Police and bailiffs removed peaceful Occupy London protesters from their camp outside St Paul鈥檚 Cathedral on February 28. , which unites a range of groups and individuals to campaign against the British government's savage austerity measures, released the statement below in response.
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There has been a surge in protests and attacks against the US-led occupation forces in Afghanistan since February 20. The catalyst was the discovery by Afghan workers of burnt copies of the Koran at the waste disposal facility of the US military-run Bagram prison.
More than 30 unarmed protesters have been shot by occupation and puppet forces since February 20 (or, as the Western media prefer to phrase it, 鈥渄ied in the riots鈥). Six occupation soldiers have been killed in attacks 鈥 not by insurgents but by members of the Afghan security forces.
Millions of workers joined a one-day strike in India on February 28 in defence of public ownership and for stronger labour rights.
Eleven major trade unions called the action to protest against the United Progressive Alliance government's policy of selling stakes in state-owned companies.
They also demanded an amendment to minimum wage laws to keep pace with inflation, pensions for all workers and the registration of trade unions in different industries.
Chicago workers occupy plant, score win
Workers facing layoffs at a Chicago window factory have declared victory after occupying their plant for 11 hours, OccupyWallSt.org said on February 24.
The Occupy Wall Street website said: 鈥淭hrough direct community action, including the support of Occupy Chicago, the workers and their union prevented the California-based Serious Energy company from closing the plant for another 90 days. The workers hope this will give them time to keep the plant open, possibly by purchasing it themselves and creating a worker-owned co-op.鈥
It is a truism to say that democracy began with the Greeks 鈥 less so to say that it originated in popular rebellion against debt and debt-bondage.
Yet, with the Greek people ensnared once more in the vice-like grip of rich debt-holders, it may be useful to recall that fact. For the only hope today of reclaiming democracy in Greece (and elsewhere) resides in the prospect of a mass uprising against modern debt-bondage that extends the rule of the people into the economic sphere.
At last, the police have become efficient. They may have stumbled slightly with their investigation of News International, but they haven't made the same mistake with the people sitting around by St Paul's.
Last year, presumably, if they'd been asked to evict Occupy London protests who camped at St Paul's Cathedral, they'd have written a report saying: "We have left no stone unturned in pursuing the occupiers, but after driving round the cathedral hundreds of times we have no evidence of any tents anywhere, or, indeed, of any cathedral."
Bolivia鈥檚 vice-president Alvaro Garcia Linera brought a message of hope and anti-imperialist commitment to Mexico in early February.
Speaking to an overflowing assembly of students and university personnel at Mexico City鈥檚 UNAM (National Autonomous University), he said the left-wing government led by President Evo Morales welcomes social-movement protests and conflict. The more, the better.
鈥淭he struggle is our nourishment, our peace,鈥 Garcia Linera said. 鈥淚t does not overwhelm us. Absolute calm frightens us.
Addameer is a Palestinian human rights organisation that works to support political prisoners held in Israeli and Palestinian jails. It offers free legal aid and works to end torture and other abuses of prisoners' rights.
The group鈥檚 10 lawyers visit more than 500 prisoners inside Israeli jails each year. They also represent prisoners held by the Palestinian Authority (PA), representing more than 400 Palestinian prisoners arrested by PA security forces in 2009-10.
The International Network in Solidarity with the Political Prisoners (INSPP) received the wonderful news on February 29 that Colombian labour activist, human rights defender and political prisoner Liliany Obando was to be released on bond the next day.
Obando had been in jail for three years and seven months on charges of "rebellion".
Obando was arrested on August 8, 2008 while serving as the human rights coordinator for Agricultural Workers Union Federation of Colombia (Fengasuagro), Colombia's largest organisation of peasant farmers and farm workers unions and associations.
Kendra Pierre-Louis
IG Publishing, 216 pages
Radical German poet Hans Magnus Enzenberger once compared mainstream environmentalism to a Sunday sermon that terrifies parishioners with dire warnings of eternal damnation, but concludes weakly by promising salvation to any sinner who performs a simple act of penance.
鈥淭he horror of the predicted catastrophe,鈥 he wrote, 鈥渃ontrasts sharply with the mildness of the admonition with which we are allowed to escape.鈥
With international condemnation of Australia鈥檚 approach to asylum seekers and the intervention in the Northern Territory, Prime Minister Julia Gillard may not be well known for her support for human rights. Still she agreed to the Greens鈥 request for recognition of Indigenous peoples in the Australian constitution.
The control measures in the anti-association legislation will limit our rights to freely associate with people by allowing the government to make a declaration on an organisation. This will allow the government to obtain 鈥渃ontrol orders鈥 over individuals who are members, former members or people involved in the running of a declared organisation.
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