and marches from the very beginning of this revolution and in protests leading up to it. This has been the case ever since the Revolution of 1919.

Throughout the course of this revolution, women have proven to be capable and militant speakers at Tahrir, nurses and doctors in the field hospitals around the Square; they served as cooks and street-cleaners. Women occupied the square, distributed leaflets, protested, slept-in, and even fought off police and thugs in the same capacity as men.

On the neighborhood level, women served in the 'popular committees'. They prepared food and beverages for the street patrols, and on many occasions they prepared Molotov cocktails. Some women and girls could even be seen manning street patrols and roadblocks.

In terms of industry and services, women have proven to been militant strike-leaders and protesters. The example of Mansoura España is just one of many where women have been at the forefront of the class-struggle. Women are increasingly involved in the independent union movement, and many are now leading figures within this movement.

A liberal female activist, Bothaina Kamel, is nominating herself for Egypt's presidential elections. This is an unprecedented development, although she is unlikely to succeed this time around. I respect her effort and determination, yet I believe that women must liberate themselves on the grassroots level - and cannot be liberated from above.

This revolution has empowered countless thousands of women, and - through their actions and bravery - women have served to shatter many sexist stereotypes. In any case, however, Egyptian women are still a very long way from equality with men, and there are many - social, economic, political, educational, familial and religious - shackles left to be destroyed.

*5) What is the current make up of the left in Egypt? Are there any anarchist groups? Marxists/Trotskyists/Maoists? What is their influence within the movement and Egyptian society? What are the relationships between these groups like?


The left in Egypt very broadly includes (the center left): 'Tagammu' National Progressive Unionist Party, Nasserists and the their Party, and the 'Karama' (Dignity) Party, along with an assortment of social democratic groupings. The radical left includes the Egyptian Communist Party, two Trotskyist groupings - the Revolutionary Socialists, and the Socialist Renewal Current - amongst others. I hear that there are some Maoists still in existence.

Despite my disliking of state-socialism, party politics and vanguardism - and despite my distaste for the authoritarian ideologies of Lenin and Trotsky - I believe that the Trotskyists are our comrades in the class struggle. They have done some excellent work in terms of encouraging workers to unionize and strike for their rights.

A radical leftist front, comprising five Marxist groupings, was established on May 10. I don't know to what extent we anarchists should coordinate with this front but in any case I express my solidarity with them, and hope that this front will serve to radicalise the revolution, to confront capitalist exploitation, sectarianism, and religious reaction.

In terms of anarchist groups there is one - very loose - grouping in existence; and perhaps another such grouping in Cairo or Alexandria. We are still getting in contact with other self-proclaimed anarchists, including closet-anarchists and anarcho-curious people.

In our individual capacities, we Egyptian anarchists have been involved in the 'Kefaya' Movement since December 2004.'Kefaya' (meaning "Enough") is an opposition umbrella movement which helped to prepare Egypt, and a generation of activists, for the January 25th Revolution.

Anarchism is not (yet) a movement or political current in Egypt, however, the number of self-proclaimed anarchists has grown exponentially, and continues to grow with the ongoing revolution.

In our limited capacity, we Egyptian anarchists have been involved in supporting workers struggles, promoting workers' self-management, graffiti/street art, marches, protests, and the occupation of Tahrir Square. An Egyptian-ized red & black anarchist banner was unfurled for the first time at the Labor Day rally in Tahrir Square, on May 1, 2011.

*6) In many of the struggles across North Africa and the Middle East, national flags have been flown and the movements have been seen by many as a struggle to free 'the nation' from tyranny. To what extent do you see the nationalism displayed at these protests as problematic? Has national unity been seen as a reason for the working class to keep quiet about their needs and interests?


Yes, the nationalism and flag waving are overdone. It's understandable that people are happy to reclaim their countries, to feel nationally empowered, and that they actually belong to the countries for which they struggle. Yet nationalism is used to mask the class struggle, to give the populace the impression that we are all struggling for the same Egypt.

Some nationalist sentiments even border on fascism, such as the slogan "Egypt is above all!", reminiscent of the Nazi's "Deutschland über alles!". The SCAF and interim cabinet have played on such nationalist sentiments in order to portray labor strikes, the class struggle, and street protests as running against 'Egypt's national interests.' In terms of their propaganda, the interim rulers have gone so far as to refer to labor strikes as being part of the counter-revolution!

*7) Where next for the movement? What opportunities or dangers do you see the movement facing in the future?


The first recorded labor strike in history took place in Egypt over 3,000 years ago. It's only natural, in the course of this ongoing revolution, that Egyptian workers will continue to strike, struggle and organize for their rights, freedoms and for social justice. Egypt's revolution will be a failed revolution if it only brings regime change, without bringing social justice.

Social justice, equality and freedoms will not be handed-out by this government or the next, these rights must be seized by the people. The people's revolution in Tunisia sparked the revolution in Egypt, which sparked popular uprisings in Yemen, Bahrain, Algeria, Libya, and Syria, amongst a host of other Arab countries.

The revolutionary tide which began with the year 2011 has spread like wildfire throughout the Arab World, because the Arab peoples have been oppressed by their tyrannical states - under very similar dictatorships - since they gained independence from colonial powers. This revolutionary tidal wave has reverberated as far as China and Swaziland.

The effects of this revolutionary wave have also been felt at the capitol building in Wisconsin. This class struggle has since spilled over into Ohio and Indiana, amongst other American states. Wisconsin's protesting workers praised Egypt's revolution; and Egyptian unionists delivered speeches in Tahrir Square in solidarity with America's workers and their struggle for their right to collective bargaining.

The revolutionary tide, or "Arab Spring," has influenced protests and occupations in both Spain and Greece. People are now speaking of a "European Spring." I can't predict where this is going, but I hope that the "Arab Spring" does blossom into a "European Spring." Hopefully this popular wave of discontent will bring about other revolutionary springs in North and South America; in Africa, Asia, and Australia.

Whatever names are pinned on this revolutionary tide, I hope that the people of the Arab World - and the World at large - empower themselves. I hope that people will reclaim their rights and freedoms from states, generals, businessmen and capitalists; from clergymen and institutionalised religions.

Greek anarchists briefly seize French Consulate

The Voice of Russia
Greek anarchists briefly seize French Consulate in Patras

Nov 10, 2010

Greek anarchists for a brief time Tuesday night seized the French Consulate in the city of Patras. Thus, they vented their protest against the pension reform, approved by the French authorities.

The anarchists claimed that they "oppose slavery for wages" and "do not agree with the policies of French President Nicolas Sarkozy regarding working people, as well as the Roma and refugees." Police units were sent to the consulate, but their intervention was not necessary.

The anarchists voluntarily left the building.

Israeli Pirate-State Kills at Least 9 Aboard Freedom Flotilla

Gaza flotilla deaths: the world reacts

Outrage spread around the world this morning as news broke that Israeli forces had attacked a convoy bringing humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, killing at least ten people in international waters. Israel says its forces faced resistance from activists armed with knives and metal bars – but the international outcry has continued. Here is the reaction to the violence:

UNITED NATIONS

The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was “shocked” by the deadly raid. “I condemn this violence,” he told a press conference in Kampala, Uganda, where he is attending a conference on the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“It is vital that there is a full investigation to determine exactly how this bloodshed took place,” Mr Ban said. “I believe Israel must urgently provide a full explanation.” He spoke moments after a speech hailing the “new age of accountability” heralded by the creation of the ICC in 2002, of which Israel is not a member.

The United Nations human rights chief Navi Pillay also expressed shock. “In the Gaza Strip the blockade keeps undermining human rights on a daily basis … the current situation falls far short of what is necessary for the population to lead normal and dignified lives,” she added.

TURKEY

Turkey is reported to have lost at least nine citizens in the raid after a Turkish ship was the site of the greatest violence between Israeli forces and pro-Palestinian activists. Turkey awoke in shock this morning and tens of thousands gathered to protest in Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul.

Converging at the Israeli Consulate, protesters marched on the city’s central square chanting slogans such as “Damn Israel!” and “A tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye, revenge, revenge!” More demonstrations took place outside the residence of Israeli Ambassador Gabby Levy in Ankara, the Turkish capital.

Until now one of Israel’s few Muslim allies, Turkey immediately withdrew its Ambassador to Israel and cancelled three planned joint military exercises.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry warned Israel that bilateral ties could suffer “irreparable consequences”, describing the operation as “unacceptable”. The Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would cut short a tour to Latin America to return home today.

GREECE

A Greek vessel, the Sfendoni, reportedly came under fire along with the Turkish vessel Mavi Marmara, which bore the brunt of the violence. Greece cancelled a visit by the Israeli Air Force chief that had been scheduled for tomorrow, cut short a joint Greek-Israeli Air Force exercise, and summoned the Israeli ambassador for an explanation.

ARAB & MUSLIM GROUPS

The head of the Arab League said Arab states must reconsider their dealings with Israel in light of the violence.

“Israel’s attack indicates Israel is not ready for peace. Israel attacked the liberty fleet because it feels it is above the law,” Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa said in Doha. “There is no benefit in dealing with Israel in this manner and we must re-assess our dealing with Israel,” he said.

On behalf of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, the Pakistani diplomat Marghoob Saleem Butt said: “We strongly condemn today’s Israeli attacks on the boat convoy carrying humanitarian aid and supplies to the people of occupied Gaza … This is yet another example of Israeli disregard of all international norms and laws,” he told the Human Rights Council.

“We demand that Israeli authorities immediately release all the boats and arrested people and take action against those responsible for these attacks and killing,” he added.

EU

Ambassadors from the 27 European Union countries are to hold emergency talks in Brussels today after contacting their Israeli counterparts.

The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Baroness Ashton of Upholland said she had called Israel’s top diplomat to express concern.

“During the course of this morning I have spoken to Minister [Avigdor] Lieberman, the Foreign Minister of Israel. I expressed my deepest concern about the tragedy that has happened. I said that we needed an inquiry by Israel into the circumstances,” she told reporters.

“I have also taken the opportunity to point out, having visited Gaza, the importance of opening the crossings for humanitarian aid to go through to ensure that ordinary people have a better existence than that which I saw.”

UK

Some 28 Britons were on board the flotilla, according to the Palestinian rights group Friends of Al-Aqsa. It is unclear whether any have been injured.

The Foreign Secretary William Hague said: “I deplore the loss of life during the interception of the Gaza flotilla. Our embassy is in urgent contact with the Israeli Government. We are asking for more information and urgent access to any UK nationals involved.‬‪

“We have consistently advised against attempting to access Gaza in this way, because of the risks involved. But at the same time, there is a clear need for Israel to act with restraint and in line with international obligations. It will be important to establish the facts about this incident, and especially whether enough was done to prevent deaths and injuries.”

He also called on Israel to lift restrictions on access to Gaza and address concerns over the humanitarian and economic situation in the strip.

USA

The US “deeply regrets” the deaths, the White House said.

“The United States deeply regrets the loss of life and injuries sustained and is currently working to understand the circumstances surrounding this tragedy,” said the White House spokesman Bill Burton.

President Barack Obama and the Israeli President Binyamin Netanyahu are scheduled to meet tomorrow over the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

ALGERIA

An Algerian Islamist party, the Movement for Peaceful Society, said it had no news of 32 Algerians travelling on board the ships.

“We are without news of the Algerian delegation of 32 members comprising members of parliament, journalists and doctors,” a spokesman told AFP. “Unconfirmed reports speak of two casualties among the Algerians.”

The Algerian Government was this morning holding crisis meetings to decide how to respond to the attack.

AUSTRALIA

Two Australian journalists travelling with the convoy, writer Paul McGeough and photographer Kate Geraghty – both of The Sydney Morning Herald – are safe and being processed in an Israeli detention centre, the paper said. The Australian Government has not yet responded formally to the incident.

BELGIUM

Belgium summoned the Israeli ambassador to explain the raid, and demanded news of five Belgian nationals on board the convoy, who include four women and a cameraman for Al-Jazeera.

FRANCE

France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy accused Israel of a “disproportionate use of force” and sent his condolences to the families of the victims.

The Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said he was “deeply shocked”. “Nothing can justify the use of such violence,” he added. “We do not understand the still provisional human toll of such an operation against a humanitarian initiative that had been known about for several days.

“The incident happened in an intolerable way in international waters.”

France summoned the Israeli ambassador to explain, while an association of Jewish groups in France, CRIF, said it “deeply deplored” the killings.

GERMANY

Despite being one of Israel’s most loyal allies, Germany expressed shock at the events.

“Every German Government supports unconditionally Israel’s right to self defence,” said the government spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm. But he added that Israeli actions should correspond to what he described as the “basic principle” of proportionality. “A first look does not speak in favour of this basic principle being adhered to.”

IRAN

Iran, one of Israel’s staunchest enemies, said the killings were “inhuman” and would help bring about an end to the state of Israel.

“All these acts indicate the end of the heinous and fake regime and will bring it closer to the end of its existence,” President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told the state broadcaster IRIB. The country called on the world to cut ties with Israel.

“The minimum step that the international community should take regarding this horrible crime by the Zionist regime is to fully boycott it and to fully cut diplomatic, economic and political ties with the Zionist regime,” said the Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi.

ITALY

Italy “deplored” the violence on board the flotilla. Its Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said: “I absolutely deplore... the killing of civilians … an investigation must discover the truth about what happened. We demand a serious and detailed investigation, and I think the EU must be involved so that it is directly informed of the findings.”

LEBANON

Thousands of Palestinian refugees and activists held demonstrations across Lebanon to denounce the raid. Waving Palestinian flags and banners, the demonstrators marched in the 12 refugee camps scattered throughout the country and held a protest in central Beirut demanding that Israel be held to account for its actions.

The Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, currently chaired by Lebanon.

He said the raid was “a dangerous and crazy step that will exacerbate tensions in the region. Lebanon firmly denounces this attack and calls on the international community, notably major powers... to take action.”

NETHERLANDS

The Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen expressed “shock” and demanded an inquiry. The ministry said it was unsure whether any Dutch citizens were on board the ships.

PALESTINIANS

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the Israeli “aggression,” declared three days of mourning across the West Bank and called on the U.N. Security Council and Arab League to hold emergency sessions on the incident.

The leader of the the rival Hamas Government in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh condemned the “brutal” attack and called for United Nations intervention. Hamas urged Muslims around the world to “rise up” in protest.

SPAIN

The current holder of the rotating EU presidency, Spain said it “condemns the military action... which has claimed a high number of victims” and considers the raid “totally disproportionate”. It summoned Israel’s ambassador to explain.

Spanish media has been reporting that three Spanish citizens were on board the convoy.

SWEDEN

With at least ten Swedes on board the flotilla, Sweden summoned the Israeli ambassador to explain the events. The Swedes include the author Henning Mankell, an MP and the controversial Swedish-Israeli artist Dror Feiler, the chairman of the Swedish group Jews for Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Read also:

Gaza aid convoy killings: “Those responsible must be held criminally accountable” - UN expert

In Asia Protests, Condemnation Follow Israeli Raid on Gaza Flotilla

See also:

IN PHOTOS: Flotilla protests around the world

***

Kanellos: Man's Best Friend is No Friend of Pigs

The Greek Dog Kanellos, now known as "riot-dog" or "rebel dog" (and "anarcho-chien" in French,) is a fearless protester and opponent of the police/pigs.

GOOD BOY KANELLOS!

JC


THE RAW STORY
‘Riot-Dog’: Protest pooch becomes icon of Greek solidarity

Stephen C. Webster
Saturday, May 8th, 2010

Revolutionary-era Americans had the "Join or Die" snake. Iran's green revolution rallied around the death of Neda Agha-Soltan. Ukraine's orange revolution exploded after the poisoning of Victor Yushchenko.

In a Greece struggling amidst the throes of draconian, IMF-led budgetary cutbacks, another symbol of revolution is rising. They call him either "Riot-Dog" or "Rebel-Dog", depending on the source.

With a national debt topping 300 billion Euros, a looming EU-IMF bailout at $140 billion or more and frequent rioting over the country's agreement to a massive austerity plan, the pooch seems to be gaining traction among protesters as an image of solidarity.


The canine's real name is Kanellos and, according to published accounts, he's acquired quite a taste for civil unrest, having made an appearance at virtually every major Greek protest and riot over the last two years.

Kanellos has cropped up in photos taken by news agencies spanning the globe, including Agence France-Presse, Reuters, Getty Images, the Associated Press and others. Thanks to his seemingly ubiquitous presence in the streets and the images of chaos in which he's participated, "Riot-Dog" is gaining fans quickly.

For one, a "Riot-Dog" fan page on Facebook was on the threshold of 10,000 friends at time of this writing. A Greek Tumblr page dedicated to "Rebel Dog" features a long series of photos showing Kanellos' exploits in the midst of recent unrest. He was even the subject of his own photo feature in The Guardian UK.

Similar posts appeared on Democrat blog network DailyKos, BuzzFeed and This Blog Rules in recent days.

Then, there's a video uploaded to YouTube on March 11, 2010 that shows Kanellos fearlessly running up to and harrying riot police atop motorcycles as they blockade a street, wagging his tail the whole way. His portion runs from 1:30 - 2:20 in the clip below.



He is also the source of several musical tributes on YouTube, featuring loads of Greek text and numerous photos of Kanellos plunging headlong into the contested streets.

"This dog has been in the streets more times than the entire 'progressive' movement combined," Kos blogger RenderQT scoffed, noting his photo spread was a tribute to "the Greek Dog of Protest."

"Can we get a little less fiscal reporting (boring) and a little more Riot Dog reporting"? BuzzFeed added.

There is some reasonable doubt about Kanellos's identity, with some suggesting that images circulating of the "Riot-Dog" are actually two different yet similar-looking pooches with the same proclivities for protest.

"While one can't be certain that it's the same pooch at every protest — Athens is something of a magnet for street-savvy stray dogs — this mutt does sport a distinctive blue collar, which may indicate that, while he's a stray, he's also current on his shots," noted Yahoo News contributor Brett Michael Dykes.


With the country in urgent need of nine billion euros (11 billion dollars) by May 19 to service existing debt, Greek PM George Papandreou reported with relief early Saturday that rescue funds would arrive within days.

"In the following days, Greece will receive the first tranche of the 110 billion euros from the EU and the IMF," Papandreou said after an emergency late-night summit of euro leaders in Brussels.

"This will allow us to implement our (austerity) programme and our reforms," he underlined.

Aris Messinis: AFP/Getty Images

Politics nonwithstanding, the symbol of Kanellos, the Greek dog of protest -- be he one stray or two -- has given an entirely new meaning to the act of "hounding" the police.

With AFP

***

See also:

The Globe & Mail - No protest too ruff for Kanellos

News.com.au - There's only one Kanellos - Riot Dog fans

NPR - Kanellos, The Greek Protest Dog

International Women’s Day Observed Worldwide

WORKERS WORLD
International Women’s Day observed worldwide

Kathy Durkin
Published Mar 17, 2010

The centennial anniversary of International Women’s Day was commemorated throughout the world by marches, rallies and meetings. Though themes differed, the activities showed women expressing their rights, protesting injustices and demonstrating solidarity with their sisters in struggle.

Women’s voices could be heard from Uruguay to Haiti, from Bangladesh to the Philippines. Some of the highlights of the many global activities on IWD — March 8 — are summarized here.

Women of Haiti marched in Port-au-Prince with banners held high, asserting “Women will rebuild Haiti,” referring to the devastating earthquake on Jan. 12, which took hundreds of thousands of lives and homes.

Many women’s organizations in Puerto Rico and Latin America dedicated their IWD programs to the women of Haiti, especially paying homage to women community leaders who had perished in the earthquake.

Activities in Europe varied, but the global economic crisis was not forgotten. In Athens, Greece, women protested against government austerity programs, which are affecting workers and retirees.

In Spain and Portugal women asserted demands for reproductive rights, similar to many protests in Latin America, to counter the stronghold of the Catholic Church on their governments’ policies.

In Istanbul, Turkey, women proudly marched. In Calcutta, India, women called for political rights and representation.

The women of Gaza marched with their children, showing their strength and determination in the face of Israeli aggression and occupation, one year after its horrific bombing campaign.

Their Palestinian sisters held a sit-in and rally in Beirut, Lebanon, demanding the release of their sisters who are tortured and imprisoned in Israeli jails. Their signs hailed struggling women everywhere.

To celebrate IWD, the National Garment Workers Federation sponsored a rally of women garment workers in Dhaka, Bangladesh. They demanded their right to a safe workplace. Women, who form 80 percent of the clothing factory workforce, face sexual abuse, long hours, low pay and unsafe working conditions.

A contingent of hearing- and speech-impaired women joined the IWD march in Kathmandu, Nepal. They carried signs calling for “equal rights and opportunities.”

Women workers in Seoul, South Korea, marched to protest the anti-worker policies of President Lee Myung-bak.

Philippine women marched throughout their country to protest growing poverty and political repression at the hands of the U.S.-backed government of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Marchers called for justice for women victims of human rights violations. Many women demanded “Free the Morong 43.” These 43 health care workers, of which 26 are women, are being illegally imprisoned at Camp Capinpin, an army headquarters in Tanay, Rizal.

In Baguio City, demonstrators honored the heroic struggles of Indigenous and working women in Cordilleras, while in Calamba City, they marked women’s long struggle for equality and justice.

On IWD, the government of South Africa announced it was setting up more health care programs for women and children.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions celebrated the gains of women workers and called on unions to promote women’s role in collective bargaining and gender equality in the workplace.

In Latin America, the progressive governments of Bolivia and Venezuela have implemented pro-women policies. On IWD, the Bolivian government announced the creation of a commission to promote women’s equality.

Nilda Copa, the minister of justice, told of Bolivia’s new constitution which contains 34 articles promoting women’s rights, a codification of women’s equality and prohibition of all forms of discrimination.

More than 200,000 women from all over Venezuela marched together in Caracas to celebrate the gains in women’s equality that have been made through the Bolivarian Revolution. Women now lead four of the five branches of government, while social programs have been implemented to help poor women. A Bicentennial Women’s Front was launched on IWD to help build socialism there.

Socialist Cuba celebrated IWD’s centennial with national celebrations and tributes to Vilma Espin, founder of the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC), and revolutionary hero Celia Sanchez.

The Cubans’ celebrations of the fiftieth anniversary of the FMC began on IWD and will continue through August. This 4-million member organization has been the leading force in helping women gain political, social and economic equality.

***

See also:
International Women's Day (IWD) - Wikipedia

Photos: The Greeks in Action

Courtesy of whoever took these photos. Thanks
Solidarity with the good Greeks, fuck the pigs!
J

Greek Anarchists Commemorate Teen's Murder

AHN - ALL HEADLINE NEWS
Greece: Violence, Anarchists Mark Anniversary of Teen's Death from Police Shooting

December 7, 2009

Ayinde O. Chase - AHN Editor

Athens, Greece (AHN) - Greek police arrested hundreds of rioting youths and used tear gas and shock grenades on Monday during a second day of protests. Rioters were protesting marking the anniversary of the police shooting which killed a teenager igniting an outpouring of violence the country hadn't seen in decades.

Youths donning hoods threw incendiary devices and marble chunks at police during a protest march through Athens' city center.

Violence has been escalating in the Greek cities of Athens, Patras and Ioannina since Saturday as authorities have been clashing with hooded protesters and demonstrating students.

Several thousand police officers were deployed ahead of the weekend in an attempt to quell any up swell of violence commemorating the death of 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos.

On Sunday local media showed images of rioters smashing bank windows and shops, setting garbage bins on fire and destroying cars. Authorities report at least 25 policemen and five protesters and 25 policemen have been injured, including the dean of the Athens University.

On Sunday Anarchists broke into a building at Athens University and tore down the Greek flag and replaced it with the red and black anarchist banner. During the attack the Dean of the university suffered massive head injuries and is currently listed in critical condition.

Several high schools and universities in the country are listed as being under the occupation by students on Monday as part of the protest.

Officials report more than 300 people have been detained by authorities.

2008's original rioting violence spread throughout the country's cities and lasted for weeks. During those troublesome weeks authorities had to deal with bombings, shootings, and arson attacks all directed towards banks, and multinational institutions.

Greek officials are saying they won't tolerate lawlessness this year. Karolos Papoulias, the president of Greece, is pleading for calm and asked for nonviolent protests.

Officials are fearing that the influx of anarchists from other countries will further ignite an already rapidly growing problem.

In 2008 Grigoropoulos was killed by a police officer who claimed he fired into the air while being attacked by teens. Subsequently two police officers have been charged with murder and attempted murder in the teen's death. They are scheduled to stand trial on Jan. 20.

Child Labor within Egypt's Fishing Industry

Al-Masry Al-Youm
Thursday 27, August 2009
Children on the water

Hundreds of thousands of underage fishermen face harsh lives
By Jano Charbel

BORG MEGHEIZAL---Twelve year-old Deif Allah Ragab works on a diesel-powered winch at one of the maintenance dockyards. Operating the loud, smoky and greasy machinery he pulls a large wooden fishing boat while four (equally young) co-workers place wooden sledges and planks underneath it as it comes ashore. After turning off the winch, Ragab said “I used to go to school until I was ten, but school is expensive and I don’t like it." He added “I prefer to work here, I have friends here and I can make money here."

In addition to operating the winch Ragab scrubs and cleans the hulls of fishing boats, and is an assistant carpenter on the docks. He works from 9am-5pm six days a week, and gets paid LE10 (less than $US 2) per day.

Mohamed Hassan, 13, works at the same dockyard but only during the summer months when he is on vacation from school. He helps lodge boats in place, and assists in the painting and carpentry of boats. He earns the same daily rate that Ragab does. Hassan said “I work here during vacations, but I go to school the rest of the year. I want to be an engineer."

At another dockyard nearby 11-year-old Saeed El Kawi sits next to his father on a wooden bench outside a ship-building workshop. He has embarked on three fishing trips so far this year. When asked what he wants to be when he grows up, the boy immediately replied “fisherman." But his father Saeed Senior said “I really hope he doesn’t become a fisherman. I started to work on these boats when I was 12, and I know from experience that it is a tough job."

An estimated 450,000 child laborers are employed in Egypt’s fishing industry nationwide where they are exposed to numerous occupational hazards and are denied their educational opportunities. Child labor within the fishing industry is said to be rampant along Egypt’s 2,500 kilometers of coastlines, as well as along the Nile and on Lakes Nasser and Qaroun.

Abed Hamdy, a field researcher at the Land Center for Human Rights and specialist in the labor affairs of fishing communities said child labor is common to all Egypt’s coastal governorates. But it is most pronounced in the Governorates of Port Said, in Fayyoum on Lake Qaroun, and especially in Rashid (Rosetta) in Beheira Governorate, and the town of Borg Megheizal in Kafr el-Sheikh Governorate.

In Borg Megheizal, child labor is omnipresent; children are employed at coffee shops, bakeries, and grain mills while others drive auto-rickshaws (tok-toks.) Yet the majority of child laborers are found on fishing boats, loading catches and then unloading them on shore, or as helping hands in the docking, building and maintenance of boats.

Residents here estimate that around 50 per cent of the town’s children are employed in the fishing industry. Local resident Ashraf Ali, an ex-fisherman, said that number may have been around 90 per cent two or three decades earlier. “Back then all the men and boys in this town where working at sea, while all the girls and women worked in their homes," he said.

Saeed Al Kawi Senior said the work conditions are tough for fishermen of any age. The boats may be out at sea for a week or two weeks at a time, and the large fishing trawlers may be out for even longer. “Each time it takes you away from your family, wife and children," he said. “I would like my son to complete his education and choose any other profession."

Another resident, who didn’t give his name, said that the impoverished villagers have little choice other than a life on the boats. “There are no other professions to employ people here. Unemployment rates are high and the government has neglected us and there are practically no development projects," he said. “What difference does it make if you complete your education or not? Even if you do, where are you going to find work here except at sea?"

In addition to the harsh condition, Hamdy, the labor researcher, said the underage fishermen “are subjected to the worst forms of exploitation, and are frequently injured by machinery and moving mechanical devices on board these boats."

At sea these child laborers are exposed to the harmful rays of the sun, harsh weather and humidity; all of which detrimentally affect their health and wellbeing. Children are subjected to falling overboard and drowning, some boats sink or capsize while out at sea jeopardizing the lives of fishermen, and especially the children amongst them.

“Fishermen employ child laborers because they get paid less, are more obedient and are easier to boss around than grownups. These child laborers are frequently bullied and physically abused," Hamdy said. “Alarmingly, we have also received numerous reports of sexual harassment and molestation of these children at the hands of fishermen. Along Egypt’s north coast some trafficking networks are also smuggling children via fishing boats to Italy and Greece where, more often than not, they are forced to work for criminal gangs and mafias."

There are no reliable statistics available as to the number of underage fishermen in Egypt. However, studies indicate that approximately 15 per cent of Egypt's three million child laborers are employed in fishing. "We are talking here about hundreds of thousands of children who are missing out on their educations, many of whom are put on fishing boats as soon as they are able to be utilized as helping hands," concluded Hamdy.

Most Egyptian child laborers, an estimated 60 per cent of the total, are employed in agriculture. Egypt has frequently faced criticism for not doing enough to curb its child labor rates—most recently at the annual conference of the International Labor Organization in Geneva in June 2009.

Clashes between anarchists and police in Athens

FOCUS Information Agency
8 July 2009

Athens - Anarchists and police offers clashed in Athens during protest rallies against police sweep operations which target illegal immigrants in the Greek capital, according to Greek online news.

Hundreds protested in Athens against “xenophobia and racism” and the government’s measures regarding illegal immigration.

Over the last few days the police have strengthened measures mainly against the illegal immigrants in central Athens. Actions are envisaged to be held for detaining foreigners and placing them in specialized centers.

With the tension escalating, clashes occurred between the protesters and the police - as a result of which tear-gas was used.

Protests were organized in Thessalonica too, where Molotov cocktails were used.

Clashes between anarchists and police in Athens

Britain: The Spring Offensive

Infoshop News
Monday, January 26 2009

There's no doubt that the six weeks from March 28th - May 4th offers our anarchist movement a chance to move out of the shadows. Against the background of recession there has been rioting across Europe from Riga to Sofia. These are riots not by activists but by poor people hurting badly.

The Greek uprising has provided a fine example of anarchists being prominent in a wider social movement for radical change. In Britain the war on Gaza and the Heathrow runway decision has brought protests - and direct action - back on the street across the country. They are not yet focussed on the recession but they may become so.

The G20 summit in London on April 2nd provides an opportunity for all these strands across Europe to come together as in the PARIS DECLARATION calling for a mass demonstration in London on March 28th - Saturday before summit - and across Europe on April 1st-2nd. In London the Trade Unions, Stop the War are organising marches on April 2nd. THE BEHEADING CAPITALISM event by the folks behind J18 is planned for the same day.

Other anarchists are planning a large central London anarchist rally on the night of April 1st with speakers from across Europe. After G20 the European leaders move on to the NATO summit in Germany - sure to get the anarchists back on the streets.

To often momentum is built over a few events then dribbles away. But this year we have the Mayday marches, a planned UK anarchist conference in London over May2-3rd and a Reclaim the Streets event in Brighton on May 4th. The fates are with us comrades, the sheeps entrails are promising, all we need are a few portents and omens to kick the whole fucking thing off.

JOIN THE SPRING OFFENSIVE!

Source: A-infoshttp://ainfos.ca/en

http://news.infoshop.org/article.php?story=20090126115047477